So... Yeah.

      Last post was my Dad's obituary. That was a bit of a shock for some of you I'm sure. It was for me too. That's why the post didn't happen on the Sunday prior, I was still in shock from him dying the day before. But that means that we missed out on everything that happened that previous week. So, other than this little blurb, I'm going to try to write this post as if nothing had happened, though, seeing as its been a full week between, I very well may not remember everything. I will write another post, hopefully today, about what happened with Dad, and about this past week.

      So... The first things from last week are health related. I found out a number of "allergies" going on between Jacob and me that have been making life a bit more difficult. I do, for sure have a candida albicans yeast overgrowth in my intestines, which is what makes me "allergic" to sugar and refined flours. Candida (and any yeast really) thrives on sugar. I had figured it was that, but its nice to know for certain. I also found out that because of the Candida, I am "allergic" to yeast as well. It  makes sense, but it was not fun to learn. At least it isn't gluten, (though if I were to follow a strict candida diet, it would be gluten and fruit, and a large number of other things I would avoid as well) because I can still have whole wheat tortillas, or biscuits, or breads made without yeast. Annoying, but at least I now know for sure what is making me always feel sick/uncomfortable. And, last, but not least, Jacob has milk sensitivities. He's not quite allergic or lactose intolerant, but... Now, I've had to explain this enough to people I've told in person, that I figured I'd avoid the confusion here. A milk sensitivity in a baby means to "dairy", which does NOT include their mother's milk. (If your doctor tells you your baby has a milk sensitivity, so they need to stop breastfeeding, that's BS) All it means is that the MOTHER needs to cut out dairy. So yeah, I get to cut out sugar, yeast, and milk, and use grains and fruits a bit more sparingly. Luckily, Jacob does tolerate greek yogurt, (only 1 brand it seems) and cheddar cheese (again, only 1 brand) and even more luckily, the brands he can tolerate are the brands I was already buying.

      The weekend (starting on Thursday) was very busy for us, and unfortunately I have no pictures from it. Thursday we had 2 parties. The first was a surprise birthday party for Nathaniel's friend Forest. When I told Jessica we'd be going over to Forest and Lisa's that day she said, "Oh, and then I can be a WHITE cat?!" The last time we'd gone to Forest and Lisa's is when she got her face painted as a blue cat. She remembered. I was impressed. But there wasn't face painting at this party. ;) It was a good barbecue though. From there, we went straight to an ice cream party hosted by Ryan and Jesse Klemetson, a couple of my friends who were moving to Georgia, and so we didn't know when we'd see them again. It was also great fun, though, Jessica ended up coming home covered in sand because there was a sand volleyball court that the kids were playing in, and she was throwing sand up in the air above her.
     Friday was Jacob's 6 month well-baby check up. Craziness! 6 months! Definitely went faster than it did with Jessica (probably because I have Jessica). So, we didn't do vaccines again. We're waiting until he's a year old to start them. Ask me through a different venue if you're curious as to why, I prefer not to use my blog as a soap box most of the time. ;)  So, basically it was just making sure he's healthy, which he is; and meeting milestones, which he's surpassing. His stats: He weighed in at 18 pounds even, putting him just above average at the 65th percentile. It's actually nice to have that chart this time around, because otherwise I might think he was getting overweight, seeing as Jessica weighed 15 pounds 4 ounces at her 1 year checkup, and she started out heavier (9lb 8oz). He measured 27 inches long/tall putting him a bit above average at the 70th percentile. And his head measured at 18 inches, putting him in the 90th percentile. *giggle* Not terribly surprised by the big head, but at least he's got the body mass to support it. Poor Jessica was in about the 15th percentile for weight (maybe 10th by her 6 month) and her head was in the 95th-100th % the entire time.

     Friday evening we went to a pool party sponsored by Jessica's dentist. Yay! free pool passes, and free food. Jessica was excited ALL day about it. I was a little nervous what her reaction would be because last summer she was terrified. But we had an emotional healing practitioner help her a bit, and I will say, it seems to have worked. She not only did NOT freak out, but she also went willingly into water up to her chest, and enjoyed the lazy river as long as Nathaniel was holding her. Unfortunately, with the party starting at 6, it was cold enough that she didn't want to stay in the water very long. Jacob also loved it, so long as he was being held. I tried putting him in his floatie tube.... Yeah, not a fan. But he also loved the lazy river, even when it sometimes hit his face. I even dunked him (super quickly) and he didn't fuss at all. Surprised look on his face, but no fussing.
      Saturday morning we did Jacob's 6-month portraits, and they turned out so cute! They are what have been interspersed throughout the post, since I didn't have any pictures to correspond with the other stuff. I didn't buy digital rights to the pictures, so I'm only posting the ones I ordered, because while I haven't picked them up yet, once I do, I could just scan them in and post them, so I don't feel like I'm being dishonest.

But, here at the end, I have one last treat for you. Jessica loves this toy that I gave her...2 years ago? for Christmas. She finally figured it out. So we've been hearing "Elmo's tickle dance" a lot. Luckily, we've got her dancing to go along with it.