Ellie had her first appointment with the pediatric allergist today, and everything went as smoothly as could have been expected. Below is Scott's description of what we learned about Ellie's allergies:
Unless a person has already been exposed to something, that thing cannot be tested to see if it’s an allergen since there will not be a histamine reaction (since it’s the first contact with the substance). This is not generally an issue with older children and adults, as they’ve been exposed to most everything. There’s also a much greater chance of a false positive when testing infants because their sensitive skin is more susceptible to skin reactions. Ellie was tested for all the things she’s reacted to so far to see whether they were genuine allergic reactions or skin reactions.
Ellie has a severe egg allergy; everything else she’s reacted to (tomato, white potato, olive oil, strawberry, and kiwi) is just a skin reaction. A skin reaction is not a systemic reaction and is not caused by histamines. They are not dangerous but can be very annoying. The problem is when the reaction itches, she tends to grind in or smear around the irritant, making it worse. In any case, this is better than vomiting or losing the ability to breathe, neither of which happens with skin reactions.
Infants with severe allergies generally only have an allergy to one major group. Eggs are their own group. People with a severe allergy to one group are more likely to develop a severe allergy to another group when exposed. That being the case, Ellie is to avoid three of the major groups (peanuts, nuts, and shellfish) until she is five years old.
Her egg allergy, as mentioned before is severe. Her skin test for eggs was a “4+,” which is as high as the scale goes. Ellie eating eggs can cause all the worst allergy associated reactions: full body hives, vomiting, airway swelling, etc. Good times. We were fortunate with our last egg experience that she didn’t actually consume any of them. Obviously, eggs in any form and amount are to be avoided completely. We have to strictly adhere to this until she is tested again at the allergist one year from now.
The good news is that 4 out of 5 babies grow out of there allergies in the first year or two. All we have to do is not give Ellie eggs, peanuts, nuts, or shellfish. Aside from that, wipe her face and hands off if she starts having a skin reaction to anything else. If the reaction is bothering her, she should have her antihistamine.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tough Weekend
My Grandfather (Grandpa Marquis) died last week on Thursday (7/9) after a stroke a month ago, and a heart attack last week. Grandpa Marquis passed away peacefully at 89 years old, and the funeral and showing took place on Saturday (7/11). He and my Grandmother (Grandma Marquis-died 6 years ago) were a pair who loved family, and made an effort to be kind and make friends with everyone. There was always a good excuse for a party in our family, and I spent loads of time growing up with my grandparents and cousins. We spent time camping, having sleep overs, and playing outdoors. I will always have my memory of the time I spent with my grandparents and family even though I will no longer have my grandparents in my life.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Too Long
It has been a long time since I last posted, and I can't believe that Ellie's first birthday has come and gone. The weather was perfect for her birthday party on Saturday, April 25, and we had quite a crowd of people in the backyard of our little rental house. here were five babies other than Ellie, and around 30 adults. We really enjoyed seeing everyone, and being able to share our little girl's special day with treasured family and friends. Ellie smashed egg less cupcake all over her face, but the day included an allergic reaction to something she was fed by one of my family members. She handled the immediate antihistamine and thorough cleaning in stride as she always does.
Ellie's allergy list has developed very quickly over the past couple months to include egg, strawberries, white potatoes, kiwi fruit, olive oil, and tomatoes. This past Saturday she also had a reaction to sour cream and Parmesan cheese at a restaurant, but she has had both of these before so it was probably contaminated with one of her allergens. She has an appointment with a pediatric allergist in July, and although allergy testing will probably be unpleasant for her we look forward to learning more about her food allergies.
On Mother's Day, Scott and I dedicated Ellie at church, and it was a fabulous event with both sets of grandparents. We took part in the dedication with several friends and their babies, and it was a really special event. During the month of May I celebrated my 30th birthday with little fanfare except seeing the Star Trek movie in the theatre. Scott and I also celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. April and May will always include a lot of celebrating in our little family.
