At the beginning of May, I had an appointment with a new (to me) doctor. I had been toying with the idea of switching practices for a while, but needed an extra push to actually go for it. That "push" came in the fall when my former doctor's office continually misfiled my labwork and consistently miscommunicated within the office about my prescription, which resulted in me getting incorrect bills and redundant phone calls.
I called the new (to me) doctor in January and found out that she didn't have an opening for a new patient until May, so I made the appointment anyway. Then the pandemic hit our part of the world and I kept the appointment still. I am so glad I did! This doctor's office and I hit it off instantly. The staff is top notch and the doctor herself is so friendly, warm, and welcoming. Of course we were both masked during the whole appointment, so I still don't know 100% what her actual whole face looks like, but she's still friendly!
Since it was a new patient appointment, it was kind of like a whole physical in a way. I will have my thyroid issues handled there, so I'll make use of the lab there when it's time for my blood to be drawn. As I'm filling out the paperwork and describing generally how I've been feeling, she diagnosed me with silent reflux. I hadn't been going in there to get a diagnosis, but can I just say how much of a relief it was to actually have these random things join up together to mean something?! And to have that "something" be treatable?! It was a great feeling!
Over the course of the past year or so, I started having these very odd things happen at random times and I thought they were all disconnected and meant over-stress or something that would eventually pass. My symptoms included random chest pains (either covering my whole chest or just my left side), a constant sore throat, losing my voice twice within two months, feeling like something was stuck in my throat often, a dry cough occasionally, difficulty breathing when eating, trouble getting food to go down my throat, waking up at random intervals at night (and not necessarily due to Michael's CGM alarms waking me), clearing my throat, and feeling like I had a runny nose or a runny nose drip down my throat. Apparently these things combined equals silent reflux. It's nearly the same as heartburn but without the burning sensation, so I didn't know it was happening. If left untreated, it can damage my vocal cords and esophagus.
To help treat it and help prevent more damage, I take an acid reducer (like over-the-counter Pepcid) at night so that it doesn't interact with my thyroid med. I also have reduced caffeine (one to two cups of coffee rather than 3+) and limited (if any) caffeine throughout the day. I've also been advised to limit chocolate (I'm working on this and I think I'm doing okay. Kind of.), fried foods, late night snacking, peppermint (I'm guessing toothpaste doesn't count?), tomato sauces, etc. I also take care not to lie down right after eating, and rather try to stay upright for 2-3 hours after meals and snacks. Since I know what I have now, I am better about noticing when it's happening and can try to take the necessary precautions so additional damage isn't done.
After talking with others, I have found that many moms go through silent reflux probably due to the added stress of raising little ones and striving to always be our best and put our best face forward and beating ourselves up when we fall short of our own standards. I'm working on this and am so thankful to have the summer months ahead of me where I can focus on giving grace freely-- to myself also.
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Friday, May 22, 2020
Kid Beach Outfits & Games
Using the packing cubes that come in a set of 5 (four zipping bags and one "shoe bag" or "wet bag"), I am able to pack all vacation clothes for me and my kiddos easily and can pretty much get everyone's items into one duffel bag. I use the larger packing cube for myself, then each of the other three zipper bags for my kids.
I start with Michael usually. I put his things in the next largest zipper bag since his clothes are nearly the same size as mine. For this quick trip, I packed three shirts (because kids spill), two pairs of shorts, one pair of pants (you never can be too prepared), one set of pajamas, (and of course underwear & socks).
Using packing cubes and making an extensive list ahead of time of all the things we could possibly need makes for a relatively easy packing time. It's still overwhelming at times to pack for four people and think of all of the extra things to include. At least it's summer and when I come home, I can just leave all of these things in a pile on my kitchen floor for a few hours without rushing to put it all away immediately!
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
I start with Michael usually. I put his things in the next largest zipper bag since his clothes are nearly the same size as mine. For this quick trip, I packed three shirts (because kids spill), two pairs of shorts, one pair of pants (you never can be too prepared), one set of pajamas, (and of course underwear & socks).
Noah wanted to pick out all of his own items. This kid will wear jeans or pants every single day if he could, but I did persuade him to add some shorts in the mix. He is also a creature of comfort and chose long sleeve fleece pajamas, so we'll see how that works out. :) His clothes are pretty small, so they're easily able to fit into the middle sized zipping bag.
Avery uses the smallest packing cube. I packed the same clothing equation for her (three shirts, two shorts, one pair of pants, pajamas), plus a dress just in case she wanted to go that route on our trip. I also include more than enough overnight diapers.
