Mary Bias did a fabulous job! She was so good with Gunnar, and the pictures speak for themselves. For anyone who's going to be spending time in the Charlottesville area, please check out Mary's website - http://www.marybphototgraphy.com - we highly recommend her!!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Pictures on The Lawn!
Here they are... the long awaited family pictures! (long story short - been trying to get these done for months, the 1st round was a bust, so this was our 2nd - and very successful - attempt)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fall Festivities
Fall is in the air, and we've been celebrating by playing in the leaves and picking out pumpkins. This past weekend, we went to Charlottesville to see Grams and Grandpa and to get family pictures, version 2, taken on the Lawn. (Family pictures, version 1, happened at the beach in August, but we smiled so hard that we broke the camera!!) A preview of our photo shoot can be seen at http://pixieperfectcreations.blogspot.com. Mary Bias, a wonderfully talented artist and mom of a 2-year-old, did an amazing job, and I highly recommend her to anyone in the area! I'll post more photos when we get them.
Grams dug out some old pictures of Little Erik. Hmmm, I think I see some resemblance here...
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| From Little Erik |
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| From Little Erik |
Earlier this month, the Matlocks came to visit. We got to welcome Mark home from Iraq and welcome Baby Walker to our crazy world! Trevyor's an awesome big brother, and Stacey certainly makes the mom thing look easy. We all took a trip to the pumpkin patch and had to hide in the corn maze to stay warm.
Despite all the talk these days of hard economic times, we've been having a blast!
Though we have taken precautions and shown Gunnar where we could end up if we aren't careful...
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| From Cardboard box |
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| From Cardboard box |
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Vacation!!!
About a month ago, we finally got a chance to take a full week of vacation - and I mean a vacation! No plans, no schedule... just a week at Virginia Beach with a visit from Patty and time to spend with our good friends, the Barretts. Linda should be on the Va Beach tourism payroll - her concierge services were unbeatable! Between the massage, the pedicure, and many naps, we found plenty of time to ride our bikes and take Gunnar out in his new bike trailer. Here's a picture at the end of our maiden voyage:
It was pretty windy the first few days we were there...
I never thought with the little bit of hair that Gunnar has, that it could actually be styled into a mohawk...
We got to visit with girlfriend, Brinn, who let us hang out with her at the Ritz...
And Godparents Anne and Dennis came in for a quick dose of R&R. Whatcha got there, Uncle Denny?
And we topped of the week with Team Lindhjem going for gold in the Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon. So, we didn't take home gold this time, but next year, I promise not to be in the port-a-jon when Erik runs through the transition zone. Better luck next time!
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| From Va Beach 2009 |
It was pretty windy the first few days we were there...
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| From Va Beach 2009 |
I never thought with the little bit of hair that Gunnar has, that it could actually be styled into a mohawk...
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| From Va Beach 2009 |
We got to visit with girlfriend, Brinn, who let us hang out with her at the Ritz...
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| From Va Beach 2009 |
And Godparents Anne and Dennis came in for a quick dose of R&R. Whatcha got there, Uncle Denny?
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| From Va Beach 2009 |
And we topped of the week with Team Lindhjem going for gold in the Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon. So, we didn't take home gold this time, but next year, I promise not to be in the port-a-jon when Erik runs through the transition zone. Better luck next time!
Monday, September 21, 2009
PLEASE READ - Important info on Gunnar's peanut allergy
We have recently found out that Gunnar is "severely allergic" to peanuts, and we would like for our friends and family to become educated on things to consider when you are around Gunnar so that we can avoid any potentially dangerous situations. This is a long post but has very important information, so please take the time to read it.
FOODS TO AVOID:
There are many hidden sources of peanuts in our foods, thus it is very important to read labels and ask questions when eating out. Any product that could be cross-contaminated with peanuts should not be given to Gunnar. Packaged foods should have labels on them that say "May contain peanuts" if they are prepared in places where peanuts are used. This includes most chocolate candy and candy bars (ie: plain M&M's).
At home, it is important to prevent cross-contamination if Gunnar is around (ie: using the peanut butter knife to scoop out the jelly). It is safest not to offer peanut products to other children if Gunnar is around them at the time. We are trying to teach Gunnar not to take food from other children, but he is still too young to understand.
Sadly, Chick-fil-a is off our list of restaurants since they cook in peanut oil. Please note that there are claims out there that state that certain types of peanut oils are safe for those who are allergic because the processing removes the protein that causes reactions. However, our doctor advised us to ignore those claims and AVOID ALL PEANUT OILS.
Many bakeries and ice cream parlors are off limits as well. In fact, just about all of the products in Target's bakery list are listed as possible recipients of peanut contamination. And many ice cream parlors use the same scoop for all flavors.
POSSIBLE REACTIONS:
Gunnar's first reaction to peanuts consisted of hives all over his face and neck within minutes of eating peanut butter. Although this was a relatively minor reaction, his allergy tests showed that he has a 30-40% chance of having a severe reaction if peanuts are ingested, which could include anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is life-threatening and must be treated immediately. To read more about it, please go to https://www.google.com/health/ref/Anaphylaxis.
WHAT TO DO:
If Gunnar experiences hives/itching/rash, then we will treat it with Children's Benedryl or a prescription called Hydroxyzine.
In case of anaphylactic shock, administer the Epi-pen immediately and call 911. We keep one Epi-pen in Gunnar's diaper bag and another at school. To use it, break the seal, stab it in his thigh, and hold it for 10 seconds. These instructions are clearly labeled on the pen.
MORE INFORMATION:
With the allergy testing, we found that Gunnar is not allergic to any of the other major food allergens. These include: tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, coconuts etc), shellfish, wheat, soy, eggs, milk, or fish. He was not tested for any other foods.
