Friday night, my friend wanted me to go to the Kohl's after-hours sale with her, so I put Romo to bed and Luca asked to sleep in our bed. Darrick decided to lie down with her and ended up falling asleep when she did, in our bed. My friend picked me up and I went out the front door, locking just the baby gate and the screen door.
I get home about 10:30, and when I get to the front door, the screen/security door is closed but NOT LOCKED, but the inner door is wide open. I feel my heart start to hammer in my chest. Is someone in my house?? But I open the door and the dogs are there, wagging their tails. Surely that means no one broke in? I look around and notice some shoes strewn around, a folding step stool tipped over, and Luca's potty on the floor (usually it's in hiding once she's in bed). I check to make sure no one's in the house and make sure the kids are accounted for, and all is clear.
A little later, I go to get in bed, and discover Luca peed on our sheets. I wake H and ask why he didn't put her in a diaper overnight, and he says he did.
"I had to go poo poo," she tells me.
And then it clicks. She went down by herself, went potty, played with some toys, and opened the front door. And my heart just stopped. If I hadn't locked that baby gate, what could have happened? And what if she'd discovered she could climb over it?!?!
I guess it just goes to show that you can never be too careful with a toddler in the house. AND it's time for some more serious baby-proofing of the front door!
12/30
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
You.
You:
Smile.
Laugh.
Crawl on all Fours.
Wiggle.
Make Me Giggle.
Scootch Around on the Floor.
Bare New Baby Teeth.
Climb All 14 Stairs.
Have a Belly Ripe for Tickles.
And a Heart-Stopping Blue Stare.
Pull Up to Standing.
In Your Crib.
On Your Toys.
Need a Kiss.
Need a Hand.
Bring Us So Many Joys.
10/30
Smile.
Laugh.
Crawl on all Fours.
Wiggle.
Make Me Giggle.
Scootch Around on the Floor.
Bare New Baby Teeth.
Climb All 14 Stairs.
Have a Belly Ripe for Tickles.
And a Heart-Stopping Blue Stare.
Pull Up to Standing.
In Your Crib.
On Your Toys.
Need a Kiss.
Need a Hand.
Bring Us So Many Joys.
10/30
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
More Masto
This week is kind of kicking Rohan's ass in the Masto department. Every since Sunday, his spot's been swollen and irritated. For the most part he's been a trooper, but the nights tend to be a little rough. Typically I get him to bed about 8, he may wake at 2 to eat and get a fresh diaper, and he's out until 6.
Tonight, he was in bed at 8:15 and awake crying and kicking the mattress at 9. Fifteen minutes of rocking and letting him burrow on my chest and he was back asleep. But if tonight shapes up like last night did, I am expecting to be up at least twice more with him. Poor kid just seems so uncomfortable, twitching and curling into himself as he drifts off to sleep.
We also we recently notified that our insurance provider cancelled their contract with the specialist practice we went to, where the Dr who diagnosed him and gave us his precsription works. Lucky for us there is a new childrens' medical center opening not far from us, so I'm hoping we can transfer his Masto care there.
In the meantime, we're back to a regimen of Doxepin before bed, and hoping he's on the mend again soon!
9/30
Tonight, he was in bed at 8:15 and awake crying and kicking the mattress at 9. Fifteen minutes of rocking and letting him burrow on my chest and he was back asleep. But if tonight shapes up like last night did, I am expecting to be up at least twice more with him. Poor kid just seems so uncomfortable, twitching and curling into himself as he drifts off to sleep.
We also we recently notified that our insurance provider cancelled their contract with the specialist practice we went to, where the Dr who diagnosed him and gave us his precsription works. Lucky for us there is a new childrens' medical center opening not far from us, so I'm hoping we can transfer his Masto care there.
In the meantime, we're back to a regimen of Doxepin before bed, and hoping he's on the mend again soon!
9/30
20 In 20
I joined a challenge with some friends 14 weeks ago, called '20 in 20'. The goal? Simply to lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks, with Christmas being the end of the challenge.
Um. Yeah. No.
Let's just say I'd lost 5 of the 20 and then...what? Halloween came? My willpower went? PMS killed me with its insistence on high calorie foods?
