Just in case you haven't heard....

Today I met with Carter's allergist about his peanut allergy.  So when he was tested at one year old, Carter scored a 10 on the RAST test.  I found this chart online which will give you an indication of what that means:



CLASS 0 (less than 0.35 KU/L)
CLASS 1 (0.35-0.7 KU/L)
CLASS 2 (0.71-3.5 KU/L)
CLASS 3 (3.51-17.5 KU/L)
CLASS 4 (17.51-50 KU/L)
CLASS 5 (50.01-100 KU/L)
CLASS 6 (greater than 100 KU/L)

Which as you can see puts him at a level 3.  When he was tested this past week his IgE levels were at 100.  Yup, that puts him into the highest class possible of allergic potential.  Anything over a 14KU/L for peanuts indicates a 100% chance of a reaction.  Keep in mind that this number is not indicative of the type of reaction, only that there is a high likelihood for a reaction.  So where do we go from here?  Just keep doing what we have been doing.  Make sure the epi pen and benadryl is with him at all times (which it is.)  I'm going to have to start training him to wear his medic alert bracelet or necklace (which he really hates.)  Keep training him about food safety.  Although I have to say so far it's only been a minor inconvience in our lives, and we just have to make sure that we keep it that way.  Luckily I choose a peanut free preschool for the fall, and Carter is with family or me 100% of the time.  Things will get more complicated as he gets older, but that's where his training has to come in.  So next time you invite us over, make sure it's peanut free!

Farm Friday's at Parky's Farm

We had such a great time today at Parky's Farm.  I love doing these things with the kids, and hopefully we'll be able to bring Daddy back on a Saturday to enjoy it as a family.

Carter got to enjoy his very first pony ride on Kenzie. 

Hold on tight!

Checking it all out.

We also took a tractor ride and he got to "drive" the tractor.

And we all know how much our little "worker" boy loved that.

He also spent about twenty minutes watering the garden at the farm.

And watering.

Yeah, I had to drag him away from watering the garden.

He also got to help plant some potatoes.  He put them in the ground and used both a hoe and a shovel to cover them up.

There were also tunnels to run in.  And don't forget seeing the many farm animals:  chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, llamas and horses.

Ava even got to feel the grass on her piggies for awhile.  Mom, I don't think I like this!

We'll have to work on that baby girl.

What a great day!

Time with the Auntie and Uncle

Uncle Jason, my hero.

Aunt Tiffany pushing Ava in the swing.  Or as Carter calls her "Mommy Tiff."

I don't know why the snow brush is the best toy ever, but it just is.

We had so much fun with you guys!

Allergy update

This morning we took the two kids to Children's Hospital to get blood drawn to check on food allergies.  Carter's test was only to check his peanut allergy to see if his tolerance has increased, decreased or stayed the same.  Ava was to have a full allergy test ( just like Carter did when he was initially diagnosed with his peanut allergy) to check for all childhood food allergens.  Since Carter is allergic to peanuts, Ava has a slightly increased risk of also having a peanut allergy.  Thankfully Mike took the morning off so that I would have help.

Carter was not happy AT ALL.  It took the promise of a sucker, chocolate milk and cookies to even get him into the hospital.  He kept telling us "Carter not sick either."  Luckily it was easy to draw blood and although he screamed he was easily comforted (with a sucker of course) afterward.

But Ava was a totally different story.  Once again she didn't even flinch at the needles.  But they were totally unable to draw any blood.  After two different people poking at her, even sticking a needle in her arm for several minutes moving it all around to find a vein, still nothing.  Finally Mike just said, let's not worry about this.  Although she wasn't crying or fussing (or even looking at us funny) it surely couldn't have been pleasant.  We'll just wait as she grows up a bit and maybe try again.  So far she has never had anything with peanuts in it, but she has had items manufactured on a plant with peanuts.  We'll wait and see about her.

So that's our big update for now.  I can't wait to hear the results (for Carter's allergy test.)

