Sunday, April 10, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Relaxing
James will occasionally cross his ankles. I think it is so funny! Here he is the other night enjoying a snack and a show before bed.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Watching TV
James can often be seen like this when he watches TV.
He loves the buckets his Duplo Legos came in.
He loves the buckets his Duplo Legos came in.Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Accommodating Food Allergies
I just read this article and I loved it. The hardest thing for me with my food allergies is that most people do not realize how serious it really is, even deadly.
Accommodating Food Allergies
by: Sarah M. McConkie
from: LDS Living
Finding out that your child has a food allergy is scary—especially if you made the discovery after an unexpected rush to the hospital brought on by a mere sip of milk or bite of candy. Is life ever going to be the same again?
It can be overwhelming to have your child faced with a dangerous condition you know little about. You’ll have a lot of questions, and the person who can help you find answers is a qualified allergist. Michele LeMmon, whose 9-year old daughter, Rachel, has nut allergies, said finding a good doctor was “the most important step.”
The LeMmons’ doctor helped them come up with a one-page plan to give to family and friends. The plan includes a list of foods Rachel will react to, words to watch out for on ingredient labels, unexpected sources of allergens (such as Duraflame logs and mousetraps), and, most importantly, reaction symptoms and how to treat them. The page also contains a list of treats Rachel can have.
They gave this plan to Rachel’s teachers, friends, extended family members, and Primary teachers. “It’s a lot to teach people right up front if they’ve never dealt with food allergies, so having it on one easy page is important,” said LeMmon.
While the first few years may be difficult, things get easier with time. “It’s important for parents to know it gets better,” said LeMmon. “Now Rachel can read and look out for herself, and that was a great hurdle to get over.”
Making It Fun
The truth is that kids with allergies aren’t like everyone else—and your child’s understanding of this is key to his or her health and safety. But as parents, you can do a lot to make your child feel special rather than negatively singled out.
One way the LeMmons have done this is by having a special “safe” treat box in Rachel’s class at school. “When other kids bring birthday treats I usually can’t have it, but I can always have something from my box. And sometimes it’s better than everyone else’s!” says 9-year-old Rachel.
Creative shirts made for kids with allergies are great for whenever you leave your child at a birthday party, church activity, or play date. (Kids may like the shirts so much that they’ll want to wear them more often.) Babies and toddlers should stick with straightforward designs with messages like “I have food allergies. Ask my mommy before you feed me,” but older kids may get a kick out of shirts with messages like, “Allergy Alert! This Shirt May Contain a Nut” or “Gluten is My Kryptonite.” You can see a great selection at squidoo.com/foodallergyclothes.
And though doctors recommend medical jewelry for kids with severe allergies, there’s no reason for these bracelets to be ugly or uncomfortable. Websites like hahoriginals.com offer a wide range of bracelets designed specifically for kids. Girls can enjoy colorful beaded designs and boys can choose nondescript chain bracelets or trendy dog tags.
What Friends and Family Can Do
More than anything else, parents of kids with food allergies want to be taken seriously. “If you look at a kid with a food allergy, there’s no sign of a disability. There’s no sign that there’s something wrong,” says Michelle Hennessy, whose daughter is allergic to nuts and soy. “But as a parent, you know there’s a risk, and you start seeing food as a weapon. I hate to use the word deadly, but that’s what it can be for your kid. And some people just don’t get that.”
“Sometimes people think we’re being overly dramatic, or that we’re making it up,” agrees LeMmon. “But we’re not. As a mom you just hope people will believe you when you tell them it’s a serious thing.”
When the parents of a child with allergies ask you for help, go out of your way to be understanding. Do all you can to make your home a safe place for that child to come and play. Keep the allergy information posted in a prominent place and learn what to do in case of a reaction. One important thing many don’t realize is that different brands of the same food may have a different effect on a child because of the equipment the food is processed on. For example, Rachel LeMmon can eat Hunt’s pudding snacks but may react to other pudding brands. If you have questions about a brand or food, don’t hesitate to ask the child or parents for help. They’ll be happy to assist you—and they’ll be grateful that you’re taking the allergy seriously.
Even if you have no need to purchase allergen-free foods yourself, try to support brands and restaurants that seek to help people with food allergies. Look for foods that clearly and specifically label what allergens a food may contain, and buy those products instead of products that haven’t made the effort to label as clearly.
