Sick....Again.

I thought spring time brought sun and healthy times? Not in our house.

Thursday, March 31: After weeks of Emma holding her potty or claiming it hurt and two random accidents, I decided to believe her and take her to the doctor. Yeast infection. Makes sense after being on antibiotics from her last bout of illness. Given Nystatin cream.
Wednesday, April 6: Maggie has had what we thought was a diaper rash for a couple weeks that wasn't getting better after baking soda baths, Desitin and other creams. Take her in and yep, yeast infection for her too. Given Nystatin cream.
Thursday, April 7: Maggie starts getting a runny nose (teething).
Saturday, April 9: Emma starts getting a runny nose.
Sunday, April 10: Both girls noses are like faucets just draining.
Monday, April 11: Coughs start and the sound barky.
Tuesday, April 12: Take both girls to the doctor and both are treated for croup with steroid medicine. There's some fluid in Maggie's ear, but it isn't infected....yet. Let's be real, it will be in a couple days.

Oh and Matt's now home sick with some sort of sinus congestion and sore throat. Praying I'm not next.

Maggie: Eleven Months

Just like that, we have an almost one year old. Please take your time growing older my sweet girl.

Likes/Dislikes: She likes getting into mommy's magazines (should probably move them) and getting into the entertainment center while smiling at us as we tell her no. Maggie likes crawling over to toys and books to play or when big sister lets her play in her room with her. She also loves splashing in teh tub, chewing on toys and being outside. Our girl hates grass so much that she cries or whines til we pick her up. I hear this is the case for most kids, but Emma loved it from the beginning. 

Development: Maggie's learned to crawl up a couple of stairs, crawl over things and walk around the coffee table or couch (while still holding on). She's talking or mumbling more and getting more animated.

Sleeping: While she is currently cutting teeth and sick (hello croup and yeast infection), sleep has been off the last week. But outside of the past week, it's the normal 7pm to 6:30am with two naps during the day. The last week has been her not putting herself to sleep as well and waking multiple times a night. Crossing my fingers she's back to "normal" soon for all of us to get back to some well rested nights.

Eating: What doesn't this girl like?!?! She loves ALL food. Really, she does. Maybe strawberries is the one food we tried this last week that she spits right out. Otherwise she loves all veggies, fruit, pasta and trying what we eat for dinner.

Family Update: Matt and the team made it to Chicago for the Sweet Sixteen, so naturally, the girls and I joined them. While it wasn't the turnout we hoped for, the girls rocked the bus ride to/from Chicago and were super good at the game. Now that the season is over, we are re-adjusting (like we do every year) to having Matt around full time and enjoying the family time. The girls and Matt are battling some sinus issues and both the girls have croup, so we are looking forward to some healthy days ahead.

He is Risen!

While we had fully intended to still be in Chicago playing in the NCAA tournament, we weren't prepared to celebrate Easter back in Ames. Case in point: I didn't have an extra Easter basket for Maggie, so the girls shared one. Also, the dress I got Emma just in case we were back didn't fit. But last night Matt reminded me "Who cares. This is so not worth stressing about and it's not like they are going to remember it." So very true. The day was awesome, even without a pretty Easter dress or basket for Maggie.

We celebrated what God has done for us and what Jesus' blood did for our sins. We have this life because He rose again. What a beautiful and emotional church service we got to be a part of today. One I will remember and so thankful I got to see.

This girl is obsessed with money. Papa spoiled her in her Easter eggs.

Maggie: Ten Months

Likes/Dislikes: In the words of Elf: "Smiling is my favorite". Boy is that true for Miss Maggie as she continues to be the most smiley, easy going and chill baby. She loves just sitting and taking in her surroundings and people watching. She likes getting into things and looking back to see if you are watching. Maggie LOVES the stroller and going on walks. She just kicks her legs in excitement. Meanwhile, she thoroughly dislikes being forced to stand up against things like the coffee table.

Development: She's crawling faster, getting into everything (cords, magazines, big sister's stuff), clapping, waving, pulling herself up onto things, and "talking" more and more.

Sleeping: This last month was an absolute disaster between the nine month sleep regression and being sick for so long. We are now back to sleep training her to sleep through the night. She's doing better and giving us some hope she will be back to sleeping like she used to. It doesn't help that she's also cutting three teeth. But she's napping well with two naps a day and sleeping from 7:00pm until about 6:00-7:15am.

Eating: After being sick and hardly drinking bottles, we are back to normal again with four bottles a day with six or seven ounces each time. She's eating more and more table foods and loving it all.

Family Update: Still busy season for Matt, but I got to join him for two night in Kansas City for the Big XII Tournament (thanks to my parents for a night and Matt's parents for a night with the girls) and am in Denver now with Matt and the team (thanks mom!!). We are so appreciative of the nicer weather and the ability to get outside when we can with walks, trips to the park and just playing outside. After being stuck inside all winter, it's like pure freedom. It's glorious.

Two Sick Girls

I think it is a common question these days, but seriously, is it spring time yet?

