been busy

Well I know it has been a while and I have heard from some of you... :) well between working and school and Kade, we have just been busy. Kaden is getting so big... well not really still only 16.7 lbs. and well that is the 10th %, but he is moving around a bit, still trying to crawl, more like 360! Well, I'm in the middle of one of my papers for class and needed a mental breath! Here are some pictures of Kaden playing with his cousins.

Things have still been good with Kade's skin. If he starts to get a spot, then we put topical steroids on, but other than that just moisturize! We will probably have him retested in a short while to see if the allergies are still as bad. Frankie has been home for a while and no problems there... other than Frankie won't go near Kade! :)

sitting up!

Kaden has started to sit up on his own and keeps his balance. Just had his pictures taken...

6 month milestones!

Kaden had his six month checkup and weighs 14lbs., and is 25" long... not a big boy! But the dr. just says neither are his parents, so that is that.

We have started Kaden on rice cereal, and are looking at adding in vegtables. Since we don't know the extent of his food allergies, we are being careful. We are trying to avoid the really sweet fruits right now due to his yeast problems and yeast particularly likes sugary foods.

On the medical front, he is still battleing the eczema and we go back to U of M hospital soon. This is just a follow up to the treatments we are trying. We have also been seeking the homeopathic non-medicine route, but it is so hard to know what is going to actually work. We would just like to see him off of antibiotics and steroids. Two medicines that we are least in favor of. But we do see results and so it helps.

Jaron is starting a new job, temporary though. But with all of the snow we got yesterday and last night, we both had a snow day today! Well I do have projects to work on and since I have an unexpected day home, I need to take advantage of it!

Just a parting picture: My mom got a hat for Kade, but he pulls it down over his eyes. When we got home from church on Sunday he was sound asleep with lights out.

latest and greatest!

Kaden just loves to put his paci in backwards and chew on it that way. Just thought that I had to include him actually doing this!

Well, I have good excuses... but I really do need to update! Well as of Jan 1 we put Kaden on formula (nutramigen) to see if allergies were causing his excema and then we waited... well it didn't do much from the looks of it. After two weeks he was still spotty around his eyes... and that was with verdeso (a steroid foam). We went down to U of M in Ann Arbor and saw a pediatric dermatologist there. Their thought was again... yes it is excema, but what is causing it. One line of thinking she had was a possible zinc deficiancy. But that it looked infected and we should put him back on keflex and several ointments and see. We started treatments Thursday morning and by Satuday, he already looked cleared up... without the zinc yet.

So we have been doing everything now and he really does look so much better! I know that we can't keep him on this treatment forever... but I finally get to cuddle with him without worry of catching his skin. He is also taking some allergy medication to relieve the itching so that makes me feel better that he doesn't feel itchy all the time.

While we were up North for a short family get-a-way(pictures to come), a dear college friend called and as we were sharing stories she shared that both of her children are severe allergic and so it was helpful to know that we can get to the bottom of this. One day at a time.

Working with children with autism and ECDD (developmental delay) and other needs, I am so blessed to come home and know whatever God is teaching us through this, that God is teaching us.

So far so good...

Frankie got a short haircut.

Well Frankie is gone (to Jaron's parents for a while), and Kaden has been on formula for almost a week. His skin is not totally cleared up, but we both think that it does look a little better and not as red under the flaking. I put Kade in his high chair and he was having a blast sitting at the table. It is nice to have him a part of activity in the kitchen and he enjoys seeing what is going on.

Happy New Year!

I hope that this post finds everyone warm and happy on a very snowy day and the beginning of the new year. Today Kaden is 5 months and yesterday we made progress in knowing what is going on with his skin. Last Wednesday Kade had blood taken to test for allergies... Monday I stopped at the pediatrician's office and the Dr. told me he is allergic to milk, peanuts, wheat, egg whites, and dog dander... So Kade is now on formula and not liking it to well. Our dog is supposed to be hypo-allergenic. I feel that it is at least a step in the right direction to getting him better! I would like to get him off of the steroid stuff that we are using! I was able to spend the evening with friends that I grew up with and get together still when we are all in the area.

We had a nice and quiet Christmas. We spent the weekend before Christmas with Jaron's family and his brother Derek was home from Nebraska. On Christmas, we spent the afternoon into evening at my brother Joel's house and played Wii into the morning. Sydney was trying to copy Kade.

We had a nice trip out east. Kade traveled very well. We were able to see several friends that I worked with at Mount Calvary, then traveled to Delaware to see another friend. It was nice to visit and enjoyed just seeing the sights of where we were married and first lived.

Maria and Kade

Jaron liked Maria's dog Sammy...

Kade liked Sammy too!

Well, Kade just finished his first all-formula feeding! I am praying that we will see results soon.

old news

Well, as of Dec 3, 07 Kaden was 4 months, 12 lbs, 10 oz. He was 24 inches and head circum. of 42 centimeters. He is babbling quite a bit in the mornings, and doing well all around other than the skin issue. Our dermatologist and pediatrician disagree. So we are going down to u of m in ann arbor in jan to see a pediatric dermatologist. Here is his latest: