Good News from the Allergist

Maybe I should start with the allergic reaction. About 2 months ago we were eating breakfast burritos and Rodney being Rodney wanted some of what we were eating. I didn't know that eggs were a no-go until 1 year. Now I know. He grabbed a chunk of egg off of my plate shoved it messily into his mouth and then rubbed his eye. His skin started to rash, he kept itching it. His nose started to run like mad; and he started to sneeze like crazy too. I washed his hands and by the time the doctor called me back he was much better. Long story short, the doctor ordered an appointment with an allergist before we gave him a flu shot to be sure he wouldn't have a reaction. So, Rodney had a scratch test yesterday at the allergist to test his reaction to eggs and the flu shot. He ended up being only slightly allergic to eggs and no reaction at all to the flu shot. Wahoo! That also means that he will most likely grow out of the allergy! The doctor wants us to keep a food diary of anything that has eggs baked in it and keep our eyes open for reactions. We are also to avoid plain eggs, but that is expected. So follow appointment is in a month, hopefully nothing comes up. We don't need an egg allergy!

Super-sad realization for this Mom

I am suddenly realizing that Rodney's 1st birthday is right around the corner. (tear) What is so upsetting about this? I am only months away from being done nursing. (I am literally on the verge of tears writing this) Rodney will be just fine, I know. But I am just dreading it. However, the nutritionist at WIC today told me that the world average for breastfeeding is 4. So Mark and I have decided to continue breastfeeding like that lady in the UK until her kids are 8... ok maybe not...ok really we aren't. I'm not going that crazy over it.

New Post to come TOMORROW for Rodney's 9 month check-up. He is already in bed and I want a picture to go with it dang-it! With how often I post, I have to make it worth it! Be impressed, very impressed. 2 posts in 2 days~!

9 Months and Counting...

This was taken at Grandma and Grandpa Friesen's house about a month ago.

He loves this little chair.

This picture was taken today, he is looking far too old :(

Well we had our 9 mo. check-up, well a week and a half ago now. I couldn't find our camera and I wanted to post a picture of Rodney with it. So the serious search for the camera began. I haven't seen it in far too long. I was really getting worried. Well, good news. I FOUND IT! I don't want to admit where I found it because it proves how LAZY I am....

Anyway, back to the purpose of the post.


Good news first:

• Rodney gained weight! 5 oz. in 3 months...but he gained!


• I don't need to feed him in the night anymore = more sleep for me!!! Apparently, when some babies eat in the night it affects their eating habits during the day. I was thinking I was doing a good thing by giving him food whenever he wanted it. Guess not. We have been using the strategy of The Baby Whisperer (Compliments of Emily and Sarah, THANK YOU.) GENIUS! A week of weening him off of night feedings and last night he slept for 8 hours straight. 8 HOURS!

Bad news:

• Ear infection (no hints from the little man. No abnormal playing with the ear, no fussiness, ear infection none the less)


• An appointment to set for the allergist


• Sent to the lab for blood draw (for a metabolic panel to make sure that his thyroid is ok. Don't panic. She said it is probably just fine but we need to check just to be sure) Suprisingly, he did incredibly well. He just layed there and watched the guy do what he needed to do. Cried right when the needle went in, but as soon as it was in he just watched the doctor again. He never sits still, but I guess if I lay him down on a table and there are two strange men looking down over him...

Official Measurements: 16 lbs. 5 oz. (1%-ile) 27 inches(12%-ile) head? I don't know, they didn't tell me.

He has started to clap, pick and choose what food he eats off of his tray, picks things up with his fingertips and not his whole fist, learned his first baby sign language: Milk (although we use it for drink. He did it for the first time yesterday), climbing. Climbing. Climbing. He has learned that he can open the drawers on the bottom of our coffee table to reach things he wants in the middle of the table. Lovely.... I think we have a natural monkey. He has started to refuse baby food altogether. He has let me feed him two containers of pears and 1/2 a jar of sweet potatoes in the last week. He is starting to play really well with other kids his age and gets very excited to see Rowan and Rory. ( I guess they could be called his two best friends) Today Mark and I were watching Rory pretty much all day. They were so cute together. It was like they were attached at the hip, partners in crime. Anywhere one of them would go the other would follow. A not so cute thing he has started to do is scream/squeal/screetch extremely loud. Most likely right in your ear. We really need to get going on the sign language...

I don't have a baby anymore!

It is official. I don't think I have a baby anymore. Rodney is doing so many grown-up things it kinda makes me sad. I know it's normal for him to progress, but really? He isn't even 9 months yet! I really should still have a baby!

