A Lucky Little Girl

I am a very lucky little girl. You see, i have a Grandpa and Grandma that love me very much and want to help my mommy and daddy buy me my special milk so that i don't have to be miserable anymore. I feel so much better since drinking this special milk and i love you both very much for buying me lot's so mommy doesn't have to stress about money when she feeds me, instead she can just snuggle me and be glad that SHE has a daddy and mommy that are so good to her! She wanted for me to mention how much she loves you guys and how grateful both her and daddy are for what you have done for them over this last couple of weeks in helping me get better! Some day i will get to say thank you but for now i'm gonna snuggle up and drink my bottle. I love you Grandpa and Grandma! Love, Raegan

Starting To Get Into Things...

"watch this mommy"

"I'm gonna get this plant"

"ah-ha got it!"

"i'm taking it down-it's rolling with me"

Raegan is a scooting little girl in her walker. She has figured out how to get around and she is taking full advantage of it. She has her eye on this plant most of the time (thank goodness it's fake) and attacks it! She stays very happy for quite some time just scooting around the house and chewing on her toys, and fingers or whatever is within reach.

I feel like i have a different baby! She is so happy all the time now! She NO LONGER SPITS UP!!! I don't even know how to act without a puking 24/7 baby! She is so much more comfortable, we can just tell. SHE SLEEPS for longer than 20 min at a time during the day!! Her head is healing nicely and hair is actually being able to grow, slow though it may be (sorry Raegan, you have to deal with the Donald Trump combover awhile longer). She rarely scratches but does a little when she is tired-i tend to think this may be out of habit rather than her actually itching right now. I am actually getting some sleep for the first time in 6 months!! She still sleeps in her car seat by our bed and wakes to eat still (probably also out of habit) but will go right back to sleep). It is just wonderful-i am SO happy that she is feeling better and that the formula change and meds seems to be working wonders!!! Thank you Lord!

I held off on her 6 month visit, thanks to the advise of my older sis! I hadn't even thought of the fact that it might be better to not have shots on top of starting new meds and changing formula and the fact that if she reacted to anything i might not know what she was reacting to-so we are holding off on that appt for the time being.

Another Hair Cut

Last night was Avery and mommy's turn. My friend who does our hair offered to come to our house last night and cut it since Johnny was out of town and it was around bed time, which was awesome of her. Avery decided that she wanted hers pretty short so we actually both have just about the same haircut. She likes to do her hair herself and get's upset when i have to "touch it up" so this should make it a lot easier for her to do.

WOW!

Raegan has had two awesome days and nights!! She took a 2 and half hr nap for me in her swing yesterday which she hasn't done in i don't even know how long! The last two nights she has slept in her car seat by our bed and only woke up once to eat each night and then went right back to sleep. I think the Atarax is really helping with the itching because she has not been clawing at her skin to the degree she was just two days ago!! I am very encouraged so far!

We saw the allergist today. We will start to switch her formula to the Nutramigen today. He wants me to only give her the rice cereal with applesauce that i have been giving her and no more food till we see him again. This is because she has had really loose stools after eating some foods but hasn't the last couple of days when she has had just that. He is having me keep track of her breathing respirations once a day for the next 30 days, and charting it. He did hear some wheezing today and she also has another ear infection, so she gets her second antibiotic.

So with her being such a happy, good sleeping baby the last couple of days- i'm really hoping this formula changing doesn't screw her system up...but if the end result helps her i guess it would be worth it!

Tomorrow she goes for her 6 month appoint and shots so she has had quite the full week of doctors visits.

A Natural Mohawk

let's cut this mop!

"ok i will smile for you mommy, but i don't want to miss the Wonder Pets!" so i'm not taking my eyes off this tv

Ethan was once again in DESPERATE need of a haircut. He was such a good boy this time for daddy-hopped up on the chair and stood there with no complaining till daddy was done. His hair has some crazy coulics (i have no idea how to spell that word!) and goes into a natural mohawk. He loves his mohawk and if the oldest two mess with his hair says "don't mess up my mohawk!"

