Nate's Allergist Appointment

Deciding it was time to stop just treating Nate's skin and start figuring out the cause, we made an appointment with the allergist.  His skin has been progressively getting worse and it just looks terrible.  He is miserable and we have to figure it out.  After the poor experience with the allergist when he was 1 1/2, I was nervous that we wouldn't get a lot of help.  I was wrong! This new doctor's office (which is local) is amazing.  His new doctor is great and empathetic and we loved her. 

But, we knew Nate was going to have to go through a lot in order to find the cause.  We were there for over 3 hours.  It was terrible.  There is just no other way to describe it.  Nate did amazing.  He was so brave and continued through each test in order to get them done.  I had to fight back tears to stay strong for him, it is oh so heartbreaking to watch your child in tears and pain in order to undergo these tests. 

His back scratch test

He had a series of tests and I can't even tell you the specifics.  It started with a  prick on his shoulder to make sure that his system was ready to take the allergy tests.  Then we moved on to the back scratch test.  They did so many his entire back was covered.  And then they did a few on his arm with a  needle that injected something into the skin.  The last round of tests was the blood draw.

Look how brave he is!

The results....

Not great but definitely a step towards getting answers.  He is allergic to a bunch; basically at least one thing in every category.  He is allergic to tree, grass, and weed pollen (I had a feeling about that grass!), mold, cats, and dogs.  Yes, dogs.  That one was devastating.  They don't expect us to get rid of Sammy, but we are taking steps so that they can live together.  He is also allergic to tree nuts (big time allergic).  There were also some tests that I think were inconclusive and the blood work will tell us more.  Right now there is a chance that he is allergic to dust mites, peanuts, soy, chicken, pork, corn, and tomato.  Some of those (peanuts, chicken, tomato) would be pretty upsetting if they come back positive.  Hopefully we will find out in a couple of weeks.

He also had a sinus infection (he's always so snotty) and a lot of these environmental factors/allergies are the reason why we can never seem to clear that up. 

The surprising news was that he does not have a chocolate allergy.  Well, at least it came up negative, but she still wants him to stay away from it for now.  Maybe he outgrew it?

The plan...

Stay away from chocolate and tree nuts.  We will see on the other food later.

He will be using Flonase and Allegra to help with the allergies/sinus stuff. He also has some eye drops to use as needed.  He will take Atarax at night to help with the itching.  He is also on a couple of meds for the sinus infection which will also help clear up some of the infections on his skin from itching.

We are sanctioning off his bedroom.  Sammy is not allowed in his room.  We have gotten allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers for his bed.  We will be getting an air purifier.  He needs to have his carpets vacuumed often.  No more stuffed animals.  We also need to keep the humidity low. 

Since he is just a little boy, they are not forbidding him to play outside.  He can play outside (evenings are recommended because pollen is lowest at that time), but when he comes in he has to shower and change clothes.  No dirty laundry in his room.

She gave us a prescription cream to use as needed, along with a hydrocortisone cream.  We will continue to moisturize with the Eucerin but it needs to be done twice a day. 

He will also now have an Auvi-Q (like an epi-pen).  The doctor doesn't seem to think he will need it but is concerned about the tree nuts (I guess it's a major one for him).  He has had certain tree nuts before and his throat has never closed up on him, but it's a good piece of mind.  We will need it anyway because he is also going to be starting immunotherapy (allergy shots) when he turns 6.  It will be pretty intense at first (getting shots often-probably twice a week) until he builds up to the maintenance dose.  He will then continue with a maintenance schedule for 5 years.  The hope is that he will build up a resistance and then not affected by these triggers.  This will also allow him to be with Sammy and play outside without all the side effects.  It takes a full year to see that but will start seeing some of the benefits sooner. 

What's next....

He goes back in two weeks.  He will undergo more testing at that time. :(  This will help determine what needs to be in the injections.  Our Nate is brave but this is a lot for a little boy.  After the testing he will be getting shots weekly for some time and I know that is going to be very hard for him.

This is all a lot and overwhelming.  We are just taking it steps and trying to get organized with all this information.

Pray for strength and endurance.  I can see the end and it will be good.  We just have to get there.

Nate is 5!

Why does 5 seem so big? Right now it feels like he is so big and growing up so fast. Will I feel this way when he's turning 18 and I look back and think, 5 is so little! Probably.  But for now, my heart aches at how quickly the last 5 years have passed and how grown up my baby seems to be now.

