Allergies

So, the first allergy Elise had was to the Target diapers. First I thought it was detergent or the elastic on her underwear, but as I watched it more closely, it was higher up on her back and showed up the most after sleeping (when she wears diapers). She's worn those diapers for awhile now, so I don't know if they changed something in them or if Elise's skin has gotten more sensitive.

The next allergic reaction showed up on Sunday after Elise and I shared some peanut butter crackers. I took off her clothes to change her into pjs, and she had hives all over her body. I literally could watch new ones appear! This isn't the first time she's had peanut butter, but it is the most obvious thing she could have reacted to. We go to the doctor on Friday for her to have some blood work to determine if it is indeed a peanut allergy. This is totally selfish, but I will be so sad if she has a peanut allergy - I love all things peanut - desserts, Chinese dishes, on crackers, on sandwiches; basically, I love peanut butter. Depending on the intensity of the allergy, we may not even be able to have it in the house. Ahh! On a less selfish note, I would hate for Elise to have to go through life with such a strong allergy. I know lots of kids do it - at least three of the kids in the church class Wes and I teach have a food allergy they've told us about. So, if it is a food allergy, we'll survive, but we're praying for a better outcome.

Baby Update: Little Baby Erwin is doing well - s/he is getting quite active. I can feel lots of movements these days. Babycenter says s/he is about five inches from head to rump, so definitely gaining some size. At the next doctor's appointment (mid-March), we'll get to find out what we are having. I had been thinking boy, but then had a very vivid dream that it was a girl, so I'm back to not really having a feeling either way.

Here are a couple recent pix - Elise in her Christmas outfit from Uncle Tim and Aunt Molly (Happy Birthday Uncle Tim) and doing crafts with Daddy.