Wrapping up April...

Yesterday was "Papapapapa's" Birthday! Benson went to visit him at work! He had so much fun crawling around in the halls of the office chasing a ball that my dad had on his desk. He had everybody cracking up laughing!

We went to the doctor yesterday because Benson has had some congestion for the past four days. They checked his ears (while he was screaming his lungs out) and found that he has an ear infection. They put us on amoxicillian for 10 days. (Side note: I have no idea how they are doing it, but Publix is giving away FREE antibiotics- no purchase necessary- so we got it for free- I love free!)
They also referred us to an eye doctor because Benson's left tear duct has been clogged since he was born. We have continued to hope that it would open on its own, but it has yet to do so. The eye doctor that we saw is going to monitor it for three more months and if it doesn't open on its own, he will have to do a procedure where they put Benson to sleep and insert wires of successive width into is tear duct and through the passage into his nasal cavity until it is unclogged. We are SO hoping NOT to have to do that! We've asked for prayer for snot before... now we're asking for prayer that the eye boogers would STOP! Thank you for praying with us!
Probably the most discouraging report from the doctor came when they tested his diaper for blood. It came back positive which indicates that he is indeed allergic to soy as well as dairy. This complicates things in the sense that EVERYTHING has soy in it. (When I tell people that I can't eat soy, many people say, "You eat soy?" As if its a weird thing or something and I want to be like... "Yep, and You do too! It's in everything! Even chewing gum!!")
So this means that Benson will not be able to drink Soy milk at 1 year. Once I stop nursing him, we are going to have to figure out a way to get sufficient calories and calcium into him. Basically, the only thing he can eat is fruits, vegetables, unseasoned meat and homemade bread and oatmeal and we have no idea how long this will continue. I feel so very blessed to have been able to continue nursing him even through the strict diet. I've found all sorts of recipes and ways to eat that I never would have known about had I not had to eat that way myself. Now I know how prepare foods for him that are safe and that actually taste GOOD!

That's the medical update. We've had a lot of other, more pleasant things going on lately. Here are some recent pics from the fun times...

Will Turned One on April 4!






We celebrated Christa's Birthday and an Early Mothers Day this past weekend with the Ryan crew.





The tomato plants on our back porch are blooming! Bring on the tomato sandwiches!!