Yesterday Devyn had her 4 month check-up. The past 4 months have flown by and felt really long all at the same time. We go through a pattern of good nights, then bad nights. It's usually about 3 or 4 decent nights followed by 2 or 3 not so good nights. She had some rough nights last weekend. She was up about every 2 hours on Sunday night. Then she was only up twice in 12 hours Monday night and last night. She still has some tummy issues that wake her up and then keep her awake. I have to be very careful what I eat if I want to sleep.
She weighed in at 13 lbs. She has only gained 1 lb. since her 2 month check-up. That puts her at the 36th percentile. Her weight gain has slowed significantly. The dr isn't really concerned, but said it is something to keep an eye on to make sure her weight gain stays steady. She has chubby cheeks and rolls on her legs, so I think she's fine. :) She's 25 in. now though, which puts her somewhere near the 80th percentile. So she's tall and thin. I guess she'll be like her dad! The dr also said we can give her some oatmeal now that she's 4 months old and give her apple juice to help her poop. Poor thing has such a hard time going sometimes. I'm not sure I want to give her anything yet. They keep changing the recommendation on when to feed to avoid food allergies. It was exclusively nursing until 6 months and now she said they changed it to nursing plus cereal at 4 months. I will do anything to avoid having another child with food allergies. I also don't think she's ready for cereal. She still thrusts her tongue out when we offer her a spoon. It's so hard to be a mom and make decisions like this. I just want to do the right thing!
Developmentally she is ahead of where she needs to be. The boys were always just where they needed to be, so it's different having a baby ahead of where she needs to be. She is so much fun to watch. She learns so much all the time. She started sucking her thumb again. It is so stinking cute! Her hands are getting a little chapped because of it, so I was told I should put mittens on her when we go out so they don't dry out too bad.
The boys are also changing and growing a lot. Aiden is potty trained!!! He still wears diapers to bed, but during the day he goes on the potty. It's wonderful! Now I'll move on to Noah. I really depise potty training. All day long I follow them around asking, "Do you need to go potty? Do you need to go potty?". They are having hilarious conversations and learning things faster than I can keep up. We were eating pancakes one day and Reese help up a piece and said, "Look! A trinagle!". It was a triangle. I wish I could take credit. He learned it from Sesame Street. That kid is something else. 2 is such a fun age. Naughty, but fun. Someday I'll sit down and write all the things that are awesome and difficult about the age of 2, but right now I have 3 hungry little boys who want lunch.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Noah Q & A
My last post was all about questions we get asked about the fact that we have triplets (and things not to say). The other thing we get a lot of questions about is Noah's food allergies. Despite the fact that food allergies are on the rise many people are still in the dark about them. I can honestly say I didn't understand much about food allergies until I had a child with one. We have learned an awful lot over the past 9 months and I'm sure we have much more to learn.
1. How did you know? Noah's first reaction was to his first exposure to peanut butter. He had an asthma attack, then started swelling and itching and eventually had hives.
2. Will he outgrow it? Most likely not. His allergy is considered severe. Peanut allergies are the allergy that people are least likely to outgrow. He had an anaphylactic reaction so our allergerist would never put him in a desensitization study (where they expose a person to an allergen a little bit at a time). He wouldn't even do a skin prick test for nuts on Noah because of the severity of his first reaction. He only tested his blood. Typically the first reaction is the most mild.
3. What happens if he gets exposed? That is really anyone's guess. Our allergist told us that next time we will only have minutes to respond. Frankly, it's terrifying every time he starts coughing, itching his eyes or breaking out in hives. I contantly recite my plan of action. First we give the epipen, then we call 9-1-1. Then we watch him like a hawk and give the 2nd epipen if the first one isn't working.
4. Can't you just give him some Benadryl for a reaction? No. It only controls the itching and symptoms of a reaction. The Epipen is basically adrenaline and that is what interferes with the reaction. Even after using the Epipen he would need emergency attention because the reaction can continue and further medications could be needed.
