The Saga Continues

The paper on the examining table was the most fun!

My itchy sweetie

Andy and I had a great time trying to entertain Isaac during the test. He wanted to scratch so badly!

Welts galore.


Isaac had his allergy testing today. He is officially allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts and possibly soy and wheat. The doctor guaranteed us he will never grow out of the peanut allergy. We'll see about the rest. The goal now is to clear up his skin and stop the itching. He'll be taking an antihistamine daily and I'll use steroid creams and Eucerin/Aquaphor on his skin. I'll also be giving up nursing so we can better control what goes into his mouth. I'm having a much more difficult time with this reality than I thought I would. We are trying soy formula first so that we don't have to go straight to the nasty hypoallergenic stuff. Since he is possibly allergic to soy, we have to give him it gradually to see if he'll have a reaction. We start with 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 2 ounces, 4 ounces, etc., with a 20-30 minute wait in between doses. So far, we're up to 1 tbsp with no reaction. I'll keep everyone posted on his progress.

Dance Camp #2

She's so Fab-U-Lous!

Where is my pink Prada tote? She was sure to tell me that Miss Heidi(her teacher) has one!


Brooklyn just completed her second week of dance camp this summer. This week's theme was High School Musical. They did dances to Fabulous, Get'cha Head In the Game, You Are the Music In Me, and What Time Is It?" They did the dance to Fabulous with no teacher leading them. I was so impressed! The girls(grades 1-4) choreographed "Get'cha Head In the Game" themselves. They each had a move that was put into the dance. During the performance, you can hear the teachers calling out the girls' names so they'd know which move to do. Brooklyn's "move" was a straddle jump. I had to laugh when the girls all did the "Soulja Boy" move in "What Time Is It?" Next up, Show Choir/technique camp. Brooklyn just wishes she was old enough to do the voice portion of the camp.

Sigh...

Sorry about the photo. It's the only one I've taken since Isaac turned six months. We were waiting for the kids during swimming lessons in the smoking hot therapy pool. I'm sweating just thinking about it!

Isaac had his six month appointment this morning. After waiting an hour to see the doctor, we now have a new issue. He's not gaining weight.
Weight: 16 pounds 14 ounces-25%
Height: 27 and 1/4 inches-75%
He only gained a few ounces in two months. He went from the 100th percentile at 2 months to the 25th percentile at 6 months in weight. He's eating well and often and holding everything down. I can't imagine why he's not gaining! We're doing allergy testing in a week to try to pinpoint the eczema problem. That means no medication for the next week. That should be fun. He itches so badly he writhes against anything he can. We have to put socks on his hands so he doesn't dig holes in himself. His muscle tone is the same(the doctor called it "mildly low") even though he's sitting, rolling, and pushing up on his arms. We're being refered to a physical therapist so he can be evaluated. Hopefully they will offer some suggestions. I feel like he can't do anthing but focus on how much he itches. I'm feeling pretty discouraged and worried(two things I do very well.)

Mmm...cereal!

Isaac started cereal last Thursday. So far, it is going surprisingly well! He seems to really like it! The other two wouldn't go near rice cereal. He keeps trying to grab whatever we are eating. I'm terrified to give him anything else because of the eczema. Brooklyn and Xavier were great helpers. They couldn't wait to feed Isaac.

Swimming Lessons

Brooklyn and Xavier had their first swimming lessons last week at the YMCA. They both made enormous progress! Brooklyn is swimming on her own in limited quantities and (gasp!) floating on her back! She has always refused to lay on her back in the water for me. The first lesson, the teacher had her floating all by herself. By the end of the lesson she was swimming the backstroke! Xavier is doing well, also. He is swimming by himself, but I wouldn't trust him to stay afloat for more than a few seconds. They both have much more confidence in the water. This week, Brooklyn has moved up a level. Xavier's class was full. Oh well. We'll try again in the fall.

Fear the Dragon

My parents treated us to an evening with the Dayton Dragons. My baseball knowledge is next to none, but I think they are a farm team of the Reds. The kids had a blast! The game was almost impossible to see due to the position of the sun, but who cares? The crowd surrounding us on the lawn and the crazy shenanigans between innings were much more entertaining.



This is the "are you taking ANOTHER picture of me?" face.

Caps for sale! Xavier stacked all the hats on Andy's head then started quoting lines from one of his favorite stories. He got more than a few chuckles from those sitting around us.

Isaac held up pretty well during the game. We eventually had to take turns walking him around to keep him happy. He even got hit by a t-shirt bomb! My mom was holding him as they shot t-shirts into the crowd with giant slingshots. Unfortunately, she didn't have a hand to block(or catch) the shirt! He survived with just slight fussing. The mean guy who caught the shirt off the bounce wouldn't give it up, either. The nerve of some people! Stealing shirts from babies! ;o)

The kids kept thanking us on the way home for such a fun evening. I'm sure it had something to do with their first experience with Dippin' Dots served in plastic hats, popcorn, and souvenir hats. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Norris Lake

We just returned from a week at Norris Lake in Tennessee. The kids had a blast tubing behind the boat and seadoo. This was the first year I allowed them to go by themselves. Thankfully, all went well. Xavier loved being in the water, jumping off the dock, and fishing. Brooklyn was happy riding in the boat and fishing off the dock. She wasn't too thrilled about getting in the water. The weather was warm, but not hot. That made riding in the boat while wet less than toasty. Isaac did NOT like the life jacket. While riding in the boat he was either sleeping or screaming at the top of his lungs. He spent most of his time in the lake house or in an inflatable raft on the dock. Andy and I were able to try wake surfing. It was fun! Andy had more success than I did. I spent most of my time sinking the front of the board and landing face first in the water.








