Daniel Fast Day 1

Monday January 23rd, 2012

   I woke up this morning with the smell of freshly brewed coffee in my mind. At 5:30am I could help but to think of only having my coffee. Since, I have been back at work drinking coffee on the way to work has been my ritual. I am here to tell you that drinking cold water on my way to work when its freezing outside doesn't even compare to fresh coffee. I think this is going to be a struggle, but one well worth taking for 21 days. 
  
By mid morning I was sitting at work, and a gentleman I work with started making fresh popcorn right next to my office. I have never wanted popcorn and soda so bad in my life. At this point I was thinking to myself, "Katy you have to have way more willpower than this. By the end of the three batches of popcorn he made and an hour of smelling the fresh popcorn I finally when to the fridge in the break room and pulled out a banana. I must admit it felt really great to watch all the other snack on their popcorn while I ate my banana. It was that moment when I realized this is not so bad, and I know I can do it. 


In the afternoon I was feeling really good about myself except for the massive headache that I could not take Tylenol for. I knew Daniel did not hae Tylenol to take so I decided I would not have any either any either.

Dinner time came and Tony made me whole wheat pasta with Sauce made from tomatoes and tomato paste. It was so good. The texture was a little different, but I enjoyed it very much.

By the end of the day it did not seem so bad. Only 20 days to go!!

The Daniel Fast

After a couple months of researching, I have decided to a Daniel Fast for 21 days. The Daniel Fast is limited to vegetables, fruits, and water only. The good thing about this is that you can eat all you want during the Daniel Fast.

This fast is based off of Daniel 10:3 which says, " I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks." 

Basically, I am trying to do what Daniel did for those 21 days. There is a book by Susan Gregory which gives you all the information on what you can and can't eat. I can only hope that at the end of 21 days that I have the passion that Daniel did. I know this is going to be very challenging for me. 

Those of you who know me really well know that I am very picky. I hate to try new things, and I think that I can't do it. The Daniel Fast is going to make me try new things and give me the resources to do it. My body is so used to soda and sweets. I am expecting the first week to be really hard, and experience headaches from the loss of caffeine. I feel sorry for those around me as I may experience mood changes as well! The one thing that is going to help is that I have my best friend Sheree doing it with me, and Tony is preparing all my meals.  I can't wait to see how great I feel after these 21 days. Bring it on Daniel Fast,because this Momma is ready!

Below are foods I can eat

All fruit - fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned. 

All vegetables - fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned. 

All whole grains - amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, and whole wheat. 

All nuts & seeds - almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Nut butters are also included. 

All legumes - canned or dried; black beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas. 

All quality oils - canola, coconut, grapeseed, olive, peanut, and sesame. 

Beverages - distilled water, filtered water, and spring water. 

Other - herbs, spices, salt, pepper, seasonings, soy products, and tofu.

Foods I can't eat

All meat & animal products - beef, buffalo, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork. 

All dairy products - butter, cheese, cream, eggs, and milk. 

All sweeteners - agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar. 

All leavened bread & yeast - baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey). 

All refined & processed food products - artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice. 

All deep-fried foods - corn chips, French fries, and potato chips. 

All solid fats - lard, margarine, and shortening. 

Beverages - alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, and tea.

My Skating Beauty

Saturday night (January 21st), Lillian and I met up with Mallori and some friends from work. I was looking forward to this night for a couple of reasons. Here is the story behind it...

Growing up, every Friday night, Mallori and I would go to Skateport from 7pm-11pm. My parents would take us and Mallori's parents would pick us up. We would never go without each other. This was the popular thing to do at the time and I got really good at rollerblading. I became very fast at it, and would always speed skate. Mallori and I stopped going during the summer of 8th grade, and going tonight would bring back so many fun memories. When walking through the doors, it was hard to believe I was returning, this time with my child. I was so happy Mallori was there to share it with me. The skating rink looked exactly the same as it did the last time I skated there in 8th grade! 

I think Lillian is going to take after me, as far as skating goes. This was her first time going, and by the end of the visit, I was not allowed to hold her at all. Lillian was skating so fast. She had a great time and did not want to leave. On our way home, she asked when we could go again. I hope I can continue to take her. At this rate, she will be speed skating in no time. We had such a great time. I am so proud of my skating beauty. 

