So It's Been FOREVER

So it's been forever and well life has taken over, but God has handed us some curve balls. Izabelle has been thriving in preschool. Her teacher has been amazing at handeling her "allergy". She monitors what Belle eats and if she feels that there has been too much sugar in a day she modify's Belle's snacks and lunch. Belle also has been amazing. She is learning what sugar does to her body. There have been many days that Belle comes home and tells me that her tummy isn't feeling very well and that she doesn't want any more sugar and she wants a sugar free day for the following day. She has had days where she rebels and binges on sugar but she learns very quickly that it hurts and it makes her sick. We have also learned that Easton may be following in his sisters footsteps. It started with him not being able to tolerating milk and soy. He was put on a hypoallergenic formula at 6 1/2 months. He has been tolerating that well. We have tried bites of yogart once a month but with each try he gets hives on his face so we are pretty sure that he too will be unable to eat it. We have been refered to a GI specialest for Easton so that we can confirm what we pretty much already know. Easton is thriving though. He took his first steps at the beginning of February. Now he's toddling around and getting into EVERYTHING. He has bruises everywhere from falling but I know those will heal and he will soon be a pro at walking and my baby will no longer be a baby. Jamison turns 6 on Saturday and I'm so proud of him. I can't believe he's already 6 and over half way through kindergarten. He's a bright young boy and he's everything I could ask for. He makes his mommy proud.

Early this week we were informed by the navy we will be heading back to San Diego. Derrick will be heading back to Carrier life....Our families are very sad to see us go because we will be across the country again but I think the navy chose this for use because we will be close to one of the major naval hospitals and our children are considered Cat 3 EFM's. Derrick has to go to school for the first 3 months that we are there so we won't have to live ship life right away and the ship is deployed now so we won't face a deployment right away. God is really looking out for us.

Gearing Up For School

So this week has been quite hectic. Jamison started kindergarten and it's been early mornings and a lonely little girl. About an hour after Jamison leaves for school the questions of when will he be home starts. For as much fighting that the two of them do she really misses her brother when he's not here. She is getting good a quiet play by herself and trying to entertain Easton. So all week we've been collecting up all her special medical instructions and talking to doctors. I can't believe my little girl is going to all day preK. She's so excited and I know it'll be good for both her and I. She has been challenging lately and I think she just needs so daily structure. She loves doing school stuff with brother so I know she'll enjoy school. It's finally her turn and she's excited. Although she doesn't understand why brother gets a bus ride and she doesnt. I wish she could get a bus ride, just for fun, but alas she probably won't get a school bus ride for many years. Once we move who knows if busses will be provided or if she'll even need one. She got a new backpack for school and wears it around the house proudly. I know most days she won't need it at school but she feels like such a big girl getting to finally get one of her own. With her going to school it brings many fears. Will she be able to enjoy lunch and snack and all that. Will she get sick and have an accident and be completely embarrassed. Will she get to the bathroom quick enough so that she doesn't have an accident. Will the other kids accept her even with her strange food problems. Will they accept her in general. She's got a strong personality and I'm not sure how other kids will do with her. She did do fine at MMO but she also knew those kids from infancy. I know she needs to grow up and do things on her own but I've been able to keep her pretty sheltered with all her food stuff. I'm really hoping that all my fears are short lived and she has an amazing experince like Jamison had.

daredevil

Forgot To Add Yesterday

While at the doctors for Easton yesterday I did bring up Belle's sleep walking to him. He gave her a look over. Although she was in her "grumpy" mood and wasn't following directions. He wanted me to give a call into her GI docs. He suspects she is having refulx at night and because of all her other GI problems he wants them to take a look at her. If GI and meds don't help he wants her to go in for a sleep study. Seeing as we can't pin down when exactly she is waking up we need to figure it out and help her sleep. I'm just hoping that school will help tire her out. I just don't know what to do with her. I"m hoping the structer of school will also help. I think it will be good for all of us....

Onto a cute story of belle...A few weekends ago we went to a family reunion in Charolette NC. The kids got to go to the racetrack and take a tour. The road in a can that took them around. They got to a curve and Jamison was tellng them to slow down and Belle asked for them to floor it. Only Belle would be asking for such a thing. Jamison is adventuresome but Belle is my daredevil. I'm waiting for the day I need to take her to get a cast put on...Although I must say from the stories my mom tells me I was ver similar in the way I approached life. Go as high and as far and as fast as you can...I didn't break anything until I was 26.

