Dairy-Free Day!!

It is so difficult to know what is dairy-free and what isn't. I've been wondering if baby J's restless nights are linked with somehting that I've been missing (or something that isn't missing) in his diet. Reaffirmed. Walking into Wendy's today, I noted a large chart, about the size of 3 posters, hanging as I entered the front door. It is a new feature and I am glad they have added it. It has a list of the 7 most common food allergens and their presence (or potential presence) in foods offered by the franchise. They are broken into 3 categories, distinguishable by different colored dots. Red means that the allergen is present, blue means that the food is cooked on the same surface or in the same oil as that allergen (and may be cross-contaminated), and green (?? the colors are on the chart, but I don't recall this one) means that the food is prepared or manufactured on the same line as the allergen (and may be cross-contaminated). Wow! What a concept! Just put it out there for everyone to see. So dairy-free at Wendy's is even more limited than I had believed. There were a lot of red dots. But now I know.

This encouraged me to venture into the land of the unknown regarding other fast food restaurants and allergen information. Here is what I've found so far. I will continue to update the list as I learn more. And remember that just like all processed foods, the ingredients continually change and so the facts today may not be the facts tomorrow.



McDonald's (note that the bottom section lists actual allergens- like milk- and what products they are in)

Arby's lists the allergens in red next to the name of the food item.

Burger King

Chipotle makes it easy by only using dairy in their cheese and sour cream. That's why we love you, Chipotle!

Panda Express says milk in the Orange Chicken and mixed veggies, so no more for baby J, but at least the Mandarin Chicken is still okay!

KFC says go for the Original or Grilled with Dairy allergies, but avoid anything breaded or extra crispy.

Popeye's makes you work for any info. They list all ingredients, but only a few allergens that are contained in each. For example, they list "wheat" as an allergen, but not "milk", although the ingredients clearly state that they contain milk. Sigh. Virtually everything has an allergen. Buh-bye.

You've got to love Subway for just putting it all out there. Usually good old non-processed ingredients.

Taco Bell lists the allergens in a great, easy to use chart; but it is only accessible online. It isn't possible to print it.

Wendy's who gave me this idea.

White Castle for those with iron stomachs.

Have fun eating out with the help of my list! These are just places local to me, but if you'd like to review other options, a great resource is the Go Dairy Free dining out guide and the shopping lists.

Naptime buddies

Baby J always naps especially well when he has someone to cuddle. And Lyli is always looking for some extra love. It seems they have dreamt up the perfect pair.

Long naps on mommie's lap

As a result of some more sneaky, as of yet unlocated, dairy, baby J hasn't been sleeping well. So I did something I haven't done in awhile- I let him nap on my lap. He is unusually tired, made evident by the fact that his usual 90 minute nap has extended to an unbelievable 2 1/2 hours! And he's still out! I'm incredibly bored but he should be a happier camper this afternoon.

Never try to match wits with a Sicilian when death is on the line.

Hahaha Hahaha Hahaha Haha Thud.

Sometimes having a toddler is like going to battle with a Sicilian, except death isn't on the line. Sleep is.

The past few weeks, baby J has acquired a few new, somewhat strange habits. He is determined to continue to nurse frequently at night. And, I, the Norwegian/German that I am, am determined to have my way.

His first battle was realizing that if he coughed, he got mommie's milk. In the beginning, it was a legitimate cough. And because I would never withhold anything good for my son, I nursed him. But then I began to notice that the cough continued, except he had no congestion or drainage. Yet, he would wake up and start coughing. Strategy: Cup of water on the nightstand. Success! Sleeping baby!

His second battle was crawling out of his bed and crying. This worked to his advantage, because when his papa got up to retrieve him, he tripped over him. Both returned to our bedroom in hysterics. So, we put the baby gate up on the top of the stairs each night, propped even more pillows in his bed, and were able to avoid an accident. Success! Sleeping baby!

