Bathtime

One of my favorite parts of the day. That's all I've got tonight. But somehow it feels like enough.



Anywhere

Daddy won a $100 gift certificate to pottery barn from his work. Last year. Like 18 months ago... we never spent it. In fact we lost the card for awhile because you "borrowed" it for your own purse. I knew we should spend it before we lost it again. After much heming and hawing, we settled on the "Anywhere Chair" from PBK. I refused the free personalization because this an expensive kid's chair and I was not going to fork over another $100 for another one for the Lu. So in an effort to remain neutral, the chair is nameless. But, it has a bird.

I would never have bought this chair if it weren't for the gift card. However, I have to admit, it's a really nice chair. The whole concept is that it can fit 'anywhere' into your home. We put it in the living room. It didn't take very long before both of your tiny butts were snuggled in. Lucy loves to climb it, you love to lounge. Heck, I even use it for a pillow so I can warm my behind on the fire. This chair is light and airy but super plush. If I were rich and had a humungo house, I would've bought a second chair. But in our meager family, you and Lu will just have to share.

Somehow though, I think it's the sweeter deal.

And Teddy loved lounging to drink his bottle. It IS super comfy.

However, there are times when even the anywhere chair can't beat sleeping with your dogs.

Growing Up

Mommy is one happy lady today. A well rested lady. Lucy finally did it. She slept through the night in her own bed. Alleluia! Actually, I think I have you to thank, Nora. You and Lucy share a room and it's just heartwarming to see the two of you together. The first night, Sunday, we put Lucy in her crib. she cried a bit. Watching her on the video monitor, we saw you approach the crib, stick your head over the railing reach into the crib to pat Lucy and you said, "It's ok Lucy. Big sister here. Shhhh. Big sister here." I could see Lucy look up at you and she became calm for a moment (like 3 seconds). It seriously made me tear up, seeing my dreams for you two start to develop. More importantly, Lucy can see your bed from her crib. She knows you are there. She knows her big sister will protect her. Monday night we let Lucy SCREAM for 20 minutes before I sent your father up to go move her into the swing. As your father entered the room, Lucy was all of sudden quiet, you were in your bed sucking on your blanket. You simply said, "She ok now Daddy. Goodnight." And you both were ok.


Sharing a room will not always be so grand. You ask that Lucy sleep with you along with Stan and Owie (who is staying with us while Aunt Katie, Uncle Kevin and Teddy are on a winter va-ca). I know one day there will be screaming fits, needing, wanting your own space. But for now, for tonight, I will cherish the thought that you and your sister are together. I wouldn't trust Lucy with anyone else.

No matter which way you slice it, Lucy is growing up. She has come a long way from the scrawny little babe that we brought home over the summer.
 
Lucy started off...

Rolling on purpose. I am a little too excited about this. But she was a little behind in meeting this milestone so I was happy she was finally doing it on her own!

Crawling... started after Christmas. Around the 6th month mark.

And then... THIS.

How did I become so lucky to have such wonderful little people living in my house? An entire night's sleep sure has me singing a different tune, doesn't it? Oh sleep, how I've missed you! (Now I have probably jinxed the entire thing).

Kiss the Girl Rock!

If I am going to make my two entries a week, I have to post again tomorrow. Oh my. So this will be short.

Good news: All four of us are healthy and breathing well!
Better news: We are in the depths of a whole-house sanitation so nasty germs will stay away.
Best news: Lucy slept in her very own in crib in her very own room for the the very first time on Sunday night. This is an enormous accomplishment. BIG sigh of relief. Phewwwwwww. It only took the kid (and her momma) 7 months to figure it all out. In fairness, Lucy is currently screaming after being put to bed tonight so don't think it's all sunshine and rainbows.

Finally, for your viewing pleasure tonight: a video that was taken this past Thanksgiving. I have been meaning to post and never did. Anywho... if you have forgotten by the time you read this, KISS THE GIRL is your name for the Little Mermaid (Ariel). Becca would sing you the signature song while swinging which led us to show you the Disney movie which led to your first near-obsession with a Disney princess. The video is of you and I singing your most favorite song. Please try and ignore the hairy one on the floor in front looking like she is completely lost. jeeezzz kid, what are you almost 5 months here? get a clue! this.is.your.family.

'Sing wit me now! Shalalala my oh my!'

Sliding into Feburary

It's been a warm January with a few days that reached into the 60s. I love it. You and Daddy would prefer the snow and cold. I blame this affinity on your Norwegian descent.

Somehow Daddy always gets the fun job of taking you and Lucy down slides. It could be that I'm not graceful at all and any sliding would result in an injury. Remember that sledding incident around the Halloween snow?

The beautiful warm winter weather has also given us an opportunity to introduce Lucy to the wonder of the park swing. As we all know, she is obsessed with the indoor, infant variety. We found out this month she also loves the park variety. She joins a long line of Marcot women who love their swing time.

I need to be more inspired in February and less sick. WE ALL NEED to be less sick. Making a month by month resolution, I shall blog at least twice a week. It's a short month. I can do it. God, I'm exhausted.

Daily life has to get better, right? I can't be tired forever. The constant cough that lives in our house has to subsided sometime. Lucy has to eventually sleep more than 3 hours at a time. Right? RIGHT? Oh please God, let me be right.

