that's what the doctor said

my mom & i walking our 'babies' in the fresh spring air

with four little one's sharing cups, utensils & who know's what else {i actually caught davith licking kai this morning}, we can usually be sure that if one catches something so do the others. what is interesting about this is that with different incubation stages & severity we often end up taking each to the walk-in clinic a day after each other meaning we get sometimes up to four different doctor's opinions about the same virus or flu.

this has been one of those weeks. they all have bad ear & upper respiratory infections. liv was the first & got a nice big dose of antibiotics. in fact we were in & out of the walk-in in a record 5 minutes which is unheard of. kai & dav went in today & after 2 hrs of waiting got nothing... even though they seemed much worse than liv {davith screamed ALL night long because he was in such pain}. the boy's doctor was pretty hesitant to prescribe anything even though he was quick to describe how much pain they must be in. and it's kinda weird but i really liked him. i could tell why he was so behind in his patient load, because he liked to make sure that i really understood what was going on in their little bodies. he even drew a little diagram {despite the fact that livi threw a colossal sized fit in that very small office the moment he stepped in the door... he just talked louder & tried to stay out of the way of her flailing limbs}.

i liked him because he educated me on the more difficult but definitely best plan of treatment for my boys. he said that over 90% of doctors over-prescibe antibiotics & because of this we end up getting antibiotic resistant infections & end up needing stronger antibiotics clearing out any good flora in our system making us more susceptible to more sickness & more antibiotics {story of our lives earlier this year... dav went on a 40 day course of antibiotics with no improvement}. he said that antibiotics should only be prescribed for persistent tylenol/advil resistant fevers averaging very high {like above 100 degrees}. they had had a low grade fever for over a week but tylenol always had lowered it {we had used 2 bottles of children's tylenol & 1 bottle of children's advil in 5 days... but it was not for any high fevers just general misery}. he also said to alternate using tylenol & advil for pain control as it is easier for your liver & more effective on pain. he said tubes could be a long term solution for davith, who is prone to ear infections but that opening the windows during the day & closing them at night but leaving the room cool with limited bedding {to prevent dust mites & other things from increasing congestion}. apparently using a humidifier is a myth from a study done over the course of a day & actually adds to harmful house mould if used long run.  he also said if dav started to scream through the night to take him for a walk outside or get him to sit up for awhile to let the fluid drain. he said that's why most kids who cough like crazy at home don't cough at the drs office as there are less environmental factors irritating them {i have always wondered about that because i've always felt like it must look like i'm a liar}. he could tell they were congested from the bags under their eyes {not sure what he deduced from the bags under mine ;)}. but i overall, even though not receiving any actual drug treatment, drove my miserable family home feeling competent, prepared & ready to kick this steady flow of colds & flus coming through our house recently.

i can still remember that pram & our dog 'lady' & that

doll with the weird hair :)

and so the moral of the story is no more of those new fan-dangled antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. get on top of pain control. open those windows {steve's gonna hate it but i'm gonna LOVE it! i love fresh air & have always talked about it's benefits much to our furnaces chagrin}. lots & lots of water & maybe a little midnight walk or two. it's not the easiest plan of treatment but hopefully the lack of antibiotics will boost their system to be able to start fighting off sickness for themselves.

it brought back so many memories of my nana leaving us babies outside in the pram with the cold fall air to take our naps or the lullaby my mom used to sing to me before bed...

"good-night to little sarah, she's going to sleep. 

the clock is striking 7, she's nodding her head. 

windows are open & prayers have been said. 

good night to little sarah, she's going to bed". 

generations of such wisdom. wish i had listened earlier.

chickpea power

i have never been a fan of chickpeas... until recently. i haven't introduced either of the twins to meat yet and so when looking for extra ways to get protein into their diets i have been on the hunt for new ways to present them bean, lentils & of course, chickpeas. chickpeas are an excellent dose of both fibre & protein.

here is one of our family's favourite finds... i think i'm addicted!

Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas

2 (15 ounce) cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice from 1/2 a lemon (~ 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan

After you have rinsed and drained your chickpeas, spread them out on a paper towel to dry. Allow to dry about 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parmesan until everything is well mixed. Add the chickpeas and gently stir to coat. You will probably have a few loose skins, just pick them off and discard.

Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t too crowded; you don’t want any to overlap. Roast in the preheated oven until the chickpeas and dry and crisp, about 50-60 minutes. A few times during the roasting, open the oven and mix the ‘peas up a bit. The key is to roast them long enough so they get crispy, but not so long that they burn. Watch them closely once you hit the 50 minute mark so you can find your magic minute and have a nice, crispy, but not burnt result!

You can also try mixing it up by changing the dressing to something a little more sweet than savoury like Maple Syrup & Spice Chickpeas ( use 1/8 cup pure maple syrup, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger instead and only cook for 20-30 minutes).

chocolate chip goodness

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chickpeas

Prep: 20 minutes, Total: 31-33 minutes, Makes 2 dozen cookies

This recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld's much talked about book, "Deceptively Delicious." These are so easy and fast to make, but watch out for flying chickpeas! If using a standing mixer, partially cover the bowl with a dish towel to keep the chickpeas from flying out.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup trans fat free soft tub margarine spread (I use butter)
2 large egg whites
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 (15 ounces) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I put them in a food processor to grind them)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 & 1/2 cup chocolate chips and half a cup cocoa)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt, and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.

3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.

4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

the power of raw goat's milk

after recently finding out i was pregnant, my breast milk supply suddenly diminished. i had breast fed davith until he was 13 months while pregnant with the twins and was attempting to do the same with the twins. i can still nurs
e them quite effectively, or to where they feel satisfied, but when i need to pump to leave milk for a babysitter, i am fresh outta luck. i usually only need to pump one feed a week so i didn't really want to start an expensive formula.

and then i remembered some advice a good friend had given me while in the hospital with the twins. she suggested that if i was having difficulty nursing them to supplement with goat's milk. i recently began to research a little bit more and here is what i found:

" Most of us know that almost all commercially produced cow's milk based formulas are pretty nasty (think high fructose corn syrup, mono and diglycerides, inositol, choline bitartrate, sodium ascorbate, alpha tocophyeryl acetate, naicinamide, calcum pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, phylloquinone, etc.), and soy based formulas are not a lot better (children receiving soy formula as their only food take in the same estrogenic equivilant as 5 hormonal birth control pills per day.) But we also know that not everyone is able to or desires to breastfeed, so what can be an alternative? Afterhuman breastmilk, what is best?

Unlike cow's milk, which takes hours to digest, goat’s milk takes just 20 minutes to digest due to smaller fat molecules (about one fifth the size of the molecules in cow's milk.) Goat’s milk is also alkaline, like human breastmilk, whereas cows milk is acidic. It has higher evolved carotene (Vitamin A) which is preformed and easily absorbable, does not form phlegm in the body, is easier on the gut and liver, is more easily absorbable by the brain and body due to lower levels of cholesterol, and is milder in taste (though in my own experience, goats milk tastes stronger the longer you leave it- you can taste a difference even the day after it's been milked.)

Goat's milk is so readily digested by infants that in a number of cases that, where the breast milk supply has been inadequate, full strength, unsweetened goat's milk can be given as an alternative. Studies have found that infants of working mothers have thrived on a midday feed of goat's milk, welcoming the return to mother's milk at the other feeds. This may not be the ideal, but the alternative use of cow's milk preparations have often resulted in refusal of the breast at the next mealtime.