Whatever the excuse, it's not happening, and I'm pissed at myself for letting 14 weeks slip by and only having net 1 pound loss to show for it.
So this week I recommited in a way, and my goal now is to lose 10 in 6. Wish me luck.
8/30
Um. Yeah. No.
Let's just say I'd lost 5 of the 20 and then...what? Halloween came? My willpower went? PMS killed me with its insistence on high calorie foods?
Whatever the excuse, it's not happening, and I'm pissed at myself for letting 14 weeks slip by and only having net 1 pound loss to show for it.
So this week I recommited in a way, and my goal now is to lose 10 in 6. Wish me luck.
8/30
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Masto and the Histamine Restricted Diet
Now that Rohan has started solids, we're learning slowly and (we hope not for him) painfully what foods are fine and what we may need to avoid. I suppose it's the same process ALL parents use when introducing new foods, since you never know what your child might be allergic to. Only with Romo it's less allergies I'm worried over and more reactions. In particular, there is a pretty extensive and limiting list of 'histamine' foods that we may have to avoid and at very least need to watch for reactions to. Chief among them (and my first bit of evidence that food MAY be a trigger for him, which we didn't know until the solids were started) are certain fruits which we LOVE to consume in this family.
His first ever reaction I am 99% sure was triggered by food came thanks to a bit of pineapple he was fed this morning. More correctly, it was juice from a piece of pineapple we put in one of those Munchkin Mesh Feeders for him to gnaw. A little later, I was changing his clothes and his spot caught my eye. I didn't take a picture, but it was very puffy and the skin was lighter colored than usual. It looked very similar to this reaction he had when he was about 2 months old:
He didn't seem super bothered by it, except that the rest of the day he would periodicially shake his head side to side and when he was lying on my chest at naptime trying to fall asleep he kept making little mewing noises and kicking out his legs or pushing against me with his hands. I can only guess at this point since he's obviously not able to tell me, but I think he may have been feeling uncomfortable. I've heard some kids with Masto feel itchy as well when they have a reaction, so maybe that explains the head shaking? I really wish I knew.
We try not to medicate Rohan unless we have to, i.e. when he's clearly having a reaction based on the appearance of his spot. That thing's like a mood ring for us. Typically when he's not reacting it's flat and a darker color than the rest of his arm, close to the color of his lips. When he IS reacting it can get darker or lighter, puffy or bumpy like the skin of an orange. It can look like one BIG spot (as it did today) or it can be a dark circle with 1 or more (a few times as many as 5) little bumps in it. Usually when we do medicate it, we only give meds before bedtime because we've been told his Doxepin can cause drowsiness and dizziness, and I don't want him going through the day like that. VERY rarely, when the spot's looking really irritated, we also use the steroid cream on it. Tonight, we did both. Here's hoping tomorrow he's all better. And a fond farewell to pineapple as part of his diet.
If you're curious, below is a list I copied from http://www.urticaria.thunderworksinc.com/pages/lowhistamine.htm#foodsource, which lists the foods they recommend you cut out of your child's diet and introduce one at a time under close watch for reactions. I REALLY hope he does't react to many of these, or his diet's going to SUCK.
Histamine Restricted Diet for Control of Urticaria/Angioedema
Meat/Poultry/Fish
All seafood including shellfish or fin fish, fresh, frozen, smoked or canned
Egg (a small quantity in a baked product such as pancakes, muffins, cakes is usually tolerated)
Processed, smoked and fermented meats such as luncheon meat, sausage, weiner, bologna, salami, pepperoni
Leftover meat: eat freshly cooked meat ONLY (side note from Jackie—After meat is cooked, the histamine levels increase due to microbial action as the meat sits.)
Milk and Milk Products
All fermented milk products, including cheese (any milk product that is curdled rather than fermented is allowed, such as cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and panir)
Cheese products such as processed cheese, cheese slices, cheese spreads
Yogurt, buttermilk, kefir
Fruits and Vegetables
Orange
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime
Cherries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Cranberries
Loganberries
Apricot
Pineapple
Dates
Raisins
Prunes
Currants
Relishes
Pickles
Spinach
Tomatoes
Ketchup
Tomato sauces
Food Additives
Tartrazine and other artificial food colors
Preservatives, esp. benzoates, sulfites and BHA, BHT
Note: Many medications and vitamin pills contain these additives, especially colors. Ask the pharmacist to recommend additive-free supplements and medications.
