Ok, so Zach is sensitive to gluten and dairy and Luke is sensitive to gluten. Right after I found out they were sensitive to dairy and gluten I went out and got just a few things. Than that weekend I went to the Wedge in Minneapolis and got tons of stuff I thought the boys might need. I knew it would be stressful but I didn't realize just how stressful. The biggest stressor is all the money that we are spending weekly for the boys to be on this diet. The first week around $150 the 2nd week about $80. That doesn't include food for Todd and I or other things that the boys need such as fresh fruit etc.
So far it has been almost 2 weeks since we switched their diets over. Just last night I noticed the dry skin that was taking over Zach's face is starting to disappear. I was going to for sure stop this diet for the boys if I didn't start seeing results. Now that I am seeing results I am on the fence about stopping. If I stop I feel like a bad mom, but if I continue we are spending a ton on food a week. What to do??
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Gluten and Dairy Free!!
Ever since I stopped breastfeeding Zach (at 6 months old) he has had some serious eczema. The worst was on his face when he was a baby. He was on a milk based formula and after switching to a soy formula he was better. Not great, but better. He stayed on that until he was one and we tried whole milk with him. He threw up right away. The nurse told me to introduce it slower. So, every week we would increase the whole milk by 1oz. It took a whole month to get him completely on whole milk. His eczema continued until he was 2 and than just disappeared. Every once in a while it would come back but that was mostly with the change in seasons. It began to really come back about February and by April it was the worst I have ever seen it. He was so uncomfortable and always itching. I felt like a bad mom because I couldn't help him.
When Zach was about 2 he had a few episodes of having a hard time breathing. The first time he was put on a liquid medicine to help, but when it happened again a few weeks later they put him on a nebulizer. The past few years he has only needed his neb a few times during the winter. This last year he has needed his neb more than all the other times put together. He would do this gasping thing and scare the crap out of me!!
Lucas has also had some eczema issues, but not as bad as Zach. Luke gets it mostly on his back with a few patches on his stomach. Luke's comes and goes. I was told by our dr. to make sure and only give him a bath 1 or 2 times a week, which is what I have been doing. Well, that is what I did when he was an infant. Now that he is crawling around he gets a bath every other day. Zach too!!
So, I have been thinking there is something just not right with Zach mostly. I am not talking developmentally or anything, but physically. He has bags under his eyes like he hasn't been getting enough sleep though I know he has. His eczema has gotten so much worse and for a while now he has had dry skin all around his eyes and down his nose. Just doesn't seem normal. In my gut I felt like something just wasn't right.
During the week I watch a little girl (Chloe). I had brought all of this up to her mom one day. She said it sounded just like what she had been dealing with a few years ago. Her symptoms had been worse though. I asked what she had done about it. She told me that she tried to get allergy testing done with no end insight. The doctors kept telling her there was nothing wrong with her and to just deal with the symptoms. Kinda what Zach's doctor has been saying this whole time. In not so many words. Chloe's mom said she had actually been to a chiropractor who had helped her figure out she was sensitive to gluten and some other things too. She explained this test (nutrition response test) that her chiropractor did on her and I was so sceptical. It sounded ridiculous! BUT, at this point I was becoming desperate to figure out what was going on with Zach. I had looked into allergy testing which would cost around one thousand dollars just for the first visit. Our insurance company said we would have to pay our co-pay and all the lab work. Well, I am pretty sure that would be almost the entire visit. We just couldn't afford that. I thought maybe getting looked at by a chiropractor was our next best option. I looked into it and found out a nutrition response test would run about $40. That we could afford.
So, I took the boys to a chiropractor in Edina. I was a little nervous at first and even thought about cancelling the appointment. A friend of mine had warned me to be careful and that she had done some research and found out that sometime these things can be spiritual and not in a good way. I promised myself that if things felt wierd in anyway that I would leave. I didn't want to put my own religious beliefs aside just to have the boys tested. If it came down to it I would just let things be and hope it worked out on it's own.
