Today is our fifth anniversary. I intended to have some sort of lovey-dovey post, complete with wedding photos and a description of Mike's sweet gift.
However, our week has not gone as planned.
On Tuesday Mike and I started getting sick, and on Wednesday I stayed home from work. It was a run-of-the-mill cold, complete with clogged sinuses, a stuffy/runny nose, and body aches. I felt better on Thursday and went to work, but then yesterday I realized something funky was going on with my eye.
So, I took the afternoon off, went to the doctor, and confirmed that I have pink eye. Wonderful.
In the meantime, Mike and Kaitlyn both had varying levels of sinus congestion, but nothing that we were overly concerned about.
Until last night, around 9:45, when Kaitlyn woke up with a horrific cough. It was a barking, rasping cough that immediately sent me to the "What to Expect in the Toddler Years" book to look up the symptoms. According to the book, it was croup, and the recommendation was to call the doctor if this was our first encounter with it.
Since the only thing I associate with croup is the scene from "Anne of Green Gables" where Anne saves Diana's little sister from dying from croup by giving her ipecac, which immediately puts Anne back in Diana's mother's good graces and redeems her from the time she got Diana drunk on raspberry cordial, I thought that, yes, we did qualify for the "first encounter" recommendation of calling the doctor.
Ironically, the doctor on call was the same doctor who had seen me earlier in the day for my pink eye.
He gave me some general instructions and said the croup might last for one or two or three nights, but it wasn't anything to be super concerned about. "Oh, but, if she starts running a fever then you'll want to take her somewhere and have her looked at right away." Um, ok.
In an effort to cut the story short, I'll just say that from 10pm until 2am Mike and I caught a catnap or two in between trying to keep Kaitlyn comfortable and asleep. At 2am she woke up - she was WIDE awake - and we took her temp. 100.7*. Heeding the doctor's advice, we loaded up and went to the emergency room.
Because nothing says, "Happy Anniversary!" like a 2am trip to the ER. (A phrase soon to appear on a Hallmark card, I'm sure.)
My poor baby had to have her temp taken rectally, and she had a shot, and she had an eight-minute-long breathing treatment that was not favorably received and ended with us wrapping her in an impromptu straight-jacket made from a blanket.
In the midst of all this activity, the police walked by our room with someone in handcuffs and put him in the room next to us. So our lovely experience was mixed with sounds of shouting as the police and hospital staff tried to get basic medical history from a drunk guy. Celebrating your anniversary is all about the ambiance, right?
We arrived home at 3:45am, thinking Kaitlyn was so worn out that she would go right to sleep.
However, it hasn't really worked out that way. As I type, it is 10:45am and she has yet to go to sleep. She's as wide awake and as opinionated as ever. About 15 minutes ago she was running around without any pants, syrup stains on her shirt, a hair tie trying to hang on to the last remnant of a pony tail, she had one black, sparkly shoe on the wrong foot, and was on a serious mission to find the other sparkly shoe.
Then she wandered off down the hallway and turned on the lights in all the bedrooms.
Then she reenacted a scene from today's episode of "Handy Manny," in which she dropped things off the side of the couch, then hung over the edge to pick them up.
Now she has her play food out and is feeding her baby lunch. Baby is having a banana, a tangerine, spaghetti, tuna, ketchup, soup, green beans, and a croissant.
Needless to say, our plans for going out to dinner tonight to celebrate our anniversary have been postponed. I wish that our day had not included pink eye and a trip to the ER; I wish it HAD included sleep.
However, as Mike and I dealt with a sick little girl last night, I couldn't help but think that this is what marriage is all about. A strong marriage isn't built in the fluff moments when everything is going perfectly - it's built in the trenches, in middle-of-the-night crisis moments where your capacity for patience and kindness is put to the test. It's built in the moments when you snap at your husband out of fear and frustration, and he loves you anyway.
Five years ago I was incredibly excited to spend a week at Disney World with my new husband.
Today I'll be incredibly excited if I get to spend quality time with my bed.