5. So, does he just need to avoid peanuts? He actually has a mild tree nut (think almonds, cashews, etc.) as well. We need to avoid all nuts and sesame seeds (they have some sort of cross-reaction and the body responds to them like peanuts sometimes..I'm not sure I get it, we were just avoid them). This also means that we have to read every single food item we purchase. If it says contains, may contain, processed on the same equipment, processed in the same facility as or anything else similar to that we can't buy it. I have made mistakes and not realized until I got home that I was so used to buying something that I forgot to check. I bought Nestle chocolate chips last week and realized as I was opening them that I didn't check them. I looked and sure enough they are processed right along with a product with peanuts. They will be leaving our house immediately.
6. Why do so many kids have allergies now? I have no idea. If anyone claims they know, they're wrong. There is no clear answer. There are many theories..from vaccines (our allergist said that's "rubbish"-he's British) to the hygiene theory (we're too clean and take too many antibiotics) and the way our food is modified and processed. No one knows, but they are clearly on the rise. I read that 1 in 13 kids has a food allergy. That's about 2 kids per classroom. Scary stuff!
We don't put Noah in the church nursery, we skip events because it's just too risky and we constantly worry about when we'll need to respond. I watched a video that was posted on facebook about a person who had a reaction to a wasp sting and continued to react for hours and nearly died. Noah was standing near me and I looked at him and cried. How is it that something as innocent as peanuts could kill him so quickly? It's not fair. It's makes me angry. But I know it's just something that we have to get over and deal with. It's not the end of the world, just a roadblock. We have to find ways around it and move on.
1. How did you know? Noah's first reaction was to his first exposure to peanut butter. He had an asthma attack, then started swelling and itching and eventually had hives.
2. Will he outgrow it? Most likely not. His allergy is considered severe. Peanut allergies are the allergy that people are least likely to outgrow. He had an anaphylactic reaction so our allergerist would never put him in a desensitization study (where they expose a person to an allergen a little bit at a time). He wouldn't even do a skin prick test for nuts on Noah because of the severity of his first reaction. He only tested his blood. Typically the first reaction is the most mild.
3. What happens if he gets exposed? That is really anyone's guess. Our allergist told us that next time we will only have minutes to respond. Frankly, it's terrifying every time he starts coughing, itching his eyes or breaking out in hives. I contantly recite my plan of action. First we give the epipen, then we call 9-1-1. Then we watch him like a hawk and give the 2nd epipen if the first one isn't working.
4. Can't you just give him some Benadryl for a reaction? No. It only controls the itching and symptoms of a reaction. The Epipen is basically adrenaline and that is what interferes with the reaction. Even after using the Epipen he would need emergency attention because the reaction can continue and further medications could be needed.
5. So, does he just need to avoid peanuts? He actually has a mild tree nut (think almonds, cashews, etc.) as well. We need to avoid all nuts and sesame seeds (they have some sort of cross-reaction and the body responds to them like peanuts sometimes..I'm not sure I get it, we were just avoid them). This also means that we have to read every single food item we purchase. If it says contains, may contain, processed on the same equipment, processed in the same facility as or anything else similar to that we can't buy it. I have made mistakes and not realized until I got home that I was so used to buying something that I forgot to check. I bought Nestle chocolate chips last week and realized as I was opening them that I didn't check them. I looked and sure enough they are processed right along with a product with peanuts. They will be leaving our house immediately.
6. Why do so many kids have allergies now? I have no idea. If anyone claims they know, they're wrong. There is no clear answer. There are many theories..from vaccines (our allergist said that's "rubbish"-he's British) to the hygiene theory (we're too clean and take too many antibiotics) and the way our food is modified and processed. No one knows, but they are clearly on the rise. I read that 1 in 13 kids has a food allergy. That's about 2 kids per classroom. Scary stuff!
We don't put Noah in the church nursery, we skip events because it's just too risky and we constantly worry about when we'll need to respond. I watched a video that was posted on facebook about a person who had a reaction to a wasp sting and continued to react for hours and nearly died. Noah was standing near me and I looked at him and cried. How is it that something as innocent as peanuts could kill him so quickly? It's not fair. It's makes me angry. But I know it's just something that we have to get over and deal with. It's not the end of the world, just a roadblock. We have to find ways around it and move on.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Q & A and what not to say..
I've decided to answer some questions that we get asked all the time and give some suggestions of things that are probably better left unsaid when you meet parents of multiples. I've been thinking about writing this for quite a while, but haven't been able to quite put in to words in a way that is both honest and appropriate. If you have said or asked any of these things please don't feel bad. I have said/asked things before that I now realize would probably have been better to keep to myself. Hopefully this will give you some guidance next time you come across someone with multiples...
