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Year Three, Day 215: Simply Amazing!

I feel like I have been reborn! It must be the L-Lysine! Combined with eating no meat, dairy, wheat or sugar yesterday. And not eating right before bed.

My face is less poofy! I have very little pain. The cough is still there but, less so. 

Plus Baby Gracie slept through the night - from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.!

My daughter was ecstatic to get a full night's sleep. She got up and fed her from 6 a.m. until about 6:30 a.m. My daughter was exhausted. I told her to go lay back down and I would stay up with Gracie if she did not want to go back to sleep. 

My daughter breathed a heavy sigh of relief and lay Gracie gently in her crib.  But as soon as my daughter left the room, Gracie started to fuss. I remembered a Youtube video I saw recently. A woman showed her aunt putting her baby to sleep with light facial massage in just a few minutes.

I've given Gracie baby massage before. And stretches.  But the light facial massage intrigued me. Back in the day, I was a licensed massage therapist. I even taught a baby massage class with my baby daughter as the demo when I worked for a chiropractor.  She had nightly massages all her life. Her poor husband!  But they helped her sleep.

So I walked over to the crib and put one hand on her belly - she often has lots of baby gas. The other hand lightly caressed her head and stroked her forehead.  She stopped fussing immediately. Her eyes started to get heavy. She fell asleep in 10 seconds flat! Woot woot!

So Grandma Z got a nice morning nap. My daughter and I both got up around 9:00 a.m. We could not believe that Gracie was still sleeping. I almost wanted to wake her up.

"Don't you dare!", warned my daughter.

We cleaned and made breakfast. I had a hard boiled egg, a vegan smoothie, and Earl Grey tea. I realize that eggs are not vegan, but I felt the need for some protein.

Then about 9:45 we heard movement. Gracie had woken up. This little girl is the epitome of morning person. She woke up smiling. We both leaned over the crib and wished her a good morning. She pleasantly "Aah-Goo'd" back at us!

We had such a pleasant morning. After breakfast, we packed up the laundry and spent the rest of the morning at the laundromat. I felt so good. Almost like my old self. I even brought my knitting with me.  I had started knitting a baby blanket for Gracie when she was in the womb, but it got all lopsided, so I unraveled it and started over. But the past at least 4 months, I have been tired, dragging coughing. If you've kept up with my blog, you know what I mean!

But I had energy today. I started back on the blanket.  It is really beautiful thick bright blue, green and white yarn. It looks more like a bath towel than a blanket. But my daughter said she needs towels and she likes the color.

Gracie loves the laundromat. So much to look at. Both her mom and grandma to wait on her. And I think the white noise from all the machines soothes her.  While we waited for the clothes to dry I walked next door and order Thai food to go for our lunch. I had rice, green curried veggies and tofu. I ate only half of it. It tasted wonderful.

I think I may try to eat mostly a vegan diet again. I tried it several years ago when I was attempting to lose weight. But I failed. I ate way too many carbs. I felt tired. I didn't lose weight. I felt good about myself, not eating animal products, but my health did not improve.

Now I am armed with much more knowledge. And having been recommended to go on a strict vegan, gluten free, sugar free diet was all the prompting I needed!

I will still have the occasional egg. And most likely fish once in awhile. I will keep monitoring my progress.

I am a human experiment.

I have so much more to tell you. Like, I had an impromptu casual date Tuesday night after choir practice. Not romantic, more like friends have a bite together. But it was fun!

Details will follow.

I also had an amazing time playing the piano with Portland Chamber Music for Portland Rescue Mission last night. Always my favorite holiday gig. I love the guys there! When I retired, I would like to volunteer there.

But now, I need to run and teach some piano!

Happy Thursday!

Here is today's hooping video: Day 179. Tomorrow is Day 180 (6 MONTHS!!!)

Love,

Zita





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