Four Month Checkup

Zoe's checkup went very well today, except for the shots :-(. Even with the allergy issues her weight is normal. I had observed some blood in her diaper though this week and the doctor was going to have me put her on a special formula for a week and check her next week. However when they tested the diaper it was negative, even though I had seen blood in it. It seems we keep having more than one issue with the same symptoms. This time the blood is from a little tear, so Vaseline and a stool softener were prescribed. The blessing is that I can keep nursing her since the diet has helped the allergies. I am so thankful! Nursing is also so convenient. Zoe is feverish tonight and cries when we touch her legs from her vaccinations, so I am keeping her dosed on Tylenol. We are so thankful for a healthy child and that she continues to thrive.

Train up a child

Zoe had her four month checkup and shots today so we spent our morning at the doctor's office. I think we have been there at least once a week for the past month with the allergy thing. I usually watch the other kids and without fail there is always one who controls the parent. Most of these parents let the child do what they want so hopefully the child won't throw a fit. Also I read some of the comments posted online about the couple who was thrown off the plane because their 3 year old had a temper tantrum about sitting in her seat. Most of the comments pointed out that the child was controlling the parents and the parents should be embarrassed to admit on TV that they could not control their child. Some comments also suggested the parents should work on discipline instead of blaming AirTran or the child's behavior would be worse later. It seems to me that the younger the training is started, the more behaved the child is when he/she is older. Also I read an article about spanking and it mentioned a lot of parents spank out of anger. I think discipline/training should be consistent on the part of the parent at all times, not just when the situation gets uncontrollable. This takes a disciplined parents, but I think the child learns by observing his parents also. These are a few observations I have, but I would welcome suggestions from the experienced parents. Child training in theory is a lot easier than putting it into practice.

4 months old

Zoe is four months old today. Last year around this time we were just finding out about her, but it seems like she has always been with us. Nothing can prepare you for the joy a child brings--the little hand that clutches yours, the smiles because she knows you are there, and the trust that you love her and will take care of her. At the risk of being redundant, Zoe has brought so much joy to us and we are truly blessed. We are so thankful God has given her to us and its been a wonderful four months.

roses from daddy

i got my first flowers on thursday from daddy. he gave me a dozen pink roses. he said i had to share with mommy, but she got a potted plant too. mommy helped me smell them. i had a lot of fun looking at the bright colors and i even pulled some of the petals off--they were so pretty. of course i wanted to eat the petals too but mommy wouldn't let me. she said i have enough tummy troubles. here i am below admiring my flowers!

Good News

We had a good report from the doctor today. Zoe had no blood in her diapers from the past two days! We are going to monitor her and see how she is doing at her 4 month check up next week. It appears that the diet changes I have made are working. It is helpful to know the blood was from food allergies and not some other problem. Her fussiness is probably from her reflux. I am so thankful to God that there is improvement. Thanks to everyone for your prayers.

More on Zoe

I am taking Zoe to the doctor again tomorrow. They are going to test her diapers once more and if they are still positive for blood we will probably need to see a GI specialist to evaluate the allergy and my diet. Please pray that all would go well and for us to have wisdom to make the right decisions for her.
Also, Zoe had her first play date last week. Esther was able to spend an evening here with Zoe. They were both getting tired when I took these pictures, but it was fun to have someone here for Zoe to play with. She really notices other children and loves to watch them.

Congratulations Paul!

Paul took a CCNA certification test today and passed it! He has been studying for this certification for over a year. It has taken a lot of perseverance and sacrifice to achieve this goal. This certification will make it easier for me to be at home with Zoe and I am so appreciative of the effort and sacrifice Paul is putting forth so I can be a stay-at-home mom. We are also so thankful to God for helping Paul pass this test today since he has tried and failed several times before. God's timing is always perfect and He is always there when we need Him. Congratulations Paul! Zoe and I are so happy for you and so proud that you made it! We're behind you all the way and we love you!

Way to go Daddy!

Prayer Requests

I was contacted today by one of the countertop vendors I used to work with at the cabinet shop with some unfortunate news. Shelly Mills, one of their employees who I worked closely with, was pregnant with her first child at the same time I was. Hence this was often a topic in our phone conversations. When I went on maternity leave, she was on a reduced work schedule due to some complications. Although they seemed like complications from her pregnancy, apparently they were pretty serious. It turned out that she had cancer and although they did surgery two weeks after her baby was born, it is very aggressive and has continued to spread. It is now in both lungs and the doctors have said it will be a miracle if she lives another 3 months. Please pray for her and her family as they go through this time. Her husband's name is David and their son (who is only two months old) is Tristan. She is going through a very aggressive course of chemotherapy to prolong her life as long as possible and give her more time to spend with her son.
Please continue to pray for Zoe. She is still having blood in her diapers occasionally and we were back at the doctor on Friday. As of yesterday, I have eliminated soy from my diet also and we are continuing to monitor her. She had become less fussy lately, but the last two days were spent with more fussy periods than usual. I'm not sure if this is due to the allergy or reflux, however usually after these fussy spells she will have blood in her diaper. I am to touch base with the pediatrician again tomorrow. Please pray that she will improve or that they will be able to find out what is going on. There is a possibility she has a kink in her bowel, but her symptoms don't exactly point to that. She is very happy whenever she is not hurting which is a blessing.

