tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-334425742011-07-07T23:14:24.037-07:00...on the joys and struggles of daily livingElisabethnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-72179423259597885162009-11-09T20:45:00.000-08:002009-11-09T21:03:48.886-08:00

May I introduce Dr. Rebecca Rizzotti, our household medical resident. She is a very unique doctor and will be in high demand one day. She can detect when I am not feeling well, without me having to say a word. She is very well-informed about nutrition and can tell you exactly which foods are good or bad for us and we travel through the grocery store. Although she likes her stethoscope and other

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-17875572914951774102009-10-18T11:09:00.000-07:002009-10-18T19:59:45.918-07:00

Today is Rebecca's half birthday (as in, she turned 3 1/2). She is 39 1/4 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds. She is transitioning into size 5 clothing, and 10XW shoe size. Her favorite foods (judging by what she requests most often) are fruit (all kinds), carrots, almonds, noodles, rice, crackers, pumpkin oatmeal, dark chocolate chips, and ice cream (which she only gets to have on special

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-28310158334332785772009-09-01T20:28:00.000-07:002009-09-01T20:40:17.864-07:00

When Rebecca woke me up yesterday morning (she's been my alarm clock for the majority of the days since she was born), she came bouncing cheerfully into my bedroom holding one of her hymn books, saying, "Let's sing a hymn together, Mommy!" The one she had picked out was "When We All Get to Heaven." Can't think of a better way to start my day! God, in his unfathomable mercy, gave one of the

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-23832746770382258882009-08-19T18:56:00.000-07:002009-08-19T20:31:10.363-07:00

Wondering where all my time goes and why I feel like I'm always telling my 3-year-old daughter she has to wait for me to play with her, I decided to log the number of hours I spend being sick (and doing other things as well). Really, since I have multiple chronic diseases, I am sick 24/7; but there are specific activities that take time that I have to do just to keep my head above water, and it

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-44307605805281555032009-08-05T18:00:00.000-07:002009-08-05T19:45:14.132-07:00

I have been thinking a lot in recent weeks about what the Bible means when it says that God shall supply all our needs. This has been on my mind because I believe that if certain legislation currently being considered in Congress becomes law, it will not be long before (what I perceive as) some very real needs of mine, not to mention those of others more helpless than myself, are not adequately

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-58749642223122882512009-07-15T20:02:00.000-07:002009-07-15T20:15:32.752-07:00

Yesterday, while browsing her world atlas and pausing on a page with mostly oceans: "Moses holds God's hand when he's swimming around in the water."Today: "Mommy, is God red? What color is God?"Often these days:"Mommy, why did God make it too hot to ride my bike?" (Still, Mommy will take the long, hot summers over long, cold winters.)Multiple times a day, usually after I ask her to do something

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-51558620267150610922009-06-29T12:54:00.000-07:002009-06-30T17:59:08.146-07:00

Bad things:-I found out I am highly allergic to soy, and two of the supplements I had been taking have soy in them (fish oil and glutathione).-The weather has been unbearably hot, and so I haven't spent much time outside.-My neck, shoulder, and back problems have worsened considerably.-I have been particularly sad about only having one child.-My energy level has decreased (probably related to all

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-6873935186843310992009-05-12T10:33:00.001-07:002009-05-12T10:48:29.282-07:00

This is food allergy awareness week, although I have only seen it advertised in one place, so I'm not sure what the scope and purpose of it is. Since being diagnosed with food allergies three months ago, I have fluctuated between trying to avoid major offenders, and then getting so discouraged (and hungry!) that I just throw the diet out the window.I finally made some time today to go through a

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-4079920707070545132009-04-28T21:20:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:32:18.911-07:00

We had Rebecca's birthday party on Saturday at one of many parks near our house. When we got to the park, she said, "I don't want to go to the party; I just want to play at the park!" And I thought, "I picked the right place for her party!" The weather was beautiful, though very windy, and the dozen helium balloons broke free of the table we had tied them to, but got caught in a tree, and Steve

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-42116055962016016502009-04-26T21:42:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:35:00.381-07:00

...to my baby sister (on the right) who just turned 18 and has been awarded some nice grants and scholarships to the University of Michigan's Schools of Art and Music. We are so grateful that God made her so talented and that He has provided the means for her to get a good education in her fields of interest. And thanks to my middle school band director, Ms. Stribling, who suggested that Emily

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-27056302741775604552009-04-26T21:30:00.000-07:002009-04-26T21:42:17.637-07:00

Rebecca has been wearing panties since she turned three eight days ago, and has done a much better job than I expected her to. The first seven days, she wet them only once a day, with the exception of twice on day two. She has been wearing pull-ups whenever we are not at home, and has wet those a few times, but not always. However, today we were gone almost all day (church, birthday party for

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-19900940524925588462009-04-22T15:10:00.000-07:002009-04-22T15:28:21.185-07:00

