Carter doesn't speak

In case you think i'm overly worried, I need to tell you that i'm not -extremely- concerned, but my personality is just an overanalyzing type, so whether its a problem or not, i'm very aware of things - it's just how my mind operates.

Okay, Carter doesn't say ANY words. Truly. No. Words. At. All. He makes sounds - he can do the mamama, dadada, bababa, etc but he doesn't associate mama and dada to us specifically by calling us those words. If we say 'where's mommy?' he can find me, and can do so for all people/animals he "knows". He's smart too, he's not behind in understanding. He just doesn't talk.

I have gone ahead and filled out a development form at our local Parent Link Center for kids age 17 months to 18 months. He's only 17.5 months, so he's certainly closer to the beginning of the survey. I will redo it in a months time - and I will have his vaccinations in two weeks here where a health nurse will 'analyze' him also. Anyways, when I filled out the form he passed everything with flying colors (motor skills, problem solving, etc) but failed miserably the communcation section. I am monitoring him and am not pushing him to talk - but am definetly making the effort to encourage him to say -anything-....so when he points and grunts at something, I just make an extra point of saying "oh, are you looking for the ball?...THIS ball? Do you want this ball? the yellow ball? Here you go, here is the ball" ...I don't sit down with him and repeat phrases like "say ball Carter, say ball" because I don't want to frusterate him...I am just trying to focus on looking directly at him when I speak so he can see my lips.

The reason for that is I am curious if his delay is linked at all to his hearing - he has had so many ear infections. He can hear, that I know - I have tested him by calling his name not too loudly when his back is turned to me, and he will turn and look to me....but there are (very few) times he doesn't which could just be him ignoring me - kids do that sometimes lol. Anyways, I am just being proactive and paying attention to his development just in case.

Anyways, LOVE my boy! He's such a great personality and brings joy to me and our family. I am just a protective mama bear and have an over analytical brain :)

Quotes

I have put our family on a pretty strict and tight budget in order to get out of debt within (hopefully) two years - three tops.

In the meantime, I am working towards saving for a couple of home reno projects. In order to save I need to have a price to save for. So, I drew up and took my deck plan into Home Depot this past week, and they quoted me for the supplies (roughly) $2300 to make the size of deck I want (not including a railing). This would require us building the deck on our own. We seem to know enough people with building experience and know-how that I feel confident we can getter-done. Goal: $3000 saved to build deck

Then, my other project is my extension of cabinets (top and bottom) in my kitchen to create more kitchen space (storage and counter). I used the 3D Ikea kitchen building program and chose cabinets, countertops, hardware, etc, and the quote for my 8ft of top/bottom length cabinets is roughly $2200. Goal: $2500 saved to reno kitchen.

The other "small" project is my kids bathroom - I want to put a tub surround in their bathroom and paint it. Goal: $500 max and done by the end of 2013

Logan's birthday present this spring: Treehouse. I have not gone and drew up a specific plan yet - just in brainstorming stage, but i'm hoping we can buy all the wood and supplies for $500. Not sure if that's a realistic plan yet, haven't gotten that far :)

I need to plant a money tree....

discouraging day

As you know I have been doing a program with Michael called "Rushfit" (blogged previously about it). It has been fun and a GREAT workout! I have added strength and endurance and flexibility, which is wonderful and despite the tone of the blog to follow, I am grateful for.

I did a cleanse - the Wild Rose Cleanse a few weeks ago and it was close to the time that I started RushFit. By week 3 (we got our weeks mixed up and weighed/measured early) I was down 4lbs and 4" - VERY exciting right? Absolutely!

Within the first week of finishing the cleanse I gained all 4lbs +1 BACK. I hadn't changed anything! I am still wheat/flour/sugar free because I seem to have an intolerance, etc so I basically continued my regular eating and am still working out 6 days a week. So the past 3 days have been a really big hardship on me...when depressed (especially ABOUT food) I just want to eat everything in sight. I have mostly managed to stay within my 1600 MAX calorie range, but have had some terrible food choices in there - whihc in turn makes me feel emotionally worse! Vicious cycle right?

I am frusterated with my body and I am frusterated when it just doesn't make sense! I can't eliminate any more food because I am already on avg eating only 1400 cals per day...and I can't exercise MORE because an hour a day is already hard to squeeze in with my schedule and my family.

