Tuesday, April 27, 2010

We kind of went crazy this boy and I

But of course, I am the only one that can be blamed.  My visiting teacher brought by a dozen of those big, delicious cookies from Paradise Bakery today.  Just out of the blue she stopped and dropped them off, it was a very nice thing for her to do.  She mentioned that the lemon ones on the bottom of the bag were especially delicious.  I thanked her and she left and I was thinking how much my family would enjoy these cookies that I would not get to eat because like 98% of desserts and treats I am  certain there is some type of dairy in these: butter the most obvious.  But the thought of a delicious lemon cookie was more than I could take.  I pulled one out of the bag and stared at it.  I have been thinking that Owen might have grown out of his milk allergy and I gave him a cube of cheese and a couple bites of yogurt a couple of weeks ago and hadn't noticed any problems.  But then the ear infection came so I figured it was a bad time to test for a milk allergy.  He finished his antibiotics for the ear infection yesterday.  And man, I have been really missing sweets and baked goods.  All of that reasoning was enough to send me over the edge.  It felt like sinning, and I really enjoyed that lemon cookie.  I was in the mood of throwing caution to the wind so I declared to the boys that we were eating cookies and milk for lunch.  And while I was at it, I might as well test Owen directly.  I gave him a good serving of yogurt, enough I figured so I could be totally sure if he was allergic.  After he ate he promptly went to bed without a fuss.  He actuall slept a good two plus hours, the longest nap he's had in several days. 

I haven't noticed a reaction yet, and cross-my-fingers we may be over this dairy allergy.  Most babies do outgrow a dairy allergy, so fortunately Owen has too.  Tonight we had paninis for dinner.  I had pesto sauce on mine (contains parm cheese) with some big slices of monterey jack.  I haven't had cheese for seven months.  Oh how I have missed cheese.  We'll see how Owen sleeps tonight and in the next coule of days hopefully he doesn't have any eczema break outs.  There are so many things I look forward to eating!

{A hesitant hooray!}

Just to be clear, he doesn't get a severe reaction to dairy.  He use to get eczema, but hasn't lately when I've slipped and had dairy on accident.  Sometimes it seemed like it bothered his tummy, but never a terrible amount.  That's why it's been difficult to tell if he's still got a dairy issue.  And that's why I felt warranted in going so far with this allergy test.  I wanted to be sure.  Well, and those cookies of course, definitely played a part.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Finally a Swingset


We are happy owners of a swingset.


Last week Mark and my brother-in-law Daryl picked this up from a lady in Paradise Valley who'd posted it on Craigslist.  I've spent a lot of time looking at swingsets on Craigslist for nearly six months now, so I kind of knew what to look for.  We went to Dana Playground to look at new ones before Christmas and saw this set there.  It's their smallest steel set at about $1,000.  We snagged it, 5 years old, for $200.  The deal with finding a deal on Craigslist: Get familiar with what you're looking for, then strike fast.  Oh, and don't be a sucker.  Mark and the neighbor cleared the rocks in the area and planted the thing in the ground with some cement on Saturday.  This morning Mark woke early to put the slide and swings on before work.  Things are wet in the picture because we'd just hosed it all down.  Someday we'll have some type of playground material on the ground.  For now it's dirt, but hooray!  We've been waiting for this swingset for a long time.

A long story

I have heard that wives are suppose to ask for what they want from their husbands.  I hear that husbands like that, or more importantly, they need that.  So one day, maybe two months ago, I casually told Mark, "You know, it would really be nice if someday you'd stop by Angel Sweet on your way home from work and bring me some gelato."  Being banned from ice cream and most other desserts for the sake of my nursing child, I was most excited to find out that there are many flavors of gelato that don't contain any dairy.  It was a little too far away for a night-time craving.  But it was on the way home from Mark's work.  I thought I'd ask for what I wanted, but not too directly, as to leave a little room for the husband to be thoughtful.
Weeks went by and no gelato.  After a while I started thinking.  Some of these thoughts were dangerous: "I have been off dairy for the last seven months, and the least he can do is buy me some gelato," or, "Don't I do nice things for him?"  These thoughts brewed a little until one night as we were going to sleep we said our goodnights and Mark stated, "I hope you're happy."  It was not a sarcastic statement, but a loving one, kind of a question about how our life was going.  I responded, "Yes.  But I'm still waiting for my gelato."  And in spite of all that effort I put in to thinking about Mark bringing me home some gelato, he had no idea what I was talking about.  Exasperated, I filled him in on that conversation from, I don't know, a month or two ago.  He chuckled.  That was a bad idea for him to chuckle.  And he didn't remember that I'd ever said anything about that lovely, delicious gelato that they sell at Angel Sweet.  That night's conversation ended up being a bit dramatic (tears, yes) on my account, because wives--don't you know?--it's not about gelato. 

