My Apologies...

I looked over the last couple of posts and I felt as though I spent a lot of them complaining...sorry guys. I don't mean to be a complainer, I suppose we're just in a rough patch. It's been a trying couple of months. I fully anticipate things to get better though, they always do, if you wait long enough!

I got a call from the pediatrician Friday. Some of the labs were back and they were really positive. Ali's red blood cell count was down to 5 (from 50 the day before) which indicates her body was healing itself without medication or help. They couldn't find any traces of strep or antibodies, which is good because it means she doesn't have an infection. The blood work also indicated that her kidneys were working properly. The only thing they found was that her liver enzymes were elevated (56, normal is 50). This isn't overly significant, except it can be a result of her elevated red blood cells the day before. The pediatrician assumes that Ali must have fallen or been hit very hard in the kidneys and that caused them to bleed. The trauma of that could have elevated her liver enzymes, but obviously no permanent damage was done because her body had already begun to heal itself the following day when we turned in her second urine sample.

See, life is better already!

I also wanted to mention that this past week we've started something new at our house. I've never been overly fond of menus because I never seem to have time to make what I planned to make or, for whatever reason, things just seem to not work out and then I'm stressed about not following the menu.

Last Sunday I sat the whole family down and had them help me plan out a menu for all three meals for the whole week. I purchased what items I would need in exact quantities on Monday and was able to do so while staying within my budget. That made me very happy. There were a few meals we skipped because of unexpected outings, but on the whole, it made the whole week a lot more enjoyable.

Yesterday, we sat down again and planned this weeks menu and I have to say, it's getting better. I was again able to stay well within my weekly budget and the meals have been very good. I had forgotten about so many of the meals we enjoy because we keep getting stuck on the same four meals over and over. I think we're all eating a lot healthier and I know I am saving a lot of money by using up what I have on hand and not over-purchasing, or over-cooking, and therefore letting the overabundance go to waste.

All-in-all, it has been a big blessing, especially in the current economical climate. I feel better knowing I am pinching a few extra pennies and my family is still eating well and enjoying it. I also think that having the meals decided ahead of time has helped reduce the stress I feel around meal time trying to decide what to cook. I think we're all a bit happier about that!

Oh, when I put the kids down tonight, Quin was burning up. I checked his temp and it was 102.4! He was asleep so fast I had to wake him up to give him some Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I tried to make him drink a bunch of water, but he had trouble staying awake long enough to remember what he was suppose to be doing. Ben gave him a blessing, because Joe's out of town, and I think it did more to ease my mind than it did to Quin (since he was completely out of it at the time). I've been putting cool cloths on his forehead and tummy to help cool him down, but man is he hot tonight...I suppose we'll never truly get away from the chaos, but hopefully as spring comes and winter leaves, my family will be able to regain their health and we'll be able to enjoy the rest of the year!

Here's hoping...