The Happy Bebe Belly Blog: SIX months update!

Has it been that long? Holy moly! Time for another update!

Sweet Charley Beth!

Spunky and Sweet

Thank you for praying for me!

Charley Beth is almost 2! She is a feisty, loveable, squeezable girl who loves life and can't go anywhere without a little wiggle and a smile. As I type, she is swaddling her baby dolls and carrying them around, pausing now and then to rock and kiss them. She loves grooving to music, playing outside, cows, Pooh Bear, books, colored pencils, ABCs, and all of her favorite people. She talks in complete sentences, can count to 12, knows all her ABCs and the letter sounds, sings songs, prays at the dinner table, and loves the color purple best. I am daily amazed that I get to be her mum. She is an absolute joy, and I'm humbled God chose someone like me to care for her (and Parky!).

Sometimes we can get her bacon, and it's her FAVORITE!

GAPS-wise, Charlotte has been making some progress, but the past week or two we've been backtracking. She is suddenly having terrible reactions to egg yolks, so we had to remove them from her diet for now. We had added in some veggies, but had to take some out after a bit of detective work. She still seems to not be feeling her best, but it's often hard to get to the bottom of what is bothering her. She will often tell me, "Belly sick," or "Chah-Chah hurt." Of course, this breaks my heart. Distraction will often help, but mainly she gets "too grumpy" or "too sad" (her words) when she is not feeling well. Her mood is markedly different, she doesn't sleep well, eat well, is clingy and fussy, and has skin rashes. She has been chewed alive by mosquitoes this summer (often in no more time than it takes to walk to the car), and the bites swell and look terrible. She's also helped herself to some things she shouldn't have- for example, a blackberry, which she picked and ate while I wasn't looking- wreaked havoc for a solid week. I am still amazed at how incredibly sensitive her body is. No doubt these extra stressors on her body inhibit healing to some degree. Plus add in all the normal developmental issues of a tiny person, and you can easily drive yourself crazy trying to heal, protect, and care for it all.

Notice the bug bites! Poor kid!

Her diet now consists of:

-Pasture-raised, grass-fed, organic beef, turkey, lamb, pork, and venison (generally we only have access to beef and occasionally turkey or pork)
-1/2 capsule therapeutic-strength probiotic
-2 drops sauerkraut juice
-1/2 capsule digestive enzyme
-Rutabaga (which she now refuses in any form)
-Leeks (she will only eat chopped finely and mixed into meatballs)
-Celery (she will only eat boiled into her broths)
-Green beans (Yay! SO enjoyed giving her some from our garden!)
-Cabbage (also refuses, so I boil it in her broth)
-Once in awhile she has raw honey in a bit of fresh-grated ginger or chamomile tea
-Bone broths
-Breast milk (yes, I'm still following the GAPS diet too)

As you can see, getting her to actually eat some of this stuff is a challenge (and who can blame her? I'd be sick of the same things all the time too, and who wants to munch on a rutabaga when they're hungry?!) We continue to aim for daily detox baths and I spray magnesium oil on our feet to aid in detox. We got a homeopathic medicine to try with her, but I'm waiting till she is back at baseline to do so. It is supposed to speed up the healing process with people with leaky gut. We'll see!

So ghetto! They are sawing a frozen turkey into quarters for me so I can cook less at a time and spread out the meals! Good thing Lysle is ingenious!

Snacking on some bacon while admiring the piglets! Hmm!

This was before we implemented the diet with Parker. He is enjoying a s'more at the lake. What do you give a child who cannot eat it? A really really big hunk of meat! Voila! Two happy kids eating their "treats!"

Parker is still following the Full GAPS diet and we've seen a great overall improvement in his attitude and behavior. He loves helping me make juice and slurping it up till his face is orange with carrots. The only thing he is not eating that is technically "gapsy" is 100% sprouted bread. Since this gets processed by the body as a vegetable, I'm not too worried about it right now.

Parker's juice beard!

I should have a brag paragraph about my big guy too. Parker is, as he says, "almost five." (Not really, his birthday isn't till April!) He is constantly building things, whether constructing street sweepers, a coal mine, a fire station out of Tyco blocks, making elaborate train tracks, or working on crafts. He is definitely one creative and smart kid! His little mind is always going a mile a minute (and so is his mouth!) He still loves snuggles, fire trucks, playing with my hair, and eating gobs and gobs of peanut butter. We have been reading chapter books this summer. Right now we're in the middle of the Great Illustrated Classics, Swiss Family Robinson. He knows what he wants, he's very persistent, and he's smart as a whip. I'm sure these traits will serve him very well in the future (sometimes, though, they tax my tired little brain and exhaust my energy! But, alas, that is what boys are supposed to do)!

Parky Snuggles!

My happy beach boy

Guilty face- sneaking a spoonful of peanut butter from the jar!

The most exciting news I can share is that God is faithful! Last week CJ and I went out for our 7th anniversary and he got a phone call while we were on our [very appreciated and gloriously quiet!] date. Biddeford High School wanted to hire him as a guidance counselor! He started the next day! We were both incredibly thankful because this means we'll be able to stay in the area, close to both of our families. It may have taken all summer, dozens of applications, many rejections, tons of prayer warriors, and a bit of frazzled hope and faith, but God delivered! CJ has been training all week and the students will begin next Tuesday. I'm sure he's going to do just fine, despite having a lot to learn all at once.

My handsome date on our 7th Anniversary Date!

CJ has also been busy trying to get started in the Marine Corps Reserves, working through Chicope, MA. He did some drill time last month and hopes to be able to do the "one weekend a month, two weeks a year" thing. He may need to take a professional military course, which he has applied for. He is always working to try and figure out how he can best serve our family. Thankful for my amazing husband who is always supportive of me and our "nutball kids!" (as he likes to say).

CJ at Maine's Run for the Fallen

We've had a wonderful summer visiting people we love, taking the kids to fairs, the lake, and more. I can hardly believe another season is coming to a close, but fall has always been a time of excitement for me. New beginnings, and changes, both of which we'll have plenty of this fall. :)

Kayak adventure!

Parker on a tractor at the fair

Charlotte on a tractor at the fair

The kiddos and I enjoying an afternoon at the lake

First kayaking trip as a family- 20 minute journey turned into 3 hours! Very fun time up north with my brother, brother-in-law, and nieces. Kids did great!

We are still hogging CJ's parents' house and excitedly/nervously/stressfully searching for our own place to live. We're not sure if we can buy a house with so much student debt and not a huge income, but we know that just like everything else, we have to trust that God will give us wisdom and help us find the right place for our family. And of course, be able to afford it! Prayers welcome here!!

Speaking of finances/needs, remember how I mentioned looking for a big freezer? My mom was out driving one day and passed a freezer with a sign that said, "Free!" God is good! My grandmother and my mom are constantly looking for stuff for us and loading us up with bargains she finds- cast iron skillets, etc! Our "Gut Garden" has provided a stready supply of healthy veggies. We've been able to pick and freeze wild berries. We've had a supply of fresh eggs all summer, delivered to us every week. CJ has been able to borrow his grandfather's car lately so I'm not stranded without a vehicle. We have a roof over our heads and very gracious in-laws! We've been given lovely hand-me-down clothes for the kids. My brother's given us venison. So many ways we've been blessed- no matter how small we know God's hand is in it, and we know He's taking care of us through the loving and generous people he's put in our lives. Every day is a new testimony of God's faithfulness. It is so important for me to remember that and focus on these blessings, rather than being overwhelmed.