A Day in the Life....

Ok. I'm not a celebrity or anything, and I don't have throngs of people clamoring at my front gate to get a glimpse of me as I get my mail. No one stops me in the grocery parking lot to have pictures taken with me, and the only reason I get special treatment at the airport is because we have a "young child and need extra time". That said, I have had a few people ask what I do all day. If you are a stay-at-home parent and reading this post, save some time. You already know what I do all day. The same thing you do. So turn off whatever you are reading this on and go fold the clothes! You know that is what you SHOULD be doing ;) just like it is what I should be doing instead of blogging. Every day is different, but I will use "grocery day" as my best example. For all of the other days, just take grocery time out and insert something else, like "gymnastics class" or "random errands". Because the other 80% of the day is pretty much unchanged from one to the next. Here you go! 7:00 am - Mommy wakes up 7:00-8:00 am - coffee, do makeup and hair, get dressed for the day 8:00-8:30 am - feed dogs, take them out, wash any dishes from night before (don't judge) 8:30 am - get breakfast out and ready, get Emma up, change diaper 8:30-9:30 am - eat breakfast, clean dishes, diaper change, dress Emma, take dogs out again, load car 9:30 am - goal time to leave house to do daily agenda 10:00-12:00 noon - grocery time **I will point out that grocery time often takes 90 minutes, plus other errands beforehand combined with time after shopping is done to load groceries into the car. Everything I buy MUST be checked meticuously. All labels of ALL foods are read 3 times-forward, backward, and forward again-regardless of how many times I have purchased the item. It gets read another 3 times before I give any of the food to Emma. Every item. Every time. Three times in-store. 12:00-1:30 pm - diaper change, take dogs out, unload and put away groceries, cook lunch for Emma and I, eat lunch, and clean dishes 1:30-4:30 pm - Emma's diaper change and typical nap time and duration **1:30-2:30pm - Mommy's "mommy time" for coffee, a book, facebook, or a nap **2:30-4:30pm - house chores (laundry 3 times a week, cleaning house once a week, yard maintenance, etc) 4:30-5:00 pm - wake Emma up, diaper change, snack time 5:00-6:30 pm - Emma has free play and sometimes TV while Mommy cooks supper, usually another diaper change too 6:30-7:00 pm - Suppertime 7:00-8:00 pm - Emma's daily allergy meds, bath, skin cream, diaper change, and putting pajamas on 8:00 pm - Emma's bedtime 8:00-8:30 pm - clean up supper dishes, fold any remaining laundry, make list for the next day 8:30-9:00 pm - Mommy time (hello bubble bath!) 9:00-10:00 pm - Quality time with the hubby 10:00 pm - Mommy's bedtime Sometimes I think people think I lay on the couch and watch soaps and eat candy. In reality, a large percentage of my day is spent cooking (hello 3 meals and a snack) and cleaning up so I can cook again in a couple of hours. The added time of reading labels and stopping to look up or call packaging companies to verify food safety for Emma cuts in also, but it has to be done. There you have it. We deviate from it from time to time, and push certain things up or back. We skip steps on days that life throws a curveball. But for the most part we stick to the routine and Emma thrives on knowing what to expect and feeling in control. We both thrive on her 3-hour naps :) It's no Brad and Angie....and I'm pretty sure I won't see a People magazine article titled "the Royals divulge their schedule" but it's neat to see how much we really do accomplish in a day. Makes me tired just writing it...

Allergy Re-testing and update on us!

