Thursday, January 27, 2011

almost party time

I missed the Way Back When-esday post. I was going to post about the last 4 birthdays that Dakota has celebrated....but my computer monitor went out on me...and not all my pictures are on Jed's laptop. So, with no computer really, I took to cleaning the house...what fun!?!

Dakota's 1st birthday was all monkeys...He LOVED monkeys. He used to carry around his stuffed monkey all the time. Around his 4th birthday is when he retired Monkey.
The 2nd birthday was all about racecars. Grandma made him a race track cake in the shape of the number 2.
His 3rd birthday was supposed to be Thomas the train; but a few days before, Dakota asked Grandma for a Captain Hook cake. And Grandma made him a Captain Hook ship. It was spectacular. We just all grabbed our forks and caused a shipwreck!
Last year, his 4th birthday, was Buzz Lightyear. Dakota was very excited about his party. But when the time came to sit at the table and blow his candles out, he closed up. He was hiding under the table while we sang to him...and almost all his pictures have him sporting a grumpy face.

This year, I plan to get pictures before Dakota's party starts...just in case we have a recurrence of last year. This year's theme is Star Wars! This is Dakota's 5th birthday and I am ever so excited. I can't wait for him to see his cake...I can't wait to see his cake.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

1 sick day morphs into a sick week

The dr was able to see Dakota yesterday...the last patient of the day. Dakota was swabbed for strep and the flu...and wouldn't you know it?! the flu swab was positive for Type A influenza. I think I was literally sitting there with my mouth hanging open. This is the 2nd time for the flu for Dakota...even after having the flu shot and the flu booster shot.

Needless to say, our sick day morphed into a sick week all from the results of that swab test. Dakota is going to have a fear of doctors soon. The last few visits have not been pleasant ones: the initial flu shot, the booster flu shot, and now the swabbing of his throat and nose. The nose swab gave him a terrible nose bleed which in turn caused Dakota to flip out. He thought he was going to die because the blood was coming out of his nose. I think this was his 1st nose blood that wasn't associated with falling off something or from picking his nose.

The doctor was nice enough to check out Lily while we were there. She is having some of the same symptoms as Dakota..just no fever. At the office, she did have a low grade fever. Both kids are now being treated for the flu. We are eating lots of gummi bears and worms here. For each time the kids take their medicine..be it tylenol, motrin, Tamiflu, etc...they get a treat. Wasn't it Mary Poppins who said , "a Spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down"?! We are putting that Disney quote to the test..and so far, I can announce absolute SUCCESS!

Now, I am just hoping the meds kick in quick so that Dakota is well for his birthday party on Saturday.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Makes My Monday: all of the above

Lily's pink toes

Here it is again...Monday. I was thinking of what makes my Monday....Lots of things make my Monday...
1) Jed had jury duty today...he was dismissed early and is home.
2) Dakota is sick (not much of a Monday maker) meaning we all got to sleep in today..which was excellent because he was up half the night/morning..and Lily was up the other half..so not much sleeping went on for us.
3) The things my kids say...Dakota stopped Lily from eating "cat food" on Thursday. I usually give our neighbors' cats a can of tuna about once week...so Kota thinks it's cat food. On Thursday evening, we were going to the gym and I wanted something light to eat before working out. I made some tuna fish...Lily wanted a bite and Kota screams "No, Lily! That's cat food. Mommy is making cat food for dinner!" I've laughed numerous times about this...just as everyone else who has heard this story.
4) Tom and Jerry make my Monday...why you ask? Because then this mommy gets a much needed break of running to get this and that. The kids will sit and watch and most times be content...At least this method works during the night hours..not so much the day hours.
5) Pink toes. Lily is ever so happy that she got Daddy to paint her toes pink. She has been asking me and asking me all day...but usually when I am in the midst of cleaning, laundry, etc. Daddy told Lily that he knew how to paint pink toes..and now, Daddy is Lily's new BFF. ♥

Those are Monday makers...so what makes your Monday?

Here is Dakota...feeling a bit better after sleeping in until almost 10am. Rest and Tylenol are helping for now.


