PCOS...

Kids are napping and I have a few minutes so, I am going ot write about something that has affected my life and the lives of many other women, many who do not even know what is wrong or that there may be anything wrong with them...

I HATE the above initials. I really do. PCOS has caused so much grief in my life and in the lives of a lot of people close to me. If you want to read more please click on the link above. My PCOS was in a sort of "remission" for a few years, thus, all 3 babies that I was able to have after hormone treatment during my pregnancy with Claire. Currently, it is back in FULL FORCE!!!

I have been doing research and taking some herbal things. Currently, Vitex and a Vitamin B complex. I am trying really hard to figure out a way to do mostly a low carb diet without killing myself & my family (Charlie has high blood pressure) with a lot of high fat stuff. Low-carb diets have proven very beneficial to PCOS sufferers and I am firmly convinced, as is my doctor, that is how I conceived Claire in the first place!

RIght now, I am struggling with about a 20 lb weight gain (in the past 3 months!!) excess facial hair, acne (I haven't had acne this bad since I was 14), depression, anxiety, mood swings, always hungry, SOOOOO tired, achy, bloated and a sore tummy (from the ovarian cysts) not to mention a few other symptoms. :( I am NOT a happy camper... so, I am trying some new things:

*Exercising with either walking DVD (3-5 miles a day) or "The Shred" 3-5 times a week, at least!! I would do it every day, but I am being real, it's probably NOT going to happen every.single. day. with 3 kids and homeschooling!!

*Sam-E- for depression and anxiety.

*Low carb diet...the best I can do.. it's expensive and hard to do with small children but I am going to do the best I can. Some things I am going to try: *keeping deviled eggs and cheese sticks in the fridge, chicken salads and egg salads made up for lunch, trying to STAY AWAY from the breads and desserts...I will allow myself to cheat only on the weekends (by doing this before, it was the only way to stick with it, to allow myself "small" cheats on the weekends, I could make it through the week and saw results quicker).


If any of you suffer from PCOS, do you have anything to share that has worked for you?? More people suffer from this than they know so if any of the symptoms sound familiar, please have it checked out. Although, to warn you, some doctors are not very good at diagnosing this. I went for YEARS without knowing what was wrong with me!!

Hope this helps someone and if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer what I can.

~Julie~

a year old today....

Blogger is being extremely slow about posting pictures so hopefully I can get some more up later this evening. I have a really cute one of Drew in his cowboy hat!!

Andrew Coy David.....we love you so very much!! You are one of the greatest blessings that we have ever received and you are such a wonderful son! You are so good and sweet and funny! What a sense of humor you have, already! I can not wait to see what you grow up to be! It is such an honor and a privilege to be your mama. God is so good!!

You greet me every morning with smiles and hugs that usually last a couple of minutes, at least! That always starts Mama's day off right! You are such a delight to your Dad and I and your sisters who never let you do anything yourself! You are "their" baby!!

You have 4 teeth and you are taking a few wobbly steps here and there but not taking off walking just yet! That's okay, do it in your own time. We can wait!

We love you, Andrew, and we praise God for your little life every.single.day.

Love always,
Mama

What a GREAT day!!! :)

First of all, we have not received the test results as of yet. I do not know what the hold up is but hopefully we will get them by the end of today. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Until then, keep praying. :)

Now, the reason for this super excited post! I have not said much about our decision to home school for some very good reasons. Not because I am trying to leave anyone out. My main reason is because I don't want criticism and I don't want the people we love to believe that we think their decision to public school their children is wrong. That is NOT it at all. We firmly believe that this is what is best for Claire & Lily right now. In a few years, who knows? Although, it's looking pretty good that we will stick with home schooling. However, we will take it a year at a time.

That said, one thing I was unsure of was the kids not having socialization. Well, God answered that problem BIG TIME!!!!! We have a homeschooling group!! The oldest one being 8 and the youngest 3 months. Claire, Lily & Drew all have kids in their age group! I am SO Excited!!!!!

