January 28, 2012

Teagan missed her sister this week.  A lot.  Ashlin was almost always asleep when she was awake.  No sisterly kisses before bed, or upon waking, or even before leaving for day care.  No sisterly hugs.

Ashlin seems to be better.  She was actually conscious for more than one hour at a time.  Her fever, although not gone, was in the double digits, and not triple, so better.  No motrin or tylenol today.  Her appetite wasn’t really there, but she did eat.  A little.  She nursed.  A lot.

Teagan was so distracted with everything this week – her sister, several no bathroom accident days – that she didn’t notice that her hop hop shoes aren’t around.  The original ones, the ones that she saw from across the Old Navy.  She had finally outgrown them, after weeks of trying to squeeze her feet in.  They had to be thrown out.  She asked once, but we distracted her.  The replacement slippers – still hop hops – aren’t as cute.

Other than throwing out her most favorite slippers ever, and her sister getting her first ear infection, Teagan had an interesting week.  She told us a story about the worms that live in her boogers, and make her yawn.  I wasn’t party to that story – Stu was – and I think I’m happy.

Tooth!

She also dreamed – twice! – about things other than twinkle stars.  One night Teagan dreamt about her aunt NayNay and cake.  Not sure if Renee was eating cake or dancing with cake.  Or were they cupcakes?  I don’t remember.  One way or the other, interesting.  Another night she dreamt about a little pig and a big pig.  Two pigs.

Oh, and Ashlin’s tooth has finally cut through.

Pay no attention to the snot that is still pouring out of her nose.

January 27, 2012

Sleeping Beauty

Ashlin didn’t too much better today, even with antibiotics.  Her temperature never really went below 101.5°F, even with a combo of Tylenol and Motrin.  She slept a lot of the day away, really wasn’t her chipper self.  One nap was on me, and although the snuggle was nice, she was so hot.  A little furnace. Hopefully she’ll be better tomorrow.  If her fever doesn’t go down, I’ll probably call just to see if there’s something to worry about.  There probably is.  Sigh. ~~ She woke up just before her sister got back from day care.  102.6°F.  As we were coming downstairs, she threw up.  Not too much, but as she had eaten almost two hours before, not spit up.  As I was deciding which way to go to get her cleaned up, she threw up again.  Just a bit more this time, but not a lot.  Wonderful.

I Feed Me!

Although she was falling asleep in the highchair, I didn’t want to put her in her crib.  Nervous about her throwing up again upstairs, where we may not be able to hear it.  Stu started defrosting some Pedialyte, and then snuggled her while I helped her sister eat dinner and then Skype with the grandparents. When the pedialyte was defrosted, she was a bit more awake, but was not really interested in drinking it. She did have a sip or two – All by herself!  She’s so big! – but that’s about it.  We nursed instead, and she’s now sleeping on the bouncy chair.  I’ll take her upstairs to her crib soon. I hate that she’s so sick. I’ll probably call the doctor tomorrow, especially if she still has a fever. My poor baby. ~~ 9:05pm – I just moved her upstairs.  Her temp was about 99.1°F, the lowest it’s been in about 3 days.  Maybe the antibiotic is finally working.  Once I put her down, she rolled over onto her side and grabbed her glow seahorse.  She loves that seahorse.  Tucked her in and turned up her monitor.

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January 26, 2012

It’s an ear infection.  My poor baby.  Her first ear infection.

I ended up calling the doctor today, and spoke with the nurse.  She was still out of sorts, not really eating, sleeping a lot, snotty, breathing rapidly and her fever never really responded to tylenol.  Just wanted to cuddle up close.  The nurse mentioned that it may be a good idea to bring her in, just to check that her lungs were clear, that the croup episode she had would leave her more susceptible to pneumonia and other lung issues.  Great.  One more thing to worry about.

Anyway, her lungs were ok.  Her ears were not.  According to the nurse, one ear is very bad, and the other would have been by tomorrow.  She said we would have been bringing her in tomorrow.

