A Place Through Prayer!

On Monday the 29th of March, CJ placed at the Agri Expo Show Jumping, with Emma’s Last (nickname Darby)!  This is the first time CJ received a place with Darby!

In 2009 CJ had an amazing year receiving dozens of rosettes in show jumping and other events around the Cape Peninsula, with Silverball.  Then in November 2009, during the Junior Championships, Silverball’s health deteriorated within days and he had to retire as a competition horse - Silverball is now 21 years old!

This was a time of much heart ache, since Silverball was CJ’s first eventing horse and an amazing answer to prayer.  

The riding school where CJ takes lessons, has this young, very wild horse, Darby.  Since Darby isn’t trained enough yet, to be a school horse for students and since CJ showed much talent in handling any kind of horse, they asked CJ to exclusively ride and train Darby.  CJ didn’t have a horse to ride and accepted the challenge. Very soon it was evident that over time and with much training CJ and Darby could be a great team for show jumping. 

During February and March, CJ took part in a show jumping and a cross country event.  Both times Darby was wild, too fast and disobedient.  So, when I heard CJ was going to take part at the Agri Expo, I was stressed!   On top of it, Christo would not be able to go with CJ, as he always does.

It was the day we opened our health shop in the new premises!

We decided I would go to watch the show jumping - for moral support and to take pictures (which turned out not to be nearly Christo’s quality!)  I was very stressed about the show jumping. During the cross country event in March and during training lessons, Darby bucked a few times, resulting in my son landing with his face in the sand!  Over the past two months CJ intensively trained Darby, but he still needed much more training hours before this wild, young horse would be tamed, or so I thought.  

On the Sunday night before the show, I couldn’t get peace.  I stressed a lot, but knew fear was not from the Lord, I was not supposed to worry and I must take my fear to the Lord and trust Him for my son’s safety.  I was nursing Michael a few times during that night and prayed constantly for CJ’s safety and a quiet, obedient spirit in Darby.

I took Josua, Andrew and Michael with me to the show and Heidi-Mari and Danika looked after David and Daniel at home.  There was a spirit of excitement and expectation as I arrived at the beautiful grounds where the Agri Expo was hosted.  Dozens of riders in uniforms parading and waiting, on their proud, well groomed horses, as far as the eye could see. CJ would took part in the 60cm, 70cm and 80cm show jumping.  In the 60cm there were 58 participants, in the 70cm 49 participants and in the 70cm 21 participants.  We were in for a long day!

Eventually, around 12h00 it was CJ’s turn to enter the arena for the 60cm. I was surprised beyond belief!  Darby was a totally different horse, than a month ago.
  

CJ’s intensive practice with Darby, over the past few weeks, 6 days a week and two extra lessons with a very experienced trainer, made a miraculous difference!  They did a beautiful calm round, but Darby unfortunately kicked the last pole!

Every time when CJ entered the arena, I prayed that God would help him do his best and it was evident that God, as usual, was answering my prayer!

In the 70cm, CJ was the 3rd participant, but the first rider didn’t pitch so, CJ was second in line.  As he walked into the arena I immediately saw he’d forgotten his course.  His eyes was searching the arena and I cried out to God, to please help my son - “Let him find the course!”  I knew his competitive spirit, I knew how hard he’d practiced with Darby and I knew he had high expectations - he cannot lose this show, because he forgot his course! The first three jumps went well, but he didn’t have an idea where were the 4th jump was.   

In show jumping you are not allowed to cross your own tracks, between two jumps.  How was my son going to find the next jump, concentrating on his movements and controlling his horse?  I was in for another surprise! With great care and authority, CJ guided Darby between the jumps, searching the arena for the 4th jump, while making sure he didn’t cross his lines!  It was brilliant riding!  Next, his instructor shouted a clue and immediately he was back on track!  Focused and in total control, he approached the 4th jump and finished the 10 jump course in a clear round!  I was overjoyed!  As usual every one could see that I’m CJ’s mother, by my excitement!  

By finishing with a clear round he qualified for the 80 cm jump off and I prayed even harder and had Heidi-Mari and Christo in prayer too.  “Please Lord, give my son another clear round, and please Lord, give my son a place, but not my will, Your will be done!”

CJ did the jump off in 48 seconds and for a long time was in third place. Since he was 2nd in line of the approximately 25 riders for the jump off, it felt like hours watching every rider, listening in great anticipation to their finishing times. It became clear that he was standing a chance to get placed under the first 10 riders!  The shortest time was 42 seconds. 

