Sunday, January 31, 2010

Celebrity Look-a-likes

My Celebrity Look-a-likes




Julianna's Celebrity Look-a-likes



vent

I know I complain a lot.  I wish I could change that about myself, but it's awfully hard.  I am trying to put these complaints in writing here on my bloggity blog instead of in my family's ears since they are tired of hearing me. 

I think all the sickness around here is finally wearing me down.  I mean, I managed to stay upbeat and fairly positive through the couple of completely sleepless nights but now that Josh has been on antibiotics for five days and still isn't completely back to normal I am starting to get beyond discouraged.  He's waking up two or three times a night still and clearly not feeling completely well yet.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to take him back in and get his ears checked again.  They may have to put him on a stronger antibiotic.

In the beginning it was easy to just concentrate on getting him well above all other things.  Now after a month of doctor's visits, a fussy baby, neglected daughter, and $200 in co-pays unfortunately my sympathy is starting to run out as much as I don't want it to.  My patience as I wait for things to improve is wearing thin. 

And it's not just the sickness.  I feel like life is moving at break-neck speed.  It never stops or even slows down.  I knew that once we had two kids that I would hardly see my husband and I felt prepared for that.  However, I hardly suspected that by almost four months postpartum I would still feel like I hardly speak to him.

We both get up and go, go, go all day long.  We get in bed late and exhausted and get crappy sleep all to do it all over again the next day.  No rest for the weary.

If we make spending time with each other a priority then something else gets neglected and it's hard to find a balance.  I feel like I've done a very good job this time around with making the baby a priority and taking good care of myself - at least a better job than I did when Jules was born.  It just stinks that it's taking a toll on so many other things.

It has to get easier before they turn 18, doesn't it?

I think I am going to try staying off of the computer each day after 5pm.  I'll still have my phone to check emails, etc but I won't get caught up wasting time on the web.  Maybe then I can make dinner, clean, get ready for the next day, help put the kids to bed, and spend a little time with my husband before collapsing into bed. 


Yeah.  So I just wrote all that and then I read this.  Emily always writes what I want to say with much more elegance.  Darn her.


our grocery bill is going up and it's certainly not because of the baby

Julianna was begging for a snack the other day and since it was just before five I kept telling her no.  After repeated attempts she finally put her hands on her hips and growled at me, "Mama!  My stomach is angry at you because you're not feeding me!"

Friday, January 29, 2010

Fourth trip to the doctor in four weeks

fourth trip to the doctor in four weeks

Two month well check, pink eye visit, sick visit for congestion and fever, then this.

Tuesday night Josh was awake pretty much all night crying.  He just couldn't sleep.  We stayed downstairs so as not to keep everyone else up.  Jonathan stayed with him until midnight or so and then I took over.  He started running a low temperature and I could only get him to sleep upright on me.  He was very congested and not just fussy but downright mad.  I gave him tylenol and let him sleep on me in the glider and it was pitiful.  I knew something was wrong and took him in to the doctor's office first thing in the morning. 

Well, I was there from 7:45am until about 9:30am with the doctor testing him for EVERYTHING.  She just couldn't figure out what was causing the fever, after all we had just been there ten days before with similar symptoms and they had taken a blood sample, seen thast his white blood cell count was elevated, and written it off as just a virus.

So on Tuesday they took his blood again and the counts this time were way too high (19,000 wbc).  They cleared his nose, catheterized him to test for UTI, looked in his ears (which were clogged with wax so they had to clean them four times), etc.  Everything came back negative so she sent me to another office to do a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia. She told me to expect a two to three hour wait.

The whole morning was torture.  He was screaming the whole time and he couldn't nurse because he couldn't breathe.

We drove over to the other office. Fortunately, they got us in right away. They did the two chest x-rays and sent them back to the peds office.  By the time I made it home the ped has called me back saying that she had the results and everything looked clear.  She wanted me to come back in to do some more tests because a three month old baby shouldn't be running a 100 degree temperature unless there was some type of infection.

I finally got him to nurse and he had his first wet diaper in HOURS.  We went back over to the peds office and then they tested him for flu, RSV, and checked his ears again.  Still couldn't find anything.  Then she decided to take a larger blood culture to test for some type of bacterial infection of the blood.  Finally, she decided to give him a shot of rocephin (antibiotics) to start fighting whatever infection it was and she asked me to come back in the next day to make sure the wbc count was going down.

I remember when Julianna had to be catheterized and it was absolutely awful.  This experience was similar except that it lasted about five hours. 

Sure enough his fever peaked at about 4pm at 100.1 and then it started going back down and he was clearly starting to feel better.  He got several good long naps upright in his car seat and then by the evening he was eating normally again and went down for the night at about normal time.

We went back in to the office on Wednesday morning and the doctor that we saw then was able to see inside his ears better since they weren't so swollen and waxy.  She saw both ears were infected and told me to start him on amoxicillan.  He had gained 4 ounces in less than 24 hours (from 15 lbs 15 oz to 16 lbs 3 oz) and he had no fever.  The rocephin shot had helped just enough for her to diagnose a double ear infection and his wbc count was back down to 13,000.

