Hoppy Easter!

400

That's how many posts I have had since starting this little blog. I'm just slightly proud.

There was a reason for this blog post. Bree has been flying along with her accomplishments lately. Just as soon as she does something she's moving onto the next thing before I get a chance to post about it. She is now pulling to a stand on tables, chairs, couches, doors, refrigerators, dishwashers, legs, and anything she can. She is also cruising around on everything she can. And just last night she is letting go of those things and trying to stand on her own. It does last about a good 2 seconds and BOOM! down she goes.

She is so proud of herself, it is amazing to see. We are also very proud of her too. She's not a baby anymore...she's officially a toddler!

Insert sarcasm here

Time out works REALLY well for Bree. I mean really.

She REALLY enjoys it. Sigh. What ever will I do with this child?

Any ideas?

Buggin Daddy

Riley's prayer

"Time to ber-ay?" (Time to pray? She interlaces her hands and bow her head)

"God is good. Thank you for food. Love me family. Jesus name AAAAMEN! Abaluyah!" (Hallelujah)

Goodness gracious, I love her so.

Please spread the word...and pray! pray! pray!

Jason Gump is a close family friend and is battling with brain cancer for his second time. Last night his wife, Devin, had to take him to the ER for breathing difficulties and he in now in ICU in an induced coma on a ventilator. We need your prayers, your love, your positive thoughts sent their way. You can read their story by clicking here. Please say this prayer with me and please copy and paste in your status, or send messages, or spread it however you see fit: 

 

Dear Lord, please be with our friends, The Gumps. They are fighting a huge fight with brain cancer, and Jason needs you more than ever right now. Please send them a miracle. Please watch over Devin, Faith, and Wyatt while Jason is... fighting, and give Devin more strength than ever. In your name, I pray. Amen. 

 

We love you Gumps.

 

 

 

 

Positive thoughts, prayers...anything!

I am at my wits end. Usually I can deal well with whatever is thrown our way...but we've had a rough past two months. I had a falling out with a friend a while ago, and ever since then someone has been sick, all of us have been sick, someone got bit by a dog, fifths disease, ear infections, pink eye...the list goes on. Today Riley now has a bad yeast infection, and I suspect a possible UTI. We will see when we visit the pediatrician tomorrow.


Your prayers, well wishes, positive thoughts, or whatever you do to wish well upon others would be greatly appreciated. We have done everything except ask for the support of everyone else, so I figure it is time to draw upon our group of wonderful prayer warriors and well wishers. Thank you so much!

My face may be different, but my feelings the same.


I laugh, I cry, I take pride in my gains.

I was sent here among you to teach you to love.

As God in the heavens looks down from above.

To Him I am no differnt, His love knows no bounds.

It's those here among you, in cities and towns,

That judge me by standards that man has imparted.

But the family He's choosen will help me get started.

For I'm one of his childern, so special, so few,

That came here to learn the same lessons as you.

That love is acceptance, it must come from the heart.

We all have the same purpose, though not from the start.

The Lord gave me my life to live and embrace.

And I'll do it as you do, just at my own pace.

~Unknown

What'cha say?

Little kids are known for not being able to pronounce things correctly. I enjoy it so much. It is so cute to listen to them mispronounce common words. Here's a few things that Riley and Bree have been saying:

Riley:

W = Bubble wu

Flashlight = Flah flight

Adam = Alam

Baby Gavin = Bebe Gabin

Sister Bree = Sissa Bree

Bree:

Up = Bup

Bye bye = Bu-Bu

Sponge Bob = Spu - Bah

Sprinkles!

Being a mom of girls, I understand that a large part of our lives is going to be glitter, pink, purple, and all things bright. However, I was not expecting Riley to change the name of a common practice in our house. Most people call it "knuckles". You make your hand into a fist and bump 'knuckles' with another person in order to greet them, say hello, celebrate, or whatever you want it to signify.

Riley has changed the name to 'sprinkles'. It cracks me up. She has 'girlified' the act of giving knuckles. She hollers "SPRINKLES!!!" then pounds her little fist into yours with exuberence. I love her.

Coughing along

Well, the kids are on the mend, but Mommy and Daddy are still sick. We are coughing and hacking, but still holding things together. Today I am working on keeping the house clean, one room at a time. I clean a room, then force myself to sit and drink some water, and watch a show. Then it's off to clean another room.

Riley's room is already cleaned...and the giant pile of laundry that needs to folded is next! Adam has been given the rest of the week off on quarters, which means he cannot leave the house. So I have canceled my observations for the rest of this week in order to take care of everyone and keep the house in order.

Next week is spring break for the school I observe in, so we will have some fun activities planned for our family. After next week, it'll be back to the observations.

Your prayers, well wishes and positive thoughts would be appreciated on helping us to get better soon! We are ready to be all done coughing and hacking!!

Tech Saavy at 18 months

 

 

The many faces of Riley

This was within a span of 30 seconds....

 

 

  

  

  

Silly girl.

