Zofran Baby

I am writing this in light of the recent articles and commercials about taking Zofran to control morning sickness during pregnancy. I am not a doctor. But I honestly feel this needs to be addressed, especially for those of us who had Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

A little background: I am a "Zofran baby." My mother took Zofran her entire pregnancy with me, as well as my four siblings. 

Twenty four of my cousins are also "Zofran babies." 

My own two boys are "Zofran babies." 

Not one single birth defect. Not one. And it wasn't just a take-once-a-day-to-get-through-the-first-trimester kind of deal. It was 8mg three times a day and once at night for 39 weeks. For two months I received it through a PICC line. I even had it in my IV the day I delivered my sons. 

I have also been interviewing and talking to multiple mothers all over the world who have taken Zofran their entire pregnancies. I have yet to meet a Zofran baby with a birth defect. 

But that is just my personal experience. I'm not saying that it is not possible. There is a risk taking any medication, especially when pregnant. What frustrates me the most about this is that it is scaring moms from taking it. Moms that actually need it.

 I recently was apart of a Facebook discussion where this subject was brought up. A mother was getting more and more dehydrated but was terrified to take the Zofran because of what she had heard. I stood up for Zofran and was called selfish for not "sucking it up" and "powering through" my Hyperemesis. That I was selfish for having a medicated pregnancy and that there were "other options." 

First, to the mother who told me to "suck it up" I hope with all of my heart you never have to experience anything like HG. I also hope that you will do some research on HG before you tell an HG mom to power through it. Because yes, I would rather take the Zofran risks over losing my baby any day. With HG, the risks of not taking it are SO much worse than what Zofran can do. At 10 weeks pregnant I was so malnourished that my baby stopped growing. The Zofran didn't stop the puking. None of the things I tried stopped it. But it was the ONLY thing that slowed it down. 

HG is so bad that 1 in 8 moms with HG choose abortion to end their suffering. Yet those of us who chose Zofran to help control it have healthy and happy children.

The following list was taken directly from the HelpHER facebook page. 

To the mom who is seriously suffering but afraid to take zofran, relax. Do what is best for you. 

You are not a bad mom for taking Zofran. 

One of my dear friends and fellow HG survivor had a zofran pump. This is actually a really common treatment in severe HG cases. She said, 

"I was on Zofran from 15 weeks to 30 weeks receiving a dose of it HOURLY. Zofran saved my life. If I didn't receive my Zofran pump at 15 weeks I don't think myself or my daughter would be here right now. And IF I do decide to have another child I will be put on to Zofran again." 

Another HG mom shared her thoughts on it with me. 

"Oftentimes people whose child has a birth defect look for something to blame. That is human nature and it is somewhat understandable. And then there are those people who are sue happy and money hungry.

Don't take medical advise from a lawsuit. If this was 1920 most women with HG would be dead. People who have not experienced HG cannot fully understand the seriousness of it and the importance of trying to survive it." 

Again, I  am not a doctor. But I am tired of women who think they know it all because they read an article about it on Facebook and then tell those of us who depend on Zofran that we are selfish. Do some real research. Don't limit it to just one "study" or lawsuit. Talk to your doctor. If you feel you can power through it or don't feel comfortable taking it and think other things might help, by all means, please do! But please think about what you're saying when you're talking to a mom who is taking it or who took it. 

We are living  proof that Zofran helps. 

We are Zofran babies. 

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @7talesofmotherhood and my personal instagram @diariesofasupermom! 

  

Arrow Tutorial

Hey guys it's Megan again!  This week I am going to do a tutorial for these Arrows.  These are for a certain type of design but I think they look great in my boys bathroom.  However, Jeff says they look like fast forward arrows.  He just doesn't see the vision.

I got my raw wood from Home Depot for about $10.00 total.  It comes in either 12', 6' or 4'.  We bought the 12' for cost and had them cut it in half so it would fit in our car.

My handsome hubby kindly ripped the 6' boards in half with a table saw. Then cut each 6' board to 3' with a 45 degree angle on each end.

 

I stained but you could paint to match your home's decor.  I used Minwax oil based Espresso.  Also, if you are going to hang them in a high traffic area I would put a coat or two of polyacrilic on.  Just to protect them from finger prints and scratches.  

