Friday, February 27, 2009
Remember...
reading the Sunday comics? I couldn't wait for that paper every Sunday. Nowadays it's the coupons that get me excited. Maybe I need to give the comics another go this Sunday. I wonder what I've been missing all these years?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Father/Husband of the Year Award...
officially goes to Keith after this past weekend. Whoa! What a weekend it's been!
It all started last Wednesday. Andrew got sick around 10pm. Keith gave him a bath and I changed the sheets. Then around 4am we were woken up by Connor who had also gotten sick. Again, Keith gave him a bath and I had the sheets, floor and Lysol duty. Thursday came and went with no issues. On Friday I noticed Connor wasn't really eating, actually, downright refusing to eat. I kept thinking to myself that it's probably his darn ear again so I was trying to hold out for the follow up appointment we had scheduled for Monday.
Friday night I sat down to work while Keith was bathing the boys. He came down to hand me Andrew and just as he was doing that, he got sick. Not a minute later and Connor was getting sick. We both looked at each other and said, "What the heck!" So, we cleaned them up, cleaned ourselves up and cleaned whatever else got in the way at the time. Then, for the next five hours, it all happened simultaneously - literally. Connor would start, then Andrew, then myself; then Andrew, myself, Connor - every half hour, for the next five hours. Keith was flabbergasted. He just looked at me and said, "What the heck is going on here? I've never seen anything like this!" All I could do was feebly lift my head up and say to him, "It must be a virus." I helped as best I could with the boys all the while getting sick myself. We called the Doctor around 11pm because we worried about the boys getting dehydrated. He told us some key signs to look for and wished us well. Thanks Doc.
Saturday morning was relatively calm. I felt like a mack truck had run me over so I can't even imagine how the boys were feeling. The Doc called to check on us. He was mostly concerned about Andrew because of his age. We told him he ate once around 5am and was able to hold it down which the Doc thought was great. Connor was holding his own too. We thought we were in the clear.
The next few feedings with Andrew didn't go so well. He couldn't hold anything down again. He seemed lethargic and his mouth was getting dry, one of the major signs of dehydration the Doc told us to watch for. So around 1pm we called the Doc again and she told us to bring him in to the Children's Hospital ER to have him checked out and possibly pumped with fluids. Eeek!
So we packed everyone up and headed up to Raleigh. We waited an hour but while in the waiting room I fed Andrew because he was acting very hungry. He kept that down and actually perked up a bit. We got in to see the Doc, she asked some questions and said she wanted to see if he would eat again and keep it down and then we would go from there. Obviously the last thing they would want to do is stick our little guy with IVs so they wanted to make sure he was hydrated before letting us go. Andrew ate again and was back to his usual smiling self within the hour.
So four hours later, we were on our way home, exhausted but much better. The real task was still ahead of us though. We had used up almost all of our towels and clothes due to the many 'accidents' the night before. I couldn't even wrap my head around how much wash and cleaning up there was to do and I still had work to finish for the week. So while I finished working, Keith put the boys to bed and started the daunting task of cleaning up and doing wash. We went to bed around midnight and when I got up Sunday morning Keith was still doing wash and folding laundry. And now here I am, able to sit in our clean, Lysoled house...and blog. Ha ha. So thank you Keith...for all you did for us this weekend. And happy 6 month birthday Andrew, sorry you had to spend it in an emergency room.
It all started last Wednesday. Andrew got sick around 10pm. Keith gave him a bath and I changed the sheets. Then around 4am we were woken up by Connor who had also gotten sick. Again, Keith gave him a bath and I had the sheets, floor and Lysol duty. Thursday came and went with no issues. On Friday I noticed Connor wasn't really eating, actually, downright refusing to eat. I kept thinking to myself that it's probably his darn ear again so I was trying to hold out for the follow up appointment we had scheduled for Monday.
