So... Here's Levi at 11 months:
This was taken the day after he turned 11 months old. I can't believe that it's almost been a year! I so vividly remember being pregnant, and the morning I went to the hospital to have him! It's been eventful, but a wonderful 11 months!
Last week... seems longer than that... we found out Levi has a severe allergy to peanuts. I gotta say, it was terrifying. I know the nurse on the urgent care hotline was trying to calm me down, but when your son starts to get hives all over his hands and face, and his tongue starts to swell up right in front of your face... you don't really stay calm. Then... when your husband forgot to charge your car battery, so you run out to rush him to urgent car/ER, and your car battery is DEAD... you start bawling your eyes out. LUCKILY, he had a very small amount, and that was the farthest it got. I was able to go to Walgreens (after my mom picked me up... thank God she was close!) and give him Benedryl, which cleared up his symptoms. Then, after that we took him to his pediatrician. I was an absolute wreck... hardly got sleep for a couple nights thinking about all of the "what-if's". You know? This is my baby, and something as small as a peanut getting into his mouth could kill him! That's terrifying. He also has the contact allergy, because John ate some trail mix, then kissed his face, and he got hives exactly where John kissed him... I hope he also outgrows this! His milk allergy does seem to be lessening, because it's only a level 2. His allergies are this (there are 6 levels, 6 being deadly) Milk, soy and egg whites are level 2, cats (dander, etc.) are a 3, and peanuts are a level 4. To me, it's amazing the difference between level 3 and 4. My mom has a cat and when we go there, he just sneezes and gets itchy eyes... but with peanuts, we had to get epi-pens and carry them everywhere with us, and always have benedryl on hand. What a difference one level makes! I'm calming down after doing research about different restaurants, etc... but it's gonna take a lot of attention on my part. He can't even have anything that would have a TRACE of peanuts... nothing that says on the box that it's manufactured in a plant with peanuts. So... I will have to be very attentive, but I definitely don't mind! He's my sweet baby, and I don't ever want to have to use that epi pen! NEVER!
He's doing lots of cute stuff too! He is cruising on the furniture, pulling up on EVERYTHING!!!! He crawls all over me trying to stand up too. He has started to dance to music, and it's so adorable!! He loves to explore, and just likes to crawl everywhere. He is a cuddler too right after naps and first thing in the morning. He'll just sit in my lap for 20-30 minutes. It's so sweet! I just eat it up too, I know it won't last. He's been trying a lot of new foods! I have a very hard time finding something to feed him what with the limitations that he has in allergies, but I've found some stuff I can try with him. Some he likes, and some he does not. Sometimes he likes it one day, and will spit it out the next. We just keep trying though! :) He still LOVES his baby cereal though. He has it 3 times a day with the other food he eats. Madi hated it at this point... so cute! He's definitely a mommy's boy. He's very attached! I love it though, and soak it in!
Madilyn is 3, 3 1/2 next month. She's so grown up though! She loves bossing Levi around! She is in ballet class, and just loves it! We recently had to switch studios because the previous one focused too much on tumbling instead of ballet, and she wasn't quite old enough, and she doesn't quite trust the teachers. So, we tried out one where a little friend of hers goes, and she just loves it! She loves to show me her moves etc. She's very good at following instructions too. I'm so proud of her! She's been growing up so much! She's started memorizing verses. She can memorize anything that's put to song! She loves to dance, especially to the song "Good Morning" by Mandisa. She likes to hear songs over and over... and over and over and over... and over and over again (get the point?) to memorize them if she likes them. She does too!
She loves to have books read to her, especially Dr. Suess books. She's also starting to get really good at pretending. She will pretend my necklace holds "pixie dust", or fabric is a fish, or something like that. She has a very active imagination! It's so cute to hear her play with her toys. She still loves her cars, but she also is really loving her Tinkerbell dolls, and anything to do with Rapunzel or Merida from "Brave". She LOVES running. She can run farther than I can! She's amazing! I think she'll either be a runner, or in soccer someday. Something that requires endurance, cuz she's got it! She wants long hair like Rapunzel, but it's just ridiculous. She hates having me brush her hair. Some days its like a rats nest.... not even joking!
She loves her brother, but he can really get on her nerves. There are times that I have to remind her that pushing him away and yelling "NO LEVI" at the top of her lungs won't always get her the results she wants. Overall though, she's patient and loving with him. I gotta watch her though. She doesn't always know her strength! She's also very particular about what she wears. So much so, that I took her shopping with me this year. She basically likes t-shirts and leggings. Pretty (comfy) dresses, anything that sparkles (if it's soft) and MAYBE a skirt. MAYBE. Well... now both kids are up, and I just realized I didn't start dinner yet! Gotta go!
God Bless!