We just returned from a vacation with my family, which included 10 adults and Ellie. We visited Williamsburg, VA, and had a great time. We visited Virginia Beach, Yorktown, Jamestown, Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel, and a water park. It is so neat to see a child experience new things for the first time. She sat for almost two hours playing with a bucket and shovel in the sand, and I never dreamed that would be the best $1.50 I ever spent. Traveling with a baby always proves somewhat challenging, and an hour from home we pulled over to get gas and she threw up all over her car seat. 1 tired baby + 2 tired parents = frustration while cleaning a confused vomit covered baby.
When thinking and looking over all that has happened over the last two months I can't help but be thankful for all of our many blessings. I just hope that I can continue to share my love and bless those I come in contact with everyday. As an update on my goals, I have deleted the ones that I have accomplished. I will return to making a new list after I get unpacked from vacation.
Ellie's allergy list has developed very quickly over the past couple months to include egg, strawberries, white potatoes, kiwi fruit, olive oil, and tomatoes. This past Saturday she also had a reaction to sour cream and Parmesan cheese at a restaurant, but she has had both of these before so it was probably contaminated with one of her allergens. She has an appointment with a pediatric allergist in July, and although allergy testing will probably be unpleasant for her we look forward to learning more about her food allergies.
On Mother's Day, Scott and I dedicated Ellie at church, and it was a fabulous event with both sets of grandparents. We took part in the dedication with several friends and their babies, and it was a really special event. During the month of May I celebrated my 30th birthday with little fanfare except seeing the Star Trek movie in the theatre. Scott and I also celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. April and May will always include a lot of celebrating in our little family.
We just returned from a vacation with my family, which included 10 adults and Ellie. We visited Williamsburg, VA, and had a great time. We visited Virginia Beach, Yorktown, Jamestown, Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel, and a water park. It is so neat to see a child experience new things for the first time. She sat for almost two hours playing with a bucket and shovel in the sand, and I never dreamed that would be the best $1.50 I ever spent. Traveling with a baby always proves somewhat challenging, and an hour from home we pulled over to get gas and she threw up all over her car seat. 1 tired baby + 2 tired parents = frustration while cleaning a confused vomit covered baby.
When thinking and looking over all that has happened over the last two months I can't help but be thankful for all of our many blessings. I just hope that I can continue to share my love and bless those I come in contact with everyday. As an update on my goals, I have deleted the ones that I have accomplished. I will return to making a new list after I get unpacked from vacation.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Where has the week gone?
I can't believe it is already Thursday! We are continuing to do little tasks around the house, so that we are ready for Ellie's party on Saturday. It should be quite the event, so tonight I am going to bake some of the cupcakes for the party. That is my short term goal for home tonight. Besides that it is time to get lots of rest, so that we have energy to keep up with all of the activity this weekend.
Long-term goal:
Yesterday, I did laundry in the evening after work, because I knew there would not be time for it this weekend. My husband and I also worked to plan a date night for my bday next month.
Short-term goal:
Tonight I plan to bake cupcakes, and yesterday my wonderful husband went to the grocery to buy supplies for Ellie's party. Today I will also run to get a few more groceries at another store.
Heartwarming Event:
My husband is a students, so his schedule allows him to help care for our daughter. Sometimes I have to work in the evening, and he has to also care for her during these times. Last night was one of those times, so he took her for a run, fed her, bathed her, and put her to bed. I am glad that he is so good with Ellie, and I hope that they continue to have a really close relationship as she grows up.
Long-term goal:
Yesterday, I did laundry in the evening after work, because I knew there would not be time for it this weekend. My husband and I also worked to plan a date night for my bday next month.
Short-term goal:
Tonight I plan to bake cupcakes, and yesterday my wonderful husband went to the grocery to buy supplies for Ellie's party. Today I will also run to get a few more groceries at another store.