Nate is still our sweet and sensitive soul.  He wants to please and therefore tends to follow.  He doesn't like making us upset (although has his moments like any kid) but is for the most part a really good kid.  He is loving pre-k and learning so much.  He doesn't always want to go-some days would much rather spend the day at home playing with his toys but by the end of a weekend is looking forward to seeing his friends again. 

His favorite toys to play with are any Imaginext guys but especially superheroes.  He is also getting more into legos.  He can't build the sets by himself yet but has started looking at the duplo pictures and building those for Maddie by himself. He loves Tom & Jerry.  He loves being outside and even if it's cold out he will go out and play.  He loves pb&j and pizza.  He wants to be a superhero when he grows up.  He has a heart for Jesus and loves church and learning about God. 

Sometimes I just sit back as I listen to him talk and can't believe this is my baby and I'm sitting here having a conversation with him.  He has a great imagination and is creative. Just amazes me. We love you Nate. Happy fifth birthday.

Fall Vacation to TX/AZ

Things have been crazy since returning home from vacation. Michael  is already gone again to another school in Arkansas and we are getting back in the swing of things with school and church activities.  I think the tumbleweed in the front grill and the Oklahoma red clay is finally off the car, so I better update the blog on our vacation before it never happens!

We spent the first two weeks of October on vacation.  This is the longest we have ever vacationed and definitely since having kids. Our mini vacation to TN was our trial run to see how the kids would do in the car. We drove over 4,000 miles and spent about 60 hours in the car. Disaster? Not at all! Surprisingly, everyone did really well. I mean, it's actually quite shocking how well it went.  Of course at times the kids got antsy, but overall they did great!

We went out for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack to kick off the vacation.  A splurge for sure, but also doubled as a late birthday treat for me (I love me some seafood!)!  Then we hit the road. We planned to drive through the night the first night so we could get some good distance in on the first stretch.  I remember passing through St. Louis and barely seeing the arch in lights before my eyes shut and I was out.  Michael stopped around 3am to get a few hours of sleep and then we hit the road again in the morning. We stopped that afternoon for lunch in Elk City, OK and went to a playground so the kids could run out some energy.  We hit Amarillo, TX by late afternoon and settled into the hotel.

I will say this, the kids LOVED staying in hotels. The elevators, the pool, the breakfast downstairs in the morning, all sleeping in one room.  I must admit, I liked all that too. :)

We stayed the weekend in TX so we could visit Dad and Linda. It was nice to see my uncles and aunts that I haven't seen in forever too.  We went to Palo Duro Canyon, which is the second largest canyon in the US.  It does not compare in size but I liked that we could drive right down into it and get out and explore a little. We made a stop and climbed up into a cave.  Michael was more daring than I; it just made me so nervous to be around the edges with the kids.  We had perfect weather and it was just a beautiful place. At certain points driving through the creeks flow across the roads.  We were crossing over such a place when a truck came splashing through completely soaking the entire inside of the van.  Maddie got it the worst as waves of water flooded her face.  It was terrible.  The worst part was that a bunch of young kids were riding in the back hooting and hollering that they completely soaked us.  But we cleaned it up and the van dried out and the fun we had at the canyon passed up the little splashing set back.

Our time in TX was great. We had really good time visiting and dining and just spending time at Dad and Linda's, eating Dad's cheesy scrambled eggs and making fall wreaths.  On Sunday we visited their church and were able to be there as Linda became a member.  It was very much a country cowboy church and I loved it!  It was exactly what I was hoping for in visiting a church in TX.  We went to dinner at Gatti's and had pizza buffet and afterwards the kids played in the arcade. We decided to do the next stretch in the trip at night again, so after dinner we headed out. 

We made a short stop at Cadillac Ranch (just had to see all those cars stuck in the ground!) and were on our way.  I woke up just as we were entering Albuquerque, NM.  It is probably the most beautiful city I have ever seen lit up at night. When we saw signs for the Grand Canyon we discussed going.  We were so close and when would we have this opportunity again? So we decided to make a slight detour and head north to the Grand Canyon. Completely worth it.  So beautiful and amazing.  There are buses that charter visitors around to different lookout points so you don't have to do much walking if you don't want.  We visited several check points before heading back. Of course I was a nervous wreck the entire time, but without guard rails or fences in many of the areas, I think it's completely understandable. :)  The wildlife there are very used to the tourists and stand right next to the roads and walkways so we were able to see some deer up close. Just beautiful and such an amazing place.