Sickness

Sickness has been creeping through our house. I woke up Wednesday with a sore throat that just got worse through out the day. I ended up going into urger care because I couldn't even swallow the saliva in my mouth without grimacing in pain. The doctor thought I had strep so I was sent home with antibiotics, and I was down and out for Thursday. I barely moved off of the couch. My good friend, Carrie Fay, was an angel and gave me some homemade rainbow chard soup (I think that's the way it's spelled)...it was delicious and just what I needed. Thankfully, Adam was able to take the day off because of how sick I was.

Friday was a tiny bit better, I still felt like a truck hit me, but Adam had to go to work. I sure wish he could have stayed home, but we managed. The girls watched a lot of cartoons. Every once in a while, kids are allowed to have a down day. And so is Mommy.

Unfortunately, Adam's work was ever so kind and thoughtful, and decided to put him on weekend duty so he was gone on Saturday as well. He was gone from 8 am to 9 pm. I was feeling a little ambitious and I built the girls a "cave" using our table, the table cloth, and a few extra sheets. I heard so many giggles and laughs that day...I think just the sound of those lifted my spirits.

Today Adam woke up with a sore throat just like the one I had on Wednesday so he went off to urgent care. He was sent home with the same diagnosis as I had. So Adam will have a follow up appt in the morning, and Riley needs to go to her pediatrician as well. She has an ear infection and needs to be checked out.

I am hoping that this sickness marches it's little booty right out of here...we don't need it or want it here....

Will you support or march for Bree?

Hello all our cherished family and friends!




We're very excited to be a part of March for Babies this year and hope you will join our team to walk in support of Bree and all other preemies!



Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. We're walking because we want to do something about this.



The money we raise will support March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care. Even Bree has benefited already from the hard work that March of Dimes does. The surfactant shot that she received at birth to keep her lungs open and able to exchange oxygen was designed because of the support from people like you. With your support, even more medical advances can be made, and more babies be saved.



Please join our team. You can do so on our team Web page. If you can't walk with us, please help the team reach our goal by making a donation. You can do that online as well.



Visit my team Web page at: http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1381878







If you would like to learn more about March for Babies, visit the Web site at marchforbabies.org.





Thank you for helping us give all babies a healthy start!





The Gonce Family

www.flickr.com/photos/gonce

http://goncechronicles.blogspot.com/

Morning of insanity

This week I am observing in an elementary school not too far from home. Today, I was glad it was not too far from home because, boy oh boy!, did we have a crazy day. Riley had an appt with her orthopedic surgeon; the same one she saw when she was 9 months old for her hip. This time it was about her elbow that seems to like to dislocate.

So this morning went like this:

I left at 8 for school.

Adam took Bree to a friend's house around 8:30 ish and went home to grab Riley's diaper bag and get into the car to take her to her orthopedic appt.

8:45: Adam gets a call from friend watching Bree that her dog bit Bree. Adam high tails it there to check on Bree, and calls to arrange a doctor appt for Bree.

9:00: Friend takes Bree to the doctor while Adam picks me up at school to accompany him to Riley's doctor appt. I have a mild 30 second freak out, then am okay.

10:00 ish: Both girl's doctor appts went well. Bree is on another antibiotic to prevent infection since one dog 'tooth' pierced her cheek. Riley will not need surgery at all for her elbow issue. As long as it can be popped back in every time, all is well. If for some reason it won't, they will cast her arm in a specific position to force the ligament into the correct position. This is very rare and does not happen often.

The rest of the day went well, but we are obviously hoping for a much better morning tomorrow.

Trial run

This next week I will be doing a trial run of what most working moms do every day. I have not even started, but I don't know how the working moms do it. I know there are many who do not have a choice, and have to do it because of financial situations, but I am sure this next week is going to make me very thankful that we are not in that position. Some moms choose to, and that works for them. To each their own. Some moms would go crazy staying home everyday. Trust me, there are days that I feel like I am losing my mind, and all I am doing is putting kids in time out, or correcting them.

However, I think because I have experienced staying home with my kiddos, I wouldn't want it any other way. I couldn't imagine having someone else spend more time with my kid than I do. I know that day will come when that will happen because of school (if we choose to go the public school route), but I want to hang onto these short 5-6 years that I get them all to myself.

So wish me luck as I embark on this new adventure, and pray that I learn much. My respect and admiration go out to you working moms.

I never want to forget...

...that instead of "kiss", Riley says "piss". Like, "Mommy, I wanna gi you a piss."

...that today at the zoo, Riley announced to every one that the bird in the cage was a Macaw. "Look!!!! A MACAW!!" (I certainly didn't teach her that...I give all credit to Go Diego Go).

Last but not least, I never want to forget this sweet face:

 

Bree is starting to give up her pacifiers, and only uses them at bedtime, naptime, or right after she gets up. She has also started to become fond of blankies, especially fleece ones.  She seems to be growing up so fast...she is pulling to a stand on tables, can crawl super fast, and is very curious...and very stubborn. Her cry has changed recently in the way it sounds...she is growing into being a toddler and is no longer a baby. Sigh.

13 hours

7:30 this morning:

 

8:30 tonight:

I think her first day of preschool was a success.

Here we go!

