Getting to the Bottom of It

Who is this baby? It's Annaliese! Look! A smile! Finally caught one. I had to post a few new details about what's been going on (and why Annaliese is feeling a bit better these days.) About a week ago we switched her over 100% to a Hypoallergenic formula by Similac called Alimentum. It's made specifically for babies with milk allergies. We tried it before, but not completely, I would still breastfeed her at night because I was too tired to bottle feed. Anyway, we did find out that this formula is the "lesser of the two evils".... She still has little bumps and rashes that pop up at least once a day, and she has cradle cap and the red ring around her little bum, but she is NOT CRYING ANYMORE!! Unless she's hungry or tired that is. It's such a dramatic difference. We are going to see the allergy doctor Wednesday to see what other formulas we can try so that maybe we can eliminate all her symptoms.

Unfortunately, she has some other things going on since we've started the formula. I hope this isn't TMI for everyone, but she has stringy mucous in her poop. We took her to a pediatrician in St. George, and it tested positive for blood in the stool. Her urine did as well. The doctor thought she might have an infection, but we're waiting on some lab stuff to see if that's the case. My gut instinct says that's not it, but I would love it if I were wrong, because an infection is an easy-fix.


We are still seeing the chiropractor, and some of you mentioned the NAET method, and that is what he is doing on her. He doesn't know how long it will take for it to work on her (he says it always works), but we've been 7 times, and I'm capping it off at 10. It hasn't worked so far. I REALLY want it to work, and I am even pumping to try to keep my milk just in case we can keep doing that. If not, so be it. I took the advice of a good friend to let Annaliese know that I love and accept her just the way she is. She seems to respond to loving words and loving touch, way more so than Kalia ever did.

This picture had to be documented: She has done this twice this week, just falling asleep sitting up in someone's arms. Usually she has to be swaddled and bounced with a binky. So I think this is a good sign. And it's so darn cute. Thanks everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and concern. Hopefully we will have more answers soon.

Update

HEATHER: Not much to report on me. I have to hold Annaliese for about 80% of my waking hours. I pretty much only put her down when Kalia needs to eat or be changed. She always wakes up when I put her down. More on her later. I am still breastfeeding her and since I'm not eating anything with milk, eggs, soy, corn, tomatoes, onions or broccoli, I have finally started losing weight again (I plateaued for awhile.) I lost 11 lbs last month and have 10 more to go, so hopefully it will keep coming off. Samuel has been patient with me, as I have not cooked or cleaned since the baby was born. Probably because he is distracted by his new toys. And because he is holding Annaliese for the other 20% of the time, and he knows why I don't get anything done. Oh yeah, I did get some new contacts. Somebody accidentally washed mine down the drain. No naming names (but it was not anyone female.) They are hard contacts (not disposable) so I hope this pair lasts me another three years. I am seeing better than ever though!0

ANNALIESE: Her pictures loaded first, so she can be first. Things are still pretty rough with her. There was improvement, but we still have a ways to go. On a positive note, she has been smiling at us for awhile. It's my favorite thing-- waking up in the mornings. She rewards me with the hugest smiles ever. Unfortunately, the SECOND the camera comes out, she looks like she's seen a ghost. Just like this picture:

Her eyes are surprisingly quite blue. We never expected that...my eyes are brown and Samuel's are green. We'll see if they stay this way.
This is Kenya (Tara's 6 month old). We've been to St. George a few times lately, my mom had surgery on her shoulder for a torn-rotator cuff.) She's such a cute chunk, and the best baby I've ever seen.

And here's the girls in matching jammies. Oh, let the matching begin. It's so cheesy and so fun.

So, here's what's going on with her health: Her reflux really got bad, so we gave in and took her to the doctor. She's now on liquid Zantac and doing much better. I guess it was $130 well spent. The doctor found that she had an EAR INFECTION from all that congestion, but that it was resolving itself. Poor little thing, no WONDER she screamed so much. Allergies, reflux, AND an ear infection? Anyway, the allergies are really giving us a hard time still. Milk, soy, and corn are the worst...we've learned through trial and error. The good news is that she doesn't seem to be allergic to wheat. The bad news is the corn-- She is just miserable. So I quit eating it---but it's in SO many things--including baby formula. Even the non-milk and non-soy and the "hypoallergenic formulas" --one of the main ingredients is corn. (I didn't know that. It's like, corn syrup solids and stuff like that.) So it's like...which is the lesser of the two evils...formula with a little corn, or breastmilk with traces of other things? I am trying really hard to not eat anything that bothers her. We also started taking her to a chiropractor. He was referred to us by a friend (he cleared up her boys' allergies in just 5 visits) so we are hopeful that he can help Annaliese too.