Michael has lost 15-20lbs and is looking great. I know I can't/shouldn't compare, but to watch him to the same program and same food plan and get results is terrible disheartening. He also has willpower. I'm not sure how he does it - well I do konw, he doesn't have my intense need and desire to eat food. I sometimes with people could just spend a day in my head and really understand how much I think about food, and how hungry I feel ALL the time, every day, day in and day out. You'd think I'd be an enormous whale if you really knew! Well, I was close LOL but the willpower I have is not enough I guess - that is just the sad part for me.

Anyways, I will not give up - I am not even trying to change my body type...I -know- that I will always carry my weight in my hips/buttock, and I know I will always be pear shaped....I just want to be toned up and firm, not giggly and be able to grab a handful of excess in those regions - I don't think that's too much to ask! I've been doing squats and lunges basically on a daily basis (it's in every workout, some more than others) and I just dont' feel any different. In fact, the other day before the cleanse was finished I tried on my skinny pants and I was actually able to do them up! I haven't done that since I used to wear them pre-Carter - that was SOOO exciting! But now I can't do them up again...in a  week and a half - and for no -obvious to me- reason.

Okay, i'm done. VENTVENTVENT. SADSADSAD.

Return to my initial comment. I -am- however grateful for the increase in my physical fitness level. I hope that one day my body and mind will cooperate and help me reach my goal.

new plan

In true "Kyla" fashion, I have new ideas, new focus and new dreams! LOL

As of recent Michael and I have found ourselves in a bit of a financial crunch, slipping down a slippery slope. In order to correct this we have readdressed our situation and created a new strict budget and hope to be debt free in 2-3 years. It is going to be hard and it's going to be difficult and i'm going to struggle around those times of year (summer, birthdays and christmas) when I only have "x" number of dollars to work with, but i'm bound and determined. (We are doing the cash envelopes)

There is a course I want to take via homestudy through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. It's an intensive 1100 hour diploma program, which I would like to take as pre-req knowledge for doing the Live Blood Analysis program. Yup, I am going down that road! However, the incentive is that if I reach debt free status, I then can start saving for the course fee (approx $3000) - by the time that comes I will be hopefully in a space where we are out of new baby phase and I can actually venture down the road of more education and learning :)

On another note, Bowen is going well - I have about 5 clients a week - would like to have 8-10 now as my new clientel goal. I think Bowen & Blood (for abbrev purposes) would go nicely together.

Random note: Michael received a call from WCB - they said they've been trying to send us a settlement cheque and it has been returned due to incorrect address - he was in a fender bender (not his fault) about 2 years ago...i'm hoping it's enough to cover the cost ofa new garborator! Ours keeps backing up into our dishwasher which in turn backs up in the garborator but I just don't have the funds to replace it...so i'm not hand washing dishes in my really inconveniently set up sink area. Should be in the mail this week! Wish us luck.

Oh! Where did the blood reading interest come from? Well, it has ALWAYS interested me (i've mentioned it in many posts before) but the cost seemed too great - and was too great - and I just didn't know where to start. As of a few months ago I have been hosting a blood clinic for a lady who reads blood, out of my home, and it's been so much fun and so fascinating! And SOOO much interest! I actually have a wait list believe it or not for people to get in. So, now tha ti'm using it as a debt free incentive I am just excited - excited to be debt free and exciting to learn more! I love natural health and I love helping people - I just am giddy :)

Rushfit

So this is the program Michael and I are doing right now: http://www.gsprushfit.com/

Basically it's MMA fitness training in a video workout format. It's an 8 week training session, where you workout 6 days and rest 1. The workouts are 1 hour long and some days you are required to an additional 30 minutes of cardio. The workouts are bootcamp intense and there's a handful of things I just am not physically capable of doing - nor do I feel the need to be able to LOL.

Today I just did day 8 and today was the first day since after day 1 that I wasn't in pain in all my muscles!! lol..

A big thing i've noticed is that I am even more than normal thinking about food and am constantly HUNGRY. As i've blogged before, food and I have a weird relationship, and I rarely feel 'full' - if I feel full, it only lasts 30-60 minutes before I could eat an entire meal again. I have learned and taught myself to just eat three meals a day with a small snack when necessary...but this fitness regime is really challenging my psyche (sy-kee) <--how do you sell that?). Anyways, i've got myself on a 1550 daily calorie intake - but now I am sitting around 1800 by days end cuz of the major food cravings.

I keep reminding myself i'm burning alot of calories and there's no way after 8 weeks of this intense training that there will be NO change in my body, even if I'm eating a little bit more. HOWEVER on the same coin i'm still trying to win this mind-body battle because when i'm not working out, I need to be able to eat only 1500 or i'll gain everything back too fast.

