I don’t have a new recipe today, so I’m going to do something I hardly ever do here on Spunky, and just talk a little 🙂
Last night it began to snow, and it’s been lightly snowing all day. I know some of you are probably really tired of snow right about now, but despite Colorado’s reputation, we don’t get much snow here in the Front Range. It snows tons up in the mountains at places like Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge, but down here… not so much. Just one myth about Colorado. (Another is that the summers are mild, like Maine. Wrong again. It’s mid 90’s for two months—ugh.)
This morning I came downstairs and opened all the shades so I could enjoy watching the snow fall. I cooked up the second half of the batter (leftover from dinner last night), and we had Lexie’s crepes for breakfast. So good. Then Zoe and Ashley played for a while before enjoying a nice hot bath. They pretended to be baristas in the tub, with toy cups and teapots, before getting out and (since we weren’t planning on going anywhere today) putting on fresh pajamas.
One of our favorite things to do on snow days is read really great winter chapters from our favorite books. Today we cuddled up on the couch and read the last few chapters of On the Banks of Plum Creek. We started at the part when Pa goes to town even though Ma has a bad feeling about it. He gets stuck in a snow storm coming home. Ma and the girls try to be brave and stay warm for three days while Pa is missing in the crazy blizzard. The end always makes me cry, even though I know what’s going to happen. It’s so good.
After lunch Ashley and I made gingerbread cookies and frosting, while Zoe wanted to do some more reading on her own. With my help Ashley added all the ingredients and mixed the dough with the electric mixer. I’m so proud of how well she’s doing. And speaking of how well she’s doing, her doctor called this afternoon with some test results. As you may know from the first time I talked about recovering Ashley, we are working with our DAN! doctor to pull toxins from Ashley’s body. She is incapable of excreting them herself because she has a mutated enzyme.
Ashley’s lab tests show that she is continuing to detox things like mercury, aluminum, and lead, just to name a few. This is a real blessing and a very big deal because, as her doctor said when we got one heavy metal test back, “I’ve never seen so much mercury [in a patient/child] before.” And her tests for two years leading up to chelating (detoxing) showed no toxins were being excreted at all. So thank God it’s coming out with chelation.
On a much lighter note, I’m also grateful not to be nauseous anymore 🙂 I didn’t realize so many of you were pregnant or had babies and grand-babies until you left comments on my last post (when I told you I’m pregnant). Some of you asked how I was feeling and said you were interested in my pregnancy diet, so here’s what I have to say so far. Being nauseous stinks, but four things I found really helped: Candied ginger, apple cider vinegar mixed in water (well, that one’s more for acid reflux than nauseousness), eating mini meals all day, and drinking mineral water. I really don’t like mineral water though, so I added juice, like R. W. Knudsen organic Just Concord grape juice. Something about the bubbles makes me feel better.
Now that I’m not really nauseous anymore I’ve been craving things non-stop, mainly meat. I don’t normally eat a lot of meat, and I almost never crave it. So it’s unusual for me, but I’m listening to my body. I’ve also been craving pickles, which my husband thinks is hilarious. The problem with most of my cravings is that they hit me so fast. All the sudden I just have to have pancakes, usually at night, or grilled chicken, usually at breakfast. 🙂
So as the sun begins to go down, and the snow continues to fall, I’m off to make dinner. I don’t know what it will be—I have to search around the fridge and pantry. I think I have some sweet potatoes I can bake and some spinach I can wilt. Sounds like it’s going to be a hodgepodge of what’s left. Maybe I’ll throw it all into a soup. Mmm… I love food.
♥, Kelly
GF Gidget says
Food IS fantastic! I read all of the Little House on the Prairie books when I was little! Such great memories. I was such a little bookworm I used to get in trouble for reading!
I’m so glad you are feeling better, and your baby girl is doing so well!
