The great thing about baby showers is their versatility. Some moms want a big, over the top party, while others are happy with some snacks and a few decorations. Showers can have a theme, or they can just have a color scheme. Over the summer we hosted two different baby showers. One of them was themed as an enchanted woodland party. The other was only the baby’s name and the mom’s desired color scheme. The enchanted woodland shower was one where the baby’s sex was unknown, so it needed to be more engender neutral. Some of the things we did that I enjoyed the most were: baby predictions, freezer foods, embroidered sibling writing, and decorations for both. At one of the showers (we meant to do it at both, but forgot) we did a baby prediction. It included date of birth, time of birth, hair color, weight, and length, along with their address. I saved them and the person with the closest and most correct answers was sent a gift card in the mail.

Another idea I enjoyed carrying out was asking family members of the momma to bring a meal or two for her freezer. I purchased an XL cooler bag and put them all inside. We gave them to her at the end of the shower. This helped provide her and her family with meals for the first week and a half after baby was born. The other mom didn’t want freezer foods, so I gave her a gift card instead (and also brought a freshly made meal after baby was born).

One of my favorite touches was the embroidered sibling writing. I had the two sisters write their new baby brother’s name on paper. Then my amazingly talented daughter embroidered them on pajamas, swaddling blankets, and towels. I don’t know if the mom used any of these or not, but I know they would be a keepsake for me. I love the idea of saving that sweet little kid writing. We also used it as a decoration. We spray painted a canvas navy blue and then wrote with a gold pen the name of the baby in one of his sisters’ handwriting on the canvas. I thought it was a sweet touch.

The decorations were completely different at the two showers, but one thing was the same- balloon arches. I bought the balloons on Amazon. For the woodland theme, I got some woodland creatures at Michael’s. I purchased stick on baby creatures from Amazon for the wall. Many years ago we had several trees cut down, and I asked the man doing it if he would save me a few slices. He informed me that they had to be kept in water for a week or they would split (news to me). After that week they’ve been out to good use since. I often pull them out as decoration. We used mason jars with fairy lights as well.

We made individual meals for the first shower of the season due to a rise in Covid numbers in our area. The second shower we did a food table. The woodland shower features all picnic type foods. We had chicken salad, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, and “mushroom” cake pops. The individually wrapped party featured chicken salad on a croissant, cucumber salad, chips, and a cookie. I also served cake pops at this shower as well. The shower gifts were bath bombs at one and a sugar scrub at the other. We purchased some games and printable off of Etsy. I was very displeased with one, but will link the other.

Overall, I think these showers went well. I hope the mothers enjoyed themselves, and got all the things they needed and more.

Calcium and bone density seem like things only “old” people need to worry about, but now I’m thinking that’s just not true.

When I was a small child I broke several bones. I wasn’t a huge milk drinker, but I did enjoy cheese and ice cream. We chalked up my broken bones to being Little Miss Clumsy, and went on with our lives. I lived through my teen and young adult years without breaking anything but a toe here and there. While I was on a keto diet for years and years, I never once thought about how much calcium that diet naturally provides. Once I realized my body no longer was responding well to cow’s milk I eliminated it from my diet entirely. I never thought about how the lack of dairy could affect my bones.

Back in January it was really icy and cold. Our driveway is steep and curvy and our car was sliding backwards into the road. I came down to give my husband a helping hand. I slipped on some ice that I never even saw. When I fell I extended my arms and saw and felt my left wrist completely break.

I shattered part of my ulna and broke my radius in more than three pieces. It was one of the most physically painful things I’ve experienced. It required surgery (ORIF), and it was an incredibly long recovery.

After all of it was done there was a lightbulb moment of “maybe my bones have lost strength and density due to the missing calcium in my body”. Since then, I’ve been taking supplements, and also trying to get more calcium from non-dairy sources. According to healthline good non-dairy sources of calcium include: seeds, tofu, amaranth, fortified foods and drinks, spinach, salmon, almonds, sardines, kale, figs, and white beans. There are others, but here’s a good start for anyone curious about what foods have a good amount of calcium.

If you’ve experienced low bone density or broken bones, let me know about your experiences and if increasing your calcium intake helped.

One year ago this month we celebrated our sweet Olivia’s birthday. The very next night we were startled by a frantic banging on our bedroom door. I heard fearful yells from upstairs. I sprinted upstairs to see my second daughter, Lillian, putting Olivia in the recovery position as she was in the middle of a tonic clonic seizure. David had woken up to the feeling of her kicking him on the trundle bed he sleeps on right under her bed. He has a pretty broad knowledge of health related facts for a kid. He recognized she was having a seizure and needed help.
She had a couple more little seizures between the first big one and us getting her to the hospital. They started her on anti-seizure medication and sent us home.

When she was a little kid she had a different kind of seizure called Panayiotopoulos syndrome (occipital seizures), but was not on medication. She also had ”spells” during her period which we now believe were catamenial seizures.

Fortunately, she has done very well on the medication and being mindful of her lifestyle.
We are also very blessed with a close friend who runs a nonprofit for women and girls with epilepsy called My Epilepsy Story.
She is full of knowledge and a great help when looking for resources.

Epilepsy has changed our lives in some ways, but overall things are mostly the same. We are fortunate to have a great neurologist and support system. Not everyone is as fortunate. If you or anyone you know is affected by epilepsy I’d love to hear from you on what has been a blessing on your journey. Please check out my friend’s site for more information on women and girls with epilepsy.

The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger is a phenomenal book. The story of Auschwitz survivor, Edith Eva Eger, is a moving, compelling, and important story. As we move further in years from the Holocaust, I believe it is more important than ever to remember and study the stories of that time. Yes, there are parts that are deeply painful to hear. I believe we honor those who lived and died by memorializing their stories. For those who have lived through trauma this story offers hope and power.

“Though I could have remained a permanent victim –scarred  by what was beyond my control– I made the choice to heal. Early on, I realized that true freedom can only be found by forgiving, letting go, and moving on. So I turned my life around and vigorously pursued a career in psychology. Combining my formal education and my own life challenges, I have helped countless others lead full lives by moving beyond their problems –no matter how insurmountable they believed them to be.  This is my life’s mission and I will forever strive to help people make the choice to heal and thrive. That’s a promise!” ~Dr. Edith Eva Eger~

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons she teaches is :