So, we've had an eventful week so far...and we've still got two days left in it! Monday night we went into the ER with Bree because she was crying uncontrollably and was unable to be consoled. She had bright red cheeks, nose and chin and was not a happy kid. I was worried that her UTI had spread to her kidneys so into the ER we went. The ER staff were not very knowledgable with children, and 4 hours later we were discharged with a diagnosis of "fever of unknown origin" and "fussiness". Hello, that's why I brought her in!!! They did test her urine and were able to tell me that it was clear of infection.

So, the next morning we were off to the pediatrician where Bree was diagnosed with Fifths disease. It is a viral infection that causes a red face, a rash on the face, arms and chest, joint and muscle pain, and fatigue. So poor Bree has yet again more to deal with. However, she remains strong and is fighting it off. She does seem to want to be snuggled most of the time, and she cannot be left alone in a room without panicking and crying.

Our other big news is that tomorrow is Riley's first day of "preschool". We just aren't cutting it for her. She needs some kid interaction, and an environment that can stimulate her. We have enrolled her in Radiant Kidz Zone, which is a part of the church I used to work at. You can check it out by clicking here. She will be enrolled for two full days a week: on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We can check in on her at any time online through a web cam that is set up in all the rooms at the preschool.

The other good thing about this is that I can now step up and do the school observations that I need to in order to get my schooling finished up. I am only 3 classes away (and 12 weeks of student teaching) away from getting my bachelors degree in Elementary Education. This will be a huge accomplishment for me. Also, while Adam is in Korea it will be helpful as Bree has OT on Tuesdays at ten in downtown phoenix, and PT on Thursdays at ten at 59th and Thunderbird. Both are about 30 to 45 minutes away from our house. It is really difficult to take Riley to these appointments so while she is having fun in "school", Bree will have some learning of her own.

Whew! That was a looong post. Hope I didn't miss anything and this finds you all well.

 

 

A change in course

We have a change in Bree's antibiotic course. I got a call from the doctor today saying that the antibiotics we had her on were inefficient against the type of bacteria that Bree had. The cultures they took had started to grow and they were able to tell what kind of bacteria she had. When they first discovered she had a UTI they just put her on the most usual course of antiobiotics that typically clear up whatever it is. Now that they know for sure what it is, we hope this antibitotic will work well..and fast. Poor kiddo.

Kids this young are not suppose to get UTI infections (? not sure why), so they will be doing some extra testing on her to make sure all her anatomy is correct. She will have an ultrasound of her kidneys, and have some dye injected into her bladder through a catheter while they watch where it goes. If it goes back up into her kidneys (which is bad) we may be looking at surgery for her at worst, or keeping her on a low dose of antibiotics to help prevent infection.

Only time will tell. So for now we give this antibiotic once a day for the next ten days. And pray for her relief and healing.

Rocky Road

No, I'm not talking about the ice cream...I'm talking about the last few days for our family.

Bree has a UTI and yeast infection. She is not a happy camper at all. Which makes us not happy campers....

Through my life I have heard the saying "When it rains, it pours". That is how I am feeling now. Bree is in pain and whining, wanting to be carried and loved on, which is very valid giving how she feels. Riley, on the other hand, does not understand that. She only knows that I am holding Bree and not her so she cries and whines, and acts naughty because I can't pick her up too.

Sigh. I sure hope Bree's medicine starts working soon.

Bath time fun!!

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Here we go....

...so my idea of having Bree take all of her volume of food she needs in the day time hours is not working so well. She can't seem to handle the volume of food, and if we go over 200 cc's  a feed, it all comes back up. She needs 240 cc's a feed 4 times a day in order for her to get her reccomended amount of calories for the day. We've tried breaking it down into more feeds a day, but for us as parents, it's not feasible. It takes an hour to feed her and then she gets down from her seat for an hour only to go back into it if she gets fed every two hours. That doesn't leave time for naps, doctor visits, therapies, anything. She doesn't even really get too much time to play like a normal kid would do. And without that normal play time she falls farther behind developmentally than she already is.

Sooooo....after talk between me, Adam and my best friend Anneke, we decided to order an Angelcare monitor. Anneke has one for each of her kiddos and she swears by them. They monitor the breathing and movement of the child and if they stop breathing (or moving) for more than 20 seconds, it will alarm and wake you. We decided to go with the deluxe version because it has two pads for monitoring instead of the usual one because Bree is a wiggle worm sleeper. She moves all over her bed, and sleeps in many different positions. This will allow me the peace of mind that I need in order to sleep while giving her a night feed. We hope to be able to give Bree 3 feeds of 200 cc's of formula during the day, and give her a shortened night feed of 280 cc's of formula. I am not sure how that will work out but I'd like to start it around 8 at night and have Adam turn it off around 12 or 12:30 before he comes to bed.

I hope to reduce the amount of time she has with a night feed, but also be continuing to supply her with the nutritional benefits that her body needs. We worked so hard for every little ounce that is on her cute little self, that it pains me to see her throwing up because we are trying to cram so much into her. I think any mother who loves their child is willing to try anything before causing them discomfort and pain.

(On a side note, Bree is an amazing, odd child and is getting all four molars at once. So, that does attribute to some of the throw up and discomfort that she is having. However, if we can help her...we need to.)

