Food Allergies

Have I mentioned how much I hate food allergies? It's so hard having a toddler with them and we continue to struggle each day. Though E has outgrown 3 of the original 5 allergens, he's still very allergic to dairy and nuts. Dairy is the hardest of the two as it seems to be in everything, all the time. It's impossible to take him out to eat and order something off the menu (or share what we've ordered). Turns out that restaurants even make oatmeal with milk. Playdates the the absolute worst for food allergies! Toddlers love to feed one another and share foods. Sippy cups sit unattended filled with cows milk and every child's face, shirt and hands have traces of what they've been eating. At home things are fine. We have a long list of foods that he eats and loves. In fact, Dr. M and I don't eat much dairy either, so at home it's manageable. E still drinks rice milk about 3-4 times a day and seems to love it. What I don't think people understand about food allergies is that not only will E have a reaction if he eats the food, but will also break out in a terrible rash if his skin comes in contact with it. Yesterday, for example, we left a playdate and on the way home E was rubbing his sleepy eyes in the car. By the time we got home his face was covered in hives and his left eye was almost swollen shut. Realizing that hives are generally a sign of a contact reaction, I washed his face and hands and changed his clothes. I also gave him a dose of benadryl which seemed to make things better, but his eye was swollen the rest of the afternoon. We hoped that we would be done with allergies by the time he is two, but doesn't seem like he'll outgrow them anytime soon (as he's approaching 20 months). We don't know anyone else who's little one has allergies, so we feel quite alone with this. No one in our family has food allergies or even seems to fully understand them (it's amazing how many people don't even know what "dairy" means). I joined an online forum, which has give me some great ideas and makes me feel a little better about E's allergies (some kids only have a handful of "safe" foods they can eat), but also worries me about baby #2. In the end, I need to be thankful that he's outgrown many of his allergies and be optimistic that we will get through these as well. Overall, he's a happy, healthy boy who we love so much, which is all that matters.

Sweet Home Alabama

Dr. M has officially accepted a tenure-track position at the University of Alabama. So, it looks like the four of us will be moving to Tuscaloosa this summer shortly after baby girl arrives. We're excited about living in a smaller community again and after the winter we've had here, we're looking forward to the warm weather. I've never been to the state of Alabama and Dr. M's only been once, but we've heard lots of great things about the city. We're in the process of working out the logistics of the move, having a baby and two-year-old and finding a place there, but know it will all work out. I've decided, however, that we're not having any more children, because each time the baby is due, we're in the process of moving ;) Overall, we're excited about them move and the fact that we'll be just hours from the ocean (Dr. M is looking forward to Bama football season!). It will be sad to leave the mid-west, but we think the south will be good for us (even if the kids do grow up with southern accents!).

19 Months!

Our little boy is getting so big. He seems more like a little person rather than a baby every day. He's talking a ton (two-three word sentences) and loves to learn. He's like a little sponge for new words for items and people's names. Oh, and he is such a character! We laugh every day with him. He's developing his own little sense of humor and is becoming quite the little stinker. Recently, he's been wearing a blue, plastic bucket on his head. He puts the bucket on to play with toys, spin in circles in the kitchen, take a bath or even eat dinner. I frequently find him just playing, wearing the bucket (hilarious!). His imaginary play is also developing and I love watching him make his toys talk to each other and the dogs (he gets this super cute, high pitched voice). He now has all of his teeth except for his "two-year" molars, which should arrive in the next 6 months or so. We still haven't cut his hair and are loving the little curls around the back of his neck and around his ears. He's still loves books, but is becoming very opinionated as to which book he wants you to read. He will clearly say "no" and push the book away until you find one he wants to hear. I guess it's part of being a toddler, but he's really asserting himself and will clearly let you know what he wants and doesn't want (this can be frustrating when we're trying to leave the house and he doesn't want to wear shoes). Overall, he's staying healthy, growing and developing perfectly! I can't quite tell, but I think he's getting excited about his new baby sister and loves looking at mama's weird belly button (yikes!).

Our silly little bucket-head.

Bucket-head at dinner.

Stewdog and E snuggling in the sunshine.

Bucket-head in the bath (yes, we still use the sink).