Tonight, he must have thought, Forget it. They're onto me. I'm a pretty light sleeper these days, so I was surprised at what I heard next. There were small footsteps pattering quickly. Then came a shadow. He looked light a miniature football player barreling towards our bed. I quickly sat up, took him in my arms and cuddled him as he sipped the water. In record time, he was asleep in our bed. Success! Sleeping baby.

I think that I will join him now.

Lazy River Laziness

I had been quite bummed. Many of my friends had ventured away for the weekend. I was feeling very left out and wanted nothing more than a few days away. So, my hubby surprised me with a trip to Timber Ridge Resort & Lodge in Lake Geneva, WI. It has an indoor waterpark and each room is a suite. He told me the morning of our departure of his plans.

It was wonderful to get away, especially in light of the impending snow storm. We made the trek northward and enjoyed the warm indoor excursion with a beautiful view of the outdoors. It felt almost like being in a snow globe, except with the snow on the outside of the glass. We played in the pool and baby J went down his first mini-waterslide. Shortly before the fun was about to end, baby J and I floated on the lazy river. He was tired and very relaxed. He said that he wanted NeNe, so I positioned him gently and nursed him until sleep found him. That is how we ended our retreat. What a lovely way to bond!

Sweet Potato Truck

** Please accept my sincerest condolensces for the prior blog. I have successfully removed it. It was meant to be silly and in no way distasteful. I am truly sorry. **

While Baby J is sleeping much more contentedly, we are still about 9 months behind most parents. Because his sleep had been interrupted so much in the first year of his life, he doesn't yet sleep through the night. I am mostly okay with this, because I usually go to bed shortly after he does and wake up when he does.

But last night something eerily unusual happened.

He went to sleep at his usual time-- about 8 pm. I retired for the evening at 9:17 pm. I was surprisingly restless. It was surprising because my boy was contentedly sleeping in his own big boy bed. He traditionally begins the night there and joins us when he wakes up between 1 am and 3 am. I tossed and turned for hours before finally looking at the clock to realize that it was 4 am and I still hadn't heard a peep.

I frantically thought, Oh no. Something must be wrong! To my pleasant surprise, nothing was wrong. In fact, everything was alright. And I returned to my bed to enjoy a few more hours of blissful and well-deserved sleep.

He stayed cozily sleeping in his bed until 6 am! At that time, I heard soft talking coming from his bed. There he sat, happily talking to himself, waiting for me to swoop him up. This morning was unrealistically ideal for a toddler. He walked around and played by himself. Just before he started getting ready for his early morning nap, I found him in the kitchen with a sweet potato. There he sat pretending to drive the root vegetable with his tiny hands while making Vrooom sounds.

I love this boy more each day.

Remembering Days of [Not So] Long Ago

In the deepest part of the night, I often wake for a few moments of quiet solitude. The moon shines dimly creating shadows between the openings in the shades. One evening not so long ago, I heard whispering beside me. In the middle of our mattress, baby J lay awake. He was quietly cooing and watching the lines of his fingers in the dimly lit room. He didn't notice me. He just contentedly and quietly entertained himself until he finally drifted back into slumber.

As he lay there, it seemed almost reminiscent of his days still warmly tucked inside my womb. Because of the many complications encountered during my pregnancy, I had ultrasounds frequently. During those times, he would move slowly within his cramped quarters. He somehow seemed so comfortable. Those days of watching him through the window in my womb were highlights in our time together.

When still pregnant mommies mention that they long to deliver, I fondly remember those peaceful moments that he and I exclusively shared without interruption before his birth.

Mommie-dom truly is delightful. Every moment holds a welcome surprise.

He can make a sick mommie smile.

Today, I was sick.

My husband stayed home to help me, especially with baby J. Poor baby J hasn't been feeling so well either (because of sneaky dairy). But, he still found the energy to amuse me.

I have a little wooden chair which my dad built for my dolls. He has adopted it as his. He has also taken to the nintendo controller. So, earlier, he sat himself down in the doll chair with the controller in his hands.

