10 years and one month ago I developed a penicillin allergy. After years of being pumped full of the stuff, one shot of the straight up big P (for a severe throat infection) was enough to send me over the edge. I broke out head to toe in a flush itchy and eventually welty rash. I was locked up in a room, given some sort of “antidote” shot and watched like a hawk for 3 hours before they turned me loose. I haven’t touched it since. Well until yesterday.

Levi is sick. He’s got some upper respiratory creeping funk that has been lingering for over 2 weeks. When he started wheezing i whisked him off to the doctor who diagnosed some reactive airway crap due to infection. We talked about the family history with the big P and the antibiotic resistance the current respiratory infection dejur is displaying. In the end I agreed to Omnicef a penicillin derivative but not the straight up stuff.

I was extremely nervous about this particular script. A few years ago The Hubster used the EXACT medication and had a very bad reaction that made it seem as though his heart was going to explode. It was a night of sheer terror and several subsequent cardiologist visits…… but on the flip side Tessa took this very same script at three months old when we all caught bronchitis- with zero ill effects. I balanced the pros and cons, eventually deciding to fill the script.

Last night was his first dose which was chased with some grape juice and about 30 minutes later with some anuhnuh (boob juice). I then whisked the young master off to bed and started to notice I felt very warm. I looked in the mirror and realized I was blotchy. I went to grab the camera and spots started appearing. I snapped a few pictures and then my head started itching like crazy. Whiling clawing at my head I noted the patches and spots creeping down my chest and arms. PENICILLIN!

Here is one of the pictures I snapped when things first started flaring

you can sort of see the spots near the back of my eyebrows and down on my throat near my fingers. The patchy parts that aren’t freckles were starting to raise up by this point.

Once I realized what was to blame, I sprinted off to the meds closet and tossed back two Benedryl. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve taken an antihistamine and a very very long time since I’ve taken 2 pills verses one. I had planned on taking more pictures but I quickly got to feeling woozy and pretty much blacked out in bed.

Today Mira was over 2 hours late for school because I was still doped up on Benedryl when I awoke blindly stumbled from bed to pee and feed the small minions. Tonight I’m bumping his meds to before dinner. Hopefully din din will wash out any lingering penicillin particles and leave me reaction free when I breastfeed him a few hours later. If not, I will be calling the doctor to request a different script and of course blacking out tonight to avoid clawing off all of my flesh.

My neighbors were robbed yesterday. If that news isn’t frightening enough, it happened in broad daylight while I was home with my three children.

Yesterday I left the front door wide open. The storm door was closed and locked but anyone skulking around could easily peer into my home. Around 4ish Dozer started having a total freak out. I didn’t even bother to look. I just moved his furry white butt from in front of the door and closed it, assuming he was posturing at the next door neighbor lady who is terrified of him (thus making barking at her extra fun and enticing). I feel like such a jackass. Had I looked, I may have prevented a crime or gotten a look at the jerk who did this.

Over the last two months I’ve had a series of dreams about our home getting broken into while we slept. The dreams have rattled me enough that I have spoken with the Hubster about installing surveillance cameras around the property. This may become a reality with the approaching new year. It would be nice to be able to identify the intruder after Dozer decapitates him. Also, we may revisit the three dog matrix. An extra set of teeth is always a huge crime deterrent.

And as a final thought can someone please explain the logic behind a crime like this? During college I lived right at the heart of crack town. I was surrounded by felons. The general thought was leave the hood to steal stuff. These people be po’ they ain’t got nuttin worth stealing. My neighbors aren’t rich, quite the opposite really. They are not at all extravagant and do nothing to attract attention and yet BAM! So please, explain why po’ people are stealing from other po’ people because we be po’ too and I’d be awful sorrowful if someone broke into my home and stole my 15 year old hand me down TV.

So you’d like to dye your baby? Flesh tones too passe for you? Here at Finding Yourself Despite Yourself we like to cater to the eccentric parent by providing you with useful information you might not find elsewhere and as is such, today we offer you this baby color changing tutorial.

First thing you need to decide is what fashionable color you want your babe to be. In this tutorial we will be aiming for a purpley blue tone. Next you need to strip your baby down as bare as you can while still containing an raw sewage spills. Then place baby in a secure location like a highchair and apply dying agent. To achieve our desired look we’ve offered Levi frozen blueberries. Once intermingled with saliva, the now mash blueberries form a lovely paste which when applied to flesh for extended periods of time (say longer then 45 minutes) provides your baby with a lovely festive and fashionable hue. Our baby dying was such a rousing success that 12 hours later other concerned parents were inquiring about the temperature of my son as his “lips and hands look a bit chilled” In 80 degree weather? HA! I call that a well executed baby color change!

You can find other, slightly less eccentric, instructions for life here.

Tessa “watered” my spider plant this weekend. In case you are wondering why “watered” is in quotations, let’s just say that this “watering” involved no water but did involve a 4 year old girl stripping down and hovering over said plant. What a wonderful way to wake up.