Just kidding! Okay, so I wasn't really kidding when I wrote a few weeks ago that I had been feeling better. It's just that, well, the feeling-better feeling only lasted about one more week after I posted, and I'm not feeling better anymore. I mean, I guess I'm feeling better than I was a year ago, but not any better than I was four or five months ago, and I am discouraged that I am more tired

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-11448879955628062152009-04-18T18:19:00.000-07:002009-04-22T15:10:47.745-07:00

Okay, so everyone tells you, but you never believe how quickly three years can go by until it happens! I can't believe a full one-sixth of Rebecca's at-home training is already complete. I wish time would just stop for awhile. I truly think that the age she is at right now is the cutest!3-year stats:height: 38.5 inchesweight: ~33 lbs.clothing size: usually 4tshoe size: 8.5 XWBible verses she can

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-48490044547115646262009-04-05T21:11:00.001-07:002009-04-05T21:17:03.529-07:00

Steve and I celebrated our 6-year anniversary today. I liked having our anniversary on a Sunday (for the first time!)...it just made it seem more special. We picked this up yesterday and finished eating it this morning. The picture does not do it justice. Steve also made me waffles and brought me a tray in bed (we went to the second worship service at church so we were not rushed). He took a

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-61713961968887120972009-04-04T22:08:00.000-07:002009-04-16T19:58:03.400-07:00

Things Rebecca says frequently these days:"Mommy, would you like to read a book to me?" (Love to hear this! Usually one of the first things she says when she gets up in the morning.)"I don't want to go home; I just want to go somewhere else." (This one breaks my heart! I know she enjoys being out and around lots of people, but how do I make home a more attractive place to her?)"I just want Mommy

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-32166065729028059012009-04-04T10:53:00.000-07:002009-04-04T21:47:29.100-07:00

Next to Tex-Mex food, I think the thing I love most about Texas is the bluebonnets. We took these yesterday about 45 minutes from our house. It was a little on the sunny side (hence the shadows on the face), but otherwise perfect weather. I can't decide whether I like the one of Rebecca standing or sitting better. Update: I just found these last two pictures (somehow they didn't make it off

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-46337218752063574512009-03-31T12:37:00.000-07:002009-03-31T12:55:58.320-07:00

We just got back yesterday from celebrating Steve's mom's birthday at Disney World. We all flew in on Thursday, spent Friday at Magic Kingdom, Saturday at Animal Kingdom, and Sunday at Epcot, and flew back Monday. Matt and his family also visited Disney's Hollywood Studios on Sunday, but we opted to return to MK with Rebecca one last time instead. There is only one roller coaster that she is

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-53781935415457640222009-03-19T20:31:00.000-07:002009-03-19T21:04:49.623-07:00

Steve's brother Matt and his family and Gran came to visit us Saturday through Wednesday. It was Spring Break for all of us, and we wanted to hang out with Matt's family before they move back to Korea. We went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where Rebecca and Gracie got to ride ponies, and Yeo Rae got to ride a mechanical bull.We also toured the Space Center, which I would like to go

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-16720850762161811992009-03-19T20:23:00.001-07:002009-03-19T20:31:39.297-07:00

It has been five weeks since I was diagnosed with allergies, and I must say that I have had a significant improvement in my level of functioning. I noticed it just a week or two after I had been taking allergy medications and attempting to reduce the offenders in my diet by at least 50%. I was hesitant to say anything at first, because I wasn't sure if the improvement was for real or just a

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-37288531978846361322009-02-13T17:52:00.000-08:002009-02-13T18:22:43.864-08:00

Okay, so my diagnoses don't number in the thousands, or even the hundreds, but I do have nine new ones that make it feel like that many. I had allergy testing done on Thursday, and, just in time for Valentine's Day, I found out that I am highly allergic to grass, ragweed, dust, wheat, corn, cane sugar, and yeast; and that I am only mildly allergic to milk and eggs. Now I get to add allergy

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-41803835896141590062009-02-10T17:29:00.000-08:002009-02-10T17:34:07.907-08:00

See the article by clicking on the title of this post. And then write your Representatives and Senators and demand that they scrap this before its too late. And if this passes, expect my quality of life to drop significantly and my life span to be shortened (and probably yours, too).

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-40493607527071622742009-02-10T17:12:00.000-08:002009-02-10T17:19:54.736-08:00

It made me feel a lot better today when the ER doctor told me that his kid, too, had gotten his fingers smashed in the car door under his watch. Thankfully, Rebecca has no broken bones, not even any bleeding, and returned to her cheerful self a few hours later; but boy, was it scary for Mommy! I'm not up to relaying the details right now, but maybe one day I will.

