August 2013

I'll start with an update on Mary and her eczema.  We took her to a dermatologist, who was so unhelpful that we didn't go back.  He dismissed my concerns about using steroid cream long term, and basically told us it was the only option to keep it under control.  A few weeks after that I took her to an allergist, suspecting some seasonal allergies (she had a runny nose off and on all summer) and possibly food allergies that could be contributing to the eczema.  She had allergy testing done, and was negative for everything.  While I am relieved, I still have no answers.  At least the allergist gave us some things to try for maintenance therapy, like wet wraps.  We tried a non-steroidal cream with minimal results, so right now we are using a low-potency steroid cream every few days along with lots of moisturizing in between.  Poor girl, I think she will be dealing with this her whole life.  There is also a high probability that she will develop asthma as well, so we have to keep an eye on symptoms for that.  Both Alex and Mary have a had a rough summer with colds and  fevers this summer.  The pic below is NOT one Mary's ezcema breakouts.  We think it may have been an atypical reaction to hand-foot-mouth disease, although we aren't sure.   Alex had the virus a few days before but did not get a rash.  She had it up and down her arms and legs and there were a few blisters around her mouth.

Lucy and Makayla played with puzzles during a fun morning in my friend Amanda's basement.  She runs a preschool and has lots of fun stuff!

She also hosted a bug playdate in her backyard.  Hundreds of ladybugs were released for the kids to explore.  So fun!

Here are the kiddos acting out the story "My Blue Boat".

Alex started school on Aug. 28th!  More later on how that is going.



Here is a sideways pic of my homeschool supplies closet...

And the books and supplies we use on a daily basis.

Here is my sweet Lucy-Lu at 9 months!  It has been a fun few weeks with lots of new milestones....the babbling started, she started to crawl (army-style...so funny!) and I felt a tooth poking through last week.  We think she has red hair, but it's pretty light and she doesn't have much yet so it is kind of hard to tell.  Plus she has a patch of blond or white hair on the left side of her head, which is kind of strange.  She is the most content baby out of the three, happily spending time playing on the floor for long periods of time, exploring the toys that are always strewn about.  She is still nursing around the clock, and we have moved to a mattress on the floor until I am motivated enough to try and transition her to the crib.  She is eating solid foods twice a day, and enjoys trying food from our plates.

I had to snap a pic of this, because Lucy never falls asleep unless she is nursing or in the car.  We were outside talking to a car salesman (we got a new car...pics to come!) and I guess the nice, cool breeze was very calming to her.  She woke up shortly after we went back inside :)



Spiderman and butterfly face paint from the safety fair :)

Oh, my littles.  I am so glad that they are "mine" for these few short years.  I love waking up and discovering what new adventures the day will bring!