Peanut Butter Picnic

Rockstar Update

2010-06-24T00:38:00.005-05:00

We have been so focused on the present, our energies have shifted from health advocacy and feelings of desperation to complete liberation that I forgot to give an update on our second trip to Mayo. Although, if you talk to me in person, you have heard the story a million times. If that's the case, this is where you can stop reading.

So. Post Mayo. Hmmm. Yea, a staph infection. A severe one.

The test?

No, it wasn't the 4 biopsies or the upper GI scope or the HIV test or the cystic fibrosis test or the stool tests or the ___ fill in the blank for 200+ different tests. No. It was none of those. A q-tip. Yes. A q-tip. Like the one the Dr. sticks down your throat to test for strep. Yea. That. The tiny swipe of a q-tip on his cheek. Positive for antibiotic resistant staph. Treated with a strong antibiotic and mostly improved in 4 days, 100% improved in 2 weeks. Within a few days of starting the antibiotics, his language started to quickly develop. Over the course of a few days, the fog lifted from his eyes and he started adding words to his vocabulary three at a time. We saw more smiles, less agitation, better sleep at night, a better appetite & fewer meltdowns. He had obviously been in distress prior to the treatment.

I went through a moment of grief...of loss...over what could have been...well, you know.

Instead I am incredibly grateful that we have been graced.

We slowly introduced foods back into his diet and he is now consuming all foods except egg whites & any food containing egg whites and dairy and any food containing dairy products. Mostly we are trying to keep his diet clean to boost his immune system. We all had colds last week and rockstar bounced quickly without any asthma episodes.

The only thing that we found that triggers eczema flares is illness, which is expected, given his immune testing was elevated.

We have something like a 12 step protocol with at least a dozen different topical prescriptions & medications of different strengths that we use depending on severity. Instead of using the strongest steroid every day or every other day, we are using mostly nothing, sometimes a weak steroid and occasionally a strong steroid. By using the steroids, we prevent the need for antibiotics again.

Thank you ALL for your amazing support, especially to my friend Katie who supplied gallons and gallons of generous liquid gold for rockstar. Dermatology, Allergy & GI @ Mayo were all fully supportive of our generous donation and reminded us how lucky we were to have such a priceless gift to nourish our son. Thank you Katie!! xoxo

Vroom Vroom!

2010-06-14T02:53:00.004-05:00

If you haven't heard (then you are probably living on another planet)...we are going to take a sabbatical and travel the country! Now before you go using the word "crazy"...hold on. Did you know, for the cost of a brand new, middle of the line SUV ($32,500), you can travel to 100 different countries? For Real. It has been done!

Now we are not planning to travel to 100 different countries and we are not independently wealthy, we are simply a bit overstimulated and in need of an extreme adventure...

You can check out photos of our rig here (and our new travel blog)...

http://livingabsolute.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you over at the travel blog...

This Ocean...

2010-06-08T09:29:00.006-05:00

"According to NCAR's simulation, the oil could reach Florida's Atlantic coast within weeks. From there it could move as far north as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina."

This is Cape Hatteras...this is bliss...

Can a person feel more helpless?

Oh yes, yes they can...

SEE this? The beautiful white sand in Orange Beach, Alabama?

Today it is covered in oil.

And to think that we were careful to leave only footprints...

TED

2010-05-02T16:52:00.004-05:00

The total elimination diet (allergy elimination diet) has created a ridiculously picky eater. Thankfully I have the vitamix and have plans to trick that picky little booger (I say that in the most loving, jokingly way). :)

An update from Friday's trip to Mayo soon...

Blisters

2010-04-29T11:21:00.003-05:00

We are fighting another virus here. Those stubborn blisters on rockstars hands/feet and around his mouth had me stumped...but that's because they are most likely hand foot mouth syndrome and not part of his eczema (whew). I think we are over the fevers just in time to travel tomorrow!

Seriously considering a move to a less populated area or at least spending less time at the pharmacy with all the sickos. The Walgreens drive through pharmacy is looking pretty good.

Surfer boy is feeling better today. I will probably find him playing in his "fort"...

Squawk

2010-04-27T12:04:00.003-05:00

We have the constant teething whine going on here. It's like a human version of a crow squawking. He's sleeping more, drinking more, eating chia pudding and other things that are easy on the gums. Lots of cuddling. His head still has areas that are oozing. Waiting for a call back from Dermatology.

Surfer boy is drinking a mango/banana/spinach smoothie and resting with a sore throat. I just finished making a batch of almond milk and poured some over a bowl of yummy muesli...impatiently waiting for it to soak so I can devour it.

Now I will share with you, some images, from...you know...the DAY I took photos of my own kids...

Counting Down...

2010-04-25T22:31:00.003-05:00

Things are still looking good. We are wondering about the effectiveness of the antibiotic and whether or not it could have stopped working??? The rash on rockstar's face is acting really stubborn again and his head has spots that are oozing once again...although not as severe, so who knows. I am making a phone call to derm on Monday.

We are doing the wet dressing countdown...only 8 dressings/4 days left! YEA!!

On Friday I wrapped him, put his warm clothes over the top and we headed over to a friends house. It worked well to keep rockstar distracted and it kept me from watching the clock countdown (the weather was warm too, bonus). We are learning to be creative. ;)

Surfer boy is up to his usual bug hunting adventures...

A taste of freedom...

2010-04-22T00:41:00.004-05:00

I really, really, really love our GI doctor. She called the other day to let us know the results of his biopsy and things look mostly good. He is still showing some signs of reflux and together we have decided not to treat it unless he is showing signs of discomfort. We haven't noticed any signs of reflux except that he takes his time with food and drink, shaking his head "no" after just a few bites, then wanting to eat again in 15 minutes. Now that we know that he could still be suffering from reflux, we will keep a closer eye on it. We discussed the side effects that he was having from the antibiotics and she encouraged us to introduce yogurt/kefir/cultured veggies or other probiotic foods or supplements. She is very supportive of the blended leafy greens that we give him and encouraged us to increase those. Other than that, his GI workup was pretty typical and the biopsy suggests that he does not have celiac! :) Once his rash is gone and we have a baseline, we can start to introduce some new foods. With his immune markers coming back elevated, we still need to keep him on on a very clean diet and be slow to introduce foods back into his system.

We have some typical toddler stuff going on...like, well...teething. First year molars, I think. He skipped right over the eye teeth, but I think they are not far behind. We are just getting everything out of our system at once. Life has been a dreamy paradise...well, besides morning and evenings (wet dressing time)...but the in-between has been super-duper!! It's only 2 hours a day, right?! ...and it will be over soon. One more week!

Our neighbors gave us one of those trikes that the parents can push from the back. Super cool. Luvin' it. He has to keep up with big brother, you know? :)

Looking Good

2010-04-22T00:28:00.011-05:00

Rockstar is doing okay on the cephalexin, besides an increase in the number of bm's and what appears to be an upset tummy. We took him off the L-Glutamine in the meantime, since that is one of his meds that helps to 'move things along.' We also added cultured veggies to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in his gut. Luckily he enjoys the disgusting stuff, but only if I take a bite first and say "yum, yum". Lucky me! :)

Dermatology also called this week to confirm the type of staph, which is MRSA, however, it was tested for resistance and did not show resistance to cephalexin. It's a stubborn one, but hopefully the pink stuff will do the trick. We scheduled a follow up for next week and we look forward to his dermatologist seeing the progress! I hope we can get in to see allergy again for a follow up and maybe do some skin testing.

He also has a pretty nasty cold right now (we all do). He had a fever yesterday and I ended up taking him to the pediatrician after albuterol didn't seem to be keeping him breathing well anymore. I'm still a little nervous judging "emergency" breathing situations...so I lean toward the cautious side. They were able to get us in within an hour...way faster than the ER would have been! :D LOVE that. They increased his inhaler dosage and frequency. He's breathing perfect today and we are already weaning off the steroids.

See...here is rockstar this afternoon wearing surfer boy's favorite outfit..."hey little buddy, you look so CUUUUUTE!"

