As for the update, Marsh is now 20 months and we are smack in the middle of a milk trial/challenge.  We’ve tried this before, and after having milk, he immediately started having belly problems and stopped sleeping through the night.  This time, however, is looking more positive.  We’ve slowly been substituting part of his Nutramigen with whole milk.  We are now up to 75% milk, 25% formula.  He also is having some yogurt.  He thinks cheese is gross, so he hasn’t had much of that.  He seems to be reacting well.  We need to get a diaper tested for blood at the doc’s soon to see if his body is actually handling it okay.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, my sister-in-law had a baby, and she just recently found out that the baby has a milk allergy too.  Her daughter’s  is more severe than Marsh because even Nutramigen tears her stomach up.  I never knew this was so common.  The doctor said it can run in families, so I’m officially blaming my husband and alleviating myself of the guilt I was feeling for eating truckloads of dairy during my pregnancy.

They say most kids outgrow this type of milk allergy (the non-IgE mediated kind) by three.  Does anyone have a child that grew out of this?  If so, what age?

Dairy/Soy/Nut/Egg Free List

Whole Foods Gold Round Crackers (like Ritz crackers)

Late July Saltine Crackers

Earth’s Best Vanilla Letter Cookies

Annie’s Bunny Friends Cookies (Chocolate, Honey, and Chocolate Chip)

Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Organic Banana Waffles

Cheerios

Cascadian Farms Clifford Crunch Cereal

Sunbutter–Peanut butter substitute made from sunflower seeds

SoDelicious Coconut Milk Yogurt

Applegate Farms Uncured All Beef Hot Dogs

Applegate Farms Deli Meat

Vegan Rella Cheese

Nature’s Choice Multigrain Blueberry Cereal Bars

Ian’s Wheat Crackers

Healthy Times Maple Arrowroot Cookies

Gia Russa Kids Whole Wheat Wagon Wheel Pasta

Familia Swiss Organic Baby Muesli

Central Market Fresh Made Whole Wheat Tortillas (in TX only)

Whole Wheat couscous

Polenta

Ground Beef/Chicken/Turkey (I cook the meat, then freeze servings in ice cube trays.  To serve, put a cube with a teaspoon of water in a bowl, microwave 30 seconds.  Serve as finger food.  Marshall LOVES this.)

Avocado/Homemade Guacamole (no hot peppers)

Olives

Canned Fruit in Juice

Vanilla Rice Milk mixed into oatmeal

You can find some of these at the regular grocery store.  However, some can only be found at natural food stores like Whole Foods.  So, that’s what we’ve found so far.  If you have any additional suggestion, please leave a comment. 

Thanks!

