Bug Spray

I'm totally in love with this bug spray!  It should be marketed as a perfume/body spray too!  It smells yummy & seems to keep the bugs away :)

Christmas Parade 2010

This weekend I took the girls to the Christmas Parade!  B was out of town, so I did it all by myself!  Granted we just had to walk a few steps up the street to see the parade.  I put Alyssa in the Baby Bjorn & Addison in the stroller.  Once we got up to the meeting spot, Addy got out & sat with Maggie for a bit.  The beginning of the parade was pretty noisy with all the fire trucks & Addy was a little overwhelmed.  After the trucks passed she was fine & really got into it.  What a great time!  Watching her eyes light up with excitement & delight at each float that passed by was priceless.  I wish I would've taken my camera, but the iPhone was all I brought.

She saw Santa!!

 Addy & Maggie

 Alyssa wasn't sure what was going on, but 

she was a trooper anyway!

 Addy & I painted our toenails for the parade!

 Addy & her helicopter

Alyssa loves being outside just like her big sister!  Too bad the mosquitoes are still out in full force!  

Come on cold weather!  Never thought I'd say that - LOL!

My girls!

Alyssa's Follow-up appointment

This week Alyssa went to her regular pediatrician for a check-up, since last week we had to see the on-call pediatrician.  Her ears are clear & she has no side effects from the steroid I had to take for my bronchitis.  Dr N said there are really only a handful of medications that can't be taken while breastfeeding & we did the right thing by feeding Alyssa after examining the risks.  She didn't have any advice/suggestions on how to get Alyssa to take a bottle.  Thanks, here's $30!

We were supposed to visit Santa at story time, but we didn't make it out of the house & I'm so glad now!  Poop Day 7!!!!  If we would've went to see Santa it would have been around 9:45.  So, around 10:00, Alyssa would be sitting on Santa's lap with a room full of people watching AND Santa's day would be ruined.  Whew!  Just barely dodged that disaster!

This morning my neighbors gave me some entertainment.  No, they weren't smoking pot on the front porch this time.  I had opened the blinds on the side of the house in the living room which I rarely do & out of the corner of my eye noticed a boy & girl walking out on the porch.  Mom had already left for work.  Boy helped girl put school books & bag in the trunk & proceeded to make out in the driveway!  Get a room!  A couple of minutes later, two other girls come out of the house & get in the car.  Finally, boy & girl stop making out & boy starts walking down street while girl drives off in car.  Hmmmm, WTH?  Boy walks down a little alley behind the shop up the street and.....pulls out in a car??  Shady, shady, shady!

Santa is here!

**I just found a couple of posts that I forgot to publish!  Imagine that!

Well, Addison had her yearly Santa fix over the weekend.  We went to the mall NOT looking for Santa, but found him anyway.  Addy was against visiting Santa at first and then warmed up to the idea of telling him what she would like for Christmas.  So, we go up to Santa & let me just say he was the best Santa ever.  He spent a few minutes talking to all of us & trying his best to make Addy feel comfortable.  When it came time for her to sit on his lap.....NOOOOOO!  I told Blake to throw her on Santa's lap & step back.  This was the result:

Addison is famous!  She is starring in 2 movies: Dora & Precious Moments!  It cracks me up to watch her watch herself on tv!  LOL

Happy Sick Thanksgiving 2010

Another great year with so much to be thankful for!  Unfortunately for me, Addy & baby Isa, we are all sick!  I think it started with Addy.  She showed signs of a cold last weekend & Alyssa started Tuesday.  I worry so much when Alyssa gets sick because she's so tiny & Addison was never ever sick as an infant.  Our regular pediatrician is on vacation this week, of course.  Luckily, we were able to get in & see the on-call pediatrician Wednesday.  Alyssa has the beginning of her very first ear infection.  She's now on an antibiotic, breathing treatments & a decongestant.  Addison is taking some leftover medicine from her last sickly time.

Update:  Thursday I was so congested in my chest that I was having trouble breathing.  It was a lousy way to spend the holiday.  My dr office was closed Friday, so I went to the CVS Minute Clinic first thing that morning.  I had a hunch there wouldn't be anything they could do for me & I was right.  He took a listen to my chest & told me to head on over to the hospital.  Blake & Alyssa were with me, so we all went to the ER.  I was hooked up to some monitors EEG/EKG?  I dunno & really didn't care.  I just wanted relief & be able to breathe.  My chest x-ray didn't show any pneumonia, so the diagnosis was a wicked case of bronchitis.  I had 2 double dose breathing treatments then 2 shots (Rocephin & Solu-Medrol).  After the 2nd treatment I still didn't sound good enough for them to let me leave, so we did one more single treatment.  Finally things started clearing up.