1. "I'm sorry". Yes. People really do say that. How do you expect me to respond? Should I break down weeping and tell you that I'm so dissapointed that I have 3 (now 4) healthy children? I'm never quite sure what to say other than, "It's a blessing". Even if you're joking it implies that there is something horrible about having more than one child at a time when in fact it is an incredible blessing. Don't be sorry! Be joyful that all went well.
2. "I hope you're done". Nothing irritates me more than when a perfect stranger assumes that if you have multiples you should just quit having children immediately. When you say that you assume that I can't handle the 3 boys and should do society a favor and not have more. I may not be mom of the year and I may have bad days as a mom, but I think that our boys are turning out just fine and having one more child was not going to throw things completely off kilter causing my children to go off the deep end.
3. "Are they natural?" It's hard not to respond sarcastically and say something to the effect of "No! Completely fake! We had them manufactured!". What people want to know is how they were conceived. We did not do IVF. We were on a very low dose of a medication given to "jump start" things when we were having a difficult time conceiving on our own. We had a less than 1% chance of conceiving higher order multiples. It was clearly God's plan for our life to have triplets.
4. "Did you know you were having triplets?" Again, hard not to be sarcastic. Yes, we knew. We found out when I was 6 weeks pregnant and were in complete shock. At 7 1/2 weeks we went for a follow-up ultrasound and saw 3 beautiful, strong heartbeats.
Some of the most frequent questions we get asked are:
1. Are they identical? The answer is that we don't think so. 2 of the boys have the same blood type so it is possible, but I really don't want to pay the money it would take to find out. It does not bother us at all when people stop us to ask if they are triplets, if they are identical or any other "general" questions that don't probe into our personal life too far.
2. Do they have the same personality? Well, they are still 3 different people. So, no. Instead you can ask us how fun it is to watch 3 boys born at the same time grow..as individuals. I love that they are triplets and want to show them how unique and special it is. At the same time I want them to feel like individuals who are not constantly "lumped" together because they were born together.
3. How do you do it? Honestly? I don't know. It's all I've ever known as a mom. It's not like I could pick 1 or 2 to take care of. You choose what's important and leave the rest to get done when there's time. I'm organized and my life is like an assembly line. I think that's the best way to describe it.
I'm sure there are more things that I am forgetting. If there is something that you're wondering, just ask. I will answer almost any question. If you are out and see someone with multiples don't just stare, say something kind. Compliment them if they are well behaved, tell them they are very blessed or give them a polite smile. When you stare we feel like a freak show. Nothing pleases us more than when someone stops us to say what an inredible blessing triplets are. Yes! I can still see the faces of some of the kindest people who stopped us and told us how blessed we are and how happy it makes them to see triplets. It makes us happy too. :) This is a time in my life when I feel like I am doing exactly what I was designed to do. It's not always easy, but it's what I was made for.
1. "I'm sorry". Yes. People really do say that. How do you expect me to respond? Should I break down weeping and tell you that I'm so dissapointed that I have 3 (now 4) healthy children? I'm never quite sure what to say other than, "It's a blessing". Even if you're joking it implies that there is something horrible about having more than one child at a time when in fact it is an incredible blessing. Don't be sorry! Be joyful that all went well.
2. "I hope you're done". Nothing irritates me more than when a perfect stranger assumes that if you have multiples you should just quit having children immediately. When you say that you assume that I can't handle the 3 boys and should do society a favor and not have more. I may not be mom of the year and I may have bad days as a mom, but I think that our boys are turning out just fine and having one more child was not going to throw things completely off kilter causing my children to go off the deep end.
3. "Are they natural?" It's hard not to respond sarcastically and say something to the effect of "No! Completely fake! We had them manufactured!". What people want to know is how they were conceived. We did not do IVF. We were on a very low dose of a medication given to "jump start" things when we were having a difficult time conceiving on our own. We had a less than 1% chance of conceiving higher order multiples. It was clearly God's plan for our life to have triplets.