I had to take her to the pediatrician again on Monday because she screamed so bad on Sunday night, we almost took her to the emergency room. I was in St. George and my mom and Tara and everybody heard the cries, and they all think something is really wrong with her. The doctor found that it's not her ears (finally better) or throat, but a possible urinary tract infection. They found a little bit of infection in a urine sample, and they've sent it away to do a culture. I don't know what to think, because sometimes she's pretty good during the day (when she's held) but is really fussy at night. So it's almost like we've come full circle. Back to COLIC. Anyway, I am just doing my best to make her comfortable, but it kills me that I can't always ease her discomfort. I think I am tense all the time (and I'm sure she picks up on it and it makes her even more nervous.) Anyway, she really has a sweet little spirit, and I love her to bits, but the Lord is testing me in so many ways with this, and I just keep hoping that I'm learning whatever it is He wants me to learn. Here's a happy moment.

KALIA: Thank goodness, she has FINALLY adjusted to having a sibling. She is not clingy anymore and she's doing so much better with Nursery (she's barely 17 months but they're letting her go anyway) and with babysitters.

My favorite thing that she does is when Barney is on (the same episode, about 6 times a day) she hears the "I love you" song and she comes running to me, wherever I am, and gives me kisses and hugs. She's really become affectionate and I love it. She's talking a lot too, and likes to repeat the last word of sentences. She's really loving spaghetti noodles ("noo-nos") and slurps them up like a pro.

It was pretty funny, over the weekend in St. George we heard her crying a lot, but we just ignored her. Finally someone went and found her on the stairs, stuck. Somehow she'd gotten both legs into her pajamas. Yes, she still has her binkies. I'm not going to try to wean her yet, because Annaliese is taking a binky and so they're all over the house. We'll figure that one out later.

She's getting a lot of teeth, and I don't do her hair unless we go out (basically that's only for church.) So she does run around looking like a little rag-a-muffin (sp?), but I'm okay with it. It's really the least of my worries.

She got this little playhouse for Christmas, it's called the Rose Petal cottage, and it is so adorable. She's a little young to play pretend; I'm sure she'll like the cottage even more as she gets older. But she sure loves it when I crawl in there and read her stories. I miss all the time I used to have with her, but we'll all just have to get over it.

She is so funny and constantly makes me laugh (much needed laughter!!) Whenever we go outside, she either hops or jogs everywhere. I need to get a video of that. She brings me so much joy and I really do love this age.

Just two little clips of the girls. I was trying to get Kalia to talk about her "boyfriend" but she was a little too involved in her book. And this is just a short clip of Annaliese so you can see how she looks. She's almost 3 months old. Well, both babies are screaming now, so....I am done blogging for the day. Goodbye.

Improvements!!!

Wow, you guys, SERIOUSLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your advice and suggestions and love and support were SOOOOOOOO HELPFUL in so many different ways. We've seen some major improvements in the last week, and here's what's helping:

1. We put her on an expensive fomula for a few days (specifically for allergies and colic) but it HELPED! She immediately stopped with the rashes and the crying and reflux improved too.

2. I went on a completely dairy-free, egg-free diet. I won't lie. IT HAS BEEN HARD. I feel hungry for a lot of the day. I am basically only eating fruits, veggies, and some meat here and there. I am having major carbohydrate and junk food withdrawls (since sooo much of that crap has milk and eggs in it) but it is getting easier, and the best parts are:
*A* Annaliese is nursing again and doing much better. She still breaks out in a little rash every now and then, but then I can trace it back to something I ate with TRACES of milk or egg in it, and so I'm getting better at not eating things that she reacts too.
*B* I'm eating much healthier. I never would have had the willpower to do it for my own good.
*C* I've lost a few pounds already since starting it.

3. My friend Emily knows sooo much about herbal remedies and what is helpful for what, etc. She gave me some Coral Calcium powder, some Slippery Elm Powder, some Aloe Vera Juice, and some peppermint. She really urged me to do what felt right to me, and since Annaliese kind of refused the "master mix" I made her of ALL that stuff, I really felt strongest to give her lots of Coral Calcium. (Then later I started with more Slippery Elm, to help coat her stomach and intestines and help the reflux.) I'm not sure WHAT is doing WHAT but she started pooping at least once a day, sleeping more both day and night, she only cries for little bits here and there after eating, and her nightly "screaming episodes" are down to about 10-15 minutes, IF AT ALL!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS???

4. We give her tiny doses of Mylanta for instant relief when she's hurting. Don't worry, I read online that it's okay, the infant does is 1/8 of tsp (althought I confess we give her more sometimes). If she doesn't continue to improve, I will go ahead and take her to the doctor.