The day for the test came. I brought the boys into the chiropractor and we sat in the back room while wating. Zach and Luke played on the floor with toys while the chiropractor and I talked about the boys and what has been going on the past few years mostly with Zach. She tested Luke first. He sat on my lap while the dr. put viales of different things (gluten, dairy, kiwi, potato etc) on his forehead. While doing that she was also putting constant downward pressure on my arm. There were a few times she would push down on my arm and I didn't have the strength to keep my arm raised. I tried and tried to keep my arm up and I just couldn't. The rest of the time I was able to keep it at shoulder height with no problems. Luke tested sensitive to broccoli and gluten. Zach tested sensitive to gluten and dairy.
Now I knew what the problem was, but what do I do now??
When Zach was about 2 he had a few episodes of having a hard time breathing. The first time he was put on a liquid medicine to help, but when it happened again a few weeks later they put him on a nebulizer. The past few years he has only needed his neb a few times during the winter. This last year he has needed his neb more than all the other times put together. He would do this gasping thing and scare the crap out of me!!
Lucas has also had some eczema issues, but not as bad as Zach. Luke gets it mostly on his back with a few patches on his stomach. Luke's comes and goes. I was told by our dr. to make sure and only give him a bath 1 or 2 times a week, which is what I have been doing. Well, that is what I did when he was an infant. Now that he is crawling around he gets a bath every other day. Zach too!!
So, I have been thinking there is something just not right with Zach mostly. I am not talking developmentally or anything, but physically. He has bags under his eyes like he hasn't been getting enough sleep though I know he has. His eczema has gotten so much worse and for a while now he has had dry skin all around his eyes and down his nose. Just doesn't seem normal. In my gut I felt like something just wasn't right.
During the week I watch a little girl (Chloe). I had brought all of this up to her mom one day. She said it sounded just like what she had been dealing with a few years ago. Her symptoms had been worse though. I asked what she had done about it. She told me that she tried to get allergy testing done with no end insight. The doctors kept telling her there was nothing wrong with her and to just deal with the symptoms. Kinda what Zach's doctor has been saying this whole time. In not so many words. Chloe's mom said she had actually been to a chiropractor who had helped her figure out she was sensitive to gluten and some other things too. She explained this test (nutrition response test) that her chiropractor did on her and I was so sceptical. It sounded ridiculous! BUT, at this point I was becoming desperate to figure out what was going on with Zach. I had looked into allergy testing which would cost around one thousand dollars just for the first visit. Our insurance company said we would have to pay our co-pay and all the lab work. Well, I am pretty sure that would be almost the entire visit. We just couldn't afford that. I thought maybe getting looked at by a chiropractor was our next best option. I looked into it and found out a nutrition response test would run about $40. That we could afford.
So, I took the boys to a chiropractor in Edina. I was a little nervous at first and even thought about cancelling the appointment. A friend of mine had warned me to be careful and that she had done some research and found out that sometime these things can be spiritual and not in a good way. I promised myself that if things felt wierd in anyway that I would leave. I didn't want to put my own religious beliefs aside just to have the boys tested. If it came down to it I would just let things be and hope it worked out on it's own.
The day for the test came. I brought the boys into the chiropractor and we sat in the back room while wating. Zach and Luke played on the floor with toys while the chiropractor and I talked about the boys and what has been going on the past few years mostly with Zach. She tested Luke first. He sat on my lap while the dr. put viales of different things (gluten, dairy, kiwi, potato etc) on his forehead. While doing that she was also putting constant downward pressure on my arm. There were a few times she would push down on my arm and I didn't have the strength to keep my arm raised. I tried and tried to keep my arm up and I just couldn't. The rest of the time I was able to keep it at shoulder height with no problems. Luke tested sensitive to broccoli and gluten. Zach tested sensitive to gluten and dairy.
Now I knew what the problem was, but what do I do now??
Monday, July 18, 2011
My hubby!
