Jake had his 18 month well check. He FREAKED. Wow, he wanted nothing to do with anything. Weighing him came down to me weighing myself (yuck), then weighing us together. He came in around 22 lbs 8 ounces. This put him in the 5-10 percentile which is down for him. *sigh* I chalk it up to our weaning and the fact that he pooped TWICE before we went :) He squiggled and wiggled and screamed for his height check. Somehow he was 31 inches. WTH? So that boosted him up to the 25th percentile. I take it all with a grain of salt. It was just an off day for him altogether.
The best news about our visit? His hemoglobin was up to 13.1!!!!! Yes, you read that right! I stopped giving him his iron supplements around the time that he weaned. So this is all on his own. I had the biggest smile on my face. Jake... not so much. That toe prick is what pisses him off more than anything.
Our ped finally showed a little interest in Jake's FPIES. She said there's something on the medical boards that has popped up back east called FRIPES? I think she's confused, personally. I can't find ANYTHING about it. However, she said it fit Jake to a T. Well, so does FPIES, so I'll stick with our allergist and GI's diagnosis.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Jake at 18 months
I thought about apologizing for not updating the last month, but I don't want to. No news is good news? Yes, I think that saying says it best.
Jake turned 18 months old yesterday. How did that happen??
Jake is weaned. *sniff* It has been about 6 days since he's nursed. He's been doing really well. We've had a few bumps, then I'd give in and nurse him, but I found I was just confusing him more. So I did the unthinkable. I ate a banana. Then I ate sushi (dear God, how I've missed sushi). There was no way in hell I would nurse him after that! And guess what? He didn't really seem bothered by it. If he did ask for it, I would say it's "all gone". He'd fuss for a minute, then move on. I'm now going through what I feel are like baby blues as my hormones start to adjust once again. I have mixed emotions, of course. Happy to see him thriving without me, sad to let that special nursing relationship go. But it really was time for both of us.
I've been much more lenient with Jake's food over the past month. I still scan every label, however. If I don't see the word: rice, oats, quinoa, or bananas, I deem it safe. I am grateful for the restaurants that put their ingredients online. It has made a world of difference. It takes some effort, but we feel normal because of it. I don't think anyone really knows how much I still think of FPIES and still watch every little thing he eats. But, I think this is a good thing. It's not a big production anymore. It's just something that is second nature and we deal with now. I have a feeling in another year we will be one of the very lucky families that will put this strange, rare syndrome behind us.
He eats pizza with the family every Friday night now. You have no idea what this means to me. We have had pizza night every Friday since before my daughter was born (she's 8 now). He can participate. He loves that he eats what everyone else is eating. And he likes it!
Most meals I cook he can eat. Or I have learned to modify to make them safe for Jake. Nobody has noticed. We all eat the same food. I don't feel like a short order cook, making different meals anymore.
I still have a few main things I want to trial. Jake still hasn't had any beans. He hasn't reacted to them through my milk the past few months, so this will be trialed soon. (It feels strange not having my nursing safety net for trialing!)
Jake can eat things that contain soy... but I haven't tried straight soy beans yet.
Jake has still had a few bad diapers... but not FULL REACTION diapers. He had one bad blowout this month. I have no idea what caused it. We had gone to a frozen yogurt place, but the ingredients in the yogurt seemed fine. They did have a gluten-free yogurt that contained rice milk, maybe some cross contamination? Who knows. Truth is, it was no big deal. He never complained of a tummy ache. He woke up from the nap with a bad blow out. It was over.
Jake has his 18 month appointment next week. I'm hoping we'll see weight gain and good iron levels! He looks healthy. He talks a mile a minute, saying new words every day. He makes us all smile with his sense of humor and overall cuteness. Things are going well.
Jake turned 18 months old yesterday. How did that happen??
Jake is weaned. *sniff* It has been about 6 days since he's nursed. He's been doing really well. We've had a few bumps, then I'd give in and nurse him, but I found I was just confusing him more. So I did the unthinkable. I ate a banana. Then I ate sushi (dear God, how I've missed sushi). There was no way in hell I would nurse him after that! And guess what? He didn't really seem bothered by it. If he did ask for it, I would say it's "all gone". He'd fuss for a minute, then move on. I'm now going through what I feel are like baby blues as my hormones start to adjust once again. I have mixed emotions, of course. Happy to see him thriving without me, sad to let that special nursing relationship go. But it really was time for both of us.
