All is Well {Update on Charlotte and Some Thoughts on Diet and Medicine}

In my last post I sought prayer for my sweet Charlotte's heart.  A day after I posted her temperature became slightly elevated (99.9) and she complained of a scratchy throat.  That evening our elder's wife called to inform me that one of her son's had tested positive for Strep Throat.  This at least gave me a good idea of what might have been causing the elevated temperature and heart rate.  The day after that Charlotte's heart was still not within normal resting heart rate ranges and I continued to put my Valor essential oil on her heart.  Within 30 minutes or so her heart rate would come down from 135bpm (resting) to about 120-125bpm.  She only had an elevated temp for a few hours and then nothing.  I began putting my Thieves oil on the bottoms of her feet and Frankincense on the lymph node area on her neck.  By the next day she said her throat was better and she still had no fever. 

Her heart rate has been in the 90s the past couple of days, which is great!  Malachi put the Valor on her heart last night, and I think we will just continue to apply it once or twice a day as a precaution.  My poor darlin' - when her heart rate would get in the upper 130s she was completely exhausted.  All she wanted to do was sleep and she complained about how tired she was.  It must have felt to her like she had just finished running around the house a million times - although she hadn't done much of anything.

A few other thing I did to help support Charlotte's immune system:

- Probiotic (Biofidophilus) 2 x per day
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil 2 x per day

I learned that Strep Throat is a bacterial infection that stems from an unhealthy gut.  Everyone has Strep (and Yeast) in their bodies, and when our guts become off balanced due to poor diet, stress, etc., then we become susceptible to illnesses such as Strep Throat or Systemic Candida (among other things).  Strep Throat can be treated naturally without antibiotics, and in fact doing so is better in the long run if caught early enough.  The thing that concerns me about Strep Throat is Rheumatic Fever.  Rheumatic Fever is caused from Strep Throat and has the potential of damaging the heart muscle and valves.  With Charlotte's pre-existing heart condition, Rheumatic Fever can be quite dangerous for her. 

I did a bit of research (I'm sure not surprising to some of you) and found that Strep Throat can be treated with Bifidophilus (Extra Strength Probiotic), garlic (natural antibiotic), and Apple Cider Vinegar (Organic Unfiltered - I recommend Bragg's).  All of these treatments help to restore and balance the gut without the harmful flora killing side effects of antibiotics. 

I remember getting Strep Throat constantly as a child.  The first time I recall having Strep Throat I was about 5 or 6 years old.  My dad was stationed at Fort Bragg, and from what I remember (and what my parents tell me) I was super sick.  My mom told me that I went through several rounds of antibiotics.  This caused me to wonder - were the antibiotics making the infection worse because it was ruining my gut therefore keeping my immune system from doing its job?  I'm not sure, nor do I think I'll ever know a definite answer.  I do know that my Charlotte has never taken an antibiotic and if she was battling a Strep infection (even in the slightest of forms), it appears that using a more naturally holistic approach is what helped her body fight it off.  I do not think it coincidence that her heart started acting up on the same day my elder's wife called to tell me of her son's diagnosis - then Charlotte has a slightly elevated temp the following day. 

Our elder's son is allergic to corn - and all antibiotics on the market are corn based - so guess who cannot have an antibiotic?  Fortunately, there is a naturopath in the area that gave some great recommendations, and through those recommendations I was able to make better decisions for my Charlotte in the event she indeed had Strep Throat.  It was reassuring to know that avoiding a trip to the doctor, which would have inevitably ended with a prescription for an antibiotic regardless, was in our best interest.

Over the past several months I'm learning a lot about trusting the Lord during the times when my children are not feeling well.  It is still hard at times to disregard what the industry has taught me and lean not on my own understanding and seek the Lord for how to care for my family.  It seems quite the easiest of tasks to make sure the children are fed properly and loved - but when they fall ill - that is a whole different ball game.  Why is that?  I think, even as Christians our trust and assurance in the Lord is weak when we feel the most helpless.  I feel most helpless when my little ones are sick.  I want instant healing so that I can avoid watching them suffer - even if their suffering is a stuffy nose.  I still panic and want to reach for the doctor so that he/she will reach for their prescription pad and give us a miracle medicine that will fix the suffering; when all the while I'm completely disregarding that God designed the human body to function in a certain way that helps to maintain health.  Now, I understand that we live in a fallen world and our flesh has been corrupted by sin and death - so sickness cannot be avoided altogether.  However, I do believe that when we do become sick it is the body's way of saying that our immune system is weak and needs to be fed properly so that it can do the job the Lord designed it to do. 

Everyone knows - if they've been following my blog long enough that we've changed the way we eat and more importantly what we think about diet and nutrition in general.  The more I study and seek the Lord, the more I'm learning that He has a definite position on what we put into our bodies.  While I will not call "unclean" what the Lord has called "clean" - I do believe that just as our spiritual diet affects our spiritual health so too does our physical diet affect our physical health.  If we are consuming a diet filled with things that technically are not "food" and have not the ability to nourish our bodies - then what is the point?  How can we possibly expect our bodies to function properly? 