I felt horrible. I really wasn’t planning on bringing her to the doctor, until the suggestion that she may have breathing trouble.  I didn’t want to mess with any type of breathing trouble.   She hadn’t been exhibiting any signs of an ear infection, not really cranky or tugging on her ear, or crying when laid down.  And fevers aren’t necessarily bad in babies.  I was more inclined to give her pain relief for teeth that were taking for.ever to break through than for a fever.  Well, one that’s not too high.

So, amoxicillin.  Her first time on amoxicillin.  She didn’t really mind her first dose – I had put it in the fridge as soon as we got home.  She’s beaten the day care odds though.  Ten months old and this is her first ear infection.  Most kids have at least two or more by now.  Her sister had one by the time she was 5 months old.

I hope she feels better tomorrow.  Or at least isn’t the little furnace that she has been these past two days.

 

January 25, 2012

Sick Baby

Ashlin got sent home sick today.  She was running between 101.4° and 102°F and was lethargic.  not her usual cheerful and smiley self.  She fell asleep in my arms after we got her home – all she wanted to do was snuggle.

I do wish she wasn’t such a hair puller, and that she didn’t seem to prefer mine.  She’s always twirled, or pulled, her hair as she falls asleep.  Swaddled, she couldn’t reach, but now that she’s no longer swaddled, she can do it again.  Sometimes she’ll pinch a bit instead, or will get distracted with my necklace.  Her hands just always seem to move until she falls asleep.

Anyway.  Her temperature went down with Tylenol, and she’s been sleeping for the most part since we got home.  Awoke once for a feed, and once to be laid back down (she was standing up in the crib in her sleep).  Hopefully, the rest of the night will play out in similar fashion, without the standing, and she’ll wake up smiling and happy without any snot.

Teagan was running a bit of a temp tonight.  I do hope she doesn’t get it.

~~

I have to say, the pop-up video thing that AMC is doing with Superman Returns tonight is very annoying.  Informative, but annoying.  I’d probably appreciate it more if I had already seen the movie.  But I’ve only seen pieces of it, never all of it in a row.  It’s been fun so far.

PS.  The opening credits made me giggle, they’re just like the ones from the first movies.

January 24, 2012

Image via Wikipedia

As we were trying to herd the kids tonight, Stu told me he sent today’s blog entry. Yeah, yeah I thought.  We’ll see about that. Maybe I want to write about how Ashlin discovered how to use a snack trap. Or maybe how quickly she can get to standing now. Or how she will not just sit any more, but needs to crawl, or move or something. Or even what Teagan dreamed about the other night – not twinkle stars! Or maybe about the funny thing Teagan said while getting her ready for bed.

Well, you know what? He was right! He had sent me this link:

I haven’t been able to watch too much of it yet, but OMFG!!1! it’s awesome.

I need some popcorn.

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January 23, 2012

Last night as I was falling asleep, Stu reminded me that Teagan unlocked the mystery of the jigsaw puzzle today. I reminded him that he spent most of the time with her, playing puzzles, while I only got to see Ashlin knocking down milestones and being dangerous :D  Actually, while this was happening, Ashlin was napping, and I was being all domestic, paying bills and sorting through the piled-up junk mail.

So, Teagan and Stu were playing in the playroom.

We have been given a bunch of preschooler puzzles, some wood.  I had sat with Teagan, trying to show her the magic behind the puzzle, trying to teach her how to figure it out.  Look for the pink, find more pink.  Try to deduce the picture, look for more that will finish the picture.  Edges go on the outside, with the corners in, well, the corners.  She’d always have fun, but just didn’t get it.

Yesterday, she got it.  She would put the puzzle together, take it apart, put it together again.  If Stu worked on a different part, or different puzzle, and put it together wrong, she’d tell him he was being silly, and tell him how it should go.  I did go in a few times to see how they were doing, saw her putting the puzzles together, but it didn’t click that she was actually doing them herself.

Sometimes mama can be so dumb.