I've been much more lenient with Jake's food over the past month. I still scan every label, however. If I don't see the word: rice, oats, quinoa, or bananas, I deem it safe. I am grateful for the restaurants that put their ingredients online. It has made a world of difference. It takes some effort, but we feel normal because of it. I don't think anyone really knows how much I still think of FPIES and still watch every little thing he eats. But, I think this is a good thing. It's not a big production anymore. It's just something that is second nature and we deal with now. I have a feeling in another year we will be one of the very lucky families that will put this strange, rare syndrome behind us.
He eats pizza with the family every Friday night now. You have no idea what this means to me. We have had pizza night every Friday since before my daughter was born (she's 8 now). He can participate. He loves that he eats what everyone else is eating. And he likes it!
Most meals I cook he can eat. Or I have learned to modify to make them safe for Jake. Nobody has noticed. We all eat the same food. I don't feel like a short order cook, making different meals anymore.
I still have a few main things I want to trial. Jake still hasn't had any beans. He hasn't reacted to them through my milk the past few months, so this will be trialed soon. (It feels strange not having my nursing safety net for trialing!)
Jake can eat things that contain soy... but I haven't tried straight soy beans yet.
Jake has still had a few bad diapers... but not FULL REACTION diapers. He had one bad blowout this month. I have no idea what caused it. We had gone to a frozen yogurt place, but the ingredients in the yogurt seemed fine. They did have a gluten-free yogurt that contained rice milk, maybe some cross contamination? Who knows. Truth is, it was no big deal. He never complained of a tummy ache. He woke up from the nap with a bad blow out. It was over.
Jake has his 18 month appointment next week. I'm hoping we'll see weight gain and good iron levels! He looks healthy. He talks a mile a minute, saying new words every day. He makes us all smile with his sense of humor and overall cuteness. Things are going well.
Friday, July 15, 2011
12!
Jake had an iron check today. His hemoglobin is up to 12!!! Normal!
Apparently the Vitamin C did the trick. He just needed a little help absorbing the iron. I'm so very glad. If it didn't come up this time, it would be a sign that something else was wrong, which means more tests.
Jake is so DONE with doctors. As soon as the nurse came near him just to take his temperature he FREAKED. Screaming, crying, hitting.... More screaming when we weighed him, more screaming when the doctor came in to do her quick exam. The funny thing? As the doctor was leaving and I was grabbing my backpack and we were obviously leaving, he quickly blew a kiss to the doctor and told her "bye!". The doctor thought it was hilarious.
I'm going to continue giving him the Poly Vi Sol with Iron for the next month. We go back to the doctor in August for his 18 month well check.
Apparently the Vitamin C did the trick. He just needed a little help absorbing the iron. I'm so very glad. If it didn't come up this time, it would be a sign that something else was wrong, which means more tests.
Jake is so DONE with doctors. As soon as the nurse came near him just to take his temperature he FREAKED. Screaming, crying, hitting.... More screaming when we weighed him, more screaming when the doctor came in to do her quick exam. The funny thing? As the doctor was leaving and I was grabbing my backpack and we were obviously leaving, he quickly blew a kiss to the doctor and told her "bye!". The doctor thought it was hilarious.
I'm going to continue giving him the Poly Vi Sol with Iron for the next month. We go back to the doctor in August for his 18 month well check.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Weaning - I think it's harder on me
Sleep, glorious sleep. The one good thing that comes out of weaning! I dropped our middle of the night nursing sessions. The first night was hard, very hard. The second night... not as bad. The fourth night? He slept eleven hours STRAIGHT. I slept ten of those hours myself. I am a new woman! He is a SUPER HAPPY boy! Mornings are so much easier when everyone is well rested.
We're down to nursing twice a day. Nap time and bedtime.
It's really hard to let go.
