Let me begin by saying that I have never been a person who can do well with little sleep. I am not a person who stayed up all night in college either studying for tests or partying and then slept a little bit and felt fine the next day. I am extremely cranky when I'm tired, just ask Jason! Having two children, sleep is a precious commodity that I don't take for granted! All of this buildup to let you know that today, I worked off of barely any sleep.
Logan got her 4 month shots yesterday afternoon at 4:00 and then we came home. She was not happy about the shots (really, is there an infant who is?) but recovered quickly and did fine with going to bed at her normal time around 7. I went to bed at 10:30 feeling like all was well. Around 11:30, she started making a strange moaning sound. I figured she had lost her paci, went in to check on her, replaced the paci and then went back to sleep. At 12:30 same thing happened but this time I figured I'd go ahead and feed her since it would be close to time anyway. Well as soon as I picked her up, I panicked. I have never felt a body that hot. Her cheeks were deep red and she wasn't opening her eyes all the way, just moaning. I immediately had flashes of getting both girls dressed and heading to the hospital. I gave her some Motrin then tried to give her a bottle because by this time she was crying. She threw it all back up almost instantly and that's when the crying/screaming began. Then I attempted to take her temperature and the thermometer wouldn't turn on, dead battery. I just used it the other day! So I woke up Jason and told him to take Logan, I was going to go to the store. He couldn't believe how hot she felt either. I drove all the way to Walgreens near Winthrop only to realize my wallet is in the diaper bag from the appointment earlier! Drive all the way back home, try to console Logan while Jason goes back to the store. (We're at 2:45 by this point). She fell asleep on my chest but when he got home we took her temp and it was 102.6 under her arm. She got worked up and upset again then finally went back to sleep until 4:45 when practically the exact same situation happened -- woke up moaning, was crazy hot and red, threw up attempted bottle. I called the answering service for our dr and they said to dress her lightly, give her a larger dose (due to her weight) of Tylenol for fever and basically not worry about it. Well, with this bout of crying/screaming from Logan, Riley woke up (of course right!) and she thought it was morning play time. Both girls finally fell back asleep by 6:15, as did Jason and I, only to all wake up again at 7 to start the day with more moaning and crying and high fever. I made the appointment for 10:10 (soonest we could get in), got breakfast made, got Riley ready to go to work with Jason and then held little lady until it was time to go. For those of you who know Logan, she does not cry. She does not get upset. She is very laid back. NOT TODAY! Poor thing was crying, moaning, screaming, frustrated, and sad and it broke this momma's heart! She cried at the appointment at which Dr. Hansen assumed it was shot related but was concerned with how high the fever was and that it wasn't breaking with the medicine. He said to watch her carefully for any rash or difficulty breathing and that within 24 hours it would either get worse or get better. Well I'd already been praying since the wee hours of the morning but I amped it up immediately. I won't give you every detail of the day but Logan was inconsolable most of the afternoon. A huge shout out to our neighbor Jessica who let Riley come play with her daughter while I took care of Logan and attempted to nap. The fussiness continued until Logan finally got a good nap from 2:30 - 4:30 (Riley was awake though - only a short 30 min nap for me) and woke up only warm and in a better mood. By 6:00 her fever was only 100 and she was smiling, laughing at Riley, and her eyes were open all the way. She went to bed well around 7:30 and is soundly sleeping as I type this. I have no idea what is in store for tonight but I know that there was an exhaled breath I didn't realize I was holding when I heard her laugh and saw that the fever was dropping! God is good!
So, my prayer is that everyone involved is completely exhausted enough to sleep soundly all night long and that everyone remains healthy through the night. Because let me promise you this....I made it through today with purposeful attention to not being cranky due to exhaustion and tried to give as much TLC to both girls throughout the day as I could, but I don't see how it would be possible to do it again tomorrow! And now, this Momma is headed to bed!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Big Sister Duties
I just looked back through my facebook status updates from the past few days and realized that Riley is getting sort of a bad rap. I've been sharing some of her more dramatic three year old moments, including her claiming that I ruined her night because I wouldn't give her any more shaving cream for her "white pie" she makes in the tub. She has certainly had moments in the past week or so where I have had to count to ten or let Jason step in and just walk away repeating to myself "I don't believe in violence, I don't believe in violence" but I don't want to put more attention on that than on how proud of her I truly am.
