Catching up

New things:

#1: Isaac turned 3. As in three years ago he was a teeny tiny newborn.  Who looked like this:

Now? He's such a ham I can barely get a picture of him.  But, he looks like this for a professional photographer:

 

Cute, no?  Still has those deep, dark, chocolate brown eyes. He's 50% in weight and 15% in height (more on that in the next number.) 

#2. O will be having her MRI done this Sunday afternoon to check her pituitary gland.  From there, we'll come up with a treatment plan for her growth hormone deficiency.  We'll also start keeping an eye on Isaac's height.  Anything under 10% will start getting some attention.  (He's still young, so he can still catch up.)  We've talked with her about how she'll have to sit still for 30 minutes in the loud machine.  I'm hoping they have fancy goggles with a tv in them like they do at our children's hospital in HSV.

#3 We thought we were having a travel free Christmas.  Until we found out my grandpa, who lives in N.C.,  isn't doing so hot.  He's lost a lot of weight and just isn't real thrilled to be living.  The last time we saw him, I was 4 weeks pregnant with A.  So, 7 years ago.  My parents and my uncle and aunt and their two kids will be going as well.  We figured we should go when other people are going.  it isn't very fun there (he's in an assisted living home) and there isn't much to do.  Not time like the present, right?

#4 We're having some behavior problems with one of our kids. We're really struggling with how to discipline.  It feels like nothing is working.  *sigh*  I keep trying to tell E that I think its from a lot of the attention on O's health the last year, since this is when the unwanted behaviors started.  I don't know.  I'm this close [___] to taking the child to the therapist to see if they could get to the bottom of it all.  I don't know how to help and it's really a crappy feeling.

#5  I've had a cough for almost two weeks.  No other real symptoms.  just a stupid, dumb, keeps-me-up-at-night cough.  I hate to call the doctor for just a cough, but yet my cough syrup box says if you have a cough for more than 7 days to call your doctor. 

#6. Eliza- she's a handful.  This is not new news.  But, it pretty much sums her up.

my hotdog got run over by a reindeer grocery cart

Yesterday went like this:

Take Isaac to gymnastics.  While at gymnastics, he has a coughing fit.  I, then, realize that  I forgot to give him his nebulizer.  (crap!)  Every one is giving us the stink eye.  You know, because he's gagging from heavy coughing and sounds like he may vomit.

While we are at gymnastics, Eliza seems to be walking funny.  Like crooked.  She seems to be a tad congested, so I'm starting to wonder if she has fluid in her ears and is just thrown off.

I gather the children up and head to Costco.  I love, love, and adore Costco.  Love it.  However, the major downside is that its on the other side of town.  There's no "good" way to get there.  Oh, there's a straight shot road from my house to Costco, but there's about 11 hundred stop lights between here and there.  (They're almost always red.  Especially when you're in a hurry!)

Eventually, I get to Costco.  I have intentions of getting hot dogs for lunch (mine with out a bun to be dairy free!) and then cruise around for a few grocery items, a gift for a friend, and Isaac's cool chair for his birthday. 

When I pull into the parking lot, I realized I forgot to pack Isaac's drink.  It wasn't a huge deal, since they sell drinks with the hot dog meals.  But, I usually bring him a sippy cup and forgo the pop/lemon aid and get him water.  I check my email and find that I got another doula job! (woot!!)

I grab the kids, throw them into a cart, and head in to return something.  We make our way to the food, buy our goodies, and move onward towards the awesomeness that is Costco at Christmas.  I find Isaac's chair (I was so worried it would be sold out!) and am confounded as to how to get it into my cart with the kids.  I move Isaac into the front seat, which he says he DOES NOT LIKE!  While he's shouting, I'm finagling the very large box into our cart, and my phone starts ringing.  I glance at the number and realize it is the big-kids' school.  I set the box down, ever so gently (bawaawa!) and talk to the school nurse.  O is crying/screaming/freaking out because her ear hurts. 

While I'm on the phone, Isaac tries to "help" and put his drink next to mine, in the back of the cart.  Except, he only has the arms of a 3 year old, and not Stretch Armstrong arms.  The drink falls 2 feet short of the actual cart, busts open, and spills its, very full, contents all over the floor. I hang up the phone, after telling the nurse I'll be there in.... um.... its lunch time and I'm at Costco, so... 45 minutes to an hour?  I have to find some one to come clean this mess up because my measly 10 paper napkins just isn't cutting it.  I'm searching around, and even find a friendly lady who is willing to help me find a worker.  I finally find a guy with a name tag, ask him if he works here, and tell him of my shame.  Thankfully, he takes care of it.

