Do Pink Jammies Lead to Pink Eye...Maybe!

Caleb woke up on Friday morning with a fever of 101. Our discharge paperwork said call the pediatrician with any recurrence of vomiting, dehydration or fever. So, I called, and they said come in. Since Dr. Hoshauer had seen him before, I picked her to go to again. She was running nearly an hour behind, but I like how she takes her time with each patient. So, we waited. Thankfully Grandpa Georgia came to stay with Joshua so we could go in. I learned that goopy eyes are a sign of pink eye. His eyes didn't look pink, but they were running almost like a nose would. And, they ran right into his ear, which caused an ear infection. Goopy eye + fever = ear infection 99.9% of the time. Now I know, and I'm sharing the info with other mommas out there. She asked when his eyes started to be goopy, and I said in the hospital. Now I'm wondering why someone (like one of the many doctors and nurses who saw him with that nastiness) didn't say that this was pink eye and should be treated right away ???? So, I left straight from there to get his antibiotics. Thankfully he doesn't mind taking the medicine one bit. Dr. Hoshauer also said, though, that his weight is still down and she needs to see him back to check that he gained the weight back and that his ears look okay. Poor little guy! This morning I put on hit 12-month baby pants that look like capris and they were still falling off his waist. :(

A funny moment was when Dr. Hoshauer said "Oh my gosh! I think his ear already ruptured, look at the side of his face!" followed quickly by "Or, wait a minute, that could be some lunch. What did he have?" When I responded yogurt, she said "Nope, it's yogurt!" and then confirmed by looking in his ears that there was no drainage from his ear even though it was indeed infected. I had wiped his face, hands, outfit (where the bib didn't cover), but must have missed the fact that he put a little near his ear. Haaaa!!! Silly Caleb Luke! She said yogurt was really good at making sure the medicine didn't give him diarrhea. Excellent, because my boy loves it! All day yesterday he told me his toes hurt. Hopefully that's just misplaced pain from his ear - cause his feet are already gi-normous to keep growing!

Dr. Hoshauer explained that pink eye and ear infections have NOTHING to do with the stomach bug. So, he either picked them up in the same place, or my guess is that maybe he got it in the hospital? It's hard to say. Thankfully, Joshua is still healthy; and hopefully Caleb is heading that direction!

The last two pictures in this post are of a bouquet of flowers Shawn thoughtfully bought for me at the supermarket last weekend. What a husband! The first picture was me & the boys at the Farm Show, taken by my friend Julie on the bus.

In other 'Good news,' both boys keep amusing me with how their little minds work. I asked Joshua his full name yesterday, how old he was, and his address. He answered everything to a T. While I'll be reinforcing the address (and not posting it for the public), I think someone could tell what he was saying if he got lost (which should never happen since we pray for our boys and try to look after them as best we can). So, it looks like we'll be moving on to learning his phone number next!

Caleb & I were looking at a lift-the-flap book, and I asked him where the triangle was. He pointed right to it. Then I asked him where the star was. And he pointed right to it! Now, the other shapes were hidden pretty well under the flaps and he didn't get those right, but I was surprised that he knew any. Shawn said he's sharp so we need to keep working with him. If he picks it up, great! If not, no problem. He's already observed more than I realized from hanging out with his older brother. :)

Lastly, here's a story that made me smile. I asked Caleb, "Who am I?" and he replied "Mama." I then asked "Who's that?" and he replied "Josh." Then I asked him who he was. His answer? "Brother." He thinks that's his name! He'll point to Caleb in pictures when we say "And where's Caleb?" but when we ask him his name, he quickly responds "Brother." Sooo funny! He knows the names of Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster even without watching TV (Joshua thought it was a treat at this age to sit in front of the TV; Caleb is not interested in the slightest) but not his own name. Last night I asked Shawn to ask Caleb his name, and he got the same response. I guess it's great to be a brother. :)

A Snowflake Sweater

 

I forgot to mention that while we were in the hospital, I learned that Caleb is starting to recognize some of his colors. We were playing with a Precious Moments sticker book the nurse had given him after he got his IV. The following day when he was starting to feel better, I got the stickers and gave them to him, and then he would place them (near) where they belonged on the coordinating pages. When the stickers were gone, I dug crayons out of the diaper bag and we began to color in the pages. Without my mentioning it first, he grabbed the yellow crayon and said "lello." Yes, that's right! I couldn't believe it. I guess I forget when kids start to do things.

  

Grandma just started going to a sewing circle in the retirement community where she lives. She started to crochet, and made a little sweater that was supposed to be a size 4 for Joshua. But, it fits Caleb perfectly, so the pattern must run small. He looks so cute in it! Thanks, Grandma! Mom also folded some clean laundry while she was here with Joshua and vacuumed - it was so nice to come home to the house better than when I left it. :) :) :)

 

Caleb climbed up into his seat just before dinner tonight and said "buckle." He also ate like a champ. I baked ziti and he ate lots of noodles, didn't touch his peas (which normally both kids love) and then went crazy on cantaloupe for 'dessert.' His eyes are pretty red, which I think is from him being tired. They're also goopy, and his nose is starting to run. Maybe this is the tail end of the virus. He had a couple episodes of diarrhea this morning that have already gone away. He was pretty cuddly and not extremely energetic today, so hopefully he's feeling back to normal tomorrow. I'm just thankful we're all home. There are days I go crazy in the winter, longing to be outside or getting out. But, I must remember that there is no place like home. :) :) :)

