A pain in the bum

Lewin and daddy paid a visit to the dermatologist today. We have been battling diaper rash on and off for a very long time.  It seems like it will clear up completely and then bam, it is back with one missed diaper change.  We have tried quite a few different creams and ointments and I don't think we could change his diaper any more frequently than we are right now. It doesn't seem to matter what we do or what we put on there, he just seems to have some poopies that burn his little bottom.  Sometimes it is cleared up by the next change and other times it takes days.  And sometimes all it takes is him being in the dirty diaper for a few minutes.  Poor little guy. 

The dermatologist gave us a few new creams to try and we all have our fingers crossed that these will be a little more effective.   We are also supposed to try some diaper free napping.  Yikes, I don't think that will go to well.

We have tried eliminating different foods from his diet with out any success either. 

Here's hoping we find a solution soon. 

Signing

We started teaching Lewin sign language a long time ago.  It took a while for him to start understanding and using them, but he has really taken off with them now.  The other day we made a list of the signs he knows and uses and we came up with at least 30.  The exciting thing now is that he has done a few combination signs.  It is not often but a few times he has signed "more crackers" and " more bicycle ride, " which of course I love. 

"Mama"

It has been a long long time.  Part of the reason we started this blog about Lewin was to keep a journal of his life, or part of it anyway.  The problem is that since it had been so long, there was so much to update, and the post would be huge! The task seems unachievable. There is no way to make an entry with everything that has been going on in Lewin's life, but my goal now is to post something short every few days and maybe we will be able to caught up on stuff a little bit.  

So here goes.

Lewin has been saying "Mama" and "Dada" for maybe just over a week now.  He is coming a little late to talking but we are not really concerned yet. But what was special about today was that while Melissa and I were lying in bed this morning we heard "mama, mama," over the monitor.  Usually we hear some fussing and then crying and then Melissa goes in and gets him.  There was some fussing and crying this morning too, but to hear him calling out for Melissa with out him being lead to, was amazing. 

First Weekend Away

Yes, it has been a long time since we have updated. Sorry.

We are all settling back into our regular routine after our first weekend away as a family. We all had a great time at our annual winter get-a-way with a great group of friends. We went to Waterville Valley NH again this year. We all like it there because they have both cross country and downhill ski trails at the same location. Lodging is just a short walk from the nordic center and there is a shuttle bus to the downhill center.

Although Lewin put up a bit of a fuss each time he was put into the ski pulk, he seemed to like being towed around enough that he fell asleep every time. Dan loved being able to go skiing and bring Lewin along. Melissa got to go downhill skiing after a two year break. One morning, Lewin had company in the Chariot. Anna Z, who is 18 months, seemed to enjoy the pulk also but didn't fall asleep quite as quickly as Lewin. Pulling 60 lbs. around in snow that was getting quite slushy was a lot of work.

Lewin did great the whole trip. He slept well in the car, in the pack and play, and in the Chariot. He got to play with the big kids a bit but also played by himself. He did lots of smiling and was very goofy. He did really well with being around lots of new people and he got comfortable with everyone fairly quickly.

Hopefully we can get some picture of the trip up soon.