And I wouldn't change a thing.
Happy anniversary, honey!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
She's not quite as spiritual as I thought
Tonight after work Kaitlyn and I went to Mike's office to see some new products his company is making, and then we went out for dinner. On the way home, Kaitlyn asked one of her new favorite questions for when we are in the car: "Where we going next?" (With a special emphasis on "next," as only a two-year-old can do.)
This often leads to her asking the same question ten times in a row, even though she gets the same answer every time. Eventually I stop answering and I say, "I don't know. Where are we going?" in an effort to redirect her.
We went through this little charade tonight and her answer shocked me. When I asked her where we were going, she said, "To talk with Jesus."
Wow, I thought. For a moment I pondered this deeply - sort of like in the Bible where is says that Mary kept "all these things and treasured them in her heart." (Or something like that.) I thought maybe she had a better understanding of Jesus than what I had given her credit for.
This is when Kaitlyn repeated herself, and I realized she was saying "To Chuck E. Cheese's."
This often leads to her asking the same question ten times in a row, even though she gets the same answer every time. Eventually I stop answering and I say, "I don't know. Where are we going?" in an effort to redirect her.
We went through this little charade tonight and her answer shocked me. When I asked her where we were going, she said, "To talk with Jesus."
Wow, I thought. For a moment I pondered this deeply - sort of like in the Bible where is says that Mary kept "all these things and treasured them in her heart." (Or something like that.) I thought maybe she had a better understanding of Jesus than what I had given her credit for.
This is when Kaitlyn repeated herself, and I realized she was saying "To Chuck E. Cheese's."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
For future reference
Kaitlyn woke up this morning in a bad mood. And let me tell you, she was G-R-U-M-P-Y. Everything I said was responded to with an emphatic "NO!", complete with a pouty look and flailing hands.
I finally decided that her grumpiness wasn't going to ruin my morning, and had a little fun with it. Here is our conversation:
Me: Are you going to eat your cereal?
K: NO!
Me: You said you wanted cereal for breakfast. Why don't you eat some of it?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to eat anything for breakfast?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to date before you're 18?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to smoke?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to drink?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to do drugs?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to have sex before you're married?
K: NO!
Mike and I were cracking up!
It would have been great to get this on video, but at least I can blog about it. This was a great way to turn a potentially bad morning into a highly amusing one!
I finally decided that her grumpiness wasn't going to ruin my morning, and had a little fun with it. Here is our conversation:
Me: Are you going to eat your cereal?
K: NO!
Me: You said you wanted cereal for breakfast. Why don't you eat some of it?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to eat anything for breakfast?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to date before you're 18?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to smoke?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to drink?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to do drugs?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to have sex before you're married?
K: NO!
Mike and I were cracking up!
It would have been great to get this on video, but at least I can blog about it. This was a great way to turn a potentially bad morning into a highly amusing one!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Productive weekend in the kitchen
Before I get into my actual post, I must first say that my house is a mess. My bathrooms didn't get cleaned this weekend; the laundry is not done; I'm not sure when my kitchen floor was last mopped. I just don't want you to have any Martha Stewart illusions when you read this next part.
(As PW would say, "I'm just keepin' it real.")
Having said all of that, I did have a very productive weekend in the kitchen. We bought a chest freezer and I have officially run out of my current freezer stockpile, so it was definitely time to do some make-ahead-and-freeze meals.
Hamburger, chicken breasts, and pork loin were on sale this week, so I picked up about five pounds of each and made the following recipes this weekend:
Cajun Curry Chicken
Jerk Chicken
Chicken Sate
Sesame Chicken Bites
Porcupine Meatballs
Meatloaf
Sloppy Joes
Hamburger Patties
(This week I will also cook part of the pork loin in the crock pot and then shred it for BBQ sandwiches or pork tacos, and will cut the rest into pork chops and freeze them.)