Riley's life changed completely 4 months ago. We attempted to prepare her the best we could - we read books about it, we talked about it, I prayed about it - but she was 2 and there's only so much we could prepare for before Logan arrived. It wasn't real until Logan was born and home and a full-time addition to our family. That day was the day that Riley earned a new name - Big Sister. She is honestly the best big sister I could have ever hoped she would be to Logan. Some of her Big Sister Duties include:
*singing a morning song to Logan every day when she wakes up (and let me tell you, Logan's eyes light up and her smile is ear-to-ear when she hears her sister's voice!)
*getting Logan's paci when I'm in another room and need it or giving her a paci if it falls out
*getting the empty bottles out of Logan's room from the night before and putting them in the sink
*putting Logan's clothes in her hamper when I'm changing her
*talking/singing to her in the backseat on a car ride
*picking out her socks
*giving her a hug and kiss each night
*playing independently while Logan gets a bottle or is going to bed
and many more tasks that basically involve being a supportive, loving, responsible, helpful little girl and she does all of it with an "ok" and a "yes ma'am" and for the most part without even having to be asked! And thankfully, even in her moments of tantrums, refusals, and yelling fits, she has never taken anything out on Logan or seemed to be disappointed or jealous. She has become a Big Sister beautifully and the way Logan adores her and watches her every move is proof that their relationship is already forming a bond that will never be broken.
Dear Riley ~ Thank you for being such a good Big Sister, for stepping into that role seemlessly and loving your little sister wholeheartedly. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and the love you have shown!
Riley's life changed completely 4 months ago. We attempted to prepare her the best we could - we read books about it, we talked about it, I prayed about it - but she was 2 and there's only so much we could prepare for before Logan arrived. It wasn't real until Logan was born and home and a full-time addition to our family. That day was the day that Riley earned a new name - Big Sister. She is honestly the best big sister I could have ever hoped she would be to Logan. Some of her Big Sister Duties include:
*singing a morning song to Logan every day when she wakes up (and let me tell you, Logan's eyes light up and her smile is ear-to-ear when she hears her sister's voice!)
*getting Logan's paci when I'm in another room and need it or giving her a paci if it falls out
*getting the empty bottles out of Logan's room from the night before and putting them in the sink
*putting Logan's clothes in her hamper when I'm changing her
*talking/singing to her in the backseat on a car ride
*picking out her socks
*giving her a hug and kiss each night
*playing independently while Logan gets a bottle or is going to bed
and many more tasks that basically involve being a supportive, loving, responsible, helpful little girl and she does all of it with an "ok" and a "yes ma'am" and for the most part without even having to be asked! And thankfully, even in her moments of tantrums, refusals, and yelling fits, she has never taken anything out on Logan or seemed to be disappointed or jealous. She has become a Big Sister beautifully and the way Logan adores her and watches her every move is proof that their relationship is already forming a bond that will never be broken.
Dear Riley ~ Thank you for being such a good Big Sister, for stepping into that role seemlessly and loving your little sister wholeheartedly. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and the love you have shown!
Monday, January 23, 2012
My balancing act
Do you remember those guys who would spin plates on sticks? I feel like that's what my daily life has become! I start by spinning Riley's plate, then Logan's plate, then Jason's, then my teacher plate, family plate, relationship with God plate, laundry/chores plate...it's a balancing act that I don't think even involves a "me" plate anymore! It's tough because as soon as I get one plate "spinning" well, another one (or three) seem to wobble and require my attention. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way and I certainly don't think I have even close to the hardest life situations to deal with - but it can all get so overwhelming, can't it? When I was able to be at home during the day, I felt like I was able to accomplish so much more. Everything seemed to go so smoothly. Now that I'm back at work, I'm struggling with feeling like I'm doing everything partially well and doing nothing with the full attention or enthusiasm each person or responsibility deserves. I'm beyond thankful for my parents, friends, and most of all my husband because of the help I get from them. I just want to go back to feeling confident in my ability to balance it all and give attention, love, and energy to all of the different aspects of who I am called to be! So, how do you do it? How do you keep all of your plates spinning?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
God is more important than Dora
Our church is currently in the middle of an "old school revival" called Code Orange Revival which will consist of 12 nights of preaching from all-star preachers from around the country. I can tell you this, after two nights, I am certainly inspired and refreshed and can't imagine what I will feel like after ten more experiences with God's word in this sort of outlet! That being said, it has already been a struggle to not let satan gain control of the momentum this church and specifically this revival has already had and will have on our family. Let me tell you what I mean...