A Hospital Stay for Caleb Luke

Monday morning Caleb slept in past his usual time. I woke him up and we rushed to get Joshua to school. On the way home from Calvary Preschool, I heard Caleb begin to vomit. I groaned. When we got home, I changed him and put him in bed. He seemed exhausted. I called Shawn to tell him the bad, the worse, and the ugly news of the day. The bad started with the windy weather and our neighbors putting out their recycling, which ended up all over our yard. :( The ugly was poor Caleb Luke continuing to vomit at home. I was doing laundry & cleaning carpets, etc. The worse was that he would have to come home to be with the boys since I didn't think it was fair to ask Grandpa Georgia to be with a barfing boy.

I called my Dad to tell him that he didn't have to come that afternoon, and he offered to stay with a sleeping Caleb while I picked up Joshua from preschool, which was nice. Caleb slept a good part of the morning, and I was productive with school work, cleaning, laundry and a lite work out, which is still making me sore in my gall bladder region. Ugh!

I put Joshua down for his nap after preschool and got ready to go teach classes. Poor Caleb was sick throughout the evening and poor Shawn had the same cleaning duties I had had all day long. :( I asked Shawn about wet diapers, which Caleb continued to have and I asked my hubby to dig out the Pedialyte so we could start giving him teaspoons full. Since I had already been through this once with Joshua, I knew that the key to our baby's survival was staying hydrated. Caleb took the syringe-full that Shawn gave him. He's been intrigued with the syringe ever since we gave Joshua his medicine that way. But, with the taste of Pedialyte (we were told it takes worse than ocean water), soon Caleb didn't want it. So, we put it in his sippy cup. And we'd take it away after a couple swallows. Pretty soon, he was vomiting that. And he continued to throw up all night long. We got up in the middle of the night for me to clean up Caleb and snuggle him while Shawn threw everything in the washing machine and change his sheets (I'm so thankful for a helpful husband!). It was a looong night. At one point, I thought about calling the on-call pediatrician, but I decided to wait it out until morning.

When I did call, they told me the first available appointment was in the afternoon at the North Point office with a doctor I don't care for. I told them I would drive to the Lititz office if they could get me in sooner, and they gave me their earliest of 11:20 with Dr. Hoshauer, one of my favorites. I continued to try to give him sips of Pedialyte. His diaper was dry that morning and his tears were gone. He also barely had the energy to wimper, and when I put him down to get dressed, he immediately collapsed to the ground. I knew he was sick, and I was worried. We had prayed for him fervently the night before, but I began again. In fact, before tucking him in bed, we all laid hands on him, including Joshua. Joshua started the praying "Fank you, God, for making Caleb feel better and not spit." Then after we had each taken a turn praying for Caleb Luke, Joshua said "Can we pray for Josh now? Sure!!!" He was so sweet and missing the attention after a long day of us worrying about the baby and cleaning, cleaning, cleaning you-know-what.

Grandpa agreed to come watch Joshua so I could take Caleb into the doctor's office. Dr. Hoshauer was running behind, but I'm used to that. She takes her time with each patient, so she's often running late. She finally came in half an hour late and told me he looked 'pathetic.' He was shaking, and she thought that may be from his low blood sugar. She said she thought he needed to go to the hospital, but she could give him anti-nausea medicine and try pushing the Pedialyte harder. I told her that I had been praying for him and I wanted what was best for him. If that was the hospital, I was okay with that. She said "Go now, and don't stop until you get there. There's parking that says 'admissions 15 minute limit' - ignore the limit and park there. Get him there immediately." She told me she was glad that I was okay with the hospital because he was so sick, he really needed to be there. Some parents are offended by the idea - ???? I just wanted what was best for him! (But, you can pray that we don't get any outrageous bills, too, while you're thinking of it).

I called Shawn on my way out the door, telling him that Caleb & I were headed to the hospital. I then called Mom to see if she could watch Joshua later that afternoon. Shawn went home to relieve Dad, feed Joshua lunch and get him down for his nap. Then Shawn came into the hospital and Grandma came to stay with the Bean. Shawn went back home and picked Joshua up at 5 pm so Mom could go to Bible Study. They came in then to visit with Caleb. The nurse told me that older siblings are allowed and actually encouraged since they're often worried about their younger brothers and sisters and the younger ones miss them. Joshua said "Caleb is in the Hossed-Dibble" and Shawn & I smiled. By the end, Joshua was saying hospital correctly, but the first couple times he said it, we thought were adorable. They left just before 8 pm to get the Bean in bed at home and I arranged for Mom to take Joshua to and from preschool in the morning.

