We've finally past the last freeze. It stayed cold a lot longer than usual, but it's finally a good time to get things into the ground.
A. loves to help garden -- watering plants, digging up dirt, pulling weeds -- so we get a lot of time outside to work on the yard. She's constantly asking to go outside. "I garden!"
We've been doing a lot of stuff. I refreshed the herbs around our patio outside the kitchen -- replanting the basil that the freezes had killed, getting the cilantro into the ground, and adding Thai basil. JJ put some low-voltage lights along the front walk.
But my big project has been a vegetable garden. I cleared out an area about 12 x 24 in the back of the back yard. In the back half I planted a couple pumpkin and watermelon plants. In the front half I'm in the process of putting in carrots, onions, potatoes, and peppers.
And we also have strawberry plants to go around the heat pump and blackberry bushes to line the rear of the property. We have areas to plant on the back and two sides of the house. And we have a landscaper coming next week to talk about putting some trees along the driveway and fix up the planting area near the front door.
Wow. Lots to do for people who've never had dirt of their own before!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Been a while
Sorry it's been so long. I've been kinda bummed and unmotivated for the last few weeks -- even Florida isn't enough to prevent shades of S.A.D., I guess. But I'm pulling out of it as the weather gets nicer.
Things have been bit bumpy with A. lately. She appeared to have a reaction to something -- rash, vomiting, loose stools, etc. We suspect a developing soy sensitivity -- she'd had a lot of soy-based foods just before that, and it's not uncommon for kids with a cow's milk sensitivity to develop one to soy or eggs or another food. So we took her off soy in preparation for a challenge that next week.
But before we got to that, it appears she had an exposure to dairy. We haven't been able to track down the source, but since we ate out a lot that week and there's no way to know what really happens back in the kitchen, that's not a surprise. This is the first time she's had a strong reaction since she's been so verbal, and it was so sad. After the first day or two of diarrhea, she started having what appeared to be stomach cramps. She'd grab her stomach, cry and wince, and say, "tummy sad!".
We're finally through that reaction, and we're looking to do a soy challenge next week. That'll tell us our next step.
We had what is hopefully the last of the freezes last night. Three of them this winter, which is just unheard of. They keep happening just as I'm planning to start the garden. But I think I'm going to have to just go for it now, or the plants aren't going to get into the ground soon enough. I've got some pumpkins and carrots sprouted and in pots, some potatoes sprouted and cut up, and packets of seeds for watermelons, onions, and peppers. The rosemary and thyme in my herb garden survived the freezes, but the basil took a hit. I'll probably have to pull them out and re-plant. The cilantro that I never actually got into the ground has rooted down through the pots into the soil, so that'll be an interesting adventure.
Here's the pumpkins:
And here's the carrots:
Things have been bit bumpy with A. lately. She appeared to have a reaction to something -- rash, vomiting, loose stools, etc. We suspect a developing soy sensitivity -- she'd had a lot of soy-based foods just before that, and it's not uncommon for kids with a cow's milk sensitivity to develop one to soy or eggs or another food. So we took her off soy in preparation for a challenge that next week.
But before we got to that, it appears she had an exposure to dairy. We haven't been able to track down the source, but since we ate out a lot that week and there's no way to know what really happens back in the kitchen, that's not a surprise. This is the first time she's had a strong reaction since she's been so verbal, and it was so sad. After the first day or two of diarrhea, she started having what appeared to be stomach cramps. She'd grab her stomach, cry and wince, and say, "tummy sad!".
We're finally through that reaction, and we're looking to do a soy challenge next week. That'll tell us our next step.
We had what is hopefully the last of the freezes last night. Three of them this winter, which is just unheard of. They keep happening just as I'm planning to start the garden. But I think I'm going to have to just go for it now, or the plants aren't going to get into the ground soon enough. I've got some pumpkins and carrots sprouted and in pots, some potatoes sprouted and cut up, and packets of seeds for watermelons, onions, and peppers. The rosemary and thyme in my herb garden survived the freezes, but the basil took a hit. I'll probably have to pull them out and re-plant. The cilantro that I never actually got into the ground has rooted down through the pots into the soil, so that'll be an interesting adventure.
