I just got some pictures from my sister in law of the kids down in Newport. I just love the classic 'Cousins in the bathtub' picture!

So Macy surprised me the other day as the three of us were playing outside.
"Mommy guess what" she said, "Carter is my best friend".
It surprised me to hear her use a term like this because we haven't ever really talked about 'best friends' as far as I can recall, but these days she pulls out so many random sayings and concepts I guess don't know why I even flinched. But none the less by the time I had gathered up my puddle of a heart out of the grass and turned to tell her just how happy that made me to hear her say that... she was already off chasing Carter down the side walk again.

I am doing my best to foster a friendship between these two sweet hearts and every once in awhile I let myself get hopeful that maybe, just maybe they will beat the odds of sibling rivalry and actually find a way to LIKE eachother throughout their childhood. I know it's not likely and I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but they enjoy eachother so much right now! The way they laugh at eachother in their side by side car seats, or stand still in frozen hugs patting eachothers backs while anyone watching encourages them with "ahh's" and "how sweet's"; the way they work tirelessly filling up Macy's grocery cart with pretend food and moving it from room to room to...bathtub... well, I would recomend everyone have children 20 months apart! However, I know my parents, having my brother and I just 23 months apart, would probably have given a slightly different recommendation during our teenage years. **ahem, sorry mom and dad**

I really don't know what the secret is to these families that have kids who grow up confiding in eachother and remaining 'bestest buds' all the way through, all I know is that I'm praying my heart out and every chance I get I let Macy know how much Carter likes her. As he gets older I'll tell Carter too, over and over; because one thing I know, there's nothing better than feeling like someone actually LIKES who you are, and you generally end up liking them right back, just because of it.

Who knows what the dreaded teenage years will hold, but for now...these two are shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with.

I thought Macy was going to be the performer of the family but lately Mr. Carter is giving her a run for her money. With the introduction of all his new words he is just blowing up with personality. I can't believe how much the boy can say and he's just like his sister was...willing to parrot ANY word you ask him to (although he'll choose when he's in the mood to perform thank you very much) :-)

So I know a bunch of you Bako friends have been bugging me to see pictures of our house but well, it just feels a little weird posting random pictures of JUST a house...I was trying to hold out to get some of you up here to see it yourself but I figure it's taking so long now, you're really leaving me no choice :-)

Well it was for the grandkids atleast... We had a Gross family vacation in Newport back in Sept and Im just getting around to posting but here are the kiddos enjoying the sand!

So... while on vacation with my family my parents cooked some amazing meals; complete with an array of deliciously prepared meat - expect nothing less when you're on vacation with the Gross'. One night my dad made steak, almost immediatley after the first bite Macy begins to complain and cough.
Now being the incredibly horrible mother that I am... I didn't believe her. Please don't call CPS yet, I know it sounds cruel but we had only had problems with frozen or sketchy meat before, not fresh yummy steaks. I thought she just had it in her mind that it would make her sick and being the stunnigly clever 2 yr old she is, figured she could get out of eating dinner by 'faking' a reaction'. So.. I made her eat more... (Okay maybe you do have grounds to turn me in... but please don't.)
Well, she totally reacted again, the whole gamut of crying and gagging and coughing and rashes. Eventually she was okay again, but that was definitely the last straw cuz seriously; there was NOTHING on that meat. We decided we needed to figure out what the deal was with this and soon!
I scheduled an appointment as soon as we got home and told the pediatrician there was no other option but a blood allergy test to determine what was going on... so they scheduled it and I took her in. Macy was very brave by the way. She watched the man in front of her get stuck with the needle and she looks at me very calm and curious.
"Mommy, is that man getting a shot?"
"Um...yeah it's kinda like a shot."
"Am I going to get a shot?"
"Yeah honey, the lady needs to give you one too to see why Papa's meat made you feel yucky."
Macy sits and ponders, eyeing the man. And then after a long moment...
"Hmm, okay. Then I will be brave."
The nurse behind the counter lets out an audible sigh, "Oh thank you lord." she laughs.
So no tears and a fistful of stickers later we skip out of Kaiser and make our way home to wait for the results...

Well Dr. Bowman called me on Monday with them and since I know you've all been on the edge of your seat since I last posted the allergy question, I figured I'd share.
Was it some strange perservative? Some crazy combination of hormone or feed they'd given the cows? Something complicated at all?! Um...no. My daughter is allergic to Pork and Beef. AND mildly allergic to Chicken, Onions and Sesame seeds.
Are you kidding me? Seriously I thought it was gonna be way more complex than that. And ... Are you kidding me? Could there be a worse extended family to be born into than mine if you're allergic to basically every kind of animal? I'm a little worried my father might disown her. :-)
But honestly, I feel terrible that it took us this long to figure out, looking back it's kinda like "Duh!", but everyone just kept telling us that they'd never heard of a child allergic to meat... well folks, meet Macy Grace.
So, I guess that's that, I have an allergy kid. Never would have thought it, but just so you all know from now on, if you ever happen to be with Macy during a meal time. No bacon burgers for her okay? What a healthy kid she'll be. Poor thing.