Resolution

I cannot change the actions of others, but I can control my actions, and my reactions.

The end of a ritual

Since having her NG tube placed in February of last year (can you believe we've been tube feeding her for a year now??) Bree has always had a feed of formula that ran overnight. We were told this was to help get in her needed calories and volume of liquids. Also, while sleeping children secrete a hormone that promotes growth, and by feeding her at night we are helping to encourage that. The rate and amount of the night feed has always varied and grown as she has grown. The last night feed she had was running at 38 mls/hr for a total of 380.

Wednesday night found me doing my usual ritual of taking a shower before I go to bed. When I got out of the shower, I heard Bree sounding like she was having a bit of reflux. This sounds like little gasps or little burps. I decided to check on her before I settled into bed. (It's about a 50/50 chance I check on her when she is like this as it is very very common). Am I ever glad I did check on her.

When I got into her room she was laying on her side with her tubing wrapped around her belly. I figured I would "unroll" her and get everything right. As soon as I rolled her onto her back I noticed the tubing wrapped tightly around her neck. I quickly unwrapped it and looked at her. She had a red mark on her neck from the tubing and she was very pale in her face. I picked her up and started rubbing her back vigoriously in order to get the blood circulation going again. After a very long minute or two she started squirming and whining. After another minute she started crying and woke up. She seemed fine so I laid her back down in bed and unhooked her night feed.

It will never be hooked back up again. I do not want to lose Bree simply because the doctors tell me she "needs" a night feed. We have re arranged her feeding schedule, and while it is hard to find time to go anywhere (she always seems to need to eat now), it is well worth the effort. I'd rather have her smiling face here with us than have it pale and dead from being strangled from her feeding tube cord.

The nightime ritual of preparing her feed for the night is ended.

Playdates

Pros:
1. Riley gets to play
2. Bree gets to play
3. Mommy gets some adult interaction
4. Riley goes to bed early
5. Bree goes to bed early

Cons:
1. Mommy wants to go to bed early.

Take two

Today we started on take two of the fish tank. Our previous attempt resulted in one of the fish (the upside down catfish) dying and apparently being sucked into the filter and getting stuck. We thought we had gotten him out, but we must have missed some because about a week later all the other fish started to die. Seventy dollars of fish down the drain...literally. (we flushed em)

So, this time around we went with the cheap fish at Petsmart.We've got about 6 zebra danio fish (they look like striped tetras), 5 beautiful male guppies with orange tails, 3 Australian rainbow fish, and one albino sucker fish thing. (Don't you love how I am so technical with the other fish, then can't remember that one?)

Just to spoil ourselves we got some new decorations for the fish tank. It has been about 3 years since we got new decorations so a change of scenery was in order. Adam approved my picking out of an old WWII plane that looks like it crashed and sunk. I picked out the super cool bridge/river piece that makes it look as though there is a river running under the bridge by having the bubbles hook up to it, run under some plexiglass and then up and out of some plants on the side. Last but not least, Riley picked out a T rex tank decoration. She has been obsessed with dinosaurs as of lately. But that's for another post.

We are excited about the new fish in the tank...it has been vacant for over a month, and it was looking pretty lonely over there. Now it's full of movement, bubbles and life.

Isn't life great?

New things, new life, new priorities

Not having the requirement to blog every night has been a great stress relief for me. My kids are great, but there is not always daily stories to be told or information to tell. Sometimes I was feeling like I grasping at straws when it came to writing a blog every day.

Now, I need to get into  a new rythym of blogging when there is something to tell. I need to take the time to write it out so the story is fresh and new in my mind and you, my readers, will be able to read every detail and/or funny expression from whomever the story is about.

So, what's going on with us you ask? Well, we've been spending more time with our friends Felix and Anneke and their two kids lately. It's great for me to feel like I have a best friend again. Someone I can tell everything to and not feel judged. Anneke and I are very similar in the way we think, (are both overly paranoid), and it is nice to have a fellow NICU mom who understands the therapies, appointments and worries of our kiddos. I am so appreciative to have her as a friend.

Riley is still becoming smarter and smarter day by day. She is very specific in her speech, and in her demands. She is getting a little attitude and we are trying our best to stop it in it's tracks. Some days I feel like we are doing a great job, then there are days that Riley has 9 to 10 time outs in a day.

Bree is a crawling crazy kiddo! She has pulled herself up on the coffee table once, but has not since then. She is capable, she just chooses not to in typical Bree fashion.

I am doing okay, I have good days, and I have bad days. I recently got a number of a psychiatrist that accepts Tricare and who is reccomended by a friend. (I need to re-get (is that a word?) that number from her since I deleted my text messages without thinking about it today) I hope to be able to make an appt soon so that I can get help.

Adam is doing well and has been helping me out very much with the girls so that I can do my teacher observations that I need.

Life is good. Hectic but good.

Downsizing

I am trying to downsize my list of things I have to do. This is to help with the stress and anxiety issues I am having. I will be posting when I feel the need to, or have something to share. I know you all will understand. Don't worry, I won't leave you in the dark! I will post at least once or twice a week. I love you all. :)

Personal

I have a few personal issues going on. Some are physical, some are mental (yeah, yeah...crack the jokes) but I am being serious. Since Bree was born I have struggled with postpartum depression issues. I thought that I was over it and done, but I guess not.