Here's the pumpkins:
And here's the carrots:
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Endless conversation
A. is usually very quiet when we're out and about. She's a bit more talkative around people she knows. But when it's just the family -- especially just A. and I -- she talks endlessly.
I transcribed the last 5 minutes of her bath tonight. She usually just sits in the tub and babbles as I stand at the counter and read or web surf, helping as she requests. I had to leave out some of the repetition, but hopefully the flavor of it will come across. I stopped transcribing when she started demanding to come out of the tub.
I transcribed the last 5 minutes of her bath tonight. She usually just sits in the tub and babbles as I stand at the counter and read or web surf, helping as she requests. I had to leave out some of the repetition, but hopefully the flavor of it will come across. I stopped transcribing when she started demanding to come out of the tub.
Daddy hungry. Daddy hungry. (unintelligible) More. (She eats bubbles)
Foot foot foot. ? want. ? want.
Horn. Rhyme rhyme rhyme. Dance. (She sings the song we sing when brushing her teeth) da da dadada da da. Brush teeth. Out.
Trouble. Trouble. Done done done.
Hang hang hang (she attempts to hang the bath net).
Up top. Up top.
One. Here! Help. (Still trying to hang it)
Heh. Silly.
Done hang! Done hang! Done done done (hands me the net).
Turtle. Mommy turtle. (She has a mommy turtle bath toy and 2 baby turtles).
Age age age. Baby. Baby baby. Toddler! Baby toddler baby toddler. Age.
[A.] age? (I tell her she's 1)
Mommy turtle? Mommy turtle? (I tell her she's 30)
Baby turtle? [A.] turtle? [A.] turtle?
Mommy say? Mommy say?
Feet.
Friend friend friend friend friend.
Mommy thirty. Mommy say.
Bunnies? (Graham cracker bunnies she gets in the bath) Please? Bunny please? Bunny please? (I give her bees -- we're out of bunnies)
No more. No more. I do not!
Nummy! Nummy tummy. Nummy tummy. Nummy tummy.
More? Bees? More bees?
(I count out 6, tell her no more)
No more!
Soap. Soap. Soap eyes. (I ask if the soap gets in her eyes)
Yes!
Wash eyes. Wash eyes! Wash eyes! Wash eyes.
Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. (She kisses the mommy turtle)
Nose rub. Nose rub. (She rubs noses with the mommy turtle)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Crash Jr.
Poor A has had a rough time recently. The family got wiped out by a nasty cold that left A and I sick for over a week.
Then, just after recovering from that, she stepped on a piece of broken light bulb and had a "boo-boo foot". That didn't slow her down much, luckily.
The next day, during some overly-enthusiastic bouncing at Big Bounce Fun Zone, JJ bounced her feet out from under her and she fell badly. She tweaked her knee and spent two days barely walking. She's back to a barely-noticeable limp now.
Still, it's been a rough few weeks. I think we partially made up for it when JJ took her to the Magic Kingdom for a long day of rides (off-season and cold weather means short lines). I really hope things calm down for a bit now.
Then, just after recovering from that, she stepped on a piece of broken light bulb and had a "boo-boo foot". That didn't slow her down much, luckily.
The next day, during some overly-enthusiastic bouncing at Big Bounce Fun Zone, JJ bounced her feet out from under her and she fell badly. She tweaked her knee and spent two days barely walking. She's back to a barely-noticeable limp now.
Still, it's been a rough few weeks. I think we partially made up for it when JJ took her to the Magic Kingdom for a long day of rides (off-season and cold weather means short lines). I really hope things calm down for a bit now.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Another blog
I've started another blog. This one is public, so I'll avoid too much identifying information. Its focus will be on the projects and work I'm doing as I "homeschool" A. I've just been keeping it for a few days, but you can keep an eye on it at http://homemade-homeschool.blogspot.com.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Trip north!
We packed up and headed north this week for a quick trip to visit family. We scheduled it between Thanksgiving and Christmas and right around JJ's birthday to take in as many holidays as possible.