Meanwhile, when I first got to the hospital with a fairly limp and lifeless Caleb, I met a resident doctor and a nurse who took the information on Caleb. Then the 'real' doctor came in. LGH no longer has Roseville Pediatrics going in to see their patients; rather, they now have their own Pediatric Doctors who are there 24/7. Dr. Hoshauer said they are from Dupont and really good. I first met Dr. Bridgeman, who I really liked. He looked so young that I thought maybe he was a resident, too, but no, he was the 'actual' doctor. He said it's rare to see vomiting without diarrhea. And since Caleb had been saying 'ow' and 'ouch,' they would likely run some other tests. The nurse that did his IV was impressive - she got him the first time! They did blood work and were going to take a urine sample, but the bags wouldn't stay on. After the third try, they just gave up. He also said they may do an ultrasound to make sure everything looked okay and there weren't any obstructions or anything like appendicitis. That made sense to me because everywhere we had been, Joshua had been other than them having separate classrooms at church. Josh is typically the one with a weak immune system, and Caleb's is normally really good. If one child gets sick and not the other, it's normally the oldest rather than the youngest.

But, Dr. Bridgeman left within an hour or so and a colleague of his came in. The bloodwork came back with his white cell count a little low, which they said could come from a virus. His sugar looked okay, and everything else was pretty normal other than him being dehydrated. So, they gave him the first major bollis (sp?) of IV fluids along with anti-nausea medicine through the IV. When he hadn't gotten better, they gave him a second round of both, which the nurse said they typically don't do but he was severely sick. From there,  they went down to 'maintenance' fluids through the IV that night. But, Caleb still wouldn't eat or drink. They gave him a 'clear liquid' diet, so on his tray came broth, jello, italian ice and apple juice. Eventually he took a few bites of orange jello but then turned his nose up at it. The one student nurse we had came in to listen to him all the time - it literally seemed like she was in there after five minutes. She was driving me crazy. She also didn't take his temp right - I overheard Caleb's 'real' nurse telling her how to do it, but I saw that she wasn't doing it the same way. She would press the button before the thermometer was in his ear. So, while he felt warm, she kept reading his temp as low. Ugh! I was glad when she eventually went home, which allowed Caleb some time to rest. I understand that students need practice, but I think that someone should also monitor how often people are going in to look at the patients. He really needed some rest and he was really, really grouchy from not feeling well and missing his nap and being poked and prodded, etc. I've never seen him so irritated.

Caleb did better overnight than I expected. He didn't want to be held, but he kept getting tangled in the IV, which I would think would be painful. At one point, the nurse came in and said his cord was around his neck but he was breathing okay. She fixed it (this was the same nurse who had done his IV). Another time he woke me up screaming and he was pulling on the cord and it was tight. I got him untangled and noticed his diaper was down around his knees along with his jammies. He had finally started wetting his diapers! And this one was full! I changed his diaper and re-adjusted his beautiful pink jammies and tucked him in with his blankey that Daddy had brought from home at my request. I also gave him a hospital blanket and he finally fell asleep. I think it was around 4ish at that point. I had seen every hour come and go. Finally at 6:30 I got up and went to the bathroom. He heard me get up and got up himself. I went outside to get an apple at 7 am from the breakfast cart, along with one of the most heavenly chocolate chip muffins I have ever eaten in my life. When I came back, he said "Boo!" I figured he was feeling better. I smiled. But, he wanted my food and the doctors said no. Ugh!!! He said "apple, please." Poor kiddo!

That morning, they took his IV out. Hooray! I knew that was a good sign, meaning they thought that he'd get to go home. He was also completely puffy, with his eyes nearly swollen shut from the fluids. Throughout the day, though, he continued not to eat or drink. I told the nurses that came in (mostly student nurses, though) it was probably what they were offering him. He doesn't drink juice at home and doesn't like broth or jello or any of that stuff. I said "I've never seen him turn down Cheerios." I finally decided to cancel class for that afternoon. It's so early in the semester that I hated to cancel, but there was no way I'd leave Caleb and it didn't look like he was going to be released any time soon.

The second doctor that we had seen the day before (can't remember his name, but he looked a lot like the old guy from 'Back to the Future') came back in and woke Caleb up from his nap at 2:30. I told him the same thing, and he responded "yeah, I don't like jello either. And babies aren't like adults. They won't eat something that they don't like just because it's the only thing offered. He'll wait until we give him something he enjoys. So, give him Cheerios or whatever you think he'll eat. There's no limits anymore. He's just got to eat and drink or he won't go home. Sometimes with little ones this could take a few days." A few days?!?! I hadn't been able to get any rest, and that room is tiny. Caleb finally wanted to be up and play and there was no where to go, and I only had a few small diaper bag toys. That same doctor ordered more IV fluids since he hadn't been drinking or eating. So the nurse came back in and hooked him back up to that dreaded machine.

Grandma took Joshua to get his second H1N1 vaccine that afternoon. Both boys had been scheduled for it, but I canceled Caleb's and asked Mom to take Joshua since I knew it was important. When they were done, they came into the hospital. I immediately went and got Caleb some Cheerios while she was in the room with the boys. Both boys gulped them down. Then Caleb started to drink some juice mixed with water - he was thirsty from eating! I also ordered him a dinner other than clear liquids - chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots (typically Caleb's favorite), applesauce and a dinner roll. He ate half a dinner roll (Joshua ate the other half), half the applesauce (again, Bean ate the other half), and half a chicken tender (Joshua ate the other half). There was plenty more food there, but Caleb was done and didn't want any more. I thought he did really well considering he hadn't eaten anything in days and had just ate a really good amount of Cheerios before that. Joshua ate the mashed potatoes and neither of them wanted the carrots. Daddy & I each ate a chicken finger as our dinner. Daddy had just come in, and Grandma left then. We had put on the "Up" movie for the Bean, and he was begging for Sesame Street, which wasn't on yet.

