5 months....

Well... actually more like 5 1/2 months, He's 24 weeks today!...
I dressed him up in these overalls one day last week and thought he looked so cute, I better get the camera out! His skin has been so sensitive that all I've been able to put him in these last couple of months is sweats. I bought these overalls when I was pregnant and now that he can finally wear them, he will probably grow out of them in just a few short weeks! His skin is consistently improving, some days better than others.... nothing at all like how bad it was with the undiagnosed bacterial infection. We're slowly introducing solid foods.
He's been doing fine with rice cereal for several weeks. We tried Banana's first and he had a reaction. Then peas, then avacados, they seem to be going well. His favorite so far is avacado! Next is sweet potato's, then oatmeal baby cereal.
He's also rolling over now and has had 2 teeth since he was 22 weeks old! He's really at a fun age, sitting better and better all the time, and LOVES the Jump-a-roo!
Since moving to solid foods twice a day he's sleeping through the night too! He goes to bed @ 7, we wake him for a bottle @10, he wakes @ 5am for a snack and gets up around 7 or so. Not bad!

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It's a hard job

This picture is a reminder for me of where we've been and how far we've come

It's funny, I was thinking about the other day and shared with a friend of mine over a conversation about parenting... it seems as though being a mom is living in a state of constantly second guessing your decisions. It's so easy before becoming one yourself to look from the outside and think you know how you would react to situations or methodically approach things like bed time, food, illness... yikes just wait 'til discipline comes in play!
It's like you're trying to read your child and respond in a way that is appropriate for them as an individual. You don't want to give in on everything, but they live in this soft spot you never knew you had... especially if you're a real tuff-ass like myself. And when they're sick or hurting you just want to make it magically go away. Truthfully this whole process we've been through with the rashes, food allergies, bacterial infection has probably been ions more painful for me than him.
Over the weekend we tried our first non-cereal food; bananas. Everything seemed to have been on the mend since I finally gave up breast-feeding. So we thought it was a good time to get started... I mean, he's HUNGRY! Ya know? And he has 2 teeth! Well... we started noticing some reddness in the cheeks and around the mouth then tuesday night he started secreting/sweating UGH! I went to the store at midnight to buy goats milk thinking he was reacting to the formula. Who knows! My head swimming, I began to suffocate again. I swear the enemy knows his way in.... why can't I lock that door??? I would recite in my mind "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matt 11:28 I know he can take my anxieties but I can't fully let go. Somewhere in this life as a parent I am going to have to learn to let go a little bit. So maybe this is all a lesson in trust. Well, perseverence... now trust... Okay Lord have I learned all I need to from this? That's what I am really saying.
Anyways, In the morning I gave him cereal mixed w/water and called the doc. They said they would get him in in the afternoon. He was wtill hungry, I gave him the Goats Milk.... in front of my face he started turning redder, maybe even swelling up? Is my mind playing tricks on me? WHAT DO I DO??? I called my neighbor Dana a mom of 3 boys and asked her to look at him... I was panicking. I'm tired of panicking. She prayed with me over Oliver, a while later we left for the Doctor's a little early. During the last break out; the word took me to James 5:14 "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." So this time I stopped by the church, an emotional mess. Many staff members stopped what they were doing and gathered around me and Oliver in prayer. I am so thankful for a praying church.
The doctor felt confident that Oliver's reaction was to the Banana's and not the formula. Probably most people would have been able to see that... but you're lookng through a foggy lens when you're emotionally exhausted from putting out the same fire over and over again. Anyways, he seems to be doing good.
Last night I said to Mike, "I got dealt the wrong hand, I am not a good match for this challenge" He assured me that is not true, that I am strong enough. We agreed this is just the first of many challenges. It's the hardest job on earth. Probably cause you care more about this job than any other you will ever have. It's a blessing to care so much.

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Relevant Scripture Today for Me

My Current reading plan continues to speak to the long long long trial of my son's illness. So thankful for his healing, just a couple spots on his cheeks to clear up.

Actual Scripture:
1 Peter 1 1-12

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Praise to God for a Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

My Translation:

1 Peter 1: 1-12
We will face trials and persecution for our faith. The old prophets did, Christ did, the first Christians did. So will we. These trials refine us, make us stronger in our faith. Because the old prophets suffered persecution; we have concrete proof of our salvation through Christ. He fulfilled prophecy and will come back for those who hold fast to his truths. For those who are called, he sent us his spirit as a gift of counsel, teaching, help and guidance.

perseverance

This post is really for me, but you are welcome to read it.

We are still battling this skin problem/illness/allergy/yeast/bacterial infection with Oliver, my 4 1/2 month old son. It's now been going on for half of his life. The last bout, I felt helpless and hopeless. I spent time in prayer and the Lord assured me that he is my strength. I clung to that and he slowly started to improve. THat was a couple weeks ago. Another outbreak started yesterday and I don't even have the strength to reach out for the Lord's strength.
I am a week hopeless mess. I'm in temendous emotional anguish over my baby's health. We begged and prayed for him for years, and the joy of motherhood had been robbed from me. I have been a sobbing mess for the last 24 hours. We went back to Dr Olsen last night and he called in a script for a bacterial infection. THe skin all over his head is open and raw and he is secreeting profusely again. I feel like hei is NEVER going to heal.
I turn to scripture [feeling forsaken] searching for any glimmer of hope to cling to. The Lord told me to read on in the reading plan that I have been doing. It lead me to the book if James which begins and ends in speaking of perseverence. James 1:1 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete. James 5:11 As you know we consider blessed those who have persevered.
Lord, I pray that it is no mistake that you lead me to this portion of your word during this time. Not because I want to be tested, quite frankly I didn't ask to persevere anything. I would give anything for you to take this illness from my baby. But I thank you for seeing me worthy of perseverance and most of all I have hope that when there is something to persevere, there is also a promise of resolution.
I pray that your resolution is a complete healing for Oliver. I pray it come soon, and you continue to strenghten us until that time

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