Baby girl has allergies

My baby girl has allergies. Crazy-bad, super-dangerous food allergies. She is allergic to milk, eggs, all nuts, sesame, tuna and....the big kicker...soy.

Learning about these allergies has been a journey that has taken us from the resuscitation bay of the emergency room, to a paediatric immunologist, a plethora of tests you never want to put your baby through, a rude and supremely unhelpful dietitian and now here. The interwebs.

I have not blogged about this before because I have been numb and disbelieving. I was also torn between sharing this journey and protecting my baby girl's privacy. One thing I have learned through the parental education we have undertaken is this: there is no privacy when allergies are concerned. Everyone who comes into contact with my daughter must know about her allergies. It is too dangerous and the risk of contamination too great to keep a secret.

Recently I began to make contact with other allergy mamas via......their blogs! I decided that blogging, and joing the community of amazing women out their putting their lives on the web could help  me on this difficult journey. It is an incredibly terrifying and isolating feeling. It is easy to plunge into anxiety and grief, contemplating the slumber parties, school camps, birthday cakes and restaurant dinners that my child will miss, or will attend, with me watching every bite of food that goes near her mouth.

Thankfully we have been doing baby led weaning. So many prepared baby foods have milk powder and egg in them. Also, thankfully, Louisa is a fantastic eater.  She loves fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta and - unlike her vegetarian mama - ADORES meat. She chomps on steak with her four little teeth. She double fists bolognese into her mouth and shredded chicken is her love language.

Obviously it is hard. No dairy. Will my baby never know a grilled cheese sandwich? An ice cream? How much better the bolognese is with parmesan cheese?

No egg. No omelets. No scrambled eggs. No soft boiled eggs with toast dipping soldiers. Whenever we were sick as children my parents would make scrambled eggs or grilled cheese as a comforting dinner. What will I make to comfort my daughter?

The soy allergy is the real problem. People with dairy allergies can live reasonably normal lives with soy. Soy milk. Soy yoghurt and cheese. Soy babychino at Starbucks.

No soy changes everything.

We are due back at the paediatric immunologist in May for some more tests and anaphylaxis training. We will need an Epipen that we will carry everywhere Louisa goes. The doctor is hopeful that Louisa will grow out of some of her allergies. Nut allergies are usually not outgrown, but there is hope with the dairy and soy.

After she turns one Louisa will go into hospital and they will do a "challenge", where they give her small amounts of her allergens under strict clinical supervision. They hope to gauge the extent of her potential for anaphylaxis.

My focus right now? Keeping the breast feeding going for as long as humanly possible. Feeding Louisa yummy, nutritious and safe food each day. Also, planning a first birthday party (including cake) with no eggs, dairy, soy or nuts. The tuna will be easier to avoid!

Advent calendar

When planning my maternity leave the most pressing concern was, sadly, money. We crunched the numbers and worked out how long I could stay home with our bebe without entering the poorhouse. We came up with maternity leave of eight months and then working part time for a while.

I was ( and am) thrilled that the eight months at home with Louisa includes her first Christmas! I have always harbored Bree Vanderkamp/June Cleaver/ Martha Stewart fantasies of being a stay at home wife and mother at Christmas. I imagined home made egg nog and pudding, crafting, gifts for the mail man and the dry cleaner and a beautifully styled home.

As with most fantasies, the reality isn't quite the same! It is better! With a six month old daughter I have been blessed to experience this Christmas through her bright eyes.

Visits to Santa, the tree (real of course and smelling delicious!), the lights, the cute outfits. Louisa is mesmerized by it all!

While I am not going to check everything off my SAHM / domestic diva Christmas list - I do have a baby you know - I have done loads of exciting mumsy things.

The first.... The Advent Calendar!

As the only blogger not on Pinterest I was at a disadvantage from the get-go. Add to that a terminal inability to craft anything, and I knew I needed to keep it simple. I had seen several different Advent calendars on blogs last a Christmas and had a rough idea what I wanted to do.

I headed to various craft and dollar stores for supplies:




Christmas themed craft paper, white thumb tacks, ribbon, plain cards and decorative stickers and pins. I had the pin board and the guillotine at home.

I ended up buying a plain white painting canvas as the back board as it was a better size and looked nicer than the pin board.

The result.......

Ta da!




I crafted! I am beyond thrilled with it. It is so pretty! I adore the colours of the Christmas craft paper. I hung it it the kitchen and surprised Hubs. He was very impressed. (Don't want him to think I watch soap operas and eat bonbons all day).

We have had people over and everyone comments on how cute it is. Sorry for the dodgy Blackberry photo. Who has time to upload pictures from the camera??

I included several family activities we already committed to, plus fun things like singing songs, reading stories and looking at Christmas lights.

Stay tuned for more Christmas festivities!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The wee small hours

It is 4.30 am. My baby girl has been fed and back to sleep for over an hour. The alarm will go off to get Hubs to work in less than three hours.

Me? I am sitting in my dining room eating chocolate pudding and reading blogs.