5. I do squats and lunges with her to get her to stop crying, and that works too. And my legs are toning right up. Thanks Mel, for telling me about that trick!

6. Today after she ate she really started crying in pain, and so I tried a new trick-- I turned on a blowdryer and just held it by her ear (pointed away of course) and she stopped crying immediately. 5 minutes later I was able to rock her to sleep. GOOD TO KNOW!

Soo...it appears the worst is over. I am feeling so much better. I got a good chunk of sleep the other night (thanks to Samuel and also some Melatonin) and it's just so true, everything is easier when you're not so tired!! Also, Emily gave me an herbal mix called "Happy Juice" and that stuff makes me feel good--the emotional equivalent of a good workout, I'd say! If anybody wants to know more about that awesome stuff, please ask!!

Annaliese is just a different baby. She is smiling so much more and her eyes are brighter and she's more alert. As soon as our insurance comes through (any day now) I am going to take her to the doctor anyway just to have a chat with him, and also find out when I can get her tested for allergies and maybe asthma. She's still wheezing and stuff, but not as bad. I'd also like to know if I should eliminate (or add back) anything into my diet.

I'm just so grateful that things are finally turning. The last month has been miserable. Finally things seem to be making sense, and I can look back and see that I WAS learning from it all, and hopefully progessing in the eternal scheme of things. I hope I can add "improved patience" as a benefit from all this too. It's felt like quite the refiners fire, but I was told in a blessing that things were "working together for my good" and of course I need to trust that, even when I can't see it when things get too hot in that fire.

Thank you again for your loving support and for all the great ideas. I'll (of course) keep you updated on things.

Weathering the Storm

Well, sometimes life is really hard. Right now...things are very, very hard at our house. When it comes to blogging, I have two options: Disappear, and don't write, and you'll all (mistakenly) think that I am doing great and handling two babies so well, I have perfect children, and a perfect life.

OR

I can tell it like it is, knowing that many of you will have helpful ideas and suggestions. And I will have all this important information stored away for the future, when I forget everything (which is bound to happen, due to the ever-increasing fatigue I'm feeling.)

So, first of all, poor Annaliese is a sensitive little thing. Light, sound, touch, it's all bigger, brighter, and louder to her. The last three weeks have been...well, pretty much just hellish. She has CRIED and CRIED and CRIED. It was at it's worst last week, Christmastime, and the only good thing about that is that we were at Samuel's parent's house in Phoenix and they BOTH bent over backwards trying to help- they would take her and hold her and bounce and rock her for HOURS (even if it was the middle of the night.) That was a huge, much-needed blessing.

I am starting to lose my sanity. And have some post-partum depression. The crying...it just wears me down. I have moments when I feel great, but they are random and not very often.

I dyed my hair...and it turned out black. I think I have it lightened to dark brown now, and I like it, but I'll tell you that story later. I'm just not thinking very clearly. I'm so tired.

So, everyone I've talked to asks me about her symptoms: Here they are: She only poops once every three days (which may be considered normal.) She starts crying, hard, about 10 minutes after she eats, and I can tell she is really in pain. She's pretty gassy. She has been congested since she was born, and sometimes has a hard time breathing. We are constantly suctioning out her nose. She gets rashes (that look like baby acne) on her face, but they disappear a day later and show up on another part of her face. She is always spitting up, sometimes it's a large quantity, and often it is clear. Her poops (when they come) have a slightly green tint to them, are runny, and sometimes have a bit of mucous in them. She is in the most pain and fussiest from about 4 p.m on. She used to sleep really well at night, and only wake up to eat, but this last week she started crying in the middle of the night too.

I have prayed so hard...it just doesn't seem fair that a baby should suffer like this. I just don't feel like I'm getting answers as quickly as I'd like, and I'm trying not to be frustrated, but...I am very frustrated. Annaliese has had two priesthood blessings and so far it's hard for me to see any improvement. Maybe very TINY improvements, but that's it.

So, after researching like crazy, I have decided it must be allergies (to what I'm eating) and/or reflux. The symptoms are really similar. So I cut out dairy and eggs as of two days ago to see if there's a difference. I'm trying herbal remedies for her tummy, but they only seem to help a little as well. I may have to give in and go get her a prescription for something, but as of right now we don't have health insurance for me or her, and so it will be expensive.

She is almost two months old. I really believe this is more than colic. She really is in a lot of pain. Regardless, for anyone who's had a colicky baby, I now have a whole new sympathy. This has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with. Probably in my life. Please, please, please let me know if you have any ideas of what I can do. Thanks everybody. I look forward to the day that this has passed, but I seriously don't know how I can make it one or two more months, when they supposedly "outgrow" this.

