Bath Time

It has always been a fight getting you to take a bath. You cried, and fussy a lot. As you got older, you struggled even more, scratched a lot, and cried hysterically when placed in your bath tub. Now with the support of the Scratch Me Not community (much appreciation to those ladies who had helped with this), I had learned to use the mittens during the bath time so Lina<3 does not break her skin with the scratching. Using a bath thermometer, to test the temperature of the water. Mommy uses extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in the bath, to help keep you skin smooth and moist. Using a lot of toys to distract you from scratching, and distract from the fact that you are taking a bath. Sure enough after two or three times, of bathing, it got easier, and hopefully more fun. You started to play with toys :)
You do not bathe every day, as it will dry up your skin too fast, which will be bad for your eczema symptoms. Bathing every two to three is enough and does not bathe for long, no more than ten minutes. Things are getting easier, if only you would stop the scratching!

Frantically Scratching, Allergic to Eggs?

Today had been a nightmare, from 11:30am to 1pm. It has been non stop scratching. If Mommy was not holding your hands, (even though you had Scratch Me Not Mittens on) you scratched.
After your nap, you were scratching you a storm. At first, Mommy thought that it was because you had pooped but after cleaning you up, you were still scratching. It was so crazy, watching you scratching, and seeing that you how uncomfortable you were in your own skin. You probably knew how extremely difficult it was to moisturize you and put your diaper back on. Ahh, I am sorry Mommy can not do more to help you. Seeing you scratch in a frenzy (even after the diaper change), Mommy decided to wash you up with Cetaphil Restordam Body Wash. Yet it did not make you feel better nor did it make you stop scratching. You were still going crazy with the scratching, Mommy went crazy with the "stop scratching", "ahh", "stop!!" and tried to distract you as much as possible when trying to moisturize you after the bath. Mommy had you aired out your body after the bath, in hopes of trying to make you feel better and less itchy. Nope, you had scratched so much that your skin on your thighs and diaper area were beet red, inflamed, irritated, bumpy, and hot! Mommy put ice on those areas hoping to make it feel better, and it did for a little while before you started scratching again. On your skin, hydrocortisone cream (1%), unpetroleum jelly (an organic petroleum jelly like) and Cetaphil Restordam Body lotion were applied.
Mommy was wondering what was the cause of all this sudden scratching. Ah-ha you had tried some tiny bits of eggs earlier (hormone free eggs), could that be the reason for all the scratching?  Not sure of the reason but you were still scratching. After the bath, and diaper changed, Mommy hoped that putting you in the play area, it would distract you from all the scratching, but it did not. Mommy kept your mittens on but you still scratched. The way you scratched is scary, you not only scratch but you pinched, grabbed a chunk of skin and pull which sounded painful especially as you pulled your skin. Your feet even helped you scratch, scratched your legs, while your hands scratched your upper body, such coordination, lol
You even had a visitor (a cousin) stopped by and still it was not distracting enough. Scratched a lot. Took off your pants, hoping the cool air might help relieved your skin (with a visitor in the house too, lol). When that did not work well, Mommy applied baby cornstarch on your legs. It did distracted a little bit, you also warmed up to your cousin, and interacted and played with her. Daddy could not distract you from scratching, and could not make you stop scratching. Drinking water helped a little as well, you drank from Daddy's glass. All your toys were not enough to distract you from scratching either. After a visit from your cousin, Lina<3 and I went for a walk and that helped a lot. You did not scratch at all during the entire walk. When we got home, your scratching was a  minimum. I wish I could say that the scratching had stopped.
I think you are allergic to eggs, which lead to the frantic scratching, scratching lead to the raised bumps, redness on your skin, which made you even itchier.  This is the worst scratching/itchiness/allergic reaction ever. If you are allergic to eggs, it will be your third allergic reaction to foods (first, organic pear, second, organic yogurt).
Anyhow, Mommy changed your clothes three times during this ordeal, changed your crib sheet, disinfectant your crib, disinfectant your toys that stay on the crib.

