I'm a bad, bad blogger...

I've been very bad at updating our blog and it's not that we don't have things to share with you. A lot has happened since I blogged last. Here's the rundown (finally!):

Jason has been training for the Twin Cities Marathon again although to be fair, his training has been sporadic at best. It seems that our lives are a bit busier since Eliot's joined us. Also, Jason has quite a lot of homework and likes to spend time with me and E, which means he hasn't been running as often as he should. I'm hoping he doesn't struggle too much on October 4th - we'll let you know how it goes. Also, I'm planning a special carb-loading supper for the night before the marathon again and I'll be sure to post the recipe. To help with his training, we decided to get a nice jogging stroller and a new *comfort* bike for me. We love both the stroller and the bike. The stroller rolls like it's on air and my bike has a big, fat, squishy seat with shocks, just perfect for a girl with a... how should I say this - a little spread on her bread? I'm the one who should be training for the marathon!

On August 13th, Jason and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary...can you believe it? 4 years already! It feels like we were only married yesterday and here it is 4 years later and Eliot is almost a year old. It makes me feel a bit sad - like our lives are speeding by too quickly. I wish it would go slower so we have more time together. I feel incredibly lucky to have Jason in my life and as my husband, no less. He is amazing and I couldn't hope for anything more. We are definitely more in love today than we were on our wedding day. We make each other laugh constantly and he is my rock in this crazy world. Thanks baby for everything you are! I love you!

We spent Labor Day weekend in Sioux Falls, visiting Sandy, Miah & Behring and Danny, Aymee, Charlie & Berkley. It was a fun albeit eventful weekend. On Saturday night, we babysat Charlie & Berkley because Aymee had a wedding to go to and Danny was working. The kids were great (as always) and it was a quiet night.

On Sunday morning, Eliot woke up early and we were all just hanging out on our bed and playing. Tucker (one of our little dogs) was also sleeping on the bed. Eliot, who LOVES the dogs, was sitting on Jason's tummy and he leaned forward toward Tucker, when Tucker lunged at him and bit him on the face. It was so awful. Eliot was thrown back by the force of the bite and immediately started screaming. Tucker got a few very hard swats to the nose and was put in his kennel immediately. I breastfed Eliot to get him to calm down and we were able to take a look at his face. He had a small cut/scratch under his eye and a little puncture next to his eye. Since it was not even 8am, urgent care wasn't open yet so we called a nurse line to find out if he needed to be seen immediately or if it could wait until 10am. They recommended we take him to the ER.
He didn't need stitches, thankfully and the cut ended up being superficial. Very scary! We're still figuring out whether or not we're going to keep Tucker...anyone want a cute, cuddly dog who hates babies?

On Labor Day, we all headed to a local orchard to pick some apples. We got a fun tractor ride out to the orchard, where we spent a couple of hours picking apples and goofing around. The apples were just becoming ripe, so many of them were still tart - yummy! It was a fun day!











On Monday night when we got home from Sioux Falls, Eliot was burning up and when we took his temperature, it was 101.5. We both stayed home with him on Tuesday and his fever didn't go away even though we were giving him Tylenol and Ibuprofen alternately. By Tuesday night, his fever was up to 102.5, so we called the Children's Hospital nurse line to see if we should do anything differently. When we mentioned to the nurse that it seemed like his soft spot was bulging, she directed us to bring him to the ER immediately. So we went to the ER for the 2nd time in 2 days. When we got there they took his temperature rectally and it was 104.5!!! That's bad if you're not familiar with kid's temperatures. They had us undress him so he could cool off as they were scared he might have a febrile seizure. The physician wanted to perform a series of tests which meant they needed to do an x-ray, get a blood sample, place an IV and get a urine sample via a catheter. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to go through. Eliot was in pain and he was screaming like I've never seen him scream. All he wanted was for us to pick him up and hold him and I couldn't. The nurse who placed the IV and the catheter was a complete jerk who had no compassion and I could have strangled him! He just kept saying, "He (Eliot) just doesn't like it. He's fine - he just doesn't like it." It was really difficult for both me and Jason to watch. I just kept thinking, "How do parents with really sick kids do this day after day?" I can't imagine and my heart goes out to anyone with a sick kid. After it was all over at about 4 am, we found out he was ok - they thought it was just a viral infection. His fever had broken from screaming so much and we got the go ahead to take him home. We all slept for a long time the next day, very thankful that we were healthy and at home in our own bed.

On the 6th, I turned 30! So, so old...just kidding! I don't feel any different but it is kind of weird that I'm now in my "30's" rather than my "20's". On my birthday, I finally used the gift certificate that Jason & Eliot gave me for Mother's Day and got a fantastic pedicure which included a massage (so good!) and a haircut which I badly needed. Then Jason took me for coffee at Sonny's/Crema Cafe (Go there! They have fantastic gelato and coffee!) and I was surprised by my parents and Sandy, Miah & Behr. Fun! The plan was that my parents were going to watch the boys and Jason & I and Sandy & Miah were going to go out for dinner and drinks. But wasn't I surprised when we got back to our house and there were a ton of people at my SURPRISE PARTY!!! It was so fun! Our friends, Kevin & Laura, had made a ton of delicious food for everyone and Les, Alex & Russ provided live music. There was also karaoke, games and lots of drinks. It was late by the time we pulled the camera out so lots of people are missing in these photos...bummer! But I had a great time and I hope all my guests did, too!