About a month ago I discovered a lump in my right breast. I monitored it for a week or so, then called the doctor and scheduled a visit to the gynecologist. (I needed to have my 'well woman' checkup anyways) The doctor that I had was not very open to hearing about the issues that I had, and didn't even take the time to check out the said lump. She told me that with the location and my age it was "probably nothing". I wasn't happy with that answer.

So I made an appt with my primary care physician on base (which was today), and upon asking me many questions, doing a very thorough exam, and sending me to get blood drawn decided that my hormone levels are still off from when I had Bree. The 'lump' I felt is an enlarged duct which is caused from the hormone imbalance. The anxiety issues I have been having are also related to the hormone imbalance.

So, I am still struggling with a form of postpartum depression that is manifesting itself in anxiety. I do need to go see a psychiatrist as it does affect my daily life and interaction with my kids and husband. I just want to be myself again. I need to be myself again. I can't wait to be myself again.

Two year olds

...are wonderful, joyous, inspiring, silly, crazy, energetic, exhausting, playful, tiring, jumping, singing, dancing, running, hopping bundles of fun. They are like a little bi polar person wrapped up in this tiny little body. One minute they are dancing and yelling happily, next minute they are pushing their sister over and trying to stomp on her hand. Oh the joys of two year olds!

Riley is getting in her two bottom back molars so she has been especially fun lately. She really does have a great sense of humor and can be as cute as a button, but when bedtime rolls around...oh boy! We've tried keeping her up later but nothing seems to stop the hour long yelling and crying that occurs every night. I've been sticking to my guns about the bedtime routine though....she can only have her little lamp on if she needs reading light and once I am out of her room...I don't go back in. (unless she's doing something dangerous of course...like climbing her dresser drawers) I am hoping that these molars come in soon and I can have my usual two year old back. I don't mind the 2 or 3 timeouts a day..but the 9 to 10 everyday are starting to wear on me.

Naptime

Oh how I love naptime! Today we have an extra kiddo because our friends are bringing home their second baby, a boy, home today! Even with an extra kid, I still have all three down for naps at the same time. My two are actually sleeping because they are used to this time, but Grace is fighting it a bit. She's tired, but this is a new environment, new bed, and familiar, but different faces. However, her little eyes are soooo sleepy so I am sure she will be blissfully asleep soon.

Now, I get some quiet time for me. I am going to prep dinner and cut up some veggies to go with the pulled pork I am cooking. We are going to be having pulled pork fajitas with fried peppers and onion with refried beans and chips and salsa on the side. We will be sharing our dinner with Felix and Anneke so they do not have to worry about food tonight...they only need to bask in the glory of bringing home their new baby boy...and feeling complete as a family.

Date night!

I didn't have the time to post on Friday because Adam and I got to go on a date! Adam's mom was in town due to business and she told us to take the night for ourselves. She didn't have to tell us twice! We made sure that we had Bree all ready for bed, and then headed out to our 8:30 reservation at The Melting Pot in Scottsdale. Our four year wedding anniversary is coming up here on February fifth so we figured we'd go out for our anniversary dinner early.

We had a great time! We have been there before so we knew what we were headed into...we enjoyed a multi course dinner complete with cheese fondue, salad, meats of varying kinds, and a delicious chocolate fondue at the end. The chocolate fondue was made with chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and Bailey's....mmmm deeeelicious!!!

Adam and I decided that we need to have more date nights so we made up a plan with some friends of ours to trade off on watching kiddos so that we both can have some good quality time as couples. It was nice to be able to complete a sentence without having to give a warning, or stop a kid from breaking something. I am looking forward to more date nights here soon!

Priorities

Priorities in life are a funny thing sometimes. Usually, the priorities you need to address are not the ones you really want to. Like picking up the living room, or mopping the floor, or finishing college that seems to be dragging on forever. Wait, those are all MY priorities.

I am so over school. I know I must finish in order to not waste the money that we have spent on my education so far. We have over $20,000 out on school loans. However, since I started school our plans and priorities have changed. We were planning on me starting to teach part time right after I finished my degree. At least enough that I could pay for my student loans. Now with Bree we do not feel that that is an option. She still needs special care with her G tube and neither of us feel comfortable leaving her with a babysitter or a daycare. We do not want to impose on our friends as we feel that we have hurt some friendships by asking them to watch Riley too much due to Bree's needs. We don't know what we are going to do when my student loans become due. My friend Anneke has gotten a forebearance (spelling?) on her student loans and will try to help me get the same.

So, for now...I finish school because I must. Because it is a priority. Because wasting money is a sin (it is, isn't it?). Priorities suck sometimes.

Hold your babies tight tonight

The horrible earthquake in Haiti seems to have put things into perspective for some people. Myself included. Not that I don't appreciate my family, but Riley is quick to irritate me, Bree seems to always be underfoot, and Adam is always leaving a trail of shirts he has already worn strewn about on the ground or the couch.

