Child Allergy Topics-Eczema

Mondays I have decided will be devoted to Allergy Topics because both of our children have allergies to some extent. So mondays will be a time I research and talk about topics I have discussed with other parents and if you have any questions or topics you would like me to explore please send me a message.
 Allergies is our life. If you know our family or have met us, you know we face this issue moment to moment at our house and have been doing so since our son was 5 months old. I have decided to explore Eczema as my first topic this week because it was the first sign for both of our children and I know it is the first sign in many children. When our son was born, he had so many newborn skin issues. As an OB nurse I know that newborns have skin issues because they are going from a wet environment to a dry one. Their skin is adjusting. But after time they will start to have that sweet soft smooth baby skin. Our Seth did have that sweet soft smooth baby skin for about 2 weeks. Then I noticed a patch of dry red skin on the middle of his chest. Then it was his cheeks. Then all of his body. When we saw our pediatrician she said it was "just" eczema and just to lotion him up. But that was no comfort as he just got worse and worse. My sister-in-law was dealing with the same thing in her son who was 2 months older. Consequently we were seeing the same pediatrician but they decided to take our nephew to a new provider and he was diagnosed with allergies. 
  I have met several people who say about their child's eczema "They just have eczema" (and I am primarily writing this because a dear friend is starting to think her daughter may have allergies and you know who you are. I have heard her say this to me.) So I did some research because our allergist has said to me that there is a huge correlation between eczema and allergies but I wanted to know what other parents have been told about eczema.
  I have seen multiple chat forums where exactly what I am talking about has occurred. Where a mother was told by her pediatrician that her child "just" had eczema but then saw a allergist and they said there was a huge correlation between the two. I have read and heard time after time that allergists will tell you there is a huge correlation between onset of eczema and allergies. I have also read and seen that this is particularly true with egg, milk and peanut allergies.

  This was true for us. We finally saw a pediatrician who knew about allergies and when we finally did our son was extremely sick. He was 4 months old and he had an infection of his skin all over his body. Severe eczema and little crusty areas in the crevices of his elbows, behind his knees, around his ankles and behind his ears. We established care with an allergist and it was determined that Seth was highly allergic to Eggs, Milk, and Peanuts. He was mild to moderately allergic to wheat and Soy. This list has expanded to 25 foods, drugs and environmental things that he is allergic to. Once we started taking the things he was allergic to out of his body (unfortunately because his list was so extensive I had to stop breastfeeding) his skin immediately starting looking better and better. Is it that cut and dry? No. Seth still has flare ups especially when the seasons change. He gets patches behind his knees. But I know how he would look if he ate whatever he wanted. It makes a huge difference.
 What does this mean for you and your child? I think if your kiddo has eczema, it is definitely worth the testing. Because the more a child is exposed to what they are allergic to the worse the reaction is going to get. If you get testing and find out that it is "just" eczema, and no they don't have allergies, Yeah!! But if they do, then this means you can help them. 

Paper Beads Part 1

   IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AGO THAT I RECEIVED MY PAPER BEADS KIT IN THE MAIL THAT I HAD ORDERED FROM KLUTZ.COM. YES THE PACKAGING STATES FOR AGES 8 AND UP. I WOULD BE THE AND UP. I AM IN LOVE WITH KLUTZ. SO MUCH THAT I HAVE JUST DECIDED AT SOME POINT I WILL DO A BLOG ABOUT THEM. FOR NOW BACK TO THE PAPER BEADS. THE KIT WAS LOADED WITH 22 DIFFERENT COLORS AND DESIGNS!! I WAS LIKE A KID IN A CANDY SHOP!!

     ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ME AND ALWAYS KEEP THIS IN MIND, IS I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO FOLLOW A RECIPE, PATTERN, INSTRUCTIONS, ETC TO THE LETTER. I HAVE TO MAKE IT MY OWN AND AS SOON AS I SAW THIS BOOK MY MIND STARTED RACING. I HAVE ENOUGH PAPER OF MY OWN TO CHOKE A HORSE AND I WAS PSYCHED!! WHILE I DID USE THE MAJORITY OF THE PAPER THAT CAME IN THE KIT (FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS), I IMMEDIATELY STARTED MAKING MY OWN BEADS OUT OF MY OWN PAPER. THE KIT INSTRUCTIONS WERE BASIC SO OF COURSE I HAD TO BUMP IT UP A NOTCH.   

ONCE I GOT CREATING IT BECAME QUITE ADDICTIVE FOR ME. I WAS TALKING TO A SALES ASSOCIATE AT THE CRAFT STORE AND SHE FELT IT WAS TOO TIME CONSUMING THE AMOUNT OF WORK IT TOOK. BUT I FIND IT TO CALM ME AND BE QUITE ENJOYABLE. 

    WHEN I SAY BUMP IT UP I MEAN PRETTY MUCH EVERY ASPECT. FIRST, I STARTED TO RESEARCH EVERY WATER BASED SEALER TO FIND THE BEST ONE. IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THE KIT CAME WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR TO MOD PODGE. SO I BOUGHT A HUGE BOTTLE OF MOD PODGE BUT THE KIND THAT WOULD MAKE MY BEADS GLOSSY. BUT THEN MULTIPLE PEOPLE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT MY BEADS WERE NOT WATER PROOF!! SO I DID SOME MORE RESEARCH AND LOW AND BEHOLD MOD PODGE MAKES A WATERPROOF SEALER!! 
   THE KLUTZ KIT CAME WITH LARGER GLASS BEADS TO USE IN YOUR BRACELETS AND NECKLACES. WHILE I DO HAVE THE SAME EXACT SIZE BEADS AND I LOVE TO USE THE LARGER BEADS BECAUSE IT MAKES THE BRACELET COME TOGETHER FASTER, I DECIDED TO GET OUT THE SEED BEADS. I FOUND BOTH PRODUCE A GREAT LOOK.
    THE KLUTZ KIT CAME WITH A FAIRLY LARGE SIZE OF STRETCHY CORD BUT YOUR LOCAL CRAFT STORE WILL HAVE SO MANY KINDS AND GAUGES OF STRETCH CORD YOU WILL HAVE A HARD TIME DECIDING. I WENT WITH A LARGER GAUGE FOR THE BIGGER GLASS BEADS AND A SMALLER GAUGE FOR THE SEED BEADS. 

    THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I COULD MAKE EARRINGS!! LIKE I SAID WHEN I GET GOING, I GO. SO I BOUGHT EARRING HOOPS THAT ATTACH TO HEADPINS. (YOU NEED JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS TO MAKE THE EARRINGS. I WILL COVER THIS IN ANOTHER POST). AND AFTER WATCHING A FEW YOU TUBE VIDEOS AND A LOT OF PRACTICE I WAS ABLE TO CREATE SOME CUTE EARRINGS!

  COULD I STOP WITH BRACELETS AND EARRINGS? OF COURSE NOT. SO I DECIDED TO CREATE SOME RINGS AS WELL AND THEY ARE THE EASIEST AND FASTEST TO MAKE! SO MANY OPTIONS!!

IN MY FUTURE BLOGS I WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MAKING PAPER BEADS AND ALL THE SUPPLIES AND TOOLS YOU WILL NEED. THE SKIES THE LIMIT WITH THIS FUN AND EASY CRAFT!!