Banana Crisis

My sister told me that lately my niece has been repeating things she hears on the TV and radio. Sometimes she gets it right, sometimes she doesn't. They were watching the news while eating dinner the other night and they referred to the financial crisis. Taylor tells my sister, "Hey Mommy, there is a banana crisis." HAHAHA I laughed so hard at this story.

Travis and I went shopping at South Park Mall this weekend and I'd like to say...banana crisis? What banana crisis? We were among the suckers lined up at the Apple store to get the new 3G iPhone. I don't even know what 3G means! I just know that if Apple comes out with something new that people are waiting in line for, my husband wants to be in that line. :) His new phone is pretty cool, I will admit that. The store was PACKED. The whole mall was actually. I certainly didn't see a "banana crisis" at South Park! We had a great day shopping. I ended up with a new bathing suit too which is a HUGE accomplishment for a new mommy.

We've had our own banana crisis this weekend, literally. We have been trying to unravel the mystery of some potential food allergies in Campbell for a couple of weeks now. We thought we had narrowed it down to milk protein...until this morning. We fed her banana peach oatmeal. She had this yesterday morning with no issues. This morning we let her play for a while after breakfast. Then we took her upstairs to change her and at that time noticed the hives that were popping up all over her body. In the past, her reactions had been limited to a splotchy rash on her face and neck, and a few hives on her back on only one occasion. Today she had bright red spots popping up all over. It was pretty alarming and we didn't want to let it get out of control so we took her to the urgent care. There was a waiting room full of people, but you when walk in with a six and a half month old and say she's having an allergic reaction, you get to skip the line! In fact, you don't even have to sign in! We were pretty nervous but remained calm because Campbell was being her normal, smiley self and obviously wasn't uncomfortable or having any trouble breathing. They whisked us back and checked her oxygen levels, her heart rate, her temperature, her breathing, etc. She showed no signs of distress at all and lucky for us, the only reaction was on her skin. We walked away with a prescription for a steroid, the correct Benadryl dosage for a 20-pound baby, instructions to call her pediatrician this week and look into allergy testing, and little comfort. We are still pretty worried about her. The label of her banana peach oatmeal has nothing in it but bananas, peaches and oatmeal. So the milk protein theory kinda went out the door! :( Whatever food or foods she is allergic to, we just want to identify so we can eliminate them from her diet and move on. If it's not a food allergy, we need to know that too so we can get to the root of these hives! I'm just pretty nervous because I know allergies that aren't serious can quickly take a turn for the worst. I'm sure she'll be fine, but I'll feel a lot better when we get some answers. Banana crisis!!!!

Other than that, we've had a fantastic weekend. We had a great time shopping, had a yummy and fun dinner with Drew and Holly, went to the pool, hosted an open house at one of my listings, and even got new glasses for the first time in nine years! Might not sound too exciting to most, but it was a good weekend for our little family.

Splish Splash

No matter what stresses the day may bring, all of Campbell's cares are washed away in the bathtub. She can be tired, hungry, or just plain irritable, but you put her in the bathtub and she is instantly smiley and relaxed. Here are some LONG overdue pictures of our little fish enjoying her bath. She's finally big enough to sit up in the deep end by herself and play with her toys. She is having so much fun, and we are having an absolute blast watching her splash around!

Dad's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day - and I was honoring two very special men in my life. I'm of course referring to my Dad and to Travis. I have so many happy memories from my own childhood with my Dad. One of my favorite memories is how I made my Dad "be funny" when he came to tuck me in at night. I insisted that he come upstairs doing something funny - maybe skipping down the hall, singing a funny song, dancing around like a monkey. I imagine it got pretty tiring to come up with a new comedy routine every night, especially with a child like me who had probably been fighting bedtime for a good thirty minutes leading up to that point. But he did, and I can still picture him hopping down the hall. Thanks for laughing me to bed, Dad. :) And for all the other wonderful memories we've made and all those to come in the years ahead.

These days, I get the pleasure of seeing Travis start these same types of traditions with Campbell. He definitely knows how to "be funny" and manages to get big grins and giggles out of his little girl. My favorite thing is when I am not in the room with them, but I can hear him on the monitor singing to her. Campbell loves her Daddy so much and someday she will reminisce about her happy childhood with her father too.

Yesterday we went to Alex's house for a Father's Day cookout. This year we were in Roanoke for Mother's Day and with Travis' family for Father's Day. Campbell had fun with her cousins and loved seeing her Nanny again. At one point, her Paw-Paw Butch was holding her. Gangy (Travis' mom) walked over and was going to pick her up. Campbell reached up for her! That was a first, and I'm sure it made Gangy's day!