At least my children and husband are still alive to irritate me, be underfoot, or leaving dirty clothes in inconvenient piles and not dead in the street or crushed under a collapsed building. My heart breaks for the orphaned children, the now childless mothers, or the fathers who cannot find their families. I cannot imagine the grief, panic and anxiety they are going through. The thought of it bring tears to my eyes.

So tonight, I held Bree longer at bedtime. I kissed her little face, and squeezed her tight. When it was Riley's bedtime, she got to rock longer, read the same book three times, and I have indulged her with "Rock-a-bye baby" about thirty times.However, I still do not feel that is enough. So, I will appreciate more.

I will appreciate that my husband does the dishes, AND dumps the garbage and recycling.

I will appreciate Riley and her wonderful sense of humor.

I will appreciate that Bree can crawl, and is striving to learn more.

I will appreciate that I am alive.

I will appreciate that I CAN appreciate.

Straight from the mouths of babes

Now we all know that Riley is a talker...she tends to get that from me. As much as Riley is a talker, Bree is the opposite. It is going to be so interesting seeing these two grow up through the years. Even though Bree is less of a talker than Riley was at her age, she does still utter and use a few words correctly. The words that she uses are:

Up

Mama

Dada

All done (sounds like Ah-du, complete with shaking of hands)

Her speech therapist reassures me that this is completely acceptable for a one year old. I have nothing to compare it to except super speech Riley. For example, Riley and Grandma were playing with some stuffed animals two days ago. Riley had a monkey she was making say Oooo ah ah!, and Grandma had a frog that she was making to say Oooo ah ah!. Riley DID NOT like that and kept correcting Grandma, "It say Ribbi Ribbi!!!!". Well, after a few rounds of that, Riley clapped her hand on her forehead and said "I don't KNOW what to do with you!!!" Grandma and I just busted up laughing...it was so appropriate and cute!

Another story...last night the girls and I went to a friends house (Carrie Fay and Fernando's). On the way there, Riley was watching the previews to whatever movie was in the DVD player. About 30 seconds from their house, Riley proclaims "I watching a woowie (movie)....I need a cokcorn (popcorn)!". Now, I think we have only watched a movie and ate popcorn about twice in her lifetime. She is one smart cookie....or should I say, one smart kernel!

Disney on Ice here we come!

Grandma Gonce is treating me and Riley to the Disney on Ice show that will be in town this week. We are not going until Saturday, but I am excited! It is late tonight, I do not normally post this late. Today was the last day of my science class so I had to finish up some schoolwork, and pick up the trashed house. (It really wasn't trashed...just toy strewn) And since I have school to observe in the morning, I am going to make this short and sweet.

Good night all.
Sweet dreams.
I know I will sleep well...I am going to go take some sleep medicine because I have not slept well for two nights. I hope tonight is much better. I hope I sleep so well that I have no dreams. Know what I mean?

Bliggity Blog, Bloggity Blig.

I have not been feeling the blogging vibe lately. I think it is because my life is all filled up with plans, play dates, observations, and school work. It seems to suck all the creative, witty juices right outta me.

Here's our schedules right now:

Monday: Bree has therapy at 8. I observe at school from 8-12 while Adam is taking care of the girls.

Tuesday: School observing from 8-12

Wednesday: Bree has speech at 11.

Thursday: Bree has PT at 10.

Friday: I observe at school from 8 -12.

Now that I have written that out I can see that my afternoons are pretty free...Riley naps from 1-3 and Bree needs to eat at 8, 12, and 5. It doesn't allow for much "going" to happen in the afternoons so we are either at home, or up the road five houses at Anneke's house. After the girls go to bed I pick up the house, eat my dinner, get ready for bed and then do my schoolwork.

Life is good.

Drowning.

Right now I am drowning in schoolwork. Please forgive me for not writing more tonight. Sorry, but the class I am paying over $800 dollars for takes precedence right now. I still love you all. I really do. Really.

It's update time!

It has been a while since I outlined what the girls are up to, and how life is going/has changed for us. Life is in a constant motion of changing and rearranging in our house so we are always kept on our toes. Here's the updates:

Riley: She has hit the terrible two's. We talk much of choices and of time outs MULTIPLE times a day. I am hoping that by being firm now, I am reinforcing habits and good behavior for later on in life. Only time will tell.

She is quite the little chatterbox (wonder where she gets that from!) and is quite advanced with her language. She talks in sentences and will make connections that I assume most two year olds don't make. For example, this morning we were watching Go Diego Go! and there was a part in it that showed a bigger giraffe and a baby giraffe. Riley ran up to me saying "That's you Mom! You're the mom!!! I'm the baby!" She did the same thing later on in the evening when watching Ice Age: The Meltdown. She told Adam that he was Manny. He was the daddy elephant.

Bree: This little miss is a crawler! She crawls everywhere and is just starting to discover that she can get into stuff. Along with her crawling has come more talking...more babble and a few reinforcements of words. She knows and recognizes that I am Mama, and Adam is Dada. She can say "up" and requests it sometimes. We are working on a 'word' to stand for Riley, because apparently it is a really hard name for a little one to say. The "R" is hard to pronounce, but so is the "L" in it. I guess we'll start calling her "i, e". Ha ha!

