Reception Pictures~July 22nd, 2011

I think I have previously posted some pics of my sister's wedding reception, but I am posting these professional ones that were taken that day.  I want to have them in their book.

PaPa is 62!

Yesterday was my dad's 62nd birthday.  My dad is one of the kindest people I know.  His heart is bigger than the sky.  He is kind, generous, supportive and everything else you can think of!  He may not say "I love you" in words, but his actions let us know loud and clear that he loves all of us more than anything.  He would do anything for his grandkids, kids, coworkers and probably a total stranger.  He is humble and he works hard to provide for his family.  I am so proud to call MY dad MY dad!  Lily and Avery are so very blessed to have a grandpa as wonderful as him.  He still stops by around lunchtime just to see them.  He may have seen them everyday for two weeks and maybe even just the night before, but he still comes.  They love him so much.  Lily is always saying "I want to go to Papa's house."  We celebrated his 62 years last night with dinner at LoneStar.  Maddie even told the waitress that it was his birthday (if he would have known this he would have probably left!).  The waitstaff came over and sang him their happy birthday song and he got a free yummy dessert that he shared with all of his grandgirls!  Happy Birthday to the BEST dad in the world!

A Tooth and a Cat Scan

On Tuesday (August 23rd for baby book purposes) both of the girls experienced a first.  Avery finally got her first tooth.  It is on the bottom right side.  She is 10 months old and I knew it HAD to be coming soon.  She had been cranky most of the day which is not like her and she had more poopy diapers than usual.  When Jason got home she was REALLY cranky.  I checked her mouth and sure enough it was in there! 

Lily's first was not as exciting as Avery's, and actually quite scary.  Lily was totally fine when I left for work around 6:00pm.  When I got to work Jason had texted me saying that she had thrown up twice.  I thought this was odd.  I called him around 7:30 and he said Lily was sound asleep.  I had him wake her up so I could talk  to her.  She didn't want to wake up.  This is not her norm at all...she goes to bed around 9:30-10:00pm and is up and playing until then.  She had taken her usual nap so she shouldn't have been tired.  He called me later and said she got up for a little while, but fell asleep on him while playing on the computer.  I was worried now as I pieced some things together.  Around 5:30 Lily was messing around in the kitchen with Avery.  Lily hit her head on the island in the kitchen and was crying.  I didn't see her do it but I came down  and Jason was holding her.  She didn't cry for very long and started playing again.  I called Jason back again to check her pupils and to wake her up.  She was asleep in our bed at this point and didn't want to wake up.  Jason called the Nurse Line and they of course had him bring her to be checked out.  Jason loaded up both girls at 10:00pm and headed up to the Pediatric Express Clinic at Bergan.  I am at work a little panicked at this point.  He said it wasn't necessary for me to come up there right now.  Lily threw up a third time on the way there.  He kept getting cut of from me at the hospital and he wasn't getting my text messages.  I texted him saying if they want to do anything to her to let me know and wait until I could get there.  Ten minutes later I received a text from him saying "the cat scan was fine."  WHAT!?  My little girl had a cat scan and her mommy wasn't there!  I felt awful, but he said she did great.  I talked to her on the phone and I told her that I was sorry that I wasn't there and I asked her if she was scared.  She replied to me "No, they took a picture of my head."  It was very matter of fact.  What a big girl.  The doctor said she must be catching some kind of stomach bug.  She didn't have a fever and she didn't throw up anymore...thank goodness!  I still think she may have had a little bit of a concussion...I don't know how else to explain the out of the blue pukies and lethargy.  Whatever it was she was fine and back to herself the next morning...thank goodness!  I attached the text picture that Jason sent me of her on the CT table.  I can't get it turned the right way, but it broke my heart seeing her little body up there.  I see people get CT's all the time and they really are no big deal, but it is different when it is your little girl up there on that big ole table!  She probably thought she was going on a ride or something!  Many kuddos to Jason for handling both girls so well late at night.  It couldn't have been easy with a tired Avery and a not feeling so well Lily!

Daddy and Me

Does she look like her Daddy or what?!  I swear she is his mini me...same laid back personality too!



A Haircut and a Feather

 I took Lily in last week for her second haircut ever.  We went to Family Fun Cutz...we had never been there before, but I think I will take her back.  It is a fun little place for little kids to get their hairs cut, and they have a TON of bows and other things for little girls!  I did leave with a new bow for her hair too!

 Lily got to sit in this cool pink princess car during her haircut and she got to pick out a movie to watch during it.  This kept her plenty entertained.  I wasn't ever worried that she wouldn't do okay since she had been asking to go to the salon to get a haircut.  She was super excited!

