The kids are going to be exposed to every aspect of music. I love it all and Steve loves to rock!
Here is a quick glance of our little rock star rocking out! Notice how she starts rocking when the rift/music really gets going!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
I WANT TO ROCK!!!
Steve is a "classic rock" junkie! The man loves rock and roll! Which might explain while every time we are in Steve's car, Lottie yells, "I want to ROCK!" Cracks me up.
The kids are going to be exposed to every aspect of music. I love it all and Steve loves to rock!
Here is a quick glance of our little rock star rocking out! Notice how she starts rocking when the rift/music really gets going!
The kids are going to be exposed to every aspect of music. I love it all and Steve loves to rock!
Here is a quick glance of our little rock star rocking out! Notice how she starts rocking when the rift/music really gets going!
Friday, December 20, 2013
Lottie's Christmas List
I asked Lottie to give me a list of 5 things she would like Santa to bring her. This is what the list looked like:
1. Dolls
2. Princesses
3. Aerial
4. The Princess with the long hair - her mommy is mean and won't let her outside (HA!)
5. Princesses
6. Peppa Pig
I have been cracking up!!!!!!!! This kid is currently obsessed with Disney princesses right now. Well, actually only two - she loves Aerial and she loves Rapunzel (Tangled). My sister bought Lottie The Little Mermaid and I DVR'd Tangled for her. If you would let her, she would sit and watch them both all day long.
She's also a bit obsessed with Peppa Pig. We first caught it when we were over in England. It is super popular over there and they now show it on Nick Jr here in the States. Lottie loves it! Grandpa and Grandma Pig remind her of her grandparents with their thick English accents.
Lottie is going to be a hoot this year! She is so excited for Santa to come. Although, I don't know how many times I've had to tell her in the past month that Santa only brings toys to good girls and boys. Every time she acts out, I tell her that Santa is watching and if she doesn't straighten up her act, he may not come. You would have thought the world ended when I said that!
Here are a few items Santa has on his sleigh for Lottie!
1. Dolls
2. Princesses
3. Aerial
4. The Princess with the long hair - her mommy is mean and won't let her outside (HA!)
5. Princesses
6. Peppa Pig
I have been cracking up!!!!!!!! This kid is currently obsessed with Disney princesses right now. Well, actually only two - she loves Aerial and she loves Rapunzel (Tangled). My sister bought Lottie The Little Mermaid and I DVR'd Tangled for her. If you would let her, she would sit and watch them both all day long.
She's also a bit obsessed with Peppa Pig. We first caught it when we were over in England. It is super popular over there and they now show it on Nick Jr here in the States. Lottie loves it! Grandpa and Grandma Pig remind her of her grandparents with their thick English accents.
Lottie is going to be a hoot this year! She is so excited for Santa to come. Although, I don't know how many times I've had to tell her in the past month that Santa only brings toys to good girls and boys. Every time she acts out, I tell her that Santa is watching and if she doesn't straighten up her act, he may not come. You would have thought the world ended when I said that!
Here are a few items Santa has on his sleigh for Lottie!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Stella - 7 Months
Weight: 21 lbs - CRAZY! She is going to be as big as Lottie by the time she's a year old!
Clothes: I swear it's all 12 months. In fact, the other day, I put her in an 18 month outfit and it fit! Granted, it was a little big, but for the most part it fit fine.
Diapers: Size 3 - the next box I buy are going to be size 4! Steve accidentally put Stella in one of Lottie's old size 5 diapers and yep, fit perfect! HA!
Eating: This child is a beast! Her most favorite thing to do is EAT! She is still taking in anywhere from 30 to 32 oz each day. A typical day when she's going to daycare is:
6:15 a.m.: 6 oz
9:15 a.m.: 1 container of baby food
9:30 a.m.: 6 oz
12:15 p.m.: 1 container of baby food
12:30 a.m.: 6 oz
3:30 p.m.: 6 oz
6:00 p.m.: 6 to 8 oz
Yep, still an eater. She says on a pretty tight schedule through the week, but Steve and I swear she goes on a full on feeding frenzy on the weekends. She has to take in around 36 oz a day sometimes. I've never seen anything like it. Her favorite foods are sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, apples, bananas. She still hates rice cereal! She tried avocado for the first time this month and after a few gags here and there, I think she's finally coming around.
