It rained dirt last night.

I walked outside today and our car was covered...



Apparently it's from the fires in Mexico and the rains brought it on top of us.

These photos were taken at auntie Cristy's place this evening (of the car & of H. I don't know why I didn't get any of aunt Cristy). We are going to miss her - Hannah really enjoyed having her so close by. She'd play with Hannah, sing "head, shoulders, knees and toes," work with her on signs, and keep her happy & distracted when mommy was trying to do stuff (like clip Hannah's nails). Hannah would get super excited when she saw Cristy. And she would mimic Cristy's signs & she learned from her.

Hannah was making this chewing on the inside of her mouth expression. I'd never seen it before. This photo was with the point&shoot (all I had at the time)- too slow to capture the expression - it missed the moment, but you get the gist.



Here's Hannah going after aunt Cristy's white coat & stethescope.




And her nap earlier in the day. It was short since it was a "foreign bed"...we were there most of the afternoon & evening. helped Cristy pack, fold laundry, and load up the car...

FINALLY the 1-year check-up

Today was the fastest/quickest doctor's appointment at Dr. A's ever! the appointment was scheduled for 1:30pm. We got there about that time...and we left by 2:30pm! Hannah got in, she was quickly weighed & measured. She got 4 shots, got her finger pricked for a CBC, (at least it wasn't the taking of the arm blood-now that's a nightmare), she screamed and cried more than she ever has for shots, but then we were done. We were seen by the NP we like - she's thorough and sweet - even though we were hoping for Dr. A. Her allergy blood tests aren't back yet...we'll wait for that phone call. Hannah's stats: 23.0 lbs, 30in long, 18.5in head. Last few Dr's appts she's hovered around 22 lbs (22.3-22.8lbs).

We even got to go to our friends Carrie & Stanley's house. Hannah played with Stanley and we watched the movie Enchanted. Mommy's been wanting to see it forever (ever since seeing a scene being shot at Central Park in NYC - the summer that mommy was pregnant with Hannah & taking art classes & mommy would eat lunch near Columbus Circle). It was a fun movie to watch - Hannah napped through most of it.

The start of another week without daddy

Daddy's out of town again this week. It sort of feels like he was just gone but not really because that was a month ago right before we moved, when we were at the old place... now it's the 1st time daddy's been gone since we've lived at the new house. Mommy's a bit fried. This is the 1st time she's spent extensive time on the internet catching up since being at the new place (besides doing needed research & household items). Blog catching up, photo downloading... We need to post lots of photos. We have a lot of fun photos & videos mommy finally downloaded - about a month's worth on the point & shoot. That'll have to wait b/c mommy still has a lot of stuff on her to do list.

Hannah's been sleeping well, and last night she slept super well. I think she's finally adjusting to the new place. Her appetite has finally returned the past week and especially this weekend. She wasn't eating especially well since before the move. The sickness didn't help and neither did the allergic reaction. Yesterday she ate a ton of solid bite-sized pieces of food. I packed her full with 3 really solid meals. We've been really limited on the foods that she can eat though. No wheat, no corn, no eggs cuts out a LOT - including baby food that has corn starch as a thickener. No Cheerios, no breads and and most baked goods, basically quick foods or any processed foods. Last week she had Yo-Baby and loves it. We've been feeding almost one to her everyday. It's really great that she's been eating so well - even with the limitations! We've been feeding her foods I prepare: peas, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, beans, soy, soy chips, oats/oatmeal, and other basic food items.

She's also had many bowel movements. Though I dunno if it's the antibiotic she's been on (10-day supply that ended on the 14th). She's been pooping almost after every meal...multiple
times a day - not the traditional once in the morning on the toilet. It's been a bunch and in the diaper. Sometimes solid, sometimes not. I'm glad we've been feeding her yogurt - need to replenish the flora in her system and get her regulated.

Friendly neighbors

We like our new neighbors in our cul-de-sac. Everyone is friendly and they are all great (the one's we've met)! Natalie, next door to us, has fed fed us dinner multiple times. Once the first week we moved in (the night daddy put Hannah's table & chairs together), she brought us dinner twice, and then Monday night she fed me & Hannah (since daddy's gone) and we hung out at their place.

Two Saturdays ago, when mommy & Hannah got locked out of the house, Shasta directly across street was super helpful. We had made a Wal-Mart run, and ended up getting locked out when daddy left for his work/volunteer/AICHE chemical car thing (b/c I didn't take my house keys with me). I put my frozen groceries in her freezer, and we used her internet to get daddy's location...and we went to find daddy for keys.

Hannah loves to play with the neighbor's kids. Natalie has 2 sons & a daughter that's about 5. Our other neighbor Stephanie has 2 girls, one around 5 and one about 2-1/2. All three older girls like Hannah and they all play together. Hannah wants to do what they're doing and follows them around.

Hannah especially likes Natalie's dog(s). Jenna is a huge dog, but very friendly & gentle. Hannah's always wanting to go next door, she does the dog sign (panting with tongue out) and points next door a lot. When we pass by, when we go outside, when we're getting home. Hannah also loves Natalie and has been wanting to be held by her. Nat's like a big kid - she's a ton of spunk, energy, and fun.

Severely Allergic to Peanut

We just got a phone call that the test (RAST) confirmed that Hannah's severely allergic to peanuts - really good that we didn't do the skin test. Her reaction was really truly an anaphylactic reaction. Her face got puffy and then the eczema wasn't "just eczema" (like that NP said...grrrrr). She was truly reacting to peanut! and just a tiny bit of pb. Good thing we have the Epi-pen - though it was a rather pricey prescription to fill.

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...And I guess she's 13 months this day...Happy 13 months Hannah!