We met them Saturday and had such a great time eating and visiting!!! The kids had so much fun playing together and they are all such nice children. They are very well behaved and they pray before meals and say" excuse me" and "please"! My kind of kids!!!! The parents are SO super nice and they work hard to include everyone. :)

Today we got together and took the kids to the park. That was loads of fun! The kids DID NOT want to go home! We are going to get together once a week and just so many group activities with the kids. WOW! I am just overwhelmed and so excited at God's answer to our prayers!!!

Anyway, just wanted to blog about that because I had such a great day and the kids did, too! :)

And if anyone is interested in how the kids can play sports being homeschooled? The kids can play summer league and by state law, I believe that the public schools MUST let them play if they wish, I am thinking that is right, anyway.

WOW! I am just so excited and happy right now!!!!!

Although, I would appreciate your prayers for my family right now. My Uncle Roy passed away and his funeral is tomorrow. Please pray for my Aunt Jean and his kids: Tony, Roy Lee & Kathy and all of their grandchildren. Also, pray for my Dad as he is having a rough time of it.

Thanks and ya'll have a great week!!!

Love,
Julie

real update (for you, sis)

everybody up from naps. feeding drew. i took a nap too. still have headache. still have cramps. much better mood.my sweet little sister emailed me. luv you sissy. =) claire & lily "reading" books to each other. claire wearing tinkerbell costume. thanks, meme for fixing the tear. =) supposed to make treat bags tonight for our church to hand out to local kids. will not make it. also will not be able to go to town and buy groceries tonight. oh well, scaling back. had too much on my plate, anyway. sick headaches are what happens when i do that. maybe i will sleep more than 6 hrs. tonight. i need it. i did accomplish one thing today, supper is in the crockpot. love my crockpot. well, that's it for the update. going to read with the girls now. we are reading "Farmer Will" and the little house for kids series. try it. i even love to read them. =)

and the best of all: CHARLIE IS ON HIS WAY HOME; YAY!!!!!!!! =)

Sunday dinner tomorrow

Hot Water Cornbread (you seriously have got to try this) Greens with bacon(and a splash of hot sauce), blackeye peas cooked with bacon &soft fried potatoes with onion. Yeah, a good ol' true Southern Sunday dinner and CHEAP, if you are feeding your family on a budget (who isn't?). My granny used to make this almost every weekend. Or some variation on this meal. This is some serious good food but you don't want to eat like this every day! (All the bacon, you know). =) Give the hot water cornbread a try and serve it with lots of butter! And if you want to make a to die for dessert, try this recipe of my grandmother's! Let me know how you like it! =)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Happies Continued......

My baby & me (I am laughing; please ignore the goofy look on my face!)

My sister, Crystal, me & Charlie

Claire in the outfit that Jordan & Clayton put together for her!

My sister, Tammy, Lily, me(6 months pregnant) & Micah at church

Allison tickling Claire at MeMe & Papaw Fogg's

Michayla & Claire at church sharing a cracker. They are watching the boys play football.


*I have more pictures that I want to share. A lot of them are of Lily's birthday parties and I want to scan Drew's ultrasound picture and get it posted for you. I will try to get that done this afternoon or tomorrow. It takes forever to scan these and then load them up to blogger! So, please pardon the crooked pictures because they are scanned and I can't seem to get them straight! :o)

Love,

Julie

Happies...

This post is completely random so it's just a warning! :o)

Things that make me happy today: (in no particular order)

*My husband turning his alarm off this morning & getting back in bed to hold me; how very sweet!

* Grilling last night & working in the garden with Charlie & the girls.

* Claire & the pottty training sticker chart; she has to get 10 stickers to get an ice cream with Daddy. She is on #7 and working hard already today to get to #10! So proud of her; she's trying so hard!