One brand that’s received a lot of good media buzz is Caesar’s Pasta. Their nut-free facility makes regular pasta as well as a wheat- and gluten-free line. Hennessy, who acts as Caesar’s director of sales, says, “Being in the food industry is exciting for me on a personal level, to not only create these products but to talk to parents and consumers and say I know how it feels when you find out [your child has allergies].”
Thanks to recent legislation as well as heightened awareness, both manufacturers and restaurants are getting better at labeling and creating allergy-friendly options. “All in all the industry’s really making great strides,” says Hennessy. “They’re definitely trying.”
You can also join with families of food allergy kids in support groups and fundraising events. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) organizes events all over the nation every year. Check out foodallergy.org for more information. Most states also have their own organizations with local chapters that can help you find events near you.
Accommodating Food Allergies
by: Sarah M. McConkie
from: LDS Living
Finding out that your child has a food allergy is scary—especially if you made the discovery after an unexpected rush to the hospital brought on by a mere sip of milk or bite of candy. Is life ever going to be the same again?
It can be overwhelming to have your child faced with a dangerous condition you know little about. You’ll have a lot of questions, and the person who can help you find answers is a qualified allergist. Michele LeMmon, whose 9-year old daughter, Rachel, has nut allergies, said finding a good doctor was “the most important step.”
The LeMmons’ doctor helped them come up with a one-page plan to give to family and friends. The plan includes a list of foods Rachel will react to, words to watch out for on ingredient labels, unexpected sources of allergens (such as Duraflame logs and mousetraps), and, most importantly, reaction symptoms and how to treat them. The page also contains a list of treats Rachel can have.
They gave this plan to Rachel’s teachers, friends, extended family members, and Primary teachers. “It’s a lot to teach people right up front if they’ve never dealt with food allergies, so having it on one easy page is important,” said LeMmon.
While the first few years may be difficult, things get easier with time. “It’s important for parents to know it gets better,” said LeMmon. “Now Rachel can read and look out for herself, and that was a great hurdle to get over.”
Making It Fun
The truth is that kids with allergies aren’t like everyone else—and your child’s understanding of this is key to his or her health and safety. But as parents, you can do a lot to make your child feel special rather than negatively singled out.
One way the LeMmons have done this is by having a special “safe” treat box in Rachel’s class at school. “When other kids bring birthday treats I usually can’t have it, but I can always have something from my box. And sometimes it’s better than everyone else’s!” says 9-year-old Rachel.
Creative shirts made for kids with allergies are great for whenever you leave your child at a birthday party, church activity, or play date. (Kids may like the shirts so much that they’ll want to wear them more often.) Babies and toddlers should stick with straightforward designs with messages like “I have food allergies. Ask my mommy before you feed me,” but older kids may get a kick out of shirts with messages like, “Allergy Alert! This Shirt May Contain a Nut” or “Gluten is My Kryptonite.” You can see a great selection at squidoo.com/foodallergyclothes.
And though doctors recommend medical jewelry for kids with severe allergies, there’s no reason for these bracelets to be ugly or uncomfortable. Websites like hahoriginals.com offer a wide range of bracelets designed specifically for kids. Girls can enjoy colorful beaded designs and boys can choose nondescript chain bracelets or trendy dog tags.
What Friends and Family Can Do
More than anything else, parents of kids with food allergies want to be taken seriously. “If you look at a kid with a food allergy, there’s no sign of a disability. There’s no sign that there’s something wrong,” says Michelle Hennessy, whose daughter is allergic to nuts and soy. “But as a parent, you know there’s a risk, and you start seeing food as a weapon. I hate to use the word deadly, but that’s what it can be for your kid. And some people just don’t get that.”
“Sometimes people think we’re being overly dramatic, or that we’re making it up,” agrees LeMmon. “But we’re not. As a mom you just hope people will believe you when you tell them it’s a serious thing.”
When the parents of a child with allergies ask you for help, go out of your way to be understanding. Do all you can to make your home a safe place for that child to come and play. Keep the allergy information posted in a prominent place and learn what to do in case of a reaction. One important thing many don’t realize is that different brands of the same food may have a different effect on a child because of the equipment the food is processed on. For example, Rachel LeMmon can eat Hunt’s pudding snacks but may react to other pudding brands. If you have questions about a brand or food, don’t hesitate to ask the child or parents for help. They’ll be happy to assist you—and they’ll be grateful that you’re taking the allergy seriously.
