Been a while...

So maybe I should do yearly updates instead of trying to do monthly ones, geesh! A lot has happened in the past 8 months so here goes.
Emma turned 6 in April and finished kindergarten in June. She really enjoys school and has made some great friends.
Isabella finished preschool and has started kindergarten this year. There have been some big changes this year as the state forced schools to go to full day kindergarten, but she seems to be adjusting ok. They are both tired and it is a long day for them, but they seem to both really enjoy school. She'll be turning 5 in a few weeks and we have a big surprise for her birthday.
Oliver turned 2 in August and is still trying to figure out how to be the big brother when his sisters are gone at school. Did I mention the girls are gone all day and it's just me and the boys??!!

The biggest event in the past 8 months has been the birth of Everett. I never did post his birth announcement on here, but he was born June 19th, 8lbs 4oz,  20" long and at home. I can't begin to describe how amazing it was to have him at home. It was awesome not having to get in a car and go somewhere with strangers poking and prodding you. His sister's were there when he was born and couldn't have been more excited. I also have some of the most amazing pictures that I will always cherish. I am so grateful to have such a great experience for the birth of my last baby.

Matt has been training to run the Grand Rapids Marathon this weekend all summer. He also moved to a different job and is enjoying the new work.

I have been adjusting to the new school routine and only having 2 kids home during the day again. It has been much more quiet, especially when the boys are both napping at the same time!
Here are a few pictures.

Ok, I'm a horrible blogger!

So I admit it, I suck! So here's what's been happening since the first day of school: Halloween, Isabella turned 4, Christmas, Valentine's Father-Daughter Dance and a new baby is on the way! I'm only remembering these things because of pictures we finally got off the camera and onto the computer. So here are some pictures to catch you up:

First day of school!

Happy First Day of School! The girls both had fun this morning and are looking forward to school this year.

Happy Birthday Oliver!

Happy 1st Birthday Oliver!

Oliver turned 1 on the 18th, can you believe it? We had a party this past weekend for him and had a great time. All the kids had fun playing and everyone was well behaved! I cannot believe how this past year has flown by. It seems like yesterday we were building the house and moving and then he was here. He is such a sweet little boy and I love him to pieces. He is so easy going and almost never cries. I couldn't imagine my life without him! I guess I should also say happy birthday to our house, since we moved in just a little over a year ago now. We still haven't finished unpacking, but are mostly settled...That's what basements are for right? Here are some pictures from the party:

Happy Birthday Matt and Emma

Oh my, the poor neglected blog! Well it's pretty late, but better late than never so Happy Birthday to Matt and Emma! Matt turned 32 in April and Emma turned 5. I cannot believe how time is flying by. Emma is getting so big and is ready to start school this fall. She had a great time at her birthday party and we had a good time seeing some old friends from St. Joe. Since it was a "big" birthday we had her party at the John Ball Zoo. They did animal presentations and the kids got to make breakfast for the Spider Monkeys. Here are a few pictures.

Emma Update

Emma had her 6 month check-up with the endocrinologist yesterday and we finally have some good news! She was up to 34 pounds (from 31) and has grown almost 1 and 3/4 inches in 6 months! She is now 38.75 inches tall and moved up almost 2 percentiles on the charts. A big thank you to those of you who have been supporting us these last few months. It hasn't been easy lifestyle change and we are grateful to the people who have been sharing recipes and helping us try new foods. In other news, Oliver is 6 months old today! Where has the time gone? I can't believe my sweet little baby is half-way to 1.

Emma's Allergy Testing

Emma had the basic allergy scratch testing done on December 22 and she had no reaction, so they did a "patch test". That's what you see in the picture here, well the aftermath of the patch test. They take little metal well, about the size of a nickel, and put pureed food in it. Then it's taped to your back for 48 hours and after the time is up they look to see if you have a reaction. Well we know that she had to have a food allergy and the patch testing was the better than the alternative. The alternative was eliminating the 8 major allergens (wheat, soy, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, egg, milk) then waiting 6-8 weeks to have another endoscopy(scope). If the scope was clear after that then we would slowly reintroduce the foods back in and keep having her scoped to see if there was a reaction. Matt and I both hated the idea of her having another scope, so we are hoping the results of the patch test are good enough for the doctors now. Her patch testing showed a wheat, rye, pork, and string bean allergy. She may also have an allergy to corn and soy, but because she is not symptomatic we are not eliminating those 2 right now. So for now, we are gluten free plus pork(which we don't eat anyway) and string bean free. After a few months she will have another scope to see if the irritation and damage to her esophagus has healed then we'll know whether to eliminate corn and soy from her diet. I REALLY hope we don't have to get rid of corn/soy as they are found in almost everything you buy at the grocery store! So far both of the girls have been doing good on the gluten free diet and seem to be growing now.