Solids

Here's a picture I snapped of MM feeding Baby E last week, before I took (most of) the Christmas decorations down.

The nativity scene, courtesy of my doll collection:



Updates on a few things:

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* AJ and MM have been completely off dairy products for a week or so now, and the change is amazing. They both seem to be feeling better and have more energy. MM is complaining much less about random aches and pains, and the difference in her mood is amazing. Even DH is convinced that taking them off milk made a significant difference, and he's hard to convince.

* We're all eating wheat again now, and seem to have no problems with it. We're still trying to use whole grains and a variety of grains as much as possible.

* Baby E is becoming increasingly mobile, and increasingly dissatisfied with her limited mobility and abilities. This means that she's much more demanding to care for, but it's fun to watch the new things she's learning. Since she can now get across or over pillows and cover quite a bit of distance, I set up the playpen and put the third side back on her crib today.

* The girls (especially MM) have become quite proficient at feeding Baby E her rice cereal. Baby E LOVES her cereal. We've been adding a food every 4-7 days, and so far she's tried pears, squash (which she doesn't like) and yams. She usually gets a small amount of some kind of solids at lunch or dinner.

* AJ and MM are getting to be so helpful around the house. They like scrubbing things and helping with dishes, laundry, cooking, and keeping an eye on Baby E. They also love to play outside, read, and make up stories & games with their dolls and toys.

* AJ is enjoying her ballet class and MM has happily switched to gymnastics.

* Please keep a couple of families from our home group in your thoughts and prayers. One had a scare with their newborn this week, which involved the baby struggling to breathe because of a quantity of mucous which came up. The ordeal involved an ambulance and a trip to the hospital. She tested negative for RSV and seems fine now, but it was scary.

The second family, CreativeCrafty and her husband, are expecting a baby boy. CC is 32 weeks pregnant now, and it looks like she'll need to be in the hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy due to low amniotic fluid and concerns about the growth of the placenta. They may have to deliver the baby early--maybe in two weeks.

I'm holding my children closer tonight as I pray for my friends' children.