Thatcher Family Happenings

Eli's Health Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:25:00 +0000

As many of you know, our sweet little Eli has had his fair share of major digestive problems since birth. If you just want the newest updates, just skip to the section titled “Updates.” I’ll give some background for anyone else who is interested.

BACKGROUND:

Since Eli would not nurse, we tried to give him formula to supplement my pumped milk. Yet, without fail, he would vomit, have severe diarrhea and would cry for days on end. This is true no matter what formula, and even when given in the smallest amounts (i.e. ½ ounce/day). We tried formula with predigested proteins, elemental formula, corn-free formula….nothing worked. Our sweet boy would cry for DAYS without letting up to even sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. We would pass him from person to person, bouncing that poor boy in our arms, trying to give him some relief. Then he even began vomiting my milk.

By a miracle, we got into an allergist right away. She but me on an extreme elimination diet and he improved within 4 or 5 days. We were thrilled! We were also sent to a GI doctor to see if there was evidence of some other GI problems. He said blood in the stool was consistent with a food allergy and we should proceed with that in mind. He recommended another formula that he said was sure to work.

We tried the formula a few days later. Terrible reaction. I was on the phone to the doctor right away. He said that was impossible. Those were his words: impossible. So we tried it again a few days later. Same terrible reaction.

Long story short: we ended up in the emergency room shortly after for a dehydrated and sick baby. Everything seemed to make him sick. Even Tylenol. But no one had any clue why.

We finally made it into a highly recommended GI doctor at the end of December. She decided to biopsy his small bowel and check for other causes. We waited anxiously for the results.

UPDATES:

His doctor called on Friday morning to deliver the news. It was mixed. She told us Eli has “severe food sensitivities.” In lay terms, most people would call them allergies, although they are not IgE mediated, which is the mark of a "true" allergy (the kind that causes anaphylaxis). Instead, they have an unknown cause. Not comforting for a mother who wants all the current research!

The game plan: I need to remain on a very restricted diet, eating only those foods that Eli hasn’t had a reaction too. He can have breast milk only. Then, at 9 months, we can try to introduce some limited solids. If he responds poorly, he will likely begin supplementation through an IV to meet his nutritional needs. This will last until he can take in enough foods on his own. She said most kids are okay by 10 years old, but that doesn’t give us a lot of short-term comfort!

The good news: he probably won’t have this for life! That’s better than we were expecting! Also, we are INCREDIBLY grateful that we know how to keep him well in the short term. These are both huge positives in our book!

We feel exceptionally grateful to have such good medical care and so much support. But we’re just taking things one day at a time and hoping and praying for good outcomes. Reminds me of the saying "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." Ha! So true...

For the curious, my diet can consist of the following foods only:

Oats, Barley, Rice
Grapes, Apples, Bananas
Avocado
Pork products, Chicken, Turkey
Potatoes – white and sweet
Some oils
Sugar, honey
Some limited additional fruits and vegetables (carrots, broccoli, spinach and other ones I’ve had success with in the past)

Never have I been more grateful for all the weird foods at Whole Foods!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

What an amazingly blessed and difficult year it has been! We hope you all are finding the peace and joy and hope that surround this season.

Here in the Thatcher house, we’ve had our share of adventures this past year. Steve and I started the year off by taking a spontaneous trip to Paris! It was undeniably one of the most enjoyable times of my life. As the capstone to a wonderful trip, we found out we were expecting another baby on the night we returned!

The pregnancy was both difficult and complicated, but we joyfully welcomed Eli Daniel Thatcher as the newest member of our family on August 13^th – 10 weeks early! After about 7 weeks in the NICU, our little miracle came home to us at the end of September. He is still having some health issues, but he is doing great. He smiles easily and often. We still can’t believe he is ours!

Meanwhile, Steve started a new job as an intern assistant principal at a local junior high. I’ve never seen him more satisfied in a job. He also continues to be a playful dad and delightful husband, keeping me on my toes with all his new interests and projects.

