Two weeks of rain has given us a gloriously green and luscious...

...bag of grass?

Hmmm...guess we waited a bit too long to seed our side yard. I will entitle this photo "procrastination."

Seeds aren't the only thing growing around here. Since I last blogged (way way long time ago, so it seems) Kaitlin has officially graduated kindergarten. She is already telling me that she's a 1st grader. In this photo you can see the class marching around us and singing. I was getting a little nervous by their fifth time around...

So, Moms, I need your suggestions of things to do with this non-stop action little girl over the summer. Any favorite crafts or activities that I can get her involved in with two 2-year-olds in tow?

Yes, that's right, two 2-years-olds. While I was busy not blogging, D.J. turned 2!

Stuffing his face with "pissa," his new favorite food, at his party.

Between the playground and trampoline, our backyard is a haven for small children. D.J., Wyatt and our friend Jamin LOVED the trampoline. I'm not sure you can tell in this picture, but the trampoline has a safety net. =)

You can tell that the family's rendition of "Happy Birthday" was especially moving by the way it brought D.J. to tears.

D.J.'s Jeep cake. Yes, I'm aware that it looks like a Hummer, but don't tell him that.

Okay, he may have hated the singing, but he loved blowing out his candle. We had to relight it four or five times so that he could keep blowing it out.

Several have asked about D.J. lately as he has been having some "health" issues. Truth is, other than having Doug and I as parents, we can't be totally certain than anything is actually wrong. Let's just call it "mommy intuition." Here's the scoop:

When D.J. was a few months old, he got a bad virus with severe diarrhea and a very high fever (almost to 105 - yikes!). For a month after the fever went away, we were still dealing with the diarrhea. Of course, with an infant, there's really no such thing as solid poo so we didn't think too much of it.

Since then, D.J. has been diagnosed with eczema and asthma (both very mild cases). He also has a tendency to get weird reactions to who knows what and break out in weird rashes or hives.

Over the past several months, the diarrhea issue has gotten much worse. About eight months ago we put him on a lactose free diet hoping that it would help, but it hasn't. We've discussed it with the doctor multiple times, but every time we hear, "I think he just has a virus."

Not only does he have chronic diarrhea, but it literally eats through his skin. Within minutes of having a bowel movement, his will be bleeding. Perhaps it just seems so much worse now that he can talk. Eight to ten times a day I get, "Mommy, me 'tinky. Me bum owie." It is the most pitiful thing ever.

I finally decided enough was enough. I took him to the doctor (who decided he had a virus) and asked that we test him for allergies. His allergy tests came back negative, but apparently my demanding made the doc look at D.J.'s symptoms a little more seriously.

Here's what he told me:

We all have enzymes that digest the protein in our foods. Most of us eat, the food gets digested and then it sits in our colons for 12-24 hours before being excreted. A lot of the enzymes are neutralized during this period. However, with the frequency with which D.J. is pooping, we can assume that food is going right through him. These enzymes are not getting neutralize and once he poops, they are basically "digesting" his skin.

Ow.

So we have been referred to a Pediatric G.I. specialist which we will be visiting on the 17th. We have to find out why everything is going through his system so quickly. At this point it could be anything from Chrons (which we seriously doubt because he's right on target for weight) to just a paranoid mommy.

We'll keep you up-to-date, but, in the meantime, you can pray with me that he will be easily potty trained. At least that way nothing will be on his skin long enough to eat it!