15 months old!

Today, Grayson makes 15 months old! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! Here lately, we've been pulling out old pictures of him. Needless to say, he's changed SO much! And we can't get over how he recogizes pictures of himself, including sonogram and newborn shots!

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Yesterday, we took him for his 15 month checkup. He is 34 inches tall! He's only 2 inches short of being 3 feet tall - at 15 months old! He is in the 95th percentile re: his height. He weighs 26 lbs, 5 oz. He is only in the 75th percentile for weight. Since he has been sick over the last month or so, he's lost a good bit of weight. Normally, this would be a big concern for the doctor...but since we figured out it is a lactose intolerance, he thinks everything will be fine. Yes, the verdict is lactose intolerant! At first, we thought it might be a temporary one as a result of a stomach virus. But the doctor thinks his stomach issues have gone on way too long to be a temporary condition. There is a very good possibility he is genetically lactose intolerant. The strangest thing is that neither Ray nor I need to be carriers of this gene. He says it can simply be a mutation. Ray has been making the joke that Gray is a mutant! ;) Something else that's weird is you wonder how a kid can handle dairy and then all of the sudden they can't. Come to find out, that is how lactose intolerance usually comes about. Sometime between a year and two years old, the enzyme that breaks down lactose just quits working. Interesting, isn't it?

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When I told my mom that Gray does seem to be lactose intolerant, it sounded like I was telling her he has a terminal illness. She sounded devistated. It was almost funny. Lactose intolerance is a bit of an inconvenience, but we'll get through it. It could be much worse. G loves milk, cheese, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, etc. Not being able to eat his favorites really limits his diet - as if it wasn't already limited due to his pickiness. The doctor advised us to keep him off of milk for sure. After all, that was our big test. We introduced a small amount of milk in his diet this week. It made his stomach very upset. BUT after his tummy recovers for a few weeks, the doctor said we could try to introduce one thing (like a piece of cheese or something) and see what happens. Unfortunately, it is a trial and error thing. Honestly, we dread it. Needless to say, when his stomach can't tolerate it, he's sick - which is miserable for him and not pleasant for us.

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There are varying degrees of lactose intolerance. Some people can't have a drop of lactose without having diarrhea or throwing up. Others can have a certain amount. I've been hearing that some kids "outgrow" the condition. We hope that for Grayson. Dairy is such a yummy thing. I don't want him to have to miss out on it. But the nurse told us yesterday that her daughter who is 27 is still lactose intolerant. Of course, at that age, you have to make up your own mind about your food choices. Like her mom said, if she wants to eat a bowl of ice cream and pay for it, that is her decision now!

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The good news is: Grayson enjoys soy products (soy milk and soy yogurt). A few days ago, we bought him some soy ice cream. We'll probably give him some this weekend. We are in high hopes that in the coming weeks, he'll be able to tolerate a few dairy products without them bothering his stomach. He really needs the calcium certain dairy products contain. Until then, we were told to continue giving him things like juice, which contain calcium. Like me, he loves juice - especially apple juice. Correction: Mott's apple juice! :) Also like me, he has been known to turn his nose up to other brands of apple juice! ;)

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As far as the exam yesterday, all went well. I cannot help but smile when I see Grayson's little naked self (with only a diaper on) watching the doctor's every move. He didn't make one fuss about having to lay down, be turned this way, getting his tummy mashed on, a device stuck in his ear, a wood tongue depresser stuck in his mouth, etc. It was the cutest thing to watch Grayson looking down at the stethescope being put to his chest! :) I can't say enough how good he was! He was in great spirits! From the time we went to the doctor's office to the time we got home, we were told at least 3 or 4 times how handsome he is and/or how good he is. We agree! He's the cutest, and he is so good. When he is feeling bad, he can be rotten. But that's how everyone is. Now that he is well, he's back to his usual happy self - and we are so glad he's back! :)

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