Causes of peanut allergies are currently unknown, and we have no others in our family. There are many theories as to why this allergy has become more common in recent years. These include the quantities of peanut products that our society eats, exposure to peanut proteins while in the womb, and changes to how peanuts are processed. All are simply theories, but there is a ongoing research on this. For more information, you can go to http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut.html
Thank you for taking the time to read this. The scariest part of dealing with this allergy is having Gunnar around people who are unaware and uneducated about it. With your help, we can keep him safe and happy!
FOODS TO AVOID:
There are many hidden sources of peanuts in our foods, thus it is very important to read labels and ask questions when eating out. Any product that could be cross-contaminated with peanuts should not be given to Gunnar. Packaged foods should have labels on them that say "May contain peanuts" if they are prepared in places where peanuts are used. This includes most chocolate candy and candy bars (ie: plain M&M's).
At home, it is important to prevent cross-contamination if Gunnar is around (ie: using the peanut butter knife to scoop out the jelly). It is safest not to offer peanut products to other children if Gunnar is around them at the time. We are trying to teach Gunnar not to take food from other children, but he is still too young to understand.
Sadly, Chick-fil-a is off our list of restaurants since they cook in peanut oil. Please note that there are claims out there that state that certain types of peanut oils are safe for those who are allergic because the processing removes the protein that causes reactions. However, our doctor advised us to ignore those claims and AVOID ALL PEANUT OILS.
Many bakeries and ice cream parlors are off limits as well. In fact, just about all of the products in Target's bakery list are listed as possible recipients of peanut contamination. And many ice cream parlors use the same scoop for all flavors.
POSSIBLE REACTIONS:
Gunnar's first reaction to peanuts consisted of hives all over his face and neck within minutes of eating peanut butter. Although this was a relatively minor reaction, his allergy tests showed that he has a 30-40% chance of having a severe reaction if peanuts are ingested, which could include anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is life-threatening and must be treated immediately. To read more about it, please go to https://www.google.com/health/ref/Anaphylaxis.
WHAT TO DO:
If Gunnar experiences hives/itching/rash, then we will treat it with Children's Benedryl or a prescription called Hydroxyzine.
In case of anaphylactic shock, administer the Epi-pen immediately and call 911. We keep one Epi-pen in Gunnar's diaper bag and another at school. To use it, break the seal, stab it in his thigh, and hold it for 10 seconds. These instructions are clearly labeled on the pen.
MORE INFORMATION:
With the allergy testing, we found that Gunnar is not allergic to any of the other major food allergens. These include: tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, coconuts etc), shellfish, wheat, soy, eggs, milk, or fish. He was not tested for any other foods.
Causes of peanut allergies are currently unknown, and we have no others in our family. There are many theories as to why this allergy has become more common in recent years. These include the quantities of peanut products that our society eats, exposure to peanut proteins while in the womb, and changes to how peanuts are processed. All are simply theories, but there is a ongoing research on this. For more information, you can go to http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut.html
Thank you for taking the time to read this. The scariest part of dealing with this allergy is having Gunnar around people who are unaware and uneducated about it. With your help, we can keep him safe and happy!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Grapes
At long last the clip from Gunnar's birthday that everyone has been waiting on the edge of their seats to see!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Sign Language
Starting at about 6 months old, we started teaching some basic sign language to Gunnar. He only knows a few words, but they are extremely helpful in communicating with him, especially now that he has acquired a piercing scream that has Mom and Dad destined for the Miracle Ear. His first word was "more," which he communicated by clapping his hands together. Judging by his belly and cheeks, he uses that word the most. He now actually puts his fingers together instead of clapping, which is the more accurate way of making the sign. His other words are "milk" and "eat." He also waves bye, and though we've tried to teach him "all done," he prefers to scream.
Now, a funny story about his "milk" sign...
Gunnar's bedtime routine consists of me reading a few stories to him in the rocking chair, with the last book being his little prayer book that has a bear on the front. We read the prayer, he kisses the bear goodnight, and then he nurses and goes to sleep. It's very sweet, and I enjoy our cuddle time together. However, the other night, apparently Gunnar was in a hurry. We read our stories and then started on the prayer book. We only made it through 2 pages when he promptly closed the book, kissed the bear, turned around to look up at me and gave me the "milk" sign.
I get the point, dude. Good night. :)
Now, a funny story about his "milk" sign...
Gunnar's bedtime routine consists of me reading a few stories to him in the rocking chair, with the last book being his little prayer book that has a bear on the front. We read the prayer, he kisses the bear goodnight, and then he nurses and goes to sleep. It's very sweet, and I enjoy our cuddle time together. However, the other night, apparently Gunnar was in a hurry. We read our stories and then started on the prayer book. We only made it through 2 pages when he promptly closed the book, kissed the bear, turned around to look up at me and gave me the "milk" sign.
I get the point, dude. Good night. :)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Gunnar's 1st steps
The posts are a little out of order, but I'm still learning to use my video editing software. I've learned a few new tricks on the computer, and now I can show off Gunnar's tricks! He took his first steps on July 10th, at daycare of course! But the second I walked in the door, he walked to me and landed in my arms with the biggest smile ever. I screamed. We then went home and practiced - he was very proud of himself, and I must say that we were very proud parents that day. And it was a funny thing that he decided to start walking on the 10th - that had actually been my due date with him. So if he had arrived on time, he would have been walked exactly on his 1st birthday. And now, after just a few weeks of practice, he's Mr. Independent, wanting to walk everywhere without even holding a hand.
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