Progress

2010-04-21T23:36:00.005-05:00

The new treatment is going really well, although (by now), I should know better than to say that out loud, right? :D The rash is completely 'healed', although highly medicated, so I don't want to celebrate too soon.

It is recommended to rest during the wet dressings so that you don't get cold. Haha. Yea right!!!! He is MUCH happier to roam around and play and we just turn up the heat. We also put warm, dry clothes over the top of his wet jammies. He keeps occupied by playing catch, eating breakfast, reading books and, you know, yoga. What is it with kids and their love for the downward dog pose? I guess that's one way to keep warm. Silly boy...

Swollen Lymph Nodes...or not

2010-04-17T09:01:00.003-05:00

I have been keeping a close eye on rockstar's "swollen lymph nodes" *shaking my head*. He has two lumps on the back of his head, near the base of his skull. He has had them since he was 3 months old and they have continued to grow slowly. I actually forgot to bring it up at Mayo because my concerns about them have been disregarded over the past year and I have started to accept it as "normal". After 3 doses of antibiotics, I have noticed a significant decrease in the size of the lumps. I will continue to keep an eye on them and see if my instinct is correct. I think the lumps could possibly be staph infection -or- a strong immune response (eh hem, RED FLAG) to the infection.

...and here's another photo that I have been wanting to share with you. Rockstar is swiping my juicing goodies for a bite. He likes to sit on the counter while I juice/blend.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

2010-04-16T23:01:00.002-05:00

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) is one of the hardest disorders to cure for both allopathy and homeopathy.

"The cause of atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is unknown, but it may result from a malfunction in the body's immune system." -Mayoclinic.com

"Atopic dermatitis, a common problem, is often an inherited autosomal trait, often in association with other related atopic diseases such as asthma and hayfever." -homeopathyworldcommunity.com

Medicine Ramblings

2010-04-16T19:50:00.006-05:00

We started the oral antibiotics for staph today. Last night we picked up 6 prescriptions, plus two more today and ordered one that is not carried in town. We also picked up Dove soap *rolling my eyes*, two fancy shampoos, 100% cotton zipper pajamas for wet wrapping, vinegar and *gasp* bleach. I watched the wet dressing DVD this morning and got to work.

This mornings wet dressing wasn't as peaceful as I hoped. They really mess with the balance of our day. We see dermatology again in 2 weeks and if the wet wraps have not worked, she mentioned that he could be hospitalized for a few days while they would wrap him. I really wonder if that wouldn't have been the better option anyway. Then again, maybe he will get better at tolerating them and not scream 2 hours a day. It's challenging enough to get a diaper on mister squirmy, let alone wet pajamas over lotioned skin!

...and because I need to start sharing more photos...here is rockstar soaking in epsom salt and sporting a selson blue mohawk (before our Mayo trip)...

Home!

2010-04-15T22:40:00.009-05:00

I had the front desk give me a 3am wake-up call so I could give rockstar his last bit of breastmilk before his procedure. Then at 5am I gave him his last drink of water. Room service delivered breakfast at 6am and we were out the door by 6:15. By 8:04 rockstar was sedated and headed to the OR for a upper GI exam and biopsies. Dr. T met with us afterward and said that his upper GI looked absolutely perfect and she didn't see ANY sign of inflammation. She took several biopsies in different areas to see if certain triggers were causing irritation. She reviewed several dozen blood test results with us and most of them look normal. There are a few yellow flags that indicated immune deficiencies and a few tests that need to continue to be monitored for further celiac testing. His eosinophils are elevated again as they were when we had a CBC drawn a couple of months ago. I think this is another test that will be re-checked in a few months.

Stool test was normal, CF was negative. We have a handful of bloodwork that is still trickling in...

Dermatology did a skin swab that came back positive for staph. I hope to have a conference with dermatology tomorrow to discuss possible antibiotic treatments along with the rest of our skin care protocol. I am anxious to hear her expertise regarding the infection. I hope it can be treated topically instead of orally for the sake of gut balance.

The kids and I are back home with daddy now. We picked up some jammies for the wet dressings tonight, along with many topical meds. We will start them in the morning. Hopefully he doesn't protest too much. ;)

Home. Happy.

xoxo

Going Home Tomorrow

2010-04-14T22:52:00.002-05:00

We were able to move up the endoscopy appointment so we can go home a day early. Abdominal ultrasound looked good. We will likely get most of the blood tests back early next week. Grandma has to work tomorrow, so surfer boy joined us this afternoon. We report to the hospital at 6:45 am...surfer boy, is not a morning person...it's going to be comical.

I'm so thankful that we live so close to such an amazing place. There are people here from EVERYWHERE. I would guess only half of the patients that we have met in the waiting room, speak english as a first language. Amazing.

Mayo Day 3

2010-04-14T10:51:00.006-05:00

Today's allergy appointment was amazing. I feel like we have made a full circle. The three specialties (GI, dermatology and allergy) are communicating really well with each other without us having to play the paper shuffle or the 'come back in 3 months' game. Some of his bloodwork from Tuesday came back a little wonky (I couldn't tell you what they are)...but nothing serious...just some things that we need to keep and eye on and repeat in a few months. It has been interesting to watch the reactions to the IgG testing that we did and receive opinions on the validity of such a test. Today I was reminded that it's also not an eastern medicine test and I appreciated that candor. My response has been that we had exhausted all western routes, what can it hurt? You know? Everyone has been receptive and understanding to that response...and it seems to encourage them to look deeper, but I also think they know that's why we are here.

We had more bloodwork for GI, Allergy & Dermatology this morning (max again...wow!) It's amazing what we can learn from the miracle of blood tests! I had to ask the lab tech to loosen his grip. I mean, the kid weighs 22 pounds soaking wet...do you really need to put 75 thousand pounds of pressure on his arm that weighs, like, 2 ounces??! The guy's knuckles were turning white for cripes sake. He was crying way before the actual poke. It's unfortunate, because our lab experience on Tuesday was fantastic and tear free.

There are not very many kids around here, which means that rockstar gets A LOT of attention from passerby's. We are not finding this area of Rochester to be very child friendly (with the exception of 6 east), which is understandable since there are not many children around. We actually walked out of a local cafe this morning after being rudely lectured by grandma nelly (who I thought was going to offer me coffee) for "picking the wrong table" and "putting the high chair in the wrong spot". I guess I assumed the "seat yourself" sign meant that I could pick the table...my bad. It's not like I picked a formal setting...the place was a hole in the wall. We walked down to Pannekoeken and had great service and good food. As it turns out, it is owned by the brother of the place that unwelcomed us. Oh well, it was pretty empowering to walk out...and Grandma Nelly's arthritis is probably thankful.

We bought a cute ball yesterday at Clementines boutique...it's the blue polka dotted one in yesterday's video. Again, not a place to bring kids, even though it's a children's boutique...although I might buzz through again today to see if I get a better vibe. This morning we went through Baby Baby boutique and bought a cute pacifier pocket to attach to the stroller. Great, friendly staff there. We have not found a playground or anything that even closely resembles a romping area for kids. I might stop by Baby Baby again this afternoon and see if she can point us in the right direction.

Oh, and since rockstar is off the restrictive diet for the 48 hour stool test...I thought we would try some dairy free lemon sorbet. This is his first time trying anything "like" ice cream. He also had beef for the first time today...in the form of some highly processed meatballs. *sigh*

xoxo

Mayo Day 2

2010-04-13T21:10:00.004-05:00

Today was a more mellow day with much less waiting-room time. The ultrasound went ok and the technician was able to get some good images of the abdomen, including the kidneys and liver. We have not gotten test results from any of the labs or bloodwork yet. Hopefully later this week.

Our much anticipated Dermatology appointment was an informational overload...which is good. The dermatologist is calling it severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) with areas of seborrheic dermatitis and has given us boatloads of materials to read, prescriptions and *gulp* a wet wrap instructional DVD. The wet wraps are only a temporary therapy (2 weeks). She is running some tests to see if there is an underlying cause that would explain *why* he has such a stubborn, severe form. The tests that she ran are immune and vitamin deficiency related. She also discussed metabolic possibilities. She does not think that it is allergy related and noted that we need not have him on such a restrictive diet for purposes of dermatology...but to discuss with GI and allergy before we make any changes. She just recommended that we eliminate the common allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, strawberries, dairy, eggs, etc. We follow up with dermatology in 2 weeks.