I was hoping to go to almost all of the services in person but then we realized that with the travel time, lines, and need for both girls to eat and sleep, we wouldn't be able to go nearly as often as we wanted to. No worries, we can watch it live streaming online, right? Well, the services begin at 7:00, Riley's normal time to watch Dora. If you know Riley, you know how important Dora is in her routine! So I had to have an important talk with Riley when the time came for the service to start - that God is more important Dora! At first she just stared at me like I had spoken in tongues, but then she actually accepted it. I got to have a great conversation with her about the importance of learning about God and showing Him that in our house nothing is more important than loving Him and spending time with Him. I felt so proud of her, she handled it very well! Then, the icing on the cake, when the music started, she recognized the song, sang along, and raised her hand. It's a good feeling knowing that we are raising our girls to praise and worship, believe and pray, even if it means missing Dora :)
Hopefully we will be able to go to at least three or four experiences in person but if not, I know that we are still putting effort into starting our year by immersing ourselves in God's love, power, and spirit and believing that this opportunity will bless us in 2012!
I was hoping to go to almost all of the services in person but then we realized that with the travel time, lines, and need for both girls to eat and sleep, we wouldn't be able to go nearly as often as we wanted to. No worries, we can watch it live streaming online, right? Well, the services begin at 7:00, Riley's normal time to watch Dora. If you know Riley, you know how important Dora is in her routine! So I had to have an important talk with Riley when the time came for the service to start - that God is more important Dora! At first she just stared at me like I had spoken in tongues, but then she actually accepted it. I got to have a great conversation with her about the importance of learning about God and showing Him that in our house nothing is more important than loving Him and spending time with Him. I felt so proud of her, she handled it very well! Then, the icing on the cake, when the music started, she recognized the song, sang along, and raised her hand. It's a good feeling knowing that we are raising our girls to praise and worship, believe and pray, even if it means missing Dora :)
Hopefully we will be able to go to at least three or four experiences in person but if not, I know that we are still putting effort into starting our year by immersing ourselves in God's love, power, and spirit and believing that this opportunity will bless us in 2012!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Back to Reality...
Yesterday was my first day back at work in 13 weeks. This is my 10th year as a teacher and this August I started the school year very big pregnant and worked until September 30th. The next week was spent preparing for Logan's arrival and making the most of the time we had left as a family of three. Then Logan was born on the morning of the 6th and I spent the next 12 weeks completely engaging in being Mommy to my girls. I took advantage of the time at home to stay in pajamas a lot of days, snuggle with Logan as much as possible, play with Riley, and hang out with Jason. I was able to go at our pace ~ whatever needed to be accomplished in a day, we could do it whenever we wanted to. We spent time having play dates with other friends of mine who stay at home with their children. I was able to go to Riley's school Christmas concert, something I wouldn't be able to do if I was back at work. My favorite time of day was when Riley would wake up and then Logan would wake up and we'd be at the table eating breakfast in our pajamas talking about the day. I was able to make biscuits, muffins, monkey bread, pancakes....basically take time to make the day start out right! Jason and I would be drinking our coffee and it just felt good, it felt perfect to be honest with you. I also loved being able to sing and rock both of my girls and tuck them in for naptime. I felt so proud of Riley watching her be a big sister. I felt so blessed to be able to enjoy such quality time with Logan and watch her change so rapidly as she learned to control her head and body movements and of course the days when she started to smile and coo ~ what could be better? Obviously, I absolutely loved being at home with my girls. I would give anything to be able to continue staying home and experience these special moments on a daily basis, but it just doesn't work out financially for me to do that. At least I have the weekends to look forward to!
I do love teaching and I do know that there are a LOT of people in today's economy who are in need of a job and can't get one so I know that I should be grateful and deep down I am. It's just hard to feel like I'm going back to work and missing out on everything I enjoyed so thoroughly at home. I've gone from spending the entire day with my girls and Jason to leaving the house before anyone is awake and coming home in time to spend 2-3 hours with the girls before bedtime.
I was blessed to get the time that I had at home and at least I get to go back to a great group of kids who missed me and who I can work for the way I would want Riley and Logan's teacher to work for them. Now the best part of the day is going into Kendall's house and hearing Riley's excitement that I'm there and watching Logan's gummy smile as she recognizes that I'm there!
I do love teaching and I do know that there are a LOT of people in today's economy who are in need of a job and can't get one so I know that I should be grateful and deep down I am. It's just hard to feel like I'm going back to work and missing out on everything I enjoyed so thoroughly at home. I've gone from spending the entire day with my girls and Jason to leaving the house before anyone is awake and coming home in time to spend 2-3 hours with the girls before bedtime.