We missed out on the usual July 4th fireworks and s'mores(due to rain) but we made the most of it. We microwaved the smores until they were a huge gooey mess and promised the kids we'll get out the sparklers before Christmas. Thanks to the Murphys for sharing their beautiful house and to Jen and Dave for sharing their SUPER COOL boat with us. We're already looking forward to next year!

Dance Camp #1

I signed my dance-obsessed daughter up for three dance camps this summer. She's in heaven! Just as Xavier was complaining about how long soccer lasted, Brooklyn broke into tears over how short dance camp was. The theme this week was Cinderella. They did a play, complete with costumes, narration, and dancing at the end of the week. She was so excited to perform! Unfortunately, soccer camp ran too long and I missed all but the last minute of the performance. I think I was more upset than she was! Xavier was also extremely disappointed because he had been assigned the role of the prince and another little boy took his place. Next week, High School Musical. It should be fun!

Just For Kicks

Xavier attended the week long Elite FC soccer camp held at the high school. He was the youngest guy out there and did a great job! Each day they worked on a specific skill like dribbling, passing, or shooting by going through a series of fun drills. It was hot, muggy, and pretty miserable. By the end of the week, Xavier said, "I hate soccer. I don't want to do soccer anymore!" Thankfully, the popsicles, water balloon fight, and t-shirt changed his mind. Each day had a theme. One day was mismatched clothing and bed-head day. Most of the boys had their summer buzz cuts so Xavier easily won for bed-head in his age group. I wish I had a picture of his crazy hair! By then end of the day, his hair was plastered to his sweaty head. Eww!He almost lives in the shirt he won. He's all signed up for the fall session of soccer with Andy assistant coaching.

Don't You Look Mah-velous!

For all of you who know my struggles with Isaac's skin, doesn't he look wonderful? He looks like a normal baby! No more oozing cheeks and scabs! I've been off of nuts for four weeks and milk for two and so far it seems to be helping. I'm fairly sure he has a milk allergy. Xavier drank some milk, then blew raspberries on Isaac's stomach. Hives followed where Xavier's mouth touched. Seems pretty obvious, eh? But, after I took this photo yesterday, I discovered two new patches of eczema, one on his wrist and one on his thigh and no milk exposure. Arg! Hopefully we'll figure this out soon!

Father Of the Year

Life is too crazy to keep this blog updated, but I figured I'd better make an effort or those blog-stalkers will start harassing me! In all seriousness, I truely believe my husband deserves the title "Father of the Year." He leads our family with integrity, love, compassion, and patience. He takes absolutely no time for himself, yet allows me the breaks I need. I often find him playing "band" with the kids-he with the guitar and they with some sort of percussion item. He instructs them in sports with quiet confidence(unlike my ultra-competitive self.) His ability to explain tough topics so they can understand is unmatched. Most of all, he is humble with his faults and admits his mistakes to them openly. I am honored to be his partner and pray that someday Xavier and Isaac will follow his example.





Xavier and Andy in "the fast car," aka Andy's new toy, aka the Civic Si. The poor old Grand Prix has said goodbye.

Thank you, Andy, for all you do!

Have a Seat

Just hours after I decided Isaac would never sit alone by the age of six months, he sat-at 5 months and 5 days! We've had slight issues with low muscle tone so this came as a great surprise to me! He didn't seem to have the back strength to hold himself up in a sitting position. But, I kept trying. You can tell he feels like such a big kid. I'm just thrilled!

Check out this pearly white!

Isaac popped his first tooth Monday, June 2nd. Yikes! He's following his brother's early teething schedule. Let's just hope he doesn't bite like Xavier did. Ouch!

Kindergarten Graduation

One year down, twelve to go! June 4th was Brooklyn's last day of kindergarten. A graduation ceremony for the kindergarteners and sixth graders followed in the evening. It was a long, long, LONG ceremony, and I was amazed at how well 50 kindergarteners sat for it. For me, the most amazing moment was when all 50 kids recited Psalm 23 in unison. Brooklyn had surprised me a few days earlier by reciting it herself. Their brains are like sponges at this age! We really struggled with school earlier in the year. Brooklyn didn't like it, insisted she was stupid, and was sure she would never be able to read. How time has changed! She loves her school, friends, and decided reading was fun! Now, we're looking forward to a busy summer of vacations, camps, lessons, and just having fun!

We're All In This Together...Literally!

The theme of Brooklyn's recital this year was "We're All In This Together." This definitely rang true for our family. Besides Brooklyn's adorable ballet to "Candle on the Water" and tap to "These Boots Were Made For Walking," Andy and I joined the ranks as performers this year. Andy did the Dad's Dance to a spoof of High School Musical. It was very entertaining and I was surprised to find out my husband has some moves! My friend Julie and I tried our hand at tapping this year. Neither one of us had any experience(ok, I took one year of tap class at the age of 5) but we both made it through without any memorable embarrassing moments. I think we'll both consider dancing again next year. This was Brooklyn's last year for the combo class. I'm excited to see what next year will bring!