Playing along with Cheryl from Twinfatuation

Friday, January 21, 2011

Heart talk ♥


It's been 3 years....yes, 3 years since we got the news about Lilyann. You can read about it here. But here's the condensed version. Lily was 7 weeks old and not eating at all. She cried almost all the time. We took her in thinking maybe she had some stomach issues. Her stomach was fine. It was her heart. She had a murmur. I was clueless as to what was going on..and after the appointment, I called my mom and absolutely broke down. They told me she had a hole in her heart, and they wanted to do an echo. I had no idea what any of this meant. The terms were so foreign to me.
We went to the echo at the hospital and within 24 hours we were scheduled to see a heart specialist in Dallas. It was all happening so fast. The severity of it hit me. The pediatric heart specialist educated us on Lily's condition. She had a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) and it was effecting her body's way of burning calories. Lily was burning them faster than her body could take them in..causing her to sleep more and eat less. She was 7 lbs 1 oz at birth and 7 weeks later she had only gained 15 oz.
After this initial visit, we were put on a once a week weight check up with Lily's pediatrician. We had concentrated her formula to offer her more calories with each swallow. Lily was still only taking in about 10 oz in a 24 hour period...for a newborn, that is not at all good.

2 1/2 months later, Lily had open heart surgery to repair the hole in her heart. Leading up to the surgery, she was hospitalized and on a feeding tube. But about 2 days after surgery, she was taking a bottle and finishing it. And now, 3 years after her diagnosis, she is a growing "always eating" little girl.

I hear heart terminology now and I am (in most cases) fully aware of what is happening and what is going on. Lily's story has helped a few mommies that I know and I'm sure many others. It is all about awareness. Coming up in February, the week of Valentine's Day, that week has been set aside for Congenital Heart Defect Awareness. People will share their stories about themselves, their kids, and others...about how CHDs have effected their lives.
CHDs are all around us...I have 2 friends that are experiencing this right now. One had a child with a CHD...thankfully, theirs is being watched and has a possibility of closing on it's own. Another is hearing all this CHD information about the baby she is carrying. I think of her daily and try to imagine how that would be...knowing as soon as your baby arrives, surgery, doctor checkups, everything will happen at once. It makes me want to be right there for her...hold her hand through each Fetal Echocardigram...just offer the hug you need when you think your world is crashing down around you.

All this comes to me as I read my facebook this morning, a new Mom-to-be "friended" me on Facebook a while ago. She was expecting a baby with a known CHD. He arrived on the 11Th of this month and earned his Angel wings yesterday during his open heart surgery. My heart goes out to this new mommy. But her son is no longer suffering, he is in a better place. My thoughts and prayers are with her and family during this difficult time.

If you have the time (which I know you do), say a little prayer for all the CHD babies, parents, families out there.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Changes

There has been lots going on here...nothing major, just things that tend to keep us all busy....mainly, LIFE.

Depending on "life"...we have some changes in the near future...some pretty good changes. One big one...we have decided to sell our house and look for something bigger, in a good neighborhood (ours is okay for now..We just don't see it getting better), and a excellent school district. We would like to stay in the same school district so that Dakota can continue going to school with his friends; but this school district isn't showing very many potential houses.

I remember when Jed and I went house hunting over 5 years ago...we were tired of renting and wanted to become homeowners. It never crossed our mind to think of what school district we would be moving into...I mean, the tax part crossed our mind..but not the thought of actually using the school. The same week we closed on this house is the same time I found out that we were expecting Dakota. It seems like just yesterday...but it's been over 5 years. Matter of fact, in just 2 short weeks, Dakota will be turning 5 years old. My little boy is growing up....there's another change.

Some positive changes...Lily Finally did #2 on the potty all by herself...the only help she required of me was wiping and disposable! We did the happy dance, called Daddy and Grandma, and treated ourselves to "holly pops" (Lily's term for Lollipops).
It is exciting to see all the changes...life happens and things change. People change. Weather changes.
Thanks to the wonderful ever changing weather, I have been experiencing some pretty vicious headaches for the last week....sometimes even debilitating. I think it has to do with sinus pressure...but I'm not real sure. The pharmacist suggested just taking an anti inflammatory for sinuses...so that's what I am taking...but these glorious headaches seem to hit each day between 2-11pm....Sleep seems to be the only antidote for now...but with 2 kids, sleep comes few and far between.