Rockstar and I also met some new friends while we were having dinner @ Z pizza tonight. A really sweet mom with her husband and two kids asked about his rash. She went on to recommend an elimination diet and was really surprised to hear all that we have done. She runs into a lot of people whose kids have horrible rashes and bounce from specialist to specialist hoping for a cure, but are not willing to consider food *sensitivities* and TRY food elimination (as if it can hurt). ***nodding my head!!*** They were eating at Z pizza for the gluten free bread and vegan cheese. Needless to say, we connected and she gave me her number.

Here's a short clip from today's adventures...

We have an allergist appointment at the butt crack of dawn tomorrow, then a visit to the vampires.

G'nite y'all!!!

Mayo Day 1

2010-04-12T17:03:00.004-05:00

We are @ Mayo and SUPER impressed with the clinic here. I've *heard* wonderful things, but experiencing it first hand is...wow. These people really know how to make things happen. The entire staff, from the admin to the nurses to the doctors seem to have a bounce in their step and an incredible passion for their work.

The campus is impressive, although I would like to get my hands on the directional signage outside of the main clinic. We enjoyed some time playing in crayola green grass, even though I couldn't help but think of all the fertilizer used on it. Given the lack of greenspace and trees, the concrete and lighting is very pretty and comforting. We are literally staying a few steps from the front door of the clinic. It's like getting access to prompt in-patient hospital services, except that you get to sleep in a cozier hotel room with a pool, room service and a laundry mat (and probably a lot cheaper too).

Rockstar is doing wonderfully! We had an appt. this morning with the GI dept. The lab was super impressed with his mellow response to having the maximum daily allowance of blood drawn. They had to take some of the tests out because it would have been too much blood. We will do the rest tomorrow. I'm lucky that I packed enough food for the day, because we didn't have three minutes to run to the cafeteria to grab food...and the line was too long for me to get my morning coffee before the appointment. We had to wake him up 20 minutes into a very, very late nap for bloodwork. By the time we got to the sweat test (around 3:30), he was D-O-N-E. Understandable. He did pretty well considering. We completed his first stool test this evening with another 4-part stool test over the next 48 hours. The only thing we know so far is that his rash does not seem to be pointing to allergies and that his liver appears to be larger than typical (from a physical exam).

We were having trouble getting our derm appt. moved up...so I went down to their front desk to see if I could register as a "checker". It was looking unsuccessful to get him in before May 5th, then I picked up Rockstar (who was restless) so he could see what was going on. The scheduler took one look at him and got us in tomorrow afternoon!!! The buildings @ Mayo are really HOT. Between that and crying from testing/no nap/no full meal, he was really flared up. So glad we got in!

So tomorrow we will have our first Dermatology appt, more bloodwork & abdominal ultrasound (to check his liver). We hope to be out of here by Wednesday, but we will have to wait and see.

I'm off to read the diet guidelines and instructions for the 4-part stool test and try to figure out where I am going to order greasy/fatty food for Rockstar (yet gluten, dairy, soy, egg white free)...then try out the softer pillow that the front desk delivered tonight.

Bug Hunter

2010-04-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

Surfer Boy Eats Weeds

2010-04-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

Just a swingin'

2010-04-09T20:21:00.001-05:00

Two Little Weedlings

2010-04-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

My little outdoor lovers...

worn out

2010-04-08T23:48:00.002-05:00

After tripping several people and having trouble strolling downtown and canal park with my humongous jogging stroller, I bought a new one online. This is a BIG deal for me. I bought the Joovy Kooper...it came in the mail today (free shipping) and I LOVE it. We had some chilly air today and I chickened out of taking the kids for an outdoor walk...so we headed for some indoor mall walking to wear the kids out and to test out the new stroller. Both were a success.

Sometimes the bedtime routine doesn't happen. Sometimes I let Surfer Boy cuddle with the cat until he falls asleep (and I have to lug him to bed without pulling any muscles). Tonight, after wearing him out on the mall-walk, was one of those nights...

Flat

2010-04-08T23:31:00.004-05:00

Rockstar started the day by getting into mama's drawer in the bathroom. Surfer Boy took it as an opportunity to use feminine products as cat toys. I heard some giggling, and Surfer Boy yells "mama, Tuffy [the cat] is playing with those things...you know...that you put in your butt to go swimming!".

Bwahahahhahha!!!!!!!!!!!

Then we had some flat tire excitement on our way to Rockstar's 15 month checkup (and not the beer...or is that fat tire?)...nevermind. It was a first flat-tire experience for all of us, so it was a neat little learning experience.

Anyway, I was able to pump some air in the tire and get it to drive us a few miles to the nearest tire shop. The flat tire caused us to miss the Dr. appointment, but really no biggie.

zoo day w/friends

2010-04-05T19:39:00.002-05:00

70+ degrees...in March? It seems like a dream! Last year we got a TON of snow in early April.

Minnesota winter...I'm so over you and (just for the record)...I never loved you.

F I V E

2010-03-22T23:53:00.003-05:00

He's become such a unique, gentle soul. He was born, not screaming, but making a gentle noise...just to let us know he was there. Who knew that those little grunts would be the same personality he would grow into as a young child.

His favorite colors are light pink, light red and light purple. His favorite toys are marbles, swords and dinosaurs. His days are filled with catching bugs, studying dinosaurs and sword fighting. He will not let anyone cut his hair.

We went out for lunch yesterday before his birthday party and he told me that he didn't want to work in a restaurant and have to clean up after people's messes. I told him that he didn't have to work anywhere. He asked how he would get money. I told him that he could work for himself. He said he didn't want to take pictures. (hahaha). I told him that there are many other things he could do. He said he didn't want to grow & sell vegetables and he wasn't sure about painting pictures...but he would like to have cows, but not to butcher...only for milk...and chickens too, but not to butcher, only for eggs...not for eating eggs, but to hatch into baby chicks. I thought those were great ideas. He asked how much money he could get doing that...and I said "enough". He asked "100 dollars?"...and I said "most certainly".

He's showing some interest in sounding out words on his own time at his own pace with amazing enthusiasm. But what he is really interested in this month is math. He is obsessed with counting to a million/billion/trillion, adding and subtracting. He's also learning a lot about medicine, clinics, MRI's, vaccines, informed consent, IV's, blood testing, phlebotomy, orthopedics, bones, cartilages, rashes, discoid meniscus, nutrition, the immune system, allergies, naturopathy, vitamins, supplements, BigPharma, health care, disease care, etc. He asks a bajillion questions and I either answer them or look them up. Now he will say "let's look it up on the computer mama". It's so sweet!

Today he told me that he wishes all of his friends were homeschooled because he LOVES homeschool and he thinks they would too.

Every night, he asks me to smell his breath and look at his teeth after he brushes. He gives me a really long hug and kiss before bed. Then he tells me he loves me at least a dozen times and says "see you in the morning".

5 years. *sigh* My heart is so full.

Stickers

2010-03-11T00:21:00.002-06:00

He's so silly. And his days as a 4 year old are coming to a close. He is SUPER excited.

Yesterday, he found his first outside bug of the season...a centipede. It quickly became an inside bug. He played it to death. :)

I hope he never loses that sense of wonder.

Trip to the ER

2010-03-10T22:01:00.006-06:00

Tonight we noticed Rockstar's breathing was not getting better with his inhaler. I took him to the ER for his breathing (not for his rash) as instructed by the on call Dr. It went something like this...

Them: Oh wow, thats quite the rash! Is that new?

Me: No, he's had it for 11 months, he is under the care of a pediatrician.

Them: Wow, what is it?

Me: Eczema.

Them: ECZEMA?!

Me: Yes, that's what "they" are calling it.

Them: REALLY?

Me: Yes, really.

Them: Wow.