Rodney:
~Would rather feed himself instead of being fed baby food.
~Crawls almost as fast as I walk.
~Knows where the food is at and pulls down my shirt when he wants it!
~Climbs stairs!!! I am talking full flights of stairs over and over and over again!
~Likes to tip the box fan over so he can climb up on it and just sit there.
~almost climbs over our baby gates.
~refuses sippy cups. We want big cups people...
~knows how to pull everything off of the coffee table, really it should be on the ground.
~Loves to go to any door and open and close it, and open and close it, and sit in front of it so Mom can't get him out.
~Has started to crawl away from me when he knows I'm coming to get him.
~Has to be forced to be dressed/diapered.
~Is really starting to enjoy showers (we don't have a bathtub)

We have nicknamed him Taz for his talent for distroying any space within seconds!
But really how can you be mad at this?!

serious update!

So I haven't blogged in a long time and this is going to be a huge update. It is also going to be reversed because I still haven't perfected the picture thing yet....maybe someday?



Rodney has two teeth!! This has happened a long time ago, right during finals week when I was trying to study for my American Government final. He was so fussy and wouldn't let me focus on anything but him. I was getting so frustrated that I was in tears. Finally I just gave up studying and decided to just get ready and be a little early so there was the least amount of stress as possible. As I was dressing him I see that there are teeth right under the surface of his gums. After I saw that I couldn't blame him for being so upset anymore. I felt horrible that I was getting so frustrated and just wish I would have taken the time from studying to take a look objectively and figure out what was wrong, given him Tylenol, and made the whole morning better! Little lessons of motherhood I guess.... Anyway, our favorite teething relief product...Celery straight from the fridge. It is ribbed, cold, and firm. Now that he has the teeth I give him celery to test his teeth out on instead of our coffee table.

When we got home from our trip for the family reunion and Chelsey's wedding I spent the three days finishing up the semester and then on thursday I went to Denver to spend a day with Seth so Angela could tour nursing homes with her Mom and visit her dad toddlerless. We had so much fun playing. Seth is such a ham he just makes you laugh all day. While he was eating his lunch I told him that I needed to go put Rodney down for a nap. He looked at me so distressed and says. But I'm supposed to play with him! I told him that he could play with him once he wakes up. I took him into a bedroom and Rodney wasn't exactly going down very easy. As soon as Seth heard him fuss a little he came running in and said: He woke up! Can I play with him now? so cute! love that little boy!

Friday Rodney and I went to Firestone to play with Ross, Evan, and Grace. They are such cute kids too. We played in the sprinklers. Rodney had a rough night with teeth so we were both tired. Lunch was a little stressful but we had fun otherwise! It was a great two days spending so much time with family!

Amy flew home early so Mark flew back to help me drive home. Rodney was getting a littel restless in his seat so we stopped to feed him and let him stretch a little bit. Mark was holding him and he climbed up on the steering wheel. It was so cute and he was so proud I had to take a picture. My two boys are so cute!

Lia just happened to be staying with her Grandma the same week I was there so we hung out a couple of the days. Mom helped her make pillowcases, we made miniature s'mores on Grandmas patio with mom and dad's chiminea. I think it is so fun. Grandma McFadden came out and spent some time on the patio with us too. I had a blast getting to know Stephaney better and spending lots of time with Jeff. I am so lucky to have Mark who supports me spending such quality time with my family while he goes home to the daily grind!

This is Me, Chels and Lia at the reception. Chels looked so beautiful, and holy cow the Father-daughter dance was a tear jerker!

Grandma was trying so hard all week long to get Rodney to let her hold him. However, he always had different plans like crawling all over, standing up against everything, trying to stand up on his own, walking along furniture...you know all the normal 7 month old activities....riiiiight.... Finally on the last day we were there he pulled himself up on Grandma's foot rest wanting to get up in her chair. Rodney snuggled right in and took a nap with her. He never does that, but Grandma ate it up as you can imagine.

This was one of the first days we were there. Rodney was pretty much napless throughout the whole reunion because he is a picky sleeper. Must be quiet and dark for him to take a nap or sleep without a serious fight. But rest assured Grandpa and Michael can get anything done.

Rodney sure loves his grandpa.

This is a family picture at the copper mine. It was so massive and impressive to see how small those huge machines look on the other side of the mine.

Rodney has lots of new tricks, peek-a-boo and clicking his tounge. In this clip it is one of the first times that he clicked his tounge and you have to pay attention because it only happens once out of his many attempts. Now, a week later, he just clicks his tounge all day long as he crawls or whatever. It's pretty cute.

This is at the family reunion and towards the end of his laughing spurt. It is the first full on laugh. Devin, Brad and Angela's boy is throwing a football in the air about 2 feet and catching it, Rodney just thought it was the funniest thing, so I of course had to video!

Well for those of you still reading/watching. I'm impressed, sorry it is such overload!

Favorite summer treat!

These coconut bar are my new favorite summer treat. Scratch that, they are good enough to eat all year round! They are dangerous to have in my freezer though so I try not to buy them EVERY time I go to the grocery store... really, you need to try them!

GRADUATING!!

If you are wondering why I have a graduation background in the middle of the summer it is because I have been taking two classes over the summer to complete my AA degree!!! The countdown is on with only 2 1/2 weeks left!!! WAHOO!!! Quite excited about it, can you tell?