Sleep: She hates to nap. She usually has two naps every day. The one mid morning usually lasts around an hour to an hour and a half. The one in the afternoon generally only lasts 30 minutes. While Stella still sleeps like a rock star through the night, she's had a hard time putting herself to sleep this past month. We've had to break out the ole Ferber method and let her cry it out when we put her down. We've been pretty adamant about putting her down between 7 and 7:30 p.m. depending on her level of sleepiness. She's never screamed more than 25/30 minutes at a time and has gone all the way down to only 5 minutes of crying. I generally try to keep myself really busy during that time by folding laundry, cleaning, anything to keep my mind off the "screams". I hate it, but I think it is definitely easier with baby #2! Lottie will sometimes say, "I can't hear anything, make Stella stop crying!" :) Like I said, once Stella goes down, she is down, we don't hear from her again until the sun comes up. This past Saturday, she slept until 7:30 a.m. It was awesome!
On a side note, she is still doing her breathing treatments twice a day and I swear the sound of the nebulizer sometimes puts her out while holding her. Can we just get on a normal schedule please? I hate ferberizing her one day and the next day her falling asleep to the sound of the nebulizer. Ugghhhh, oh well, hopefully the week of Christmas we can stop the breathing treatments all together.
Crying: Stella....................................... While you seem like a happy baby most times, you are a crier!!! To her defense, she has been put through the ringer these last few weeks. She really only cries from the time I pick her up until the time she goes to bed - and that's through the week. Although, this past Sunday I think she cried from 3 to 5 p.m. WTF! It was obvious she was sooooooooooooooo sleepy but would not give in! Lottie was napping at the time so I was hoping for a little down time. The idea of down time ever happening again has practically become extinct!
Milestones: This past month has been full of smiles, laughs and very loud little girly screams. She has the sweetest, most genuine smile on her. She loves being tickled and sitting up right. She's still not a huge fan of tummy time. At this point, I don't think that is going to change. She is sitting up on her own without any support at all. You can sit her up on the floor or couch and she supports herself 100%. It is wonderful! She's also grabbing, banging her toys on the floor and transferring objects very easily. She yells and screams all day. She loves when you sing to her and make silly faces. She's found her tongue and sticks it out all day long. She rocks back and forth like a psycho in her exersaucer. She also gets more "air" in her jumper that hangs in the doorway than I've ever seen any child do. Lottie used to pass out in her jumper but Stella has insomnia like her mother and never seems to rest nor sleep. Ugghhh, worst trait her mommy could pass on to her!
This month also marked Stella finally being flexible enough to stick that nasty foot in her mouth. Every time I take her pants off she tries so hard to get her foot in her mouth. It doesn't help that she's got all those rolls on her thighs - think they really get in the way. :)
Also - everything she touches goes immediately in her mouth. I am waiting for the call from day care stating she's got hand/foot/mouth disease or thrush. If I recall correctly, Lottie got hand/foot/mouth disease at 8 months old. Good ole daycare for ya!
Sibling Love: Stella loves her sister. Her face lights up when Lottie enters the room or speaks to her. Her favorite is when her sister dances or bounces up and down in front of her. She lets out the biggest belly laughs. When she sees Lottie playing with her toys, she wants to be a part of it. Lottie is constantly petting her head, trying to force a paci in her mouth or tugging on her hands. The tugging of the hands and arms has gotten out of control! I don't know how many times a day I have to tell Lottie to leave Stella's hands alone! I rarely leave the two of them alone in the room! That Lottie can't be trusted! In fact the other day I walked out of the room for two seconds and I heard Stella crying. I asked Lottie what happened and she told me she bit Stella's finger!! I could have killed her! She knows better than that. She was immediately sent to time out. Stella was fine, but like I said, I don't like leaving them alone together.
Likes: EATING, sucking on her hands, taking a bath, putting her warm jammies on at the end of the day, seeing her daddy walk in the door from work, playing with sissy when she's not poking or prodding her, sitting up, playing with her rattles and dollies, pressing buttons/playing in her exercauser, putting any and everything in her mouth and being tickled.
Dislikes: Being hungry, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., tummy time, napping and when Lottie yells (scares her).
Update: Stella is doing better. She still has a bit of a cold so I'm not sure if it is a mix of the weather, daycare and the bronchiolitis. We had a f/u with the ENT and the Asthma and Allergy Specialist. The tubes still look great and her chest / breathing has gotten better. We are still using the nebulizer twice a day and should be able to discontinue by Christmas. Although, I got a call from daycare this past week stating that Stella's left ear was draining. Of course I spent the remainder of the day on the phone with her pediatrician and ENT office. In the end, the ENT called in some drops for the ears. I never saw any draining.