Shortly after, I make O a dr. appointment for 45 minutes from now.  That's all they have left.  I'll never make it in time to pick her up AND head to the doctor.  I enlist E's help.  (which sucks since he had to be out all day on Monday for O's growth hormone testing.)  He plans to pick her up and agrees to meet me at the doctor. 

Meanwhile, Eliza takes my bun less hot dog that's wrapped like a burrito in a piece of foil and tugs on it.  It rolls out of its packaging, and right onto the floor.  As I'm moving forward to get it, another person's cart runs right over it.  Cutting my hot dog in half. 

I rush through the line, pay for my things (which, after upon returning home, realize I forgot over half of my things.)  I have no lunch, and no time to buy a new hot dog.  So, I eat dried fruit and nuts for lunch.  Along with my diet coke.  Lunch of champions mommies.

Eliza screams almost the entire time in the car.  I make decent time, and get to the doctor on time.  While in the waiting room, Eliza seems to be getting sicker.  O's pediatric endocrinologist calls.   I take the call outside, but I can hear Eliza screaming for me as I walk out the door.  The doctor is calling to tell us that O's tests confirm a growth hormone deficiency.  He wants to schedule a MRI as soon as possible and get moving on growth hormone injections. 

I walk back into the waiting room, sort of in a daze.  Our favorite nurse calls us back.  She takes a few notes about O, glances at Eliza and says "oh no!  she looks sick!"  She is looking pretty sick.  Running a fever, too.

Our pediatrician comes in, looks in O's ear, declares an infection.  she also glances Eliza's way and says "she looks rather puney."  I asked her if she could just glance in her ears because she was walking funny earlier.  There's nothing in her ears, except Eliza's pure hatred of being messed with.  at all.  Especially when she's sick.  the dr. listens to her chest and it sounds yucky. Eliza gets her finger pricked (which she also hates, in case you were wondering!) and we are left with a diagnosis of it being viral, but to call if her fever spikes or her walking deal doesn't resolve in the next day or two.

On the way home, I'm starting to reflect on the Endocrinologist's call. 

I feel....relieved. 

 

But, also nervous. 

 

Relieved that all of the things we knew in our hearts were right.  Like how my breast milk WAS fatty enough when she was a baby and didn't grow.  How we DO feed her enough calories and fat.  How she isn't just tiny. 

 

But, nervous for what lies ahead. 

 

 Possibly daily injections.  Until puberty. 

 

Rapid growth. 

 

Big changes for her.  How will this affect her self image?  She's always been the smallest.  Always.  I would think, after almost 8 years, it'd start to be part of your identity.  How will that change when she starts growing 5 inches?  How will she see herself?  How will others see her?  (obviously, we want her to be the height she should be.  I'm not saying these things will change our course of action.  It just has me thinking.)  I imagine it would be similar to some one losing a lot of weight, or even gaining a lot of weight, in a short period. 

 

But, again, relieved.  Relieved to not have to do any more testing (other than the MRI.)

We arrive home and lay the littles down for naps.  When Eliza wakes up, her fever is up to 104.  I call the doctor's office.  Unfortunately, they left for the day ten minutes prior. 


We medicate both girls, and bathe and nurse and cuddle.  Praying prayers of thanksgiving for a treatable diagnosis.Praying tomorrow is filled with a peace that passes all understanding.  Praying the best for my baby girl O, and all of my kids.

It ended like that.

Christmas gifts

Shhhhh.....  Here's what my kids are getting this year for Christmas:

Each of the kids always gets:

an outfit from Gymboree
a pair of jammies to open on Christmas Eve


Eliza is getting this chair.  They, apparently, no longer make it.  I actually found it used online, for $10 back in October.  I stuck it away in the attic for Christmas.

She's getting a touch and feel book, though we haven't picked it out yet.

It was hard to think of things she'd get excited about.  So, she's also getting these in her stocking:
(you know, since I can't put my actual breasts in her in stocking. Which is about the only thing she likes more)

 

Since Isaac has a birthday on Saturday, he's actually getting combined gifts.  (its just the way it worked out this year.)  He's getting this chair for his birthday, except his is from Costco.

 

For Christmas, he's getting this Melissa and Doug floor puzzle:

His book is the companion book to "Go Train GO!", which is "Stop Train Stop!"



