Lenten Studies and Climbing Babies!

Hello friends. I've been away from the blog for a month, so I will try and catch up. ~ I've been really busy. Our little grand daughter keeps me on the go. Also for this current season of Lent, I somehow got involved with 3 Bible studies! I am supposed to read everyday for two of them, and that is really not working out. I usually play catch up on a couple of days in. Our regular Bible study that meets early Tuesday morning is not doing the Lenten study that many small groups in the church are doing. The leader decided not to do it. That's OK for her to say, she's not doing the Lenten study on her own either, but most of the rest of us are. Tuesday's Bible study is one that I am supposed to read everyday for. The title of the book we are studying is "Jesus Calling- Living a Life of Worship." It's by Sarah Young. It has eight sessions, but our ladies in Bible study usually take longer. I may do a little catching up when I go to bed tonight. 

The next study is the Lenten study our church is doing. It's a great book. I really like it. It's called "Companions in Christ." It's a "small group experience in Spiritual formation"  My husband-the pastor- wanted all the already existing small groups to do this study. So... my knitting/crocheting group is doing it. This coming Thursday is our last session. It's been an encouraging study. I am really trying to keep up and I do enjoy it. 

And the last study I am involved with is "Made to Crave- satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food." That's by Lysa Terkeurst. That too is really good. I down loaded that on kindle on my i-pad. So I listen to that when my little one is taking a nap in the mornings and I am usually doing something in the kitchen. So I am actually ahead in that one. I have a participant's guide I have to answer questions in. Maybe in another blog I will share some of that study with you. - Two friends wanted to study that one and asked me if I wanted to join them. So I did. That one is on Monday nights. I can bring my grand daughter with me if need be and she can play while we discuss. 

She is growing a lot. She is 14 months old now but still only weighs 20 pounds. But of course, she started out small. She started out at 5 pounds 4 ounces. - She has 8 teeth now and is working on molars. She is a real charmer and a real climber. Yesterday she crashed into the coffee table and has a mark right between her eyes! The poor baby! - She is now tall enough to climb onto the couch and love seat. She was using her large stacking blocks before to stand on, but now she can shimmy up herself. I really don't like her on the couch, but it's hard to keep her off. Our living room is gated off and is serving as a play room too. We do have a parlor that can be used if we have any company who would object to having toys around. -- This morning I was on the couch with her and she dashed to the end of the couch all of a sudden and flipped right off, head over heals! I leaped up to grab her and she was crying and crying. She had landed on a baby blanket that had fallen on the floor She was just really surprised! Good grief! I know I am going to gain many a gray hair from this one! 

One problem we are having with her is that she seems to have a reflux problem. 
I first noticed it when she was 4 or 5 months old and still on formula. She stuck her little hand into her mouth and was gagging! When she turned one year old and started on whole milk, the gagging herself problem really got worse. She was making herself throw up quite often. Well, since her mama is partially lactose intolerant, I figured grand daughter A must be too, and started her on Lactose free milk. It did help quite a bit. That milk is pretty expensive especially at our little local grocery store. It costs $4.79 for a half gallon. She goes through that in 2 days. We did find out that Shop Rite and Aldies have a brand that costs $2.79. They both are about 15 miles away though. So when we buy it, we buy 2 half gallons at a time. 

I have been trying to discuss this with her doctor. Finally I got a script to get a blood test to test for the lactose intolerance to make it official. I also had a script for a CBC which they wanted done at one year. I thought it would be a little finger prick, but no. I had to take her to Lab Corp. and they took 2 vials of blood! I had to hold her down while she screamed! Poor little thing! It was terrible! -- I got the result from the lactose test yesterday. Doctor says that she is not allergic to anything. No lactose intolerance, no allergies to any food at all. That of course is a good thing, but it takes us back to square one! The doctor is going to give us a referral to an eating specialist for children. Meanwhile, she said if A is doing better on the lactose free milk, to keep her on it.  She also takes an antacid twice a day. ---- This has all been very frustrating and I feel so helpless when she insists on gagging herself with her whole fist in her mouth! She throws up and it brings tears to her eyes. I know she's not enjoying it! I don't understand. 

So I will try and wind this up. I am getting too long. - Our son J ended his basketball season. He was on JV and they didn't do very well this year. The varsity team did great. J was discouraged much of the time. - He started having a sore ankle so I took him to the orthopedist that we have been to before. That doctor ended up ordering an MRI because she was fearful that he had the same condition on his ankle that he had on his knees a few years ago. That was called OCD- where the cartilage is not attached to the bone in places. (He had had 3 knee surgeries correcting it.) -- Turned out that it was fine! Praise God! She gave him a brace to wear and that was that. 

So-- I will end now. I hope those who read this are enjoying the beginnings of Spring with some early Spring flowers. - Until next time- God Bless. Be blessed and be a blessing to someone else. ---