Sunday, August 5, 2007
Quints on The Early Show
Sorry to not just make this a comment on Liz&Meg's post, but those quints will be on the CBS Early Show tomorrow if you want to check them out!
Wow x5!
Staci mentioned this family in a post a few months ago. I saw the other day that she had her babies-all five of them! I think that's just amazing!!!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Hypothyriodism
I love Linz’s suggestion of sharing our varying knowledge. I am learning so much from you guys. When I thought about what I might be somewhat an expertise at I immediately thought of my major and favorite thing to still study, Marriage, family, and Human Development, but quickly I remembered a wise professors advice, “Don’t give unsolicited advice on parenting and marriage, it will most likely cause more problems then it could ever solve." So after thinking for a couple more days I realized that due to my being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism I have somewhat become an expert of this interesting disease. Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce the needed hormones for your body to function properly.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353
First of all I will tell my story that ended with me finding out about this problem. During the last three months of my first pregnancy, my blood pressure increased dramatically. The doctor was worried that I was developing preeclampsia so I was immediately put on bed rest. Once I was on bed rest my weight starting soaring. After my daughter was born I became extremely depressed, but blamed it on being over stressed with having a baby during Thanksgiving vacation and returning to school 5 days later to get ready for finals. The weight kept increasing, but I didn’t have the energy or time to dedicate to it. That summer I decided to go to a nutritionist and start an exercise program. Sadly I didn’t see any results. A little later I became pregnant with my son. I was 60 lbs overweight and determined to not make it worse. Luckily I only gained the 15 lbs my doctor recommended, and he decided to treat my high blood pressure with medication, but ultimately I was put on bed rest. After my son was born I was put on medication for postpartum depression. Six months later my daughter came to me and told me she wanted a big tummy like mommy. I realized how much of an effect my weight was having on my family and I felt that I was going to need to try harder losing weight this time. My husband and I signed up at a local gym that had day care. I started going to the gym five days a week and stuck to a strict diet. After 4 months I had gained 5 lbs of muscle. Something had to be wrong. I went to my wonderful OBGYN and explained my frustration. He sent me to doctor who specializes in weight loss. After many, many tests we discovered what was wrong, I had hypothyroidism. They believe that I developed it during my first pregnancy.
“Some women develop hypothyroidism during or after pregnancy (postpartum hypothyroidism), often because they produce antibodies to their own thyroid gland. Left untreated, hypothyroidism increases the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery and preeclampsia — a condition that causes a significant rise in a woman's blood pressure during the last three months of pregnancy. It can also seriously affect the developing fetus. “
After learning more about it I knew that my problems with pregnancy and weight gain were mainly cause by hypothyroidism. Immediately my doctor prescribed Armour Thyroid, a medication that is made from a pig’s thyroid gland. It has been a year and I love the difference I feel. I have more energy, since fatigue is a symptom, and have been able to lose 45 lbs to date. I hope this information helps others with diagnosing this problem. I wish that I had been diagnosed during my first pregnancy. It took over three years to figure out what was wrong with me, and I think it took so long because so many of my symptoms could be blamed on other pregnancy symptoms. But it is easily treated with a daily pill that is less than $10 a month for the name brand without insurance.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353
First of all I will tell my story that ended with me finding out about this problem. During the last three months of my first pregnancy, my blood pressure increased dramatically. The doctor was worried that I was developing preeclampsia so I was immediately put on bed rest. Once I was on bed rest my weight starting soaring. After my daughter was born I became extremely depressed, but blamed it on being over stressed with having a baby during Thanksgiving vacation and returning to school 5 days later to get ready for finals. The weight kept increasing, but I didn’t have the energy or time to dedicate to it. That summer I decided to go to a nutritionist and start an exercise program. Sadly I didn’t see any results. A little later I became pregnant with my son. I was 60 lbs overweight and determined to not make it worse. Luckily I only gained the 15 lbs my doctor recommended, and he decided to treat my high blood pressure with medication, but ultimately I was put on bed rest. After my son was born I was put on medication for postpartum depression. Six months later my daughter came to me and told me she wanted a big tummy like mommy. I realized how much of an effect my weight was having on my family and I felt that I was going to need to try harder losing weight this time. My husband and I signed up at a local gym that had day care. I started going to the gym five days a week and stuck to a strict diet. After 4 months I had gained 5 lbs of muscle. Something had to be wrong. I went to my wonderful OBGYN and explained my frustration. He sent me to doctor who specializes in weight loss. After many, many tests we discovered what was wrong, I had hypothyroidism. They believe that I developed it during my first pregnancy.