It's been awhile, faithful blog readers. In fact, so long, that we have had a birthday, Christmas, New Years, and an anniversary since I last posted! I wish I could say I will post more often, but I would hate to say it and then fail on the follow through. We took Emma for her check up and retesting at the allergy doctor today. I told Javier I am always so physically and mentally exhausted after a visit that I feel jetlagged as if we just got off a plane from Korea. Trying to listen, understand, ask all my questions, plus keep Emma from screaming and trying to hit, kick or bite the doctor or his medical assistant (obviously she loves them...) it is just at the threshold of what I can handle alone, which is why Javier tries hard to clear his schedule to come with us. Poor Emma gets poked with something sharp every.single.visit so it is no huge shocker that she starts crying the minute we walk in. Plus she is terrified of the medical assistant. After today, though, I don't think we will be seeing her anymore.... First off, we get called back to get Emma's height (34.5 in) and weight (30 lb exactly) and Emma is panicking. Screaming, crying, hyperventilating, and the MA (medical assistant) is screaming over her at Javier to stand Emma on the scale and tell her to stand up straight so we can get a height. Really? How would you best like us to do that!? We couldn't hear the lady, so after screaming 3 times at us she gave up and brought us to the thingy where you lay them down and measure length (same thing) and weight at the same time. Why, what a brilliant idea. Geez. Javier was furious at being yelled at so he let the lady have it. And, with all seriousness, she is one of the things Emma hates most about going there. She is more than a little rough and rude. We told the doc about it and he had the other doctor's MA come help out for the rest of our time there (2 more hours....) It was like night and day! Emma let the new MA hold her and take her to get a sticker! I have *never* seen my child go willingly with another person she has never met. Thank you to the doc for that one! I digress. We talked about how well we have been doing, and discussed reasons why we should torture Emma and ourselves with another round of skin testing. If she had outgrown anything, it would likely be the soy allergy, which would open up a whole new (easier) world of eating! We have not been able to use many things simply because of the soy oil or soy lecithin used as an emulsifier or a preservative. No soups unless i make them from scratch, no cooking spray, no salad dressing, no bread unless I make it from scatch. I don't want my child to eat candy and chips and junk food....I just want to be able to let her eat a salad with DRESSING on it, or a sandwich with BREAD. That's all. Not asking for thr moon here, people. Also, as she grows older, she has a high likelihood of growing into other allergies. My greatest fear for my children has always been a peanut allergy. So, we did the testing today. Holding Emma in just a diaper, trying to keep her sitting up, sitting still, withOUT touching her entire back where the test is brewing. After she had a strange lady poke 12 pokes on her back. It was super fun-tastic. Kill me now. Results? Ok how about the good news first. She was completely non-reactive (NEGATiVE) to soy!!! Not even a little bit positive! We received the doctor's blessing to begin introducing soy back into her diet, as long as her eczema stays under control (that is how her soy reactions manifest). She can have bread, and salad dressing, and soups! As long as they don't have milk or eggs......or peanuts.......yea you knew there was bad news next. Bad news? First, her dairy and egg reactions during the test were worse this time around, meaning that her reaction to ingesting either would likely be worse. Second, she had a very clear reaction to the peanut and also cashew tests. The peanut one was almost as severe as the milk one. So what does that mean for a child who has never eaten nuts? Based upon the size of the welt produced, and the fact that she actually broke out in hives on her face during the testing, the doctor warned that peanut ingestion could mean anaphylactic reaction even the very first time. I received instructions to clear the house of nuts and nut products. We already know she is anaphylactic to dairy, and wouldlikely be to eggs as well. So how does it feel to have your biggest parenting fear come true? I can't say that I didn't cry, because I did. I can't say I wasn't devastated, because I was. I am. But it's ok. I don't know the plan but God does, and He says clearly that He has plans to prosper me and not harm me, and that goes for Emma also. We will deal with it, one day at a time like we have already been doing. We WILL enjoy our bread and salad dressing! We WILL run from nuts like there is no tomorrow. And we WILL do our best to keep her safe and out of harm's way (and milk's way, and egg's way...and nut's way!) Wake up! Yes this turned into a sleeper post. Sorry. I'll try to wrap it up here shortly. Other than today's events, we have been doing very well. Emma is turning into quite the chatterbox as she learns new words and how to string them together! She turned 2 in October, and also thoroughly enjoyed Christmas with Santy and No-man. (Santa and snowman). Javier and I celebrated 7 years of wedded bliss ;) on January 1, 2012. I hope and pray we have many more years together. He was successful in completing his zoo medicine boards in October, and is now officially a diplomate in the American College of Zoological Medicine as well as the European College of Zoological Medicine. His girls are so proud of him! I am enjoying being home with Emma as a full-time Mom. The time is already passing too fast....but I am glad to have the early years just her and I. I will try to update more often, but I am certainly not making any promises since life tends to get in the way. Love to all and thanks for stopping by to read such a long post :) Emily