Certainly Nothing To Sneeze At

I have been awake before dawn-with both children-and the day is only beginning. Eldest is on a trip to Raleigh as we speak, thus the early morning wake up, and why I'm on my third cup of coffee.

I do have a very active little scallywag to keep up with!

The fact that our visit with our allergist, Dr. Norris, went smashingly has helped make this week extra special for him. Why? I'll get to that in a moment.

I'd like you to see the journey we took this past Tuesday. Trying to get an appointment as soon as possible with an allergist before our big move was very important-especially since the wee one seems to have inherited our allergies.

This meant driving 30 minutes north of Charlotte to Moorseville so this task could be accomplished.

It all began very early, with the wee one snuggled in back with his Ugly Doll, Chuckanuka.



He's had his orange buddy since I was carrying him and has recently taken a shine to both he and his little brother, Big Toe.

I suspected what lay ahead for our day, so I knew I was going to need my own comfort in the form of coffee.



Once I had this, the wee one settled in with a good book, and we headed north.



The trip was quick, and locating the Carolina Asthma and Allergy Center was easy.



I began having flashbacks to my own childhood as we signed in and waited. The years of many Saturdays I sat in my allergists office receiving numerous shots, then waiting an hour or so before we could leave made my heart sink. I did not want this for my little boy.

Those were miserable days.

But the wee one was in high spirits and while I was a little anxious about the tests they'd perform on him, he was a delight to be with. He kept me in stitches and charmed the entire nurses staff with his bright smile and sweet laughter.

Once he'd been weighed and measured, we waited patiently in our room, the wee one alternating between snacking,



climbing on stools,



and generally entertaining himself and those who came and went during our brief wait to meet Dr. Norris.





What a ham!

Dr. Norris was quick to meet with us, and after going over family history and explaining when the wee one's symptoms began cropping up, he decided we were going to do a scratch test to see just what the wee one was allergic to.

From there, we'd decide the best course of action.

I was not looking forward to the scratch test until Dr. Norris showed me just what it was:



Do you see those small blue sticks? Each one has a small point that the nurse gently "scratches" onto the patients back. After this is done you wait 15 minutes to see the results. If the scratches pop up and begin to swell, there's a reaction. If the skin is just a bit red due to the scratch and does not swell, then there is no reaction.

Dr. Norris showed us how lightly the test was administered, poking both the backs of my and the wee one's hands with delicate jabs.

Sweet boy laughed, which was very encouraging.

Feeling ready to move on, Dr. Norris asked that I remove the wee one's top and the nurse would be right in.



Can you tell he knew something was getting ready to happen?



Of course, he was happy to take his top off, but he's not one to do things halfway. He had to take it all off-



Except for what his Daddy calls "the ugly shoes".

Our nurse soon arrived and began using an ink pen to identify the spots of the "scratches" along the wee one's back. They were going to test 6 tree pollens, general molds and fungus, cockroaches, weeds, grass, plant pollens, and a few other allergens. They were also going to test for histamines.

This part was a little difficult as I had to really hold my little guy in a tight embrace as she quickly made the "scratches" up and down his back.



As you can see, he was not a happy camper. Poor bebe. He did really well despite the initial tears, and was soon back to entertaining himself.



Now...I want to show you the wee one's back. It's not scary by any means, but it will give you an idea of what the scratch test looks like once it's been performed.





I'm not a doctor, but when I saw the little bumps raise where the wee one had been scratched, I feared the worst-that he was reacting to all of them. He didn't seem to be bothered by them though. What he was annoyed by were the histamine spots along his shoulder.

He was scratching them quite a bit so the nurse covered them in a soothing cream.



Those two spots are where the histamine was scratched into his skin. Do you see how they ballooned up as opposed to the ones on his back?



Do you see the difference?

I did, and realized this meant something pretty significant.

From what I remembered, if you have histamines in your body it means you are allergic to something, or sensitive to allergens. If you don't, however, this means either you suffer from no allergies whatsoever, or they're incredibly mild.

Imagine my shock and jaw-dropping joy when Dr. Norris confirmed my newest thoughts: the wee one had no reactions to any pollens or other allergens. He was only reacting to the histamine. His skin reacted because he was no histamine in his system.

Chances are the runny nose and itchy eyes were not allergies, but a mild cold he'd picked up. Plus, he added with a laugh, some children just have runny noses.

He really is all boy.

For a child with eczema to have no histamine-or very low amounts of histamine-in their system completely goes against the grain. It happens, but not very often.

The wee one may have some mild allergies, but they're nothing to worry about since they're not showing up on the tests. Dr. Norris felt very confident saying that he may develop them later on. Chances are high that since he has eczema it will happen. But for now, the wee one is out of the woods. What a blessing!

