My Health

I have been rather slow in posting about my health since it seems to vary from day to day. On most days, I feel Much better than I did weeks and even months before I got pregnant. I am not sure what has made a difference but we have been focusing on living healthy and I think it has helped. Here is a list of things we've been doing with more frequency:

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Juicing beet root

Taking my vitamins daily

Walking/exercising daily

Eating nuts, red meat, and eggs

Cutting back on starches and wheat

Avoiding sugar

Drinking Kefir

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A little info in recent history:

John has been taking my blood pressure off and on when I feel dizzy etc. From my records my lowest blood pressure was 90/53 and the highest was 110/72 but he usually does not check it when I am feeling great. John always checks my blood pressure when I am sitting or lying down. The other day I wasn't feeling great so he checked my blood pressure and it was 106/72. I stood up and he checked it again. My blood pressure dropped to 88/70. When I stood up, I felt a little dizzy but nothing went black when I stood up so it must drop lower than that when things do turn black. (I have never completely passed out but when I get the flu, I tend to end up on the ground shortly before I throw up. Of course feeling stressed or tired or hungry also complicates things.)

We used to think I had hypoglycemia. On the days my blood pressure is low, I have symptoms of hypoglycemia: dizzy, shaky hands, little energy, sweaty, sleepy, difficulty concentrating, headache, and I don't do well if I go without eating. John started checking my blood sugar after we got married but the numbers always fell into a normal range so we stopped checking it. (It was very nice to not be a pin cushion anymore!)

We are looking into the symptoms and causes of:

- Orthostatic Hypotension

- Adrenal insufficiency

- Hyperthyroid

So, there it is. Whatever it is, we are praying we can find out what is causing it and how to heal it. I am very thankful for the energy I have now, very thankful for all I can do, very thankful for John's patience with me when I don't feel good, and very thankful for ALL he does to help with my health! He is just wonderful...

Orthostatic Hypotension:

http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/orthostatic-hypotension-1

Adrenal Insufficiency:

http://www.drkaslow.com/html/adrenal_insufficiency.html

Hyperthyroidism:

http://www.endocrineweb.com/hyper1.html

Iodine information:

http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/iodine.htm

An article about Iodine rich foods and thyroid disorders:

http://www.wellsphere.com/healthy-eating-article/foods-to-promote-thyroid-health/760543

List of Iodine rich foods:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5412680_foods-rich-iodine.html

A Dirty Job

John and his uncle have been working really hard to get the spot ready where we will park our camper. John has become quite proficient at using a variety of heavy equipment. He even taught me how to drive the bobcat! I have helped John a few days with shoveling dirt (which is made up mostly of gray clay). It has been so fun to work together and I am so grateful for energy to do so!

note: none of the pictures were posed

A visit to the Civil War

Discoveries and favorite places

The rocks in the picture above are from a dry riverbed. Not every stone had fossils in it, but Most of them did and the large ones had many, many more. It was so amazing to see all of them! John and I discovered them on a delightful walk we took last Saturday. We hiked all over the place and found fish to feed, a culvert Big enough to walk through, and a bit of wildlife. We ended up in a tree stand at dusk. Two deer bounded into the area and stopped under the stand. Such graceful creatures! It was an incredible experience to be so close to something so wild. Even though they looked up at us, they continued to graze contentedly.

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Today, we stopped at an old place that used to be a county home. It is a Huge series of buildings that are completely run down. It is almost covered with overgrown vines and bushes. Inside the paint is peeling and the walls are crumbling. One room is filled almost to the ceiling with old newspapers. One room had a bunch of old broken pianos (in several pieces). It is one of the most wonderful place I've been! I walked around like Alice in Wonderland. I really want to go back with my camera to capture the Beauty there! If I had the money, I would buy it even though it has no fixtures, no door handles, no plumbing. Every wall is a photography studio! And the architecture is... ahhhhhh.... There are balconies all over the place and TONS of windows. In unexpected places there are tiny closets, Huge stairways, and long hallways. The paint is perfect too: Mustered yellow, Tiffany blue, Bright teal... Everything else is white. I don't know if I'll be able to get permission to photograph it, but I really hope I can. It is a place to visit in dreams.

Sunshine in the Kitchen

Our camper is slowly gaining a new face. I've been wanting to paint the kitchen and the living room since Spring. It was so nice to finally have the time and energy to get the kitchen done last week! No More Dingy Wallpaper!

Hello Sunshine!!!

Before:

After:

Travel

Greetings and happy September!

Our days have been happy and full. My parents came to see us and then we carpooled out to our home-state. My parents, John, and I were all born in the same state! It was a delightful though somewhat whirlwind trip. Almost every night we were in a new town, visiting family and friends. We have so many happy memories of our time.

We also stopped at Letchworth, the Grand Canyon of the East. It is just a beautiful, beautiful place to visit with two huge waterfalls and heaps of trails to bike or hike.