I took Joshua home with me to watch TV while I showered, just in case they decided to keep Caleb overnight. I didn't think they would, but I couldn't stand being grungy anymore. Daddy, in the meantime, stayed with the baby, who was feeling better since he had eaten. It felt wonderful to come home and shower, have a new set of clean clothes, put on deodorant, brush my teeth, etc. Within an hour, we were back at the hospital. And they told me that they were releasing Caleb. Shawn said right after I left, the doctor came in and saw Caleb playing and giggling. They also heard that he had eaten and said he could go. Hooray! It was a few hours until they did the paperwork, but we were home by 8 pm.

I gave Caleb a bath (after all, he had been vomiting, then in the hospital, etc.) and gave him clean jammies and put him to bed. He was happy to be in his own room and crib. Joshua didn't want a bath, and we were so tired, we didn't fight with him. He got jammies and we tucked him in. By 8:30, we were in bed watching a little TV before I turned out the light and went to sleep myself... pretty much getting the first rest I'd had in almost 72 hours. Shawn, meanwhile, went to watch the Presidential State of the Union Address before coming to bed. I didn't even hear him. I was exhausted.

Caleb was up once throughout the night. He woke up with crusty eyes and a little runny nose. He also started with the diarrhea a little today. He seems extremely weak and cuddly, but better. Joshua still seems healthy, but he's not his normal self - probably from a couple days of being out of his normal schedule. Mom said he was looking for me yesterday when he came home from preschool and asked if Ma-maw would stay with him until Momma could come home. Poor guy! He's not used to being shuffled around. And, I'm sure he was worried about Caleb. Caleb would look at my cell phone in the hospital and say 'Josh' since there's a picture of the Bean in my phone. I know they are close. Today we're wearing sweatpants and taking it easy. Please pray none of the rest of us get whatever Caleb had, and please also pray for a speedy recovery for my baby! Praise God for His healing!

Praying

On Friday night, once we got into the car after the mall incident, Joshua tearfully asked Daddy "can you pray for my hand?" Why wasn't that our first thought? Shawn did, and we all calmed down and felt better.

Later that night as I was tucking my Bean into bed, I told him that my belly felt a little ouchy (probably from the Chinese food I had split with Daddy!). He immediately said "fank you, God, for making momma's belly not feel ouchy." I was touched. His immediate response was prayer.

And I love how Joshua prays. He always starts with "thank you." The other day, before I got him a drink, he looked at me and said "thank you for my hot chocolate." I smiled and replied, "I didn't give you any hot chocolate." But, at that moment with his sincere thanks in advance, I actually wanted to. I wonder how God feels about our prayers of Thanksgiving. With Joshua's sweet heart and soft voice, when he thanks God for something in advance, I can just imagine our Heavenly Father saying, "DONE!" :)

Play Dates

 

Wednesday was the start of school. The first day went okay - I  like the building the class is in (same as my office location and it actually has parking), the room, which has lovely windows, plus I've taught the class twice before including last semester, and I have a few familiar faces. Still, I just felt 'off.' I think the break has made me enjoy just being home - Lord, please don't let me get lazy! I do appreciate having a job, and this is a great one to have. I must count my blessings. It also made me appreciate my husband who willingly goes to work and sacrifices for our family every day.

 

On Thursday, I took the boys grocery shopping for a few things I needed to make a casserole for a girl from MOPS who had experienced her second miscarriage in just a few short months. I also bought a dozen apples to make two homemade apple pies. It took me most of the afternoon to make the meals for us and for them, but I thought they turned out well. As I was peeling & slicing apples, I remembered my Grandma Moore who used to do that one-handed after her stroke. I realized I shouldn't be complaining in my head about it. At least God gave me two good hands/arms! Shawn didn't seem all that impressed with my efforts. But, he doesn't complain if I do something simple like sandwiches or salads, so I guess I can't have it both ways. :)

The kiddos have kept me smiling. Joshua got dressed almost all by himself (for the most part) yesterday. I wasn't as impressed that he could do it by himself as I was that he actually wanted to. Normally, he says "No! You do it!" and refuses to try. But, he's starting to want to do things more by himself. He put on his undies and pants by himself with no problems, he got his shirt most of the way on but then I helped give it a small tug over his head when he started to panic. Then he even put his socks on by himself (but I helped adjust them to be straight on his toes once they were on). He was really proud of himself, and I was too! Great job, my Bean!

Caleb has been really interested in the potty. He keeps pulling down his pants by himself, something Joshua didn't do at that age. (Caleb does it all the time, though, which can drive me a little crazy.) He tells us when he's gone, and one time this week he asked me to go potty. I took off his diaper and he sat down and tooted. He grinned, said "tooters," and got back up immediately. He has yet to do anything there, but I'm thrilled that he's at least not fearful of the potty. I'm always at a loss of how to get started with the potty training.

