Height of glee - a success story :-)

It's Kavya's story now. 

She is a sweet little girl who grew up as a mommy's tiny treasure with her relishing side of shyness & charm. We don't exactly remember when it started. It must be after their first birthday, when she got severely sick in India. Later, she wasn't able to eat or swallow solids without gagging & choking. Her throwing up had become a part of her daily routine! Sometimes she even throws up 10 to 12 times a day without any known reason. She looks tired & lethargic most of the times. She never showed interest in any kind of food & feeding times were a big struggle. Even if left for a whole day, she would remain starving the entire day. She gets sick with fever or cold accompanied by vomiting throughout the month. She was also diagnosed with Reflux (acidity in adults) & she had wheezing last winter.  She underwent numerous scans with all possible specialists & even an endoscopy was done only to find out nothing was wrong. She was on all wrong medicines just to find out if anything is making things better. Everything went for vein. It is very common for children with this condition to struggle to get a proper diagnosis, and most children are misdiagnosed with stomach bugs first. 

The day that changed Kavya's life...

Once she had 'tofu' which is made with soy. Exactly after 1.5 hours she started throwing up continuously for more than an hour & became very sleepy & tired. We just thought it was her usual vomiting. After couple of weeks, the feeding specialist told us to do trials with the foods starting with eliminating diary from her diet to see if any change is making her better. That's when we switched the cow's milk to soy milk for her. Exactly after  1.5 hours of having a cup of soy milk, she reacted in a way we've never seen her before. It was a continuous non-stop throwing up for more than two hours & finally she collapsed & became pale. When we were trying to take her for emergency (luckily) she came to her recovery before entering the hospital & started drinking liquids. So we came back, but couldn't figure out what just happened to her. With the help of a friend, we figured out the symptoms could possibly be FPIES ( Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome). It's hard to get it, right? Initially it was hard for us too. Everything she told about FPIES was just overwhelming.

Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) is a type of food allergy affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  Classic symptoms of FPIES include profound vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. These symptoms can lead to severe lethargy, change in body temperature and blood pressure. Unlike typical food allergies, symptoms may not be immediate and do not show up on standard allergy tests. When infants who are ingesting a problem food (usually milk or soy-based food) as a consistent part of their diet might experience increasingly severe vomiting, diarrhea, and poor growth, possibly progressing to an illness mimicking a severe total-body infection. There is a characteristic delay of 2-3 hours before onset of severe and repetitive vomiting and eventually diarrhea.  The child may appear very ill and sleepy (lethargic), and may become pale or blue, which in some cases can lead to sepsis-like shock. The most definitive test is a medically supervised oral food challenge (OFC)-where the suspect food is given to the child in a controlled clinical environment. The good news is that kids outgrow FPIES mostly before the age of 5 :-). Until then, we have to keep Kavya safe from her trigger - 'soy' which she was taking in small amounts every day all these days. Nowadays we travel around with a letter from our specialist explaining her condition so that when she has another severe reaction it explains to the personnel in the emergency department what is going on and what treatment is needed. This should be very helpful.

Unfortunately, soy is found in most of the foods including cookies, bread, cake & many other common foods. Fortunately, it became possible to give her a soy- free food by checking out the ingredients of every pack, providing a special soy free snack to her school & choosing a soy free diet while eating at restaurants. After couple of weeks of completely eliminating the traces of soy in Kavya's body, miracles happened in her life. She started eating without chocking or vomiting, her appetite increased significantly & she asked me for food for the first time :-). She wasn't lethargic anymore & became super active like any other toddler. Her reflux symptoms vanished & she's now leading a medicine free life after a very long time :-). Now, I just couldn't get my eyes off my little girl eating & eating throughout the day. I hope all her struggles & pain she underwent finally has come to a full stop! I was desperately waiting for this day when Kavya would stand before us with all her smiles & a strong heart bearing all her life experiences. 

               

There are lot more kids like Kavya, who are still struggling to have one safe food without a reaction. For all of them, I'm sure there's going to be a success story like Kavya when they outgrow it :-)!!

Thank u so much Maureen & Sarah for helping with the diagnosis!

Everyday's acrobatic maneuvers!

Aug 24th 2014 - There has to be something inside everyone that burns like a fire or starts like the igniting wick or just a coal waiting to be exposed to flame. When the urge got stronger & stronger, I flew!! :-). Yes, I'm talking about heights, gusting winds & an enormous dive. The skydiving experience I had happened above 13,500 feet with the speed of 130 mph. Kavya & Oviya were super excited to see mommy in the parachute :-). The moment I jumped out of the plane, I had no idea how desperately my family was waiting to see me back. The fright they had in the mind was way more than me gasping for breath. It wasn't hard for me,

while signing the 'No obligation' declaration or

while boarding the skydiving plane or

while looking at the exclusive view of the earth from such a high altitude or

while my heart was pounding during the free fall & 

even while hanging in the parachute.... 

