We've Had Better Days

I think we've mentioned that Robbie has wicked eczema? 

We've been battling itchy alligator skin for going on nine months with lotions, lotion baths.  Less baths.  More baths.  No scented thing anywhere.

Combined with his sensitive tummy and the fact that the one time he had peanut butter, he may or may not have had a reaction... our pediatrician recommended that we visit the allergy department at the Children's Hospital here in DC.

We're so lucky to have one of the best Children's hospitals in the nation literally half a mile from our house, and we're even luckier that we've never had to go there.

Now that Robbie has mastered the word "doctor" and I've subjected him to a life-long fear of doctors, we came out of the day with a diagnosis of allergies to dogs and peanut butters.

And a 103 degree fever.

We've had better days.

And then you realize that an allergy is just an allergy.

And the allergy clinic is co-located in the cancer clinic.

And you think a life without PBJs isn't so bad after all.

(And then his little sister vomits an eight ounce bottle of formula in your hair and you think that maybe it is just time to go to bed.)

Ugh

We are just having a stinker of a day. 

A real stinker.

Back in the Motherland

The Family Edwards' made the trek down to the pivot of the universe that is Marion, SC over the 4th of July holiday.

It was a wonderful visit and much love was showered on all us.  Not to state the obvious but Robbie and Anna Helen were the stars of the show.  The big milestone of the visit was the selection of Grandparent names for Mom and Dad.   DRUM ROLE . . . . the winning names are Nana and Pop.  Robbie called them both by their new names and they seem to fit.

We had a great 4th of July with a visit to Uncle Joey's (or as Robbie calls him JOOOOOO) pool capped off with the most American of events - the cookout.  Hamburgers, hotdogs and Italian sausage for everyone with homemade peach ice cream as the cherry on top followed by the Capital 4th on PBS ( I can't believe I just said that).

On Friday we drove down to Brookgreen Garden to visit the Zoo - a little closer to a petting zoo but still had a good time.  It was a good day spent with Dad and Mom and Aunt Paula   (Robbie's named her Apa).  It was a little hot but we survived and them came back by Murrell's  Inlet for lunch.

It is always a blessing to spend time with family.

40,000

This week we passed 40,000 hits to our family blog.

40,000 seconds in time that people indulged our wish for the best baby book ever, since it is clear we would never actually get AROUND to that actual baby book.  I still hope too.

40,000 seconds when we worried if this or that fertility treatment would stick.  If this pregnancy would hang around.  If that injection that I really trusted my husband to do, but I had to grit my teeth during.

40,000 times that we thought, what the HELL are we doing having kids so close together.  And times when people looked at me with those "Irish Twins?" eyes or thoughts or grumpiness that I wanted to explain the journey we went through and were so lucky with for both.

400 scratched cheeks because man do I stink at cutting and filing nails.

At least 40 times when we had the "do we really have to talk about infertility AGAIN on the blog" conversation?  (Make that 41 in 5-4-3-2-1)

4,000 times that I thought internally or wondered externally, "am I doing this right". 

400 awesome friends to remind me that the only right is the way that the parent chooses.

About 44 people that I put on my "blog" list on Facebook because I don't think they are too annoyed to see and hear our parenting journey.

4 times that I've given the kid Tylenol and send him/her to school because he didn't seem sick, wasn't acting THAT sick, and damn, this meeting is important.

At least 400 times when I thought, you mean my family wants to eat dinner... again?

And the 40 times I fed them takeout when I didn't buck up and nuke some turkey meatballs.

And my favorite four moments on the blog.

4)  I love "On Love".  I know that my personal love story isn't like the person next to me or the person next to them.  I just know that Love is what's important.  Whatever it looks like: http://palmettobaby.blogspot.com/2013/03/on-love.html

3) Faith.  It's a thing I'm still squeamy to talk about.  Kind of hate it in fact.  But I want to raise my little people to be good big people.  We're figuring it out.  These are real questions that face Moms.  Parents.  People.  That keep us up at night.  http://palmettobaby.blogspot.com/2013/01/on-faith.html

2)  I continue to work through what "Resolved" infertility means.  We are so lucky.  But that doesn't mean that others are as lucky.  The words from RESOLVE day on the Hill follow me every day.  They inspire me.  They haunt me.  http://palmettobaby.blogspot.com/2013/05/survivors-guilt.html

1)  What a Panda Pregnancy Can Teach Us about Infertility:  I was rocked by the panda pregnancy.  It was awesome.  It was hoped for.  It made more press than any of the crappy news that comes out of DC every day.  The world was abuzz.  And it ended in a very real way for so many.  She's a bear.  But a fan-freaking-tastic metaphor for everyone.  http://palmettobaby.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-panda-pregnancy-can-teach-us-about.html

And the most important four?  Four people.  Four snapshots of love.  I'll take it.

Robbie is growing up

Robbie is 7 weeks from turning 2 years old.  Lot's of milestone covered with many many more to come.  One of the next ones up is transitioning from the Duckling room to the "Big"kids class - hopefully the Tigers.  Ms. Tenise and Ms. Shelia have been awesome.    This is a change we are viewing with some concern because we have been so pleased with the progress he made in his current class.  One of the advantages of our daycare is that it goes all the way to 5 if we need to do that.  Hopefully we will get in (lottery) to one of the charter schools in the neighborhood next year - keeping our fingers crossed.