And then it was on to Arizona.  We stayed with my Grandma for the week. I just loved staying with my Grandma.  It takes me right back to my childhood.  It was so special to see her with my kids (and even see my kids play with some of the same toys I played with); to watch her play with them, feed them, spoil them, etc. the way only Grandma can do best.  They absolutely loved it there.  We all did.  We also went swimming at the community pool (which Maddie was finally brave enough to swim around the pool with the noodle and now can go anywhere!).  We visited my mom at her new house and the kids went swimming at her community pool.  Let me just say how nice it was to be swimming in the pool in October.  We went with my aunt Dawn and her kids, Sarah and Andrew, to the Phoenix Science Center one afternoon.  The place was great. The kids had so much fun playing and exploring.  We climbed up to the Hole in the Rock, which gave a great view of the city.  We played at the playground.  My uncle Nicky and aunt Chris and family and my mom came over for dinner on Friday.  Nate and Maddie took instantly to Nichlas and Hannah and they played all night.  We visited uncle Lee's and Mom's church Saturday night.  It was my first time going to a mega church.  It was huge.  But the worship was amazing-felt like going to a concert, and the sermon was very good.  Afterwards we met up with my cousin, Michael, and went out to eat at In and Out.  The week ended too soon and Sunday we were on our way back home. 

We stopped the first night in Albuquerque and the next morning when loading up the car we saw hot air balloons in the sky.  We made a pit stop in Amarillo and had lunch with Dad and Linda, and then the second night we stayed in Oklahoma. By the third day we were ready to be home and so close that we didn't want to stop so instead of staying in a hotel another night we decided to just keep driving through until we got home (which ended up being very early the next morning).  The trip home was fun.  The kids did great again and I think liked the adventure. 

So it's good to be home (we missed Sammy), but we still miss the warmth of the south and the embraces of family.

Maddie's First Haircut

Last week we took Maddie to get her first haircut.  Since we did a big production for Nate (Nate's First Haircut) we wanted to do something special for Maddie as well.  Since she is 3 years old and NOT a baby, we decided instead of taking her to Cookie Cutters we would take her to a "big girl" salon.  I have a friend that works at Borics and thought that would be perfect.  It was absolutely perfect.  Maddie was so excited to finally be getting her haircut.  She watches eagerly every time I cut Daddy and Nate's hair, wanting to have hers cut too.  And after chopping half her bangs and some of the hair on top to the scalp this summer, she was ready! :)

Alison did a great job making her feel special.  She even put a little bit of stuff in her hair and ran the blow dryer through it to make her feel like a big girl.  Maddie just grinned and you could tell she was just beside herself.  She did so good sitting still.  In the end, the cut is just perfect. It evens out the original Mohawk and makes her look older.  So bittersweet but then again I say that about every milestone with the kids.

before

she just enjoyed it so much

after

WOBC

Michael went to WOBC (Warrant Officer Basic Course) this summer.  It was an 18 week course, starting in the beginning of April and ending mid-August.  I didn't write a post on it all summer.  Maybe I didn't want to share that he was not at home on the Internet.  Paranoid? Maybe.  But being in charge of the security of the home while the man is away is stressful enough.  And maybe I didn't want to write about it because when you're in the thick of it, it's all very dreary (even if it really isn't, and it wasn't).  But now I don't want to leave that chapter in our lives undocumented.  It was a very big struggle for our family, but I also want to share that we got through it. 

I didn't think we would make it through it.  When he first left in April, August felt like forever away.  But somehow the summer passed.  At times it seemed to by going quickly, and others the hours felt like days...maybe even weeks.  But it passed and before we knew it, Daddy was home! 

Communication

Even though he was in the states, the communication still suffered.  The internet there was heavily loaded and so skyping rarely was an option.  When he could log on it would drop or not come in clearly.  A disappointment since we thought it would be much better than the when overseas.  Phone calls with the kids is never a great option.  The minute I would get on the phone they would know that my attention was not on them and it would either be screaming or getting into something they weren't supposed to.  So a lot was left to be said in emails.

The Kids

Whenever Michael leaves for a school/work/guard the kids have a few rough days.  For this reason we decided to not make any visits during this time.  I thought once we got over the hump (usually after a few days in and they realize it's not just a drill weekend) and things smoothed out that a visit would disrupt them.  Plus we made a countdown chain and once they understood that once it was gone, Daddy would be home, I didn't want to have to explain a visit in the middle of the chain and confuse them.  It started exactly as I thought it would.  First few days fine. Next few days terrible.  But after that I thought it would smooth out and it didn't.  Every few weeks they would act out, usually for a good week, before returning to their (almost) old self.  This cycle just continued until he came home. So it was rough.  I'm not gonna lie. But I can say it wasn't terrible every moment of every day. It was summer. We were able to get outside everyday, which was probably the saving grace. We had weekly play dates too.  So while it was tough, we managed, and even had some pretty good times in there too!

