I Don't Like You Mr. Fishy Face: Homemade Saline Solution

O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.  

2 Samuel 7:28

 

 What do you get when you mix two sickies, a movie on an IPad, a feeding pump running Pedialyte, a suction machine, and an adaptive chair used for propping? 

  A Sick day on the homestead. 

  Yep, you guessed it, Gussy is in the sick loop. It finally hit us, no matter how secluded we tried to stay the ick found us. God is good, though, Amen? For now, we are home and Gussy, amazingly, is doing quite well. We are having to suction him quite often compared to normal and night time Oxygen Sats were a bit beastly last night. We still made it through the night without oxygen, though! Praise God! After a whole bunch of suctioning (which equals a whole bunch of throwing up) his sats stabilized and all was well in the Gussy department.  

  Ellie, poor sweet Ellie. She is the one that has been hit hardest. She's croupy, snotty, and down right miserable. Somehow the rest of us have nothing much going on...Yet. 

  You know, there are some slight perks to having a kiddo like Gussy. When someone in the house gets hit with major ick, you can pretty much bet money that I am set up as good as any nurses station around. You need medical supplies, I am your lady! Also, My dear sweet Jenny's kiddos think I'm super cool because they got oxygen cannulas and 60 CC syringes to play doctor with in their Christmas box. I know, I'm stellar, right?

  Onto the perks...

  I happen to have a nebulizer and extra masks in my supplies so I was able to make a homemade saline solution for Ellie. Worked wonders! 

  One problem. She HATED it. Down right "mad at Mama" moment.

  So, if you use this solution in your own nebulizer at home and have a kiddo who is not fond of it, I have the perfect solution for you. Ninjas. Ninjas will help you keep a mask on your little one's face. Problem solved. 

  After a good solid air kick and elaborate story about how the saline is just like a really cool Ninja running into her chest to kick all the bad guys, she wasn't thrilled, but sat nicely willing to let them do their business.  We then proceeded to cough, blow, cough, blow, to wipe away all the icky bad guys (snot) that the Ninjas (Saline) were kicking out.

  See? Ninjas really can save the world from bad guys. 

Homemade Saline Solution:

1 cup water (preferably filtered)

1 tsp. Salt. 

Boil down water  for about 10 minutes to reduce impurities. Add salt. Stir. let cool. Nebulize about a teaspoon full at a time. 

 

  

  We are now ready to fight the warrior's fight and get back to this fun stuff....

  Yeah, you guessed it, I shamelessly looked for a spot to throw this picture in because it's so dang cute. That's how I roll.

Living in His Mercy,

Melissa

Tubies Unite: Blenderized Diet Recipe 30.1

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,  and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,  to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Titus 2: 3-5 

I am not where I would say that I am an older and wiser woman.  I do, however, LOVE me some Titus 2!  As I grow and learn what the Lord has planned for me, I hope to pass on what I have learned to those that are searching.  My "Tubies Unite" posts are meant for that purpose. I have learned a lot since Augustus' beginning and I know first hand how little information is available for real hands on tube feeding. 

On that note, I have a new recipe for you! I am thrilled with this particular recipe because it is plum full of goodness and weighs in at a whopping 30.1 calories per ounce. Woo Hooo!

Let's begin shall we? 

Recipe:

3 eggs-225 

3T. Flax meal-90

2 whole Avocados-560

1/2 c.  Cranberries-30

1 c. Blueberries-84

1 c. sliced Banana-110

5 oz. Salmon-150

3 c. Greek Yogurt-690

2 c. Almond Milk-180 (Make sure you get the 90 Cal kind) 

2 c. Homemade Chicken stock-100

2 1/2 c. Sprouted Rice and Quinoa-500 (TruRoot brand at Costco)

1 c. Sweet potato and red potato mixture-114

 1 c. Raw Spinach-7

1/2 c. Carrots-26

just under 1/2 cup honey-450 ( I use honey and cinnamon for it it's healing properties.)  

1/2 t. Cinnamon

8 T.  Olive Oil-  1000

2 t. Apple Cider Vinegar- 0 

Total Calories- 4316

Total Volume- 148 Ounces

=30.1 Calories per ounce. 

Gussy currently gets 38.3 ounces daily. This means that his daily calorie intake on this recipe is 1153.8!!!! Nice! 

Even if you scale down his total intake for the day to 30.6 ounces (which we do sometimes) He would still be at 923 Calories daily! 

He's growing like a champ...

I know it's an already used picture but I just love it! 

    

  

Living In His Constant Mercy,

Melissa

All In a Day: How to Encourage Unity and Closeness in the Family

What an honor God has given us to have a family! The joy far out-weighs the hard times. I can not count the number of  times that I have been in an all out, full on, belly laugh, because my children have done something so silly and funny that only a child could come up with it!

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 18: 3

What a joy they are! What a wonderful blessing! My heart aches for the world and it's view of children. They are seen as a burden and not for the great blessing they are. If you doubt this I challenge you to ask any family you know that has more than 3-4 children about the comments they hear from the world. Children in numbers is no longer viewed as a blessing from the Lord but as something that must be an accident or that comes from sheer ignorance. This is sadly not only within the world without the Living God in their lives but those right here within the Body of Christ.

That being said my first and foremost piece of advice for encouraging family unity and closeness is to remember that each child you have is reward! A Heritage from the LORD!

