Mmm Mmm Good!

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of watermelon.
Trader Joe's had them this week.
It was gone within 24 hours - enjoyed by all.
Yum Yum Yum!

Train Table

Yesterday, I took Erik and Lainey to Barnes and Noble to play at the train table. Erik has always liked this but yesterday he couldn't stop talking about it. On a whim, I looked to see what was available on Craig's List.

I found a great deal!The table, 20-30 trains, spiral track, lots of track 'props', 100 pieces of regular track all for $180.
Best deal ever!
I am guessing if I bought this new in the store it would be around $800.
The oldest kid in the family we bought it from was 3 years old.
He wanted something bigger and better - his parents obliged.
Gross! Only in northern Virginia would a 3 year old think he needed something better than this collection (and have parents who listen to him).

Here is a fuzzy (Victor took it and had it zoomed out too far so the quality is terrible) of Erik discovering his train table.

Getting Ready To Be One

Lainey and Wyatt are almost one already! It is hard to believe. Look at what Lainey got to try out today....

I told her to "say cheese" and this is what she did.
Pretty funny!

Here is what Erik thought of Lainey's first time in the booster chair.

Family Fun

We took Erik and Lainey to their first real movie tonight!
It was really fun!
We saw the Earth Day movie produced by Disney called Oceans.
It was quite amazing!

Lainey was entertained too. Although she dropped a sippy cup once and loudly said, "Uh oh!"
I gave her back the cup and she immediately dropped it again which was followed by another, "Uh oh!" Too cute!
I was so impressed with the filming I wondered if parts of it were animation.
Nope-it is all the real deal.

After the movie we were headed back home.
We almost never go out to eat (with the kids in tow at least) but Erik
saw the restaurant Johnny Rocket and exclaimed, "I really need to eat lunch
at that store Mom!"
The caliber of the food was so-so but the atmosphere was fun.
Erik danced and bounced to the music and had a big grin on his face the whole time.Victor ordered an Oreo malt which we helped him finish.
Even Lainey, who really does not get any dairy yet (I am still off of dairy
for the most part too), snuck in a few sips for the picture.
She was quite impressed!

Music To My Ears

This sweet baby girl figured out how to say Mama this week!
Oh so sweet!
Unfortunately, she hasn't been feeling well so Mama has sounded more like MaaaMaaa.

I love being your mommy sweet baby girl!
Other words she seems to say are:
Dada, Up, and Uh-oh

Happy Birthday Grandma

We hope you had a fun day!

(And I hope this makes up for not getting a card in the mail yet!)

Fit 'Friday'

Well I am done with p90x-- did the 'last' video today. Overall, I thought it was a good program. I think I have gotten to a point in life where I need to do more than just cardio if I want to maintain the shape/weight I prefer. The biggest change I noticed is in my shoulder and arm strength. I can do lots of real push ups now and even have done a pull-up or two without the assistance of a chair. I think overall I am a little more toned now but nothing earth shattering.

I am going to try to keep incorporating 3 videos a week into my workouts as a way to keep weights/sit-ups a part of my normal routine. Hopefully, I will continue to slowly gain more muscle strength.

Here are the before and after stats....

Arms at bicep peak:
Day 1: 10.75 inches
Day 90: 11 inch

Waist:
Day 1: 28.5 inches
Day 90: 27.5-28 inches

Hips:
Day 1: 36 inches
Day 90: 34 inches

Thigh:
Day 1: 19 3/4 inches
Day 90: 19 1/8 inches

Weight:
Day 1: 139.5
Day 90: 137-138

10 months!

Hi sweet girl!

I can't believe you are 10 months old already! What a fast (although exhausting) year! You are a sweet, fun, spunky baby girl. We love you so much!

Oh so true!

Here is what you are doing now....

Sleep:

You get up once most nights. Occasionally twice and occasionally you sleep through. We are making an effort to "wean" you from night feedings this month.