I've witnessed just how much diet affects our overall health.  I remember my first child being sick all the time when she was a baby and a toddler.  It seemed every time we turned around she was sick and on an antibiotic or something to help with her constant constipation or diarrhea. Sadly, I did not have a strong opinion on breastfeeding and did not have the support or knowledge about the superiority of breast milk versus formula when Sofia was little.  Sofia was formula fed (soy formula - the WORST) until she was a year old.  Then we put her on store brand cow's milk.  I didn't know about hormones and antibiotics being present in the milk either.  When she started solids she did the routine store bought jarred foods and then just started eating what we ate - which wasn't good either. 

By the time my second child came along we still hadn't made changes to our diet.  I gained nearly 70lbs during my pregnancy from eating junk. Then Charlotte was born with a heart condition and has been put through the ringer searching for reasons for why she is so little.  Fortunately, by the time I had her I had become more aware of the benefits of breastfeeding and when her cardiologist urged me to continue nursing at all costs for the sake of her heart health, well, I was one determined momma!

As time progressed and we mourned the loss of two more babies through miscarriage - and our Sofia developed a serious food allergy to red dye - the Lord just convicted us heavily on what we were consuming through our diet.  Looking back I can see where God was working in specific areas of my life through different events and people to bring about His perfect plan for our family.  We have a desire to be obedient in all things, not just in theology or in the discipleship of our children.  Food is such an important part of our lives - our bodies absolutely need it to survive.  Now, the big debate on the great matter is in regards to what constitutes as "food" these days. 

The food industry has created a product that the consumer has demanded.  Bigger, Cheaper, Easier.  In our hastiness for bigger and easier we've cheapened food.  I don't know about you, but the word "cheap" doesn't ignite images or ideas of a superior product.  To cheapen something is to quite frankly lessen its value or worth, thus making it worthless or valueless.
Synonyms for the word “cheap”:
Valuless, worthless, low quality, bad, common, crappy (slang), bum, inferior, low-grade, rotten, rubbish, uncharitable, despicable, disgusting, cowardly, unethical
I don’t know about you – but these are not attributes I’d like my food (or anything in my life for that matter) to represent.  I’m all about taking advantage of a good sale – like when the grass-fed ground beef goes on sale at my local Whole Foods, and even then I know I’m going to pay at least $3.99 per pound.  And, if I ever see ground beef that is priced at anything lower (and it isn’t from the local farmer that I’m picking it up from – even then the lowest I can get it for is like $3.50 per pound) then I can be assured it is NOT what I want to consume because it is “cheap” meat. 

Cheapened food wreaks havoc on our bodies and forces us to pay more in healthcare costs.  Wonder why medical insurance is so stinking expensive?  We’ve got a population of people who are almost always ill – or suffering some other physical ailment.  Allergies, obesity, and even cancer can be traced back to something as simple as diet.  An apple isn’t just an apple anymore and sadly we’ve got a generation of people and a food industry that simply want to cast a blind eye to it all because we’ve got “cheaper” food!  Yes, but with cheaper food comes consequences that we all pay for with a high price – our health and the health of future generations. 


Ok, so how did a blog update on Charlotte’s heart condition turn into a rant on food and medicine?  Simple.  Keeping her immune system healthy by feeding her nourishing sustenance that hasn’t been adulterated or cheapened is what the Lord used to ward off an impending Strep Throat infection and possible SVT episode that could have potentially landed her in the Emergency Room.

Our change in philosophy over food and medicine didn’t come about overnight, and the changes that we’ve implemented didn’t come to fruition immediately.  The Lord slowly worked on our hearts using several different events – the first event being Sofia’s food allergy to red dye.  The Lord so beautifully orchestrated that one event and caused a cascade of understanding for other events.  He brought different people into our lives – each one at the perfect time to share with us what the Lord had taught them. 

It hasn’t always been easy, but then again nothing in life is ever easy.  The Lord has blessed us in the midst of many different trials – miscarriages, my husband was laid off a few years ago, barely keeping our heads above water financially, different medical issues that have arisen and that we continue to face.  God has provided through different family and friends and we feel extremely humbled and blessed to know that so many people truly love our family.  We want to be good stewards of that which the Lord provides and part of that is caring for the bodies the Lord has given us.  I’m thankful for the Lord’s chastisement in the area of diet and medicine.  I’ve seen how our overall health is better and we feel more confident in trusting the Lord for whatever He brings our way – even in sickness. 

I know so many people will be sitting behind their computer screen wondering how on earth they can make these types of changes on a limited budget.  We have always had a limited budget, and even during those times where we didn’t manage it well, the Lord always provided for our dietary needs.  At present, our weekly grocery budget is $150.  This fluctuates depending on the menu that I work up for each week.  Now that we’re in the hot months of the summer, I like to do more meatless meals which helps to lower our weekly grocery spending.  We don’t use paper products, other than toilet paper, and this has helped the budget.  I use cloth diapers and cloth wipes on Eleanor which helps too.  While I do make bread from scratch, we’ve cut back on our bread type foods in general.  Eating fresh fruits and vegetables (in season) is much of our diet these days. We’ve found local sources for some of our produce and eggs.  Eventually we’ll grow our own seasonal produce and we’ll have our own chickens.  We’ve even thought about a goat for raw milk – but that will still take some time.  Beans and rice, hummus and veggies, grilled chicken salads or salad with beans are staples in our house during the hot summer months.  These meals don’t have to be super fancy and are incredibly budget friendly.

