Update on Hadley and various other stuff

Sorry it took me so long to get this out there in web-land! Sorry, faithful friends! We got the test results back last week and they were negative for allergies. This could mean lots of things. It could mean it was a virus. It could also mean it's something called lymphoid hyperplasia, where the lymph nodes swell in the intestine, much like they do in your neck when you have a cold or the flu. If this is the case, that would explain the bleeding, because every time she poops, it tears those. This should heal, but the dr. said it could take 2 or 3 months. Another possibility is that it still could be allergies, particularly to cow's milk protein, but because I'd been off of it for 8 weeks (WOW...that's a long time for no cheese or ice cream!), the test was showing no raised levels. Therefore (insert the Hallelujah chorus here), I've been allowed to eat dairy again!!!! And just in time for my birthday, too! The reasoning behind me going back on dairy is to see if, in a couple weeks, the blood tests come back positive for the indicators of allergies after I've been exposing her to the protein again. If that's the case, it will a) make me feel better because we know that's what is causing all the yucky diapers and b) stink because I'll have to go off dairy again, probably until she's a year, because that's when I intend on weaning her (I nursed J.J. for a year).

SO...there's an update for you! Now...here's a little J.J. snack...a tidbit of some of the convos I've been having with my firstborn recently:

Me: "J.J., why are you out of bed?"
J.J.: "I scared."
Me: "What are you scared of? (Knowing full well that this is just a tactic to keep us from getting mad at the fact he's out of bed 2 hours after we put him down!)
J.J.: "Monsters"
Me: "J.J., there are no monsters in your room. Where did you see this supposed monster?"
J.J.: "The closet"
Me: "Do you want me to show you there are no monsters in your closet?"
J.J.: "Yes" (At this, he bounds over to his bed and plops himself in the middle, sitting indian--oops! native-american--style. I start to open the door...)
J.J.: "Careful!"

Don't you just love it!?!?!? Every day the little man says something that makes me roll off my chair, practically! I absolutely love being his mom and getting to hear him say things like this:

"Aaaaah! Good stuff!" after taking a much-needed swig of milk in the middle of Target.

Or this:

"Stand back, Mommy!", while he's "painting" the bathroom mirror with water, using his Elmo toothbrush. He didn't want me to get "paint" on me, I guess!

I'll upload some pics of the kiddos soon...for now, go check out Johnny's blog about our recent household developments. I promise, you won't be disappointed!