To attach them together you could use wood glue but I don't have clamps big enough.  So I hinged them together.  These brackets can be purchased at any hardware store for 2-5 dollars.  I also attached a self leveling hanging bracket on the top point to hang on the wall.

That's it! Super easy and I think they add a little contrast in my boys small bathroom.

Remember if you like what you read make sure you like our Facebook page to the right of the blog.  

That song in my head

I have a song, I have a song for every moment and every memory in my life.

I love music I love everything about it.

Music is what I turn to when I'm happy or sad and everything in between.

At first I didn't even realize I was doing it until a few months ago I noticed that when I thought about something or was remembering something from the past or even present that there is a song attached to each one

I was going through my list of songs I turn to and thought it would be fun to share.

My high school prom. I went with my boyfriend who at the time I was completely head over heals for

From this moment by Shania Twain

High school graduation Here's to the night by Eve 6


When I married my husband July 16 2009 Blue Jeans and a Rosary by Kid Rock


When I had both my babies May 2010 and October 2014 They are such bright spots in my memory.


Just recently when my daughter was diagnosed with diabetes as soon as we were told to get to the ER this song popped into my head and I didn't stop singing it for weeks. I had the song in my head all the way to the hospital the whole time we were there and for weeks after.
Katy Perry Roar.
At the end of the video she roars into the tigers face and he isn't so scary any more. I feel like diabetes is my tiger and there is no way I will let it win. That and my girl has always loved this song especially the music video.


On days that we hate diabetes or we are sad about something we dance to
Shake it off by Taylor Swift


Lately I have been feeling a little hopeless and sad and, sometimes I feel like I can't take much more but I know I have to.
This has been my go to song. Especially today I found out my sweet grandma passed away last night and my heart just aches so much I am going to miss her terribly I have listened to this song about 100 times today.
Broken by Lindsey Haun

Now these songs aren't necessarily the song that was playing at the time it's just what reminded me of the moment. It's really important to me because every time I hear these songs it brings a very vivid memory good or bad and I love it. There are many more songs and many more memories I just thought I would share a few of my favorites.

Now tell me, what song is in your head?

Easy baby blanket

Today I'm going to show you a simple way to make a baby blanket.  No seriously you will be amazed at how simple it really is. I love using flannel for them it's easy and you don't need batting if you don't want it. Flannel is really cheap too at the end of winter I usually stock up on it.

What you want is to start with 2 pieces of the same size. You can do a square or rectangle.  I like more of the rectangle shape because it works really well in my bassinet but it's totally up to you.
First you take both pieces and lay them right sides together

Then you sew around it all leaving a small opening to flip it right side out.

Once you have it flipped right side out you close the opening how ever you prefer. Then you need to iron it so it lays flat especially around the seams because you're going to top stich.

After you iron it you top stitch.  I usually just line the seam at the right side of my presser foot so it's about 1/4 in seam allowance give or take. This is where you can do just a straight seam or have fun using the patterns on your machine that you have never used before.  Seriously I've had my machine a year and this was my first time doing more than a straight stitch and it was so fun.

There you have it super simple.  If you have any questions shoot me a comment and I'll help any way I can.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies!

I love baking and trying new recipes! 

At a relief Society activity my neighbor made these wonderful cookies. I begged for the recipe to be able to make them myself.

One Sunday afternoon I made them.
They were super easy and super yummy! 
Unlike other sugar cookies they stayed soft! They were moist! A few days latter they still tasted fresh out of the oven good! The taste is comparable to the soft loft house sugar cookies! 

I highly think that you ought to try them out!
I have had a sugar cookie recipe and yes its a good one specially because it came from my grandma, but I think these are my new favorite!

They only took 8 minutes to bake! 
I topped them with my favorite sprinkles and my butter cream recipe! 
Stay tuned and I will share my secret butter cream recipe I use for cake decorating. It is delicious! 

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients. Roll out and cut out using flour for non stick. Spray a pan and space out the cut outs. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Being a Tall Girl Rocks

   
  Oh Yes the tall girl is back.:) After exploring the cons of being tall. I'm now going to explore the pros of      being a 6'2 woman.