Heartwarming Event:
My husband is a students, so his schedule allows him to help care for our daughter. Sometimes I have to work in the evening, and he has to also care for her during these times. Last night was one of those times, so he took her for a run, fed her, bathed her, and put her to bed. I am glad that he is so good with Ellie, and I hope that they continue to have a really close relationship as she grows up.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, Monday
Feeling a little of the Monday Blah's, and feeling a little under the weather. However, I am making progress on my goals. Over the weekend we did some cleaning and preparation for Ellie's b-day party this coming weekend. I can't believe she is going to be one. I just took a look through some of her old pics, and she has grown so fast. What a whirlwind year this has been, but a good one.
Long-term goal:
This weekend I spent all of Saturday doing laundry, so that counts as my laundry for the week. I also did lots of dishes, removed clutter, and did some cleaning.
Short-term goal:
Made progress on removing and donating clutter. Also, tried out an egg-less recipe for Ellie's bday cupcakes. Then I organized Ellie's baby pics in a photo album while Scott cleaned and dusted. Our house is nearly ready for company.
Heartwarming event:
My mother-in-law came drove three hours from her house to come help use watch Ellie and prepare for her bday party. What a blessing! She is what I like to call a cleaning ninja, and we accomplished a lot of cleaning.
Today I accomplished very little, because I feel pretty gross. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.
Long-term goal:
This weekend I spent all of Saturday doing laundry, so that counts as my laundry for the week. I also did lots of dishes, removed clutter, and did some cleaning.
Short-term goal:
Made progress on removing and donating clutter. Also, tried out an egg-less recipe for Ellie's bday cupcakes. Then I organized Ellie's baby pics in a photo album while Scott cleaned and dusted. Our house is nearly ready for company.
Heartwarming event:
My mother-in-law came drove three hours from her house to come help use watch Ellie and prepare for her bday party. What a blessing! She is what I like to call a cleaning ninja, and we accomplished a lot of cleaning.
Today I accomplished very little, because I feel pretty gross. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Posting Format
I am starting a new notebook project with some other members of my campus community. The format of the project includes developing a set of long-term and short-term goal. Then each day you post an update on your goals, and a note about something heart-warming you experienced in the world that day. This is a challenge for me, because I have never been a journal keeper. I have posted my goals on the side bar of my blog, and I will try to post a daily update on my blog. Here goes...
Long-term goal:
I am not much of a cleaner, so many of my goals contain cleaning items. I am trying to change the way I think about and approach cleaning my house. Last night I worked with my husband to do dishes, so that they did not sit dirty overnight.
Short-term goal:
I am going to bake cupcakes for my daughter's birthday party, but we have discovered she is allergic to eggs. Yesterday, I found a vegan recipe for cupcakes that do not contain eggs. I plan to try the recipe this weekend.
Heartwarming Event:
Yesterday, my university had an event we call Early Registration, and about a hundred incoming students and their parents attend the event. It is so nice to see students and parents together, and see how they interact. Many parents finally start to realize that they are sending their baby to college, so they are often pretty nervous. I talked to a set of parents that admitted they had sheltered their daughter, and they were asking real questions about making sure their daughter had success away from home. They asked a lot of questions, and were very honest and open. I was very sensitive in answering their questions, and I hope that they were feeling a little better by the time they left the campus yesterday.
Long-term goal:
I am not much of a cleaner, so many of my goals contain cleaning items. I am trying to change the way I think about and approach cleaning my house. Last night I worked with my husband to do dishes, so that they did not sit dirty overnight.
Short-term goal:
I am going to bake cupcakes for my daughter's birthday party, but we have discovered she is allergic to eggs. Yesterday, I found a vegan recipe for cupcakes that do not contain eggs. I plan to try the recipe this weekend.
