ALLERGIES!!!

Here is a glimpse of why we got started down the road of life at the allergist's office, and all of the joys that have accompanied allergies. While there are challenges we are very blessed that it has never been too serious, and that she really has been a very healthy little girl.

Now that Sasha had her second birthday it was time to head on over to the allergist again. It was like a second home, or so it seemed, last year. The poor girl was in and out of the office getting poked over and over so that we could find out what was causing all of the trouble for her. I got her appointment scheduled, they sent us a lab slip, she had her blood work done over a month ago, so it would be available when we went in. It was a two month wait to get in to see Dr. Drain (whom we love by the way, it is worth waiting so we can see her) from when I called to schedule an appointment. When you go to the doctor most are only with you for a few min, Dr. Drain was in the room with us for nearly an hour today. She specialized in pediatrics and worked there for a few years and then did a specialty in asthma & allergies (whatever that is called), so she has been amazing with Sasha.

And the results are:

• Avocado now officially an allergy... we knew that from her reaction, now it is in her chart, so it is still off limits.
• Berries - not an allergy now... we are so happy that she can have these again, in small/reasonable quantities
• Dairy - no longer an allergy (the Doctor cheered, so did we)
• Egg - both the Doctor and parents think this is a false positive, she has never had a reaction, but good luck getting her to eat any, even smothered in her beloved ketchup
• Peanut - blood work showed no allergy, but the skin test showed a slight reaction still, so we are avoiding this one for another year.
  
  We are so happy that she is outgrowing her allergies, and hoping that Braden doesn't have any. Though if he does we hope they are the same ones.

Sasha & Braden

Here are some of the pictures that Ashley took of Sasha and Braden last month.

We love them and wanted to share them with you.

Thanks Ashley!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Braden and His BUBBLES

I am grateful to have this medium to do a little journaling of our daily lives. I have never been great at writing in a journal, but this has allowed me some excitement of recording things that I would otherwise most likely forget, like many things in my life previously. We all have those, the things that have made such an impact on us that we were sure that we would always remember, well then if we were lucky we wrote them down and at some future time were looking back, reading through a journal and come across one of those times. I know I have been surprised as I think back and am grateful that I had recorded what I was thinking about, feeling, and what happened. I also regret not being more through at times, or recording some things at all.

For anyone who has forgotten the simple joys of what life has to offer you only need to spend a little time with a young child. They have so much excitement for life and all it has to offer. They help us rediscover all of the things that are so easily taken for granted; the way grass grows, and where, the joy of discovering the perfect "flower" (a dandelion), bugs walking around, swinging, sliding, airplanes (how often that can be a joy when living under a flight path). Sasha makes new discoveries every day. Her favorite phrases and words change as she can say new things she develops new fixations, as these change I will post them on the side... Quotes by Sasha. Even Braden shows us frequently many joys that are easily forgotten, or over looked as we grow older. I am thankful to have some of these moments recorded in picture or on video to remind me of things that I love, and hope not to forget.

Thank you to our wonderful children for reminding me of all of the joyful things around us.

This is one of those things that makes me smile!

You may need to turn up your volume to hear Braden, sorry the mike on the camera didn't pick up his voice as well as I had hoped.