Deconstructed Sushi

Sushi. Most people associate that with chunks of raw fish and rice. I do not like raw fish but I like sushi. I like sushi with shrimp, vegetables, crab, and fruit. Yes - fruit! I have tried sushi with salmon several times but just can't say I like it. Now true sushi lovers are going to cringe but most of the sushi that I get comes from KROGER. On special occasions Hubby will take me to the local Japanese restaurant and I get the real/fresh/delicious sushi. My favorite is the mexican roll which has fried shrimp, some vegetables, jalapenos, and a yummy sauce. I am not someone who likes spicy things but for some reason this one appeals to my taste buds. I have been thinking about making sushi at home for a long time but I don't have patience and skills to do it. Hubby was out of town this week which left me several nights to eat yummy healthy foods he wouldn't touch. I was craving sushi and decided to make my own...my way. I went to the grocery store and got a bunch of food (some of it not healthy but oh so good).

Here is what I picked up:
Baby Cucumbers
Avocados
Shrimp
Cream Cheese

I already had brown rice, soy sauce, and vinegar at home. I forgot to pick up some seaweed sheets to add in but it was great without it. I am normally not a cucumber fan but the baby cucumber always taste better to me and when mixed in with all the ingredients were quite good. I cooked 2 cups of brown rice as this was also going to be my work dinners for several nights. While the rice was cooking I peeled and chopped up the cucumber. The first time I only used half a cucumber but the other nights I used a whole one. I sliced half an avocado up and took the tails off 8 cocktail shrimp. Once the rice was cooked I added in a little bit of cream cheese and soy sauce and stirred it up until it was all melted and mixed. I dumped my veggies and shrimp on top, stirred a little, and dug in! It was amazing and I enjoyed every bit of the 4 meals I ate it. It is a very light meal but filling. I was stuffed after each meal and was satisfied. I should have made this months ago when I thought about it but I won't be waiting months to make it again...maybe a week!

All mixed up and ready to eat!

A Book for Tube Fed Children

We love this book-"My Tubey: A day in the life of a Tube Fed Boy". J and L love sitting down and listening to the story. L always has to pull up his shirt and show his tube when we read it. This book came about because a mom (Rhiannon Merritt-Rubadue) wanted a kid's book for her toddler who was tube fed. The toddler was starting to notice that no one else in her family had a feeding tube and there were no books written for kids about children with feeding tubes. She didn't get to writing it immediately as she was busy with a tubey toddler and siblings but her idea remained active in her head. In 2011 she wrote "My Tubey: A Day in the Life of a Tube Fed (Boy/Girl)". I love that she wrote a book for a boy and a book for a girl. We found out about this book from a support group we were attending for parents of special needs children. The book hadn't been published yet but we anxiously waited until it was for sale and got it as soon as it was available. The boys were too young to really understand what it all meant at that time but now they understand and like hearing the story.

J asking questions about one of the pictures showing a bolus syringe and feeding pump.

 L loves to sit and look at pictures.

She is currently writing several more books including:

• There's More Than One Way to Eat
• Bye-Bye Tubey: It's Time to Remove My Tube!
• My Tubey Goes to Preschool

From what I can tell none of the new books are not out yet but looking at her facebook page there was a comment stating that she is working hard to get the first book finished and it should be out in September. I am looking forward to seeing and getting the Bye-Bye Tubey book whenever it gets published. I pray we get to read it to L to prep him for getting his tube out soon (like within the next 2 years).

Take a look around her website there are several different thing to point out:

There is a link to her Amazon store where you can purchase her books

There is a little photo gallery that she shows some pictures from first NG to tube being taken out. Her quote is "I hope these pictures are a comfort to you as you may see your own tube feeding life mirrored back!".  My FAVORITE picture is about half way through where mom and daughter are sitting on the floor and both are covered in formula throw up. It is my favorite because the first year L had his feeding tube that was our daily normal until he got his GJ tube. Glad that we aren't the only ones!

There is a feeding tube resources page. I will be posting about some of those sites at another time along with some other cool sites I have found!

My second favorite picture on the website is on the "Contact Us" page. It is the mom holding her little girl and reading her a homemade book about getting her tube out. I love it because it is such a simple thing to do--make a quick fun book--but I would have never thought about making L a book. This mom has lots of imagination and a drive to make it happen! I envy those creative types that can bring a dream into reality. I can dream but when I wake up it is left behind and quickly forgotten. 

You can go to the My Tubey website or you can also click on the tab above for our Amazon store to find the books.

