Burke came up on Sunday morning to test Lauren. I had been making the rice milk formula for her (rice milk, brown rice protein, cod liver oil, olive oil, and supergreens). I would make it fresh each morning, but by her third bottle each day, she wouldn't eat it anymore. I'd put the bottle in her mouth and she started gagging. So I'd switch to goat milk, because she does need to eat. She never threw up at all, so I know she was okay with the rice milk formula, but I was worried that it might not have all the nutrients she needed, and I figured that by the third feeding, the formula must have somehow changed chemically or something, and that's why she wouldn't drink it. I really believe that the body knows what it needs - as we get older, though, I think that instinct gets stifled. Probably because we fill ourselves with things that clog up our bodies and muffle those signals. So we think we need to eat some chips or some candy when what we really need is to drink a glass of water. (But I digress.....)
Anyway, Burke worked his magic, and we found that the best combination for her was goat milk with the addition of the supergreens (thank you, thank you, thank you, April). So we've been doing that since Sunday, and she has done really well. She is no longer scratching at herself, and she isn't constipated anymore either. She is still a little bit congested, but is sleeping longer and longer at night without waking herself up with coughing fits. Last night she actually went until 5:30 this morning, which is the longest she has slept without coughing in a really, really long time. So she is improving. Now I just have to get me some supergreens of my own.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Feeding issues
So my little Lauren is having some feeding issues. She has pretty much always had really bad eczema, and when I was breastfeeding, it got better when I eliminated some things from my diet. But now, I'm not breastfeeding anymore. I just dried up and have nothing.
I'm kind of anti-formula. I just don't see how something that is primarily made up of corn syrup can be good for a baby. So we put Lauren on raw goat milk. That's what we did for Faith, and she really thrived on it (although it is deficient in some things - like folic acid and B12 - so we have to supplement as well). Lauren, however, is having a harder time. She is getting constipated, and she is congested, and her skin is breaking out. She is always scratching at her head or her belly or her legs - whatever she can reach. Her congestion isn't really bad, but it's enough to make her sound like she's growling when she breathes, and she wakes up several times at night coughing. But she isn't sick. She doesn't have a fever, or even a runny nose.
I took her to her six-month appointment last Monday, and the doctor suggested that I try a soy formula for a few days, to see if her congestion and skin would clear up. So I did. At first she seemed to do okay. She spit up a little more than normal, but it wasn't too big a deal. But after a day or two, she started to throw up everything she ate. Everything. On that day, she only kept about three ounces down. So about a day later, I switched her to a different formula - milk-based, but with the proteins partially broken down to make it more gentle. And same thing. She just puked everything up for another day or so. But the scratching and the congestion seemed to clear up.
So I put her back on goat milk. And guess what? She hasn't puked since. But she's congested and scratching again.
And hence my frustration. Just try to find a reasonable, affordable, healthy alternative to breastmilk, that isn't milk- or soy-based, isn't primarily made up of sugar/corn syrup, and doesn't involve pureeing raw liver. (Seriously - besides the fact that liver tastes disgusting, why would you want to take the body's filter and feed it to your baby? It's like going to your furnace filter and eating it.)
Thank goodness for Mandi and her resources. I got some great ideas for making a rice milk formula, or a coconut milk formula. I did the rice milk one today, and Lauren drank it just fine. Except she still drinks from a bottle, and the protein powder I had to add kept clogging up the nipple. So I need to figure out how to get her to drink it more easily. I tried a sippy cup, and she did okay, but not really that well. So I guess I'll just have to work with her on a cup and eventually get rid of the bottle altogether.
But in the meantime, how do I get her to drink enough? I finally gave up tonight and gave her a bottle of goat milk again. It's just not very effective to take the bottle out of her mouth every minute and clean out the nipple. Not very conducive to falling asleep at night. I considered straining the formula, but then I would be straining out the proteins and stuff that won't dissolve completely, and that just defeats the purpose of making the formula in the first place.
