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.

Twins!

Eli at five months.

Tali at three months.

I often tell people that Eli looks just like Tali did, only in boy clothing. I'm not sure who believes me, but I have proof.

Well, Hello There!

I know, I know. It's the longest I've ever gone without posting. I've heard all of your complaints (I can't believe people actually read this and request updates!) so I'm back. Hopefully.

It's been such a busy time in our lives that I really never have a moment to myself. And if I do, I'm multi-tasking like crazy. (Can you breast feed one child, help another on the potty and make a phone call at the same time? I can.)

Our house renovation is taking up the majority of my time. I knew it would be a lot of work and very stressful, but wow! Things are moving along and our contractor tells me he's ahead of schedule. We're about halfway through and things are really starting to take shape. When we closed on the house, I had dreams of moving in before Thanksgiving. Now I have dreams of moving in before 2012. We'll see.

I've also been busy with Eli. Lots of doctor's appointments (I'll save the details for another post) and juggling both kids. I'm thankful that I have some help now and then. I recently found a babysitter who is out of a job and can come during the week. I also have my MIL who comes every so often and our cleaning woman/babysitter once a week. In the beginning, I thought I'd be able to handle it all myself. But as my life gets busier, and I accept the fact that I'm not Superwoman, I've learned to ask for/pay for help. I'm still folding laundry at 11:00 at night (sorry Mom, I know you don't want to read that), but it's something.

So those are my reasons/excuses for disappearing. Let's hope I can find a few minutes in my schedule to squeeze in some more posts.

There Goes My Lunch...Again

Once again, Tali wanted the rest of my lunch. She'd already eaten two whole carrots and most of a turkey/cheese roll-up when she saw what was still on my plate. Today's desire? Brussels sprouts! Yup, my 2 1/2 year old LOVES Brussels sprouts. Seriously, this kid will eat almost anything.

New Diet

Today Eli had his four month old check-up.

The good news: He looks healthy, is very strong and has excellent head/neck control.

The bad news: He's only gained 7 ounces in the past month (he should have gained between 1 - 1 1/2 pounds), is still spitting up a lot and I saw blood in his stool today. Based on all of these factors, the doctor thinks he might have a dairy allergy. The best way to find out is for me to eliminate dairy from my diet for a few weeks and see what happens. So starting now, I am dairy-free. No more ice cream, cookies or cheese for me. It's unfortunate, but I am happy to do whatever it takes for my son to be healthy. The doctor said that if he does have this allergy, he could outgrow it between the ages of 2 and 3. So that's good news.

If anyone has any good dairy-free recipes for me, please send them my way. Tonight I was going to make corn chowder for dinner. It's made with lots of milk. Guess I'll have to come up with a new plan.

But First...

Before her nap, I read Tali a book about moving. In the book, the family has their house painted and carpet installed before they move. When we finished the book, Tali started a conversation about it. The conversation went like this:

Tali: Tali has a new house.
Me: Yes, you do have a new house. And we will be moving soon. But first, we have to paint and put in carpet.
Tali: We will paint the new house. But first, we have to put on a smock.

Teething Has Begun!

Eli started teething today. He's sucking on his gums and drooling. Tali started a little bit older than this and didn't get her first tooth until after she turned one. Let's hope, for my sake, that Eli also waits that long to cut a tooth.

Taking One (or Four) For the Team

Our new house has a very old swing set out back. Tali loves it and I make sure she has time to play on it every time we go to the house. Unfortunately, our back yard is currently full of mosquitoes. Every time we are out there, we all get bitten (except for Tali, strangely). Today Eli is sporting four new bites (one is on the other side of his wrist) from this weekend's visits. Poor baby. Luckily, they don't seem to bother him.