September 2005~ We're One...Oh how Fun!

[jo&sean]

Congrats Brink! How exciting to have everyone home together. We look forward to some photos when you get a spare minute.

Wildcat - You went to that resort for $600 pp??? WOOWWW! Do you mind sharing the name of the resort again? We would like to go to Mexico later this year.

[wildcat]

brink - Congrat's on the girls being home!! I'm sure it's a wonderful feeling and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief!! I'm so very proud of you for holding it together so well for the last 9 months, you're an inspiration to all of us!

jo&sean - Yep! We were trying to go somewhere pretty cheap but nice (our only requirement was an all inclusive on the beach) and our time frame was flexible (we could go anytime in Oct/Nov). For the time frame that we went (left on Sunday came back on Thursday of this one particular week), there were awsome deals on all the resorts in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. We stayed at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya (the newest most luxurious). While the resort and service was wonderful, I wasn't too fond of the food...but I've heard that is the case with all inclusives in general. We booked through Orbitz.com and I just checked our cc statement and it was $669pp (included airfare/allinclusive hotel). In some of the other Riu resorts in Playa, we could have stayed for around $500pp (also much cheaper than their normal rates). We did go during hurricane season, so I'm sure that had something to do with it!

[Sandie78]

Wow, a lot to catch up on.

Wildcat Glad to hear Lauren's ears looked good, but that is a little scary about the CF test. Hopefully that will have good results.
Kay Zach's had blood drawn a couple times from his fingers. He hates it, but it's not too bad. Once when he had a weird rash he had to have blood taken from his arm. That was more traumatic, but it was okay.
Brink Congrats on the babies being home. You must have your hands really full!

Dentist Zach went to the dentist for the first time today. It went about as expected-badly, but it went pretty quick and the people were nice. It is a pediatric dentist so I'm sure they're used to it.
Blow up play land In the afternoon we went to a blow up playland. It's a huge place with a whole bunch of moon bounce things. Zach loved it, but by the end he was totally worn out. We probably won't go too often because it's a little pricey, but I might take him again.

[AlisonCO]

Brink - YEAH!!! I hope that you are enjoying your time as a family of 5!

wildcat - Glad to hear that L's ears are OK - I hope that the warm weather brings more healthy days for her.

cr8zy - I hope that A's head is OK - I also hope that she starts sleeping later.

Kay - C just had the finger prink at 9m to check her iron - no actual blood draws.

Sandie - You are brave to go to the dentist - I have been putting it off.

charm - I hear you on wanting warm weather - I am done with winter. Sorry to hear about your stresses - I hope that you get to go on that vacation soon!

Caitlin's new very annoying thing is that when she likes something, she wants to do it over and over and over.... Today at the library she found the drinking fountain and would not leave it. Then after lunch I think that she went down the slide over 100 times - great, but I have to help her up each time becasue the second step is too high for her to do by herself.

New pictures:

Caitlin brushing her teeth with the dogs - I think that right after I took this, she tried to brush the dogs teeth:)

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/awmckm/013107_04.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/awmckm/013107_03.jpg

Hiking and "rock climbing" this past weekend:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/awmckm/022107_29.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p242/awmckm/022107_10.jpg

[Kay2003]

solong, cr8zy, sandie - thanks for the info. on the blood test. When I read that you had all done it, it made me think I should stop being chicken and do it. But then I heard from others that their doctors didn't require it. So I wonder if it's unnecessary pain when he's a healthy eater and is generally healthy...

brink - happy homecoming! I can't imagine the sleep deprivation. I'm still getting up in the middle of the night for Kaito. The thought of doing that for 3 makes me ill. You are STRONG!!!

charmcity - I was stressed about what Kaito was eating fora while too. Then I read someplace that basically as long as you provide lots of types of foods, toddlers will eat what they need. I notice with Kaito that he won't eat meat for awhile, and then once in awhile he can't get enough of it. I'm with you on wanting to avoid cruises. Mainly because you hear about the norovirus and I think I'd feel kind of cooped up. The rooms aren't all that spacious either. I think I'd opt for just flying someplace and staying put.

alison - wow! She's brushing her teeth on her own already???

potty seats - Okay, I have to admit that you might have discussed this between 12/22 and when I logged on a few days ago and I'm still reading through all of the posts I missed (reading backwards), but for those of you who are potty training or who have older kids who are, what toilet contraption would you recommend? I was at Target and bought the Laugh and Learn toilet with all the bells and whistles. Thank goodness I didn't open it. Turnsout that when I read the reviews, the parents wrote in that the sensors are too sensitive and praise the child for going when the child hasn't at all. Thanks for any tips!

Okay, back to reading posts!

[charmcitygirl]

basically as long as you provide lots of types of foods, toddlers will eat what they need. I notice with Kaito that he won't eat meat for awhile, and then once in awhile he can't get enough of it.

see, that's the thing... he's only ever eaten meat if i've hidden it in his food. and even then, as soon as he spots it he stops. seriously, he subsides on fruit and bread and crackers. literally. that's all he ever eats. ever.

[randysmandy]

This weekend Hunter went on his first 4-wheeler!!! We rode around my grandmother's lake twice and all week he has been making rasberries (4-wheeling sounds) and wants me to show him the pictures.

Cape Cod:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l154/randysmandy/capecod1.jpg
4-Wheeling:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l154/randysmandy/DSC06887-1.jpg

Alison What a couple of cute kids you have! Burshing her teeth-go Caitlin!
brink Awesome that you are home....I really don't know how you are doing it Super Mommy but good job!
wildcat Good luck on all the testing :-) Can you hire a Nanny for that kind of money? My friend's nephew goes to daycare and he is CONSTANTLY sick. When he is on vacation from it he is fine. I don't know.

[wildcat]

Ok, I have to get this out there, it's eating me alive. One of my mom's friends had a grandaughter born a few weeks before Lauren. She is the cutest little thing ever. About a month ago, they noticed she'd been waking at night when she hadn't been before and she started losing her balance a lot. They took her in and the ped recommended an MRI and they found a brain tumor. She had brain surgery 2 weeks ago and they were not able to get it all. But she pulled through the surgery thank goodness. Pathology was sent to the Mayo Clinic and it came back as a primitive neuroectodermal tumor (or a PNET), fewer than 100 cases in the US. They then had to do a second brain surgery to put in a permanent tube of some sort to drain her brain (they'll have to have surgeries to lengthn it as she grows...goes from her brain to her stomach). Then they put in a Hickman line to deliver chemo. Then they did a spinal tap to see if it had spread and the results were bad, there's another tumor on her spine. They're doing super aggressive chemo that they started yesterday and are doing as much as her body can handle. She has paralasis on one side of her body, one eye she can't open, she can't walk. She doesn't have the strength to push a crayon hard enough to color, so she's using markers. Reading online tonight, the prognosis doesn't look good (it's worse the younger the patient, if it has spread, and if they can't remove it all...sounds as bad as a 20% chance of survival). They are working with the pediatric oncologists at St. Judes, but are considering going there for treatment. I just can't even imagine and am so very sad:(. I've been holding Lauren for even longer before bed and giving her extra hugs and kisses. Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.

brushing teeth - Lauren's been brushing her own teeth for several months...however, she doesn't do a great job so we "finish up" for her after she's done;).

Lovin all the pictures!! I really need to get some uploaded!

meat - Lauren hasn't touched meat since she was about 10 months old. She seriously won't even take one bite...if she even tastes it she spits it out and makes an awful face. Must be like her mommy, I don't care for meat either and don't eat much of it:p.

new things - Lauren knows her colors!! Last week she picked up her blue crayon and said "blue" and we were floored! Since then, she has also learned purple, yellow and will most of the time get red, green, and brown right! Her teachers at school tonight were all excited to tell me and I told them I knew (thank god, I knew something first for a change!) and they said they were shocked when she said the colors today during circle time. She's also able to count to 3 if we start with "oooonnnne"...it's just the rthym that she knows, but I'll take it! Her language is expanding at break neck speed...several new words everyday (a few this week include no, school, please) and will repeat (or attempt to!) any word we say. We also have 3 word sentences (I want more, where'd he go (usually asking about daddy or the dog) ). I absolutely LOVE this age! I feel like I actually have someone to talk to and have a conversation with now:).

Thanks so much for all the well wishes for Lauren, I truly appreciate having so much support from my september mommies! Oh - and the CF test is actually next Friday (I mixed up the date), so we should have results in a week and a half.

[Kay2003]

wildcat - that's such an awful story. My thoughts are with the family. I also know a friend of a friend whose daughter had a brain tumor. Doctors removed it and she is recovering (learning how to walk again). A colleague of my husband also had a boy who had cancer, went through chemo and is now doing fine. It's so scary that between us we know about these cases.

meat - I often try to hide it too, in rice or in pasta. Sometimes he still manages to spit the meat out. It must be the texture! As long as the babies are getting iron in some other way (doesn't spinach have iron?) isn't it okay??
There must be babies growing up vegetarian, not by toddler choice but by parent choice, right?

Kaito knows a few letters! So we have the leapfrog alphabet magnets. And Kaito had been handing me the K and saying "kh" (sound of k). I thought it was a coincidence, but then his grandma was over, and she asked him what the p said. he said "p" (sound of a p, just like the leapfrog magnet). He knows several letters, and that fridge toy taught him! I am amazed.

randysmandy - cute pics, especially the one of him on the 4 wheeler!

have to find new nanny - My nanny just gave notice. Her husband may have a recurrence of cancer and she has to get a full-time job with health benefits. I am so so sad. I actually teared up. She has been with Kaito since he was just a few months old. I hope we can find someone we can really trust.

[Sandie78]

Hey, I don't know who's in charge of this thread, but it looks like we're over 1000 posts. We should probably start a new one. :)

Randysmandy Cute pics!

Wildcat So sad about the little girl. I'll say a prayer for her.

[AlisonCO]

wildcat - Oh man, that is such a sad story. It is so much more real now that we have kids - the terrible things that can happen, sometimes it is too much for me to even think about! I will be thinking good thoughts for her and her family - I hope that they have a miracle! Way to go L for knowing some colors!!!

mandy - Cute! I love H in his helmet:)

Kay - potty seats - We had a very cheap plastic potty and it worked well. There is one brand that many people like, but I can't remember which one it is (go check out the potty training thread I know that it is mentioned in there.) I wanted one that was lightweight and easy to clean. We used it quite a bit in the beginning but when Aidan was around 2.75 we started just using the padded seat that sits in the big toilet. Caitlin just uses that now and I might just stick with that (unless when she really starts going on it alot she has a problem - sometimes kids have a problem going #2 when their feet are not touching the ground because they need to push a bit with their feet to work the muscles.)

meat - Neither of my kids are big meat eaters, but we only eat chicken twice a week so maybe they just haven't been exposed to it enough. I will admit that Cailtin really likes a cheeseburger from McD's occasionally:D - but Aidan will not eat anything with ground meat (chicken or turkey or soy crumbles).

