My Stressed-Out Life

Submitted by Brenna Fender on July 24, 2007 - 7:40pm.

Oh my gosh, where to start... the beginning really isn't an option. This would be one wayyyyyyy-too-long blog if I started there. To nutshell it for you:

My now soon-to-be-nine-month-old daughter has been having problems eating since birth. Recently, she was diagnosed with food allergies. Her health is better, but she can only eat green beans and the world's most expensive hypoallergenic formula for now.

My son also has food allergies, we have learned. So far he's tested allergic to approximately 23 foods. We are also suspecting that a dye called Red #40 is a potential problem as well.

The boy's behavior is becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. I love him dearly, but I sure as hell don't like him a lot sometimes. I don't like that feeling.

All these food allergies mean that I am learning to bake. I hate baking. HATE IT! The first two things I made, after substituting for all the things he can't have, became one with their respective pans and went immediately into the trash. I finally got a bread that worked out and then he showed allergic symptoms to the yeast. I'm officially NOT HAPPY about this turn of events.

My cat had to be rehomed since the kids (especially the baby) were getting hives. So far, he's living happily with my in-laws. I'm hoping they decide to keep him, because finding a new home for a ten-year-old cat ain't easy, even when he's sweet, beautiful, and very orange (and he sometimes pees outside the litter box but you
didn't hear that from me).

We've unfortunately chosen this time to do some renovating. Yeah, I know, we're dealing with wayyyy too much with doctors appointments every time you turn around and stress levels going through the roof, but there were compelling factors that helped us choose to do it now.

SO! Things are crazy on my end. The renovating is going well, though. Right now we are just getting new floors. When we first moved in a few years ago, we did a lot more stuff. We redid an entire bathroom, including putting in a new shower. We actually weren't getting a new shower at first, despite how disgusting the old one was, but when the whole wall between said shower and the next room had to be replaced due to water damage, I got my nice new shower bath.

I still want to redo the taps in both of the adjoining bathroom areas, but that'll have to happen some other time. Right now, they still work, so they aren't a priority.

One of the bathrooms also needs to have the wallpaper removed and
basically it needs a total make-over. We redid pretty much the whole house when we moved in except the master bath (which is the world's tiniest bathroom, by the way). We thought we'd get around to it later and we comforted ourselves by knowing that no one would really see it. Well, it's later and it's still not done, and people have unfortunately seen it in all it's glory, or lack thereof.

So know you know what I've been up to, at the moment. I hope to be back again soon with more details about my stressed-out life!

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Oy! What a mess! As for

Submitted by IntricateGirl on July 25, 2007 - 6:50am.

Oy! What a mess!

As for the allergies, good luck. We don't have that problem, and I can't imagine how difficult it would be. I love to bake, but only when I don't have to.

The behavior- I hear ya. My daughter is sooo difficult sometimes. I'm trying to keep it in my mind that she is a very headstrong girl, just like her mommy, and that she has incredible self-confidence. It's that confidence that gets her in the most trouble, but someday it will be her greatest asset.

The cat- I'm sorry. I hope they decide to keep him.

The renovations- I'm WELL experienced with these after living in a turn of the century farmhouse that was severely neglected for years. I won't go into the details, but that was the worst home improvement job we tackled, and it still isn't finished.

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Thanks for the nice comments

Submitted by Brenna Fender on July 25, 2007 - 9:38pm.

I remember that you were working on your house, how close are you to finishing it?

As far as baking goes, imagine baking but having to avoid oats, wheat, barley, rye, yeast, and eggs, amongst other things. It's nuts! I just found some millet bread that seems to be working and the best part about it is, I CAN BUY IT! YAY!

Thanks again!

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ohhhh Brenna.....

Submitted by ModelMom on July 25, 2007 - 12:57pm.

i am so sorry. sounds like you are really going through some sh** right now. i wish i had some advice, tips, anything.....being a parent is tough enough, but you throw in the allergies and man, yeah.....you should get paid A LOT for being a mom. my son has peanut allergies and environmental allergies. he has a cough that sounds like he's been smoking a carton a day for years and that we think is due to the dried bird shit our aparment is covered in (i've been researching like a maniac). baby girl seems okay so far but is a horrible eater and has to be forced to take 4 -5 ounces of formula otherwise she'll stop at 2 and that's that. what 5 1/2 month old only takes 2 ounces after 4 hours (or an entire night) of not eating? i dont know....maybe you & i will end up roommates in a padded cell somewhere...

as for the renovations...wow.....you have some serious drive and dedication! just reading your post gave me anxiety! LOLOL! i can barely find time to do laundry! keep us updated and i really hope things start evening out and getting better for you sooooooooon.