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-44156183211369271362009-01-30T18:50:00.001-08:002009-01-30T19:16:31.418-08:00

Things I love about this age (33 mos):-asking to read books all the time (except I wish I didn't get headaches so easily when reading)-pointing out words she recognizes in the books-singing songs all day long, and asking Mommy to sing along-loving to spend hours at the park-wanting to stop to smell all the flowers-wanting to help Mommy do whatever she's doing-wanting to sit in Mommy's lap all the

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-77884606636270594842009-01-28T23:05:00.001-08:002009-01-28T23:07:59.889-08:00

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-52972197578872041502009-01-22T11:48:00.000-08:002009-01-22T12:11:43.356-08:00

The days of naps are over. I have been taking naps on a regular basis ever since high school, and now I have to stop. Rebecca has been gradually phasing out of naps for a couple of months now, napping as often as not; but I think naps are now officially a thing of the past for us. This wasn't supposed to happen until she turned three! The past three weeks I think she's had maybe three naps, and

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-53513878523822701842009-01-09T00:57:00.000-08:002009-01-09T01:58:51.452-08:00

"But we never can provethe delight of His loveUntil all at the altar we lay" (emphasis mine)This is part of one of the verses of the well-known hymn Trust and Obey. I sang this hymn often enough as a child to have a comfortable familiarity with it (even played it on the piano!); but, as with many hymns, if it's not part of the first verse, I don't remember it nearly as well. These words

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-72092089096069647412008-12-25T01:20:00.000-08:002008-12-25T01:38:40.840-08:00

It's early Christmas morning and I haven't been able to fall asleep, so I've been doing some reading. I was encouraged by the Christmas Edition of the Patriot Post (reposted with permission):For my family, Christmas is much more than a day, a season or a collection ofmemories and rituals. Christmas is a lens through which we endeavor to view allthings -- the universe of our Creator and His

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-40312250985780862372008-12-16T13:35:00.001-08:002008-12-16T14:16:39.107-08:00

I love the Christmas card tradition...not necessarily the actual card with a pre-written message on it, but the newsletter-with-picture type of Christmas card, where you get to catch up with everyone that you've been meaning to catch up with all year, but for one reason or another it just hasn't happened. However, it seems that we get far fewer cards than my parents ever did...which either means

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-57859196457964660902008-11-02T18:53:00.001-08:002009-01-09T02:01:45.279-08:00

Not that I want the focus of Christmas to be on receiving gifts, or that gifts are expected from anyone; but for those who like to shop early (in the order in which I thought of them):1. play doctor's kit (she has carried her medicine, a.k.a. oral syringe, with her everywhere for months) (SER/SJR)2. jigsaw puzzles (large pieces; animal pictures are preferred over cartoon characters) (SJR, CMR,

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-76721745909055264792008-11-01T11:35:00.000-07:002008-11-01T13:29:20.064-07:00

It's November, the month we promote (among other things) Diabetes Awareness. I am glad that this disease gets as much media coverage as it does, but there are still a lot of public misconceptions about it. (See my section on diabetes myths later in this post.)First, an update on diabetes in my life: I am very excited to be getting an insulin pump upgrade, as well as my first ever full-time

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-27221292265927160462008-10-28T17:35:00.000-07:002008-10-28T18:45:57.536-07:00

Today I had a rough day. I was sleep-deprived, I couldn't find half the stuff I was looking for at the grocery store, I can never find things (mostly papers) I need at home because our house is so messy, Rebecca made lots of messes that I had to clean up, she didn't take a nap, and we got our first quote for having our roof replaced, which was higher than we were anticipating. (We originally had

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-74973663164384407772008-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:002008-10-21T11:53:52.728-07:00

This morning I went to vote at our local community college. I only had to wait in line about 20 minutes, which I thought wasn't bad at all, although it was longer than I've ever had to wait for early voting, and this was despite the existence of several new early voting locations this time. However, when I was in the middle of casting my ballot (via electronic machines), I noticed it was asking

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-81131717335556483812008-10-18T18:14:00.000-07:002008-10-19T13:17:22.986-07:00

Today Cutie turned two and a half years old! We celebrated by going camping with Uncle David and Aunt Rachel. This was her second time; the first was last fall, when she was 18 mos.Rebecca didn't do quite as well sleeping in the tent as she did last year (I woke up at 3am to find her sitting up on her pile of blankets, reading her Bible by moonlight, and Daddy had to help her go back to sleep)

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-17983107290788305392008-10-16T09:59:00.001-07:002008-10-16T10:27:18.502-07:00

This is one of Rebecca's newer phrases, and I'm not sure whether to try to discourage it or not. It started a couple of weeks ago, when we were out running errands, she had had a long morning, and I knew she was hungry and tired. She started crying when we got home (because she didn't want to go home yet), and I told her she would feel better after she ate some food. Well, now, whenever she

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-52644069358981054842008-10-09T13:40:00.000-07:002008-10-09T13:46:24.900-07:00

My sweet, precious baby girl is in the other room alternately singing a children's version of The Lord's Prayer (Steve Green), and I am Jesus' Little Lamb (Trinity Hymnal), not leaving out a word. I don't think I have ever heard a sweeter sound. To think that a year ago at this time, I thought she would never talk!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-90282899294280699692008-09-18T14:59:00.000-07:002008-09-21T18:09:16.038-07:00