I almost yelled out with joy, when they announced the winners and CJ got a 5th place! 

Oh! The Lord is faithful! After a very successful 2009, with Silverball, CJ had to start all over again with Darby. But the Lord has a plan for CJ, to prosper him, not to harm him. He gave CJ and Darby a breakthrough!  Thank you Lord!

At the 80cm Darby kicked the #5 jump, but by now horse and rider was exhausted after a very long, hot autumn day and considering that, they had a beautiful performance! 

Afterwards CJ told me he hadn’t even expected to be near the first 10 placements! He only hoped to have at least one clear round. His aim was to have Darby calm and steady in the jumps. Using the Agri Expo as a ‘training event’!

Josua and Andrew was so good during the long day.

  

Andrew having a once off ice cream treat for being so good!

Josua with his ice cream!

And little Michael... 

He was in the Ergo most of the time, nursing and sleeping, while his mom was taking pictures and getting overjoyed with excitement.  (For South African Readers, the African Carrier is almost exactly the same)

During the whole event, I constantly SMS/texted Christo and Heidi-Mari for prayer requests and updates.  At one stage Heid-Mari replied back, asking me how I could handle all the stress.  This was the first time I handled the day so relaxed, I usually go home halfway through the day, using the little ones as excuse, but totally stressed out.  

I believe nursing Michael made the difference.  Every time a mother nurses her baby, two hormones are released.  Prolactin and Oxytocin. Prolactin is a ‘love hormone’, which is why the more you nurse your baby, the more you fall in love with your baby!  I can testify that this is true! 

I’m not only falling in love with my sweet Michael more and more (if it is possible) but also with the rest of my children!  I don’t want to leave my children.

Oxytocin is a relaxing hormone and make you feel calm and often sleepy. I can’t help it, when I lay down next to Michael to nurse him, I always fall asleep! It is reported that Mothers who exclusively breastfed their babies, have lower levels of anxiety and depression than mothers who bottle-feed their babies. 

In nursing Michael through out the day, Oxytocin helped me cope with my stress!  The Lord is so good, and He indeed made our bodies wonderfully!

Thank you Lord for protecting my son during the Agri Expo and giving him a place. 

Thank you for keeping Heidi-Mari, Danika, David and Daniel safe at home.

I praise your Wonderful Name!

PS.  While CJ was participating in the show jumping he didn’t want an ice cream when I bought Josua and Andrew’s. So on his request, I took him and Heidi-Mari (because she looked after her brothers and sister so well on Monday) for frozen yoghurt at Tygervalley Centre, on Wednesday. This time Josua looked after his brothers and sisters, while they were fast asleep. They didn’t even know their mother was away!  

What a special outing it was, with my two oldest children and my youngest!

Breastfeeding Part II

I thought it was just too easy - the adapting to our eighth baby! He almost never cried, except for the first five days, before we knew his neck was misaligned.

After we took him to our family chiropractor for three treatments, he was so content and a very happy baby. He would feed every 2 hours and slept almost all the time.  When he was awake he would just follow me with his big eyes where ever I go. He would cry when he had a dirty nappy and after I’ve changed it he would fuzz until I gave him the breast and then fell asleep again! 

But then we hit Tuesday! It was like a bump in a smooth road and totally unexpected! He started by being fuzzy, then it turned into crying and he just didn’t want to sleep, except in my arms and then he would be very restless.  He wanted to be on my breast 24 hours a day and was clearly overfed and had reflux all the time!  That continued for Tuesday night and Wednesday too.  By Wednesday evening I was exhausted and discouraged!  What happened to my content baby?  Could it be the heatwave we experienced?

And then on Wednesday night he just fell asleep and only fed once. It was no surprise when I woke up on Thursday morning so refreshed. Half way through the day I realized, I got my sweet baby back!  It was only then that it struck me - Michael was crying due to an aching tummy because his mommy ate the wrong food during her birthday!  On Monday morning I had a baked cheese cake. Monday evening Christo took me out for dinner and I had creamed butternut soup, pasta with cream and apple crumble pudding.  Since he didn’t complain during Monday or Monday night, I thought it didn’t affect him, but it certainly did, only a few hours later.