1. Boppy pillow–So since I already mentioned it, I will tackle this one first.  This is probably not a revelation to most moms, but its greatness deserves a mention.  This pillow is technically meant for support when breastfeeding, which it does superbly.  I tried a few different pillows, including many people’s favorite the My Breast Friend, but the Boppy was the only one I could support Marshall on without have to hold him the whole time.  It freed up my arms to hold a book or drink a glass of water, etc.  Doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when you’re nursing 8-10 times a day, a free hand is a godsend.  In addition, the Boppy continues its utility outside of nursing.  It can be used for tummy time.  It was a great support and cushion when Marshall was learning to sit up.  I still use mine to lay him down for a nap (with me in the room of course) and to prop him up while he drinks his bottle or “reads” a book.  So great bang for your buck.
2. Bobby Newborn Lounger–So I guess I should invest in the Boppy company because another of their products made my list.  When Marshall got to the stage where he wanted to interact but wasn’t rolling over or sitting up yet, I ran out of places to put him.  This was a great solution.  I could sit him next to me on the couch and chat with him.  He also napped well on this pillow (not recommended by manufacturer), but he was always right next to me, so no SIDS risk.
3. Evenflo bottles–With all the worry about BPA, many companies have come out with BPA free bottles.  However, the bottles are usually pretty expensive.  Ten bucks a bottle for some.  After some research, I discovered that Evenflo makes both glass bottles and BPA free plastic bottles, and they are super cheap (a little over a dollar a bottle).  I have used both types, glass before Marshall could hold his own and then plastic when he started to chuck his bottles across the room.  They haven’t let me down yet.
4. Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper–Most people I know purchased a Pack N Play for use as the bassinet in the early months.  I did the same.  However, the bassinet only hold babies up to 15 pounds and Marshall got big quickly.  I was not ready to move him into his own room by the time he hit the weight limit, so I purchased the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper.  This bassinet can be free standing or attached to your bed side car style for cosleeping and nursing.  It goes up to 23 lbs in the mini version and 30 in the large version.  It saved us!
5. Walker–So a lot of baby books say nix the walker for safety reasons.  However, as long as you’re not using at the top of stairs or haven’t sufficiently baby proofed your house, I don’t see the harm (and I’m the paranoid type).  Marshall LOVED his walker.  He was so ready to be on the move and the freedom this gave him just thrilled him.  It also gave me much needed hands free time to do a load of dishes or laundry or such.  Some also worry that walkers delay the baby from learning how to walk.  Well, Marshall walked at 10 months, so no worries.  Bonus:  the walker we bought converts into a push toy once baby is walking.
6. Rainforest Jumperoo–Okay, so Marshall thought this was the best thing ever invented.  The sheer joy that he experienced in this thing was a sight to behold.  The only drawback was the top of lungs shrieking that he insisted accompany his jumping.
7. Rainforest Booster Seat/Travel High Chair–There comes a point when baby is no longer in the infant carseat that you can cart into restaurants, but not yet sitting up steadily enough to manage that wooden restaurant high chair.  Enter in the Booster Seat.  This seat straps onto any chair and keeps baby solidly safe (and entertained with the attached toy.)  It converts into a standard booster seat as the child gets older.  This seat was indispensable.
8. Halo Sleep Sack/Swaddle Blanket–So when we brought Marshall home from the hospital, we attempted to mimic the rockin’ swaddle that the nurses showed us, but managed to only end up with a wrap not worthy of a taco bell burrito.  Marshall refused to sleep unless swaddled for those first few weeks, so we found the halo swaddle in desperation.  This was a beautiful solution, a little velcro and baby was tucked in tight.  Once Marshall graduated from swaddlerhood, we switched to the standard sleep sack, which helps prevent SIDS.  Marshall loves his and knows that when I zip him up, it’s time for bed.  They even make one know that has foot holes for walkers.
9. Baby Bjorn–Okay, so only useful until baby hits 25 pounds, but nothing is cuter than a daddy with a baby strapped to his chest, ’nuff said.
10. Formula Dispenser–So this is a simple enough concept, but revolutionized going out and about.  No need to take formula bottles premixed and keeping them cold in the TX summer heat.  Just put your water in the bottles, then pack this dispenser with pre-portioned amounts of formula powder to dump and mix as needed.  Bonus:  If your baby doesn’t like cold bottles (like Marshall), this is an added benefit because the water comes to room temperature usually by the time you mix in the powder. 
11. Rainforest Bouncy Seat–Nothing was better at entertaining baby pre-sitting up.  Marshall loved to kick his leg and get himself rocking.  The vibration was also soothing when he had belly aches.
12. Magic Bullet–Making baby food seemed like a daunting task when I first started exploring the concept.  However, with the right tools, it turned out to be a breeze.  The Magic Bullet is awesome at pureeing foods.  It works much better than my food processor, blender, or hand crank food mill.  Bonus: It makes great smoothies for mommy and daddy.  In addition, an honorable mention is the Kidco Freezer trays.  ALthough ice cube trays work fine, these covered trays are easier to stack in the freezer.

So that’s my list.  I’m sure I could think of many others, but these helped me get through the first year with a little more ease.  If you have a new mom in your life, feel free to use some of these suggestions to make their life a little easier too.  Also, if any company reps for Boppy or Fisher-Price want to give me discounts for my glowing endorsements above, give me a ring. 

What were some of your “must have” baby items that first year?