The Grown Ups

For Michael and I, our struggles were the opposite.  He missed home.  Hated missing out on things.  For me I wanted to get away. Needed the breaks.  But more than that it was just lonely.  On many days it was just the kids and me with no adult interaction at all.  We missed each other. Terribly. I thought I would have all this time to do all these projects around the house but by the time my chores and Michael's chores were done I didn't have energy to do anything more.  Michael tried to fill his weekends (which were the hardest) with activities but even though they were fun, it was the time he was most reminded he was away from family.

The Point

I have two reasons for this entry.  I don't like such a downer of a post, BUT this was part of our life.  A big part of this year and I feel like it needs to be documented. The other reason is this will be a nice reminder in the future.  This will not be his last school or the last time he is away.  We will have hard times again as long as he is in the military.  As hard as this past summer was for our family, there are a couple truths.  We survived.  We can get through it again.  And, I know it's cliché, but it really did make us a stronger family.  We appreciate each other more.  We are closer as a family and while we've always made our family a priority, we won't take the time we have for granted. And we grew stronger in our faith as we had to lean on God to get us through. 

Nate's First Day of Preschool

Our big boy is off to school! He is going to Pre-K at CCS in the morning for a few hours, five days a week.  It will be such a change not to have him around every morning!

He was super excited for his first day leading up to it, but then on the way to school he kept saying he didn't want to go and wanted me to stay with him.  Although as soon as he got there he went right to the table where Anderson was playing legos and I barely got a good-bye hug! On the way home afterwards he told me all about his big day and the things he learned.  He talked about how they painted his hand and made a hand print on paper, how he had to color boxes with nothing in them (not the ones with animals in them--working on number 0), and sang me the songs he learned.  He was so excited-he told us that he was going to teach us new songs everyday after school.  In his backpack was a welcome treat from his teacher, Mrs. Rogers (who he already knew from church so it's nice he didn't have to get used to a new adult) and the papers he did. It was awesome to see the work he talked about--the hand print and colored boxes.  As hard as it is for me to close the last chapter this new chapter is going to be so much fun!

Maddie is 3!

Our sweet Maddie is three! Can you believe it!?! She woke up that morning at told me, "I'm never going to be 2 again!" Yep, she's excited to be a big girl. She is funny and clever.  A spitfire. She's super smart (she knows her numbers and letters and how to spell her name). She likes to do things her way and in her time. She is determined. She has the cutest little laugh. She sings. All the time. She loves Frozen and so naturally is the song of choice (incorrectly-"let it grow").  She really observes people, even if you don't think she is paying any attention. The smallest details too (she asked why my friend was putting peanut butter on the bread with her hand--she was holding it--as I keep the bread on the counter). She loves everything girly-dresses and pink and purple and make up. She wants to be a mommy when she grows up and loves to play in her kitchen and with her babies. We have been working on potty training for about a month. She has a stretch of a few days that she does excellent and then a couple days that she will just have one accident after another.  So we're still working on it but she is in big girl undies during the day and in a diaper at night. She likes to wear her hair in breads like "Elsa".  She thinks Nate is hilarious and will laugh and laugh at the things he says and does.  She loves to cuddle (especially after waking up).  She is shy in new situations and with new people but warms up and then look out! She loves wagons, dogs, reading.  She just learned how to swing by herself. She's super proud. She loves sparkle, glitter, toenail polish, and jewelry.  She is stubborn, destroys so many things, is messy.  She likes to tell me "I can do whatever I can do" (=I can do what I want) when I tell her to do something.  She likes a variety of food but is a grazer and will not eat an entire meal in one sitting.  She is a snacker.  She loves the pool but only the kiddie pool, where she will sit at the edge having a tea party.  She does not like to splash around in the water.  She is very helpful.  She loves to help me in the kitchen when I'm cooking and will get her toy appliances to "cook" alongside me.  She helps with the laundry and dishes.  She is very healthy--she hasn't been sick at all this past year.  Her wellness visit went very well-her vision is great and she looks good (she refused to pee in the cup, can you blame her?).  She is 40" tall (95%) and weighs 36 lbs. 4 oz. (90%).