Today I Am Wrapping Things Up.

I decided that since this blog is supposed to be what I did today, I'd better get one more post in so it doesn't turn into what I did this week (only one other post besides this one). 


I don't know why, but I loooooooooooooooooooove throwing huge birthday bashes for my girls.  I put more time and effort into them then I do for holidays (except Christmas).  I just think birthdays are so super fun and picking a theme totally thrills me!

Here's the inspiration for Britt's party (which happens to be tomorrow, hence the wrapping things up):

(elsa beskow)

(more Elsa Beskow)

 

This week, I've been sewing a birthday dress for Britt, making a bunting/flag banner, sewing gnome hats, putting together 40+ favor bags, e-mailing back and forth with my husband (graphic designer) over the decor, paper toy activities, menu plan, and cupcake toppers, and baking cupcakes and pound cake. 

So, this is why I've been remiss in my posting.  That and moving.  I WILL be a more regular poster and blog reader as soon as we're settled into our new place. 

Today I Worked on Gnome Hats.

Britt's party is this weekend and between caring for 3 littles and packing, I am trying to get everything pulled together for the upcoming celebration.  I know.  I'm a glutton for punishment and am notorious for biting off more than I can chew and piling my plate too full.  Still.

I love how they are turning out!  I used the tutorial here.

Today I Sang.

And then Britt blew out the candle in her breakfast muffin.  And then she cheered and clapped.  And Ash and I did too.  Hahah! 

I think that having a morning muffin with a candle stuck in the top of it, while your mother sings "Happy Birthday" is becoming a tradition around here.  :) 

Two years ago today my beautiful Brittan came into our lives. She shook things around and spiced things up (and still does) and we are all the better and blessed because of her. Love my 2nd baby!

Today I Packed Up Toys & Books.

I know.  Not a thrilling title, by any means. 

I packed the first three boxes today.  Mostly because I am so tired of walking in to get the girls up in the morning and finding every single one of their books in Britt's crib.  The first time was cute, but the 14th time is not so much. 

How was your St. Patrick's Day?  I have some pictures to share.  My sister, Molly, wrote this great story about a leprechaun who lost his gold and the kids are supposed to help him find the hidden gold (chocolate in gold wrappers) and put it in the leprechaun's hat.  Then when they've done that they get to eat the chocolate.  It was fun.  I told Molly I wanted a copy of the story so I can make it a tradition with my kids.

(britt "listening" to the story.)

(everyone putting on their "leprechaun helper" head gear.)

(despair over not being able to find any hidden gold.  finding things is not her forte.  nor mine, so i wasn't much of a help to her.)

(this is the face of rebellion.  she did not want to put that piece of chocolate into the leprechaun's hat.  she was ready to eat the candy by this point.)

(and here they are, chowing down on the found leprechaun gold.  i guess the leprechaun decided to reward their helpfulness by sharing his wealth!)

I totally forgot to take photos of Elle in the cute dress my mom picked up for her.  I need to put it back on her just to get pictures.  Kinda like her blessing gown. 

I never told you about the blessing gown.  It came in the mail covered with dirt.  Yes, it was new and had tags but was super dirty.  I soaked it in an oxyclean bath for 5 days and it all came out.  I was so relieved.  Elle looked so precious on her blessing day.  Her dress is seriously beautiful.  We were going to take pictures after the 1st hour of church.  But about 15 minutes after her blessing (thank heaven it wasn't before!), and before the 1st hour was over, Miss Elle had a major blow out!  She completely pooped all over herself and her gorgeous dress - bright yellow poop that could not be hidden.  Good thing I brought a change of clothes to church!  I had to give her gown another oxyclean bath only I left it in longer.  It came out, thankfully.  So - now I have two dresses I need to get a picture of her in. 

Today I Got Ready for Saint Patrick's Day.

Do you do anything fun to celebrate for St. Paddy's Day?  It's always been a big deal at my mom and dad's house and I hope to make it as exciting for my own kids (when they're old enough to really care).  I did complete a couple of pins I pinned on Pinterest (say that 5 times fast).  I didn't take any pics of the finished products because, well, I'm lazy and they look the same as my pins anyways, so I'm just re-posting the pics that made me interested in the food in the first place. 

(source.  this is in the fridge, minus the bananas, waiting for tomorrow's breakfast.)