Even if you have no need to purchase allergen-free foods yourself, try to support brands and restaurants that seek to help people with food allergies. Look for foods that clearly and specifically label what allergens a food may contain, and buy those products instead of products that haven’t made the effort to label as clearly.
One brand that’s received a lot of good media buzz is Caesar’s Pasta. Their nut-free facility makes regular pasta as well as a wheat- and gluten-free line. Hennessy, who acts as Caesar’s director of sales, says, “Being in the food industry is exciting for me on a personal level, to not only create these products but to talk to parents and consumers and say I know how it feels when you find out [your child has allergies].”
Thanks to recent legislation as well as heightened awareness, both manufacturers and restaurants are getting better at labeling and creating allergy-friendly options. “All in all the industry’s really making great strides,” says Hennessy. “They’re definitely trying.”
You can also join with families of food allergy kids in support groups and fundraising events. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) organizes events all over the nation every year. Check out foodallergy.org for more information. Most states also have their own organizations with local chapters that can help you find events near you.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Train Cake
For Christmas, we got this pan from my sister, Lori.
I decided to make Jon's birthday cake with the train cupcake pan. Here is how it turned out.
We had a few of our friends over to celebrate Jon's birthday and enjoy his cake. I think Jon liked the cake.
James and Robby sure liked the cake.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Like Father Like Son
I gave Jon a set of Legos for his birthday. Here is Jon and James putting the set together.
James loved building with his dad. He loved even more playing with it when it was done.
He was really sad when we had to put them away because our home teachers came. I guess James is going to be a Lego Maniac just like his daddy, but he is a little too young to start his own collection. The pieces are too small for a two year old.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
And There Was Much Rejoicing
Jon and I got some great news yesterday. I would have to say it was better than opening our letter on Match Day, though that was very exciting. Let me explain why.
One of the graduation requirements for Jon is to take 8 weeks of clinic in a rural area (called an AHEC). Normally, this is done in the third year. Last year (Jon's third year), the school decided they were going to change how AHECs were assigned. What ended up happening is that the people assigning these clinics did not realize that everyone needed a certain number of weeks to graduate, so they randomly selected people. Jon applied to do an AHEC with almost all of his rotations, but since they were assigning them the way they were, Jon was only able to get 7 weeks during his third year.
This meant that he would have to take a two weeks (they do not offer 1 week) of AHEC during his fourth year. A little bit of a pain. Jon got one approved for the first two weeks of February. In November, Jon was notified that the doctor was not going to be able to have him those two weeks, so he was dropped from the elective. Since this was right in the middle of all his interviewing, it took awhile to find another one and get it approved. Two more AHECs got dropped on him later, and he finally found one in Findlay (about 45 minute drive) doing Dermatology for the last two weeks in April.
On Monday, Jon got a phone call. The doctor decided he was not going to be able to have Jon come after all. What!? This was the fourth time this had happened and all he needs is one more week! Was he not going to be able to graduate even though he is supposed to start residency in June? Finally, last night Dr. Metting called (the vice provost of the medical school). She told Jon this was unacceptable and that she would have the one week waived for him. YEAH!!!!! He will get to graduate! Now he just needs a two week elective here in Toledo. This will be a lot easier to find and a lot less likely to be cancelled on him. We were even jumping up and down. James got into it, clapped his hands, and shout "YEAH!"
One of the graduation requirements for Jon is to take 8 weeks of clinic in a rural area (called an AHEC). Normally, this is done in the third year. Last year (Jon's third year), the school decided they were going to change how AHECs were assigned. What ended up happening is that the people assigning these clinics did not realize that everyone needed a certain number of weeks to graduate, so they randomly selected people. Jon applied to do an AHEC with almost all of his rotations, but since they were assigning them the way they were, Jon was only able to get 7 weeks during his third year.