Since we're staying somewhere not our own, I am including small games that are easy to pack and fun to play. Uno is always a favorite with Michael (we played this for literally hours on end when he was in the hospital a year-and-a-half ago). I'm also including regular playing cards so that Aaron and I can play Rummy or something else while the kids are sleeping. Of course I had to throw in Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and Spot it! These are so super fun and we've really enjoyed them as we've mostly been at home over these past two months.
Using packing cubes and making an extensive list ahead of time of all the things we could possibly need makes for a relatively easy packing time. It's still overwhelming at times to pack for four people and think of all of the extra things to include. At least it's summer and when I come home, I can just leave all of these things in a pile on my kitchen floor for a few hours without rushing to put it all away immediately!
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Beach Trip Outfits
In preparation of our beach trip, I put together a few outfits that I am packing. I'm using our packing cubes again because it keeps everything so organized. I actually forget that I have these until it's time to pack and then I'm super excited when I remember how easy it'll be to pack everything!
I ordered this suit for 50% off from J.Crew when they were having a flash sale. I've been eyeing it for about 3 years but knew that I'd need a serious sale in order to purchase it. I'd also been wanting to order the caftan for about 2 years and finally got around to it this past week.
The shorts with the frayed hem are from Target. I'm not a super huge fan of the high-waist, but they're comfortable enough to keep wearing. The jeans are Wit & Wisdom with ab-solution technology. They're my all time favorite brand of jeans, but I wait til they go on sale before buying a pair. These are technically ankle-length, but I purposely bought them in the Regular length rather than Petite length so that they could be a longer jean on me. They have a raw hem, which is a style I really wanted to try! They fit so very well and are majorly comfortable. The Old Navy mid-rise shorts were a hand-me-down and they're my favorite shorts. I wish I could find other mid-rise styles these days, but apparently the high-waist is what's in for this summer and it's really difficult to find anything else! (similar shorts, but with a rolled hem)
I'll update later on with what I'm bringing for the kids-- including games!
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
I ordered this suit for 50% off from J.Crew when they were having a flash sale. I've been eyeing it for about 3 years but knew that I'd need a serious sale in order to purchase it. I'd also been wanting to order the caftan for about 2 years and finally got around to it this past week.
The shorts with the frayed hem are from Target. I'm not a super huge fan of the high-waist, but they're comfortable enough to keep wearing. The jeans are Wit & Wisdom with ab-solution technology. They're my all time favorite brand of jeans, but I wait til they go on sale before buying a pair. These are technically ankle-length, but I purposely bought them in the Regular length rather than Petite length so that they could be a longer jean on me. They have a raw hem, which is a style I really wanted to try! They fit so very well and are majorly comfortable. The Old Navy mid-rise shorts were a hand-me-down and they're my favorite shorts. I wish I could find other mid-rise styles these days, but apparently the high-waist is what's in for this summer and it's really difficult to find anything else! (similar shorts, but with a rolled hem)
I chose between these two shirts since they're both the same A-line style. I ended up choosing the shirt on the left since the fabric is softer and I'm all about comfort when I go on a trip. It's from Wal-Mart last summer. The shirt on the right is a true favorite. I cut the tassles off of it when it arrived because they weren't the same length and didn't add to the overall effect of the shirt. I ordered up two sizes to make sure it was actually big enough since it comes from China. I also learned my lesson not to put it in the dryer because the length will certainly shrink. Now after I wash it, I lay it flat to dry and I tug on the hemline just to make sure it keeps it's length.
This shirt is another Amazon find and it's so super soft! I bought it in the fall to wear for a pep rally at school (Hawaiian themed, as it were) but I have worn it several times since then just because it's so comfortable.
The dress is several years old from LOFT Beach line, but I loved the summery colors. Anything red, white, and blue says "Summer!" to me. A few months ago, I bought the slip shorts from Target. Wearing slips is a hassle to me, but slip shorts offer the same coverage and makes me feel like I'm actually more covered up.
The PJs were a February find from TJMaxx and whatever material they're made from stays soft throughout washing and drying. They're really comfortable which is how they made my vacation outfit approved list. :)
Here's everything laid out in the packing cube that I use for myself. I use the other cubes for my kids' clothes. I made sure to leave my pajamas on top since we'll be arriving late and this will be the first thing that I'll need to wear while I'm there.
Once it's zipped shut, it's nice and compact and makes fitting everything in my duffel bag so easy.
I'll update later on with what I'm bringing for the kids-- including games!