*repeat 3 times*

His breathing was apparently "fine" and we were sent home! :)

Rockstar's First Step & Silly Crawl

2010-03-08T00:16:00.001-06:00

I am free to be as I be

2010-02-25T00:46:00.004-06:00

"I am no longer going to ask the impossible of the world to come into alignment with what I want..." -Abraham-Hicks

Tired

2010-02-24T12:05:00.003-06:00

I made an executive decision today to stop the steroid creme. If fact, this week, I made many executive decisions. The decision to hire a nanny, for example...someone that can give me a break from medicine, supplements, lotions, salves and food prep so that I can be the best person that I can be. I think it's my way of pretending that I can change the situation. I just hope that the nanny doesn't quit on me.

Leaky Gut Syndrome is not something that I am grieving over, but it is something that needs to be taken very seriously. I'm tired of learning. Tired of educating. Tired of research. Tired of trying to find the right team of experts to help us. Tired of explaining to people that there is no "cure". Tired of having heart palpitations when he dips his finger in ranch dressing while enjoying some precious time with his Great Grandma and having to explain that it's really serious that he not lick the ranch dressing, even if he, you know, REALLY LIKES IT. I'm tired of not being able to trust other people to care for him. I'm tired of explaining that he cannot have anything that comes in a package. I'm tired of explaining that, yes, even those organic whole grain cereals have gluten *and* sugar...and yes, even "three little pieces" is too much for his body. I'm tired of explaining that, even though he didn't stop breathing from the ranch dressing, it's not a type I allergy, it's still a serious allergy.

Maybe I need to stop calling them allergies. Maybe I can simply say that he has a hole in his intestine. Would that be easier to understand?

I shared this chart on my blog several months ago. Funny how it's suddenly relevant again, no? This chart shows the underlying causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders. We have now confirmed inflammation, gut permeability and yeast overgrowth. We are watching very closely for signs of autism and trying to heal the inflammation, yeast overgrowth and gut permeability before it causes neurological damage. This is serious business.

I want a magical place where we can go, like a hospital, but not a hospital. A place with all of the leaky gut experts in one building. A place where he can receive around the clock care, tests and monitoring of his progress. I want a place for us to go, to escape, until he is healed with clear directions on how we transition back home. I want HEALTHcare instead of disease care.

Hope

2010-02-24T00:51:00.001-06:00

Donna Gates: Autism Healer - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Leaky Gut

2010-02-23T10:00:00.003-06:00

Rockstar is a PRO at blood draws. Two weeks ago, he made a few little whimpers as they drew one vial from his arm...mostly because he was being held down. Yesterday, he looked and smiled as three more vials of blood were drawn. Surfer boy stood there in anticipation, waiting for the tears that never came. He gave out lots of hugs and kisses anyway.

His allergy results are back. Our pediatrician and naturopath worked together on this testing which is such a heart warming thing to experience. The allergy results were not a big surprise to the experts. The results confirm that he has "leaky gut", which is a breakdown of cellular integrity of the intestinal wall. Dr. W described it as tiny holes allowing toxins and incompletely digested food particles to leak into the bloodstream. The bloodstream recognizes these particles and invaders and the immune system begins to attack them. From there, food sensitivities are developed. Even sensitivities to things like spinach, kale and carrots.

Leaky gut can be caused by a number of things such as celiac disease, candida, dysbiosis, pharmeceuticals or infection. We don't know the cause, yet..because he is so young. Candida is certainly a problem, in fact, we just treated him for oral thrush two weeks ago. Celiac is another possibility. We have never had him on antibiotics or over the counter medication. Given his body system overload, we consider ourselves very lucky!

There is no western medicine "cure"...and we are already doing all of the recommended treatments. The only treatment that we have added is a strict 4-day rotation diet and the elimination of all packaged foods plus bananas and Quinoa. We are going to do as much juicing and blending of his foods as we can without becoming housebound and re-married to the kitchen. This will help give his digestive system a break and allow the nutrients to be more quickly absorbed.

If you have any suggestions on creating an organized system of 2 separate meal systems, grocery shopping, supplement shopping and 3x daily supplements (refrigerated), daycare, etc. I seem to be out of ideas. I certainly need to dedicate a day to creating an organizational system. Of course, that system needs to be flexible to change...as the foods/meds/frequency seem to change weekly.

We don't suspect anything abnormal will appear in the bloodwork drawn yesterday, but we look forward to the results and further discussion with his pediatrician about his Apergillus Niger allergy which, based on the results, appeared severe.

I just ordered the book "Is your child's brain starving?" which discusses 'leaky gut'. It was recommended by a wise mama friend.

Just. One. Thing.

2010-02-05T13:39:00.001-06:00

Wolverine Timberwolf

2010-01-19T00:41:00.000-06:00

Not Wolverine, but Wolverine Timberwolf. He's so big that when he sits, his legs hang over the earth. You have never heard of him? Really??? How could that be?

(He had quite a cold and is a little difficult to understand...but I love it)

Best Friends Forever

2010-01-18T00:17:00.002-06:00

I guess I always imagined that these two brothers would get along as good as can be expected. And I guess I imagined that they would get into each others things too often and that baby rockstar would push Surfer Boy's limits. I never imagined that Surfer Boy and Rockstar would be *this* close. I never imagined that they would be completely and so obviously best-friends-forever at this age. The one things that literally brings me tears of joy these days, is watching them together.

When we first brought Rockstar home, I was very careful not to make Surfer Boy responsible for baby-helping. I wasn't sure why I was so protective of allowing Surfer Boy to be a child free of baby-helping, but for some reason, my gut told me it was important and I just went with it. Now he is a free-willing helper most days and best of all, he is best friends with his baby brother. For that, I am so grateful. It's beautiful. Just beautiful.

This captured moment is a common thing in our home.

How lucky am I?!

Birthday & January Ramblings

2010-01-16T23:52:00.004-06:00

The Birthday boy was sick on his birthday, but he managed to gobble some banana "ice-cream" and a candle late in the evening. We are having an official celebration next weekend with loved ones.

January has a funky flow to it. I always take a big break from business and find myself catching up on everything *else* while catching up with fun stuff with the family. So far we went to the science museum, the children's museum, the titanic exhibition, indoor rock climbing and rollerskating. Surfer Boy and Daddy went to a Vikings game. Surfer Boy's first pro football game, although he swears that bulldog games are the same and just as cool.

Rockstar is trying to talk...trying to repeat sounds. He is a super fast crawler. He is a good climber of stairs, bean bags and step stools. He is an explorer and eater of random tiny things. He is a lover of cuddling, lover of water, lover of avocados (yea!), lover of yogurt and lover of noise. He is a 3 second stander (sooo close to taking those first steps). His best friend forever is Surfer Boy, the protector. He fears nothing and loves without limit.

He owns a large piece of my heart. See?

That's the look. The look that mama cannot resist. The look that will get you everything you need, whenever you need it. That's the look that melts my heart.

xoxo

Happy Birthday Rockstar!

2010-01-08T11:00:00.006-06:00

Rockstar is napping, Surfer boy is on the phone telling Grandma stories about dinosaurs and the color of their poop as it relates to what they eat. I am sipping Red Mango tea. Today, the four of us are celebrating a very special day for Rockstar...his FIRST birthday!!!

One year ago today I was reading Baby Matters and searching for a kindred community of families that have adopted children internationally. I was enjoying the quiet days of January with Surfer Boy after an especially busy photography season. We were happy that our homestudy was complete. We were engulfed in international paperwork. We were experimenting with raw foods. We were drinking tea. We were excited to go snowshoeing for the weekend.

One year ago today...we HAD NO IDEA!

All while we went about our business, a baby boy was born extremely happy and healthy. He was born surrounded by love. His mom and foster family took great care of him. We are so grateful for the precious time that they were all able to spend together. We look forward to the day that she and his foster family can tell him the story of his birth over and over again.

Today we are reflecting on the blessing that adoption has brought to our family and celebrating the day that Rockstar's birthmama gave him life. Really, what greater gift can you give someone?!! Life is amazing!

