Sunday, December 28, 2008

i tried and...

I ate hamburger with buns.

Results? Rash flared up and watery stool PLUS fussy/crying baby.

Wow.

Wheat? Gluten?

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

exciting update

Who would have thunk it? Me being thrilled on some poop news!

Few days now I've noticed Aidan's poop becoming pasty. His stool was always watery and doesn't have curds. I used to think that it was normal for him. I remember, vividly, two months ago I thought to myself, "that's weird, shouldn't he have curds or should it be thicker?"

Only if I realized that it wasn't normal at that time!! Poor Aidan. Anyway. Two days ago his poo was thick and pasty- wasabi looking in fact! sorry!!

So, I decided to google up "pasty stool" and came upon this excerpt:

"A watery stool also could indicate a sensitivity to a certain food you're eating or medication you're taking. A good first step for determining whether that's the case is to eliminate all dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt from your diet for at least three weeks. If the bowel movements change, you'll know it was the dairy. Add dairy back slowly to your diet, starting with the hardest cheeses. If your baby's stools turn watery again, you'll have to find other sources of calcium and protein for your diet."

Wow!!! yay!!! My diet IS making a difference for real. Looks like Aidan is sensitive to dairy. Whee. And it says three weeks? Alright, I've been on the diet for 9 days now... 12 more days left :). I'll stick with what I am on right now and introduce dairy first.

And he continues to be a happy silly bugger.

Clare

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

8 days of the Going Clean diet...

Not bad. I think my honeymoon phase of "yay, I'm taking more responsibility in my eating habits" definitely dwindled down to a slump.

I'm eating the same thing over and over.

Jason went to see his doctor, who also is Eitan and Aidan's doctor, today. He explained about Aidan's conditions while being checked. The doc, or may I say, the quack, told him that mine going on the diet really is not necessary. And to apply cortizone on his dry skin as well as soak his head in heads and shoulders for 3 minutes then wash it off. Hmm.

First of all, Aidan's personality is 100% better. He rarely cries, he communicates better, he laughs more, he plays... I think the diet is making a difference. Secondly, heads and shoulders?1 WTF? Are you kidding me? God knows what chemical is in that thing and I believe that shampoo itself has a conspiracy of its own. It makes the skin more flaky that way you end up buying more and more- keeping that company in business. Finally, cortizone?! Don't get me started on that thing.

We wonder if he is allergic to laundry soap because we've used cloth since. Ever since his rash got bad, he got it bad down there too. His balls are chapped and skin is peeling (looks like dried Elmer glue stuck all over his weenie, balls and arse). We went 100% disposables and it is healed. I suspect it's the soap. We bought a new detergent, Purex Free & Clear. We'll see how that goes. His skin could be from the soap in all the sheets and his behavior from the food I've eaten.

Only if it were that simple.

I snuck a chocolate coin or two (Hanukkah treat). And let me tell you this, I am so sick of brown rice already.

Brown rice flour, noodle, pasta, bread, brown rice cakes... brown rice sushi... but it is all worth it. Some of my friends have noticed a major improvement in Aidan's behavior.

Boy, this has turned into a ranting vent.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Day what? I lost track.

Holiday cookies. I. Want. Them. (and no, not the healthy ones thank you, I want those sugary heart-attack materials).

Anyway. Aidan continues to improve but his rash has not- in fact, some areas have gotten worse (?!?!). What is it that he's allergic to? Soy? Another thing off the list I cannot have.

I stuck with the diet- the only thing I can think of is soy (had tofu cheese spread and soy cheese) or chocolate.

I'm calling the doc tomorrow and want to have him seen. I can't play doctor when he cries from the pain he has on his sores (behind his ears, on arms and raw ass, even bleeding too).

I'm not going to post pictures I took last night because they pretty much are exactly the same as it was on Day 2/3 post.

However, on a positive note, here's how happy he is!

IMG_0801

:)

Clare

Friday, December 19, 2008

update

Aidan is doing good as usual. We suspect it is eggs or dairy. Still, I will faithfully remain gluten, nuts, dairy, eggs and wheat free.

His rash has subsided and the "crusty" rashes now are just pink.

I'll take pictures and post here.

Heather- I too did not bathe Aidan often... Probably once or twice a month due to his rash seeming worse after baths. I used gentle cleansers by Cetaphil to "sponge bath" him. As for sneaking in a coffee, go ahead and have them but in soy instead of milk. I wonder if they have rice milk... Hmm.

See you later (tonight). Vacation officialy starts tonight.with pictures :)

Clare

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Hmm, he's reacting once again

aidan is doing that "typical" behavior of his which includes crying when eating, arching his back and getting into a hissy fit if I move when he nurses. Yesterday I made gluten free brownies and it included eggs. Could it be eggs? Or today, I went to In and Out and had my hamburger- instead of buns, I had them put lettuce. They did not properly do my order because it had cheese in it. I had to peel off as much as I could ( I couldn't go back, it was through a drive through and the line took me 15 minutes- both boys were asleep in the car ).