Marsh has always been a good eater and is pretty open to whatever I give him–meat, veggies, fruit, grains, etc.  The doctor suggested I up his formula from 24 oz a day to 32 oz a day and add another snack.  So that’s 32 oz formula, 3 meals, and 3 snacks.  Well, I’m running into a few issues.  First, Marshall seems to have to ability to take in a certain volume of food/liquid a day and then he won’t accept anymore.  For instance, he’ll take 8 oz formula in the morning, but the subsequent bottles, he only wants 6 oz.  If he takes all the formula, then he doesn’t want any snacks and won’t finish his meals.  So that means I have to get creative with packing in extra calories into the same amount of food.  This is further complicated by his milk and soy allergy (and egg and nut avoidance per doctor’s suggestion).  All the calorie dense foods I can think of are things he’s allergic to–cheese, cream, butter, peanut butter, eggs, etc.   Avoiding soy also means that most commercial snack foods are out. 

I don’t want to feed him junk and I don’t want to pump him with extra  juice, so I’ve come up with a few things so far.  First, I have been mixing olive oil and/or avocado into his lunches to get some high calorie monounsaturated fat.  I also did a major trip to Whole Foods to find some cookie and cracker options.  Although, he usually eats 1 small cookie or cracker for a snack and is over it.  We are trying Rice Cheese (Vegan Rella brand).  He’s not a huge fan of it so far, but we’re working on it.  I’m also mixing Rice milk into his morning oatmeal to add a few extra calories.  Yesterday I found that Smart Balance Light margarine is dairy and soy protein free, so that was pretty exciting.  So, I’m coming up with a few options, but am still looking for some other ideas for variety.  Is anyone out there experiencing a similar situation?  I would love some suggestions from parents with children that have similar allergy restrictions. 

Poor guy has been a trooper.  We had his 1st birthday party on Thanksgiving and despite the fact that he was sick, he still managed a few smiles for everyone.

As for the update on general stats, Marsh is off the charts (literally) for height and is tracking a little underweight.  We are in the process of chunking him up a little, if he’d stop moving long enough for me to get a few extra snacks in him.  We tested out the milk allergy and unfortunately, he’s still having a reaction to it.  Not as bad as before, but eczema popped up pretty quickly.  We’re backing off it and staying away from dairy for a little while longer.  So back to his $50/week nutramigen formula habit.  What an income boost it will be when (if) he goes to $5/gallon milk! 

So I did what I thought I would never do, I’ve become a stay at home mom.  All my life, I’ve been Ms. Ambitious who wanted to be the working woman who could do it all.  Stay at home?  How boring, I would climb the walls, right?  Plus, what a waste of all that expensive education I’m still paying for.  I even told my boss before I went out on maternity leave that he needn’t worry about me not coming back, I would definitely be returning.  Then the big day came and Marshall arrived.  So is that the day when the heavens opened up and changed everything I thought about careers and ambition?  No.  The first 10 days post partum were spent in hormonal, what-the-hell-have-I-gotten-myself-into, crying in a heap in the shower mode.  All I could think about were ways to figure out how to get my old life back where my biggest stress of the day was finding a good candidate to interview not dealing with this tiny wrinkled ball of crying human who was constantly attached to my breast.  Did I mention the baby blues suck pretty bad?  Luckily, that phase lasted exactly 10 days.  Then I fell in love with my little wrinkled ball.  So, is this when I decided my life’s calling was to be at home with him?  Not so much.  Month 1 was colic month, or so we thought.  Jags of crying so intense with seemingly no reason that I was once again reduced to tears, calling my mother, begging her to tell me what to do to “fix it”.  At that point, I loved Marshall beyond words, but the thought of returning to work seemed like a welcome break.  Around 6 weeks we found out he had a milk and soy allergy which was the cause of his tortuous cries.  I cut soy and dairy out of my diet (not an easy task) and this new baby emerged who seemed to have sunshine pouring out of his ears.  Cue the heavens opening up and angels singing, I was all of sudden panicked at the thought of putting him in daycare.

Now, I would like to state for the record, that I don’t believe anything is wrong with daycare.  The one we had chosen was a bright, cheerful place staffed with people who appeared to love the kids.  However, there was one problem with the caregivers, they weren’t me.  Why should someone else get the privelege of hanging with my sunshine and get paid for it as well?  So, at the 8 week mark me and the hubby discussed our options.  At the time we didn’t think it made financial sense for me to stay at home.  We were lucky enough to have Donnie’s sister be willing to come to the house to watch Marshall while I worked from home.  This arrangement was great and I was able to have my cake (Marsh) and eat it too (work).  However, we knew it was a temporary fix because sister in law was only available until August.  So we dutifully put Marshall back on the waiting list at the daycare. 