Sometimes Paying More Is Well Worth It

We were very fortunate and thankful to have two baby showers and receive lots of things for J and L. The shower given by church friends was first and the biggest gift was our Graco Pack N' Play Playard. It has been great for every stage. There is a small "napper" bed that we used when the boys were tiny and swaddled. The changer is a drop-in attachment that keeps diapers, wipes, blankets, toys and anything else you need very close and easily accessible without having to bend and reach to get something from the bottom level of the pack n' play. We bought a second pack n' play used at a consignment sale since we had twin babies and used it for trips and the few times that we were away from home and needed two, but our Graco is still used today and after almost three years is still in excellent condition! The boys sleep well in the same room at night, but not at naptime during the day. Since they are in different classrooms at preschool during the week, it's just easier for us to split them up and nap in separate rooms. J naps in his crib in the boys' room and L naps in the Graco pack n' play in our bedroom. Yes, it is pricey and we were surprised to receive it, but it made things much easier for us and almost three years later has help up with constant use and is still in like-new condition.

The pack n' play fit well when the boys were very small and spent the night with Ken's parents in their RV.

The boys only napped or slept together a few times when they were very little, but this time was only for one night and it made packing a lot easier.

Chocolate Frosting Shots

Picture by Chocolate Covered Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is another blog that I am following. She specializes in healthy desserts! Now most of them are a little out of my comfort zone because they use ingredients that I am not sure I like. I thought this recipe was a perfect way to ease myself into her recipes.

She has the chocolate frosting shot recipe and also a strawberry frosting shot recipe. I was originally going to try the strawberry recipe but my love for chocolate won. The recipes are very easy to make. The only disappointment is that you have to open the can of coconut milk and leave it in the fridge overnight. I didn't realize that until I was ready to make it and eat some chocolate, and then re-read the recipe. I was a little bummed but went ahead and started the process so I could have chocolate goodness the next day.

Here is what you need:

Chocolate Frosting:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sweetener to taste (I used a little Stevia, but any dry sweetener will do.)

Strawberry Frosting:

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2-5 strawberries (more will yield a thinner mousse)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sweetener to taste (Stevia or powdered sugar)
• tiny pinch salt (trust me)

Here are the directions:

Open the coconut milk, and leave the can (or transfer to a bowl) uncovered in the fridge overnight, unless it’s already thick like mousse. (Don’t shake the can before opening.) It should get very, very thick. (If it doesn’t, you’ve gotten a bad can that won’t work for the recipe. I highly recommend Thai Kitchen Organic, because I’ve had the most success with that brand.) Once thick, transfer to a bowl (you can opt to leave out the watery bit at the bottom of the can, if you want it even thicker) and whip in your cocoa, vanilla, and sweetener with a fork, or even beaters if you want to be fancy. Stored uncovered in the fridge, the mixture gets even thicker.

My Thoughts:

 Ok so I don't read directions sometimes very well and this time was one of those times. I had already opened the can and dumped it into a bowl to leave in refrigerator overnight and oops..stirred it up! So the next day it was thin and the next day it still hadn't thickened up. I started thinking about how I could save it and not waste perfectly good coconut milk. I decided to go ahead and put the cocoa powder in it and some powdered sugar. I got the hand mixer out and used it for about 3 minutes. It still was thin so I put it into the freezer......if I couldn't make frosting MAYBE it would freeze well. Two day later I tried it and it was delicious. It was similar to chocolate coconut ice cream. I was headed out to work and couldn't wait until I was off to eat some more. Another 3 days passed and it is still very good. It was a little harder but I let it sit for several minutes and it was perfect. Next time I will try to make one with Splenda and another one with sweet n low. I will let you know now it goes and what they taste like. IF one of the sweeteners works and is just as good then I will be making this all the time because it will be low sugar (just whatever naturally occurs in the coconut milk) and non-dairy!

Candied Carrots

picture from Undressed Skeleton

 A new leaf....I love food whether it be sweet, salty, greasy, and healthy. I have been working nights for the last 6 months. I haven't gained any weight (fluctuating +/-5lbs) but I haven't been motivated to lose any weight either. Most of the recipes I have posted aren't too healthy either but that is about to change. I have several recipes that I am trying out and will give you my honest opinion about how they taste to a fatty food lover! I am starting a weight loss competition at my work that will be running over the next 8 weeks and I am hoping to lose about 15 lbs.

A blog (Undressed Skeleton by Taralynn McNitt) I just started following posted a recipe for candied carrots. Now when talking about it with several coworkers the opinions of how this would taste were mostly negative but I had hopes for this one. I made it with one box sugar free strawberry and one box regular orange jello. If it turns out good then next time I will do both boxes sugar free so it will be more diabetic friendly. I shredded some whole carrots myself instead of buying the bag of already shredded carrots--cheaper!

