Faster, Faster

Go, Mommy, Go!  Faster, Faster!  Pass that Truck!  That would be my little back seat driver, who apparently has inherited either a lead foot or need for speed.  She would come by either from many relatives (including one or both of her parents). 

Today, we were on a local country road approaching the highway, following behind a small truck.  We were both going an appropriate speed, I was probably a couple car lengths in distance behind him.  However, the Babe must have thought that meant he was impeding our way to the highway, because she kept telling the truck to move over.  Once on the highway, she told me to go faster.  That's when I asked her if I should pass the truck.  But of course.  So it became a little game (safely played of course), where I would ask if I should pass a truck just as I was about to. And for anyone worried, I was on a three lane highway, and each lane seemed to be moving at different variable speeds, making it easy to pass trucks while not exceeding the speed limit.  Could you imagine a traffic cop's reaction if I had gotten pulled over and told him I was only speeding because my three year old told me to do so? 

Sweet Scent

Today, while packing my bag for the gym, I went on the hunt for some shampoo.  I'd been using a travel size bottle that I tossed the other day, but didn't replace in the interim.  I thought I might have a small bottle of J & J baby shampoo in the Babe's bathroom that was never used.  Instead, I found an 8 oz bottle of baby shampoo and body wash that we had gotten as part of a baby gift for the Babe.  It was made by an upscale soap company that makes more organic products.  However, due to the Babe's eczema, anything with scent was never used.  It had just been sitting in the bathroom, unused.  Yes, a couple years old, but still good.  So I took it with me. 

Here's what got me pondering.  It smelled lovely...for me.  A grown up with no known sensitivities.  However, I could not imagine bathing an infant in such heavily scented soap.  Babies smell sweet enough without any added fragrance, and why add perfume to something so fresh and delicate?  Yes, the smell of most baby soaps are sweet.  However, this specially formulated shampoo/body wash had honeysuckle, geranium, and orange amongst the ingredients, and was actually almost over-powering for my senses.  Despite being organic, what is wrong with just plain old soap?  In the end, I now have shampoo in my gym bag that smells lovely, will last a long time, and I didn't have to spend a dime.  And I'll smell fresh as a baby, or rather, a very perfumey flower.

Brrrrr

Its good to plan for a rainy day, or in today's case, a frigid day.  Today would have been the Babe's second kiddie gym class.  However, after getting her into snow pants and boots, the phone rang.  As the windshield had reached -11 degrees...yes, that is negative eleven degrees, they cancelled today's class.  When I broke the news to the Babe, her face fell, and she immediately burst into tears.  I was dreading taking her out into the cold, so I was happy they made the call, but felt bad for the Babe who was so looking forward to playing with the other kids. 

Did I have a back-up plan for this?  No, but I quickly offered to do a craft project.  She likes to glue (glue stick and construction paper that I cut into shapes).  Not my favorite thing, but I immediately offered that up to her.  I also had bought a while ago a safety scissor, and figured today was a good day to bring that out.  Once the tears were dried, she jumped right into it, thrilled to be using a scissors for the first time.  She cut lines all along the edges of the paper, then ripped off chunks for me to glue.  After we finished, we watched a little t.v., and then went up to play in her room.  The second bonus for her today was a reserved holiday gift.  She had gotten so much this year that we held an item back.  It was a box with a few wooden learning toys.  Out that came, and she was thrilled.  I suspect this is going to be a long winter, so I better have a few "surprises" or activities planned for those future snowy, rainy, windy, or frigid days. 

Squirrelly

"I'm outta here....PEACE!"  Not the typical words from a three year old, at least probably not in our neighborhood.  Courtesy of her funny Daddy, the Babe has picked this up, and uses it when she's leaving a room (thankfully not all the time).  When the three of us are in the car backing up out of the driveway, she'll also say, "Bye-Bye House!"  then blow a kiss, and emphatically state, "Peace".  She is a sponge, so you better watch out what you say.  Thankfully, this didn't take effect when I was still in my driving and swearing phase (which probably lasted for me from age 22-34ish).

In other news, the Babe has a squirrel in her throat.  Not a frog, but a squirrel.  Tonight during dinner she started choking on something and grabbed her throat.  We immediately froze, not knowing if she was just coughing on her food or reacting.  I tried to remain calm, and asked if it was the squirrel.  Sure enough, it came for a visit.  Apparently mashed potatoes and potato chips make the squirrel go away. 

Clean Hands

How often do you wash your hands?  For me, too frequently to count.  Besides after using the bathroom, after eating, during and after food preparation, coming in from outside, etc. etc.  No, I do not have an obsessive compulsive condition.  I just wash my hands... a lot.

When I first started working my freshman year in college, I worked in a hospital.  My father was on immunosuppressants, so I never wanted to bring anything contagious into the house.  Hence, every time I walked in the house, I would go to wash my hands.  For the most part, I still do that, but now its in case I touched something the Allergy Babe may be allergic to.  When I handle meat, I wash my hands numerous times so as not to spread any bacteria if the food prep involves going from counter to stove back to counter.  As I still assist the Babe in the bathroom, I'm washing my hands then too.  Its probably better I don't know how often I wash my hands in a day... I might just become obsessed!

Run, Jump, Play

Am I a "helicopter parent"?  I definitely hover.  I'm overprotective.  But please, go play.  Be with other kids.  Run, jump, swing.  Oh, but don't touch anything.  How confusing is that?

Today we had our first kiddie gym class.  I had to let go for a half hour.  By letting go, it wasn't me walking away while she got to play.  It was me worrying about what she might come in contact with. 

The class was held in a dance studio where no food is allowed.  However, there were lots of kids who came from the nearby childcare center who probably only just had breakfast.  Did they all wash after they ate?  Was there any food residue left on their clothes?  Luckily, today there was no contact involved in the program.  That didn't mean I didn't sit there trying to control my blood pressure while I observed through the glass.  I had to remind myself she was safe and having fun.  She sat in a line with the other kids listening to the teachers, then ran and jumped around with them too.  I loved watching her be a normal little kid.  Afterwards, she told me how much fun she had.  We're home now, and she's fine.  I'm fine, too.  Looks like we'll be returning next week. 

Contact Reaction

While I find the following question annoying, I can now answer it.  When I explain the Babe's allergies, I always get asked, if she is "contact" allergic.  Meaning, if she somehow comes into skin contact with one of her allergens, will she react?  The answer is YES. 

How did we learn this?  Well, since we take as many precautions as possible to not expose her to her allergens, it wasn't an obvious thing until today.  After being away from the gym and Kiddie Korral during the holiday break, we returned for the first time today.  It was unavailable to us for three weeks while they hosted kids who were on winter school breaks.  I do not know if anyone even used any of the equipment that she uses.  However, this morning when I went to pick her up, she was seated at a kiddie table coloring with an adult.  She was rubbing an eye, but that could have been anything.  We rinsed her eye, and headed home.  After washing her hands, she sat at the kitchen table to have a snack and started to rub her left wrist against the table.  Clearly it was bothering her.  I took a look, and she had several hives over about a two square inch area.  My guess is that while coloring with her right hand, she propped her left wrist against the kiddie table and was against some residue of one of her allergens.  It took about twenty minutes for the hives to go down, but then she was itchy all over.  Put her in the shower, and so far, so good.  However, this means I will be on hive watch the rest of the day.  If you couldn't guess, living with food allergies is not fun.