What is it? Eggs or dairy?

Clare

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Quick note

Howdy, here's a quickie before I head out the door for work.

I wanted to share with you all this, Aidan has not cried today and I noticed few things.

1) He eats more frequent and at a more longer time span-those chubby cheeks and rolly arms/legs are gonna expand soon!!

2) He can stand on his leg (with my help) much longer and enjoys it... he actually stood for more than 5 minutes and giggled the entire time

3) He has shown more interest to be on his tummy and tries to roll.

all this started yesterday, coincidence? I think not.

Clare

Day Two/Three

Success! Aidan cried only twice and they were due to him being 1) pissed off! He was so mad at Eitan for taking his toy away and 2) tired and couldn't sleep in a "quiet" environment. But that's that!

His rash still continues to look yucky but I am so happy that Aidan is now busy playing, laughing and cooing. He is now thriving instead of crying.

Yesterday's eating was a challenge because I was hungry! Healthy foods are not as satisfying as junk food, for me. I kept eating and eating whatever I brought in my tote. One thing I am glad I've discovered is the Good Life gluten free bread. Bread made out of brown rice and sweetened with fruit juices, yum! After this post I'm gonna run to the ref, not walk, and get me some brown rice bread spread with tofu cream cheese.

There is a downside to all this. It's the holidays and I'm missing out on cookies and treats, foo!

Here are the pictures from last night to document day 2:

Day 2 01

Day 2 02

Day 2 03

Day 2 04

We'll see how Aidan does today. So far so good :)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

25 hours and still loving it

It has been 25 hours since I've last sank my teeth into foods with the stuffs I got to avoid.

And it has been 14 hours since Aidan last cried and 14 hours since he last puked.

Seriously guys, it is a record. He normally cries and cries when he is tired. He cries because he wants to nurse but he doesn't want to eat because it hurts. He cries then because he is over tired and finally, he'd cry himself to sleep and nurse the milk he has to eat knowing he'll cry in pain later.

Some asked about if I've tried formula. Of course we tried. Aidan gags and gags and GAGS when Jason or I have repeatedly given him the bottle of formula. Why the heck would he want formula when breast milk definitely tastes much more refined? ;) he's spoiled!

The only problem we have now is, supply. I've loads of frozen milk and I do not want to give them to him. I have a small supply from last night and it will last only one feeding. Today I have to work away from Aidan for more than 5 hours. Not good. I also need to fill up for this coming week. Thank goodness the two weeks break is coming up.

And if he needs me, I'll be there, work or no work.

I wonder when will his rash subside though.

Clare

Monday, December 15, 2008

Taking Responsibility Feels Good, FYI

It feels great to take more "actions" in what I eat. Today I nearly starved myself to death because almost all the foods contained something I couldn't eat. I was tempted to eat the cookies I got from the cookies exchange... but then looking at Aidan's face kept me from doing it.

I shopped at Trader's Joe for Gluten Free foods and was amazed with the limited selections and shocked with how nearly everything has been "made in machines that work with soy, nuts, wheat and dairy." Hmph.

Tomorrow morning is when the milk from me should be "clean" and hopefully, Aidan will improve. Today he cried a lot and was generally an unhappy baby :( with that face of his, the bum he has and tummy aches, I don't blame him. I truly hope he'll improve ASAP.

Here are some pictures as I will post daily to see if there are any changes.

Day One 01

Day One 04

Day One 03

See how dry and chapped his face is?! It doesn't help that he drools a lot.

Day One 02

His area by the ear was reallllly bad but I've faithfully lathered it with Cetaphil lotion.

Day One 05

This is exactly why I've decided to stop cold turkey and hopefully discover what is making his skin this bad.

Tomorrow is a brand new day, Aidan will have "clean" milk and hopefully, by the end of the week this adventure will make a difference and our happy boy will be back.

til then,
Clare

Going Clean For Aidan (and Me)

I needed a reason, all my life, to eat and drink healthy. Aidan just gave me that reason.

He seems to be allergic to something due to his eczema, his crying bouts and refusal to eat at times. I decided to stop cold turkey on few things and go clean. I'll be going Gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and nut free. I cannot give up caffeine though and will allow myself coffee with soy once a day (decaf of course).

I thought to myself, how can I make my will power even more stronger? Ah ha, publicly blog! May be if I blogged, people would support me and having "eyes" on me as a pressure to maintain my Going Clean goals.

Funny, I thought I'd be sad that I'd have to give up a lot of foods but I am not. I am thrilled. I want to feel good, I want to be healthy and I want to feel young. I know eating Clean Free diet, I'll definitely attain those feelings.

Wish me luck folks and hope this will help Aidan. I will post pictures of his skin so you'll see for yourselves.

Today is day one although the yuckies are still in my system for the next 24 hours- meaning, tomorrow really will be a healthy start for Aidan. My goal is to stay Clean Free for a week then slowly introduce one thing at a time (once a week) to see what he is allergic to. But, I also want to be 100% gluten free (you'd be shocked with what it does to your tummy!!).

Til then,
Clare