Mike videoed Anna Kate on the way home from school showing off her letter “u” crafts! 

We are celebrating all things Rose this weekend!!!  She had the best party EVER last night, and we are so blessed by all our family and friends, including you guys, our blog community!  We’ve felt all of your thoughts and prayers for all of us these past few weeks!  Rose is really talking to us, sometimes she makes sense, and other times, it’s a string of gibberish, but she is very vocal, and we love it!  She always says “Please” and “Thank you” and “Okay Mommy” when I ask her to stop getting into trouble.  Doesn’t mean she’ll do it, but her little “Okay Mommy” makes a believer out of me!  Her eyes tell her story, and she has the sweetest disposition.  One of my favorite things she does is say “Mmm Mmm Mmm” out of pure enjoyment when she is eating something she likes.  She’s not saying it to anyone at all.  It’s just like chewing to her… it just happens.  She’s a go baby and always loves to be on the go.  She rarely sits in our laps to cuddle, but always comes in for a big ol hug with arms wide open when we ask for some baby lovin!  She’s fast, feisty, and lots of FUN!  Her favorite song is “Sweet sweet baby” and that’s how she got her nickname, sweet baby Rose!  She is our tiny bundle of spunk and joy!  God love her… He knows we do! 

I’m so totally behind on our pictures, so things are going to get all out of order!  The timing is definitely not going to be in chronological order, so I’m just going to post pictures from the last month at random… and you guys will just know ahead of time they are all mixed up! 

The owner of Ella Bella, Miss Kara, hosted a 12 year in business, red carpet event last week, and the girls got to model her amazing spring lines!

Phillipa, a real model, came to give the girls a few lessons before the show.  Noelle took every word she said to heart!

The girls were in heaven!  This night was so magical for them; seriously a dream come true for Noelle, and Anna Kate was all about it too!

In these pictures, she was teaching the girls to take deep breaths, shake out the jitters and keep their shoulders down.

Miss Kara with her little models!

My buddy and me!  Brylee got to model with the girls too, and they had so much fun experiencing this together!

My little fashionista in her zone!  All the accessories were chosen by Noelle from the new Ella Bella jewelry collection.

The girls love taking pictures!

Madison and Noelle became big buds this fall and had a blast hanging out again tonight!

Cheers to our first red carpet event and celebrating Ella Bella with Kara!!!  Lots of you guys email and ask me where I get the girls clothes.  Our cutest and most original clothes come from Ella Bella.  If you ever need a party dress, or just want something extra special, Kara will help you find the perfect outfit for your little princess.  We love shopping here… it’s always been my favorite girls clothing store (they have little boys too).  We’ve been shopping there for 7 years now, ever since I got my first boutique outfit from Ella Bella at my first baby shower for Noelle.  With three girls, buying nice clothes makes sense, because they can pass them down, and a single dress is used for three seasons.  Other brands just last one season and wear out.  The quality and service is second to none!  If you get on their email list, they have great coupons and specials, which you know I love!  This weekend, Valentine’s is 40% off and Easter is 20% off!  If you’re in the area, check it out.  When you walk in, you will be in little girl heaven.  Thanks for the most magical night of these girls’ lives, Ella Bella!

*Rose was home with pneumonia… so sad she didn’t get to make her modeling debut.  She would have walked the carpet in perfect baby Rose fashion.  We missed her so much tonight… and their adoring Daddy too who was home caring for our sick little love.

**Oh yes, we have videos… they are awesome and headed your way soon.  We were a little distracted this week, lol!

This is the send-off Anna Kate and I received on our way to an emergency appointment with the allergist this afternoon.  We are so blessed to have gotten in so soon, as under normal circumstances, the next available appointment was on 2/19.

Anna Kate is allergic to penicillin.  She had a reaction to the antibiotic she was on for her ear infections that we went to Urgent Care for on 1/27.  We are on a medicine regimen/schedule that will keep the outbreaks minimized so we won’t have any more scary days or nights.  The Cooks ER doctor thought she was allergic to almond milk, because we recently switched to that as a family, and he thought the rash looked like a food allergy, but we got confirmation today, she is not allergic to food.  We were directed to never give her penicillin again, and she should be good.  We are relieved.  Penicillin is way easier to stay away from that tree nuts; and just as relieved to have answers.  Her ears are still infected, so we will start a new antibiotic on Saturday that is penicillin-free that the Cooks ER doctor prescribed.

Noelle and Rose have been being great sisters, sharing the spotlight.  They have sacrificed time and attention and have been so understanding and loving toward Anna Kate.  Their hearts are so big for each other.  Noelle was really scared on Wednesday when she left for school and Anna Kate was being rushed to the emergency room.  Whew!  It was a tough week for all of us. 

Right now, Anna Kate’s outbreak isn’t 3D anymore and has settled down.  Her joints are still swollen but aren’t hurting.  She has mild itching and irritation but nothing as painful as last night.  She wanted to rip her skin off it was hurting so badly, and I’ve never been more defeated and sad as a mom.  I just took a deep breath after I wrote that last sentence.  We are in the clear.  We are good. 

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers, emails, texts and phone calls!  We are ready to celebrate!!!

Rose is turning 2 this weekend!!!  Can’t wait to end our 8 doctor’s appointments in 7 day streak and put them in the rearview mirror.  Baby Rose is turning TWO… WHAHOO! 

*Didn’t take any pics of Anna Kate today.  We just spent the day cuddling.  She still has her head-to-toe rash, but looks as sweet and precious as she can be.

