It’s a week late, but I’m getting to Alysa’s latest GI appointment. J took her in last Monday and overall she’s doing ok. She gained 1 pound in a 6 month period – not the best, but it’s keeping her steady on the growth curve. Of course, we all want to see her gain some ground. Her doctor is happy with her progress so far in feeding therapy, but I feel we still have a long way to go. Alysa is proving to be more stubborn than her Big Sister. Her doctor would like us to start giving Alysa 8 ounces of whole milk (yes, real cow’s milk) per day with some added powdered milk. She hopes these extra calories and fat will give her a boost. The thought about bringing milk into the house is a bit nerve-wracking, but I think we can work with it – especially when Kayla is in school. I also think with Kayla now being 3 ½ and the understanding she is gaining of her allergy, that I can even have her gated out of the kitchen when I give Alysa cow’s milk. Kayla is very curious about her allergy and asks about foods more and more and she understands that she is the only one in our house who can not have cow’s milk. So we will see how it goes. I will be adding whole milk to our grocery list this week. Wish us luck there.

I asked her doctor about her thoughts on a probiotic for Alysa and if she thinks it could be beneficial to her esophageal and stomach issues. She is 100% supportive of that and thinks we should all be on one. Um…couldn’t you have suggested it then? So I am now investigating the different types and brands – some contain dairy.

The latest with her feeding therapist is she wants us to consult with a Nutritionist who is in Maryland. According to Alysa’s therapist she is very good and through diet and supplements (not sure if probiotics are one way) has ways to heal the gut. She would like to see Alysa eat better, gain wait and get off of Prevacid. I’d love that as well for both of the girls. I am trying to find out some information on what types of things she’ll do before I agree to a consult, as the consult is $200. I am more than willing to do what it takes, but I don’t want to spend the money to find out she won’t be adding much to Alysa’s treatment regime. Her website has basic information on her and articles she has written, but it does not say too much on how she treats patients. So we shall see about going that route.

In other news - Kayla had mild stomach bug on Friday. And I mean mild – she only threw up once. For her that is amazing. I’m hoping it means her resistance is building up. So far we’ve escaped it and it’s been over 72 hours. Of course, I stayed home all weekend to avoid the risk of having a 2 year old throw up in a store. I enjoyed it actually, since my week was so hectic last week – and it gave me a chance to get some things accomplished around the house.

Kayla has her Valentine’s Day Party this week. I have Divvies chocolate chip cookies at home that I am giving to the school for their snack on Thursday. I’m waiting on Kayla’s Valentine’s cards to arrive so I can help her sign her name to them. It should be a fun day for them. I’m sure I’ll be sifting through unsafe treats in her goody bag that day. Thankfully her teachers are good with the obvious stuff. I know Kayla will just love getting all the Valentine’s from her friends. It will be fun for us to look through them. I think I’d better make one up for Alysa too – she won’t like not getting any.

Other than that, our Valentine’s Day will be uneventful. We don’t really celebrate, so we’ll have a normal night at home. What are your plans for Valentine’s Day?