Bree is getting better with her eating and we are up to about a tablespoon and a half at every feeding. (so three times a day) It's a start, and when she gets better with the eating we will start working on drinking from a cup. I do not want to throw too many things at her to be 'learning' and have her shut down and not allow us to be putting anything in her mouth. It's a hard balance, but we are working on it!

Adam and I are doing well, and getting back into the groove of things since the holidays are over. Life is good for now, and that's all I could ask for!

(mini) New Years Resolution

I plan on doing mini resolutions each month since the "year" resolutions never seem to work out. This month I am working on my language and speech. I want to speak more kindly to my children and husband. I find myself (and I am sure many of you do too) snapping at them too quickly,  raising my voice too fast, and getting irritated at the drop of a hat (or the whine of a voice). Namely, at a certain two year old:

The irritation normally starts with a face like that and whining of "Mommy! Mooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyy! Mooommmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyy! Where are you?????" when she is directly below me, leaning on me and stretching up at me. I love her dearly, but my goodness can she quickly push my buttons!

So, deep breathing is my new friend this month. January is the month of deep breathing.

Strike is over!

Ha ha, just kidding! I really wasn't on strike, I was just enjoying the time with my brother and sister while they were visiting. Next time I will be sure to let everyone know when I will be back as to not create any confusion or worry.

We had a great visit with my brother (Caleb) and my sister (Danielle) while they were here. They went home this afternoon despite Riley's attempt of keeping them here by refusing to give them goodbye hugs. Auntie stole a goodbye hug against Riley's will and Uncle Oo-bah just refused to deal with the screaming, crying, flailing rag doll of a two year old. (I have no idea why!??)

I thought it would be easier for Riley to see them off if we all went to the park before the time they needed to take off to burn off some extra energy and have a bit of fun. Then, when it was time for them to leave I could take the girls back home while Adam took Danielle and Caleb to the airport. I was right about the energy burning and the bit of fun, but was wrong about it making the goodbye part easier.

We did manage to get quite a few photos at the park though...hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isabella Grace Minard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another year drawing to a close

As this year ends and another begins, I look forward to what it holds. This last year was the most interesting I have had so far. I have learned many things about myself, and changed my views on quite a few things. One of the most important things that I learned and plan to keep with me is to not judge others based upon what you can see. They have had many different experiences and their life has taken a different path than my own. I cannot judge their way of parenting because every child is different and until you are in that situation yourself you have no idea what it is like. This was a great concept for me to learn, and has been even harder to accept and practice. This lesson has always been repeated to me, but with the experiences I have had with Bree I got to learn this one the hard way. We have had many suggestions and stories told to us about how we should be raising her and what we should be doing. However, it has made me more thankful and opened my eyes to the fact that the life we are sharing as a family is our own, and it is ours to take our own path with.

We will be ringing in the New Year with my brother and sister here to celebrate with us and I wouldn't have it any other way. Surrounded by those we love, we will be looking forward to what the year of 2010 has in store for us...and for all of you!!!

Isabella Grace Minard

We all have a new member of our family! Isabella Grace Minard was born by emergency C section on December 26 at 8:29 in the morning. She weighed 8 lbs, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. She has already proved herself to have a good set of lungs, and is just as cute as can be. Pictures to follow in a few days.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday (potentially)

Merry Christmas to all our blog followers, family, friends and everyone in the world! We have had a wonderous Christmas day full of surprises, and lots of love. Bree stood up for the first time today without someone holding onto her! She was holding onto her Uncle Ooba, but he was not holding onto her! What a big girl! The girl's got a lot of gifts, and my brother and sister seemed to enjoy their gifts we got them as well. It is hard for me to pick out gifts for them since we live so far away from them we do not know them as well as we would like to. So, we might be making some trips back to the stores to exchange a few things before they go home. As long as they are happy with everything that's all that matters. :)

My aunt and uncle also get a Christmas surprise today. My aunt's water broke this morning so I am typing this from her hospital room right now! Little Izzy will either be here today or tomorrow!! New babies are so precious and exciting.

I hope that all of you are enjoying the time with the people that you love. Eating food, sharing stories or even just playing board games with them. It is the time that is spent that is most precious. Merry Christmas everyone!

Apple soup

Tonight I made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner. Not extravagant, but it gets the job done. While it was cooking Riley had suckered Auntie into holding her while she stood in the kitchen with me. Riley happened to see the tomato soup cooking and said "Yum! Apple Soup!" (It's red like an apple, right??)

*Fingers crossed*

My fingers are crossed in hopes that this time tomorrow evening my Aunt Shrrene and Uncle Rick will be holding their sweet new little girl in their arms. Tomorrow is Isabella Grace's official due date...and her Mama is sure ready for her to come on out!

Sweet Izzy, we can't wait to meet you!

The warm fuzzies

You know what I am talking about...the warm feeling you get when all feels right with world? Well, I have that. Right now.

My brother and sister are in town visiting until January fourth and I always have a good time with them when we get together. Riley absolutely adores both of them. In fact, she told me tonight. First with her actions, and then with her words.