So back to how we met. I had been a cheerleader while in high school and wanted to continue that in college. I went to cheerleading tryouts and to my surprise there were actually some men wanting to try out as well. Todd happened to be one of them, which is funny if you know my husband because he is rather short and everyone else was much taller. The cheer instructors were in front of us trying to show us a routine when Todd walked up to me asking if we knew each other. I was pretty sure that I had never seen him before in my life, but he keep pushing the matter. I finally just told him we didn't know each other and I turned around and left it at that. Well we both made the squad and actually ended up working together as partners a few times.
At this point in my life I had been with the same boyfriend for a good chunk of high school and he wasn't good for me. He never hit me though there were a few times he threatened. He was emotionally abusive though and I had been wanting to break things off with him for a while but I was a little scared of what he might do.
So, one day I decided that I wanted to talk with Todd more. He seemed like a nice man and I wanted to get to know him a little more. I called up one of my cheer coaches and got him number from her. I finally got the nerve up to give him a call (he was very surprised) and we talked for hours. After that first day we began spending more and more time together and I was spending less and less time with my current boyfriend. One day Todd and I were talking and I found out that he had a girlfriend up in Brainerd where he is from. This was news to me since he hadn't even brought her up once in all the conversations we had ever had. I was a little disappointed but I had a boyfriend too, so I tried not to let it show. Because of cheerleading we were together a lot and were often paired as partners.
Well, eventually I got the nerve to break things off with my current boyfriend and he broke things off with the girl he was seeing. We started officially dating the end of November 2000. We dated for several years when he asked me to marry him on my birthday October 28th 2003. We were married July 22nd 2005!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Adventures in Cloth Diapering
Since cloth diapering started a few months ago I have had my ups and downs. Yeah I know what possible ups and downs could there be when it comes to diapering? Well, I had to first figure out the best way to wash the diapers and accessories. Believe me it isn't as easy as it might seem. You can't just put the diapers in the wash and that is that. NO!! So, here is my diaper cleaning procedure.
1. First is a short cold wash with no detergent.
2. Second a hot wash with detergent.
3. Third a short hot rinse.
4. Forth another short hot rinse.
5. Dry liners, cloth wipes, inserts etc in the dryer without a dryer sheet and line dry the diaper covers.
![]()
Let me tell you, I was super overwhelmed at first. "What did I get myself into?" Now that I have been doing this for a few months it is so easy!! Ok, so than after I finally got a rhythm going Luke ends up with a rash. I couldn't tell what kind of rash so I just assumed it was a yeast rash. I found the rash sometime in the morning and started treating it right away. I put Luke in disposables cuz you can't use some diaper creams with cloth diapers. Some creams cause the cloth diapers to repel and you really don't want that to happen!! So than I did some research on how to disinfect the diapers. Let me tell you, I was not happy about this whole thing!! There were a few different ways I could disinfect but I chose to use tea tree oil and a cloth diaper oxygen bleach.
Ok, so after disinfecting the diapers I did a repel test. This just meant putting a little water on each item to see if the water soaked right in or stayed on top. Most of the cloth diapers and accessories were fine but a few were repelling the water. I decided just to be safe I needed to strip the diapers. When I first heard about stripping cloth diapers I didn't understand what the big deal was. Now I get it!! Stripping a diaper just means getting rid of all the things (buildup-urine or minerals). Stripping the diapers was really easy. I just replaced the detergent with 1-2 tablespoons or regular dawn, but everything else was the same.