My Thoughts:
The next day I was worried when I tried it out because the carrots were very carroty but two days after making it was very good. The carrots were softer and sweeter. It was very good with some cool whip too. I took it for dessert during my 3 nights of work and it was a perfect sweet treat. I don't even think I will make it all sugar free next time because it didn't have a negative effect on my blood sugars--even with regular cool whip! J liked it the first time he tried it and kept asking for more. He also asked for more "school whip". Very sweet little man!

Best Baby Registry Gift (Still Used Every Day)

We are grateful for everything we received at our two baby showers for J and L. Rachel's mom and sister hosted a shower for family and friends. That day we were given the most useful gift that has been used at every stage and is still used every single day. Ken's aunt and uncle gave us a Fisher Price Smart Stages 3-in-1 Rocker Swing and it has been amazing! We had a bouncer seat on the floor that the boys started in, but it didn't take long for them to enjoy being rocked in the swing (and it was a great way to soothe and occupy one baby while the other was being changed, held, fed or rocked). The rocker easily detaches from the swing and has a fold-out kick-stand that reclines the seat and keeps it from moving. The straps kept the boys secure and the seat worked well for sleeping or giving them a different view.

Very early use - J with his oxygen and pulse-ox monitor before L came home from the hospital

One of L's first days at home

J in the walker playing with L. Great example of how the rocker keeps baby strapped in and secure. They did this many times and no, L never fell out...

The swing frame folds together and has been put away for about a year since J and L have outgrown it, but the rocker is still used every day. That chair quickly became L's favorite, and he loves relaxing, reading books, watching TV and playing with his toys in it. The only time it's not used is when we travel, and L definitely misses it! This 3-in-1 rocker swing has been so great for us, but unfortunately it looks like Fisher Price has discontinued it. The link I shared above is from Wal-Mart, the only site I found selling a similar model to ours, but it is marked as clearance and unavailable online. Looks like there may be a few left in the stores and they'll soon be all gone. Just checked to see if it had been recalled, and it has not. Too bad - it's been great for us and we'll definitely pass it on if/when L is finished with it so that someone else can have a great experience too.

Resting after a long, hard day at preschool

L watching J run around the living room with a toy

From last month - chair still fits L well, but a growth spurt might make it uncomfortable on the back of his head. Looks like he might need a new chair for Christmas.

Music For Kids - Part 3

Here is the third and last post about some of the music that we have discovered and introduced to the boys this past year.  Last fall our small group from church focused on how to guard a child's heart and mind while raising them in today's society.  We studied the book Guarding Your Child's Heart by Dr. Gary Smalley.  It explains how important Scripture memory and meditation is to our everyday life and encourages parents to get the Bible into your child's heart as early as possible.

One of the easiest things we have done to begin planting positive seeds into J and L is through music.  We found some really great music that the boys love and so do we!  Not nursery rhymes or the kind of songs that will drive you crazy after just a few seconds - really good modern music that makes Jesus and the Bible cool.  This week we are sharing music that your kids are sure to love.  We've introduced you to The Rizers and Go Fish - the last group we'll share for now is Hillsong Kids.

 
Hillsong Kids is the children's ministry of Hillsong Church, a global church that is one of the largest and most influential in the world.  Hillsong has two other worship ministries, Hillsong Live and Hillsong United, that write and release songs year after year that are used in churches around the world.  J and L love the music at church.  We pass our church on the way to and from preschool and every morning and afternoon they say they want to go to church!  This is an easy way to bring church home with us and have great music all week long.  Here are some of Hillsong Kids' releases:

Hillsong Kids Ultimate Collection (CD)

Follow You (DVD)

Tell The World (DVD)

Supernatural (CD)

Music For Kids - Part 2

Here is the second of a three-part post about some of the music that we have discovered and introduced to the boys this past year.  Last fall our small group from church focused on how to guard a child's heart and mind while raising them in today's society.  We studied the book Guarding Your Child's Heart by Dr. Gary Smalley.  It explains how important Scripture memory and meditation is to our everyday life and encourages parents to get the Bible into your child's heart as early as possible.

One of the easiest things we have done to begin planting positive seeds into J and L is through music.  We found some really great music that the boys love and so do we!  Not nursery rhymes or the kind of songs that will drive you crazy after just a few seconds - really good modern music that makes Jesus and the Bible cool.  This week we are sharing music that your kids are sure to love.  The last post introduced you to The Rizers, and today we want to share our newest discovery - Go Fish.