I’m not new to colic babies.  I remember the hours CJ would cry when we went for family dinners during his first few weeks.  Heidi-Mari was even worse.  Not only would she cry 24 hours a day, due to an aching tummy, but her whole body was covered in eczema. At one stage the pus came out of her red body due to me having diary products over a festive season! It was during this time that this Dietitian (me) learned the hard way. It wasn’t only coffee and alcohol which entered breast milk (as I was taught), but everything we eat will be excreted into the breast milk and eventually affect baby.  They are so sensitive to ‘wrong food’.

With Josua we were much more alert on the food I ate, and over the past few years we learned more and more with every baby.  It was only after our sixth baby (David) that we really understood the diet for a breastfeeding mother.  I believe if we didn’t learn with every baby and avoided more and more of the wrong foods, all my babies would have been colic babies and I most probably wouldn’t have had eight children! 

A word of warning: Your pediatrician, clinic sister, dietitian (trust me on this!) and for that matter your mother in law, will tell you the food you eat has NO effect on your baby - except coffee, alcohol and maybe chocolates! I can show you living proof that certain foods, especially fast foods and microwaved food, DO affect your baby!

So what do I avoid during the first three months of a newborn baby?  There are so many foods to avoid, it is easier for me to tell you what I’m allowed to eat, but I will still try.

I avoid all wheat. Even ‘organic wheat’.  Organic wheat is still altered and now contains 21 genes in comparison to the original 7 genes of the God-made-wheat and thus the body doesn’t have the enzymes to digest it correctly. We bake our own bread from Spelt. 

The next big no-no is, diary products.  That includes milk, cream, cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt, etc. butter is ok.

Food containing MSG make babies cry for hours!  That means there are no soup powders, aromat or tin food in my kitchen cupboards.  

Sugar is also a stumbling block on your way to an easy baby!  Sugar is a mind-altering-drug and will make your baby more irritable. Be especially careful of breakfast cereals. During the first six months of a new baby I also avoid honey in my food.  I’ve noticed it caused blocked noses and colic with some babies. 

How does one know if there are wheat, diary, MSG or sugar in food?  You start by reading the food labels!

The next thing we’ve noticed is the effect of pesticides and chemical treatment in fresh fruit and vegetables on Newborn babies.  We currently only eat organic fruit and vegetables. 

If you are in the Western Cape Peninsula you can look into the Ethical Co-op for organic fruit and vegetables.  Now you may ask, what if you don’t have access to organic fruit and vegetables or cannot afford it? We only have access to organic fruit for the past 4 months. 

Before this, I just avoided fruit during the first 3 to 6 months of my new baby and only ate certain vegetables.

For fruit, I’ll have an organic apple, pear or peach.  I avoid banana (as it causes constipation and mucus in babies) and citrus fruit.  I’m careful of prunes, watermelon, grapes, strawberries, pawpaw and mango.

For vegetables, I stay safe with butternut, sweet potato and squash.  From all other vegetables, especially the onion family, cabbage family, beans and peas I stay away.

For starch I only eat rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes. We make our own pasta with spelt flour (recipe below).

For protein I have eggs, lamb, mince (I make sure it is medium fat beef mince and contains nothing else than beef) and chicken.  NO pork, beacon or any sausage. We buy all our meat products (lamb, chicken, mince, 'boerewors' - sausage, fillet) from the Boesmanland and they are totally organic!

I also avoid any commercial mayonnaise, chutney, soya sauce, tomato puree, tomato paste or tomato sauce.

I also avoid any teas, especially rooibos tea!  Rooibos tea causes the intercellular cellular fluids to become very acidic, which caused me to take longer to recover from labour.  Typical symptoms from being acidic is an aching body.

I only have one or two organic, decaf cappuccino's, made with rice milk and a little brown sugar a week.

The golden rule is to prepare your food from scratch and throw out your microwave.  You can read about microwave cooking here.

We also follow the blood group diet of Dr. Peter D’Adamo  The blood group diet doesn’t only benefit your baby, it has the benefit of you getting back in shape in no time!  I’m an O-blood type and eat meat with breakfast, lunch and supper.  I eat butter and certainly don’t avoid fat.  But I do avoid sugar!  Contrary to what you may have been told or believe, it isn’t fat that make you fat, it is sugar and too much fruit!  Michael is one month old and I’m only 3 kg from what I weighed before I fell pregnant.  And that has been the case with every baby.

So what do I eat?

I eat as simple as possible, no fast foods, only food prepared from scratch in my kitchen.  This way I know exactly what is in every meal.

I bake our own bread with spelt flour, an ancient wheat imported from Europe.  It isn’t genetically modified and is grown organic.  I have a Panasonic bread machine, which makes baking bread no big deal.  