4. "Did you know you were having triplets?" Again, hard not to be sarcastic. Yes, we knew. We found out when I was 6 weeks pregnant and were in complete shock. At 7 1/2 weeks we went for a follow-up ultrasound and saw 3 beautiful, strong heartbeats.
Some of the most frequent questions we get asked are:
1. Are they identical? The answer is that we don't think so. 2 of the boys have the same blood type so it is possible, but I really don't want to pay the money it would take to find out. It does not bother us at all when people stop us to ask if they are triplets, if they are identical or any other "general" questions that don't probe into our personal life too far.
2. Do they have the same personality? Well, they are still 3 different people. So, no. Instead you can ask us how fun it is to watch 3 boys born at the same time grow..as individuals. I love that they are triplets and want to show them how unique and special it is. At the same time I want them to feel like individuals who are not constantly "lumped" together because they were born together.
3. How do you do it? Honestly? I don't know. It's all I've ever known as a mom. It's not like I could pick 1 or 2 to take care of. You choose what's important and leave the rest to get done when there's time. I'm organized and my life is like an assembly line. I think that's the best way to describe it.
I'm sure there are more things that I am forgetting. If there is something that you're wondering, just ask. I will answer almost any question. If you are out and see someone with multiples don't just stare, say something kind. Compliment them if they are well behaved, tell them they are very blessed or give them a polite smile. When you stare we feel like a freak show. Nothing pleases us more than when someone stops us to say what an inredible blessing triplets are. Yes! I can still see the faces of some of the kindest people who stopped us and told us how blessed we are and how happy it makes them to see triplets. It makes us happy too. :) This is a time in my life when I feel like I am doing exactly what I was designed to do. It's not always easy, but it's what I was made for.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
A beautiful day
This past Sunday Devyn was baptized. It was a beautiful day. It was beautiful because of spending the day celebrating and because the weather was equally as beautiful. We celebrated with our families as Devyn was welcommed into our church. All 4 kids cooperated wonderfully and we stood up front as a family. It was wonderful. It was a busy weekend though and I was glad to have it finally here and just enjoy it.
We also had family pictures. We did pictures with Nate's whole family. Quite a production! It was a little chilly and the kids weren't exactly thrilled to be taking pictures. All in all it went well and we got some great shots.
Today Nate had an unexpected day off. It is far to perfect to be in the house. So, we packed up the kids and went to the park. It is so awesome to finally be able to do things like this! The boys are finally at an age where we can go to a park. So fantastic. My heart felt so full watching Nate help the boys up onto the equipment so they could fly down the slide and squeal with delight. I was thinking how blessed we are to have kids who can play on the equipment and enjoy the day outside. I was feeling blessed because while I sat on a bench feeding Devyn Nate was playing with the boys. It was such a great day. I decided that I need to refocus on what is really important in life. The laundry will always be there, the toys don't need to be cleaned up and other household chores just aren't that important. They will be little for such a short time and I just don't want to be so busy with life that I miss the fun. It's pretty much been the perfect day to enjoy the craziness that is our life. I even took a short nap and took Devyn for a walk while the boys slept (she's not much of a napper). I hear them waking up now and I can't wait to get back outside and enjoy this great day. See you tomorrow chores, today I'm off the clock!!
Here's a pic from our photo shoot this weekend! The photographer also photographed us when we got engaged (7 years ago!!) and our wedding 6 years ago.
We also had family pictures. We did pictures with Nate's whole family. Quite a production! It was a little chilly and the kids weren't exactly thrilled to be taking pictures. All in all it went well and we got some great shots.
Today Nate had an unexpected day off. It is far to perfect to be in the house. So, we packed up the kids and went to the park. It is so awesome to finally be able to do things like this! The boys are finally at an age where we can go to a park. So fantastic. My heart felt so full watching Nate help the boys up onto the equipment so they could fly down the slide and squeal with delight. I was thinking how blessed we are to have kids who can play on the equipment and enjoy the day outside. I was feeling blessed because while I sat on a bench feeding Devyn Nate was playing with the boys. It was such a great day. I decided that I need to refocus on what is really important in life. The laundry will always be there, the toys don't need to be cleaned up and other household chores just aren't that important. They will be little for such a short time and I just don't want to be so busy with life that I miss the fun. It's pretty much been the perfect day to enjoy the craziness that is our life. I even took a short nap and took Devyn for a walk while the boys slept (she's not much of a napper). I hear them waking up now and I can't wait to get back outside and enjoy this great day. See you tomorrow chores, today I'm off the clock!!
