If You're Happy and You Know It...

...Have a 6 month photo shoot! I have to say that I am so blessed to be this little guy's momma! He has taught me and my family a true lesson on happiness and joy! After all the pain and trials my little guy has gone through, he still presses on with big smiles like the ones pictured below!

 

Next time you feel bad or are in pain or are going through a rough patch in life, come back and take a look at how this little guy who has experienced so much in his short little life can still be all smiles and be inspired to smile yourself!

All photos are the work of the wonderful and talented René Tate over at René Tate Photography!

You Can Lead a Baby to Broth...

This week, we start pushing grass fed beef broth! I'm nervous, but excited. Our first attempts last week were unsuccessful. Daniel has no interest in food. Kind of disappointing, but a blessing at the same time. We need him to have a little bit of interest so he'll want to try the broth, but it's nice that I don't have to be worried about him reaching onto people's plates and putting stuff into his mouth that could cause a potential reaction. We're going to start having family dinner time. Hopefully, sitting at the table in his high chair, surrounded by people eating, will begin to peak his interest in the broth I'll pour onto his tray. Keep us in your prayers that we skate through, reaction free, and can then try bison or elk!

Some of you may be wondering why in the world I would be feeding my barely 6 month old baby meat broth. You may be asking yourself, "Don't you usually start with grain cereals?" Why yes, most doctors will tell you to start with grains, then veggies and fruits, then meats. My kid is unique. Due to the FPIES, we have a very high chance of him having a severe reaction to grains, specifically rice and oats, so those are out of the picture. "Why not sweet potatoes or peas?" Well, those common first foods are also very common FPIES trigger foods, along with a few others that you would normally feed first. So, for now, we know he handles beef through my milk, and he needs the gut healing properties of the broth, so grass fed beef broth it is! We're going GAPS, as it has been around for over a century, and has been proven time and time again to heal. God may not be snapping his fingers and healing Daniel in the blink of an eye, but He is giving me this protocol to follow. He's giving me the hope that other success stories provide. He's giving me the support of other mommas who are trusting in whole foods to heal their children from the same and similar issues. He's also giving me the support of a very loving family who is helping me to raise my son during this confusing stressful time! They say it takes a village, right?

My Heart Goes Out to You

It's hard to understand what FPIES children, mommas, and families go through. Before I had to deal with a child who wouldn't be considered "normal," I always felt compassion and sympathy for families of children with illnesses, but it was hard to empathize with them. Now, my heart truly feels the weight of the grief that comes with mourning the loss of the idea of a "perfect,"" normal" baby. This new found empathy has moved me. I previously posted that I was trying to sew more to give myself a creative outlet for my stress. I have been able to do this, and it really does help me feel more relaxed. I figured that if the sewing helps me, why couldn't I use that  stress relief time to help others too? So I decided to set a goal to use my sewing and/or crafting skills to complete at least 1 project a month to donate to a charity/children's hospital/shelter. If you look to the left of my blog posts, you'll see a link to a website called Hopeful Threads. This website has been my inspiration. I will be following along with her projects, but if I feel that I cannot finish her posted project, or my skills aren't good enough, then I will choose something of my own. I will post my finished projects, along with links to the charities they are being donated to. I feel that God has given us so much hope and has been so gracious to us in these past couple of months, that I need to share that with others in need. Please pray that I have the time and energy every month to complete these projects!

One Foot in Front of the Other

So after another uneventful doctor's appointment, we've just been doing the same old same old. One useful bit of information we received from this GI appoinment was that Daniel is not anemic! I said a huge prayer of thanks the second I heard the nurse say that his test results were "completely normal" in her voicemail. If I hadn't just woken up, I'd have been jumping up and down, dancing around like a mad woman. God has answered another prayer with a big fat postitive for us! I can't imagine how much worse this could be if I wasn't able to eat such an iron rich food source, thank you grassfed beef!

Daniel is still growing, and due to my extremely limited diet, he is doing VERY well. Almost no symptoms whatsoever. He's sleeping better, his poops are what I like to call peanut butter pudding consistency, and reflux is almost non existent! He is rolling over now, but hasn't realized that he can continue to roll in the same direction to get somewhere. He loves singing and dancing in his jumperoo, along with "walking" the kitchen in his walker! He smiles and laughs just like any other "normal" baby when his guts aren't being torn to shreds by his overactive T-cells! I am so thankful that he is continuing to thrive, and that God is giving me the resources and strength to continue caring for this wonderful blessing He placed in my life! This past week has made me almost forget that he has FPIES and MFPI.

BUT...

I was reminded the other day that I have to keep slow and steady. I tried eating grapes. I love grapes. I have eaten them in the past when things were still muddy, and suspected they might have been a problem. They were staring at me in the fridge just screaming my name, so I gave in due to his amazing progress...bad idea. We spent yesterday, about 24 hours post grape ingestion by me, cleaning up lots of vomit and spit up. I'm just happy to say it hasn't affected him in any other ways, YET. I'll continue to keep a watchful eye on him for the next few days, but he seems to have recovered quickly from this impromtu trial.

For now, that is the update I have for you. We just keep putting one foot in front of the other, at a steady pace. We aren't to the point of running this race yet, but God is providing us with everything we need to walk it, and in the darkest times, when we are stumbling, He's carrying us in His arms.