Friday, November 22, 2013

Fair Trade Certified™ coffee from Green Mountain Coffee

Who is Green Mounting Coffee?

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) is focused on creating positive and sustainable change for people and ecosystems in the places where they do business through focused sustainability endeavors. They are committed to social and environmental responsibility and continue to evolve their company’s corporate citizenship and community outreach efforts. They’ve operated under the core belief that their strength as a business, their support for their employees, and their commitment to their local and global communities are inseparable; each supports the others in a powerful synergy that drives their success.


I'm a BzzAgent, and I received a product sample to review Green Mountain Fair Trade Coffee.

I received my Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified Coffee.  We brewed up a bunch, and man, it is rich and flavorful.  We love it here, and also, being activist types, we were really excited that this coffee actually is certified Free Trade, so everyone involved in this product received a fair wage for a great cup of coffee!  Love it, and loved to be a part of making sure others get decent pay for the great morning they provided me with.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Curél® Intensive Healing Cream for extra dry or sensitive skin.

With all this cold weather my hands & skin tends to be dry , irritated & sensitive to any scented cream or lotion.

I have tried many lotions but most of them have failed to cure the dryness & sensitivity that I had.

BzzAgent gave me the chance to try Curél® Intensive Healing Cream in exchange for my review & honest opinion

I have been using the product for awhile and I really like it’s thick ,rich & creamy formula .
It is not greasy at all ,doesn’t take any effort in rubbing it over the skin,& is absorbed quickly.
I have been using it on my hands & ashy dry heels , now i find my skin looks & feels softer & smoother.


The product is fragrance free & hypoallergenic , long lasting , provides immediate hydration & heeling relief.
If you suffer from dry sensitive skin , i recommend trying Curél® Intensive Healing Cream.


Disclosure:  i got the product free from BzzAgent  for testing purposes


<img src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/curel.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=9837235127&Campaign=3266738375&Uid=1420243&token=ab086a5dbbd92ba0d94760187682927a" alt=""/>

Vanilla Flavored orange Halloween TruMoo–Enter now to win!

As a BzzAgent, I received coupons in the mail for the new vanilla and chocolate Halloween Edition of TruMoo. From now through October 31, any time you purchase a half gallon or larger of specially marked Halloween Edition TruMoo®, you’ll find a code on your cap sticker — enter it over on the TruMoo® TruMoo® Facebook page orTruMoo.com for a chance to win a FREE Goosebumps Haunted Hollywood Vacation:
  • It’s a trip the whole family will enjoy: an all-expenses-paid vacation to Los Angeles, CA with private tours full of haunted Hollywood magic!
  • The grand prize includes a terrifying behind-the-scenes tour of Fox Studios and a visit to Old Town Pasadena for a frightening special effects experience
You can enter as many codes as you want, and when you do, you’ll automatically receive a printable coupon for $2 off any Goosebumps DVD of your choice. Don’t be shy about sharing the links above and encouraging other parents to enter the contest, too!

https://img.bzzagent.com/image/truMoo.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=8657869689&Campaign=2847543547&Uid=1420243&token=6e7f974caffe91edf784f6900cd8232f" alt=""/>

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

MRI and Sleep Study Update

We have so much to be thankful for! Shane had his repeat MRI done a couple of weeks ago. I was so happy that he didn't have to be sedated for it.  They did a "quick scan" which means that they just took 2 pictures of his brain and each picture took about 2 minutes.  He was back in my arms before I could remember how to access the Internet off the tv!  While I was waiting, I overheard some of the doctors doing their rounds and once again I was reminded that there are others who have it much worse and that I have much to be thankful for.

Our appointment with the neurologist was the same day so we didn't have to wait that long for the result.  While waiting in the room, the nurse came in and told us that the doctor was in the NICU so our appointment would be delayed. Another reminder that we are so incredibly blessed!  I think I stopped breathing when the doctor came into the room.  I didn't want to miss anything he had to say.  He told us that the MRI looked exactly the same as it had before, which is good and bad news.  He still has hydrocephalus but it is not bad enough to treat at this time. No surgery is needed!  He was very happy to hear that Shane was not having any issues eating  and that even though he is still behind physically, he is improving.  Because hydrocephalus can injure the brain, thought and behavior may be adversely affected.  So even though I am thrilled that he does not require surgery right now, I know that this is going to be a life long issue that we will have to keep an eye on.  We go back for a check up in 3 months and possibly another MRI in 6 months. 



Last Friday, Shane had his sleep study done.  A sleep study measures quantity, quality, and breathing during sleep.  Calling it a sleep study is very misleading since there was very little sleep involved.  You have to arrive by 7:30pm and he usually goes to bed around 7pm.  Strike 1.  By the time we got ready him with all the wires, fed and changed it was almost 8:30pm. Strike 2.  Sensors and belts were attached to his head, nose, mouth, chest, abdomen, fingers and legs.  So pretty much, they were everywhere!  The worst part was the nasal cannula.  He did not like having it in his nose and every time he moved, it had to be repositioned which was about every 30-60 minutes.  Then is would a little bit to get him to settle down and go back to sleep.  It was exhausting!  The study was over at 6am and it is something I hope to never do again.  It will take about 3-4 weeks to get the results.

We have been through a lot this year and I am eternally grateful for all your prayers.  Every night as I put him down for bed, I kiss his head and thank God for His faithfulness and mercy.  I am so blessed to be this little boy's mommy.  


