Digital cards & scrapbooking...

So as many of you already know I love to make and do anything digital. I have really been into making photobooks. We have a tradition where every year I scrapbook an album of the previous year and then have a company print and bind the books. I love having them printed so they are in a book that I can pull off of the shelf and look at when ever my heart desires. They are something I truly cherish. Many have asked me where and how I do this, as well as how I do the baby announcements or Christmas cards. I have tried to teach family and it is time consuming and difficult especially if you don't have expensive software like adobe. However I have found if you don't have a lot of time it is so easy to make something that is personalized to fit your family. I know many people already know about shutterfly but if you don't you need to check them out http://www.shutterfly.com/. They are super easy to use the quality is as great as some of the more expensive sites I have found, and they are reasonably priced. I was on their website the other day looking at the 2010 stuff and they have some great card ideas that you can personalize for your family. I know many of you are expecting right now and they have great cards for new babies http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery, totally fun & easy. Which is absolutely necessary for a new mom. Or they have some fabulous Thanksgiving/Christmas cards. I love, love, love some of the ones they have for Christmas. I love that they don't all use the traditional colors. You can get traditional, but they have some awesome damask and more modern styles. Due to starting a new job and the business in life lately I thought I would order my cards this year. I would love input http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards on this page they have a holy night card I am debating between or the damask...let me know I would love some input. I also thought it might be fun to do a Thanksgiving card instead of a Christmas card this year. I think it would be fun to send out something that reminds us of the blessings we have and the gratitude we feel for those blessings. What do you think...Thanksgiving? Christmas? Which style do you like?

Little little boy!

My little guy seems so grown up lately. As sad as I was to see the little "curlies" (as kaden calls them) go his new haircut suits his little personality well. He was really good during the haircut, I think the lollipop helped. Bye bye curls...I'll admit I am a little sad to see them gone!
After

Before...

Why do I worry...

Anyone who knows me knows I worry. About everything all of the time. This last few months it has been exhausting. Beckham having a reaction to peanut butter was a little scary for me and then the thought of the next time getting a peanut and having an even worse reaction is scarier. I worry that I will be helpless if by accident he got a peanut waiting for an ambulance to come while watching my child unable to breath. It would be awful (I think my experience as a nurse has made this fear even worse because I have seen such awful things!) The worry just increased when I started Kaden in school (because of his tree nut allergy) they made me fill out a crisis folder for him. Our school district is really strict because they had a death of a third grader from a peanut allergy a few years ago (so this of course has me worried even more). I don't know what I would do if I lost one of my little boys...they are my world!
So on Wednesday I asked the Doctor what I do to stop the worrying...it is worse than the grocery shopping (which is awful...everything seems to be processed in a peanut facility. I seriously mean everything! I have to check every package I pick up...even the pre-sliced apples at walmart are processed in a peanut facility). He suggested we draw an IGE level (which measures the immune systems reaction to nuts) on Kaden and check it every six months to see if it is changing for better or worse. I think it measures on a scale from 0-12. The Dr. called yesterday to tell me that Kaden's IGE level was 0. YIPEEE! I got off of the phone and was in tears not because I was worried but for once since all of this has started I felt hopeful. Now the test can be wrong and falsely negative. So Kaden goes in next month to have another skin test done. If it is negative then we get to do food challenge tests where Kaden and I spend the entire day with the Doctor and he gives him bits and pieces of the nut in a controlled environment. I am trying not to get my hopes up but I would be overwhelmed with joy if I didn't have to worry about one of my boys going to school and the possibility of encountering a scary allergen! I am just praying that maybe Kaden is one in the 9% of kids that out grow their food allergy!!!

I don't abuse my children

However, I am worried that strangers passing by might think differently. Got to love little boys...always something to climb or run into!