Eating:

You have figured out how to eat this month! Yay! Good job! Some of your favorite foods are avocado, apples (I peel them and you love to gnaw on them -- we will have to stop once you have teeth), bread, black beans, frozen meatballs. We have not introduced you to dairy or eggs yet since it seems like they bother you if I eat them. Erik shared some extra cheddar goldfish crackers with you recently. You apparently liked them because you crawled as fast as you could after him, begging for more. Very cute!

Your first tooth broke through on April 1st-- it has not come in completely yet. No other teeth are visible yet.

Your favorite toy is probably Erik's dump trucks
(He is not too excited about this affection.)

Mobility:

No big changes this month. You are an expert crawler and cruiser. You like to push your "walker" all over. You can stand alone for 5-10 seconds but you try not to. If you know I am trying to trick you into standing by yourself you plop your butt down as quick as you possibly can.

Verbal skills:

You "talk" all day long! Very chatty baby! You seem to say "Uh oh" at the appropriate time and are very proud of your self. You still have not said mama at all -- although I have heard you say "muh" so it must not be far off. I am just starting to teach you some sign language but you don't use any signs yet.

Social Skills:

You love people. You will go to anyone and have never had any stranger anxiety (with the exception of Uncle Daron!). You especially LOVE Erik! If you are fussy, Erik can always make you giggle. It is so fun to watch. I hope you are friends for life. You do not like being left in a room by yourself and will either crawl after me or cry if I leave the room for a second.

You are a sweet, lovely baby! I am so thankful to be your Mommy!

Allergies Suck! (part 2)

Erik is still suffering terribly from his environmental allergies. His eyes are red and itchy, nose is a faucet, itchy rash all over (worse on his face and neck), loose cough.

I took him back into the pediatrician today and we added/adjusted his current allergy medicines. My poor two year old is now on 5 daily medications. That is more than my 83 year old grandma takes. Yuck!

Here is his current drug list...

Prevacid 7.5 mg bid (for reflux -- dropping him to once a day now)
Claritin 5 mg in the am
Benadryl 6-12 mg before bed
Bepreve eye drops (an antihistamine)- 1 drop in each eye twice daily
Veramyst nasal drop - 1 per nostril every morning

If this current regimen doesn't work we will try Singulair. I think the Singulair would be more effective and we may be able to cut out the benadryl, bepreve, and veramyst but the pediatrician thinks the risk of side effects are higher from the Singulair so for now we are trying multiple, more benign medicines.

I hate putting him on all these drugs. It makes me nervous but without them he really can't function. Poor baby! We are praying that the pollen (or his allergies) goes away soon!

Other things we are doing to help him is...

1- Eliminate all stuffed animals from the house (at least from his room)
3- Keep windows closed
4- Changing clothes after being outside
5- 1-2 showers a day

Green Family Fun

Our garden is thriving. Every "crop" we planted has started to grow. I don't know if they will actually produce fruit but it is fun to watch them grow.

Here are some photos of our peas and sunflowers 23 days post planting...Peas

Sunflowers

The other plants we are growing are... pumpkins, cantaloupe, zucchini, carrots, spinach, lettuce, green beans, watermelon, and cucumber.

Stay tuned!

30!

I have joined the 30 year old club. I had been dreading this, but like most things in life that cause some angst, the reality is better than you expected. Victor really made this weekend special even with a sick kid. Thank you honey!

Here is how I spent my birthday weekend...

Saturday morning Victor made homemade chocolate chocolate chip pancakes with a side of strawberries and pineapple. Yum! They were egg/dairy free so even Lainey got a couple bites. She was very excited about her first taste of chocolate.

I had suspected that he had planned a birthday party, and had the sitter coming so we could go out at night, plus I anticipated a massage.


After breakfast Victor gave me a card. In it was a schedule for the day. It concluded my suspicions (or so I thought). He said people were coming over for a party at 3:30, the sitter coming at 8 pm so we could go out for dinner, and a massage was scheduled for Sunday.