I know, some may be thinking, “But my kids won’t eat that stuff”.  Well, neither did ours at first.  But what I’ve learned these past several years is that children will grow accustomed to what you allow them to be accustomed to.  My children love vegetables, and my Charlotte would much rather eat carrots than cookies!  I simply don’t keep junk in the house, therefore my children have no choice but to eat what I serve them.  I highly encourage beginning healthy eating habits from infancy.  This means that YOU must make healthy eating habits and choices.  We are our child’s first exposure to a plethora of things in life, and FOOD is a vital part of life, therefore we should make healthy nutrition a priority.  Get informed about how your food is made.  Find out where your produce and meats come from.  Are they ethically grown?  Start a garden. Get a few chickens.  Or if you can’t do that, find a local source for your produce and meats.  A great way to do this is to check out your local farmer’s market.  Get to know the vendors and you will most likely be able to work out a great deal with them. 

We have so many options these days, and of course we generally like to take the path of least resistance.  Below are several resources I highly recommend.  They range from documentaries to websites. 

Above all, pray!  Pray and seek the Lord for wisdom in this area of your life.  If you make changes to your diet without the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but because you think you have to be like me – then you will fail from the start and become bitter and frustrated.  The reason we eat, believe, and live the way we do is because the Lord changed our hearts.  He set before us challenges and illnesses to show us something very important, that no matter what He is Sovereign. And if we look to Him for wisdom and understanding He is faithful to show us the right way.

Resources:
Food, Inc.
Eat Wild
Non-GMO Shopping Guide (pdf)
Organic Food on a Budget (Keeper of the Home)
The Healthy Home Economist (I don’t agree with everything posted, but this lady has some great insight into how our diet effects our overall health)
Doctor Yourself
EcoCentric
Health for Godly Generations (LOVE this book!)
Culinary Reformation
The Beautiful Truth (Watch for Free)
Real Milk
Dr. Mercola
Food Documentaries Everybody Should Watch
Back to Eden Film

I hope that you find these resources informative and helpful.  If you’d like more information on Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils, then please head over to my website Southern SCENTSabilities.


Soli Deo Gloria!

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <><

My Sweet Charlotte's Heart

I am posting a quick blog to ask for prayer for my Charlotte.  Anyone who has been following my blog long enough knows that Charlotte was born with SVT (Supra-ventricular Tachycardia).  She was on heart medication up to her 1st birthday and since that time has been medication free.  A year or so ago she started having a few days with elevated heart rates - but it fizzled out and there was no need to see the cardiologist.  This morning her heart rate is slightly elevated (she isn't doing any physical activity that would cause this).  The difference this time is that she can tell me better what she is feeling.  She said she is shaky (hands were very shaky) and that she is very sleepy.  Her little cheeks are a bit rosy and her hands are clammy as well.  Heart rate is between 130-140bpm. 

If her heart rate spikes to 160bpm we are to take her to the Emergency Room.  We're praying this doesn't happen and that her symptoms subside quickly.  She is laying down on the couch watching a movie with her sisters at the moment.  I've put an ice pack on the back of her neck and wrists and applied  my Valor Essential Oil over her heart area. 

We covet your prayers!

Soli Deo Gloria!



Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <><

Silly Friday Pictures

I took these a week ago and I just thought I'd share them with you all.  Eleanor is 7 1/2 months old now and is just a sweetie pie; as you can see.  Sofia and Charlotte; well, they are just so silly sometimes; as you can see as well. 

Today we are taking Charlotte to see her gastro doc, and praying all goes well.  In the spirit of keeping everything lighthearted I thought I'd post these silly pictures :0)

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Update on Charlotte

This week will be filled with much to accomplish.  Last week Charlotte had her blood sugars tested as well as her urine.  Praise the Lord her blood sugar was 98 (normal) and her urine was negative for sugar and ketones!  Charlotte’s appointment with the gastroenterologist will be this Friday.  Last Friday the doctor fell ill and needed us to reschedule.  We are still uncertain exactly what she will want to test for this time as I think Charlotte has gone through every test imaginable.  According to the pediatrician there are only 3 reasons that Charlotte’s breath would smell the way it does:

1.      Type 1 Diabetes (ruled out)

2.      Diet  consisting of primarily meat and vegetables with no carbs or starches (not the case with our diet)

3.      Dehydration (not the case because she pees all the time – this is why we suspected Type 1 Diabetes)

The pediatrician mentioned that it could be some sort of autoimmune issue, but didn’t suspect that either because Charlotte has already been tested for several autoimmune disorders.  Charlotte was weighed last week and only weighed 27lbs 6oz, so for a 3 year old she is extremely underweight (Read: Tiny).  Other than being born weighing 10lbs, Charlotte has always been “tiny”, but healthy.  So, I presume that nothing will come out of the appointment with the gastro doctor other than Charlotte is just small.  

We appreciate all of the prayers and words of encouragement.  We know the Lord is Sovereign and that anything that happens does so according to His will.  

