Monday, November 26, 2007
Atopic dermatitis - what a bummer!
This is his artsy NYC look....dressed in black with hair brushed forward!
Poor baby belly! When we received Matthew's referral it came with many questions and errors concerning his medical history. We are so very grateful that, upon returning home and being examined, he has a very healthy report! So the only medical issue that we are aware of at this point is his ATOPIC DERMATITIS. From what I have read, his Asian ethnicity and male gender are both associated with an increased risk of atopic dermatitis.
We have noticed lately an increase in the number of rashes on his body, as well as their "intensity"...for lack of a better word. We are wondering if it is due to the onset of cold, dry weather here. (Perhaps the doc will prescribe that we move to a more temperate climate...such as San Diego!). We use a free & clear laundry detergent, slather him with lotion and dab him with prescription hyrdrocortisone, keep his bath temp low, and only use a hypoallergenic bath soap. I was watching his diet closely, but his doc said that isn't the issue.
Today I am starting a humidifier in his room...and I guess the next step would be buying 100% cotton clothes. I'm grateful that he doesn't seem to be itchy but, by the looks of his skin, it has to be uncomfortable.
FOR PARENTS YET TO TRAVEL: I recommend that you get some OTC hydrocortisone and Eucerin to take to Taiwan as, from what I understand, quite a few of the babies have skin issues. When we picked up Matthew he was digging in his ears so much that we thought he had infections, but it turned out to be this atopic dermatitis...it would have been great to have some ointment with us while traveling.
Our Thanks-for-the-Day
For a long weekend that allowed me time to get 2 Christmas trees up and a start on Christmas cards!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Photos - Day after Thanksgiving
This is the awesome Costco chocolate cake...had it for breakfast after hitting a few stores.
Snow! The snow made it an great day to stay indoors and start decorating for Christmas! I was able to enjoy the snow only because I knew that today it would be melted away...and we'd have sunny skies! I tried to get Matthew to eat some snow off a yucca brach, but he wasn't too crazy about it.
I decided to make some ornaments using clear balls and metallic paint...here there are drip-drying.
The precious one all bundled up. He really enjoyed the day: the trees with lights, the snow, the fireplace, the Christmas music...it was a great day!I made a good salad for Thanksgiving...if you like that kind of thing (I don't like to waste precious stomach room with green leafy things). It was baby spinach, Bosc pears, feta cheese, pinon, and a vinaigrette. I think it would be great with chicken added, too. Trader Joe's is supposed to have a pear champagne vinaigrette, but I couldn't find it...so just used raspberry.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Matthew at his grandma's house for Thanksgiving. The bib is from Great Aunt Theresa...he doesn't look like he enjoys being called a "little turkey!"A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 100
Our Thanks-for-the-Day
God's abundant blessings!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sleep + sleep = happy baby
Here are some photos that didn't make the cut for previous posts
In the very rare occurences that Matthew has slept well (relatively speaking) through the night, we have seen a different kid the next day. The night before last was one of those nights and yesterday he was much happier (no crying during diaper changes, no crying when put down for naps, no crying when waking up from naps, no crying in the car seat, etc).
Unfortunately, last night we were back to a not-so-sleepful night. Typically he goes to bed around 7:30, starts stirring around 11:00 something, wakes up anywhere from 1:00-3:00 and stays awake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, then keeps waking the rest of the night. During his awake time at night, we have tried both helping him get back to sleep and letting him do it on his own but, no matter what, he is awake for a long period of time. We have tried cutting back on naps and encouraging longer naps (the sleep begets sleep idea). On one hand it's easy to think he'll just work it out in his own timing, but when I get the chance to see him fully rested --and how much happier he seems--I can't help but want to fix the problem.
Our Thanks-for-the-Day
Last night we attended our first official dinner party, and Matthew was SUPER! He was a dream baby...eating some real green beans, being nice to the dogs, and even playing on the floor while we finished our meal. It was a good practice run for the holidays!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
D'oh!
If Matthew was a Simpson's character, this is what he would look like! To "simpsonize" yourself, just go to http://simpsonizeme.com/
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