Austin wants a "Nerf gun cartridge connector", but E and I are having a really hard time figuring out what it actually is.  Here are our ideas of what it could be:

He's also getting these books:





Olivia is getting this book set:

along with this cool doll bed from Ikea (It'll fit her American Girl dolls.)

Each child is getting something hand made by me, as well.  I made the boys each a star wars quilt and pillow case. They are a little different, having different amounts of each fabric.  The other quilt has a red checked binding to math their curtains (and the red in the newer star wars fabric strips.)

The girls are getting crocheted mittens. That I have yet to start. ;)

peeking out from quilt mountain to ask for help

I've been busy, buried with two awesome Star Wars themed quilts on my sewing table.  (My mission this Christmas was to make one hand-made gift for each person. However, I'm quickly falling behind!  I should've started in May!)

I've had very little time to think about things like OTHER Christmas presents and BIRTHDAY presents of two of my favorite guys. 

E and I were pretty set on buying Zeke a balance bike.  We were going to combine it with Christmas, but give it to him on his birthday (and give him a small Lego set for Christmas so he got "something".)  However, my parents decided to buy it for him instead. 

SO, here's where I need help.  Isaac's birthday is in a week and a day.  I need ideas. He's about to turn 3.  His loves: Batman, Star wars, Legos, Deigo, Daddy, being outside.

And, go!

Dear, (traveling eddition)

Dear Burger King in Columbia, GA,
I'm thankful for your beautiful/clean/new play center.  Please think about investing in a changing table.  Especially since you cater to small children.
Sincerely,
Almost-changed-a-poopy-diaper-in-the-booth-out-of-spite

Dear I-75,
Why are you constantly so busy?  All of the accidents, traffic, police officers.  You kind of are a sucky road to drive on.
Regretfully,
Taking-an-alternate-route

Dear Sanibel Island,
I think I love you.
Love,
Why-did-we-have-to-leave (aka want-to-go-back)

Dear Eliza,
your sleep on vacation stunk.  Please feel free to get back to sleeping well now that we're home.
Thank you,
Need-more-sleep

Dear Christmas music,
I heart you.  I'm so glad that we don't have to hide our affair now that thanksgiving is behind us.  It feels like a heavy burden has been lifted now that we can rejoice in our love openly.  (I especially enjoyed your company on the drive home yesterday.)
Always in my heart,
Its-on-right-now


Dear Tailbone,
why do you hate me?  I mean, our original disagreement was over three years ago.  We've gone through multiple rounds of therapy.  I thought we were past this.  Don't you think its time to get over it?  Stop bringing up our troubles, especially on a long car ride with the kids.
With love,
the-rest-of-your-body

Pinterest party

Things have been busy.  (Although, when are they not?  Is this our new normal?)  I'm just now getting around to posting my baby girl's party pictures, and her party was 3 weeks ago. 

 

I have about zero time for commentary, but here are the pictures.  Pinterest was my main inspiration (though I did have some original ideas here and there.) and it didn't let me down.  The party was fantastic!  Eliza was a tad over whelmed at first, and didn't eat much (thanks to the 1.5 week long stomach bug that she started with THAT NIGHT. ack! Sorry guests! Thankfully, only one other person got sick that I know of.) but she seemed to have fun.

 

 

Birthday shirt and tutu

 

 

Hiding from the party guests

 

 

 

Dairy and Soy free chocolate cake.  Its harder to decorate than you'd think.

 

 Straight to the bath

 

Still can't believe this girl is one. 

in bed, phone blogging

sometimes smart phones are lifesavers (like when zeke had to wait 4 hrs at the e.r. with his lip gashed open.) other times, time wasters (facebook ten times a da. anyone else? no? just me?) and,this particular time, kind of cool. while i'm certainly not going to type  a novel, i do think its cool that i can sit in bed, with my heated blanket on high, my pjs on, and blog.

so, yeah. im a nerd, and this stuff makes me smile.

The Color Run

Back in May (or was it March? I can't remember.) The Color Run was just coming out and it was totally the next "new" thing.  I had been looking for a 5k to run and thought that it looked promising and lots of fun.  I chatted with my long-time friend Raechel, and we joined as a team (because, come on, you get it cheaper that way!) along with her husband, Ryan.