Sigh, stupid body LOL

Other than that little 'complaint' i am absolutely LOVING this program! It's the perfect intensity and it's FUN - totally up my alley as far as fitness activity goes.

On another note - I'm still boxing once a week at Spray Lakes just to make our membership worthwhile, and we signed Logan up for "Little Dragons" which is Kick-Jitzu for 4-6 yr olds. He is actually VERY excited about it - he can't wait to box like mommy, and daddy is excited because he loves UFC! Logan's class is two days a week for the next two months, for 50 minutes! I hope he loves it :)

Information I found on Ovarian Cysts

So I came across a site that had the following information which made sense to me and 'fit' me. Per the description i'm certain I have functional cysts. I have 7-8 of the symptoms from the list and tho I didn't get an u/s this last time, I was just in the urgent care with abdominal pain a month ago and they wanted an u/s then - which didn't work out either (Cochrane REALLY needs an u/s tech! lol). Anyways, They have been found on my ovaries in past years. Enjoy educating yourself!

 

 

What are ovarian cysts?

A cyst is a fluid-filled sac. They can form anywhere in the body. Ovarian cysts (sists) form in or on the ovaries. The most common type of ovarian cyst is a functional cyst.
Functional cysts often form during the menstrual cycle. The two types are:

• Follicle cysts. These cysts form when the sac doesn't break open to release the egg. Then the sac keeps growing. This type of cyst most often goes away in 1 to 3 months.
• Corpus luteum cysts. These cysts form if the sac doesn't dissolve. Instead, the sac seals off after the egg is released. Then fluid builds up inside. Most of these cysts go away after a few weeks. They can grow to almost 4 inches. They may bleed or twist the ovary and cause pain. They are rarely cancerous. Some drugs used to cause ovulation, such as Clomid® or Serophene®, can raise the risk of getting these cysts.

Other types of ovarian cysts are:

• Endometriomas (EN-doh-MEE-tree-OH-muhs). These cysts form in women who have endometriosis (EN-doh-MEE-tree-OH-suhss). This problem occurs when tissue that looks and acts like the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. The tissue may attach to the ovary and form a growth. These cysts can be painful during sex and during your period.
• Cystadenomas (siss-tahd-uh-NOH-muhs). These cysts form from cells on the outer surface of the ovary. They are often filled with a watery fluid or thick, sticky gel. They can become large and cause pain.
• Dermoid (DUR-moid) cysts. These cysts contain many types of cells. They may be filled with hair, teeth, and other tissues that become part of the cyst. They can become large and cause pain.
• Polycystic (pol-ee-SISS-tik) ovaries. These cysts are caused when eggs mature within the sacs but are not released. The cycle then repeats. The sacs continue to grow and many cysts form. For more information about polycystic ovaries, see our polycystic ovary syndrome fact sheet.

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What are the symptoms of ovarian cysts?

Many ovarian cysts don't cause symptoms. Others can cause:

• Pressure, swelling, or pain in the abdomen
• Pelvic pain
• Dull ache in the lower back and thighs
• Problems passing urine completely
• Pain during sex
• Weight gain
• Pain during your period
• Abnormal bleeding
• Nausea or vomiting
• Breast tenderness

If you have these symptoms, get help right away:

• Pain with fever and vomiting
• Sudden, severe abdominal pain
• Faintness, dizziness, or weakness
• Rapid breathing

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How are ovarian cysts found?

Doctors most often find ovarian cysts during routine pelvic exams. The doctor may feel the swelling of a cyst on the ovary. Once a cyst is found, tests are done to help plan treatment. Tests include:

• An ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create images of the body. With an ultrasound, the doctor can see the cyst's:
  • Shape
  • Size
  • Location
  • Mass — if it is fluid-filled, solid, or mixed
• A pregnancy test. This test may be given to rule out pregnancy.
• Hormone level tests. Hormone levels may be checked to see if there are hormone-related problems.
• A blood test. This test is done to find out if the cyst may be cancerous. The test measures a substance in the blood called cancer-antigen 125 (CA-125). The amount of CA-125 is higher with ovarian cancer. But some ovarian cancers don't make enough CA-125 to be detected by the test. Some noncancerous diseases also raise CA-125 levels. Those diseases include uterine fibroids (YOO-tur-ihn FEYE-broidz) and endometriosis. Noncancerous causes of higher CA-125 are more common in women younger than 35. Ovarian cancer is very rare in this age group. The CA-125 test is most often given to women who:
  • Are older than 35
  • Are at high risk for ovarian cancer
  • Have a cyst that is partly solid

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How are cysts treated?