The hard part was Kavya & Oviya came running towards me & gave a tight hug. One little hug meant a thousand unspoken words. They kept saying 'mommy parachute' & looked so much relieved to hold my hands again. They might have missed me so much. I thought for myself, "my next adventure shouldn't be without them"!! :-)

                    

                    

We did tried to do some petty adventures since summer was still painted beautifully everyday, by the ever loving 'Sun'. We also wanted to make the day to it's best use before the sun changes it's mind :-).

Here's the sneak peek of how a day was well spent. It's brave Oviya who's enjoying a dip in the enormous dancing fountains. Being soaked up like a wet pumpkin, she was still not ready to leave :-P. Kavya made up her mind after getting the taste of little chillness through the spine. She wasn't willing to take the fountain challenge anymore. She remained all wrapped up & cozy for the remaining time lol :-).

                     

Another visit to zoo along with my in-laws came with the package of fun & curiosity. All the exotic animals, reptiles & birds were so close to us near the glass window.

The giraffe was looking for feeding them lettuce.

The flamingo's beak was hard & wide to the sense of our touch.

The iguana was waiting for someone to glide their fingers through it's open holed cage that said 'beware of biting' :-).

The elephant looked care-free about the visitors & continued to eat the dry grass by dipping every bite in the water.

The tiger was definitely trying to catch the kids behind the glass door :-)

The lion seemed lethargic at a distance & the monkeys jumped so close to us & showed scary faces!

               

                 

Sometimes, the moments are gone, captured only in the photographs. When I see an old picture, I wish I could have lived more in the moment enough. I wish I could remember what they ate, what we talked about, how they sounded & how they looked when they went to bed. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing : brush, bath, eat, cook, feed, nap & again a snack, cook, feed, make them sleep... I wish I had treasured the doing the little more and the getting it done a little less.

Not all parents know that they're probably not cut out to be a parent until after the fact!

Love across the wormholes...

The whole life process seems mysterious like traveling through a black hole. No one is able to give a solid definition till now. The same way, every life on earth starts doing certain basic characteristics right after they're born. Nobody taught us to breathe, nobody pushed the fishes to swim, nobody trained the animals to feed their babies. Is that gene? Is that nature? Is that some unknown power? There is also a very strong base that connects the whole earth which is called 'Love'. I see it, feel it, wonder about it every day in Kavya & Oviya since they were newborns. How impressive is to see a newborn getting blindly in love with the mom, slowly with the dad, then with siblings, with friends & relatives!! Without any learning or explanation, without any experience or expectation, the 'love' in kids seems so magical beyond my understanding. When I clicked this pic, my eyes became wet to see the untaught magic happening between these kids :-). How sweet!

                       

With my in-laws' visit, the days became even more interesting. Kavya & Oviya were overjoyed with grandma & grandpa's presence at home rather than watching my boring face all the time :-P. And so the trips started (:-D). 
If the amusement & excitement never diminishes, if the visit never gets bored even after several times, if the heart pounds out of the chest with the breathtaking view, if you ever get suicidal thoughts with the overwhelmed experience ( some actually gets it.. Lol )

It means...

It means...

You're in 'Niagara'... 

                     

My in-laws were totally awestruck with the 'Maid of the Mist' boat trip & the 'Cave of the winds' where we all were drenched with cold water besides wearing rain ponchos. Although,Kavya was little scared, Oviya is one daring little girl who never stopped at any peak of drenching point :-). These kind of trips end so soon!

At times, there are rough days too... 

The days when I need more energy

The days when I lack more patience

The days when I look for extra support

The days when I miss encouraging words

The days when I feel like taking an off ;-)

Though I may not expect a perfect day every time, something keeps me going through all the curves. It's moments like these that make me smile even in a bad mood ;-).

                       

Every mom gets the goodies not in the form of bags, but by watching the cuteness in her kids! :-)

On the boat of life...

June 2014 - Ever had the experience of colors getting brighter, the air becoming softer, the ambiance creating fragrance & the mind feeling lighter ? This happens when we become the part of kid's play :-). This is not exaggerated. I think to keep our life vibrant & blooming, we have to keep carrying the childhood within us. 

