This poor boy of mine still has issues with sleep sometime. Like last night. Ugh!
He has never been a good 'napper" and when people ask if get things done while he naps, I just laugh at him! This little boy does not nap! Ok, well, 15-20 minutes in the morning (if lucky) and maybe another 15-20 minutes in the early evening. Oh, and that is on me or in the front carrier. He will fall asleep while nursing and once we are done, I can lay him on my lap, but once I move even an inch, he will wake up. Sometimes he is just so tired that I can put him in the front carrier and he MAY sleep up to 45 minutes or so. There has been some days when he literally sleeps for no more than 15 minutes.
For the last two days, I could tell he was getting tired and restless about 5-6 pm. When he acts like this, we will nurse and he will take a short nap. Instead of nursing though the last couple of days, he has signed "eat," so I have put him in his chair and gave him some food. (Maybe we are starting to wean?) But the problem is that since he didn't nurse, he also didn't nap! What happens when we don't have a nap? We get overtired and we are up at night!
Last night he skipped his early evening nap because he wanted to "eat" and by 7:45, he was nursing and falling asleep in my lap. He usually goes to bed around 9-9:30, so this was kind of early. By about 9 pm, he was still sound asleep, so I laid him in bed. I was hoping he would sleep all night and I would just see him earlier in the morning. I was WRONG! I went to bed and laid there because I couldn't sleep for the longest time.
Around midnight, I heard him start to cry. I have been letting him cry lately for at least a little bit to see if he can put himself back to sleep. I let him cry for about 30-45 minutes last night and he wasn't going back to sleep at all! I finally went in there and picked him up. I fed him and I thought he was asleep on my lap. Then all of the sudden, he popped up and started talking and pointing to toys! It is around 1:15 am!!
I know from past experiences with him that it is much easier to let him wake up, play a little bit, and then he usually goes back to sleep. It may take a couple of hours, but it is the best way to do it.
About 1 am, I let him off my lap to go play. I grabbed one of his thicker blankets and made myself a pillow on the floor. (I have done this soooo many times with this kid!) He played for about 45 minutes and then started signing "milk " again. I told him that he already had his milk and asked him if he wanted a "drink." He smiled, so we both made the trek to the kitchen and I got him some water. I checked my email and Facebook for awhile and he hung out on my lap. I could tell he was getting tired.
About 2:15, we headed back to his room to rock awhile. He finally fell asleep and after holding him only about 5 minutes, I tried to lay him down. That didn't work! He woke right back up! I sat down again and this time, I held him longer to get into a deeper sleep. Around 2:45, I was able to lay him down in bed and he stayed asleep!!!
I finally went back to bed and got some sleep for the first time in the night.
Today he actually slept about an hour in the front carrier while I was shopping. I am sure he will sleep all night tonight!
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
Officially on school break!
I had hopes of doing schoolwork all this week. We are not as far as I would like to be, and I thought we could just keep plugging along since we don't have any other activities this week.
HA!! I was soooo wrong!! I should have remembered from the last few year's that the week before Christmas is actually the busiest time for me! I have been out every afternoon to get stuff and was out again last night buying last minute presents.
By Tuesday, I had realized we weren't going to be able to have school all day. I thought we would just have school in the morning, and THEN life hit me. I don't even have time for that!
What did we end up doing this week? Math! And that is it! We got Megan to her midyear final and we got Courtney to the end of chapter 7. She is a chapter short of her midyear final. I figure this was a great place to stop.
As for English, writing, reading, science, history, geography, Bible, well, those can all wait!!
We are going to take next week completely off for my sanity. I have a bedroom that has become a dumping ground the last six months and I need to find the floor again.
I plan on starting school back up on Monday, January 2nd. These kids don't need 2-3 weeks off like their public school counterparts! I tell them that they go to school half as much as their friends and really don't have it so bad!