This year has been fun for Ben too! He started pre-pre-school this fall (yes, both “pre”s are intentional). He LOVES it. He is such a social and adventurous kid and thrives in an active environment. He is also officially potty trained! The most fun thing for us, however, has been to watch him take on the role of big brother. It has been trying at times, but he’s risen to the challenge and been his sweet, understanding self more often than not. What a champ.

My folks have also taken up temporary residence here in Utah to help with the kids. My mom arrived here the day I was hospitalized – perfect timing, as usual. Ben has become Papa’s right hand man and has thoroughly enjoyed the extra attention. I have never, ever, ever been more grateful for my astonishing and generous parents. We truly could not do this without their help.

In all of this, we have felt the guiding hand of God. We know our lives have been uniquely blessed. Although we have faced some tough challenges this year, when I stop to think about just how numerous our blessings have been, I am floored.

Sending love and prayers to all of you who we love so dearly. Thank you for making our lives rich and whole.

Much love,

Amy, Steve, Ben and Eli

A few pictures to make up for 8 months of not posting....

Welcome to the world, Baby Eli!

"Kangaroo Care" - Skin to skin contact is important for preemies

Just a few weeks in and looking worlds better!

Dad and Ben

Excited Ben, as usual

Ben welcomes his little brother home.

Papa and Ben watching the diggers outside our house

One of Eli's goofy grins

Look at that cute little dimple!

Bean Box

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:07:00 +0000

Sure, it's almost summer and this post has lost (most of) its relevance, but I thought I'd share a quick pic of our "bean box" for all of you looking for fun indoor ideas when the weather is bad.

It's just a big plastic bin filled with dried black beans. Costs approximately $20 and we've had hours and hours of fun with it! Just be sure to have a broom handy at the end of the day!

Project Sandbox: Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:36:00 +0000

I keep meaning to update our blog, but you know how it goes...

Anyway, I am writing because I am so stinking excited about my newest project:

Yes, that's a sandbox! And, yes, I made it!

Ben is quite the digger, so I knew I wanted to get him sandbox for the summer (my garden is already thanking me). However, the majority of the ones in the store (and on KSL.com and Craigslist) were super tiny! We're talking one kid max. Not what I had in mind.

Of the few sandboxes I found that could accommodate more kids, the cheapest one was around $100 - WITHOUT the sand. Again, not my idea of a great find.

So I dried out some old wood we had piled in the yard, threw a few nails and brackets in, and the wrapped (most of it) in weed barrier for splinter protection and to ensure no leakage (probably an unnecessary step). I then ran by Home Depot and picked up some washed play sand and VOILA! A super cheap and super handy sandbox!

He is actually out there as I write. I can't get that little sweetheart to come inside!

If you are now inspired to make a sandbox, I have lots more wood just waiting for you! Or just come play in ours!

A Miraculous Two Years!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:47:00 +0000

Two years ago tonight, I went into labor with our sweet little Ben. What we didn't know then is that he would be the greatest joy in our lives.

Ben, my heart is so full that I could gush for hours about what you mean to us. You are everything!

Some of the MANY things I love about you:

*You are more enthusiastic than anyone I know! You love trains, balls, fire engines, "big trucks" saying "bless you," reading books, going to child care at the gym - there isn't much you don't like!

*You ask for "mama hugs" when you're trying to get out of going to bed.

*You don't know what it means to walk! Life is so fun for you that running is the only appropriate means to get anywhere.

*You give kisses and hugs liberally.

*You start everyday with a banana.

*You love to sing and dance! Twinkle, Twinkle and The ABC song are your favorites at the moment.

*You have incredible empathy. "Sad baby!"

*You are incredibly gentle with other people and with animals.

The list could go on forever.

Ben, you make our lives complete. Thank you for the pure joy and hope you have brought into this world. You have our hearts.