This is the Day...

Today was absolutely gorgeous and it reminded me of Psalm 118:24. "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." I know we are to rejoice in every day, but its a little easier when the weather is 70 degrees in January. I've been intending to go for a walk in the park while the weather is nice and I decided not to put it off any longer. I put Zoe in the Snugli (thanks to Shannon for letting me use it) and off we went. I forgot to bring a hat for her though so we didn't stay out long. She loved being outdoors though and it helped calm her down. Then Paul was able to come home early today so we went back out for another walk in the park (with a hat this time). Here is my first attempt at self-portraits.

Update on Zoe

We took Zoe to the doctor today for a follow-up on how she was doing since the food allergy was diagnosed. We saw her regular pediatrician today and she was very encouraging. The bloodwork tested positive for allergens, but the only way to be sure which food is to eliminate foods from my diet. Dairy is the most common one so we are starting there. Also, I had stopped drinking milk because I knew it bothered Zoe, but I didn't realize it was an allergy--I assumed it affected her like cabbage or broccoli. I don't have to be too careful about eating foods that may have possibly been exposed to milk like deli meats sliced on the same slicer as cheese. I can't eat foods with dairy products in them, so I still have to read labels since some preservatives and flavorings are milk-based. We discussed with the doctor about formula-feeding, but she feels that since Zoe is thriving on breast milk we should not stop. We are going to evaluate at her four month check-up and determine if I should continue eliminating dairy products. We will probably introduce Zoe to dairy in her diet at about 10 months. There is a possibility she could have a milk protein allergy for life as well as other food allergies, but since there is no family history the doctor thinks she will outgrow it. I decided it would be best to learn to eat like this now since I will have to watch what Zoe eats for a few months anyway (no mashed potatoes, etc). At first it seemed a bit daunting, but I have been doing research over the weekend and there are lots of foods to eat. I just can't have any good stuff like chocolate chip cookies, chocolate, ice cream, or pizza, etc.
The doctor mentioned today that Zoe is above average in some of her developmental milestones and another reason why she thought we should continue breast feeding. I guess that is why she is constantly trying to sit up. I finally put her in a walker (not recommended by the doctor when she can reach the floor) and it made a world of difference. She absolutely loves sitting in it when I am working in the kitchen, etc. and loves the toys and music. I was amazed at how she learned to spin the little ball around on it. I couldn't resist this picture though when she fell asleep in it. Every once in a while she would sort of wake up and halfway spin the little ball, then go right back to sleep.

Eating Kosher??

We had to take Zoe to the pediatrician today since I found blood in her diaper yesterday. I've had trouble feeding her sometimes--she just screams and cries--and often acts like her tummy hurts. At first I attributed it to reflux, but that is doing a lot better and we were able to stop her medication. I also thought it may be due to an oversupply of milk that was causing her to be so fussy and not eat well. However based on the bloodwork they did today, the doctor now thinks Zoe's symptoms are from a milk protein allergy. I can do one of two things--start her on soy-based formula or cut out all dairy products. At first it seemed fairly simple--no cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, etc. But I started reading the diet they gave me and its amazing how many products have milk or have been manufactured in plants that make other products with milk. Even the slicer in the grocery store deli needs to be cleaned from slicing cheese before slicing meat. One of the items the diet mentioned looking for is pareve foods. They generally have not been exposed to milk during processing. It occurred to me that if I start using some of the Kosher cooking methods, I will have more access to recipes already designed to eliminate dairy products since meat and dairy are not mixed in the same meal. I am wondering if any of you have had this problem with a child and what choices you made for feeding them. I'd love to hear your ideas or suggestions. Its a relief to finally know what is causing the upset tummy and feeding issues.

Happy New Year!

Each year I pause to reminsce over the previous year and contemplate what the new year may bring. There were many new experiences and challenges for us last year. Some were very good (like the birth of Zoe) and others were totally unanticipated (like a job loss). Through every thing that happened though God's hand has been guiding us. While we don't know what will happen this year, it is exciting to know God does and He will be with us. May God bless each of you richly in 2007! Happy New Year!