So here is to a nice holiday break!! And maybe Micah can work on napping in his crib over break :)
HA!! I was soooo wrong!! I should have remembered from the last few year's that the week before Christmas is actually the busiest time for me! I have been out every afternoon to get stuff and was out again last night buying last minute presents.
By Tuesday, I had realized we weren't going to be able to have school all day. I thought we would just have school in the morning, and THEN life hit me. I don't even have time for that!
What did we end up doing this week? Math! And that is it! We got Megan to her midyear final and we got Courtney to the end of chapter 7. She is a chapter short of her midyear final. I figure this was a great place to stop.
As for English, writing, reading, science, history, geography, Bible, well, those can all wait!!
We are going to take next week completely off for my sanity. I have a bedroom that has become a dumping ground the last six months and I need to find the floor again.
I plan on starting school back up on Monday, January 2nd. These kids don't need 2-3 weeks off like their public school counterparts! I tell them that they go to school half as much as their friends and really don't have it so bad!
So here is to a nice holiday break!! And maybe Micah can work on napping in his crib over break :)
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Learning to Talk and Communicate!
Micah is at such a fun stage right now. I love to watch his little brain grow and develop. I think the other kids are really enjoying it too. He has learned a couple signs for sign language, such as "milk," "more", and even "please" which is super cute because he can't do it right!! His hands do the same thing at the same time like Megan's, so it doesn't quite work for him! We just giggle at it!
He has also been learning some words. He can't say a lot yet, but he is beginning to understand when we talk. Courtney has taught him the #1 word in her world- "ball." We have a little basketball hoop, so she hooked it onto his crib and now they can play basketball together. Whenever we go into his room, he says "ball" and looks around for the basketball. He always looks under his crib because that is where it usually is! Today he was sitting in his chair eating and Courtney went into the garage and got her basketball. She brought it into the house and right away Micah said, "ball" really clear! Matt had never heard him say it before, so that was fun! He kept saying it over and over and over. I think he wanted it from Courtney!
He also knows when it is time to take a bath." I sometimes say, "Do you want to go splish splash?" and he takes his hands and acts like he is splashing in the water. :)
He also has the "milk" sign down. Whenever it is time to nurse, he will go get his blanket and bring it to me. While he is coming over, he is usually saying, "this, this" and signing milk. I know he is trying to say something, I just haven't figured out what "this" means yet! He then gets on my lap and lays down. He knows what to do!! Sometimes he signs "milk" when it is not time to nurse. I just say "no" and redirect him. He doesn't need to nurse whenever he wants! He can nurse when it is time to nurse! We are supposed to be weaning, not picking up feedings!
He also eats three meals a day and has two snacks. We nurse, eat, nurse, eat, nurse, eat, nurse, eat all day long. I swear he is eating about every 1 1/2 hours or so. He is a big boy though! He eats about everything too (except milk, eggs, wheat, and peanut butter!)
He has also been learning some words. He can't say a lot yet, but he is beginning to understand when we talk. Courtney has taught him the #1 word in her world- "ball." We have a little basketball hoop, so she hooked it onto his crib and now they can play basketball together. Whenever we go into his room, he says "ball" and looks around for the basketball. He always looks under his crib because that is where it usually is! Today he was sitting in his chair eating and Courtney went into the garage and got her basketball. She brought it into the house and right away Micah said, "ball" really clear! Matt had never heard him say it before, so that was fun! He kept saying it over and over and over. I think he wanted it from Courtney!
He also knows when it is time to take a bath." I sometimes say, "Do you want to go splish splash?" and he takes his hands and acts like he is splashing in the water. :)
He also has the "milk" sign down. Whenever it is time to nurse, he will go get his blanket and bring it to me. While he is coming over, he is usually saying, "this, this" and signing milk. I know he is trying to say something, I just haven't figured out what "this" means yet! He then gets on my lap and lays down. He knows what to do!! Sometimes he signs "milk" when it is not time to nurse. I just say "no" and redirect him. He doesn't need to nurse whenever he wants! He can nurse when it is time to nurse! We are supposed to be weaning, not picking up feedings!