Happy Birthday Rockstar, we love you!

364/365 Babbling Baby

2010-01-08T09:19:00.001-06:00

Rockstar showing off his babbling and a few other things on his last day as an 11 month old.

Happy Chrismahannakwanzaka & Merry New Year!

2009-12-19T23:22:00.004-06:00

xoxo

You know what's really weird?

2009-12-17T21:33:00.004-06:00

As you might know, rockstar's rash came back on Halloween after a night of running a fever from a nasty influenza type cold. It came back more stubborn than ever.

We switched to homemade goat milk formula.

Still stubborn...*REALLY* stubborn, (full time job kind of stubborn).

The rash stopped responding to steroid creme.

We treated it a bit with an antibiotic cream.

It was working (but a full time job to keep on top of)

For the month of November and half of December, every week or so, he spiked a low-grade fever for no visible reason. The fever would last no more than 24-36 hours and then he was fine.

We saw his Pediatrician on Monday, we were told to keep up the good work and try adding tea tree oil to his bath. (after we were thinking that he MUST have a very serious, rare medical condition).

We started adding tea tree oil to his bathwater.

Wednesday he woke up with a nasty case of THRUSH! (note: YEAST overgrowth)

I mean, come on...seriously?!

He had a chiropractic appointment that afternoon (his first, ever).

He left the office and something had changed, like the flip of a switch...I couldn't quite put my finger on it...but he was so calm and comfortable in his body.

I think he may have had a majorly kinked neck and a funky hip thing going on. His head seems to move...um...more fluid-like from side to side? Before it was like he had jerky movement and struggled to get comfy.

The thrush is almost gone without treatment. (If you have ever had a child with thrush, you know that's a miracle in itself)

It's like his system was having it's last hurrah, excreting all of the toxins through his stubborn rash, fever and his mouth full of thrush! I also think the tea tree oil bath was key.

At least, I certainly HOPE SO!

So Grateful!

2009-12-09T22:47:00.007-06:00

Head on over to MckMama's blog where you will find some images of our family from this weekend (brrrrrrr). Cause, ya know, Rockstar is almost a year and we have SO MUCH to celebrate (and I'm a photo hog) and I loved picking our clothing and dreaming about how Jennifer (who we had never met before) would see our family. When I saw some images of her backyard full of dead weeds, I *knew* we had to go there. My loving husband *almost* had a choice on this one, right hon? *wink*

I don't have the desire to use my camera timer or remote...I *really* enjoy seeing our family through someone elses eye. The images are us, just as we were. We were not posed...we just hung out together and allowed to "just be"...which is one of my favorite phrases used by the amazingly talented Tara Whitney (we are going to California next year!).

Jennifer's youngest child is just a tad older than rockstar and he just recovered from a very, very serious heart condition. He's truly a miracle.
http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

xoxo

The Wish

2009-12-01T15:22:00.005-06:00

While preparing for Thanksgiving and discussing Turkey, surfer boy became very excited about the wishbone. He said "Remember Mama, you wished for a baby and your wish came true"! (seriously, how do kids remember things like that?)

As my eyes swelled with tears, I remembered.

My Neighbor on the News

2009-11-28T19:26:00.003-06:00

Check out my neighbor Katie (love her) in this news story about a family's Home Birth experience. We know the two older boys (and dad) from our Nature Nook group @ Hartley!

http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S1274121.shtml?cat=10335

Wishes do Come True

2009-11-26T11:25:00.001-06:00

Last year we saved the wishbone from the turkey and later used it to make a wish. Can you guess whose wish came true?

Rockstar Rockin'

2009-11-21T17:57:00.005-06:00

We have tons and tons of high-quality baby toys. TONS. Literally. Rockstar is completely uninterested in them. His favorite toys are not age appropriate (tinker toys). It makes my mother gasp when he plays with tinker toys.

He also loves to rock out.

Oops!

2009-11-21T00:15:00.005-06:00

Rockstar has been *very* crabby tonight. He has been arching his back, giving head-butts and acting very colic-like. He was able to make it through about 30 minutes of the city parade tonight, while wrapped to mama. (The parade was awesome, by the way.) After that, he was soooo over it and so over...well...everything. He wouldn't drink his bottle before bed. We got him to take a few ounces.

Surfer boy left a box of crackers (gluten/wheat/whole grain) on the floor this afternoon.

Rockstar found them.

He ate some.

He loved them.

Coincidence?

I doubt it.

BTW, have you ever gotten head-butt by a baby?

I swear he is going to break my nose one of these times. OUCH!

I am sure he didn't eat too many and we will be back to our happy baby very soon.

Oh, and...Thanksgiving. Next week? Tell me it isn't true!?

xoxo

Last Video Fixed

2009-11-20T21:10:00.000-06:00

...I accidentally set it to "private". It's now fixed.

Last bit on food (for a while)

2009-11-20T14:07:00.004-06:00

For a child with food sensitivities and possible extreme food allergies...the questions is not usually "what foods do we need to avoid?" It's "what foods *can* he eat?" However, I get the question about what he *cannot* eat on a very, very regular basis. Food sensitivities are largely misunderstood by the general public (totally understandable), however life-threatening allergies are a bit more mainstream. We all know someone in our lives who is severely allergic to milk or nuts, right?

Food sensitivities are complex and difficult to diagnose. Given the skin, GI issues and more, we need to keep rockstar on a *very* limited diet until he is old enough for accurate, extensive allergy testing.

Here is a list of things he cannot have:

Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, dairy based soups)

Eggs (including in cooked goods)

Nuts

Sugar (corn syrup, maple syrup, honey or any sweetener that will promote yeast overgrowth)

Soy (which are dairy alternatives!)

Gluten (wheat, barley, spelt, rye and other grains, including in cooked/baked food)

Caffiene (obvious)

MSG

Food additives (sulfites, nitrates, salicylates, amines)

Plus the typical (wait until 1 year or older foods)

Berries

Citrus Fruits

Etc.

That's it! Pretty simple, right?!

Basically, if you can pick it from a vine or tree and eat it (without a trip to the food factory)...it's ok to share with rockstar baby.

Pears are Yummy, Broccoli is Yukky!

2009-11-20T13:10:00.005-06:00

Are you enjoying these videos or have you had enough? In this video, Rockstar shows us what food he likes and which he dislikes. ENJOY!!

Dairy-Nut-Soy-Gluten-Sugar-FREE

2009-11-19T23:25:00.003-06:00

Rockstar went down for a nap while surfer boy was playing with dinosaurs so I made a little video to update you on rockstar's health. ENJOY!

This is the book that I reference in the video...

Rockstar Joy

2009-11-19T16:31:00.004-06:00

Here are some smiles and giggles to brighten your day. You can't help but smile.

Jump

2009-11-13T01:51:00.003-06:00

Saturday was a gorgeous day! We had been sick, sick, sick for 3 weeks. In bed. Sick. Rockstar slept through the entire day of Halloween and Surfer Boy nearly missed a kick-butt Halloween party that he had been counting down for months.

I signed up for a booth at Women Rock, before I knew I was going to be sick (or in bed with sick kids) for, you know, *THREE weeks*. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pull it off. I wasn't even sure I would be able to get out of bed that morning, especially after staying up all night to finish up the final touches. But I made it, of course! With a lot of help, of course...from my handy, loving husband. I met a ton of great people, great women & sweet kiddos. It went beautifully and I survived with a smile and the kind of sore feet that reminds you that it was worth it.

Who would have known that it would have been nearly 70 DEGREES the first weekend in November!? At the North Pole!? I was up at sunrise to set up (which isn't *too* early these days) and came home at sunset after take-down. It was the perfect day for an end of season family day in the back yard or strolling alongside a creek. Not the best day to be stuck inside a ski lodge.

I made the best of it...and so did my family...

I came home to this set of videos that made me laugh and smile.

Oh how I just want to walk into that video and jump into those leaves with my babies!