We had a little more drama at the end of last week. We ended up back at the doctor on Friday. Campbell's skin would be completely clear - and the second we'd give her a bottle of formula, she'd break out in a rash again around her mouth. The whole allergy thing scared me, so we went and saw another doctor to get a second opinion. He agreed that it did not look like the virus she was diagnosed with last week. And also agreed that it was way too big of a coincidence for her to only break out when drinking formula. The doctor hesitated to call it an allergy since it didn't seem to do anything but cause a red face. We did notice some hives on her back, so we've decided not to push it and switched to a soy-based formula. She has been doing so well on this new formula and hasn't broken out since. Also, she is spitting up about 100 times less on the soy-based formula, so that is a nice change. Think of the money we'll save on stain remover! haha I hate to think she might have some food allergies. But this reaction is very mild and the doctor is convinced it is not dangerous at this point. We'll just avoid milk-based formula for now and hope she outgrows this mild sensitivity. I had a little bit of guilt since the formula is a new thing for us. She was just fine when I was feeding her! But she's doing well now and I'm enjoying the freedom and convenience associated with a bottlefed baby!

I've got some Father's Day pictures to share below. The first is from Father's Day 2005! I just love this picture - we took my Dad to the shooting range as a family for his Father's Day celebration. I think Dad loved going shooting with all his girls, and we all love this "Robert's Angels" picture. I know this picture is old, but it's just too good not to share. Love you, Dad!!!!

Here are a few pictures of my baby and my baby's daddy from this weekend. :) I believe that there are few things on this Earth sweeter than a dad and his little girl. Happy First Father's Day, Travis! You are an amazing Dad and we both love you very, very much.

Paw-Paw Butch and his youngest granddaughter on Father's Day

Vacation (ha!?!) Bible School

This week I have been helping out at my church's Vacation Bible School. I have been leading a crew of eleven kids, which are rising kindergartners and rising second graders. That means they range in age from four to seven. It has been fun, challenging, exhausting, inspiring, exhausting, interesting, exhausting, and well...exhausting! :) Campbell has been in the church nursery each day from 8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. That is a big deal for both Campbell and I. That's a long time for her to be in someone else's care when she's so used to me!

The biggest challenge for me at Bible School with my crew of kids was logistics. Our church is pretty big and has a very young congregation. They had to close registration for VBS when they had 500 kids - there was even a waiting list. WOW! I think it's so terrific that there are so many kids involved at our church. But at the same time, the sheer number of kids is what made my job so difficult this week. Logistically, it is TOUGH to move eleven kids of that age through the church from one activity to the next. They get distracted so easily in a crowd and I felt like I needed a leash! Well...my prayers were answered and yesterday I got a rope. Ha! Not to tie the kids up with either. They each hang onto the rope and it makes it a lot easier to move from one station to the next. I cracked up on the first day. I was pretty frazzled and stressed out trying to figure out how to keep my kids in line, and a little nervous about leaving Campbell. Then, I walk down the hallway and look up. Stretched across the ceiling is a huge fishinhg net filled with rubber snakes. MORE SNAKES! hahaha The theme for VBS is all about the swamp, so it's just part of the decor. The church is adorable (minus the snakes) with crocodiles, swamp plants, bait shops, etc. all over the place.

I want to share a few sweet things that happened this week. Yesterday they made a bracelet in Crawfish Crafts and we were told to tie the bracelet onto the kids' wrists, and while we did so, to say a prayer for them. My kids are so young that I think they often miss the point and are solely concerned with things like "can we take this home today" or "I'm thirsty". But I was wrong. One sweet little boy told me he was finished with his bracelet and asked me to tie it on him. Then he said, "Can you say a prayer for me?" How sweet was that? He hadn't missed it at all, and I found it very endearing that he asked me to pray for him. I gladly did. One of the other activities was to make an alligator paper clip and then you could write a message to someone who needs encouragement and put it in your clip. One of my older little girls who is able to write wrote, "Dear Sara, you are so cool. I love you" and clipped it on my bag. Those two things made it well worth my stress and exhaustion all week.

Today, VBS ended with drama. The nursery workers came to get me about 30 minutes early because Campbell had a rash on her face. I left my crew of kids with my assistant and found Campbell in the lobby with the camp nurse. She was smiling and laughing, but looked like Will Smith in Hitch when he ate the shrimp. OK, not that bad, she wasn't swollen. But the rash was pretty alarming. I raced her to the pediatrician's office in a panic. Because we thought it was an allergic reaction, they asked me questions on the phone like, is she breathing ok, how quickly can you be here? When I told her I was closer to the hospital and asked if I should go to the ER, she put me on hold to find out. That scared me. Bad. And Campbell was snoozing in her carseat while I drove, so of course I'm wondering if she's napping or passed out. Turns out it's not allergies which is a blessing. They said it's Fifth's Disease which is a very common childhood virus. The rash comes at the very end and so luckily the virus has almost run its course. She probably had a fever earlier this week that we never detected, which may explain some restless nights and a little uncharacteristic fussiness. Travis raced home from work when I called him en route to the pediatrician's office. I'm so thankful to have such a supportive husband. He didn't tell me to call him when I found out what was wrong...he said he'd meet me at the doctor's office. We actually took her back a second time this afternoon because the rash got ten times worse while she had her afternoon bottle. A bottle with formula is new of as last week, so I feared that she was allergic to her new formula since this morning's rash also came right after her bottle. But the nurse practitioner assured us that she wasn't displaying any symptoms of an allergic reaction so I'll have to trust her medical knowledge and quit second-guessing her (and googling it!). Campbell is somewhat high on Benadryl now to help with the redness. I think we've calmed down and everybody is going to be OK. Travis is going to stay home with her tomorrow so I can go finish my fun and exhausting week of VBS with my sweet kids. I look forward to a quiet week at home next week with my baby! I think I need a vacation after Vacation Bible School!!!