On another note, at the time of the specialist appt. Stella weighed in at 21 lbs. Holy Cow!!!!! Uhhhhhh, Lottie is 27 lbs!
Clothes: I swear it's all 12 months. In fact, the other day, I put her in an 18 month outfit and it fit! Granted, it was a little big, but for the most part it fit fine.
Diapers: Size 3 - the next box I buy are going to be size 4! Steve accidentally put Stella in one of Lottie's old size 5 diapers and yep, fit perfect! HA!
Eating: This child is a beast! Her most favorite thing to do is EAT! She is still taking in anywhere from 30 to 32 oz each day. A typical day when she's going to daycare is:
6:15 a.m.: 6 oz
9:15 a.m.: 1 container of baby food
9:30 a.m.: 6 oz
12:15 p.m.: 1 container of baby food
12:30 a.m.: 6 oz
3:30 p.m.: 6 oz
6:00 p.m.: 6 to 8 oz
Yep, still an eater. She says on a pretty tight schedule through the week, but Steve and I swear she goes on a full on feeding frenzy on the weekends. She has to take in around 36 oz a day sometimes. I've never seen anything like it. Her favorite foods are sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, apples, bananas. She still hates rice cereal! She tried avocado for the first time this month and after a few gags here and there, I think she's finally coming around.
Sleep: She hates to nap. She usually has two naps every day. The one mid morning usually lasts around an hour to an hour and a half. The one in the afternoon generally only lasts 30 minutes. While Stella still sleeps like a rock star through the night, she's had a hard time putting herself to sleep this past month. We've had to break out the ole Ferber method and let her cry it out when we put her down. We've been pretty adamant about putting her down between 7 and 7:30 p.m. depending on her level of sleepiness. She's never screamed more than 25/30 minutes at a time and has gone all the way down to only 5 minutes of crying. I generally try to keep myself really busy during that time by folding laundry, cleaning, anything to keep my mind off the "screams". I hate it, but I think it is definitely easier with baby #2! Lottie will sometimes say, "I can't hear anything, make Stella stop crying!" :) Like I said, once Stella goes down, she is down, we don't hear from her again until the sun comes up. This past Saturday, she slept until 7:30 a.m. It was awesome!
On a side note, she is still doing her breathing treatments twice a day and I swear the sound of the nebulizer sometimes puts her out while holding her. Can we just get on a normal schedule please? I hate ferberizing her one day and the next day her falling asleep to the sound of the nebulizer. Ugghhhh, oh well, hopefully the week of Christmas we can stop the breathing treatments all together.
Crying: Stella....................................... While you seem like a happy baby most times, you are a crier!!! To her defense, she has been put through the ringer these last few weeks. She really only cries from the time I pick her up until the time she goes to bed - and that's through the week. Although, this past Sunday I think she cried from 3 to 5 p.m. WTF! It was obvious she was sooooooooooooooo sleepy but would not give in! Lottie was napping at the time so I was hoping for a little down time. The idea of down time ever happening again has practically become extinct!
Milestones: This past month has been full of smiles, laughs and very loud little girly screams. She has the sweetest, most genuine smile on her. She loves being tickled and sitting up right. She's still not a huge fan of tummy time. At this point, I don't think that is going to change. She is sitting up on her own without any support at all. You can sit her up on the floor or couch and she supports herself 100%. It is wonderful! She's also grabbing, banging her toys on the floor and transferring objects very easily. She yells and screams all day. She loves when you sing to her and make silly faces. She's found her tongue and sticks it out all day long. She rocks back and forth like a psycho in her exersaucer. She also gets more "air" in her jumper that hangs in the doorway than I've ever seen any child do. Lottie used to pass out in her jumper but Stella has insomnia like her mother and never seems to rest nor sleep. Ugghhh, worst trait her mommy could pass on to her!
This month also marked Stella finally being flexible enough to stick that nasty foot in her mouth. Every time I take her pants off she tries so hard to get her foot in her mouth. It doesn't help that she's got all those rolls on her thighs - think they really get in the way. :)
Also - everything she touches goes immediately in her mouth. I am waiting for the call from day care stating she's got hand/foot/mouth disease or thrush. If I recall correctly, Lottie got hand/foot/mouth disease at 8 months old. Good ole daycare for ya!