For salt I only use sea salt or Himalayan salt.

We love pasta and we make our own with spelt in the Kenwood Chef with the pasta accessories.

Whenever we need milk, we use rice milk powder.

Breakfast:

2 baked eggs and spelt bread.

or

scrambled eggs (seasoned only with rice milk and sea salt) and spelt bread.

or

an egg omelet (egg, salt and water) with left over mince from supper and spelt bread

and

Carrot juice (made by Heidi-Mari) in our Oscar Juicer.

I eat only St. Dalfourd’s apricot jam on my spelt toast.

I avoid any form of sausage and beacon with breakfast.

Lunch:

We always try to have left over food from the previous night’s supper for lunch.

Spelt bread with chicken fillets (Sortie free range chicken fillets in a little butter, then add some water and cook with sea salt and 1 -2 fresh, organic tomatoes and basil and thyme from my vegetable garden.)

or 

Spelt bread with thin slices left over leg of lamb (see recipe under supper).

or

Spelt bread with cooked egg.

Supper:

Always prepared from scratch!

Leg of lamb and rice cooked with sea salt. (Cover leg of lamb with fresh tomato puree, basil and thyme - from your own vegetable garden or organic if possible and sea salt. Pour some water in bottom of oven pan, cover with foil. Bake for 3 hours at 180 degree C. Take foil off and bake until brown and crispy)

or

Lamb ‘tjops’ on rice cooked with sea salt (Put lamb ‘tjops’ in oven pan, pour some water in bottom of oven pan, cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 180 degree C.  Take foil off after 1 hour, season with sea salt and bake for another 30 min. or until brown and crispy)

or

Mince on spelt pasta, with white sauce. (Mince - sortie in little butter.  Add sea salt, fresh tomato puree, basil, thyme and rosemary and cook for about 20 minutes; Spelt pasta - enough for our family of 9 - 600g spelt flour, 4 beaten eggs, 5ml salt. Mix together for 1min on medium speed in Kenwood Mixer. Make pasta of choice with Kenwood accessories; ) 

White sauce made with 70g butter, 60g spelt, 10ml sea salt, 1l rice milk. 

or

Chicken fillet burger. (Sortie free range chicken fillets in a little butter, add some water and cook with sea salt and 1 -2 fresh tomatoes; Spelt buns - dough made in Panasonic bread machine on Pizza method, shape round buns, put in oven - not pre-heated at 180 degrees C until light brown.)

For vegetables:

Butternut cubes in oven pan with butter and salt, baked at 180 degree C until soft and tender.

or 

Squash cooked only in salt water, add butter cube after cooked.

or

Sweet potato baked in oven at 180 degree C.

and

Fresh carrot and pineapple salad (made by Josua with our Oscar juicer)

and

Fresh green salad (made by Heidi-Mari), lettuce, tomatoes and avocado - all organic, from our vegetable garden, except for avocado.

What supplements am I taking to ensure ENOUGH milk for my baby? 

(We all know a mother who was advised by a clinic nurse or Mother in Law to give her baby extra bottle feeding, due to her ‘weak’ milk or insufficient milk. 

I drink 3-4 liter of filter water (NOT reverse-osmosis water or Distilled water) a day with 2 Coral Calcium sachets and 25 drops of Concentrace (I’m prone to restless legs and Concentrace is total cure).

After breakfast I drink:

one multi vitamin (Viridian High five multi vitamin and mineral);

two Coral 8 capsules (for extra Calcium and Vitamin D);

two Omega SLO capsules (Strengthening your breast milk and building block of ALL the hormones and EVERY cell);

one Activ 8 capsules(Anti-oxidant);

two Mindsets (Gives me Brain Food for the day)

one Vitamin C capsule

As you can see, there isn’t a great variety in my diet and it does get boring after a month, but coping with a fuzzy or colic baby, during the day, and even worse, at night, isn’t easy at all.  It all depends on how desperate you are to have a content baby! 

That is exactly why I got a fuzzy baby after my birthday.  I was so good in eating nothing wrong from Michael’s first day, that I didn’t give the possibility of Michael being allergic and even colic, one thought! He was just so content!  

So, when I got the opportunity of eating out on my birthday, I just ordered what I was used to when I didn’t have a newborn baby!  And I faced the consequences, not to mention the tummy ache my sweet baby had for almost two days!

Now I’m fanatical to eat right and avoid any possible food that can cause Michael dis-ease.  He is worth it, to sacrifice a large variety diet!