Today my aunt and niece came over to meet the baby. It was a lovely visit and we talked about so many things! Among them: Allergies
I have been lactose intolerant for about 7 or 8 years now. Giving up dairy was not so bad. I had slowly phased cows milk out unless using it for baking. Then I slowly phased almond milk into baking. Cheese is the hardest dairy product to give up, and of course it should be. Everyone loves cheese! I felt great without dairy in my diet, and even went completely dairy/gluten/sugar free for almost 6 months before I found out I was pregnant. While I was pregnant I realized that I could tolerate dairy again. Not only could I tolerate it, I craved it! Ice cream became a regular part of my pregnant diet and I didn't have to run to the bathroom 30 minutes after eating it! Little girl brought me her fathers appetite! Now she's almost 3 months old and I have been slowly phasing dairy out again because the same old reactions came back. This time with a vengeance... Not only do I have the "lactose intolerant" reaction, but now I have an allergic reaction. The last bowl of ice cream I ate was yesterday. It only took 5 minutes for my gut to react and when I say both ends I'm sure you know what I mean. 20 minutes of that and I felt good as new. Who would have thought?
I blame dairy for many of my intestinal troubles, as well as (embarrassingly enough) acne and other skin problems, and some troubles in the lady reproductive area. I blame wheat products (gluten) for many of these troubles as well. BUT in order to find out if I am allergic to or intolerant of any of these things, I have to keep them in my diet until I'm tested (so I hear.) This is not a good time to talk about health insurance.
So while talking to my aunt today I found that she is allergic to pretty much everything but trees, like almost everyone else in the family, and celiac disease runs in our family. Good to know, right? My sister was just diagnosed with the same allergies and celiac disease. So now I really think I should be tested! My aunt also shared what her allergist told her, which I'm really excited to research myself. When she found that she has an allergy to shellfish she mentioned that she eats shellfish all the time and never has a reaction. He told her that she has no reaction to certain allergens because she is living a constant reaction. Her body is so used to defending itself from everything that she doesn't even notice any significant reactions anymore. Could this be what's happening with me? I think it might be. This is why I want to research.
So, ice cream, chocolate milk, pudding, and dare I say cheesecake... I will always love you, but we're just not meant to be together. Basically you are an asshole when it comes to my true inner feelings. And so I must break both our hearts and end this disastrous relationship once and for all. Unless I get pregnant again. You, dairy, are officially my bitch.
Friday, July 22, 2011
In the Midst of the Heat Wave
I'm not usually one to give advice. Okay, I am one to give advice but it's usually in the form of sticking my foot in my own mouth. I would like to take a moment to list a few mistakes I've made this summer - all having to do with caring for a newborn during a heat wave. I am in no way a professional, so please follow this "advice" at your own risk.
1. Drink plenty of fluids. Mistake #1. I don't drink enough fluids. Seeing as how I'm doing everything humanly possible to succeed at being a breastfeeding mommy, I should be drinking much more water than I am. I've never been a fan of water (or soda or booze for that matter) and I usually mistake my thirst for hunger and then I eat too much and get more thirsty. Don't make that mistake. I have decided that I will drink 8oz of water during every episode of Baby Story that I watch, which automatically puts me at 32oz per day. Then another 8oz with each dose of vitamins, fenugreek, etc. I should be peeing clear in no time.
2. Eat a well balanced diet. Also something I don't do, on a regular basis anyway, and it's even harder now that we're trying to adjust to one income. Peanut butter and jelly gets old fast. (Also not healthy for a breastfeeding mommy and baby)
3. Keep baby indoors where it's cooler. I thought it would be a good idea to take baby girl to the Turks Head Festival last weekend. Even got out the awesome sling so that I could have some freedom of movement while walking around. Turns out she was too hot and just wanted to nurse, but it was too hot for our bodies to be that close, so she mostly just slept on a blanket in the shade. I ended up going home earlier than I planned just so that we could have comfortable snuggle time in the air conditioning.
4. Baby can get the heat shits too. Just like adults, it seems the little one also responds poorly to long periods of intense heat, and her diaper is proof. Keep her cool and hydrated. (See #'s 1, 2 & 3) This is not a mistake, but an observation that needed to be addressed.