Heartwarming Event:
Yesterday, my university had an event we call Early Registration, and about a hundred incoming students and their parents attend the event. It is so nice to see students and parents together, and see how they interact. Many parents finally start to realize that they are sending their baby to college, so they are often pretty nervous. I talked to a set of parents that admitted they had sheltered their daughter, and they were asking real questions about making sure their daughter had success away from home. They asked a lot of questions, and were very honest and open. I was very sensitive in answering their questions, and I hope that they were feeling a little better by the time they left the campus yesterday.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Time With Friends
On Friday of last week I took a vacation day, and spent some time with two of my girlfriends and their babies. We went to a rummage sale at a nearby church, which was not the greatest sale but was still fun. I made Creme Brulee French Toast, chicken apple sausage, and fruit for breakfast, and we had a nice time talking and watching the babies play together. We had a nice time, and it was great fun to express my love for my friends by serving them breakfast. This was a special event for all of us, because with young babies we barely feed ourselves sometimes. We definitely don't splurge and eat a sit down breakfast.
Later that afternoon, Scott and I went on a field trip to a Jewish day care center. The center only takes babies that are older than one year old, so we did not consider it when first placing Ellie in day care in January. We are in love with the day care center, and it seems like a fantastic next step for Ellie's everyday care. I also want her to learn, grow, and be nurtured in the day care center we choose. I think we have found that place, and it is in our price range. We plan to start Ellie in the Jewish day care center in the fall, and I am glad that she will also be learning some culture as well. I wish that I did not have to work, and that I could just stay with her all day. Since I have to work I want her in the best possible care. I love my daughter and I want the best care for her while Scott and I are working.
Later that afternoon, Scott and I went on a field trip to a Jewish day care center. The center only takes babies that are older than one year old, so we did not consider it when first placing Ellie in day care in January. We are in love with the day care center, and it seems like a fantastic next step for Ellie's everyday care. I also want her to learn, grow, and be nurtured in the day care center we choose. I think we have found that place, and it is in our price range. We plan to start Ellie in the Jewish day care center in the fall, and I am glad that she will also be learning some culture as well. I wish that I did not have to work, and that I could just stay with her all day. Since I have to work I want her in the best possible care. I love my daughter and I want the best care for her while Scott and I are working.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Car Adventure
We sold our second car last fall, and we have been borrowing my parents car since I went back to work in January. Scott has been on the hunt for a car since January, and he believes there is a winner in another city. We are going to drive about 4 hours tomorrow to hopefully buy a new-to-us car. Our 10 month old daughter is going along for the ride, and it will be about 8 hours in the car. She is sick for the fourth time since the beginning of January, so it should be interesting. The car we are buying will be Scott's car, and Ellie and I are happy to show our love by riding in the car for a few hours so that he has a nice car to drive.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Through Sickness
A true test of love comes in how you treat them when they are ill. Ellie, my daughter, has been sick since Monday, February 9th with the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). She is 9 months old, and until recently she had never been sick. I honestly believe that she was so health, because I made sure breast milk was her primary food source until she was 9 months old. However, she also started day care on January 9th, so I guess I cannot properly hypothesize that breast milk was the only reason she was so healthy. Ellie is now on her third illness, and Scott and I are getting our education on how to care for a sick child.
Ellie is a champion sleeper, and has been sleeping through the night for so long that I cannot remember what it was like to get up every night. Uninterrupted sleep is one of the first things to go when Ellie is sick. She wakes up, and then realizes how miserable she feels. Then we are all up. I would like to say that we handled this all in stride, but I can admit that on more than one occasion I was visibly annoyed. However, once we realized that waking up was going to be a common occurrence we started planning for it. We went to bed earlier each evening, and had everything standing by for when she awoke. Scott and I would tag team the various tasks that needed to be completed, and then after some rocking Ellie would be back to sleep.
Over the past two nights we have continued our preparations for a middle of the night waking, but so far she has continued to sleep. I am about to prepare everything for tonight, and hopefully we are in for a restful night's sleep.