He's still congested but obviously doing much, much better.  We are all trying to catch up on sleep and we are hoping to get snowed in this weekend so we can have some family "time-off" together.



Hope you all have a nice weekend!


Friday, January 22, 2010

three months

Dear Joshua,

Happy three month birthday, Big guy!  We've had sort of a rough month.  You've fought your first battle with pink eye and your sister has now brought home a yucky virus from preschool so you're congested as can be and are running a low fever.  Needless to say you've had three doctors appointments in the last month.




You had your shots at your well-check at the end of last month and you did pretty good.  You cried a little bit but were comforted easily.  You did run a low temperature for a day or so afterwards but other than that you were fine.  Julianna went with us and helped talk you through it.  I'm sure in the future you will get annoyed with her "mothering" you, but watching that moment between a baby and a 3 year old was precious.

You've also had two sick visits to the doctor - one for the pink eye and now one for the virus.  Because of that we do know that as of Sunday you weighed 15 pounds 11 ounces and are gaining weight beautifully.  You have the chunkiest little legs and the stockiest torso and almost as proof of that you're wearing 9-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers. 




You have the most delightful giggle and are generally the most content baby, even when you're pitifully sick.  We still can't decide who you look like.  I occasionally see your Great Uncle Kevin in some expressions and sometimes I see Aunt Whit. Either way you have the funniest hair style.  It's long on top and down the back of your neck, but it's fallen out everywhere else.  It looks like it may be coming in a little lighter as well.

Dear Joshee (as much as that nickname that Jules gave you early on used to bother me, now I can't help but call you that sometimes, it just sorta stuck)...  anyway, I have to say thank you, Joshee.  You've finally gotten to the point where you will faithfully take your morning nap in the crib or in the pack and play without anyone rocking you or holding you while you babble yourself to sleep.  It is glorious to have my arms free during that brief time each morning we are home and I can tell that we're getting to that point with your second nap too.  Thank you for that.




This month you've communicated your great desire to be upright.  You want to sit or stand (with plenty of support, of course) all the time.  You want to be up at the dinner table watching the rest of us and you want to be held facing out a lot of the time.  You usually prefer being propped up against pillows rather than laid flat out your back although when we do lay you down on something you kick and thrash your arms and legs as if you're running a race your life depended on.  You grasp everything in your tight little fist now.  You'll slowly move your hand toward a toy and if you happen to make contact with it and manage to grab hold of it you immediately put it to your mouth.  Daddy and I both keep saying that you're getting ready to be quite a fun little boy.




Josh, I know you've been learning to cope without your Mama the past few weeks and it's been rough.  I'm so glad that you're such a trooper and you can adjust easily, but I'm also glad to see your face light up when I get back in the afternoons.  I love being the love of your life so far.  It makes me feel so special and so proud that I can make you so happy.  Thanks for being cooperative when I have to work.

I dread the day that I become the mother-in-law of some girl who is just as precious to you as I am.  For now I am very happy just being Mama. 

Love you Buddy.


Thursday, January 21, 2010

up to

reading: the second book in the Circle trilogy by Ted Dekker, Red.  It is riveting.  I read the first one when I was pregnant with Josh and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I didn't want to continue the series until after I could concentrate on it more.  So I put it on hold and went on to read Little Earthquakes instead since I considered that a pretty mindless read.  Anyway, I found myself often thinking back to the fate of Thomas, the main character in the Circle books and was anxious to return to the Dekker books.  I still don't have much time to read now, but subbing does occasionally afford an opportunity to get fifty or so pages in and I am finding it hard to put down.  So far I'd definitely recommend it.




laughing: playing ET with the baby after Jules goes to bed and leaves all of her "friends" out




fuming: My Sister's Keeper, the movie based on the novel by Jodi Picoult.  Other than the quality of Abigail Breslin's performance as Anna I was so very disappointed.  It was nothing like the book in so many ways and if you haven't read the book yet I would highly encourage you to do that.  I won't waste my time saying any more about the movie.




listening: to the Glee: The Music Volume 1 soundtrack I got for Christmas.  I LOVE it. If I didn't have children to tend to when that show was on I would be hooked.  The music is fabulous!




watching: squirrels eat the Fruit Loop garland that Julianna used to decorate her swing set and play set with over the holidays.  I thought it looked rather cute and even now it is providing exciting entertainment when a furry friend hops up to grab a snack



baking: Pioneer Woman's The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever. I got the PW's cookbook for Christmas and I have looked at it over and over again.  I've even tried a few recipes already and it is nothing less than wonderful, as you would expect from PW.  Next up I'm going to try out the chocolate sheet cake for a little "Dessert by Candlelight" shindig I'm doing for my family.  Yum-o.



That's what I've been up to.  What are you doing these days?