* Lily holding my hand last night while going to sleep. Her teeth are really bothering her and she just needed Mama's comfort. :o)

* Drew kicking me with full body blows and hitting and kicking the matress when I lay on my side to sleep! He is definitely strong & active! It's so fun to feel him move around and know that he is alive and strong! What a blessing (believe me, we know).

* This breakfast casserole; I believe it is very close to perfection! Yummy!

* "Creative Discipline" by Lisa Whelchel (Blair on The Facts of Life); a funny great read that really makes you understand the true meaning for discipline and just what are we getting so worked up for anyway?! lol. It's a lifetime process not something that has to be perfected overnight! Anyway, it helps me A LOT! :o)

* My Brighton watch takes a standard watch battery.

* My fingers and feet are not swollen today (yet).

*Dr. Pepper lip smackers lip gloss! Seriously good stuff for a Dr. Pepper addict and the color is really flattering, as well. Just a hint of color, like a blush.(I have been using this for about 5 years or so and I LOVE it!)

*Jergen's Self Tanning Body Lotion; just enough color but not enough to make me orange, which every other lotion with self tanner that I have tried does! Wal-Mart makes a generic version and I think Target does as well. I know the Wal-Mart one is about $2 cheaper a bottle and it works just as well. Although, you can also get the Jergen's lotion that is firming and it does wonders for cellulite and stretch marks! Hallelujah; it's amazing what a good tan can hide! :o)

* Splenda- LOVE the taste of this stuff and trying to eat healthier so this is a must. I am addicted to sweets and this just makes it easier to indulge. We have sweet tea made with this every night and we like it more than sugar sweet tea! In fact, the regular sweet tea feels so heavy to us now. This is great to have in the pantry to make some awesome sweet tea or a quick dessert! :o)

* The Ashley Judd Collection at Goody's! when I lose this pregnancy weight; I am SO shopping there & buying myself a few items! They are gorgeous and VERY flattering! Check it out; you can't beat Goody's prices!

* Target's (Liz Lange) Maternity jeans; Awesome & they last through more than one pregnancy! So comfortable and cute with all your shoes!(By the way; I am NOT getting paid to endorse anyone; just sharing my favorites with you!) *And, although I love the ones that I own now; they do not currently have anything cute that I think would work if I wanted to order a new pair! But, Old Navy has some really cute maternity jeans right now and I want to order this pair and this pair in particular!

* New Living Translation Study Bible; to study with, I haven't found anything better. The charts and timelines and biblical history are so helpful. I have used this Bible along with my KJV and my NIV for years and I find that looking at all three helps understand the context that something is written in much better. Of course, this is JMHO(just my honest opinion) and I am in NO way an expert on what Bible to read!

* My Kitchen Aid Mixer for awesome meringue for coconut cream pie we had earlier this week; yum!

* My granny's patchwork quilt made with her old dresses(the same ones that she made our barbie clothes with). I love to cuddle up with this and read my bible and journal. Makes me feel warm and loved.

* Things that don't let us forget. A book I am reading right now by Karen Kingsbury, "One Tuesday Morning". I cried so much and it reminded me how blessed I am to have the godly man that I do for my husband. He is not perfect and neither am I but we do strive toward that same ultimate goal; to be more like Christ every day. I love him so much.

*Baby Einstein videos- BOTH girls LOVE these and Claire teaches Lily the concepts as they watch. It's a sanity saver for me and so precious for the girls to enjoy this together! :o)

*Babywise- Nobody throw anything; this has helped us with both girls (both sleeping through the night by 12 weeks) so it works for us! :o)

Okay, I guess that I am through for now! I know this probably bored you senseless but thanks for reading along! And, if you get time, let me know a few of your favorite things! :o)

Love and Blessings to all,
Julie

Day 18 & !9- Husband Encouragement Challenge

Day 18-

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)

Are you a wise woman? Do you open your mouth with wisdom, as Proverbs 31:26 suggests? As you continue in your 30-day challenge, remember that a wise woman encourages her husband.
Is your husband a "wise man?" Does he have a godly perspective that comes from knowing God and walking with Him in obedience? Does he have a sense of purpose for his life and vision for your home? Tell him how much this means to you.