Sibling Love: Stella loves her sister. Her face lights up when Lottie enters the room or speaks to her. Her favorite is when her sister dances or bounces up and down in front of her. She lets out the biggest belly laughs. When she sees Lottie playing with her toys, she wants to be a part of it. Lottie is constantly petting her head, trying to force a paci in her mouth or tugging on her hands. The tugging of the hands and arms has gotten out of control! I don't know how many times a day I have to tell Lottie to leave Stella's hands alone! I rarely leave the two of them alone in the room! That Lottie can't be trusted! In fact the other day I walked out of the room for two seconds and I heard Stella crying. I asked Lottie what happened and she told me she bit Stella's finger!! I could have killed her! She knows better than that. She was immediately sent to time out. Stella was fine, but like I said, I don't like leaving them alone together.
Likes: EATING, sucking on her hands, taking a bath, putting her warm jammies on at the end of the day, seeing her daddy walk in the door from work, playing with sissy when she's not poking or prodding her, sitting up, playing with her rattles and dollies, pressing buttons/playing in her exercauser, putting any and everything in her mouth and being tickled.
Dislikes: Being hungry, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., tummy time, napping and when Lottie yells (scares her).
Update: Stella is doing better. She still has a bit of a cold so I'm not sure if it is a mix of the weather, daycare and the bronchiolitis. We had a f/u with the ENT and the Asthma and Allergy Specialist. The tubes still look great and her chest / breathing has gotten better. We are still using the nebulizer twice a day and should be able to discontinue by Christmas. Although, I got a call from daycare this past week stating that Stella's left ear was draining. Of course I spent the remainder of the day on the phone with her pediatrician and ENT office. In the end, the ENT called in some drops for the ears. I never saw any draining.
On another note, at the time of the specialist appt. Stella weighed in at 21 lbs. Holy Cow!!!!! Uhhhhhh, Lottie is 27 lbs!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Big News!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm going to be an aunt for the first time!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't be more excited! My sister is pregnant! PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!! While excitement has overcome me, the fears, nervousness and the anticipation is killing me. I obviously just want everything to be perfect for her and the baby! Pregnancy can be scary at times. I am just hoping and praying for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery for them both. I think this whole "mama bear" thing is taking it's toll! While I think I'm pretty good at this whole "mom thing", I can't help but to WORRY! I swear I used to never worry about anything, until I became a MOM! I guess it just goes with the territory. Thank God for Steve! I worry enough for the both of us. He is so mellow and calm 100% of the time! He thinks I'm crazy, but nothing new there! :)
Due date is 6/9/2014!!!! Eeeekkkkkkkkk - Scooby and Otis are their two pugs - FYI
Due date is 6/9/2014!!!! Eeeekkkkkkkkk - Scooby and Otis are their two pugs - FYI
Grandma Turns 97!
Can you believe it? My grandma turned 97 years old on Thanksgiving day. She looks amazing! I will never live to see 97 years old. Let's face it, the way my sister and I see it and given our immediate family history, we wonder if we will see 50! Hey, live life to it's fullest right?
We spent Thanksgiving showering my grandma with love and followed it up with good food, wine, friends and Trivial Pursuit at my house later that evening. A perfect way to spend the holiday. Then my sister and I got up at the crack of dawn to indulge in some Black Friday shopping.
I didn't capture very many pictures unfortunately. But at least I managed to get a couple with me and my grandma. I love her to pieces. She is my hero! Her stories and the love she has for her family melts my heart!
On another note, my brother in law in the last photo decided to give my grandma a stroke! He decided the perfect gift for a 97 year old was a lap dance! This guy............I swear, sometimes I wonder about him! :) Look for him on You Tube. I'm almost certain there is a video floating around out there!
We spent Thanksgiving showering my grandma with love and followed it up with good food, wine, friends and Trivial Pursuit at my house later that evening. A perfect way to spend the holiday. Then my sister and I got up at the crack of dawn to indulge in some Black Friday shopping.
I didn't capture very many pictures unfortunately. But at least I managed to get a couple with me and my grandma. I love her to pieces. She is my hero! Her stories and the love she has for her family melts my heart!
On another note, my brother in law in the last photo decided to give my grandma a stroke! He decided the perfect gift for a 97 year old was a lap dance! This guy............I swear, sometimes I wonder about him! :) Look for him on You Tube. I'm almost certain there is a video floating around out there!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Santa 2013
Could these two be any cuter???? It's Stella's first Christmas! YAY!
Gosh, I love these girls to death!!!!
