E is for. . . Easter

Every year I look forward to spending Easter at my in-laws house. We have had a standing tradition to have an Easter egg hunt in their back yard ~ the kids love it! I love to take pictures out there of the kids "hunting". . . not only do I get some great expressions, but somehow they seem to have the greenest grass I have ever seen so early in the year, which makes for some wonderful pictures. Have a look for yourself.

Four little monkeys sittin' on a bench. : )

D is for. . . darn allergies

Alright, it's a stretch, but the allergies are on my mind today.

When Amanda was a few months shy of her first birthday, something had come up and we decided to have her tested for allergies. At that time, we found that she was allergic to wheat and dairy. Now, if you haven't looked at the ingredients on your foods lately, go ahead and check them out. . . it's interesting to see just how many of our everyday foods contain wheat, dairy, or both.

Then, just two days before her first birthday, she had a VERY strong reaction to angel food cake and we soon found that she was also allergic to egg whites as well as peanuts.

She has since outgrown her wheat allergy (thank you God!!), but the others have remained. Every year, within days of her birthday, we have her retested.

When she was tested after turning two, we found that her allergy levels had gone up. . . to the extent of us being prescribed an epi-pen for her. When she turned three, we found that her levels had again increased, and this time, it was a considerable amount.

We've been very cautious (we think) about what she eats. Everyone that we spend time with is aware of her allergies, just in case anything happens when we're not looking. We've talked with Amanda about her allergies and she's very aware of what she can have and not have. . . we even quiz her periodically to be sure. It's pretty sad to shop at the grocery store with her. . . I'll put things in the cart and SOOO many times she asks if there's anything in it that she can't have, and most of the time I have to tell her that, yes, there is something in it that she can't have.

She takes it all in stride, though. She's a real trooper when it comes to it all. She knows that anytime that we go out to dinner or to somebody's house, we typically will bring something with us that we know she can eat. If we go to a birthday party, she knows that she can't eat the birthday cake that everyone else is eating. . . typically I'll bring one of her "special" cupcakes that I make for her, or I'll bring some other special treat for her to have at that time.

That pretty much brings us up to today. We have noticed that Amanda has been feeling kinda yucky lately (aside from the cold that she had), so we decided to take her in for more allergy tests. This was the first time that we had taken her in for the scratch/skin test, and let me tell you, it was definitely traumatic for both Amanda and myself. It's so difficult to watch doctors, nurses, and lab techs poke on your baby and know that you've put her through this and not be able to do anything to stop it from hurting her physically or emotionally. I just have to stand by and wait for them to be done so that I can hug her.

Well, they poked my baby today. . . and much to our dismay, we found new allergies. We are now allergic to cats and dogs (and of course, we have both at our house). We've been given medications to help alleviate the symptoms, so that should help. The doctor told us that her levels are as high as any adult would have and that we can expect her allergies to get worse as she gets older. Yippee, huh?

Here's what my poor girl's back looked like after we got home. Except for the scribbles, it doesn't look too bad. . . we made time to stop and pick up some soy ice cream for her after the doctor appointment - that also made her feel better after we got home.

C is for. . . clean

Call it spring fever, cabin fever, OCD, a wild hair, whatever. . . I've been doing more cleaning lately in hopes of getting rid of all the "junk" that we really just don't need or use anymore. I figure that if I can put it away and not look at it or think about it for months on end, then I probably don't need it, right?

I've got one friend with her house on the market and another one moving in the next week or two. In the spirit of these wonderful ladies, I've been cleaning out and trying to maintain the level of cleanliness that I would need if my house were about to be shown at the drop of a hat. It's been kind of tough, especially with my two little ones running around behind me leaving a trail of toys.

Growing up, my mom got sick and wasn't able to maintain the house like she once had done. Looking back, I know that it frustrated her - but at the time, I was too young to understand and was embarrassed because of the mess. I wish that my mom were still around today so that I could apologize. . . not just for this, but for lots of other things - but that's a post for another day.

Here are some photos of my recent efforts. Enjoy!

B is for. . . babies

My girls seem to have gotten so big. In the grand scheme of things, I know that they are still just babies and have so much growing and learning yet to do. As I sit here reminiscing of the days just after each of my girls was born, I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures from those very days. These always bring a smile to my face.

Chris holding Amanda for the first time ~ just after she was born.

Chris and Amanda having their first nap together while at the hospital.

Amanda and her two favorite guys ~ Daddy and Poppa. I love that you can see the pride in both of them.

Chris cutting the cord after Taylor was born.

Taylor while at the hospital.

Grammy and Poppa helping introduce Amanda to her new baby sister.

