the girls
the boys
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Cousins
I feel so blessed to have my sister Kristin 4.5 miles away. And what fun it is to have cousins so close in age. Sydney (my niece) is 4 months older than Madeleine and Austin (my nephew) is 7 months older than Everett.
the girls
the boys
the girls
the boys
Skating with Tia
My stepsister Terri, known as Tia to her nieces and nephews, took Madeleine roller skating last week at Arlington's Skatium. Madeleine had a great time and Tia was so glad that they got the roller skates that lock!
Madeleine did great! Enjoy this video...
Then Tia came to see Everett who loved cuddling!
To end this blog post, I wanted to share a photo of Everett last week while he and I stayed at home while Madeleine was at school. Everett loved playing with Madeleine's stuff without her protests, especially this Princess jacket thing!
He's just adorable!
Madeleine did great! Enjoy this video...
Then Tia came to see Everett who loved cuddling!
To end this blog post, I wanted to share a photo of Everett last week while he and I stayed at home while Madeleine was at school. Everett loved playing with Madeleine's stuff without her protests, especially this Princess jacket thing!
He's just adorable!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Antibiotics
Everett is on his first round of antibiotics ever in his life. He is 15 ½ months, which I think is pretty good! He had a double ear infection and RSV (a horrible smoker’s cough and lots of stuff in the lungs which was a virus). The pediatrician instructed me last Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. holiday) to keep him home all week. Ahh, okay? I guess I won’t go into the church to work! Thankfully, my church (Oak Lawn UMC) was wonderfully supportive! And at least I got to watch Barack Obama’s inauguration at home on my TV! What an awesome Benediction by the way from the Methodist Rev. Joseph Lowery.
Everett was in general good spirits, still playing, still happy, and he was sleeping 14 hours a night. However, after 3 days of the antibiotic something happened. Something horrible. I did not know that antibiotics can cause diarrhea. It can… and it did. Everett’s bottom was red and raw, he was having his diaper changed 10 times a day by Thursday. So, after having to clean the carpet of things that had leaked out of his diaper and after being peed on when I wanted to inspect said raw bottom in the bathroom mirror, I called the pediatrician. Yes, of course diarrhea was a normal side effect. Had I tried diaper cream? I tried not to scream at the person on the other end of the phone. Had I fed him bananas? Applesauce? Well, I had not. So, I did. And praise the Lord, Everett ate them both.
After talking to the doctor, I decided to pretend that we lived in Africa. A friend who lived in Mali in the Peace Corps once told me that women in her village carried their naked babies all day long, and when the baby was going to go, the mother was able to tell, and she would hold the baby out so they could ahem.. use the facilities… Well, I wasn’t about to go that far, so Everett played outside naked for a while so that I could recover for a bit.
It is now Sunday and Everett seems a lot better. No more cough, no more fever or pink cheeks and his bottom seems to be healing, however, he does have 4 more days of the antibiotic!
Everett was in general good spirits, still playing, still happy, and he was sleeping 14 hours a night. However, after 3 days of the antibiotic something happened. Something horrible. I did not know that antibiotics can cause diarrhea. It can… and it did. Everett’s bottom was red and raw, he was having his diaper changed 10 times a day by Thursday. So, after having to clean the carpet of things that had leaked out of his diaper and after being peed on when I wanted to inspect said raw bottom in the bathroom mirror, I called the pediatrician. Yes, of course diarrhea was a normal side effect. Had I tried diaper cream? I tried not to scream at the person on the other end of the phone. Had I fed him bananas? Applesauce? Well, I had not. So, I did. And praise the Lord, Everett ate them both.
After talking to the doctor, I decided to pretend that we lived in Africa. A friend who lived in Mali in the Peace Corps once told me that women in her village carried their naked babies all day long, and when the baby was going to go, the mother was able to tell, and she would hold the baby out so they could ahem.. use the facilities… Well, I wasn’t about to go that far, so Everett played outside naked for a while so that I could recover for a bit.
It is now Sunday and Everett seems a lot better. No more cough, no more fever or pink cheeks and his bottom seems to be healing, however, he does have 4 more days of the antibiotic!
I love free stuff
I love free stuff! My favorite free stuff thing is at Bookmarks, the first public library in a shopping mall. Bookmarks has daily story time which is awesome and Wednesdays and Saturdays they have a big story time with an entertainer. Madeleine was chosen to hold a sign for the sing along guy from last Saturday. She had a great time! Hopefully you can see her huge smile.
Though she didn't always hold the sign the correct way...