Thankfully we're almost there with Joshua! This week he stopped holding it and has actually went in the potty for us a few times, letting us know that he has to go and sitting there long enough to get the job done. He then said "now I can watch my Cars movie." Yes, that's right! He had success twice this week and had two accidents after we put on his night-time pull-up, but I'm more than thrilled that he's stopped holding it since that can cause major problems for his body. I think we've turned a corner. He also hasn't had a wet accident in a looong time. I took him out all day yesterday in his big boy undies and we stayed clean and dry with no worries. I think we're there. Praise God! I know this isn't a typical subject that people talk about, but again, this blog is for their memories so I want to mark the dates when they start having success. :)

Yesterday morning, I took them to the Calvary Preschool Open Gym again. I saw Renee, the mom in charge of it, got re-introduced (since I'm terrible with names!) to another mom who helps run it named Jen [easy enough since that's my sister's name] and another woman introduced herself to me again and her name was Becky [my other sister!]. I was literally sitting between Jen and Becky. So, I knew I was meant to be there. Haaa!!! Anyway, it was interesting hearing the other mom's stories. One mom is completely into organic everything, another is a photographer, one has twins and we heard the story of her finding out the 'news,' another is due in a couple days, etc. It was an interesting morning. But, most of all, I enjoy having a wide-open space that the kids can run and play. I was really proud (not sure that's the best word, but not sure what else to call it? Excited, maybe?) at how well my boys behaved in the group. They were gentle with other kids, shared, listened to me, etc. We had a really good morning. So, when we left there, we met Daddy for lunch, which is always a treat.

Caleb was one of four or five 18-month-olds there, and I think he was the only one talking. He really is saying a lot, and I think sometimes I take it for granted. Shawn said he must have at least 50 words or more that we've heard him say, and he's saying two words together now, too.

 

Joshua is all personality (he is so much like his momma it's scary!). He told us the other night, "first, we're going to get jammies on, then we're going to get snacks, then I'm going to get a treatment and watch Sesame Street and then it will be time for night-night," and then after pausing for a moment he emphasized, "And that's the ONLY plan!" Shawn & I looked at each other and cracked up. What a silly Bean! I think he was tired and ready for bed, but that is our typical routine for him. Haaaa!!! He also said the other day after I punished him, "Momma has to stay at our house now while we got out" (talking to Daddy). We both laughed.

Caleb likes to dig through the baby boxes in his room, and every once in awhile I'll let him just explore. He found this pacifier, which amused me since neither of my boys ever took to a nook. Well, Joshua liked them until his surgery at CHOP but then he acted like we were trying to kill him thereafter when we'd try to put one in his mouth. Caleb never liked one. I always wanted my boys to like them because I had friends that simply popped one in their baby's mouth and the baby would be calm and quiet. We didn't have that luxury. But, now I'm sort of glad because I'm not breaking my kids of them where as I have friends with babies much too old for pacifiers still giving in because it's hard to take them away. Anyway, Caleb decided that morning to give it a try. I didn't take it away because it's not an addiction. He was just enjoying the new 'toy.' He was biting away on it, which I think was somewhat soothing the side of his mouth where he's getting another new tooth. I had to snap a few pictures, of course.

 

Last night, we decided to try Park City again for the kids to run in their playground. The boys really like it there, and we invited our friends Chris & Lisa and their daughter Isabella to join us there since they're always good about inviting us places. First we ate dinner together, but the boys were anxious to go play. So, Daddy went into the play area with the boys while our friends finished up eating. I heard Joshua cry so I whirled around and saw Daddy picking up the Bean, and by the look on his face, I knew Joshua had been pushed or something. But, Shawn said it was okay, so I let it go. We all went into the play area at that point, and our kids and Isabella were having so much fun! They took turns going down the slide and climbing on the bed area, along with the duck, the blocks, the toothbrush, the hockey stick and the soccer ball. They were running around and having a blast, climbing and happily playing. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera. A couple sitting in the corner whose son was playing with Joshua said to me, "You can't deny him - he looks just like you." I told them that normally people tell us that he's the spitting image of Shawn, but they said "oh no, he looks just like you." I told them I'd take that as a compliment and the guy said "oh yes, he's very cute" in such a way that made me feel a little awkward, so we moved away. He was just being friendly and later asked Shawn about Joshua's name.

Then, as Caleb was playing on the bed, a boy much too big to be in that area gave him a little nudge. I was right there and was going to say something but it was over pretty quick, so I let it go. Caleb scowled at the boy. Then the boy went to grab him, and I loudly told the boy "No! He's a baby! Absolutely not!" I figured if the parent was there, they should be watching their son. But, I have a hunch that some parents go off and shop and let their kids wander aimlessly in this play area, which is against the rules. They also have rules on the height of kids allowed to be in there, which I notice many parents ignore, which is probably why the one slide is broken. 

 

Soon, the play area started filling up and another couple of rough, extremely large boys came in and the place was getting full of mostly bigger kids. It went from nice and calm to chaos. Children were jumping from toy to toy and running around and knocking each other over. Shawn gave me the look, and I gave the boys a two-minute warning that we were going to leave. Joshua climbed up the slide and three larger boys jumped on it (two twins and the rougher one from earlier) and went down several times. Finally, I said "let's take turns." Joshua patiently waited and finally got to go down, only for the kid that had pushed Caleb earlier to go down after him and land on him, literally crushing his hand. I had had it. My momma bear came out in full force. I was trying to control my tongue. I told the boy that he needed to be more careful if he was going to play in the smaller children area. Then I scooped my bawling Joshua up and went to get on his shoes. A woman came up to me and said "I'm sorry. Did my son hurt yours? You know, I really try... " I was fuming, but I thought it was nice of her to come up. I replied, "I think he's okay" but then thinking about it more, I said in a not-very-nice tone "You know, there is a sign there with the rules, which includes height restrictions. You might want to check it out." And I walked away.