Human breast is best, and after that it’s just about what feels good and works for you and your babe. " Doula Right Thing, blog

i wholehearted believe that you need to decide what is best for you and your family. i just thought this was a really neat alternative and so far it has worked really well with the twins. you can introduce goat's milk as early as baby's first feed. i was also surprised how accessible goat's milk is. i just picked up a carton of organic homogenized goat milk at loblaws in the health food section. so take what blesses you and ignore the rest! i just love finding little tid bits of information at exactly the right time so i thought i would share.

immune boosters

as we are right in the middle of winter cold & flu season, i thought i would post some tips that have really helped us stay healthy. these are just a few things that i personally have found preserved my kids health as well as my own. i am not a huge fan of medication for the kids & because i have been pregnant or breastfeeding the past few years, i have not been able to utilize conventional defenses or medications once sick and so it became my project this winter to keep us all healthy, all of the time. and to my surprise any of the below tips have worked far better than anything i have ever bought at a pharmacy.

• exercise: keeping active increases your circulation by 5x which helps move those immune fluids up to 5x more than if you were not active (this is just maintaining 30 minutes of activity throughout the day - without that activity, your immune fluids may circulate just once throughout your body during the day)
• fresh air: even if it's just opening the kid's bedroom windows for a few minutes before bed, it really helps increase the amount of oxygen in your system, which powers your immune system
• sleep: well rested kids, are not only happy kids, they are healthy kids. i always have to remind myself of this truth when i feel the pressure to clean or tidy while they are napping. i should be resting (especially if i feel like i am coming down with something). an early bedtime for mom, is a gift for everyone!
• manage your stress: nothing is worse for your immune system than stress. so adapt healthy ways of coping. i personally love our hot tub just before bed or a hot bath (also good at blasting out germs - it imitates a fever which puts your body on guard). i also just love reading - it takes my mind to another world. taking a deep breath also does wonders (and increases oxygen) or a good 10 minutes of stretching. a darn good giggle works to. learning to make relaxing apart of your daily routine is difficult when you have little ones but it's worth it.
• eat well everyday: this one is probably the most difficult to maintain in a busy lifestyle. while asking a pharmacist to guide me to the best super vitamin i could take, he said just eat a lot of blueberries & drink a ton of water. i guess most multivitamins don't get digested properly and that makes them ineffective & expensive. so with that new philosophy in mind, i make sure my kids eat tons & tons of blueberries, strawberries, oranges...any high fibre, probiotic & organic food. it also helps to limit your intake of refined sugar and overly processed foods (refined sugars contribute to an increase in 'bad' bacteria, which can weaken your immune system). so home cooked and limited sugar is best. slipping veggies into everything and learning to cook all veggies with the most nutritional value intact has also been helpful (no need to eat a carrot that has had all of the nutrition boiled out of it). i add flaxseed (but be careful, it is a diarrhetic), wheat germ & ground sunflower seeds to everything from muffins to yogurt to baby food. they add fibre & omega fats which boost immune function. you can get just about any vitamins you need from just having a salad for lunch & fruit for breakfast. having said this i do give davith the jameson brand chewable vitamin (brand with least amount sugar) and chewable calcium. the twins get a liquid vitamin supplement as liquid is much easier to digest. and i just take vitamin D through the winter (it helps improve mood) & liquid iron while pregnant or breastfeeding (boosts my energy).
• taking my "gos-pills": so cheesy, i know! but it works! i find the better my relationship with God is, the better my relationship with the world is. reading the word is a spiritual defense that protects my mind & my body. i have also, personally, found that speaking in tongues has been a great defense too. while doing it, i don't always feel the immediate benefit, but i know somewhere down the line i will reap a benefit tenfold, spiritually & physically. i have really felt strongly since having kids to make a habit out of practicing the presence of God. as i am sure most mom's can relate, there may or may not be a set time to just sit down uninterrupted and so i do it on the go, while i am feeding babies & changing diapers (practicing the presence of God by brother lawerence was a huge inspiration)

below is an article i found good on specific benefits to specific foods (i always find i can motivate myself to eat just about anything if i know what the benefit is): http://hubpages.com/hub/top-immune-system-boosters

hope that helps! it's kept us well all winter long, which is a first for the wilkins clan. it's a lot of work, especially during the winter when my natural inclination is to hibernate in a cave of sugar, but i cannot even imagine what the alternative would have been like!