PS(We are all doing well now, although one of us has a stubborn lingering cough.)

xoxo

:)

2009-11-13T01:18:00.002-06:00

I'm not bragging or anything...but he's pretty cute. Noooooo, not bragging. I would *never* do that.

xoxo

Silly Kids

2009-11-12T21:21:00.000-06:00

The Crawl

2009-11-05T19:07:00.002-06:00

Because I think every baby's unique crawl is ridiculously adorable, I wanted to captureRockstar's one-knee-slide crawl on video. It's identical to Surfer Boy's. I think it is highly influenced by a house full of wood floors. He took his first real crawl on the floor of Barnes and Noble in the kids story-time treehouse. We had to leave quickly after that for the safety of the books that he would love to eat! :)

Friends

2009-11-03T15:41:00.001-06:00

These two have been friends since they were 5 months old. They are just a few weeks apart in age. You can learn a lot about love, friendship and kindness by watching two 4-year olds play together. It's lovely.

My Lil Pirate

2009-11-02T19:02:00.002-06:00

Halloween is one of those days that I set aside to take photos of my children. Between that and our annual family vacations, it's about the only time my kiddos get *real* sessions. Rockstar was sick and slept the entire day. He is feeling better today, but I had client sessions, so I am hoping to get some shots of him in his cute little costume tomorrow to share with you all.

This is not my typical photo processing, but it's really fun for halloween, don't you think?

Fleeting Babyhood

2009-11-02T15:37:00.002-06:00

I had the urge to capture a little bit of babyhood, before it's a mere memory.

A Rockstar Breakfast

2009-10-30T11:09:00.003-05:00

I set rockstar in his high chair for a minute and turned around to find surfer boy doing this...

Apples!

2009-10-29T23:38:00.003-05:00

We picked up tons of apples on our 5th annual trip to the Bayfield Apple Festival and Hauser's Orchard. A week later, one of my clients blessed us with another huge bag from the tree in her backyard.

We have been dehydrating them for easy (healthy, raw) snacks around the house. They are *delicious*!

Through the Woods Part II

2009-10-29T21:32:00.001-05:00

We crammed a lot of visits into a short weekend trip to celebrate my cousin's wedding. We are surrounded by L O V E !

(rockstar with his birthmama)

(rockstar with his uncle louie)

(rockstar with one of his cousins)

xoxo

Sleeping Rockstar Baby

2009-10-29T12:14:00.001-05:00

Over the River and Through the Woods

2009-10-29T00:27:00.001-05:00

How did you guess?

Yes, to Grandma's house.

She has the best toys.

Shoot, I dressed them alike...again. *ducking and hiding*

Hello Stranger

2009-10-28T15:23:00.001-05:00

Boom Boom Pow

2009-10-27T23:07:00.006-05:00

I know, I know, I have been MIA... *again*.

Carl is back to class and had been studying for his big exam (redo) again. He took the test last week and we are waiting results! I am working through peak photo season and recovering from two computer losses this month (oops!). Hey, it's just *stuff*, right?

Rockstar is C R A W L I N G. Like, everywhere. Seriously. Oh, and popping some eye teeth. You know, all that baby stuff.

Surfer boy is getting *really* tall and eating everything in site. Every other day his pants are suddenly floods, I swear. I just tell him it's the *in* thing and he believes me...for now! HA!

We attended the second annual best Halloween party E-V-E-R!

Surfer boy decided to leave his surf board at the beach and go in disguise as a black widow spider (you have to see the back to get it). The mask is just...well...he wanted to be sure he wasn't recognized, you know. He wouldn't even talk at the party, because...well...black widows don't talk. His (girl)friend went as Asoka (don't ask me how to spell that?)

Rockstar took a break from the crazy rockstar life and went quietly as a Gnome. He was a huge hit. He totally looks like a real baby gnome, don't you think?

...and one of me and rockstar with the hostess/friend (daycare) goddess. How lucky are my kids that they get to hang out with this cool chick? LOVE her! She throws bigger Halloween parties than any holiday party I have ever experienced. I never loved Halloween until I met her! She makes me so happy.

Her costume lashes kick some serious goblin butt!

This look

2009-10-05T19:52:00.002-05:00

When he makes this expression, it melts my heart. He's just so full of happy.

Oh, and P.S...check out his hair and skin!

My busy hands...

2009-10-05T11:01:00.000-05:00

To My Grown-Up Son or Daughter
by Alice E. Chase
My hands were busy through the day,
I didn’t have much time to play
The little games you asked me to,
I didn’t have much time for you.

I’d wash your clothes; I’d sew and cook,
But when you’d bring your picture book
And ask me, please, to share your fun,
I’d say, “A little later, hon.”

I’d tuck you in all safe at night,
And hear your prayers, turn out the light,
Then tiptoe softly to the door,
I wish I’d stayed a minute more.

For life is short, and years rush past,
A little boy grows up so fast,
No longer is he at your side,
His precious secrets to confide.

The picture books are put away,
There are no children’s games to play,
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear,
That all belongs to yesteryear.

My hands once busy, now lie still,
The days are long and hard to fill,
I wish I could go back and do,
The little things you asked me to.

Working from Home

2009-10-02T22:59:00.003-05:00

I admit, working from home took a little (ok, a lot) of adjusting. Well, lately, it is becoming more enjoyable every day. There are days/weeks when I am proofing at the computer for long hours that are tough on our whole family (especially with Carl back in class these days)...but then there are days when boxes and boxes and boxes are delivered day after day after day. Surfer boy anxiously greets the delivery drivers on the front steps...just to say hello and bring the boxes in the house. I am sure part of the excitement is the tootsie pops that my photo lab includes in the orders...but either way, he is always excited!

This week was a pretty exciting week. See my little helper?

Occasionally I order a little something from Nova Naturals and surprise him with a shipment of his own. Imagine his surprise as he opens up "mommy's" package and finds a little something for himself. In fact, I think I will do that right now.

Mister Clean

2009-10-01T13:30:00.001-05:00

When surfer boy was born, I never created or used a diaper changing station. I used the floor, the bed and sometimes the bathroom counter. We didn't have a lot of space for a changing table. With rockstar, we received a contoured changing pad from a friend and I recovered it in some midwest modern fabric so it would look pretty on top of my great-grandmother's white dresser. I have to admit, it has turned into a pretty valuable space. I am really surprised at how much we use it, especially considering we didn't think it was a necessity for surfer boy. The small basket next to it holds reusable wipes, a spray bottle, a comb, a snappi, diaper cream and various lotions and prescription rash creams. A (thrift store) basket on the floor next to the dresser discreetly holds a wet bag with dirty cloth diapers and an armoir within an arms reach holds clean diapers and clothing.

Rockstar seems to like it too..

Brusha Brusha

2009-09-30T22:25:00.002-05:00

Our dentist gave Rockstar a toothbrush to brush his two bottom teeth. Now he has two top teeth poking through the gums too! Can you say, 'ouch'?!

He's doing great with the teething, but he needs a little help with the brushing.

That's where big brother comes in handy. (Brushing his own teeth is a chore he likes to slither out of...but brushing baby's teeth...well, that's fun!)

Savoring the seasons...

2009-09-29T23:58:00.002-05:00

I am so glad that we savored the last few weeks of summer...

Laughing in the grass...

Together...

Discovering the details...

Feeling the warmth of the sun...

Using our imagination...

Slowing down to enjoy...

Just being ourselves...

:)

It's that time

2009-09-28T21:27:00.004-05:00

...to put away the summer clothes

...bring out the woolies

and

...break out the teapot

tinkering

2009-09-22T23:32:00.003-05:00

There is a whole lot of tinkering going on in our house.

I don't think one could ever have too many tinker toys.

Feeling Good

2009-09-22T22:22:00.002-05:00

Rockstar is doing fantastic! It's hard to believe that it has been over a month since I posted an update on his rash/GI issues. We weaned off the GI meds. We had one tough day when we took the medication out which could have been a rebound from the medication. We have continued on the EleCare and he is taking his bottles comfortably. The rash is gone and his skin is looking great. He has a bit of eczema now, which is presenting itself as dry skin which is sometimes scaly and sometimes itches. It is so minor compared to Seborrhea. So, so minor. His hair is growing back beautifully. He has some rash left around his mouth. We are trying to get it under control, but he is constantly drooling and shoving his fists in his mouth.