Several more days went by.  It was a Wednesday.  Mark and I were doing dishes after the boys went to bed.  The conversation was about someone we love and he said something like, "Isn't it frustrating when we know exactly what a person should be doing but they're not doing it?  Don't you wish you could just tell them what it is they should be doing?"  To Mark's dismay I replied with: "Yeah, like WHAT DOES A GIRL HAVE TO DO TO GET SOME GELATO?!" 

Then I proceeded to tell him what he should have done after sad me told him that he never got me some gelato.  I told him that he should have bought me the largest container of gelato that they sell at dear Angel Sweet--budget be darned! 
The next two nights there was absolutely no way for him to fulfill the gelato request because we were in the process of a Craigslist purchase that needed fast acting.  We finally bought a swingset.  Wednesday I picked Mark up from work and drove out so we could look at the thing.  Thursday night he picked it up with the aid of the ever-helpful Daryl, my sister's husband.  

Friday Mark went to his brothers house with a few guys for a game of Axis and Allies.  He called to let me know that there was something hidden for me in the freezer.  A huge tub of gelato, half pineapple, half berries of the forest.  Because he knows that I like to get a berry alongside something more mild.  I enjoyed quite a bit of gelato that night as I watched Extreme Home Makeover on Hulu.  For the next few nights obviously I continued to have some of this delicious goodness. 

All the while something strange was happening.  Saturday I noticed a few little bumps on my left forearm.  They felt like tiny bug bites.  I figured that's what they were, but later that day and into the next there were more and more of them on both of my arms.  By Monday I had a full-blown rash covering my arms and hands and on the bottom of my feet, but only places that weren't covered by clothing.  It looked like a mild version of chicken pox, and felt like that too, minus any other symptoms like fever.  Tuesday morning I was worried I had a disease or something that I could spread to people around me.  I looked up all sorts of crazy things about rashes and bed bugs and viruses like chicken pox and shingles.  I ruled out each one.  I was itching like crazy and very uncomfortable.  That night I finally agreed with Mark's request that I needed to see a doctor.  Mark slept on the couch just to be safe.  Wednesday I called the doctor and made an appointment for a full two days away, Friday afternoon.  One of these nights Mark and I prayed for my rash to heal.  Later when I knelt down to say my personal prayer, my mind was focused on something else when very clearly came the thought, "pineapple gelato."  I'd had some that very night, just as I had every night since Friday.  There was actually one day in there that I thought the rash was healing only for it to return later that night.  I'd snuck in a few bites of the pineapple gelato in the middle of the day.  I don't know if I have all of the sudden become allergic to pineapple or if there was something else in that gelato that I am allergic to.  Mark did have some of this gelato and has not had any reaction, just to be clear.  Also on Wednesday I started to notice a couple of canker sores in my mouth.  Eating a hot dinner made the problem much, much more painful.  Thursday I woke up to a mouthful of canker sores--looks like the reaction had spread to my mouth.  I had a horrible time eating, or even talking.  I got a flashlight to look into my mouth to see why it was so incredibly painful.  Guess how many I counted?  24.  No, that's not an exaggeration.  And that doesn't include the sores that were out of sight.  Canker sores unfortunately don't go away quickly.  I was heartbroken that Saturday was the Salsa Challenge and I was in no shape at all to be eating any chips and salsa.  The Salsa Challenge is a fundraising event in Tempe where all-you-can eat chips and salsa are dished out from nearly 100 different booths--contestants trying to win the prize for best salsa.  It's the greatest day of my life.  If you don't know, chips and salsa is a part of my identity.  Love to make it, and love to eat it, and love that Mark shares that with me.  I look forward to the Salsa Challenge for longer than I look forward to Christmas.  I prayed Friday night to be able to 1)Eat chips and salsa at the Salsa Challenge and 2)Be able to talk well enough on Sunday to teach my lesson in Relief Society at church.  I made sure to add that it was more important to me that I teach the lesson. :)  Also Friday I went to the doctor, but that was uneventful because she didn't know what to say except to rule out some scary diseases and tell me to come back if it happens again.  Also Friday my rash wasn't itchy anymore.  It had been just over a day since I stopped eating the gelato.

