Bye Bye Formula

We are done with the crazy expensive formula that Carly has been on for 10 months and have transitioned her to regular, good ole fashioned whole milk! She is doing great with it and we are so excited and relieved that she doesn't have any lasting food allergies. We started the switch about three weeks ago by mixing her formula with whole milk. She had no problem with the taste difference and is now drinking regular milk in a cup with all of her meals. She still takes a bottle in the morning and right before bedtime but once this last can of formula is gone she will be getting 100% regular milk.

It's hard to believe that 10 months ago we were in the hospital with our baby girl and worried about her losing too much weight. Wednesday when she went in for her one year old well child exam she was off the charts in all areas, including her head! She is 26.6 pounds and 31 inches which put her above the 95th percentile. I knew she was a big girl because she is wearing 18 months clothes already. I have been a little worried about her rapid growth, but our pediatrician wasn't too concerned and said that she should slim down now that she is walking and a regular diet.

She also loves regular food and only eats baby food as a supplement to the things she can't chew. She still only has her two little bottom teeth but is doing really well with chewing. She had papaya for the first time and loved it. Some of her other favorite foods include bananas, peas, carrots, grilled cheese sandwiches, and MumMums.

This weekend the Garner's will be relaxing after having three weeks of very busy schedules. Today we are off the library and to do some shopping for Jeff's upcoming 40th birthday. I got this wonderful idea from another mommy blog and I can't wait to have Katie do it. Have a great weekend everyone!

5 Months and Healthy Again

We went back to Children's Hospital for a follow up on Monday and all is well again!  Baby girl weighed in at 16lbs 10oz and is 25.5 in tall.  Her doctor actually wants to slow her weight gain down (we just can't win) by decreasing her formula intake.  Luckily we were given the ok to introduce solids so hopefully the addition of cereal will make her less hungry for formula.  So, Saturday we will see how Squirt does on rice cereal and if all goes well than we will start adding fruits and then veggies.  Everything I read says to start with veggies but apparently veggies have protein in them which is what Carly's tummy had trouble digesting so we will be starting her on fruits instead.  Hopefully, this will also help her sleep through the night because this tired mama would love to get 7 consecutive hours of shut eye herself. 

If all continues to go well we should be able to switch back to a milk based (and much cheaper) formula around 9 months which mommy and daddy will be thrilled about.  In the meantime we are continuing with the Nutramigen which she apparently is thriving on.  Developmentally she is doing great and is very close to being able to sit up by herself.  She also loves to roll all around the room and is starting to vocalize more.  It's also so much fun to see Katie interact with her little sister.  She loves to giggle and make funny faces at her which Carly finds hilarious.  I can't wait until they can really start playing together. 

 

 It is such a relief to have this illness and it's complications behind us.  Jeff and I were so happy driving back from Seattle because now we can stop worrying and we don't have to analyze poop anymore!  Woohoo!

Our trip to Childrens Hospital

We had our appointment with the GI specialist at Children's Hospital yesterday and it went very well.  We will know more after the blood work comes back Monday or Tuesday, but at this point the Doctor thinks that Carly developed a milk protein intolerance due to that nasty virus she got back in September.  It hadn't gotten better because we continued to give her breast milk and normal formula.  We never noticed any blood so we just assumed, based on what our pediatrician told us, that the loose stools were because her body was still healing from the virus.  Luckily, about 3 weeks ago we saw visible blood and that was when I stopped breastfeeding and started giving her the Nutramigen.  Looking back we should have done that when we first started supplementing with formula but we just didn't know.   Now her little body has to heal and it will just take time for her intestines to get back to normal.

The good news is that she is gaining weight like crazy!  She was 15lbs 2oz at the hospital yesterday which put her in the 75th percentile.  That was the most reassuring part of the visit yesterday, because it means her body is absorbing nutrients.  The doctor wasn't that concerned about her loose stools because he said that could take months to go away and as long as she is happy and gaining weight than we are on the right track.  We will go back in three weeks for a follow up visit and we won't be starting solids until she is 6 months old.  Luckily she should outgrow this milk protein allergy but he said it could take a year or maybe two.  We will just have to wait and see.

So, overall it was good news and as long as the blood work doesn't show anything different we are on the road to recovery.  As you can imagine we were both very relieved even though we just have to be patient and wait.

We finished off our trip to Seattle by stopping at Chipotle for lunch.  I love that place and I really wish they would open up one here in Bellingham. 

I also got around to finally taking Carly's 4 month old pictures today even though it is a week late. She is getting so chunky, smiles all of the time, and has discovered her hands which is fine except she ends up gagging herself and spitting up even more than normal.  I will be so glad when she outgrows that!  

 

Lastly, daddy was in charge or breakfast this morning while I took a shower.  This was the scene at our kitchen table.  

Carly looks so mad but I think she was really just yawning. :)

Happy Weekend!