Back to work blues

Andrea is starting to suffer from the back to work blues. As hard as it is to believe, she has been off from work for 11 weeks and 6 days. She has to go back to work on Wednesday. She won't be able to hang out on the couch all day, with Anniston in her arms. They enjoy hanging out on the sofa, talking to each other all day.

While this phase is coming to an end, it means that this must be the beginning of a new phase in our lives. One that I for one, am looking forward too with great anticipation.

Scarface

Anniston may not look like me, but there are some things aspects about her that she takes after me. One of those things is the rate at which her finger nails grow. Mine grow so fast, that cutting them once a week, usually results in Andrea telling me that they have gotten too long. Anniston is no different. The difference...hers are really sharp. The poor thing has not figured out that her hands...are hers. She does not have full control over them yet, and has a problem with scratching her face. So, we call her scarface!


We have to stay on top of cutting her nails, to make sure she does not do permanent damage.

Personality

Anniston is really developing her personality. More and more everyday, she transforms from a baby who just, kinda, sits there, to a little girl with attitude. She smiles at us more and more, and she is developing what can only turn into a mischievous personality.

Whatever it is turning into, it is really fun to watch it develop.

2 Months Old

It is hard to believe that she is 2 months old. It seems like just yesterday we walked in the front door with her...and wondered what we were doing, and who let us take the baby home with us. While she has lost most of the hair she was born with, she is developing a personality all her own. She is a joy to be around, most of the time. She can't wait to meet all of you that she has not met yet.

Anniston Paige Rhoads at 2 Months old.

Four Generations

I guess this is out of order in the time line of life...but when you are behind, the timeline takes a back seat.

Just before Anniston started to have her skin issues, we went up to Andrea's mothers house, to do a picture with all four generations of Andrea's family. We found a nice place in the shade under a big old tree to take the pictures.

All Smiles!

Anniston has taken to smiling like a fish to water. It does not take much, and she gives us a big no teeth smile! It is fun to get her to smile, and you can't help but join in the fun. It is a great way to come home from a long work day, and relieve some stress...having a smile competition with a baby!

Updates!

Well, when we last left you all, Anniston was suffering from what we were told was the same as diaper rash, but she had it around her neck. She was not sleeping much, and she was always agitated...and I don't blame her. Well, after a week of putting ointment on her neck, we realized that while her neck was looking marginally better, the rest of her was not, and this rash had spread to many other parts of her little body.

So on August 2nd, we went back to the pediatrician. And before we knew it, there were three doctors in the room, and they were all trying to decide what was going on with out sweet little girl. They had ideas, grand ideas, ideas of changing formula, but first and foremost...off to a Dermatologist.

On our way we stopped at home to feed her, the new formula that we were supposed to put her on for two weeks. Now, anyone that knows me, knows I am something of a very finicky eater...apparently so is Anniston. She wanted nothing to do with this new formula, and we could not blame her, it stunk, bad. 1/2 a bottle in, we set out for the Dermatologist.

We arrived at the prescribed 15 minutes early, 3:45 PM to fill out papers. We were promptly seen at 5:30 PM. They were really lucky that Anniston actually slept the entire time we were in the waiting room.

The dermatologist did not think it was formula related, and advised against switching that, thankfully. He did think it was a strep infection of the skin. The slight case of cradle cap that she has had, got infected when Andrea had strep. So, antibiotics and ointments were prescribed.

Over the next few days, she started to clear up, her skin was looking better, she was happy, and she was sleeping better. Then the doctor calls to tell us that the lab results showed an MSRA Staph infection, at which point I started to freak out a little. Turns out, we all have a little Staph on us, sometimes it just flares up, or so we are told.

Anniston is doing better now. She is sleeping 7-8 hours at night, eating regularly, and feeling much better.