Mohawk!

Everyone is always telling me that I need to sculpt Eli's hair into a mohawk.  I agree. He has the perfect hair for it. But, I never seem to find the time. Today he woke up from his nap with a mini-mohawk. This will have to do for now.

First Tooth!

Eli got his first tooth about a week and a half ago. It's so cute out there all by itself. It's not fully out yet, but it's very visible. His second tooth cut through this past Saturday, right next to the first. You can't see it unless you peer inside his mouth, but trust me, it's there. The third and fourth teeth (on top, to match the bottoms) aren't far behind. Tali didn't get her first tooth until after she was one so this is one area where he's beat her.

Still Under Construction

I'm trying to get our life "back to normal" (including regular blog posts) around here but there's still so much going on. We've been in our new house almost a month and a half now and are still under construction. We've yet to have a week of peace and quiet. Today, there are three different crews here: two painters, one landscaper and three electricians for the generator. I also have my cleaning ladies (there are two of them) coming today. So while I try to keep the kids happy and out of trouble,  I will, at one point today, have eight extra people in the house.

It's very bizarre to live in a construction zone. You're never really alone and regular activities, such as meals, are a bit of a juggling act. Plus, Tali is still prone to tantrums and I always feel like I'm being judged if she's acting out. She is always in a safe place and never destructive to anything/anyone but the screaming and ranting can go on for a while. When it's just us, I don't mind. I let her get it out and she'll eventually calm down and do whatever it is I need to her to do. But when others are here, it can be hard to parent her. I still hold my ground, though.

Supposedly the painters will be done Friday (and my kids will have lost quite a few brain cells in the process) but then we start on the real landscaping. That'll be another few weeks.

I look forward to the day when we can have some peace and quiet.

Losing My Purpose

This morning I had to answer the door just as I was about to get breakfast on the table. When I came into the kitchen, Tali had put her yogurt, a spoon, a cereal bar and her milk at her spot, my yogurt and a spoon at my spot and Eli's food and a spoon at my spot. The only thing she couldn't reach were the bananas. What a nice surprise. Now if only she would do the dishes!

Moved to the Country

I still have very little time for myself (hope that changes in the next few months), but just had to say hello after a loooong break. We finally moved to our new home and it's great! There's still a lot to do and I'm still juggling the end of a renovation with two children. The good news is that I don't have to commute over an hour to get to the renovation. The bad news is that there are days I'm stuck inside (like today) because there are workers here and I don't want to leave them alone with all of our things.

It's been almost two weeks since the move and everyone has gotten used to being here. Today we had a nice, spontaneous "we live on 4 1/2 acres of land" moment. UPS came to drop off a package and Jackson seized the opportunity to run outside. Usually, he pees and comes right back. But Tali, still in her pajamas and socks, ran after him. So he ran some more. The two of them spent a good 20 minutes playing chase and running around half of our property. They had a blast! Eli and I watched all the action. He thought it was very funny.

Of course, when it was over I had to spend the next 15 minutes checking everyone for ticks (all clear!) but I guess it was worth it. Before Tali's nap, she told me that when she wakes up she wants to go do it again. This is why we moved here.

My Kids Are Cute

Very Cute.

Another Foodie-in-Training

Before Eli started eating real food, I was hoping that he'd be a good eater. After Tali (aka the kid who eats everything), I didn't think I would know what to do with a picky eater. But secretly I was preparing myself for the worst. I was not, however, preparing myself for a kid who could beat Tali at eating. I didn't even think that was possible!

Eli is not yet six months and he's already eating three meals a day. He eats everything he's given and sometimes has two servings. Even more impressive? He can chew. Really chew. He can eat chunks of soft food without choking. He just chews and swallows. Tali didn't get pieces of food until seven months.

This morning he ate about 1/4 of a large banana - all in pieces. I'm impressed!

There is a whole new food movement called Baby Led Weaning where kids get "real" food from the very beginning. No purees, no mush, just real food that their parents eat. It's controversial and until now I didn't really believe in it. But I am now thinking of giving it a real try. Eli seems like the perfect candidate.

Typhoid Mary (and her little brother Mark)

This has been a week of firsts in our home:


1. First blow dry: Tali received her first blow dry this week. She had a high fever (103 degrees!) for two days and was so cold when she got out of her bath that I couldn't let her hair dry naturally. The first day I blew it dry she let me do the whole thing. The second day I didn't really wash her hair but it got a little wet. She wasn't so patient that day but at least it wasn't that much to dry.

