I'll Love You Forever

Sometimes I really cant believe how big Jake has gotten. He will always be my sweet baby boy, but I may need a chiropractor. ;-)

10 Month Old

10 month old baby bear Jake and his book!

Jake is growing!!! We are grateful for him. He is climbing, standing, cruising, and bouncing his way around. He is eating PEARS, his one and only safe solid food! He is clapping. He is getting more and more hair. He loves books and stories. He loves feeling the pages of the touch books with little animals. He concentrates really hard and has a thinking face where he sticks his bottom lip out a bit and crinkles his brow and tries to look over those big kissy cheeks of his to see the pages. He is afraid of being away from mom and dad, but he loves people. He has a funny little laugh that sounds more like a hoarse cough and it only comes out once, but he does it the moment he is picked up and walked outside or sees a smiling face. He loves the wind gently on his face and watching the cars go by outside. He loves his daddy. His first word was 'dada'. He is our sweet, sweet boy. He is doing better with his tummy, but we haven't tried new foods. We need to be brave and try new foods, but his happiness has been amazing and I don't want his tummy to hurt. His personality is really getting to be so much fun. He is super determined and if a "road block" is placed between him and any dangerous object in the house, he will scale it and push it and do all he can to climb over it. He will even cry is protest. He squeals with delight and buzzes his lips when he is happy. He just started standing and pushing around a little toy walker. He is so much fun!

FPIES Follow-up

Things are looking up Jake!!!

So, about two weeks ago, I decided to go on an elimination diet. You may be asking, "How is it going?!" To which I would respond, "Good, Jake is doing better at least for now! ha ha!" I have made some major diet changes. You may be asking other questions and here are a few possible ones I would ask myself! ha ha!

What do you eat?

I tried millet cereal for the first few days and I wasn't such a huge fan. It's supposed to be on the low end of the allergy scale, but yuck. I went to trader joes and bought steel cut oats. I eat them every morning with coconut milk and agave. I eat most fruits and veggies, and lots and lots of pears and avocados. They are pretty allergy friendly and they dont seem to bug little man too much. Dinner usually includes a salad with chicken or turkey.

Why are you doing this?

I'm desperate to help my little man eat. His stomach needed a break.

Well, what's going on with Jake? It is really helping him?

His problems start and begin with food. They are strictly food related. He has really good days when he isn't having a hurt tummy. He has sensitivity and severe reactions to food proteins.

Without jumping the gun, Jake has been sleeping better. Not perfect, but better AND we have started pears again with much success. He gets a tiny lick every day and today...ok I may shed a tear here, I shared a pear with him and he licked it and gnawing at it, and I waited for a reaction and nothing!! My heart rejoiced. There is something really special about sharing food with your baby. Maybe because I want it really bad. Well, I don't want to get my hopes up, but I think there is progress being made. Tomorrow I will cut up some pieces and see what he thinks about that.

What does Jake sleeping better have ANYTHING to do with your eating?

MMMKay, FPIES babies are super sensitive to food proteins. It is a guessing game with each baby. One baby may react to peaches, another may not. There is no list on what works and what doesn't. Eliminating common offending foods causing stomach irritation such as dairy, soy, nuts, etc etc helps to minimize inflammation of the gut. Nursing FPIES babies seem to have a reaction to what their moms eat. Some doctors disagree. They probably dont have FPIES babies or have even heard of it.

Jake had sleep issues from the beginning and wakes up frequently from a dead sleep screeching. Sometimes he will have really good nights and we get so excited, then he will have bad ones. We think it may be related to stomach issues. That is the whole thing I am trying to prove. It's an experiment of sorts.

Are you just overreacting because you are tired?

No. I will sleep when I am dead.

How do you do it?

I have learned that sleep is overrated and I love my under eye concealer. Anyone can do anything they set their mind to even if you are sleep deprived. That and prayer and love from family and friends really helps. ;-) Awwww, shout out to all you wonderful peeps who keep us breathing!

Is Jake just being a cranky baby and you are just a silly first time mom?

Please, dont even go there. He's a wonderful baby who is doing better, and becoming less and less cranky with age and with some nutritional research.

No, really?

I have a somewhat rational brain and I think A LOT, I read A LOT and I really think he is doing better and becoming a normal toddler that I love and laugh with all the time. His normal baby antics have nothing to do with him throwing up two hours after eating food. I can deal with a squirmy baby, a baby who is constipated, a baby who cries. What I worry about his him being able to eat and missing that window of opportunity. Food therapy is very costly and tricky. Babies must learn that different tastes and textures are part of eating. We all had to learn that at one point.

The whole puking and passing out thing is really no fun.

What now?

One step in front of the other. I hope to have him eating at least 3 foods by the time he is one year old. I just ordered millet porridge from Australia. Desperate? Perhaps. Love my baby?Yes.