The milestones after walking and talking and memorizing Bible verses don't seem to be quite as significant, but I have noticed little things in the last month or two that Rebecca has started doing for the first time. Here are some that come to mind:-Singing (at least in rhythm, if not on pitch)-Reading a series of letters and then asking, "What does that spell?"-Pronouncing the second "l" in a

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-39051499674152561892008-08-11T14:23:00.000-07:002008-08-11T14:59:26.655-07:00

These pictures are seven weeks old, but I'm just now getting around to posting them. We visited Steve's family in June right after his mom had knee-replacement surgery, which is why his parents are not in the pictures. We don't get to see his family very often (especially all at one time), since we all live in different states, so this was a momentous occasion. Neither Rebecca's smile nor her

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-62508441472526016292008-07-30T21:13:00.000-07:002008-07-30T21:39:29.668-07:00

Here is a sampling of words that Rebecca has asked us to help her spell. You can see I've started teaching her Spanish (just colors, numbers, and a few other words). She can also spell several words by herself: Rebecca, Rizzotti, Mommy, Daddy, Lamby, David, joyful. She can sometimes spell Stephen correctly, but occasionally leaves out a letter. She also knows the first letter of many additional

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-46957612547068175152008-06-15T23:44:00.001-07:002008-06-16T00:36:42.418-07:00

Though my body should not be healthy, nor energy be in my cells,the medicines and vitamins I take fail, and the doctors keep finding more problems,my friends be cut off from me, and there be no one to relieve me of my tasks,yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes me able to get out of bed in the morning;He makes me

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-43548431327058243312008-06-15T23:30:00.000-07:002008-06-15T23:42:21.952-07:00

I do not know anyone who is happier than Rebecca. Oh, that I were so carefree!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-29311107397060483172008-05-24T20:11:00.000-07:002008-05-26T09:21:48.963-07:00

On Saturday, I wasn't feeling that great, so we enjoyed dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. When we were getting out of the car to go into the restaurant, there was another family (whom we did not know) walking from the restaurant to their car. When Rebecca saw them, she yelled out with a big smile, "Hi, everybody!" Steve and I laughed because this is totally unlike either of us (and totally unlike every

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-51070462912316786962008-05-24T12:16:00.000-07:002008-05-24T12:39:00.755-07:00

Rebecca can now say two Bible verses in their entirety. She has been obsessed with the Steve Green "Hide 'Em in Your Heart" songs and videos, and has started absorbing them more quickly than I expected. I thought her first memory verse might be something short and simple, like "God is love" (I John 4:8). But, nope, her first two verses are much longer, and, I think, keeping with her

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-39512390726383471492008-05-24T12:03:00.000-07:002008-05-24T13:03:42.688-07:00

Ever since Rebecca learned her colors a few months ago, she would comment on whatever colors she happened to see, especially when we were driving in the car, which meant she said "red" and "green" annoyingly frequently. So we decided to teach her that "red" means "stop" and "green" means "go." Then she would say "red means stop" and "green means go" whenever she saw anything of those colors, not

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-82433096715934128772008-05-20T14:22:00.000-07:002008-05-20T14:44:26.226-07:00

I am struggling a lot right now trying to make wise choices about how to use my time and energy. (Who doesn't, anyway?) I've been asked in the past several weeks to: bring meals to families with new babies (no one needs to tell me how much it will be appreciated, but still I feel like I need to be the one receiving meals); help with VBS (fun, worthy cause, but also draining); and teach a

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-74578659514611547532008-05-20T14:13:00.001-07:002008-05-20T14:21:34.852-07:00

A couple of days before Mother's Day, I was changing Rebecca's diaper when she said out of the blue without any prompting, "Good job Mommy change diaper!" That was a wonderful Mother's Day present! She was genuinely thanking me for meeting her very real need, and has continued to do so rather consistently ever since then. It brightens my day to know that someone appreciates something I do!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-74652382959526893902008-05-13T19:57:00.000-07:002008-05-13T20:05:49.909-07:00

My first-ever attempt at braiding Rebecca's hair...a little loose, but the best I could do with her squirming! Pretty, but I think plain pigtails will be easier this summer. We've been enjoying unseasonably temperate, pleasant weather the past few weeks.

