Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend we took our first overnight trip as a family. We went to Ormond Beach, which is just north of Daytona Beach. Angelina had fun playing in the sand with her cousin Emily, and spending time with her Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Mary. Angelina also tried ice cream cake for the first time (LOVED it) and met her great-grandmother. Today is Memorial Day, and we plan on doing the usual - having a quiet family day by the pool, where we will surely have fruit salad at some point in time.

To all my blogger friends who shared their tips about how to handle Angelina's eczema, a big THANK YOU! I am happy to report that - with your help - her eczema has cleared up and her soft, tender baby skin has returned. I followed your advice, and re-laundered her clothes and sheets in Dreft and changed her shampoo and skin products and wha-la! Her skin cleared up in a matter of 3-4 days! What a relief!

Hope you all are enjoying this Memorial Day weekend with your kiddos . . .

Talk soon,
Kathryn

Test Results and . . . Eczema?

Well we received Angelina's test results. Everything looked A-Okay. Angelina has gained nearly two pounds - she now weighs just over 21 pounds - and has grown 3/4 inch since our last visit to the pediatrician, in early April. Amazing!

About 2 weeks ago, Angelina broke out in a kind of rash on her trunk (back/stomach & chest) and it is starting to creep up around her neck. The rash stops almost exactly at Angelina's diaper line around her waist, and it is not on her arms or legs. It is red and blotchy in some places and her tender skin now feels bumpy and rough. It is a dry rash. She didn't have it in Russia, or for the 1st month home and it doesn't seem to bother her in the least bit. The doctor told us it was eczema that was caused by either an allergy in the air or a chemical irritant, such as dye in fabric or chemicals used in detergent. The doctor also said it was very common in children Angelina's age and that is usually resolves itself prior to puberty.

Today I re-washed all of her clothes, sheets, etc. in Dreft and we are applying lotion regularly to the rash, which seems to calm it down a bit from being too red or inflamed.

So my question is: do any of you have any experience with eczema to share?

A Weekend of "Firsts"

Another weekend spent by the pool, eating fruit salad (yes, I know; we are a predictable lot) EXCEPT that this time, as we were pointing at our facial features (our usual game), our little Angelina took her finger, pointed at her eye, and said "EYE!"

Huh? We were dumb founded! My husband and I just froze, and I am sure our mouths must have been hanging open (at least mine was). I would have thought it was just a lucky babble, except she did it again during bath time. Of course, she hasn't said it since, despite all of my coaxing.

Another first that occurred this weekend was that Angelina learned toilet paper is on a roll, and if one pulls it ever-so-gently, a full roll can actually go quite far throughout the rest of the house (note to self: keep all bathroom doors CLOSED!).

For better or worse, she never ceases to surprise us! :)