 I only had them very BARELY trim her hair so we only got charged for a bang trim...very reasonable prices.  Her hair doesn't grow very fast so I just wanted to get the dead ends off.  The REAL reason she wanted to get a haircut is because she wanted to get a PINK feather like her cousin Maddie's!  See below...

 I guess feathers are the new thing to do.  They are cute and harmless and easy to put in, so why not?!  It took 2 seconds to put it in her hair.  They have all different lengths, widths and colors and it only cost $7.95.  You can wash them, dry them, comb them, and even curl them, and they stay in for quite a while.

The finished product...feather and all!

10 Months!

Dear Avery,

You turned 10 months old on August 17th!  It snuck up on me this month...I guess it sneaks up on me every month!  I can't believe in just two short months you will be turning ONE!  No longer a baby, but a toddler! 

What you are doing at 10 months old:

~ still nursing, but had your first taste of formula this month...mommy's freezer stock has dwindled so you get a little bit of formula at daycare somedays

~ not a big eater...we are lucky if you eat solids once a day

~ you do like finger foods (baby cheetos, cereal, puffs, yogurt melts)

~ still in a size 3 diaper

~ still wearing clothes anywhere from 9-12 months

~ you wake up EVERY night...sometimes 2-3 times (I hope you outgrow this soon!)

~ you were sick this past month with Roseola and now a cold

~ you went on your first vacation to Kansas City

~ you LOVE ice cream and chocolate pudding (what kid wouldn't?!)

~ you can say dada and now when you are sad or mad you can very cleary say MAMA!!!

~ you wave hi and bye (you have been doing this a long time I guess)

~ you weighed 18 pounds 11 ounces at your sick visit

~ you kind of crawl...it works because you get to where you want to go very quickly!

~ no signs of pulling yourself up yet

~ still NO teeth!

~ you go to bed around 8:30 and wake up in the middle of the night and then for good around 7:30-8:00

~ you take 2 short naps a day

~ you LOVE your big sissy and you love to pull her hair and smack her in the face

Avery Grace, as usual, I can't wait to see what the next month brings to us!  Mommy is already starting to think about what we will do for your first birthday party.  It makes mommy sad to know that my baby is growing up so quickly, but just like I tell your big sister...no matter how old the both of you are you will ALWAYS be my babies!  I love you higher than the sky and deeper than the sea!

Love,

Mommy

Roseola

My poor sick little Avery Grace.  While we were in Kansas City this past weekend, Avery developed a fever of 104.  She was fine all day at the water park and then was just not herself later that evening and was on fire.  She perked up a little bit on Sunday, but when we got home on Sunday night she was still febrile at 103.  I had  been giving her infant Motrin to keep the fever down, but the poor thing just wanted to be held and cuddled.  On Monday morning she was still febrile, but down to 101-102.  I set her on the floor and she just plopped over and stuck her thumb in her mouth.  She laid on my all day long...not like her.  I gave her Motrin before bed on Monday night and on Tuesday morning she didn't feel warm when she woke up and I checked her temp and she was down to 100.7.  While the temp was better she was still lethargic and not really wanting to eat much. She would nurse and was stilling making wet diapers, but she still just kind of laid around and didn't want to play at all.  I called the nurse at our pediatrician's office. I didn't want to bring her in knowing it was probably viral and would pass in another day or so.  Well, the nurse made me feel like a horrible mommy and told me that this had gone on too long and that she needed to be seen that day.  I brought her in and sure enough she perked up, didn't have a fever and had even gained 7 ounces from  her visit just a week ago.  She did  start to break out in a pinkish rash on her head and trunk and was diagnosed with Roseola.  It is a viral (like I predicted) infection that includes a few days of high fevers and then when the fever breaks they get a rash.  We went on home and she even played with her sister some that night.  She was given the okay to go to daycare the next day since the infectious part had already passed and she didn't have a fever.  I sent her the next morning and by 1:30 I had gotten a text from daycare that she just wasn't acting herself and that she wouldn't nap or eat.  She didn't have a fever, but I went ahead and picked her up anyways.  When we got home the poor thing had a raging red rash all over her head, tummy, chest and back.  By that night she was playing and acting okay, so off to daycare she went the next day.  I went to pick her up in the morning after I got home from work, but she was napping there and they thought she was fine.  Thank goodness she WAS fine...she ate her food and drank all of her milk.  She was back to her old self by the end of that day!  There is nothing that stresses me out more than having a sick baby!  Lily is starting in now with a cold...I hope it doesn't go any further than that!