Hope you enjoyed this small glimpse of our little family. . . I know I did.

A is for. . . Amanda

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

I have a few friends out there who seem to be struggling with things in life right now. I would love to be the voice of reason and encouragement, but to be quite honest. . . I'm not the most eloquent individual. I feel it, but somehow can't seem to translate it into actual words that make any sense at all. So, in order to (hopefully) provide a little encouragement and support to my struggling friends, here are some quotes from the one who does it best. . . God!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. ~ Matthew 11:28-30

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~ John 14:27

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall. ~ Psalm 55:2

I always think of the phrase "God only gives you as much as you can handle". . .It makes me feel strong. I've been through some pretty rough times that probably could have taken me down, but somehow I have always come out on top. Am I building character? Hmm. . .something to think about.

Snow Bunnies

Amanda and her cousins decided they wanted to play in the snow on Sunday. . . check out their excitement!

I Think I Can. . . I Think I Can

Well, it has happened. . . I think I'm changing. Here I was, going through life, thinking that I was too stubborn and set in my ways to change. But it has happened.

Some of the girls from my bunko group recently ran a relay marathon. I thought that they were absolutely crazy! Why would anyone in their right mind WANT to run that much, just for fun?! Yikes!! There was no way that I was willing to run with them, but stand at the finish line and cheer them on? Absolutely!!
I was very proud to be there to watch these amazing women cross the finish line. It was a wonderful moment. . . very inspiring!

After the marathon, one of these four crazy women (you know who you are!) told me that there was going to be another run in December - though a much shorter distance than the 26.2 miles that they had just done. I told her that running just reeked of exercise and that in no way was I willing to go so far for fun as to actually exercise! That was just crazy talk!!

Well, she planted a seed. I went to the website and got information about this upcoming run and thought that maybe it could be done by someone, such as myself, who really is not a big fan of exercise. Well. . .

As you can probably tell by the shoes, they are new. My old "exercise" shoes were just not really that comfortable, so I bought new shoes. Oh Darn!! And anyone who knows me, knows that I love orange, so it's really not a big surprise that I went with orange for running shoes (as I sit here in my orange t-shirt). : )

Well, I couldn't buy new shoes and not test them out, so. . . my friend and I went for a jog along the river. We wanted to see how far we could actually go before we collapsed. I am pleased to report that not only did we NOT collapse while attempting this "exercise" thing, but we actually made it 2 1/2 miles! Obviously I had to stop and walk a few times, but I still did it. I was very proud of myself. I would never have imagined that I was capable of making it that far without some part of my body breaking down on me. Hmmm. . . who knew?!

So now, the plan is to take part in the run next month. I'm planning to take on the 5k. I may require lots of additional praying between now and then so that I don't wimp out - that's where you come in. Wish me luck!

Trick or Treat

Halloween this year seemed to be a big success! We actually got Amanda to wear her costume on Halloween so that we could go trick or treating in the neighborhood. Last year. . . not so much.

The past two years now I've tried to coordinate the costumes for the girls - I thought it would be cute. I know the day will come when they won't want to do it, so I'm taking advantage of it now.

Last year, with Taylor being only about a month and a half old, we opted for something simple for her. The plan was for the girls to be The Princess and the Pea. The problem with that one was that on Halloween we couldn't get the Princess into her costume. . . it was too scratchy.

This year we went for a more comfortable costume for Amanda. This year the girls were a monkey and a banana. Amanda's costume seemed ultra-cozy. Taylor didn't seem to care either way, she was just having a good time. The only real problem with the monkey and banana idea was that no one knew if they were boys or girls. By the time we were done trick or treating, I vowed that next year's costumes would definitely be more girly than this year - there would be no mistaking that they were girls.

All in all, we had a great time. . . and if I do say so myself, I think I had the cutest little monkey and banana around! : )

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween!

A Year of Firsts

Very First Picture

First Halloween

First Matching Outfit with Amanda

First Independent Sit

First Time in Jail : ) hehe

First Swing

First Trip to the Fair

How old are you today?

Yummy cake, Mommy!!

My Big Girl

Amanda is now at the ripe ol' age of 3, so she has been insisting on me calling her a "big girl", instead of my "little girl". With that being said. . .

This week she started her second year of preschool. Last year we definitely had our ups and downs. To start with, on her first day of school last year, her baby sister was also born. Quite an eventful day for this little family! Definitely an up, I would say. On the downside, we would frequently run into a problem when it came to dropping her off. She would be VERY excited for preschool while in the car and approaching the school, but once at the door to the classroom, not so much with the excitement.