January 22, 2012

Damn.  We’re in trouble now.

 

Double damn.

January 21, 2012

Snow!

It snowed.  Last night and today.  Light and fluffy snow.  Not good snowman making snow.  Teagan was sad about that.  Oh well.  We still had fun playing in it.

We went out in the morning, while the snow was still falling, and had a blast.  Teagan tried making snow castles, even though it wasn’t really packing snow.

Granted, Teagan wasn’t listening much, she kept getting in Stu’s way while he was shoveling the driveway. But she wanted to help him.  We probably should get her a small snow shovel, just to humor her.

Snow angel!

So, instead of making a snow man or snow castles, Teagan and I tried to make snow angels.  Sometimes getting her to do something is like herding cats.  Eventually, she did one – for LaLa.

She didn’t want to ride the sled down the hill, but eventually sat in it, and by the afternoon, let me pull her around.

Catching snowflakes was also something Teagan kept trying to do.  She loves to eat snow.  We have to make sure she eats only clean snow.  Also, was always taking her mittens off, and then complaining about her hands being cold.  Silly girl!  They’re there to keep your hands warm!

Catching snowflakes

We had to go in after about an hour.  Everyone was cold – Teagan too!   Although, as it was her nap time, she insisted she wasn’t cold, and wanted to stay out.  Ashlin slept through the entire outing, which made it easier.

We bundled everyone up and went back out after lunch, even Ashlin, who wasn’t being compliant and napping as she should.  So, in her bunting, I put her in the swing.  She had fun!  She’d get a push from me, or from Teagan, or occasionally Stu (who was still shoveling the driveway).

She was all smiles and laughing.  When she could see her sister, she would smile bigger.  Watching her enjoy snow was so much fun.

Asnlin

Eventually, Teagan let me pull her on the sled.  Down the hill in the front yard, over the curb, and up the driveway.  Back to the begining.  Ashlin got a push at the top, and would giggle.  Off we’d go again for another circuit.

Stu, by this time, had finished shoveling the driveway, put the shovels away and came up.  Teagan and I were about halfway down the yard when he said that Ashin – who I had just pushed not even two minutes before – was freezing.  He took her in, I finished the trip with Teagan and then we came in.

Ten minutes later, we got all the snow suits and stuff off, and Teagan up to bed for an afternoon nap.  Stu told me that Ashlin was really cold, unresponsive cold.  Spooky cold.  She was just staring off, not focusing on anyone.  He got her out of the bunting and wrapped in a blanket and hugged her to get her warm again.

Swinging in the Snow

I had just been there and gave her a push. Teagan pushed her too, and she was gigging.  Crazy how fast that happened.  I would have been back at the top of the path within 3 minutes, and I hope I would have noticed if Stu hadn’t already brought her in to warm up.

She was fine after a little bit.  I snuggled her too.  When she went up for her nap, I swaddled her in a flannel blanket and, after rocking her a bit to get her sleepy, put a nice warm blanket down.  After the nap, she seemed back to normal – hungry, active, dadadada.

I guess, next time we’ll double bundle her and keep an extra close eye on her.

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January 20, 2012

A Surprise Rainbow!  I looked over during a conference call, and there it was!

And Snow!  We’re going to get at least 8 inches (tee hee hee) by the end of this storm…

And right now?  Homemade pizza!

January 19, 2012

Hair

Ashlin woke up with funny hair again. She is a hair twirler, and must have twirled her way to sleep last night.  I may need to not bathe her on nights before day care days.  That, or actually brush her hair in the morning.

Now that she’s enjoying her baths, I may need to start brushing.

Maybe she won’t cry like her sister does.  Still does.  Sigh.

Focus

She’s absolutely fascinated with the musical table. I just pulled it out from the basement and put in fresh batteries. She’s trying to pull herself up, succeeding sometimes. It’s a bit higher than the fireplace. I give her until Monday to get it down.

I can reach

Tippy toes! She’s trying to reach across the table to play all the music.  But then she dances.  And it’s awesome.