I'm really bugged. Surely there are more kids than just mine in this world who just don't tolerate dairy or soy, and whose moms just aren't happy with feeding them corn syrup. (Seriously - milk, soy, and corn are some of the major allergens. Surely they can come up with something better.) Oh, and if they could come up with something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, that would be better. It would be nice if we could afford to feed the whole family, and not just the baby.
Yeah, just venting right now. Like I said, I'm frustrated.
But thanks, Mandi, for your help. And thanks, April, for suggesting in the first place that I make my own formula. (I still might come up with my own avocado-based formula. We'll see.)
I'm kind of anti-formula. I just don't see how something that is primarily made up of corn syrup can be good for a baby. So we put Lauren on raw goat milk. That's what we did for Faith, and she really thrived on it (although it is deficient in some things - like folic acid and B12 - so we have to supplement as well). Lauren, however, is having a harder time. She is getting constipated, and she is congested, and her skin is breaking out. She is always scratching at her head or her belly or her legs - whatever she can reach. Her congestion isn't really bad, but it's enough to make her sound like she's growling when she breathes, and she wakes up several times at night coughing. But she isn't sick. She doesn't have a fever, or even a runny nose.
I took her to her six-month appointment last Monday, and the doctor suggested that I try a soy formula for a few days, to see if her congestion and skin would clear up. So I did. At first she seemed to do okay. She spit up a little more than normal, but it wasn't too big a deal. But after a day or two, she started to throw up everything she ate. Everything. On that day, she only kept about three ounces down. So about a day later, I switched her to a different formula - milk-based, but with the proteins partially broken down to make it more gentle. And same thing. She just puked everything up for another day or so. But the scratching and the congestion seemed to clear up.
So I put her back on goat milk. And guess what? She hasn't puked since. But she's congested and scratching again.
And hence my frustration. Just try to find a reasonable, affordable, healthy alternative to breastmilk, that isn't milk- or soy-based, isn't primarily made up of sugar/corn syrup, and doesn't involve pureeing raw liver. (Seriously - besides the fact that liver tastes disgusting, why would you want to take the body's filter and feed it to your baby? It's like going to your furnace filter and eating it.)
Thank goodness for Mandi and her resources. I got some great ideas for making a rice milk formula, or a coconut milk formula. I did the rice milk one today, and Lauren drank it just fine. Except she still drinks from a bottle, and the protein powder I had to add kept clogging up the nipple. So I need to figure out how to get her to drink it more easily. I tried a sippy cup, and she did okay, but not really that well. So I guess I'll just have to work with her on a cup and eventually get rid of the bottle altogether.
But in the meantime, how do I get her to drink enough? I finally gave up tonight and gave her a bottle of goat milk again. It's just not very effective to take the bottle out of her mouth every minute and clean out the nipple. Not very conducive to falling asleep at night. I considered straining the formula, but then I would be straining out the proteins and stuff that won't dissolve completely, and that just defeats the purpose of making the formula in the first place.
I'm really bugged. Surely there are more kids than just mine in this world who just don't tolerate dairy or soy, and whose moms just aren't happy with feeding them corn syrup. (Seriously - milk, soy, and corn are some of the major allergens. Surely they can come up with something better.) Oh, and if they could come up with something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, that would be better. It would be nice if we could afford to feed the whole family, and not just the baby.
Yeah, just venting right now. Like I said, I'm frustrated.
But thanks, Mandi, for your help. And thanks, April, for suggesting in the first place that I make my own formula. (I still might come up with my own avocado-based formula. We'll see.)
Friday, June 18, 2010
The skinny on boot camp... sort of
HA! I crack myself up with the bad puns I come up with for titles.
So boot camp is now halfway over, and I am really enjoying it. Okay, so I don't enjoy getting up at 5:30 to subject myself to voluntary torture. (Running backwards up a hill... 300 crunches after each workout... And the worst - pull-ups.) But I am really enjoying having more energy, and feeling stronger (I now have some muscles that are almost visible in my arms).
