Food

I thought we ate fairly healthy, most of the time. Papi and I both have IBS, (or that's what we thought) so we really did try to eat well. When JMC was 6 months old, we discovered that he's allergic to dairy products. He was just a baby, so it didn't change things for us much at first, but as he grew, and began eating what we eat, we considerably reduced dairy as a family.

A couple years later, a doctor told us that JA had celiac disease (allergic to gluten). A different doctor said that diagnosis was incorrect, and we breathed a sigh of relief. I mean, how could we ever eliminate gluten from our diet? We didn't think we could afford all of the specialty gluten-free foods, and so we were absolutely relieved to have that diagnosis retracted.

I just wrote and promptly deleted a very long paragraph about JT's digestive issues. No need for TMI. He has had digestive issues for years, as I look back, probably since infancy. We worked with 4 different doctors, 3 of which are specialists in their fields, and the end result was to give JT an adult dose of Miralax daily, with the need for a "clean out" every 3 months. I was not ok with this, and after 6 months with no improvement, I began to look for alternatives.

Then, JL began having issues, above and beyond colic and reflux. So, with my research online and talking with other friends, I decided that we would go dairy free as a family. And, we would also go gluten free. By this point it was November, and we were gearing up for the holidays, so I put it off. By New Year's, I began the elimination diet, and JL began to improve in just a few weeks.

The rest of the family followed in February, though instead of doing the elimination diet, they just eliminated gluten, dairy, and soy. Within 2 weeks, JMC's eczema disappeared. Then, JT began to feel better. I kept him on the Miralax for awhile, and then we stopped it completely about a month later. And, he's better! No more digestive issues, and no more stomach aches (they had been a daily occurrence.)

Papi still had acid reflux and stomach aches, so we researched more, and found that he may be allergic to nightshades. What?!? I hadn't even heard of nightshades before. It was worth a try though, so we eliminated tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant, for Papi, and his acid reflux completely cleared up.

We continue to research and try to figure things out about our health and nutrition. Making even more changes to our diet is intimidating, but after the results we've had so far, I can't help but think more changes might be just what Juan needs to completely heal his stomach aches. I have read some promising research and heard some miraculous results for an elimination diet that heals the gut, and therefore reduces (and often eliminates) most digestive problems. We'll see. I need to research more, and then we may give it a try after Christmas and New Year's.

a decade

I've been delaying this post for a month, for a number of reasons. First, I told myself I should wait until after the party so I could include all of the pictures in one post. Then, I thought I just didn't have the time to sit down and upload the pics. Then, I didn't have time to write the post. In all honesty, I believe I just didn't want to admit my baby girl is growing up.

It's so fun when they are little; watching them learn to walk; all of the "firsts." The firsts become less obvious and a bit more spaced apart, and you forget that they are growing. At least, that's how it is for me. I can't deny it any longer though - my baby girl is now 10 years old - a decade! My full-of-faith, beautiful, smart, musical, and crafts-of-all-kinds loving, little girl, just isn't so little any more. To my great joy, she has a deep faith in God, and trusts Him and His truth when even I doubt, which calms my heart when I think ahead of the life trials that face everyone. Also, she still loves to create and imagine, so all of the "little girl" hasn't quite gone yet.

Here are some pictures of her birthday, and a few of her party (her very first "friend party" at which her papa and I were too busy keeping track of 12 girls (ages 6-12) that we didn't get many pictures.) I didn't get any pictures of the day of JA's birthday, though we did celebrate as a family. I was 3 days post gallbladder surgery, and still recovering. Papi did take her for professional pictures though. Here are some of my favorites.

JT is hiding behind the flowers, calling out the Bingo words (wildcats of the world)

Our nieces, C & O, came to help out. O painted the girls' nails (cat prints, of course) and C helped out with JL.

Papi used hot glue to fix the girls' craft projects, as the glue dots just didn't hold.

They all crowded around the table to eat cupcakes.