I am truly amazed they both ended up smiling like they did. I swear Lottie is looking more and more like me every day. Finally!!!! I mean I birthed both of those babies. Can at least one of them start looking like me???????? :)
Friday, November 22, 2013
Stella - 6 Months
Weight: 17lbs, 12.5 oz (77%)
Height: 25.5 inches (36%)
Head: 45 cm (100%) - Kid has got a massive head, basically means no hats and no tutlenecks EVER!
Clothes: It's all 6, 9and 12 months. I swear the girl could wear straight 9/12 months.
Diapers: Size 3 - what a better fit! :) I've got a feeling we will be moving on up to size 4 sooner than later!
Eating: This child is a beast! Her most favorite thing to do is EAT! She is still taking in anywhere from 25 to 32 oz each day. A typical day when she's going to daycare is:
6:15 a.m.: 6 oz
9:15 a.m.: 1 container of baby food
9:30 a.m.: 6 oz
12:15 p.m.: 1 container of baby food
12:30 a.m.: 6 oz
3:30 p.m.: 6 oz
6:00 p.m.: 6 to 8 oz
Yep, still an eater. I can't even have a drink of anything without her eyeing me up like she wants it. I bought some puffs the other day, but I don't think we are quite there yet. I think the teeth are coming any day now because of all the drool but none thus far. I'm okay with that. Teeth were NO FUN with Lottie.
Sleep: Let's just say, we have been still been soooooooooooooooooooo lucky with sleep at night! The kid is a rock star. She goes down every night between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and doesn't wake up until 6:15 a.m. During the day is a different story, she's never been a big napper. She usually has two naps every day. The one mid morning is usually the longest.
Crying: Stella, Stella, Stella............. Wow, just when you think you are starting to turn a corner, you lose your mind!!! Ha! What a difference you and your sister are!!!! Lottie rarely cried and seemed pretty happy all the time. While Stella seems like a happy baby most times, she is a crier!!! To her defense, she has been put through the ringer these last couple of weeks. She really only cries from the time I pick her up until the time she goes to bed - and that's through the week. It isn't as bad on the weekends. I feel like she gets a little more sleep during the day when she's with us vs. at daycare. She's constantly stimulated and I'm sure being in a classroom with other small kiddos makes it a little harder to get a little shut eye. Thus by the time I pick her up, she is pooped.
Milestones: This past month has been full of smiles, laughs and cute little girly screams. She has the sweetest, most genuine smile on her. She loves being tickled and sitting up right. She's still not a huge fan of tummy time. At this point, I don't think that is going to change. She is sitting up on her own without any support at all. You can sit her up on the floor or couch and she supports herself 100%. It is wonderful! She's also grabbing, banging her toys on the floor and transferring objects very easily. She coos and screams all day. She loves when you sing to her and make silly faces.
Stella's ideal day is spent hanging in her Baby Einstein exersaucer, jumping in the bouncy thing that hangs in the doorway, playing with Lottie and sitting on her own playing with toys. She loves her rattles, little dollies, the remote, my jewelry and her Sophie giraffe. She's constantly trying to eat them. She still loves sucking on her hands! And if her belly wasn't so big, she would have her feet in her mouth too.
Sibling Love: Stella loves her sister. Her face lights up when Lottie enters the room or speaks to her. Her favorite is when her sister dances or bounces up and down in front of her. She lets out the biggest belly laughs. When she sees Lottie playing with her toys, she wants to be a part of it. Lottie is constantly petting her head, trying to force a paci in her mouth or tugging on her hands. I don't know how many times a day I have to tell Lottie to leave Stella alone! I rarely leave the two of them alone in the room! That Lottie can't be trusted! Ha!
Likes: EATING, sucking on her hands, taking a bath, putting her warm jammies on at the end of the day, seeing her daddy walk in the door from work, playing with sissy when she's not poking or prodding her, sitting up, playing with her rattles and dollies, pressing buttons/playing in her exercauser and being tickled.
Dislikes: Being hungry, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., tummy time and when Lottie yells (scares her).
Update: Stella is doing better. We have a f/u appt. with the ENT on 12/2/13 and since the last post we visited an asthma and allergy specialist. My goal is to nip this bronchiolitis in the bud before it becomes asthma. Eeeekkkkk, the word asthma just gives me the heebyjeebys. I've never had asthma but when Steve was a young lad he had a mild case of asthma. I know it can be hereditary so again, just trying to nip it in the bud. We are currently doing two breathing treatments a day (a cocktail so to speak of Albuterol and a steroid). The hope is to get rid of the virus (cough, break up the cough) so she can get back to her old self. We have a f/u appt. in 2.5 weeks with the specialist so an update will follow after that appt.
