Utah Trip

I've been reading through old blog entries from when Michael was a baby to compare his symptoms to Brooks, and I realized that I'm so grateful that I have kept a record of our family life on the blog, but then I also realized, I've been pretty bad at it lately.  So here's to keeping up the blog!

A couple of weeks ago I took a FAST, last minute trip to Utah to visit my little brother Andrew.  It was just me and Brooks', and it was the first time I've ever done anything like that.  It was a lot of fun, but I wish I would have been able to be there for a little longer.  I flew in on standby Friday evening and left early Sunday morning to drive home.  All the flights were booked and I had to get home.  

I made sure to hit up my favorite restaurants, but I could have spent an entire month eating at all the good places to eat.  We went to Tucannos (gift card baby), Kneaders for unlimited french toast, and then Cafe Rio.  I tried to not eat too much dairy/soy, but it was impossible.  Brooks suffered the consequences, but it was the last time I'll eat that stuff for a long time.

Friday we went to a volleyball game, Saturday we went to a basketball game (Jimmer's birthday and he was there), I got my hair cut at Shep's Studio, and we also went to Cougarettes in concert.  I really love Provo, BYU, and Utah in general.  I miss that place!

Funny story.  I went to my brother's apartment to meet his roommates and hang out for a little bit.  He has a great group of roommates.  I was tempted to go with them to their dance parties, but I decided that they probably did not want me there.  haha.  So I was commenting on how the couches haven't changed in 25 years...literally, and how all boys' apartments smell the same way.  They all smell as if they've got a dirty George Foreman.  Sure enough his roommate starts laughing and says that he never cleans his George Foreman, and he just keeps using it over and over again.  I taught him how to clean it.  DISGUSTING, but funny!

Correction: Brooks also has a soy protein allergy as well! 

The more research I've done, I've found that most kids show the signs of milk and soy protein allergy at 3 months, which is exactly when we started noticing the changes in Brooks.  Also my doctor told me that between 40 and 50% of kids who have the milk protein allergy, they also have the soy protein allergy.  I've had a lot of sleepless nights lately.  As soon as I lay Brooks down, he cries in pain, but will usually go to sleep for a little bit, and then he wakes up crying in pain.  As soon as I pick him up, he'll burp a couple of times and then the cycle continues.  He definitely has more problems at night.  As I said before, at least I know how to handle it this time.  I thought maybe it was just the dairy because when I went off of it, I noticed a difference, but it just took a couple of days before more symptoms started showing up.  

Most babies are not allergic to the soy and milk protein in their mother's breast milk, but my kids are over achievers I guess.  It's going to be a long 8 months until he's done nursing!  These allergies are hereditary, and I had the same problem when I was a baby, but they didn't have the research back then to diagnose it, so  I was just a skinny sick baby.  

Allergies

My suspicions have been confirmed.  Brooks has a milk protein allergy like Michael did, which means I have to quit eating all dairy.  Ugh.  Michael was also allergic to soy, but Brooks' symptoms aren't near as bad as Michael's, so I'm thinking it's just dairy.  I quit eating dairy for four days, and he went from having 9 to 10 bad loose diapers to just 1 or 2, and his spitting up completely stopped.  However, I went out of town for a couple of days and ate a few meals with small amounts of dairy in them, and sure enough he had constant blow-out diapers and his spitting up returned.  He also has been crying in pain when I lay him down for naps or at night, and when I went off dairy that quit, and sure enough returned when I ate it again.  Also his eczema went away, and sure enough when I ate it, he got the rashes back.

The good news is after taking Michael to the doctor for the first 3 years of his life because of his allergies all the time, I already know what I need to do, and I don't have to waste thousands of dollars in the meantime.  The bad news, no more cheese.  I love cheese.

Footsies

Goal Update

Since January 9th, I've lost 11 pounds.  The first week was kind of an adrenaline rush because both Kyle and I lost a lot of weight, and then the second and third week have definitely been slow going, but I've still lost and not gained anything, so that's good.  I have a few more pounds to go before I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight with Brooks, but that is not my final goal!  It's been hard, I'll admit, but I already feel so much better now that my clothes are fitting more how they should.  Brooks is waking up a lot at night lately, which is definitely putting a damper on my 6 am work videos.  I think it's time to do the dreaded "cry it out" method, but not sure I'm ready to do that with him.  It's also hard because when I nurse I'm always hungry, so I'm trying to find a balance.  Excuses, excuses!

On a side note...Preston has a bad case of the Terrible Two's.  Like, really bad.  Life is a little crazy around here with 2 toddlers who have strong personalities!  