I realized, sometimes the importance of letting go of the title 'mom' & believe in giving little independence makes a huge difference. Protecting the kids from rain or hot sun or in snow doesn't help with anything. Kavya & Oviya were getting sick often anyway. In reality, the human body is amazing to withstand all weather conditions. The more they get used to all environments, the more they develop immunity. Moreover, while we were trying to safeguard the kids we were forgetting the basic essence of life. We didn't want to miss the beauty of life anymore. Rain or shine, fog or mist, snow or ice, river or lake we're taking them out. After all, we're born to live in harmony with nature ;-).

                                                        Ice cold water in lake Erie

                 

                                                     Pics courtesy : Prashanth Kishan

The need for doing activities independently and wanting to take things in their own hands were dominating for Kavya & Oviya when they are 2 1/2 years old. Needless to say, they were not ready to listen when they're having fun. Of course, why do they have to come back to the yelling mom (lol) when they are having so much amusement in watching 

the multi-colored butterfly in the bushes

the cuckoo birds walking beside them

the brown bunny hopping on it's way

the rain water touching their toes

the kids riding their cycles or

just the breeze brushing their faces... 

It could be anything or it could be everything. There's a whole lot of world over there. This is how a picture look like when we try to intrude their way. This is applicable for Snowy too :-).

                                     Just trying to pose near Point state park fountain

Meanwhile it was June 27th - Yuvi's b'day

I couldn't hold the excitement until Yuvi came home. Kavya & Oviya did make a fingerprint painting along with me keeping the hands together. I made a book exclusively for him, ' The reasons I love you' stating & picturizing the top 30 reasons :-). Then ordered a couple of big posters, made couple of double layered chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (yummy!), blew balloons & decorated the house, prepared some sweets, ordered few foods outside, invited friends, waited for Yuvi's arrival from office. It's more of 'my proud moment' when I saw the awestruck reaction in his face :-D. There was still a touch of Kavya & Oviya in everything we made. Yayyy!! The celebration was a grand success.

               

Soon after that, I remember a very sensitive incident that happened near our home. While returning from shopping, we met a couple of elderly American men sitting in the nearby car . Kavya & Oviya were dressed with a traditional touch wearing bangles & chain. Since Oviya is more outgoing, she peeped in to say 'Hi' to them. One of the old men( who seemed so calm & loving) held Oviya's both hands & was so much interested in talking to her. He was telling her 'she's beautiful' & couldn't take his eyes off her. It felt very normal until then. When I asked him whether he has kids, he told me he doesn't have kids & added that he would take Oviya with him if I would allow (??!!). The next moment, he cried... I saw the pain & longing in his eyes. There was a moment of silence between us. I just smiled & left. He reluctantly let go off her hands. My heart was throbbing, after all he must've carried so much of aches throughout his life.

                                                    The day that left me with patches

We may not always end up where we thought we were going. But we'll always end up were we're meant to be.

Speck in a magnifying glass!

With the growing days & weeks, Kavya & Oviya were growing too. Their eyes, nose, lips, arms & legs were no longer the same like the previous day. ( Is it only me who didn't notice? :-/ )

They wanted to...

brush the teeth by themselves

dress up by themselves

wear their shoes by themselves

read a book by themselves

walk on the road by themselves

Now, this is a bitter & beautiful reality. 'All by themselves' - It's sometimes hard to accept the fact that they don't need us to help them anymore. Suddenly, something strikes in the mind - how fast they grow up!! I must remind myself, when they are working hard on finding their footing, I too must find mine. There's only a delicate difference between holding on & letting go.

                         

                          

Their intense eye contact & their height of innocence sure is irresistible. What else does a mom need when they start expressing their love in their own way of smiling or hugging & kissing or calling 'momma' a hundred times! Yes, it was happening :-). 

I do think I need a special class to know more activities to keep kids engaged. I run out of ideas all the time & they never seemed to stick with any toy for more than 5 minutes :-P (crazy!). Ok, here... Just to keep them occupied at home I keep blowing bubbles, give them tattoos, try out the forgotten toys or make them participate in the workout I do (it's fun... lol).

                            

Kavya & Oviya got a new cute neighbor 'Alana', whom they started playing with almost everyday. All the pieces of my heart smile when they all play together. I couldn't believe that the cutest & sweetest moments were actually free of cost. Their little imaginations are fascinating. Isn't it true that little kids with dreams become adults with vision :-). 

                         

Their giggling & chuckling, laughing & rolling, jumping & dancing, bending & crawling, running & hopping - Oh, did I forget something? Yeah, while we try to teach our children all about life, they teach us what life is all about!! :-)

The magic of listening!