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Update on Charlotte



Silly Charlotte



Good Morning Everyone,

I’d like to thank everyone for keeping Charlotte in prayer, and for the emails filled with words of encouragement. Yesterday was a rough day for my sweet Charlotte, but she was as brave as she could be and she survived. Charlotte’s blood sugar was 98 (normal) and after waiting for what seemed like forever for a urine sample, the results showed no sugar or ketones in her urine. This is excellent news! This rules out Type 1 Diabetes, but doesn’t adequately explain her low weight.



Charlotte will see her gastroenterologist on Friday for another round of “rule outs”. Charlotte’s weight yesterday was 27.6lbs. For a 3 year old this is low, but nothing surprising. While she was born weighing 10lbs, by the time she was about 4 months she was only 12lbs. So, she didn’t “lose” any weight, she just never gained the weight that doctor’s expected she would. The last round of testing that Charlotte went through was for Cystic Fibrosis (negative), Crohn’s Disease (negative) and Celiac’s Disease (negative). The doctor also tested her stool to see how well she was absorbing nutrients from her food and breast milk and that test was perfect, in fact the doctor was left scratching her head as to what could be keeping Charlotte so small. When we went through this 2 year ago I was a nervous wreck, but now that diabetes has been ruled out, I’m not so worried. I have a feeling they may test for some sort of autoimmune disorder, but I have a feeling that will turn out negative as well. I really believe that Charlotte is “normal”. Charlotte rarely gets sick, and when she does recovers quicker than Sofia (I believe this is because I nurse Charlotte for 14 months and Sofia for only 6 weeks).

One thing I know for sure is that Charlotte’s body has no problems absorbing nutrients. During the time that she was being tested, the doctor advised us to give Charlotte 3 pediasure a day (this would add a lot more calories to her diet than needed), and Charlotte still did not gain the weight the doctor anticipated she would, BUT she never lost weight. She then gave us some samples of this super-duper potent pediasure stuff and the result was the same; no real big weight gain but no weight loss.

In the end, I think we’re going to be right where we started…scratching our heads. I think Charlotte is healthy and happy and tiny. I’m not a fan of putting children through tests until we find something wrong, so if the gastro doctor can’t explain this on Friday then I doubt we will do anymore testing. The last round of tests she did our insurance didn’t cover and we were stuck with a $300 bill, only for the results to be negative (which we already expected).


Please continue to keep us in prayer; Charlotte is not a fan of doctors; as I am sure you all can understand. Thanks again to everyone who is continuing to prayerfully support our family! We are so grateful!

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Prayer Request for Charlotte

Most people who have been following my blog, or been friends with me since Charlotte was born (July 2008) knows that she was born with a heart condition (SVT) and then went through a year or two of different medical tests because of her weight. As of January 2010, her gastroenterologist couldn’t find anything wrong (CF negative, Crohn’s Disease negative, Celiac Disease negative, etc), however something new has popped up and we need to take Charlotte to the doctor.


Charlotte was born weighing in a whopping 10lbs. Shortly after she was born the nurse handed her to me and I nursed her. When the nurse took her back to do all of the heal sticks and cleaning up stuff the nurse chewed me out for nursing her because she couldn’t tell if her sugar levels were already elevated prior to nursing, or elevated because I nursed her. However, all of that was overshadowed because of her heart rate spiking to 280bpm. She was then rushed to the NICU and the rest is history. Throughout her first year of life she plummeted off of the growth chart below the 3rd percentile and she was tested for all kinds of things that would explain this. It was a rough first year, but once she was off of the heart medication she started sleeping better and the nonstop crying…stopped. Neither the gastroenterologist nor the pediatrician could find anything wrong, and thus the frequent visits to the doctor stopped.



Here we are today and Charlotte is a little over 3 years old and we are faced with another potential health problem. Malachi noticed that her breath smells sweet, but not just like candy sweet, but like a medicine/sick sweet. I’ve noticed this for a long time and just thought that was how her breath smelled normally. After going through some other symptoms (frequent urination, always hungry, inability to gain weight) and seeking counsel and advice from my midwife and her gastroenterologist we’re having Charlotte tested for Type 1 Diabetes. She will see her pediatrician tomorrow morning and we’ll go from there. She will also see her gastroenterologist on Friday. I’m sure both doctors will consult with her cardiologist to get his input as well.



What do we need right now? Prayer. Prayer for Charlotte, that she will be brave throughout the course of testing; blood work, etc. Prayer for me and Malachi, that we will be brave for her as well, and be of sound mind during this, not led by our emotions. That we will use this opportunity as means to teach our children about God’s Sovereignty and show our faith strong in the midst of what could be a life altering diagnosis for us and for Charlotte.

I will keep everyone updated as often as I can and I thank you all in advance for lifting us up in prayer.



Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Happy 3rd Birthday to my Sweet Charlotte Michelle

Charlotte Michelle

This child came into the world a heart condition that could have taken her life, but the Lord blessed her with wonderful pediatric cardiologists and other specialists who have done everything in their power to keep her heart well.  Her first year of life was very rough with fears of Cystic Fibrosis, other auto-immune disorders, nursing every 45 minutes to 2 hours until she was a year old, sleeping for only about 2 hours at a time, and blood curdling cries and screams for hours at a time.  Even today she is still a very tiny little lady, weighing in at 26 pounds, but it as healthy has a child can be!  She has been through a lot in her short little life, but oh what a joy and a blessing she is to our family.