After bath time tonight my sister helped me by dressing Riley in her pj's. After some bedtime blue's clue's it was time to brush Riley's teeth. Auntie volunteered to help Riley brush her teeth so I told her to holler for me when they were done and I would do the bedtime routine of books and bed. However, when I sat down in Riley's rocking chair to read her her two nighttime books I was told "Scoooz eeee....it auntie turn. scooooz eeeee. Move mommy!" She loves her Auntie.

After Auntie had put her to bed, she called for me and I went in to rock her as she requested. She laid her head down on my shoulder and said "wow". I kind of chuckled and said wow back to her. She sighed and said "Oooba very fun". (Ooba is her name for her Uncle Caleb) I asked her "Oh, yeah?" She informed me that "Oooba fun on slide". I asked her if Uncle Ooba was fun on the slide today and she said "Okay, let's go!". I laughed and told her it was bedtime right now but maybe they could play on the slide again tomorrow. She loves her Ooba.

My posts may be few and far between lately because I am going to take the time to enjoy my wonderful family visiting. :) Or I might just have many stories to tell because they are here. Only time will tell.

GO BREE!!!

This week is getting better and better! Yesterday and today she has been on full strength formula at feeds of 150 cc's 3 times a day and we've had no vomiting. Tonight is the first night we are doing half strength formula instead of pedialyte so wish us luck! I should start blogging about sleep deprivation more often because last night Bree slept from 7 to 530!!! Much improvement from previous nights!



 We had a check up  with Bree's eye doctor on Thursday and he said she is the fastest healing kid he's ever seen. :) In other news, she has started crawling!!!!! She surprised both us and the physical therapist. She is taking off and is pulling herself up on stuff and standing on her knees. She is such an amazing little girl! GO BREE!

Sleep deprivation

When we decided to have kids, I knew that when they were babies they would rob me of my sleep. However, I thought that it would only be 'the worst' when they were first born and woke up every two hours. Ahhh..those were the days! At least there was a schedule of sleeping. Wake up, feed baby for 30 minutes, lay down....try to go to sleep for 1/2 an hour...wake up in an hour to feed baby again. Now, since they are bigger...we have good days and bad days. (okay, so they are really nights...that's what I meant to say)

Lately, we have had more bad days/nights. Bree caught a bug after her surgery and has been throwing up 24/7. It doesn't seem to be contagious because no one else has it so I wonder if it is a reaction to anesthesia. She is a sensitive little girl ya know! Today was the best day we have had in a week. She took 3 feeds of full strength formula at 150 cc's each. We are going to do a night drip of pedialyte tonight again just to make sure she is back on track (night drips of formula make her vomit pronto right now). So, wish us luck that she sleeps better than the 3 hours of sleep we all got last night. Sigh. Good night everyone. Sweet dreams.

Smiles

Smiles can melt my heart. So can hugs, but today it was smiles. The sweetest smile I got today was from our friend's daughter Ella. (You can read her story here) She has a critical immune system and was unable to make our Christmas craft playdate so Riley, Bree and I brought the crafts to her, her sister and her mom.

When we first arrived Ella was relaxing and resting on the couch. Celine, Ella's mom, informed me that Ella had been like that for most of the week. She just didn't have the energy to get up and do much. However, after some coaxing, Ella built some towers with Bree, then took a rest again. She played a little...then would rest again. However, when Ella found the bag of construction paper, stick glue, and cotton balls she perked right up. She was very patient when asked to wait until I was done feeding Bree.

While we were doing the crafts, her little face light up and you could tell she was really enjoying herself. It was when I brought out the red paint to fingerpaint the nose on the reindeer that she smiled. She was so proud of herself for making the nose AND the eyes out of the red paint. My heart seriously melted into a puddle of happy goo tonight. Ella is such a sweet little girl and I love every little bit of her!

It's a Dora song!

Sunday night we had a family boogie down party complete with Christmas music! Riley played her guitar, danced, sang and spun in circles! Bree played drums, sang and danced by rocking back and forth and shaking her cutie booty! Adam and I supervised, danced along with, clapped and made fools of ourselves...and we loved every minute of it!

At one point in our festivities, Adam and I were playing with Bree while Riley was spinning circles in the living room to the music. All of sudden Riley stopped, put her finger in the air and declared "It's a DORA SONG!". I reassured her that no, the tv wasn't on, so it isn't a Dora song. Thirty seconds later, I started really listening to which song it was because Riley was again declaring it was a Dora song. Lo and behold....it was Feliz Navidad! My smart little cookie realized that it was Spanish!

Sometimes Riley amazes me. She's a unique, silly, smart, special little girl. And she's mine. She makes me proud.

Baby steps

No, Bree's not walking yet...but she is on the move! Adam reported to me that while I was at school observing this morning, Bree took her first "crawling steps" today! That's right she crawled!

Now, I don't think she understands the entire concept that she can go all over, but she understands that she can torment Riley. I saw her crawl a little bit today (like 5 inches) to get to Riley so she could pull on her shirt. And...she also broke one of Riley's toys today.

This is going to sound weird but seeing Bree pick on Riley and break her toys just makes me a happy little camper! Now, ask me that in a year and I am sure I will have a different answer, but for today, I am happy.