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-81968892276799743112008-04-23T19:08:00.001-07:002008-04-23T19:34:20.487-07:00

My cousin Heather tagged me, so here is my list:1. I love to eat vegetables, but I hate shopping for and cooking them.2. I cannot multitask at all. It's even distracting for me to focus on looking people in the eye if I'm trying to talk to or listen to them at the same time. When I talk on the phone, I can't clean up a room at the same time and still really listen to what you're saying. And

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-50768121073378097542008-04-21T14:25:00.000-07:002008-04-21T17:09:51.910-07:00

Rebecca had a great birthday weekend! It started with an overnight visit Thursday night from Aunt Erin (pregnant with ___ Hope Mangan), Uncle Trey, and Annaliesa. We adults had fun talking, and Rebecca and Annaliesa had fun bouncing around and giggling together.They gave Rebecca her own wheelbarrow and gardening tools for her birthday present (still need to get a picture), which was perfect since

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-27643187643041666672008-04-09T18:15:00.000-07:002008-04-09T18:54:04.627-07:00

Rebecca is becoming more and more capable of combining words. It is especially fun for me to see her repeating ideas that we have tried to instill in her, particularly biblical concepts. Her first exposure to Jesus dying on the cross was in her rhyming toddler Bible, and she picked up on the symbol of the cross pretty quickly and would identify it whenever she saw it (in books, on church

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-10933206869270867762008-03-16T19:26:00.001-07:002008-03-16T19:47:24.056-07:00

Yesterday we gave Rebecca an early birthday present: her first trip to the Houston Rodeo! She loved it and has talking about the "ee-o" ever since, usually paired with the word "fun."The first exhibit we went to was the exotic animals. Here we are holding a joey. Isn't he cute?Now we are petting a friendly python. We had to tell Rebecca to just pet and not squeeze him.Here is Rebecca talking

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-13101093374485280292008-02-07T11:32:00.000-08:002008-02-12T10:18:15.791-08:00

One of the frustrating things about having so many health problems is that it's hard to find things that are good for me to eat. I don't have as many restrictions due to diabetes as most people think I do, since I've got an insulin pump; I can indulge in sweets occasionally. I do try to pay attention to sugar content and glycemic index, and eat whole grains and lots veggies whevenever possible (

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-91433261002982140802008-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:002008-02-07T11:32:23.938-08:00

Rebecca has continued to add new words to her vocabulary at a rapid pace. In one month's time, she has gone from maybe 15 words to about 75, and continues to add at least one a day. Many of her words are letters, numbers, animals and the sounds they make, and names of people. Her speech therapist has instructed us to focus more on verbs and adjectives and to encourage her to put two words

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-44444123686793599312008-01-24T15:47:00.000-08:002008-01-24T15:53:55.804-08:00

Just got my lab results back (the ones that were taken after my initial round of ATP shots), and my ATP is even lower than it was before (16, with 30 being normal), and I still have extremely high levels of my chronic viruses. Dr. wants me to continue taking more shots, in same dose and frequency...I'm wondering if I need to go ahead and request tests for vitamin and mineral deficiencies,

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-47908586307056685022008-01-22T06:54:00.000-08:002008-01-22T07:01:50.054-08:00

This post by Paul Tripp was emailed to me by my DH; it was very convicting to me, because I know that I am often ungracious towards myself in what I tell myself about me and about God. I need to work on this, but it's such an ingrained habit, so it will be a long struggle to overcome it. How do you deal with negative self-talk? Suggestions are welcome....

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-11926058761568136602008-01-18T12:54:00.000-08:002008-01-18T13:15:57.344-08:00

Yes, today is only her 21-month birthday, but I think I just decided that we are going to order her 2-year birthday present early. One thing that the occupational therapist recommended for Rebecca was a mini trampoline. Then I talked to a friend from church who said they got an inflatable jumper for their son, who is seven months older than Rebecca and also has sensory issues. I did a little

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-9235364002500828592008-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:002008-01-16T11:38:38.268-08:00

My MIL just forwarded me this interesting "calculator" that helps you match up your beliefs and preferences on various issues with presidential candidates. Of course, I suppose this assumes that all candidates would actually act on whatever position they currently say they hold once they get into office; I would have liked it better if it had included "history of consistent voting record" as part

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-72526863057422707452008-01-15T12:25:00.000-08:002008-01-15T13:05:22.698-08:00

We have suspected for a few months now that Rebecca has sensory processing disorder, after first hearing about it from her speech therapist. People with sensory processing disorder don't process information they take in through their senses the same way that normal people do. They are either over-sensitive or under-sensitive to various stimuli from the environment, and often have a combination

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-36297101094534816722008-01-15T11:47:00.000-08:002008-01-15T12:25:41.098-08:00

Rebecca has added about twenty new words to her vocabulary in the past couple of weeks, a few spoken well, but most with modified pronunciation, although still understandable in context. We are so excited to hear her talking more; but what is fascinating is that her most frequent words are "Whoa, baby!", which is something that Steve and I never say. Her only exposure to it was from a couple of

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-90329169004036503632008-01-09T17:42:00.001-08:002008-01-09T18:39:20.500-08:00

Things I've been spending a lot of time pondering the last few days, in no particular order:Do I want to try crash-course potty-training, or the more gradual approach? (If I do gradual, I think Rebecca is ready to start, but I'm not sure she's ready for an intense level yet.)How should I respond to Rebecca's recently-surfaced "minor" disobedience (refusing to come when I ask, etc.)?Why can

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-7301146269967456212008-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:002008-01-05T10:36:26.022-08:00