Here's a pic from our photo shoot this weekend! The photographer also photographed us when we got engaged (7 years ago!!) and our wedding 6 years ago.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Random
I gave this post the title I did because it's going to be just that..random. So, here it goes.....
First of all we had an absolute blast in Indianapolis Labor Day weekend with my parents and my brother, his wife and their kids. We did so many fun things. We went to the zoo, took a horse and carraige ride (which Noah is still talking about!), rode these crazy bikes where 4 people can petal (2 in the front, 2 in the back and the kids in a basket on the front) and so much more. The boys had a great time. Aiden has some pretty spectacular meltdowns which were probably a combination of teeth coming in and being tired. Aiden is just like me, not good tired or hungry. Reese got his hand sucked into the elevator door and Noah picked up an almond in the elevator. AN ALMOND!!! Of all of the things that could be on the elevator floor it had to be an almond. Of all the kids to pick it up it had to be Noah. My brother noticed and quickly took it from his hand. I held his hand in the air until we got to the bathroom and scrubbed it until it was practically raw. You know that saying, "A vacation with kids isn't really a vacation"? Well, that certainly has some truth to it. By the time it was over I was exhausted. So much fun though!
Second, Devyn is doing much better. The biggest difference came from taking dairy out of my diet. She is happier, sleeping better and not screaming (at least not from her tummy hurting). The probiotic drops seems to be helping as well. She is finally sleeping longer at night. Last night she fell asleep around 9:45 and didn't get up until 4:10 to eat. It was heaven. Sunday I ate broccoli with cheese without thinking. That night she was up every 2 hours crying. Yep. It's dairy my friends. She's still not the happiest baby on earth, but she is WAY better. I think she'll be like Reese and be happier when she is on the move.
I also am thinking I need to do some advocating for new laws about food allergies and restaurants. While we were on our way to Indy we stopped at McDonald's to feed the boys. Big chain restaurants tend to be the safest places to eat. It was a nightmare. It was disgusting for starters, but even worse no one could give me any idea about where to find a list of allergens in the food and they were completely rude and visibly annoyed that I even asked. I was furious. They obviously don't know me and don't know that I can't let things go. I looked at the health department's website to file a complaint (yes, I'm serious). You can only file complaints about the cleanliness of the restaurant or getting sick from the food. I find that unbelievable. If the way they prepare their food and their lack of knowledge about food allergies isn't a responsibility of the health department how am I supposed to know where it is safe to eat and not? There are currently no laws regulating it. Only 2 states have laws about food safety when it comes to regulating that maganers be trained to deal with the issues and allergens be clearly listed and available for consumers. (I actually learned that from a documentary I watched on Sunday). It made me realize that I'll have to do something or nothing will get done. So, I contacted FARE (food allergy research and education). They advocate for people with food allergies, work on finding cures for food allergies, etc. They even have a section for how to work on laws in your state. I think I've found a new mission. I refuse to let people dismiss the seriousness of Noah's allergy and the allergies of many other people. He can't speak for himself, so I will speak for him.
First of all we had an absolute blast in Indianapolis Labor Day weekend with my parents and my brother, his wife and their kids. We did so many fun things. We went to the zoo, took a horse and carraige ride (which Noah is still talking about!), rode these crazy bikes where 4 people can petal (2 in the front, 2 in the back and the kids in a basket on the front) and so much more. The boys had a great time. Aiden has some pretty spectacular meltdowns which were probably a combination of teeth coming in and being tired. Aiden is just like me, not good tired or hungry. Reese got his hand sucked into the elevator door and Noah picked up an almond in the elevator. AN ALMOND!!! Of all of the things that could be on the elevator floor it had to be an almond. Of all the kids to pick it up it had to be Noah. My brother noticed and quickly took it from his hand. I held his hand in the air until we got to the bathroom and scrubbed it until it was practically raw. You know that saying, "A vacation with kids isn't really a vacation"? Well, that certainly has some truth to it. By the time it was over I was exhausted. So much fun though!
