The Diagnosis

Over the last few months, we have gradually become aware that Carter has a milk allergy. Recently, he began throwing up or developing rashes if I gave him certain foods that didn't even seem to have dairy ingredients.

Then, this past Sunday, Carter had an allergic reaction in the nursery at church. Someone came to get me out of our Sunday school class. At first, I was scared to death. The man said, "We need you to come see your son. There's a doctor looking at him right now." Of course, in that short second, I had many thoughts race through my head.

Broken bone. Seizure. Head cracked open.

The man then explained that he'd had an allergic reaction. I thought, "Is he breathing?"

I literally ran to the building where the nursery is and was so grateful to see one of the volunteers holding a happy baby. While Carter had developed a rash and a VERY swollen lip (think a duck bill!), he seemed unfazed. Apparently, they had given him a cracker, just as they do every week. This time, Carter reacted.

Yesterday, we spent three hours at a pediatric allergist. After some testing, the doctor diagnosed Carter with a very strong allergy to milk, eggs, and beef, and a milder allergy to peanuts and wheat. He also has excema and will need several different creams applied 3 times a day. To say, the least, I was overwhelmed. While he is expected to outgrow these allergies between ages 5-8, this diagnosis will drastically affect our meals. Carter won't be able to just eat off our plates at restaurants. I'll have to check the label of every food he tries. He'll have special snacks at birthday parties as other kids eat pizza and cake. I will have to make an egg-free cake for his birthday. And Whole Foods will now be my primary grocery store as I will have to buy egg-free noodles, milk-free bread, and all sorts of "special" foods. Even foods such as canned soup, sausage, and baked goods have milk proteins (such as whey or casein) that can cause reactions. For example, Carter had a reaction to Gerber's turkey sticks because they had whey in them. Who knew? The doctor emphasized that I will have to become a label-reader.

Now, I realize that these allergies are not life-threatening or even very serious. They're just inconvenient. And I can't help but feel overwhelmed with all that I have to learn in the next few weeks. So, I welcome any advice or suggestions from those of you have dealt with this as well. The nurse gave me some brochures with information, resources, special cookbooks, etc. But even the selection is overwhelming. And I really don't want to spend three hours at the grocery store reading over labels. So, if you know of some good products that are milk and egg free, I'd love to hear about them.

I am thankful for a healthy son and know that these allergies do not pose a long-term problem. But please pray for my sanity as I attempt to figure this all out. :)

Carter's 1st Halloween

It's December, I know. I am weeks behind in blogging, but better late than never. Right? Here are a few highlights from Halloween. Carter was a scarecrow. I was, clearly, Dorothy. And Scott so graciously consented to be the Lion. (We had bought silver paint and planned for Scott to be the Tin Man. But in "cowardly lion" fashion, we chickened out, ran out of time, and decided a lion would be much easier.)Here is my friend Stacey and her son, Ben. Aren't they such cute monkeys? And Stacey even made her own costume.Ben and Carter were so excited to see each other.Carter was also excited to see a "snack" in Ben's pocket. We cracked up when Carter leaned over to take a bite of the stuffed banana and luckily had our camera in hand!

At our Supper Club Halloween party, the babies were up way past their bedtimes. (Remember, Carter loves to be in bed by 6:30, no joke!) He kept laying his head down on the floor, so we finally felt bad enough and took him home. I could just imagine my little scarecrow thinking, "If I only had a bed."


After all, there's no place like home.

Happy 10 Months, Carter!

Dear Carter,

As you can tell from the picture above, you've officially outgrown your bear in size. I can't believe how big you are! You're practically half my height already!Over the last month, you've become much more attached to your daddy.
And you love when he tickles you!
When he leaves for work each morning, he always says, "Learn a lot, grow a little!" (I told him he might regret this one day because 3-feet-tall geniuses aren't always very popular.) :)You're still taking four bottles a day, always feeding yourself (of course). Next month, you'll switch from formula to soy milk.
Your baby blues have kept their hue! Will they turn green like Gram Me's, or stay blue like Papa's?
Your latest trick is playing "How big is Carter?"..... "SO BIG!!!" You also enjoy taking your socks off, holding one in each hand, and sliding around the hardwood floors like you're skating, never picking up your hands while your legs swish forward.