Swim Lessons

E has started an 8 week swim lesson class at our local community center. It's a level one class and is for kids up to 18 month old, so he's one of the older kids in the class, but we think the level is perfect for him (since this is his first real class). He will learn to kick his feet, get his ears and face wet, blow bubbles and maybe even jump off the edge into our arms. The facility is a really cool indoor water center with several slides, a lazy river and a huge children's area that has a beach-like gradual entrance and is only about 1 1/2 feet deep. He loves walking around in the water by himself and chasing the toys. Class is full of songs, water toys and fun activities to help kids learn to love the water. I don't think E will have a problem doing that! He absolutely loves class and the water - already a little fish!!

The class (about 10 kids total) with Dad!

E and Dad in the lazy river working on floats and kicks - so fun!!!!

After class, all bundled up in the towel!

18 months!

Today our little E is a year and half old. I can't believe it. I remember going out to lunch a year ago to celebrate and he fussed the whole time because he was getting his first tooth. Seems like soooo long ago. He's grown so much. He's a full-blown toddler now, running, babbling, climbing and beginning to show signs of tantrums. He's very independent and strong willed (wonder where he gets that?). He amazes us every day with how much he knows. He's like a little sponge for knowledge (no more cursing for mommy and daddy!). He knows all of his letters, numbers up to 10, colors, body parts, animal noises and some shapes (he's about 95% accurate with each of these). He speaks clearly and can even put two to three words together. He has all of his teeth, except his two-year molars, which should be coming in some time this summer. We still haven't cut his hair and love that it's looking shaggy and he even has some small curls around the back of his neck. We saw his pediatrician, Dr. E this morning for his 18 month well visit. Overall, E is doing awesome. He's above average on the developmental charts and for his height. He's still tall and skinny, just like his parents. We still struggle with his food allergies (dairy and nuts), but plan to have him re-tested closer to his 2nd birthday, per Dr. E's recommendation. We don't go in for another well-check until he's two, but plan see Dr. E again in June when baby girl arrives.

18 Month Stats:

Weight - 22 lbs 10 oz - 30%

Height - 32.5 in - 85%

Head - 18 in - 12%

E's new favorite toy is this cardboard box. In which he's tried to stuff all of his favorite toys (balls and balloons) and then squeeze himself in the box. In fact, we had to help him out he was so squished in there.

E's new table and chairs. Just his size and perfect for snack time. He loves it!

Yes, he put this on his head all by himself. In fact, he loves to wear it. We frequently find him playing with his toys, just wearing his "bucket head." Such a character!

Baby Registry!

We've registered on Amazon.com!

I feel like we have everything we need for a new baby. However, there are a few extra things I think we'll "need" now that we'll have two. The biggest thing we're in need of is a double stroller. I've done a lot of research and feel like we've found the best one for our lifestyle. I've heard nothing but great reviews about this stroller and am getting really excited about it (see registry link at end of this post). The other items on the registry are simply "wants" of mine, things I would use, but aren't "necessities." I think it's funny that when I told people we weren't sure if we were going to find out the gender of this baby they would (almost always) say "what if it's girl, don't you want to be prepared?" Prepared for what? It's a baby, right? I guess they mean "prepare" by immediately dressing her in pink. The funny thing is she's due in June and will likely be in onesies for most of the summer. I do not mind pink at all and if that's what people want to buy for us, that's great. I know everyone is just excited that we're having a baby girl (we are too!).

Click HERE to see our baby registry on Amazon.com

Baby GIRL!

I think I'm still in shock. We found out Friday morning that we're having a little GIRL this spring. I thought for sure it was going to be another boy. Despite my deep inner thoughts of "maybe it is a girl" I listened to what others said about pregnancy wives-tales, based on symptoms that pointed toward a boy. For example, this pregnancy has been exactly like the one with E, maybe easier, I wasn't sick for as long and basically feel great. So, everyone told me that since I felt the same, it was going to be another boy (even my OB predicted a boy!). I have been having headaches, which some say is a sign of a girl, but haven't been craving chocolate or sweets, which is said to also predict a girl. It's so funny to see what people predict. This was probably my favorite part of not finding out what we were having with E. My intuition was always boy with him, and it turns out I was right, but this time around, I was all wrong. The bottom line is you never know. I'm glad we decided to find out this time though. It's exciting to call the movement in my belly "her" or think of names. Though I'm not the most girly girl, I am excited about all the pink and cute girls clothes, which I know the grandparents have already been shopping for. This will be the first girl/boy combo of kids in my side of the family in three generations. It will actually be the first girl in decades. As you can imagine, everyone is super excited. I can't wait to meet her this spring and see her sweet little face. She's already so loved and will be a perfect fit into our family. Overall, she looks perfectly healthy and my pregnancy is going great! I'm considered low risk, by my doc and we think she'll be here in June, around our 5 year wedding anniversary (the 10th).

