Noah

John and I are absolutely thrilled to report, Noah has pristine skin!
As I changed his diaper this morning, I looked at Noah with amazement. His skin was white, clean and smooth. I have never seen his skin so beautiful. I cried as I kissed his arms and his pudgy legs. I watched as I diapered him. He wasn’t digging or clawing at his skin. His eyes were bright and you could see joy in his face. Our baby boy, for the first time is comfortable.
The past fourteen months have been gut wrenching. It is hard to explain to those who have never seen Noah, the extent of his Eczema. Most people think it is red irritated skin, maybe on a few patches of the body and with proper medication will clear. This may be true for some, but not Noah. Noah’s Eczema was located all over his body. On good days he would have red, patchy skin. On bad days, he would have bloody shards of where skin used to be. Raw and tattered, what may have looked horrifying to some became the norm for us. According to his doctors, the Eczema on Noah’s body is the worst they have ever seen. We have tried scores of medications, body washes, lotions, ointments, detergents, steroids, antihistamines and diets to help treat him. All have failed, until now. It has been torturous to watch him suffer for the past year. We were reminded on our trips to Children’s for blood tests how fortunate we were; at least we weren’t battling cancer. For the most part, Noah’s temperament has been wonderful. Despite his appearance, he has always been a happy baby; quick to laugh, smile and hug. Today, his outside has caught up to his inside.
Unfortunately, Noah’s treatment is temporary. The medication we are using is not FDA approved for his age group and the potential side effects of long term use are unclear. For now, if only for a day, Noah is able to feel relief.

Sans TV - a Team Horn Experiment

For the few who still follow our blog, I thought we would keep you in the loop. We are going against the grain a bit and despite or inspite (can't figure out which) our sensibilities we are going TV free in our home. After much thought, discussion, prayer and more prayer we feel letting go of a luxury item such as this will be a good thing. The intent is to bring our close family even closer, to save money, read and move more in general. John's idea was to ditch the dish, but always the antagonist, I suggested that we just purge it all on a trial basis. So there you have it.
We are FREE from television. I feel liberated for now...for now.

Allergy Update - Noah

We know that good news travels fast ;) so some of you may have already heard about the results of Noah's allergy test. We are slowly coming to terms with the life changing results and we are collecting as much information as possible. While there are many foods he cannot have, we are ready to embrace the ones he can once we get past the mandatory liquid diet to flush his system. The liquid diet will last up to two weeks, in hopes to detox him from the allergens in his system and clear up his skin. We will then slowly introduce foods back into his diet and see if we notice any negative reactions to those he has previously tested negative for. All food he has shown an allergy to will need to be avoided until further notice. His food allergies so far:

Peanuts
Tree Nuts
Egg Whites
Milk & Dairy products
Wheat
Shell Fish
Mustard and Mustard Seed
Garlic
Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Pork

Some foods, if ingested, can cause anaphylactic shock. While Noah does have an Epi-Pen, we would like to avoid using it at all costs. Due to the extreme nature of the allergies and potential risks involved, if Noah and/or Eli are visiting we kindly ask no nuts be served. We understand this could pose an inconvenience, but we think it is totally worth it all things considered. If for some reason you are having a peanut party, or don't think this accommodation can be made, PLEASE inform us so we can send our regards from afar.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask or call. We would love to hear from you!

All our best,

John, Angie, Kameron, Elijah & Noah

Tolates - Toddler Pilates

After the boys interrupted my workout, they discovered how great Pilates can be! We call this Tolates (toddler pilates). Enjoy!

B-Ball

Elijah loves baseball. He has the gift for swinging a bat!

Eli's GOAL

We think Elijah is a natural when it comes to the beautiful game. We hope you enjoy the footage, along with Noah's commentary.

Bathrooms, Babies and Businesses....OH MY!

Can you believe summer is just around the corner?

Noah is 10 months old, and our big fella is THRIVING! Tipping the scales at an impressive 24lbs 6oz, our super sized WALKING babe is just as wonderful as ever. It is an absolute delight to watch the boys play. Eli loves his younger brother and it shows. The two are inseparable most times and much to my chagrin, they are double trouble.

Kameron is continuing to do very well in her daily lessons. We are looking forward to a day when we can have a reprieve from the routine, albeit brief, it will be much needed. She begins golf lessons the third week in June and we are very excited for the opportunity!

I am adjusting to life with a toilet in the middle of my bedroom. Although I would have chosen the living room as a good place to remodel, God had a different plan. Apparently the master bath was His first pick…God wins. This our first home improvement project, so we are approaching it with caution. Thankfully, we have our wonderful neighbor Kevin and his magic toolbox to walk us through each step. Slowly, but surely, it is coming together.

John, I am very proud to report, has been promoted to Supervisor at work…and unless you live under a rock…I am sure you have heard by now :) We are very proud of John and all he has accomplished so far.

I have been extremely busy! We are making a big push to promote Berry Fancy and Usborne Books. As it stands, they both have an enormous amount of potential and I am determined as ever to make them work.

Usborne has been an absolute treat. Not only do I provide families with the BEST children’s books, but I am also a literacy advocate. I have headed several reading campaigns at local schools and have 3 summer reading programs that I am running so far. It is a pleasure to watch my children pick up a book. Kameron is a book worm and she loves the internet linked books and many of the older series books for children 10+. Eli has an enormous vocabulary, and I believe it is related to not only the quantity of books he is exposed to, but the quality. We have a lot of things in the works for the following months and I can’t wait to see how it pans out! If you are curious about Usborne and would like to know more about the books and activities we have available, I would love to chat.

Cut Me Some Slack!

OK, so I haven’t been the best blogger…truth be told, Facebook just makes everything easier. BUT, since I am giving up Facebook for Lent (yes, I am addicted); I will keep the updates on the blog.
The kids are amazing! Honestly, I think they are the best. Noah is GROWING and my baby is suddenly not so babyish. At 7 months our guy is well over 20lbs, is the proud owner of 1 bottom tooth, is crawling all over the house and can feed himself “puffs” and bananas. He is starting to pull Eli down when Eli takes away a favorite toy, but mostly the boys get along famously. Eli is in a league all his own. I have never seen a toddler with as much personality. He is simply a star. He loves playing with Noah (especially in Noah’s bed) and wearing Kami’s very glamorous pink sunglasses. Kami is blossoming into a beautiful young lady. She is brilliant and creative and probably one of the kindest people I have met. I hope the t’ween years are good to her.
John is hard at work this tax season. The days are becoming longer, but we are a month down and two to go. There is light at the end of the tunnel. He, so I am told, brews a fine beer and on the weekends is increasingly popular with the man folk. He is also an incredible father. The second Eli hears the garage door go up, “heyo daddy!” and Kam adores him. Noah likes his quiet time with dad, and I think dad enjoys it too. John has also been staying with the kids as my businesses continue to grow. He has an uncanny ability to keep the kids calm while I am away, or at least keep the chaos contained.
Me, well, I have been a busy girl. Berry Fancy still continues to be a pleasant surprise. For a business that happened by accident, things have worked out rather well. I am working on a bridal campaign that I am hoping to push this Spring…I am using the word hoping…we will see. Usborne is also booming. I am on my road to supervisor, and hopefully that will afford me the opportunity to sit back for a minute. I have been booking home shows and book fairs left and right. In retail, too much business is a good problem to have, but problem none the less. That being said, I love to talk about my books. I believe we have the best on the market. I would love to tell you more…just ask ;)
So, I would say our start to 2009 has been a blessing. In an economic climate that isn’t doing very well, we seem to be doing OK.
Enjoy the pictures and video…I think it sums up the events in the new year.