His bottom teeth are sooo cute. He just popped an upper (left) tooth today! He is handling teething pretty well. I think he is just happy to feel better!!

Well, hello there!

2009-09-15T08:49:00.005-05:00

I hope I haven't lost all (3) of my blog readers because of my absence. Life is happening and I am working through this busy end of summer season while trying to soak up these gorgeous summer days with my family. Last night we picked up some snacks and walked to the beach and just talked and played. (non-raw, very sweet, sugary snacks from the coffee shop...what a luxury! ...although I am paying for it this morning with a food hangover).

That last wedding that I shot is due at the end of this week and we have our final post-placement visit too. I have to be honest, I am very much looking forward to being done with this week.

Oh, and my friend Shana took some family photographs of our new family of four!!!!!! I'm freaking out, I am so excited and in love!!! It appears that the 110% humidity and the fact that the fog was so thick, you couldn't see across the road (slight exaggeration!)...my new haircut apparently fell totally flat toward the end...but who cares, right? LIVE LIFE and BE REAL!!! YEA!!!

Release & Let Go

2009-08-22T00:15:00.003-05:00

I sit here tonight, counting down the celebration. I have a beautiful wedding to photograph tomorrow. My last wedding of the year!!!~ (and maybe my last wedding, ever? Maybe?) I feel very creative and energetic. I am going to give it my all. If I give it everything I have and create work until my cup runneth over, I believe my spirit will lead me to 'release and let them go. It has been a beautiful journey...but for now...I am letting go of the pressure I have been putting on myself to "do it all". Just because I CAN do it all (as women and feminists...yes, we can)...but that doesn't mean I HAVE TO. Right?

Balance is a lovely concept...and balance (I think) means letting go of the things that are not important so that you can focus on the things *right now* in your life that *are* of utmost importance. Weddings are an enormous undertaking. Mothering and being a wife are also pretty big deals. Several really big deals plus a lot of little deals = one crazy woman! :)

But that can change. Life can change. Life *does* change.

...and that's okay.

Being an intimate part of a couples wedding day has touched my life. I am so thankful for the weddings that I have been honored to be a part. The speech from the father of the bride describing the brides first day of kindergarten in her blue dress...how he remembers that day so vividly (as his tears flow, as everybody's tears flow)...that speech and so many like it...struck me hard. I could imagine my husband giving that speech and that was my moment, my clue.

I may come back to them someday if life's circumstances change...again....

...because...

...life is always changing and it's wonderful.

Green Smoothie Baby

2009-08-18T00:18:00.005-05:00

Today was day 1 of the 30-day green smoothie challenge. Rockstar has joined in on the yummy goodness and it appears to be one of his favorite foods so far. Banana's and mixed greens...blended.

I am especially excited for rockstar to love the green goodness simply because his body is a teeny bit out of balance and green smoothies have been proven over and over again to eliminate dis-ease, also known as "a miracle" by bigpharma. ;)

Improving his body's PH should help his GI/allergy/skin/yeast issues. Of course, getting as much breastmilk as physically possible into his body is our number one priority right now.

...besides it's really cute, don't you think?

"Both green juices and smoothies are highly alkaline…and disease cannot survive in an alkaline environment. They do LOVE an acid environment though…and 3 acid forming foods are meat, dairy, coffee." -happyfoody.com

Happy & Dancing

2009-08-17T00:42:00.004-05:00

Although we have made baby steps along the way and we have gotten a correct diagnosis on his skin rash which is now 95% cured, we have never gotten his GI issues under control. They improved significantly, but he was experiencing pain during and after feedings.

I am happy to report that we are going on day 3 with no GI issues *at all*! Rockstar is a completely new baby. We ventured out to Kmart (flop) and Target (score) tonight to stock up on ink cartridges, bird food and dental floss. He babbled happily through both stores. Rather than get looks of disapproval and even harsh (hilarious) advice from strangers over our un-settled baby...we were greeted with sweet comments ("he sure is a happy, talkative little boy!") and huge smiles.

The four of us are giddy, happy & dancing. I took the biggest deep breath that I have ever taken in my entire life today. I didn't realize that I had been practically holding my breath for 4.5 months. There is a noticeable skip in my step.

If you follow my tweets, you already know that we have had a busy week with a few small challenges...and this surprising reward at the end. A very content (and currently sleeping) baby.

I'm off to snuggle with my husband and babies now. Goodnight!

Gotta Love a Challenge!

2009-08-10T12:14:00.004-05:00

Now that rockstar baby's health is on the upswing and he's waking up very reasonably only twice a night (not in pain, but only to eat and go back to sleep...yea!) I think I'm ready to start putting some energy back into *my* body. Sara's green smoothie challenge came at the perfect time!

http://happyfoody.com/2009/08/10/happy-foody-green-smoothie-challange-2009/

Life as a Rockstar

2009-08-09T16:15:00.007-05:00

Rockstar baby is not feeling like much of a rockstar today. He seems to be allergic to his well-child checkups. Either that or he caught a bug at the Dr's office. No, I'm pretty sure it's an allergy to the checkups themselves...absolutely, almost...positive. Surfer boy was allergic to them as a baby too. I hear it's pretty common...but I can't find it in the parenting books.

Oh wait, I threw those books in the garbage. That's right!??!

The trial of antacids worked immediately and Rockstar baby is busy chugging bottles like a true rockstar...only rockstars sometimes chug beer...and babies don't chug beer. Unless you count that one time that we had friends over for a backyard BBQ and Surfer Boy was at that age where babies grab everything in sight and taste it. I don't think he swallowed enough to warrant a call to poison control. He wore most of it on his shirt...which we quickly changed...I think.

I really wish we would have found Dr. W 4 months ago...maybe our Rockstar wouldn't have a mowhawk (by choice anyway) and maybe he wouldn't have had to feel like a hungover rockstar...every day of his tiny life for the past 4 months. But just like a hangover, you can't take it back. It is what it is. Lesson learned.

Apparently, Rockstar baby's fancy celebrity formula isn't "elemental" enough for his GI system and he requires yet another switch to some good "top-shelf" formula. It's a good thing rockstars make a lot of money to pay for the "top-shelf" goods! (Rockstar's Grandma thought the fancy, organic food in our fridge was ridiculously, over the top expensive. Ha! That's rockstar pocket change!)

If any of you Rockstar fans know someone in the business of artificial baby milk, hook me up with some of that fancy EleCare, please? I still don't know if I can get "top-shelf" in these northwoods or if I have to have my personal shopper put in a "special order".

On the other hand, this fancy stuff is in the powdered form...which will save us several trips to the icebox every night. Plus, we won't have to take a travel-sized icebox with us every time we leave our rockstar mansion. Yea for that!!

Progress!

2009-08-06T12:19:00.004-05:00

Mister Rockstar had a lengthy pediatric appointment today. He weighed 18 lbs 10 oz and 27 1/2 inches long. He's clapping, giggling, rolling, sitting, teething, blowing raspberries, copying, etc. He's pretty much a total goofball! :)

Dr. W was happy with the progress in his rash. His head is cleared up and his hair has started to grow back nicely. She thinks we should try a stronger steroid cream to clear up the blistery area around his mouth and then keep it covered with a topical cream to protect it from his drool.

We are doing a trial of antacids to see if it will help him get his bottles down better. He is doing a lot of gurgling, throwing his head back, crying and just having trouble swallowing his milk and then taking an hour to burp. Dr. W thinks he may have damage in his esophagus and stomach lining from continuous exposure to an allergen in his previous formulas. The antacid would prove this theory and give us a clue into what might be happening. The fact that he prefers his milk cold and that he doesn't struggle to drink 100% breastmilk, gives us more clues toward that theory.

If the antacid works, that tells us that the lining of his esophagus is hurting and we will need to switch to a more elemental formula to supplement the breastmilk and introduce Zantac for a few weeks. This will hopefully give the lining enough time to fully heal.