[cr8zyforaf]

We are home bound- it is snowing like crazy.

wildcat - what a horrible story. My thoughts are with the family. I also had a friend who just lost her twins. Her water broke at 21 weeks - they were able to keep the babies alive for about 10 hours - it has been horrible. I sometimes forget how lucky I am.

meat - none here - I try to hide it, but she always finds it and spits it out. Not even chicken anymore. The doctor gave me some drops - vitamins and floride (we have well water) that I use - but not consistently).

grinding teeth - does anyone elses tod do this? Ash has really started to grind her teeth a lot and it is horrible - I worry that she is ruining her teeth.

DH and I went out on a date last night -we say Road Hogs which was cute and went to dinner. He is starting to press for baby #2..I am not ready. I told him we could revisit the topic when she turns two, no sooner.

[BeachBum]

Wildcat-I'm so sorry. That is just awful.
Brink-Glad the babies are home. How exciting.


Cute pics of Hunter.
Love the pic of Caitlin and the dogs and the one in the rock crevice. So cute

Meat-Henry loves it, and asks for it.

Colors-henry knows a few (green, yellow, and blue) but he can't say them. but if you ask "which one is the green car" he will point to the right one. He knows a few letters and their sounds, but gets them confused a lot. Anytime he sees letters while we are out (like on a stop sign or billboard etc) he makes the "h" sound. Since his name is Henry "H" is the first sound/letter we talked about. It is so funny that his term for letters in general is "h".It took me a while to figure out what the heck he was talking about, b/c his language isn't that great. He still makes sounds for animals instead of calling them by name etc. I mean he tries and "talks" a ton but he has a hard time making the initial consinant sound--sock is "ock" shoe is "oo" etc.

Well I left Henry overnight for the first time this weekend. It was with DH, but it was still a big deal for me. We had a "girls weekend" with my college girlfriends. I only went for one night, I left after he woke up Sat morning and got home Sun afternoon. Henry didn't nap at all while I was gone. :( But DH was great-he was totally supportive and encouraging of me going. A couple of my girlfriend's hubbies were giving them a hard time which made me appreciate how great DH is.
I have to say that I was a little sad Henry didn't seem to get excited when I came home. I mean he ran over and hugged me then went right back to what he was doing. He kind of shunned me for daddy all afternoon. If DH would leave the room Henry would whine and stand at the door for him etc. I'm glad they bonded, but it's like Henry forgot all about me or something. I was also sad because Henry went down the slide sitting up (rather than on his tummy) for the first time while I was gone. I mean we play at the park several times per week and he goes "big boy style" on the one time I'm not there! Not fair.

Well I hope everyone else had a great weekend.

[solongtogo]

My kid is 1.5 years old:eek: In six short months she'll be 2. Where has the time gone??

18 month stats
weight: 22 lbs, 6 oz
height: 32 inches

[charmcitygirl]

we had our 18m wbv yesterday... here's the stats:

j- 24 lbs, 32"
z- 21.5 lbs, 30"

wow, i can't believe that one of my kids is actually bigger than someone else kid here (hi solongtogo! ;) ) they've always been on the teensy side. but both of them gained 3 pounds in 3 months. i'm astounded because, as you all know, j hardly eats.

the doc gave me a referral for hearing tests for both kids since they still aren't talking. and she said she'd lay-off on the speech thing for now if the hearing tests come back normal. so we'll see where all of this goes.

nothing else new is happening here except for me getting older... threadmistress, can you change my age to 33 and dh to 35? thanks! (or if it's just easier to delete our ages and not update anymore, that's fine too.)

[randysmandy]

We bought a house!!!!! It came on the market Friday morning and we were the first to see it. We made an offer on the spot! It is so perfect I think it was actually built just for us. Sadly the owner is getting divored so the price was 20K less than it should have been listed at. but good for us. There's a little boy's room all ready for Hunter. it's 12 min from wher I live now....no more in-laws!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wildcat So sad to hear about your mom's friend's grand daughter. My cousin goes in for an MRI today...they think she has a tumor in her brain. She can't hear high pitches and that same eye is blurry..I'm SO SCARED. Please say some prayers for us as well.

Hunter's appointment tomorrow-let you know how he makes out.

[AlisonCO]

Yeah Mandy - that is wonderful news, congrats!!!

My kid is 1.5 years old In six short months she'll be 2. Where has the time gone??


I can't believe it either!

We are doing well - still working on some teeth. Caitlin's favorite new words are "umm, yeah", "oooh, yucky", "what's it say?" and "no, other". She also has a new funny thing that she does. When Aidan goes #2 he bends over so I can wipe his bottom, well now everytime Caitlin goes #2 (in her diaper) or we are even in the bathroom, she insists on bending over. She actually has a mini tantrum unless you pretend to wipe her.

[randysmandy]

Hunters 18 mnth Stats:

weight: 25lbs 12ounces (50%)
height: 33" (75%)

He screamed bloody murder as soon as we ntered the exam area. It was the worst visit yet!

[jo&sean]

We are back from vacation. It was so nice to be in the warm sun for a week! We came home to a blizzard and temps below 20. I want to go back!!

Wildcat - That is so scarry about the little girl you know. How sad for her and her family. Stories like that should make us all more thankful.

Randysmandy - Congrats on the house!

Such cute pics of all the babies!! Well, they really aren't babies anymore are they?!

Meat - Addison doesn't like meat either - she flat out refuses it. I am not a big meat eater anyways so it works ok for us.

Potty - While were gone Addison was very, very interested in the potty and would tell us when she had to go poop. Starting tomorrow, I am going to work with her on her potty throughout the day. We will see where it goes.

Grinding teeth - Addison was doing this but has subsided. It seemed like the more we asked or tried to get her to stop, the more she did it. So we just started to ignore her when she did do it and she stopped shortly after that.

I am so impressed with all the colors, numbers and letters! We are starting to see some recognition in those areas too. She has the leap frog magnets too and she LOVEESSS them. When we got home from vacation, they were the first things she went for. She spent well over a half hour playing with them. Every now and then she will say a letter and point but she is better at recognizing and saying color names right now.

Which reminds me that I need to come up with some better activities to do during the day. She is getting bored easier and I need to get motivated and find some fun and more educational activities to do. She just started being really interested in her giant lego blocks so we have been building a lot. What toys or activities are your DC's favorites right now? I need some new ideas!!

[charmcitygirl]

toys mega bloks (the giant legos) and stacking toys. nesting cups are big too. so is the rocking horse and radio flyer trike. lots of taking things out of boxes and putting them back. the hammer and peg wooden toy is another one that they like.

[wildcat]

We have Lauren's sweat chloride test for cystic fibrosis tomorrow. Hopefully we get the results soon and can stop getting asked by every dr. we see if we had genetic testing done for CF or if Lauren's been tested:rolleyes:.

new things - Lauren knows all her colors now! She says most of them but can definitely hand you the correct color for any one you ask for. I just love their little brains right now, they're such sponges! Well, we finally hit the word "no"...we hear that word about 10,000 times a day. But the cute thing is the way she says it, it's not forceful or mean, it's 2 syllables drug out in a cute tiny voice that sounds like "why in the world would you ask me that, of course I don't want to do that".:p

toys - OMG, crayons hands freaking down! I think Lauren spends 2 hours each night coloring (she calls coloring "yellow", haha)! Other than that, her bath crayons:D, her kitchen set and accessories get daily use, she loves her ball pit (and playing chase ending with her diving into her ball pit), her bouncing zebra, mommy's make-up, and reading books is still high on the list.

grinding teeth - Lauren does this now and then, and as jo&sean said, when we give her attention for it she laughs and does it more. When we ignore it she stops it.

randysmandy - Congrat's on the house!!! How exciting! I'm definitely adding your cousin to my prayers.

jo&sean - I'm jealous of a week in the sun!! Where did you guys go? I'm already planning our summer or fall vacation and am looking for ideas!

Thanks so much for all the well wishes for our family friends. The little girl is back at home because she wasn't doing well in the hospital (wouldn't eat, wasn't comfortable, etc...which we can all relate to!) and she's doing much better (and turned 18 months old today!). Please, please, please let the chemo work.

[randysmandy]

activities Hunter eats crayons and playdo LOL. He enjoys playing with his trucks and Legos, riding on his battery powered 4-wheeler and going outside. He just recently started playing pretend with his pots/pans.

Big boy bed We put a toddler bed in Hunter's room. He takes naps in it during the day and sleep in the crib at night. He used to wake up everynight at 10/11 and wouldn't stay in his crib. Since the bed he STTN and called out DUD when we wakes at 5am-then he snuggles with us til 6. When you ask him where his big boy bed is he grabs your hand, brings you in his room and screeches, pointing to his bed! I just LOVE it. I hope to move him into the new house in a bed and no crib. We may try and get him in his bed at night this weekend. He's getting so big I can't believe it.:(

Jo Welcome back to the cold. Good luck with the potty today! Just cheer Addy on and she'll do just fine.

It's sleeting today, but getting up to 50 tomorrow--packing is on the aggenda this weekend!!! YAY!

[randysmandy]

Wildcat GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!!!!!!

[cr8zyforaf]

wildcat - good luck tomorrow.

randy - congrats on the house - yeah for no more inlaws.

Thanks for the feedback on grinding teeth - I will just ignore it and hope it goes away.

I've been asked to attend a conference in Fl in June - and I want DH and Ash to come and hang out but worry that I will be so busy, I won't get to enjoy them or spend time with them. My hopes was to extend it into a vacation and go to Disney but I worry that DH won't be able to handle her 4 days in a row without me. So, I've got some thinking to do.

I also interviewed for a gov't job - which is what I really want. I want to go part time eventually and I think the gov't will be the best place for me. I have a feeling they are going to lowball me on salary - I will take a small cut - but nothing substantial which might be an issue.

Dh and are going out this weekend - to a surprise bday party. Kind of excited. Ash will be staying at home with MIL.

fav toys - fridge phonics, books, crayons, little people doll house, baby dolls..I would have to say baby dolls hands down - she is constantly feeding, rocking, changing, holding her babies. It is really cute!

Happy Friday to everyone.

[solongtogo]

fav toy crayons!! She loves to scribble...on paper, in the bathtub, on the refrigerator, on the walls, on the dishwasher, and on the kitchen floor. Thank God for the magic eraser.

I'm the anal parent that will save everything my kid does. I have a folder filled with her artwork.

[philnikki]

I haven't been around in awhile, but I caught up on a few pages, and I wanted to wish you the best of luck wildcat. Ava had the sweat test done last year when she was in the hospital and it came back fine. Good luck tomorrow!!!


Congratulations to Brink!!!!!!

[jo&sean]

Wildcat - Good luck with the test tomorrow! We actually went to Phoenix and Tucson - we loooove the desert and southwest so we usually go there at least once during the winter. THe Phoenix zoo is awesome - one of the best IMO and we had a ball with Addison there.