I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13




Monday, May 20, 2013

11 Months

I can't believe that the twins are 11 months already.  Boy does time fly by!  Joy is crawling everywhere and loves to get into everything.  She is standing and sometimes stands all by herself.  I have no doubt that she will be walking soon.  Joy is a perfect name for her, always smiling and laughing.

Shane is doing great with his physical therapy and is getting stronger every week.  He is rolling over but still hates tummy time.  He can sit by himself for a minute or so before falling over.  I am so proud of his progress.

Last month Shane saw the ENT doctor because of his increased breathing noise.  They took some xrays and found that he had a marked narrowing of his trachea.  The narrowing looked floppy so they believe that he will outgrow it but if he needs to be sedated again we need to let the doctors know so they can use a smaller tube.

When Shane had his MRI done a few months ago, they also found that he has a Chiari malformation of the brain which means which parts of his brain protrudes through the opening in the base of the skull into the spinal column.



http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/chiari.html# is a good site to learn more


Some signs of Chiari malformation in babies include:

  • irritability when being fed
  • excessive drooling
  • weak cry
  • trouble gaining weight
  • arm weakness
  • developmental delays
  • sleep apnea 
Now since we already know he has a narrow trachea and that he is at risk for having sleep apnea, we are doing a sleep study later this month. At his 10 month check up we found that his head had grown a lot, going from the 65th percentile to the 95th percentile.  Because of this, he is having a repeat MRI done tomorrow to see if he needs a shunt so please keep us in your prayers.  Luckily he is not being sedated for this MRI.  They are doing a "quick scan" so it should only take about 10-15 minutes to do.  The other good thing is that we have an appt with the neurosurgeon later that morning so we know right away what they found in the MRI.  no waiting.  I just want to thank you all for your prayers as we continue on this journey.  It has been a long road and  we continue to see  God's faithfulness in every step!



Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Family Update

The past couple years have been such a roller coaster ride.  3 ectopic pregnancies.  2 failed fertility treatments.  Get pregnant with twins. Put on bed for about 2 months in hospital.  Delivered twins early at exactly 33 weeks.  3 weeks in the NICU.  You would think that after all this, things would settle down.  I know that is what I thought.  But boy was I wrong.

When Shane was born, he was on oxygen for a couple of hours and because of that we need to have his eyes checked.  His eyes were asymmetrical and had major flat spots.  Because of this, he had a head ultrasound and saw that his ventricles were enlarged and asymmetrical as well.  One day in the NICU, one of the nurses heard a murmur so they performed an echo and found that the hole in the heart that is supposed to close after birth did not close.  Because he had all these issues, the doctors recommend that we see a genetics doctor to rule out any syndromes that he may have that would have caused some of his problems.  Whew! I think that sums up our time in the NICU.

Since then we have seen a Genetics doctor and all his blood work came back normal.  They checked for any additions or deletions of his chromosomes.  That is awesome news but doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't have anything either.  They can't test for every single syndrome so we have to wait and see if any new symptoms appear that would lead us to a specific syndrome.  But so far none of the doctors think he has anything besides back luck.

When he was about 6 months old we had a repeat echo done and the hole in his heart is tiny.  No need for any more follow up care!  It could still close completely but even if it doesn't, his heart is perfectly fine. Whoo Hoo! Praise the Lord!

When a baby is on prolonged oxygen and premature the doctors worry about ROP.  ROP or Retinopathy Of Prematurity is when there is improper growth of the blood vessels on the retina which can cause
damage to the retina.  He shows no signs of this however he is extremely far-sighted and requires glasses. 


Since his ventricles were enlarged he saw a neurosurgeon and got a MRI done which he had to be sedated for. The MRI showed his ventricles were enlarged. On a scare of 1 to 5 where 1 was normal, he measured a 2.  So he was enlarged but only slightly.   However, when we was measured at his 9 month appointment his head measured in the 95th percentile when he was in the 65th percentile.  The neurosurgeon measured his head as well and we have another MRI scheduled for May 21st.  They call it a quick scan because he will not be sedated for it.  If his ventricles are more enlarged he may need a shunt.

Let's see, what else.  Since he had major flat spots on his head we saw a plastic surgeon to see if he needed a helmet.  His head shape is great now so he doesn't require a helmet.  He does have a dermoid on his nose.  What is a dermoid you ask?  It is a skin-like benign growth.  Apparently it is fairly common.  It will need to be removed since it will continue to get bigger and bigger.  They will wait until he is older about 2-3 yrs old to remove it since it will be easier to remove without leaving a noticeable scar.  If he needs to be sedated for any procedure they would remove it then.

He also saw an ENT doctor (Ear, Nose and Throat) because of his increased upper airway noise.  We have barium x-rays scheduled for next week to rule out an obstruction.  

His muscle tone is poor so he receives weekly physical therapy.  He is doing great with it and improves all the time!

Please continue to pray for him!  It can be over whelming at times keeping all of his doctor appointments in order but when he smiles it is all worth it!

Joy is doing great and has no issues at all.  She is crawling and sitting on her own. Her favorite thing to do is to crawl over to Shane and take whatever toy he is playing with. She also has taken his binkie right out of his mouth and popped it into hers!  Who knew they would be fighting over toys already!

I think that is it.  I tried to keep it short and simple. I hope I have succeeded in doing that.  I have wanted to post an update for a long time but it was hard to know where to start..  I pray our next update has nothing but good news to report.  I just want to thank everyone for their prayers and support.