Since that yeast episode I am back in the cloth diapering groove!! As I look back at the last few months things really haven't been that bad: )
![]()
1. First is a short cold wash with no detergent.
2. Second a hot wash with detergent.
3. Third a short hot rinse.
4. Forth another short hot rinse.
5. Dry liners, cloth wipes, inserts etc in the dryer without a dryer sheet and line dry the diaper covers.
Let me tell you, I was super overwhelmed at first. "What did I get myself into?" Now that I have been doing this for a few months it is so easy!! Ok, so than after I finally got a rhythm going Luke ends up with a rash. I couldn't tell what kind of rash so I just assumed it was a yeast rash. I found the rash sometime in the morning and started treating it right away. I put Luke in disposables cuz you can't use some diaper creams with cloth diapers. Some creams cause the cloth diapers to repel and you really don't want that to happen!! So than I did some research on how to disinfect the diapers. Let me tell you, I was not happy about this whole thing!! There were a few different ways I could disinfect but I chose to use tea tree oil and a cloth diaper oxygen bleach.
Ok, so after disinfecting the diapers I did a repel test. This just meant putting a little water on each item to see if the water soaked right in or stayed on top. Most of the cloth diapers and accessories were fine but a few were repelling the water. I decided just to be safe I needed to strip the diapers. When I first heard about stripping cloth diapers I didn't understand what the big deal was. Now I get it!! Stripping a diaper just means getting rid of all the things (buildup-urine or minerals). Stripping the diapers was really easy. I just replaced the detergent with 1-2 tablespoons or regular dawn, but everything else was the same.
Since that yeast episode I am back in the cloth diapering groove!! As I look back at the last few months things really haven't been that bad: )
Thursday, July 14, 2011
My adventure with cloth diapering
Here were my main reasons for making the switch:
1. Less expensive than disposable diapers (the start-up cost is more but the overall cost is much lower)
2. The prints on cloth diapers are too cute:o)
3. Cloth diapers don't have any chemicals.
4. Better for the environment. Disposable diapers take very long time to decompose.
After making the choice to switch I just had to get my stash!! The thing about cloth diapers is the initial cost. It can cost anywhere from $100-$300 to get your full stash of cloth diapers and accessories. My stash includes prefolds, diaper covers, fitted diapers, fleece liners, 4 wet bags, 2 pail liners, cloth diaper safe detergent, cloth diaper safe oxygen cleaner, microfiber liners, hemp liners, 4 snappis, cloth diaper safe butt cream and 2 pocket diapers with inserts.
Now that my stash is complete I am buying a lot less diapering supplies than when I started. I have had to buy more detergent, butt cream etc. The other thing I struggled with was where to buy all my cloth diapering supplies. I was on Facebook one day and saw someone write about a company called http://www.jackbenatural.com/ I found their website and ordered my first cloth diapers from them and fell in love. This company is so awesome and their customer service is to die for. I have had both Stacy and John (on separate occasions) call me up to either check on me and see how things were going or to ask a question about an order I had made. AMAZING!!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
My boys!!
So, I finally decided to create a blog. More of a journal for myself. In April I decided to become a stay at home mom with my two boys. I also watch a little girl to make up for me not working outside of our home. It has been going pretty good up until a few weeks ago.