Music Baby

Now I shall play a song for you.

Don't worry mom, this one will only last an hour.  Maybe two.

No wonder I have a headache tonight.

Fire Truck make-believe

Today we were playing in Carter's fire truck.  All of a sudden he looked at me and said "Need fire hats.  Be back."  Carter darted into the kitchen and came back with a measuring bowl and our halloween candy bowl.  They became our new fire hats.  Don't you love it when little ones use their imagination?

Ava didn't care what was on her head as long as her big brother let her play with him. 

By the way if you're planning on getting rid of a hose, just let me know.  Carter would love a small section of hose to "put out" all the fires in our house. 

One year old Update

Today was Ava's one year old doctor checkup.  Everything is going great but she had to get five shots (insert super sad smiley face here.)  Remember how she used to get shots and not even make a face?  Yeah, that's totally over.  She screamed this time and I don't blame her a bit.  She weighed 21 pounds 4 ounces and was 30 inches long.

So for comparison's sake (because you know I love to) here's Carter boy at one year:

Seriously this boy did not know what to do with a cupcake!!!

Anyways, he was 23 pounds and 10 ounces and 32 inches long.

The Princess and the Frog

Thank you Meme for the great bath towels!

Shady character

This kid is one shady character.

Cake Faces

MORE CAKE NOW!

cake kisses

cake smiles

Ava's birthday party

Today we celebrated Ava's birthday officially.  Here is the birthday girl ready for her night on the town.

We went to LaRosa's for her very first pizza.  She loved it!  In fact Ava ate one and a half pieces of pizza and Carter ate only one.  (We think he was saving room for his ice cream and cake.)

 

Here's the girl scarfing her pizza.  (Picture taken with Mike's blackberry, pardon the quality.)

Then we came home for ice cream, cake and presents.  (Between LaRosa's and coming home we stopped at Kroger for ice cream.  Carter was hilarious at Kroger he kept yelling "two ice creams"  and he actually danced/pranced/did the jig all the way to the checkout counter.  He was so excited about getting "two ice creams"  that he actually tripped over his dancing feet.)

So let me tell you about the birthday girl and her cake.  She LOVED it.  This girl dove in head first and there was no turning back.  Carter really didn't care for cake right away although now he loves it.  In this picture Ava decided that her hair needed fluffing or perhaps some icing hair gel.

Coming up tomorrow:  present and more cake pictures!

Movie Afternoon

Ok, I'll admit it these kids have been BUSY lately.  Since Easter we have been to the Easter Cabin, Hamilton library, Fairfield library, playgroup (twice), Pittsburgh, Mighty Max, walking at Sharon Woods (twice), running errands at Target and Wal-mart, and the zoo.  So this afternoon we are having a movie afternoon.  Popcorn, juice and Sesame Street.  Carter is in seventh heaven.

Zoo Crew

Today we went to the zoo as a mini-celebration for Ava's first birthday.  The zoo blooms are in full effect and I got some amazing pictures of the kids in front of the tulips.  Here's one of the birthday girl:

And here's the pictures of the kids together:

Ok, Mom let's take more pictures.

Hi Ava.  Hi Carter.

Carter, you are hilarious!

Mom, it's an inside joke.

One of my all time favorite pictures of these two.  It's going up on the wall, for sure.

Happy First Birthday!

Today you are one year old Avery Marie Shadle!

It's so hard to believe that a year ago Mike and I were handed one of the two best gifts of our lives. 