Dr. W suggested we add some pureed leafy greens to his pears/avocados, watermelon or bananas and to stay away from gluten/dairy and traditional SAD first foods such as rice/wheat/barley/grains, etc.

We know that Cameron's life may be forever gluten/dairy/nut free, but we can totally live with that!! It's new to us and will be a bit of a learning curve, but *he* probably won't ever know any different and that's pretty cool. We are just so happy to have finally made progress in his diagnosis and have a flexible treatment plan. His medication list is shrinking. We only have Desonide, Triamcinilone, Fish Oil, Probiotic and an antacid. Progress...yea!!!!!!

Now if we could reduce the 2 hour painful/struggling night-feedings down to a painless process...he will me much happier and more rested and his mommy/daddy might get a few more hours of sleep. I can feel it...we are soooooo close!

Rockin' Out

2009-08-04T21:17:00.002-05:00

Mister C is getting a hair cut!

...right after we have a little mohawk fun.

Part 1 of "rockin' out"

Super Mom

2009-08-03T14:43:00.005-05:00

It's not a secret that I struggle with fast-paced, highly scheduled, modern-day-parenting. For a while I thought...well...I must be an odd-ball that raises too many questions, over-analyzes and asks too much of society.

Or am I?

Soccer Mom Dreanna Burton wrote a blurb raising these exact same questions.

"This parental management is so far from my parents’ era of child-rearing, when most moms stayed at home and kids could play freely and independently. I believe I’m somewhat of an odd duck, holding onto the values of my parents’ generation while trying to adjust to the realities of being the current-day “super mom”."

Also, I am familiar with the term "super mom" but I have to admit, I burst out belly-laughing when I got to the "yummy mummy" paragraph. I think I have a new favorite term!! HA!

http://trueslant.com/dreenaburton/2009/08/02/the-way-we-were-and-are/

I am eagerly hoping she will write a follow-up article to discuss solutions to this dilemma.

Yummy

2009-07-29T21:41:00.002-05:00

Rockstar has started to explore some foods. He's not *eating* any solids yet because he doesn't have the swallow reflux mastered yet. Most foods get pushed back out by his tongue. We started with banana's, watermelon and avocados. All fresh, raw foods that we keep stocked in our kitchen anyway. We are taking it slow as advised and keeping him away from nuts, wheat, dairy, rye, etc.

It's so much fun to watch him learn and grow and taste and appreciate yummy whole foods.

Tiny Lil' Teeth

2009-07-29T10:41:00.001-05:00

Swing!

2009-07-28T21:30:00.001-05:00

We contemplated building a big wooden playset last summer and realized that. a) our backyard is very small. b) we have dozens of playgrounds within a couple of miles of our house and several within easy walking distance *and* we do (on occasion) step out of our backyard c) they are ridiculously expensive d) we dreamed of something more simple and homemade.

We built two swings...a simple, single wooden seat that we can swap with the baby swing as we like...and a *tarzan* swing made out of an old wooden chair. That combined with some dirt for digging, grass for rolling, hammock for relaxing...and we have a haven that keeps children busy for hours and hours...even if that means in only underwear, cowboy boots and a pirate hat...

Huskie's Game

2009-07-27T21:28:00.000-05:00

The four of us enjoyed our fist Huskies game this summer...and our awesome neighbors happened to be there to capture our first game on camera! Thank you A&A&A&G!

2nd Tooth

2009-07-27T15:13:00.000-05:00

...peeking through...bottom right. :)

Pictures soon!

Sending Love

2009-07-27T08:33:00.003-05:00

There is a Minnesota mama/blogger/photographer in serious need of our love. Her baby Stellan is in SVT and is critically ill.

www.mycharmingkids.net

I understand why things like this happen...but at the same time I don't. They have been through too much.

Summer Visitors

2009-07-26T21:19:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we were graced with a visit from some good friends...

Seriously...LOVE this girl. One of the sweetest two year olds I have ever met.

So fun!

...and her beautiful mama.

I really, really enjoy taking photos of friends...I really do! I could never figure out why I had such a blast shooting and enjoyed the reward of creating a finished product for my friends...even if the post processing takes up most of my Saturday. ...but then I have this brief moment of sadness and un-peacefulness afterward... Kind of like the post wedding blues or something weird.

This weekend I think I figured it out...

I'm sinfully jealous!!

Shame on ME!!!

I want photographs like this of *my* family...photos of me interacting with my kids. I want to capture the way Peyton giggles when I tickle him...the way he rubs my arm and gives me kisses. I want to capture the way Cameron snuggles in my neck and the way he looks at Peyton with big eyes and a huge smile. I want to capture the way we all belly laugh together. I want to capture the enormous love in our new family of four.

*want, want, want...blah, blah, blah*

Right?

I want that *so bad* that I have started a fund to hire someone to capture our family naturally.

I have $40 so far...$1460 to go.

Wish me luck.

The Four of Us

2009-07-26T21:14:00.001-05:00

An obligatory family photo on the patio swing...thanks Jami!

Groove

2009-07-26T17:49:00.003-05:00

It seems as though we are finding a nice groove. Having mastitis the first week was so not cool, but we got through it...we always do. :)

Cameron loves our daycare provider and of course, Peyton does too. It's not like daycare at all and I'm not even sure you can say they are *in* daycare when last week was a total of 7 hours.. I will tell you more about his "daycare" when I have a little more creative energy to describe the magic.

I think we will have another small challenge when Peyton's friend at daycare goes to kindergarten. But we have some big, exciting adventures planned right as Peyton's age-group enters school, so it will only be for a short amount of time.

Peyton is keeping busy fiddling with art & nature. I do my best to fulfill his love of learning with conversation and often looking up answers to his questions that I do not know. We learn together and it's so much fun!

Cameron is taking 2 naps a day which gives me a few moments to make phone calls and power-work. He's sitting up and playing with things now which keeps him busy, busy. It won't be long and he will be on the move!

Teething

2009-07-23T07:36:00.002-05:00

Cameron popped his first tooth this week on the bottom left! :)

...the lack of pictures means my computer is backlogged with client stuff...hopefully I will have some images soon!

Mastitis

2009-07-17T15:01:00.001-05:00

Fun stuff.

*yawn*

Whew...

2009-07-15T18:15:00.004-05:00

Carl is back to work full time. Finding yet another new, new, new groove is on my agenda. If you work at home full time and mother full time with no outside help, still have clean laundry and find time for at least 6 hours of sleep...call me.

Schmuckers.

Blog break.

The Park

2009-07-13T21:53:00.002-05:00

The Boys Fishing

2009-07-12T20:47:00.003-05:00

The boys (yes, all three of them) have been enjoying a LOT of fishing since the opener in May. The fish stories have already begun. I hear many stories about the missed "big one".

Mister P usually makes a pretty good catch of rock bass, regular bass, blue gill or perch and even once caught a GOBY (YUK)!

This sumer he caught his first walleye...

Beach Sand

2009-07-10T23:31:00.001-05:00

Mister Peanut's idea of fun includes getting sand on every inch of the body. It's very important that the sand get good and stuck between the toes and deep into the scalp. Exfoliating of dead skin cells and washing of the sandy sheets are at the top of his summer to-do list!

Flower Power

2009-07-09T22:41:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, we removed part of our "garage-deck". It was a strange thing...and I envisioned this no-maintenance wild/weedy flower garden in it's place. We combined some very hardy perennials that don't require tender loving care. Then we sprinkled a hummingbird flower mixture that had perennial varieties. I watered it...sometimes...a little. A few years later, the weed/flower garden blossomed to match my vision...

This year, we planted a lot more vegetables...including a TON of peas...which are looking pretty beautiful right now with their little flowery buds.

I can't wait to take a bite of that crunchy green goodness!

Oh, and this rose bush thingy. Two years ago I planted a $1.00-almost-dead rose shrub/bush of some type (I couldn't tell you really). I haven't cared for it, covered it in the winter or watered it all that much...and it's still going...

If you could see a single flat surface in my messy house right now, I would think about plucking that rose and bringing it inside.