One year ago today our niece Gracie was born. We wish we could be with her to celebrate, but at least we just got to see her at Christmas. It will be so fun for Rebecca to grow up with a cousin so close to her in age!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-75975593118154325532008-01-02T18:52:00.000-08:002008-01-02T19:33:52.128-08:00

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-76763049623890027642007-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:002007-12-20T12:12:33.733-08:00

This week, when the days are the shortest of the entire year, and when we're trying to get into the spirit of Christmas, it's 75 degrees outside. We have cannas blooming in our back yard. (I'd take a picture, but I don't have time to download it.) I had to run the air conditioner in my car to keep Cutie from burning up, and we only went five minutes from home. And I almost ran the A/C inside

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-81659199640635632482007-12-20T11:42:00.000-08:002007-12-20T12:00:38.205-08:00

We are finally ready to replace Steve's 1996 Ford Explorer (with 174k miles on it). We've been doing lots of research online the past few weeks, mostly on consumerreports.com, and also checking out local listings. It's overwhelming to try to narrow down the possibilities.We're looking for a 2-4-year-old family car or possibly a hatchback, since I don't feel comfortable driving bigger vehicles (

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-6970634805869361912007-12-14T11:13:00.001-08:002007-12-18T16:48:48.485-08:00

Friday I had the last of my six Glutathione/ATP shots. Lots of people have asked me if I have noticed a difference, and I guess the short answer is yes, it is doing something, but I'm not any less tired. Here is the more detailed answer:The first difference I noticed is that my low thyroid symptoms worsened; this made me even more tired than I already was. However, not having seen the doctor for

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-56137092041095457682007-11-10T12:47:00.000-08:002007-11-10T14:00:32.889-08:00

So, for the last decade(+), I have had so little energy. It's been frustrating to try to explain to friends, acquaintances, and even doctors, and to know that they just don't get it. Few people understand what my physical limitations are and how that affects the rest of my life. It's disheartening to be 28 years old, look like I'm 17, and feel like I'm 78. I am thrilled to finally be able to

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-7308325919102794002007-11-10T12:13:00.000-08:002007-11-10T12:47:26.804-08:00

Rebecca had her first speech therapy session last week, after having been evaluated two weeks ago, which confirmed that she was delayed. I was a little disappointed in the therapy session...it involved a whole lot of observing and not much coaching. I was glad that the speech pathologist said that she didn't have speech apraxia, although I'm still keeping it as a possibility in the back of my

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-62848276185083015022007-10-30T21:08:00.000-07:002007-10-31T07:06:42.843-07:00

Last weekend we went to Austin to squeeze in a fall camping trip with Uncle David and Aunt Rachel before it got any colder. Steve and I really needed a temporary escape from our overwhelming, ever-growing to-do lists, and this was a quick fix. Rebecca had a blast at McKinney Falls State Park, where she was in stick and rock heaven. She was also excited to see some dogs and some deer (which she

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-24833910790095850472007-10-18T12:03:00.000-07:002007-10-18T14:57:01.166-07:00

Cutie is 18 months old today, and is still as cute and sweet as ever! We probably won't get around to posting any pictures for at least a few days. Steve has been very busy at work, and of course I am as exhausted, and we are behind on lots of things, and have some social activities planned for this weekend. She doesn't look too different from the last picture I posted; she still gets many

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-18570080767344194492007-10-18T11:11:00.000-07:002007-10-18T12:03:37.361-07:00

I finally saw my new doctor yesterday, after having had to wait a couple of months just for the first appointment. Dr. Salvato was recommended by the sister of a friend at church (who is also Type 1 diabetic and has chronic fatigue), and amazingly is a preferred provider for our insurance. She is board-certified in internal medicine, and specializes in autoimmune diseases and chronic fatigue

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-73595391915661628592007-09-19T14:19:00.000-07:002007-09-19T14:25:27.229-07:00

Rebecca turned seventeen months yesterday, but this picture was taken three days ago, and it is one of my new favorites of her. The dress is a hand-me-down from second cousin Katherine.

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-87417893290707179942007-09-10T11:21:00.000-07:002007-09-10T11:28:08.838-07:00

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-67137306636201848072007-08-28T10:12:00.000-07:002007-08-28T10:18:03.484-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, Rebecca and I were in Murray, KY for three days at my ten-year high school reunion. It was lots of fun (so fun that I didn't pause to take very many pictures...hopefully I will get around to posting the few that I have soon), but we were glad to get home and see Daddy. This was the first kiss Rebecca has ever given Steve on the lips, and I just happened to catch it on

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-24775589559399280632007-07-28T19:17:00.000-07:002007-07-28T19:53:09.955-07:00

I just got a book from the library a couple of days ago called Nurture By Nature, about how to determine type in children (and use it in your parenting). It is the most helpful guide I've seen yet, with descriptions of each type at various ages, including before they can talk! (If you are unfamiliar with the MBTI, it is a fabulous tool for beginning to understand why people think and act the way

