The Party Continues . . .

So, I had these pictures on my list to upload to my post this morning and somehow missed them! At then end of the night we took the time to get pictures of Reed, Jon, and myself with all the family members that were able to attend his party, enjoy.

With Great-Gran and Great-Papa

With Great Grandma Didi and Great Papa Dean

The McClarty Family - Tio Drew, Auntie "C", Pepe, and Nonna

With G-Momma (aka Great Grandma Joan)

The Gillette Family - Grandma, Grandpa, Cousin Annaliese,
Aunt Kari, and Uncle Kyle

The Party

In Reed's 12 Month Post his embarrassing picture was of him eating hemp ice cream. We decided since his party wasn't for a few days, Baby should have his First Sugar on his actual Birthday. While the embarrassing pic was pretty funny, he actually really liked the ice cream and there were a few cute shots I just have to share.

Last Sunday Jon and I had a "small" party to celebrate Reed's first Birthday. Small is in quotes because we invited only Reed's Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and one and only Cousin, but in our family that adds up to 19 people! It was a great day filled with lots of love, laughs, and of course food.

 

I'm this many!!!

 

Reed thought it was pretty cool having everyone sing Happy Birthday to him. He liked the cupcake and ate a lot of it, but very carefully and without much of a mess. I was secretly hoping for a bit more of a frosting mess and even stripped him down to his diaper in anticipation.

 

 

 

 

I actually spent a lot of time making decorations for the party, but failed in taking any specific pictures of the house. Everything was various shades of blue. There were dot garlands, Reed's monthly pictures, personalized seating cards, chevron table runners, an ombre #1 (you can see it in the cupcake pictures), and lots of balloons (Reed thought they were balls and really wanted to play with them).

 

 

Most of the gifts/toys went into Reed's toy chest to be brought out over the weeks to come. We let him play with a couple of things though - after all it was his Birthday (and they were too big to fit in the toy chest)!!!

A Swiss toy called Bilibo - it can be a chair, a bucket, a shell, or anything else  

 

I'll only show the picture of Reed and Annaliese that looks like Reed is happy to share his wagon - not the ones where his is trying to push her out!

 

 

Speaking of Annaliese, the two sat next to each other for dinner and were so cute to watch. Reed kept trying to share his food with her and held her hand a couple of times.

 

 

 All in all it was a great day and the perfect way for us to celebrate Reed's one year milestone.

Happy Birthday to Reed

Yesterday we had a small party to celebrate Reed's Birthday. Once I've gathered everyone's pictures I will do a post of the highlights. In the meantime here is a video of Reed being sung to by all of his Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and most of his Great-Grandparents. At the very end you can hear him say "Mmmmm" when he looks at his cupcake (soy free/vegan of course).

 

12 Months

I've tried to start this post a half dozen times and I just haven't found the words to describe how cosmically our lives have shifted since Reed's arrival. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me or Jon and by far my proudest achievement. I love this little boy so much it hurts. He has taught me things about myself I would have never discovered. I know I'm biased (trust me in no way do I think my child is even close to perfect) but, Reed loves life more than any kid I've ever been around. He finds joy in so many things, has yet to have a melt down in a public place, will stop anywhere and everywhere to dance if he hears a good beat, and is always a social butterfly when we are out and about. He loves his Mom and Dad, but is cool with having others hold him. His giggles and shrieks of delight our the best sounds my ears have ever heard.

As we enter toddler hood I'm excited for all of the fun discoveries that lay ahead for Reed. While I would have loved to take my son out for a special lunch or dinner to celebrate the big 0-1 we just aren't there yet with his allergies. Instead we went to a Mommy-and-Me gym class that he thought was really fun. He's never been in a room with more than two other kids, and that was only once, so a dozen kids was a little overwhelming to him. When we first started he was gripping my arm so hard, but by the end he was in the middle of the circle chasing bubbles with all the other little ones. This was a great reminder that there are so many things I have to look forward to experiencing with the kiddo.