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

look at the difference in those legs

These pictures really don't do it justice, but the first one is Julianna and the second one is Joshua and the difference in the fat on their legs is really amazing to me.  Both babies were still breastfeeding at this point and it's so obvious that Josh is truly thriving and Jules was just a scrawny little thing.  I'll try to get some better pictures of his fat rolls.  Mmmmmm chunky baby legs.









Sunday, January 17, 2010

Friday, January 15, 2010

case in point

The other day I posted photos of Josh after Jules had given him a few accessories a la Fancy Nancy.  I supposed that wouldn't be the last instance of little brother being subjected to big sister's games.

Do you think I was right?



 

 




Thursday, January 14, 2010

life with two

Whew.  It's been a whirlwind of stuff going on around here.  A few days after we had Josh's two month check-up he woke up with a goopy eye.  At first I thought it was just a clogged tear duct but then the next morning it was actually green goop and only partially open.  We took him back to the doctor and it turns out he has pink eye.  This was a week ago today and we have no idea how he got it.  I've never had it, Jonathan's never had it and Julianna's never had it.  As far as we know no one in Julianna's class even had it.


Anyway, they gave me a prescription for eye drops and we've been giving them to him three times a day ever since.  Today is his last day and his eye is certainly clearer but still a little watery.  So I may have to call the nurse to ask about it.


He's been doing really great at night.  He will sleep from about 10 pm until about 4 or 5 am usually.  We tried to stop swaddling him a few nights ago and he consistently woke up a lot earlier (like 2 or 3am) so we went back to swaddling for a little while longer and he's back to sleeping almost all the way through the night.

He will still take his morning nap laying in the pack and play, but usually after that first nap he has trouble falling asleep on his on so I typically rock him.  He still eats really well and for that I am most thankful.  When we went to the doctor for the pink eye he weighed just short of 15 pounds.  He's my little chunk and I love it.  Although he is losing his hair and he has a comb-over mullet.


I went back to subbing a few times a week after Christmas.  It is extremely hard.  Not only was it hard to leave my baby, but it's amazingly difficult to deal with bottles and pumping after I've gotten used to the convenience of just nursing him when he's hungry and then being done with it.  Now I have to wash and prepare bottles of thawed breast milk each night before I go to work.  Then I have to get the pump washed and ready for work the next day.

Depending on where I'm working and what the schedule is like I have to figure out when I'm going to pump and where I'm going to go at that particular school.  It's surprisingly difficult to find closets or restrooms with electrical outlets and privacy for me to pump.  Just when I'll get a classroom with no windows or doors and think I can stay there to pump at lunch or planning then it will be the classroom that is used by a different teacher at lunch.  So anyway I've been taking both the electric pump and the manual pump just in case (plus a cooler and ice packs, etc, etc).  It's much more trouble than just staying at home with the baby.


When Jules was 3 months old I was dealing with washing and making up bottles each night anyway so it wasn't such a big deal to go to work one day.  I guess now I'm a little spoiled with the ease of breastfeeding which is a good thing.  I just like to complain.  :)  Huh.  Just ask my husband.



It's absolutely wonderful being just a sub though.  I can jet out of there as soon as classes are over and I don't take any work home which is awesome.  I especially enjoy the flexibility of canceling a job when one of the kids needs to go to the doctor or whatever and then also the flexibility of working more when we need more money.  Plus I really love the variety I get everyday in subject matter and also in the kids ages and socioeconomic status.  The only things I don't like are the fact that it's hard to build relationships with students that you don't see regularly and, of course, that it's only about half the money of a regular teaching job.


Most everyone I talked to when I was pregnant with Josh said that the transition to being a Parent of One to being a Parent of Two was harder than just becoming a Parent.  I'm pleased to say that so far it has been much, much easier for me the second time around.  I know everyone's experience is different, but I feel so, so fortunate.  My babies could not make me happier.


But you can't make me have any more.






Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Little Brother


She's also taking the liberty of dressing up her brother. I'm sure this is the first time of many yet to come.

Sick Day


Jules has a little cold so we skipped school today and she's been working hard on necklaces and bracelets in her PJs. Isn't she lovely?

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

she may have a new career ahead of her

Julianna got new nail polish in her stocking and she painted my toenails the other day.  Here's how they turned out.  It's a start. 




Thursday, January 7, 2010

stories

I was nursing the baby at the kids table at one of our Christmas dinners and I overheard this conversation:

Julianna: Dalton, do you want to know how many rock stars I've seen?
Dalton: How many?
Julianna: One.  Yeah, I saw it one time in the sky when we went camping.
Dalton: Oh.
Me:  Julianna, do you mean a shooting star?
Julianna:  Yeah.  A shooting star.

***


A week or so ago I was bathing Jules and she asked me, "Mama, why does our belly button look like a chocolate chip?"  I questioned, "A chocolate chip?" When I looked up at her it was apparent that she was talking about her nipples instead so I asked, "You mean your boobies?"  She said yes so I found myself explaining why our nipples are a different color than the rest of our bodies while I dried her off. 

I've heard women's breasts compared to lots of things before, but this is the first for chocolate chips.

And I can only imagine the Google searches that are going to lead to this post.








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