Bookmarks also has a book club. The book club has got awesome prizes all donated from stores at Northpark mall. I give huge props to the stores in the mall and to the Dallas Public Library system, because Madeleine already loved reading, but she is motivated to color in her Bookbugs so that she can get her next prize!
Madeleine's latest favorite book series is written by Daisy Meadows and is all about fairies. I give God thanks for the public library because there are a lot of these books! And I just learned on wikipedia that they are written by four different authors!
At Northpark mall last weekend Olivia visited the BabyGap and it was very well done. They had Olivia's wardrobe and you could try on some of Olivia's clothes and take a picture with Olivia.
Other free stuff I love: parks! Last weekend we walked to a nearby park, well, Madeleine rode her Big Wheel, and Everett was pushed along on the Radio Flyer bike, but by the end of it Lee was carrying Everett, Madeleine was walking, and I was carrying the Big Wheel and pushing the Radio Flyer bike. It was a bit exhausting. However, the park was fun!
Everett loved this tunnel.
Here Madeleine is on top of it!
Slide races!
Here's a movie of the slide races, Everett totally cheated, he didn't wait for me to say 3!!
I love Everett's tummy in this shot! How can he not be 20 lbs yet?
I love this picture!
Enjoy a movie of Madeleine on the monkey bars. I can never do the money bars with her because I am too short! Yeah for Lee!
The other free thing that I love is parades! We couldn't attend the Martin Luther King Jr. parade on Saturday in Dallas (swimming then ballet), so we attended the one on the actual holiday, on Monday. It was so much fun! Everett was sick (discussed in the next post), but fascinated by all the people and the music from the bands. The funniest moment was when the pick-up drove by with the guy wearing the Obama mask. The crowd roared!
So, here's my tips to free stuff in Dallas. I scour Dallas Child magazine, The Advocate, and their blogs to see what's free and then we go!
Though she didn't always hold the sign the correct way...
Bookmarks also has a book club. The book club has got awesome prizes all donated from stores at Northpark mall. I give huge props to the stores in the mall and to the Dallas Public Library system, because Madeleine already loved reading, but she is motivated to color in her Bookbugs so that she can get her next prize!
Madeleine's latest favorite book series is written by Daisy Meadows and is all about fairies. I give God thanks for the public library because there are a lot of these books! And I just learned on wikipedia that they are written by four different authors!
At Northpark mall last weekend Olivia visited the BabyGap and it was very well done. They had Olivia's wardrobe and you could try on some of Olivia's clothes and take a picture with Olivia.
Other free stuff I love: parks! Last weekend we walked to a nearby park, well, Madeleine rode her Big Wheel, and Everett was pushed along on the Radio Flyer bike, but by the end of it Lee was carrying Everett, Madeleine was walking, and I was carrying the Big Wheel and pushing the Radio Flyer bike. It was a bit exhausting. However, the park was fun!
Everett loved this tunnel.
Here Madeleine is on top of it!
Slide races!
Here's a movie of the slide races, Everett totally cheated, he didn't wait for me to say 3!!
I love Everett's tummy in this shot! How can he not be 20 lbs yet?
I love this picture!
Enjoy a movie of Madeleine on the monkey bars. I can never do the money bars with her because I am too short! Yeah for Lee!
The other free thing that I love is parades! We couldn't attend the Martin Luther King Jr. parade on Saturday in Dallas (swimming then ballet), so we attended the one on the actual holiday, on Monday. It was so much fun! Everett was sick (discussed in the next post), but fascinated by all the people and the music from the bands. The funniest moment was when the pick-up drove by with the guy wearing the Obama mask. The crowd roared!
So, here's my tips to free stuff in Dallas. I scour Dallas Child magazine, The Advocate, and their blogs to see what's free and then we go!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
What a great idea!
Madeleine received her first birthday party invitation to say these instructions:
"Please have your child make a special card or picture for the birthday boy in lieu of a gift."
What a great idea! Just thought I would share...
"Please have your child make a special card or picture for the birthday boy in lieu of a gift."
What a great idea! Just thought I would share...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
One More Thing
This has changed my life. Seriously. Best present I gave Lee ever! (Okay, maybe it was more for me...)
Everett is 15 months!