Monthly Statistics

Weight: 21.5 lbs

Length: 30.5 inches

Head Circumference: 18 inches

Clothing Size: 12 month or 12-18 month for pretty much everything he has a couple of 18 month tops he's been wearing as well.

Shoe Size: Can squeeze into size 4, size 5 are a little big but probably not for long

Teeth: 8 - 4 on the bottom and 4 on the top

Can't live without: Beco Gemini Carrier, BOB stroller, Soft Sheep, Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster Seat, Baby Bjorn Bibs, ZoLi Bot Sippy Cup, Books, Plastic containers (especially ones with lids), cardboard boxes, and Bath Toys.

Nicknames: Reedster, Reedcito, Reed Reed, Buddy, Buddy Bear, Monkey, Pillbug, Cuddle Bear, and Sweet Pea.

Favorite Foods: Eggplant, Figs, Mom's Carrot Muffins, Waffles, Rye Toast, Avocado, Mushrooms, Blackberries, Plums, Fish, Chicken Apple Sausage, and Watermelon

Words: "DaDa" and "Daa" are still the main ones. He added "Boom" which is pretty funny. Somehow we lost "Nonna" but he still mimics us when we say "Ball" "Blue" or "Duck" but stilldoesn't say them independently. Also if Reed is hungry when I ask him if he wants to eat he says "Mmmmm" and if we prompt him he'll say "Aaahhh" after he takes a drink of something.

How Reed is sleeping: Reed takes a nap in the morning that ranges anywhere from 1.5 - 2.5 hours and one in the afternoon that is about an hour to an hour and a half in length. He goes to bed around 7:30pm, then he usually wakes somewhere between 5:00 and 6:00 am. I don't want to jinx myself but if he wakes up before that he usually will crawl around in his crib until he finds his pacifier and/or soft sheep and then puts himself back to sleep. I would love it if he would sleep until 6:30 (or even 6:00 consistently), but this is much better than even a month ago so hopefully we continue down this path.

Favorite Moment: WALKING!!!! Oh my gosh, watching Reed teach himself how to walk has been so much fun. He gets the biggest grin on his face every time he teeters around. I love the sound of his footsteps when he's out of view, it's the best!!!
Milestones:
08/21/12 First (and hopefully last) major allergic reaction when he ate some edammame hummus
09/11/12 Standing independently of pulling up
09/16/12 First time on a Boat. We celebrated Jon's Birthday with the McClarty Family up at Pine Flat
09/16/12 First swim in a Lake. Dad, Pepe, Tio Drew, and Auntie "C" helped show the Little Man the ropes while Mom and Nonna stayed warm on the boat.
09/17/12 I made Reed laugh so hard he snorted, it was hilarious!

Embarrassing Picture: Since we weren't having a party until a few days after Reed's Birthday we decided he needed a special sweet treat on the actual day. I made some ice cream using hemp milk and he seemed to really like it, pushing the spoon aside to just use his hands and eventually licking the bowl. In the process we got a few amazing looks, but this one takes the cake . . .

We have a Walker!!!

Reed has been taking steps here and there for a few weeks, but in the last couple of days he really has started to get the hang of it. He regularly will go 5-10 paces by himself, he has gone around corners, and even pivoted a couple of times. Sometimes the jaunt ends in a fall, but other times he will do a controlled sit or even just stand still and then take some more steps. This video isn't very long, but you can definitely see how proud he is of his new skill!

Day in the Life of Reed

It's amazing to look back at these posts and see how much has changed in our day to day life in the last twelve months. This weekend I tried to document a typical Saturday. . .

