Got Milk?

Gracey has been growing, what seems, right before our eyes! I really don't know where the time goes, or how all of the sudden she has turned from my baby into a real person. I thought I would highlight a few things about her that are worth sharing, but most of all, worth remembering.



Last month, Gracey started getting serious stomach cramps. She had no other symptoms of illness, but her stomach would hurt her so badly that she would be unable to move. About a week of these stomach cramps coming and going, something told me to have her avoid dairy. My little brother developed a lactose intolerance when he was in elementary school that I vaguely remembered. I decided to give that a shot. She quit milk and cheese cold turkey and sure enough, no more stomach pains. I was planning on giving her some dairy after a week or so as a cruel, but insightful, confirmation that she was indeed lactose intolerant. About the same time I was planning on doing that, I get a call from her school telling me that she had stomach pains again. Sure enough, she had pudding for a snack and that did it. She had no idea that pudding had milk in it and her teacher admittedly said she wasn't thinking. (I don't blame her at all. Gosh, she has 22 little ones to take care of!) From then on, we gave her lactose enzymes and she was fixed. She was so good about remembering and reminding me to have one. The tablets made life so much easier for all of us. She could eat any dairy product she wanted without having those awful pains afterward.

About a month later, we both forgot one time. It wasn't until about an hour or so AFTER mealtime that we realized it. It was at that time we also realized that she wasn't having any stomach pains either. So we decided to experiment once again and try having dairy without the tablets. Wouldn't you know it...no more cramps. I don't know what the heck was going on in her little body for that month, but I am glad it's over.

And if anyone needs lactaid enzymes, we have a whole lot that we will share.