Scratchy, Scratchy

These few days, the symptoms of Lina's<3 eczema has gotten worse. You have been scratching when you wake up, when you take a break from playing with your toys, when you are sitting on your potty chair, when your diaper is being change, when you take a shower, when you eat, when you are in Daddy's or Mommy's arms, and before you go to sleep. Scratched your head, scratched your neck, scratched your legs, thighs, ankles, your belly, basically everything! Scratch, scratch. GRRR, "no scratching", "stop scratching", "don't scratch", "please stop scratching", "stop!", those are the words I say to you whenever you are scratching, while taking your hands to distract you from scratching. Lina<3 need to use the Scratch Me Not mitten during the day more often instead of the regular bedtime usage.

Along with the scratching, your skin has become dry, red, and look irritated. Mommy moisturized you all day long. Of course, you get a wiped down with a damped cloth each time before applying moisturizer, that is about three to four times a day. When you are playful (and not scratching too much) during the process of moisturizing your body on Mommy's bed, you roll over and crawl really fast for the headboard so you can do a little dance, and pull yourself up, smile and giggle.

I hope the humidity passes soon, and the cool air comes back, because the humidity is what makes Lina's eczema symptoms worst, and make you scratch more. Lina<3 should not have to deal with this, you should be playing, smiling, laughing, saying "dada", learning new words to say (like "mama"), and having fun.

Terrible A.M.

Lina <3, you had a terrible night last night, early morning and this morning. You had been scratching non stop since the middle of the night. You spent the night in our bed and that did not make you sleep better. Up every hour, scratched, scratched, and did not fall back to sleep easily at all, starting after 12a.m. I even nursed you back to back, hoping you would sleep better but it did not help much. Daddy was up as well trying to soothe you by rubbing your head, massaging your belly and body. It was obvious that you are tired, yet you still wanted to play with Daddy and Mommy. Tried to make you understand that there is playtime and there is sleeping time by having Mommy not be playful with you when it is time to sleep. It is kind of cute when you wake up in the middle of the night and want to play, you would toss and turn and roll over, and bump into Mommy on one side and bump into Daddy on the other side. Daddy and I pretend to be asleep and not indulgence your playfulness when it is time to sleep.

The scratching and itchiness was intense int he middle of the night and this morning. Daddy and I felt so helpless and powerless when it comes to the itchiness that you get. Luckily, we have the Scratch Me Not Mittens which works wonders to stop you from drawing blood from all the scratching. You still scratch even with the mittens on. I constantly tell you "no scratching" as I removed your hand(s) from where you are scratching. Oh what to do, what to do, what to do? HELP!

After cleaning you up  and moisturizing you this morning, you were still scratching and itchy. So we washed you up again, moisturized you again, and changed your clothes, an hour later, which seemed to help a little. We played on Mommy's bed and you were happy, smiling, laughing, and mostly importantly, not scratching! After an hour of playing, you finally wanted to be nursed, and asleep you went and still sleeping for an hour now :) Sleep my baby, and let's have a good afternoon.

Itchy and Scratchy

Does anyone remember/know the cartoon show, The Simpsons, which usually shows the children watching the cartoon, Itchy and Scratchy? I hope so, but there's no blood, and no killing one another in this household.

However, there is a lot of scratching from my little baby :(  The symptoms of her eczema has come back, and it looks bad. My baby is scratching like there is no tomorrow the last few days. I am so glad that I gave her a mani/pedi (manicure and pedicure), so when she scratches she is not drawing any blood or making any marks. It is a little funny (and such a smart thing to do) that when she can not scratch with her hands, she uses her toes to scratch the other leg. It kills me that I can not help her, and ease her discomfort. I think she was scratching because she was itchy (she usually scratches more near bedtime, and naps; not from being itchy). With a nice bath this morning, has helped a bit, as well as distracting her with toys, and teethers. There are so much products, and remedies for eczema out there on the market, but I have yet to find something that works exceptionally well. Moisturize, moisturize, and moisture always helps. The itchiness is the tricky part because sometimes, it is hard to distinguish rather she is itchy or not.

 I hope that she will get past the scratching, and itchiness. Thank goodness for the Scratch Me Not Mittens. The mittens are amazing especially right before she fall asleep. Other than the scratching, and being itchy, my little baby had a okay day. She ate, slept, played, read, and listened to music.