(source.  i made this for hubster.  i will definitely be stealing a little piece.)

(source.  i'm in the middle of making this now.  i'm giving it to my mom and dad's family.  they'll be so shocked when they cut into it!)

Pertussis Update.  Britt isn't coughing at all.  I'm guessing this is because she got onto antibiotics first.  I don't know.  Some of my family doesn't believe it is pertussis.  We shall see.  Ash coughs at night.  A lot.  And in the grocery store to embarrass me.  Elle is still coughing randomly all day, some days more than others.  But nothing scary anymore.   

Also, I've been busy putting together Britt's birthday party.  She'll be two next week, though we aren't having the party until the 31st to give everyone time to be as cough-free as possible.  We're doing a mushroom/gnome theme.  I'm soooooo excited!  And I realized that I never posted any of the pictures from Ash's third birthday party in November.  So, I'm editing them and will post a tush load of pictures as soon as they are ready.  Anybody else beyond bummed that picnik is shutting down.  I need another easy picture editing site!!!! 

And just for fun, last year's St. Pat's post. 

Today I Yawned.

I am always amazed how I can roll over, after only being asleep in bed for 3-4 hours, look at the sweet little sleeping face next to me and feel nothing but love and happiness.  No resentment or irritation because, once again, I didn't get to go to sleep until 4am, or 5am, or 6am, or 7am.  My baby is truly nocturnal. 

(she's got probiotic powder around her mouth.  i give that to her to help her little digestive system.  and to ward off thrush from the antibiotics.)

So.  Pertussis (or whatever it is) up date:

I had all three of my kids tested.  My mother had 6 of her kids tested (the ones who had running noses or coughs).  Britt is the only one who tested positive.  Yet, every one has this thing!  And I mean everyone.  Me, Tony, our kids, and just about all of my siblings (14 of them anyway) have the same exact symptoms.  And only 1 out of 9 tested positive.  We all took a round of antibiotics.  So, no one is contagious (if is IS whooping cough).  Elle is the only one with a bad cough that leads to restricted breathing and wheezing.  I took her to the hospital on Saturday to get her some albutirol.  She wasn't wheezing much by the time we got there but they gave it to me anyways.  It's a good thing because she definitely needed it on Sunday and today.  We got her come natural cough syrup and homeopathic calming drops today too.

She does well as long as she remains calm.  When she gets upset she coughs a ton and then the wheezing starts up and being asthmatic myself, that scares me. 

Ash and Britt have little colds with only the occasional tiny cough. 

The lady at the health department said that pertussis is at least a 2 week long illness, with a cough that lasts that long too.  We'll see.  I have my doubts about this being pertussis.  Elle's doctor said that pneumonia, bronchitis, and RSV are ruled out because Elle has no fever.  I guess you can have a fever with whooping cough and you can also not have one. 

So, it would seem that whatever this illness is, we were very blessed.  The coughing of pertussis often leads to vomiting (lovely, I know).  We've had none of that (knock on wood that that remains the case).  Britt's symptoms have been mild the whole time and Ash only had a mean cough for two days.  I have a sore throat.  Tony coughs at night.  Elle still needs to be watched constantly and kept calm.  Which means we get to stay home until she's well because being in the car seat induces the screams of a banshee from her!

Thank you for all your prayers!  They were heard, I'm quite sure of it.

P.S.  I have been neglecting my blog visiting.  Please don't think I don't care what is going on in your lives too.  I'm just a bit overwhelmed right now.  I'll get back to reading in the near future.  :)

Today I Coughed.

Well. 

We should get the test results back tomorrow, but I'm fairly sure, based on our symptoms, that the rest of us have pertussis.  To say that I'm out of my mind worried about Elle is an understatement. 

Supposedly the first two weeks are mild and the 3rd and 4th are when things get scary.  I don't need scary right now.  Nor ever.  But here we go.  I pray God gives me strength.

If you don't know much about pertussis/whooping cough - here's a bit I took from this article. 

"Some kids with whooping cough need to be treated in a hospital. Infants and younger children are more likely to be hospitalized because they're at greater risk for complications such as pneumonia, which occurs in about 1 in 5 children under the age of 1 year who have pertussis. Up to 75% of infants younger than 6 months old with whooping cough will receive hospital treatment. In infants younger than 6 months of age, whooping cough can even be life threatening."

