atopic dermatitis

a.k.a. Baby eczema. 

So sad! 

Poor little girl has just enough motor skills to use her hand to claw her forehead in an effort to scratch the itch! So, according to the mainstream wisdom, I am cutting out all dairy, eggs, and wheat in an effort to see if it improves. Apparently, that's not always the fix. I am doing my own research via my old nursing school resources. There seems to be a lot of different theories. I just want my little girl to stop itching!

I'm also moisturizing with my special blend of shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin E, jojoba oil, and some essential oils. I'm hoping that the lack of chemical additives will be a positive thing. 

Here's some of what I found in the research department. Three different articles seemed to have pertinent info and be from reliable sources: 

"In conclusion, the current prospective study found that among Japanese infants, a high mite allergen level from maternal bedclothes and mold in the kitchen during pregnancy were significantly associated with an increased risk of suspected atopic eczema, whereas frequent vacuuming practices during pregnancy and giving the infant a bath or shower at least once a day were significantly inversely related to the risk of suspected atopic eczema." 

Source: 

Home environment and suspected atopic eczema in Japanese infants: The Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2007: 18: 425-432

Authors: Miyake Y, Ohya Y, Tanaka K, Yokoyama T, Sasaki S, Fukushima W, Ohfuji S, Saito K, Kiyohara C, Hirota Y.

"Eczema in breast fed infants has a high rate of spontaneous improvement, which is often wrongly attributed to maternal dietary exclusion; nevertheless, a subgroup of such babies do seem to be genuinely affected by foods in their mothers' diets, especially egg and cows' milk. It is probably sensible for mothers who are breast feeding babies with eczema or gastrointestinal symptoms to avoid egg and cows' milk completely for a trial period of two weeks and then return to a normal diet. Only if this produces a considerable improvement and then deterioration in their child's condition should they return to an exclusion diet, and then it should be with dietetic help to ensure nutritional adequacy."

Source: 

Effect of maternal dietary exclusion on breast fed infants with eczema: two controlled studies. British Medical Journal, 1986

Authors: Cant, A., Bailes, A., Marsden, R. A., Hewitt, D.

"The lack of any clear exposure--disease relationship between allergens in early life and subsequent eczema argues against allergen exposure being a major factor causing eczema. If the lower levels of eczema at higher level of house dust mite are confirmed, then interventions aimed at reducing house dust mite in early infancy could paradoxically increase the risk of subsequent eczema."

Source: Early allergen exposure and atopic eczema, Epidemiology and Health Services Research.

Authors: Harris, J.M., Williams, H.C., White, C., Moffat, S., Mills, P., Newman Taylor, A.J., Cullinan, P.

Mmmm....Fingers!

They are Evie's new favorite treat! She learns so fast. And she's fascinated by the camera!

I'm rarely in the pictures with her, so I decided to pop my head in one. Yep, she's still munching on those digits! 

She moves so fast, my little phone camera can't capture her little hands in motion!

What a cutie! And after that busy day of learning and munching, when Daddy comes home, it's time to snooze!

Home Coming

My mom baby sat for the first time today! She had such great Grandma time. She said Evie stayed awake for quite a while and talked and smiled! But the best part was coming home to her! I missed her! She was zonked out, and Mom passed her over to me. I got to sit and rock her and just enjoy watching her chest rise and fall. Such a simple joy. What a blessing. 

Productivity

So, as a stay at home mom, I often feel like my days go by quickly, and I'm never sure what I did to fill them up. People ask me, "so what's new? What have you been doing?" And I think, "Well, lots of things! A ton! Um, what were those things again?" I come up blank. 

So today, I decided to document those things. I needed some proof that I am productive!

First things first. In order to be productive, one must nap the baby. Check!

Then, I started on the 4 loads of laundry I did today. How does one tiny girl add so much laundry to this family? This is load number 1:

Then, after load number two (baby still napping), I ironed. Never been a huge fan of this, but I am learning to appreciate it. I like to iron, because it means I am doing something to help my hubbins look nice. 

Next, since we're moving in the near future, Jon and I are on a mission to purge! Thus, I purged. This is a stack of old papers that I am getting rid of! Hooray! 

Then, dear little Evie woke up, and I fed her while paying bills. Ewe. But, alas, it has to be done. Why is it that you pay them and you pay them, yet they are never satisfied? ;)

And, as is common for my girl, Evie fell asleep after eating. It is very difficult for this momma to get up and go ANYWHERE when her little girl is sleeping on her. Thus, the day slowed down for a while. 