Then on the Wednesday after my birthday, I was checking on Eliot at about 10:45pm when I heard sirens stop outside our house. I looked out the window and to my complete amazement, our van was on fire. Yes - the van we just bought 4 months ago! The fire had blown out the windshield and the passenger side window and was about five feet high. The firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly and we were left with a burned out van. The front of the van is completely destroyed. Very long story short: Our van is still under the manufacturer's warranty but Chrysler has refused to repair/replace the van as they've indicated, "We were not able to confirm this was a defect." We are disputing their findings in arbitration which will take 40 days, meaning we're stuck with one car for the time being. We've also consulted a lawyer. This is very stressful, time-consuming and disruptive to our daily lives. More to come...




You may have read my post about thrush in July...well, I still have it and it's become unbearable. It got to the point last week where I was not able to pump at all and breastfeeding was more painful than ever. I consulted a ton of different people - lactation consultants, naturopaths, midwives, etc. but I had already implemented all of their suggestions. I won't go into all the changes I had made, but the most significant was that I had reduced my diet to vegetables and meat - no carbs, no fruit, no processed foods. Nothing was working. I was to the point where I was going to have to stop breastfeeding if it didn't improve. I had already been to the doctor 4 times, but I went back again on Friday in total desperation. This time, I found out that not only do I still have thrush but I also have a staph infection! I was prescribed new medication which after 2 days, seems to be working. I haven't tried pumping yet and I won't have to for a couple more days. One of my friends who is also breastfeeding, sent me some extra frozen milk that Eliot will be able to have while he's at daycare. You can't imagine what an amazing gift this is! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this new prescription, along with the myriad of changes I've made, will get rid of both the thrush and the staph permanently.

Finally, (if you're still awake) here's an update on Eliot. He is crawling very successfully, is able to pull himself up in a standing position with the coffee table/couch or anything else within reach, he is talking (babbling) like crazy which is so fun for me and Jason and today, he got his first tooth and was a holy terror all day. But the tooth is so cute that it was worth it! I always think that the current stage is the best and that it can't get any better, but he proves me wrong every day.

Breastfeeding at 6 months in Eliot’s own words (as interpreted by his Mama):

I’m playing (with my book),
I’m playing (with my blocks),
I’m playing (with my toes),
I’m pla…I’m STARVING, STARVING, STARVING, STARVING, STARVING!!!!
(Mama shoves boob in E’s mouth)
Mmmmmm, milk is good.
Suck, Suck…
Is that my puppy?
(E wrenches his head and pulls Mama’s nipple off her boob)
Puppy?! Puppy?! Puppy?! PUPPY, PUPPY, PUP...I’m STARVING!!!!
(Mama puts nipple back on boob and shoves boob in E’s mouth)
Mmmmmm, milk is good.
Suck, Suck…
Look at my toes, I have toes. Do you have toes? Have you seen my toes?
I’d rather eat my toes.
(E wrenches his head and pulls Mama’s nipple off her boob again)
Suck (on toes), Suck (on toes), Suck (on toes)…
There’s no milk in my toes…I’m STARVING, STARVING, STARVING!!!!
(Mama puts nipple back on boob and shoves boob in E’s mouth)
Mmmmmm, milk is good.
Suck, Suck, Suck…
Suck (look at Mama’s pretty face),
Suck (I think I’ll claw it)
Suck (CLAWING MAMA’S FACE, CLAWING MAMA’S FACE)
(Mama removes E’s hands from her bloodied face)
Suck, Suck, Suck…
Suck (I have a face),
Suck (I think I’ll claw it)
Suck (CLAWING MY FACE, CLAWING MY FACE)
(Mama removes E’s hands from his bloodied face)
Suck, Suck, Suck…
Suck (sleepy), Suck (sleepy), Suck (sleepy)…
Who needs sleep? NOT ME!
(Mama needs sleep! Mama needs sleep! MAMA NEEDS SLEEP!!!!)

Repeat.

Life's a bowl of cherries!

Life can be the pits, but...


I bought these cherries at Whole Foods the other day and they ended up costing me over $12 for the bowl! Ouch! But when we ate them, we quickly forgot how much they cost. They were fantastic!! Probably the best cherries I've ever eaten. Yummy!

What's for dinner tonight?

I spent my evening making baby food for Eliot. It's very easy to do - you basically steam or boil the veggies until soft and then mash or puree them to the consistency of your liking. We're not completely pureeing most foods as our pediatrician recommended letting him get used to semi-solids right from the get-go. She said he will learn how to manipulate food in his mouth and lessen the risk of choking when we transition to a totally solid diet. It works...he has no problem chewing (or should I say gumming) a piece of banana, avocado or a bean. The things that I do puree, I leave a bit chunky. Today he was able to pick up the aduki beans with his thumb and forefinger and put it in his mouth - working on those fine motor skills!