He also eats three meals a day and has two snacks. We nurse, eat, nurse, eat, nurse, eat, nurse, eat all day long. I swear he is eating about every 1 1/2 hours or so. He is a big boy though! He eats about everything too (except milk, eggs, wheat, and peanut butter!)
Friday, December 16, 2016
Results from Megan's allergy test
We went in on Wednesday and had three big patches removed from Megan's back. The poor thing was in so much pain! The nurse was not very nice about it and every time she pulled on the tape, Megan jumped and cried some more. It was hard to watch! I even asked the nurse if we could take a break at one point and she just kept on yanking. :( It was honestly like pulling a big bandaid off her back! The poor kid hurt all day.
Anyway, after the patches were taken off, the doctor came in and read the results. There were a few spots that had reacted. One of them was blistering! And amazingly, none of them were the ones the doctor thought. She is not allergy to "M." She IS allergic to caine mix, potassium dichromate (this is the one that was blistering), bronopol, and gold! The doctor said that if she is allergic to gold, she may be very sensitive to other metals, which just MAY be why we had so much trouble with earrings when she was younger!
The doctor says he rarely sees kids with four allergens, it's usually just one or two! He also usually sees one that sticks out quite a bit more than the others, but Megan's were not so bad.
He couldn't quite equate these four allergens to her aquahives and eczema exactly, ,but he did say they might have a part to play. He recommended changing her soaps, shampoos, conditioners, etc. to hypoallergic and he thought just that change would help her skin. I hope so!
Now I am going to go back in on Wednesday and see if we can get to the bottom of my trouble. I am pretty sure I am having trouble digesting sugar! Let's get it all done before December 31st!
Anyway, after the patches were taken off, the doctor came in and read the results. There were a few spots that had reacted. One of them was blistering! And amazingly, none of them were the ones the doctor thought. She is not allergy to "M." She IS allergic to caine mix, potassium dichromate (this is the one that was blistering), bronopol, and gold! The doctor said that if she is allergic to gold, she may be very sensitive to other metals, which just MAY be why we had so much trouble with earrings when she was younger!
The doctor says he rarely sees kids with four allergens, it's usually just one or two! He also usually sees one that sticks out quite a bit more than the others, but Megan's were not so bad.
He couldn't quite equate these four allergens to her aquahives and eczema exactly, ,but he did say they might have a part to play. He recommended changing her soaps, shampoos, conditioners, etc. to hypoallergic and he thought just that change would help her skin. I hope so!
Now I am going to go back in on Wednesday and see if we can get to the bottom of my trouble. I am pretty sure I am having trouble digesting sugar! Let's get it all done before December 31st!
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Allergy test for Megan
Since we are at the end of the year and have hit our deductible, I have decided to get as much done in the medical department as I can!
Megan has been fighting hives whenever she showers for the last year and a half along with eczema in her elbows and behind her knees. She also had a hard time last spring sleeping at night. This all started in June of 2015 when she had a swollen eye for some odd reason.
We have talked to our chiropractors and pediatrician and neither one had very good answers, so I decided to take her to an allergist.
Guess what? He thinks she is allergic to MERCAPTOBENZOTHIAZOLE!!!
What is that, you may ask?? Well, it's a product they use in sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, and many rubber products.
I asked him how he came to this conclusion and he said allergies to "M" usually starts with a swollen eye and it triggers other allergic reactions, such as aqua hives and eczema!!
He said the aqua hives will last 5-10 years or even a lifetime. Honestly, I think they are going away. There are a lot less of them than there used to be!
Because he is suspicious of this allergy, he recommended doing a T.R.U.E. test on Megan. Since we have met our deductible, Matt and I agreed to go forth with this test.
