Addison's first CTR ring!
Milk for Santa
Jace's hospital stay in December...tired baby= tired dad!
Spidermangirl and Batgirlboy....they defined it for me themselves...
Jace's first Christmas
This is Becky, a fellow teacher, and I modeling the snuggie at our school. These "blankets with sleeves" are in our faculty room for the teachers to use when they feel like cuddling up on the couches. (I'm assuming, though it is only my guess)
Becky and I decided to try them out last week when our school was doing our S.E.P. conferences, (a.k.a. Parent/Teacher) and we were at the school until 9:00 at night. Unfortunately, the lovely Snuggies hadn't been washed, delinted, defuzzed, or whatever you want to call it and I met with three parents before I realized my BLACK shirt was COVERED in blue Snuggie fuzz. I'm very thankful to the kind parent that started to de-lint me in the middle of our meeting.
"Yes, your child needs to work on turning in assignments and getting those multiplication facts memorizzzzzeeedddddd....excuse me! Why are you slapping my arm like that? OOOHHHHH, well would you look at that!
DARN YOU SNUGGIE!!!!"
With Jace's 6 month milestone reached last week and as I was "greasing him up" in preparation to take him to his 6 month well child visit tomorrow, I realized that October celebrates Ichthyosis Awareness. Jace, my nephew Stockton, and my little brother Matt (as well as my mom's two brothers) all have an x-linked ichthyosis skin condition. Luckily, Jace and Stockton have a lighter complexion so it isn't as noticeable. Unfortunately, my brother Matt is very dark complected and spent most days of his childhood "greasing-up" in order to hide the scales that covered his body from people. We always joke, that when short and sandal season comes each spring, Matt complains because he "hasn't shed his winter coat." Luckily, most days I don't even notice Jace's skin....just when I hold other babies and realize how soft their skin is compared to his....
If you have never heard of it before, It is a genetic skin condition that causes "scales" to build up on the body. In "normal" skin, there is an enzyme that causes the dead skin cells to shed constantly. With Ichthyosis, that enzyme is either missing or malfunctioning so that the dead skin cells collect as scales. This skin is tight and itchy. When the scales do come off, they can tear the thin skin beneath. We try to keep Jace's, ( as well as Stockton and Matt) skin well moisturized with creams to help protect it, but it leaves them feeling greasy all the time. We use medicated creams because it can help remove the scales, which are very uncomfortable, but sometimes these creams burn, and so we have to be careful. The thickness of the scales also makes them prone to overheating...and ALL of them sweat so abnormal because the scale build-up. Not to mention that Stockton can't hear most days of his life because he has so much dead skin skin and wax in his ears!!! =)
Here are some pictures of what it can look like, especially if it isn't treated regularly....Thank goodness for lac-hydrin!
