This is how he spends most of his days and nights- playing games on the ipad.

Someone on ITSAN mentioned these Chattanooga ice packs. I looked them up and bought a few on Amazon. One medium sized one fits perfectly on his legs.

He doesn't let us wrap his face often because I usually used to do it  damp in order to loosen up the crusts. This time I just did some dry bandages to dry up the ooze. He did let me clean around his eye area.   

He doesn't look so bad in this pic, because I had slathered Vaniply over his face and it loosened up crusts. I caught him before he started to ooze.

His 5th birthday party early this month.

Chance, my 2 yr old, likes the bandages. I usually put them on after a scratch fest and it calms him.

Chase's feet for the last month- weirdly the toes are unaffected

Chance's feet- his toes are affected

More pics of the kids today

we are trying to truck along and I want to take as many pics as possible because I want to look back someday and see how far we've come...

Chase has crusted ooze and raw cheeks, chin, upper lip and I guess pretty much whole face. I am very nervous putting this out there for all to see. But if it weren't for itsan folks, I wouldn't do it. I've seen others blogs and this is what prompted me to do this. I may not accept comments though, because I don't want to read about what I am not doing right by someone who does not understand exactly what I'm going through.
In these pics, the two yr old has a puffy face. His face is normally more slender and he's got eyelids..not like in these pics. The girl is my only daughter who has perfect skin. Thank God! Really, I feel heart palpitations as I write this. Its hard to look at these pics..even for me and I see him all day.

We were up watching Netflix in the middle of the night because of the scratching. Chance could not stop and was drawing blood. I keep checking his fingernails for fungus. Chase woke up an hour later and so I fell asleep sitting up on couch with the two kids slumped over beside me on the couch. Its almost night again and I hope to sleep a little bit better tonight. We will see.
I'm really beginning to realize that Chase's face skin is super thin. It crusts over...forms thin scabs and then at night he fiercely rubs his face on the sheets and everything comes off and he wakes up to a glossy, ooze covered raw face.
Itsan forums have helped me so much in dealing with this. I felt so alone and guilty for staying home so much. Now I'm trying to deal with things day by day and not try to wait for this to pass too quickly. I want it to, but I have to remember, so I won't get disappointed.

no change yet, but even though they look like this, they still play

They sleep but they scratch while sleeping and the little one breastfeeds still. I know its one of the only things that comforts him when he is crazy itching.
He just turned 2. Chase will turn 5 by the end of this month.
Heres some pics...
All of these taken today July 8, 2014

Im soooo tired and I just want to post these photos to share.
Hi Itsan Family...here is my 4th child. He is 4 1/2 yrs old.

This is Chase when we were using topical steroids, mainly protopic

This is Chase since we stopped steroids and protopic and this is what he looked like every time we would stop a 7 day course of steroids or Protopic

This is him today, and above was last week 5/28/14

This is Chance my 5th child.

He has dry skin all around and he scratches his legs fiercely.

His face is dry but not anywhere near as much as his brother's.

He is almost 2 and he is still breastfed. I don't eat dairy and try to limit wheat.

I asked hubby to build the kiddos a teepee. That was an interesting Sunday. Hubby builds lots of things for me, but we never envision similar final products, so he ends up having to change things a lot. (maybe I'm a bit difficult...heeheehee)

Anyway, here is my daughter Summer, posing in front of it along with her brother Chase, who ran into the picture just as I was snapping the pic.  These two really keep me on my toes!!
(You could see the 1 yr old jumping on the couch in the background.)

Cloth Diapers, Green Living and Baby Wearing

I have a post count of about 1000 on diaperswappers. Have you heard of it? Crazy cloth diapering mamas that shun disposable diapers. Heehee. Naaah... I don't have a problem with disposables all that much. I do love cloth diapering though, and I do feel like I'm making less garbage.

Zabi Rainbow Prefolds

 Motherease Sandy's

 Happy Hempy's

 Bumware Extreme (I use these mainly for when Daddy changes or Grandma changes cause they're soo easy)  They work just like a disposable with velcro.

 Blueberry Diapers I used on my daughter when she was a baby. SO adorable!

 The challenge of getting super clean white insides is an obsession and fun when you're cloth diapering. Fresh clean smelling diapers. Aaaaaah, what fun!

mei tai obsession started with the birth of our girl in 2008

Blue bird eggs last year 

Intex pool fun

Just three of the kids...the baby is missing from these pics and so is my oldest who was up in the barn playing his XBOX or reading. He really does love both equally  :)

Bluebird house Summer 2013

3 little bluebird eggs!

sand next to the pool

old pic of Daddy with Summer

We also did EC with Summer (elimination communication when she was born)

As a result she potty trained at 18 months!!!

Disney trip 

Mr Bubbles diaper I sold on diaperswappers

Bluebird house this year and in the corner, our Home Depot pvc pond that isnt in the ground anymore.
We removed it to build our mini barn and dh never dug another hole to put it in. Its soo much work to do alone though. We have that NC hard clay soil~
There are also beautiful huge water lilies in the pond that grow bigger year after year. The tadpoles take shelter underneath the water lilies.

One of my gazillion baby carriers

Some natural products that I use

Charlies Soap cleaner and laundry soap, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Baking Soda, Soap Nuts for laundry, Weleda Skin Products, Mustela baby care products, Earth Mama Angel Baby , Lavender Essential Oil, Plain ole Vinegar, Calendula, Lots of homemade little 1 oz tins from Etsy because I really dont have the time to make them myself with my five kids. I applaud the other natural mamas with five plus kiddos who make their own laundry soap and creams and balms~ Some day, I'll do it too~

Grapefruit Seed Extract for cleaning and colds~

SOAP NUTS

 California Baby was loved before they changed their formula, but this spritzer helps me wake up. I like the scent!!

 There is a company called Cal Bens that makes cleaning products without harsh chemicals. Even gentler than popular Seventh Generation stuff and Method. Check them out. This is what I switched to after my son's battle with severe facial and body eczema. I use this soap for dishes and body and it lasts forever.