So I Guess I'm A Bad Mom

At least that is how Belle makes me feel most days. Today we took Easton to the doctor because he has had a low grade fever and been completely fussy. I felt it was more than just the monster teeth coming in. Well I was right a bad virus is kicking his rear...There's some sores in his mouth :-( So on to belle. At the doctors office she had a complete meltdown. During intake she was screaming and laying on the floor. She refused to listen to me. Nothing was working...I tried her strikes...I tried bargining I tried everything. Finally the nurse bent down and sternly talked to her. I was so embarrassed. I'm contantly embarrased by her behavior. Nothing I do works. I know she's constantly tired from lack of sleep. I know that being told no constantly with food is frustrating. I try to make her feel special. I try to treat her like any other child. Making her fun food that she can eat. I just feel like I'm at my wits end. I don't want to take belle anywhere anymore. I feel like we can't leave the house because some other mother is going to judge. Judge me for not being able to control my child. Feel sorry for Belle because her mother can't properly take care of her and give her boundries. Days like today make me want to hide in a hole until it's all over.

Onto the exciting part of the day. Jamison went to Kindergarten orientation today. He got to meet his teachers and get a tour of the school. He was so excited when he got into the car. He told me all about his day. How he got to take a school bus into town and the craft they made and all the new friends he made. My baby boy is growing up.I can't believe I actually have a kid in elementary school. I guess now it's time to become a PTA mom ;-)

The Search For Belle

Ok so right now as her health is under control or as much as it can be....I'm going to write about the adventures of belle...Not that my other children don't provide endless entertainment but belle seems to be our drama queen :D Not that I'm surprised...You never believe your parents when they tell you "I hope you have one just like you" it seems derrick and I were blessed with one just like us!

Our newest adventure with belle is her sleep walking. We usually notice when one of us goes to return Easton to his crib after a midnight feeding. Last night though was a tad bit scarier. Lights were turned on and a search of the house was on. We checked the normal places..Behind the doors that lead to our room. The hall closet...the bathroom....the laundry basket...She wasn't there...I then went and looked under our bed. Sure enough she was passed out and using a suitcase as a pillow. I had to drag her out by her ankle in order to get her from under the bed. She groggily looked at me and walked back to bed. We tucked her in and she slept soundly the rest of the night!

Now Derrick and I are trying to figure out how to keep her safe. I think first on our list is a babygate at the tope of our stairs. I think as long as we got one that has a latch that you have to be coordinated for he won't be able to get through it...It was suggested I should get a hook/eye latch to "lock her in" but somewhere in my gut it just doesn't feel right...I'd be afraid if there was an emergancy I wouldn't have the time to fight with a lock...So this week I'll be babyproofing for my 3 year old...Well at least it gives me a jump start on what needs to be done for Easton....

Lots to Catch Up On

Wow it's been a week or so give or take....My computer was getting fixed bc the hard drive crashed and was not repairable so we had to have it completely replaced...Thank God we got the extended warrenty. So onto the going on's of this week.....

Well belle had what was supposed to be her follow up. Well what a cluster freak that was....We get there on time and check in...Are lead back to a room and left there....we kept seeing people come and go and were getting quite annoyed that we weren't being seen. We finally went and asked what the hold up was since we had been waiting an hour...Come to find out they can't find her doc. So they start to page him and what not. 30 minutes later we're told our appointment should have been canceled and was canceled in the system but no one called to inform us. So they got another GI doc to come and see Belle. Almost 2 HOURS after our initial appt time. They did give us free parking though so that was nice.

On to her appt....Nothing but good news. We're allowed to start giving her small amounts of sugar again. If we anticipate that she's going to get a lot of sugar in a meal or over the course of the day we can up the amount of meds we give her. It's what her body should be making so she won't OD on it ;-) Belle hasn't gained any weight since April but the doc said that's ok and her body is just adjusting. We don't have to go back for a year and the new doc told us she'd take belle's case since belle's doc is moving. Oh and in 9 months we get to challenge Belle first with a tsp of soy and then if she can handle that a month later milk.

So we've reintroduced natural sugar into belle's diet. Although I think the first day I think we over did it. She didn't sleep well at all that night. She went and slept in the hall and any time derrick tried to put her back to bed she scream and cry until she was back on the floor. The next day she was a grump until she took a 3 hour nap. Belle can also drink her special milk again. She's getting the vitamin's she needs and the calcium so I'm not having to worry about trying to get her to take nasty tasting vitamins. And she can have tylonal again. That was my biggest worry. How to bring down a fever w/o meds.

We are all still adjusting to this new lifestyle. But I think we're surviving. Less sugar is good for all of us, and only trying to stick to the natrual sugar is better for us anyway.