I’ve made it to nine weeks. I’m crampy and suspicious. I don’t have much nausea unless I have to drive somewhere, especially if I have to drive somewhere after eating. I should probably send a letter of apology to Albertsons. A few days ago I had to run over there to get some Vick’s baby vapor rub immediately after consuming a meal. It was my first from the toes hurl session since finding out about this pregnancy. Maybe they should send ME a Thank You card though. I did manage to stumble into the parking lot before letting that go.

Speaking of vapor rub, my kids all have this horrific cough that sounds like someone dropped marbles into a garbage disposal. It’s made for a lovely holiday break.

Levi has started letting go when he stands up. The King demands that we clap wildly while he performs such feats. He also further upped the ante by cruising along the sides of his crib.

The Hubster naively thought that we could “sleep train” Levi during his 5 day vacation. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHAAHAHA Yeah, did not happen. There is a bright light on the horizon though. All the flooring is now laid in Levi’s room. We only need to put up the molding, window sills, and curtains… pass inspections.. and then cut a new door in the bathroom wall before we can transition Levi into his own room. I’m hoping that his night wakings will decrease once he’s in his own space. Of course, he may be in college by then.

The Hubster is scowling at me. Before we do the flooring in our master suite we need to repaint. As much as I adore the color that it is now, it’s too “wakeful” for me. When I mentioned having to choose and paint a new color, I’m pretty sure he started crying. Oh sure he said there was something in his eye but well we all know what that means. Have I ever mentioned how much The Hubster HATES painting walls? I think he decided to punish me by not working further on the floor and instead taking a 2 hour nap.

Some bright news? I found a suitable Gluten Free pizza crust recipe. The craving which nearly drove me to ordering Papa Johns, which would be akin to voluntarily shooting myself in the stomach, has abated after consuming this recipe. It’s not perfect by any means but it’ll do until I can come up with something better.

I cobbled this together from a couple different failed recipes.

2 cups White Rice Flour
1 1/4 cups Corn Starch
3/4 cup Millet Flour
1/4 Cup sweet white Sorghum Flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons Xanthan Gum
2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons Ground Oregano
1 package Rapid Rise Yeast
2 Tablespoons White Sugar

1 3/4 Cups Warm Water (110-115 degrees)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 eggs (I’ll bet the egg replacers would work just magically for those with egg allergies)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all dry ingredients, including rapid rise yeast, in a large bowl. In a small microwavable container heat oil and water to 110-115 degrees. Once properly heated blend in honey and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix wet into dry and use spatula to kneed the dough mixture. Cover and set in a warm place for 10 minutes to “rest.” While dough is resting, oil (2) pizza pans or cookie sheets. Also lightly oil the spatula. Once the dough has rested, separate dough into two equal sized balls. Use the oiled spatula to spread the dough into 12 inch circles. You may need to oil your hands so you can further work the dough. Remember to make a fat lip around the edge to hold all the goodies you are going to pile into this sucker. Prebake the crusts for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce, veggies, meats and cheeses. I like to put my veggies under the cheese so they stay right where I want them. Pop pizza’s back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes (keep an eye on the pizza as they can cook up quickly at this point. You don’t want to end up with a burned pie. If it is crisping up before your toppings appear done, lower the oven temp by 10 -20 degrees).

The recipe is by no means perfect but it’s the closest I’ve come to replicating pizza as I once knew it and still crave it. I’ll post in the future if I further hone the recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans out there in blogland. We’re keeping the gathering small and yet I can’t help but cook cook cook!

The Pioneer Woman is helping me with my turkey this year as I give brining my first go.

Gluten Free Girl is helping me with my pumpkin and apple pies.

My stuffing/dressing is homemade gluten free buttermilk cornbread with lots of sauted goodies baked to stuffingy perfection. The mashed potatoes, I’m sure, are outlawed in 10 states for being overly decadent then there are all the veggies. Oh the veggies! We have a huge organic bounty to enjoy this Thanksgiving thanks to some close friends who work at the organic veggie co-op. I’m feeling a bit like a pip and thinking that 2 pies and a cake simply might not be enough, I may need to make some more toffee. MMMMMMMMM toffee!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. We added a vibrant and healthy son, our girls are flourishing, and we are expecting another miracle. Our sense of support and community has expanded 10 fold in the last year; it’s such a blessing to have people in your life who are eager to help when the road gets tough and who know that you are just as eager to help them.

I can only hope that each and every one of you have such blessings and many more in the year to come.

ok not donuts but cornbread, pie, and anything else I can force myself to do.

It’s about 1:30 am, do you know where you baby is? Mine should be sleeping peacefully in his crib but he’s not. Nope, he’s in the kitchen playing with a can of corn.

With a little dog hair, a lot of construction dust and a big ol’ whole house fan you too could have an indoor weather phenomenon! Rockabilly music is entirely optional.

Now just imagine if you will, that very same room sans tornado and 1/3 of the way covered in FLOORING *shrieks and faints*

With the house nearing completion I’m going to have to get organized. Thankfully, I’ve already started! Now if someone could just come and handle the rest, I’d be good to go.

Cast on

I have conquered!

So where do I go from here?