This meant that he would have to take a two weeks (they do not offer 1 week) of AHEC during his fourth year. A little bit of a pain. Jon got one approved for the first two weeks of February. In November, Jon was notified that the doctor was not going to be able to have him those two weeks, so he was dropped from the elective. Since this was right in the middle of all his interviewing, it took awhile to find another one and get it approved. Two more AHECs got dropped on him later, and he finally found one in Findlay (about 45 minute drive) doing Dermatology for the last two weeks in April.
On Monday, Jon got a phone call. The doctor decided he was not going to be able to have Jon come after all. What!? This was the fourth time this had happened and all he needs is one more week! Was he not going to be able to graduate even though he is supposed to start residency in June? Finally, last night Dr. Metting called (the vice provost of the medical school). She told Jon this was unacceptable and that she would have the one week waived for him. YEAH!!!!! He will get to graduate! Now he just needs a two week elective here in Toledo. This will be a lot easier to find and a lot less likely to be cancelled on him. We were even jumping up and down. James got into it, clapped his hands, and shout "YEAH!"
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Stylish
James wanted to wear my boot the other day. So I put them on, and he tried to walk around the house.
A little hard since they have a heal. It looked like he was wearing leather pants.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bit the Dust
We have had things start to break down around the house. Our printer quit working a few weeks ago, but luckily that was an easy fix. We just needed a new ink cartridge. The old one had a faulty connection.
Another thing which has broken recently is this.
Our blender's blade no longer has anything to connect it to the motor. So sad! No smoothies for a little while. I found out that it will cost us the same amount to has a replacement part shipped to us as it will be to buy a new one, so we are hunting for a good new one.
Another thing which has broken recently is this.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Zoomis
James has a new obsession. He loves the TV show Team UmiZoomi on Nickelodeon.
He is always asking to watch it, by saying, "Zoomis?" over and over. The problem is that it is newer, so it is only one TV twice a day (one of the times is during his nap), and there are only 3 full length episodes on the Internet. Also, there have not been any DVDs made of the episodes yet. So James watches the three episode on-line over and over. Here is a picture of him watching on the computer.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Match Day
This is how the day started.
There was a lot of excitement and nervousness in the air. Why? Because on one side of the room this could be seen.
All these envelopes with names on them. In side these envelopes held what the future would bring for all the fourth year Medical Students at the University of Toledo. The future for the next few years anyway. Proof that Jon had an envelope waiting for him.
Before the envelopes were opened there was a little more torture. Three speakers. Some things I remember them saying... the medical profession is the second oldest in the world. This brought on some laughs. If you would like to know why, ask Jon what the oldest profession is. Also said was that last year, there were about 200 medical student who did not match. This year there were about 1,000 medical student who did not match. Most around me were shocked by this number. After half an hour of speeches, the medical students were allowed to retrieve their envelopes. It was all of the sudden chaos, as everyone swarmed the long line of tables. Here is Jon coming back after successfully snatching his envelope.
Yeah! Grand Rapids, MI! 
This is a group of our friends who we went through medical school with. All but one of the couples are in our ward too. We all matched!
Match results by specialty. Might need to click on the picture (the next one too) to make it bigger if you are interested to see the break down.
Match results by state. There were quite a few staying in Ohio.
There was a lot of excitement and nervousness in the air. Why? Because on one side of the room this could be seen.All these envelopes with names on them. In side these envelopes held what the future would bring for all the fourth year Medical Students at the University of Toledo. The future for the next few years anyway. Proof that Jon had an envelope waiting for him.Before the envelopes were opened there was a little more torture. Three speakers. Some things I remember them saying... the medical profession is the second oldest in the world. This brought on some laughs. If you would like to know why, ask Jon what the oldest profession is. Also said was that last year, there were about 200 medical student who did not match. This year there were about 1,000 medical student who did not match. Most around me were shocked by this number. After half an hour of speeches, the medical students were allowed to retrieve their envelopes. It was all of the sudden chaos, as everyone swarmed the long line of tables. Here is Jon coming back after successfully snatching his envelope.Yeah! Grand Rapids, MI! This is a group of our friends who we went through medical school with. All but one of the couples are in our ward too. We all matched!Match results by specialty. Might need to click on the picture (the next one too) to make it bigger if you are interested to see the break down.Match results by state. There were quite a few staying in Ohio. For a few minutes afterwards, Jon and I watched the excitement in the room, but we did not stay long so we could relieve our babysitters. It was an interesting experience.
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