Happy EIGHT Months Old, Camille!

Oh, Camille.... gone are the days of lounging on the couch with you resting ever-so-still in my arms as we watch Real Housewives re-runs. Yep- those days are long gone because you, my child,  have officially become mobile! It's like having a new puppy (except, I love you way more than I could ever love a puppy and the longest I kept a puppy was three days and I've kept you for an entire 8 months!) But, seriously- chewing on our couch legs and flip-flops?! C'Mon! And why is it that every single colorful toy geared to catch your beautiful bright eyes isn't as wonderful to you as the PS3 or a lamp cord?!  Also, nothing wonderful is happening in the hallway... quit trying to escape the living room by climbing over the pillow mountain we construct every.single.morning. We broke out the Pack and Play:

aka: "Baby Tutwiler" last week and you can just get OVER IT because you are so precious to me that I'd rather keep you in a cage than let you roam free and electrocute yourself. Kapeesh!?

In your Seventh month:

• Started saying, "Mama!"
• Grew two more teeth (top). You have four total, now. 
• Began pulling up to a standing position
• Went swimming for the first time 
• Moved to Stage 3 Pampers Cruisers 
• Sipper cup was implemented into our feeding routine
• Finally figured out what to do in the Jenny Jumper
• Lowered your crib mattress TWICE!

For your Eighth Month, we are shaking things up a bit. I am completely going by the info and handouts the pediatrician (Dr. T) gave me (Since you didn't come with an owner's manual, his handouts are the next best thing!) At your 6 month check-up, he instructed me to begin weening you off of the bottle and to start feeding you table foods when you reach 8 months. I remember thinking that there is no possible way you will be ready to start eating mashed potatoes, eggs, grits, yogurt, etc... at 8 months! I was weary of making things and adding all the good stuff: cheese, milk, butter because of your cows milk protein allergy.  Dr. T told me to keep Benadryl on hand and to start incorporating small amounts of the "good stuff" into your diet. 

Many people confuse cow's milk protein allergy as being lactose intolerant.  Cow's milk protein allergy is lactose intolerance as well as an actual allergic reaction. When Camille was almost two weeks old, I thought she was developing really bad baby acne. 

Poor Baby :(

Large rashes and bumps would cover her entire body, especially right after nursing.  After a visit from SUZ (a trusted and loyal friend who knows all about baby ailments) who convinced me it was in fact, not baby acne... I made a tearful phone call to pediatrician's emergency line LATE one Saturday night followed by an "eventful" Sunday morning office visit. Dr. T initially diagnosed her with: erythema toxicum (A common newborn rash) which he said would go away on its own. Well, it didn't... at our next appointment he diagnosed her with Cows Milk Protein Allergy and instructed me to take dairy out of my diet completely because I was passing it to her... I did, and she cleared .

When we began formula, we knew we would have to put her on Soy. All the Soy formulas made her extremely colicky and irritable that's when our Pediatrician placed her on Nutramigen.  We have done well with this particulair formula but, Dr. T suggested once a month we try Camille on milk-based formula, and we have... but her eyes get puffy and she always spits it up.  Now back to your reading pleasure: 

Well, on your 8 month birthday... I made you  one scrambled egg with a lil' cheese and a bowl of my FAMOUS grits which was loaded with butter, milk, and cheddar cheese.  P-Daddy was at the Fire Department and only a 911 call away... so, with Benadryl close by I took a deep breath and fed you the grits. You didn't know what to  think of those grits, I think the texture threw you for a loop! BUT, you loved the eggs. You like to pinch them between your fingers and shove them in your mouth all by yourself. I tricked you into eating more of the cheesy grits by dipping the eggs into them.  AND, guess what!? No allergic reaction. I was thrilled!

That afternoon, I fed you milk based yogurt... and guess what!?  No allergic reaction. Again- I was thrilled.  

We are still keeping you on your "CoCo Chanel Designer Formula" aka: Enfamil Nutramigen with En-flora for the time-being. It's expensive, but its the only SOY formula your picky sweet lil' tummy has been able to handle.  


Momma is very tempted to visit our local DHR, bust up in there all bowed up, throw up my deuces and declare: "Can't a sista' get some WIC?! Whoot Whoot?!


REALLY: The formula is so outrageous in price that our Wal-Mart keeps it behind the customer service desk. You have to ask for it, they retrieve it, and you must pay for it right there or they bring it to your register and WATCH you buy it. I'm serious. Its a sad day when people are stealing baby formula- yes, a sad day indeed. 

Oh--- 
Dear Enfamil,

Thank you for the multitude of your manufacturer coupons for Enfamil formula which appear in Sunday papers and in weekly circulars.  I just love how these coupons only apply to your 22 oz. size cans of Enfamil Formulas! The thing is, you only make Nutramigen in 12.6 oz. and 32 oz. sizes... very, very clever.  BOO- Your coupons never apply to our family and that's A Hot Mess, if you ask me. 
Kindest Regards, 
Christy

Dr. T said you most likely will grow out of this stupid allergy and I sure hope so... cause going through life without cow's milk poured all over Lucky Charms is no kinda life--- at --- all. I really was thrilled when you didn't seem to have any trouble digesting the dairy products over the weekend... so, hopefully you'll snap out of this allergy mess!  Don't want you to end up like your momma and have freakishly "Hitch Movie" reactions into adulthood: 

I never tire of seeing this pic... kinda my claim to fame. 

More Pics from the Past Month:

  

This picture is so sad... but, funny at the same time:

Poor Mil is having a hard time with those top teeth :(

I love electronics!!!

Your first time sitting up all by yourself! 

Mother's Day 2011:

We will have to give Daddy some lessons on using the camera... This was the best shot of the thirty pictures he took.