At my second weigh-in I had gained a pound. I was disappointed - especially after losing 2.5 pounds the first week - but Becky (the trainer) said it isn't unusual for women to gain weight at first, because they are building a lot of muscle they didn't have before. I was feeling better and my clothes were looser, so I didn't worry about it too much. And at my last weigh-in (yesterday), I had lost 4 pounds! Yay!!!! I've been working my tail off and following her diet (almost) perfectly, so it had better work. I totally fell off the wagon when we had Michael's family birthday party. I just like chocolate cake and chocolate icing and neopolitan ice cream too much to not have any. But to be fair, I had a lot less than I normally would have.
I feel like I'm eating all the time, but that's good, because just as one meal wears off, it's time to eat the next one - about every two hours. We're just really focusing on eating protein at every meal and limiting our sugars. Also, eating proper portion sizes. I knew that restaurant portion sizes are out of control, but seriously, one serving of pancake should be the size of a CD. Anyone eat at Jeremiahs? Yeah, theirs are a just a little bit bigger than that. And one of their omelets is three servings. *sigh* I love Jeremiahs breakfast. But even at half-price, I'm not sure it's worth buying an omelet to only eat a third of it.
So boot camp is now halfway over, and I am really enjoying it. Okay, so I don't enjoy getting up at 5:30 to subject myself to voluntary torture. (Running backwards up a hill... 300 crunches after each workout... And the worst - pull-ups.) But I am really enjoying having more energy, and feeling stronger (I now have some muscles that are almost visible in my arms).
At my second weigh-in I had gained a pound. I was disappointed - especially after losing 2.5 pounds the first week - but Becky (the trainer) said it isn't unusual for women to gain weight at first, because they are building a lot of muscle they didn't have before. I was feeling better and my clothes were looser, so I didn't worry about it too much. And at my last weigh-in (yesterday), I had lost 4 pounds! Yay!!!! I've been working my tail off and following her diet (almost) perfectly, so it had better work. I totally fell off the wagon when we had Michael's family birthday party. I just like chocolate cake and chocolate icing and neopolitan ice cream too much to not have any. But to be fair, I had a lot less than I normally would have.
I feel like I'm eating all the time, but that's good, because just as one meal wears off, it's time to eat the next one - about every two hours. We're just really focusing on eating protein at every meal and limiting our sugars. Also, eating proper portion sizes. I knew that restaurant portion sizes are out of control, but seriously, one serving of pancake should be the size of a CD. Anyone eat at Jeremiahs? Yeah, theirs are a just a little bit bigger than that. And one of their omelets is three servings. *sigh* I love Jeremiahs breakfast. But even at half-price, I'm not sure it's worth buying an omelet to only eat a third of it.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Look who's (FINALLY) five!!
Oh my goodness. After a year and a half of having a 4-year-old (see here if you need an explanation), we are so happy that Michael is finally five!
I decided to do his first friend party this year. We rented a bounce house and invited everyone his age from the ward, as well as some of his friends from pre-school and all of his cousins. We had about 32 kids come to his party. It was a lot of fun. But being the great mom that I am, I didn't take one photo of the kids or the party. Just one of the bounce house (after everyone had left).
And of course, I took photos of the cupcakes (which, by the way, are WAY too much work for any 5-year-old's birthday; NEVER AGAIN).
Yes, sugar cookie pirates, candy palm trees, rice krispies boats.... cute idea, but after about eight hours of work, I vowed I would not subject myself to it again.
Here is Michael on his new scooter (his gift from Jeff and me).
And here is Faith on the scooter. She thinks it's pretty fun.
We had a family party also, mostly for grandparents. It was fun. Michael had chosen a cake that looked like a rocket. It was a 3-D cake and would seriously have taken me HOURS. But after my cupcake episode, I talked him into something much simpler - a hot air balloon. Two round cakes, some licorice, and done.
Blowing out the candles (yeah, he won't be getting his wish - it took him three puffs).
Some things to note about Michael:
* He is a GREAT helper to me. He sorts laundry, unloads the dishwasher, pulls weeds, and helps vacuum and dust.
* Now that he is 5, he has his own chores to do each day and each week. Each day he cleans up before going to bed, and he puts his own shoes and clothes away. Each week he vacuums and dusts his own room. So far he's done really well.
* He now likes every food "except sloppy joes and bacon." He doesn't really, of course, but he used to tell us that when he was 5, he would like them. And when he's 6, he'll like sloppy joes and bacon too.