I love this child!

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Charlotte's 2nd Birthday!

My Sweet Charlotte's 2nd birthday was yesterday!  My mother, baby sister and nephew were able to visit and celebrate Charlotte's birthday with us.  I served Chicken Salad and Vegetable Macaroni Salad from Whole Foods and then Charlotte's birthday cake (also from Whole Foods). 

We enjoyed the day watching the girls play with their nephew.  Charlotte was exhausted from all of the excitement and went down for a nap shortly after we had cake. 

We are so very blessed to have little Charlotte in our lives.  Her second birthday marked the one year anniversary of being taken off of her heart medication!  Charlotte has had no SVT episodes and we praise the Lord for it!

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Pregnancy and Family Update

The past week has been filled with excitement and a little nervousness about my 8^th pregnancy.  As many of my readers already know, I do not have eight living children.  I have two sweet little ones, Sofia and Charlotte, and five little blessings safe in the arms of the Lord.  I feel it a great honor and blessing to be pregnant once again, and trust the Lord with this pregnancy as I have with all of the others. 

I am currently in the 5^th week of pregnancy, and by the grace of God, I am experiencing much exhaustion and short little bouts of feeling nauseous.  These are great signs that the pregnancy hormones are doing as they should for now.  I scheduled my first OB appointment for July 22^nd, and since we will be paying out of pocket for this pregnancy we’ll have an ultrasound that day as well.  I should be a little over 8 weeks pregnant by then, so we are sure to be able to see a heartbeat.  The OB I have had for nearly three years is retiring and not seeing pregnant patients anymore, so I switched to my OB’s younger brother, who actually delivered Charlotte.  This helps because I am already familiar with this new OB, and he is familiar with me. 

I do have somewhat of sad news to report.  We had to find a new home for Mr. Winston, our puppy that we got last December.  It seems Mr. Winston has some health issues that we are not in a position to financially afford at this time.  He has had issues with diarrhea and vomiting and it got worse this past weekend.  He was so sick that I had no choice but to take him to the animal emergency hospital where they informed me that Mr. Winston was severely dehydrated and that he needed to be hydrated immediately.  Through the course of about 5 hours, all of the tests they ran on Mr. Winston came back negative and they suspect that he has irritable bowel syndrome and that he will require special prescription food that we are unable to afford.  I couldn’t even afford the ER bill for the puppy, but the hospital worked with me to arrange payments. 

A vet nurse at the clinic we use for Mr. Winston was able to find Mr. Winston a great home within a few hours!  The office manager at the vet clinic has adopted Mr. Winston and can provide all the special care he needs.  I can call and find out how Mr. Winston is doing anytime, and while we are sad that we had to give our sweet puppy away, we are so very glad that the Lord provided a great home for him. 

Sofia is the one who has had the hardest time with Mr. Winston being gone.  She cried as I left with him, and she cried two days in a row about him being gone.  Malachi and I both were in tears at the sight of our sweet daughter’s heart being broken.  I have to say, that is truly the most heartbreaking thing is to see your child hurting and you can’t quite explain the situation to where they understand it or are able to fully accept it.  She is doing fine now, and says that she is happy Mr. Winston is safe in a new home.

In other news…

The Lord has been so faithful to our family!  Since Malachi was laid off, he was able to secure a job back at Best Buy, and while it is only a part-time position at the moment, the Lord has used so many people to bless us financially.  Our every need has been met and then some!  We have truly been humbled by the benevolence of God’s children and others.  We are so grateful for all the help that has been sent our way, and we’re praying for the day to come that we can give back again. 

Malachi has put in for a transfer to two Best Buys in Texas, and he actually has a phone interview with one of them today!  We are so praying the Lord will open this door to move to Texas.  I would be so thrilled to live near my best friend and her family, or even my other good friend and her family.  If we move to Austin, Texas, there is a chance we might be able to stop and meet and visit with the Baucham family.  That would just be the sweetest treat.  Miss Jasmine Baucham has become such a sweet friend, and it is a blessing to have her as a dear friend.

We will be celebrating mine and Charlotte's birthdays in a few days.  My birthday is July 4th (really not all that exciting, I promise) and Miss Charlotte's is the next day on the 5th of July.  Malachi has to work on my birthday, but should have off for Charlie's, and we are hoping to make it a special day for our sweet baby girl who will be 2 years old!  Anyone who have been following my blog since the time of Charlotte's birth knows what a struggle with was for all of us during her first year of life.  As of today she still has no signs of SVT (the heart condition she was born with) and while she is still VERY tiny (a whopping 22lbs) she is mighty!  It still amazes me how different she is from her older sister Sofia.  She might be a little bitty girl but she sure does have a HUGE personality that just melts my heart!  We praise the Lord each and every day that she is healthy and for the moment her heart condition appears to be non-existent.  Her birthday will make one whole year of being medication free from her heart medication, and her heart is perfect!  Praise be to God alone!

Other than that, life is always busy and never without amusements, trials, and wonderful blessings.  The Lord has been gracious to our family, and while we are so undeserving of His kindness, we are eternally grateful!

