Life with a ONE year old

What a little sweetie. On July 18th he had more allergy tests done, a back scratch test. Unfortunately his back puffed up like crazy. In addition to ALL of the other allergies (they tested positive on his back too) he is also allergic to RICE, LEMON, GARLIC, LAMB, PORK, and BRAZIL NUTS....... So we are eating a LOT of chicken, fish, corn and potatoes. We are waiting for the RAST results for goat's milk. The Dr is out until Aug 15th, so the waiting continues.

Nicholas is really doing very well. Walking with your finger (or two) and into everything. He is squealing and jabbering like he is telling you something VERY important. Say a little prayer for him.....so we can get the tummy and allergies under control.

Celebrate with FRIENDS

Jacob, Nicholas, Konstantina, Joshua, and Sam.


There is just nothing as good as celebrating with friends. We have been VERY blessed since moving to Florida 2 years ago. Jake and Josh belong to Erin and Joe. We met them in our old neighborhood and realized that we also attended the same church. When Nicholas was baptized they stood up for him as Godparents. We don't get to see them as often as we would like, but they are such great friends! Kontantina "Dina" belongs to John and Voula. From the moment Voula and I met we have been wondering if we were accidentally separated at birth. We have so much in common from teaching to first time momming. All thanks to our neighbor Mary (Voula's grandmother) for introducing us. Sam belongs to Gigi, they also attend our church. Gigi is such a nice person....especially for listening to my ongoing BF and feeding problems with Nicholas. GREAT, great people at our son's first birthday.

Behind the scenes

This is just for you Auntie......here is how it looked. We sure missed you at the party. I know you wanted all the juicy details. We love YOU!

Birthday pictures II

Joshua and Mr. G.....one wanting out and the other wanting in!
Big hug (I mean tackle) from Nicholas to Joshua!
Playing away...Driving Miss Daisy.
Jake and Sam....doing some pirate moves.

The boys in the pool :)

Birthday pictures

Nicholas and Konstantina
The Valentine family with "1" Nicholas
John and Voula.....my wonderful friends and Konstantina' parents
Grammie and Poppie and "1" Nicholas

Happy Birthday Dad dad!

Happy Birthday to my 'other' man! 32 years old....my I feel very young! We went out to eat at Outback on Sunday to celebrate and the ity bity hostess asked if I lived in the area because I was in earlier in the week too! Lovely! Rosemary took us there last Saturday night. It is one of the only places I can eat Gluten Free! Have a wonderful day honey...... at least your got ONE manly present from my dad!
I love YOU!

ONE!!!

I am not sure what order this crazy setup is in but the first picture was this afternoon....Nicholas and his (homemade FREE) cake. It was totally okay for him to eat, I stayed away from all of the allergies...it really had the texture of really spongy angel food cake. I cut it into the shape of a star. Don't worry, for his party we are getting a real cake for everyone else! As you can see from the picture he had cake and frosting everywhere but his mouth. Smart kid it tasted pretty bad!
Happy Birthday Nicholas.....right after he woke up I took this one. He is taking steps left and right. He will walk about 5 steps from person to person and trots right along behind his fire truck. He is so sweet! He did seem to like to frosting.....LOVE that face!
Okay he looks like he is 5 years old! When did that happen? He is such a beautiful boy.....not a baby anymore.....Look at that face!

Little Buddies

Nicholas and my dad, 'Poppie', had so much fun. They would do everything together. Water the garden, the new trees, and of course drink from the hose. My dad bought a little tent and they camped, which really involved Nicholas crawling around in the tent and my Dad pointing out nature to him. They would walk around and check the skimmer of the pool, get the mail, look at flowers, birds and statues in the yard. I don't know more who had more fun. If Nicholas saw my dad he would clench his fists and give him the biggest grin. He didn't want to have anyone else hold him if Poppie was around. They are like two peas in a pod.....little buddies!

29 and 11

June was a month of getting older. I turned 29, no big deal...just the last birthday in my twenties. I can remember when I couldn't wait to celebrate my birthday. Now it is no big deal....everything is about Nicholas and I am just fine with that!
Nicholas turned 11 months......next month he will be 1 year old.....now that I am having a hard time with. Where has the year gone? I remember last year at this time....thinking there was no WAY that I would make it until July 15th. He is such a little man. He is jabbering up a storm with all of the m,d,n sounds you can imagine. He is pulling up to everything and will walk (or maybe run) if you let him hold your finger. He learned how to go up and down steps at my parents house. He points at everything and smiles. He has started signing too. Just a few here and there (more, eat, milk) but he is getting it and that makes me happy.
We are still battling the feeding issues, but I have to remember that 1. he is a happy kid all day long 2. he is healthy...never sick with a cold (runny nose, cough, etc) 3. he is ALWAYS on the move and very curious 4. he is growing and gaining weight (not losing) maybe not as much as the Drs would like, but still gaining just the same. We are still going to specialists and trying new things....hopefully soon something will click and he will start opening that mouth for more than just a few bites! Happy 11 months to you PB, I love YOU!