Saturday morning I felt worse than ever.  My mouth burned without even moving it.  I was thinking I'd tell Mark to invite someone else to go with him to the Salsa Challenge and use my ticket.  But somehow by midday I was feeling well enough to at least go.  I told Mark on the way, "I hope you don't think poorly of me, but I am going to try to eat some chips and salsa."  And so I did.  It hurt like heck, but it was worth it.  I stuck to the milder salsas but funny thing, the more I ate the better my mouth felt. 

Owen asleep on our way out of the Salsa Challenge

Adam and Mark (wait, is that him? Yeah, it's hard to tell, but it's Mark)

This picture makes me laugh.  There were some games for the kids at the Salsa Challenge.
Adam had a hard time even holding the beater thing up.  This match lasted a long time.
What a merciful Heavenly Father we have.  I think it was the salty chips that helped to heal things a bit.  Goes to show me that it does help to pray about all things that are important to us, even if they sound silly.  Sunday came and my lesson went fine, I think I was lisping but I was able to talk.  Today the rash is nearly gone and the mouth sores are on a very slow downhill.  They still hurt pretty bad, but there are not so many of them.  Though I am pretty certain I have a few down my throat now. 

I can't help but laugh at how nagging about gelato brought about all of this.  What lesson is this suppose to teach me?  Or is there one?  What's the best way for a wife to let her husband know what she'd like without making it seem like she's dictating him to do something nice for her?

I don't know about that, but I do have some advice to husbands: If your wife ever hints at wanting something or even implies liking something, especially if she is not the kind of girl to ask for things a lot, YOU'D BETTER TAKE NOTE.  Literally, write it down or engrave it on your skin or whatever it takes and then, here's the important part--do that or buy that.  Got it?


P.S. I wrote this post not to complain about my husband who I love dearly, but partly because I don't want to leave too much of reality out and only write about the good stuff.  I feel a little dishonest if I have come across like June Cleaver to anyone.  I am a wreck several times a day!  But that's not very fun for me to post about--it's better to showcase the good times most of the times.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Prognosis

The pediatrician called today with the results of Owen's blood work from yesterday.  I was surprised to hear the pediatrician's voice on the phone instead of a nurse.  He said that Owen's C O 2 levels were a bit low which might mean he was dehydrated, and also that his triglyceride levels were really high, 729 instead of 150 or below.  So we are going back for another blood test in a few weeks and hoping this one was a fluke.  If the next set of results are similar then we will be referred to a specialist.  I don't still know what it all means, but what I have gathered is high tryglicerides usually go along with high cholesterol (which Owen doesn't have).  It seems to be a symptom of, and lumped in with, other ailments that are often caused by being overweight (which Owen obviously isn't) like heart disease and diabetes.  Sometimes high triglycerides are hereditary and have to be monitored for life, and I don't know what that all entails so hopefully that's not the case here.  The websites I've read about this say a person can lower their triglycerides by eating healthier: less fat, especially saturated fats.  But obviously that's not exactly meant to be advice for an infant, let alone one that is below the growth chart.
Well, maybe the prognosis of Owen's blood test that was done yesterday is bad mothering?  Not that I would go so far as to say that I am a bad mother, but I am feeling a little bit that way today.  Mark reminded me that the night before Owen's blood was drawn we'd eaten at Chik-fil-A and we'd given him some little pieces of the meat of the fried chicken strips, perhaps the most fatty meal he's eaten yet.  So maybe this was just a spike because of the chicken.  And I am going to start supplementing with a little formula (which also feels a little like a failure) to make sure he has enough milk.  We're going to have to be a bit more cautious about Owen's meals in general, making sure he eats at fairly regular times and has plenty to eat each time.   

