Fall Fun

Last Saturday, after struggling with the twins after lunch to get diapers changed, warm clothes ON, coats ON, shoes ON, and load them up in the car (meanwhile an hour has gone by since I started this process), we met my friend and her son and hit up a farm market.

It was cold and cloudy but we still managed to have a good time despite the expression on Sweet Potato's face in nearly every picture....

This is one of those rare pictures where they look so alike.

Minutes after this was taken, the Dynamo tried to eat the flowers -hands free.

Then we came home and the Dynamo just wanted to read a book....

 And Sweet Potato wanted a snack....

Sunday was a nicer day and I wanted to start a tradition at the farm market close by our house so we went again...

This weekend?  We might hit up another farm market.  This one with a train and giant jumping pillow!  Maybe I can get a picture of Sweet Potato smiling at the camera.  And maybe this time I'll actually get some pumpkins.

It All Comes Back

Yesterday I was killing time on my lunch hour window shopping. I went into a Dollar Tree and perused the isles. When I hit the isle with the pregnancy tests, it all came back. I bought so many of those things at a Dollar store. There they were. I was brought back to all those months where I tested and tested (and tested!) - sometimes way too early, sometimes way too much. It reminds me of all my online friends still testing (and testing, and testing). I think of all of you often.

So another thing about the allergies….

I know I should not complain about my mother.  Besides watching the twins for me three days per week (at about 1/3 the cost of daycare),  my mom does a lot for me around the house and I am very grateful.

HOWEVER,  she also stirs up my anxiety and frustrates me.

Example:  After Sweet Potato had his blood test, the pediatrician called me about the results and recommended I take him to an allergist.  Honestly, I was happy to go.  I wanted answers from a specialist.  My mother bombarded me with questions about why he was going to an allergist, thought the pediatrician was passing the buck, why didn’t he see the allergist first then, etc.  Okay, Grandma? Not Helping.  When she doesn’t understand things, she gets defensive and fires off questions without thinking (I think).  She doesn’t realize that the day I find out my kid has to have an EpiPen with him at all times, I really don’t need to be stirred up with potential conflict.

What’s even more frustrating is I don’t think she gets the seriousness of the allergy situation.  When I got the blood test results before Sweet Potato met with the allergist, they said he was also allergic to soybean.  Turns out he is not and that is a typical result from the blood test for those with an egg allergy.  The allergist retested him.  In the nine days between the time of the blood test results and the visit to the allergist, I, of course, restricted all things with soybean including animal crackers (not that either kid is a big fan of them, but I am).  I had purchased a large container from BJs and put a post-it note on them “No Sweet Potato”.  Besides soybean, it also says on the label in bold print:  made in a bakery that uses nuts.

So yesterday I gave the container to my mom to take home.  I didn’t want them in the house.  She emails me this morning: “Tell me again why I'm eating too many animal crackers?  The only thing I see that used to be a problem for [Sweet Potato] is the soy.  I don't see any egg.”   Grrrrr.  Let’s just say it’s a good thing this was in an email.  So I wrote her back and tried to make it fun and said to look again.  She did find the part about the nuts.  And hopefully she will learn something from this.  Because as the person who is with my kids the most after me, she needs to know how to read labels.

I know I need to chill out.  And I will try.  But geez!

Also, I heard from Gwinne that Blogger may not let you leave comments.  If you want to and can’t, please email me at meandbaby.meandbaby@gmail.com.  I would love the input!

Birthdays, Play Dates, and Allergies

I had a party for the twins first birthday last month and besides the fact that I almost killed my mother and got very few decorations put up (we're talking two balloons), I would call it a success.  It was nice enough to have outside and my awesome friends helped me clean up.  I am not really a theme person but let's just say the theme was the number one:

 

***

The twins also had their very first play date a couple of weekends ago.  I hosted the play date for a co-worker who is also a parent to twin boys.  His boys are nine months old and we were excited to see our babies interact with each other.  The Dynamo gave his cautious stare for the first twenty minutes or so but after that, he just thought of the other boys as another item in the room - kind of like his brother.  Sweet Potato was all smiles as soon as he met his new friends but both he and The Dynamo were really more interested in my co-worker (who stands at 6 feet, 4 inches) and his wife.  Apparently new adults, especially tall ones, are more interesting than new babies.

***

My last tid-bit today is my most serious one.  Sweet Potato has been diagnosed with allergies.  After a scary, but thankfully not too serious, reaction to two tiny bites of scrambled eggs a few weeks ago, a blood test initiated by his pediatrician and a consult and scratch test with an allergist, he has been diagnosed with allergies to peanuts, egg whites, and cat dander.  The peanut and egg allergies are quite high.

I've been a bit of a wreck for the past two weeks imaging the effect this will have on our small family.  He's been prescribed an EpiPen Jr. and I have to have it with him at all times and my sweet cat of twelve years is temporarily staying with my mom until I can find a permanent home for her.  This explains his eczema last winter as the pet dander is stirred up the most when the furnace is running.  This weekend starts operation remove-pet-dander from my house which I'm told can take months.  I've been researching air filters/purifiers and a new vacuum cleaner to help.  If anyone has any suggestions or experience with food or pet allergies in their little one, I would love to hear them.  Honestly I am pretty freaked out.  And sad.  Both Sweet Potato and The Dynamo love the kitty.  And the peanut allergy scares the hell out of me.