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. . ~Psalm 127:3-5

If we, as parents, do not see our children as a blessing but as a burden, how can we encourage unity and closeness within our family? Have you ever felt out of place, like you were a burden to someone? Did it make you want to draw close to them? If you want your children to draw close to their family, remember that they must always know what a blessing they are to you! My husband said something to me that has really stuck in my mind. He told me that he changed the way he thought. Especially on the days when he's tired and doesn't want to play or read bed time stories, he has changed from, I need to do this, or I have to do this, to I *GET* to read them a story tonight, I *get* to put them to bed, I *get* to play soccer with them.  By changing this one word in his mind it reminds him that every moment he gets with his family is a blessing straight from the Lord. The day will come when you no longer have a little one hanging on your dress asking you to cuddle with them and read them a story. A blessing indeed!

Now with all of that, most of us have experienced the bickering children, the sinful nature, the selfishness. So onto some practical ideas for helping to encourage that unity within your family and amongst your children.

When my children are fighting and being willfully mean to each other I have a discipline that almost always ends in smiles, laughing, and apologies. Which is the goal, right? We don't want to discipline our children just so we have the satisfaction because they were a bother. We want them to learn and grow.
When this happens I make them stand in one spot and hug until I am convinced that they have softened their hearts and are showing love for each other again. When we start I am usually met with moans and groans but it almost always ends with laughter and softened hearts.

 

Another thing we do to foster closeness within our family is support each other in our individual endeavors.  I always encourage my children to cheer loud for their brother and sisters when they are playing in a soccer game, piano recital, or any other event they are involved in. When daddy plays basketball we cheer loud for him. 

Letting our older children help with the younger ones has really helped our younger children to feel loved by their older siblings and it helps our older children to feel a sense of protectiveness and love towards the little ones.  

I guess when it comes down to it we try to remember a few simple things to encourage closeness and unity within our family. One: Our family is a blessing from the Lord! His Heritage! Two: Treat each other with respect. Three: Defend and protect each other. Four: Cheer for each other in encouragement. 

When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14

Here is a list of ladies linking with All in a day. 
Carrie @ Our Full House
Christi @ Where the Creek Meets the Lake
Elizabeth@ Yes They’re All Ours
Kathy @ Kathy Mom of Many 
Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage
Lori @ Happy Busy Mama
Monica @ Natural Mama
Renee @ Bakers Dozen

All in a Day: Investing Time With Hubby

Our men have been on my heart so heavily lately I was especially excited when I saw this subject on the "All in a day" blog list. 

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ~Ephesians 5:31

My husband is so precious to me I get frustrated easily if I do not get the time I desire with him. As you can probably imagine with four small children and being pregnant, time is always something that has to managed well or none of us get our desired family time. I'm so very passionate about how important marriage is and how we should hold strong to our marriage above all other earthly blessings. Today it has become very popular and has been deemed necessary to place your children above all else including your spouse. The Word of God is clear that this is not what He has called us to. It seems such an odd concept to me, if your marriage fails it does nothing productive for your children. It has a lifelong negative impact in fact. My husband is my very best friend and God has greatly blessed our marriage for holding strong to His word in Ephesians 5:31. 

 Life can be so very busy with little ones in tow but we must take the time to strengthen and nourish the foundation that those sweet little lives have come from.  

 Now onto some practical advice for investing the time needed with your love...

1: One thing my husband and I always try to do even when money is tight is when we receive unexpected money or if he has more earnings come in then usual,  we always try to use a small amount of that  to go and have a date night. Sometimes that consists of nothing more than a coffee stop and sitting down by the river alone for a while. Other times we get to go to dinner and a movie. We try very hard to save money for hard times and we want always be good stewards of what God has blessed us with. However, there was a time when that overtook our need for time spent together having fun. 

2: At least once a year we try to spend at least one night away by ourselves on a special date. We started this a couple of years ago when we attended Family Life's A Weekend To Remember marriage conference. They greatly encouraged us to stay at the hotel and really spend the weekend together without children. We did and what a difference it made! We had the time we really needed to remember why we fell in love! 

3: Take advantage of  every moment you can. If your children are off playing or sleeping don't go off and do your own thing, spend that time laughing about something that you both find funny, watching a movie, or just discussing your day. Luke and I both enjoy chit chatting about what we heard on the news or a funny happening of the day. If your marriage is already strained from lack of time spent together start small. Instead of trying to all of a sudden make that special night together happen, try getting back to looking to your spouse for your conversational needs. Be your husbands friend! 
 

4: And my final piece of advice is, in my opinion, the most important. As tired and un-sexy as you may feel, make love to your husband! I know, I know, it is simple and to the point but it is so very important. God has given us this amazing gift to connect with our husbands! Nothing makes me feel closer to my husband then when we are truly focused on nothing more than each other. 
  

The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. ~1 Corinthians 7:4

When it really comes down to it, just remember that our marriage is not just a covenant between our husbands and ourselves, but a covenant between our husbands, ourselves, AND our God!  It is a sacred union! Nourish it. It should be at the top of your priority list. 

Head on over and check out what some other ladies have to say about this! I'm sure you'll enjoy it! 

Carrie @ Our Full House
Christi @ Where the Creek Meets the Lake
Elizabeth @ Yes They’re All Ours
Kathy @ Kathy Mom of Many 
Kristy @ Homemaker's Cottage 
Lori @ Happy Busy Mama
Monica @ Natural Mama
Renee @ Bakers Dozen