I have mumsomnia. I got it when was pregnant. I would wake up at 4 am and lie looking at the ceiling ( until I couldn't lay on my back, and then I looked at the wall). I would worry about my unborn babe. His/her health, welfare, life. I worried about money. I worried about having an extended break from work, about whether I would want to stay home for 8 months or whether I would want to stay home forever.

Now I have a gorgeous daughter sleeping down the hall. She is a truly amazing baby who sleeps like a champion and has the happiest temperament.

My maternity leave is drawing to a close. I am back to work on February 3, part time. The money has held out and we should be fine for me to work 3 days a week for a while. I am devastated at the thought of leaving Louisa. Seriously, I miss her if she takes an extra long nap. However, I am also a little excited to return to my lady lawyer career and dust of the brain cells.

So why and I awake worrying at 4 am?

Maybe it is the fact my house looks like Motley Crue spent a week here partying. Maybe it is the holiday showcase we have on Sunday for Hubs' guitar students. Maybe it is the sit down Christmas lunch for 17 we are hosting next weekend.
Maybe it is the holiday picnic for my mother's group tomorrow.
Maybe it is the unfinished shopping, the unwritten cards.
Maybe it is the pantry full of cooking chocolate for the home made gifts yet to made.
Maybe it is all the blog posts in my head that are unwritten.
Maybe it is my terrified suspicion my milk supply is reducing and I may not be able to keep nursing.
Maybe it is the baby book sitting on the shelf without a single thing written in it.
Maybe it is my husband's birthday right after Christmas and my endless quest to give him a special day not just Christmas leftovers.

In the lead up to December I was so excited to have a whole holiday season as a stay at home wife and mother. I know this is likely the only year I will get this chance. I planned all these crafts and projects and recipes and activities.

I got so busy that I lost my mind a little bit. I forgot to renew my drivers license. I forgot to cancel a payment and have now overpaid an account $920, which will take weeks to get back.

I guess I forgot I would also have a 6 month old teething baby. All I want to do is snuggle her and read books and play with her toys.

I fear that I have taken on too much to actually achieve anything or do it well.

Tomorrow ( later today really, as it is already tomorrow) I need to regroup and refocus.

I am quite sure I am not the only mum to have mumsomnia. I am sure many other mums and moms and mamas are up worrying.

It is now 5am and the birds are chirping to usher in a brand new day. I will endeavor to make good choices today. There is so much to do....

Now I am worrying about how tired I will be today and how much I have to get done.















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wordless Wednesday - Sleeping Beauty

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Almost Erased.......from existence

Last week my Blackberry died a spectacular death. An error message appeared on the screen, and when I rebooted all my contacts, photos and emails were gone. Erased.....from existence.

To say I was devastated would be an epic understatement. I had lost all the congratulations texts people sent when Louisa was born. I had lost video I took of Louisa. Small moments, tummy time, rolling over and "talking" like a chatterbox.

I also lost photos. Just days before I had been struck with the inspiration to email all my pictures to myself as a back up. I don't know what possessed me. Divine inspiration perhaps. It was a slow process as I had to do each photo individually. I only got about half done before I got side tracked. I never finished the job.

I lost many precious photos that I had not got around to emailing. None of the photos would win any photography awards. They are quick moments snapped with a phone. What I realized after losing those photos was how precious those moments are.

Odds are, if you have time to grab the big camera, set the right lens and arrange the perfect picture, the "moment" has passed. Some of the most spontaneous and memorable photos are now captured with phones.

My carrier sent my Blackberry away to be replaced. Blackberry had to exam the dead handset and then send a replacement. The fact that they could not replace it that day annoyed me. I had to wait five days for the replacement phone.

When I went into the store to pick up my replacement, the sales girl told me Blackberry had sent back my memory card. The memory card was salvaged from the dead phone and taped onto the paperwork.

A small tremor of hope arose within me. I squashed it down, not wanting to be disappointed of my memories were not on the card.

When I got home Hubs installed the old memory card. I held my breath as I scrolled through the phone..... And found my memories!


















The videos were there too. I lost the contacts (annoying but survivable) and the text messages.

I am so thankful to the guardian angel at Blackberry who thought to salvage that memory card. All my memories could have been erased.....from existence.

Now go and back up your phones to the computer. Right now! Go!

Virtual shower for Niki Richmond

• Today Becky and I are throwing a virtual baby shower for Niki from The Biker and the Baker! 
• 
  
• Niki is a super sweet girl I have gotten to know via blogs and twitter. She is one of my favorite "imaginary friends." She is a fellow vegetarian and is an amazing crafter (not a skill I share....). 
• 
  
• Niki and her husband Tyler are welcoming Nathaniel into the world shortly and I feel so happy to shower her with some virtual love via the interwebs.

Becky designed the cute invitation. (Not only do I lack the craft skillz but I also have no computer skillz. I am amazed Blogger let me set up an account.)

I am contributing two classic Australian dishes to the virtual shower. No shower, afternoon tea or cake stall would be complete without lamingtons and pavlova.

