-Parker had his allergist appointment on 4/13 and we found out that he is allergic to cats and dogs. They did skin testing on his back to check for about 20 different inhalant allergens. 
The bottom left are the cat and dog marks. The top left is a controller.
The test itself was quick but traumatic. Parker had to sit on my lap facing me and put his arms around me. A nurse sat behind me to hold his arms and I had to hold his legs. Ryan held the phone for Parker to see, but he screamed the entire time while they administered the needle pricks on his back. As a treat, he got to have his first lollipop!
He liked it, but only for about 10 licks.
We are not getting rid of Reese for now and are going to try a few different things such as more frequent bathing, using allergy-reducing filters, and more frequent floor washing in the kitchen. Reese has been with us for a long time, and we would obviously get rid of him if it was something that was absolutely necessary, but we will try these things first. Our doctor said that there is a chance we could get rid of Reese and Parker could stay on the allergy medication anyway. That would be very disappointing and sad. So for now, we'll go this way and see what happens.
-We still don't have a name for Baby Sissy. This is what we're calling her for now. Parker talks to her a lot. He says:
"Hi, Sissy!"
"Sissy's sleepin'"
"Sissy's cold--cover her up!" (and puts a blanket on top of my belly)
"Bought bed, Sissy" (because we went to Babies R Us a couple of weeks ago and bought her mattress)
"Love you, Sissy"
If we ask him what he'll do if she's crying or upset, he says, "Rock her," and does the rocking motion with his arms. He says he's going to help us change her diaper, give her a bath and brush her teeth. He gives my stomach kisses and hugs. I think that he's really going to love her and that things will be good overall once she's born. Hopefully I'm right!
-We went to the park a couple days in a row a couple of weeks ago, and almost every time we get in the car now, he says, "Park now!" I feel bad because I feel like we are always telling him, "Maybe later..." or "Maybe tomorrow." We have taken him a few different times but it's definitely not possible to get there every day!
I am loving the sunglasses right now.
-I have had some computer issues that were causing problems with picture editing--the reason this is the first blog post in a couple of weeks. I have been trying to edit Easter pictures and my computer kept shutting down in the middle of editing. It was very, very frustrating, so I finally decided to buy a new computer! I still have to get the editing software on this computer, so the Easter post will come soon. For now, I am just happy to know that I'll be able to edit them with no problem once I get the program on here.
-I am pretty sure I've started having Braxton Hicks contractions within the last couple of weeks. When I was pregnant with Parker, I did not realize that I had been having them until I was actually in labor at the hospital and the nurse told me that I was having contractions. These have been happening very randomly and aren't painful at all, so I know they're the harmless kind that are preparatory!
-I feel like I could very well go into labor a little earlier than my due date. I just feel so big and also have so much more pressure than I remember with Parker at this stage. Then tonight I tripped on one of the baby gates that fell down. My foot slid on top of the gate until I landed straight on my butt in a full splits position. I am not flexible at all, and this has put me in a major amount of pain. That was the last thing I needed given how I already felt! Now I feel like I can barely move and can only imagine how I'll feel in the morning. Hopefully I'm wrong and it won't have a major effect. I guess we'll see.
Finally putting his Christmas present to good use--chopping up vegetables!
-I have to re-take my glucose test tomorrow morning for gestational diabetes. I first took the test at about 26 weeks and it was negative, meaning NO diabetes. Since then, I have had sugar in my urine for three consecutive appointments, so they are going to do another test. I am totally on board with this because I want to know if I have it, but it's still frustrating. If I do have it, I think I'll probably have about three doctor's appointments per week until the baby is born. I guess we'll see in a couple of days!
Having his first fortune cookie! He almost ate the paper inside.
-We had our baby shower on 4/15 at Ryan's parents' house. Amy and Jamane put everything together and did such a great job! We had a really great time and received some super-cute presents. I have a few pictures from the shower to edit and post, too. Lots of fun posts coming soon! :)
