Poteet Strawberry Festival and Allergic Reaction

This is our 4th year in Texas, and our FIRST time to the Annual Poteet Strawberry Festival. Hard to believe, I know. The first year I don't think we knew about it. The second year, I was in the hospital. The third year, we were planning to go, I had even dressed Abigail up as a little strawberry, but instead we got invited down to the beach to watch the Blue Angels, which was awesome. So this year, we made it. Friday they have free admission and free parking, which is beyond amazing! I planned all day to make it happen. I made calzones we could eat in the car on the way down, I left the house early enough to stop at Jamba Juice to get the party started right, and even left a little earlier Just IN case traffic was bad. We got to Jeff's work to pick him up, and I let Abi eat and play in the grass outside while we waited. As we did this, her whole face and upper body broke out into a terrible rash, and she started itching and fussing. I turned into a huge worrywart and after Jeff came out as much I wanted to get on the road, we went to see the on site Nurse Practitioner at his work, who seemed stumped and a little concerned and gave us some children's benadryl. And we were on our way. 

We spent the first good hour and a half right at the place we entered. There was this children's section with bubbles, and music, and a petting zoo, and a sand box,  and these twirly things the kids could dance around with.

First Abi twirled it around.

Then she stuck in her mouth, and was convinced that was it's best use.

Papa tried instructing her in the correct use

Then Mama tried. No dice. 

Onto the petting zoo, where they had goats, donkeys, pigs, kangaroos, Llamas, and a couple other animals all in together.

With her itchy rash and the Benadryl, Abi was not at her best this night. Thank goodness for her thumb.

But Mama can still make her smile. In fact, all she wanted was me to hold her and carry her. She doesn't quite understand I'm already carrying a child. She just thinks my growing belly makes a nice cushion for her to ride on.

Look at the camera? Papa, I'd rather climb the fence. At least the goat knew to smile for the camera.

All these animals all in there together mixed with dirt and hay made Jeff's allergies go crazy.

Then we watched a crazy circus. The Fearless Flores Circus. It was really crazy. Abi hated it. She knew what they were doing was dangerous, and she would burst into tears at all of the tense moments. Sweet girl. Then we went and watched monkey race around a track on dogs. Not even kidding. Thank goodness Jeff took the pictures to prove it.

Then we finally let Abi do what she would have done for hours if we had let her. Play in this massive sandbox. She did this for probably twenty minutes, and it was her happiest time of the whole night, except for when a lady gave her a free dum dum. 

Look Mom, Sand!!!

Oh, it got in my eye.

Try Again!

Look at all this Sand!

Jeff and I tried for a couple picture while Abi was playing in the sand:

First Try. 

We tried for more festival scenery background, then I said, "Let's take one where I don't look so tired." and Jeff said, "I'll try and make my neck not look so wierd."

Final try! Much better.

Meanwhile, Abi is still loving life in the sandpit. I try for a cute close up.

"Abi, what are you playing with?" Trying to get her to look up at me and answer.

She looks up for one split  second:  "Dirt, Mama" she says. I think this might have been her first experience with actual sand. She usually just has dirt to work with. We need to get this girl to the beach!

And this is how it went everytime we tried for the stroller, or had Jeff try to carry her. Mama got a good  walk around the huge grounds with a 25 weight in her arms, and who knows how much extra weight inside her body.

 The festival was huge and amazing, and full of vendors and over priced food, and strange people. We did see a few families from our ward, which was cool. We tried some delicious Strawberry Shortcake, and Abi finished off our cake and said "More" and then wandered off in search for more Strawberry shortcake. I followed her, but she walked quite a way thinking she was by herself in order to get herself some more strawberry shortcake. There were live endangered birds at an exhibit. It was quite amazing.

 We stopped at a vendor selling these pillowcase dresses for little girls, and the lady said she has sewn over 20,000 dresses (or something, I can't quite remember) and that most of them go to Africa or Russia to girls that don't have clothes or pretty dresses. Jeff loves to support good causes, and so we bought a cute dress, pictures at the end of this post. We left the festival at around 9:00, thoroughly happy and exhausted, without going on any carnival rides. Maybe next year Abi will be in better spirits, and not be in the middle of a huge mystery allergy attack. All things considered, we had a fabulous time, and Abi did great in the car, falling asleep on the way home.

She learned a new word this weekend:  Itchy

Close ups of her sad rash. All over her face, even under her hair, and down her neck, back, arms, and chest. 

Below is Abi on Sunday in her cute new dress. After 24 hours of Benadryl every 6  hours her rash was very mild. After 3 more days of hydrocortizone, it is nearly gone. She just has a bumpy (but not red face). All that is left is her scratch marks from the worst days.  She goes to the Dr. tomorrow for a follow up. I think that is was caused by something she ate, but I'm not sure. At first I thought dairy, so we have tried to limit her dairy, but it is hard, and today I let her have some dairy and nothing happened. So I really am clueless as to what cause it. So I am skeptical that the Dr.'s will know, seeing as I am with her 24 hours a day and am in charge of what she eats. But we will see.