~M says
I’m so glad that you’re not nauseated anymore! That was the worst! Besides ACV/honey/water “cocktails,” other foods that really helped me were: baked sweet potato fries, Ethiopian food (love the sour injera), lemonade slushies, coconut macaroons, fried eggs and yukon potatoes, and cinnamon herbal tea. Maybe some will sound good to you! Meal planning for breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner, but I always did those) and always having a snack bedside (usually yogurt) for midnight or first thing in the AM was also really helpful! Lots of protein and eggs treat me well (and Floravital for iron)! Feel good!
gfe--gluten free easily says
I always love hearing about a day in the life of The Spunky Coconut family! Thrilled to hear about Ashley’s continued progress! So happy to hear you’re feeling better. Yippee on listening to your body. 🙂 Those Little House books are really magical. Sounds like another day of great food to me, dear!
xoxo,
Shirley
Shelly Richardson says
Thanks for taking the time to “talk a little” I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your day! It’s so nice to hear how other’s cope with their current situations, it gives you a connection, even if it is through the internet, and sometimes confirmation that you are doing the right things for yourself and your family. I am so happy for Ashely’s recovery, my daughter was diagnosed on the autism spectrum nearly 3 years ago. We chose not to go the traditional route with ABA therapies and medications, instead we chose a holistic approach. We found a naturopathic physician ( we do not have any DAN! dr’s near us) who is well versed in dealing with ASD, eliminated chemicals and toxins to the best of our ability in our home, eliminated gluten and dairy, to later find out my daughter and I are both gluten intolerant, also chose not to further the testing to get a Celiac diagnosis. So we walk a different path and most don’t agree with us, but we have a happy healthy little girl who amazes us everyday! I am so glad you are not feeling nauseous anymore, I was sick for 5 months when I was pregnant. Yuck! Wish I knew then the things I know, one of the things I have learned is listen your body! So kudos for listening, your body does know best! I wish you the best on this journey with your new little one! And I thank you for all the time you give to helping others!
Marsha says
I am new to your blog so it is nice to get to know your family too. I hope your daughter continues to improve and congratulations on the new baby on the way!
My heart warmed to hear you were reading your girls On The Banks of Plum Creek! That book is on my top ten of forever books- so timeless. Weren’t we all Laura at one time in our lives? Thank you for brings that memory so forcefully back. Thank you for the wonderful GF recipes too!
Tasty Eats At Home says
I think i read on the banks of plum creek like a dozen times. Loved all of those books. Glad you’re feeling better, and Ashley too!
Anonymous says
Kelly if I lived in CO. we’d surely be friends! I am just getting aquainted with your blog, and as I am reading through it, on most things, my family and I are very similar! I too homeschool (my 2nd year). I have four little blonde children, my eldest with Autism, whom btw has just started dropping mercury after at least 3 years of chelation! 3 years! Now the mercury is coming out finally (he’s nine). We are Costco junkies, our Costco here in Spokane, has alot of organic meats, apples, spinach, Maranatha Almond butter, Lara bars, and other gf snacks. Now if they would just get in some Dr. Bronner’s soap, we’d be in real business. I have been a long time iHerb shopper and have also ordered from Azure Standard (am thinking of getting my own drop point started here.) I hope you feel better, I was sick with all of my kids, I wonder if it’s not liver related? Just my theory on my own pregnancy nausea. My daughter, Iris, is reading the Long Cold Winter now, she has inherited my Little House on the Prairie book set! I have used DAN! docs in the past but because of financial restraints, we started out on our own. If you get the chance check out Danasview.ney…this lady homeschools 4 children, has 3 on the spectrum! She has done all of her own documentation, treatments, etc, great resource, awesome website.
Thanks to you for doing this blog, I have used several of your recipes!
Hope in Spokane
Meagan says
Yay Ashley! Have you looked into ionic footbaths? Those pull lots of yucky toxins from the body. My ND who I see does them!
Kristi B. says
Wow–that’s so interesting about the mercury! I looked into chelation for myself but I have some amalgam fillings–is there any thought as to where Ashley’s mercury load came from? (Sorry–maybe that’s too private–I am not well versed on chelation and children).
That snow sounds lovely–we almost NEVER get snow here in Portland, OR and I miss it (you can SEE it on the mountains but it rarely visits us at almost sea-level in the city).
I’m sure you already know this but when I was researching ways to prevent pregnancy nausea I kept coming up with BEANS. Good for absorbing excess stomach acid and protein, of course–best eaten in small frequent doses. But I think you’re covered in the bean department 😉
Cheryl Harris says
Ginger is such a saving grace. so glad you’re feeling better.
Jes says
just leaving a ‘Hello’ to you and the fam! it is snowing in el paso today, which makes me miss colorado. wonderful news about Ashley! i love you all! xxo