We’re still on the GAPS diet and slowly progressing through the intro stages. Remember Daisy’s angelic behavior? It went on for a couple of weeks until we introduced avocado. She immediately started having meltdowns. She cried over everything, just like before, so we removed avocado again. Every few days we’d try it, and if she had more than 1/4 of one, she would fall apart. We moved forward with the stages without avocado, and we’ll see what happens.
We haven’t made it out of intro yet, like we had hoped. Sailing through intro in a month ain’t happenin here. Anything that gives me anyone a stomachache, like almond flour, I remove and try again in a week. Anything that causes behavior issues also gets eliminated. I’m not going to detail our GAPS experience on this post. I’m toying with the idea of posting some separate GAPS diary posts, but I haven’t decided if I want to bring traffic in the form of strangers (and potentially trolls) to my personal blog. I will just add that I have 80 pounds of chicken feet in my freezer now and I found a chicken bone in the dryer. Life as we know it is different, for sure.
Georgia made quick work of that T-bone.
The kids like to play with my phone camera. It’s the one thing they can access without a fingerprint ID.
They are licking the ghee out of a pan. Guys. There is more food. No need to lick the pan.
We introduced almond butter. It was a hit.
One night I hear, “April, why is my side of the bed covered in mustaches and Little People.” I don’t know, Adam. Why is it? He seriously makes me laugh.
We took the kids to the Museum of Natural Curiosity.
Georgia is the same size as the 1-year-old who was there, and most one year olds, actually.
This was their first time there.
Anytime they can play with water is a good time.
Daisy turned five!! We were on stage 4 starting that day. I already had our meal planned out (food is a big deal in our family) weeks in advance. Hamburgers fried in ghee on my cast iron griddle, caramelized onions, homemade mayo, avocado, naturally fermented pickles and butternut squash fries baked in ghee and seasoned with garlic and rosemary. It. Was. Heaven. Pure heaven. We all just devoured it.
We couldn’t do any kind of dessert, so I put a candle in half an avocado and she thought it was the best thing ever. Her behavior was pretty bad the next day due to the avocado, but for her birthday it was worth it.
For her birthday she got an Elsa palace and an Anna castle.
As requested.
Brinlee had another competition.
Georgia and Daisy came with us, and they were really well behaved. Pre-GAPS Daisy would have been everywhere and acting crazy. We had fun together.
The same day the boys had the state chess tournament. Brinlee would have gone if she didn’t have the dance competition.
A few weeks before when I went to pick up the kids at chess club, they told me the teacher wanted to see me. Great. When he asks how I’m doing, I say, “Well, I can’t be doing that well, I just got called to the principal’s office.” He wanted to see me because he wanted the kids to go to the state chess tournament.
I asked if he just needed numbers, and he said, no, my kids were the best in the whole club of 1-6 graders, and he thought they’d do really well. The kids had told him I’d say no, which is true. He kept leaning in and saying, “I understand, and I can help.” I told him the reason I kept saying no is because I’m experiencing some big health problems, and the doctor said the most important thing for me was to reduce stress, and so I’m saying no to everything extra. He just kept nodding and repeating, “I understand, and I can help.”
Finally he said, “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Yes, I do. No, actually, I don’t. He said, “I can pay their registration fees.” Money is not the issue. Did you hear what I just said about my health and the doctor’s orders? That was true. We can afford the tournament fees. I can’t afford the energy expenditure. He still didn’t believe me.
I told him that as long as my husband could take them, they could go, and that is when he released the death grip on my arm. He’s a nice man, and a great chess coach, but his lie detector is broken. Or maybe I just looked poor that day. I don’t know.
So while the girls and I were at the dance competition, Adam and the boys were at the chess competition.
The boys did great and had so much fun.
After the competitions the boys drove down to where we were and the whole family went out to eat (yikes!) for the first time since starting GAPS because we were starving and far from home and there was nothing prepared and waiting for us. We went to a BBQ place and got smoked meats with no sauce and steamed veggies. The underdone veggies gave me an awful stomachache.
Jonny, Vanessa and Avery came for a visit!
Ashlee came up from school to see all of us.
Jonny was speaking at BYU, and I went to go hear him speak. It was so good. He is a great speaker. I love going to hear him. It is always thought-provoking and inspirational.
I was so worried about serving them our GAPS food, because, just like us, they are foodies. I made mahi mahi with caramelized onions, homemade mayo, thyme and poached eggs over asparagus. After devouring it, the kids were still hungry, so I pulled out the pizza soup for the next day (when Jonny and Vanessa weren’t planning to be at our house), and Jonny and Vanessa wanted to try some. They loved it! I was sure my meager GAPS offering would be no bueno, but they really loved it and ate a couple of bowls. Since I made up the recipe, I was very proud.
Avery and Georgia playing together. That is Georgia’s drawer. It is full of her toys and she has free reign in there. One of my best parenting tips for this stage. They love to take things out and put things in, so she has a drawer in the kitchen and one in the family room. Because I have given her something of hers, she stays out of mine. If she starts to open another cabinet or drawer, I redirect her to Georgia’s drawers.
So cute! They’re sharing!
Jonny and Kimball playing chess. Kimball is really good, and almost beat his uncle (who was admittedly rusty), but lost because of a careless move on his part. He got cocky and didn’t pay attention, but he learned a lesson
Georgia has a mullet. I haven’t ever cut her hair, because I wasn’t ready for another last first. My last first haircut felt too sad.
It really needed to happen though.
The curls hid how bad it was.
Look at that!
She was so good and never fussed.
Her first blow out.
Such a big girl hairdo! A bob!
I was near tears watching the transformation.
Please stay a baby longer, Georgia. I’m not ready.
I took Ashlee shopping for clothes for her mission and Adam stayed home with the kids. I felt nauseated when I left. Apparently so did the kids. Everyone started throwing up, including Georgia. She feel asleep on Adam.
Sad baby.
Then she fell asleep on me when I got home.
I hate that she was sick, but I enjoyed having her sleep on my chest. That might be the last time ever. Another last.
We all had the stomach flu. They all threw up repeatedly (10 times or more) in 48 hours. Sawyer didn’t eat for 2 days. His lips were cracked and scabbed. He had 10 spoonfuls of plain broth one morning and said it made him sicker. He is hypoglycemic like I am. Usually I would offer him applesauce or a banana to get his blood sugar up. I didn’t know what to do now. I worried applesauce would make him sicker since we haven’t been having fruit or anything sweet. I wanted to get something in him without making his tummy worse. I only had broth for three days because every time I tried to eat anything else my body screamed no. My blood sugar was very low too. We started with a little applesauce to see how it would sit. We slowly increased it, giving it a little at a time so he wouldn’t throw up. Then little bites of banana. It really helped. He perked up and it passed in 72 hours. Apparently, it was going around the neighborhood. It stuck with Sawyer and Caisen the longest, but hit Brinlee, Kimball and Georgia the hardest. Poor babies.