Once again, the time rolled around for daycare and I felt panicked.  Thus began the financial discussions, a repeat of a few months previous.  This time we decided to take the plunge.  So now life has changed.  Gone are the days of going out to eat willy nilly and not looking at grocery prices.  Gone are the nights of 68 degree thermostats.  Gone are the days of obsessively shopping online for that oh-my-god-how-cute-is-that baby clothes/toys/gear.  But what’s not gone?  Marshall.  He’s here, every day, with me, spreading his sunshine into every corner of the house.  Is it hard?  Sure.  Do I sometimes wish I had work to escape to?  Yep.  Would I trade it?  Never. 

So Marshall rolled over from back to tummy today for the first time.  He’s been trying for a while and looked quite proud of himself for accomplishing his task.  I was also very excited because my Type A personality has been worrying for weeks that he wasn’t meeting his milestone when he was “supposed” to.   THEY say that babies are supposed to be able to roll both ways between 4-6 months.  Well Marshall reaches 6 months in about 2 weeks, so he was getting close to his big deadline.  So when he rolled today and I had that inner sigh of relief, it got me to thinking–should I be sighing with relief  instead of just being excited?  Why they heck am I so concerned with him reaching each milestone exactly on time?  He’s not aware of the charts and books that tell him what he’s supposed to be doing this week.  He’s just trucking along thinking, that toy over there looks particularly kickass today…maybe I should try to get it…gosh why is everything always just out of reach…maybe if I just stretch a little more–oh wow, I just flipped over–awesome!  He doesn’t care that the baby down the street figured out how to do that weeks ago.

Part of the problem is the annoying emails that you can’t help but sign up for when you’re pregnant that tell you what stage your baby is at.  Once you have the baby, those emails turn into…Congratulations, your baby is now 24 weeks! This week your baby should be babbling with consonants, showing interest in eating solids, and balancing your checkbook.  They of course come with the disclaimer of “every child develops differently, but if you’re concerned, talk to your doctor.” 

To top it off, you inevitably have the comparison chat with friends who have children the same age.  I don’t  think we do it to try to show “oh my baby is cooler than yours” (because of course we all think our baby is cooler than all others regardless).  I think we do it because we want to make sure our child is doing okay and that we’re not missing something we should be doing.  I, of course, only have friends whose babies are studying for A+ with bonus point scores on the developmental charts.  They always do things before Marshall gets there, which puts me into my straight A student neurosis mode.  I have always been that person that wants to get the best score and learn something the quickest.  I’ve put pressure on myself to be perfect when it comes to things like that.  And now that I’m a mom, I do not want to put that on my poor sweet child.  So, I am making the decision today to try to stay in a more zen place about the whole thing going forward.  Marshall is awesome and he’s going to get to each place that he needs to go on his own path and at his own pace.  And I’m looking forward to being his cheerleader along the way.

So I think I may need to start checking Marshall’s room for groupies and bottles of Jack Daniels.  My darling precious son seems to have come out of the womb a wannabe rock star.  Marshall is a happy baby, smiling at everyone who will look in his direction.  However, he definitely has his moments when he fights going to sleep and wants to scream and flail about.  Well most babies are soothed by classical music or white noise or lullabies, not my baby.  Gone are my motherly fantasies about rocking him gently to sleep in a beautifully appointed nursery while listening to whispy classical lullabies.  Instead our routine consists of putting the TV on the Arena Rock music station and literally “rocking” him to sleep to the beat of Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, and AC/DC.  I’ve tried alternatives.  He’ll go with 80s sometimes, but classical, adult comtemporary have been no go’s and don’t even begin to try country.  Wow.  He definitely has no love lost for Tim McGraw.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the rock music myself and listened to this consistently while pregnant.  However, as I walk him around the room bouncing him to the drum beat, I try to tamp down my worries that I am damaging his young mind with lyrics of partying all night long and girls girls girls.  At one point I looked down and realized I was singing the lyrics of “Up all night, sleep all day” to him–great, that’s a message I want to be encouraging!  Well, despite my worries, I think at this point as a parent you have to do what works.  All I know is that right now, he can be having an absolute meltdown and I put on the music and he’s asleep in one song or less.  And so, rock on, my love, rock on…