Happy Friday! I have a load of things to talk about today so I’m just going to go ahead and get started. But first, I want to warn you... there is A LOT of rambling ahead! I've been super busy this week and I was on an all-day field trip with Olivia's class yesterday so I typed this post in a frenzy (because I much preferred to get caught up on A Million Little Things last night instead of blogging) and barely had time to proofread. I basically typed this like I'm talking to you. And I talk very fast. #YouveBeenWarned
O N E – I’M AN AUNT AGAIN!!!!
My brother and sister-in-law
had an 8 lb. 6 oz. 20 inches long sweet baby girl Sunday night and we couldn’t
be more in love. My sister-in-law is a
ROCKSTAR and had her naturally (her second natural birth) and she and baby
Chyler are both healthy and perfect and doing well.
Cheryl (my SIL) labored from
4:30 AM Sunday morning until Chyler was finally born at 10:24 PM that
night. My parents had to go up to take
care of my nephew while they were in the hospital, so my whole family (Dad,
Mom, both brothers, Brian, my uncle, and me) had a group chat going all day to
keep up with progress. Y’all, I love my
family so much because it was a HOOT. We
kept it going strong for a good three days.
T W O – Care Package
My niece who is away at
college had to have a little procedure recently so we sent her a little “get
well” care package. I went to Target to
find some fun stuff to include (because where else would I go?) and I found
lots of cute stuff to include for her.
My FAVORITE thing were these Emily Ley mini notebooks. Our Target has been in the midst of a MAJOR
renovation so they finally just got the new Emily Ley line set up, and I finally
had the chance to browse it in person.
I bought the notebooks for
her and while I was there I couldn’t resist a fun clipboard because it
matches my planner for 2019. (Unfortunately the clipboard is no longer available on Target.com so I can't link it, but they might still have them in stores!) I had
recently purchased a folder to keep my Daily Checklist and Weekly, Monthly, and
Master To-Do Lists in, but this clipboard is so much more functional and… it
matches!
I think I finally have the
ultimate system worked out for staying organized and I can’t wait to implement
it January 1, 2019 when I can finally start using my planner. Once I get in the groove I’ll be sharing it
with all of you. I know a lot of people
have asked me to do a post about how I use my planner, but frankly, I couldn’t
ever find the “perfect” way. I’ve
finally found it with Emily Ley. Woo
hoo!
T H R E E – Natives for Grown-Ups
After hearing so many people
rave about Natives for kids and after watching our kiddos dance around happily
in theirs all summer I became curious.
Are they really as magical as everyone says? And since I couldn’t get my size 7 foot in
Jacob’s or Olivia’s toddler size 11s to test them out I decided to buy a pair of adult Natives to try. Amazon carries them for
way cheaper than any other site, and since they offer free shipping AND free returns, I figured why not?
Well y’all, I’m here to tell
you that these shoes are every single bit as magical as everyone says. And they are so stinking CUTE! They are breathable, they don’t make my feet
stink, they don’t rub blisters on the backs of my heels, they are SO EASY to
slip on and off in two seconds flat, and they are perhaps the most comfortable
pair of shoes I have ever worn in my entire life. And I am so
not exaggerating. I have been wearing
mine on and off for several months now and they were really put to the test a
couple of weeks ago on our mountain trip.
I figured since they are so
comfy then why not hike up the mountain in them? Well, I went on two mountain hikes in them
and I wore them yesterday on an all-day field trip to the pumpkin patch with
Olivia’s class, and friends, I swear to you, both of my feet felt as rested and
relaxed at the ends of those trips as they would have been if I had just gotten
out of the bed in the morning. These things are amazing! So much better than
wearing tennis shoes!!
As far as sizing goes, I
typically wear a 7.5 shoe. Sometimes I’m
a 7, and for tennis shoes I’m an 8 because I like to have a little bit of extra
room since I wear them with socks.
Natives do not come in half sizes so I purchased a 7 and an 8 to try and
then I returned the one I didn’t use. It’s
free to return, remember? The 7 felt good,
but the tiniest bit snug around my big toe.
The 8 felt good, too, but it felt like it was slightly slipping on my
heel. Ugh. I had a terrible time deciding which ones to
keep since neither pair felt perfect, but I ultimately went with the 8s. I am soooo glad I did because they are just
perfect. The heel-slipping is minor and
even though they do slip a tiny bit they have never once bothered my
heels. If you decide to try some, I recommend
sizing up!