Ellie's daycare was closed for professional development today, but after a full day at home I can honestly say that I have been occasionally annoyed. However, I am impressed with how much love I have shown my child while she has been sick. Ellie is on the road to recovery, and hopefully we will all be healthy for a little while.
Ellie is a champion sleeper, and has been sleeping through the night for so long that I cannot remember what it was like to get up every night. Uninterrupted sleep is one of the first things to go when Ellie is sick. She wakes up, and then realizes how miserable she feels. Then we are all up. I would like to say that we handled this all in stride, but I can admit that on more than one occasion I was visibly annoyed. However, once we realized that waking up was going to be a common occurrence we started planning for it. We went to bed earlier each evening, and had everything standing by for when she awoke. Scott and I would tag team the various tasks that needed to be completed, and then after some rocking Ellie would be back to sleep.
Over the past two nights we have continued our preparations for a middle of the night waking, but so far she has continued to sleep. I am about to prepare everything for tonight, and hopefully we are in for a restful night's sleep.
Ellie's daycare was closed for professional development today, but after a full day at home I can honestly say that I have been occasionally annoyed. However, I am impressed with how much love I have shown my child while she has been sick. Ellie is on the road to recovery, and hopefully we will all be healthy for a little while.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Where it all began...
I met my husband Scott through a college friend (Julie), when we traveled to see the band play a concert in May of 1999. We took a long time developing our friendship, and had a wonderful summer romance. I broke up with him when school started up again in the fall, and I will admit that I was just scared of the seriousness of the relationship. We dated a second time during the following summer, and I sabotaged the relationship before school started in the fall. I came to my senses during the following summer, and we began our long distance courtship. Our courtship was a fantastic time of growth for both of us, and we were engaged in November of 2002. After four years of friendship and off and on dating we were married in my home town in May of 2003.
During our first year of marriage we had some struggles, but it was a memorable time of traveling around with Scott and the band, and seeing the ministry of some fantastic men of God. I found my working passion in my first position in higher education, and enjoyed being part of the culture of education. Scott continued to be part of the band, and the ministry grew and developed into a more serious commitment. I grew in my work life and earned a master's degree while Scott continued to work and begin pursuing his working passion in math. We made a move for Scott to earn a master's degree, and a short time later began our next journey.
I found out I was pregnant in August 2007, and we began the next chapter in our lives. The pregnancy went smoothly, and before we knew it we were bringing home our daughter in April of 2008. We named her Elizabeth Bea (Ellie for short), after her great grandmothers, and we were overjoyed at the new addition to our family. We have once more for Scott to pursue a PhD in math, and this move has allowed us to be closer to friends and family. The last nine months have been a whirlwind of change as we grow into a family. We have struggled at times, but Scott and I have relied on God through the challenges we have faced. I now see more fully what love means, and I want to learn each day how to express my love to everyone in my life.
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Romans 12:10 (NIV)
During our first year of marriage we had some struggles, but it was a memorable time of traveling around with Scott and the band, and seeing the ministry of some fantastic men of God. I found my working passion in my first position in higher education, and enjoyed being part of the culture of education. Scott continued to be part of the band, and the ministry grew and developed into a more serious commitment. I grew in my work life and earned a master's degree while Scott continued to work and begin pursuing his working passion in math. We made a move for Scott to earn a master's degree, and a short time later began our next journey.
I found out I was pregnant in August 2007, and we began the next chapter in our lives. The pregnancy went smoothly, and before we knew it we were bringing home our daughter in April of 2008. We named her Elizabeth Bea (Ellie for short), after her great grandmothers, and we were overjoyed at the new addition to our family. We have once more for Scott to pursue a PhD in math, and this move has allowed us to be closer to friends and family. The last nine months have been a whirlwind of change as we grow into a family. We have struggled at times, but Scott and I have relied on God through the challenges we have faced. I now see more fully what love means, and I want to learn each day how to express my love to everyone in my life.
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Romans 12:10 (NIV)
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