Feeding Issues

  Look at that face!  Isn't she priceless?

  Ok, back to the regularly scheduled blog...

  Sarah has some feeding problems. I think I've mentioned them before...she doesn't self feed very well.  As of a few weeks ago, if I threw a cracker or baby puffs on her tray, she wouldn't eat them consistently.   That seemed odd since she does gum books and toys.

 Well, I've figured out a few things.  Sarah has some food allergies.  I learned of the first one when she started rejecting cow's milk formula.  I weaned her at 9 months as my milk supply was failing.  She drank cow's milk formula for a few days, then the next day started pushing the bottle away from her.  I forced a little into her and she broke out on her face with hives.  Ok, she's allergic to cow's milk.  No huge surprise, as 3 of her older sibs were allergic to milk as infants (2 of them have completely outgrown that allergy.)

 Then the same thing happened with eggs.  I fed her eggs a couple of times, no problem. One day, she started pushing eggs away. And her face broke out. Ok, she's allergic to eggs (Naomi was as an infant.  She outgrew it.)

  A couple of weeks ago, she happily grabbed a cracker and ate it.  The next day, she did it again. Then she wouldn't eat them anymore.

  I tried baby puffs.  She ate them happily for a couple of days.  Then she wouldn't eat them again.

 So...I'm guessing she is allergic to wheat.  She hasn't actually broken out in hives, but her eczema flared up after she ate those things.  (Isaac was allergic to wheat as an infant.  He outgrew it.)

  She WILL eat cooked broccoli with her hands.  And she ate crackers and puffs for a few days.  So she can self feed. I think she just is aware when something doesn't agree with her and won't eat them after that.

 So now I'm trying to find good food for a baby who is apparently allergic to milk, eggs, and wheat.  Sigh.  We live in a place and time when stores have a myriad of good food options, so I know I'm blessed.  I bought some egg replacer at a health food store last week and will try making coconut pancakes and bread for her soon, maybe today.

  My conclusion is that she doesn't really have a gigantic oral aversion issue, she has food allergies. That is good to know. But I do need to get creative in finding more foods she can eat herself. 

Any suggestions?

More Baby, Less Blog

That's the title of a previous post, many months ago. I was referring to Sarah then, but this time I'm referring to the baby I've been carrying.

Yes, it's been a moderetely hard pregnancy so far.  I am almost over the nausea portion, however, and am SO thankful.  I expect to have a surge of energy too.  Usually, my 2nd trimesters are quite delightful. Unfortunately, my 3rd trimesters are rather difficult as I've had preterm labor issues with the last 6 babies.

One of my life verses is:

2 Corinthians 12:9

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

  I am not someone who likes being weak.  I like working hard, I like serving others, I like feeling strong!

 When I was much younger, I would sometimes push myself physically but not resting or eating enough.  I had a subconscious belief that my physical abilities rested on my mental determination.  If I wanted something enough to work hard, I could do it.

  With my second pregnancy, I was pushing myself too hard.  At 30 weeks, I started having regular contractions 3 minutes apart.  Kevin rushed me to the hospital and I spent the night on drugs.  By God's grace, the contractions stopped and I went full term with Lydia.

   Every full term pregnancy since then I have had preterm contractions. We've never had to rush to the hospital, though we've come close.  I have had episodes of frequent contractions but lying down has caused them to stop.

  But I have to take it easily.  And I have to budget my time and energy.  I have to rest enough, and get enough sleep (inasmuch as that is possible with a baby jumping on my bladder at night!)

  Many things have to go by the wayside.  The first trimester of this pregnancy, I had to drop some aspects of school and I couldn't blog as much.  Our breakfasts got more boring, as I didn't have the energy to make muffins and eggs for breakfast most mornings.

  The last trimester, I'll probably have to spend more time on the couch. I won't be able to chase the kids around outside.  I'll be able to do less housework.

 All this is humbling and discouraging.  I have ideals of what I want to do, and be, as wife and mother.  And I feel like I'm falling down on the job sometimes.

  But God brought us this baby. And he wants me humble.  I know that this baby is a blessing in many ways, but ONE way he or she blesses me is by helping me see I need other people.  I need God, I need my husband, I need my kids, and I need my friends.  I never have been able to "do it on my own", but pregnancy helps me to grasp that truth in a very real way.

3 eggs!

Our chickens laid 3 eggs yesterday!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

(That's a quote from a weird poem, The Jabberwocky.)

Color experiment

3 test tubes with a primary color in each -- namely, blue, yellow, and red.

Then, using pipettes, the children put differing amounts of the colored liquids into these trays.  Here they were investigating red and yellow.  Obviously there is a range of colors depending on how much red or yellow was in each hollowed area.

It was a very popular experiment to study color this way.

First Snow of the Season

The children were so excited!

And then it melted.

But yes, winter is here!!

New baby pic

Here is an ultrasound picture of the new baby.  I know it's not a fabulous picture, but it's precious.

Daddy and Angela