Say, Cheese!

Last week I ate spaghetti.  Normally, this is not a monumental experience.  If you know me at all, you know I eat spaghetti on a regular basis.  However, this time was different.  I ate spaghetti…with cheese.  After six months of being dairy-free because of Eli’s milk allergy, I was finally able to enjoy some delicious dairy. 

It was a bittersweet day, however, because it was also the day that Eli was officially weaned to formula.  After many months of going dairy-free, eliminating soy, and watching everything I ate, Eli was still having blood in his stool, and we were at a loss as to why.  We talked with our pediatrician, prayed for wisdom, and finally decided that it would be better to start to wean him to formula to give his little tummy some consistency.  As I gradually added formula feedings, we saw an immediate improvement, and now that he is exclusively on formula, he is a much happier baby. 

As much as I loved that first bite of Parmesan cheese, I will be the first to admit that this is not what I wanted.  I enjoyed nursing, and did not want to stop.  I would have gone dairy-free for a year if I thought it would have been the best thing for Eli, but it was not.  I am thankful for our pediatrician who gave us advice, listened, and encouraged me that I had not failed as a mother because of Eli’s milk allergy and that in the six months I was able to nurse, he got plenty of immunity-boosting nutrients. 

I miss nursing Eli, but I am infinitely happier that we made the choice to switch to formula because it was what he needed.  Secondarily, it was also what I needed.  Dairy is the main source of calcium in my diet, and once I stopped eating dairy, I felt awful.  My joints ached, my skin and nails dried out – even my muscles would cramp up.  Normally, someone who stops eating dairy would just take a calcium supplement, but I was not able to because it would aggravate Eli (as would multi-vitamins).  It was also emotionally draining.  I was so vigilant about my diet, yet Eli continued to have blood in his stool, and I felt personally responsible for his pain.  At one point, all I was eating was chicken noodle soup.  Again, I am thankful for our pediatrician who gently reminded me that it is sometimes incredibly difficult to pinpoint what in my diet was making him sick.

Looking back, I am grateful for the time that I was able to nurse.  Even though I missed eating dairy, it was worth it to be able to nurse for as long as I did.  Honestly, I still struggle with not being able to nurse.  There are moments when I still get sad about it, but I have peace knowing that it was the right decision for Eli. 

My hope is that this post encourages other Moms who have stopped nursing (or were never able to) for whatever reason.  I have long felt that there are strongly-opinionated groups and mothers who, in their zeal to let Moms know what is best for their babies, can make Moms feel like they have failed or that they have made the wrong decision.  Every baby is different.  I have had different pregnancy, labor, and nursing experiences with each of my three children.  Every time I think I have something figured out as a Mom, one of my kids throws me for a loop.  Moms, let us remember that though we may be well-intentioned, we sometimes need to keep our personal opinions to ourselves.  Unless someone asks you specifically your opinion about a non-essential parenting issue, it can be extremely unhelpful to tell them what they “need” to do.  When it comes to your children and family, seek wise counsel, pray for wisdom, and then make a decision based on what is the best for your family.

Thank you all for praying for me and supporting me during these last six months.  I already mentioned how thankful I was for our pediatrician (twice), but I am also thankful for my incredible husband and family for loving me during this time.  They graciously refrained from eating or mentioning dairy in front of me, and even ate my new dairy-free recipes (let’s just say some turned out better than others).  Thank you to all of you who have shared your experiences with me and who have encouraged me by sharing your recipes and hugs.  God has been incredibly gracious to me in so many ways, and this experience is yet another reminder of how the Lord has blessed me more than I deserve.

First Grade & First Food

Labor Day came and went, and Emma headed back to school as a first grader!  She didn’t miss a beat and couldn’t wait to get back.  We are so thankful that she attends a school that has great teachers and a great academic standard.  First grade means more homework and more responsibility for her, but she has done wonderfully so far.  There is even a member of our church who works in her lunchroom, so we are grateful to have an extra set of eyes watching out for her.

Last year, Ethan wasn’t too thrilled for her to leave us all day.  This year, that first day couldn’t have come soon enough for him.  It has been a joy to watch him spend time with Eli while she is gone.  Lest you think he has lost some love for his big sister, he is right there with me at the end of each day, waiting eagerly for her to get off the big bus.