On another note, at the time of the specialist appt. Stella weighed in at 18.5 oz. Holy Cow!!!!! This kid is going to be as big as Lottie by the time she is a year old........ HA!!!! What a difference!!! I guess no two kids/siblings are the same. Lottie is going to be the skinny firecracker and Stella is going to be the plump/chilled out kid who everyone adores! :)
Height: 25.5 inches (36%)
Head: 45 cm (100%) - Kid has got a massive head, basically means no hats and no tutlenecks EVER!
Clothes: It's all 6, 9and 12 months. I swear the girl could wear straight 9/12 months.
Diapers: Size 3 - what a better fit! :) I've got a feeling we will be moving on up to size 4 sooner than later!
Eating: This child is a beast! Her most favorite thing to do is EAT! She is still taking in anywhere from 25 to 32 oz each day. A typical day when she's going to daycare is:
6:15 a.m.: 6 oz
9:15 a.m.: 1 container of baby food
9:30 a.m.: 6 oz
12:15 p.m.: 1 container of baby food
12:30 a.m.: 6 oz
3:30 p.m.: 6 oz
6:00 p.m.: 6 to 8 oz
Yep, still an eater. I can't even have a drink of anything without her eyeing me up like she wants it. I bought some puffs the other day, but I don't think we are quite there yet. I think the teeth are coming any day now because of all the drool but none thus far. I'm okay with that. Teeth were NO FUN with Lottie.
Sleep: Let's just say, we have been still been soooooooooooooooooooo lucky with sleep at night! The kid is a rock star. She goes down every night between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and doesn't wake up until 6:15 a.m. During the day is a different story, she's never been a big napper. She usually has two naps every day. The one mid morning is usually the longest.
Crying: Stella, Stella, Stella............. Wow, just when you think you are starting to turn a corner, you lose your mind!!! Ha! What a difference you and your sister are!!!! Lottie rarely cried and seemed pretty happy all the time. While Stella seems like a happy baby most times, she is a crier!!! To her defense, she has been put through the ringer these last couple of weeks. She really only cries from the time I pick her up until the time she goes to bed - and that's through the week. It isn't as bad on the weekends. I feel like she gets a little more sleep during the day when she's with us vs. at daycare. She's constantly stimulated and I'm sure being in a classroom with other small kiddos makes it a little harder to get a little shut eye. Thus by the time I pick her up, she is pooped.
Milestones: This past month has been full of smiles, laughs and cute little girly screams. She has the sweetest, most genuine smile on her. She loves being tickled and sitting up right. She's still not a huge fan of tummy time. At this point, I don't think that is going to change. She is sitting up on her own without any support at all. You can sit her up on the floor or couch and she supports herself 100%. It is wonderful! She's also grabbing, banging her toys on the floor and transferring objects very easily. She coos and screams all day. She loves when you sing to her and make silly faces.
Stella's ideal day is spent hanging in her Baby Einstein exersaucer, jumping in the bouncy thing that hangs in the doorway, playing with Lottie and sitting on her own playing with toys. She loves her rattles, little dollies, the remote, my jewelry and her Sophie giraffe. She's constantly trying to eat them. She still loves sucking on her hands! And if her belly wasn't so big, she would have her feet in her mouth too.
Sibling Love: Stella loves her sister. Her face lights up when Lottie enters the room or speaks to her. Her favorite is when her sister dances or bounces up and down in front of her. She lets out the biggest belly laughs. When she sees Lottie playing with her toys, she wants to be a part of it. Lottie is constantly petting her head, trying to force a paci in her mouth or tugging on her hands. I don't know how many times a day I have to tell Lottie to leave Stella alone! I rarely leave the two of them alone in the room! That Lottie can't be trusted! Ha!
Likes: EATING, sucking on her hands, taking a bath, putting her warm jammies on at the end of the day, seeing her daddy walk in the door from work, playing with sissy when she's not poking or prodding her, sitting up, playing with her rattles and dollies, pressing buttons/playing in her exercauser and being tickled.
Dislikes: Being hungry, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., tummy time and when Lottie yells (scares her).
Update: Stella is doing better. We have a f/u appt. with the ENT on 12/2/13 and since the last post we visited an asthma and allergy specialist. My goal is to nip this bronchiolitis in the bud before it becomes asthma. Eeeekkkkk, the word asthma just gives me the heebyjeebys. I've never had asthma but when Steve was a young lad he had a mild case of asthma. I know it can be hereditary so again, just trying to nip it in the bud. We are currently doing two breathing treatments a day (a cocktail so to speak of Albuterol and a steroid). The hope is to get rid of the virus (cough, break up the cough) so she can get back to her old self. We have a f/u appt. in 2.5 weeks with the specialist so an update will follow after that appt.