Tri Daddy

This Saturday, Travis competed in his third sprint triathlon of this year. Finally, this one was in town so Campbell and I got to go cheer him on. This was the same triathlon he did last year without training for it. He beat his time from last year by NINETEEN MINUTES! That is outstanding! He has been working so hard and Campbell and I are really proud of him. You'll see the sign she made him in the pictures below. I never really thought about us being such a spectacle, I just thought it'd be neat to make Travis a sign. Oh my gosh, what a spectacle we were!!! There aren't all that many kids there, and then to have a baby in a big stroller with an even bigger sign and a picture...we definitely stood out! But I think Travis thought it was sweet and I'm glad we made sure to recognize him (aka embarass him) at Campbell's first triathlon. :)

Travis' swim was his best event - I swear he must have gills or fins somewhere. He also did very well on the bike and the run. I find the whole thing pretty amazing. Even though we had to get Campbell up at 5 a.m. to get there in time, it was well worth it. She did great on a little less sleep and handled the change in schedule really well. It was really nice to be there at the finish line for a sweaty kiss and to congratulate him. Travis has two more triathlons this summer...he is seriously crazy!! Enjoy the pictures below from Saturday's race. Go Daddy!!

Campbell and Daddy right before the start of the race

Travis is in there, up at the front of course, swimming 750 meters in the lake

Out of the water!

Then off to bike 17 miles...

And finally, run a 5K. WOW!

All the excitement wore Campbell out!

A quick nap during Daddy's bikeride. She wanted to save up all her energy for the finish line.

Daddy comes around the corner for the final stretch...almost to the finish line!

Daddy's little girl is waiting for him at the finish line...doesn't this picture make you smile?

Justice, Party of Three

Six Months Old

What can you do in six months time? Let's see. You can...train for a triathlon. Finish a semester of college. Read a book (or two...or six). Have 2/3 of a pregnancy. Plan a wedding. House-break a dog. Grow out a bad haircut. Get a really, really good tan. Learn how to play an instrument (not well, but you could get a good start). Redecorate a house. Save up a lot of money. Spend a lot of money. Take up a new hobby. Go on a diet and lose a lot of weight. Travel extensively. Whiten your teeth.

Or...you could fall head over heels, madly in love, with a 28 inch tall, 19.5 pound angel. A little girl with strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes. With a two-tooth grin that makes me want to jump out of bed every morning just so I can see her. With chubby thighs and roly poly arms that I just can't squeeze enough. With sweaty little feet and ten tiny little perfect toes. With the most pure and genuine laugh you've ever heard. In six months time, we have experienced more than I ever imagined was possible. We have had the extreme pleasure of loving and nurturing our little baby girl and helped her grow into the sweet, smiley, cuddly six month old baby that she is today. I know I always call her an angel, and I mean it. This baby fell right down to us from heaven, there's no other explanation!! She is just the light of our lives and as I sit here and reflect on how wonderful she is and how fast the past six months have flown by, I have happy tears running down my face. I am a living cliche - I cannot get over how fast the time has gone and how much she has grown and changed. I won't even bother with a list of her "tricks" because there are so many and everyday she seems to learn something new. I just want to take this opportunity to say how much we adore Campbell and how thankful we are for the joy she brings to our lives. What a wonderful half-year it's been! We look forward to all that's in store for us as she continues to grow into an amazing little girl.

She got a great report at the pediatrican's office this morning and is in the 95th percentile for both height and weight.

I'm so pleased with how her pictures turned out. You'll get to see just how active she is and how well she has just learned to sit up. I just saw a picture the other day where my friend's little boy ate the sign in his monthly picture. I guess that's what all the kids are doing these days. hahaha I didn't stage any of her actions - she went after the sign and after the teddy bear entirely on her own. I was cracking up behind the camera! Happy Half-Birthday, Campbell! We love you so much!

And now a few from earlier this week...

Scroll Down...

I just posted pictures and stories from the weekend. Somehow, after the gliche I had Sunday night, some of it was saved. So anyway, you need to scroll down to see it. Scroll down past the kitty prozac, and you'll see my post about the weekend in Virginia! Technology...