It wasn't that long ago that I was his main source of nutrition. I was afraid to feed him anything. My elimination diet was going strong, he was nursing every two hours AROUND THE CLOCK. I was sleep deprived, we never left each others side.
It's really hard to let go.
His nutrition is going great. He has finally started drinking some of his toddler formula in the mornings. I started mixing it with whole milk, much better. He will have 3-4 ounces. I may start adding another serving in the afternoons for him.
I continue to give him the Poly Vi Sol with Iron once a day at lunch time.
Ascorbic acid is no longer an issue.
He will be fine when I take away these final two nursing sessions. I keep telling myself this.
We're taking our time though. In the next few weeks we'll drop down to once a day. I'm leaving for a weekend at the end of July. Perhaps this will be the best time to drop the bedtime nursing session.
I will miss it.
My last baby.
It's really hard to let go.
We're down to nursing twice a day. Nap time and bedtime.
It's really hard to let go.
It wasn't that long ago that I was his main source of nutrition. I was afraid to feed him anything. My elimination diet was going strong, he was nursing every two hours AROUND THE CLOCK. I was sleep deprived, we never left each others side.
It's really hard to let go.
His nutrition is going great. He has finally started drinking some of his toddler formula in the mornings. I started mixing it with whole milk, much better. He will have 3-4 ounces. I may start adding another serving in the afternoons for him.
I continue to give him the Poly Vi Sol with Iron once a day at lunch time.
Ascorbic acid is no longer an issue.
He will be fine when I take away these final two nursing sessions. I keep telling myself this.
We're taking our time though. In the next few weeks we'll drop down to once a day. I'm leaving for a weekend at the end of July. Perhaps this will be the best time to drop the bedtime nursing session.
I will miss it.
My last baby.
It's really hard to let go.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Some new passes!
This is what happens when I don't update for a few weeks! I haven't been listing all our food trials lately, but we've had some exciting new passes. Jake's food trials have been less strict. After a few days, if I see no sign of discomfort, I call it a pass. I really think we've hit all our "fails" that we're going to have.
Chicken
Beef
Sunflower Seeds (sunflower seed butter is a great peanut butter sub!)
Strawberries (these were iffy before, but I think it was something in my diet, not Jake's)
Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Several spices (basil, oregano, garlic)
At this point we're just avoiding Rice, Oats, Bananas, Avocado, Grains other than wheat, millet and corn, Soy, Legumes, Nuts.
I'm think we're ready to try soy and nuts soon!
Chicken
Beef
Sunflower Seeds (sunflower seed butter is a great peanut butter sub!)
Strawberries (these were iffy before, but I think it was something in my diet, not Jake's)
Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Several spices (basil, oregano, garlic)
At this point we're just avoiding Rice, Oats, Bananas, Avocado, Grains other than wheat, millet and corn, Soy, Legumes, Nuts.
I'm think we're ready to try soy and nuts soon!
Ascorbic Acid: Pass?
We are trying a new iron supplement: Enfamil's Poly Vi Sol with Iron.
Ingredients: Glycerin; Water; Ascorbic Acid; Ferrous Sulfate; Vitamin E Succinate; Niacinamide; Artificial Flavor and Color (Caramel); Polysorbate 80; Vitamin A Palmitate; Thiamin Hydrochloride; Riboflavin-5-Phosphate Sodium; Vitamin B6 Hydrochloride; Vitamin D3
I waffled back and forth. The iron supplement we were giving him had no Vitamin C. He needs the Vitamin C to absorb the iron. Since his last iron check we gave him the same supplement but made sure he had an orange or some strawberries along with it to help with absorption. Then we forgot it at the in-laws when we were on vacation. Dang. I picked up the MyKidz iron supplement that the PA had prescribed at his last check. The ingredients made me uncomfortable. There was a "starch" listed, but didn't say where the source was. Was it rice starch, potato starch, corn starch? It contained ascorbic acid, of course. The kicker though? It was strawberry-banana flavored. Jake had a classic FPIES reaction to bananas. I don't want to go there. So we chose the lesser of two evils and went with the Poly Vi Sol with Iron where only one ingredient made me uncomfortable: Ascorbic Acid.