Second, Devyn is doing much better. The biggest difference came from taking dairy out of my diet. She is happier, sleeping better and not screaming (at least not from her tummy hurting). The probiotic drops seems to be helping as well. She is finally sleeping longer at night. Last night she fell asleep around 9:45 and didn't get up until 4:10 to eat. It was heaven. Sunday I ate broccoli with cheese without thinking. That night she was up every 2 hours crying. Yep. It's dairy my friends. She's still not the happiest baby on earth, but she is WAY better. I think she'll be like Reese and be happier when she is on the move.
I also am thinking I need to do some advocating for new laws about food allergies and restaurants. While we were on our way to Indy we stopped at McDonald's to feed the boys. Big chain restaurants tend to be the safest places to eat. It was a nightmare. It was disgusting for starters, but even worse no one could give me any idea about where to find a list of allergens in the food and they were completely rude and visibly annoyed that I even asked. I was furious. They obviously don't know me and don't know that I can't let things go. I looked at the health department's website to file a complaint (yes, I'm serious). You can only file complaints about the cleanliness of the restaurant or getting sick from the food. I find that unbelievable. If the way they prepare their food and their lack of knowledge about food allergies isn't a responsibility of the health department how am I supposed to know where it is safe to eat and not? There are currently no laws regulating it. Only 2 states have laws about food safety when it comes to regulating that maganers be trained to deal with the issues and allergens be clearly listed and available for consumers. (I actually learned that from a documentary I watched on Sunday). It made me realize that I'll have to do something or nothing will get done. So, I contacted FARE (food allergy research and education). They advocate for people with food allergies, work on finding cures for food allergies, etc. They even have a section for how to work on laws in your state. I think I've found a new mission. I refuse to let people dismiss the seriousness of Noah's allergy and the allergies of many other people. He can't speak for himself, so I will speak for him.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Colic and a new allergy
Devyn had her 2 month check-up on Tuesday. She has grown like crazy! She is in the 80th percentile. The dr is very happy with her growth and her development. She asked a lot about her rash that we had been in about (when we saw the other pediatrician). I told her what the allergist said and she agreed. I felt justified that she agreed cutting out milk would help. She said that we should also try giving her probiotic drops and that I shouldn't eat butter either (in addition to milk and cheese..for some reason eggs don't bother her tummy). So after finding the expensive little drops we're hoping for some progress. I did read a study where 50% of babies improved from their mother not drinking milk. 95% (95!) of babies improved when their mother cut out milk and gave probiotic drops. Essentially they think these drops are the cure for colic and that's what pediatricians are recommending for colic now. We've been that rare case all too often and are hoping to be in that 95% this time.
As for Noah we discovered what seems to be a new allergy. Boo. We fed him a packet of instant oatmeal with his zyrtec mixed in on Sunday. This face all around his mouth broke out in hives. We thought maybe he was allergic to something in the zyrtec. Tuesday I fed him a packet of the same oatmeal without the zyrtec mixed in. The same thing happened. I guess he's allergic to something in the instant oatmeal. I'm guessing it's the dehydrated apples. Grr. The pediatrician agreed that it's probably the deydrated apples, but could be an additive in the oatmeal or just an irritation of the skin. The apples seeem to be the most likely candidate. She said that if I really want to try to feed him any the oatmeals like that to give them carefully and watch him. So, back to regular old oats it is. I would rather spend a couple of extra minutes making the old fashioned oats and not risk it. Too many times I read stories of kids having accidental exposure to an allergen or not getting help soon enough. It's also frustrating to hear there are still people who don't really think of it as a life or death situation. It absolutely is. I am not at all sorry that your kid can't have peanut butter and jelly at school. I am in no way sorry. When it means my kids life I will be his tireless advocate every time. Avoiding peanuts/nuts is hard enough. I don't need people dismissing the seriousness of it. So next time you hear someone complain how ridiculous it is that peanut butter isn't allowed please remind them that my child's life is much more important than the your child's desire to eat peanut butter. Get soy butter, people. Your child will survive. Mine may not if you sneak in peanut butter (I've heard of this happening). This may sound harsh, but it's reality. This is not a lifestyle choice. This is a real, true medical condition. Ok, enough about that.