So...these are a few changes going on with us...hopefully soon...the headaches will have subsided, the house plans will have moved forward, my soon-to-be-5-year-old won't grow up too fast...you know...Changes.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Pretty Pretty Princess

Well, I realized that the snow post before was all about Kota...or at least all the pictures were about Kota..minus the icicles.
So here are some pictures of Lily in the snow. She has been asking all week to go outside in the backyard in the snow. I decided since the sun was out, that it would be alright. I let her wear her Dora boots..Lily picked out her hat to wear..and on her left hand, she has all her rings on.
She's my stylin Lu bell...winter edition

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Frigid for this Florida girl

Icicles hanging off the gutters


Can I just say.......
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!


It has been freakishly cold here. I think our warmest day this week was Sunday when it was snowing. The temps have been in the teens the last few nights which makes for frigid mornings for mommy. I usually go out and start the van up just so I don't have to hear "Mommy, It's so cold!!" on our 5 minute round trip drive to school. The venturing outside in the cold isn't the worst part. Getting Dakota up for school is like asking him to give up video games for the rest of his life. The wailing and gnashing of teeth (well, not really the gnashing of teeth) is so Extreme! I'm sure it's the drama coming out in him. He tells me each and every school morning "I am so tired. I just want to sleep." and I respond by telling him "You have to go to school each day or Mrs. Wright won't be able to say 'it's okay, Dakota can go to Kindergarten now' and you want that, right, Kota?"

I am hoping that one day, he will wake up before me (on a school day, that is) and beg me to hurry up to get him to school.

Here's to hoping!

Dakota on our "snow day" having some hot chocolate

Dakota, here, he's happy (and jacketless) but he was home from his 1st day back to school this week. He's my homebody

Monday, January 10, 2011

Makes My Monday: SNOW!



Guess what we had over the weekend?!

SNOW!!!

I am still in shock that it actually snowed...But the kids loved it.

It's a definite Monday maker.

Dakota having fun in the snow

our backyard

Lily and Kota getting used to the snow

Lily...she was showing off her gloves...she loved the snow..but only looking at it..if it got on her gloves, she wanted them cleaned off.


Linking up with Cheryl from Twinfatuation for Makes My Monday

Friday, January 7, 2011

What Seat belts?

This is Dakota's doing...so glad he isn't a driver right now. He really knows how to load a car. I asked him why all the girls weren't in seat belts and he replies, "What seat belts?"
This remote control car (one of Lily's Christmas presents) has 2 seat belts for the riders...Kota failed to see them.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Way Back When-esday:



Dakota...January 13, 2007...age: almost 1 year old

As I dropped off Kota at school today and I hear him holler across the parking lot to his friend, I asked myself "when did Kota grow up?"
In some ways, he is SOOOO independent and in others, he still needs his mommy or daddy.

It is just amazing to see the transformation from a few years back.

Dakota..taken December 30, 2010...age: almost 5 yrs old

~playing along with Cheryl from Twinfatuation for Way Back When-esday

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

What are you tending to?


Do you every have one of those days where it's just one thing after another? And once you finally get a chance to just sit and relax, you look over and see that you forgot to sweep under the entertainment center. So you think...Well, I'll just pull out the vacuum and clean the rug, and use the attachments to clean everything else..well, that turns into the floor, under this, under that, and then taking the cushions off the couch and cleaning all the crud, crumbs, crayons, cheerios, cars, Lego's, bracelets, raisins (can't remember the last time we had those in the house), and hair clips. It was a sofa-topia ...party for all the forgotten nick knacks.

Now, that all of that is finished...coffee table wiped down...the baskets of clean laundry need to be tended to. Which I am putting off for the time being just to share my day with you all.

The positive about having to fold laundry in the evening is: the kids are bed, and the TV is all MINE!

So...I will tend to my laundry..and y'all can tend to enjoying these pictures.

Kota playing with his Legos after his 1st day back at school

Lily..having fun outside

Monday, January 3, 2011

Makes My Monday: Back to Schedule


I am so excited that school is back in session. We are back to our regular schedule. During the holidays, the kids stayed up later, slept in longer, and we kinda like the schedule go out the window.

The 1st morning was back on schedule was great! It did take Dakota longer to pull himself out of bed..that could have been the 31 degree weather outside making him want to snuggle under the covers longer, but he finally got up with no crying or fussing. And we made it to school early!

I hope his 1st day back is fantastic.

Lily is enjoying having free reign of the cartoon selection this morning...and getting to play blocks on the coffee table without a certain person running up behind her and knocking over her "castle".

~playing along with Cheryl from Twinfatuation for Makes My Monday