Poor Rex

Last night immediately after dinner Rex kept telling us that he was hurting. It just sprung on really fast. I started to unbutton his shirt to get him ready for a bath and then I saw what looked like a million mosquito bites all over his body. Some spots looked like large welts. Rex began screaming and would not stop. As Will and I took off his clothes it was very apparent that he was quickly having an allergic reaction to something. We got everyone ready and gave screaming Rex some benedryl and literally ran out the door to urgent care. While waiting in the room to be seen Rex's breathing became very restricted and he was becoming lathargic as well. With hives all over his body it was obvious for the doctor to give Rex immediate attention. He was given some Albuterol which made his wheezing go away rather quickly. The oxygen level in his blood was down to 80 (this is where Will's eyes popped out of his head) after the medication so he had to receive oxygen to help bring that up. Next the doctor gave Rex a shot of Epinephrine due to the severity of his reaction. After the Epi shot (it reverses the allergic reaction) Rex's oxygen level in his blood went up to 99 which is ideal. The doctor sent us home with Prednisol and Zyrtec and she said that I must now carry an EpiPen with me at all times. I have to have one handy in the home and in the diaper bag from now on. We also had to sleep with Rex during the night to make sure that he did not have another reaction in which the doctor told us to call an ambulance. Okay, I was doing fine until the pediatrician said that. Thankfully he slept just fine and he still has some red marks that look like bruises from all of the hives. The pictures were taken after all of the swelling and most of the hives went away but you get the picture. He did not eat anything unusual except for a raw carrot with a little bit of peanut butter on it. He naturally licked off all of the peanut butter but did not chew the carrot. Rex has been eating peanut butter on a regular basis since last december but I am told that he could still be allergic to it anyways. So, we will have him tested soon by an allergist and it will be interesting to see if indeed it was the peanut butter or the carrot. We are so grateful that he is fine and doing well. I am thankful that he was able to get the proper treatment quickly and that Will happened to be home to help me out.

Family Fun

Rex and Ella loved having their Uncle Rick visit and play with them all weekend. It was nice to watch someone have such enthusiasm and patience with my kids. Rick had an interview here at the dental school last week and we wish him the best.

I'm so glad that Will is willing to spin the kids on this tire because it would make me puke before the spinning started.

I cannot grow a garden but I can certainly go to Sam's Club and purchase some cool mums.




Me dancing with Rex and Ella at the children's museum in St. Paul. What you cannot hear is the blaring music from Smashmouth (from the first Shrek movie) being played over and over. I felt like I was in the middle of a big elementary school pizza party. Only myself and another mom were brave enough to go up and show the kids how to get jiggy with it while the other dads just stood in the back of the room. How else do you think this picture was taken?

The Farnsworth 6

This is at Steven and Amanda's wedding reception. From oldest to youngest there is Will, Dave, Jeff, Rick, Steven, and Emily. All six siblings are now married and we have no more fun weddings to look forward to, but we have more fun people to visit when we come to AZ. Congratulations Steven and Amanda!

Mmmmmm Guerrero's for dinner!

You will absolutely NOT find cream of chicken soup in their enchiladas, cheese whiz or rice in your burro, ground up hamburger meat in anything (only shredded/pulled pork or beef), or various amounts of cilantro and black beans (only refried baby). This restuarant is Guerrero's in Tempe AZ and this is a picture of the owners Norma and Victor. Their food is so good! You are looking at the only two workers and owners of this tiny restaurant. It seems like the small mom and pop mexican food stands always have the best food. I like to get the egg and chorizo burro but don't even think about it if you are on a diet. The chorizo is not fat free :) Another favorite in AZ is Espo's (short for Espinoza's) in Chandler. I love their red chile and tortillas, they have a small market next door where you can buy their chorizo and tortillas uncooked. Anytime I come to AZ I must eat at these restaurants several times. Will is another story. He likes to go to Filaberto's that is known for giving people food poisoning. I don't understand it myself.

110 degrees and up!!!!!!!!

When it is hhhhot outside we like to go to the local water parks to cool off. Yes, sometimes it is too hot to go swimming......trust me, only AZ natives know what I am talking about. I quickly learned in AZ to not place your child in a shopping cart that has been sitting at the cart return for anytime at all. I also forgot that I needed to bring sunglasses on my trip, so Rex and I covered our faces each time we got out of the car. August was the hottest August on record while we were there and there was another record for the most days over 110 degrees, I think it was like 29 days or something. The first day that we came back from our trip I spoke with someone here in MN who said that she is tired of the heat here and ready for it to cool down.....huh? It has been in the upper 80's. It's all relative I guess. I really like AZ and the heat was not that bad, I just might move back there someday.

Four Ella's in the room

Ever see a child in love with him/herself? Ella loves to laugh at and talk to the baby trapped inside the mirror everyday. She immediatly calls out "baby baby." Someday she will have to come to terms that that little baby is her.

Mesa Childrens Museum

I cannot capture the moment of two kids smiling at the camera but I was able to capture them smiling as they chased each other through the exhibit.

Steven and Amanda's Wedding Day

We came to AZ for the wedding of Steven (Will's brother) and Amanda in August. Will was able to stay for two days but had to get back to the grind in MN. I was lucky enough to stick around for another three weeks with the kids. AZ was acutually not too hot for me but I was not wearing a black suit like some people in the photos.

Mi Familia----The Araiza Locos

It has been several years since everyone in my family has seen each other at the same time. It felt so good to be with family and to just visit. From left to right, my older sister Traci, my parents, younger sister Kati, older brother Matt, and me.

Not Your Lee Press On Nails

No, these are not stickers or airbrushed paint. This is regular old nail polish. We went to this nail salon in Tempe AZ called Quality Nails and they offered over 500 different designs just for your toes. So, it took me about 10-15 minutes to decide on a wild hot pink design. It's one thing to have your fingernails looking like this but I think it's okay to have wild toes.