She loves her Daddy...

Jon was chatting with a buddy and holding Evie, and a few minutes later...

...She was out!

Pretty adorable. 

Also, thank you Shauna! This is Evie's favorite toy right now! She gets all wide-eyed and fascinated when we put it in front of her. :)

MmmmMmmm!

In an effort to give me a few more options for "indulgence" in my baby diet, I got to experimenting with ice cream last night! ...coconut milk ice cream! My oh my was the creamy, smooth texture and delicious taste welcome on my diary-free taste buds! 

At first, I was just going to freeze some sugared coconut milk, but then Jon inspired me. I put my bowl of milk in another bowl of ice and salt, and then I stirred! About 20 minutes later, I had ice cream!! It was quite delightful!

Evie is doing quite a bit better. Her skin has really cleared up well since I cut out pretty much everything yummy. ;) She still has a few small patches on her forehead, but everything else is looking great! Hoorah for cetaphil cream 4-5 times a day! It really keeps her moist. Ah, also I have been able to add eggs back in with no negative effects on Evie! That really opens up a lot of baking option. 

Things I've learned since being on the diet:

1.) Black beans do not belong in brownies. 

2.) Millet flour doesn't make very good cookies. 

3.) Rice "milk" is really just rice flavored water.

4.) Salads and potato chips are where it's at!

My Future Musician

She was even singing along...while munching on her fist! I love it. I posted this on facebook too, but it was worth a double-dose. :)

Is dairy the culprit?

Well, I had been off of dairy for about 10 days when my mom made us a delightful dinner of spinach & cheese lasagna. Oh, BOY, did I enjoy it. Mmm, the cheesy, creamy goodness! Did I mention I LOVE dairy? 

24 hours later, Evie had a new outbreak of her rash on her belly, and it was much worse on her legs. It looked like tiny, tiny little red pimples all over her belly. It doesn't seem to bother her at all. In fact, she's her usual smiley self. The only other thing is that she has also been spitting up a LOT more since the dairy extravaganza (hmmm, did I mention that I also indulged in mint moose tracks ice cream that night?). 

But I am still a little perplexed. Her forehead and cheek rash seems to be a lot better. And then there's the added complexity of soy. I added soy into my diet when I cut out dairy and then learned that kiddos that are sensitive to dairy are often sensitive to soy. 

hmmmm...

There may be a trip to the doctor in our future. 

Meanwhile, it's farewell to all things from my friend the cow! :( (And I'm still off wheat and eggs, just in case...)

The Latest

Here she is being a BIG girl! She's leaning on the arm of the couch, standing up!

Amazing girl. So fun to watch her learn new things. 

And such sweet smiles. 

Friends!

Well, what a delightful few days! I truly enjoyed out visitors...the Love family! It was wonderful to visit with such quality people. I was encouraged and blessed by every member of that family! 

It was also fun to share Evie with them. As Annalene said when she walked through the door, "You're a momma now!" I really enjoyed recounting the joys of new motherhood with her. 

God has blessed me SO much in the area of friends recently. He has provided just the right people for the season. He ALWAYS knows my needs before I even begin to suspect them. I love that. People will come into my life and then later in the season, I will realize His purpose for them. Obviously, it's not a one way street, but I sure do love what He does with them in my life. 

And, I have to mention that this big 'ol suburb house has really allowed a lot of fun in this season. Though it is not my dream location, we sure have been able to host some fun folks! I am glad to be here for now! 

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.