Watchful waiting. If you have a cyst, you may be told to wait and have a second exam in 1 to 3 months. Your doctor will check to see if the cyst has changed in size. This is a common treatment option for women who:

• Are in their childbearing years
• Have no symptoms
• Have a fluid-filled cyst

It may be an option for postmenopausal women.
Surgery. Your doctor may want to remove the cyst if you are postmenopausal, or if it:

• Doesn't go away after several menstrual cycles
• Gets larger
• Looks odd on the ultrasound
• Causes pain

The two main surgeries are:

• Laparoscopy (lap-uh-ROSS-kuh-pee) – Done if the cyst is small and looks benign (noncancerous) on the ultrasound. While you are under general anesthesia, a very small cut is made above or below your navel. A small instrument that acts like a telescope is put into your abdomen. Then your doctor can remove the cyst.
• Laparotomy (lap-uh-ROT-uh-mee) – Done if the cyst is large and may be cancerous. While you are under general anesthesia, larger incisions are made in the stomach to remove the cyst. The cyst is then tested for cancer. If it is cancerous, the doctor may need to take out the ovary and other tissues, like the uterus. If only one ovary is taken out, your body is still fertile and can still produce estrogen.

Birth control pills. If you keep forming functional cysts, your doctor may prescribe birth control pills to stop you from ovulating. If you don’t ovulate, you are less likely to form new cysts. You can also use Depo-Provera®. It is a hormone that is injected into muscle. It prevents ovulation for 3 months at a time.

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Can ovarian cysts be prevented?

No, ovarian cysts cannot be prevented. The good news is that most cysts:

• Don't cause symptoms
• Are not cancerous
• Go away on their own

Talk to your doctor or nurse if you notice:

• Changes in your period
• Pain in the pelvic area
• Any of the major symptoms of cysts

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When are women most likely to have ovarian cysts?

Most functional ovarian cysts occur during childbearing years. And most of those cysts are not cancerous. Women who are past menopause (ages 50­–70) with ovarian cysts have a higher risk of ovarian cancer. At any age, if you think you have a cyst, see your doctor for a pelvic exam.

Ovarian Cyst

Well this weekend I had an ovarian cyst rupture (it must have been in a big one because it caused me to rush myself to Urgent Care). I have a history of getting these. Ex: When I had my ectopic pregnancy surgery they recorded on my form that while they were in there they ruptured a 6cm cyst on the opposite ovary. But I have always had painful periods as a child, and often will have abdominal pain, usually more managable. Doctors have told me they are extremely common, and nothing to be concerned about.

Anyways, I had flu-ish symptoms over night Friday night which I thought was linked to eating some foods that are on my 'possible intolerance' list which could still be the case, but I still also had a mild flu (upset tummy, cold chills, aches). Anyways, about noon Saturday I started to get a pain my side. It was manageable so I didn't concern myself. About 5pm I called health link to ask about it and they had me poke around the area to see if there was a specific spot (likely checking to see if it was appendicitis)...that poking and prodding aggitated it very quickly and within 20 mins I was almost buckling over on the floor.

Whenever I have abdominal pain I always get a little overly-anxious because that is how it all started with my ectopic, and being this was right sided pain, that is the side I still have a fallopian tube left on...and I have been having waves of nausia randomly over the past week - hadn't taken a test but it's -always- a possibility because we dont' use any form of protection other than tracking dates.

I called my neighbor for a ride to urgent care and when I got to the check in desk they went to take my blood pressure and I fainted into her lap! I HATE that dizzy feeling...I was most concerned though that I was going to puke in front of a room partially full of people (particularily my neighbor lol) as my nausia escalated with the dizzyness. Well, if you want to get taken back to a room quickly, pass out at the check in desk hehe.

With that they did a preg-test and blood tests, and hooked me up to an IV (I was partially dehydrated due to diarrhea and lack of eating all day)...when they confirmed it was NOT appendicitis or pregnancy then they were able to give me a pain killer and shortly after send me home. :) What a relief!

Signed,
I feel like I live at urgent care

PS. I just feel like a tenderized piece of meat today :) So definetly feeling much improved! It was a doozy of a cyst, and I would like to find out if there's anything I can do to keep them from coming on so strong or if there's any concern to the size of them I seem to be getting.