“Some women develop hypothyroidism during or after pregnancy (postpartum hypothyroidism), often because they produce antibodies to their own thyroid gland. Left untreated, hypothyroidism increases the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery and preeclampsia — a condition that causes a significant rise in a woman's blood pressure during the last three months of pregnancy. It can also seriously affect the developing fetus. “
After learning more about it I knew that my problems with pregnancy and weight gain were mainly cause by hypothyroidism. Immediately my doctor prescribed Armour Thyroid, a medication that is made from a pig’s thyroid gland. It has been a year and I love the difference I feel. I have more energy, since fatigue is a symptom, and have been able to lose 45 lbs to date. I hope this information helps others with diagnosing this problem. I wish that I had been diagnosed during my first pregnancy. It took over three years to figure out what was wrong with me, and I think it took so long because so many of my symptoms could be blamed on other pregnancy symptoms. But it is easily treated with a daily pill that is less than $10 a month for the name brand without insurance.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
House Hunting Mania
Alright, I've been racking my brain trying to think of something I could contribute to this knowledge sharing fest. I don't consider myself a woman of any special talents, and I don't have an impressive knowledge of any really interesting topic. However, since purchasing our first home two years ago, I have gained quite a bit of knowledge on THAT whole process. Since we are all in that stage in our lives where we have recently bought or will soon buy our first or second home, I thought I'd share. We are starting to casually look for our next home, as our first house is very much a starter home and really doesn't have room for more than one child! I feel like I have learned more recently that I wish I would have known the first time. Here's a few examples:
Foreclosures: Something like 1 in 10 houses right now are in foreclosure. This is sad for the people who have lost their homes, but great for someone looking for one! I really wish we would have looked at foreclosures and preforeclosures more the first time. You can get an amazing bargain. One of the myths is that foreclosures = dump. This is sometimes the case, but other times it's a new, nice house, that someone thought they could afford and then lost a job, or whatever. When it is a bank owned property, the bank is desperate to stop losing money, and they will settle for the minimum they need to "not lose money." Usually the price you see is already lower than a typical house in that range, and my realtor just informed me that the bank will usually accept an offer 10-15% below THAT. Bad news...they go fast when they are such a good deal, so you have to be on top of things. More bad news...the bank won't even consider an offer on a foreclosure if you have a house to sell first. That's the bummer we just realized, because we had been looking at a lot of foreclosures. But if you're looking for your first house, I think this is definitely something to look into.
Get a Realtor! When we first started looking at houses, I though "I'm not that serious, if there's a house I'm interested in, I'll just call the number and ask to see it." That's not the best way to do it though. The realtor trying to sell the house wants to make money, so they're not necessarily going to do what's in your best interest. But if you get your own realtor, you sit down with them, tell them what you're looking for (you can be as picky as you want) and they will go to work for you! With the internet these days, they can set you up with a search that will automatically email you new listings that come up within your range. You can literally shop for houses from home, and when there's something you want to see in person, you have your realtor take you. Best part is, you shouldn't have to pay them anything. They get paid by the person selling the house when you buy it.
Choose Your Lender Carefully: My mom is a banker, and she warned me often about all the mortgage companies that are out there. As a general rule, a bank is usually a safer option. But some of the mortgage companies are ok, just do your research and check out their credibility. Also, know about the different kinds of interest rates, and definitely watch out for adjustable rates. This is how a lot of people end up in foreclosure! Overall, just know the options available to you. For instance, in MI you can qualify for a MCHDA loan if you are a first time home owner and get a way lower interest rate. So do your homework!
Don't Settle! I was so anxious to get into a house, that I almost signed a purchase agreement twice before we found our actual home. Luckily I had a great realtor who could tell I wasn't really in love, and he didn't let me settle! Every house we looked at seemed better than the last. This is an area that you should let yourself be picky about. You are going to spend a lot of time in your house, and pay a lot of money for it. You should love it! Overall, I'm happy in our home. But sometimes I wonder if I would have found something I was really crazy about if we had kept looking. I'm trying not to settle for a second one until I love something so much I'm afraid to go to sleep for fear of someone else getting it before us!
Other random tips:
Consider resale value: the neighborhood, how old the house is, etc. You realtor will have good tips about it
Consider other costs besides just the purchase price: what kind of work it needs, how old the furnace is, roof, etc.
A big one: find out what taxes are in the area. This could add several hundred dollars a month to your mortgage if it's a high tax area!
Hope this didn't put you to sleep and that you found something useful in it!