He also made a hotel reservation for us but Erik has sick all weekend (fever, cough, sore throat) so I got to stay in the hotel myself while he took care of sick kids (and got up 5 times in the middle of the night). What a champ!

Anyway - back to Saturday. As most of you know I am a little neurotic regarding fitting in a work-out so given the schedule I told Victor that I was going to go on a quick walk (the weather has been glorious here), then I would come back to feed Lainey, and head to the gym over lunch.


Leslie:
My friend Leslie texted me shortly after I told Victor that and asked me to come over to her house at 11:30.

Me:
I told her I was going to go to the gym then. Could I come later?

Leslie:
Nope

Me:
I question Victor? Why do I need to go to Leslie's at 11:30?

Victor:
He said he wanted to get the house ready for the party and wanted me to take the kids so he could clean better.

Me:
Always supportive I said, Ha! You can get ready with the kids here. I am going to the gym. I check with Leslie to see if I can come over a little early on my way to the gym.

Leslie:
Nope -- I am busy helping Kevin rearrange furniture (What?). She suggested we go to the gym together at 1:00 pm.

Me:
Okay, sounds fine. I tell Victor the new plan.

Victor:
He tells me I still need to go to Leslie's even if I don't want to take the kids because she has something she wants to give me before the party.

Ann:
Okay. Do I need to take a shower first? Can I go over there in my gym clothes like I normally would?

Victor:
I don't know.

Ann:
Yes, you do. Please tell me because I would prefer not to have to get ready 2 times if I can avoid it.

Victor:
Take a shower.

Ann:
Still confused (and stupid) I take the shower and go on a quick walk before heading over to Leslie's. Not before I ask Victor, "What if I show up at 11:45 or 12:00 or 11:15?" I was thinking that Victor was trying to get something set up for me at our house without me being there. Really puzzled as to what that might be. Think about it on my walk to Leslie's.

Leslie:
Happy Birthday!

Ann:
I, for some reason, respond "Happy Birthday!" back to Leslie. Strange.
Walk up the steps and see all my friends there for the birthday party at 11:30 (not 3:30 like Victor had put on the schedule).

Poor Erik has had a fever off and on since Friday so he could not be at the party which meant Victor couldn't be there either (someone had take care of Erik). The boys came to say hi and pose for a picture. The girls stayed to party. I was sad that Erik was sick for the party but things like that are just part of being a parent of a young child. Erik is still sick tonight -- we are hoping he feels better tomorrow.

Looking back I should have figured out what was going on LONG before I walked into Leslie's house. I don't think I figured it out for 2 reasons...

1- I am extremely trusting -- never even considered that Victor would have lied on the typed out schedule he printed out for me.

2- I am overly confident-- I was so confident that I had figured out Victor's plan that I never stopped to think that I might be wrong (especially after he confirmed it with the printed out schedule). Ha!

I was happy to be surprised!


After the party I got dressed for the gym only to be told that I should head to the spa instead. Off I went for a massage and facial.

I headed home, got in a quick 3 mile run, and then got dressed and ready for dinner. We went to an awesome restaurant called Vermilion in Old Town Alexandria. They serve all organic, local foods. All of the produce has been picked within 24 hours of being on your plate. It was WONDERFUL!! We will be going back.

After dinner Victor dropped me off at the hotel and went home to take care of our sick babies. Thankfully, they never woke up for the sitter (they were asleep when she got there) but Victor sure saw a lot of them during the night.

Today, Victor had another spa appointment made for me. Ahhh!!! I am so relaxed now!

After sleeping in and relaxing at the spa I went on a long walk through Old Town and up along the Potomac. Victor and the kids picked me up after naps. Back to reality!

It was a wonderful weekend -- thank you Victor for making my birthday so special. I am a lucky girl!

Allergies Suck!

