Saturday, April 9, 2016

Josiah Robert Trapani

Josiah Robert Trapani
12/27/2014

Josiah’s Story really starts with my first born. I’ll try to keep it short. We planned a homebirth but due to high BP transferred to a hospital on his due date. Two days later I was induced and he was born. I would call it a very traumatic birth due mostly to the treatment of the hospital staff and DRs only one nurse “saved the day” by her support and I feel the only reason we were able to have a vaginal delivery.
My second born was again transfer to a Dr care, much earlier, due to high BP. Induced at 39 weeks. Had a prolapsed cord and emergency C Then my 3rd was a repeat C at 37 weeks due to even higher BP. I knew I needed to get my health in order before more kids. I found Trim Healthy Mama, lost 25lbs and got off my bp meds.
Then, we discovered we were expecting. I was so excited but also super unsure what to do. Plan another home birth? Plan a C-section? Try again with our past Dr for a VBAC? So I tried it all. LOL I went to See my past Dr. I discovered he had never done a VBAC. Even though he said he was willing, I had a hard time believing that it would really happen. I went back to my midwife. She was willing to work with us even though we were pretty sure we didn’t want to do it at home. However after a month or so she recommended we find a Dr and build a relationship with them. Since I had a history of High BP she would not be able to follow me the entire pregnancy and would most likely have to transfer to a DR care anyways.  About this time I also discovered ICAN. They were great with helping with all the questions I had and finding a Dr. willing to consider a VBAC2C. So here we started our adventure.
This pregnancy was the easiest of all of them. I wasn’t sick, I didn’t gain tons of weight, I felt great! My blood pressures stayed in good perimeters. Then came time for the Gestational Diabetes testing. It did not go well. Because of this, I was now considered high risk. With high BP and GD. However. I was able to keep all my numbers looking good with only diet. My BPs stayed down as well. Praise the LORD!!!!  All of the testing came with great outcomes. I had a little bout with preterm labor at 34wks. A 6 hour visit to the hospital stopped that.
Once I hit 38 weeks the Dr mentioned inducing by breaking my water. I wasn’t too excited about the idea. But we talked about maybe at the next appointment. Surprise, he had a family emergency out of town and wasn’t due back to after my due date. I was fine with that thinking I wouldn’t have to deal with the idea of induction. Well due to office mixup I was called back and they really wanted me to come in. so Christmas Eve we went to meet a new Dr. At first I did not like her at all. But I did have a really bad attitude about going in at all. I felt she pressured us to induce too. So finally I agreed to come in on Saturday. My mother in love would be here to help. That evening while driving home from the grocery store I heard “The Glorious Unfolding" by Stephen Curtis Chapman.

 Lay your head down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

God’s plan from the start
For this world and your heart
Has been to show His glory and His grace
Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of
His unfailing Love
And the story has only begun

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
We’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

We were made to run through fields of forever
Singing songs to our Savior and King
So let us remember this life we’re living
Is just the beginning of the beginning

Of this glorious unfolding
We will watch and see and we will be amazed
If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over
And hold on to every promise God has made to us
We’ll see the glorious unfolding

What a Great reminder! I needed to Trust the Lord. He would work this all out for HIS glory. I needed to rest tonight (literally) and not worry. I needed to stop “fighting” what I felt I was being pressured into. I needed to stop trying to figure out what it would be like, what would happen. This was NOT the end of my story, just a new beginning. God knows this is not how I wanted my births to go, but our story was not done. Praise the LORD, it was not done! I listened to that song over and over that evening. 
The day after Christmas I tried acupuncture. I’m not sure if it helped with labor, but it DID help to relax, refocus, and to talk to someone I felt was “on my side” of things. Then December 27, 2014 at 8AM we were there for induction. Everyone was so kind. After visiting with the Dr more I really liked her. (I think my dislike before had more to do with my bad attitude) She seemed much more supportive of my VBAC2C than I had originally thought.
Things really started happening about noon. They didn’t really want me up again my blood pressures were going up as the pain increased. Due to lack of being able to get up (which means I was in a TON of pain) and to help lower my blood pressures. I asked for an epidural. :-( it only worked on one half! I think that made it worse. I could move even less and still in pain. My blood pressures dropped right away. After two tries they finally got it to work but now I really couldn’t move, not one tiny bit! Not at all like I remember.  At about 3:45 the Dr came in and checked and I was complete! I could tell from her smile that nothing was stopping us now!
The nurse was going to start me with pushing then call the dr when things got close, lol one contraction of pushing and she called the dr. two contractions later of pushing Josiah was here! The nurse held a mirror for me and I got to watch my first birth! Amazing! I got to hold him right away. I got to watch Dad cut the cord.  The Dr also took time to show us the placenta and some of it’s amazing features.
One funny, the nurse and dr played a prank on the next on call dr by not entering things in the computer till we were completely delivered. So he was thinking he would have to come in for the delivery at 5.
We spent a couple hours with Josiah before they did his bath and checks. Such a change! There were lots of things that were not my “perfect” birth, but being willing to give in little things got so many more big things. If “We will watch and see and we will be amazed If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over and hold on to every promise God has made to us We’ll see the glorious unfolding”



Thursday, January 14, 2016

The Game of CLUE


The boys LOVE to play games and this christmas we got them the game of Clue. They love this game but have trouble with clues. So, I made a worksheet to help them visualize what the clues are instead of just words.  Download yours here:

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Amanda’s Christmas Cookies


Amanda’s Christmas Cookies



INGREDIENTS:
5 cups rolled oats (blended in a blender)
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cup granulated sugar
2 cup light brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 ounces white chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups craisins

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until well mixed. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips, craisin  and pecans.
4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are set but the center still looks undone, about 10 minutes. Cool the cookies on cooling racks. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (they can also be frozen for up to 2 months).

Monday, June 22, 2015

Paparazzi Jewelry June Special


If you ever thought about becoming a consultant for Paparazzi Jewelry or getting your Paparazzi for only $2.75, you need to join in JUNE!!!!  THE promotion this month is SO fabulous!!!!

When you join with the 120 piece or 200 piece kit ($299 or $499 respectively), you get an extra 20 or 40 free pieces!!!!  That is an extra $100-$200 in jewelry for you to sell and make more money!!!  This is the most amazing promotion!

Additionally, for people who are already consultants, you get 10 FREE pieces when you order 50 pieces in a single order.   Order 100 pieces and get 20 FREE pieces.  This is in addition to hostess benefits which is a free piece for every 10 pieces you order.

Contact me today to learn more about getting free jewelry!!!


amandatrapani@gmail.com
830-391-4566

Find me on Facebook: Trapani Paparazzi
Shop online anytime at http://paparazziaccessories.com/26628

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

USA Travel



 I'd love to see the rest of the states, Someday I also hope to take my kids to see it all too!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Handwriting with Preschool and Kindergarden


Fall is almost here. School is about to begin. We have been starting up with the "School" concept with worksheets. the boys are doing really well and know their alphabet. however their handwriting could use some more work. I ran across this little fact; did you know the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet? WOW! what a better way to practice writing your letters????? yet, I couldn't find any worksheets that did this. So I made one. Hope you can enjoy it too. 




Friday, January 31, 2014

Game Day on Trim Healthy Mama

We don't do football, but we do parties! And what a better time to chat with friends than a football party? I wanted to bring something that we could eat and others would love too. so searching the THM sites I ran across this yummy looking wings.  


It recommended that you use Blue cheese dip. How fattening! so back to the search to find something better. and WOW! look at this one! I can't wait to get cooking!