Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Foggy Day

I've tried to find a picture that shows you just how beautiful the fog is today. It's blowing off the lake so you get these strange gusts of fog billowing around. However, everything I find looks like ths... http://www.earthcam.com/cams/minnesota/duluth/ Which will look much different tomorrow than it does today. Today, that picture is just a sheet of grey.

So, instead of a picture, here's some fog info: Between late spring and late fall the (Lake Superior) shore can be shrouded in fog when the land surrounding Lake Superior heats up much warmer than the water. This warm season fog occurs when when moisture in the warm air condenses as it flows over the cold lake. Duluth, Minnesota has an average of 52 days of heavy fog each year.

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Point Taken


I'm missing the sun... It's been rainy, foggy and nasty all week. So here's a picture of my no-nap kid. She has decided that it is too much fun at daycare and she doesn't want to waste a moment of it sleeping. Who would want to sleep when you have little Reese's (other baby her age) chubby toes to tickle? So Lily sleeps in the car on the way to daycare (30 min) and on the way home (30 min). If I run her right upstairs, she'll stay asleep through the night. However, this means that she misses supper. If I keep her awake and feed her supper, she's banging her head on the floor in exhaustion by 7pm. What's a mom to do?

Monday, May 21, 2007

Lactose Intolerance vs. Dairy Allergy

***I copied the following from Living My Dream, I think Sue explains this perfectly in a way I couldn't. I've asked her for permission to post it. Lily's reaction to Dairy seems to be abdominal cramping and a severe persistent diaper rash.***

I have encountered many people who confuse Lactose Intolerance with a Dairy Allergy. So I figured this was the perfect time to post about the difference.

A person with a food intolerance will have an adverse reaction to a food but it does NOT involve the immune system. Someone who is lactose intolerant lacks the enzyme that is needed to break down the sugar in milk known as lactose. The symptoms of lactose intolerance can be gas, bloating and abdominal pain. A person with lactose intolerance CAN drink milk – those I’ve known drink Lactaid which is true milk, but has the lactose taken out.

A food allergy involves the immune system. Basically when someone eats the food, in this case dairy, the body’s immune system mistakes the food as a threat and creates an immune system response – attacking the offending food. A food allergy has the potential to be life-threatening. Signs of a true food allergy can be any or all of the following:
• a tingling sensation in the mouth
• swelling of the tongue and the throat
• difficulty breathing
• hives
• Vomiting
• abdominal cramps
• diarrhea
• drop in blood pressure
• loss of consciousness to death

Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours after the person has eaten or has contact with the food to which they are allergic.

It is also important to note that where Lactose intolerance people have trouble breaking down the sugar in milk, a person allergic to dairy reacts to the proteins in milk.

Source: Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

Tag, You're It.

I've been Tagged by Sue to do the following post. You're supposed to list your 5 favorite restaurants and then Tag 5 people to do the same. We're kind of lucky that Lily is as young as she is since I can still bring a lot of her food into a restaurant and no one will say anything. Once she is older I will have to be more selective in where we go - unless of course, God willing, she out grows her allergy.

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country you're in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Todd (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
http://www2.blogger.com/
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, CA, USA! USA! USA!)
Kat (Ontario, Canada)
Cheezy (London, England)
Paula (Orange County, California, U.S.)
Jeff (Colorado, USA)
gekko(Arizona, USA)
Norma (Columbus, OH)
Janeen (Cleveland, Ohio USA)
Sue (New Jersey, USA)


2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

New Scenic Cafe - Yummy unique food. Our favorite appetizer was the goat cheese rolled in pistachio's and fried. Yummy! However, we haven't been there in an incredibly long time and it probably wouldn't be the same without the cheese.... :(

Boathouse Restaurant - Run by a man who thinks Adam has one of the coolest professions in the world, we always get a deal. Since it's so pricey, we only go for very special occasions. Luckily I have an account there through work so I can at least go for business lunches occasionally! They love seeing the girls and once we got free dessert because there was a Christmas party that was pretty loud. Never mind that on any other day Addie would have been the loudest person there!

Anchor Bar - Incredible burgers, lousy service. This is practically their motto. Where else can you get a burger with cream cheese and olives? Mmmm.... their blue cheese burger is also a fav. We haven't been here lately either.

Pizza Luce - I'm not a huge pizza fan, but this restaurant has recently been a favorite of mine because they will use soy cheese on their pizza and sandwiches. It's as allergy friendly as you can get for a restaurant!

Outback Steak House - This is kind of a cop-out since they aren't local, however I could be happy with their chopped salad and nothing else. Again, it has blue cheese so I have to request they take it off, such a waste!

Hmmm... I don't think I have 5 people that blog that I know well enough to tag. So again, a cop-out. If you want to do this, send me a comment and I'll list you!

South Dakota!

"South Dakota.... Where the wind goes whipping 'cross the plains."

Our trip to South Dakota was good. We didn't get to see my ailing grandma which was sad (she's 87 and not in very good health) or one of my uncles. However, we got to spend a lot of time with my cousins and my aunt and uncle. Addie and Lily were incredible travelers! They had no problem with the 7 1/2 hour car ride. I was really worried about that, but I kept the kids happy with snacks and the movie "Happy Feet" the entire way.

Once we got to my aunt and uncles the girls had a blast in the swimming pool. Lily was such a fish! She was kicking her legs and splashing, just having a wonderful time. We couldn't stay for the actual graduation ceremony, but we did go to the graduation mass (Catholic High School) which was very nice.