  The list probably isn't as long as the cons list, but there is a good chunk! 

  Sports pro- every person around you even complete strangers will walk up to you  if you are tall whether you are male or female and ask you "How tall are you?". "Do you play basketball?". Yes, I did play basketball and there is definitely an advantage of being tall for sure. I however knew many tall people who didn't play basketball and they had no skills in sports what so ever. So I still think a lot of it is skill still, but yes in lots of sports height is an advantage for sure. So growing up playing basketball my height was a great advantage.

  Reaching things pro- the fact of the matter is I'm tall therefore I can reach high up things! This is very nice at grocery stores,cupboards , closets, garages and more. I can put things high up and have it accessible with out getting out  a ladder  or a chair. It's quite nice. I get asked frequently to grab things for people in stores or I offer help if I see someone struggling in that department. This is a great thing to be able to do. Especially putting toys in " time out" easily away from my kids where they can't reach.😃

  Stand out in a crowd- This is a pro in many ways. I'm always easy to find in a crowd, I can also find people easier because I can look over people. That is especially good at concerts, sporting events and more. People also tend to remember me easier because I was the tall one at the party. It's also very good in the job department. Growing up I heard "rumors" that being tall gets you better job and make more. I thought this is ridiculous,but researching it in many studies they find this to be true.:) Here is just one of the many on why? http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/Careers/02/02/cb.tall.people/

So standing out is a great thing in the job market also.

Model pro- Growing up as a teenager I got constantly asked or told "are you a model?" Or " You should be a model.". Although I never felt my body type would suit a model it was nice being told most of your life that you could or should be a model. This would boost anyone's self confidence.

Food/weight pro- let's face it the more you weigh the more calories you are able to consume and still not gain weight. Most tall people way more than short people because they have  longer bones and body mass.😄 you are able to eat more than your short friends would be able to. Another great thing about being tall is if heaven forbid you gain weight after children or you are eating even more calories then you should. You have a lot more room and space to fill up and look proportioned vs a shorter person the fat wouldn't really have any where to go. Now you still need to maintain health so don't go crazy with this, but it is quite a nice feature of being tall.

   When my  husband first walked into my apartment ( before we met) when my roommates were having a get together. I was talking to another guy and since I was tall he noticed me right away and I "stood out" out of all of the other girls that were there.  He loved/loves that I am tall. When he first saw me he said he knew that single life was over for him.If being tall scored me my wonderful husband than that is the best Pro of all! 

 

 Thanks for reading,

 Emily

Bow Tie Stand Craft

Happy Friday!!!

As you know, I am a mom of boys. My favorite day of the week is Sunday when I get to dress up my little boys for church, and bow ties are our favorite staple for our church outfits! 

Today I am doing a tutorial on how to make your own bow tie holder. 

Easter is coming up, and I have yet to meet a little guy who doesn't look adorable in a bow tie!

We get all of our bow ties from a cute Etsy shop called Molli and Bean. They have a great selection and their bow ties are very sturdy, stay on well and hold their shape. Perfect for little boys! 

After doing some serious thinking and messing around on Pinterest, I found this super cute and easy craft as a way to not only keep the bow ties nice and organized, but to display them so nicely.

These are the materials you will need. 

•A candle holder (I got mine from my local dollar store) 

•A small container of oatmeal 

• black paint and paint brush 

• hot glue gun or super glue

First, paint your EMPTY oatmeal container completely black. You can actually do whatever color you want, but I think black makes the colors stand out.  I do two coats just to be safe. 

Be sure to pain the top and bottom as well. 

Then hot glue or super glue your candle holder to the bottom and let it dry. 

Then you're finished!!! 

Easy peasy! 

All of the new Molli and Bean bow ties have new straps like this red one, which makes it a lot easier to put them on your child, and this bow tie stand. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @molliandbean for monthly giveaways! 

Strap on your bow ties and you are good to go! 

Also, don't forget to follow 7 Tales of Motherhood on Facebook and Instagram @7talesofmotherhood! And my personal page @diariesofasupermom! See you next Friday!!!