Foreclosures: Something like 1 in 10 houses right now are in foreclosure. This is sad for the people who have lost their homes, but great for someone looking for one! I really wish we would have looked at foreclosures and preforeclosures more the first time. You can get an amazing bargain. One of the myths is that foreclosures = dump. This is sometimes the case, but other times it's a new, nice house, that someone thought they could afford and then lost a job, or whatever. When it is a bank owned property, the bank is desperate to stop losing money, and they will settle for the minimum they need to "not lose money." Usually the price you see is already lower than a typical house in that range, and my realtor just informed me that the bank will usually accept an offer 10-15% below THAT. Bad news...they go fast when they are such a good deal, so you have to be on top of things. More bad news...the bank won't even consider an offer on a foreclosure if you have a house to sell first. That's the bummer we just realized, because we had been looking at a lot of foreclosures. But if you're looking for your first house, I think this is definitely something to look into.
Get a Realtor! When we first started looking at houses, I though "I'm not that serious, if there's a house I'm interested in, I'll just call the number and ask to see it." That's not the best way to do it though. The realtor trying to sell the house wants to make money, so they're not necessarily going to do what's in your best interest. But if you get your own realtor, you sit down with them, tell them what you're looking for (you can be as picky as you want) and they will go to work for you! With the internet these days, they can set you up with a search that will automatically email you new listings that come up within your range. You can literally shop for houses from home, and when there's something you want to see in person, you have your realtor take you. Best part is, you shouldn't have to pay them anything. They get paid by the person selling the house when you buy it.
Choose Your Lender Carefully: My mom is a banker, and she warned me often about all the mortgage companies that are out there. As a general rule, a bank is usually a safer option. But some of the mortgage companies are ok, just do your research and check out their credibility. Also, know about the different kinds of interest rates, and definitely watch out for adjustable rates. This is how a lot of people end up in foreclosure! Overall, just know the options available to you. For instance, in MI you can qualify for a MCHDA loan if you are a first time home owner and get a way lower interest rate. So do your homework!
Don't Settle! I was so anxious to get into a house, that I almost signed a purchase agreement twice before we found our actual home. Luckily I had a great realtor who could tell I wasn't really in love, and he didn't let me settle! Every house we looked at seemed better than the last. This is an area that you should let yourself be picky about. You are going to spend a lot of time in your house, and pay a lot of money for it. You should love it! Overall, I'm happy in our home. But sometimes I wonder if I would have found something I was really crazy about if we had kept looking. I'm trying not to settle for a second one until I love something so much I'm afraid to go to sleep for fear of someone else getting it before us!
Other random tips:
Consider resale value: the neighborhood, how old the house is, etc. You realtor will have good tips about it
Consider other costs besides just the purchase price: what kind of work it needs, how old the furnace is, roof, etc.
A big one: find out what taxes are in the area. This could add several hundred dollars a month to your mortgage if it's a high tax area!
Hope this didn't put you to sleep and that you found something useful in it!
Bloglines
Do you read a lot of blogs? Do you use Bloglines?
My sis told me about it back when I first started blogging, but I've just recently started actually using it. If you like to check up on a lot of blogs, it can save you time. You just put in the blogs you read and then each time you log into bloglines, you can have it list the blogs that have a new post since you last logged in. I'm loving it BIG TIME. And speaking of time, it saves a lot of it.
My sis told me about it back when I first started blogging, but I've just recently started actually using it. If you like to check up on a lot of blogs, it can save you time. You just put in the blogs you read and then each time you log into bloglines, you can have it list the blogs that have a new post since you last logged in. I'm loving it BIG TIME. And speaking of time, it saves a lot of it.
Wednesday Weekly
(I heard this one on Rachael Ray last Fall.)
How many times do you wear a pair of jeans before you wash them?
How many times do you wear a pair of jeans before you wash them?
Getting to your roots
During the summer of 2003 I had THE strangest dream. I was playing on a playground with a boy would was about 14-years-old. We must have been playing alone for hours when the boy said to me, "I wish I could go play over there," as he pointed across a long patch of grass. When I turned to look at the spot where he was pointing I saw thousands of people, none of which I could make out because they were far away, and they too were playing on what looked like an enormous playground. I turned back to the young man and found that he was standing next to a very old gentleman. The boy didn't say anything else to me, but the older man said, "Don't you know who this is? This is your great-great-great uncle, and I am your great-great-great grandpa." Then I woke up.
I definitely don't consider myself an "expert" but I'd like to share one of my secret passions with you: family history and genealogy. The morning after I had my strange dream I talked to my mom about what had been said to me. (I thought she would laugh at it because she is the QUEEN of family history...after all, how could there be someone missing from my family tree when my mom was spending 8 hours a week doing genealogy?) Instead she told me I did have a missing g-g-g-uncle. He had run away from home when he was about 14 years old and was never heard from again.