On another note, at the time of the specialist appt. Stella weighed in at 18.5 oz. Holy Cow!!!!! This kid is going to be as big as Lottie by the time she is a year old........ HA!!!! What a difference!!! I guess no two kids/siblings are the same. Lottie is going to be the skinny firecracker and Stella is going to be the plump/chilled out kid who everyone adores! :)
Thursday, November 14, 2013
2 Weeks I Wish I Could Forget
Oh the tears did flow.......................................
The past two weeks have been rough to say the least! Not kidding, worst two weeks yet as far as the kiddos are concerned.
The memories of Lottie and her ever present ear infections seemed so bad but so vague at the same time. I remember having feelings of "will this ever end". Sure enough with a bit of time, it did end and she was as healthy as any kid can be after her tubes were put in(13 Months Old). We've only visited the doctor once for a sick visit after her procedure.
I am praying for the same result with Stella. However by the look of things, I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet.
Lets go back...............
In the last 11 days, I've been to the doctor 6 times with Stella.
Saturday: Pediatrician - junk in the eye, ongoing ear infection, referral to ENT
Monday: ENT - after an examination and our track record with Lottie, it was decided it be best to go ahead and put tubes in her ears.
Wednesday: 6 month well check up, ears still infected, cleared for surgery
Friday: Surgery
Saturday: Holy freak!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ended up taking Stella to the children's urgent care due to respiratory problems, cough, trouble breathing. In the end, she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis
Monday: Follow up with pediatrician due to respiratory problems.
Everything just happened so fast. The surgery (according to every doctor we've seen) went great. The tubes went in great and all the infection was sucked out and gone! Great news right????
Well, lo and behold on Saturday morning Stella started having a terrible cough. She was gasping for air and although I planned to follow up with the pediatrician on Monday, I just couldn't for my sanity wait until then to follow up. I ended up taking her to the children's urgent care in Blakeney on Saturday to get checked out. OMG, talk about almost having a nervous break down.................... I can't tell you what a hollowing, helpless feeling it is seeing your child sick, miserable and crying.
After a thorough exam, 3 breathing treatments and a chest x-ray (the most pitiful thing I've ever seen/been a part of in my life!!!) we were on the verge of being admitted to the hospital. Thankfully my sister was in town (Godsend) who is a nurse and works closely with a pulmonologist / neurologist. The urgent care doctor said that she felt comfortable allowing us to go home since she was there vs. going to the hospital. In the end, Stella was diagnosed with bronchiolitis. Basically, bronchitis for babies. Somehow within the last week she developed a virus that dug deep down into her lungs causing a terrible cough and heavy wheezing. So SCARY!
We were given a nebulizer and prescription for Albuteral. We've been doing breathing treatments every four hours for the last few days. It seems to help, but so hard to get her to actually take all of the vapor in. We tried the mask which she hates and the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece has been the go to for us. She's also on steroids. 3ml twice a day. Oh and ear drops, 3 drops in each ear for 3 days.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh at how chaotic our lives are right now or cry because of how chaotic they are. Thankfully Steve is his usual, normal, worry free self because I have been doing enough worrying and crying for the whole county.
Since being back at daycare on Tuesday, she has just not been herself. I'm pretty positive it's because she feels like poo and the steroids are making her crazy! Baaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I've been getting calls all week from them stating she's not taking her bottles like she normally does and just not being herself. I want to scream!!! I mean HELLO, what more can I do????? Steve and I both have to work. If we had the option of being at home with her it would be our number one priority but it just isn't an option and honestly probably the best thing for her after all the trauma she has endured is going to get back to some sort of normal routine.
If you are reading this, please keep our little family in your thoughts and prayers. Poor little Stella has been through the ringer! And her mama has gone absolutely bonkers!!! :) I just hope she can kick this virus soon and get back to enjoying daycare and playing with her family.
Until then we are just going to take it day by day - as I've said before, "We will get through this, it is only a phase!"
Here's a look at a few photos I took right before Stella's surgery on Friday. I have never seen a hospital gown so itty bitty. Thankfully the tubes are in and look beautiful.
Again, forgive me for my rant! It's been 2 weeks I wish I could forget!
The past two weeks have been rough to say the least! Not kidding, worst two weeks yet as far as the kiddos are concerned.
