Allergy Testing

We took the kids to the allergist this summer.  Here are the results:

Brennan had another skin test.  He is still allergic to peanuts and will continue to need to carry an EpiPen. Luckily, this test went much better than his original experience.  Last time, he was desperate to itch his reaction spot on his back - to the point of tears and trying to rub his back on anything he could.  This time, they pricked his arm and he did not seem to be bothered by it at all.  The doctor recommended re-testing in 3 years.

Gavin had a skin test on his arm.  Previously, he had blood work and a skin test that indicated a reaction, but not to the degree of needing an EpiPen. We've avoided peanuts, but wanted more specific and updated information.  His first skin test was inconclusive, so we repeated the test the same day. Based on the reaction, and since he's never consumed any peanut products, the doctor requested blood work for additional information and to rule out a false positive.  Gavin did amazing during his blood draw and didn't even flinch, amazing the phlebotomists. Results indicated a positive reaction to peanuts.  He was also prescribed an EpiPen. The doctor recommended re-testing in 1 year.

Abigail had a skin test and did not react!  She's still getting used to the idea of eating peanut products, as she's used to hearing that the boys cannot eat things that have peanuts.

Natalie did not come with us during the original appointment, but the doctor recommended testing for her due to the boys' reactions.  She had a skin test when we received Gavin's blood work results.  She was tested for peanuts and milk, as her face sometimes becomes red in spots where yogurt may have gotten on her face. She did not react to dairy.  The peanut test was repeated due it becoming slightly red.  After another prick on her back, it was determined that she is not allergic.  We're now suspecting that her face reacts to dyes in foods, but it will quickly fade after she is cleaned off. Gavin had similar reactions at her age.

Happy 5th Birthday, Gavin!

Happy 5th Birthday, Gavin!

Our sweet, goofy Gavin is 5 years old!  He's an intelligent, hilarious and inquisitive young man.  We're so proud of him!  We celebrated Gavin's birthday with a roller coaster themed  party at a local park.  We followed up with gifts and more sweets at home!

~Gavin loves to be goofy and make others laugh.  He has the best belly laugh!

~He is extremely observant, noticing even the smallest details of his environment.  He'll comment or ask about these details later.  For example, he'll talk about locations we've been at by describing the color of things he saw (e.g. the park with the blue slide that is twisty and the stairs that are green).  While drawing roller coasters, he includes small details (e.g., A red light at the top of the hill).  Also, while shopping, he'll inquire if we're going to particular aisles to get desired items (e.g., Can we go to aisle 8 to get cereal?). 

~Gavin is enrolled in the Pre-K classroom at Wee Care preschool in Fremont 3 days a week.  While his academic and social skills are strong, he still naps daily.  With his late August birthday, he could attend kindergarten this year, but he would be very young. This year will be great for him to further develop his skills and he be all set to go for kindergarten next school year!

~Speaking on academics, Gavin is doing great! He can verbally identify and write all upper and lower case letters.  He is able to write his name and his siblings' names without a model. He's also working on identifying letter sounds.  He can count well over 100.  Gavin is also doing great with math and is able to answer applied math problems (e.g., If I make 2 more baskets, I'll have 10!  If I give you two crackers, I'll have 3)

~Gavin continues to love gross motor/ball games.  He rarely walks by a ball without throwing or kicking it.  He's able to throw very far and drop kick small and large balls.

~He loves roller coasters!  He enjoys going to Cedar Point and riding the rides.  While he sometimes needs a little encouragement to ride new rides, he quickly loves them!  At home, he can turn just about everything into a roller coaster (blocks, cars, forks, books), complete with noises - clicks of the chains, cars rushing by, screams of riders, air breaks, and operators ("Enjoy your ride on Maverick!" Welcome back, how was your ride?")

~While Gavin knows how to push his siblings' buttons, as any brother would do, he's also extremely kind, sweet and considerate.  He loves to give hugs and hold their hands. He praises them often and speaks in a sweet mother-ease to his littlest sister. He's a great kid!

Stats:

Height: 43.5" 58th percentile

Weight: 37lbs 21st percentile

15 Months!

Little Miss Natalie is 15 months old!

~Natalie is becoming quiet the speed walker!  She's a girl on the go!  We anticipate that she'll be running soon. 

~Her top molars are finally completely cut through. We suspect that her bottom molars will soon make an appearance. 

~Until recently, Natalie nursed 4 times a day - morning, brief snacks before naps and at bedtime.  Throughout the summer, we weaned her down to only nursing at bedtime. Her nap time routine consists of reading a few books while drinking a sippy cup of milk and singing a few songs.  She's done very well with the transition and goes to sleep easily.  She seemed to indicate wanting to nurse in the morning for a few days after being weaned from that feeding.  She would point to the recliner in her room and the boppy pillow while stating "Dis!" and make a sad face when we left her room.  She was content with a sippy of milk instead. 

~Natalie is very observant and enjoys mimicking her siblings.  Some of our favorite examples: Wanting to spit in the bathroom sink after brushing her teeth; Prepping and successfully launching a stomp rocket; Brushing her hair; and Wanting to have a bowl/plate and utensils at mealtimes.

~ We believe we're at the beginning of a language explosion!  Natalie is adding more words, speaking very clearly, and is more likely to repeat words and sounds. She very clearly labels "Daddy", "Mommy" and "Abby".  She enjoys making animal noises, including sounds for ducks, sheep, cats and horses.  She says "Beep! Beep!" in response to the microwave timer going off.  She also says "Beep! Beep!" while playing with cars.  Other commonly heard words include "ball", "car", "mine", "help", "up" and something that sounds very similar to "thank you". 

~Natalie's receptive language is awesome!  In addition to understanding requests/etc., she also understands associations.  For example, she goes to her room when we talk about changing her diaper, she gets her shoes when we mention leaving, she goes to the bathroom when we mention bath time, and goes to her highchair when we tell her it's time to eat.
~Natalie is able to identify her belly, nose, eyes and hair.  She also says "belly" and "eyes" when pointing to them. 

~Natalie is a bit of a Momma's girl.  She often gets jealous if one of her siblings sits on Mommy's lap.