Friday, July 02, 2010

last "Family of Four" photo highlights [Part 2]

You saw Part 1 of our last Family of Four photo session earlier this week. This is Part 2 of our fav shots captured recently by Katelin Carter of Full Pockets Photography.



This is our favorite picture of the two boys from the entire session. They were playing peek-a-boo with "Dadda" and jumping up and down on an old park bench and caught being their playful selves so well in this shot. We're lucky the bench didn't break!



Family of Four (well, six if you count the bumps in Mrs. Blonde's belly visible here to the left of Boatboy).



For what we can recall this is the first hands-on-pregnant-belly shot we have on file. We didn't know Katelin took it until we got the final disc of images. Fitting that such a photo was taken of the last pregnancy we'll ever have (at least we're saying that now...nothing's done until it's done).



The boys



All teeth!



The family portrait classic. Everyone walking away from the camera. Why do we like this so much. Can't see any faces. Can see everyone's cans. Yet, we still like it.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

NUTS scare!

About a month ago, our lives changes forever (no, this post isn't twins related) when we learned through a series of increasingly agitated responses that our 2-year-old, Boatboy, is officially allergic to peanuts. We were told by the doctor it wasn't severe but it wasn't mild either. We were to read labels copiously, check at restaurants where we dine regarding the food preparation and carry Benadryl around just-in-case. And, we've been good at it. Boatboy even asks when I'm reading the side of a box, "No nuts?" Up until Monday, we had experienced no reactions to peanuts because we've been very cautious.

Today was not one of those days.

LA, Boatboy and I ran to Target just down the street to pick up diapers and a "special treat." They chose fruit snacks. Typically they want strawberry but this time they ventured out and picked kiwi-watermelon. Sounds delicious right?! Same generic brand. Different flavor. The boys know they don't their snacks until we get to the van. Once we got to the van I ripped open two bags and handed each their bag. I then drove 500 feet across the parking lot to quickly cash a business check. It hadn't been even 60 seconds since his first bite and Boatboy started coughing like he was choking. In a matter of seconds between just thinking he was coughing and handing him his cup, he starting puking all over the van. I quickly said to my familiar bank lady, "My kid is sick! I will be back later!" And, ripped out of the bank.

Scanning the box ... "may contain traces of peanuts and tree nuts" And, no Benadryl in my purse. I had tears in my eyes racing back to the house thinking...

"How is this happening?!"

"How did I not check the box?"

"I always check the box."

"The normal strawberry target brand that we always get do not have any peanuts in them!"

1 minutes later we were back in the driveway. Snatching my vomit-covered son I ran in and dosed him with the medicine. Van still running in the driveway with my almost-4-year-old, LA, still strapped in this prego was ready to race to the ER if necessary. Astonishingly! - The coughing stopped in about 45 secods. Thank God! We went back out the van and sweet LA was so worried. He said right away "I will get the strawberry fruit snacks next time!" So precious!

Lesson learned.

ALWAYS check the box and ALWAYS carry Benadryl. In a peanut butter loving family, this is especially quite a journey we have ahead of us. It was definitely one of the scariest moments I've ever had as a mother.

I'm so thankful to God we were close to home and this happened with me and not when Boatboy was with someone else.

Monday, June 28, 2010

last "Family of Four" photo highlights [Part 1]

I wanted to share some of our last Family of Four photos with you from a recent session with Full Pockets Photography. It was megahot out the morning of these photos. But, thanks to a willing aunt & uncle to assist, the wonders of blowing bubbles and bribery of marshmallows, we had a blast!

It is crazy to imagine there are going to be two more little guys in our next family photo session!

I've broken this up into a couple posts along with some other updates you'll see this week from Blondes, Poop & Mascara. We love you, your photography gifts and your friendship, Katelin!



Love this one!!



We found a trail we'd never been down. So, of course, off the boys went.



LA lovin' on the twins. Not a posed photo. :)



Boatboy carrying a stick bigger than him. Again, not a posed photo.

More to come later this week. Hope you all are well!