As I was putting the boys' shoes on, Lisa & Chris were getting Isabella's on. I felt bad that we had invited friends there and the place was getting out of hand. They told us they were going to go look at books at Kohl's. Then the boy who had hurt Joshua came up with his mom. And it was a different woman than I had scolded earlier. Ugh! I had the wrong one! When the woman had come up to me, I just assumed she had seen her son. Here it wasn't even her kid. I would have apologized to her, but I think they had already left. I looked and didn't see her again. Shocked that this was the mom of the rough kid, I didn't say anything to her. Joshua moved away from the little boy in fright and she said and I quote "I really hate this place" and they left. She had an arm full of packages, so Shawn thought maybe she hadn't been there. He also told me later that this same little boy had shoved Joshua off the slide when he was crying. I'm glad I didn't know that before he crushed the Bean's hand, or I may have said a little more. I left there feeling guilty for not being nicer to the woman who originally came up to me. How do you stand up for your kids and yet still have grace for others? It's something I have to learn. Shawn said he thought I did well given the situation. He could tell I was angry but I didn't say anything regrettable. I asked later if he thought I had made it awkward for our friends and he said no. What made it awful was the unsupervised bigger kids coming in and little kids getting knocked around. We were leaving anyway, he reminded me. Moral of the story? Follow the rules. And don't mess with a momma bear and her cubs. And give grace to people who are trying to do the right thing.

So, that was the end of our Friday night. We got home, put the boys in jammies, gave them a snack, played for a little while and then tucked them in bed.

Bikes, Trikes & Sunny Days

The weather has been above freezing in Lancaster for most of this past week (it rained Sunday, but it was still warmer than it has been). On Saturday, we cleaned out the garage and started cleaning out our cars a little (we didn't get too far with the boys, though, I'll admit!). They played with the sidewalk chalk, I took them for a walk so Daddy could start organizing and then we came back and got the toys out for them. They love their cozy coupe cars and their bicycles. Joshua is proudly showing his pedaling skills on his new bike from Grandma that he got for Christmas. He loves his little Thomas bike. That meant Caleb got the hand-me-down little tricycle from our neighbors. I also bought this little helmet for Caleb off Craig's List.

On Friday I took Caleb to the doctor's office in the afternoon for his extremely dry skin. I use all unscented laundry detergents, I lather him in Cetaphil cream several times a day, and yet his skin still seems irritated around his elbows, knees, etc. So, the pediatrician prescribed a little steroid cream to help calm down the dry skin and also told me to put baking soda in his bath water. For the most part, though, we're doing the right things and hopefully he'll make it through this season. Joshua had extremely dry skin when he was a baby, too, but is doing just fine now.

Grandma told us she put together the train table she bought, so I volunteered our boys to come check it out... while Shawn & I went to dinner. :) :) :) We went right down the street to Hot Z's Pizza in Landisville and dined on pizza & wings. YUM! It was nice to be out just the two of us. And the boys ate well for Grandma, Joshua got to put his water in the potty standing up on her stool (which he was thrilled about) and play with her trains. Thanks, Mom, for watching the kiddos!

On Saturday, we went to LCBC and heard a great sermon on discipline. I highly recommend checking it out at www.lcbcchurch.com after this next weekend (when the sermon and notes will be available online). They also announced that they are opening a new church plant location in Lancaster City. We are so excited! We signed up to check out the first service on January 31, hoping to join a smaller group but still liking the church atmosphere for our kids. It's literally about three miles from our house. Friends of ours are planning on checking it out, too, and I found out that the husband of one of the women I met through MOPS is going to be the pastor. Can't wait to see what it's like!

Also last week, I had emailed JCPenney's my bad experience at the store, and someone wrote back authorizing me to buy whatever pictures I wanted at the coupon price. I called in my order, and the woman agreed with me that the extra charge was ridiculous. They are shipping my pictures directly to me, free of charge. I was very satisfied with the customer service I received from the corporate office. And I can't wait to get my pictures of lil' Caleb Luke. That kid makes us laugh and laugh. He's talking up a storm, and of course right now his favorite word is "no." I asked him if he wanted me to read him a book the other night and he answered "no" and then thought about it and said "please." Too funny!

 We've been going for walks around the neighborhood almost every day that the weather permits. There's something so good about getting a little sunshine. I just can't describe what it does for my personality, and I know the boys enjoy it, too. I'm ready for Spring!

Yesterday I went with Grandma (and Caleb!) to the mall while Joshua was in preschool. Kohl's had a huge clearance on shoes, and Grandma bought me a necklace while we were out (love it! thanks!). Then last night I went to a girl's night out. While I invited a bunch of folks, only four of us ladies from small group said we could make it. Unfortunately, I missed emailing back Melanie (so sorry!) so only three of us went. I still had a great time, even though I felt bad about the mix-up. I love the gals from our small group. :)

Today I've been working on getting school work accomplished... after all, it starts tomorrow! Have a great rest of your day!