Kids are like a painting. The usage of colors & the brushing style can decide how vibrant & bright it can be or how bad it can turn out.  The artist needs utmost care & dedication to bring out the best in his art. If we think a little carelessness wouldn't affect the painting, it can turn out to be a big blunder. 

Every word we speak & every action we do are watched by our kids. It's been registered in some corner of their minds & they prove it soon or later in their life. 

               

When real words emerged, Kavya & Oviya were able to relate & remember stuffs that had happened earlier. They were comfortable with their familiar places & things. Their likes & dislikes were based on their previous experiences. The eagerness & curiosity to try something new always starts with Oviya & then followed by her big sister Kavya :-). But for every new thing , they looked for the confirmation & assurity from us ( the parents ) before trying on it. It happens with petting a stranger's dog or running into a dense bush or touching a spider or spilling the water - everything depends on how we react in front of them. So, it was important for me to try ( though it's tough all the time ) to act as if I'm bold and calm even when the situations are bad :-).

The actions they do & the words they speak are only impressions of what kids see & experience in their daily life.

               

May 7th - How could we forget our loyal family member, Snowy? It was his 5th birthday. He was looking stylish in his black tuxedo :-). We celebrated his birthday with his own doggy cake & cookie & my numerous home-made cupcakes. He was delighted about a couple of friends who joined his party :-). Celebrating the little lives in our life is exuberant! 

               

Kids always seem to do petty things to draw our attention. It gives them immense happiness if we appreciate them & listen to them. Kavya & Oviya would sometimes call me a number of times just to show how they jump or they come running to the kitchen just to smile at me or simply scream when I'm on a phone or would curiously look for me to laugh for their silly activities or would throw something to get my attention or expect me to hold them in my arms. 

I don't know for how long they would be roaming around my legs before they grow up. But for now, it's my honour to be able to happily available for them whenever they need me :-). 

               

Need some Oxytocin? ;-)

April 14 2014 - Tamil New year. 

Somehow, we were always waiting for a chance to celebrate. It was the Tamil New year this time. When we wake up early, when we distribute the prepared snacks to neighbors, when we wear new dresses, when we take pictures together, when we share our wishes, we're automatically drawn into the festive mood. 

               

Kavya &. Oviya - I've seen them cry, smile, laugh, mad, I've seen them sleeping, wide, hyper, awake, mellow; they're always so beautiful to me, always so close to my heart... Day by day, their eagerness to  become independent was dominating. A trip to the local library showed their interest in pretend - play & the trip to the zoo revealed their admiration towards animals. But, making them sit for a movie ( tried Rio-2 movie in the theatre for the first time) or do a shopping or a simple stroll in the mall would be very difficult. They needed entertainment, activities & varieties all the time :-).

                    

                

Both looked like 'day' & 'night'. Oviya seems hyper-active, while Kavya is hyper-sensitive. Each has different toddler tantrums & I sometimes worry about having only 2 arms :-/. 

When they were inside the womb, Kavya was the 'Baby A' & Oviya, the 'Baby B'. I was frequently told that 'Baby B' was super active, kicking & jumping inside while 'Baby A' was sleepy & shy in it's own cozy place. To add on to this, Oviya's head turned as a sign of readiness before delivery while Kavya was still in a breach position till the end without wanting to either come out or leave the way for Oviya :-). But, ready or not, they were born at 36 weeks (one month pre-mature). There was no need for the neonatal care since both of their weights were pretty good. 

The point is, their in-born characters never seemed to have changed till now. Nobody can do anything to Oviya without her willingness. We're sure to get kicks & scratches while locking her in the car seat or making her wear a dress or while trying to hold her in public. The other way of her resisting is screaming at a high pitch or just rolling & crying in the middle of the road. Whereas Kavya is just the antonym of Oviya. Though she's naughty inside the house, pushing & fighting with Oviya, she tends to be sensitive & shy when we go outside. It takes time for her to mingle with people in a new place. Sometimes, she feels nervous & scared around noisy environment ( awww, how she misses that extra one month inside the womb :- P). I always comfort her with a tight hug when she's nervous. This helps a lot in comforting both of them. So when Kavya or Oviya gets upset or nervous, hugging them gives them the reassurance of safely secured in my arms :-). 

A tight hug for 20 seconds is as good as eating a piece of dark chocolate which produces the 'Oxytocin', the stress releasing harmone. We have the choice of hugging a person or a pet or a teddy. Lucky me! I have all the three. 

So if some one's in a bad mood, they may need some 'Oxytocin' :-P.