Randysmandy - THat is a great idea on how to transition to a big boy bed. I am going to suggest that to DH. Addison uses a little cot like bed to nap on at school and she LOVES it but I don't think she would do well on it at night. Thanks for the encouragment about the potty learning :)

I have a folder filled with her artwork
Me too!! It's fun to look back at her "work".

Thanks for the suggestions thus far on the activities/toys. Addison loves crayons too but is into eating them right now. She loves painting and playdoh too but we need some different types of activities. We haven't got her a kitchen or play dishes/pots/pans yet - that sounds like a great idea.

[wildcat]

Thanks for the well wishes girls! I was posting late last night, her test was actually today and she did great! It was really easy and we were in and out in an hour! We get the results first thing Monday.

[AlisonCO]

wildcat - I am SO glad that it went well and that you get the results so quickly!

fav toys - her ride-on dog toy, leapfrog letter and animal magnets, stacking cups, instruments, pushing her baby in her stroller and the kitchen (especially the food.)

[BeachBum]

Fave toys/activities:

Sand and water table on warm days, on cold days we play in the sink.
Little people/ scheilg animals sorting/counting/general pretend
Singing and dancing (kindermusik CD)
pop up/lift the flap books
cozy coupe car
sidewalk chalk (but not crayons)

[wildcat]

Lauren is negative for CF!! We had hoped and expected that was the case, but it's so wonderful to finally hear the news after being asked by so many dr's in the last 4 months! So, I imagine daycare is the culprit for all the colds/congestion so hopefully with the weather being warmer, she's on her way to being healthy!!

[hmbay]

wildcat--so happy to hear the CF results were negative. One of my BF just found out two of her 3 kids (1 and 7) were positive for CF. It's been very hard on their family.

[dbers]

Wildcat - Hooray! That is amazing news!!

[cr8zyforaf]

wildcat - fantastic news!!

[AlisonCO]

wildcat - YEAH! I am so happy that you guys don't have to worry and wonder about it anymore.

[Brink]

Wildcat - Yeah for the good news! Did you know that you and your husband were carriers of CF? I didn't realize I was until I got pregnant. Luckily my DH is not and therefore no chance for our kiddos to get it, but I remember how scared I was waiting for his results. So glad to hear everything was negative.

Life here is about what you would expect with a toddler and newborn twins. Aimee is still doing really well adjusting to her sisters. She has her own "baby" that she feeds when we are feeding the twins. She even turns her over and pounds on her back trying to burp her. Very cute.

[solongtogo]

great news wildcat!

[randysmandy]

wildcat
That is awesome!

We had our home inspection on Sunday and everything went great-well we have to rip up the bathroom floor and tub (water damage), but we have 2 baths so no biggy and the tub was gross anyways!
I can't wait until March 30th! Moving day!!!

[philnikki]

Congrats wildcat!! That is just great news!

[solongtogo]

Things are not good for Courtney right now. I suspect she has rotavirus. We just got results for a blood test she did an hour ago...she needs to go to the hospital for at least 24 hours. I'm packing my and her bags while she's napping, and off we go. Please keep her in your thoughts.

[Sandie78]

Things are not good for Courtney right now. I suspect she has rotavirus. We just got results for a blood test she did an hour ago...she needs to go to the hospital for at least 24 hours. I'm packing my and her bags while she's napping, and off we go. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Awww :(


Favorite Toys Not crayons. I've tried to get him to use them and he has no interest other than sticking them in his mouth. He likes balls, cars, trains, a few of his stuffed animals. He enjoys the bouncing Tigger that we have (especially since he figured out how to slam it on the floor to make it bounce) He loves tackling our ever-patient kitty. He enjoys Megablocks, and he loves pushing around his Megablocks wagon. And now that it's warming up outside again we'll be spending a lot of time outside. Just exploring outside is his favorite thing to do.

[dbers]

I'm so sorry - poor Courtney!! I will be thinking of you guys - hope she makes a quick recovery. Please keep us updated!

[AlisonCO]

Oh solong - poor C! I will be thinking of you all tonight and hoping that she recovers quickly!

mandy - Yeah for a good inspection!

[wildcat]

solong - I'm so sorry!! My thoughts and prayers go out to Courtney, I hope she gets better really soon!!

randysmandy - Congrat's on the good inspection!!

brink - I'm so glad things are going good with all 3 girls. Aimee just sounds like a complete doll immitating mommy! As far as CF goes, I have no idea if DH or I are carriers of CF, we didn't have any genetic testing done, it was just a suspicion by Lauren's dr's that she may have it and they wanted to rule it out.

Lauren is getting over a cold she got this week, but I'm happy to say that it's been MUCH better than they've been all winter. Not sure if it's the warmer weather or the fact that we've kept her 100% off cheese, ice cream, chocolate again (we'd let her have a little and we were back to diaper rashes and coughing). Whatever the reason, I'm glad this cold has been better!

[cr8zyforaf]

Lisa and Court - I will be thinking of you guys!! Please keep us posted.

Brink - Glad to hear things are going well!

Mandy - great news about the inspection! Can't wait to see pictures.

sandi - I love your aviator picture - what cute litte teeth!

We are all getting over a cold - Ash has a pretty bad cough. Pink eye is going around the daycare so I am praying we dodge that bullet. Now that Ash is over 18 months, I am thinking about putting her in gymnastics - right now we are at My Gym, but my SIL works at a pretty cool gym - I think A would enjoy it.

Other than that - not too much going on - Ashley has learned to march and tip toe - which she is constantly doing - it is pretty funny!

Happy Friday to all!

[charmcitygirl]

solongotgo hope c is feeling better!

[solongtogo]

We're home now...Courtney is doing much better after having an iv overnight. She was such a champ and I'm so proud of her.

[jo&sean]

Solong - So glad that Courtney is doing better. Poor thing.

Brink - Sounds like things are going pretty well - I can't even imagine how busy and tired you must be!
She even turns her over and pounds on her back trying to burp her. Very cute.

This made me laugh!

How did our little ones get to be 18 months?! Addison had her 18 month checkup today. She did pretty well considering her horrific visit to the dr. last time. We actually made the decision to change dr's because her "old" one was such an a@( last time. I am really glad we made the switch - the new dr. we saw today was awesome and spent 45 minutes with us! 45 minutes. She had two shots today and did awesome.

Her 18 month stats:
Height: 32 "
Weight: 26.5 lbs.
HC: 19 3/4

The weather has been really nice the past few days so we have been getting outside more. Addison loves anything to do with outside: dirt, rocks, plants, throwing the ball for the dogs...today she was helping me clean up the flower beds today. She even tried pushing the wheel barrow and was really mad that it wouldn't budge. :)

[AlisonCO]

solong - I am so glad that you are home and that C is recovering. It sounds like she did great!

So we had a rough last night - Cailtin woke up screaming around 11 and again at 1. Since neither kiddo has ever had an ear infection, I never think about it but I did this morning and unfortunately the ped's office is closed now. She is napping well but if it happens again tonight I might take her tomorrow to the weekend clinic. I just keep thinking that it must be teeth because she does not have a fever and she is not touching her ears, but I know that sometimes they don't show the classic signs.

I hope that you all are having a great weekend!

[BeachBum]

Hi guys.
Just checking in.
Things are good here. We have had fabulous weather (upper 70's and sunny) so we too have been outside lots.
We made the decision to overhaul our backyard, but the work hasn't begun yet. It will be a major upgrade and I want it done NOW! :) I so wish we had planned better so it would be able to be used all summer.

Henry has his 18 mo check up this week. I have a hard time believing my baby is totally gone. We are in all out toddler hood. He has screaming melt downs over nothing, and then is happily playing 2 min later.
He is trying so hard to talk--but we still have lots of non words that mean something to him. His favorite phrase is "uh-oh _____". I hear it a million times a day.
He is so much fun right now--but so much work too. I know you guys are feeling the same.

I hope that Courtney is feeling better. Rotovirus is nasty--and must have been very scary for Mama.

[AlisonCO]

He has screaming melt downs over nothing, and then is happily playing 2 min later.

Us too except Caitlin is apparently trying to win an Emmy because her dramatics go on for 20 minutes - not screaming, but the sighing, pouty face. Her WBV is Friday so I will update then - we are doing much better - 3 teeth down and several more to go. DST didn't effect us too much though she did sleep until almost 7:30am today.

Hope that you all are doing well!

[hmbay]

Alex's tantrums are not short lived either. The other day I took his toothbrush away after we were done brushing his teeth and I'd let him play with it a while and he literally laid on the floor and screamed the entire time it took me to put Colin's pj's on him, read him a bedtime story, hear his prayers and tuck him in. DH came upstairs to see why the heck he was screaming for so long--he thought I'd abandoned him or he'd hurt himself or something. :)

[randysmandy]

hmbay Sounds familiar.....
Tantrums are a daily thing around this house. he hits too-bad bad.
Hunter is going through his "I don't want to go to bed-EVER" stage. He was up til 10pm last night and slept til 6:30. He is however in his big boy bed full time :-) Not a hard transition for him at all. So in with the twin bed when we move.
Things are crazy around here-packing and trying to find room for the boxes. We are going full force this weekend cleaning up the attic.

beachbum I can't wait for 70 degrees. Good luck on the renovations-henry will be happy once he has a great place to run around.

Yes Toddler stages are WONDERFUL. Hunter understands everything-he knows what everything is and it is so cool to know just how much my little sponge is soaking up!

[cr8zyforaf]

We had Ash's well baby visit yesterday:

26 pounds - 75% (thank god she is starting to slow down)
32.5 inches long - 70%
49 inch head - 95% - she has a huge pumpkin.

tantrums - they were bad about a month ago - now, not so bad..I guess I am lucky - it seems like she tried testing her limits and once they were set, she is fine with it. I try to give her as much control over things I don't care about (which cup do you want, which shoes/coat do you want to wear) so that I can control the things that matter which seems to be working.

And, she is FINALLY sleeping with some consistency...I hope I am not jinxing myself.

This stage is by far my favorite - I love that she is becoming a little person with her own mind.

[solongtogo]

We had Ash's well baby visit yesterday:

26 pounds - 75% (thank god she is starting to slow down)
32.5 inches long - 70%
49 inch head - 95% - she has a huge pumpkin.




I've always called Courtney an olive on a toothpick. :D Her height and weight have always been in the 25th percentile, but her hc is always been in the 75th :D

[Sandie78]

Zach had his 18 month appointment too.

Height-34"
Weight-28.5 lbs

[wildcat]

Glad we're not alone in the tempertantrums:rolleyes:. Lauren's are usually short-lived too...but they're mostly over food...she is constantly wanting either a banana, cereal bar, or cookie. I swear that kid can eat her weight in banana's each day!