This combination of chicken recipes seemed to work well because several ingredients overlapped. My kitchen smelled heavenly from the freshly grated ginger and lime zest, although this made me realize that I might want to invest in an actual zester instead of using the stand-up grater.
Most of these recipes made enough for two meals for us, so I currently have about 15 meals in the freezer. Woohoo!
In other news, the potty training has taken a step backwards. I'm not surprised, and won't let this discourage me. At least Kaitlyn understands all of the concepts - now it's just a matter of Mike and I being consistent and reinforcing the behavior.
The good news is that she has no problem going #1 or #2 on the potty, and she prefers to go on the big potty instead of her little one. That works for me - I prefer to not have to clean up the mess from the little one!
More good news: my mom is officially done with her chemo!!! Yay! She'll go on March 9 (which is also my niece's 13th birthday) for a CT scan. Please agree with us in prayer that they won't find any trace of cancer.
Another prayer request: my sister will have chemo treatment #3 on Tuesday. We are very thankful that her second treatment was oh so much better than her first one, and pray that this next one will also go well.
That's all for now... Have a great week!
(As PW would say, "I'm just keepin' it real.")
Having said all of that, I did have a very productive weekend in the kitchen. We bought a chest freezer and I have officially run out of my current freezer stockpile, so it was definitely time to do some make-ahead-and-freeze meals.
Hamburger, chicken breasts, and pork loin were on sale this week, so I picked up about five pounds of each and made the following recipes this weekend:
Cajun Curry Chicken
Jerk Chicken
Chicken Sate
Sesame Chicken Bites
Porcupine Meatballs
Meatloaf
Sloppy Joes
Hamburger Patties
(This week I will also cook part of the pork loin in the crock pot and then shred it for BBQ sandwiches or pork tacos, and will cut the rest into pork chops and freeze them.)
This combination of chicken recipes seemed to work well because several ingredients overlapped. My kitchen smelled heavenly from the freshly grated ginger and lime zest, although this made me realize that I might want to invest in an actual zester instead of using the stand-up grater.
Most of these recipes made enough for two meals for us, so I currently have about 15 meals in the freezer. Woohoo!
In other news, the potty training has taken a step backwards. I'm not surprised, and won't let this discourage me. At least Kaitlyn understands all of the concepts - now it's just a matter of Mike and I being consistent and reinforcing the behavior.
The good news is that she has no problem going #1 or #2 on the potty, and she prefers to go on the big potty instead of her little one. That works for me - I prefer to not have to clean up the mess from the little one!
More good news: my mom is officially done with her chemo!!! Yay! She'll go on March 9 (which is also my niece's 13th birthday) for a CT scan. Please agree with us in prayer that they won't find any trace of cancer.
Another prayer request: my sister will have chemo treatment #3 on Tuesday. We are very thankful that her second treatment was oh so much better than her first one, and pray that this next one will also go well.
That's all for now... Have a great week!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Maybe it will be the next Olympic sport
We went out to eat tonight, and of course we had to make a trip to the potty while at the restaurant.
So, Kaitlyn and I are in the stall, and she does her business, and I get her off the potty to help her wipe. I'm not sure why, but she finds the wiping part to be hilarious. She laughs - every time.
Tonight she was giggling, and it was that contagious type of giggle. There we were in the stall, both of us cracking up, but me trying to maintain my composure because I am, after all, the mom. Isn't potty training supposed to be serious business?
Meanwhile, in the midst of our giggling, more people have come into the bathroom. I wonder what they must have thought of us.
Me: Kaitlyn - stop it. [giggle] I have to wipe you.
K: [laughing hysterically]
Me: Kaitlyn! I mean it! [laughing] I have wipe you, and we have to change your pull-up.
K: [more hysterical laughter]
At this point she was doubled over in laughter.
You have to picture this - I'm squatting and trying to maintain my balance, while also fumbling with a diaper (I accidentally grabbed a diaper instead of a pull-up) and trying to put it on Kaitlyn. She is bent over, with her little bare butt in the air, giggling and squirming around.
What a sight!