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
Monday, May 18, 2020
Upcoming Bathroom Reno
When Aaron and I bought this house four years ago, we instantly thought of ways to improve the bathroom. We dreamed about our perfect plan and how we'd structure things to make them more suitable to be used by a 6'2" broad-shouldered man. We also knew we lacked storage space in the bathroom with only having under-the-sink storage and no linen closet (in the bathroom or otherwise, since our hall closet is full of medical supplies). We envisioned a bathroom where we could easily shower without bumping into walls, and this bathroom would also have ample storage space for towels, etc.
After years of dreaming, we began pursuing this project once I was hired on last summer for a full-time teaching position. We knew we'd have a steady income stream again, so we began to casually look for a contractor. We had our living, dining, and hallway floors redone two years ago and the tile installer said that his favorite thing to do was bathroom showers, so we debated contacting him. However, we knew that we would be needing more than a shower changeover, so we thought about hiring out a subcontractor and recommending that he use the previous tile guy. This all sounded weird and controlling though, so we didn't pursue this path. We kept on casually looking, and one day on Facebook (I know, I know) I saw that a friend of mine had her pool deck redone and had used a local (to her) contractor. I clicked on his site and perused around and found that he does bathroom remodels and is very good at it. It looked right up our alley-- needing a bathroom remodel with somewhat strange ideas that we wanted to see become reality, and able to do the entire project start to finish without having to hire outside of his own company. I sent a quick message asking if they came to our area (he's about 45 minutes away) and I received a quick reply and we set up an appointment for him to come do an estimation. (On a whim a couple days later, I asked if he could also estimate the cost of redoing our deck which was rotting before our eyes, and he said yes which is how we're having both projects done simultaneously).
Basically, our bathroom consists of a garden tub plastic insert next to a poorly sealed frosted window, a plastic shower stall insert, a toilet, and a double vanity with under-sink storage and three pull-out drawers. Aaron cannot move around in the shower since it's so skinny, so we knew this was an issue. We bathe our kids in the garden tub since there's no toilet or cabinet blocking our way but this is something we'll get over when we begin bathing them in the hall bathroom with a smaller tub. Soon they'll all be taking showers anyway, so it's not a huge ordeal anyhow. The vanity is standard height, which believe it or not, is even a little short for me. My parents had "adult height" bathroom cabinets and this was what was normal for me. Then the first house Aaron and I bought had these higher height cabinets too, so we were a little surprised that the bathroom vanities in this house were so short.
Therefore, our plan became to remove the shower insert and install wooden shelves instead. Then we'd remove the bathtub insert and install a large tiled-in shower in its place. We'd keep the vanity itself, but we'll move it up four inches taller and keep our existing mirror. He did quote us a new counter top and undermount sinks, so we're doing this for a little upgrade on the vanity without replacing the entire piece. We'll keep the toilet and flooring the same for cost effectiveness and because nothing is wrong with them.
It's weird to think that after all of these years planning and dreaming of the more convenient bathroom, that it'll actually be done in less than three weeks! We went and picked out our tile yesterday for the shower. We plan to do white subway tile (3" x 6" ) with black grout. We also picked out a mosaic tile piece of gray, black, and silver (almost stainless steel looking) tiles to be an accent band around the middle of the shower wall. We chose a hexagonal slate colored textured tile to be the shower flooring. We'll order our shower faucet this week for it to arrive when the contractor needs it.
(The subway tile box:)
I cannot wait to share pictures of the "after" effect! Here are some "before" shots.
And my super impressive phone rendering of what the space might somewhat look like. :)
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
After years of dreaming, we began pursuing this project once I was hired on last summer for a full-time teaching position. We knew we'd have a steady income stream again, so we began to casually look for a contractor. We had our living, dining, and hallway floors redone two years ago and the tile installer said that his favorite thing to do was bathroom showers, so we debated contacting him. However, we knew that we would be needing more than a shower changeover, so we thought about hiring out a subcontractor and recommending that he use the previous tile guy. This all sounded weird and controlling though, so we didn't pursue this path. We kept on casually looking, and one day on Facebook (I know, I know) I saw that a friend of mine had her pool deck redone and had used a local (to her) contractor. I clicked on his site and perused around and found that he does bathroom remodels and is very good at it. It looked right up our alley-- needing a bathroom remodel with somewhat strange ideas that we wanted to see become reality, and able to do the entire project start to finish without having to hire outside of his own company. I sent a quick message asking if they came to our area (he's about 45 minutes away) and I received a quick reply and we set up an appointment for him to come do an estimation. (On a whim a couple days later, I asked if he could also estimate the cost of redoing our deck which was rotting before our eyes, and he said yes which is how we're having both projects done simultaneously).