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1614752085070522862007-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:002007-07-26T20:50:09.095-07:00

Short version: still tall and skinny, growing fast, likes mostly same foods/activities/toys as she did when she was younger, still sleeps well...just more active now. Still cute and sweet...scroll down for more pictures!Long, detailed version:Rebecca had her 15-month checkup this week, and came in at about the same percentages as she did for her 12-month visit: 95% for length (32 1/2 inches);

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-53202882136448660192007-07-22T20:44:00.000-07:002007-07-22T21:34:16.238-07:00

On Friday, we went to Galveston with my Aunt Evon and her friend Samantha, who were visiting from Indiana. Providentially, Cutie slept in that morning until 9:15 (as opposed to her usual 7:30), so she did beautifully without a nap all day long. We had a fabulous seafood lunch at Gaido's (highly recommended, BTW) because Aunt Evon remembered eating there as a little girl. I later found out that

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-33515017197818114042007-06-18T18:17:00.000-07:002007-06-18T19:10:57.244-07:00

Lately I've been pretty discouraged about my lack of energy. (This is why it's been so long since I've posted anything on my blog.) I'm kind of wondering why God gave me a baby but didn't give me the energy to take care of her. She's a pretty easy baby to take care of, but I feel awful lying on the couch so much of the time while she plays by herself. Thankfully, she just learned to walk by

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-24680237608004464812007-04-29T19:45:00.000-07:002007-04-29T20:44:40.493-07:00

Books I have been "currently reading" for about the past three months (a chapter here or there whenever I get around to it, like when I can't sleep at night), or that I have recently acquired (most through library loan) and would like to read soon. I am only commenting briefly in this post...maybe one day I'll have a chance to review more thoroughly. Skip the first seven titles if you're not

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-71229514342872170402007-04-18T20:01:00.000-07:002007-04-18T20:53:16.912-07:00

Today was Rebecca's first birthday, and she gave me one of the best presents ever: her first kiss! I was holding her and I kissed her on the cheek (which I often do); but this time she turned to me, opened her mouth, and put her lips on my cheek. It was so precious and endearing! And I know it was real and not just a fluke, because later in the day, Winnie the Pooh kissed her and she kissed him

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-44988302774843515962007-03-20T20:35:00.000-07:002007-03-20T20:58:00.505-07:00

On the way back home from Dallas today (where we saw a bunch of cousins--more on that visit later), we stopped on the side of I-45 to take Cutie's first pictures with her native state flower. It was really windy, but she was glad to get out of the car.

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-53204153620347716492007-03-04T18:36:00.000-08:002007-03-04T19:56:29.036-08:00

Cutie has not really done anything new recently, but she is still just as fun and cute and sweet (and busy and exhausting!) as ever. She has started asserting her preferences and independence more regularly by touching things she knows she is not allowed to touch (usualy an electric outlet); by refusing to eat certain foods she used to eat; and by pushing away a book she doesn't want to read and

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1172373494094012752007-02-24T19:09:00.000-08:002007-02-24T19:18:14.106-08:00

Yesterday General Electric closed on the purchase of Vetco Gray, so Steve now works for GE. As far as we know, his job responsibilities and salary/benefits will not be affected in any way, except that he will have to go to Albany, NY in a few weeks with some of his coworkers for a tour of a GE research center. I'm not looking forward to him being gone for four days, since he is always helping

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1172197354984963682007-02-22T18:12:00.000-08:002007-02-22T18:22:34.996-08:00

on 32 years of marriage!May the coming year be the best one yet!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1172026353284997482007-02-20T18:02:00.000-08:002007-02-22T08:37:52.390-08:00

As a new mommy, I am always on the lookout for places to find good deals on used baby items and clothes, and always eager to pass on information on opportunities I wish I had known about sooner.Just Between Friends is a consignment sale that another new mommy friend from church recently told me about. It takes place over the course of a weekend, or sometimes a full week; once in the spring and

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1171861578805776382007-02-18T20:16:00.000-08:002007-02-19T17:57:42.750-08:00

We are constantly thanking God for what a joy Rebecca is. She has been especially happy and fun the last couple of weeks. These pictures were all taken yesterday and today, but are fairly representative of what Cutie typically likes to do for fun every day. (She still loves books, especially books with different textures, but I don't have any recent book pictures.) The weather changes

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1171492180714274442007-02-14T14:25:00.000-08:002007-02-19T14:35:49.993-08:00

These Valentine's jammies are from cousin Katherine. The little dots glow in the dark!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1170736615369398442007-02-05T20:12:00.000-08:002007-02-05T21:11:28.113-08:00

Here stands one of the happiest couples I have ever seen, together with their matchmaker (my mom!). Troy started teaching in my parents' Sunday School class last May, and told him in June that she thought he should get to know her niece (my cousin) Heather (who was living in Chatanooga, TN at the time). They emailed and talked frequently and at length for several weeks, met face-to-face for the

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1170735107803820072007-02-05T19:58:00.000-08:002007-02-05T20:11:47.816-08:00

We were up in Dallas this past weekend for my cousin Heather's wedding, and Cutie got to see her first snow. When we got to my parents' house, big, thick flakes were falling from the sky, and she laughed when we took her out of the car and felt them on her face and hands. I wish I had gotten my camera out then, but we were pretty tired from a long car trip and just wanted to get inside. These

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1170129947150073302007-01-29T19:21:00.000-08:002007-02-02T22:11:35.293-08:00

Check out these pictures of Rebecca and Gracie, taken when they were each a few days old. Besides being the sweetest baby girls on the face of the earth, their parents think there's a remarkable resemblance. Does anyone else agree?