That's when a tragedy occurred - she bumped her head on the floor, and then, of course, the dramatic laughter turned to dramatic crying.
The only thing more difficult than trying to put a diaper on a doubled-over, laughing two-year-old is trying to put a diaper on a standing up, clingy, crying two-year-old.
Do they give out gold medals for this type of thing? If so, I could possibly be the Michael Phelps of potty training. (Minus the tabloid photos and drug drama.)
I finally got the diaper on her when we moved to the next phase of the competition: hand washing. I somehow managed to balance her on my leg while washing both of our hands and trying desperately to avoid splashing water all over the lady at the sink beside me.
"Oh, that's too bad. The splashing will cost some points with the judges - that's an automatic deduction of .5. She does have good form though. Look at her stance with the leg! Now if she can just stick it out and execute the paper towel flawlessly, she might have a chance at a medal."
Pardon my little Olympic fantasy... anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the hand washing. We finished with the hand washing, and I was trying to get myself all put back together while dealing with a dramatic toddler at my feet, clinging to me and screaming, "UP! UP!" as if the other women in the restroom (or maybe the automatic flushing toilet) were going to assault her at any moment.
I picked her up and was halfway out the door when I remembered the full pull-up that I set on the toilet paper dispenser in the stall. Figuring that the next person might not appreciate the perils of an absent-minded mother who was distracted by a giggling (and then crying) toddler who was not wanting to cooperate with the potty training, I thought the nice thing to do would be to return to the stall, retrieve the pull-up, and throw it away.
By the time we made it out of the bathroom and found our way back to the table, I realized I was out of breath.
Out of breath, because of a trip to the bathroom.
Either I clearly need more exercise, or this mothering/potty training thing is harder than it looks.
(Or both.)
So, Kaitlyn and I are in the stall, and she does her business, and I get her off the potty to help her wipe. I'm not sure why, but she finds the wiping part to be hilarious. She laughs - every time.
Tonight she was giggling, and it was that contagious type of giggle. There we were in the stall, both of us cracking up, but me trying to maintain my composure because I am, after all, the mom. Isn't potty training supposed to be serious business?
Meanwhile, in the midst of our giggling, more people have come into the bathroom. I wonder what they must have thought of us.
Me: Kaitlyn - stop it. [giggle] I have to wipe you.
K: [laughing hysterically]
Me: Kaitlyn! I mean it! [laughing] I have wipe you, and we have to change your pull-up.
K: [more hysterical laughter]
At this point she was doubled over in laughter.
You have to picture this - I'm squatting and trying to maintain my balance, while also fumbling with a diaper (I accidentally grabbed a diaper instead of a pull-up) and trying to put it on Kaitlyn. She is bent over, with her little bare butt in the air, giggling and squirming around.
What a sight!
That's when a tragedy occurred - she bumped her head on the floor, and then, of course, the dramatic laughter turned to dramatic crying.
The only thing more difficult than trying to put a diaper on a doubled-over, laughing two-year-old is trying to put a diaper on a standing up, clingy, crying two-year-old.
Do they give out gold medals for this type of thing? If so, I could possibly be the Michael Phelps of potty training. (Minus the tabloid photos and drug drama.)
I finally got the diaper on her when we moved to the next phase of the competition: hand washing. I somehow managed to balance her on my leg while washing both of our hands and trying desperately to avoid splashing water all over the lady at the sink beside me.
"Oh, that's too bad. The splashing will cost some points with the judges - that's an automatic deduction of .5. She does have good form though. Look at her stance with the leg! Now if she can just stick it out and execute the paper towel flawlessly, she might have a chance at a medal."
Pardon my little Olympic fantasy... anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the hand washing. We finished with the hand washing, and I was trying to get myself all put back together while dealing with a dramatic toddler at my feet, clinging to me and screaming, "UP! UP!" as if the other women in the restroom (or maybe the automatic flushing toilet) were going to assault her at any moment.
