ACHOO!

Along with the great weather we have been experiencing here comes all the beautiful blooming flowers. I love this time of year, but alas the allergies in this family do not! We recently learned that Lincoln is an allergy suffer. I originally thought he had a cold since Nate came home with a stuffy nose last week, but I later figured out nope, its just allergies.

The first thing that clued me in was that it seemed to come and go. The second thing was that when I used the bulb syringe, or rather what we call 'the booger sucker,' his snot was clear or white. Lastly, his eyes were watering like crazy, but were not red or discolored. Lincoln was stuffy but it wasn't anything to worry about, until a few days ago. 

I began running/working out again and we decided that it would be a great idea to take Lincoln for a walk, with all the blooming flowers out, in the baby bjorn. We thought it was the perfect family outing because I got my work out and Nate walked 2.5 miles with Lincoln in the bjorn. That night though things got rough! Lincoln began waking up every hour on the hour. He didn't want to eat, didn't have a stinky diaper, he was just so uncomfortable with not being able to breath out of his nose. I don't blame him I would of done the same! So, at 4:00am I decided to take him into our bathroom, turn the shower on high, and sit in there with him. It did the trick. The next day we bought a humidifier and it is working perfectly. We even took him back outside yesterday and stuck him right in front of the humidifier as soon as we got back. Hallelujah,  no more allergy symptoms! Yes! Lincoln is back to being his happy content self. 

The perfect solution.

Dealing with infants with allergies can be no fun! Thankfully, I grew up in a house with family members, including myself, who have severe allergies and asthma. Here are some tricks I have learned watching my own mother help her children relieve their allergy symptoms. A quick reminder to make sure that you are actually dealing with a kid with allergies and not a baby with a cold! Here is a nice link to help you decide Is it allergies?

1. Buy a humidifier. This makes a world of difference and really clears them up! Just make sure to place it close enough the baby is actually getting the air from it. Generally you want to do this while they are sleeping because it can be hard to get them to not get irritated by it when they are awake. This is because its cold air/water blowing in their face.

2. Get some eucalyptus oil. This stuff is amazing. Yes it has a funky smell, not bad, just different but man does it clear you right up. This used to be sold in pharmacies like CVS/Rite Aid but I am having a hard time finding it there. I have been purchasing mine at Whole Foods or Sprouts. A little bit of this oil goes a long way! A few drops in the humidifier should do it! Don't over do it with this or else it will just be unpleasant.

3. Wash all your sheets and blankets. Also, if you can don't have baby sleep around plush things like comforters and down pillows. Dust mites are the number one thing most people are allergic to. If your baby's allergies are acting up wash/vacuum everything and sleep with only sheets and blankets that can easily be washed until the allergies do clear up. Put those fluffy things away in the mean time! 

One thing Lincoln has really started recently is smiling! It's so cute. 

I can only get them when he's sleeping!
He's too quick for my camera recently.

This is also what Lincoln thinks of allergies....no this was not staged this is just how he feel asleep on his auntie this past weekend.  As Nates Aunt Heidi said, "Now I know he has a bit of you in him rather than Nathan." Ha! I hope he has inherited my ability to tell it like it is.

Poor Toby.
  He was actually doing this to him and he caught it on camera.

~Julia