We did a lot of traveling this month and got to see family who live out of town. Uncle Stuart was so excited to see you when we were in Kentucky for Kathy's wedding! In this picture, you're wearing the party outfit that Aunt JuJu smocked for you. We were celebrating Granddad's birthday after the reception.
GrandMary came to visit from North Carolina. She kept trying to teach you to patty cake, and you finally picked up on the clapping. Now you're a pro!
You are getting much better at playing with your toys for longer periods of time. You still love the grocery pushcart because it helps you practice walking.
In addition to KY, we went to Fairhope and stayed with Mama. We bundled you up and walked the streets downtown.
You experienced several holidays for your first time. You were a big hit as a scarecrow for Halloween, and you had a great time in Cary, North Caroline for Thanksgiving. The 11-hour drive was challenging, but you did great. And it helped that you were riding in your new carseat which offers more room.

This month also included your first trip to the ER. Around 10 pm one night, you woke up crying and coughing with a bark-like sound. We knew immediately it was croup. An hour later, you began having trouble breathing. After a call to the nurse, we were told to take you to the ER at Children's Hospital. Of course, by the time we got there, you were fine. :) The cold air had helped your lungs and throat relax. But the doctor gave you a steroid to help with the inflammation, and you improved after a few days.
It's hard to believe that this time last year, I was waddling around with an active, kicking baby squirming in my tummy! It's also hard to believe that you're already 10 months. My little man is growing up. We love you and can't wait to see all that you learn this next month!

Happy 10 months, Carter!

Love,
Mommy

Nine Month Photos

My friend Charissa Hanson is starting up her photography business-- Studio H Photography. We went out to Aldridge Gardens to capture some shots of Carter at nine months. We hadn't had any professional pictures taken since he was 2 weeks old!

Charissa got some really great shots, but I don't think Carter is cut out for a modeling career. While he's always fighting for me to put him down so he can explore and prefers to stand rather than sit, he decided on this late afternoon that he wanted to be held. No buts about it. Here are just a few other things that happened just minutes into the session:

1) One of his buttons across the top fell off and slipped down through the cracks of the bridge. This was the first time he'd worn the outfit! Sweet Charissa photoshopped it back in so you can't even tell.

2) In trying to capture a picture by the lake, I would set him down and jump a few feet away to stay out of the frame. About the fifth or sixth time, as I jumped away, he fell over backwards and rolled down the slight incline onto a rock!! He was scared but okay. I was definitely shaken. I remember looking backwards and thinking he was going to continue rolling off the rock into the water! Lesson learned.

3) He tried to eat the grass. I think I pulled grass out of his mouth and wiped snot from his runny nose the entire time. My pants went straight into the wash when we got home!

Here are a few of our favorite pictures... you can find more on Charissa's website:
http://hansoncj.googlepages.com/home

Happy 9 Months, Carter!