Basically, our bathroom consists of a garden tub plastic insert next to a poorly sealed frosted window, a plastic shower stall insert, a toilet, and a double vanity with under-sink storage and three pull-out drawers. Aaron cannot move around in the shower since it's so skinny, so we knew this was an issue. We bathe our kids in the garden tub since there's no toilet or cabinet blocking our way but this is something we'll get over when we begin bathing them in the hall bathroom with a smaller tub. Soon they'll all be taking showers anyway, so it's not a huge ordeal anyhow. The vanity is standard height, which believe it or not, is even a little short for me. My parents had "adult height" bathroom cabinets and this was what was normal for me. Then the first house Aaron and I bought had these higher height cabinets too, so we were a little surprised that the bathroom vanities in this house were so short.
Therefore, our plan became to remove the shower insert and install wooden shelves instead. Then we'd remove the bathtub insert and install a large tiled-in shower in its place. We'd keep the vanity itself, but we'll move it up four inches taller and keep our existing mirror. He did quote us a new counter top and undermount sinks, so we're doing this for a little upgrade on the vanity without replacing the entire piece. We'll keep the toilet and flooring the same for cost effectiveness and because nothing is wrong with them.
It's weird to think that after all of these years planning and dreaming of the more convenient bathroom, that it'll actually be done in less than three weeks! We went and picked out our tile yesterday for the shower. We plan to do white subway tile (3" x 6" ) with black grout. We also picked out a mosaic tile piece of gray, black, and silver (almost stainless steel looking) tiles to be an accent band around the middle of the shower wall. We chose a hexagonal slate colored textured tile to be the shower flooring. We'll order our shower faucet this week for it to arrive when the contractor needs it.
(The subway tile box:)
I cannot wait to share pictures of the "after" effect! Here are some "before" shots.
And my super impressive phone rendering of what the space might somewhat look like. :)
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
Monday, May 11, 2020
Sayings of My Children
I figured it was time for another round of funny things my kids say. I'm just truly amazed at the funny phrases that come out of their mouths! It's so much fun to have Avery participate in these sayings now that her vocabulary is exploding. All in all, they get along well together and do tend to feed off each other when it comes to funny conversations. Here's a peek at the latest collection.
Michael: when I grow up will it be the future?
Me: yes.
Michael: (gasps) so there will be robots?!?
Noah: if your eye falls out and falls into your nose, you won't be able to breathe
We had BLTs for dinner. Michael said "when I eat this, I feel like a grown up." :)
(note: Noah has been spelling a lot of words out loud before he says them)
Noah: Mom, where's the c-h-o-c-k? Where's the chalk?
Noah: did you know your name has all the words (letters) in bear?
Me: Noah, could you color in the lines?
Noah: Blippi doesn't color in the lines.
(Avery walks into living room with her unicorn stick toy and Noah follows with a toy airplane)
Me: oh! Are you guys having a parade?
Avery: no. I'm having a horse.
Noah: I know that Billy is a nickname.
Michael: how do you know that Billy is a nickname?
Noah: (whispers) that's Grampa Bill's name.
Michael: (scoffs) Grampa Bill's name is not Billy. It's Michael.
Noah: I could just hug you forever.
Me: oh boy. Look at this mess you made.
Avery: I not make mess. Kani (what she calls Akuna) make mess.
Me: Akuna made this mess?
Avery: ya!
Me: I don't think so. I think you made this mess.
Avery: Oh. Right.
Michael: (pretending to talk on the phone) oh that was my baby sister. She dropped something. She's always very careful. She just does things on accident.
A: I want a rice krispy treat. They're so not ew!
Michael: (playing pretend) Noah, you have to name your monster.
Noah: baku taki.
Michael: No. It can't be a gibberish name. It has to be a real name. So Noah, what's your monster's name?
Noah: Michael
Me: oh, Avery! Did you toot?
Avery: yah.
Me: shoo-wee! It stinks!
Avery: (puts her hands on my eyelids) Here momma, just close your eyes
Me: (while making milkshakes) It needs to be thicker. I'll add some more ice cream.
Noah: (gasps) there's ice cream in it?!?
(When we told the boys that Venus was going to be its brightest on 04-27-20. The boys peered out their window at night, then we went outside to look. The following morning, Michael was chatting with me about it.)
Michael: I can't believe I've been wishing to Venus this whole time.
Avery: what's this called?
Me: a rolling pin
Avery: I have a rolling pencil!
