In My Mind I'm Goin' To Carolina

(Don't these look like the faces of some girls who need to get away??)

Today was the girls' last day of school and tomorrow is the awards ceremony for the elementary school which is always a good time. Then after that, we are headed to the beach this weekend-yahoo! We go to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina almost every summer and we were not planning on going this year since we went to Africa. But the looooong past month of dealing with Zoe's breathing troubles and just general life adjustments to a family of 6 on top of that have left us emotionally and physically exhausted and in need of some refreshment and close family time where we can really evaluate and readjust to our newly expanded family. The girls wanted to go so badly, too, b/c it is just our favorite thing we do as a family every summer so we started looking around and found a really great deal on a last minute condo rental and just made the reservation last week. We will spend a whole glorious week doing nothing but whatever we feel like doing (and of course whatever little Miss demands of us by her loud yelling/crying-she's a feisty one that Zoe!) and we are thrilled!! Hilton Head is a beautiful place with beautiful ancient oak trees dripping with spanish moss and the whole island is covered in winding bike trails and tropical flowers and beautiful white beaches--it is like being in the tropics but only having to drive 6 hours to get there! My sister and her family decided to come this week too so they will be there (but in their own place) and it will be especially fun-they usually go to HHI, too, but we don't usually go together and they were not going to go either but we peer pressured them into it-haha! Or maybe it was the other way around, I don't know, but we are all going and we are all excited about it!!

Zoe is doing MUCH better-we have found, after MUCH ado, that she seems to be either lactose intolerant or allergic to the Similac brand of formula and it was causing reflux. The reflux was then causing irritation to her trachea and inducing an asthmatic response. So, after her MOM tried changing her formula because she was at her wit's end with getting no answers, we have a MUCH happier baby AND mama and daddy in our house!! I sat down with my regular doc and told him our formula experiments and what seemed to have happened but how that didn't seem to make sense but it was working, and it was as if a light bulb went on for him and he was able to explain the WHY of what was happening and we were both so happy! I love our family doctor, he is a great guy and very supportive. Now if we can just get the other bunch of docs she has seen to agree to take her off the TB meds that we are 99% sure she does not need then we will be in GREAT shape b/c well, let's just say those meds have some very unpleasant side effects for our little lady that involve a LOT of laundry. And Mommy is not a fan of 500 loads of laundry a week. AT. ALL. But thank you all so much for praying and continually checking in on our littlest Thing-we are so blessed to have so many folks who care about our family whether we have met you in person or online--God is good to bring His family together!!

We cannot wait to introduce our Zoe to the ocean and the sand and pool-I giggled as I pulled out the tiny bathing suits today and pictured her chubbo dark brown thighs in them-hee hee hee. Next time you hear from me, it will be with sand between my toes......