Dear Carter,

Another month gone by! Each day, you look less and less like a baby, and more and more like a boy! Here are some highlights from your ninth month...
Long, Lean Crawling Machine
Today we saw Dr. Doyle for your 9-month check up. You weigh 21 lbs (60th percentile) and measure 30 1/4 inches (95th percentile). Dr. Doyle said you are almost off the chart in length! (Wonder where you get that from???) :)
You have lost most of your adorable rolls from your superfast crawling. Many people have commented on how active you are. I thought it was just because you're a boy, but apparently I should have seen your constant movement in the womb as a warning of what was to come! You are standing by yourself for small periods of time now and have ventured to take a step a few times. In the last week, you've started cruising around furniture and flash your grin of accomplishment when you move from one thing to another without having to sit down. But I still think it will be another month or so before you really start walking.Umm...Yummy!
You've tried a few new table foods....bananas, avocados, turkey, ham, cheese, and yogurt. Unfortunately, you are still allergic to dairy products, so the cheese and yogurt samplings didn't end up too well. When I see the rash begin to spread, I know to run and change into "old" clothes! Getting thrown up on is becoming a weekly, if not daily, occurrence! While MaMa was visiting today, we asked her to whip up her famous scrambled eggs for your first taste. Her eggs are the best! We think you liked them! You now prefer to feed your bottle to yourself. This has been great, as it gives me ten more minutes, 4x a day, when I can run around and do a few things knowing that you're staying in one place. :)

All I Want for Christmas...
...is my two front teeth. Well, you got your present early. Both upper teeth have come in, and it looks like another one on the bottom is trying to cut through. Gnawing on Mommy's fingers is no longer an option now. You've got a strong bite!

Playtime
You're favorite DVD is now Baby Einstein Baby's First Signs. You learned how to knock over a stack of blocks (why did I think that was a good skill to teach you??). You still love your activity table and the learn-n-play house. Your new favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus," and that's our best tactic for getting you to be still or quiet when you begin to fuss. You like it best when Grand Mary sings it to you because she actually remembers the right words. Not to mention, she does arm motions too!

Look Out World, Here I Come!
As you are discovering your independence, you find no joy in having your diaper changed or being dressed. In fact, you've turned these seemingly simple tasks into wrestling matches which sometimes evolve into crying fits. Daddy and I started popping you on the leg when you would do this, and this past week has brought much improvement! I read that babies can learn authority and obedience around this age, and the author is right! You love to explore, opening drawers and cabinets doors, feeling textures (with your fingers AND your mouth!). I have had to start teaching you "No" so that you don't hurt yourself. It's now catching on. The other night, after I said "no" very firmly, you threw your head down and cried. I thought you were throwing a fit while Grand Mary thought you were embarrassed. Either way, it was really cute. We couldn't stop laughing. And I was just thrilled that you obeyed me! I don't want to squelch your desire to explore, but I have to set some boundaries. I have to admit...this motherhood role is becoming more challenging.

And Your First Word Is....DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....
Jackson! It actually sounds more like "JACK-shun!" Sometimes, you just shorten it to "Jack." We can't really count it until it becomes clearer. But you definitely sound like you're saying his name whenever you see him. He is now the first "being" you want to see when you wake up. Your daddy and I thinks it's cute but also hope we'll once more become the most treasured objects of your affection sometime in the near future.
Jackson may not be warming up to you yet, but we believe one day you'll be best buddies. He did try to play fetch with you this week, so we'll work on your throw. :) We all miss sweet Sadie, but she's in a wonderful and loving home where she doesn't have to worry about getting hurt by innocent acts of toddler love and play. Here's a picture of her last morning with us. You had quite a grip (actually, two grips!) on her, but she was so patient and sweet.
Carter, this month has been the most challenging month so far. As I try to learn the best way to teach discipline and obedience, as I struggle to know which foods to try that won't make you sick, as I become frustrated and exhausted when I keep having to move you back to your toys, as I struggle to find time for myself, I continue to remind myself how lucky and blessed I am to have you. Your daddy and I prayed fervently for a child, and there's not a day that goes by that we don't experience at least one moment of pure joy and gratitude at the sight of your smile. We love you so much! Happy 9 months, my dear son!

Love,
Mommy

The Pumpkin Patch

Last Saturday, we went out to the Pumpkin Patch at Shadowlake with some couples in our church community group. It was beautiful weather, and Carter loved the pumpkins! He wore his newly smocked outfit from his Aunt JuJu to make the autumn day complete. Here are a few snapshots from the patch.







Hey Mom! Look here...I found one!