2. First time being sick: Eli woke up this morning with a temperature of 99.5 degrees. I know it's not a fever yet, but given Tali's sickness earlier this week I'm sure it's headed there.

3. First time being sick twice in one week: Tali now has some congestion in her lungs. It crept in yesterday evening and is still there this morning. It's not terrible, but it's there. Not sure how she got this as she was only around other children Monday (too long ago for symptoms to now appear) and yesterday (too short of a time frame). She also has a temperature of 99.5. (Yes, I checked our thermometer, it's working and not just stuck on 99.5.)

Guess I get to take both kids to the doctor this morning. Lucky me.

First Bites of Food

It's been a week since Eli first started food and we are already up to two full meals a day! Like his big sister,  he loves food. Unlike his big sister, I was completely unprepared to start food with him. For Tali, I had pink bowls (which she still uses), spoons, bibs, etc. For Eli, I ran to the grocery to grab some cereal, threw him in Tali's high chair (no bib), mixed his food in a plastic container and fed him with one of Tali's spoons. Of course, it didn't matter to him. He ate it all just the same.

His first bites were very similar to Tali. He accepted it right away and ate the whole bowl. (I actually gave him a bit more because he was still hungry.) At two times during his first meal I walked away from the food and he started crying! He wanted me to come back and feed him some more!

The GI doctor told me to start him on  rice cereal mixed with apple juice (calories) and a tsp of safflower oil (more calories). In a week or two, I could add a second meal. Eli seemed so hungry that on day two I decided to split his meal and give 1/2 the portion at lunch and another half at dinner. But he was so hungry he ate the whole thing at lunch! He ate another full portion at dinner that night. One week later he's regularly eating two meals a day and has tried (and likes) banana, avocado and apple! Plus, he's already chewing. I was in such a rush to get food on the table that on day three I didn't mash his banana all the way and left some very small chunks. The first time one entered his mouth, he looked perplexed and then promptly chewed! 

I wasn't expecting to have another good eater but I'm glad I do. However, my future grocery bills are already giving me nightmares!
 

(PS I apologize to my favorite college professor, Dr. English, who always told me that I had three exclamation points in life. Use them wisely. Seems like I used them all on this post. Oops.)

My New Diet

Little Eli with his great grandparents, Granny and Papa, on a recent visit to New Orleans. This is two weeks in to our new diet.

As I wrote two posts ago (and ten minutes ago), Eli's been to a lot of doctor appointments this past month. At his four month check-up, he had blood in his stool and had stopped gaining weight. The doctor thought he might have a dairy allergy so she asked me to stop eating dairy for two weeks (he's exclusively breast-fed) and see what happens.

Two weeks later, the visible blood in his stool was gone, he'd mostly stopped spitting up and he'd gained a tiny bit of weight. So, she asked me to continue with my diet for another two weeks.

One month after the initial  diagnosis, he'd still gained very little weight so the doctor determined that he wasn't getting enough calories/milk. So she asked me to continue on the dairy-free diet (she has repeatedly apologized for doing this to me) and start to supplement with formula. She also wanted me to see a GI doctor because there was still microscopic blood in his stool. I left the doctor's office basically in tears. Not because I had to give formula (though I hated the idea), but because I couldn't supply enough food for my child and I was starving him. So, I tried the formula. He wouldn't take it. He made the "formula face" and screamed until the offending bottle was removed.

A few days later I saw a lactation consultant who wrote a prescription and also told me about some herbal remedies to increase my supply. I now smell like syrup but I think it's working. I also went to the GI doctor and she was fantastic! She confirmed the dairy allergy and told me to start food immediately so that he can get more calories.


Four days later we went back to his pediatrician and he'd gained 7 oz in one week!

After two months of staying at 10 lbs, he's finally growing. Maybe I'll actually be able to pack away his 0-3 month clothing before his 6 month birthday.

I am now dairy-free and will remain so until Eli turns one. At that point, he should be okay and able to drink regular milk and eat cheese and yogurt. It's been an adventure on this new diet. The hardest part is no butter. It's okay at home because I can use vegan butter but most restaurants cook with butter so going out to eat is a special challenge now. I've decided to look on the bright side of this. I'm getting to explore new recipes, eating healthier, losing the rest of the baby weight and learning how to bake (most commercial baked goods use butter, at least). I'm sure I'll want a huge plate of cheese and a big bowl of ice cream come June 5, but for now I'm okay with this.