Tummy Ache

Kenny has a pain in his abdomen that started Saturday. It becomes more intense and then fades and seems to be worse when he eats. We thought maybe kidney stones, so he went to the doctor yesterday. The doctor didn't feel any stones and also thought appendicitis might be a possible cause. They took blood and told him to stay home and take it easy until they got the results back. He got a call today and the blood work didn't give them any answers. His white blood cell count was a little higher than normal, but not so high that they were concerned. They are sending him for a CT scan of his abdomen this afternoon and said it would be reviewed while he waits so that they can tell him what it shows. Please send thoughts and prayers his way and I will update you when we know more.

UPDATE: The CT scan showed swollen lymph nodes around his small intestine indicating an intestinal infection of some sort. They said for him to rest and drink lots of fluids. If it's viral, that should take care of it in a few days. If he still feels it after that, it is bacterial and they'll give him antibiotics. I can't hardly believe it would be bacterial because he was just on antibiotics last week for strep throat! I guess we'll find out. And the really weird thing is that he hardly ever gets sick. I hate to think what next week will bring - hopefully a healthy husband!

Dreaming Big

What will I be when I grow up?

Perhaps a leader with wise ideas to share. Listen and follow me!
Maybe I'll be a model. Watch me strike a pose.
I could be a dramatic actress.
"For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
Or maybe a great thinker. Einstein's got nothin' on me!

You all will just have to wait and see!

Discovery

The peephole in our front door is pretty big and in the evening when the sun is shining just right we get a rainbow in our house!

Acne vs. Eczema

Shelby has had the worst baby acne ever since she was born. Her little cheeks and chin have been red and bumpy. I figured any time it should go away, but it seemed to get worse spreading down below her ears, around the back of her neck, and even some on her back and chest recently. So, I started looking up baby acne on the internet. (Babycenter.com is a very helpful website. I've used it a lot starting with Autumn.) Everything I could find tended to agree that at this point the acne should be subsiding or gone. One of the articles, though, mentioned the possibility of eczema and that the incidence of an infant having eczema is higher if a parent has it. The light bulb in my head clicked on. I have eczema. I'll occasionally get an itchy spot that flares up, but it never occurred to me that her red bumps and my itchy spots could be the same thing. To test my theory I liberally applied my sensitive skin lotion to her little cheeks last night and this morning you could immediately tell a difference. The bumps were smaller and her skin was less red. I went ahead and applied some more this afternoon to really get around the back of her neck and she looks 100 times better. Her skin has much better color to it and looks less red and irritated.

I just feel bad now for not thinking of it sooner because I know just how badly eczema can itch. There were times I'd hold her up against my chest and she'd be upset and turn her face from side to side. I thought she was looking for her pacifier for comfort, but now I wonder if she was uncomfortable and itchy. Anyway, I'm hoping it is something she will grow out of.