Raegan's Dermatology Appointment

Forewarning- this will probably be a boring info filled post mostly for my self, but i know there are some family members that wouldn't mind hearing the details-so here they are...

The first thing she told me is that they are finding new things out about eczema-this last year they have determined that it is in fact a genetic defect. She also gave some more info about the skin breaking down, unable to heal itself ect. ect.

After being canceled last week due to the dr being sick we got rescheduled for this morning. I love the dermatologist, Avery has seen her before and she is wonderful. She said the most important thing we need to do right now is get her itching under control-THANK YOU!!- For this she has prescribed Atarax- Avery is on this and Ethan has been in the past.

She prescribed a rx shampoo for her hair and is to be bathed in Cetaphil. I can use the Triamcinolone ointment(steroid) on her head, which i had no idea i could do. This should help heal her head. I then have Hydrocortisone ointment for her face and groin area. We will continue to use Vanicream, aquafor ect for moisturizers.

Another thing she is having us do for her head is- Domboro soaks- some type of anesthetic that you mix with water and soak gauze in and apply to scalp.

The biggest concern with her is to keep her from infection (she stressed the fact of keeping her away from anyone with a cold sore- because this could cause a staph or strep infection all over her body)

She suggested that we get set up with the allergist (which i have already done-she goes Thursday at 11 am) she said-" i don't want to go against what your dr says but i would switch her formula to the nutramigen (hypoallergenic). "I will wait and see what the allergist says on Thursday but i wouldn't doubt at all if he says the same thing.

They will be watching her weight gain, that being another concern that she not drop off the growth curve. Right now she is doing fine with that, but she said it needs to be monitored. She weighed 15 lbs today. We will be following up in 1 month with her.

I feel like we are actually getting somewhere now...

On a side note, much to my horror while talking with the dr Etahn found a pen and colored their entire chair! The nurses assured me it will come off with alcohol, but i just about died!

Our Itchy Little Raegan

"hey mommy, why are you taking pictures back there?"

"this is the life mommy!"

Let me preface this by saying: I am so thankful that Raegan is healthy, this is so minor in comparison to what some have to deal with, i don't take that for granted one bit- that being said- I hate eczema!! Raegan has literally scratched or rubbed almost all of the hair off the back of her head. We keep her hands covered at all times except for when she is wide awake and playing with toys. When she begins to get tired, that's when the scratching begins. I was hesitant to post pictures but we dealt with this with Avery when she was a baby and i wish i could look back to compare. I have come to grips with the fact that i am probably going to be sleeping with my daughter in the living room on me for the 2nd half of the night until we can get her itching under control. She will sleep a few good hrs most nights the first half of the night, after that it's not so good sleep that she or mommy get's.- You can tell that she is miserable. She sleeps in a bunting that she has no way of getting her hands out of which helps some, but she still rubs her head which makes it ooze. We have been trying benadryl lately which seems to do nothing for her, and doesn't even seem to make her sleepy like they said it would. She has eczema all over her body but so far her head is the hardest part to control. I have hopes that as it warms up that it may get better as Ethan's did but only time will tell.

She really likes to be close to us so we carry her in this carrier if we want to get anything done and she loves it. A hat has really helped to but she is figuring out how to get her hands up under it some, but it still helps most of the time.

The one thing that is very frustrating to me is : I can handle a baby crying, it's ok to let them cry some so that you can get things done ect, in normal situations- I cannot let her cry, because if i do she scratches and she will be literally making herself bleed within a few minutes-in the car when she cries i really stress and constantly ask the kids if she is scratching. They are very good about helping me by putting the socks back on her hands or hat on her head or anything to try to prevent her scratching, but it really stresses me out!

We are going to the dermatologist tomorrow, and i am hoping they can give me something to help her a bit. Sorry for the whiny post but i just had to vent my feelings on it all.

I've Been Tagged

I got tagged by Val (Thrilla in Manila), so here are 6 quirky things that you didn't even know you wanted to know about me:

1. If i swim and get cold and get the goosebumps, i feel as though the hair on my legs grew an inch and i have to shave again right away even though i have already shaved once. This is also if i take a shower at night after exercising. I only have to shave the bottom half of my leg though the top part doesn't bother my.