So here's what was for dinner tonight: organic aduki beans, zucchini, golden beets (both locally grown & organic), organic carrots and sweet peas (locally grown & organic). Dessert consisted of mashed organic bananas and applesauce. He ate a little bit of each food - I'd say his favorites were the aduki beans and the golden beets.


The bambu spoon is great! It's softer than metal and not made out of plastic! The one thing that's no fun about making baby food? Cleaning up the mess afterwards - which is why I made Jason do it!




Thrush update: I'm feeling a bit better today. Back to breastfeeding with my eyes squeezed shut, a grimace on my face and a bit of leg thrashing to deal with the pain. Eliot had another relatively crabby day. Tomorrow we see the doctor again. Oh, and it turns out that yeast can live forever as spores waiting to be fed and reactivated by moisture. Nice thought, huh?

Thrush!

Last week, it suddenly became very painful for me to breastfeed or pump and I noticed that Eliot had some white patches on the back of his tongue. A quick bit of research on the La Leche League website indicated we likely had thrush. How bad could it be? was my first thought. BAD. VERY BAD. It can be VERY, VERY BAD. Thrush, or oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), is a fungal infection that occurs when there is overgrowth of fungus called Candida. Candida is normally found on skin or mucous membranes. However, if the environment inside the mouth or throat becomes imbalanced, Candida can multiply. It's a yeast infection, basically. In medical terms, it's not that big of a deal. It won't lead to any serious health condition and it may even go away on it's own without treatment. However, it is INCREDIBLY PAINFUL and can be persistent and recurrent. Here's a very comprehensive article about thrush. I would say that for me, this has been more painful than delivering Eliot naturally. I'm serious. If you'd prefer to avoid TMI, this is your chance. Stop reading now.

My nipples are cracked, peeling, swollen and bleed when I pump. I've stopped breastfeeding until this goes away because I can't deal with the pain. It was determined that the infection had progressed beyond my nipples, to both the milk ducts and breast tissue. When I'm pumping, it feels like glass shards coming out instead of milk and there is sharp shooting pain through my breasts and into my back. When I'm not pumping, it feels like my nipples are on fire even though I'm walking around topless as much as possible. I can't hold Eliot against my chest, which has made taking care of him a bit difficult. He's definitely not impressed that I'm not breastfeeding him at night when wants it. A bottle doesn't seem what he wants at night, although he will take it if he's hungry. I'm not sure if Eliot is in any pain, but he's certainly been more fussy and needy than normal. He wants to be held all day and has cried himself to sleep every night.

I'm on a 10 day course of Diflucan and Eliot is on a 10 day course of Nystatin, which I've read doesn't work as well as other drugs. After four days of treatment, my symptoms are only slightly better. The recommendations for getting rid of thrush are extremely overwhelming and include the following:

• Disinfect all bottles and toys after each use by boiling for 20 minutes - I've been using my Medela microwave sterilization bags instead. I hope they work...
• Wash all plush toys, cloths, towels, sheets and any other items that would have been in contact with the baby/mom in HOT water with a bleach or vinegar rinse. We chose vinegar. Boiling all of these items for 5 minutes is recommended, but I don't know how that is humanly possible. What would you boil them in?!
• Switch to disposable diapers until the infection is gone and wash cloth diapers with vinegar rinse. We can't boil our diapers as it would ruin the snaps.
• Dry hands using paper towels and only use a bath towel once and then wash it, with vinegar rinse.
• Replace toothbrushes during treatment and after. Done.
• Replace makeup. Seriously!? I don't know what I'll do about this one... it's an expensive proposition.
• Clean all hard surfaces in your house with either a 10-percent bleach solution or vinegar water. We chose vinegar water.
• Change your diet to eliminate sugar, yeast, dairy, & wheat. Done to a certain extent.

In addition to these measures, we're both taking probiotics. I'm putting vinegar water on my nipples regularly, which is known to kill yeast. We used gentian violet (pronounced jen-shun) for two days, which was unbelievably messy and turned both my breasts and Eliot's face purple. There is some indication that prolonged use of this treatment can cause cancer, but a two day course is recommended by many sources, including La Leche League, Mothering Magazine and Dr. Sears.

A couple of things have me stumped. First, how am I supposed to clean our wooden toys? They have many areas where it seems that yeast would thrive. I can't boil them or soak them. Any ideas? Do I have to throw them away? Second, if regular dish soap and laundry soap doesn't kill the yeast spores, how can you possibly hope to eradicate it from your house? Or doesn't it matter? How long can they live on an inanimate object? Once the infection's been cleared from our bodies, will we be reinfected by a pillow or a shoe, for example?

Maybe I'm being overly worried about this, but there's a lot of horror stories on the Internet and I cannot imagine having this again or for an extended period of time. Any advice? I'm seeing our family doctor on Wednesday so I'll be sure to bombard her with all my questions, too. In the meantime, say a little prayer for my boobs and Eliot's mouth.