This year has started off quite different from last year. On her first day, we got ready and drove to school. As we approached school, I asked if she knew where we were going and if she was excited - she definitely was. I got a little nervous as we approached the classroom to drop her off, just waiting for the drama. I had my hands full that morning with carrying Taylor in with me for "the big day", and of course I had my camera handy. We found Amanda's hook on the wall for her backpack. I asked her to stand there for me so that I could take a picture - just then, one of the teachers opened the classroom door, and before I even knew what was happening, she was gone! Apparently she WAS excited to go to preschool! She did come back out and give me a quick love before darting back into the classroom for a couple hours of fun with the other "big kids".

I was very proud of her - she's definitely becoming a big girl these days.

What To Do, What To Do

I know that there are lots of people out there who love to fly by the seat of their pants, so to speak. . . but I am definitely not one of them. I make lists for everything! I have lists for the grocery store. . . my relatively short term "to do" list of miscellaneous household things that need to be done. . . my long term list of things I'd like to change in the house. . . a separate shopping list for Costco. There's more, but I won't make you read my entire list of lists. : )

The crazy thing is that I am continually working through the lists, but somehow I never seem to get everything done on all of the lists. I'm constantly adding new things to my lists - currently my "short term" list contains 34 items! Of course, some stuff takes just a moment to get done (when I get around to getting it done, that is), and others take a little more effort. Maybe I'd actually get more done if I spent more time doing things on the list instead of making the list. Ahhh, hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

Am I the only one who's this crazy about lists? I doubt it. I'm curious what other people make lists for. Not only will this make me feel more sane about the whole list-making madness, but maybe it'll give me more ideas for future list-making.

Happy Visit

Amanda has had her first official visit to the dentist. I was worried about her laying back in that big chair with that big light shining down on her and having her freak out. But she did wonderfully!! She listened and did what they asked of her and even walked out with a few new stickers (which we even use at home for bribes) - a big success!!

She is cavity free at this time and apparently her spacing looks good for when she gets her adult teeth later on. She even sit through letting them brush on the fluoride. YIPPEE!! I was such a proud Mommy as I watched her get checked out and she was so well behaved. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that our baby Amanda has gotten to be quite the big girl.

Our Mini Me's

Well, my hubby and I are the proud parents of two beautiful girls (if I do say so myself). Since the day they were born we've been looking at them and deciding which parts of them look like each of us. We can see each of us in both girls, but each of the girls definitely resembles one of each of us - our Mini Me's. Amanda has my smile and eye color and Taylor has Daddy's eyes and cheeks. See for yourself.

Chris as a little guy, playing in the fireplace

Me, after a bad haircut I had performed on myself

(Mom was REALLY happy about this one!)

My Little Beauties

Me

Daddy and Amanda

My Latest Toy

I know that lots of people out there are in love with their ipods, but I'm not one of them. I've heard some mixed reviews of them, so I have gone other routes when choosing my devices. For Christmas, my wonderful hubby wanted to get me a new mp3 player to replace my Sony Walkman bean - it still works great (he uses it when he works out - even though it's pink), but the website (SonicStage) that you used to purchase new music was shut down a few months ago. Anyway. . . he couldn't get the new mp3 player that I wanted, so he got me a gift card. In early January I was finally able to acquire my NEW Sony Walkman. I was so excited! Fast forward 6 months - by the end of June, I was on my 3rd, yes 3rd Walkman. I had sent it in for repair on two different occasions, just to have them send me a new replacement instead of repairing it. By the time the 3rd one went kaput on me, I was done with it! I was able to return it to the store for a full refund. YEAH!!

I shopped and shopped for a new mp3 player. This time I was going to make sure that I got something that had gotten great reviews, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. I love my electronics, but I'm really not much of a techie. So. . . I purchased a Creative Zen. I've only had it for a few days now, but so far it has been wonderful!! I highly recommend it. I can put pictures and videos on it. It has a built-in radio. It even has an organizer on it (which I have yet to get set up and use, but anyway. . .) It's great!! So, if anyone out there is looking to buy a new mp3 player, you should at least check this one out - it's worth it!!

Alright, that's the end of my shameless promotion of my new toy. I need to set up my new organizer and (hopefully) get myself organized.

What Makes Me Smile. . .

I can barely remember what life was like for me before having my girls. I know that I spent a lot less time cleaning. . . I could sleep in on the weekends. . . I could have phone conversations without the "Look at me, Mommy" interruptions. . . I carried a small purse instead of a big diaper bag. . . My memory was much better back then. . . and assorted other things. But what really makes me smile on a daily basis is my girls. They love to play and smile, and no matter what kind of day I'm having, seeing their little faces always seems to make everything better. Now, I can't imagine life without them. Maybe they'll brighten your day, too.