I'm loving all the stats! Lauren doesn't have her 18mo visit for several more weeks, but I can tell that she'll probably still be on the low end...she's around 22lbs and 29 inches. I think she's only grown 1 inch in 6 months! I wonder how much being sick all winter affected her growth if at all? Oh - and she's doing GREAT right now...I finally have my happy little, giggly girl back...and her complexion is much better. Thank goodness for 70 degree weather!

Here's a few recent pics, see if you notice a theme!

Hanging out with her banana:
http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070314/normal_IMG_7457.jpg

This is her "smiling" (how she smiles for the camera when you ask) with her banana:
http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070314/normal_IMG_7529.jpg

Still waking up, leaving for daycare, with her banana:
http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070314/normal_IMG_7537.jpg

I just love this pic:
http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070314/normal_IMG_7520.jpg

Mommy and Lauren doing what she LOVES to do, "woawoah" which in her language means color!
http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070314/normal_IMG_7517.jpg

[Kay2003]

wildcat - yay for no CF! And cute pictures of L.

randy - congrats on the house!

tantrums - count us in on tantrums. Kaito's latest tantrums are when he doesn't get to do what he wants, like go up and down the stairs again, or go outside, or go inside his friend's house. He cries and stomps his feet. cr8zy - I haven't done any reading on tantrums, but when I read your post about testing limits, I wondered....What do you do when they throw a tantrum? I try to distract at this point but know that that won't work for very long.

solong glad to hear you're back from the hospital. scary.

favorite activities - definitely fridge phonics, flipping through books with flaps, stacking wooden pieces and messing the stacked wooden pieces up, sitting on his tricycle, pushing his stroller in the park, stepping down from one stair to the ground, pushing around his trucks and cars, pressing buttons which play music. I hadn't even tried bringing out the crayons so I'm glad many of you mentioned crayons. I'll have to get some.

interviewing nannies - things have been pretty stressful in the last few weeks. I've been all teary-eyed because Kaito's nanny's last day of work was last Friday. She had been with Kaito since two months old. We have found one replacement who will work two days a week and are still interviewing for the other two days. It's scary interviewing all over again. I mean, these are our precious babies, and we have to find someone we trust. And I also get sad thinking about how Kaito is going to react when I leave him alone with the new nannies. So far we have had one "training" day where I hang out with Kaito and one of the new nannies. Our former nanny knew Kaito so well because she had watched him for so long. SIGH.

[cr8zyforaf]

Thank goodness her tantrums have mostly been at home - some have happened at daycare- daycare - I remove from the situation - usually she screams when I pick her up.

At home - I totally ignore her - to the point of leaving the room.

Oh, and her vajayjay is her new best friend...it is awful and I am so not ready for this but she touches it constantly and even puts things down there.

kay - sorry about the nanny - I am sure it is a tough situation.

wildcat - great pictures. Lauren is so adorable. How is she feeling these days? I am so jealous of her ponytails!!

lisa - olive on a toothpick - I love it!!

[Sandie78]

Zach had a tantrum at the library last week. That was fun :rolleyes: Luckily it doesn't happen to often.

Here's what happened when we gave Zach (defrosted) frozen mixed berries with dinner:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/423235010_d1bdfb9d0a.jpg?v=0

[AlisonCO]

We just got back from Caitlin's WCV and the consensus is that she is healthy, happy, developmentally right on track, petite and fiesty:D . As the doc was looking in her ears she said done, no thank you and then finally screamed NO! She is 31 inches and 21 pounds, 11 ounces - she encouraged us to continue to put butter and olive oil on her food but not to be concerned becasue she is growing and very obviously just going to be petite. She has all 4 molars and her eye teeth are on their way in - after this she has just a couple more regular teeth and then the 2 year molars. She did get one shot today but she is all caught up (we spread them out) so no more shots until before kindergarten!

Sandie - Cute pic, gosh he looks so big and long!

wildcat - Oh she is just so cute - I too love and are jealous of the pigtails:)

Have a great weekend!!!

[Brink]

Ok - mommy has to brag about how smart my little girl is. We were at dinner tonight and when Aimee is done with something on her plate, she will hold up the item and say "all gone". So, she ate some of her meatloaf and then said all gone. So I put the plate aside and she was eating other things. She went through "all gone" with each thing on her plate but was still signing for "more". I knew she wanted fruit, it's her treat after dinner. So I put a piece of meatloaf back on her plate and told her that if she ate one more piece, she could have her fruit. She said "no" and we went back and forth with me repeating it multiple times. My DH thought I was crazy and there was no way she understood the concept of eating one more bite before getting the good stuff. Even though I was tempted to give up, I didn't and after about 5-6 times of saying it, she put this look on her face and picked up the meatloaf and ate it. As soon as she did, she said fruit. She knew exactly what I meant and she did it!!!!! It is so fun to see them grow.......

[charmcitygirl]

i am totally entrenched in poop and vomit... z's been sick for a few days and the vomiting started this morning. j's poop is suspiciously looking like z's did a few days ago. argh! dh is in vegas (f*cker!) and i'm here in vomit city. mom is coming to help tomorrow and hopefully i can get them to the doc on monday.

i'm off to relax for a bit now that they are sleeping... i'll check in later.

[Kay2003]

charmcity - That's terrible. I hope all the vomiting stops and that you'll get some rest. Taking care of one baby (two I can't imagine) is hard enough on your own without a baby being sick. Sending get well wishes and stop-the-vomit wishes to you.

[hmbay]

charmcity--I'm sorry. We had that run through our house a few months ago and it sucked. I can't imagine doing it all alone. Hope they get better soon.

[charmcitygirl]

well things went from bad to worse... luckily my mom was able to come and help. z threw up her pedialyte this morning so i called the after-hours line to get some input on whether or not i should take her to the hospital since she was risking becoming dehydrated. in the end, i decided not to and she seemed to get better throughout the day. j, on the other hand, is getting sicker. he's got a low fever and was pretty lethargic throughout the day. both slept alot and neither really ate much. it was hard trying to feed them too since z needs to be on a restrictive diet so i had to make sure she never saw j eat or drink milk. otherwise it was an all-out tantrum to have what he was having. he really hardly ate at all anyways so i'm kinda just giving them the same things now.

in addition to all of this, wither i'm getting sick or i'm seriously over-tired. i'm super-sleepy and very achey. dh will be home late tonight and mom is coming in the morning to help out again.

gotta run, i hear crying.

[cr8zyforaf]

charm - I hope the kiddos feel better soon. I hope you are not getting sick!

[wildcat]

charm - Oh my goodness! Hopefully the worst is over and you aren't getting sick. Maybe DH can give you a break for awhile and let you rest!! Hang in there!

[AlisonCO]

charmcity - I am so sorry to hear about your sick kiddos - I hope that they are better today and that you do not get sick. Your DH owes you big time:)

Brink - That is cute - both of my kids get fruit for dessert too and Caitlin knows it and tries to be done sooner so that she can have the fruit.

Happy Monday!

[jo&sean]

Charm - Hope your little ones are feeling better!

Brink - Cute story about Aimee :)

Speaking of food - is anyone else having difficulty getting their DC to eat?? My good little eater has decided to all of a sudden not like it. I have been trying new things & old favorites with not much luck. I know she won't starve herself but today she hardly ate anything. I need to come up with some new food ideas I guess....

I came down with another cold so it was a pretty boring, miserable day for us.

[hmbay]

jo&sean--oh good lord yes. He used to eat better than his 3 yo brother and now I'm lucky if I get 10 bites in him all day. Seriously. It's frustrating because if he's still hungry h won't sleep (he's had sleep issues since day 1 and still not STTN at 18 months) so him not eating is NOT acceptable to me.

[cr8zyforaf]

food issues - yup....she won't eat a thing some days - I think it is a control issue for us - she knows I want her to do something, so she doesn't. My doctor told me not to worry, that is was normal, she won't starve herself..but I still end up caving and offering her something I KNOW she will eat (past pick ups, goldfish, craisins, cheese) after she refuses meat, veggies, etc.

And I noticed, she will eat much better for EVERYONE else but me. DH gave her salad the other day and she ate almost an entire bowl..I tried and she turned her nose up at me.

[wildcat]

food issues - Lauren used to eat everything I put in front of her. That ended a long time ago and she's pretty picky. She'll eat any fruit I give her and then there's staples I know she'll eat, but forget about any kind of meat. She actually eats quite a bit throughout the day, but honestly, I think she eats more for snacks than she does for meals. She's definitely a grazer. She'd prefer to have a little snack every hour than to sit down to 3 big meals. That's the opposite of DH and I, but I figure at least she's eating.:rolleyes:

[hmbay]

I wish Alex had a "staple" he'd eat other than milk. There is nothing. Usually cheese but even that he will turn down on a regular basis.

[cr8zyforaf]

even snacky type stuff? Ashley loves goldfish - that is the last thing I pull out in my bag of tricks. Today, there was one laying on the floor board of the car and she saw it and screamed until I gave it to her - yes, I let her her a stale goldfish off of the floor - it wasn't worth the fit.

here are some recent pictures:

Ashley at the park

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd03b3127cce822ee29aeb3100000016109IZt3Lho0o

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd03b3127cce822ee2996a0200000016109IZt3Lho0o

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd03b3127cce822ee286eb2d00000016109IZt3Lho0o

And here is what happens when mommy is fixing dinner and it gets REALLY quiet (you can see the dog, her partner in crime, watching her..when both of them disappear, real trouble is brewing):

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7dd03b3127cce822ee292eb3900000015109IZt3Lho0o

[charmcitygirl]

thanks so much for all your well wishes.

i did end up getting sick with the stomach flu and it was awful. i'm mostly over it but i still have a pretty nasty rash. my mom got sick too so mil has been helping for the past 2 days. it is really a sick house here. i just finished wiping down all the surfaces on the first floor and am working on my 3rd load of laundry for the day. trying to get back into the swing of things.

z is better but i'm still restricting milk until all the diarrhea goes away. j is still pretty bad. he's very lethargic and we were getting really worried that he was getting dehydrated last night. i woke him up every hour to feed him water through a dropper. how pathetic is that? and even then, he was fighting me. he is just refusing to drink anything. his throat must be pretty raw. finally he drank a few ounces this morning and a few more after breakfast. i think he'll sleep most of the day like he did yesterday. i've been in touch with the head nurse at the ped. office and she said this thing is infecting families twice so i am seriously hoping that doesn't happen to us.

food issues food has always been an issue here once we were past the puree stage. since then, they've been quite picky and really eat the same few things day in, day out. fruit and waffles or raisin bread for breakfast is the only staple.

cr8zy: we cross-posted... pffft! my kids are always eating crap from the floor. whatever. worse things could happen. (and i can't see your pics)

[wildcat]

hmbay - Our staples also start with Goldfish! She LOVES those things, including the pretzel ones. Most of our "staples" are snacks as I said before, but here's what Lauren is almost gauranteed to eat:
goldfish (really, any kind of cracker)
cheerios
puffs
cereal bars
fruit snacks
fruit of any kind
most veggies but especially avocado
sweets (hehe..she's got mommy's sweet tooth! we generally give her things like animal crackers, gerber cookies, etc)
popcycles (not nutritious, but when she's sick it's good)
cereal
jello
bread
soynut butter

Cheese used to be on there, but bc of taking her off milk, there's really only 1 kind of soy cheese we've found that she'll eat, and sometimes she will and sometimes she won't. I REALLY wish she could have regular cheese! You'll notice that there is NO meat on that list, and really, no "main meal". Even when she could have dairy, she wouldn't even eat mac n cheese...I thought all kids loved that? FWIW, at daycare, she gobbles up their "main meals" but will NEVER eat them at home. Oh well.