Things that give me pleasure

Ok, after my last post I decided that I should remind myself of the things that make me very happy. So, here they are... 

• The smell of a baby just out of the tub
• Chocolate covered strawberries
• Candles 
• Snuggling with my kiddos in the rocking chair 
• Campbell sleeping in my arms
• The first time my kids said "Mamma"
• Hearing Kerrington and Lillian yell, "Mommy's here!" when I pick them up from my Mom's
• The nights my Mom has one of the girls spend the night so I can catch a little break
• Unexpected, "Mommy I love you"
• Looking at pictures, old and new
• Reading a great book
• Watching my girls dance
• Eating home cooked meals almost every night
• A productive work day 
• Being told I did a great job on something
• A clean house
• Keeping up with laundry
• Story time 
• When Lillian says her prayers
• Music 
• Writing
• Time with my extended family
• The friends I can count on no matter what
• Having a husband that understands me 

 It is so easy to forget these things when life is crazy. One of my goals this year is to concentrate on the things that bring me joy instead of the things that upset me.  

Life with three kids....

       Whoa! What a title! Life with three kids aged 4 and under is one crazy life. Having three kids is hard sometimes. I know some people probably shake their head at me saying that and think, "Really, three kids are hard to handle? Nah." I know some people have more and may even think it's no big deal.

But. I am not one of them.

I am the type that finds it hard to relax and settle down, if my house is not completely organized and clean. I know this is my fault, but that's who I am. Ok, I admit I might just have a little OCD when it comes to cleaning and organizing. 

The morning is one of the hardest times of the day. I look around after Tony leaves and think, "Right now, I AM THE ONLY ONE who is responsible for these three kids." A few second later, I think "Woah."

And there are moments when the baby is crying with his nose running and he's drowning in his spit-up and the girls are horsing around and Kerrington tackles Lillian and someone hits their head on something and starts crying and things are crazy.

 But after the crying stops, things are cleaned up, and all is somewhat calm, that's when I can stop.  I realize that yes, they are all of my babies, the ones God has given me. I realize they were given to me by God, because He knew I could handle it. 

But there are still those moments.....

I love my babies more then anything. They bring so much joy to me. It's crazy but filled with so much life and love. Thank you God for giving them to me!

Campbell update!!

Campbell is doing so well. It has been so hard going back to work. I miss him so much throughout the day. I know this is my last baby, and it makes it much worse. I could literally sit and hold him all day. He has the sweetest face. 


At his two month check up on January 12th, he weighed in at a whopping 9lbs 11oz, and 22inches long. He is under the 10th percentile for his age. This is OK because he continues to grow at a steady rate. At this appointment, he got five shots, and I am here to tell you that it does not get easier the third time around. I did have some tears. We were able to take him off the expensive formula. I am happy to know that he does not have a milk allergy. Campbell's reflux has been greatly diminished with the new formula. Turns out that it was the soy that he was having a sensitivity with. 


Campbell is doing awesome with his head control. He prefers to be up looking around at everything. Campbell will turn his face to sounds and follow objects. The one thing he is not doing yet is smiling. I can't wait for that day that he will look up at me and smile. I don't want to rush things, but at the same time I feel he should be doing this. I need to not rush things, and understand he will smile when he is ready. Campbell is such a sweet baby, and I am so happy to have my little man in my life. Campbell, I love you more than the moon and the stars in the sky! 

Hair, nails, and makeup

Tonight, me and the girls decided we would have a beauty night. This consisted of doing each others hair, makeup, and nails. I spread a huge blanket out on the floor knowing that there would be messes. We started off by doing nails. We clipped and filed each nail. Lillian wanted to paint her nails by herself, and she did a great job. I managed to talk Kerrington into letting me do hers by telling her I would make pretty dots on each one. Their nails looked great, and I let each girl paint my nails. Needless to say, I had to remove it before going into work the next day. 

After nails, we did makeup. Yes, I do let them play in makeup. It's washable, and they have a blast doing it. It gets very crazy, but life would be so boring if you were not adventurous sometimes. Kerrington has eye shadow on her lips, and lipstick on her eyes. Watching her constantly look in the mirror with a huge smile on her face was priceless. Lillian wanted everything to look perfect. She spent a lot of time on each part of her face. She even had me wipe some off so she could do it better. We finished if off with the hair. This night shows how different my girls are. Lillian pays attention to fine details, and Kerrington lives her life very laid back and does not care about the details. I love how they are so different. 