Spring Cleaning

Every once in awhile I get a "wild hair" and I just clean. This time though, it's different. I'm getting projects done that I've been wanting to get done for quite some time. I have been painting some furniture that has been in desperate need of some TLC for years. One item is an old hutch from my mom, which has served many, many purposes in it's time. I had previously painted it, but now the color is a tad off (YIKES!!) from the current decor in the house. So. . . I'm painting again. Of course, when you take on such a project, you have to empty the piece of furniture before dragging it out to the garage to paint it. Which means, everything that was so neatly hidden away in the hutch is now strewn about through the kitchen, dining room, living room, etc. for everyone to see. (cringe) You know the saying - "you have to make a mess to clean a mess". We are living proof!

We've also been the VERY proud recipients of some beautiful hand-me-down furniture from my in-laws. This is totally great, except for having to carry all the heavy stuff into the house and moving all the yucky stuff out that we had before - not so great. Other than that, it's been great.

So, between new furniture, old furniture, and painting furniture, the house is not lookin' so good these past few days. I'm motivated though. I've got some of the ladies coming over on Friday (yes - THIS Friday), so I absolutely have to be put back together in some fashion. Who knows - maybe everything will be hidden in the garage. (For those of you coming over, please don't ask to see the garage when you get here. ) : )

And of course, I'm trying to accomplish this whirlwind task while caring for a (almost) 3 year old and a (almost) 9 month old, as well as the husband and the dog. Wish me luck - I'm off to clean and paint!!

Progress

Well, the yard is really coming together. We've been feverishly working on things to make it liveable in the backyard. A couple of weeks ago we had our curbing installed, I've planted some plants and shrubs. . . and yesterday the sod arrived. The three of us (myself, hubby, and (almost) 3 year old Amanda) spent a good part of the afternoon laying sod. When we stopped to take a break about halfway through, Amanda decided to show us just how happy she was. She ran around the yard singing "Graaaaasssss, Graaaaasssss". I never thought a toddler would be so excited about getting the grass put down. It made me feel that she had somehow been deprived for the past 9 months without it. We were all very proud of our hard work yesterday, and it has definitely paid off. We are just that much closer to being complete.

Fish Medicine

As previously mentioned, my little ones have not been feeling up to par this week. Yesterday was no exception. When we got up for the day, I noticed that Amanda was wheezing. I had her stay in the bathroom with me while I showered, hoping that the steam would do her some good - but it didn't help, so I called the pediatrician and somehow was lucky enough to get an appointment early in the day. We went to our appointment and sat in the waiting area for our usual 15 or 20 minutes past our appointment time, and of course whenever Amanda would cough, you could feel the judgemental eyes upon you asking what kind of mother takes their sick kid in public?!?! Well, the kind that are waiting to see the doctor. : )

The doc checked her out and said that she would classify it as a viral infection "gone bad". She said that she wouldn't classify it as asthma yet, because it is the first instance. But of course, in my heart, I know that it probably won't be the last. When Amanda was just a newborn, the pediatrician told me that she had eczema, which is associated with asthma - so it's no surprise that asthma may be on the horizon for our little Amanda. Besides that, there is a family history, so. . .

Well, the doctor prescribed nebulizer treatments for Amanda and told me that we needed to do the treatments every 2 hours for the next 2 days - even at night. Yikes!! My precious sleep was doomed. We sat in the exam room and did a treatment right then, and I have to say that I was pretty proud of Amanda - she sat still and did an excellent job. They've made the nebulizer a lot easier to use for kids than the "old days". I remember when my mom was sick with asthma and emphysema and had to use the machine - it was gigantic. Anyway. . . the mask for kids now is a little fish face, so convincing her to wear it was a whole lot easier.

So we have spent our afternoon. . . and evening. . . and night. . . and morning. . . doing treatments - pretty close to every 2 hours. Amanda has always been good about taking medicine (sometimes asking for it even when she's not sick, since nowadays they make it all taste so good), so she calls it her "fish medicine". Whatever works, right?

I know that I'm not the only mommy in history to have to do late night/early morning nebulizer treatments with their kids, but it doesn't really make it any easier. I also know that there are mommies out there dealing with much worse illnesses for their kids, believe me, we've had our share. We've had her in for an emergency visit at the clinic (when she fell on a hardwood floor and we thought maybe she had broken her nose). . . the emergency room when she was having, for lack of better words, seizures. . . Children's Hospital in Seattle a few times for EEG tests. . . and of course lots of bumps and bruises. Somehow God always gets us through with a healthy girl in tow. I have faith in him that he'll do the same for us this time, too. I'll just plug along with the prescribed treatments and leave the rest to him, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?