[AlisonCO]

Caitlin does pretty well but definetely prefers to graze all day - it will take her 90 minutes to finish a snack. I think that it helps that Aidan is generally a good eater (for a 3.5yo) and Caitlin has to do EVERYTHING that he does. He will eat a couple of bites of everything so Caitlin watches and then does too. Neither of my kids are meat eaters either - my ped said that is completely normal (it is usually a texture thing or the fact that it is hard to chew) and that kids get plenty of protein from dairy. Caitlin's staples are fruit and sandwiches - she loves to carry and eat sandwiches so I can sneak some good stuff in those. She loves steamed veggies (broccoli, asparagus) with butter and parm cheese and if all else fails she will always eat a bowl of cherrios with blueberries or banana or drink a smoothie.

charmcity - so glad that you all are on the mend. I can't imagine getting a stomach bug twice in a row!!

cr8zy - So cute - is her hair getting darker and curlier? It is so pretty, but I thought that she was more of a blond.

Ok here is a question - are there any teeth in between the eye teeth and the 1st molars? Cailtin now has all 4 1st molars and the last 2 eye teeth are coming in - I just need to know if this is almost over.:confused: until the 2 year molars?

Otherwise we are doing well - enjoying the nice weather. Caitlin has such a ball outside - she gets absolutely soaked and filthy between the water table and sand box.

[solongtogo]

Alison: after the eye teeth come the 2 year molars, and then you're done! Courts working her eye teeth too....ped warned me that those teeth are quite painful for the little ones to get in.

[AlisonCO]

Thanks solong! I couldn't get Aidan to open his mouth wide enough for me to see if there were any teeth in between:p C has the two bottom eye teeth left - I hope that we make it! I also hope that she waits until she is 2 to do the last molars - we need a break. Last night she tossed and turned all night and is cranky and tired today (me too!)

Happy Friday!!!

[randysmandy]

Foods Hunter doesn't eat too much before he throws his hands up-AL DONE. He likes to graze on fruits, graham crackers and applesauce. He also likes his cheese, crackers, waffles, anything really.

Somethin's been bothering me and maybe Brink or HMBay can help me out hte most...I think I'm pregnant. :eek:
I noticed the other night my stomach was swollen and my jeans fit tighter. I have not gained any weight. I haven't missed a period-as a matter of fact I just ended it last week and it lasted its normal 7 days. I have been super gassy and I feel like there is something "there" in my belly. I was naucious for about 4 days straight, but am fine now. I have not had to pee more and my bb's aren't sore.
I'm either pregnant or something else is wrong.
I remember packing up in the attic (crouched down) for an hour Sunday then I ate corned beef...that night I was naucious, gassy and my stomach was swollen and my back hurt.....HELP-NEED ADVICE. I coincidentally have my annual this afternoon, but I can't wait--what symptoms do you girls remember early on????

[hmbay]

randysmandy--my main early symptoms on pg 2 and 3 were tiredness, bitchiness (sorry but true), bloating, gassy, heartburn. I didn't really get sore bb's with any pg but my first and my m/s never hit until weeks 6-8. FWIW this time around I was on the pill and started AF on the 21st and my first sugar pill wasn't until the 24th and I got pg that first month off which seemed weird to me that AF started early while on the pill. I actually think the pill wasn't working for me this time around (dr put me on something new to try).

[Brink]

randysmandy - wow, would it be a good thing? I had sore bb's with Aimee but not with the twins. Given they were twins, I had way more m/s but not right away. The normal bloating and not fitting into my clothes was also there. But, when I took my pg test, I had no idea and NO symptoms of being pg, it all came later. Can't wait to hear if you are.....keep us posted.

[randysmandy]

It wouldn't be a big deal but I am a MOH in my BF's wedding. 2/6 of her bridesmaids are pregnant already!!!! I would feel terrible. I also wanted to paint the new house and be in there for at least a year before another baby. But it's all in God's plan :-)

[BeachBum]

Hi Guys.
First off love the pics of Lauren and Zach! So cute!! I couldn't see Ashley's pics. :(

Charm--OMG that sounds awful. I am so sorry!!!! Yikes I hope everyone is on the mend.

Food
We go round and round here too. Henry loves strong flavors, but has texture issues. So annoying!
He hasn't quite mastered the sandwich yet; I have to hold it for him. I'd love to hear what you put in them Alison.
My kid is into dips. It is all about plain yogurt with dill! He is also a fruit "oot" lover. I know what you mean about the sweet tooth, wildcat.

We've had nice weather here too and have been playing outside a ton. We bike down and have coffee with daddy several times a week. We spend lots of time looking for bugs and watering the flowers in our yard. I really can't wait until our backyard is overhauled.

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the "love and logic" book. His behavior is so trying sometimes. He has been hitting me, and just being totally defiant. AAAKKK! I was shopping this week and he ran away under the clothing rack. I felt so embarrassed and like everyone was judging me. It's hard, because I know I was asking a lot of him by shopping in the first place. (We have an hour drive to the mall). But I can't stop shopping for the next few years either.

We had his 18 mo pics taken last night. I can't wait to get them. Our photographer is so patient. She chased him all over the park to catch him in action. I couldn't imagine trying to do studio pics right now!

How exciting, Mandy. I thought I was preggo a few weeks ago, but it was just a stomach bug. :D

[pixiecat]

Hi Ladies:
Sorry it's been forever! We are doing really well here, just busy busy! Lily is doing great at swim lessons and having good days at day care. Like the other kiddos, she has her "meltdown" moments, but I'm getting better at avoiding the situations that lead to them (no more going out to dinner for us!)

Mostly she is very happy and silly girl! Here are a couple of pictures:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/432064929_76f1036ac1.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/432064946_4eeb537be1.jpg?v=0

She is finally FINALLY sleeping through the night... we only had to wait 17 months :)

I hope everyone is doing well - especially all the pg moms and new (again!) moms. We're a ways away from joining you, but it's so fun to hear about how you are all doing. (Mandy, TEST and update us soon!)

[randysmandy]

NEGATIVE!!!! A bit of a scare, but it could be stress or something intestinal...I will see the doctor if it persists. I could be constipated the OB thinks. So I took a drink last night and seem to feel better. We've talked about alot of more personal things right?? :)
Have a great weekend...Lilly is such a cutie!

[cr8zyforaf]

The flu has hit our house - bad. DH is home with her now while I attend a meeting...and then I have to rush back home because DH's job is so much more important than my job. Today is a day where I hate him...he is so selfish and self-centered. He saw me roll my eyes at him - I was racing to get out of the house and he said 'wait, I have to go to the bathroom' and I rolled my eyes because I was already late and then he said 'just forget it, go to work...you should be so ashamed of yourself". F*cking pr*ck.

mandy - sorry you are constipated :).

pixi - lilly is adorable!! Nice kitchen!

beach- can't wait to see pictures. Yes, this is a very trying age.

Ashley can now climb in her crib and in and out of her highchair...I swear, the last week, she has just taken off - running and climbing every where.

[randysmandy]

cr8zyforafDamn those husbands sometimes. You know how I was complaining about constipation etc? Well, now DH is sick and H is running a fever. Apparently sicknesses are going around. Did I mention we are moving on Friday?

[jo&sean]

Cr8zy - So sorry about the flu and your DH being a prick. I would be totally ticked if my DH said anything like that to me. Men can be such morons sometimes.

Pixi - Lily is such a doll. What a little ham! By the way - I love your kitchen cabinets! That is the style I want in our new house but we are trying to decide on color and I really like that color. Looks good with the stainless too.


Mandy - What a weekend you had!

I am still trying to get over this nasty cold. Addison has it too but it doesn't seem to be as bad for her - just a lot of runny noses. If she sneezes, she runs to the tissue box and pulls out a couple and tries to wipe and blow her nose. She can't really "blow" her nose but she makes the noise with her mouth. It is pretty funny.

We are off to find an Easter dress today. Should be fun :)

[charmcitygirl]

wow, this bug is strong! dh, z and i are finally done with it, although z still has diarrhea and an awful diaper rash to boot. j is still chugging along but i think he's getting there. it's been a really tough week. lots of crying. even now. but we all went for a very long and beautiful walk yesterday since it was so nice out. clearly i need to bust out the spf because j and i got a bit sunburned.

thanks again for all your well wishes. we are hopefully at the end of this madness.

[AlisonCO]

mandy - It sounds like you are happy with the test result so yeah!

BB - I try to put something like whipped cream cheese or butter on both side of the bread to keep in together, then I smoosh it down and cut it into 1/4's or strips for Caitlin to hold. I put all of the normal stuff in - deli meat, cheese, thinly sliced cucumber and tomato, nut butter and fruit spread/banana. C loves dip too - I use plain yogurt or sour cream and add herbs.

cr8zy - I am so sorry that your DH was such an ass today - you totally do not deserve that kind of treatment.

pixie - Adorable!!!

jo - Hope that you all are on the road to healthy - how did the shopping go?

charmcity - Wow, that was a terrible and long bug - I hope that you all are on the road to healthy too!

We are doing well - still teething and still having restless sleeping. This weekend we took both kids on a hike and they did so well - Caitlin did alot of walking. I figure if we did 1 mile, she did 3 since her legs are so short:) She is really talking like crazy and starting to put together more 2 and 3 word "sentences".

[BeachBum]

I just had to share this funny story. My birthday (the big 30) was this weekend. (My husband threw me an awesome surprise party that included 60 people on 2 trolleys blowing party horns outside my window but that's another story). :D
I was eating cake for breakfast the next day and Henry came over and wanted some. DH put a little frosting on his fork and shared it with Henry, saying "frosting". Henry ate it, said yummy, and started signing more "frog"---like "FROGsting" I thought that was the most adorable thing ever!

[solongtogo]

Courtney can't catch a break. Not three weeks ago she had to go to the hospital for dehydration from rotavirus, and today she has spent throwing up.