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

October 7, 2008

Who are you calling trashy?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:16:00 +0000

Today is trash day for us, so as I was pulling our seemingly light trash can out to the curb this morning, I realized something: WE ONLY HAD ONE BAG OF TRASH FOR THE WHOLE WEEK!

The recycling bin, on the other hand, was overflowing. But the real magic seems to be that we've starting a composting bin! Who knew we were throwing away so much vegetable and plant matter?!

Banana peels, pineapple skins, old potatoes, watermelon rinds, corn husks, tomato vines...it was all going to waste! And to think we'll have soft, nutrient rich compost to add to our soil when we start planting the garden again next spring.

Gardens and Decals and Decks, Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:05:00 +0000

We love having a home! It's been a great joy for all of us. Ben loves having a yard! It's quite large and it's fenced, so he can wander to his heart's desire. And it goes without saying that Steve and I love having our own space!

Since we moved into our home, we've been busy getting settled and doing a few projects.

Below: Steve built us an HD antenna - which will be great if we ever have a moment to watch shows!

Below: Our room was originally a dark forest green, so we lightened up the walls and added some wall art to open the space up.

Below: We have a garden! We built these grow boxes on the side of our house and followed the square foot gardening method for tomatoes, cantaloupe, winter squash, carrots, corn, basil, yellow bell peppers, Serrano peppers, green beans, carrots, swiss chard....oh, how I long for the harvest! Let's hope it works!

We now want everyone to come over and play! Bring your kiddos and we'll let them run through the sprinklers and play on the slide! Deal?

This one is for Grandma and Grandpa E.

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:50:00 +0000

I know you guys miss Ben, so here are a few recent pics of him in action...

These little bird things wobble if you hit them.

Ben actively trying to open the fireplace doors. Lydia just following him around.

He tried to ride Chewy about 500 times - Chewy is a VERY patient pup.

Up the stairs, down the slide, up the stairs, down the slide...

Just turned around to see him sitting there...I wish the pic showed how high he is off the ground...it was quite impressive!

Lately...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:46:00 +0000

Favorite new toy - the stroller! He likes anything and everything with wheels - but unfortunately the folks here at the Ronald McDonald House probably weren't thrilled to have their wheelchairs pushed around the halls.

Hey guys, get me out of this drum!

Loving the farm animals

Discovery Gateway with Dad!!

Buying a House

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:29:00 +0000

We are officially under contract on a home! Scheduled to close in just 3 weeks - yikes! We are excited, of course. But now is about the time I start feeling sick about the whole thing - big decisions and me don't go well together. Anyway, wish us luck!

Here are a couple pictured from the MLS:

Dad's First Toy

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Steve picked out his first toy for Ben and so far it's been a hit. Now the trick is keeping the pen on the white board and off the couches, walls, etc.

He is clearly an artist already:

No Longer Newlyweds

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:53:00 +0000

One Sunday after Steve and I were first married, a man commented in church that we were obviously newlyweds because we were holding hands throughout our church meetings. I remember commenting to each other about how we always wanted to be inseparable, not just because we were excited about our new union.

Well, fast-forward nearly 3 years and we are rarely together in our church meetings. Why?

1) Steve is chasing Ben so that I can enjoy the talks

2) Steve is folding my programs that I haven't pre-printed for the 19th Sunday in a row

3) Steve is helping others by serving in his busy church calling

While I still love holding hands, I'd take my kind, loving and somewhat more absent husband any day. Life just keeps getting better with you, Steve.

Digital Perm - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:28:00 +0000

Well, we're two weeks in and I'm quite disappointed to say that my hair is a lot curlier than I would have hoped. I would definitely use larger rollers second time around. That being said, it's super easy, so chalk up a point for practicality.

For those considering one (I've already gotten dozens of emails from women with "Caucasian" hair), here are some need-to-knows about getting a digital perm:

There are three things the decrease the effectiveness if the perm taking:

1) Lightening your hair (most stylists won’t even try)

2) Excessive damage

3) Hair that is too soft (read: some Caucasian hair)

Now my stylist said that he wasn’t sure mine would take because it was too soft. In fact, he said that he wouldn’t even try if he had an older generation of machine. So he used small rollers and said to hope for a body wave….well, he was WRONG! My hair is now super curly. TOO curly, if you ask me. But I guess there is no way to know on your first round.