Yesterday after hearing me tell Michael it was May 1st and that school ends in May, Noah said "Wait! It's Summer 1st?!"
Noah: why do the coffee toffee bars look so weird?
Me: I'm not good at making the glaze. Never have been. Gigi is a pro.
Michael: so would you call yourself a half-newb or a whole-newb?
Me:
(wide eyed surprised face that my son knows that slang term "newb.")
Michael: Can I just give you one hint for your Mother's Day present?
Me: if that will make you feel better, you can.
Michael: OK. It starts with G.
Me: ok. Great hint. I won't be able to figure that out.
Noah: wait a minute. Does purse start with G?
Turns out, I really did get a purse from Noah for Mother's Day. :) Michael got me a board game and Avery got me an Auburn t-shirt. (They each talked with Aaron about what they wanted to pick out and he went to the store to get the items since we're not ready for our kids to be out and about in public quite yet).
I try to soak up what they say and I know that one day, way before I'm ready, they'll suddenly be saying each word and phrase correctly and funny quips won't come out of their mouths on a daily basis. I know that they've said things that I've missed writing down, but it sure is fun to read back through these posts and relive the moments when I've caught what they've said and cherished it. :)
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
Michael: when I grow up will it be the future?
Me: yes.
Michael: (gasps) so there will be robots?!?
Noah: if your eye falls out and falls into your nose, you won't be able to breathe
We had BLTs for dinner. Michael said "when I eat this, I feel like a grown up." :)
(note: Noah has been spelling a lot of words out loud before he says them)
Noah: Mom, where's the c-h-o-c-k? Where's the chalk?
Noah: did you know your name has all the words (letters) in bear?
Me: Noah, could you color in the lines?
Noah: Blippi doesn't color in the lines.
(Avery walks into living room with her unicorn stick toy and Noah follows with a toy airplane)
Me: oh! Are you guys having a parade?
Avery: no. I'm having a horse.
Noah: I know that Billy is a nickname.
Michael: how do you know that Billy is a nickname?
Noah: (whispers) that's Grampa Bill's name.
Michael: (scoffs) Grampa Bill's name is not Billy. It's Michael.
Noah: I could just hug you forever.
Me: oh boy. Look at this mess you made.
Avery: I not make mess. Kani (what she calls Akuna) make mess.
Me: Akuna made this mess?
Avery: ya!
Me: I don't think so. I think you made this mess.
Avery: Oh. Right.
Michael: (pretending to talk on the phone) oh that was my baby sister. She dropped something. She's always very careful. She just does things on accident.
A: I want a rice krispy treat. They're so not ew!
Michael: (playing pretend) Noah, you have to name your monster.
Noah: baku taki.
Michael: No. It can't be a gibberish name. It has to be a real name. So Noah, what's your monster's name?
Noah: Michael
Me: oh, Avery! Did you toot?
Avery: yah.
Me: shoo-wee! It stinks!
Avery: (puts her hands on my eyelids) Here momma, just close your eyes
Me: (while making milkshakes) It needs to be thicker. I'll add some more ice cream.
Noah: (gasps) there's ice cream in it?!?
(When we told the boys that Venus was going to be its brightest on 04-27-20. The boys peered out their window at night, then we went outside to look. The following morning, Michael was chatting with me about it.)
Michael: I can't believe I've been wishing to Venus this whole time.
Avery: what's this called?
Me: a rolling pin
Avery: I have a rolling pencil!
Yesterday after hearing me tell Michael it was May 1st and that school ends in May, Noah said "Wait! It's Summer 1st?!"
Noah: why do the coffee toffee bars look so weird?
Me: I'm not good at making the glaze. Never have been. Gigi is a pro.
Michael: so would you call yourself a half-newb or a whole-newb?
Me:
Michael: Can I just give you one hint for your Mother's Day present?
Me: if that will make you feel better, you can.
Michael: OK. It starts with G.
Me: ok. Great hint. I won't be able to figure that out.
Noah: wait a minute. Does purse start with G?
Turns out, I really did get a purse from Noah for Mother's Day. :) Michael got me a board game and Avery got me an Auburn t-shirt. (They each talked with Aaron about what they wanted to pick out and he went to the store to get the items since we're not ready for our kids to be out and about in public quite yet).
I try to soak up what they say and I know that one day, way before I'm ready, they'll suddenly be saying each word and phrase correctly and funny quips won't come out of their mouths on a daily basis. I know that they've said things that I've missed writing down, but it sure is fun to read back through these posts and relive the moments when I've caught what they've said and cherished it. :)
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba