That Bites

No, Stella is not trying out for the role of Quasimodo in an all-baby production of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.  Nope, the above picture is just another adventure in to the world of her many allergies.  This one was an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite.  We were outside for 5, yes 5, short minutes on Sunday afternoon and one of the little insects managed to bite her on the outside corner of her left eye.  Despite Benadryl and Neosporin, she woke up yesterday morning looking quite rough.

From the second we noticed the bite we were on alert. See, back in October during our ill-fated Columbus Day camping trip in Galveston (I don't think I posted about this now that I think about it, one of the many mental posts lost in my busy absence maybe) she was bitten many times as the campsites were swarmed with mosquitoes.  Her bites eventually swelled up and turned into a staph infection.  Ugh!  After about 3 weeks, many doses of Benadryl, and a special prescription Neosporin-like medicine later they were under control.  So when this newest bite happened we figured it might get ugly.  So we dosed and slathered.  But, again, it didn't help much.

A quick trip to the doctor yesterday afternoon confirmed that it was, in fact, just an allergic reaction and we could do little else for it other than wait.  So that's what we have been doing.  Luckily though she is used to having random mishaps and medical drama follow her and she hasn't slowed down a bit.  So much so that she got hurt at school today.  I guess having compromised vision from the aforementioned swollen eye affected her depth perception and she ran into a wall.  Poor thing!  Now she looks like this.

Luckily the swelling from the allergic reaction has gone down quite a bit today.  But she now sports a nice bruise on her cheek/eye area.  Oh well, such is life.  But my little girl is a trooper.  She has kept her perky spirits about her and has been as into everything as she usually is.  So that is a blessing and we have been enjoying her goofiness despite whatever malady befalls her.  

So, just another little adventure here in Drosche Land.  Another little health/medical issue for us to power through.  We're always kept on our toes here.  Always.

All is well, swollen but unstoppable, in Drosche Land.  

Sunday Snapshot - 1

The long-awaited Sunday Snapshot post has returned to Drosche Land.

I know I have eagerly been anticipating its return and am happy it is finally here.  Time is finally on my side again now that summer is here, even though we have been keeping busy and I'm not blogging as much as I'd like.  But its here.

The theme of this post is slightly outdated as it refers to Stella's 1st birthday.  I did, of course, celebrate the occasion with a photo shoot and this post shows off those pictures. She has grown and changed so much, as we all have, over the past year.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them and sharing them!

She's full-on walking now and she gets into everything!  Neither of the boys were ever as busy as she is.  We are constantly chasing her down, taking things away, and telling her no.  Not that the word "no" means much to her; other than a signaling to smile adorably and run in the other direction!

Stella has always been a happy baby, but ever since we have zeroed in on her allergies and altered her diet accordingly she has been happier than ever.  I guess living without constant intestinal issues will keep you in a pleasant disposition!

This past year has been a whirlwind of changes and new experiences for us here in Drosche Land and the addition of Stella into our lives has been a major part of that.  She is, as each of her brothers were, a complete blessing in a time when we needed her.  A time HE orchestrated and knew perfectly.  I am constantly in awe of this little girl and how much she has changed us.  Being a father to a little girl has been very different than being a father to little boys.  It is a continual learning experience, but one that I am always enjoying.

And a final picture.  It's not a perfect shot and I haven't edited it too much.  But it is hilarious.  It shows our girl's little attitude.  This is her mad face.  She makes it a lot.  Most of the time she is playing and being silly, not really mad.  She does this quite often at dinner.  However, sometimes she is mad, and those times she means it.  Trust me.  It is one of our favorite things about her since it shows her feistiness and expressiveness!  Oh this little girl!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

The Diagnosis - Part 2

Ok, so this post took a little longer in coming than I had originally intended.  But last week was VBS and time just got away from me.  Anywho, here we are.

Amy finally got ahold of the doctor's office and we received the remaining pathology results we had been waiting on.  Turns out her mast cells were high, but not terribly.  They were in the limits of an allergic reaction.  So, her doctor is thinking it is not Mastocytosis.  This is great news.  However, we still have a long road ahead of us filled with learning.

As I'd mentioned before she has now been diagnosed with an allergy to soy as well as the milk protein.  We also suspect that she may have an intolerance to gluten as well.  Ugh.  We've been monitoring her rash/hives, demeanor, and tummy issues (diaper fillings).  We're not totally sure, but have a strong suspicion.  So here we sit on the precipice of raising a child with allergies.  Now I know that her allergies are minor in comparison to others' but it is still a lot for us to handle having never experienced it before firsthand.  We are learning to research and read labels to ensure that she is not getting dairy or soy.  We are also thinking and praying about the gluten, trying to decide if we cut that out as well.  That is a huge undertaking so we are being sure to make as educated decision as possible.  I'll update on it more.

In the meantime Amy, my heroine, spent the better part of last week on the phone arguing/pleading/discussing/talking with insurance regarding the special formula that the doctor prescribed for Stella.  I'll keep it short, but suffice it to say it has been a difficult and frustrating journey and the insurance company was not much help at all.  Luckily, late yesterday afternoon we received word that it was taken care of and we would be receiving our first shipment of formula next week.  I have to give total credit to Amy for this all as she single-handedly took care of this last week.  It was rough, but she was awesome.  

So, that's that.  Things seem to be settling down a bit on this adventure as we learn how to live with a child with allergies and work around conventional thinking when it comes to eating and meals.  It's been very interesting and eye-opening though.  We are all eating healthier as a result too, so that's a plus.

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, and kind words along the way as we have dealt with this.  It's been a long couple of months, but I think HE has finally brought us through it to the other side and we can now begin to breath again.  Thank you.  

All is well, learning, in Drosche Land.