I was blessed to get the time that I had at home and at least I get to go back to a great group of kids who missed me and who I can work for the way I would want Riley and Logan's teacher to work for them. Now the best part of the day is going into Kendall's house and hearing Riley's excitement that I'm there and watching Logan's gummy smile as she recognizes that I'm there!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
I have a three year old?!?
As of tomorrow, Riley will be three! On one hand it's hard to believe that she has already been in our life for three years. On the other hand, it's hard to imagine life without her because it seems like she has always been here and been a part of our lives.
From her first days, Riley has proven herself to be an amazing little girl. To know Riley is to love her! My girl is spunky, loving, creative, funny, smart, opinionated, and beautiful. She is full of life to say the least! She does everything with enthusiasm and passion, especially dancing :) She genuinely loves the important people in her life and is the best big sister to Logan. If you need a kiss or a hug, Riley is your girl! Riley's imagination is beyong what I could have ever dreamed it could be ~ to hear her stories and listen to her playing keeps me amazed at what she comes up with. Her wit and humor keep me smiling on a daily basis. She really is hilarious! Riley is one of the smartest kids I know. She enjoys learning and is very proud of what she is already able to do and explain. I have no doubt that her strong mind will help her accomplish many things in life and will lead to many successes in her future. God has blessed her and kept His hands on her and I know she will continue to learn to love and trust Him in return. Some of her favorites right now include Dora and Tinkerbell, dancing, playing dress up, being Mommy to her dolls, and doing the Hokey Pokey.
I feel honored that I was chosen to be her Mommy and blessed to be able to spend the rest of my life loving Riley and watching her grow.
So, Happy Birthday Riley Pearl, Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are so proud of you!
From her first days, Riley has proven herself to be an amazing little girl. To know Riley is to love her! My girl is spunky, loving, creative, funny, smart, opinionated, and beautiful. She is full of life to say the least! She does everything with enthusiasm and passion, especially dancing :) She genuinely loves the important people in her life and is the best big sister to Logan. If you need a kiss or a hug, Riley is your girl! Riley's imagination is beyong what I could have ever dreamed it could be ~ to hear her stories and listen to her playing keeps me amazed at what she comes up with. Her wit and humor keep me smiling on a daily basis. She really is hilarious! Riley is one of the smartest kids I know. She enjoys learning and is very proud of what she is already able to do and explain. I have no doubt that her strong mind will help her accomplish many things in life and will lead to many successes in her future. God has blessed her and kept His hands on her and I know she will continue to learn to love and trust Him in return. Some of her favorites right now include Dora and Tinkerbell, dancing, playing dress up, being Mommy to her dolls, and doing the Hokey Pokey.
I feel honored that I was chosen to be her Mommy and blessed to be able to spend the rest of my life loving Riley and watching her grow.
So, Happy Birthday Riley Pearl, Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are so proud of you!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas 2011
WOW! We just got back from Charleston and I have to say that our girls were extremely blessed; not only with gifts from loved ones and, of course, Santa ~ but by the amount of love, time, attention, hugs, kisses, tickles, and laughs that were shared with them during our trip. Logan got some very practical gifts (diapers, wipes, formula, pajamas, pacis...) and Riley got the begged-for rain boots, lots of Tinkerbell/Fairy goodies, games, dress-up, and some "just-for-fun" items that she will enjoy playing with! My Aunt Cindy got Riley a subscription to Highlights magazine, I thought that was so thoughtful since Riley loves to read, loves stickers, and really loves to get mail - a gift that covers all three! Our family also sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and talked about the ultimate gift that was given on the original Christmas morning. We got to spend time with so many family members and friends and it was so nice to be able to laugh, catch up, and spend a lot of time just enjoying each other's company and relaxing. A big shout out to my parents who let Jason and I sleep in and take naps to refresh ourselves!! Nanny and Poppa know how to be great hosts and really know how to spoil their grandchildren. I love Christmas for so many reasons: the decorations, the food, the songs, the memories of Christmases in the past, giving, receiving, and being surrounded by loved ones. It's tough when Christmas is over and the decorations come down and everything returns to "normal" but at least for us the end of Christmas leads to a celebration a few days later!
I hope that your family had a wonderful Christmas too and are now preparing to reflect on the blessings of this year and what memories will be made in 2012!
(I wanted to add a great family picture we took by the Christmas tree but for some reason my computer still won't let me! I'll keep working on it....)
I hope that your family had a wonderful Christmas too and are now preparing to reflect on the blessings of this year and what memories will be made in 2012!
(I wanted to add a great family picture we took by the Christmas tree but for some reason my computer still won't let me! I'll keep working on it....)
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