We are having another beautiful spring-like day in N. Texas. It started off cold, rainy, and dreary, but now the sun is out and it is beautful - can't help but be in a good mood. I'm trying a new recipe - pork stew with guajillo chiles. It's another recipe from my friend Cristy, so you know it's going to be good.

Chile:
7-8 dried guajillo chiles (no more than 10)
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
3 cloves garlic
optional ingredients: 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp cumin, 3-5 tomatillos (see below)

Clean chiles (be careful not to get much on your hands. I wear nylon gloves). Take off stem, cut down middle and remove seeds. Rinse. Put chile skins in pan of water, softly boiling, for about 30 mins, until plumped up and tender. Drain. Add to blender w/remaining ingredients. Blend very well. If too thick, add a bit more water (and no, I don't know what 'too thick' means, I'm just copying down Cristy's instructions!). Strain chile in fine mesh colander.

Tomatillo prep. Take off outer skin/peel. Put in saucepan w/boiling water. When they start to blister & pop open, they are done.

Put chile in sauce pan. Let come to soft boil. Set aside. (I didn't do this step. I lost the recipe and winged it).

Pork:
1 pork roast, diced
salt, pepper, & garlic powder to season
(I followed Cristy's suggestion and made jar with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder mixed together so I can use again in the future)

Fry pork w/seasonings in pan w/oil. Once browned, cook for about 30 mins on lower heat (about 40-45 mins total). Add chile to pork and bay leaf (opt). Simmer about 20-30 mins.

Cristy serves w/spanish rice (homemade) and beans. Can also eat on tortillas.



Knitting update - there's nothing to update - estimated finish date on Rachael's poncho sometime before Christmas 2006.

Abby update - went to the pediatrician with the 4 kids on Tuesday. Jacob has been wheezing, and his asthma medication expired. Had Abby weighed while we were there. She had lost a lb since her January appt, putting her at 15 lbs even. Did a finger prick to rule out diabetes, a urine culture to rule out a UTI. The ped suggested supplementing her with formula - nutramagen (called "liquid gold" by many because of it's cost. Judging from the other kids' food allergies the ped did not want to mess her up further by giving her one of the cheaper formulas). Nutramagen is milk-based, but the proteins have been broken down so much there's not supposed to be much left the body will react to. When I was a baby I drank progestamil (sp?) - another broken-down formula. Abby shudders when she drinks it. I heard from another mom on a board I'm on that said her doc suggested adding Karo syrup until they are more used to the taste. I'm going to try it tonight. Let's hope Abby doesn't end up with a corn allergy like Mr. Jacob and Ms. Rachael.

Went to the neurologist yesterday. No news there, which I'm relieved about. Well, actually there was some news. They weighed Abby and she is now around 14 1/2 lbs. WTH!!! I called the ped's office and they said not to panic *yet*. I took Abby to a lab for a blood draw yesterday. I'm hoping the results will be in on Mon or Tues. Between the ped's labs and the neurologist's labs (he wanted to rule out any chromosomal probs. Jacob had these tests run and was okay, so chances are the results will be similar w/Abby).

Today Abby is fussy, spitting up a lot, having very yucky diapers (not as bad as the rotavirus ones, mind you), and without much of an appetite. So what am I supposed to do??? She is NOT healthy, she is still losing weight, she is very fussy with her OT exercises, which the OT is thinking because Abby is losing weight and weak. I'm wondering "is it the formula?" "the egg yolk I gave her yesterday" "a new bug?" (her nose is running). Oh God, please hold on to my little girl, and please give us some answers and a good outcome.

Rachael update. Well, she missed 2 weeks at the church MDO program in January. They didn't call or anything. I took her back this past Wednesday - they did not know she was gone. Hmmm. Again - hmmm. Needless to say, I am praying to God for guidance on this one. And I think I'm getting some answers. I've had various professionals trucking through the house for Abby or the boys. Each has recently noted that Rachael seems to be really lagging developmentally, and engaging in a lot of self-stimulating behaviors (in autistic speak, this is called "stimming" - had flapping, eyes crossing, lining up toys in a row (ie, inappropriate play w/toys - see Jacob and/or Joshua for demonstrations). NO ONE is saying she is autistic - just lagging more and more behind her peers. They've even noted this at preschool, which is significant, because they don't know she's there half the time. They were planning to put her in a classroom w/younger kids (rather than kids her age) next year. Soooo.. after discussing the matter in depth w/Jacob's teacher Shonna, I called the school district and requested an evalation for PPCD placement (public preschool for children w/disabilities - memorize this, because I will never take the time to type it out again!). I need to return paperwork to the school district, and then they will schedule an evaluation for Rachael. She turns 3 March 6th, and would be immediately placed in a classroom, providing she meets criteria for disability.

What disability, you ask? I don't know. I'm winging this. And let me say it took some major chunks off my layers of pride to take this step. All along, Rachael has been our special blessing, the one that was going to 'make it.' It's not that we don't adore the boys, it's just such a blessing, such a gift from God, to see Rachael do things the boys have never been able to accomplish. They have been truly 'God moments.' Yes, I have taken it for granted so much, and often count on her to sit in some corner with a toy while I'm dealing with one of the boys or Abby. But her needs are pushing to the forefront these days. I'm thinking, if I can get her into a school setting w/teachers who are trained to work with delayed children, to pay attention and help Rachael along, instead of focusing on the 'typical' kids, and let the others like Rachael tag along for the ride - - this may be a good thing. So about 30-40% of me wants a PPCD placement for Rachael, and the other 60-70% wants them to say, "she's not delayed enough for services."

..gotta go. The school bus is here!