* He is doing really well at eating new foods. Our new rule is that he has to eat a hard or new food at every meal, and after a couple of initial temper tantrums, and some adjustments to our rule (he now has to eat the hard food FIRST), he has accepted it and is doing well.
* He is a very good big brother to Faith and Lauren. He takes good care of them, although he often crosses the line into bossy. (But oldest kids do that, right?)
* He knows all his letters and the sounds they make, can count to 110, has four Articles of Faith memorized, and loves loves loves to learn new things. He does not, however, know how to write his letters very well, or even how to hold a pencil correctly. He just can't get it. But I'm going to buy some of those pencil guides that are supposed to help kids, and we'll just have to practice.
We love this kid. What a great blessing it is to be his mom. (I do have to add, though, that our greatest blessings are often our greatest trials, and vice versa.) He is a handful, and learning to help him flourish and thrive has been very difficult for us, but we're so happy we have him.
I decided to do his first friend party this year. We rented a bounce house and invited everyone his age from the ward, as well as some of his friends from pre-school and all of his cousins. We had about 32 kids come to his party. It was a lot of fun. But being the great mom that I am, I didn't take one photo of the kids or the party. Just one of the bounce house (after everyone had left).
And of course, I took photos of the cupcakes (which, by the way, are WAY too much work for any 5-year-old's birthday; NEVER AGAIN).
Yes, sugar cookie pirates, candy palm trees, rice krispies boats.... cute idea, but after about eight hours of work, I vowed I would not subject myself to it again.
Here is Michael on his new scooter (his gift from Jeff and me).
And here is Faith on the scooter. She thinks it's pretty fun.
We had a family party also, mostly for grandparents. It was fun. Michael had chosen a cake that looked like a rocket. It was a 3-D cake and would seriously have taken me HOURS. But after my cupcake episode, I talked him into something much simpler - a hot air balloon. Two round cakes, some licorice, and done.
Blowing out the candles (yeah, he won't be getting his wish - it took him three puffs).
Some things to note about Michael:* He is a GREAT helper to me. He sorts laundry, unloads the dishwasher, pulls weeds, and helps vacuum and dust.
* Now that he is 5, he has his own chores to do each day and each week. Each day he cleans up before going to bed, and he puts his own shoes and clothes away. Each week he vacuums and dusts his own room. So far he's done really well.
* He now likes every food "except sloppy joes and bacon." He doesn't really, of course, but he used to tell us that when he was 5, he would like them. And when he's 6, he'll like sloppy joes and bacon too.
* He is doing really well at eating new foods. Our new rule is that he has to eat a hard or new food at every meal, and after a couple of initial temper tantrums, and some adjustments to our rule (he now has to eat the hard food FIRST), he has accepted it and is doing well.
* He is a very good big brother to Faith and Lauren. He takes good care of them, although he often crosses the line into bossy. (But oldest kids do that, right?)
* He knows all his letters and the sounds they make, can count to 110, has four Articles of Faith memorized, and loves loves loves to learn new things. He does not, however, know how to write his letters very well, or even how to hold a pencil correctly. He just can't get it. But I'm going to buy some of those pencil guides that are supposed to help kids, and we'll just have to practice.
We love this kid. What a great blessing it is to be his mom. (I do have to add, though, that our greatest blessings are often our greatest trials, and vice versa.) He is a handful, and learning to help him flourish and thrive has been very difficult for us, but we're so happy we have him.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Lagoon
We took the kids to Lagoon yesterday. It was our Stake Lagoon Day, so we decided to take advantage of the discount tickets and take them for the first time. They LOVED it. I was so glad. We just bought tickets for Michael, Faith, and Jeff. Lauren and I just did the free entrance pass. It was a lot of fun, even getting rained out at 7:30 didn't ruin it.
First ride ever. We went for the boats - not too fast, no going up high, pretty tame, and a bell to ring.
Faith kind of freaked out on Puff, but Michael did great in the seat by himself.
The helicopters and sea planes were a hit.
Michael enjoyed the swings. Faith was too little for this ride.
