line, line, poke, poke

So Isabella underwent her prick-test. Let's say that she wasn't as accommodating as she was at 5 months old for her first one! She probably had twice the number of pricks but also she is older, stronger and has a better memory. When the poking was finally over, we waited for 15 mins...then tried to take her back into the room. Let's just say when we tried to get her through the door she took a couple of steps in and then it dawned on her that this was not a place that she wished to revisit! And promptly turned, said "go, go" and tried to push past the two of us. Of course you know and I know that all they wanted to do at this point was to look at the results and measure them with a ruler...but that was not on her mind.

So it turns out that my little darling is quite allergic to peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and cashew nuts. Is somewhat allergic to almonds, peas and celery root and had a slight reaction to apples and bananas...weird combo. But anyway...it seems that all the good nuts are out of the question for her. Strangely (and maybe for those who know something about nut allergies there might be a reason) she had no reaction at all to walnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, and coconut.

Grandma fun...

Grandma came for the weekend and lots of stuff happened. Bella got a hair cut...and got to make silly faces with Grandma while they did it. She got to eat some M&Ms from her M&M pirate to entertain her while her hair was cut. Surprisingly, at two and a few months, this was her first real haircut. Before it was just me waging a battle with her bangs...crookedly, of course. So she sat there nice and was very interested in the hair cut. For days afterwards she talk about her haircut. Bella also watched her set of YouTube videos with everyone. She watches some Sesame Street (she LOVES Elmo!) and some Pingu and some Mickey Mouse. I have added the links as these are her favourites and she could watch them aaaaaaall day long.

Isabella also got to go to HopLop again. She loves it there too. But I was able to take my Mom and Stephen there to help with Bella. She was sick but she had already been in the house for almost a week and needed to have some fun. She didn't last as long as she normally does but it was also packed...being Saturday morning and all. We didn't actually get to do half the things that we wanted to because she was sick (actually we found out that she had an ear infection later on and that was why she had had a low grade fever for so long--live and learn.) I have added some photos from another (more recent trip to HopLop) since I forgot my camera when Grandma was here. She now actually jumps on the trampoline...before she would just run across it: back and forth, back and forth. She is getting a little braver! She is also VERY smart...as you can see from her math skills. Actually, I just yell out the answer and she finds the number...but even that is advanced for her age I think...so we can brag about that!

January went by in a flash!

I have tried for many weeks to fit in an update for this blog and it just never has happened. Between us both working full-time, Taneli teaching some evenings per week, me starting this new correspondence Masters course and the round of sicknesses that have been happening lately, I am not really surprised that I have had a problem. And as usual, lots has happened and Bella grows and grows all the time. You would think that with this amazing amount of snow we have had in the past month plus the terribly cold January we have had, that I might have been able to find time but I just haven't.

We put together a gingerbread house kit. Albeit a little late. Isabella had a great time deciding which of the candies would go on the house and which would go in her mouth. She took great interested in where they went.



Taneli has also begun to teach Isabella to play chess. They are currently learning the names of the pieces. It is quite funny because when Taneli quizzes her about the names of the pieces, she usually said "horse, another horse, another horse..." because technically there are 4 horses in a game of chess. Often times, when they are playing, Isabella decides that the horses need a nap and she lays them down on the board and says "horsies are sleeping". Apparently, according to Taneli, that isn't part of the game. :-)

The next 4 photos are a sequence of the same day...in the morning we headed to the Travel exhibition that they hold once a year here in Helsinki. Isabella was at the Silja Line (ferry company) stand to meet one of the Moomis. But she wouldn't go closer than what you see in the photo. Then a little while later, Taneli gave her a chocolate from one of the stands...that induced some very big lips and difficulty swallowing (as well as puking)- the second photo is from the first aid station...not looking so hot. The third photo is after she woke up from her nap apparently fine until I saw her in the light! This photo doesn't look half as bad as reality. Apparently she suffered from a post-reaction reaction which was, of course, itchy all over her body. Then not long after, she was fine...having fun pretending to sleep on the living room floor.



























Not long ago we went to Marjut's place to visit and to see her and Katriina who had come to visit because it was her birthday. Bella took a shine to Marjut's roommates and chilled with them. She also took advantage of the party atmosphere and helped herself to the potato chips.