January 6th Everett had his 15 month check-up. He is still not on the weight chart, but he is on his own curve. He was 19 lbs 15 oz and 30 3/4 inches. He is in the 25-50th percentile for height, but alas, my dreams of having tall children will probably not come to fruition. I always tell Lee that I married him to have tall children and Lee's latest retort is that the kids have his looks and my height, really the worst of both (in his words!). The doctor said that Everett might be 5'9"... poor kid with a 6'4" dad... Anyway, he is happy and healthy and loves to eat chicken nuggets, mandarin oranges (a new one), bananas, waffles, and lately my yogurt lover has been not so interested in the yogurt. He does not like milk in the sippy cup yet but loves apple juice. Everett also wants to eat whatever you are eating, does not matter what it is, he wants some. NOW!
Everett is also communicating so much more now. It is so much fun as they get older! If he would just stop pointing and grunting though when he wants something! He communicates verbally these words: all done, bye, ball, mama (it is so sweet!), dada, down and more.
He communicates with sign language these words, all done (shakes his hands in the air), bye (waves his hand), and hunger (fingers to his mouth). I did sign language for longer than I did with Madeleine (I didn’t stick with it long enough for her to pick any sign language up) but I wish I had done more sign language and done it more consistently. Oh well…
Lately when I cook Everett’s waffle or his chicken nuggets I have been trying to show him that they are too hot for him to eat (to ease his grunting and pointing) by blowing and moving my hand in front of my mouth. I say “too hot.” Whenever Everett gets his waffle or chicken nugget (even if they have been in the fridge), he blows and moves his hand in front of his mouth.
However, the biggest exciting news is that when I tell Everett to sit in the bath…. HE DOES!!! The standing baths are possibly nearing an end!
Everett's laugh is the sweetest noise in the world! And when he smiles and scrunches up his face, adorable! Finally, if Everett were a super hero his name would be The Snuggler (the boy loves to snuggle) and his costume would be this.
Everett is also communicating so much more now. It is so much fun as they get older! If he would just stop pointing and grunting though when he wants something! He communicates verbally these words: all done, bye, ball, mama (it is so sweet!), dada, down and more.
He communicates with sign language these words, all done (shakes his hands in the air), bye (waves his hand), and hunger (fingers to his mouth). I did sign language for longer than I did with Madeleine (I didn’t stick with it long enough for her to pick any sign language up) but I wish I had done more sign language and done it more consistently. Oh well…
Lately when I cook Everett’s waffle or his chicken nuggets I have been trying to show him that they are too hot for him to eat (to ease his grunting and pointing) by blowing and moving my hand in front of my mouth. I say “too hot.” Whenever Everett gets his waffle or chicken nugget (even if they have been in the fridge), he blows and moves his hand in front of his mouth.
However, the biggest exciting news is that when I tell Everett to sit in the bath…. HE DOES!!! The standing baths are possibly nearing an end!
Everett's laugh is the sweetest noise in the world! And when he smiles and scrunches up his face, adorable! Finally, if Everett were a super hero his name would be The Snuggler (the boy loves to snuggle) and his costume would be this.
A blog update
ummm. not quite sure where nearly half of January has gone.... We have gotten back into the grove and although I have Thursday and Friday off with my part-time schedule last week I was blessed to do a funeral and the kids were in school every day last week. This week I have a training on Thursday... Oak Lawn UMC is great fun though and I am so glad to be there! The Angel Voices Choir is back in full swing and Madeleine sings the new song, I'm a Possibility, throughout the week.
The weather has been so nice that we have been playing outside a lot. We have moved a playhouse that was in my sister's backyard to ours and it is so much fun! I took the kids to Ikea a few weeks ago to get Madeleine a nightstand and also some dishes to play with in the house.
Everett loves to be outside, playing in the house, in the sandbox, or (how cute is this?) using the sidewalk chalk!
We set up the bounce house a few Sundays ago and Everett was petrified by the bounce house.
Everett loves to climb, enjoy this video of him babbling and climbing to the top of the picnic table outside.
Madeleine loves to take pictures around the house with my camera, this last time she took a picture of herself! It is in focus and everything!
The weather has been so nice that we have been playing outside a lot. We have moved a playhouse that was in my sister's backyard to ours and it is so much fun! I took the kids to Ikea a few weeks ago to get Madeleine a nightstand and also some dishes to play with in the house.
Everett loves to be outside, playing in the house, in the sandbox, or (how cute is this?) using the sidewalk chalk!
We set up the bounce house a few Sundays ago and Everett was petrified by the bounce house.
Everett loves to climb, enjoy this video of him babbling and climbing to the top of the picnic table outside.
Madeleine loves to take pictures around the house with my camera, this last time she took a picture of herself! It is in focus and everything!
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