The memories of Lottie and her ever present ear infections seemed so bad but so vague at the same time. I remember having feelings of "will this ever end". Sure enough with a bit of time, it did end and she was as healthy as any kid can be after her tubes were put in(13 Months Old). We've only visited the doctor once for a sick visit after her procedure.
I am praying for the same result with Stella. However by the look of things, I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet.
Lets go back...............
In the last 11 days, I've been to the doctor 6 times with Stella.
Saturday: Pediatrician - junk in the eye, ongoing ear infection, referral to ENT
Monday: ENT - after an examination and our track record with Lottie, it was decided it be best to go ahead and put tubes in her ears.
Wednesday: 6 month well check up, ears still infected, cleared for surgery
Friday: Surgery
Saturday: Holy freak!!!!!!!!!!!!! I ended up taking Stella to the children's urgent care due to respiratory problems, cough, trouble breathing. In the end, she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis
Monday: Follow up with pediatrician due to respiratory problems.
Everything just happened so fast. The surgery (according to every doctor we've seen) went great. The tubes went in great and all the infection was sucked out and gone! Great news right????
Well, lo and behold on Saturday morning Stella started having a terrible cough. She was gasping for air and although I planned to follow up with the pediatrician on Monday, I just couldn't for my sanity wait until then to follow up. I ended up taking her to the children's urgent care in Blakeney on Saturday to get checked out. OMG, talk about almost having a nervous break down.................... I can't tell you what a hollowing, helpless feeling it is seeing your child sick, miserable and crying.
After a thorough exam, 3 breathing treatments and a chest x-ray (the most pitiful thing I've ever seen/been a part of in my life!!!) we were on the verge of being admitted to the hospital. Thankfully my sister was in town (Godsend) who is a nurse and works closely with a pulmonologist / neurologist. The urgent care doctor said that she felt comfortable allowing us to go home since she was there vs. going to the hospital. In the end, Stella was diagnosed with bronchiolitis. Basically, bronchitis for babies. Somehow within the last week she developed a virus that dug deep down into her lungs causing a terrible cough and heavy wheezing. So SCARY!
We were given a nebulizer and prescription for Albuteral. We've been doing breathing treatments every four hours for the last few days. It seems to help, but so hard to get her to actually take all of the vapor in. We tried the mask which she hates and the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece has been the go to for us. She's also on steroids. 3ml twice a day. Oh and ear drops, 3 drops in each ear for 3 days.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh at how chaotic our lives are right now or cry because of how chaotic they are. Thankfully Steve is his usual, normal, worry free self because I have been doing enough worrying and crying for the whole county.
Since being back at daycare on Tuesday, she has just not been herself. I'm pretty positive it's because she feels like poo and the steroids are making her crazy! Baaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I've been getting calls all week from them stating she's not taking her bottles like she normally does and just not being herself. I want to scream!!! I mean HELLO, what more can I do????? Steve and I both have to work. If we had the option of being at home with her it would be our number one priority but it just isn't an option and honestly probably the best thing for her after all the trauma she has endured is going to get back to some sort of normal routine.
If you are reading this, please keep our little family in your thoughts and prayers. Poor little Stella has been through the ringer! And her mama has gone absolutely bonkers!!! :) I just hope she can kick this virus soon and get back to enjoying daycare and playing with her family.
Until then we are just going to take it day by day - as I've said before, "We will get through this, it is only a phase!"
Here's a look at a few photos I took right before Stella's surgery on Friday. I have never seen a hospital gown so itty bitty. Thankfully the tubes are in and look beautiful.
Again, forgive me for my rant! It's been 2 weeks I wish I could forget!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Halloween 2013
Lottie is at the perfect age for trick or treating! I could have squeezed her to bits after hearing her say, "Trick or Treat" and "Happy Halloween" to everyone who opened their doors. So stinking cute!
Here's a look back at the fall festival we attended at the girls' school, pumpkin painting and trick or treating!
Here's a look back at the fall festival we attended at the girls' school, pumpkin painting and trick or treating!
Little stinker!
Aunt Jeanette and Lottie
Dora, Boots & Elmo pumpkins
Making memories!
Typical......
No more mommy!
Making a mask in her classroom
Dad & Stella
Temporary tattoos
Bowling ghosts
She picked out PENCILS after every game/activity to bring home....
Cake walk w/ dad
Mommy & Stella selfie
Painting pumpkins on a Saturday night! Times have sure changed!
Aunt Jeanette inspecting candy after trick or treating
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