Jake's doing great on the new iron supplement. He takes it everyday mixed with his applesauce and shredded coconut.
So what does this mean?
Ascorbic Acid is not a trigger? All Ascorbic Acid is not created equally? Gerber has some serious cross contamination issues? Jake grew out of his Ascorbic Acid trigger? That jar of Gerber pears that contained only pears and ascorbic acid was a FAIL!
I don't know. I'm still leery of it. I still scan labels for it. But when that label says "less than 2% of one or more of the following:" and Ascorbic Acid is listed, I don't cringe anymore. I let him have it.
So there it is. One less item on our trigger list.
Ingredients: Glycerin; Water; Ascorbic Acid; Ferrous Sulfate; Vitamin E Succinate; Niacinamide; Artificial Flavor and Color (Caramel); Polysorbate 80; Vitamin A Palmitate; Thiamin Hydrochloride; Riboflavin-5-Phosphate Sodium; Vitamin B6 Hydrochloride; Vitamin D3
I waffled back and forth. The iron supplement we were giving him had no Vitamin C. He needs the Vitamin C to absorb the iron. Since his last iron check we gave him the same supplement but made sure he had an orange or some strawberries along with it to help with absorption. Then we forgot it at the in-laws when we were on vacation. Dang. I picked up the MyKidz iron supplement that the PA had prescribed at his last check. The ingredients made me uncomfortable. There was a "starch" listed, but didn't say where the source was. Was it rice starch, potato starch, corn starch? It contained ascorbic acid, of course. The kicker though? It was strawberry-banana flavored. Jake had a classic FPIES reaction to bananas. I don't want to go there. So we chose the lesser of two evils and went with the Poly Vi Sol with Iron where only one ingredient made me uncomfortable: Ascorbic Acid.
Jake's doing great on the new iron supplement. He takes it everyday mixed with his applesauce and shredded coconut.
So what does this mean?
Ascorbic Acid is not a trigger? All Ascorbic Acid is not created equally? Gerber has some serious cross contamination issues? Jake grew out of his Ascorbic Acid trigger? That jar of Gerber pears that contained only pears and ascorbic acid was a FAIL!
I don't know. I'm still leery of it. I still scan labels for it. But when that label says "less than 2% of one or more of the following:" and Ascorbic Acid is listed, I don't cringe anymore. I let him have it.
So there it is. One less item on our trigger list.
Don't feed the baby.
We recently returned from a week vacation with family. A whole week without Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. We survived! However, I did pack a jar of Jake's organic apple sauce. A large jar.
We stayed with my in-laws who are always overly accommodating. Right when we arrived the first words out of my mouth were "Don't Feed The Baby". And they all obliged.
Within a few hours of arriving I made a quick trip to the grocery store and bought some essentials. Yogurt, milk, cheese, bread, fruit, corn chex and goldfish. This was his diet most of the week. Along with his applesauce (mixed with iron).
I read every label. We went out for fast food a few times. Twice I had to ask for the (very large) box the food came in so I could read the ingredient label. Twice I was very glad I did because the food item had rice flour. Rice Flour seems to be a staple in the fast food industry. Twice the family ate out and Jake and I went for a walk instead.
It was a wonderful week. Lots of outside playtime, lots of family time, lots of fun. And NO REACTIONS. Yay!
We stayed with my in-laws who are always overly accommodating. Right when we arrived the first words out of my mouth were "Don't Feed The Baby". And they all obliged.
Within a few hours of arriving I made a quick trip to the grocery store and bought some essentials. Yogurt, milk, cheese, bread, fruit, corn chex and goldfish. This was his diet most of the week. Along with his applesauce (mixed with iron).
I read every label. We went out for fast food a few times. Twice I had to ask for the (very large) box the food came in so I could read the ingredient label. Twice I was very glad I did because the food item had rice flour. Rice Flour seems to be a staple in the fast food industry. Twice the family ate out and Jake and I went for a walk instead.
It was a wonderful week. Lots of outside playtime, lots of family time, lots of fun. And NO REACTIONS. Yay!
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