 

Now, as it happens, both of our lives got insanely busy as the months went on.  We had already signed up and paid, so we were going to run it.  But, at the race,  the three of us were commenting on how we really didn't feel invested.  We were excited, but not nearly as excited as the man getting to run in his Elvis suit, or the lady wearing a wedding dress.  We felt under-enthused and under-dressed.

 

Even ill prepared as we were, we still had a ton of fun!   While it was MUCH different than what I was expecting (a lot of walkers, very few runners) we still managed to finish in only a minute over what my very first 5k time was two years ago (?!?)  We got to experience parts of Nashville I've never seen, and we ran through a yellow color "cloud" in an alley that was a totally different experience, unlike anything I have done or ever will do again. (Imagine walking into an actual cloud, but yellow.)  The other colors were fun, but nothing quite like that yellow.

(Speaking of the other colors, did any of the videos turn out, Rae?)



 

 



2/3 of Team Color My Feet.

 Raechel and I are down there somewhere.  Likely waiting in line for the world's worst port-a-john.

(also, E's finger.)

 My crew came out to cheer us on, sock feet and all. (I like to pretend these things don't happen when I'm not around.  I packed her shoes. But, alas, photographic evidence.)

 

 At the finish line there was a color throw.  We did not fully participate because we didn't realize there was a countdown based on the wave of runners you were in.  We just threw our packets up into the air on each other.

 

 

 After the race.  We're 30, kicking butt, and taking names!

 

 

Me, after sunglasses removal

We need to find a doctor with a loyalty punch card

In the past 2 weeks:

Eliza- in for allergic reaction (she ate ranch dressing.) Also, on a different day, there for her 12 month check up.

Isaac- in for a hideous rash on his face that is not responding to, as of now, 4 different kind of medications.

Olivia- Height and weight check, along with blood work, and orders for a bone scan.


4 times in 2 weeks.  Numerous phone calls.  Plus, likely another visit to the dr. tomorrow for the baby, who has been throwing up for days, unable to keep anything but tiny amounts of breast milk down.

This.  This is the stuff that overwhelms me.  This is the stuff that makes me stop and think "maybe I AM done having children." even though I still really, really want another.  This is the stuff I sit and fret over at night, praying to God to heal my babies, and calm my anxious heart.

But, this is life.  Its our life.  Though it may seem sucky, I'm trying to find peace in the small things.  Like how I love the nurse at our pediatrician's office.  How my baby girl is actually cuddly and snugly, even though I hate the reason why.  How I got to spend some one-on-one girl time with my eldest while we waited for her bone scan.  How our family pictures on Saturday will be that much more unique and memorable with Zeke's facial prettiness. (I'm serious, here.  Its a story we can laugh about later, right??)

Its our life.

A list to check off, yet here I blog

~Eliza's first birthday party is tomorrow.  I have a mile long list of things to do.  A long list of things to while Eliza's napping.  She's napping now, in fact.  Yet, here I sit. 

~I'm tired.  I love getting creative, decorating for parties.  However, I'm lacking serious motivation that was likely stolen from me at 5 am.

~At 5am we all heard a very loud bump in the night.  Followed by an equally loud scream from babykins.  E whispered to me "Did Eliza just fall out of the crib?"  To which I replied "how could she?!?"

~She, in fact, DID fall out of the crib.  She seems fine.  With all of the adrenaline surging through her little 16 lb body, she did not go back to sleep, as usual, after her morning milk.  Which means *I* did not go back to bed, nor did any of the older 3 children.

~Eliza's crib has only one more notch to move down.  Is this sleeping arrangement REALLY supposed to last her until she's 3?  After last night, I have high doubts that it will.

~When E left for work today, I ran after his van screaming "please don't leave me!!!"  Zeke was screaming "I didn't say goodbye" even whilst waving at his daddy.  Eliza was death gripping my leg, and the older two kids were fighting over who was getting the napkins. 

~I made homemade butterfingers last night.  It probably wasn't the smartest thing to combine 3 of my favorite things, (chocolate, candy corn, and peanut butter) and expect some kind of miraculous self control on my part.

~I'm in a funk with running.  My last few runs have been blah.  I threw up in our yard after my last run, thus motivating me even less than normal.

~Eliza went down for a nap at 7:30.

~I wanted to go down for a nap at 7:30.  Or now.  I'd take a nap now, too.

The fourth child syndrome

While I don't have a baby book for Eliza (for either of my last two kids, actually) I do have these.  I imagine its probably a better option than me forgetting to write in her baby book anyway.