I picked her up and was halfway out the door when I remembered the full pull-up that I set on the toilet paper dispenser in the stall. Figuring that the next person might not appreciate the perils of an absent-minded mother who was distracted by a giggling (and then crying) toddler who was not wanting to cooperate with the potty training, I thought the nice thing to do would be to return to the stall, retrieve the pull-up, and throw it away.
By the time we made it out of the bathroom and found our way back to the table, I realized I was out of breath.
Out of breath, because of a trip to the bathroom.
Either I clearly need more exercise, or this mothering/potty training thing is harder than it looks.
(Or both.)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I've never been so excited about body functions
We have officially begun potty training. So far, it's going REALLY well.
Kaitlyn isn't the only one on a learning curve. Here are some things that Mommy is trying to learn:
I have to say that I'm glad we put this off for a few months. Kaitlyn showed signs of being ready six months ago, but with us moving and all the other issues in our life, we didn't want to add something else. Plus, I read this post by Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer, and decided it was better to err on the side of waiting too long instead of starting too soon.
And, by the way, if you are a mom and are anywhere near the potty-training process, I highly encourage you to read Shannon's post. She has so many good tips, and she's potty trained four kids, so I think I can trust that she's learned a thing or two.
In other news... the President is coming to town tomorrow. His first trip as president, and he's coming to my hometown! Who would have thought?
The bad news is, he's coming because our county has the worst unemployment in the U.S. The RV industry has taken quite a hit, and there are so many businesses here related to RVs. But, this is delving into a whole other topic that I just don't have the energy to comment on at the moment.
So. Anyway, things around here will be all aflutter tomorrow. And, I'll be at home with Kaitlyn. Our sitter needed to take the day off to take care of a few things, which gave me a wonderful excuse to not have to go into work.
For your convenience, here is a quick recap of the topics covered in today's post:
1. Kaitlyn is doing wonderful on the potty.
2. Obama is coming to town tomorrow.
3. The RV industry needs a boost.
4. I have the day off tomorrow.
Can I get any more random?
Kaitlyn isn't the only one on a learning curve. Here are some things that Mommy is trying to learn:
- How to develop an internal homing device for tracking down store employees, so they can tell me where the bathroom is
- The ability to hoof it from one side of the store to the other in record time (because the bathroom is sure to be on the opposite end of the building from where we are at the time)
- To observe if the toilet is an automatic flush type, so I can prepare both of us for the possible shock of the flush as soon as Kaitlyn gets off the potty
- How to juggle Kaitlyn and my purse while trying to get both of our hands washed
- Remembering to ask Kaitlyn before leave the house/store/restaurant/etc. if she needs to go
I have to say that I'm glad we put this off for a few months. Kaitlyn showed signs of being ready six months ago, but with us moving and all the other issues in our life, we didn't want to add something else. Plus, I read this post by Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer, and decided it was better to err on the side of waiting too long instead of starting too soon.
And, by the way, if you are a mom and are anywhere near the potty-training process, I highly encourage you to read Shannon's post. She has so many good tips, and she's potty trained four kids, so I think I can trust that she's learned a thing or two.
In other news... the President is coming to town tomorrow. His first trip as president, and he's coming to my hometown! Who would have thought?
The bad news is, he's coming because our county has the worst unemployment in the U.S. The RV industry has taken quite a hit, and there are so many businesses here related to RVs. But, this is delving into a whole other topic that I just don't have the energy to comment on at the moment.
So. Anyway, things around here will be all aflutter tomorrow. And, I'll be at home with Kaitlyn. Our sitter needed to take the day off to take care of a few things, which gave me a wonderful excuse to not have to go into work.
For your convenience, here is a quick recap of the topics covered in today's post:
1. Kaitlyn is doing wonderful on the potty.
2. Obama is coming to town tomorrow.
3. The RV industry needs a boost.
4. I have the day off tomorrow.
Can I get any more random?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
At home
Today is the second day that I've been at home with a sick little girl. She doesn't seem to have anything major - up until this morning it was just a fever. At 5 a.m. she woke up, demanding some juice, so Mike gave her a little bit.