Wednesday, February 17: Maggie's nine month appointment. Healthy girl.
Thursday, February 18: Emma's holding onto her potty and saying it hurts. It's red and swollen. Take her into the doctor and she has genital strep. Given amoxicillin to get rid of it.
Friday, February 19: Maggie wakes up with a raspy voice.
Monday, February 22: Maggie gets a slight cough, nothing crazy.
Wednesday, February 24: Maggie's cough is getting worse and we are hardly sleeping.
Thursday, February 25: Emma wakes up with some rasp to her voice and a little cough. Pick the girls up from Amanda's and Emma's running a low grade fever. Emma's fever gets to 102.9 in the night. Another night of Maggie not sleeping.
Friday, February 26: Take the girls to the doctor. Emma: croup and steroid medication. Maggie: ear infection in right ear along with a cold and given amoxicillin.
Monday, February 29: Maggie's not showing any sight of improvement and if anything, sounds and looks worse. Most sleep we have gotten at night is 4.5 hours since Tuesday. Take her back to the doctor and she now has a double ear infection with her left side about to burst, fever blisters in her mouth and possible thrush. Given augmenten instead and told to watch her swelling in her face.

Like I said, is it spring time yet? We need some fresh air.....and more Lysol.

Emma: Two and a Half

Emma's two and a half, but if you ask her, she's six. If you ask us, she's acting like a teenager.

Likes/Dislikes: Emma absolutely loves playing kitchen, doctor, with her dolls. Pretty much just likes playing pretend. She's also is super into Bubble Guppies (still), Doc McStuffins and Charlie Brown. Emma's still a little lover and constantly giving hugs, kisses and telling us how much she loves us. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is genuinely sensitive. All that being said, she is also little Miss Sassy Pants does not like being told no or that she has to stop doing something. In fact, she will squeal at you, yell no or throw herself onto the ground in a tantrum. This girl is all about routine....like her mama. She also is not a fan of Maggie now being able to get into her things. We are working on sharing!

Development: Emma's potty trained and doing fantastic with very few accidents. She knows her ABC's (with a few missing), numbers, colors and a few songs. It's crazy how much she has learned in just the last month. Remember at two when I thought she was going to be mute and how I was concerned on her lack of speaking? Certainly NOT the case anymore. This girl talks. A lot.

Favorite/Common sayings: 

• "I wuv (love) you tho (so) muth (much)."
• "What are you waughing (laughing) about?"
• "Oh, why?"
• "Go. Shut da (the) door. I want priacy (privacy)."
• "Blockhead".....thanks a lot Charlie Brown!
• "What are you doing?" 
• "Go Cycwones (Cyclones)!"
• "I work on 'puter (computer) wike (like) daddy."
• "Rub my back."
• "I don't wike (like) dat (that)."

Sleeping: We got rid of the pacifier and she saw Santa within a 24 hour period in November and her sleep has never been the same since. Emma normally slept from 7pm-7am and went to bed when we said. Then she started stalling/crying at bedtime and waking up through the night. While she is still stalling, it only is about five minutes. She wakes up about once a night a couple times a week, but it's that she usually wants a drink. She's waking up between 6:00-6:30am. Emma's still taking afternoon naps, but are down to about 90 minutes to two hours (max).

Eating: Emma continues to eat the most at breakfast. It's her favorite meal of the day and she would (and does sometimes) have it for dinner too. She usually eats pancakes, waffles or french toast sticks, fruit and sausage at our house on the weekends. At Nana's, it's any of the previously mentioned, cereal, eggs or yogurt. She's not much of a lunch girl, but we can usually get her to eat something. She refuses to eat a ham and cheese sandwich, but would eat raw veggies and salad if we let her. She also likes stir fry, anything with rice, noodles, all veggies and fruit. She's not huge on frozen pizza or chicken nuggets. She's odd. Ha. Emma is also a huge moocher when it comes to food. If you want to eat all of your meal or snack, you better eat it when Emma isn't present or so that she doesn't see you. She wants bites of everything you eat.

Maggie: Nine Months

Likes/Dislikes: Maggie's love for her bouncer has seemed to fade as she has become more mobile. She's also not a fan of socks, hates them in fact. She's loving that she is able to move around easier and faster now that she is crawling. She really likes splashing in the bath, snacking on puffs, squealing and getting into her sister's stuff.

Development: Maggie has been a busy bee in the developments lately. She has been army crawling the last month and within the last week has started crawling! She's not super fast and goes at her own speed, but that is perfectly fine. Emma gets so excited for her when she crawls and tells her "good job". With the crawling comes the ability to get into everything. Big sister better hide her toys or learn to share! She's also slowly pulling her self up onto her knees from the coffee table. Maggie cut three teeth this last month (two top and another bottom), so has five teeth total and has two more top ones starting to come down. These last two teeth were/are brutal. She's waving hi/bye, giving kisses and saying "ba ba ba".

Sleeping: Taking a short nap in the morning and a longer one in the afternoon. Bedtime between 6:30-7:00 and waking between 5:15-6:30. We usually have to go in there to give her her pacifier once.

Eating: This girl is LOVING table foods. She's eaten pineapples, bananas, blueberries, noodles, peas and green beans. Her bottles on the other hand are another story. We are lucky if we can get her to drink four or five ounces out of the seven we make for her. She gets four bottles a day, but thinking of either cutting back to three bottles or just making less ounces.

Family Update: The month of February brings Matt "home" on weekends. By "home", I mean the team plays in Ames and he is around a little before game time and he sleeps here. The last five of the six weekends had him on the road. Ready to have him around a few more hours on the weekends. Matt and I continue to be in awe watching our girls together and how the play and how much they idolize each other. What an amazing gift to be able to watch our girls be best friends. We booked a much needed trip with some friends to Siesta Key in May and are thoroughly looking forward to an adults only trip with beach, drinks and sleep!!