Hula hooper

One of Isabelle's gifts from Santa this past year was a hula hoop.  She picked it up pretty quickly and has been going strong ever since.  One of her favorite things is to slow it down and let it go down her legs and then speed it back up and get it up around her waist again.  She also likes to walk around while hoopin' and make funny faces!  She is pretty great!  Here are some pics from a couple of days ago!

I love my sweet Isabelley and love that she has such a wide range of interests.  She is a joy to parent and I love seeing her get so excited about things that she likes!  And while I will probably NOT let her join the circus to pursue her hula hooping dreams, I do like watching her for now!

Gluten free!

18 days ago, we took gluten out of Lawson's diet.  After reading a status on facebook about speech delay and gluten I figured since I've tried everything else, there was no reason to not give it a shot.  I knew that it would require some changes (like our daily pb&j's) but I figured Lawson would have a harder time than I would (I was wrong, but what is new!).

I met with one of my friends who gave me tons of valuable info and cookbooks and felt pretty prepared.  She mentioned while helping me that probably the first place I would notice a difference was in his behavior.  Honestly, I didn't expect to see any changes and especially not after such a short time.  I was also secretly hoping I didn't see any difference because, well, gluten free bread isn't cheap! 

HOLY MOLY!  I can't believe it, but we are actually seeing some pretty major changes.  Disclaimer:  I realize that every change we are seeing could be just coincidence or maturity or any number of other things.  The fact is, we are seeing some major things change.  

A few things we have noticed.......

First, Lawson's half and hour to forty minute fits have disappeared.  His fits now only last about five minutes haha!!!  Second, no dirt eating or crap touching (fun stuff I tell ya!).  Third, he is actually acting like a normal child in public.  We went to a concert at the library and I didn't have to chase him or tell him to stop yelling even one time! Lastly, and probably totally unrelated, he is drinking his milk from a cup...PRAISE THE GOOD LORD ABOVE!  Now, whether or not his speech is better is yet to be seen.  I really didn't expect to see changes there for several weeks.

Gluten may or may not be responsible for these changes, but since it seems to be working, we are going with it!  After six weeks we will add it back in and see what happens!  

Here are a few of my fav gluten free products.

1.  Annies gf white mac n cheese.

2. Namaste perfect flour blend.  It really is perfect.  My cookies and muffins have turned out beautifully.

3.  Heartland gf spaghetti noodles

4. Corn tortillas (naturally gf)

Mostly, in case you are interested, we have just been doing lots of fresh fruits and veggies with chicken or beef!

So there you have it!  Gluten free is working for us!  Know any great recipes I should try?

Weston at four months

My little (or not so little) guy is growing up so fast.  Here is a little about Weston at four months old.

                         

Height:  24.75 inches (47th percentile)

Weight:  15.6 lbs (63rd percentile)

Likes:  rolling over (tummy to back), being held, chillin' in his swing, watching big sisters and big brother play outside, smiling (smiling is his favorite), and eating haha.

Dislikes:  being ignored, being hungry, being wet.  

It is actually pretty tough to come up with things Weston does not like.  He is a very happy and easy going baby.  I will admit I think I have said that about all my babies and then eventually they turn on me but for now, Weston is a piece of cake.  I am one lucky mom of four.  He is sleeping like a champ most nights, and does pretty well during the day also.  I think teeth might be in our near future but who knows.  Overall, the transition from three to four has been very easy.  Not calm, not slow, but easy.  And since Weston will turn five months in like four days, you can tell I'm not exactly caught up on blogging, but oh well!!

Happy four months, Westy!  We love you!