While we were there I had my uncle the doctor check out Lily since she still hadn't gotten over her cold from the first of the month. He said that her ear was getting pink and that her lungs were kind of rattley. So he proscribed an antibiotic biaxin (sp?). By her 3rd dose, Lily's nose was running like a sieve, she was cranky and she had a rash on her legs. I freaked. Here we were about to take this child on a 7 1/2 hour car ride and she was having a reaction to the meds. I was shaking I was so scared. My uncle checked her over and said it was a mild reaction and we should just give her Benedryl. Guess she won't be getting Biaxin again! So now we're watching her carefully.

Comments:
*Yes, I checked out flying to South Dakota, but it was prohibitively expensive. From Duluth to Aberdeen it was $897 per person.

*I received an email from Gerber. They are forwarding my concern on but they develop products based on demand, so basically they won't do anything. However, they are being gracious enough to send me coupons that I can never use because all of their products have milk in them!! If you have not gone to the Gerber website and asked them for more non-milk products, please do so now. The only way they will sit up and take notice of people like us is if we request more allergen free food.

*In answer to Sue's question, Lily is allergic to milk and now arithromyocin. She is 14 months old as of tomorrow. Her reactions seem to be only from ingesting, and she develops a horrible open sore diaper rash/skin rash.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Sunflowers & Shopping

Addie was very excited this morning by the crop of dandelions in our yard. She cried, "Sunflowers Momma, look!" I had to tell her that those weren't sunflowers. Addie was still excited about the sunflowers 30 minutes later when we got to daycare. I told her she could pick a yellow flower for her teacher. She very carefully examined the available flowers and picked just one for her teacher. I had thought she would just randomly grab a handfull, but Addie spent some time considering which flower would be the best. Addie was extremely proud carrying in the flower and giving it to Alyse.

I did a little bit of shopping last night for our roadtrip to South Dakota. Mostly just snacks for us to eat in the car and some emergency non-dairy food for Lily. I wanted to have some options on-hand just in case there wasn't a large selection of dairy free food to give her. Normally I don't buy prepackaged food for Lily anymore (or at least not a lot) because it's just easier (and safer) not to. I don't have to read the label on broccoli or chicken breasts.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am in Gerber products. Almost all of their Graduates line (toddler food) has dairy in it. I was only able to find a couple of their soups that didn't have dairy. I have written to the company, and ask that you help me out and do the same. Gerber has a contact us area where you can email them a request. Please request that they develop some allergy friendly options in their Graduates line and that they clearly label the allergens in their foods. (Under the ingredients it should say "contains: wheat, dairy and soy")

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Word to the Wise

If your child seems out of sorts for days and then starts screaming uncontrollably (as you drive up an incredibly large hill to daycare) and saying that there is a bug in her ear, it means she has an ear infection. Apparently that is a typical symptom (the bug thing that is). The poor kid has never had an ear infection before. I had no idea that she was even that sick. In fact, I thought the dr. was going to tell me I was nuts since when we got to the dr's office she was feeling fine - all doped up on Tylenol.

After 4 doses of amoxicillin we are doing great. Addie took a 4 hour nap yesterday and woke up a totally different child. She's happy again; she'll eat more than just cheese and hot dogs.

Of course this afternoon when I took her to daycare she walked in all chipper and said hello to the owner. The owner asked how Addie was feeling. Addie got this very sad look on her face and told the owner that there was a bug in her ear and that her ear hurt. Those kids will make you look like a liar every time!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Things I've Done today

1. Gotten up insanely early to go to networking meeting
2. Cleaned up cat puke - twice
3. Stopped in at the office to pick up work to bring home
4. Comforted child (suffering from ear infection)
5. Comforted other child (suffering from teething pain)
6. Changed dirty diapers
7. Swept floors - three separate times
8. Scrubbed sticky juice residue off floors
9. Rescued baby from electricution/strangling with electrical cord
10. Did ad reservations 3 minutes at a time (children permitting)
11. Was a short order cook for 2 cranky children
12. Put youngest down for nap
13. Spoke with co-worker about a voice mail that was left for me.
14. Cast on a guage swatch for a new sock
15. Wiped countless noses

I could go on and it's only 1:30...

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Daycare, Day 4

I am logging 2 hours a day in the car just bringing the girls back and forth to daycare. This does not take into account the amount of time I spend in my car doing my job. UGH!

The girls love daycare. They love going to see their friends. Addie wants to go see friends immediately upon waking. Followed closely by a demand to wake up Daddy. The daycare teachers love our girls. Their new friends know them by name and seem excited to see them every day. Addie has developed a new friend named Eli. They apparently go everywhere together and love playing outside together.

Both girls have been completely and utterly worn out by the time they get home each night. Lily slept from 6pm-8:30am waking once for a diaper change. I fed her just because I thought she probably needed it, but I think she would have been fine without it. Addie has slept past 9:30 each of the last 2 mornings.

Addie was excited about going t0 daycare this morning up until I lifted her over the gate into the 2 year old room. All of a sudden she became a clinging vine. She wrapped her legs around me and wouldn't let go. She cried, she wailed, she scared the other children. She didn't want me to leave. It is heartbreaking to leave a child when they are crying for their mommy. I feel like a horrible human being. I feel like a bad mommy. Of course I immediately called daycare as soon as I got into the office and found out that Addie was just fine. She had wanted to go into the baby room which is the room in which they sleep. She got onto her cot, grabbed the binkie and immediately flipped over with her butt in the air. Fast asleep within seconds.

Thank goodness my parents are coming tonight and will watch the girls tomorrow. Hopefully they will catch up on some much needed rest and get a chance to be spoiled rotten. :)

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Oops

I fixed the link to my knitting blog. I know, I know, everyone's just been biting their nails waiting to read it. Gee. Don't all rush at once.