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allergies

Submitted by Brenna Fender on July 25, 2007 - 9:46pm.

I'll tell you what 5.5 month old eats only 2 oz after four hours - one that has food allergies. You should have her tested, at least for milk.

Does she have any rashes or hives (they can look JUST LIKE mosquito bites)? Any irritation under her neck? Is her skin kind of translucent looking? Just she throw up a lot? Any of these things may also be signs of allergies.

That not eating thing is what put us on the track for figuring out the allergies. Teghan was drinking as little as 6-8 oz total in a day. She never acted hungry. She drank as little as possible and drooled a lot while she did it. I tried every bottle known to man to try to get her to drink more.

My doctors explained the rash around the mouth as being from drool and use of a pacifier. The redness under her neck was supposed to be a fungus. The not eating was maybe because of her GERD, but who knew? She had an endoscopy, I was flavoring formula, distracting her while she ate, and countless other things.

Now, she's doing a LOT better. Damn allergies.

You should join us at TerrificKidsWFA over on yahoo groups. Even just to talk about dealing with your son's allergies.

Keep me posted. Best wishes! And thanks for empathizing!

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allergies...arrrgh!

Submitted by ModelMom on July 26, 2007 - 2:04pm.

thanks for the tips/advice. i'll check out that forum for sure and will talk to our pediatrician too. my daughter doesnt have any rashes anywhere, rarely ever spits up and her poops are normal. she's not gassy. i mean, that is why this has been such a mystery. she was eating 8 oz bottles 4 x a day although it would always take over half an hour to get the bottle done, but about 3 weeks ago this food strike began. i've been attributing it to teething and a little cold she had, but come on....three weeks? i dont know. :-( she will literally take 2-3 oz. then stop and not want more, i can get her to drink more if i walk aroundand bounce her and sing to her. its ridiculous. my husband got her to drink 7 oz while she was in her excersaucer last night. it makes me feel like she is just being a little chump! i'm telling you, niothing my son does can cause me the kind of anxiety this little girl's eating habits does. you are one strong woman to have gone through so much with your little girl and still be sane!

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It is weird that it's recent

Submitted by Brenna Fender on July 26, 2007 - 7:39pm.

For us, though, the rashes didn't show up right away. We did have weird vomiting, mostly projectile, that would happen a few times a week.

You could always change formulas to nutramigen or alimentum for a short time and see if the problem improves.

Good luck. Thanks for the compliment. And who says I've stayed sane :)

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you sound sane at least! :-)

Submitted by ModelMom on July 27, 2007 - 7:59am.

you really do sound like you have a ton on your plate but are keeping it all together. i would have been whisked away in a straighjacket by now.....kinda feeling like i could be anyways! yeah, let me tell you.....parenting is a stresser beyond measure. add in allergies and anything like that and i swear it will rip van winkle you in no time. i didnt start getting gray hairs until i became a mom.

i just switched her to good start natural cultures. she was on enfamil and was doing great with it until that god forsaken day when she decided that a drop of it was too foul and refused to eat at all. the good start she's been on for about 2 weeks and she drinks it ok but still with a lot of cajoling after 3-4 oz. it's awful because it stresses me out so much to feed her which affects my son because i end up snapping at him when he needs me during the hour long feeds. oy vey. if this doenst get better i will try one of the other hypoallergenice formulas.....they are so expensive! yikes! is your little one on neocate?

i also just switched her nipples over to the next size up. she takes dr. brown's bottles and the #2 are supposed to be good up to 6 months but this morning she did okay (okay...not great) with the #3......my son never did this kind of thing. the boy was sucking down 10 oz bottles at her age....no joke. of course now he is on the toddler-anorexia diet.....always something. :-P

vacation anyone????? *sigh*

Airing my dirty laundry at: Peacocks on Leashes

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yes, she's on neocate

Submitted by Brenna Fender on July 29, 2007 - 9:36pm.

It's $33 a can from the manufacturer. At this point we finish a can every four days or so. YIKES! And she's only eating 3 to 4 oz at a time always, pretty much. I'm just feeding her often.

I'm aging, big time. I hope things get easier soon, because otherwise I'm going to look 80 before I hit 40!

By the way, my nutritionist says that feeding times should last no longer than 30 minutes. After that it isn't worth it, the calories they are expending to eat are too many.

And yes, my son was drinking 8 oz bottles at like 4-5 months. The girl struggles with three. So it goes!

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