[Kay2003]

to all the sick babies and mommies - sending you get well soon vibes!!

eating - Kaito basically wants to try everything that is on our plates. He's not convinced that what is on his plate is on our plates. I'm also having some food issues. His appetite has gone down, it seems like. Things he will eat without fail: applesauce, cheerios, bread, sticky rice, broccoli (just the tips), asparagus (just the tips), baby rice crackers, pasta elbows or mac 'n cheese.
I've been making cheese/meat sandwiches and placing them in the microwave for 20 seconds to melt the cheese. That keeps the meat in and then he sometimes eats it.

cr8zy - geez. I hope your DH apologized for that comment. You totally didn't need to hear that on your way out when you've been doing so so much. Makes me want to use the same phrase to him when he's on the way out.... but I know that would not be taking the high road.

beachbum - happy belated birthday! two trolleys??? Sounds fun.

spoiling an issue??? - My DH is concerned that when Kaito wants something, I immediately go and get it, or when he fusses, I immediately try to figure out what's wrong. e.g., at dinner, he starts fussing, pointing, wanting something, and I immediately get up and try to figure out what it is he wants. Kaito just turned 18 months. Do we need to be concerned about spoiling at this age? My MIL said that Kaito only acts like that in front of me, not in front of her. I don't think she meant anything more by it, but of course I read into it, like she's trying to tell me not to everything he wants. What are your thoughts on this? Do you just let your babies fuss when they want something??

[cr8zyforaf]

Lisa - I am so sorry about Court...I hope she feels better soon and that you guys can enjoy your vacation time.

spoiling - eh, I wouldn't worry too much. I am a bit hard on Ash - I cannot stand whining and grunting...so I just ignore her or tell her to stop, which she usually does. The grunting - if she doesn't use her words or signs, I tell her that I cannot understand her. I can’t stand the grunting and pointing – especially when she usually wants something she knows how to communicate (food, water, milk, to be held, book, change diaper). She also acts MUCH different for me than she does with DH or my mom…she knows how to push my buttons and she is constantly doing it.

Ashley is finally better - apparently the stomach bug ripped through the entire daycare and all babies, except a handful, were sick. Come on spring..I am sick of colds, runny noses, and coughing.

DH did apologize when I got home (the ashamed comment was more for me rolling my eyes at him, not that I was going to work) but I told him he needs to step it up - he has no idea what it is like to juggle all the things that I do and work a full time, extremely demanding job. I understand that he is tired, but g*d D*mit, so am I.

Ash is back to not sleeping again - she was up at 4am for the day and then was a total grouch by the time we left the house for daycare.

[randysmandy]

solongtogo So sorry to hear about Courtney!!!! I hope she gets better soon...there is alot going around out there:

DH was up shaking the bed with a 102 fever last night. then Hunter woke up...his was 101! We gave him tylenol, but he was up from 11:30pm-2am. He watched a tape and ate a freeze pop. He actually went to the freezer himself and said Pop. His fever was at 99 this morning. I don't know if it is sickness or teeth since he cried when I brushed his teeth. I am PRAYING I stay healthy!!! I have SO much to do before we move. And so much to do once we are there.

getting their way Hunter cries at the top of his lungs and throws himself down when he can't get his way. He is someone who does not give up no matter what. Sometimes I can't help but let him have his way around bedtime since it has been such a stuggle for us. Other than that I have tried to ignore him, which does no good. Eventually he stops. He likes to hit too, but we have started the time out chair which does wonders.

sleeping Hunter goes to bed, but it never fails. He is up at 11:30 or 1am and WILL NOT FOR ANYTHING go back in his bed, he has to be in with us. We are either in for a change or he is going to get worse when we move :(

2 more days.....I will be offline for a while, but will let you know how the move went and how everyone is feeling!!

[wildcat]

cr8zyforaf - Wow, and your DH is still living? j/j of course. I really don't think sometimes when they open their mouths. My DH totally doesn't get how busy I am, either. He claims to, but he doesn't. I would love to leave town for about 2 weeks and let him do everything that I do all the time (her laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills, supplies to daycare, her hair each day, making all her meals, etc) and see if he has more appreciation for me when I came back. He's never been alone with her for more than one day while I'm at work and he's home with her while she's sick. However, he's gone out of town for work and play numerous times since she's been born and I've done everything he normally does (so what, bath and a few diaper changes?) plus everything I normally do and work. Sorry I don't have any advice and just ranted myself, but misery loves company, huh?:rolleyes:

sick babies - Spring has GOT to get here soon!!! I'm so sorry for all the sick babies, hang in there mommies! Lauren woke up with a snotty nose this morning, I'm hoping this cold passes as quickly as her last one did a few weeks ago.

spoiling - I also cannot STAND the whining/grunting/pointing (by Lauren or my DH:p) and I also ask her to use her words or signs. Normally she will and then depending on what it is (e.g., if she wants more peaches I'll give them to her, but if it's in the middle of dinner and she asks for a cookie I won't give it to her). Even when it's something I don't want her to have (cookies usually), I am totally guilty though of caving and giving into what she wants bc it's just eaiser, and I know I need to stop that. But there are definitely times I will do what she asks for and times I won't.

You may remember a story about a family friend I posted awhile back...they have a little girl also 18 months old that has a brain tumor. Well, she's had brain surgery and has been on maybe 6 weeks of chemo and she is having an MRI done as we speak to see if it working to shrink the remaining tumor (they couldn't get it all when they operated). She's lost so much weight from being nauseous and throwing up all the time from the chemo that they've had to put her on an IV for nutrition. She still has paralysis on one side of her body and can't walk or even sit up. She spends most of her days in her Bumbo or laying on her big stuff dogs. Say some prayers that the MRI goes well today. I'm so nervous.

[AlisonCO]

solong - Poor C, hope that she is better soon!

mandy - I hope that H and DH are better and that you don't get sick!!!

BB - That is too cute - frogsting:) Happy belated Birthday (mine is Monday but I already turned 30.)

cr8zy - I am glad that your DH apologized and I hope that he can step up and help out more.

wildcat - I hope that your friends get some good news today!

spoiling - I respond right away if she is sad, distressed, hurt or if she asks for something politely without prompting. If she is being a pain, saying mine etc I will ask her to ask politely and if she doesn't I ignore her. At this age they don't really understand "that was very nice asking but no I am not going to get that now" which I can do with Aidan. Alot of the time if it is going to prevent a huge tantrum I will generally respond. When she is fussing about not being able to do something I encourage her to keep trying.

My own minor DH rant - So my b-day is Monday and a couple of weeks ago he asked me what I want. I thought about it and told him that I wanted a cleaning service to come in and do a deep clean - all of the little things that I just don't have time for (baseboards, grout plus a really good scrub in the bathroom and kitchen.) I think that he asked me 3 times before he made the appt to have them come out and give an estimate. He said to me this morning "I am surprised that you would choose this as a b-day gift?" I am totally PMSing but his tone, I don't know, it just struck me as why would you need this. Again I think that it is just my mood today, but why does he care - shouldn't he just be happy and excited to be able to give me something that will be a big treat to me. I do 98% of the house work and we have a fairly big house so to be able to spend a whole weekend "off" from my 2nd job (cleaning the house) will be a treat - more so than jewelery or somethng like that right now.

Today was a crazy windy day - we often get those here in spring. Well Cailtin has spent most of the day pointing outside and saying "windy? windy? Oh No, Oh No!

[charmcitygirl]

solongtogo i really love your new avatar!

we went to the doctor this morning. they called this morning to follow up and when i told them j still has a rash, they told me to come in. what a freakin' nightmare. i had to wake him from his nap to go to the appt (only slot they had) and it was so miserable. when the doctor tried listening to his lungs, j tried to headbutt her. she freaked and thought he was trying to bite her. really, she freaked out. then she shot me a nasty look. i told her he wasn't trying to bite her, he just didn't want her to touch him.

why am i too freakin' lazy to get a new doctor? seriously.

dh and my anniversary was yesterday. we went on a real date. not just dinner. a date. it's been forever since we've done that so it was nice. what wasn't so nice was that he didn't get me a card. no flowers. nothing. we did agree to no presents but come on. i got over it but geez, does he have any idea how much planning it took for me just to get him a card?

i hear fighting. i'm off...

[solongtogo]

Thanks, it's from when she was in the hospital.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/iv2.jpg

picky picky!

[wildcat]

solongtogo - OMG, that pic is too cute! If I only had a $1 for everytime I saw Lauren's finger just like that everyday:p.

charm - You'd think a ped would be used to 1.5 year olds and their behaviour? Weird. Is everything ok with the rash? Sorry about the DH and no, he has no idea how many mountains you had to move to get a card bc it never occurred to him to even think about it.;)

alison - Wow, that sounds like a great gift to me! Caitlin is too cute!

Husbands - Seriously, is something in the water this week?? It's like stupid-husband week or something. Tonight we were walking home from the park with Lauren and our dog and he says "oh, I just found out today that I have a happy hour I HAVE to go to on Friday". He knows I HATE Friday happy hours. We used to go to them every single Friday before Lauren was born, but now I treasure them as family time and like the beginning of our weekend and allowing us to start reconnecting after a long week. There's been a LOT of happy hours lately (they've had a lot of layoffs so a lot of going away party's). I honestly don't mind what he does after 8:30 once Lauren's in bed, but from 5pm - 8:30, that's family time. Now and then I wouldn't mind, but it has been 2-3 times a month since Christmas. So, let's just say it didn't go well. I was so frustrated with it and he played the "you can't tell me what to do, you're not my boss, you always tell me I can go out and I knew you didn't mean it" cards. Why doesn't he get that once we had a family the happy hour life disappeared for the most part (I really don't mind one every few months, but a few every month I do mind)?? He said "you go out with the girls ALL THE TIME"....we go once a month, and due to our schedules, we've only gone 1 time since Christmas. And we go to dinner and talk (maybe 1 glass of wine) from 7-11, we don't go to drink, and it's the only time I get to see most of this group of girls, he sees work people more than he sees his family. He says I'm "stiffling his career" as now that he's a manager part of his role is socializing...I told him to do it during work hours, not during the very few hours of family time we have each week. Then he tried to say my daycare PTA meetings I am going to start going to count...I told him if he'd like to go in my place, that's fine. Then he tried to say a baby shower I have this weekend is my time away...let's see, it's my FIRST baby shower in a year, but I told him that's fine, I'll skip it (it's for an ex-coworker) if it's that important to him...but that's not what he wanted, he wanted me to say no so he could say it was fine for him to go on Friday. I just don't know what to do. Maybe men just don't have such a strong desire for family time as women do? I left my last job and took a job that was less demanding but also less room for growth, and I did this to my career for my family. But yet he can't limit his happy hours? I don't get it. One of my best friends has the same issue with her DH, so at least I know I'm not alone. The good news was after we "disagreed" I left for the gym and had a GREAT workout:p.

The update on the little girl is that there was a scheduling issue at the hospital and the MRI has been rescheduled for Monday. Keep saying your prayers!! She did have a hearing test today and she has completely lost all her hearing in one ear and they said it will not come back. She also has a loss of hearing in the other ear that has gotten worse since all of this started a few months ago. It's just so sad and I can't stop thinking about it. Watching it all through a blog with words and pictures is so awful, I can't imagine living it with your child. I know I would most likely have done the same thing they're doing, but I would be questioning myself about now as to whether putting her through all of this is the right thing to do, and of course there isn't a right answer. I cry for her and her parents everyday and say a zillion prayers and thank god for Lauren's health, I'll take asthma and ear tubes anyday.