I love this one of her hiding behind her little hands.

Sweet little face

Perfect little profile

Snow and Ice

You may be eagerly awaiting the baby news from the big ultrasound last week. Well, the truth is we didn't make it to the appointment. A huge ice and snow storm was predicted to hit the area on Tuesday. The whole city shut down in anticipation. The weather casters were predicting "the storm of the century" and advising everyone to stay indoors. In fact, we were under a blizzard warning. So, we took their advice and waited out the weather. Though we didn't get the colossal amounts of snow or ice that was predicted, we did get enough to make the road conditions poor. E and I were housebound for 3 days, but found all sorts of things to play with, clean and cookies to bake. Our appointment was scheduled for Wednesday morning (the day after the storm), so we called to reschedule to this Friday, February 11. I'm 22 weeks now and anxious to find out what we're having this Friday. We waited 9 months to find out what E was, so another week is nothing for us.

Here are some pics from the storm and our three days housebound:

Ice at our house

23 inches of snow at Grandpas house, just two hours away!

E and Stewdog snuggling (these two are BFF's)

Indoor fun in the baby pool turned ball pit!

17 Months

I must be getting "baby brain" from chasing a toddler and being pregnant, because I almost forgot to add this post. E is quite the busy guy these days and is keeping us on our toes. He's so much fun to be around and play with. His vocabulary is growing every day. He says so many things and recognizes so much by name, it's amazing. His new favorite cartoon on PBS is called Super WHY. Not sure what he likes about it so much and I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that he begs for it each morning. But, it is "educational" after all - it's about reading, spelling, books and learning letters. And, I have to admit that Dr. M and I have noticed that E really seems to know his letters. Not sure if it's from watching the show, but regardless, we're impressed. We can ask him to bring a specific letter-magnet from the fridge and he'll (surprisingly) choose the correct one! Yes, we have it on video! It's really impressive at his age. He's also knows numerous body parts, colors, shapes and animal noises (really!). He's very independent and want's to do everything his way (which can be challenging at times). He now has about 13 teeth and counting. His food allergies are a constant struggle, but we're learning to work with them. We're still avoiding all dairy and nuts, but hope to have him tested again when he's two. Overall, he's an amazing, happy little boy and impresses us every day. We feel lucky to he his parents.

20 weeks!

I can't believe I'm already half way through this pregnancy. It's amazing how fast time goes by when you're chasing a 16 month-old. Overall, I feel great. Very similar to my pregnancy with E. I have, however, been having bad headaches on occasion and feel like I'm gaining weight faster this time around. My belly feels huge for just 20 weeks. I've already had strangers ask if I'm expecting and I do get some strange looks while at the gym in the morning. I can feel the little one in there kicking around, especially after I eat. The biggest difference in this pregnancy, so far, is that we're going to find out the gender of the baby a week from tomorrow (instead of waiting, like we did with E). We're so excited to see what it feels like to know what we'll be having. I loved not knowing last time, but am excited to find out this time (and so are the grandparents). Everyone keeps asking if I have any "feelings" as to what it might be....which I do not and honestly, don't really care if it's a boy or a girl. I feel like we're so blessed to be having a second child that it doesn't really matter either way. Dr. M and I are still feeling a little anxious about the idea of having two under the age of two, but are excited to have a little one in the house again. My due date is still June 11, 2011 (the day after our 5 year wedding anniversary). I'll be sure to let you know what we find out at the sonogram next week (and post pics)! Here's a pic of my big belly. This is the first belly pic we've taken this time around...