I have a GOAL

A couple of years ago when I decided to train for a triathlon, I knew I could do it, but wasn't sure how.  I still had a baby I was nursing, and didn't have the motivation or time to do much exercising, but I did it, and I finished that race even though I almost died (okay not really, but try jumping into the Columbia on July 2 and swimming half a mile).

Fast forward one year, and I decided to run during my pregnancy, while hugely pregnant with Brooks.  Once again, very hard to do, but I did it and I felt great.    

Now here I am, postpartum, not exercising, not eating right, and not enjoying my current weight situation at all.  I don't fit well into any of my clothes, and that's just annoying. The holidays came right after I had Brooks, and I haven't stopped eating treats since.  I feel gross.  When Kyle told me his work was doing a biggest loser competition and spouses were invited to participate I said SIGN US UP!  We have  12 weeks to shed some major poundage.  Of course for me this can't come at a better time, but also a terrible time.  I am nursing, and I always hold onto my weight while nursing.  I'm also getting up twice a night with a newborn, and have no motivation to wake up at 6 to do a workout video, but I HAVE to.  There is no way I'm going running in the freezing cold and dark weather, so I've got to make this work until it's lighter outside.  We are changing the way we eat around here (hold the butter, half and half, and sugar please).  We are 3 days in, and so far we are happy about our new food choices.  Once again, not easy, but worth it.    

I can do this, right?  My goal is to lose 27 pounds.  In 12 weeks. I have a newborn. I'm not sleeping enough at night.  I hate workout videos. I'm nursing.  It's wintertime.  NO MORE EXCUSES. I can do this!!!!!  I may not lose those 27 pounds in 12 weeks, but I won't stop until I do.

Did I just tell the people of the Internet that I want to lose 27 pounds?  Eeeek.

Babymoon

Brooks is now 1 month old.  At 3 weeks I had to pack away his 0-3 month clothes, and just like that he's in 3-6 months clothes and size 2 diapers.  He's not as chubby as Preston, but he is very long.  Why does pregnancy go SO slow, and the newborn stage go by so fast?  It doesn't seem fair.  We love Brooks, and I'm a lucky mom to have such a good baby.  Brooks looks just like Michael did as a baby except with darker features.  I think I'm going to have another curly haired boy.  Brooks loves the swing, loves to eat, loves his family, and we love him!

We seem to be adjusting pretty well with 3 boys.  Life goes on pretty quickly with number 3.  Really, who even has time to adjust?  Preston is cutting his molars, I'm trying to potty-train him, and he is resisting naps every single day (he has upgraded himself to the crib tent).  I refuse to let him stop taking a nap!  Today he hooped and hollered for over an hour before finally falling asleep.  Preston was such a laid back baby that I never thought he'd be so independent, but he wants to do everything on his own, and is very defiant about it.  Preston spends his days playing with Legos, talking up a storm, and fighting/rough housing/wrestling with Michael.  Preston still gets the raw end of the deal with Michael, but we keep warning Michael that one day Preston will be bigger then he is.    

Michael is loving pre-school, and he thinks he gets to go to Kindergarten next year when his cousins go.  He doesn't believe me when I tell him he still has almost 2 years left before he can go.  We both wish pre-school was every morning.  Michael is a big handful for me at home, but when he goes to preschool he somehow turns into an angel child (not when it's my turn to teach though), and the moms tell me he is excellent week after week.  Last week when I ended up in tears over a bad day I was having with Michael, Kyle reminded me to count my blessings that Michael is a good boy for other people.  I guess that's true, I'd rather have my child be difficult for me and good for other people, but sometimes, I do wish he took it a little easier on me.  Michael is such a good big brother to Brooks, and is very helpful.  He is always willing to hold Brooks, go get a pacifier, grab the diapers and wipes, and report if Brooks has a dirty diaper.   

Yesterday I decided to put make-up on, perfume, and jewelry because I know I'm getting in a post-baby winter rut where days and days go by when I don't leave the house and have no reason to really get ready.  When Michael woke up from his nap he took one look at me, and said "Mom, you look so so so cute! Where are we going?"  He always makes sure to give me compliments when he thinks I look nice.  Then about an hour later he decided to go play outside.  Before he went out he wanted to brush his teeth, put armpit smelly stuff on (Kyle's deodorant), and fix his hair with my curl cream.  He never volunteers to brush his teeth, and never wants me to fix his hair.  I asked him why he was doing all of those things just to play outside and he told me it was because I looked cute, and he wanted to too.   

I really am a lucky lady, aren't I?