Other than that the boys are hilarious these days. They got Curious George stuffed animals for their birthday. They LOVE them. They kiss them, put them in Devyn's swing, sleep with them, put them in a chair next to them at breakfast and offer them Cheerios...too funny. I'll post pictures sometime. For now I must go pick up the screaming Ms. Devyn.
As for Noah we discovered what seems to be a new allergy. Boo. We fed him a packet of instant oatmeal with his zyrtec mixed in on Sunday. This face all around his mouth broke out in hives. We thought maybe he was allergic to something in the zyrtec. Tuesday I fed him a packet of the same oatmeal without the zyrtec mixed in. The same thing happened. I guess he's allergic to something in the instant oatmeal. I'm guessing it's the dehydrated apples. Grr. The pediatrician agreed that it's probably the deydrated apples, but could be an additive in the oatmeal or just an irritation of the skin. The apples seeem to be the most likely candidate. She said that if I really want to try to feed him any the oatmeals like that to give them carefully and watch him. So, back to regular old oats it is. I would rather spend a couple of extra minutes making the old fashioned oats and not risk it. Too many times I read stories of kids having accidental exposure to an allergen or not getting help soon enough. It's also frustrating to hear there are still people who don't really think of it as a life or death situation. It absolutely is. I am not at all sorry that your kid can't have peanut butter and jelly at school. I am in no way sorry. When it means my kids life I will be his tireless advocate every time. Avoiding peanuts/nuts is hard enough. I don't need people dismissing the seriousness of it. So next time you hear someone complain how ridiculous it is that peanut butter isn't allowed please remind them that my child's life is much more important than the your child's desire to eat peanut butter. Get soy butter, people. Your child will survive. Mine may not if you sneak in peanut butter (I've heard of this happening). This may sound harsh, but it's reality. This is not a lifestyle choice. This is a real, true medical condition. Ok, enough about that.
Other than that the boys are hilarious these days. They got Curious George stuffed animals for their birthday. They LOVE them. They kiss them, put them in Devyn's swing, sleep with them, put them in a chair next to them at breakfast and offer them Cheerios...too funny. I'll post pictures sometime. For now I must go pick up the screaming Ms. Devyn.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The allergist and 2 year check-up
We had 2 appointments this week. The first was the pediatrician. That was a great appointment. The boys were very cooperative! They were a little nervous, which actually helps. She said they all look great. Noah has grown like a weed and is now around 35" tall and 27 pounds. Aiden is in the middle at 34" and 24 pounds. Reese is still the peanut at 33" and 24 pounds. Noah is average for 2 years old (55th percentile) and Reese is tiny 15th percentile). It still amazes me that they were born so small and early. You would never know they were early. They are doing great developmentally as well. They don't have to go back until they turn 3. Yes! Although, we'll probably be back before then..illness tends to brings us back before our scheduled appointments. They are kids and they pick up germs like nobody's business. On a random note, whenever they ask how early they were I say they were born at 32 weeks, 5 days. They normally put them down as 32 week triplets, but I always remind them of the 5 days. Every day was a struggle, so I want credit for every day. They always look at me like I'm a little crazy, but anyone with multiples will definitely understand that!