2. I have had a security blanket (now it's an afghan sp?) since i was a baby. When i decided to get rid of each one i would just get attached to another one. I was recently given a new one to replace my tattered and torn one that Johnny said was going to be the death of me because i was going to strangle myself some night.

3. I use shout stain remover uncontrollably. I spray every piece of clothing even if there is no stain because i am scared of missing a stain. Yes, i go through a bottle of shout a week.

4. I can not get myself to finish a can of soda. I am sure my mom will vouch for me on this one :) Soda in a cup with ice is a different story but the last half of a can just doesn't taste good. I have not had soda in almost a month so there is a lot less wasting going on in the Seaba house!

5. I can't stand "almost empty" things. Three things that drive me crazy when they are less than half full are : my pretzel jar on my counter- i will go to the store for just a bag of pretzels so that i have a full jar. The diaper baskets and the wipes container that we keep in the front room. Very silly but really get's to me when they are low.

6. Drinking out of the cone cups at work just about makes me gag. That is up there with nails on a chalkboard. I pour it into my mouth but if it touches it gives me the eebie jeebies.

As a summary- i am obsessive and wasteful! :)

I am now tagging- June-(smattering of duehrings) Susan (Lanker Landings), Julie (kc veers) , Jen (dixon) Melanie (three's company) and Dee Dee (neirly news). Cmon girls... this is fun

Professional Pics

Ethan was not going to give in and smile for us

aww theres a little smile

we couldn't get Raegan to leave her hands out of her mouth so gave up

this one cracks me up of Raegan

love the drool

Back in December we had professional pictures taken of the kids. I have just now gotten them downloaded from the site so that i could post a few...

Dinner Time Drama

#1- No drama-is turning into quite the big eater-likes to loudly say how good the food is while we are dealing with the below

#2- Begins to scheme as soon as she begins eating of how much she is going to have to eat-asks how many bites she has to take from the very beginning- is always the last one done eating (except for on nights like below)-usually ends up complaining because she has to eat cold food

#3- Does not like meat on most occasions- although lately will eat some- says he is full and proceeds to try to leave the table to go play- if made to take "one more bite" when he no longer wants to eat, will hold that bite in his mouth for up to 30 minutes- will pretend to swallow then leave the table and go spit the food on the carpet in his room-or once daddy and mommy wise up to his antics has a battle of the wills for 30 min. until finally daddy wins and the food is swallowed.

#4- Wants to eat every few hrs around the clock!!

Just some memories to look back on when they are teenagers and eating us out of the house...

My "Little" Ones

Ethan adores his baby sister. He is so gentle with her and likes to inform me when we are driving that "mommy, baby is crying" "yes Ethan i know she is screaming her little lungs out". His latest job is to refill her tray with toys when she is sitting in the walker. She drops all of them over the edge in about 3 or 4 minutes and then he fills it back up. Repeat that process about 8 or 9 times and by that time she has had it with the walker and ready to move on to something else. I love it when she cries and he says "it's ok baby, i right here". He is his busy little self these days and talking up a storm. Every time we go somewhere he says "you gonna drive fast mommy?" or "mommy, drive fast!" we got a little speedster on our hands. It seems like he says new words or new full sentences everyday-yesterday while in car lineup picking up the oldest two he was upset with his shoe and wanted me to fix it "right now" when i told him i couldn't right that second he informed me "mommy i mad at you". He cannot resist the "there is NO smiling in this van young man"- works every time!

Raegan is doing good just isn't the best sleeper ever!! She no longer likes her swing for nap time and let's us know by screaming if we try. She is a very happy little girl when she is fed and not tired. She wants to eat constantly so i think she may be going through a growth spurt. I upped her bottles to 7 oz. to see if mabye that will help and we are starting food along with the cereal as well. She is still scratching a lot, we keep a hat on her lately and that is helping. She is growing new hair where she scratched out the other but you can barely see it because it is blonde so it looks like before long she will be a blondie.

A Little Conversation With Ethan...