Yesterday was a milestone for us. Mitch and I officially have a teenager in the house.
Morgen turned 13!
Let me tell you she snacks like a teenager too. I love her to pieces, but the pieces of her snacks all over might do me in. (See picture attached--live from Morgen's room.)
Yesterday I had time to reflect on what Morgen has taught me in 13 short years.
- She definitely taught me that the tone of my words carry more power than the words themselves.
- She taught me that to be a good friend sometimes you have to be silly!
- She taught me the healing power of laughter.
- She taught me that a smile will make a friend almost anywhere.
- She taught me I need to be a Mom first and a Boss second.
- One other very important lesson I learned from Morgen 13 years ago--before she could even talk, walk or eat solid food is this:
THE BODY KNOWS HOW TO ACCEPT NOURISHING FOODS AND IT KNOWS HOW TO REJECT FOODS THAT DO NOT SERVE IT!
I keep coming back to this memory of her at four weeks old. She just finished her evening feeding and was crying uncontrollably, scrunching her little chubby legs up to her chest in pain. The only thing that seemed to ease her pain was more feedings. So I kept feeding her and feeding her and feeding her. Her crying tended to escalate as the day went along, coming to a climax at night around the dinner hour when she wanted to nurse constantly. I would nurse her to sleep every night with tears in my eyes, after drying hers. What was wrong? I was committed to breastfeeding for so many reasons, but this wasn't how I pictured it going.
I reached out to the experts. I called the lactation consultant. Got nothing.
I took her into the pediatrician for her 4 week check up and asked for help. I will never forget what her pediatrician said at that appointment, "I would hate for you to have to give up dairy, because this happens so rarely." She didn't even suggest I make any changes.
The experts weren't helping. The inconsolable crying continued and my mental state was detoriating fast. I got a glimpse of what it was like to have a baby with colic. They say if you have had one with colic YOU KNOW. The crying never stops!
I had ONE FRIEND who had gone before me in this journey of motherhood and experienced what I was going through with Morgen. She too had an infant sensitive to dairy and cut it out to keep on breastfeeding. She's been a guiding light for me and many of my friends. She's the one that would bring her newborn to Property class in a sling and not even think twice about feeding her during class. (G you have always been a pioneer. Where would I be without you?)
I asked for help from G. She gave me solid advice--as always. I started journaling what I was eating and eliminating dairy from my diet.
- Day 1 without cheese,
- Day 2 without cream in my coffee,
- Day 3 without milk in my cereal,
- Day 4 without butter on my toast,
- Day 5 without my 3 pm chocolate bar,
- By Day 6 Morgen's crying started to subside!!
Evenings were more peaceful and she wasn't scrunching her legs up to her chest anymore. She would feed and be full and go to bed.
Hallelujah! No tears!
Yes giving up dairy was HARD! Guess what I had to do it twice more when Mayve and Madec were born. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
But you know what the test was? The test was when I accidentally ate that cookie made with milk chocolate chips and butter or got the latte from Starbucks that wasn't made with almond milk after all. Darn! That's why it tasted so good!
Guess who suffered because of it?
WE BOTH DID!
Morgen went back to inconsolable crying and writhing in pain. I noticed inflammation in my gut as well. It was unmistakable. I ate that cookie and 4-6 hours later she was screaming at the top of her itty bitty lungs and my gut was in knots.
OUR BODY KNOWS HOW TO ACCEPT NOURISHING FOODS AND IT KNOWS HOW TO REJECT FOODS THAT DO NOT SERVE IT!
Sometimes the rejection isn't as severe or apparent as Morgen's was with dairy.
Sometimes it is just constant inflammation when we eat or drink certain foods. Nagging, but constant so that you just deal with it daily. But you still feel it.
Or maybe the inflammation has turned into something even uglier like autoimmune disease, chronic eczema or even worse the C WORD!!!
For me the inflammation comes back after I eat gluten again, after going without it for a month. I eat the cupcake from the birthday party yesterday and I wake up with brain fog and creaky joints that used to be my normal.
I'm beyond thankful that I learned 13 years ago that I have power over what goes into my body, thus I have power over how I feel! I can choose to say no to inflammatory foods. I can choose to flood my body with antioxidants and feel amazing. I think clearer, my digestion is smooth, my skin glows, my joints don't ache, my outlook is positive and my energy is more than enough to keep up with 3 kids!
Are you ready for a new normal? Do you need one?
Are you ready for the inflammation in your skin, brain, gut, and hormones to be gone?
If you are get my TIME TO FEEL GOOD AGAIN Guide found Here: https://getoiling.com/JaceyMesser/page/energy-reset
Morgen Frances thanks for teaching me how to use foods to nourish my body and yours, among so many other things. I love you Baby Cakes! Happy 13!
For Freedom,
Jacey
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