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Friday afternoon entertainment

Hello world!
yes, we are still here. We have had no time or ability to update - but a full update will be coming soon. So much to tell you about!

In the meantime, enjoy the following Friday afternoon fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8_Kfjo3VjU

Be sure to give yourself 10 minutes of uninterrupted time and turn the volume up!

http://ping.fm/5FIgH

9-9-09 - lucky or unlucky??

How did everyone's 9-9-09 day turn out? It was generally hoped by most that it would be a very auspicious day.

However, I don't know yet if that applies to me. Yesterday, I ended up getting laid off! Am I lucky that I now have to seek new opportunities or unlucky that our financial security is now in jeopardy? I don't know yet, but when I find out I'll let you know!

Wish us luck!

Wheat, Barley and Rye, oh my!

 

Guess what…my doctor thinks I have Celiac disease.  Never heard of it?  Neither have I!

Nevertheless, apparently some blood tests I have taken say that I have this disease.  Basically it means that I have to change my diet so that I cut out anything that contains glutens.  Gluten is primarily found in wheat, barley and rye.

Get a load of this list of things I can’t have:

The basics of a gluten-free diet include:

• Avoiding all foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley gluten. Bread, bagels, pasta, pizza, malted breakfast cereals, and crackers are all examples of foods that contain gluten. Although some foods are labeled wheat-free, this does not mean that they are gluten-free.
• Avoiding oats, at least initially. Oats may cause symptoms in some people, perhaps as a result of contamination with wheat, barley, or rye during processing. But many people who have celiac disease can eat moderate amounts of oats without having symptoms.¹ Health professionals vary in their long-term recommendations regarding eating foods with oats. But most agree it is best that people newly diagnosed with celiac disease not eat oats until the condition is well controlled with a gluten-free diet. Then, up to 2oz of oats may be eaten daily as long as no new symptoms arise.² You should eat only oats known not to be contaminated by wheat, barley, or rye during processing.
• Avoiding or limiting milk products in the beginning of treatment if they cause or aggravate symptoms. After symptoms improve and the small intestine heals (about 2 to 6 months), you may be able to gradually reintroduce milk products into your diet.
• Avoiding all beer products, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, including lagers, ales, and stouts.
• Reading ingredient labels carefully and being aware of types of hidden gluten. Gluten can be in things like medicines, vitamins and other nutritional supplements, lipstick and lip balm, and various food additives. Products whose labels have the phrase "modified food starch" or "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" may contain gluten.

No beer?!?  I think I’m just going to have to be sick!

Here’s what I can have:

On a gluten-free diet, you can still have:

• Eggs and dairy products such as cheese. But you may need to avoid milk and milk products at the beginning of treatment.
• Flours and starches made from rice, corn, buckwheat, potatoes, soybeans, or tapioca.
• Fresh, frozen, and canned meats. Read labels for additives that may contain gluten.
• Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits and vegetables if they do not contain thickening agents or other additives containing gluten.
• Certain alcoholic beverages, including wine, liquor (including whiskey and brandy), liqueurs, and ciders.

Almost everything I eat is either wheat or whole grain.  Even my favorite cereal, which is currently Special K Cinnamon Pecan (such yumminess!) 

Goodness me, whatever am I going to do? 

Gluten-free diet for celiac disease

Lock up your valuables!

...Because Jason is on the loose!

We, as the very proud parents of Mr. Jason, are pleased to share a special day with you - Jason crawled for the first time today!

He has been rocking back and forth for a couple of weeks, but never quite figured out what to do with himself after that. But today, he had an epiphany and put one hand forward - a leg forward followed and within a matter of seconds he was on the other side of the couch!

I captured this special occasion with the following video:




Now what am I going to do with all the stuff in this house??

We loved NOLA! We love DayCare less...

We had so much fun in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago! We even got to stop and see Jason's Great-Grandmother in Lafayette on the way. She says Jason is a "fat little bugger". I have to agree, but he is adorable! However, Liz (who saw him on Saturday) says that he has actually grown since two weeks ago, so his fat is redistributing already :)

Microsoft's WPC conference was a lot of fun, especially the closing party JazzFest. I learned a lot about stuff related to my job and how I will be expanding into new areas. The Convention Center was a great venue except it took *forever* to get from one side to the other. My feet really hurt by the end of the week.

Alberto and I went to Mulate's and Harrah's the Sunday before the conference and then went home to a fabulous dinner at Stephanie's house that night. It was a whole family dinner too, with 2 of 3 of Steph's kids joining us, along with their significant others. I also found out my oldest nephew is engaged! Congratulations Travis and Andrea!

Jason had a fabulous time with his Aunt Stephanie all week. She made some homemade toys for him (which he has been unable to part with to this day), and they had a great time playing together. She was determined to get him crawling by the time we went home - he didn't make it, but he has made leaps and bounds toward the goal! Now he rolls himself right up onto all fours and then just rocks back and forth - a lot - hoping to get somewhere. When he does move, it's in reverse, so he's going to have to work on that! :)

When we got back from New Orleans, Jason's Tia Meyda came for a visit for a few days. Once again, our house was transformed into a homestyle Mexican restaurant, with tons of different meals coming out of the kitchen, courtesy of Meyda's delicious cooking. MMM-MMM it was fabulous!

DayCare hasn't been so fun - Jason got sick the first day he was there, and after having a runny nose for a week it has now transformed into a full blown ear infection - in BOTH ears! Our poor little boy is having a lot of trouble swallowing and breathing through his nose, which just makes life tough for a kid his age. We've been trying to give him extra love and snuggles to make him feel better.

Jason still cries every day when I leave him at DayCare - I am hoping this will taper off in the next few days, as he starts to realize all the fun things he can do there. Every day they do story time, singing time, rhyme time, and they'll also do other fun activities like finger painting and playing with water and bubbles.

Summer here is Houston is as hot as ever, and we are spending 99% of our time indoors and out of the vicious heat. Can't wait for fall!