Princess Peanuttiness

Princess Peanuttiness...though i'd really like to call her Princess Pea-nothingness....but that's sounds a bit mean and hopeless.  so Peanuttiness it is.  Also, Chelsia (18 months) likes to call her Nanda since Fernanda is a bit too much to form in her mouth.  I like it too cause she's much too small for Fernanda.

We finally gained weight today.  Though it is explained ONLY by 1 of 2 options:  it's a-false weight gain and we'll see a big loss tomorrow or b-all GOD.  She vomitted way too much yesterday, ate/drank way too little yesterday, was dehydrated all day yesterday because of the first two and then all day today she peed and pooped like mad, still not eating superbly.  That does not equal a 100 gram weight gain (3.5 ounces).  But I believe in miracles and I'm choosing to believe a miracle for this little one, cause that's what she's going to need to survive.....we are now back up to 6.37 kg (14 lbs).

Her fevers are still continuing, still shedding like a snake and we're still waiting for Friday to come (even faster).  Today I trialed a new food regime....step 1:  get the kid to eat; step 2:  give her what she knows; step 3:  disguise everything else so she chooses to eat what she thinks she knows and likes; step 4:  success! celebrate.

I mashed up rice and beans in desperation today (which in reality was my plan that i tentatively made out last week as my food guideline, but since she's been eating so poorly and vomitting so much, i thought it best to hold off a bit more).  She LOVED it!  Practically jumped out of Meghann's arms while I was making it.  Then she proceeded to eat 1/2 of the small bowl I fixed her and drink 100 ml of milk (remember it's the special ironman milk i made for her full of calories and fat) WITHOUT VOMITING.  So now we have a new plan:  I've eliminated the paphinha (breakfast cereal) after she wised to our attempt to syringe feed it to her...well at least SHE thinks I've eliminated it....I'm going to attempt to sneak it in with each and every bottle she eats by mixing a spoonful into every bottle since she's exerting her power over this area of food.  Next, I'm going to make a yogurt/milk/PB smoothie for her to drink in the afternoons since she's refusing the yogurt....hoping/praying this will work tomorrow.  She seems to like all things drinkable.  And lastly, she will eat rice and beans 2x/day everyday till she starts putting on weight...most important for her high protein needs.  We are keeping the banana as she seems to like that and the potassium is really good for her.  And we're starting on big girl multivitamins (as the the malnourished baby ones without iron) with a BIT of iron in it as she needs it and I think her body can finally process it!  We aren't quite ready for the full iron supplements (which we are working toward and she will need), but we are getting there.  Slowly.





Thanks for praying for her....keep it up!