After Jon got home and we ate dinner, I went to work making brownies for my Mum's birthday part tomorrow. Yum! (This was my favorite task of the day.) AND I did it with Evie in the front pack! (...that would be the ERGO...the best baby carrier out there...) And YES, that little portion missing from the small pan was my reward. :)

Next, I visited with my girl...after feeding her again. (I am sensing a pattern here.) Here's a cute little blurry smile! 

Lastly, in between caring for my poor husband who came down with a migraine (the kind that makes you throw up), I finished the last load of laundry. Diapers! Here they are. Aren't they cute and orderly?

It is now 10:19 PM. I am thinking it is time for sleep now. I don't want to wake up Jon. Or Evie. She's conked out in the car seat. What's a girl to do? Stay up late, I suppose. 

Oh, yes, one other thing worthy of note. Evelyn Grace is 3 months old today. It seems forever since that long day in the hospital when she was born. Amazing. I feel like she has been with us forever. 

Busy Mind

I sure have a lot on my mind. 

1.) Evie seems to be sleeping a lot. Is she just going through a growth spurt? 

2.) Where are we going to be living in a week and a half?

3.) Are we going to move this year?

4.) Am I ever going to work as a nurse again?

5.) How will I handle more children?

6.) My head still hurts.

7.) Am I pleasing God with my life?

Here we are on our last big moving day. Boy, was that a big job! ...Even AFTER the garage sale to get rid of extra stuff. I was about 3 months pregnant there. Ironically, now Evie is 3 months old, and we're about to move again. So many changes seem to happen in early marriage. They call getting married "settling down." It seems to me that Jon and I getting married stirred things up! We've been all over the place since then. I will be so thankful when we settle down, and we make a home in one spot long term. 

But I guess longing for the next season is the opposite of having a content and thankful heart. 

What is there to be thankful for about this season?

...no morgage.

...get to see my husband more than most wives!

...Evelyn Grace is so small and adorable.

...we're all healthy!

...we have a safe, warm place to live. 

...I am not working nights!

...We live close to lots of family. 

Yes, there is lots to be thankful for. Yet, I can't help but think about the uncertainty of this time of life. God, help me keep my eyes on You. 

Forgiveness

Oh my Lord. I am so in need of Him. Daily. But today especially. 

Father, Help me walk in the forgiveness You gave me that I may walk in the forgiveness I want to give to others. Thank You for Your beautiful, cleansing blood that washes us pure in Your sight! Thank You for being so close to me when I truly ne

ed Your presence. Thank You for the gift of my husband, who You knew would be just perfect for me in every aspect. Thank You for also gifting us with things we don't deserve.

Here's one thing that gets me. It's a lie from the enemy of our souls. He likes to tell us that we don't deserve the blessings of the Lord because of our sin. Once again, He twists the truth! If Jesus didn't take all our sin on himself, then that would be true. But He did! And we stand pure in His sight! We even stand pure when we sin again on this earth, because Jesus didn't just die for all the sins we had committed up until the point of our salvation; He died for every sin we will ever commit! The Lord blesses us out of His goodness and mercy. He blesses His children, who have been forgiven because of His Son. 

We often struggle to know this is true deep down in our core however. We struggle to feel worthy of God's blessings, let alone his forgiveness. I wish this wasn't the case. I wish we could walk in the whole truth of His word every day. 

Here is one blessing of mine, asleep on the couch next to me this morning. Thank You, LORD, for this girl!

No Sweeter Smell...

...than the top of my little girl's head. No matter how the rest of her smells (and that sure does vary!), her head is that delicious, sweet baby smell. My heart does a flip flop when I look at her and experience a flood of new mom love. I'm pretty sure Jesus expanded my heart to hold all the instant love that I felt when I held her in my arms the day she was born. 

No matter how overwhelmed I feel with the responsibility and reality of being a new mother, this love for her fills my mind and pushes out those negative thoughts when I think on her...or receive one of her surprising smiles. They suddenly light up her face like a little switch flipped inside. 

But those overwhelmed thoughts do come. They chase away my trust in God. I begin to think of what it will be like in 5 years when I have to begin schooling her. I think about what it will be like when we have more children. I think about how on earth I am going to make use of my nursing degree when I want to be a full time mom. 

Too much to think about at one time. It would overwhelm anyone. 

My God is so good to me in spite of myself. Recently, He reconnected me with an old friend from high school. She got married a few years before Jon and I. AND she's a young mother of 3 with one on the way! She just happened to have struggled with similar thoughts as she became a mother and was able to share just what I needed. Her encouragement came at the perfect time, and I know God arranged it. 

After quite a dry spell, I'm trying to tune my ear to the Lord's voice once more. I'm asking Him to help me. I'm realizing that (of course) I cannot do this well without Him.