If you are not sure about your husband's vision for your home, ask him, "Honey, what do you want to accomplish with our marriage and home in the years to come?" and "How can I help you accomplish that?"

If he does not have a vision, your questions may inspire him to develop one.
If your husband is not walking with God--or perhaps, does not know the Lord--you have the opportunity and responsibility to practice your faith and create a thirst for God. Thank God for giving your husband a place in his heart that only He can fill, and keep praying that he will turn to the Lord to fill that vacuum!

*We worked on this and prayed about his vision for our family the other night! Charlie has such wonderful plans and hopes for all of us and he works so hard that we can accomplish them. He is very encouraging to me and the girls. He wants first of all to see our family grow in the Lord and that is his No. 1 priority. It is a blessing to be his wife!

Day 19-

"You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!" (Psalm 16:11a; 144:15b)

"A merry heart does good, like medicine." (Proverbs 17:22a)

It's hard to criticize others when we are enjoying their company. Instead of speaking negatively to your husband today, enjoy him! Encourage him! As you experience fullness of joy with God, share some of that joy with your husband.

Does your husband have a playful side? A great sense of humor? Is there a "little boy" that wants to escape from time to time, reflecting the joy in his heart?

This is a wonderful part of who he is, and a great strength. Let him know that you appreciate his joyfulness and his playful spirit. Find opportunities to join him in positive play times.


If your husband can sometimes be overly serious, coax him out occasionally for some play times. It will help him relieve stress and relax.

*Charlie is so great at making me laugh! He is the funniest person I know ! He is always making up these silly songs and calling me silly pet names and doing hilarious things for me and the girls. I love him so much and his lightheartedness and comic relief makes everything so much more bearable when life is rough. He is my rock but he is also my favorite comedian! Love you, babe.

Bitten by the Shopping Bug...

*REVISED!!!! : The little girls outfit below is $175! Does anyone else find that, can you say, RIDICULOUS?! Just to clarify, there is no way that I would spend that much (not even 1/4 of that) on an outfit! Especially when I can make it myself (which I plan to do)! I will probably go this weekend and pick out some material.It may not be cupcakes;because I don't know if I can find any. :o( So, if anyone has any ideas on where to buy cupcake material please let me know!!!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this for the girls!!!! Absolutely ADORABLE!!!! :o)

This for me, I LOVE cupcakes & I think this is really cute!!!

More cupcake bling!! So cute!!

Gorgeous shoes, LOVE the colors, especially the green! (aerosoles.com)

Same with these, I love the orange & purple ones! (aerosoles.com)

This dress looks so comfy right now!!! (forever21.com)

LOVE this color; it's awesome! (forever21.com)

This is what I want to do someday for a living; sell grogeous cupcakes in a quaint little shop!!! Don't these look DIVINE?! They also make me VERY hungry and make me want to go and make cupcakes!!! :o) My family would LOVE that!!!


Also, I am loving these super-cute headbands right now! My hair is growing SO fast and I am just going with it to see how long I can get it! So, headbands are coming in very useful right now and they make me feel so polished and put together when my hair is anything but that!!! :o) (By the way, these can be found at forever21.com and are less than $3 a piece!!! )

I can't think of anything really deep right now so, I am posting a few of my favorite things at the moment. Things I think are really cute and I would love to have! :o) I seem to have been bitten by the shopping bug!

Most of these things can be found at forever21 except for the cupcake stuff and that is found at ALL THINGS CUPCAKE.COM (some stuff is pretty expensive; you just have to watch it! I like to go there and see all of the cute cupcake stuff they come up with!)

Have a Happy Thursday, everyone!!!

LOVE,

Julie