So if you’re looking for a
great pair of adult shoes that look cute with pretty much everything BUY SOME NATIVES NOW! They come in lots of different colors, but I love the white ones because they go with
everything. These are really and truly
magical, y’all.
F O U R – A New Diagnosis
If you’ve been a reader for
a while then you probably know that I suffer from major allergies and asthma problems. I’m allergic to pretty much every single
thing outside – grasses, trees, weeds, you name it. I tend to really struggle in the late
spring/early summer with major congestion, stuffy nose, and sore throat and
then in the fall (LIKE RIGHT NOW – UGH) with major pressure in my head, dizziness,
and breathing problems.
The last couple of weeks
around here have been just terrible – and plain scary some days – so I was
relieved to finally be able to get in to see my allergist this week for a
check-up to see if he could do something – anything – to help relieve my
symptoms… primarily my breathing. Or
lack thereof.
Well, at my appointment,
they ran my usual lung tests, and while the tests showed some inflammation and
some lung dysfunction, the doctor told me that it was just mild. I was floored because as he was telling me
those very words I was struggling to breathe and I didn’t understand why the
test wouldn’t show that. I told him
exactly what I was thinking and when he asked me to describe my current issues,
I told him that it felt like someone was physically choking me right at the
base of my neck, that I was super short of breath, and that I also couldn’t get
a good, deep breath.
Y’all know what he looked at
me and said?
“Lindsay, this isn’t your
asthma, this sounds like reflux.”
WHAT?!
Y’all. I have been suffering from these symptoms off
and on for years (like, over a
decade) and nobody – Google included – has ever mentioned that it could be
reflux. Granted, I do have legitimate
asthma issues as well, so everyone probably always assumed that was the culprit
without probing any further. This
finally explains why my rescue inhaler doesn’t alleviate my breathing problems
some of the time!! I’ve been wondering
for years why there are times that the inhaler doesn’t make me feel better, and
now I know… because it’s probably reflux.
I have been referred to an
ENT doctor, actually the one who sees Jacob and Olivia and has been assisting
us with Olivia’s thyroid issues. We love
him so much and we’ve been seeing him so long/so frequently that he might as
well just be family. Haha. I might as well just walk up in his office
and throw cash at him because we see him so much. #JustTakeMyMoney But seriously, we love him and I’m praying
that he can figure out what’s going on with me.
I have wondered all these
freaking years why oh why my asthma and allergy meds couldn’t keep my symptoms
under control and this is why. Because
half of the time it’s probably been reflux.
Buh. My lung tests prove that my
asthma meds are doing a fine job.
Naturally after my
appointment I went straight home and Googled reflux because I had always
assumed reflux was just the “heartburn” feeling, which I never have. Turns out, you can have reflux and never even
have that burning sensation. Some of the
other symptoms are so weird and they are not anything that I would have ever
associated with reflux. Here are a few
of them:
Dysphagia (narrowing of your
esophagus which creates the sensation you’re being choked)
Shortness of breath (can be
extreme)
Wheezing
Dry cough
Hoarseness
Feeling of
fullness/discomfort at the top of your abdomen
Bloating in your abdomen
Nausea
Bowel issues
Y’all, this is my life right
now. I literally have every single one
of these symptoms and I would have never in a million years known that they
were all caused by the same thing. My
mind is blown. And I am so thankful for
a doctor who recognized this and I’m praying that the ENT doctor can confirm it
and give me something to make it GO AWAY.
And in case you’re like me
and you thought that you would pretty much only get reflux from eating spicy
foods, let me tell you this. My
allergist gave me a handout on reflux and apparently the primary culprits besides
spicy foods are:
Tea
Coffee
Chocolate
Alcoholic beverages
Tomato based sauces and food
Y’all. Those are all of my favorite things. I eat or drink at least one or two of those
things every. single. day. of. my. life.
No wonder I’ve been suffering.
But anyway, just wanted to
put this extremely long-winded PSA out there just in case there’s anyone else
out there who might be having similar symptoms and wondering why their asthma
meds weren’t working. Lol. I’ll let y’all know how my appointment
goes. Fingers crossed I don’t have to
wait a month to get in to see him. It’s
practically impossible to get in there in a timely manner because he’s so
popular.
F I V E – Meme
And finally, a funny meme
because – #ItsTrue
Happy Friday, y’all!
*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday.