We had lots of family to see, so it was quite a whirlwind. We did have time to fit in a trip to a local ski resort for A.'s first peek at snow. She could barely walk in her marshmallow-like suit of snow gear, and she didn't know what to make of sledding at first. But she warmed up to it quickly, and had a blast being pulled up the slope and riding back down with various family members.
We'd spend a few months preparing A. for the trip by writing a book about what would happen and who she'd meet, complete with photos. It seemed to pay off. Her previous visits with the family didn't go well -- lots of screaming and hanging on to us. But she recognized everyone and was very comfortable with them from the get-go. She ended up having a blast.
Two days of travel, two days with family, and we're back home barely knowing what hit us. It was a good trip, though. I think A. is looking forward to our next one.
We had lots of family to see, so it was quite a whirlwind. We did have time to fit in a trip to a local ski resort for A.'s first peek at snow. She could barely walk in her marshmallow-like suit of snow gear, and she didn't know what to make of sledding at first. But she warmed up to it quickly, and had a blast being pulled up the slope and riding back down with various family members.
We'd spend a few months preparing A. for the trip by writing a book about what would happen and who she'd meet, complete with photos. It seemed to pay off. Her previous visits with the family didn't go well -- lots of screaming and hanging on to us. But she recognized everyone and was very comfortable with them from the get-go. She ended up having a blast.
Two days of travel, two days with family, and we're back home barely knowing what hit us. It was a good trip, though. I think A. is looking forward to our next one.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Not crazy!
We've been dealing with A.'s cow's milk protein intolerance (CMPI) for over a year now. It's been a rough trip. We're very lucky that A. has an intolerance, not an allergy -- her immune system isn't involved, so we don't have the danger of an allergic reaction. But because it's an intolerance, there's no way to clinically test for it. Blood and skin tests won't show a reaction. All we have to go on is the recurrence of symptoms after a challenge.
It's all very vague, and that makes me second-guess a lot. Allergies are a lot more researched and understood, and I felt like I had to be very defensive and assertive to get A.'s issue recognized.
So imagine my relief when I discovered a trove of medical papers relating to CMPI (look, I even have an acronym now!). I'm not crazy! Among the validations I found: a small but noticeable percentage of infants suffer from CMPI (3%). Intolerance is separate from allergy. Food challenges are the "gold standard" for diagnosis. Milk proteins do pass through breast milk and affect the kid. Treatment is the avoidance of CMP for some number of months (they suggest 6) and then a re-challenge.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cow’s milk protein allergy in infants
The diagnosis and management of cow milk protein intolerance in the primary care setting
Cow's Milk Proteins Cause Infantile Colic in Breast-Fed Infants: A Double-Blind Crossover Study
I'm so very glad to have found support in the medical community and not just in the mother-to-mother forums online. I'm a Western medicine sort of girl, and to see A.'s problems scientifically researched and studied is such a weight off. I feel relieved that the approach JJ and I have taken is the right one, and I'm newly energized to keep doing this as long as we need to for A.'s health.
It's all very vague, and that makes me second-guess a lot. Allergies are a lot more researched and understood, and I felt like I had to be very defensive and assertive to get A.'s issue recognized.
So imagine my relief when I discovered a trove of medical papers relating to CMPI (look, I even have an acronym now!). I'm not crazy! Among the validations I found: a small but noticeable percentage of infants suffer from CMPI (3%). Intolerance is separate from allergy. Food challenges are the "gold standard" for diagnosis. Milk proteins do pass through breast milk and affect the kid. Treatment is the avoidance of CMP for some number of months (they suggest 6) and then a re-challenge.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cow’s milk protein allergy in infants
The diagnosis and management of cow milk protein intolerance in the primary care setting
Cow's Milk Proteins Cause Infantile Colic in Breast-Fed Infants: A Double-Blind Crossover Study
I'm so very glad to have found support in the medical community and not just in the mother-to-mother forums online. I'm a Western medicine sort of girl, and to see A.'s problems scientifically researched and studied is such a weight off. I feel relieved that the approach JJ and I have taken is the right one, and I'm newly energized to keep doing this as long as we need to for A.'s health.
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