So - if you don't hear from me much over the next month, you now know why. 

Today I Got a Phone Call from Our Family Doctor.

Brittan tested positive for pertussis/whooping cough. 

**stunned**

And Ash and Elle have started coughing (not in fits though).  So now all three girls are on antibiotics and I've got my fingers crossed that we have mild cases.  And even though I got my booster two weeks ago, I'm afraid I've got it too.  I've got a sore throat and a cough.  So, I'm going to take Ash and Elle in for testing tomorrow and will ask to be tested too. 

On a more happy note, we kept Elle up as much as possible yesterday and I drank some chamomile tea a couple hours before bed and Elle slept through the night (with a handful of midnight snacks)!  Britt and Ash did NOT sleep through the night, but Tony was a rock star and got up to help them every time they cried.  Thank you for all your sweet comments.  It's nice to know that I am not alone in this at all.  It's also amazing how much more energy I have now that I'm rested.

Do you remember this post from last year?  If you don't, or need a reminder click over and take a peek.  It'll help the first picture make sense.  :)


This is what I found when I walked into the girls' room this morning. 

(book swimming round 2!  and almost a full year later.  that's every single book from their shelves.  again, ash's handiwork.)

(prayers for elle please!  pertussis isn't really a concern unless you're pregnant or under a year, like my sweet baby elle.)



Today I Needed to Take a Chill Pill.

I'm a stress mess.  A total basket case.  Keya inspired me with the real-ness of her posts, so here I am with my flaws exposed - getting it off my chest. 

I tend to think negatively unless I'm consciously trying to be positive.

My husband got into a car accident yesterday.  He was at a stop sign and thought he was clear to go, but he wasn't.  The car he didn't see slammed right into his driver side door.  He's pretty sure our car is totaled.  The lady he pulled out in front of was driving an older car that wasn't damaged much at all.  She broke her ankle and got a bloody nose (she wasn't wearing a seat belt).  Her kids (who were belted) were, thankfully, fine. 

I'd like to say that my first thoughts were those of gratitude.  I'd like to say that I was immediately grateful for Tony's safety (he's battered and bruised, but that's all) and that he didn't seriously injure anyone.  Instead all I could think of was worry that the lady would sue us and how I was going to have to be inconvenienced by giving up my car so Tony could still get to work.  And never mind that we have no extra money for vehicle purchasing right now.  What I need to do is sit back and just take things as they come.  And take each challenge one at a time without fussing over the ones that haven't even occurred.

So - that's one of my stresses.  The biggest one is Elle, though.  The little stinker has colic (I think I've already mentioned this).  It's not her fault but I still get so frustrated with her because I'm functioning on an average of 4 hours a night.  So, not always thinking clearly here.  It's really starting to wear on me.  I don't think I'd mind it as much if she was just up and occasionally crying, but we're talking about inconsolable screaming.  For HOURS.   I know it's just a phase but for some reason, at night, I feel so alone, pointless, and like a crap mom because I can't get her to stop.  Nothing I do helps her stop screaming, but based off what I've read about colic, that's normal.  Seriously though, it doesn't feel normal at 4am after listening to it for 4+ hours.  Really, if I could just figure out what makes her happy and calm down (just ordered a bouncy seat to see if she likes that) then I'd feel a little less like a failure where she's concerned.

Next stress - whooping cough is going around in our community.  And Britt just started coughing.   She's been tested (took her in to the doctor today), but we won't get results back until Thursday.  Meanwhile, the poor thing appears to have a respiratory infection and is on antibiotics (mostly for Elle's sake).

And I have to pack and move and pretend like I'm not dying of sleep deprivation and and and and!!!!!!

If this post makes you feel sad or depressed, I apologize.  Newborns are hard.  But they don't stay new forever.  And right now, I am very grateful for that.  :) 

(britt-britt playing in a puddle)

Well, here's me ending this blog on a positive note:

I'm grateful my husband is safe and sound and that he didn't kill anyone.

I'm grateful for Elle's growth and that she won't have colic for the rest of her life.

I'm grateful for Britt's sweet smile even when she is sick.

I'm grateful for Ash's growing vocabulary and all the funny things she says that make me laugh.