[AndreaMMS]

Hey, everyone!

I feel like I haven't been on here for eons. I've cought up on the last few pages...the kiddos are SO CUTE!

First I'll whine:

Naomi has completely gone on a food strike too. There are many days where she'll only eat a few bites ALL DAY LONG. The doctor told me to put pediasure in her milk, as they were already worried about her being underweight.

We had a big scare last week- we were visiting my folks. Rich and I had gone to Las Vegas alone for two days while my parents watched her (soooo good to have some alone time!!!). She was fine while we were gone, but when we walked back in the door at 5PM she didn't look right. Her eyes were red and glassy, and there was some discharge. I figured pink-eye, and tried to get her an appontment with a local pediatrician, but they were closed for the day. No biggie- I've had pink-eye- just assumed we'd bring her in the next morning. We put her to bed at 8, and at 9 she woke up SCREAMING. I ran in and her eyelids had swollen to the size on ping pong balls and she couldn't open them, and couldn't see. Ran her to the ER- she had bacterial pink-eye (most cases are viral and mild) that had turned into a serious infection called Cellulitus. They gave her a shot of heavy-duty antibiotics, wheich she has to be on-along with eyedrops 4 times a dy- for 10 days. The nurse scared the cr*p out of us- told us that if she didn;t take her medicine her vision could be permenantly affected and/or the infection could spread to her brain. SHe looks fine now....

She has not slept through the night in about three weeks. It STINKS, and I've tried everything, including Ferber. Last night SUCKED. Rich kept me up with his snoring until midnight, and Naomi has basically been keeping me up since 2AM (it's 6:30 right now). I'm ready to send both of them to my Mother-in-law's for a week! I'm really hoping N. will take a nap soon so that I can get a few hours too, and be rested enough to concentrate on a paper I'm supposed to be writing for school. :mad:

The good news...

Her language development constantly surprises me. She is often speaking in full sentences: "I love you, Dah-Bah(grandma)." "I see the ball!"

She's a lot of fun to be around. Really enthusiastic and friendly and funny. If only she'd...ya know...eat and sleep!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wildcat- your friend's child is breaking my heart. I'll pray for her. Your husband...:rolleyes:

Cr8zy- Your husband too::rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[solongtogo]

Holy cow Andrea, I've never heard of pink eye being bacterial, so I'm glad you mentioned it, though I'm not happy it had to happen to Naomi :( Hope she does better soon :(

[wildcat]

andrea - OMG about the bacterial pink eye!! I guess at least the nurse explained the potential side effects, but jeesh, that's scary!! Naomi is such a smart little girl, I love hearing about her new words and now sentences!! (((HUGS))) about the little sleep...this too shall pass.

qotd - shoes - Is anyone else's DC extremely picky about their shoes and have a favorite pair?? I used to be able to put any shoes on Lauren and she didn't care. The ones she's worn the most in the last few months have been this pair of SeeKaiRuns:

http://www.zappos.com/images/724/7242789/1733-263355-d.jpg

and now it's the ONLY pair she'll wear! My mom and I have bought her a few pairs for summer (we're still buying/exchanging because she's between a size 4 and 5 and we can't figure out which is better!) and everytime I put some on her, she says "all done, off, off!!" and sits down and rips them off. She actually left a pair of sandals on today for all of 3 minutes but as soon as I stood her up in them, she wanted them off. I'm just wondering if it's a stage she's going through or if the shoes are uncomfortable or if she just wants her favorite shoes.:p

[wildcat]

qotd #2 - What are you guys putting in your kids easter baskets? So far I've collected some sidewalk chalk, new crayons, and a few other things I can't remember. I got a egg dye kit with stickers so that she can at least put the stickers on them when she gets tired of waiting on the eggs to turn color. I bought plastic eggs so that we can do the easter egg hunt, hopefully she'll understand the concept! I'd love more ideas of what to put in the basket though! I just don't want to give her a bunch of candy as she already eats enough sweets and I'll put candy in the eggs themselves, unless there are other great ideas!

[jo&sean]

Charm - Your doctor reacted that way?? Is she a fairly new pedi? That is crazy. Glad you had fun on your date despite not getting a card. (why do men find that so difficult?)

Solong - Funny pic! Addison loves to stick her finger up her nose so much that she has a red, raw spot on her nose...

Andrea - That is so scary about Naomi's pink eye. I didn't realize there was an awful bacterial type too. Thanks for the info. Glad she is doing better. That is exciting that Naomi is speaking in full sentences. I was just thinking about that this morning - while Addison has tons of words, she hasn't put them together really. I am sure it will come in time.

Wildcat - There must be something in the air with the husband thing. Hopefully he comes to his senses ;)

Shoes - YES! Addison is really into a little pair of slip on Airwalks. Must-wear-them-all-the-time-even-to-bed. This morning though she actually insisted on wearing a pair of tennis shoes...silly girl.

Easter Baskets - I haven't even thought of this yet! Thanks for the reminder.

I finally went to the dr yesterday after being sick for almost two weeks. She decided I had a sinus infection and gave me some hefty antibiotics. After just three doses, I am feeling SOOO much better. I feel like I have been in a fog the past two weeks. Addison will like having her mommy back!

[Brink]

Hi everyone - sorry we haven't posted in a while. I follow along every day (it's what keeps me entertained while pumping). Not much new going on here. Just feeding/changing babies 24 hours per day. Still waiting for them to sleep longer than 3 hours at a time.

Charm - I can't believe your ped reacted like that. Doesn't sound like she is very comfortable with kids...

Solong - That picture is cute. Funny, but Aimee doesn't pick her nose - mommy does it for her. This is so gross, but she lets me pick the boogies out if I show them to her. Then I can wipe them on a tissue and say "all gone" and she likes it. Really gross, I know, but it keeps her nose clean which is a huge peev of mine.

Andrea - Wow, I can't believe the pink eye. I would have thought the same thing and waited until morning. Good thing she woke up in the night.


Shoes - Aimee hardly ever wears shoes. We send her to daycare with just socks on and by lunch she has taken them off. The only time she ever has anything on her feet is if she is going outside.

Easter Baskets - Ugh - haven't even thought about it yet. They are having an easter egg hunt at daycare - am I a bad mom if that is all she does for Easter?

Well, babies crying in the other room - gotta go!

[Kay2003]

cr8zy - glad your DH apologized for that remark. About spoiling, Kaito doesn't have any official signs since I didn't teach him to sign. He just points and says Ahnnn Ahnnnn. So I know what he wants. It's just trying to figure out whether to respond each time.

Alison - AWESOME gift idea. I'm going to ask for a deep clean of our apartment for my birthday in a few months.

wildcat - my thoughts are with the little girl and her family. I can't imagine how stressful that must be. As far as girls vs. guys' nights out, all your arguments make sense to me!!

Andrea - so scary. I'm glad Naomi is better and that you took her to the ER right away.

need advice on a nanny situation - so we thought we had found a good nanny for Kaito. She has two teenage kids, had babysitting and preschool teaching experience. She's playful and made Kaito laugh. During the interview, when we asked her why she quite her preschool job in 1997, she stammered a bit and after awhile she said that one of her children asked her not to work. I knew there was a story there, so specifically asked for the reference from the preschool, even though it was so long ago. I spoke to the director today, and she said she was a "hard worker." Didn't rave about her. She said that she had heard rumors that she did not get along well with another staff member. She also said that before she hired her, she was warned from the previous preschool that hiring both her and her husband might cause problems. I asked what kinds of problems. I imagined them fighting in front of the kids or something, and the Director said that it had more to do with getting along with other staffmembers. The Director hired them both, the husband quit midway through the year and then this potential babysitter asked for a raise, and when denied it, she left. The director also said that "recently" and I don't know how recent, she came back to her preschool looking for a teaching position. The director said that she didn't have any openings at the time. But when i asked her whether she would hire her back, the director again said something about how there wasn't a need. I know there wasn't a specific bad incident with a child - no hitting or anything like that. But what do you make of this? Would you hire her? She had two other references (but old) and they checked out fine. The moms were enthusiastic about her, but one was from babysitting that ended in 2002. Another was a babysitting job 13 years ago. The preschool job was 10 years ago. I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts!

[AlisonCO]

Hiya

solong - Oh that pic is cute and kinda sad at the same time - you can tell that she doesn't feel well. How is she today? I saw your other thread - do you think that the roto is back?

wildcat - I am sorry about your hubby. I don't necessarily think that they don't have as strong of a desire to spend time with family as we do, but maybe in your DH's case he sees happy hour as part of his work day. I hope that you all were able to talk and maybe compromise on a solution.

Andrea - Poor N - I am so glad that you were able to get her into a doc there. Hope that the sleeping and eating improves soon! It does sound like you and DH had a nice mini-vacation.

Kay - That is tough - has she not had a job in 5 years? It is tough to go by references that are so old, but it sounds just a bit weird. Can you do a trial run?

charm - That is such a weird reaction for a ped - geez that cannot be ther first time something like that happened. My ped does the whole check up with C in my lap which I think helps alot with the anxiety.

shoes - Not really. I just got her a new pair of adorable navy, pink and white sneakers and she does like those. She does prefer her fleece jacket to her windbreaker:)

Easter basket - she is getting chalk, a coloring book, bubbles, bath paint, 2 books, socks, sand toys and animal crackers. I think that I might fill the plastic eggs with pieces of cereal or something like that - I don't want to do jelly beans or chocolate as I am sure that my mom will get them something sweet.

Happy Friday!

[hmbay]

Just checking in. I read but don't post much. Sorry about all the sick kids. Our house has been reasonably healthy lately (knock on wood). We took both boys into the chiro for an adjustment this week. Colin has been touching his back a lot and it started bothering me that Alex gets an ear infection every time he gets a cold. Granted he's only had 3 in 18 months but it was still bothering me. Our chiro adjusted him and gave me some homopathic drops to put in his ears before each nap/night time to help regulate the bacteria in his ears. He said most ear infections taper off after 18 months but not always.

Alex is eating next to nothing, still not sleeping through the night and has become more whiney. He's still a pretty happy kid overall but the terrible twos are beginning I think. He's talking a lot of gibberish we don't understand with a word here and there we do. The other day he made a huge mess and I told him that was "bad bad bad!" and he looks at me and goes "bad". So I guess that's a new word. ;) He's still a mommys boy and I dread the adjustment when #3 comes along. We still don't have him off the bottle but he is drinking out of sippies more than he was. He still has his paci. Still is in his crib instead of the twin bed we put in his room months ago. Sigh. I need to get moving on some of these transitions before the new baby is here. Colin was pretty easy for those transitions--Alex is more stubborn.