We had such a fun time. I will not be posting pictures of what I looked like after they got done with me. I got kind of scared myself when looking in the mirror! If I had the time, I would do it again every night. Thank you girls for making Mommy look so pretty. Muah! 

Lillian's School

Lillian has been doing so well at preschool.I am always getting great reports. Her teacher tells me that she is the best picker up student in the class. I wonder where she gets that from? She has most likely learned from me, because I am always picking stuff up with them. 

Friday, they had PJ day at school. Lillian was so exctied. She could not even make it into the car before telling me how much fun it was. It's the simple things that make her so happy. I wish I could have pj day at work sometime

This is her last year in preschool, and it makes me very sad to think about that. I will be that Mom on her first day of school balling my eyes out, and taking a day off from work so I can lay in bed all day. Sheree has already told me she will come be with me, and cry. I am actually starting to tear up just thinking about it. I am going to stop thinking about and share some pictures her teacher has emailed me. We really are thankful for such a great Pre-K teacher. I hope Lillian continues to enjoy school as much as she does now. I am so proud of you Lillian. 

Group pic on pj day

puzzle time

Grouping legos by color in groups of ten

 

Back to work

Last Monday came way too fast. After being off work since August I went back to work on Monday. It was actually really hard for me. I did not want to leave my baby. I know that Campbell is my last baby, and going the entire day without kisses, bottles, and dirty diapers was hard. I must say I have it lucky, because he gets to be with my Mom. It still was hard on me. 

This entire week has made me so tired. I feel like no matter how early I get up I don't have enough time to get three kids out the door by 7am. I can't imagine what it would be like if Campbell was not sleeping through the night. I am hoping this coming week it much better. I am happy to be at work, but I do miss all the time with my babies. 

I can tell I am really run down, because when I get this way I get sick. All weekend I have been struggling with headaches, and congestion.  I have lost a little of my voice, and been unable to sleep. I know once my body gets use to this new schedule I feel great. Thank you everyone for your understanding of not returned phone calls or text. I am doing the best I can. I hope everyone is have a great start to the new year. We love you all. 

Bring it on 2012

I woke up this morning feeling very excited for 2012. There are many things I am going to work at really hard this year. I am looking forward to a great year.

Last night I was in bed by 11. We went over to some of our friends house for a couple hours. We had a great time with great company and food. Campbell woke me up at 4am for an early breakfast. I was very tired, but at that moment I was so happy to hold my baby boy. I can't believe he will turn 1 this year. Kerrington will start pre-k, and Lillian will start kindergarten. We have so much to look forward to. I can't wait to watch them grow. Campbell is my last baby, and I am cherishing every moment right now. It makes the late night feedings not seem so bad. 

This year I am really going to work hard at not spending money that does not need to be spent. This will include not eating out, and using lots of coupons. Now that we are a family of five our house seems a bit smaller. I would love a bigger house to raise my kids in. I feel it would be best for my family. However, I am very thankful for the house we have. There is nothing wrong with our house, and we have created so many memories here already. Saving money is going to be my biggest goal for 2012. 

My second goal is to work on being at church more. I attended Second Baptist Church this morning for the first time in a couple years. We have been going to Ridgecrest off an on for the past couple of years. There is nothing wrong with that church I just did not feel at home. I grew up going to Second Baptist, and had a great feeling this morning when I went again. I am still not ready to take Campbell yet with the flu season in full force. I plan on staring him in March or April. Preemies are extra prone to catching viruses. The girls really enjoyed their Sunday school classes, and I am excited to get back into the swing of things at Second. 

Third, I want to become more organized. I feel that I am somewhat organized now, but I want to become even more organized this year. My house is usually always clean, but I want everything to be clean always. I want ever drawer and closet to be spotless. I am working on a monthly and daily clutter chart that I will use daily. This will help out when we are able to move. 

Those were just a few things I want to work on this year. There are some personal things I want to work on too. I am really looking forward to 2012, and I feel this will be one the best year's I have had. I wish the best of year to all my family and friends. HAPPY NEW YEAR!