This list could go on forever, but seeing as how I started the list yesterday and stopped because I was distracted, I seem to have forgotten all the topics I wanted to cover. I do that sometimes. Most of the time.
The most important thing to remember is to do what you want to do. If you're okay with sitting on your butt, nursing baby and watching Boy Meets World reruns, then do it. I on the other hand am in some serious need of grown up time with Ryan, and so I have finally found the strength to get a babysitter so we can go out tomorrow and play in the creek. I'm looking forward to the cheap date. It's been too long.
1. Drink plenty of fluids. Mistake #1. I don't drink enough fluids. Seeing as how I'm doing everything humanly possible to succeed at being a breastfeeding mommy, I should be drinking much more water than I am. I've never been a fan of water (or soda or booze for that matter) and I usually mistake my thirst for hunger and then I eat too much and get more thirsty. Don't make that mistake. I have decided that I will drink 8oz of water during every episode of Baby Story that I watch, which automatically puts me at 32oz per day. Then another 8oz with each dose of vitamins, fenugreek, etc. I should be peeing clear in no time.
2. Eat a well balanced diet. Also something I don't do, on a regular basis anyway, and it's even harder now that we're trying to adjust to one income. Peanut butter and jelly gets old fast. (Also not healthy for a breastfeeding mommy and baby)
3. Keep baby indoors where it's cooler. I thought it would be a good idea to take baby girl to the Turks Head Festival last weekend. Even got out the awesome sling so that I could have some freedom of movement while walking around. Turns out she was too hot and just wanted to nurse, but it was too hot for our bodies to be that close, so she mostly just slept on a blanket in the shade. I ended up going home earlier than I planned just so that we could have comfortable snuggle time in the air conditioning.
4. Baby can get the heat shits too. Just like adults, it seems the little one also responds poorly to long periods of intense heat, and her diaper is proof. Keep her cool and hydrated. (See #'s 1, 2 & 3) This is not a mistake, but an observation that needed to be addressed.
This list could go on forever, but seeing as how I started the list yesterday and stopped because I was distracted, I seem to have forgotten all the topics I wanted to cover. I do that sometimes. Most of the time.
The most important thing to remember is to do what you want to do. If you're okay with sitting on your butt, nursing baby and watching Boy Meets World reruns, then do it. I on the other hand am in some serious need of grown up time with Ryan, and so I have finally found the strength to get a babysitter so we can go out tomorrow and play in the creek. I'm looking forward to the cheap date. It's been too long.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Two months of motherhood down...
And I quit my job on Friday.
As many of you surely know, taking care of a newborn is no easy task. They eat, poop, cry and need snuggles. Then they sleep, so I should sleep. But instead I find myself trying to clean, wasting time pre-baby style by facebooking, sending that long overdue email... And most recently, BLOG. I don't really need people to read it, but it's stuff that I need to get out, and so I type it here.
A (former) coworker called me this morning to let me know that my (former) manager accepted my resignation and is not trying to get me to change my mind. If she had, I might have considered work from home, but after the years of unsure hours in the office and unnecessary drama I can honestly say that I am happy with my decision. Quite sad to leave some of the fabulous people I had the pleasure of working with, but happy nonetheless. After all, I have this beautiful little girl who needs as much of my attention as she can get.
Some day soon I hope to get my butt back in school and start my gluten free diet again, but those things will come in time. For now I will be focusing on love.
Welcome to my new life people! I am officially a stay at home mom!
As many of you surely know, taking care of a newborn is no easy task. They eat, poop, cry and need snuggles. Then they sleep, so I should sleep. But instead I find myself trying to clean, wasting time pre-baby style by facebooking, sending that long overdue email... And most recently, BLOG. I don't really need people to read it, but it's stuff that I need to get out, and so I type it here.
A (former) coworker called me this morning to let me know that my (former) manager accepted my resignation and is not trying to get me to change my mind. If she had, I might have considered work from home, but after the years of unsure hours in the office and unnecessary drama I can honestly say that I am happy with my decision. Quite sad to leave some of the fabulous people I had the pleasure of working with, but happy nonetheless. After all, I have this beautiful little girl who needs as much of my attention as she can get.
Some day soon I hope to get my butt back in school and start my gluten free diet again, but those things will come in time. For now I will be focusing on love.
Welcome to my new life people! I am officially a stay at home mom!
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