. . . at least, where allergies are concerned.

I was thinking about Carmen’s sensitive tummy today. It hasn’t been so happy, lately. I thought about the pears she ate earlier in the week. Her tummy didn’t seem to like those much.

Turns out the “pears” were actually gala apples, and the apples had been mislabeled as pears. Gala apples are a little tart. Poor David! No wonder he made such faces! Sorry, little dude.

In either case, be they apples or pears, an unhappy tummy may mean that we have an apple sensitivity on our hands, which means that we also have to be careful with the other things that apples are related to: strawberries (which, coincidentally, she reacts to), cherries (reacts), almonds (don’t know because I haven’t tried), plums, peaches, and, of course, those darn pears. All of those things and more are in the rosaceae family. See, botany is for babies, too!

Hrmmm. An apple sensitivity would explain a lot, if it were true. Testing is inconclusive at this early age, so all we can really do is avoid those things and see what happens when I add them into my–or Carmen’s–diet.

In a way, I hope that’s what it is. I’d like to be able to have my finger on all of the foods that bother her; right now there’s still some uncertainty because I have to slowly test one food at a time. On the other hand, how can a kid be allergic to apples? How unAmerican! Allergic to peaches? How unSouthern! Hopefully by identifying the problem now, we’ll save her from a lifetime of apple (or rosaceae) allergies and she’ll be enjoying apple pie with the rest of us a few years down the road.

David has been having a hard time getting to sleep lately. He doesn’t want Matt to put him to sleep; instead he fusses until I can put Carmen down, and falls asleep with me. As I lie next to him, he’ll nuzzle close and flop a little hand on my stomach. I love that little hand.

Today at Onion Creek I sold my first mei tai to Shelby of Anala Goat Company (Shelby is Houston’s favorite goat milk supplier). Shelby bought it so you can take her granddaughter with her around the farm. I hope the two of them like it.

Then we went grocery shopping and on the way home nearly got rear-ended by a Jeep that didn’t stop at a light until the very last minute. Even with a super-safe car, I’m liking driving around here less and less now that I have babies in the back seat.

Ick. Let’s move on to better subjects, like pictures. Let’s just move in chronological order, okay?

A couple of weeks ago we settled C&D down for Happy Seven Month-day squash. Carmen liked it pretty well,
but David preferred the tablecloth (the back of a drawing from work!).

Both babies, but especially David, think my Tour de France cap is very funny. We have taken to wearing it and playing peek-a-boo with it when we’re looking for a laugh.

The other day I needed to do something in the kitchen and wanted to keep David busy while I worked. I considered giving him a carrot to play with, but I was a little tired of carrots. I gave him a dried apricot from the co-op, instead. He very much liked it, and found out that he could even play with it hands-free! After he turned it into a mushy pulp I replaced it with another one. It’s an expensive habit (because they were organic, unsweetened, and unsulphured, of course!), and I have to watch carefully because he could gag on a piece (ever choke on a too-big bite of steak?), but, by golly, he likes it so we’ll do it again.

David’s eyes teared at the taste of pureed Asian pears and he held his tongue out until the puree glopped on this chest. Like a good sport he did take several more tastes with his spoon.

Carmen ate his portion, instead.

SuperCarmen preparing for takeoff by doing a little warmup flapping.

Carmen likes dried apricots, too, and decided to alternate between tasting hers and decorating the blanket with the sticky mess. Next time I’ll keep her and her apricot in the high chair.

David has always appreciated his reflection, but Fiona noticed that he seems to talk most to his distorted reflection on the bathtub faucet. At Ikea last week we found a mirror made up of 16 smaller convex mirrors. Like the bathtub faucet, but bigger and better!

At the end of one day earlier this week, I left C&D on the floor while I got up to get some grub. I returned to David making what I can only call “manly noises.” See if you can translate what he’s saying:

Last week on a conference call with work I found out that I will probably be dropped from the budget in FY2006. I was expecting the news. That means another transition for us all, but more on that, later, when more details are settled.

We check the news several times a day, keeping track of how many evacuees, how many victims. We cannot believe the collective ineptitude and complete lack of planning exhibited by governments on both the local and federal levels. What a bitter, angry disappointment. At the same time, Houston with very little federal assistance has absorbed, sheltered, and fed about 100,000 new residents without a blink, and with the snap of his finger our mayor (aren’t I glad I voted for him!) has opened up our largest public facilities. The power of the people, indeed.

I sent this to some people already, but mamatoto has some brilliant ideas on getting children out of dangerous situations safely. See one, do one, TEACH one!

Pleas for infant formula continue. People can dismiss breastfeeding, but . . .