Our Lowe's adventure

Daddy just spent over 5 hours at Lowe's. We met up with him & we (me & Hannah) spent around 3.5 hours at Lowe's. It was a huge shopping spree...for lots of needed items, from a garage door opener, a garbage can for curb trash, to blinds, and bathroom stuff. We spent a ton of $, but thanks to the Lowe's giftcard & the 10% moving discount, our out of pocket was manageable.

Since Hannah also tested positive for dust mite allergies today, we need to take precautions for that. The new house doesn't have any window treatments yet. We need to go as dust free as possible, and so we got faux wood blinds for her room. I was going to do curtains, but we're nixing that idea. We're going to make her room as dust mite free as possible (it is carpeted). We currently have a mattress cover for her bed, but it doesn't encase the whole thing with a zipper, it's just a pull-over, so we'll have to "upgrade" to a whole encased cover (which we debated getting when we bought the current one, but decided we didn't need it with a new mattress).

Our doctor adventures

more healthcare adventures...briefly...

So we've been to the doctor's office 4 times in 2 weeks, last week twice and this week twice. Last week's visits were "less effective" and a waste of co-pays. This weeks were much more effective and worth the co-pays.

Tuesday we visited the pediatrician, we actually met the doctor - Dr.A - at the pediatric practice! WOW a miracle! And we actually like him. We may drive to his other clinic in order to see him instead of getting a NP most of the time.

Today we visited the allergist/immunologist. And we like him too. We're very impressed with Dr. S. Hannah got a skin test. She tested positive for corn, wheat & eggs. So now we're doing to do the elimination diet. Fun fun fun for us! We didn't do the skin test for peanut, we're getting her blood tested for that, and getting the peanut RAST. I'm actually waiting right now in the car...waiting for Hannah to wake up so we can get her blood drawn. She fell asleep between the drive from the allergist's office to the children's hospital outpatient lab. (we're using the internet courtesy of aunt C's house/apt near Driscoll).

The elimination diet should be relatively easy for Hannah, but not so easy for me (since I'm breastfeeding her). This will be an adventure. There's corn, wheat & egg proteins in soooo much food that I like to eat! Almost all of it! I guess I'm going to go to "basic" ingredients - veggies, fruits, tubers, rice & meats and no wheat/corn grain- flour, processed foods or baked goods etc.

We also have to watch for trends and figure out if Hannah has asthma or not. So far there are warning signs and lots of red flags, but it's still in the works... so I guess I don't have to feel guilty for not giving her breathing treatments or the pulmicort from a few months ago.

And as of this moment, she is wheezing as she naps... they'd been asking me if she wheezes and I've been saying "not that I've noticed" or "I don't know" because I haven't been paying attention.

I'm going to have to use the blog as documentation of symptoms. I can't remember everything and I can't keep it all in my head - especially when days, weeks and months all run together in my mind.

Tooth #8

is coming in! It's on the bottom left (her left). It's just barely poking out of her gums.

She seems to be doing a bit better today. Her face and eyes aren't as red. She's still very congested, runny nose, cloudy - some clear, some cloudy, some greenish.

She's getting more used to the new house. And we're still in the process of getting settled in.

Daddy built her table and chairs that A-ma gave Hannah for her 1st b-day present. It's cute. She sat in it last night and drew on her magna-doodle. We all hung out with her last night in her room. It was fun. We played Flux (the card game) with Aunt Cristy & Uncle Neal.

Today we sat at it and drew on her magna doodle again. Hannah likes climbing on and off the little chairs.

the end of a long day...

It's been a long day, a long week, and a long move, but it is now over. But due to multiple stressors, changes, and lack of rest, we're ALL sick. Hannah is sick, I'm sick and daddy is sick. Of course Hannah was the first to be sick for awhile now. Then I started getting the runny nose at the end of last week, and by Friday, I had a fever & the aches, and now a really sore throat & cough. Daddy also has a sore throat and cough. We are all tired. Between caring for a sick child, packing, moving, cleaning the old place and getting it "spick & span" for our "sublettor," and trying to get settled into the new place, we're exhausted! Our bodies are just spent...and our immune systems are in overdrive.

This upcoming week includes Hannah's 1-year check-up AND an appointment with an allergist for her allergy test. We're going to find out exactly what our little girl is allergic to (hopefully) - I mean we basically can do a blood test and not much more. But at least we'll rule out some things. Already last week, we visited different doctors' offices and ruled out more preferences. The new family practice that I took her to didn't have the capacity to meet the needs of our little girl. So back to the old pediatric practice. This week we have her 1-year scheduled with Dr. A, so hopefully we'll really actually get to meet him this time! (try # 4). Either way, we know we have a good allergy specialist and so I'm looking forward to expert advice. We're still on the lookout for a good pediatrician that we *love* and that's not too far away.

This weekend, Cristy & Neal were also visiting. They had lots of fun with Hannah. She really enjoys the company and more people around. So we've now had our 1st overnight guests in the new house as of tonight. Yay!

Smooshed fingers...

We're still in the process of moving, actually now cleaning at the old apt. We had the back porch open and the front door open to let the breeze through and to air out the fumes from painting last night. I was in the kitchen cleaning when I heard Hannah scream and cry irrationally. I thought daddy was with her at the front door. I walked over there, saw that it was closed and heard Hannah outside of it. I then realized that the wind had shut the door on her hand, and so I quickly opened the door and sure enough, her hand had been holding onto the door frame on the hinge side. The door had shut on them, and she'd been screaming and crying in pain. Daddy was nowhere to be seen. I quickly picked her up and held her. Daddy then shortly returned. He had gone to take out the trash. When he had left he said that she was heading towards the back porch and so he didn't take Hannah with him outside. Though in experience it seemed like a long time, in real time, I think it all happened rather quickly.

We don't have internet at the new place...yet. So back here at the old place...updating the blog.