Family Pics December 2008

Well, a HUGE THANKS to my great friend Marylin who took some family pictures for us. She was great. She caught some really sweet moments on camera...here's a few faves (ok, more than a few...)









So...leave me a comment and let me know which one you like best for a Christmas card. Thanks for your help!!
(Ok, the above one is not really an option...but can you tell Kalia is DONE with pictures?)

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!

Time Flies

I can't believe how fast the days go by...or the hours for that matter. I am spending almost every spare second (and there are never enough!) trying to finish my mom's Christmas present (turning her blog into a Blurb book. Free shipping ends in 4 days.) It is taking FOREVER to put the comments in there, that's my one complaint about blurb. It doesn't do blogger comments. But I know my mom wants them in there.

We had a great, crazy week. Samuel's parents visited for a few days. We went to the Paris hotel and ate Crepes. If you haven't ever done that, MAKE IT A PRIORITY next time you come to Vegas. They are phenomenal. And the atmosphere of the hotel is so romantic and Paris-like.
Funny story...Kalia was running around and ran RIGHT SMACK into some lady (and fell down) and the lady felt so bad, she pulled out a $25 chip from the casino tables and gave it to her! We took it to the cashier and cashed it in. Thanks Kalia! Your wildness paid off this time. Literally.

We had a lot of family in town for Thanksgiving, and so we made the most of it and blessed Annaliese on the 30th. I was able to relax and it enjoy it more this time (I was so nervous during Kalia's that something would go wrong, and I missed the whole Spirit of it.) It was a wonderful blessing...although I don't like this picture at all. Oh well.

I was especially glad that all my sisters (and their families) were there. That was a first, and made it even better.

Oh yeah, SAW TWILIGHT MOVIE! Went in with LOW EXPECTATIONS and came out very happy with it...even Edward. I did NOT think I'd like him, but I did. A lot. I want to read the book and see the movie again.

I had to post this picture because it was too cute. Thanksgiving at my aunt's house was crazy...about 50 people there? The cousins took a group bath...they all fit in one (big) tub! These hooded towels were adorable.

Annaliese weighed in at 10 lbs 8 oz at her last appointment (3 weeks old). I can't believe she gained 2 and 1/2 lbs in 3 weeks. But look at those cheeks...love it! She is still doing great, but has a fussy period around 10 or 11 almost every night. We are doing all the tricks! Swaddling, shushing, sucking...it works pretty good. We are loving this little chub so much, even with her sqawky cry. :)

More Craziness

Okay, as usual it took all morning to do this post. It's a crazy life. But we're surviving. This was over a week ago when Annaliese still had some jaundice, but I just couldn't believe that her hair got so curly when it's wet. Kalia's never did that, so we'll see if that means anything in the future.

Well, I am having MAJOR strong cravings...for french bread (I eat like, half a loaf a day) and cookie dough ice cream, and LOFTHOUSE COOKIES. BaD BaD I know, but I'm indulging anyway.

The funny part happened this morning. I was trying to upload pictures here and I turn around and guess who discovered my stash....

The part I haven't figured out yet is how she got them off the kitchen counter. I'm totally baffled. I found crumbs in her bedroom and in the living room in several places, including all over the bouncy chair. (Maybe she shared with Annaliese?) Seriously, you turn around for ONE MINUTE...


I took this picture yesterday.

Annaliese is staying awake more now, for about an hour at a time. She really likes to be held, meaning she stops crying as soon as I pick her up. I am getting good use out of a NoJo Babysling that someone gave me. It held her in even when I was bathing Kalia and washing her hair.

I think she just went through a growth spurt, my milk supply just shot up. Saturday night we sang at our stake conference, and in the three hours that we were gone I felt my milk let down SIX TIMES! What the heck!

Samuel is finally getting to bond with baby. I think I've been hogging her. I just love this tiny newborn stage, it passed too quickly the first time.

I forgot to mention that my mom was here for several days (her hair is growing back, it looks pretty good, eh? She's going to bleach it soon.) Anyway, I just could not believe how wonderful it felt to be taken care of and waited on like that. She not only cooked and helped with the girls but she sewed/mended anything I could find for her, and she scrubbed my apartment from top to bottom and I just hope she knows how grateful I am for her help and I had a great time chatting with her all day. (And I cried when she left.)

We're still working on proper baby etiquette, and here she is giving her a little eye poke.

And, last but not least, the little stinker made my morning by performing this dance. I'm glad we have this Dora on DVR so that she can watch it (and dance) to her heart's content.