Also, find out which generation of machine they have. The 3^rd generation is the newest, and they are far more effective with much lower heat temperatures. He said my hair was only heated to about 75 degrees (compare that to curling iron/straightners that get to 420!) This is a fairly low-damage perm.

Bring a picture! I made the mistake of not doing that.

Don't freak out until you give it a few weeks...it does relax.

Enjoy!

Swimming

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:39:00 +0000

Just got a pass to the Fairmont Aquatic Center and Ben is loving it! He has no fear...for better or for worse. Despite a HUGE area where he can swim, walk around and play with toys, all he wants to do is travel to the "deep" end (three and a half feet). Oh, Kiddo...

For all you Salt Lake folks, there is a whirlpool, water spraying contraptions, wheels to turn, a slide (for bigger kids) and a shallow end with as little as a few inches of water.

Here he is sporting his new swim trunks. Yeah, I know, not exactly a great shot, but you get the idea.

Digital Perm

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:16:00 +0000

I've been going on and on about digital perms lately, and, inevitably, I've gotten a lot of questions! Here are some Wikipedia excerpts:

A digital perm is a perm which uses hot rods with the temperature regulated by a machine, which has a digital display, hence the name....The biggest difference between other perms and a digital perm is the shape and the texture of the wave created by the digital process...Therefore you can create the dry and curly look of the curl iron or the hot curler. ....One's hair often feels softer, smoother, and shinier after a digital perm than before it...A digital perm makes the hair wavy when it is dry, so you just need to dry it with a blow dryer, and use your hand to make the curl. Styling is very easy, and if you set the curl in the morning, at the end of the day when the wave loosens, you can revive the curl just by curling it with your finger.

The part at the end about the "ease of styling" is what sold me! So last weekend, my mom and I drove to SF, met up with one of my best friends, Rebecca, and took the plunge!

Here are the results two days in:

It will relax a lot over the next few weeks (or so I am told) and will look more like a body wave. Anyway, so far it is insanely easy--this was just out of the shower with no product or styling. Every mom's dream, right? Let's just hope it's cute in 2 weeks...

The Best of Us

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Last night, while holding Ben, Steve remarked, "Look what happens when we put the best of the both of us together...we get Ben." Agreed.

Ben, you are our greatest joy, our greatest hope, our greatest love. Thank you for enriching our lives, Little Man.

Happy 16 months yesterday!

On a walk. No more stroller...he likes to lead the way on two feet now.

"I want to be like you." Sitting in the bath has been replaced by standing in the shower!

Ben just loves to empty his drawer of night clothes onto the floor.

Thanks for the toys!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Hahahahaha......

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Ben's first drawing

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:14:00 +0000

In the spirit of Christmas...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:59:00 +0000

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." -Mother Teresa

$30 provides a child 35 dinner meals

$50 feeds 11 kids dinner for a week

$100 feeds a family of 5 for a week

Donate to the Utah Food Bank here.

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +0000

"Years ago I preferred clever people. There was a joy in beholding . . . a mind . . . bearing thoughts quickly translated into words, or ideas expressed in a new way. I find now that my taste has changed. Verbal fireworks often bore me. They seem motivated by self-assertion and self-display. I now prefer another type of person; one who is considerate, understanding of others, careful not to break down another person's self-respect. . . . My preferred person today is one who is always aware of the needs of others, or their pain and fear and unhappiness, and their search for self-respect. . . . I once liked clever people. Now I like good people." [in Richard Evans' Quote Book (Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1971), p. 166]

The Magic of Discovering Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Still taste-testing everything...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:29:00 +0000

Four Times the Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:18:00 +0000

Banner Ads on Flies

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Marketing at its most creative....