5:45 am Reed wakes up

5:50 We do a diaper change, Reed nurses, and then we play in his room waiting for the sun to come up
6:20 Head out the door for a run

7:30 We're back and Reed plays in the kitchen while I put together his breakfast
7:40 Breakfast time (nectarine, homemade waffle with Earth Balance spread, and rice milk)

7:55 We play in the living room for about twenty minutes, then head to the back of the house to brush our teeth (we do this together every morning), change Reed's diaper, and read a couple of books

8:20 I lay Reed down for his nap, he fusses a bit and then falls asleep ten minutes later. Reed usually sleeps for about two hours, which is awesome, and lets me get a lot of stuff done. I was able to feed Dodger, change our sheets, do some laundry, take a shower, clean out the dishwasher, make a batch of bread dough, and pay bills. A lot of this I could do with Reed awake, but he makes it soooo much harder.

10:35 Reed is up. I change his diaper, put him in his clothes for the day, and offer him a glass of rice milk.

10:50 He doesn't seem too interested in the rice milk so we head outside to play before it gets too hot.

11:30 We've had enough of being outside so we head inside to play in the living room and wait for Dad to get home from work. Reed is more interested in a roll of paper than any of his actual toys.

 

 

11:45 Dad is home. Reed and I are both pretty excited to have someone new to play with!!!

12:20 Lunch time (homemade chicken tenders, rye toast fingers, marinara dipping sauce, and avocado)

 

12:45 Reed plays with me and Jon while I make our bed. Mom and Dad are pretty tired so we mostly take turns laying on the ground and letting Reed use us like Jungle Gyms while we chat

1:30 I lay Reed down for a nap and he falls asleep immediately

3:15 Reed is up. He watches the last fifteen minutes of the soccer game we had been watching.

3:30 Snack time (carrot muffin and defrosted pumped milk)

3:45 Reed is done snacking, so I take him out of his booster seat and get him cleaned up. As I carry him through the kitchen he spies the freshly baked bread on the counter and keeps pointing to it. He eats an entire piece, except for the bites he shares with Mom and Dad.

4:00 Diaper change. The boys are left to entertain themselves while I run to the store

4:45 I get home and Jon and I take turns keeping an eye on Reed and making dinner.

 

 

 

6:00 Family Dinner (BBQ pork loin, diced plums, sauteed eggplant and peppers, homemade wheat bread)

6:45 Jon gives Reed a bath while I clean the kitchen 

7:00 We take Reed into his room, do diaper, lotion, PJs, fluoride, teeth brushing, soft sheep, and pacifier then zip him up in his sleep sack.

7:15 Dad turns out the lights and Reed nurses

7:25 I lay my sleepy boy down and he falls right to sleep

Grandparent's Day

Reed is a pretty lucky fella, both sets of Grandparents live about 15 minutes away, he gets to spend one day a week with each Grandma, have dinner once a week with Nonna and Pepe, and he has 7 living Great-Grandparents. That they all adore him is an understatement. Like most grand kids - he can do nothing wrong, he is so smart, super cute, and so much fun to watch - at least that's what they tell me. . . all of the time!

Growing up Jon and I both had amazing relationships with our Grandparents and even some Great Grandparents. They spoiled us from time to time, took care of us when our parents went on much needed vacations, and they sometimes allowed us to do stuff that was considered a "no-no" at home. We also treasure the adult relationships we have with our Grandparents now and can't wait to see Reed's relationship evolve with everyone as he grows up.

On Monday we planned on hosting a little get together for Reed and his Grandparents to celebrate Grandparent's Day. Unfortunately there was a scheduling mix-up and only my parents were able to make it. The good news was that they got to spend some good one-on-one time with The Reedster and we got to tell them how much we appreciate all they do for Reed and also what a support they are for us. We'll do the same thing with Nonna and Pepe hopefully very soon.

Like I mentioned before, Grandma and Nonna take turns watching Reed when I go into the office for work. He has so much fun hanging out with them all day and if Grandpa and Pepe aren't too busy at work they usually manage to come home for lunch or get home early from work so they can spend time with the kiddo too. Now that everyone has a camera phone it's not uncommon to get a picture or two of what Reed is up to while I'm at work. These snapshots were sent to me by Pepe and Nonna this week:

We were at a wedding over the weekend and for the first time Reed was away from both Mom and Dad for two whole nights. He had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa and we received plenty of picture updates. Our favorite was the one we got last night of Reed getting a bath in the kitchen sink, we kept pulling out my phone to look at his adorableness!