I'm grateful for my family because I'd be insane right now without their constant help.

I'm grateful we've got good car insurance.

I'm grateful for all the worldy possessions we have and am going to be seriously getting rid of a lot of it so I don't have to pack it!

Today I Watched Locks Fall to the Ground.

Ash had her first real haircut today!

Those two other times she cut her own her don't really count, right?

We were over at friend's today and she agreed to trim Ash's hair for me. 

See how it was longer on the left side than the right?  I think that little pile of hair I found on Nana's rug (back around Valentine's Day) used to hang on that right side.

Ash had a very hard time sitting still.  But that's nothing new.  It's rare when she sits for an entire meal.  It's a good thing she has curly-ish hair because there is no way it's all totally even, but you can't tell.  So, yay. 

When the hair cut was about half done she said, "My hair is broken."  Haha!  I think it turned out super cute.  Not exactly a little trim, but completely adorable. 

Today I Forgot a Diaper.

I missed a post yesterday.  I really don't like it when that happens but I was d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g.  I didn't realize how much I rely on Tony to get through the last couple of hours before the two older girls go to bed.  But that's not the main reason why I was so exhausted.  I can't remember if I've blogged about it before but Elle usually has a fussy time between 12am and 3am.  She doesn't sleep well at that time (which means I don't at all) and occasionally (based on how much gas she has) will cry/scream that whole time period.  Well..... Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was the WORST.  I don't know if it was the hamburger, but just in case - I will not be eating fast food until Elle weans.  She screamed from 10pm to 4am.  It was obvious that the poor little thing was in so much pain.  I cried a bit too.  It's hard on me too.  I hate not being able to make it all better.

Last night was completely different.  I went to bed at 11pm (early for me) and she let me sleep (with a couple feedings I didn't fully wake up for) until 6:30am.  I was so shocked when I woke up!  Then we chatted and she smiled a whole lot.  Best thing to wake up to, I swear!  It was such a tender mercy.  I really needed that sleep!

Then we got the sisters out of bed, dressed, semi-talked/forced Ash into wearing pants (she only wants to wear skirts or dresses like a princess), ate breakfast, grabbed my mom and sister Kate, and went shopping all day!  Ash and Elle were absolutely perfect.  Britt, who HATES her life when we take her shopping, was perfect for Britt too.  Only a handful of melt downs. 

(britt's half hour nap in the Marshall's parking lot.  we were waiting for my mom and sister and letting britt and elle sleep a bit.  ash and I ate fruit snacks, sang the abc song and listened/danced to the ring tones on my phone.)

Funny story with Britt.  We were in Gymboree and I was digging through the clearance bin when my mom asked if I had a diaper and wipes because she suspected that Britt was stinky.  Not long after that Britt started running around the whole store and it got pretty smelly in there.  So - I grabbed a pack of wipes and Britt and ran out the door to go change her in the car.  Luckily my sister realized that I didn't have my car keys and caught up to me half way to the parking lot.  We were parked kind of far away and it was cold outside! 

Right after that I saw a public restroom and decided to change Britt in there so I could just leave the diaper in the garbage instead of smelling up my car (so nice, I know).  When we walked into the family restroom, I bust out laughing because there was a tiny potty for tiny people!  I've never seen anything like it before.  I had to snapped a pic of it with Britt to show how low to the floor it was. 

Then I changed Britt and when I got to the part where I was supposed to put a fresh diaper on her, I remembered that her diapers were in the car!  **smacks forehead**  So I pulled her pants up over her bare buns and hoped she wouldn't pee herself before we got to the car.  When we got to the car, I remembered that all of Britt's diapers were back at the store in my purse.  Doh! 

So, I put one of Elle's size 1 diapers on Britt's 4.5 size bottom.   It looked a bit like a string bikini on her, but it was better than nothing.  I laughed my way through this whole entire happening.  Being a mom is so fun and hilarious! 

(see?  it hits at britt's thigh.  and britt is extremely short.  i really want a toilet like this in my house.  no more lifting kids onto the big people pot.)

And Tony's back!!!! YAY!!

P.S.  I let the girls skype with Tony last night for 10 minutes.  Ash was crushed when we had to get off (way past bedtime).  She bawled and said, "I want Daddy!"  Made me feel so sad.  And glad that he wasn't staying away any longer.