The Big 4-0!

That's right, folks. Joshua is now 40 (months old, that is!). Yesterday it was our turn to take in snack to preschool again, and this time we kept it simple with sliced apples and the special s'mores goldfish. Joshua was excited about his snack. Even though most schools had off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Calvary Preschool was not one of them. So, Joshua got to celebrate civil rights after he got home (haaa!!!).

 

Yesterday we returned his library book from the week before. We had been reading the Ugly Duckling. I didn't remember how scary this book was. My only memory was that the ugly duckling became a beautiful swan. But, to refresh your memory in case it's been a long time for you, too, since you've read the book, no one wants the ugly duckling so he runs away and ventures out into the wide, wide world all by himself. He finds a witch with a hen that lays golden eggs and a cat that throws stars (and the page looked scary) and then was forced out because he couldn't lay eggs, then he got frozen in a pond and a farmer rescued him only to have his children chase the poor duckling back out into the cold snow, finally the book said that the duckling couldn't move and didn't have energy to eat because of the frozen winter and almost didn't live. Then at the end, he's in a pond with swans and thinks they're going to kill him because he's ugly. The last little bit is when he realized that he, too, was a swan and was happy to be beautiful. That's it! It really wasn't even a happy ending, in my opinion. There was nothing about being loved for who you are, and he was lonely all through his life. He even wasn't proud of his looks in the end because his self-esteem was still so low at that point. UGH!

So, as I was reading the book to Joshua, I told him that his momma would always love him no matter what and he was never allowed to run away and venture out into the wide, wide world all by himself. He smiled and we kept reading. Later, when he was 're-capping' the book (I always ask him what the book was about to see if he has reading comprehension), he told me that the moral of the story was to never run away from home and leave your momma. Good boy! Haaaa!!!! I guess our talk left an impression with him. That wasn't necessarily what the book was about, but I'd rather him remember that than the tale we had read.

This week he brought home a book of Thomas ABC's, which was much better. It's good to refresh the ABC's anyway.

 

My scariest moment of the day yesterday was when Joshua asked for a tissue. I got up to get one and when I turned back around to hand it to him, his entire face was covered in blood, his shirt was covered in blood, and unfortunately so was our carpet in the office/playroom. We ran into the bathroom together and I held his nose back and started wiping his face. I've never seen a nose bleed quite this explosive. I wiped his face and it finally quit bleeding, so I changed his shirt and got him taken care of. Then I rocked him in the office chair to try and calm his nerves a bit, and he looked up at me with his big blue eyes and said "I'm sorry, momma, that my nose spit." :( :( :( Poor little guy! I told him that it was okay, he didn't have to apologize. He didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted him to feel better. The panic expression on my face must have added to his anxiety. But, he didn't have another episode thereafter, so I think we're okay. I scheduled their second round of H1N1 vaccines for next Wednesday, and I'm hoping they both stay healthy until then at least!!!!

 

Joshua finally had success today on the potty. He was very excited. He hasn't had an accident of getting wet in a long time. But, he holds the other. Hopefully we've turned a corner. Only time will tell. Oh, my stubborn and strong-willed child! How I love you! How crazy you often make me! :)

 

There are so many things I love about Joshua. Near the top of my list has to be the fact that he still loves to cuddle. Most mommas aren't so lucky, I think, to have a little boy who loves giving hugs and kisses and sitting with them. I also love how much he enjoys music, from singing to dancing to trying to play different things. I also like how he enjoys games and reading and coloring. For the most part, even though he's boisterous, he listens pretty well. I also am thankful for that. He really is a good boy. :)

I signed him up for preschool again next year since he's enjoying it so much this year. I asked him who his friends are at preschool this year. He told me Ethan (his bestest buddy who sometimes is rough with him), then Liam, which surprised me a little bit. Then he told me he likes Brooke and Lila. That was it. Lila is a cute little thing and Brooke has big blonde curls. He didn't mention any of the other little boys or girls (there are four others, two boys and two girls) so these must be his favorite friends. I love that he can communicate who he likes and what he does at school and in general what he's thinking.

Happy 40 month birthday, buddy!

Highlights

While Joshua did get a new Highlights magazine this week, this post title comes from me just re-capping some positive experiences from this week. My favorite moment by far was one morning this week (maybe Wednesday?) when Daddy put both boys in undies first thing in the morning when I was in the shower. When I got out, I laughed and laughed at two skinny boys in just their underwear running around in our room. Joshua is so skinny these days that his arms look like the size of about two of my fingers whereas Caleb is more muscular but not fat in the slightest. He just looks bulkier. Soon enough I got both boys dressed, but that was a memory that made both Daddy & I smile. We have two silly boys!

Another favorite memory is watching my three boys dance to the song "Fireflies " by Owl City. What made the moment all the more special is that the two smallest ones were in their footed pajamas, as it was just before bedtime. They all look so cute as they dance. Just thinking of it puts a smile on my face.

Speaking of music, another favorite moment came today when we were in the car and Joshua sang every last word to the song "Wonderful, Wonderful, Jesus is to me..." There's nothing more precious than his singing voice, especially when he knows the words.