Anyway, boring post, but thanks for listening.

9 months

Owen is nine months old (two days ago).  Today he went in for his checkup at the doctor's office.  Diagnosis: ear infection.  Who knew?  He's been happy and sleeping fine too.  Also he is tracking low on his growth curve so they drew his blood for an analysis.  We went through a few tests with Adam too because of his weight.  But Owen weighs even less, currently he is not on the charts at just over 16 pounds.  Darn.  For his sake we'd better get some more fat in our diets the both of us.

Currently Owen has two teeth on the bottom, but the top ones are trying really hard to get through.  He rolls all around on the floor but is not crawling or scooting yet.  We guess that is coming soon because he is really trying hard now to get places.  If he's really motivated he'll turn over onto his back and he can push with his feet against the carpet to get himself forward a few inches.  Yes, this is pretty funny to watch.

Owen's nicknames:

O's: Mark and Dallin
Dallin likes the nickname Mark has been using so he decided to use it too.  The other day Dallin said to Owen "hey buds," then he added to me, "I was going to call him buddy, but then I just decided to call him buds."

I tend to use various nicknames or terms of endearment for little O.  I realized that basically I take one prefix from column A and one suffix from column B and merge them.

Column A:
Owen
Sweet
Angel
Baby

Column B:
babe
cake
sweet

So we end up with stuff like these: Owenbabe, Sweetcake, Angelcake or Angelsweet, you get the idea.

This little guy is sure loved around here. 

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Adam's Jams

Last night, Adam decided, "I want to to wear five shirts and five pants" to bed. After a slight internal struggle I simply remained silent. He proceeded to layer his pajamas one on top of another until he ended up surpassing his goal--seven shirts and six pants.

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Apparently he has TOO many pairs of pajamas. At one point when he was somewhere between four or six of each I softly mentioned that he might be hot with all of those clothes on. He replied with, "I like the hot because the hot tickles my tummy." Oh, yes, sure, of course.

So I took his blankets off his bed and Mark and I discussed that we will need to make sure to check on him after he went to bed to be sure that he doesn't get overheated. Kissed the boys goodnight.

Ten minutes later Adam came out of his room, his face was flushed and his cheeks were pink as if he'd spent a summer afternoon outside. He told me, "I think I just want one shirt and one pants." So layer by layer we took off the extra clothes. Here he is with the leftovers.

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Though in the end he ended up with one shirt and two pairs of shorts on, but at least he learned for himself why it's not a good idea to wear so many layers to bed.

Easter Happenings

We had a great Easter, hope you did too.
Here's the one picture of us "at" the Easter Pageant. Except it is when Owen and I stayed behind in the car for a feeding and a diaper change. He was accidently looking very stylish this particular day. Somehow random pieces of gifted or clearance items came together quite well and I took a picture before I changed him into his warm jams for the pageant.

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We went to the neighborhood egg hunt where children wash down the water retention area and clean it of the thousands of eggs scattered about.

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We pulled our couch into the dining room where the computer is to watch General Conference online.

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Dallin took this one:
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And we ate dinner with the Smith family. Aunt Stacey and Grandpa were doing their best to help me get a shot of the little guys on Easter.

Owen was not cooperative.
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And Adam was not cooperative.
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Owen got an egg to distract him.
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And Grandpa was hilarious waving a hose over there.

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Does this one work? Two out of three kids smiling at the camera isn't so bad, right?
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Pictures can be deceiving anyway.

Out and About

Lately we have had some very nice Saturdays without many commitments. We've enjoyed spending time together as a family and getting out to enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Recently we went to the Chandler Jazz Festival for a short while. If you didn't know, jazz is Mark's passion and he has a quartet that he plays with from time to time. Looking for a classy addition to a wedding reception or company party--you should give him a call. The boys got to participate with the kids in the kazoo band. The guy here would play a line on his trumpet and the kids would repeat it on their kazoos. It was pretty great.

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Here we are sitting and enjoying some music.

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We didn't stay much longer after that because frankly, kids aren't so into, you know, sitting.

Easter weekend we checked out a new park.

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We are hoping to get out on some more adventures before it heats up too much. Any suggestions?