Happy Anniversary!

Today, I have been happily married for 4 years!  Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband and also to my mom and dad who have been married for 39 years!  What are we doing to celebrate you might ask...nothing!  Well, staying home anyways...this is what happens when you get married on your parents anniversary...nobody to babysit because they want to celebrate too...and they should!  I bought a bottle of wine, so maybe we will put the kids to bed early and enjoy some time for just the two of us.  That doesn't happen very often these days. :)  I love you Jason!

Kansas City Trip 2011

Jason and I took the girl to Kansas City this past weekend with my parents, Maddie, Jahrran and my brother.  It was so nice to get away and as usual it is a trip we won't forget.  Let's just say...if you have ever traveled with my family you know what I am talking about :).  It took a little longer than usual to get there due to all of the detours with the flooding, but we got there around 4:30-5:00 on Friday evening.  We enjoyed a drink by the pool and swam for a little bit and then we got ready and walked down to the Plaza and had some yummy BBQ at Jack Stack's BBQ.  As I like to say...it was hotter than Haiti outside so we got some ice cream before the walk back up the hill to the hotel.  Maddie, my mom and I did a tiny bit of shopping Friday night in the Plaza but we were with some pretty inpatient males who wanted to eat, but we did get a few good deals in! 

On Saturday we went to the new water park in KC...Schlitterbahn.  I have to say that I was a little disappointed.  It was not at all what I had expected with all of the hype, but all that matters was that the kids had a blast!  Lily's face and laughs are something I will never forget.  Even Avery enjoyed floating through the river...the waves rocked her to sleep :).  I grew up going to Ocean's of Fun and I must say that I do like Ocean's of Fun much better, but it was something new and a lot of the attractions aren't open yet, so I'm sure once those are finished it will be better.  Everyone was worn out after a long day in the sun so we headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap.  Later that evening we went to Crown Center in hopes of the Crayola store being open to show Lily where crayons are made, but we were too late.  Most of the shops were closed...bummer.  At this point, Avery was not herself and I could just look at her eyes and see that she was not feeling well.  I bought a thermometer (because I forgot mine) and she had a temp of 104.  I gave her some Motrin and she just wanted to cuddle.  Poor baby.  Her fever came down but I could tell she still wasn't feeling well.

Sunday morning we packed up the cars and headed to World's of Fun.  Avery was smiling some in the morning, but still not 100%.  We thought we would try it out and leave if we had to.  I made sure to feed her often and give her water and keep her cool.  She did fine for the most part.  Lily had a blast in Planet Snoopy and I think Jason had a blast riding the roller coasters...even if he had to ride them all with Maddie!  PaPa and I took Lily on her rides and my mom kept watch of Avery a lot of the time.  Bubba of course was having a ball!  I did get to ride The Fury of the Nile and The Prowler with Jason.  It is funny how things change the older we get.  When I was a kid I was on every roller coaster over and over again, and now I could have cared less to ride any of them.  My enjoyment came from watching Lily having so much fun.  I would cry and cry when it was time to leave as a kid, and now I was ready to leave whenever.  It was hotter than Haiti most of the day until the end as we were getting to leave.  The storm clouds came in and then the gusts of wind hit.  I'm not going to lie...I was a little scared.  It was almost like a tornado and then a hurricane.  You couldn't see through the rain.   Poor Justin and Bubba were at the car waiting because they thought my mom had gone out there with the keys...she did...but...we went out the wrong exit.  The two of them were SOAKED!  We ran under a bathroom shelter for a while because there was no way we were running out to the cars with the kids and baby.  Avery and Jason had already gotten blasted in the face with sand and debris and the poor thing had leaves stuck in the creases of her little neck.  Jason was able to pull the car right down to the shelter and we loaded up the kids and my mom. I have to add this last detail because it is funny and would of course happen to us...a skunk came right up to us in the shelter and was shaking his tail.  All you could do at this point was LAUGH! 

 My dad, Maddie and me ran out to the other car and the water was up to our ankles in the parking lot.  I have never seen anything like it.  We looked like we had jumped in the pool, and now we were supposed to drive back to Omaha like this ...I don't think so.  We stopped about 30 minutes up the road to change clothes and eat.  Everyone was much more comfortable and DRY and we were now on our way HOME! 

We got home and Avery had blown out her diaper and was still running a fever.  She slept all night which is not like her, and woke up today with a temp of over 103 and she just wants to be held and cuddled.  I will see how she does today and maybe take her in tomorrow.  I think they say if they are still febrile after 3 days bring them in???