First, I will talk a little about my boys. Zachary is a 4 year old spirited little boy. He makes me feel crazy most days. Everything he does is more emotional than most children his age. He doesn't do well with change, so staying home has been a big adjustment for him. Every day, about a hundred times a day I hear "Who can I play with? What can I do? I am bored! Where can we go?" It is just a never ending day of questions!! And I know that letting him watch TV is part of the problem. Not just TV, but movies and the computer. Example: yesterday I banned him from watching TV after for the 3rd time of asking him to do something. He was a pretty good boy the rest of the day. He played outside, he helped around the house and not once did he ask, "what can I do?" The problem is... If I don't let him watch some TV I don't get a break. He won't leave me alone! I know that if he is in front of the TV for a few hours he will not bother me unless he is hungry. That is other thing that makes me crazy about him. He is always hungry. I put food in front of him and he won't eat. I warn him to eat or he will be hungry later and he won't be able to have anything else until snack time. And yet he still doesn't eat and a half hour later is talking about how hungry he is and being super dramatic!! He is also very loud most of the day. I have to tell him at least five times a day to be quiet or not be so loud. He is very exhausting, but he is a very caring little boy. He never fails to tell me at least once a day that he loves me. And ever since Zach was a baby he has the best facial expressions: )
Now on to my youngest, Lucas!! Luke will be one in September. He has had reflux since birth. I tried breastfeeding Luke and just finally gave up because all he would do is spit up and eat. I just couldn't keep up with him. This time around deciding to stop was a little easier and I felt less guilty, but there really isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I could have continued. He was on medicine until around 6 months old when I decided he didn't really need it anymore. The medicine doesn't prevent him from spitting up it just makes the spit up less acidic. The kid spits up a hundred times a day. It was really bad when he was tiny baby cuz we never really knew when it was going to be HUGE spit up or even a projectile vomit. Most days this meant several changes of clothes for us and him. It has been one of the only times I have been happy to have hardwood floors. Most of the time I despise having hardwood!! (that is another story) We had a couple months though where the spitting up had slowed way down. I was super hopeful that he was growing out of it until he started sitting up and moving around. Now we are back to huge puddles of spit up and changing clothes several times a day. Not only that but now I get to listen to him scream at me all day. I believe he is trying to tell me something but I obviously can't understand him so he gets frustrated and just screams at me. I have been trying to teach him sign language, but I am not consistent and he hasn't really picked up any of it yet. He also has been really close to crawling, but gets so mad when he can't. But I have to say that for the most part he is a very happy little boy and super funny: )
First, I will talk a little about my boys. Zachary is a 4 year old spirited little boy. He makes me feel crazy most days. Everything he does is more emotional than most children his age. He doesn't do well with change, so staying home has been a big adjustment for him. Every day, about a hundred times a day I hear "Who can I play with? What can I do? I am bored! Where can we go?" It is just a never ending day of questions!! And I know that letting him watch TV is part of the problem. Not just TV, but movies and the computer. Example: yesterday I banned him from watching TV after for the 3rd time of asking him to do something. He was a pretty good boy the rest of the day. He played outside, he helped around the house and not once did he ask, "what can I do?" The problem is... If I don't let him watch some TV I don't get a break. He won't leave me alone! I know that if he is in front of the TV for a few hours he will not bother me unless he is hungry. That is other thing that makes me crazy about him. He is always hungry. I put food in front of him and he won't eat. I warn him to eat or he will be hungry later and he won't be able to have anything else until snack time. And yet he still doesn't eat and a half hour later is talking about how hungry he is and being super dramatic!! He is also very loud most of the day. I have to tell him at least five times a day to be quiet or not be so loud. He is very exhausting, but he is a very caring little boy. He never fails to tell me at least once a day that he loves me. And ever since Zach was a baby he has the best facial expressions: )
Now on to my youngest, Lucas!! Luke will be one in September. He has had reflux since birth. I tried breastfeeding Luke and just finally gave up because all he would do is spit up and eat. I just couldn't keep up with him. This time around deciding to stop was a little easier and I felt less guilty, but there really isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I could have continued. He was on medicine until around 6 months old when I decided he didn't really need it anymore. The medicine doesn't prevent him from spitting up it just makes the spit up less acidic. The kid spits up a hundred times a day. It was really bad when he was tiny baby cuz we never really knew when it was going to be HUGE spit up or even a projectile vomit. Most days this meant several changes of clothes for us and him. It has been one of the only times I have been happy to have hardwood floors. Most of the time I despise having hardwood!! (that is another story) We had a couple months though where the spitting up had slowed way down. I was super hopeful that he was growing out of it until he started sitting up and moving around. Now we are back to huge puddles of spit up and changing clothes several times a day. Not only that but now I get to listen to him scream at me all day. I believe he is trying to tell me something but I obviously can't understand him so he gets frustrated and just screams at me. I have been trying to teach him sign language, but I am not consistent and he hasn't really picked up any of it yet. He also has been really close to crawling, but gets so mad when he can't. But I have to say that for the most part he is a very happy little boy and super funny: )
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)