The second appointment was the allergist. We talked about Noah most of the time. Thankfully we have had no incidents that required the epipen or any other intervention..yet. I'm sure at some point we'll be faced with a situation. I have a lot of nightmares about that and do a lot of praying that I'll respond quickly when it does happen. We also talked about his asthma and the fact that the nebulizer seems to really be helping keep it controlled. I asked his opinion about the increase in food allergies. He asked what I had read. I told him I read one about vaccines being the cause. He asked if I believed it and I said that I don't. He agreed and said it was complete nonsense. I also said I had read that the way our food is grown (gmo's) and processed were a factor and that I did believe that. He agreed that there could be some truth to that one. Scary, isn't it? I also have read the we don't give kids nuts early enough. He said there is a study about that and that you could read it either way. You can read it that we don't give them early enough or read the same study and gather that we should wait. The roasted vs. boiled nuts theory is probably not true either. Basically there is no good answer. He talked about the fact that the immune system is the most complex system in the body and trying to figure it out is extremely difficult. He said that all the blood tests that show allergies often show false positives and really don't give a true picture of the severity of allergies either. So knowing whether or not someone will react to a food is a guess. Scary!!! He said the fact that Noah's reaction was so severe the first time and the fact that he has asthma makes his an allergy that he'll live with forever. It's often difficult to know where it is safe to take Noah and where we should avoid. Dr. Wolf said it's always going to be a gamble no matter how careful we are. I think we should just become hermits. :)
I also asked him about Devyn. He didn't really want to look at her too much because she's so little and not his patient. He talked to me quite a bit about her, but wanted to make sure I talk more to our regular pediatrician. He said that at her age it's early to talk about an allergy. That being said he completely disagrees with the pediatrician we saw who said it was just excema and not related to food. He said the excema would have been on her face. It would have been somewhere that she could scratch which at this point would only be her face. He asked about our detergent and what we wash her with. I make my own detergent, so I know that's not it. We switched what we wash her with and it helped a little. I still notice a difference when I have milk. It absolutely gives her tummy aches and some sort of rash. He said to do some experimenting to figure it out. I told him I did and that I cut milk out of my diet. His words were, "Then I think you have your answer". He said that he disagrees with the pediatrician (not our regular one, the other dr. we saw) that it would be unlikely that it would be food. He said it's very likely and what I eat certainly does pass to her and can certainly cause all of this. That being said he wants me to mention all of it to the pediatrician and talk to her more about the rash. It's hard to say what the real cause is. She is looking better, but the rash is still there a little bit. She goes for her 2 month check-up on Tuesday and we'll talk more to our pediatrician at that appointment. Hopefully she can help with some suggestions or an idea of where to go next!
The second appointment was the allergist. We talked about Noah most of the time. Thankfully we have had no incidents that required the epipen or any other intervention..yet. I'm sure at some point we'll be faced with a situation. I have a lot of nightmares about that and do a lot of praying that I'll respond quickly when it does happen. We also talked about his asthma and the fact that the nebulizer seems to really be helping keep it controlled. I asked his opinion about the increase in food allergies. He asked what I had read. I told him I read one about vaccines being the cause. He asked if I believed it and I said that I don't. He agreed and said it was complete nonsense. I also said I had read that the way our food is grown (gmo's) and processed were a factor and that I did believe that. He agreed that there could be some truth to that one. Scary, isn't it? I also have read the we don't give kids nuts early enough. He said there is a study about that and that you could read it either way. You can read it that we don't give them early enough or read the same study and gather that we should wait. The roasted vs. boiled nuts theory is probably not true either. Basically there is no good answer. He talked about the fact that the immune system is the most complex system in the body and trying to figure it out is extremely difficult. He said that all the blood tests that show allergies often show false positives and really don't give a true picture of the severity of allergies either. So knowing whether or not someone will react to a food is a guess. Scary!!! He said the fact that Noah's reaction was so severe the first time and the fact that he has asthma makes his an allergy that he'll live with forever. It's often difficult to know where it is safe to take Noah and where we should avoid. Dr. Wolf said it's always going to be a gamble no matter how careful we are. I think we should just become hermits. :)
I also asked him about Devyn. He didn't really want to look at her too much because she's so little and not his patient. He talked to me quite a bit about her, but wanted to make sure I talk more to our regular pediatrician. He said that at her age it's early to talk about an allergy. That being said he completely disagrees with the pediatrician we saw who said it was just excema and not related to food. He said the excema would have been on her face. It would have been somewhere that she could scratch which at this point would only be her face. He asked about our detergent and what we wash her with. I make my own detergent, so I know that's not it. We switched what we wash her with and it helped a little. I still notice a difference when I have milk. It absolutely gives her tummy aches and some sort of rash. He said to do some experimenting to figure it out. I told him I did and that I cut milk out of my diet. His words were, "Then I think you have your answer". He said that he disagrees with the pediatrician (not our regular one, the other dr. we saw) that it would be unlikely that it would be food. He said it's very likely and what I eat certainly does pass to her and can certainly cause all of this. That being said he wants me to mention all of it to the pediatrician and talk to her more about the rash. It's hard to say what the real cause is. She is looking better, but the rash is still there a little bit. She goes for her 2 month check-up on Tuesday and we'll talk more to our pediatrician at that appointment. Hopefully she can help with some suggestions or an idea of where to go next!
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