Then, just a few minutes ago, he was fussy and sleepy. So, he dragged the boppy to me. Now, he is contentedly asleep on my lap.

It really is amazing how, despite feeling so crummy, he can still make me grin. How did I function as a sicky before my boy?

Sleepy mommie gets in shape...

Although financially things are a little tight right now, I have decided that I need some "me" time to escape from reality. I have always loved physical releases, so, I joined the gym. I am having a really great time because so many of my friends are always appearing there, so I have a lot of support.

Today was quite a day, though. I finished my day in the ministry at about 3 pm and talked with a friend until 4, grocery shopped until 5, picked up new gym shoes, and ran home. Then I frantically made dinner while putting the groceries away, washed my workout pants, fed the husband and the boy. I sat down to nurse baby J for a few minutes and before I knew it, he was sound asleep on my lap. I placed him in bed, changed, searched for socks, laced and put on my new gym shoes, and frantically ran out the door.

While driving to the gym, I nearly thought, didn't I just have enough of a workout?!? But, then I took into account that I had made plans with a friend and still needed some mommie time. I made it to the gym, walked/jogged 1 mile and biked 3.5 miles. All the while, the baby slept for the husband. I feel better now and only hope that he stays asleep while I crawl into bed with him.

Goodnight all.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Early to bed, early to rise...

Baby J started walking this past week. He also had a growth spurt and appears to have a few more teeth erupting. So, his sleeping habits have been unusually, um, unusual. He's been napping well and sleeping well. For instance, tonight he decided to nap (???) at 4 pm. It is now 7:22 pm and he's still asleep. And he is intent on sleeping. I don't want to wake him now, but then again, he'll have no problem waking us at 5 am. Since his nights have improved, he's decided that that is the best time to be "regular". So, we wake at 5 am; wait for him to do his business; then he peacefully returns to sleep until 7 am.

Family life definitely requires flexibilty, on a mommie's part that is. The saying goes- "Early to bed, early to rise, makes baby healthy, stealthy, and wise. Early to bed, early to rise, makes mommie have sleepy eyes."

Decaffeinated Mommie- A Tragedy

As a result of my eagerly sought after desire for rest, I have found solice in my unrequited love for coffee. A true romantic, I anticipated each day the dance that the cream and sugar would have with the freshly brewed beans. I say cream because I am truly infatuated with cream, otherwise known as half & half. The colour that it creates as it blends into the rich brew is a comfort. The aroma that it creates arouses the senses. But the taste, ah, the taste has always been a reward to me. Now, more than ever, my fatigued brain craves it all.

However, my son seems nearly recovered from just shy of 9 months of hysteria-induced insomnia. The solution seems to have been a dairy allergy. Being a true fan of natural nourishment, he still nurses upon his request. While it is not nearly as frequent as during infancy, it is often enough that my dairy consumption affects him adversely. For this, I began to express my deep affection for the unnamed manufacturers of a product referred to as "non-dairy" by their own label.

As a trusting person, I did not second-guess their claim. I simply consumed their product gratefully. All the while, I was not able to mask this lie from my son's digestive system. Because recovery from his most recent dairy consumption was not happening, I began to investigate. To my dismay, the culprits are the very ones who offered me comfort on those tiring mornings. So, to the makers of shmInternational Deliars, at least I know where we stands. It is my deepest desire that we are able to reconcile our failed relationship. Until then, please know that I think of you often. Soon the wounds will heal. I will learn to love again. But for now, I endure.

Our version of a bedtime prayer... Just for fun!

As I lay me down to sleep
I pray my son will sleep deep.
And if he wakes before I do,
I pray, oh Lord, that I not stew.
So as I rest my weary head
And hear him sleep beside my bed,
Please let his rest pay our family heed,
Because we all know that it's sleep we need.

Sleep tight all!