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Prayer For My Sweet Charlotte - Still no answers

We are overwhelmed by the response in prayer for our little Charlotte. She did have her appointment with the Gastroenterologist last week, and I am afraid that news isn’t great.

Charlotte weighed in at 16lbs 7oz, which we thought was great, evidently it is not. The Gastroenterologist said that Charlotte “appears” perfectly healthy, all except when she takes into account her age, birth weight and current weight. Based on those three things alone, she has deemed Charlotte a “malnourished” child. I know, I know…you are all thinking, “but her developmental milestones are being met”. Well, we learned that it is highly possible for a child to reach or even exceed their developmental milestones even if they are nutrionally malnourished. This can be due to a food allergy, or a mal-absorption problem. Charlotte is being tested for both, possibly a gluten allergy, or some other genetic disorder that causes her body not to absorb the calories it requires to grow properly. This means that the sweat chloride test results for Cystic Fibrosis is inconclusive and the potential diagnosis is back on the table.

Charlotte had lots of blood work done this past Monday that will be sent to a special lab in California for testing. One of the tests is a genetic marker test for Celiac’s Disease. This would be where the gluten allergy comes into to play should it be a positive result. It would also be a fairly simple remedy of changing her diet (all of our diets). Charlotte is also being tested for Crohn’s Disease as well, which would explain all of the crying and the inability to gain weight.

Did I mention that Charlotte has cried a ridiculous amount since birth? She was initially labeled a “colic” baby, but in her case “colic” lasted the first 8-10 months of her life! Each time I brought our concerns up to the old pediatrician the answer I received was “all babies cry for no reason sometimes”. Then it was said that all the crying Charlotte was doing was a behavioral issue, that I should just simply “let her cry it out”. Charlotte has always had issues sleeping. She did not start sleeping more than 2 hours at a time until just recently. I am sure you all can imagine the enormous amount of stress that caused me because I was just as sleep deprived as Miss Charlotte. Yes, Charlotte is teething; however, Tylenol, Motrin, teething gel, and/or cold chewing items should help, and calm the crying. In Charlotte’s case she cries for hours on end at night, while kicking and screaming as though she is in excruciating pain. I have been told repeatedly to “let her cry it out”, or that she is just “behaving badly to get attention”. I cannot even describe how angry I become when I am offered this type of advice or opinion about my child. If you would like to know my opinion on the “cry it out” method, go here.

The issue of Cystic Fibrosis, sadly, is not off the table. Charlotte has been deemed a “malnourished child”, and in children who are malnourished the sweat test can show a false negative. If after the tests being run now come back normal, then we must revisit Cystic Fibrosis, which by all accounts would explain Charlotte’s inability to gain weight and all the crying fits could be from intestinal pain.

Another issue that was raised because of Charlotte’s extremely low weight is the issue of illness. Evidently this flu season is predicted to be a fairly nasty one, and we have been advised to basically quarantine ourselves from children who are in daycare or institutionalized schools (public and private). Charlotte cannot afford to get sick, and if she were to contract the flu it could possibly be fatal. She simply cannot afford to lose any weight at all. So, we are not taking the girls to the grocery store with us anymore and limiting the number of “outings” we have to public places. This also means that I am more of a germ-a-phobe than I was before and all who enter my home must take their shoes off (outside) and wash their hands prior to touching anything or anyone. If a person has a sniffle, or has been around adults or children who are or have recently been sick, sorry but they aren’t allowed at my house for now.

The issues we are having with Charlotte’s weight are not new ones. These are concerns that started when she was about 2 or 3 months old. The problem comes in when there is a lack of information to the parents, the lactation consultants and the doctor. One doctor told us that breastfeeding Charlotte was the problem. One lactation specialist freaked out on the phone and told me my child was going to die because I was breastfeeding her. When we would make our concerns known about all the crying, we were told that “all babies cry”, and to “let her cry it out, she will eventually give up and go to sleep.” When we would express concern about her weight, we were either told, “oh nothing’s wrong with her, she is cute as a button” or “stop breastfeeding and put her on formula because breastfeeding is harming her.” Can you see how totally irritated this could cause us to become? I am so thankful for the last lactation consultant I saw who referred us to our new pediatrician who took everything into account on behalf of Charlotte and said “this is enough, we must get to the bottom of this”. She did allow for 3 months to pass because prior to, Charlotte was gaining a pound a month. During her last well check-up Charlotte had only gained 4oz in 3 months, and this was cause for alarm. Then Charlotte got sick, and lost a pound, and that was cause for more alarm. So, here we are today, seeking to find out why are sweet baby can’t seem to gain weight.

We know that people mean well when they leave comments like “oh she is fine, just look at how happy she is”. The problem with this is that no one, other than Malachi and I, are around this child 24/7. To only see her for a few moments would cause one to believe she is perfectly healthy. However, when you take into account her birth weight of nearly 10lbs to her current weight of 16lbs at 13 months, and then realize that is only a 6lb increase in her first year of life, hopefully you see the bigger picture here and realize this is NOT normal. This is potentially very harmful to Charlotte’s growth and development.