Poor Erik has been suffering from allergies all week. He is on Claritin daily but still has a constant runny nose and itchy eyes. This morning he was playing outside; the allergies were so bad that he could barely open his eyes. It was awful. Even his cheeks gets raised itchy bumps. I called the allergist and they called in another prescription for him- an eye drop called Bepreve. It was quite expensive (and a very tiny container) but did seem to clear Erik's eyes up pretty well.


Since we have been struggling with this so much this week I thought I would list everything that Erik is allergic to currently.

Environmental:

Tree pollen-very strong
Cats-very strong
Mold
Dust Mites

Food:

All nuts including: (strong)
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Cashews
Peanuts
Chestnuts
Pistachios
Beechnuts
Pine nuts
Hickory
Gingko nuts


More info on tree nut allergy:

• Tree nut proteins may be found in cereals, crackers, cookies, candy, chocolates, energy bars, flavored coffee, frozen desserts, marinades, barbeque sauces, salad dressing, and some cold cuts, such as mortadella.
• Tree nut protein will be found in foods such as gianduja (a creamy mixture of chocolate and chopped almonds and hazelnuts, although other nuts may be used); marzipan (almond paste); nougat; Nu-Nuts® artificial nuts; pesto; and nut meal.
• Tree nut oils may contain nut protein and should be avoided.
• Ethnic restaurants (e.g., Chinese, African, Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese), ice cream parlors, and bakeries are considered high-risk for people with tree nut allergy due to the common use of nuts and the possibility of cross contamination, even if you order a tree-nut-free item.
• Avoid natural extracts, such as pure almond extract and natural wintergreen extract (for the filbert/hazelnut allergy). Imitation or artificially flavored extracts generally are safe.
• The following are not considered nuts: nutmeg, water chestnuts, and butternut squash.
• Tree nut oils are sometimes used in lotions and soaps. Shea nut, although not usually found in food products, is often used in lotions.
• Some alcoholic beverages may contain nut flavoring and should be avoided. Since these beverages are not currently regulated by FALCPA, you may need to call the manufacturer to determine the safety of ingredients such as natural flavoring.

Erik has had multiple reactions to different tree nuts in the past so the allergist has recommended that he avoid peanuts (he had a positive blood test to peanuts as well) in addition to the tree nuts since he is so sensitive.

Only 10% of people outgrow nut allergies so the tree nut allergy will likely be forever. I am hoping at some point we will be able to add peanuts back in his diet but for now if he is in your care please do not give him anything in the above list. If you are not sure about something don't hesitate to ask or just don't give it to him.

I carry an epi-pen and benadryl with me at all times. If he is in your care please make sure I leave a stash with you as well. He can have 6 mg of Benadryl -- we give it to him if he gets hives. The epi-pen only needs to be used if he is having trouble breathing. (Hopefully never!)

Thank you for being so careful with our sweet boy Erik! Sorry I didn't give you all this information earlier.

Beautiful Girl

Look who realized she can climb the stairs

Sneaky baby!

Frills and Ruffles
So much fun!

Life Is Good

Look what's growing...

Lettuce
2 weeks after planting

Peas 2 weeks after planting

Sunflowers


The pumpkins, spinach, and carrots are growing too but I didn't think you needed to see photos of everything. The garden has been a very fun project so far!

I love spring! It has been sunny and hot (80's and 90's) this week. The flowers are blooming, garden is growing, birds are singing, kids are playing. I love this time of year! I think between March and October the kids and I spent between 2-4 hours outside everyday. It is great. Somehow life seems so much more enjoyable when the weather is nice.

Easter Fun!

Wonderful friends, yummy food, warm sunny days, Easter egg hunt, visit from a large bunny, family time, encouraging church service, loving God.
Happy Easter!

Easter Haiku

Dresses Tights Sweet Shy
Bravely Greet Easter bunny
Sweet Friends Precious Girls