[charmcitygirl]

i think the ped. freaked out because she told me at our last appt about how she has some parents who let their kids bite her. that the parents just tell their kids it's okay and don't tell them "no biting". it seems to me she's just reading the situation wrong. the thing is she's pretty good with kids (she even has 4 of them, including twins), been in practice for a long time, etc. she should really understand better that it's stressful for kids to be in her office and the parents are just trying to console their kids.

[solongtogo]

Hiya

solong - Oh that pic is cute and kinda sad at the same time - you can tell that she doesn't feel well. How is she today? I saw your other thread - do you think that the roto is back?



!


I do, though it's not nearly as bad as last time. She threw up on Tuesday for nearly half the day, she's been sleeping non stop, and her appetite has crashed. She threw up again on Thursday night so I was all set to take her to the dr. on Friday morning, and on Fri she started eating and drinking normally again, and not being nearly as tired. So she either had roto, or flu....I'm thinking flu this time, because I got the bug as well on Thursday night and spent the night vomiting. We're all doing better though.

This month has just been very rough for her...she's lost so much weight from being so sick, that she has moved BACK into a size 3 diaper, and she had been in 4's for quite some time now...

[BeachBum]

Oh Lisa that is such a bummer! And moving down a diaper size is scary. I really hope that Courtney gets to feeling better and doesn't get sick again!

[AlisonCO]

Oh solong - I am so sad to hear that she is sick again. It has been a rough month for you - I hope that April is much healthier!

hmbay - Are you going to find out the gender of #3?

We had a good and busy weekend. Tomorrow is my b-day and we went out with friends Sat for dinner. I had 2 mini-margaritas and was mildly hung-over this morning - oh how things have changed since college:D Aidan was up four times lat night and I had to be up at 6am today so I am pooped and off to bed. Happy April!!!

[wildcat]

Just wanted to drop off a few pics from Lauren's 18 month pictures we had done yesterday!

http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070331/0019.jpg

http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20070331/normal_0046.jpg

She actually did better for this set of pics than she's done in awhile, it just took her a bit to warm up!

We had a good weekend...the weather was nice here so we got out and Lauren learned a new word today "animal":D. There is a working farm about 10 mins away that is completely free...there's all kinds of farm animals (chickens, cows, pigs, horses, goats, etc) but then also things like bobcats, a bald eagle, etc and great playgrounds for the kids, sack lunches, turn of the century buildings (one room schoolhouse, etc) and it opened for the season today. Lauren had a blast, and even fed the baby goats from a bottle...I thought she might be scared, but not at all, even of the big goats and big ol cows! I guess that's what having a 120lb dog will do for you;). I'll try to post some pics this week.

nightmares - Is anyone's DC having nightmares? Lauren woke up at 3am on Friday night SCREAMING (she never, ever wakes up unless she's sick and she's not). I went in and she grabbed her blankie and said "up" and so we rocked for awhile and whenever I tried to put her back in her crib, she'd wake up and start screaming, clutching to me. Finally after 30mins, my DH went in and repeated this routine for another 30mins. At 4am we decided to just bring her to bed with us, which means none of us slept well. And Lauren had to be touching me or holding on to me tightly at all times. At 6am I got up to get the alarm and she started crying and tried to follow me and fell out of bed (sorta, she scaled down the side on her belly, but it was a long drop so she hit the ground a little hard). She still doesn't have her eye teeth (sp?), so I thought it might be that, but I don't feel anything at all. Unfortunately, we did have pics at 9am and she's been pretty healthy for the last month so the bags/circles were finally gone under her eyes, but bc of the lack of sleep, they were back.:rolleyes: She took a 3.5 hour nap yesterday and a 3 hour nap today (generally only naps 2-2.5 hours), so she definitely made up for the sleep and hasn't made a peep during the night/nap since Friday. Just wondering if anyone else has any ideas?

solong - I hope Courtney had a better day today!!

update on DH - My attitude about the whole situation must have been the right idea, as DH didn't go to happy hour until after Lauren was in bed and planned his weekend around what we were doing as a family. Sometimes he just needs to be reminded of his priorities.;)

alison - Sounds like a good bday! I hear ya on the few # of drinks. I have to stop at 2 nowadays...I can't believe I can even write that after the amount I could drink back in highschool/college!!

[hmbay]

AlisonCo--yes we plan to find out #3. If it's a boy I can unpack the clothes from Alex. If it's a girl I'll start getting rid of boy clothes as Alex outgrows them and start buying girl things. :)

nightmares--yes. Happens several times a month. This weekend Saturday night he had probably 4 or 5 of them.

[solongtogo]

Took C to the doc to make sure she's not going to need to go to the hospital again, and she's got another gastointestinal virus. Luckily I think it's on the way out the door. However, my daycare lady is being anal and won't let her come while she's got diahrea...so I have to work nights for the week.

[AlisonCO]

Sometimes he just needs to be reminded of his priorities.


:D

Those pictures are great, she is a beauty! Oh the hair/pigtails...you're killing me:)!

solong - I am so glad that C won't have to go back to the hospital!

nightmares - Yes a couple of times a week. I mentioned it to the ped at her 18m visit and she said that nightmares and night terrors are common at this age - something to do with sleep cycles and brain development. Now when C wakes up scared she cries Mama or Dada which is just so much worse than just crying.

[randysmandy]

wilcat GREAT PICS!!!!

We are in our new house!!!!! We are very very excited, however we are all still sick. DH is about 90% better as is Hunter, but I am working in my pj's today. Hunter has adjusted already and he actually slept in his bed ALL NIGHT last night :-). I trully love being in the quiet and our front lawn is HUGE. Hunter already made girlfriend across the street-Emma, she's 3 :-)
I have SOOO much unpacking to do, but no energy. I can barely talk it hurts so bad. But the only rooms left to complete are the spare room, living, dining and a few clothes boxes--not bad.
I didn't get a chance to read everything I missed, but I will do so.
Take care and yes--HAPPY APRIL!!!!!! April showers here.

[wildcat]

I just need somewhere to get this out. It's been a really rough week for the family that I've told you all about whose little girl Lauren's age has the brain tumor. She was supposed to have an MRI done last Wednesday to check on the brain and spine tumors to see how they've responded to the chemo. HOWEVER, there was a "scheduling error" by the hospital and they sedated her and then couldn't have the MRI done. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? They did do a hearing test and she's now entirely deaf in one ear and has hearing loss in the other. It gets worse. Sunday afternoon she started having sever seizures so they rushed her to the hospital and her drainage line was blocked, her heart rate was over 200, and she was running a fever of 103. The dr.'s said they got her there in the nick of time. They punctured the tube to relieve the blockage and wanted to operate to fix the tube, but couldn't until she stabalized which didn't happen until Monday morning. The surgery went w/o complication, but she still hasn't woken up and they think she may have had a stroke yesterday. The salt in the wound is that if she would have had the MRI last week as scheduled, they would have seen the build up of fluid and fixed it then and avoided all of this!!!!! She finally had the MRI this morning and it shows that the tumor in her brain has doubled in size and the one in her spine has grown as well. 4 weeks of horrible chemo have done nothing. I'm in tears as I write this and can't even imagine what her parents are going through. Please say some prayers.

[AlisonCO]

wildcat - Oh that is so horrible! I will be thinking about her and her family - I hope that they get a miracle.

mandy - Congrats!!!

Today after lunch I was doing dishes and the kids were in their rooms playing. It was very quiet and I went in and Aidan was reading and then I went into Caitlin's room and she had climbed up on her changing table (one foot on the drawer underneath.) I walked in and stood there for a moment shocked and she looked at me, smiled and said "I tall.":D

[solongtogo]

OMG wildcat...how horrible :(

[AndreaMMS]

Wildcat- What a horrible horrible situation. I can't even beging to imagine. I feel awful fot that poor baby, for her family. I'll pray for them.

[AndreaMMS]

Solong- Geez, I hope Courtney starts feeling better soon!!!! I have a trick for promoting weight gain, if you're interested. mY pediatrician was worried about Naomi's weight at her 15-month visit, so she had us adding Pediasure (not Pedialyte) to her milk.

http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580/1d/pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/158912/300.jpg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had Naomi's 18-month pictures taken too. For some reason we were really lucky- she had a ball! (When I tried to get pics for Valentine's day as a surprise for my husband she screamed the whole time) Here they are:


http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c133/AndreaMMS/scan-4.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c133/AndreaMMS/scan0001-5.jpg

[solongtogo]

Thanks Andrea, I'll give it a try.

I *love* the second picture. Her hair is really starting to get long!

[Brink]

Wildcat - I am so sorry to hear that update. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have that be your child. If I start to think about it, I'll cry. I have a friend that has luekemia and she probably won't make it and has 2 boys under age 10. That makes me cry too, the thought of not being there to watch your kids grow. So much sadness......

On a brighter note - the pictures are fantastic Wildcat/AndreaMMS.

We ended up buying the pictures they take at the daycare. We haven't gotten Aimee down to get her 18 month pictures because of the twins. I'm hoping that once they get their shots on the 9th, that we can take them into public. If so, we will head down to Sears to get all of their pictures taken. That should be fun.

[wildcat]

andrea - OMG, those pics are to die for! What a cutie!!

brink - I'm so very sorry to hear about your friend. That is just awful. I know when my DH's mom was sick with cancer, the thought of not being able to meet to see us get married and meet her grandkids was so awful for her...I can't imagine the thought of not being able to be there for your own kids. ((((HUGS))))!!! More prayers going her way.

Thanks for the support girls. Unfortunately, the news is even worse. The MRI showed that the tumor is twice the size that it was before they operated and removed most of it . There are tumors growing all up and down her spine in the cracks and crevices and it's the worse case they've ever seen. Her parents are meeting with the oncologist today and then they're are leaving the hospital...either to leave for St. Jude's, or to make her comfortable at home. Those last 5 words are the worst thing I've ever heard in my life. I've been crying pretty much since 5pm yesterday and saying more prayers than I've ever said in my life. I feel so awful for poor little Kyrie and can't imagine her parents. If that were Lauren, you'd better have me in a padded room.

[AndreaMMS]

Wildcat- I'm completely in tears reading what you just wrote. Words pretty much fail me. To keep repeating, "I'm so sorry, how horrible.." is so simple and safe to say. It doesn't even begin to express the depth of saddness and anger and helplessness and vulnerability hearing Kyrie's story brings up in me.

I have a friend whose friend's son is 9 years old with cancer, and they were just told there was nothing more that could be done for him either.

It's impossible to fathom WHY innocent children should be subjected to this. Why loving families should be ripped apart emotionally. It makes me question the very existance of God....


....but I'll pray anyway. Huge hugs to you and to Kyrie and her family. I wish there was something I could do.

[wildcat]

Another update...Kyrie is going home:(. I'm such a mess, I should leave work. That poor family. I'm right there with you Andrea, but praying for strength for them anyway.