Here's what's going on with you right now:

• 
  
  You hate to crawl but aren't quite walking independently yet.  You're very close though and would much rather cruise or hold onto someone's hands.
• 
  
  You love to wave, blow kisses, give kisses and hugs.  Right now your favorite song is If your happy and you know it and you will do all the movements.
• 
  
  You can crawl up stairs and have made it all the way to the top of our staircase.
• 
  
  Every time you eat peas you show Mommy your good pincer skills by squishing all your peas before eating them.
• 
  
  You really love music.  It's not uncommon to watch you singing and dancing all morning long.
• 
  
  You can say mama, dada, bob-bob, and hi.
• 
  
  Every time mommy or daddy sneeze or cough you will imitate us.  Cracks me up!
• 
  
  Right now some of your favorite foods are:  bananas, oatmeal, yogurt, pears, and peas.  But don't try to delay any of your meals by even a second!  You are a hungry baby and like to eat right on time.
• 
  
  Your favorite toys are:  anything your brother is playing with, the leap frog table, the music toys and blocks.
• 
  
  You love any book that has animals in it.  The baby animals book that make noises is your favorite.
• 
  
  Every Wednesday we go to baby time at the library.  This is one of your favorite activities we do and I love to watch your face light up as we sing and dance.
• 
  
  Right now you have four teeth on the top and two on the bottom.  Your first molars are also starting to poke through (you are cutting five teeth right now.)

Happy First Birthday Avaroo!  We love you!

Let's go for a walk

Come on Pengos, let's go for a walk.  Don't forget to wear Daddy's your sunglasses.

Heard around the house

Actually titled:  Heard around the House car

Today in the car Carter would not keep his shoes on.  I asked him multiple times to keep them on and he insisted on taking them off.  So we stopped at Subway and I went to get him out of the car and of course the shoes were on the ground.  This is how our conversations went:

Me:  Carter, Mommy asked you to keep your shoes on.  You did not listen to my words, and that makes Mommy very sad.
Carter:  Car took Carter shoes.  Carter sad too.

We really need to buy a car that won't take off the boy's shoes.  I'm getting sick of sticking them on his feet a hundred times a day.

Soccer ball thief

This weekend while at the suprise birthday party there was a group of men playing soccer (friends of my cousins.)  Of course, Carter took that as an invitation to play as well.  He ran up and started kicking the ball.  Luckily they were good natured about his soccer ball thievery and allowed him to play.  It just amazes me to no end how friendly this little boy is! 

Happy Birthday, Aunt Patty!

This weekend we went to Pittsburgh for my Aunt Patty's suprise birthday party.  The driving part was no fun, but the kids had a ball running around with all the cousins and getting showered with attention.  Behind the building we were at, there was a playground where we spent most of our time.

That Auntie Margaret is so much fun.

I love you Meme.

Carter had a ball playing with Uncle Michael.

Cousin Megan was great with the kids and they loved spending time with her.

Although Ava dosen't look too happy in this picture.  She was getting tired, but I thought Megan looked cute in it.

A slide and a balloon?  How much better could life get for a two year old boy?

Tidbits

Mom, how dare you take my picture with bedhead.

Here's what's going on in our little corner of the world:

• We are actually packing up (again!) to go to Pittsburgh.   I conviced Mike to come with me and the kids (Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!) so we are all headed out.  We'll be back on Sunday with plenty of pictures to share I'm sure.
• Yesterday when Ava woke up the first thing she did was blow her brother a kiss.  Totally unprompted too.  For some unknown reason she is now blowing kisses to everyone.
• Ava is totally earning her Destructo nickname.  Yesterday during the ten minute period that I was trying to warm dinner up in the microwave she got into the plant twice and also stuck her hand in the toliet.
• Carter is becoming such an amazing help.  When Ava got dirt all over the floor he went and got the broom and dustpan and helped me clean it up.
• Destructo is also making it very difficult for her older brother to play (or do his workjob as he calls it.)  Yesterday Carter and I were building a pretty amazing zoo with areas for different animals, balls for the elephants to play with and of course tunnels for the animals to go in.  Destructo came in and wrecked the entire thing within a second. 
• Destructo is also giving hugs and kisses when asked too. 

Hey Mom, what do you think of my Dancing with the stars - esque pajamas.  Should I unzip it all the way to my belly button?

The Lovely couple

While in Pennsylvania Mike just couldn't resist. 

And believe it or not, neither could Jason.  He's pretty brave.