He can enjoy as much outdoor play as he wants!

And that is exactly what we did once we thanked Dr. Norris for the wonderful news and drove back into the city. We changed him from his comfy doctor's visit clothes into play clothes, and we played, played, played.















The entire afternoon felt lighter once we'd received the news that for now, our wee one was allergy-free. We were just so excited, we couldn't wait to share it with the one other person who had been just as concerned as I had been:



Any guesses who?

It's been much easier taking the wee one out and about, not having to worry quite as much nor having to think about giving him medications. This may change one day, but for now we're enjoying his freedom from allergies.

It's certainly nothing to sneeze at!

Enjoy your weekends all, eldest has her big birthday party tomorrow and I cannot wait to share the fun details with you all.

In Absentia

Good morning all!

I hope your weekends were wonderful and filled with sunshine. While ours was pretty fantastic, our hearts have been with the people in Yazoo, Mississippi. It's not too far from where Husband grew up, and we have many friends who know someone or are someones from that part of the state.

I'll apologize in advance for my lack of posts in recent weeks, and unfortunately, upcoming weeks. It seems the closer we come to our big move to Tokyo, the more I have to do.

I'm not going to go into the mess of all of the passport forms, picture taking expeditions, school application drama, and recommendation form sagas that have been chasing after me for the past few weeks. It would bore you to tears.

And honestly, it hasn't been that bad. But when I look at the thick stacks of papers and envelopes I've been trying to fill and keep organized, it's so much it can feel overwhelming.

Which is why I'm moving onto something more precious and sunny.

This little scallywag.



On Earth Day I let the little guy play outdoors for an extended amount of time. I have to be careful because of his emerging allergies, but with our new system for outdoor play, he's been able to enjoy all that God's green Earth has to offer.



Which included loads of awful tree pollen.



It's a real shame that the wee one has inherited our allergies, because there is no bigger advocate for enjoying the outdoors than this little guy.



Despite her love of soccer, eldest never really took to outdoor play, preferring her books and playing within the four walls of our home. Ironically she has no allergies whatsoever.

Last Thursday the wee one and I took a long stroll around the grounds of eldest's school, St. Patrick's.



We have a regular route that the wee one created, and I happily follow along as he romps about.

Why don't you come with us on this merry little jaunt? I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

First we head down the main pathway in front of the school,



and the wee one walks up to the main entryway,



trying to get into the school.



It's possible he wants to find his big sister, but I know from past experience he loves to explore the interior of the school as much as the exterior.

Can you feel the warmth of the sun yet? The cool spring breeze?

We've been blessed with gorgeous sunny days thus far. Here's hoping for more!



Once the wee one realizes he's not getting into the school he usually decides it's time to move onto his next route: the church.



We head back to the main pathway and up a steep, winding sidewalk. Flowers line our path, and petals are scattered, creating a fragrant carpet for us to walk on. The wee is fairly careful around them, which is funny seeing as he's pretty rough and tumble.



There are more bushes covered with delicate white blossoms,



and finally we make our way up the side-steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral.



We'll walk inside, bless ourselves, and quietly sit in a pew until the wee one is ready to leave God's house and wander to the back of the school and church property.



If you need more time to rest, now is the time to speak up, because this little guy is just getting started.

You're allright? Fantastic. Come walk down the 27 stairs to the school playground, then back up, and back down once more.

Now it's time to play!



At the bottom of the stairwell is the very large, very expansive playground for eldest's school.



Of course, the wee one doesn't want to play on the playground. He wants to climb up and down mountains,





walk across the country,



and touch every discovery he makes along the way.









Thank goodness for the power of handiwipes!

After running, and climbing, and touching, we head back around the side of the school, towards the front.

And yes, you'll laugh and wonder why boys have to touch every little thing their eyes rest upon. Seriously. Why?





Are you ready for a tall glass of iced tea yet? Goodness knows I am! Don't worry, our stroll around the school ground is almost over.

Once we make it back to the front of the school, the wee one starts towards the door he knows his big sister will be exiting from, only to be distracted by the boys taking down the flag and folding it up.







Sweet boys that they were, they invited the little guy to help out.

He declined, instead running to the doors his sister will exit from at any moment.



But before she walks through those old oak doors, someone decides he's tired and wants to go sit in the car.



Phew! Time to rest those tired feet and snuggle up with a sweaty, tired boy as you both drink your icy drinks...

And prepare to do this all over again tomorrow.

Thanks for coming with us on our daily walk. Would you like to come along with us again? You're more than welcome!



Beautiful weather, an adorable and giggly companion, enjoying the fresh air-I know I won't be complaining.

See y'all soon!