At 5:30 a.m., she promptly lost all of it.
I had been laying with her on the couch, but thankfully at 5:29 she declared that she wanted to lay by herself, so I got up. I was all too happy to avoid being thrown up on.
At this point she seems to be doing ok. All she wants to drink is milk, which I hate because that's not the best thing to drink when your tummy is on the fritz, but in the past our doctor has said to follow her lead and give her what she wants. I've been giving her little bits at a time, and she's kept it all down. She also has a normal temp again. Praise the Lord!
I did have a scare a few minutes ago, though. She declared that her tummy hurt and sort-of got "the look" - you know, the look that often precedes the mess. I grabbed the bucket that is now doomed to forever be "that" bucket and moved her blankies (yeah, she has TWO of them) out of the way. I asked her if she thought she was going to throw up. She got this look on her face (you know, the other look that says she's about to be a stinker) and fake sneezed into the bucket about five times.
I'm sure this orneryness (sp?) comes from her dad.
The good news about all of this is that I had a chance to get our taxes done yesterday, and pick up around the house, and make some really yummy soup for dinner. Today I want to get the rest of the house picked up, and put together a plan for this weekend, when I hope to make some meals ahead to freeze. (Thanks to our tax return, I think we are going to get a chest freezer. Woohoo!)
And, also thanks to our tax return, in about a week I will have the joy of paying off my student loan. BIG WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!
I'll sign off for now so I can watch The Jungle Book with my baby. She's laughing at it just like I did when I went to see it in the movie theatre with my mom, 25-or-so years ago. What a classic.
Oh - wait - I lied. If you think about it, please pray for my sister as she has her second chemo treatment today. She had a terrible time with her first one, so we are praying that this one will be much better. Also, my mom was supposed to have her last treament one week ago, but it got postponed because her blood count was too low. She was thankful to have more time to get her energy back, and in the past couple days has felt better than she has in seven months!! She'll have her last treatment one week from today - yay!!
At 5:30 a.m., she promptly lost all of it.
I had been laying with her on the couch, but thankfully at 5:29 she declared that she wanted to lay by herself, so I got up. I was all too happy to avoid being thrown up on.
At this point she seems to be doing ok. All she wants to drink is milk, which I hate because that's not the best thing to drink when your tummy is on the fritz, but in the past our doctor has said to follow her lead and give her what she wants. I've been giving her little bits at a time, and she's kept it all down. She also has a normal temp again. Praise the Lord!
I did have a scare a few minutes ago, though. She declared that her tummy hurt and sort-of got "the look" - you know, the look that often precedes the mess. I grabbed the bucket that is now doomed to forever be "that" bucket and moved her blankies (yeah, she has TWO of them) out of the way. I asked her if she thought she was going to throw up. She got this look on her face (you know, the other look that says she's about to be a stinker) and fake sneezed into the bucket about five times.
I'm sure this orneryness (sp?) comes from her dad.
The good news about all of this is that I had a chance to get our taxes done yesterday, and pick up around the house, and make some really yummy soup for dinner. Today I want to get the rest of the house picked up, and put together a plan for this weekend, when I hope to make some meals ahead to freeze. (Thanks to our tax return, I think we are going to get a chest freezer. Woohoo!)
And, also thanks to our tax return, in about a week I will have the joy of paying off my student loan. BIG WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!
I'll sign off for now so I can watch The Jungle Book with my baby. She's laughing at it just like I did when I went to see it in the movie theatre with my mom, 25-or-so years ago. What a classic.
Oh - wait - I lied. If you think about it, please pray for my sister as she has her second chemo treatment today. She had a terrible time with her first one, so we are praying that this one will be much better. Also, my mom was supposed to have her last treament one week ago, but it got postponed because her blood count was too low. She was thankful to have more time to get her energy back, and in the past couple days has felt better than she has in seven months!! She'll have her last treatment one week from today - yay!!
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