We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for Emma this year and pray that the Lord would use this year to draw her to Him!

They're getting so big!

 Ethan was ready for her to go this year:)

We also had another milestone in our house - Eli started solid food.  Just oatmeal for now, but he is getting the hang of it and pretty soon we will start trying some vegetables and fruits.  It is hard to believe he is 5 months already, but it is great to see him grow!

 My boys!

 

 

My happy baby boy!

End of Summer Round-Up

You wouldn’t know it by the warm weather we are having, but we are nearing the end of summer!  School has begun, but before we leave summer in our dust, we wanted to share the last of our summer fun!

One of our favorite things to do this summer was to spend time with friends!  Locally, we had a great Sunday School BBQ and were hosted by the Ball family at their family’s cabin in Lexington (about an hour from where we live) on the shores of Port Huron.

 It was a beautiful day!

Emma and Ashley had fun burying each other in the sand

 Our friends Jim and Tonnie with Eli - they just got married last weekend!

 Ashley, Emma, and Ethan flexing

JUMP!

We also got a visit from my college roommate and best friend Wendy and her family.  Her boys are about the same age as Emma and Ethan and they had more fun than they knew what to do with.  They were only here for a night, but there were many tears when they left.

 All those crazy kids in the garden!

We played at a park near our house that is right on the lake!

Titus & Emma, Ethan & Silas

We almost missed it this year, but in August we headed back to the Armada Fair!  This is one of the highlights of summer for the kids because they get to pet farm animals, watch tractor pulls, and eat great food.  We even stopped at Papa’s Family Restaurant for dinner, which was delicious (I sense a return trip this fall)!

Ethan was a bit nervous about feeding the goats

 Emma was just as nervous, but they eventually got the hang of it!

 Ethan loves the goats

 Eli checking out the roosters

Emma also took swim lessons again this summer, and, no surprise, loved it.  It was amazing to see how confident she was this year with starting a new class and meeting new friends.  We decided to continue swim lessons this fall, so more to come!

Eli was out like a light!

 Ethan came along to every one of Emma's lessons!

Finally, I celebrated my 29^th birthday this August.  My favorite thing to do on my birthday is spend time with my family, so we spent the day at the Detroit Zoo!  We also went to dinner with my parents, and even had a dairy-free cake that was delicious (thanks again, Mom and Duncan-Heinz)!  This year, Chris let the kids pick out their own presents for me, and I their choices were so cute!  Emma picked out some purple, sparkly nail polish, and Ethan picked out a Supergirl t-shirt to match his Superman t-shirt.  I loved their gifts because they reflected their little personalities and it is hard to believe they are old enough to even pick out gifts!

 I had a great birthday at the zoo with my family!

 My beautiful older babies - Eli isn't much for group photos yet:)

Whew!  As I finish writing about our summer, I am reminded that it been a fun summer, but it has also been a blessed summer.  God has been incredibly gracious to us, not just because we were able to do a lot of “stuff”, but because he has allowed us to live and breathe and have our being in Him.  Even if we had stayed home all summer, I would feel just as thankful for my salvation in Christ and my wonderful family.  Stuff and even people can be taken away, but we are most thankful that our life in Christ that will never perish, and we rejoice the most in this.

On to Fall!

Lions, Tigers, and Mayer, Oh My!

As our summer continues to roll on, Chris and I have been able to have some awesome date nights!  Specifically, we went to a Detroit Tigers baseball game, a John Mayer concert, and a Detroit Lions pre-season football game (in that order).  

My parents were originally slated to go to the Tigers game, but, due to a funeral, they generously passed their tickets on to us.  We had a great time at the game, and even though I couldn't enjoy a hot dog (they have milk in them), it was fun to enjoy America's past time with Chris.  As we watched the game, we heard some echoing explosions and it took everyone a minute of panic before someone sitting near us remembered that they are filming the new Transformers movie downtown! 

 I love taking selfies as much as I love saying the word!

Comerica Park

About a week later, we headed out to Clarkston, MI for my anniversary gift - two tickets to John Mayer's "Born & Raised" Tour.  The last John Mayer concert I went to was so good (he is an incredible musician), that Chris wanted to go to a concert too.  Unfortunately, at that time, John developed some granulomas in his throat and took about two years off from touring.  When he announced his "Born & Raised" Tour, Chris snatched up some tickets right away.  Our seats were good to begin with, but about halfway through the concert, an older couple left and handed us their tickets, which were about 15 rows from the stage!  Needless to say, we had a great time.