We went back to the allergist yesterday and they applied three patches on her back. It actually included 36 different chemicals and one of them was "M". Unfortunately, as they were putting the last one on, Megan almost fainted! I think the nurse and I caught her in the nick of time! She doesn't remember us laying her down on the bed!! It was quite a fright!
She has to wear these three patches for 48 hours, so we will go back in tomorrow morning and the doctor will read them. I think he is going to put them back on and we have to go in again Friday morning to have them read again.
He said if she does come up allergic to "M", she will need to avoid any products with this in it, such as shampoo, soaps, conditioner, and sunscreen. I am not sure if she will outgrow it or not.
I am so used to everyone having food allergies, this one might actually be simple to deal with in the long run!
Megan has been fighting hives whenever she showers for the last year and a half along with eczema in her elbows and behind her knees. She also had a hard time last spring sleeping at night. This all started in June of 2015 when she had a swollen eye for some odd reason.
We have talked to our chiropractors and pediatrician and neither one had very good answers, so I decided to take her to an allergist.
Guess what? He thinks she is allergic to MERCAPTOBENZOTHIAZOLE!!!
What is that, you may ask?? Well, it's a product they use in sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, and many rubber products.
I asked him how he came to this conclusion and he said allergies to "M" usually starts with a swollen eye and it triggers other allergic reactions, such as aqua hives and eczema!!
He said the aqua hives will last 5-10 years or even a lifetime. Honestly, I think they are going away. There are a lot less of them than there used to be!
Because he is suspicious of this allergy, he recommended doing a T.R.U.E. test on Megan. Since we have met our deductible, Matt and I agreed to go forth with this test.
We went back to the allergist yesterday and they applied three patches on her back. It actually included 36 different chemicals and one of them was "M". Unfortunately, as they were putting the last one on, Megan almost fainted! I think the nurse and I caught her in the nick of time! She doesn't remember us laying her down on the bed!! It was quite a fright!
She has to wear these three patches for 48 hours, so we will go back in tomorrow morning and the doctor will read them. I think he is going to put them back on and we have to go in again Friday morning to have them read again.
He said if she does come up allergic to "M", she will need to avoid any products with this in it, such as shampoo, soaps, conditioner, and sunscreen. I am not sure if she will outgrow it or not.
I am so used to everyone having food allergies, this one might actually be simple to deal with in the long run!
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Allergy Results for me!
After four years of dealing with food sensitivities and watching what I eat, I finally decided to see an allergist about it all. (I had been seeing a chiropractic internist before this.) I have also been having some hives and some red spots appearing when I eat sugar or fruit, so I thought I would go see what he had to say.
His opinion was opposite of what I have been told for the last four years!! I know this is medical vs. natural, but I just kind of left shaking my head and not knowing what to think about it all!
He didn't have much to say about me breaking out in hives once or twice a month or even about my red spots on the back of my neck when I eat fruit. He did do a skin allergy test on me for milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, and coconut. Everything came back negative!! (Unlike Micah's test the week before!) His words were, "Well, now that we know you are not going to die from these things, let's get them back in your diet!" He said that sometimes when people go off foods for so long like I have, they tend to build up an allergy to them. Luckily I have not done that yet!
He wants to get me back on milk first, but since I have had a sensitivity to sugar lately, he recommended drinking 2 ounces of Lactaid (milk with no sugar) every day for two weeks. I said, "Two ounces?? Are you crazy? I haven't had milk for 5 years and I am going to drink two ounces everyday!" Let's just say I started with 1/4 teaspoon!! I am going to work it back in slowly, not all of the sudden!
I also kept a food journal this weekend to see if I could figure this out on my own. I realized that every time I eat fruit, I get itchy and break out on the back of my neck within five minutes. I emailed him on Monday and mentioned it. I got a call back from the nurse today and she said to keep a journal of what I was eating and maybe we can figure it out. Seriously?? Isn't that what I just said I was doing?? She said the doctor didn't think it was an allergic reaction and since I wasn't dying from it, I was supposed to go ahead and keep eating fruit. She said if it really bothered me, I could pull it out of my diet. She then wanted me to discuss it with him at my next appointment. I asked her when I was supposed to come back and she responded with, "In six months." Apparently I am supposed to just deal with itchiness for the next six months?? Really?? I just shook my head. I have not had any fruit in the last day and have been fine, but I need to eat fruit! I may end up back at a functional medicine doctor again!!