16 Months

I feel like I say this each time I make this monthly entry, but I truly can't believe how much E has grown and changed. He's 16 months now and is no longer walking, he's running, everywhere! His new obsession (yes, I mean obsession) is books. He says "book peees, book." We read to him all day (per his demand). Frequently it's the same books over and over again, so we're happy he got some new ones for Christmas. Not only does he turn the pages but he knows the name of almost everything in the book. Really, he's amazing at this game. On a page full of pictures, I can ask him to find the frog or pencil and he points it out every time. He also says all the words for the things he knows, which totally amazes Dr. M and I. He also knows the shapes star and circle and the colors blue and green (he can point them out or tell you each). He's also combining words such as "down please," "snack please" or "more please" - he's so polite. Not only does he point out items in a book, he points them out in real life too. He's so aware of his surroundings these days. He loves going to the store and makes friends with everyone. He talks all the time and is even starting "imaginary play" with his toys (and the dogs), which is so cute! We went to the Magic House on New Year's eve last week. It was so fun seeing the amazement in E's face. He was so excited about everything, the sounds, textures and all the people. He had so much fun and so did Dr. M and I. I hadn't been there since I was a little girl, which brought back a lot of great memories. We still haven't cut his hair yet and his top molars are beginning to come in. He's been doing okay eating most foods, but is still very allergic to all dairy and nuts.

Christmas 2010

This holiday season was particularly enjoyable with E. It was fun seeing the amazement and wonder in his face with the new environment of a Christmas tree, lights, presents, snow and all sorts of new toys. So many new things for him. We spent our first Christmas at home with Grandma K then headed to Columbia to see Grandma and Grandpa W. We spent Christmas Eve with the Grandparents and Aunt Sarah and uncle Bacel. It snowed all day long and was beautiful and perfect! We decorated cookies, opened presents and had monkey bread on Christmas morning. That afternoon we headed over to see Grandma and Grandpa D. Though we had seen them a few days before for their annual D family Christmas party, it was great to just hang out, open presents, chat and, of course, eat! Everyone was so generous. E got a ton of awesome new toys and presents and Dr. M and I finally entered the 21st century with a new LED TV and Wii gaming system. More importantly, it was wonderful to be abel to spend so much time with our family and friends this year. For the first time, Dr. M and I were able to stay in town longer than we had in years. It's crazy to think that next year we'll have a 2 1/2 year old and 6 month old! yikes!

Here we go again!!!

This spring the Moen household will grow....again. Baby #2 will be here in less than 28 weeks, around June 11. E will be a big brother and we'll be the parents of two, under two! Things will be hectic, but we're excited to have a little one around again. You'll be happy to hear that we're going to find out the gender early this time and we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we do. So far, I'm feeling well (now that I'm through the nausea stage) but have a cold that won't go away, and my tummy seems to be growing faster this time around.

Well, here we go again....

15 months!

Our little boy is now one year and three months old, which means that next time we see his doctor, he'll be a year and a half, I can't believe it! He's growing so fast. He's walking everywhere now (almost running). He can go from sitting to standing (without help) and can even squat to pick up a toy and take off running again. He's really starting to figure out how his world works. He now blows his nose and takes the tissue to the trash, for instance, or holds a tissue up to stewdog's nose. He also tries to put shoes, clothes and hats on by himself. He seems to be connecting everything now. He now has 10 teeth (four on top and bottom and two molars). His hair is getting longer, but we still haven't cut it yet. He still talks constantly and his vocabulary goes with what he's doing or what he wants. He's mastered "please more" (sounds like "pees moe") and loves to point to what he wants. He loves the fact that he can communicate with us and we understand his needs (I can tell by his big smile when he gets what he wants). We saw his pediatrician this morning who said that he's one of the most verbal 15 month-olds he's seen. Overall, he said his development was very high and he seems like a very well natured, happy guy. He's right :) He's gaining weight and growing in length well. Doc says that he's on track to be a tall thin guy.

15 month stats:

weight: 20lbs 2oz (13%)

height: 31.5 in (59%)

head circ: 17.5 in (7%)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week started out kinda rough this year. E came down with a fever and ear infection just before thanksgiving and a couple days later I got a sinus infection. Good news is we both eventually got antibiotics and started feeling better. We spent a couple nights with Grandma W and majority of the week with Grandma K. This trip was hard, however, on E since we hadn't traveled in a while, he wasn't feeling well and also cut a molar. Everyone enjoyed seeing him, but I know he's happy to be home. Thanksgiving day we went to Aunt Kathy's house, ate too much, the boys watched football and the girls helped in the kitchen. Good food and great company made for a wonderful afternoon and dinner. I'm thankful for my amazing family and wonderful friends.