 I had every intention of actually making these and photographing my own versions, but I have a three month old bebe and I am sure Niki will understand!

• 
  
• Pavlova

• 50ml eggwhite (approximately 4 eggs)
• 1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch), sifted
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream
• ½ cup passionfruit pulp (approximately 4 passionfruit)
•  250g strawberries, hulled and halved

 Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Place the eggwhite in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well, until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

  Add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk until just combined. Shape the mixture into an 18cm round on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Reduce oven to 120°C (250°F) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Spread over the pavlova, top with passionfruit and strawberries and serve immediately. Serves 8–10.

• 
  

Source

• Lamingtons 
• 
  
• 1 quantity basic sponge cake
•  3 cups (480g) icing (confectioner's) sugar
•  ¾ cup (75g) cocoa powder
• ⅓ cup (80ml) boiling water
• 75g butter, melted
•  dessicated coconut, to coat

 Make a basic sponge cake (or buy one!) in an 18cm-square cake tin and cool on a wire rack. Cut into 6cm squares. (Tip: the icing stage is much easier if the cake is either a day old or a little froze. DO NOT attempt this with a warm cake fresh from the oven.)

Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa. Mix with the boiling water and melted butter. Using 2 forks to hold the sponge squares, dip in the chocolate icing and roll in desiccated coconut. Allow to set on a wire rack. 

Source

Congratulations Niki. You will be a wonderful mama and I cannot wait to "meet" baby Nathaniel.

xx elle 

Mastitis misery: When I thought I had anthrax

So, I have mastitis.

I feel like it is so cliche. Yes, I have a baby, I am breast feeding, and I have mastitis. Not much of a blog post there.

Except, I thought I was going to die. Seriously.

I had sore and hot breasts for a little while. It felt like I was lactating acid rather than milk. I am not sure how many days that lasted. It wasn't super painful so I didn't think anything of it.

Two weekends ago Hubs and I went into town to see A Chorus Line. We left Louisa with my parents for about seven hours (my feelings about that are a whole other post). I took my trusty Medela pump with me and had every intention of expressing in the car, but I didn't. At the time I didn't feel too engorged and just thought I would wait and feed Louisa when we got back to my parents'.

As we walked in my mum was giving Louisa a bottle. Darn. We collected the baby and the 137 bags of luggage we had left there (yes, for a seven hour visit) and headed home.

Louisa was exhausted from a day with the turbo-grandparents and went straight to bed. She then proceeded to sleep for seven hours. (What did my parents do to the poor child? Send her down a coal mine?)

When we had put Louisa to bed I expressed. It had by this stage been about eight hours since I had fed and I was in serious pain. I expressed 300 mls very quickly. Due to Louisa's sleeping beauty re-enactment I got up in the middle of the night and pumped again.

Sadly, the damage was done. I had probably been developing the mastitis for a few days, but that period of engorgement tipped me over the edge.

By the Tuesday I was really sore and achey in the chest. That night I was folding laundry when all of a sudden I was nauseous. I went to the bathroom and was promptly quite sick, which was rapidly followed by fever, chills and chest pain. The chest pain was so bad I wondered if I was having a heart attack.

Now, I know what y'all are thinking. I am exaggerating. Ladies, believe me. I thought I was going to die. I thought I had some awful parasite or infectious disease. I was literally lying on the bathroom floor  weeping. Every part of my body hurt. It hurt to breath. It hurt to move. My chest was burning up but my body was shivering.

I scared the living daylights out of my husband. I shouted at him to keep Louisa away from me (you know, just in case it was anthrax that I hadn't already passed on to her the six times I nursed her that day....)

Hubs was so convinced we would have to go to the hospital that he got a jacket on and locked up the house.

It suddenly occurred to me that I needed to express. I truly thought that blood or something terrible would come out, but I knew I needed to do it. Hubs brought me the pump and I lay on the cool floor and drained each breast.

I felt miraculously better after that.

The doctor confirmed it is mastitis (plus the bacterial infection) in both breasts. I am now on my second course of antibiotics. For the first few days Louisa was feeding every two hours, even at night. She did not even do that as a newborn so I was a ZOMBIE. The doctor wanted me to start topping her up with formula to allow me to rest, but I am resisting that course. I worry that once we start on formula we won't stop (it will be like a gateway drug and soon she will be eating Happy Meals).

Ladies, it is not going away. IT IS NOT GOING AWAY.

The flu symptoms (fatigue, aches and pains, nausea, headache) are a lot better but the heat and tenderness is just as bad as ever.

I totally understand why a run-in with mastitis scare many woman away from breast feeding. I am expressing after feeds to drain it out but am now worried that the extra feeds and pumping is actually generating more milk and making it worse.

So, in summary, I did not have anthrax.

Further, please tell me the CDC or equally prestigious scientists are right now hunkering down in a lab discovering a vaccination or a cure for mastitis.

If men had to breast feed they would have discovered the cure years ago.