He also wanted me to eat from the FODMAP diet. This is food that is easier to digest, so when I go back on milk, I may not have so many gut issues. My only problem is that half of the food on the FODMAP diet is food that I have been reacting to lately! Fruit and sugar! There goes that idea!
I am going to take Megan in to see him on Friday because she breaks out in hives whenever she takes a shower. I don't think it is good for her to break out in hives every two days. I mentioned this to him when I was there last week and he said something had to trigger this and that is what we need to find out. Hopefully we will find an answer!!
I do think he is a really nice guy and really knows what he is talking about. He is probably the first medical doctor I have been to in the last four years (besides having Micah last year!) He knows where the more naturalistic doctors are coming from, and he has his own opinion. He doesn't put them down or anything, he is just medically trained, so he sees things differently than they do. Hopefully I can figure out the best of both worlds and get my body figured out. :)
His opinion was opposite of what I have been told for the last four years!! I know this is medical vs. natural, but I just kind of left shaking my head and not knowing what to think about it all!
He didn't have much to say about me breaking out in hives once or twice a month or even about my red spots on the back of my neck when I eat fruit. He did do a skin allergy test on me for milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, and coconut. Everything came back negative!! (Unlike Micah's test the week before!) His words were, "Well, now that we know you are not going to die from these things, let's get them back in your diet!" He said that sometimes when people go off foods for so long like I have, they tend to build up an allergy to them. Luckily I have not done that yet!
He wants to get me back on milk first, but since I have had a sensitivity to sugar lately, he recommended drinking 2 ounces of Lactaid (milk with no sugar) every day for two weeks. I said, "Two ounces?? Are you crazy? I haven't had milk for 5 years and I am going to drink two ounces everyday!" Let's just say I started with 1/4 teaspoon!! I am going to work it back in slowly, not all of the sudden!
I also kept a food journal this weekend to see if I could figure this out on my own. I realized that every time I eat fruit, I get itchy and break out on the back of my neck within five minutes. I emailed him on Monday and mentioned it. I got a call back from the nurse today and she said to keep a journal of what I was eating and maybe we can figure it out. Seriously?? Isn't that what I just said I was doing?? She said the doctor didn't think it was an allergic reaction and since I wasn't dying from it, I was supposed to go ahead and keep eating fruit. She said if it really bothered me, I could pull it out of my diet. She then wanted me to discuss it with him at my next appointment. I asked her when I was supposed to come back and she responded with, "In six months." Apparently I am supposed to just deal with itchiness for the next six months?? Really?? I just shook my head. I have not had any fruit in the last day and have been fine, but I need to eat fruit! I may end up back at a functional medicine doctor again!!
He also wanted me to eat from the FODMAP diet. This is food that is easier to digest, so when I go back on milk, I may not have so many gut issues. My only problem is that half of the food on the FODMAP diet is food that I have been reacting to lately! Fruit and sugar! There goes that idea!
I am going to take Megan in to see him on Friday because she breaks out in hives whenever she takes a shower. I don't think it is good for her to break out in hives every two days. I mentioned this to him when I was there last week and he said something had to trigger this and that is what we need to find out. Hopefully we will find an answer!!
I do think he is a really nice guy and really knows what he is talking about. He is probably the first medical doctor I have been to in the last four years (besides having Micah last year!) He knows where the more naturalistic doctors are coming from, and he has his own opinion. He doesn't put them down or anything, he is just medically trained, so he sees things differently than they do. Hopefully I can figure out the best of both worlds and get my body figured out. :)
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