Peaceful Thoughts

It is almost 10 pm now. My baby has been asleep for nearly two hours. I know that I should rest too, but sitting on the edge of the bed in the dark gives me some much needed time for meditating. He has a stuffy nose still, so I've propped him up to sleep. I can hear the short, deep breaths he takes. And, because a ribbon of light peaks through the door, I can see that he has his arms and legs sprawled out on the expanse of the bed. I know that he should be in his own bed by now, but we've grown accustomed to his presence. I know that I don't sleep soundly with him beside me, but I'm not convinced I would sleep any better without him so close.

At the birth of my nieces and my nephew, I remember saying how miraculous life is. I remember the flood of emotion that swept over me upon cradling their tiny torso and gazing upon their tiny appendages. I never thought that love could be that intense.

As I sit here on the edge of my bed, I realize that life is a miracle. But, an even greater miracle is the love felt for someone whom I have known such a short time. It is almost as if I have known him my entire life.

Good night, my prince. I love you so very much.

I'd like to thank everyone but Kanye West

It's 8:14 pm on a Friday night and I am excitedly blogging about, no, not the movie I saw or the restaurant that we ate at, but the fact that my son is asleep! I have always wanted to be a mommie. I suppose that I have led a pretty laid back / uneventful life, so such an evening is not extraordinary to me. That is excepting the fact that my son is peacefully asleep at 8:18 pm.

I feel as though I should treat this as award show; if I did, it would go something like this: " I'd like to thank my son for this wonderful show of gratitude. I'd also like to thank my husband and mother and father and all my dear friends for their support. Also, a shout-out to GF, DF, EF Koala Rice Krispies that keep the little tikes appetite satisfied. And, of course, the endurance and ever present support from Jehovah God, who has tirelessly put up with my tantrums, crying fits, spurts of anger, and insanity due to sleep deprivation."

Last night, after he had fallen asleep nestled next to me, I placed him on his mattress situated directly next to our bed. He fell asleep with much difficulty and awoke at 2 am. It was sooooo refreshing for me to have 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. However, I did awake to the sound of his head thumping against our bedframe as he sleep crawled off his mattress. After that, I think he felt a bit traumatized because he'd only return to sleep after nursing.

Tonight, I thought ahead. I wrapped my gigantic pregnancy pillow around his mattress. He won't sleep crawl / escape so easily again!

Well, pray for us tonight. I think that we might have some resolution with regards to food sensitivities. Thanks again for checking in!

Murphy's Law becomes Mommie Mania

It is now Saturday, day 5 of our experiment. Things are going well. We have yet to see improvement in Sy's sleep patterns, but eating less processed foods can only be a step in the direction of a healthier family.

My greatest discovery since joining Mommie Mania, also called Murphy's Law, what is least likely and most inconvenient is most likely to occur.

For example, in the world of cloth diapering, leaks rarely occur. In an effort to downsize the load which we carry, I began eliminating the "spare" outfit. Oops! That was my first mistake... The CDs (cloth diapers) must have seen me take this action, because they are now less absorbent. Lol!

Next example, have a child with sleep problems who wants to sleep desperately? Have a million errands to run? As a mom, first priority is baby. As
usual, I spend hours trying to help him sleep. Finally, when we give up and decide to run errands, get packed up into the car, drive 5 minutes to the grocery store, and park the car just in time for those heavy eyelids to close. Poor baby.

So, with MM ( Mommie Mania) at its peak, at least we are adopting a healthier lifestyle which can only help us deal with stress more efficiently.

GF Oreos

There is something wonderful and comforting and almost divine about processed flour and sugar. The texture, the taste, the satisfying sensation they create when eaten. If it was for me, I would cope with the side effects of food sensitivities, but for my son, I would eat dirt. Yes, dirt would become my main staple in life.

As I scanned the shelves at Earthly Goods (a coy name for food that is not processed or bleached, in essence, dirt), I actually considered weaning. If we weren't still breastfeeding, I could still be eating normally while he adjusted to this realm dubbed GF, DF, and egg-free. He wouldn't know the difference, after all, he has only been eating solids for 6 months. On the other hand, I have been eating solids for 21 years (well, maybe not, but let's imagine that it has only been that long). So, as I worn my son cozily in our sling and reviewed the shelves contemplating whether to purchase snacks for him alone or for the both of us, it hit me.