I humbly ask for your prayers. In all things we are praying the Lord’s will and His grace to persevere on behalf of our sweet Charlotte. We know that God will provide all that we need to care for our little one, both her physical needs and spiritual needs. Please pray for more patience for me. Charlotte has begun to sleep longer at night, but my body seems to be dragging behind from the past 2 years of no sleep. This means that some days though I try very hard, I lose my patience over small things. Please pray that while we are focusing a lot of attention on Charlotte that we incorporate Sofia into that special time as well. Sofia has been such a blessing. Each night when we say our prayers, she kneels down in front of the couch and prays for Charlotte. “Lord God, pray for my sissy’s heart and her scratch”. She has been praying with us for Charlotte’s heart for a year now, and doesn’t understand that it is all healed, so she continues to pray…my sweet girl. She prays for Charlottes “scratch” in reference to the places where Charlotte has been stuck for blood work. It is really a blessing to Malachi and me to hear our 3 year old praying on behalf of her sister. What a wonderful thing to cultivate in our little ones, prayer on other’s behalf.

We thank each and every one of you who have been faithfully praying for our family and over our family through this time. It seems my Charlotte is a special child that the Lord would allow for all these things to happen to cause complete strangers to make supplication to Him on her behalf! It will definitely be a long 10 days waiting on the results of the blood work, but in all things we know that God is Sovereign and that He will provide all that we need to be equipped for this situation, so that HE gets all the glory.

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Prayer For My Sweet Charlotte - Diagnosis

In the NICU

These past few days have been really trying for me. I am sure any mother (or father) can understand the feelings that begin to surface when your own child is sick, or when the potential diagnosis is one you have been dreading (and avoiding).

As many of my readers know, Charlotte was born with SVT. She spent the first week of life outside of my womb in the NICU. Within in a hour of her birth she was taken from my arms and rushed to the NICU because her heart rate was frantically racing at 280 bpm (beats per minute). Once the pediatric cardiologist got her heart medication at the perfect dose for her, we were told she could come home; however upon our arrival to the NICU things had changed. At some point during her 3^rd day at the NICU Charlotte developed a nasty rash on her back that was cause for alarm. (One explanation was it could have been from the digoxin - but the cardiologist said it was not that) The neonatologist called in a dermatologist who examined Charlotte and felt the rash was benign, but the neonatologist (who I really did not like) decided that on top of the SVT Charlotte had neonatal lupus. She was certain that is why she had the rash. This meant more blood test, and even blood test for me. Neonatal lupus can only be passed to a child from the mother. (I had never in my life been diagnosed with lupus) More drama occurred with the blood work and it was just all a mess. Fortunately my OBGYN (sweet man he is) went and examined Charlotte himself and determined that my child needed to be home with me. You see, the neonatologist wanted to keep Charlotte in the NICU for a whole month waiting on the results from the neonatal lupus! This was highly absurd because if she did have neonatal lupus, it was in no way life threatening and there isn’t anything they can do for it anyway and it would go away.

My poor baby with the rash

The blessed day came when we brought our little fat baby home. Charlotte weighed 9lbs 14.1oz at birth, although the doctor swears she weighed 10lbs because she peed all over him the second she came out! This is when the real struggles began. Charlotte cried (and I mean screamed her head off) from the time we brought her home until she was about 5 or 6 months old. She nursed every hour to 2 hours until she was about 7 or 8 months old, and has only slept for more than 2 hours twice in her whole year of life. Each time we went to the pediatrician with our concerns about her not sleeping and all the crying and constant nursing we were told she has “colic”, but was not told “what” colic was. On top of all this, Charlotte began to fall off the growth chart with her weight.

The pediatrician that we had at the time kept pushing me to discontinue nursing and start Charlotte on formula; I of course refused, knowing that breastmilk was 100% better for her than formula. This began a battle of the will with our pediatrician. Every month Charlotte had a weight check and every month she was below what the pediatrician felt comfortable with. The last straw was at Charlotte’s 10 month check up when she literally walked in with a case of formula. She also said that she was sending Charlotte for a ton of blood work and to test her for Cystic Fibrosis. At this point I was exhausted with this doctor and my patience was completely gone. Fortunately I have a husband who knows me well enough to know this was all I could handle, and he made the decision to get a second opinion and never see this pediatrician again.

A few days later we had an appointment with a new pediatrician that my lactation consultant referred us to and it was love at first visit (ok, so cheesy, but you get the point). This doctor examined Charlotte, went through her medical records and asked us lots of questions. She immediately calmed our fears that something “must” be wrong with Charlotte since she is so little, but instead was very optimistic that Charlotte was simply just “little”. Just to be on the safe side we allowed her to order blood work to check Charlotte’s thyroid, kidney and liver functions and a few other things, which all came back normal. From this point we have been able to breathe because all is well in the land of “Charlotte”.

At this point I must say that as I type tears will most assuredly stream from my ever so tired eyes.

Last week Charlotte was sick pretty much all week. I had no success at home in getting her fever to break and she was simply miserable. After two trips to the ER and one trip to see the pediatrician, we finally found out Charlotte had a “big ole’ fat virus” (yeah that was exactly what the doc said…technical huh?). Then she developed a viral rash, which I have never heard of happening before, but as of today, Charlotte is well (so it would appear from the outside).