I really can't emphasize how much of a help all of our parents have been over the last 11.5 months. It's so great that Reed is completely at home in three different houses and absolutely in love with all of his Grandparents (I get the impression the feeling is mutual).

Let there be Light

Besides eating, Reed has been up to a few new tricks while he noshes.

A Deep Breath

I've said before I try to keep my posts light-hearted and weighted to the positive, but we've had a rough couple of weeks and I think it is important to document what has been going on. If you've been following our eczema battle you know that we've suspected Reed may have some allergies and or food sensitivities. We had a projectile vomiting incident after he ate some egg yolks a couple of months ago and the Pediatrician was concerned about a dairy allergy as well. So Reed and I have been on an egg and dairy free diet for the last three months. The week before last, when Grandma was watching him, he had an anaphylactic reaction to some edamame hummus that I had sent as a snack. He never had trouble breathing, thank goodness, but broke out in hives, his lips swelled, his nose started running, he was sneezing constantly, and his eyes were blood-shot and watering. It was horrible and obviously so scary.

Swollen lips and hives on his face

Luckily I had just, the week prior, pressed his Pediatrician for a referral to a Pediatric Allergist so we were already headed in the right direction. Tuesday was the appointment with the Allergist and while I loved the doctor we saw, the news we got was pretty devastating . . . Reed is allergic to Soy, Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, and Dogs. Just writing that makes me tear up. Deep breath . . .

Skin Prick Test Reaction

Because Reed is so young, they only tested him for 14 of the most common allergies (only 5 being foods - he was allergic to everything but wheat). You actually can't say you have an allergy unless you've had a reaction to the allergen before, so the doctor was able to confirm the soy and egg allergies and because of the severe reaction to the peanut and milk pricks it's pretty much a guarantee that he is allergic to those as well. Before I continue I'm sure you are wondering about poor Dodger. The good news is that it is the saliva Reed is allergic to and our dog isn't much of a licker. Yes saliva will end up on his fur, but since Dodger isn't in the house all of the time it shouldn't be much of a problem. As the doctor said, "Reed needs to be able to be a kid as much as possible, and having a pet is a big part of being a kid." Thank goodness, because our family just wouldn't be complete without Dodger.

So here is where I start to get overwhelmed with the thought of feeding a child with so many caveats. It really doesn't change much of what we are doing now, but you expect as your baby turns into a toddler the feeding and food preparation should get much easier, the light at the end of the tunnel if you will. Our tunnel just got a lot longer. The good news is that there is a good chance Reed will outgrow a lot of the food allergies (probably not the peanut). In the meantime we get to experiment with new recipes, learn how to navigate the world of restaurant eating and travel with a child with food allergies, and most importantly take it one step at a time.

My friend Sarah had gotten me in contact with a Pediatric Dietitian a few weeks ago. I have enjoyed working with her so far and now with Reed's diagnosis she has been a great support and resource. We have an Epi-Pen Junior that will be with us a all times and we are educating ourselves as much as possible. I will be adding an "Allergy Information" page to this website in the next few days so anyone that is interested can learn more about food allergies, ingredient lists, and how to use an Epi-Pen.

I've always enjoyed making food from scratch, now it is just going to be a more mandatory part of our lives. When I was little and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I said "A Mommy and A Cooker." My sweet boy has made both of my dreams come true!!!

The good news is that there are still a lot of things in life for Reed to enjoy . . .

Double Fisting (Water and Hemp Milk)

Watching Dad and Team Slizzard play soccer

Soy Free/Vegan Muffins

Day Trips to Shaver with Grand-Aunt Penny and Grandma