I also have enjoyed looking through books with Caleb as he now pronounces words as he looks at pictures. We were looking at "Baby's First 100 Words" and he knew most of the pictures, which surprised me. He's also counting to eight as we go down the stairs now. His little growing brain never ceases to amaze me, but maybe that's because I still think of him as my little baby.

Another definite highlight from the last couple days has been the weather. I took the boys out for a walk yesterday and today, and there's nothing like fresh air, sunshine and exercise to make you feel more like a human. I enjoy being outside, and we definitely need the Vitamin D. I made sure the kids were still bundled good, but they've also enjoyed being outside. We also played in the garage and on the driveway the last two days with their cozy coupe cars, tricycles, shopping cart, etc. It has made us feel more sane.

Another good thing we started this week was menu planning. We found that even though we had a freezer full of food, I was always wondering what to make at the end of a busy day with the kids. So, we took some time as a couple to plan our meals for the week which allowed me to easily execute and make them, including getting things out that needed to be defrosted the night before. With Shawn graciously offering to do the grocery shopping, there were things we had that I didn't even realize until we took inventory and did some planning. It was nice. We also invited Grandpa Georgia over to enjoy one of the meals with us, which he seemed to enjoy.

Shawn said he had a productive week at work, which is always good. And, another highlight for me is that he's finally starting physical therapy in hopes of healing up his back before we go on vacation. It's important to me that he feels good in general.

There's more I could share, but I must run. Enjoy the highlights!

Calvary Preschool's Open Gym

In one of the recent Calvary Preschool Newsletters, I saw that every Friday there is an open gym for ages birth - school age. It's free and you don't have to register; you just show up if you can make it. It's coordinated by a mom in the area. I had hoped to check it out last week, but it was canceled due to the snow. So this week I was determined to go! My kiddos need to run! I emailed my friend Becca to see if her & her kiddos would like to join us. She said sure.

So, we met there. When we arrived, I saw Joshua's preschool teacher in the hallway and she gave us directions to the gym (now I'll know where to park so that we're closer). She told me that she took a sick day today because she's been fighting off a cold and finally scheduled a doctor's appointment to see if it's a sinus infection. 'Tis the season!

The second Joshua got to the gym, he grabbed the tractor and started to ride. He was in heaven! Becca & I agreed that we need a gym like this as a basement in our houses during these winter months so the kids have space to spread out and play.

The kids grabbed balls of all varieties (basketballs, soccer balls, volley balls and I think one may have even been a four-square ball) and the mom in charge grabbed a bunch of different toys to bring down on a cart. Caleb grabbed this soccer ball and was in heaven! He is really good at kicking the ball, and he loves it. He thought this ball should be his the rest of the time. I wish the picture would have turned out better. It was really dark and I tried to lighten it a little to capture his priceless expression. Alayna grabbed the Elmo ball.

When we got there, only one other mom and kiddo was there. But soon enough moms & kiddos showed up. The mom in charge brought out folding chairs and for the most part the moms just chatted while the kids played. However, my kids wanted my attention, so I don't feel like I got to chat that much. But, that's really okay because I was there for them. I wanted them to have fun, and I have other times for socializing. :)

Joshua desperately wanted to play with these bowling pins, but there were too many other kiddos there interested in them, too. He would set them up just in time for someone else to knock them down, which was frustrating him. He never did get to have fun with the pins he put up. But, it ended in him getting highly upset, which is not worth it. I told him that he wasn't allowed to be near the pins anymore and tried to get him interested in other toys, which eventually worked. I promised we could play Wii bowling tonight as a family. Then I took him to another spot where I saw something that looked like horse-shoes, and we played with it for a little while before asking me to play soccer with him. Here's a quick shot of the boys playing soccer. I think we're going to be glad we bought the soccer net this summer!

There were lots of toys to play with and lots of little boys and girls. The moms talked about the normal mom  things. My favorite was a mom talking about finally cleaning out her car after she went to pick up her daughter at kindergarten and stuff started spilling onto the ground. Haaa!!! My car isn't quite that bad, but it does seem to be the last thing on my priority list, and with kids something often has to go. So, while my house is typically clean, the inside of my car could use a little vacuum and dusting.

There was another mom who was due in a week, so we talked about names, pregnancy, birth, etc. Since I'm half deaf, I swear, I only heard about half the conversations. My ears were also tuned into what the kids were doing and my attention was there as well, so that was probably part of it, too. Here's baby Kyla enjoying her floor time.

The kids were having fun... here's the Bean on the hippity hop. He does a great job with it! Notice Caleb in the background still with his beloved soccer ball. He calls everything a baseball, though. He adores playing football, but he calls it a baseball as well (which sounds close to his pronunciation of "Bible").

And Joshua made a friend - a little 3-year-old boy had a train there and they made a 'train track' and enjoyed playing.

 Soon enough some kiddos wanted to play with the parachutes, and my boys LOVE them!

The girl that runs it used to be the nanny for my OBGYN and also goes there. It sounds like she had some complicated birth issues, too, so it was interesting to hear her story. She seemed really nice, as did everyone. I think we'll go and check it out again.

Caleb & Joshua would go back and forth between playing and coming up to Momma to be loved on. My boys are so precious to me! We had a good morning. :)

 

Soon enough we put our coats on and said our goodbyes! Thanks for coming along, Cintron girls!