Friday night I sat down to work while Keith was bathing the boys. He came down to hand me Andrew and just as he was doing that, he got sick. Not a minute later and Connor was getting sick. We both looked at each other and said, "What the heck!" So, we cleaned them up, cleaned ourselves up and cleaned whatever else got in the way at the time. Then, for the next five hours, it all happened simultaneously - literally. Connor would start, then Andrew, then myself; then Andrew, myself, Connor - every half hour, for the next five hours. Keith was flabbergasted. He just looked at me and said, "What the heck is going on here? I've never seen anything like this!" All I could do was feebly lift my head up and say to him, "It must be a virus." I helped as best I could with the boys all the while getting sick myself. We called the Doctor around 11pm because we worried about the boys getting dehydrated. He told us some key signs to look for and wished us well. Thanks Doc.
Saturday morning was relatively calm. I felt like a mack truck had run me over so I can't even imagine how the boys were feeling. The Doc called to check on us. He was mostly concerned about Andrew because of his age. We told him he ate once around 5am and was able to hold it down which the Doc thought was great. Connor was holding his own too. We thought we were in the clear.
The next few feedings with Andrew didn't go so well. He couldn't hold anything down again. He seemed lethargic and his mouth was getting dry, one of the major signs of dehydration the Doc told us to watch for. So around 1pm we called the Doc again and she told us to bring him in to the Children's Hospital ER to have him checked out and possibly pumped with fluids. Eeek!
So we packed everyone up and headed up to Raleigh. We waited an hour but while in the waiting room I fed Andrew because he was acting very hungry. He kept that down and actually perked up a bit. We got in to see the Doc, she asked some questions and said she wanted to see if he would eat again and keep it down and then we would go from there. Obviously the last thing they would want to do is stick our little guy with IVs so they wanted to make sure he was hydrated before letting us go. Andrew ate again and was back to his usual smiling self within the hour.
So four hours later, we were on our way home, exhausted but much better. The real task was still ahead of us though. We had used up almost all of our towels and clothes due to the many 'accidents' the night before. I couldn't even wrap my head around how much wash and cleaning up there was to do and I still had work to finish for the week. So while I finished working, Keith put the boys to bed and started the daunting task of cleaning up and doing wash. We went to bed around midnight and when I got up Sunday morning Keith was still doing wash and folding laundry. And now here I am, able to sit in our clean, Lysoled house...and blog. Ha ha. So thank you Keith...for all you did for us this weekend. And happy 6 month birthday Andrew, sorry you had to spend it in an emergency room.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Birthday Parties...
In the past few weeks Connor and Andrew have been invited to a couple birthday parties. The first one was at Chick-Fil-A for our neighbor. The cow mascot showed up and took a few pictures for the very few children who were willing. Andrew was one of them...
We all had lots of fun!
and Connor LOVED his Chick-Fil-A food!
We all had lots of fun!Sunday, February 15, 2009
The First Shiner...
Well, technically not the first. The first shiner happened when he first started walking and he took a header into the sidewalk. Scared the bejesus out of me at the time but I've learned to roll with the punches since then....boys! (wink wink*rolling my eyes*)
He came home with this one today. At soccer today, he tripped over the turf and took a header into the goal....right in the corner of his face. I think it looks worse than it is though.
He came home with this one today. At soccer today, he tripped over the turf and took a header into the goal....right in the corner of his face. I think it looks worse than it is though.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Solids...
We started Andrew on solids a couple of weeks ago. I should be used to this by now but these mini-milestones seem to always catch me off guard. It just all happens so fast!
We started with the bland, organic rice cereal. This stuff doesn't smell good let alone taste good, I'm sure. The first time Keith fed it to him, he wasn't 'getting' it. He didn't understand that he needed to open his mouth. He would also put his head down as Keith put the spoon up to his lips. It was very funny to watch.
That weekend I started making the first of his vegetables. I started with sweet potatoes because they are very easy to make and freeze. That Sunday, we strapped him in his chair and got ready to feed him. By now, Andrew had pretty much gotten the hang of it. He knew that when Keith brought that spoon to his lips he needed to open his mouth. However, it was never open wide enough to get a good bite in. Then came sweet potatoes... The first taste of that sweet potato on his tongue and he couldn't get enough of it. He opened his mouth as wide as we've ever seen it. In between bites, his little hands clenched into fists, his feet kicked, and he put his lips together and 'Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm'ed' for more. Keith couldn't get it into his mouth fast enough.