To make a very long story shorter, George Brown (my missing uncle) was found during the spring of 2006 when England released their 1880 London census to the Church's family history center. Can you believe it?!? He was married and had children of his own.
Family History seems like a daunting task, especially if you don't know much about it. I thought maybe I could share some things that might help.
1. If you're starting from scratch you'll need to start with your own, personal 4-generation chart (the chart linked here requires Adobe). Get as much information as you can: full names, birth dates and places, and death dates and places.
*FYI: When you write a woman's full name in any kind of family history you only use their MAIDEN name.
*Dates also have a universal way of being written: Day/Month (in a 3-letter abbreviation)/Full year. For example today is 01 AUG 2007, and Christmas will be 25 DEC 2007.
Some of you might still have church leaders who tell you to submit a 4-generation chart to the Salt Lake Family History center (FHC). Although the FHC wouldn't turn your sheet away, this form of information is obsolete now. The church would actually rather have you submit a PAF file, which will be discussed below.
2. The LDS Church has one of the best family history search engines out there. But don't try to search for someone who is living...they're not in there! Start by searching for the most recent death in your family. This would most likely be a grandparent. All you need is their first and last name, any other information will help narrow your search. Familysearch.org is great because the search results will include different spellings or the name you're searching for. Your search results will come from a few different places: Information other people have submitted, census records, Social Security death index, international information gathered by the church, and personal websites that include the person you're searching for.
3. If you're really interested down load the church's PAF program. (Scroll down on this page and click on the "Free PAF Program link). This is a fantastic computer program...and it's free! A PAF is a "Personal Ancestry File" that you use on the computer. It has taken the place of the church's infamous "4-generation chart." At any time you wish you may upload your PAF online to the Church's Family History head-quarters, where it will later be made available online to the entire world.
4. Once you are able to record all of the information you can based on what you and your family members know you start researching. It's not nearly as boring as it sounds. Although, I won't bother you with it now.
I hope this was informative or interesting, or at least a good way to kill some time...any questions?
I definitely don't consider myself an "expert" but I'd like to share one of my secret passions with you: family history and genealogy. The morning after I had my strange dream I talked to my mom about what had been said to me. (I thought she would laugh at it because she is the QUEEN of family history...after all, how could there be someone missing from my family tree when my mom was spending 8 hours a week doing genealogy?) Instead she told me I did have a missing g-g-g-uncle. He had run away from home when he was about 14 years old and was never heard from again.
To make a very long story shorter, George Brown (my missing uncle) was found during the spring of 2006 when England released their 1880 London census to the Church's family history center. Can you believe it?!? He was married and had children of his own.
Family History seems like a daunting task, especially if you don't know much about it. I thought maybe I could share some things that might help.
1. If you're starting from scratch you'll need to start with your own, personal 4-generation chart (the chart linked here requires Adobe). Get as much information as you can: full names, birth dates and places, and death dates and places.
*FYI: When you write a woman's full name in any kind of family history you only use their MAIDEN name.
*Dates also have a universal way of being written: Day/Month (in a 3-letter abbreviation)/Full year. For example today is 01 AUG 2007, and Christmas will be 25 DEC 2007.
Some of you might still have church leaders who tell you to submit a 4-generation chart to the Salt Lake Family History center (FHC). Although the FHC wouldn't turn your sheet away, this form of information is obsolete now. The church would actually rather have you submit a PAF file, which will be discussed below.
2. The LDS Church has one of the best family history search engines out there. But don't try to search for someone who is living...they're not in there! Start by searching for the most recent death in your family. This would most likely be a grandparent. All you need is their first and last name, any other information will help narrow your search. Familysearch.org is great because the search results will include different spellings or the name you're searching for. Your search results will come from a few different places: Information other people have submitted, census records, Social Security death index, international information gathered by the church, and personal websites that include the person you're searching for.
3. If you're really interested down load the church's PAF program. (Scroll down on this page and click on the "Free PAF Program link). This is a fantastic computer program...and it's free! A PAF is a "Personal Ancestry File" that you use on the computer. It has taken the place of the church's infamous "4-generation chart." At any time you wish you may upload your PAF online to the Church's Family History head-quarters, where it will later be made available online to the entire world.
4. Once you are able to record all of the information you can based on what you and your family members know you start researching. It's not nearly as boring as it sounds. Although, I won't bother you with it now.
I hope this was informative or interesting, or at least a good way to kill some time...any questions?
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