Seasonings
Cinnamon
Chili powder
Cloves
Anise
Nutmeg
Curry powder
Hot paprika (cayenne)
Miscellaneous
Fermented soy products
Fermented food
Tea—herbal or regular
Chocolate, cocoa, and cola drinks
Alcohol
Vinegar and foods containing vinegar such as pickles, relishes, ketchup, and prepared mustard
7/30
His first ever reaction I am 99% sure was triggered by food came thanks to a bit of pineapple he was fed this morning. More correctly, it was juice from a piece of pineapple we put in one of those Munchkin Mesh Feeders for him to gnaw. A little later, I was changing his clothes and his spot caught my eye. I didn't take a picture, but it was very puffy and the skin was lighter colored than usual. It looked very similar to this reaction he had when he was about 2 months old:
He didn't seem super bothered by it, except that the rest of the day he would periodicially shake his head side to side and when he was lying on my chest at naptime trying to fall asleep he kept making little mewing noises and kicking out his legs or pushing against me with his hands. I can only guess at this point since he's obviously not able to tell me, but I think he may have been feeling uncomfortable. I've heard some kids with Masto feel itchy as well when they have a reaction, so maybe that explains the head shaking? I really wish I knew.
We try not to medicate Rohan unless we have to, i.e. when he's clearly having a reaction based on the appearance of his spot. That thing's like a mood ring for us. Typically when he's not reacting it's flat and a darker color than the rest of his arm, close to the color of his lips. When he IS reacting it can get darker or lighter, puffy or bumpy like the skin of an orange. It can look like one BIG spot (as it did today) or it can be a dark circle with 1 or more (a few times as many as 5) little bumps in it. Usually when we do medicate it, we only give meds before bedtime because we've been told his Doxepin can cause drowsiness and dizziness, and I don't want him going through the day like that. VERY rarely, when the spot's looking really irritated, we also use the steroid cream on it. Tonight, we did both. Here's hoping tomorrow he's all better. And a fond farewell to pineapple as part of his diet.
If you're curious, below is a list I copied from http://www.urticaria.thunderworksinc.com/pages/lowhistamine.htm#foodsource, which lists the foods they recommend you cut out of your child's diet and introduce one at a time under close watch for reactions. I REALLY hope he does't react to many of these, or his diet's going to SUCK.
Histamine Restricted Diet for Control of Urticaria/Angioedema
Meat/Poultry/Fish
All seafood including shellfish or fin fish, fresh, frozen, smoked or canned
Egg (a small quantity in a baked product such as pancakes, muffins, cakes is usually tolerated)
Processed, smoked and fermented meats such as luncheon meat, sausage, weiner, bologna, salami, pepperoni
Leftover meat: eat freshly cooked meat ONLY (side note from Jackie—After meat is cooked, the histamine levels increase due to microbial action as the meat sits.)
Milk and Milk Products
All fermented milk products, including cheese (any milk product that is curdled rather than fermented is allowed, such as cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and panir)
Cheese products such as processed cheese, cheese slices, cheese spreads
Yogurt, buttermilk, kefir
Fruits and Vegetables
Orange
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime
Cherries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Cranberries
Loganberries
Apricot
Pineapple
Dates
Raisins
Prunes
Currants
Relishes
Pickles
Spinach
Tomatoes
Ketchup
Tomato sauces
Food Additives
Tartrazine and other artificial food colors
Preservatives, esp. benzoates, sulfites and BHA, BHT
Note: Many medications and vitamin pills contain these additives, especially colors. Ask the pharmacist to recommend additive-free supplements and medications.
Seasonings
Cinnamon
Chili powder
Cloves
Anise
Nutmeg
Curry powder
Hot paprika (cayenne)
Miscellaneous
Fermented soy products
Fermented food
Tea—herbal or regular
Chocolate, cocoa, and cola drinks
Alcohol
Vinegar and foods containing vinegar such as pickles, relishes, ketchup, and prepared mustard
7/30
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