I tried to keep on a happy face!

Someone else had on a happy face too (Hint: It wasn't Blake)!

Now the bad news... The ER dr prescribed breathing treatments, 3-day Zithromax & Medrol Dosepak.  The Medrol is a steroid & he advised against taking it while breastfeeding, but told me to check with the pediatrician for more information.  He was adamant that the Medrol was necessary to get me well & there weren't any other options.  MY BABY DOESN'T TAKE A BOTTLE!!!!  Once we left the hospital I called the on-call pedi, since my pedi was still on vacation.  The on-call pedi said not to breastfeed because the baby should only have a steroid if he/she is sick & needs them.  Hmmmm...  Aunt Katie to the rescue.  She's the smartest pharmacist I know PLUS she loves her nieces & would never jeopardize their health.  She suggested to try the bottle for 24 hours & if Alyssa refused, then nurse.  I have to say from the last nursing session at 11am Friday until 11am Saturday WAS PURE HELL & MISERY FOR US ALL!  Alyssa cried, I cried, Alyssa cried, I cried, Alyssa cried, I cried.  It was a never-ending cycle.  Alyssa would sleep for an hour or 2 at a time.  We all tried to give her a bottle (Blake, mom-in-law), but she wasn't having any part of it. After 6 different bottles/nipples it was clear she's one stubborn little girl.  I tried mixing a little oatmeal in with some milk & spoon feeding her.  She was okay with that, but it took about 30 minutes to get not even an ounce in her.  I also forced milk in her mouth using a medicine dropper & medicine spoon.  I tried all of the tricks that I've  ever read about.  Different rooms, different milk temperature, distraction, walking, singing, different positions, adding a little juice.  Something kept eating at me that the ER dr & on-call pedi just didn't want to take time to really research the risks of this medication to infants while breastfeeding.  I read over my resources - kellymom.com, lactmed, Dr. Sears, AAP and NOTHING stated NOT TO BREASTFEED WHILE TAKING MEDROL.  I found data that it was only a small amount passed through the milk to baby.  If it was truly a serious health risk to Alyssa, I think that would have been clear on each website.  After 24 hours of HELL & really no wet diapers I knew it was time to trust my gut & Aunt Katie - I nursed.  Sweet Baby Isa was the happiest baby on our block & I was the happiest momma.  I still plan to call our pedi on Monday & let her know everything that's happened.  I also plan to continue trying to give Alyssa a bottle until she accepts it!  I've learned my lesson the hard way about thinking I would never be in this situation where I couldn't nurse my baby.

I finally got the jumperoo out of storage last week for Alyssa & she loves it!

Bye Bye diapers, Hello BIG GIRL Addy!

Addison wore her last diaper a week ago!  She's been wearing a diaper at night for the last few months, but I've finally accepted that she's a big girl now & it's time to stop.  I'm so proud of her.  

Her MDO teacher has been bragging on her too.  She's very impressed with how well she counts & says her ABC's!  Ms C even told her husband she was going to ask me what type of toys Addy has and/or how do I teach her.  HA!  Thank goodness for Nick JR!  LOL!  Okay, I'll take credit for teaching her a few things, but she's like a sponge & has her daddy's smarts :)   

Alyssa 4 month well-visit

We just got home from Alyssa's 4 month well-visit.  She had a great check-up & got 2 mean shots along with the oral Rotovirus.  My little angel weighs 14.11 pounds & is 23 1/4 inches!  At 4 months, Addy weighed 14 pounds & 24 1/2 inches.  I don't look too close at the length.  Those babies squirm so much it's really hard to get an exact measurement.  The nurse thought Alyssa was 20 inches at first & then had to remeasure her after looking at her length last visit.

BEFORE MEAN SHOTS!

AFTER MEAN SHOTS!!! 

(Well, after the crying was over)

This morning Addy was sitting on the potty & I was brushing my hair.  She had baby Elmo with her & kept saying 'baby Elmo needs to eat, baby Elmo is hungry'.  I didn't turn to look at her & just said 'well, feed him then'.  I thought she was just going to put the paci in his mouth.  A few seconds later she said 'I'm feeding baby Elmo' & I turn to find her............WITH ELMO UNDER HER SHIRT 'NURSING'!  HOLY MOLY!  WHAT THE???  I didn't say anything to her about it & just told her it was time to go to MDO.  Her MDO teacher has 2 daughters, so I thought I would mention what I saw to her.  She made me feel better after saying that her older daughter did the same thing!  Whew!  Oh, Addy wanted to go see Dr. N this morning instead of going to MDO!  I told Dr. N about Addy nursing Elmo & she also told me that her older son tried to nurse her younger son.  Okay, so this isn't a big deal!  It's pretty funny though :)