a lot happens in a month

Gosh how many things happen in a month with a newborn! He has found his voice, he has found his feet, he has found his laugh, he has found his smile. We have fallen in love with him more and more each and every day of his tiny little life. We have also somewhat gotten to the bottom of his skin and tummy issues. We saw the allergist today - Chip's same allergist - whom we LOVE and he thinks that we have a dual issue going on. He thinks his skin issue is a sever case of seborrhic dermatitis and that his tummy issues seem to be just an immature digestive system. Most cases of seborrhic dermatitis are limited to just what everyone knows to be 'cradle cap' but ours was quite severe. **OF COURSE IT WAS!!! LOL HE'S A SHARP!** So all of that to say, we have a very healthy, happy, and super long 3 months old. He was 61 centimeters and weighed in at 12 lbs 1.4 oz. GREAT KID. Here are some of our most recent photos. We hope you enjoy them and we pray you are all well!!!

a little update

So I'm trying to back off from the posts on Facebook, however, I find myself using Facebook as a means of journaling and keeping a record of life for my kids. Somewhat like a digital scrapbook, etc. So I am going to force myself to blog more, i guess! :)

Lately, we attended the Little League World Series this year and enjoyed watching Mo'ne pitch for Pennsylvania. We have started soccer and we have started school, first grade, as well as we've started Co-op. Chip is taking a gym class and an art class. He absolutely loved it and it was interesting to watch him socially figure out his place. At the church, he is known by everyone and therefore is automatically given a place, but here, he is having to find his place. It is interesting to watch!

Also, with Stephens we have gotten his skin and rash under control! We do believe we are dealing with a multi-part issue: Food allergies as well as seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap but all over). I have gone on a major elimination diet eliminating Dairy, Egg, Soy, Peanuts, and Yeast from my diet and we have seen a MAJOR difference! Even when i accidentally introduced some soy into my diet, the rash came back and then went away after about 10 days. He is a much happier baby now as well as is growing so well. He is over 12 lbs at this point and is long and chunky. It's funny to have a roly poly baby as Chip was never roly poly. He is wearing the clothes that Chip wore when he was over 3 months old right now and is super great. He is sleeping from about 10 pm. to 3 a.m. at nights and then nursing and sleeping again til about 7 or 8 in the morning.

This year in school, we are learning about King Harold and Duke WIlliam (soon to be King William of England) and filling out a timeline. We are also learning about Cultivated Crops in science, are listening to Shakespeare in Literature, listening to the Burgess Animal book about Peter Rabbit, on Saxon 2 math, We are learning a hymn a month and this month is Abide With Me by Henry F. Lyte as well as working daily on our handwriting. It is a full school year but one that Chip is totally loving doing. He is completely thriving and learning and just loves school. It is a great thing!

Here are the latest pictures of Chip and Stephens and we hope that you are blessed today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

having two is not for the faint of heart

Let me just say that i can't even feel bad for not blogging since June 23. Our life has been tossed upside down and shaken up. In a good way, but none the less....... :-P We welcomes sweet Timothy Stephens Sharp into our family on July 14th at 10:27 a.m. weighing 7 lbs 9 oz and measuring 19 3/4" long. He was born healthy and happy and continues to blow our minds at how much he has grown! He already now weighs 9 lbs 13 oz and is the apple of his big brother's eye! Chip just adores being a big brother and loves nothing more than to kiss all over him all the time! We are trying to find ourselves in a routine and to establish a new normal and that is proving to be more difficult than we could have imagined! Stephens seems to be a grumpy baby during the days, but, thankfully, is a really great sleeper at night. We are beginning to wonder if he, too, has food allergies like Chip and I have begun to remove foods from my diet to see if we can get it under control. I find myself with waves of emotions - good and bad - toward this change in my life and staying above water some days, seems to be all I can do. We are beyond blessed, though, and are very aware of that. He is a beautiful child, a gift from God, and a joyful new life. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we adjust to being parents of two and a big brother! Enjoy the pictures below!

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Rebecca