I love food. I love Oreos and a tall glass of cold milk. I love iced lattes with lots of whipped cream on top. But, more than that, I love the feeling of my son snuggled tightly against me just before he dozes off at night. I love the ability to provide comfort for him while he is sick. I love picking him up after he has fallen from his wobbly legs and bumped his head. During those times, only mommie can provide what he needs. And, for that, I will make the sacrifice.

Once he weans, though, we are having a snack party with lots of goodies!

Sleep deprivation and food elimination

We have tried many methods with few results. We have even tried sleep behavior modification. So, starting today, we are looking into the possibility of food sensitivities. The nasty nine most common food intolerances are nuts, dairy, egg whites, gluten (the protein found in most grains), shellfish, soy, and I forget the rest. We are starting with the three most common in our house- dairy, egg whites, and gluten.

Today is our first day of food elimination. We usually start with scrambled eggs or oatmeal, but today, we are having rice and bananas.

This morning I realized that I had must have lost my mind last night. According to what my husband tells me, I did. Thankfully it is a new day-- one that I can anticipate such silly shananigans as this one.

So, for now, I will try to remind myself of the delightful boy that I enjoy during the day to appease this long journey through sleep deprivation and food elimination.

A tired mommie's journey

I am not much of a blogger. I don't enjoy hearing my voice inside my own head on a regular basis, nevermind seeing it in writing. But I need a place to let it all out. I'm not sure that it will be read by anyone, but I hope to enjoy my journaling time. So, here is our story:

My son was born in September 2008. He is a wonderful boy. His personality shines, as do his eyes. He gets more compliments on his eyelashes than any other person on the planet.

When he was born, he had some problems. Born 6 lbs 2 oz and only 5 lbs 10 oz two weeks after birth, we got a lot of grief from our pediatrician. But once he latched onto life, he made up for it quickly. With a little help from our lactation consultant, he gained weight rapidly and became a Gerber baby after all.

While new parenthood is always a struggle, he made life easy. He ate well, slept well, and giggled often. Then, at 4 months old, things changed. He had once slept for 5 hour stretches. Suddenly, he was sleeping for 30-minute intervals. He would wake hysterically. Something was wrong!

We spoke to our pediatrician and other parents and googled. With little result, we began to condition ourselves to the nights in store. We weren't happy about it. We struggled during the day to get by. We stopped discussing the matter, because it was constantly implied that we were at fault. You just need to let him cry it out was the most common response. Other responses included that he is manipulating you and it is because he is breastfed/co-sleeping. As intuitive parents, we knew that more was happening.

At 10 months, we finally found support. We took him to a local sleep clinic for an overnight study. Sure enough, he had moderate sleep apnea. The cause? The doctor's best guess was acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). My husband and I were in a quandry. The symptoms of GERD usually appear much earlier and are more prominent in infancy. He had no symptoms during the daytime, so she emphasized that he likely had silent reflux. This is a condition that shows no symptoms. Besides his apnea and restless nights, we had little to go on. So, we started him on generic Zantac.

After about 4 weeks, he miraculously recovered. He began sleeping through the nights again! Then the other symptoms began. He began having loose stools, sometimes 3 per day. The sleep doctor said that it was unlikely that the medication was the culprit, so we continued him on it. He returned to the sleep clinic for a follow-up sleep study. His apneas had disappeared almost completely and his sleep was restful.

Until...

A week later, we were back in the same position as before. When we mentioned it to the sleep doctor, she said that the results were in and that he was fine. The implication, regardless of what we were experiencing at home during the night, he was fine. What?!?

So, now here I am...

He is now 12 months old. He sleeps for short intervals. He takes generic Zantac. He has loose stools. We are $3000 poorer.

And when people hear this, their response? Just let him cry it out.

Here is an idea, while I have some quiet, I am going to try crying it out.