 

Their tagline is "great music for kids that won't drive their parents bonkers!"  Leaving a promising career in Christian pop music behind, they have been making music exclusively for kids since 2003.  Their new audience might be smaller in stature, but not in numbers. They found that good news—and good music—travels fast, especially with moms.  Go Fish's latest release, Kickin' It Old School, passes foundational songs down to the next generation.  Many of today's kids have never seen a hymnal, so this project was created to introduce them to these classic songs.  While the music is great, Go Fish also created Vacation Bible School curriculum to encourage kids to get into the Bible.  Here is a list of their releases:

Kickin' It Old School (2010)

Party Like A Preschooler (2008)

Snazzy (2007)

Snow (Christmas - 2006)

Snooze (2006)

Superstar (2004)

Splash (2003)

These links are the for the audio CDs, but you can also listen to previews and download the MP3s at Amazon.

Music To Teach And Train Your Kids

Here is the first of a three-part post about some of the music that we have discovered and introduced to the boys this past year.  Last fall our small group from church focused on how to guard a child's heart and mind while raising them in today's society.  We studied the book Guarding Your Child's Heart by Dr. Gary Smalley.  It explains how important Scripture memory and meditation is to our everyday life and encourages parents to get the Bible into your child's heart as early as possible.

One of the easiest things we have done to begin planting positive seeds into J and L is through music.  We found some really great music that the boys love and so do we!  Not nursery rhymes or the kind of songs that will drive you crazy after just a few seconds - really good modern music that makes Jesus and the Bible cool.  This week we are sharing music that your kids are sure to love, and first up is The Rizers.

The mission of The Rizers (short for Memorizers) is to instill in kids a love for Jesus Christ and his Word through Scripture memory, praise and worship.  They have two great Scripture memory CDs - Meet The Rizers and Rise Up.  These links are the for the audio CDs, but you can also listen to previews and download the MP3s at Amazon.

Review: Nap Nanny

Our lifesaver with L. I remember looking at parenting magazines before the twins were born and seeing this thing called the Nap Nanny. I thought it was neat and I checked out the website. I liked it but thought it was a little expensive. Flash forward a couple months and I had two premature boys that both liked to reflux and spit up. J only did it a little bit but L was a puker. He spent a lot of time on a hospital reflux wedge and still puked. I was sitting there one day in the NICU doing skin-to-skin with L and flipping through a magazine and saw another add for the Nap Nanny. I wanted it! I put it on our (and the boys) Christmas list and luckily some of my hubby's family pitched in and got us one. Once L came home he spent many hours on the reflux wedge until he outgrew it and then we started putting him on the Nap Nanny. He stayed in it until he was almost 2. The only reason he stopped sleeping in it was he was too active and he kept crawling out of it. The night he crawled out and pulled his feeding tube out of his belly was his last night! He still uses it when he is sick to lay in the living room and watch TV. J even likes to lay in it when he is sick too. This product was well worth every penny we didn't pay for it and would recommend it to anybody that has a baby! It is great for the severe refluxers like L but also for babies with colds or just a little reflux. We all hear stories about the babies that can only sleep in their car seat or baby swing...this is the perfect option for a comfortable and safe inclined sleeper.

 L watching tv while getting a tube feed. We had a system of layering blankets over the Nap Nanny since we had many episodes of throwing up a day and an occasional diaper blow out. When a blanket would get dirty we would just peel it off and there was a clean one under it. This helped us from having to wash our Nap Nanny every day several times! You can also buy extra covers for them which is what we should have done but our sleep deprived minds didn't even think about that!

 We would take the Nap Nanny to the hospital with us because it make L feel more secure and rest easier. It was something familiar from home. This picture was from a 10 day pneumonia stay and he was on the mend-note toy in mouth!

 The cover has a zipper on the bottom to take it off and on the foam piece. There are also D-rings that help secure the cover to the foam. This is from the first generation when the lap belt was just attached to the cover. The newer generation of Nap Nanny's lap belts are more secure and actually attach to the foam.

Another great thing that helped us was they made a travel cover for it so it helped us keep it clean and prevented any damage!

 One thing to note is the Nap Nanny is to only be used on the floor-Never in a crib or elevated surface. L didn't sleep in his crib until he was almost 2! This is one of the reasons....escape artists! They can climb out and then get stuck and then be in a dangerous situation. As L got older he became pretty good at escaping the Nap Nanny.

So bottom line: BUY IT! We would have paid for 20 of them if needed......