I just can't help it . . .

 John Mayer is in a "Montana" phase:)

Finally, last Thursday, we went to the Detroit Lions pre-season game again the New England Patriots.  For those of you who know Chris, you know why we went to this game!  He is an avid Patriots fan and Tebow enthusiast, so we got some really great, really cheap tickets from Stub-Hub.  Unfortunately, the Lions absolutely smoked the Patriots (it must have been backwards day or something).  Not only did they lose, but they didn't play Tebow (he's their third string quarterback), so Chris was double bummed.  At the end of the game, he turned to me and said, "When Tom hurts, I hurt".  Nonetheless, it was nice to go to Ford Field for the first time (they finished it while I was in college, so all the Lions games I went to growing up were at the Silverdome).   

Another selfie!

A nice couple took our picture and we took theirs!

Tommy and the boys in action!

I would be remiss, however, if I didn't thank our neighbor and friend, Darlene, for watching the kids while we went to the Tigers game and my parents, for watching them when we went to the concert and football game.  I honestly thought this summer would be our slowest because of the baby, but I have been pleasantly surprised!  We hope you have been enjoying your summer too!

Oh!o

A few weekends ago, we took a long awaited trip to Columbus, Ohio to visit Chris' family.  It was wonderful to be able to see his family and for them all to meet baby Eli and see how much Emma and Ethan have grown.  We aren't able to visit often, so when we do, it is precious time with his family.  We planned our visit to coincide with Chris' high school Alumni Weekend, and Chris was so excited to be able to see old friends and play a game in the softball tournament. Unfortunately, it absolutely poured on the day of the tournament, so the kids and I found a Target to walk around.  Turns out, it was the largest Target I have ever been to (28 checkout lanes), so it all worked out in the end.  After we visited Columbus, we headed to Yellow Springs to visit Chris' Dad.  He lives on quite a bit of land and recently acquired some horses, which the kiddos were really excited about.  I forgot my camera again (I blame it on having a small baby), but managed to get some pictures with my Blackberry.

 One of Grandpa Mark's new horses

Ethan checking out the other horse!

 

Target Greatland!

 

This may seem like an odd picture, but we used to eat at O'Charley's when we lived in Louisville and haven't seen one in such a long time, so I was excited to see one!

It was one busy and hectic weekend, but we had a great time visiting with friends and family and spending some time together during the travel time.  Columbus and Yellow Springs are great cities (big and little, respectively), and if you ever are passing through, you should stop for a visit!

Got Milk?

Shortly after Eli was born, we noticed that he was becoming extremely fussy all the time.  He was spitting up almost everything he ate and kept developing rashes.  After a trip to the pediatrician, he was diagnosed with infant GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which means he has a pretty severe case of acid reflux.  This was not a huge surprise because Eli's big brother, Ethan, also had GERD.  Thankfully, we caught it much earlier with Eli than we did with Ethan and were able to start him on medication to treat it. 


While some of his symptoms improved greatly, Eli continued to be in tremendous pain and would break out in hives.  We headed back to the pediatrician who suggested that we test him for a milk allergy.  That test came back positive, which meant if I wanted to continue to nurse, I would have to cut out all dairy from my diet.  At the appointment I wasn't too worried because I thought, "Not a problem - I can give up milk and cheese for a while."  What I didn't realize at the time is that dairy is in nearly EVERYTHING we eat!  Don't believe me?  Check the labels on what you just ate.  From spaghetti sauce to lunch meat to Special K cereal (even without milk) to McDonald's french fries, there is dairy in about 90% of the foods we eat.  The diagnosis also meant that I would have to watch my soy intake because a lot of babies that have milk allergies also are allergic to soy.  And if you think milk is prevalent, soy is even more so.

Cutting out dairy has been difficult.  Not just because I miss eating yogurt or cheese, but because it has changed my diet and my cooking completely.  Trips to Kroger take twice as long because I have to read the labels on everything.  Eating out requires looking up the allergen menu beforehand so I don't accidentally eat something I shouldn't.

