The Domestic Executive

I can’t believe it’s been an entire month since I last blogged. Blogging just hasn’t been something I’ve been able to keep up with lately. With work, family, sick baby, more work, running kids to and fro, cooking and more cooking, I’ve haven’t been able to keep up with my laundry, much less my blog. ‘Tis the season I’m in, I suppose.

I’ve had many people ask me lately what the latest is with Libby so I figured I better give an update. The last time I posted Libby was in the middle of taking a prescription for parasites. The doctor said that if it was going to help we would most likely see results right away. We didn’t. The same symptoms lingered on. Read more…

I have to admit that I have totally not been feelin’ it the past week or so when it comes to blogging. I’ve struggled with what to write or finding the time to write when I do have something to say.

I’ve started to feel a bit hopeless when it comes to the situation with Libby, and I haven’t really wanted to admit that. I know we’re just really beginning the journey of figuring out what’s wrong with her, but I’ve been wrestling with a lot of “what ifs”. What if no one can help her? What if I do everything I can, and she’s still sick? What if all the air in her stomach and digestive tract causes damage to her organs? What if the malabsorption does long term damage to her? What if she’s 13 and embarrassed to go to the pool with her friends because her big belly protrudes from her skinny frame? Ugh. Read more…

Last week someone recommended the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet, to me. I decided to order a copy from Amazon. It came right before Nathan and I left for our weekend vacation so I was able to read it while we were away. It was fascinating!

Libby has been on a diet free of gluten and diary for the past several months with little positive results. This book offers an interesting perspective about why certain food affect people with digestive problems and how the body responds to food all the way down to the cellular level. It shows clearly why just removing gluten and dairy really isn’t the solution. It presents a very specific way of eating called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I like that the book has a lot of scientific data supporting it. Read more…

I’m back to give another update on Libby. We were back at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital today for the third time this week. This time we were there to meet with her new GI doctor, Dr. Rosen.

Dr. Rosen was worlds better than the last GI doctor we saw, but I still feel like he could have been better. He was very nice which I liked, and he made Libby feel comfortable. He was also good at explaining things. What I didn’t like is that he didn’t seem willing to think out of the box very much and seemed a bit close minded about certain things. I’ll see how it plays out to see if we stay with him. As you’ll read in this post, it’s looking like we’ll end up somewhere else so I might not have to worry about staying with him or not.

Here is basically what his thoughts were. I’ll try to sum them up as best I can. As the day has gone on, the details have gotten a little foggy. Read more…

I posted on Libby’s stomach issues last week and was totally shocked by the number of comments and emails I received. I can’t even begin to express what a wonderful feeling it is to know that we walk this road covered in prayer and support. Truly overwhelming!

This past Monday started off pretty well. Mornings are usually Libby’s best part of the day. The weather was amazing and the girls were having a blast making forts outside.

My good friend D’Arcy called about mid morning and asked us if we wanted to go to the park and lunch with her and her kids. We hopped in the car and headed down the street to the park. Libby seemed to be feeling fairly well although I could tell her belly was growing. It always starts out smallest in the morning and begins to fill with air shortly after she’s awake, whether she eats or not. Read more…

Sorry I haven’t posted this yet! I was in the ER for over 8 hours on Monday with my daughter, Libby. We were in an out of doctors appointments doing tests all day yesterday. It’s been a a crazy week so far. Anyway, the winner of the package of Sticky Bellies is Ashley Veach. Congratulations Ashley! Email me your mailing address.

I tend to be a pretty laid back person. I usually try to see the good in people and assume the best about them. Rarely, very rarely, do people make me want to scream and cuss at them. But this week, it was literally all I could do to keep my choice words to myself. I am so incredibly frustrated and at the end of my rope. Why? Because my precious child is sick and no one seems to care.

Read more…

So it seems I’ve been doing more giveaways then actual posts lately. Things have just seemed to be crazy, and I haven’t been able to wrap my brain around writing a normal blog post. I’m hoping this week I can sit down and focus. I have several things I want to write about, I just have to find the time. But for today, we have a giveaway of one of my very favorite products.

Sticky Bellies is something I found out about when Baby Ben was about 2 weeks old. A friend mentioned Sticky Bellies on her Facebook status, and I was intrigued. I hopped on over to their website and was instantly hooked.

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Here is what is on our menu for this week.

Day 1

Pumpkin Curry Soup

recipe from my friend Kari Russell

3 Tbsp Butter
1 Onion Chopped
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
3 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock/Broth (32 oz. carton)
1 Can Pumpkin or 2 Cups Cooked Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Lentils  (*I sprout mine beforehand. Why Sprout?)
2 Cups Chopped Cooked Chicken
1 1/2 Cups Milk or Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper Read more…

Finally I’ve found a gluten-free chocolate chip recipe that actually tastes good and is surprisingly healthy! And guess what? I actually created it…sort of.

I frequently visit Elena’s Pantry. It is the best gluten free blog I have found. Many other gluten free blogs I’ve read use ingredients that I would not consider to be healthy and end up compromising health in order to make items without gluten. Elena’s Pantry by far uses the most wholesome ingredients of any gluten-free blog I’ve found.

She has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies on her blog. The recipe is also on the back of the bag of almond flour I have from Honeyville Grain. The recipe contained a few things I didn’t want to use or didn’t have so I modified it. Here is what I came up with:

Read more…