The story is too traumatic for me to tell right now, and I need to go to bed, but more than that, I need prayers sent Anna Kate’s way.  We took her to the emergency room this morning because she was in anaphylactic shock from what we believe to be an allergy to almond milk.  After the morning in the ER, lots of strict advice, meds and instructions, we aren’t taking our eyes off of her for 72 hours, you can be sure of that!  Keeping her breathing is my top priority.  It’s sounds bad.  It was bad.  That’s all there is to it.  We had the worst morning of our lives as parents, and I will never ever forget the panicked drive to the hospital and the fight to keep Anna Kate with me! 

After we were discharged and the meds had kicked in, she got to make a mailbox for Valentine’s Day!

Noelle’s best friend, Bailey, has very bad allergies… the kind that are extremely dangerous, like what we are thinking is the road we are now traveling with Anna Kate.  You can’t understand the pain, the terror, unless your little one has been there.  I always felt such deep compassion, love and sadness for Amanda (Bailey’s mom), but today I get her in a whole new way.  She is my heart friend!!!  I couldn’t have made it through today without her.  And Bailey… Oh my goodness.  He’s Anna Kate’s hero now.  Who knew a 7 year old had this in him!  His heart is huge and his understanding is beyond his years.  He wanted to make this video for Anna Kate because he knows how scared she was today.  These little guys are all of our heroes!  I’m so proud of him for being so strong and turning something so very difficult into inspiration and hope for other frightened kids.  We love you, Bailey.  Thanks for making our day!!!

These pictures were taken tonight, 1 hour before her next dose of medicine.  She was already needing it more than words… I wanted to show you these pictures because it is legitimate.  She is suffering.  She is in real pain.  She needs comfort.  Thank God she’s asleep right now, so I could beg you all to pray for our girl.  Pictures tell a thousand words.  Her entire body looks just like this, even behind her ears, neck, up and down her arms and legs, everywhere.  And it hurts.  Itches like fire.

We are trying to flush everything out of Anna Kate’s body and are forcing fluids and foods we know she is not allergic to.  This break-out at 11PM was a nightmare and nearly sent me wanting to go back to the ER (which is not a fun place to be, you all know that).  We got her to sleep for the moment.  Waking up in 5 hours to check her breathing and symptoms, but of course, my pallet is right beside hers tonight.  Wouldn’t have it any other way.  Cutie Kate’s with me to stay!  We did it.  I’m proud.  We’re home and safe, and pray tomorrow holds healing.  Join me in prayer… you are our community.  Our family.  Our friends.  We need you right now to gather round our Anna Kate in spirit and lift her up to the most high, Creator God.  No child should have to suffer.  I’ll post an update as soon as I have one.  We’re trying to get her into the best allergist in the area… hopefully sooner than later.  She’s still in a lot of pain.  Thanks for caring and being there for our family.  This blog is my place of happiness and escape, but my girls are my happiness and escape, and this is all about them, so I’ve laid it out there for you guys to pray for comfort, answers, peace, and rest.

I’m going to start titling Anna Kate’s preschool pictures, “Paula’s Pictures” because she takes all of them, I always give her a shout out anyway and I want Anna Kate to remember how much fun she had in preschool through Mrs. Paula’s pictures!

Noelle and I went shopping one night last week for shoes for the Daddy/Daughter dance but somehow ended up in the dressing room having soo much fun!  I think I took around 30 pictures, all different poses like these.  She’s a total ham, and I’m so blessed to be her Mommy and friend!!!

Mike took Rose to the doctor this morning because her fever spiked last night, and she started pulling on her left ear.  Until then, we just thought she had a cold.  Turns out, she has an ear infection + pneumonia.  She’s on antibiotics and we’re giving her lots of fluids…  She’s really fussy and uncomfortable!  We’re going to be resting up this weekend and getting well!!!  Keep Rose in your thoughts and prayers.

For more up-to-date pictures of the PondFam5, follow me on the iPhone or Android app called Instagram.  It’s so much faster than blogging for me… by like a week.  I post more pictures on the blog, but I post my phone pictures more quickly on Instagram.  My username is melissapond.  (This picture is from this morning… I wanted to post it quickly so that everyone that reads this can be praying for a speedy recovery for our baby girl.  Thank you so much!)

We have been sick for over a week now… it’s no fun!

Rose has been sneaking around to put the entire roll of toilet paper in the toilet, I think 5 times now.  Last night it was wipes because we took all the rolls off the holders.  She has been getting spankings and time-outs at the same time for this, but she keeps doing it!  I used to have stoppers when Noelle was a baby, but she didn’t go anywhere near the rolls, so I got rid of them.  Didn’t have this problem with Anna Kate either.  She is such a hot mess!

Anna Kate had to go to Urgent Care last weekend… too many symptoms.  Turns out, she had a bad ear infection with puss pockets and everything (gross, I know)!  For the amount that she complained, you wouldn’t know it!  She is definitely our compliant child, even though she says the craziest things and makes us laugh constantly.  I never worry about Anna Kate when I’m doing dishes, etc… I cannot get anything done when Rose is awake because she loves to get into everything and is so sneaky.  She doesn’t mean any harm; she’s just curious and it’s a tough balance between discipline and grace.  We couldn’t live without her but whew!  We’re tired around here, in more ways than one!

The weather has been going nuts around here.  Rainy, sunny, hot, cold… last week, the winds blew in mountain cedar from the Hill Country and broke a record on the pollen charts.  My allergies have been going nuts!  I’m sure if you live around here, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  It’s crazy!  We’re trying to go with the flow, but the back and forth has been really extreme this year, even for Texas.

Ever since her field trip to the stock show, Anna Kate has been playing farmer.  Clever little girl, with her double pails, ready to head to the barn for milking, lol!  This picture was last Saturday, the day before her Urgent Care visit for an ear infection (she was a sick little girl, and yet, still smiling)!  She’s precious!