We took Charlotte in for her 12 month baby-well check-up and it seems that my sweet darlin’ has only gained 4oz in 3 months, leaving her at a not so whopping weight of 15lbs. If you go back and do the math that means that she has only gained 5lbs in 12 months. (Here comes the water works…so bare with me)

All of the fears that I had about Charlotte being so tiny and not gaining weight are all rushing back to me with relentless force. The pediatrician put in a referral for a consult with a pediatric nutritionist, but our insurance denied the referral because they do not (under any circumstances) cover nutritionists. The pediatrician also ordered a bone age scan of Charlotte’s wrist to determine her biological age. Basically if she her biological age (late bloomer) was 8-10 months old, then weighing 15 lbs would not be cause for concern. That scan came back this week and her biological age is anywhere between 12 and 15 months, which causes much concern about her weight. When we found this out my heart sank in my stomach. I cannot even begin to explain the fear that begins to cloud my ability to think objectively at this point. (It’s a good thing I have my husband and some awesome women of God around me)

Hopefully the last time with the Holter Monitor

What’s the next step? The doctor wants to go forward with the test for Cystic Fibrosis and she is referring Charlotte to a Gastroenterologist. Had she thought this was an issue of being a late bloomer then she would have suspected a hormonal issue and referred us to an Endocrinologist; however that is not the case, it must be a digestive issue. The doctor suspects that Charlotte is either not getting enough calories in her diet, or her body is failing to absorb that calories she is getting in her diet. If it is the former then we count calories, weigh her food before she eats and weigh what she didn’t eat and we determine what she is getting every day at every meal. If it is the latter, then we face the possible diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis or some other genetic or physical defect that needs to be addressed and remedied quickly.

Breathe….

Wipe tears….

Ok…

What does this mean? This means I am one worried momma, and no amount of “it’s going to be ok” is going to make me “feel” better about all the potentials. I must confess I am pretty strong and able to maintain composure with most things, except when it comes to my husband and children. It’s like all rational thought just oozes out of me and I am on frantic mode until the dust settles. These are not my finest moments.

I know that God is Sovereign over all things and that Charlotte simply does not belong to me. She is the sole (and soul) property of the One who Created her inner most being, and He can do and allow whatever He wills for Charlotte; without asking for my opinion or my approval. I have learned to trust the Lord with my soul, my finances, my shelter, my food, but when it comes to my husband and especially my children I want to hold the reigns a bit a lot. Peace seems to be a distant carrot that I am stumbling through the darkness to grab a hold of.

God’s word tells us to “Cast our cares (“anxiety” in the NASB) on the Lord, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 and in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

When I begin to panic these two verses flood my mind (there should be a “flash flood” warning). I called a sweet friend of mine yesterday when all this began to overwhelm me and I went on to tell her “I know that God is Sovereign, that Charlotte does not belong to me, and that I am to be anxious for nothing and cast my cares on the Lord…but…” and that is where she stopped me and said “no, no but”. She was is totally right. I know that when we say something and then proceed with the little word “but”, we have just negated everything said prior to that “but”. What a silly little word!

I have learned that when I create a hypothetical situation in which I leave no room for God’s Sovereignty or His Grace that I am removing that which commands me to place ALL my trust in Him; and this results in sin. There are no situations in this life in which God is not bigger, more powerful and more knowledgeable on ALL possible outcomes. Who am I to think I can create a situation in which He has no control? Who am I to question what He allows to have happen to my children? Their lives are NOT about me. Am I affected by proxy by the events that occur in their lives when they are little and possibly when they are grown, yes. Does that mean that I am afforded the right to through a huge pity party in my honor because of the trials they face? No. What God does in their lives and to their lives is simply not about me. When they receive healing (or not) He gets all the glory. When they come to the knowledge of the law, are aware of their sin and position to God and hearken until to His calling and receive salvation, it is not about me, it is all about God. My children belong solely to the One who Created them and all things. They are simply placed within my stewardship until a time comes when they leave and cleave to their own spouses. Even if they grow up to be great men and women of God, I cannot be so arrogant to take even the smallest amount of credit; it ALL belongs to the Lord God Almighty. He is the Author not only of life, but of life eternally. If I can take no credit for my own salvation, then I surely cannot take any credit for my children’s.

Even in the midst of this trial, I must remain focused on Christ and know that it simply is not about me! God is doing what He wills for His own purposes and good pleasure. My children are on lease to me, but ultimately are owned by God. Who am I to tell Him what He can and can’t do with or to these children that He has entrusted to my earthly, limited knowledge and control stewardship, for HIS purposes? One day I might have the honor of seeing the bigger picture, but for now my scope of the picture is very limited. While I walk though this trial with my Charlotte I need to be a shining example of what it means to “walk by faith and not by sight”. My children’s very first impression of the Lord and His ability to care for our family even in the midst of illness is going to come from me and my husband. No one else can have such a permanent impact on these children.

Please be in prayer for Charlotte. What we ask most is that God’s will be done in her life and in Sofia’s life. If that means Charlotte has Cystic Fibrosis, then praise the Lord for He is in control and is not panicking one bit. If Charlotte has some other serious illness, or is perfectly healthy, we need to all praise the Lord for all He does is Good. He gives and He takes away and is Justified in all He does and allows to have happen.

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)