The month of JUNE

We had a busy month. Nicholas and I flew up to MI on June 1st. Our flight was cancelled out of ATL so we had to take a shuttle and spend the night in a hotel near the airport. I was insane, but he was the perfect baby. I got a Maya wrap just before I went, so he could be 'close' while traveling. It worked really well for us. We arrived in MI the next morning DEAD tired and without our luggage. But by the end of the day we had everything back to normal.

This first picture is of Nicholas on the 'Hot Wheels' Grammie and Poppie bought him before he was born! He loved to put stuff in the trunk...the seat lifted and he would put paper and toys in there, close it, open it and take the stuff out, way too cute!
Grammie and Poppie also got him a swing....he loved it. It was under a BIG tree so it was always shaded. You could even look at Poppie's vegetable garden grow. It was great weather and so beautiful up there this visit....sure makes me homesick.
Auntie and Nicholas......so precious!
While in MI we traveled to Chicago for Kathryn and David's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding. We were so happy to be able to be there to support and celebrate with them as they started their married life together. Nicholas looked so adorable with his 'outfit' complete with bow tie.

Grandma Rosie

We sure had fun with Grandma while she was here. We spent a lot of time in the pool. We got to the beach a few times too. With Nicholas it is easier to go in the evening so he doesn't have to have sunscreen on and we don't have to lug the cabana around looking for a good spot. Grandma got Nicholas two trucks, very cute, that make noise and move he loves to play with them. We love you and miss you Grandma...come again soon!

Daddy and me

Mama and Daddy took me to the beach on Saturday night. It was so fun. They let me play in the waves and get all wet. See me walking......I am getting better everyday.
You know there are a lot of things in the water at the beach. That white foamy stuff seems to try to get you every so often. And the sand is everywhere. It is fun to play with the waves...I step in them and they go away and then come back for more!
Oh my, did I see a fish?

Swim, swim, swim

Grandma is here and Nicholas is having so much fun. We are busy swimming and playing with the new trucks she got Nicholas! His latest crazy is holding on to the 'noodle' and having Daddy float him around the pool. It is nice to be out and enjoying the HOT weather....90's yesterday!

Life's a Beach

On Saturday Nicholas was 10 months old. My what a big boy. He is somewhere between 19.5 and 20 ish pounds and around 31 inches long. He is wearing 18 month clothes and on the move constantly. Matt calls him speed racer when he crawls. He likes to move the wooden stools and chairs on the tile, play with flashlighs (only the heavy metal metallic one) and hide under rugs. He has also been caught with his hand in Mr. G's water bowl. Matt and I joke that maybe he will eat dog food....instead of people food. What a kid.
On Sunday I celebrated my first Mother's Day. My mom sent me flowers......beautiful yellow, pink, blue, and white bouquet. I got cards from my sister and Grandma. I woke up to Matt and Nicholas bringing me toast and OJ. They gave me cards, a CD, and a Willow Tree statue. The Willow Tree collectables all have names to describe the feelings and/or emotions they are portraying. I got one almost 5 years ago of a girl/angel kneeling with wings. (Angel of Prayer)Since then I always look at them. My mom got me a pregnant mom statue (Cherish) and Rosemary (Mom-in-law) got us the Family statues (New Life) when we had Nicholas. Matt and Nicholas got me a mom holding her son. It is called Tenderness. It was so sweet...I got a little teary-eyed. I started thinking about how quickly time is passing and one day Nicholas won't be so little for me to hold, in my arms, off the ground. It was a perfect first Mother's Day. After church we went to the beach. Nicholas LOVED the sand and waves. I guess we have a real beach bum on our hands. He was really fun to watch.

Link to JCPenney pics

Customer Name (SarahValentine)
https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTP54701077001JCP

Happy, Happy Boy

I took this picture while I was checking email. He is just playing around tossing things on the floor and waiting for me to pick them up and give them back! Yesterday we were at the grocery store and he was giggling and playing. The lady behind us said, " Well you are a happy baby." Yes, yes he is!

Flashlights and rugs

"Hey mom, where did you put all my toys?"

He's got the flashlight in one hand and lifting the rug with the other. He is a nonstop kid.
We had a great visit with the GI consultant today. She basically said that as long as he stays on the 25% curve we have nothing to worry about. He simply is not ready for food. She said the only way to force a baby to eat is with tubes and we really don't want to go there. If he dips below the 25% then something is wrong. We are going back in 4 weeks for a weight check. She told me that the RAST test shows sensitivity, but not necessarily an allergy. I am still going to give up the dairy, soy, peanuts, beef, and eggs to see if that makes a difference. I can't give up corn, it is everywhere. She mentioned that if he does have an allergy to corn we are in BIG trouble, great. She also thinks that he will most likely outgrow these 'sensitivities' and be 'unallergic' as he gets older. She gave me a list of hypoallergenic formulas just in case, but she doubts he will take them because they taste nasty. "He probably isn't ready for solids...just sit him at the table and let him squish and squeeze food him his hand and one day he will eat. "
She was pleased with his growth...."He is using all of his calories to grow longer!" Her one concern was with his iron intake and thought we should have it checked again at 1 year. They checked it at 9mos and it was in the normal range. I feel better and am SO glad that I had enough sense to look into things further and not follow the recommendation of supplementing with (dairy) formula and force feeding him.
I also had good news once I got home......the new pediatrician agreed to take us! Thank you God. I will get him in for a 'well visit' in the next two weeks to talk about all of this. It was a good day.