Despite the challenge it has posed, when I cut out dairy completely, we saw improvement in Eli within days.  In the weeks that followed, we saw an even greater improvement (dairy takes about 4 - 6 weeks to leave the baby's system completely).

Still, there are days when Eli suddenly breaks out in hives or wakes up screaming in pain.  After a few more trips to the pediatrician (I jokingly told Chris we should have our own parking spot by now), the doctors have found that he continues to have blood in his stool, which means that he is having an allergic reaction to something else.  Our next step is to take him to a pediatric allergist to have him tested for other food allergies, and we will go from there.

The Lord has been teaching me so much during this, for which I am so thankful.   First, I am reminded that from the moment I see those two pink lines, I have absolutely no control over how things turn out, but the Lord does.  Parenting is a constant reminder that, despite our best intentions, God is sovereign over the lives of our children.  I would have never chosen for Eli to have a milk allergy, but I am thankful that God has a purpose for it.  He has also used it to teach me discipline, especially when it comes to my diet.  Cutting out dairy and most soy has been incredibly difficult, but God has shown me much grace and there has been much joy in sacrificing my wants for Eli's needs.  I have also been tremendously blessed by those who have walked this path before me.  Thank you to my Michigan and Kentucky friends who have given me advice, sent me delicious, dairy-free recipes, and prayed wisdom for us!

As we move forward, please continue to pray for wisdom for us regarding Eli's diet and health.  We are seriously considering switching from nursing to a hypo-allergenic formula, which has been a difficult decision for me.  I have enjoyed nursing all of my babies, and it makes me sad that I may have to stop so early, but if it is what will be best for Eli, then it is what I need to do!  Also pray that the pediatric allergist will be able to pinpoint what, if any, additional allergies he may have.  Lastly, pray for Eli!  He is a trooper and generally a happy baby, but when he has an allergic episode, it is pretty painful for him.  We know God is in control, and will continue to keep you posted!

Colossal Coaster World!

It's that time again!  Yes, it is hard to believe, but it is Vacation Bible School time.  Like most of you, our church had the Colossal Coaster World theme.  The decorations were incredible, especially in the VBX room (6th graders) where my Dad volunteered.  I love VBS week because it is really exciting to see how God gifts people in so many different ways!  Overall, it was a wonderful week of serving, worshiping, and sharing the Gospel with  kids.  We are so blessed to be at a church that doesn't just put on VBS because of tradition, but because they care about investing in the children of our church and the community around it.  I wish I would have taken more pictures, but the week was so busy and so much fun that, honestly, I just forgot!  Still, here are a few pictures:

 Emma doing sack races

Wacky Wednesday - we had matching pigtails (it's hard to tell from the picture)

Love my kiddos!

Papa making cotton candy for the VBX-ers!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Summer is flying by!  June and July has just been packed with so many things happening in our family.  Shortly before the end of the school year, my Dad, who has been teaching for 43 years, decided to retire – much to the chagrin of those kids in his school waiting to get to 5^th grade so they could have Mr. Alvaro as a teacher.  To say that I am proud of my Dad is a gross understatement.  He dedicated his life to teaching, not just because it was a job, but because he loved the kids.  I cannot tell you how many times we have been out and about in Michigan or even other states, when someone has yelled “Mr. Alvaro!” from afar.  Even the teacher in the classroom next door was a former student!  His students absolutely loved him because he not only taught, but he invested in their lives.  We are not sure what he’s going to do next, but we are very proud of him!

 Cake!

Sharing the iPad

Saying thank you

My Dad and one of his former students, who now teaches next door to my Dad!

Then, a few weekends ago, we traveled to Caseville, MI, for a family vacation.  We went last year, and the kids have not stopped asking when we were going back!  A couple from my parents’ small group has a cabin there, and they were gracious enough to open it up for us again.  Emma and Ethan spent most of their time at the beach building sandcastles and playing in the water – I don’t think they have ever slept so well!  It was a great time of relaxation and it was great to be able to spend so much time together.  

 Lounging in the sun

 

Sandcastles!

 

Fun in the sand!

Siblings

Hanging out with Daddy!

Summer Loving!

 All tuckered out

This summer has been packed with so many wonderful events and trips, and we are not even half-way done!  We hope you are enjoying your summer as much as we are!