Halloween

Fall is my favorite time of year and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (Dr. M prefers the hot summer weather). Since E is older this year, we were looking forward to a fun costume and possibly his first trick-or-treating adventure. Unfortunately, E goes to bed at 7pm and missed out on the candy. Before he went to bed, however, we strolled around the neighborhood, checked out all the spooky decorations and kids running around in costume and Dr. M and I stayed up to had out candy and watch scary movies after E went to sleep. Fortunately, celebrated Halloween early this year at a friends costume party earlier in the month. E dressed up as a skeleton and I as a tennis player. All of his friends were there, dressed up too. He carried his little orange pumpkin bucket to collect goodies from all the parents and loved it. We had so much fun seeing everyone dressed up and playing. I promise (no matter what time E goes to bed) that we will trick-or-treat, carve pumpkins and eat lots of candy next year ;) Can't wait!

Can you find our little skeleton?

Halloween night in the neighborhood

14 months!

E is 14 months now. He's grown up so much since his first birthday. He's now toddling everywhere. He walks everywhere now. Going to the mall or store can be challenging because he just wants to walk everywhere. We bought him his very first pair of real shoes, Stride Rites. The same brand of shoes Dr.M and I wore as babies (I hear they're the "best"). Another significant change in E this month is that he's officially taking just one nap a day. This is both good and bad for me. It give us a lot of time to do things during the day, but doesn't give me much time to rest. He's also started to get his first molars (yes, two!) on the bottom. Poor little guy. He's been in a lot of pain, but a little tylenol seems to help. He still chats all the time and is expanding his vocabulary (Dr. M says E knows 20+ words). He's also learned to say several words via sign language. He uses the signs for "more" and "milk" and is working on "please" and "thank you" (thought his says all the words while he signs them). He's growing up so much. It's fun to see him acting and looking more and more like a little boy instead of a baby.

Apples

On October 15, the three of us took a family outing to a local farm. They offer all sorts of fruits and veggies to pick year round, but this time of year apples are in season (we picked peaches there when I was still pregnant with E last July). It was a chilly October morning, but we bundled up and headed to the farm. It's only about a 20 minute drive, but E fell asleep on the way there. It was early morning so there weren't many people there. We took the shuttle bus out to the orchard of ripe apples which were fuji and golden crisp. All very sweet and tasty (as we were told we could sample while picking!). We carried E in a baby backpack that was given to us by a family member. This was the first time we actually used it, which was perfect for carrying him around. He even liked it. He could eat his apple and see the orchard at the same time. We ended up with about a dozen apples for Dr. M's lunches and a few to make an apple crisp that night!

Allergies & Flu Shot

Today E received his very first flu shot. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on here or not, but E has multiple food allergies. He was tested when he was 11 months old, per his pediatrician's suggestion after a bad reaction to yogurt and his eczema. We discovered that he's allergic to wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, dogs and cats. As you can imagine, it's been hard finding new foods for him to eat. Currently he eats a lot of rice products (milk, noodles, cereal, etc). When he has a reaction to something he breaks out into hives where the food touched his skin, or (if it's been ingested) all over his abdomen. He's even had reactions so bad he had diarrhea and threw up. We're managing his allergies well and hope that he'll grow out of most of them within the next year or so. Unfortunately, the flu shot contains traces of egg white, which could cause a reaction for E. So, we went to allergists office this morning to have his skin tested to see how he would react. They started with a surface "scratch test" and waited 15 minutes for a reaction, gave him 10% of the flu shot in one arm, waited 20 minutes for a reaction and then gave him the rest of the shot in the other arm and waited 20 minutes. He did get a few hives from the scratch test, but not from the injection it's self (weird, I know), so he's been cleared to get the flu shot from his pediatrician in the future. I'm glad he's been immunized and am looking forward to a very active winter with my little guy!

E eating spaghetti - his new fave :)

13 Months

Can't believe it's been a month since E's first birthday party. I feel like he's changed so much. Every day he looks more and more like a little boy. His walking improves every day. He now chooses to walk short distances across the room and then gracefully falls to the floor to crawl the rest of the way. He's eating tons of new foods and right now, anything with spaghetti sauce on it is his favorite. He also loves going to the park, playing in the grass and swinging! He still has six teeth, two on bottom and four on top, but is getting another one on the bottom. His hair is getting much longer, but we still haven't had it cut. He continues to babble constantly in his own little language. He says many words and even waves "bye bye." He's so sweet to be around and loves everyone, even strangers. His smile is contagious...