Faith freaked out again on the Kontiki, which is a kiddie version of the Tidal Wave, except it rotates as it swings back and forth.
Loving Bulgy the Whale.
And this is how Lauren hung out all day. She was a trooper, and didn't cry at all. It was a good day.
First ride ever. We went for the boats - not too fast, no going up high, pretty tame, and a bell to ring.
Faith kind of freaked out on Puff, but Michael did great in the seat by himself.
The helicopters and sea planes were a hit.
Michael enjoyed the swings. Faith was too little for this ride.
Faith freaked out again on the Kontiki, which is a kiddie version of the Tidal Wave, except it rotates as it swings back and forth.
Loving Bulgy the Whale.
And this is how Lauren hung out all day. She was a trooper, and didn't cry at all. It was a good day.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Bowling
Michael and Faith LOVE to go bowling. But we have learned that two games is one game too many. Michael loves the orange balls at Fat Cats, and Faith loves to be a big girl and do it "ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!!"
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Six months!!
Can you believe she's already six months old? I can't. Here's what's happening:* She is a pro at rolling from her back to her stomach, but can't quite figure out how to get from her stomach to her back. (Backwards, I know.)
* No teeth yet. Or hair.
* She has completely stopped nursing. I just totally dried up, and my efforts at pumping, taking fenugreek, etc., didn't work. So she drinks lots of goat milk. Lots.
* She likes avocados okay, and was a huge fan of bananas. But then her skin broke out and I remembered she's not supposed to have bananas. We'll try sweet potatoes next.
* She still has eczema, but it's getting a lot better.
* She is a HAPPY baby, most of the time.
* She is starting to get into a nap routine, which is very nice.
* She just gets more and more fun all the time.
Love this girl!!
Week 1 results
For my diet plan this last week, all I've had to do is eat breakfast every day. Whatever I eat must include protein and whole grains, and have no more than 4 grams of fat. It hasn't been too difficult. The hardest thing, honestly, is remembering to eat at all, because I tend to get so busy (especially in the morning) that I forget.
Anyway, I had my first "weigh-in" today, and over the last week, I've lost 2.5 pounds! I was so happy. For the next week, I'm still supposed to eat breakfast, but also make some changes to my lunches. The whole idea is to reprogram the body to expect more frequent, smaller meals, and to burn stored fat as energy. This is a pretty easy plan to follow, and I especially like that it isn't a fad where you entirely cut out one food group. There is an option at the end to cut out carbs completely for one week, but that's for people who have a large amount of body fat or weight to lose, and the instructor is pretty adamant that you ONLY do it for one week.
Today's class was all about sugar and carbohydrates. I already knew and do most of what she told us (thanks Mom). What I didn't know is that some of the excess sugar we eat winds up in our blood, and creates a sticky substance which increases our risk of heart attack, stroke, etc. She said that scientists used to warn about consuming cholesterol, but more and more, they're finding that it's actually the sugars that we need to eliminate (or at least drastically reduce). She gave us some good guidelines to follow as far as how many grams of sugar and carbs to eat each day. This is a good class.
Anyway, I had my first "weigh-in" today, and over the last week, I've lost 2.5 pounds! I was so happy. For the next week, I'm still supposed to eat breakfast, but also make some changes to my lunches. The whole idea is to reprogram the body to expect more frequent, smaller meals, and to burn stored fat as energy. This is a pretty easy plan to follow, and I especially like that it isn't a fad where you entirely cut out one food group. There is an option at the end to cut out carbs completely for one week, but that's for people who have a large amount of body fat or weight to lose, and the instructor is pretty adamant that you ONLY do it for one week.
Today's class was all about sugar and carbohydrates. I already knew and do most of what she told us (thanks Mom). What I didn't know is that some of the excess sugar we eat winds up in our blood, and creates a sticky substance which increases our risk of heart attack, stroke, etc. She said that scientists used to warn about consuming cholesterol, but more and more, they're finding that it's actually the sugars that we need to eliminate (or at least drastically reduce). She gave us some good guidelines to follow as far as how many grams of sugar and carbs to eat each day. This is a good class.
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