Several spoonfuls later, Keith just looked at me and said "Do I just keep feeding it to him?" By this point, Andrew had eaten more than he's ever had before. It was pretty obvious that as long as Keith kept feeding it to him, he would keep eating it. He seemed to be enjoying it so much though that I said, "Sure, why not?" Little did I know that the next day I would reflect back to this moment and kick myself. I'll definitely spare everyone those details though...
So the next day at breakfast, I get out the trusty rice cereal. I sit down and get ready to feed Andrew. He starts his "Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm-ing," fist clenching, legs kicking routine. I put the first spoonful in his mouth and I get the biggest sour puss face I have ever seen. His nose scrunched up, his shoulders sagged and he spit it right back out. He gave me this look like, "There is no way I'm going back to this stuff!" He was not a happy camper...
We started with the bland, organic rice cereal. This stuff doesn't smell good let alone taste good, I'm sure. The first time Keith fed it to him, he wasn't 'getting' it. He didn't understand that he needed to open his mouth. He would also put his head down as Keith put the spoon up to his lips. It was very funny to watch.
That weekend I started making the first of his vegetables. I started with sweet potatoes because they are very easy to make and freeze. That Sunday, we strapped him in his chair and got ready to feed him. By now, Andrew had pretty much gotten the hang of it. He knew that when Keith brought that spoon to his lips he needed to open his mouth. However, it was never open wide enough to get a good bite in. Then came sweet potatoes... The first taste of that sweet potato on his tongue and he couldn't get enough of it. He opened his mouth as wide as we've ever seen it. In between bites, his little hands clenched into fists, his feet kicked, and he put his lips together and 'Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm'ed' for more. Keith couldn't get it into his mouth fast enough.
Several spoonfuls later, Keith just looked at me and said "Do I just keep feeding it to him?" By this point, Andrew had eaten more than he's ever had before. It was pretty obvious that as long as Keith kept feeding it to him, he would keep eating it. He seemed to be enjoying it so much though that I said, "Sure, why not?" Little did I know that the next day I would reflect back to this moment and kick myself. I'll definitely spare everyone those details though...
So the next day at breakfast, I get out the trusty rice cereal. I sit down and get ready to feed Andrew. He starts his "Mmmm-Mmmm-Mmmm-ing," fist clenching, legs kicking routine. I put the first spoonful in his mouth and I get the biggest sour puss face I have ever seen. His nose scrunched up, his shoulders sagged and he spit it right back out. He gave me this look like, "There is no way I'm going back to this stuff!" He was not a happy camper...
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Parenting Book Trap...
I recently ordered a few parenting books. They all received great reviews from readers and I couldn't wait to read them. Normally Keith and I use the CS Theory when it comes to parenting or in other words the Common Sense Theory. Truthfully, I believe more parents need to use this 'Theory" but who am I to say anything? I wanted to read these parenting books to maybe take a few tips and tricks here and there but really taking it all with a grain of salt.
The book I'm currently reading is called "Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child." The gist of it is that children need to be able to master their emotions. Parents need to listen empathetically, validate a child's feelings, label the emotion and then help the child come up with a way to solve the problem. It's a very interesting book and one that I think I will be referencing a lot in the future.
So the other day, we're all in the play room and Connor starts crying for some reason. I thought to myself, this is a great time to use my 'emotion coaching!' So I say to Connor (raising my voice over the screams), "Connor, I'm so sorry you're upset. Are you frustrated? Are you disappointed?" Connor just continues screaming but now he's looking at me like I'm a little off my rocker. I say, "Connor, are you feeling sad right now? Let's find a way to make you not feel this way anymore." He continues to scream but starts backing away from me...slowly. I look over at Keith for some validation and he just rolls his eyes at me and says "Are you kidding me? Seriously Tine..."
Connor continues to scream....
Maybe I should add at this point that I'm only on chapter three in the book.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
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