RSV

It's been awhile. Oh I have alot of material to post and catch up on. I have some videos too. However, since someone in our family has been sick since Thanksgiving, it has been a tough couple of months. All of us have been on antibiotics... twice. Three times for Daddy. But it all came to head yesterday when Lu spent the day in the ER. She had just been at the doctor last week and diagnosed with her second ear infection in two months. She was prescribed another round of antibiotics. But instead of getting better Lu just got worse and worse. On Monday she had a coughing fit so bad she threw-up all over her jumperoo. Monday night and Tuesday night were horrible. Lucy would just scream and scream in pain which would evolve into coughing fits where she couldn't catch her breath. She would try to nurse and couldn't because of the massive amounts of snot.  For the past 2 months I don't think I have had more than 5 hrs total sleep per night. Usually in 1-2hr increments. To say that I am sleep deprived would be an understatement. In fact in the past week, I haven't had more than 3 hrs of sleep the entire night b/c of how sick and miserable Lucy is/was. Thank God we have a plug-in swing that can sit Lucy up and she sleep somewhat comfortably for a little.

Anyway, this nasty wet cough and congestion had descended on Lucy over the weekend and I was struggling to survive the day so I could survive the night. Oh Nora, don't think you were an angel during any of this. You were/are sick too and haven't exactly been a joy to parent either. But at least you are sleeping where Lucy is not. But for good reason that I didn't realize. Thank God for Marta who said to me yesterday morning, "I really think you should call your pediatrician. Lucy is struggling to breath."

Now before you give me the worst parent of the year award, her signals of breathing issues were slight and she was already sick and on antibiotics. I had taken to her to the doctor less than a week before. But. RSV has a way of coming on quickly and causing havoc on an infant body. I didn't know this. Nora you were always so healthy. I never had to deal with this level of illness before.

So yesterday, we dropped you off at Ms. Pattis and Lucy and I went to the doctor where they immediately gave us a nebulizer machine and a breathing treatment. But it didn't work like it should have. Her little lungs still tugging and wheezing. Lucy's airway was swollen and irritated. Our pediatrician sent us to the ER for further tests and a chest x-ray. 6 hours later were discharged with a diagnosis of RSV. Thank goodness we were not admitted. Apparently babies with severe RSV get admitted frequently for treatment. Praise the Lord for awesome family and friends. Trish met Lucy and I in the ER triage and sat with us and held Lucy so I could run to the bathroom. Marta brought me lunch and made sure all of the nurses and doctors did their job well. Since I was not planning to go to the ER from the pediatrician, I was lucky to have a few diapers and change of clothes with me. The hospital gave us a lovely Linus blanket for Lucy since I didn't even have her blankie with us! Oiy!

Her little lungs were working too hard probably all weekend and I was just holding her over a humidifier thinking I was just a bad mom for not being able to make her feel better and make her more comfortable. Oh did I mention the really high fever? The refusal of food? The constant crankiness / clinginess?  It was bad. It is bad.

Now Lucy has to have a nebulizer treatment every 4 hours around the clock. So although Lucy's mood, eating, and cough is getting much much better today, my sleep deprivation is not. But it's a small price to pay.

AND! AND! I forgot to mention our miracle swing that was giving me 3-5hrs of sleep a night decided that its motor was going to piff on Monday morning. So I had little to no sleep Monday night into Wednesday before Daddy found a used swing on craigslist to replace our broken one. As if a critical virus isn't enough with us to deal with... the universe had to take the one thing that gave us some relief. But we lived through it. I am here today with one replacement swing, one nebulizer machine, a large supply of albuterol, Tylenol and Motrin and the largest bulb syringe for all that snot. And one sick little girl who seems to be (please please please) on the mend.

Last night, Daddy got home and hugged me knowing what a trial the entire ordeal was. I mentioned to him in all the craziness I had forgotten to tell him that we might have to buy Lucy's nebulizer at cost. Her pediatrician could not guarantee that it would be covered by our health insurance but in desperation to get Lucy better, I accepted financial responsibility regardless of medical coverage. So I told your father, "We might have to shell out 80 bucks for her machine." And he responded: "I think 80 dollars is worth it so our daughter can breath."

Touche Daddy. Touche.

Did I mention our lovely Sony camera broke again?!? Same issue. SIGH. This makes the THIRD time. It's in Texas being repaired as we speak. And I wouldn't have had that camera with me anyways, in a pinch my iphone camera had to suffice...


Getting her first breathing treatment in the pediatrician's office



Good photo of the Linus blanket!



Feeling better after some baby gatorade!



Big room and big bed for a little girl.

What a crazy ride these last few weeks have been. I can barely function most days, let alone blog. I pray we've turned a corner and we can return to our regular scheduled programming. 
 

Celebrating

Today is Lucy's 6mo birthday or her half birthday. Your father thinks it's silly to celebrate such an occasion. He didn't have to suffer through pregnancy and childbirth. So suffice to say we celebrated. And I only spent $8.00 on the entire party. Thank you Dollar Tree!

We baked a cake!



We sang happy half birthday





We played with the balloon. Lucy's favorite!

 

We ate cake.

 

We snuggled.



We wore silly ribbons in our hair.

How did 6 months pass already? It seems like yesterday we were in the hospital watching fireworks on PBS and basking in the glow of our little hairy one. My pride and love grows exponentially each day. She might drive me insanely nuts but she will always be my little Lu-bear.