"But sorry Peanut Butter, I didn't put your toys under the rug. I love YOU!"

My BIGGEST fear

Look at that sweet face. Every since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease I was worried that one day my children would have it or some other food allergy. God has a plan, I am a just a wee person blessed with the overwhelming job of being Nicholas' mom. I am stepping up to the plate and I will do whatever it takes to protect his well-being, both physical and emotional. So here it goes........
The Dr's office called with the results of the RAST (allergy test) Nicholas is allergic to:
Cow's milk (all dairy and dairy derivatives)
Corn
Peanuts (ironic since I call him Peanut Butter)
Soybeans
Beef
and to make it a nice round number of 6
Whole eggs (both yolk and whites)
I will to continue breastfeeding so I must also avoid ALL of the mentioned foods, in whatever form they are found in food. This is just an allergy, he is totally healthy and happy. I am not sure how long it will take my body to be flushed of all of the 'toxins' so it might be a rough couple of days or even weeks, but nothing worse than how things are now. I will continue to comfort him at night and when I am exhausted I will remind myself that Nicholas probably has a tummy ache and doesn't understand. I hope that once all this is cleared out of my body he will sleep better and be willing to 'try' some food. I wanted to mention that the allergies don't include wheat or gluten. Ironic (again) that the food I can't eat he can and what he can't have I can. Perhaps by me avoiding the wheat has protected him against that allergy. We may never know!
Tomorrow we go to the GI Consultant. I am not sure what else he/she will want to do, if anything. But my bases will be covered and I am seeking a new pediatrician. Keep Nicholas and me in your prayers. I will need SO much will power to stay away from all the food. I will update after the Dr apt tomorrow for those keeping up with me.........

Grammie too

I meant to post these after my family left in March. I realized that I really didn't have any on my blog with Grammie (my mom) or Nana ( my grandma) so here they are! They are great pictures. We had such a wonderful time and have memories of all the fun. I can't wait until next year.

9 months

My little man is getting bigger every minute. First things first...his stats: he is 30 and 1/8 inches long and 18 lb 13 oz. Not too bad for a guy that won't touch food with a ten foot pole. The Dr was unhappy with his weight gain and suggested adding formula to his diet and 'force feeding' him as much as possible. Needless to say I totally freaked out and have been on over-drive since. I felt very rushed at the visit and had several other concerns.....all of which seemed to be solvable (is that a word?) with formula, according to the Dr. Yeah right! He did mention a possible food allergy. It is ironic that he would suggest a dairy based formula to a child with suspected food allergies, since dairy is one of the most common food allergies in babies.
So here is what we have been doing for that last week. First I started taking my 'lactation' herbs and rented a hospital grade pump to help increase my supply. Since he won't take a bottle (again with the 10 ft pole) I figured I wanted to maximize what I could get into him. I called the Dr a few days later expressing my concern. They suggested going to a dietician. I am not sure how that would help, since he isn't eating food. The nurse even said, "Maybe she can teach you how to get him to eat." Like I haven't tried everything under the sun from standing on my head to adding a little butter to fresh sweet potatoes...the kid won't open that mouth! After consulting with the Dr they agreed to write orders for a RAST test. (allergy blood test)
Being the overprotective-first-time-mom (who feels very in tune with her baby) that I am and spending every minute with Nicholas (waking and sleeping) I was not satisfied with the way the Drs office handled things. I am in the process of scheduling an appointment with a Pediatric Gastroenterology Consultant. (They need the medical records faxed over from the Ped office.) He has so many 'symptoms' that just aren't adding up to only a stubborn baby refusing to eat. I know that he has a mind of his own, but I really feel that there is something more that the Drs are not taking the time to acknowledge. Once I get into the PGC I WILL be changing pediatricians....don't you worry.
For now I am doing everything I can to ease Nicholas' tummy troubles. I love him more than anything in the whole world and hope that this is easily treated. Please say a prayer for this little guy. Babies shouldn't have tummy trouble that are so severe that they don't want to eat Cherrios and fresh bananas or drink from a sippy cup.
To end things on a happy note here are some milestones that his has reached in the past two weeks that are just so sweet to see
crawling like CRAZY
going from any position to sitting
pulling himself up to a standing position
waving bye-bye
pointing at things
using his finger and thumb to pick stuff up (like cheerios)
crossing his fingers (good luck)
It seems like it all happened almost over night. He is a pretty happy baby, but is still pretty clingy.....probably the tummy thing. I will keep you updated.