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1170126240278409532007-01-29T18:10:00.000-08:002007-01-30T13:19:51.453-08:00

In the last month, Rebecca has become much more interested in food than she used to be, and sometimes refuses to eat unless she gets to feed herself (hence the lack of clothes in the high chair). This means that meals last much longer than they used to, which is sometimes good and sometimes not-so-good. She probably eats only a slightly greater quantity of food, but she definitely likes a

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1169610443686498112007-01-23T18:47:00.001-08:002007-01-26T08:08:30.720-08:00

I wanted to post this earlier in the month but just haven't gotten around to it until now.Our pastor started off the new year with a very interesting Sermon Series on the book of Numbers. January 7th was an overview of the book, with the main theme being that God speaks to us in the wilderness. January 14th was an extremely convicting exhortation on the dangers of grumbling and complaining.

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1169178643941807162007-01-18T19:28:00.000-08:002007-01-23T20:57:22.446-08:00

Today Cutie turned 9 months old. Time is definitely flying now! She had a good day, for the most part, with lots of cheery smiles and giggles...except for when I took her for her check-up (already tired since the appointment happened to land right when she normally would have had her afternoon nap), and they had to draw blood from her arm to test for iron and lead levels...not worth the pain

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1169177286210881982007-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:002007-01-18T23:24:40.516-08:00

...to the new future second Rachel Breeding (Mrs. David Breeding, in addition to Mrs. Stephen Breeding, who is also Rachel)!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1169007512545669002007-01-16T19:54:00.000-08:002007-01-16T22:11:43.350-08:00

Today I tried dresses on Cutie. She needed something new to wear to Aunt Heather and Mr. Troy's wedding coming up, since she didn't have any that fit very well. I can't believe the winner is a size 2T, but that's what it took to get the length she needed (most dresses in her usual size of 12 or 18 mos. are barely long enough to cover her bottom, much less go past her knees!). The 2T worked

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1168828644099862402007-01-14T18:07:00.000-08:002007-01-16T22:10:17.246-08:00

Here is the first picture I got of Rebecca's teeth since they erupted a couple of weeks ago. She has such a big smile because she is so proud of herself for learning how to pull up to standing in her crib. She is so excited, in fact, to reach this milestone, that she has only had one nap a day (instead of the usual two) for the past eight days in a row. Standing up is much more fun for her than

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1168485212606267392007-01-10T19:06:00.000-08:002007-01-12T16:34:57.466-08:00

These pictures say it all...Daddy is the love of her life!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1168018298134359512007-01-05T09:25:00.000-08:002007-01-05T09:31:38.146-08:00

Gracie Kim Rizzotti was born Jan. 5th, 2007, at 2pm Korean time. (We still haven't made it to that time here yet!) She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 21.25 inches long! Mommy, Baby, and Daddy are all fine. We will post more pictures as we get them. Gracie is Rebecca's first first cousin. We're so proud!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1167769949354325742007-01-02T12:01:00.000-08:002007-01-02T16:41:39.493-08:00

As you can see, Cutie had lots of fun on her first Christmas (outside the womb). There were lots of things to play with at Gran and Grandpa's house, even before she opened presents, but the presents were great, too. We enjoyed being with the Rizzotti clan (except for Matt and family, whose baby will hopefully come on Friday)! Cutie finally got to meet Uncle Chris, and Miss Rebecca was lots of

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1166667668720547272006-12-20T17:10:00.000-08:002006-12-20T18:21:08.733-08:00

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1166507549385795062006-12-18T21:38:00.000-08:002006-12-19T21:27:06.176-08:00

I can't believe Cutie is already 2/3 of a year old! It's going too fast!!! And *she* is starting to go too fast, as in moving very quickly on the floor...which is why we gave her this Christmas present early (more like a present to me, since it keeps her happily contained, although I try not to keep her in there too long). I got this Baby Einstein activity center for a good price online. The

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33442574.post-1165888222822329622006-12-11T17:21:00.000-08:002006-12-12T12:29:38.316-08:00

It has been so fun watching Rebecca play, both with her toys and with us. She still likes her glowworm....she still likes tags...she still likes books, she loves peek-a-boo...and yesterday she discovered a fun new game: tickling Daddy's foot!

Elisabethnoreply@blogger.com1