Hoping!!!

This being sick thing is for the birds!!

Hoping that tom. will be our last doctor's appointment for a while. I think I mentioned in my last post that both girls were getting colds...right on the heels of ella's hand/foot and mouth. Well, it was actually RSV! Ella has done fine and feels much better except for an occasional croupy cough, but little miss Eliza's gave us quite a scare. Long story short she has been very congested, coughing, sneezing, and wheezing and has been on breathing treatments every four hours since fri. morning. Thankfully, I followed my instincts and took her back to the doctor when the peds plus (after hours) doctor sent us home after both her and the nurse heard her wheezing. I knew she wasn't breathing normally...or I thought so. Isn't it so hard to know as a parent when to go and when to wait it out??? I always struggle to know...but she is just too young for me to be comfortable waiting it out and thankfully I took her back! Tomorrow will be our EIGHTH doctor's visit in two weeks. One was a well check and two have been follow-ups. Whew!! Everytime I go I just wonder what we will pick-up for the next week.

I am thankful for our doctors, modern medicine, friends and family that pray, and that hopefully we are on the mend! It's been a LONG two weeks!

So this holiday season hasn't started out quite like I wanted. I am really looking forward to the weeks left this month when we can hopefully enjoy this holiday season. Check back this week for ella's tour of our home for the holidays and a few things our family is doing to focus on the true meaning of Christmas!

I think it's going be a great week! I sure am hoping so!!

Mommy time!

Ella thought the tee-pee was a party hat!


Sweet little eliza!

trying to get a decent pic...this is the best we could do

daddy and his girls

I have been so sleepy today. I feel like I need toothpicks to hold my eyes open. That's not a good thing when you're the mom! I finally have both girls resting...for the moment and what do I do...sit down to check the computer! I guess all my caffeine has finally kicked in or I'd be on the couch!

Ella is finally getting better. She ran a low grade fever last night, which was day 8 of this terrible virus and is fever free today so far! We are now just waiting for the blisters in her mouth to go completely away and she'll be good to go. It was terrible and I am so glad she is better. She is beginning to eat again and I don't feel like we have to push the liquids like we were. Both girls have colds now which is a bummer. Ella was 6 months old when she got her very first cold...and eliza is 10 weeks. I guess that is normal when you have a toddler in the house. Poor eliza, she cannot stand her nose being stuffy! We are so thankful that she didn't take hand, foot and mouth! So far at least...and I think if she was she'd have it already!

After a week of illness I feel like we are back at square one with discipline, sleep and etc. for ella. Don't you just hate that. Things get all out of order when kids are so sick and you are literally in survival mode! This week we are back to the basics...which means meals at the table, sleeping in our own beds, and obedience! SO much fun!

I can't believe it is already December. The years just fly! I will be celebrating a big birthday next week and I can't believe it! I must be growing up!

I better go! Ella is yelling from her crib that she is all done with her nap. I don't think she even got one but I was hoping for a little afternoon break! I just heard.."mama, come mare!" She has such a country twang when she says it!

Still Sick!!!

Whew...it has been some more week! I hate to complain but it has been a very hard one. Ella has run a 102-103.7 fever since Tuesday around lunch! We of course took her to the doc. to make sure my diagnosis of her condition was correct. I knew once I saw the little blisters in her mouth on Wednesday that we were in for it! She has hand, foot and mouth disease. The name sounds terrible....but the virus is much worse. It is among the many childhood viruses and causes fever, blisters in the mouth and can cause blisters on the hands, feet, and buttocks! So far, ella has only had fever and and a mouth full of blisters. I was one of the fortunate adults who must not have gotten this virus as a child, because I got it my second year teaching. I missed a week of work, couldn't eat for a week and was miserable. It is even more miserable when your child has it!!!

Poor little ella's gums look like they are falling off her teeth and her mouth, lips and etc. are covered in blisters. She has only eaten a few bites since Monday evening!!! We are making her drink, but today she is not wanting to do that even. I even tried using a medicine syringe to get some liquids in her. We have tried, diluted apple juice, milk, milkshake, slush, ensure, water, yogurt drink, pedialyte applesauce, pudding, etc. We know that if she doesn't drink more tonight we are worried that she may get dehydrated and we know what that will mean! She also isn't sleeping longer than about 45 minutes and is waking up crying in pain! It has been some long nights at our house!

Please pray that this will be over soon! Thankfully, Kevin has been home with me. Not sure I'd be making it if he hadn't been! It is hard because what ella has is highly contagious for eliza. Her nose is running and she keeps putting her hands in her mouth because it hurts...GERMS! My hands are raw from washing them after caring for her because I am trying to not spread them to eliza! Ella cries and wants to be held and then eliza cries and needs to be fed or held and then mommy and daddy cry! Not really... but I think we have been close at a few moments. So far eliza hasn't taken it. I think if we can make it to Monday that we'll be pretty sure she won't! If she doesn't I will be even more convinced that breastfeeding is a wonderful immune fighting gift (that'll be her third bad illness to not take when she was highly exposed!)

SO if you hear anyone say that their child has a virus, fever, blisters in their mouth....run..don't walk as far away as you can it! It is bad! And...if anyone thinks that being a mother is not the hardest (yet greatest) job in the entire world I beg to differ!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for this year. We are back at home for a brief rest before we get to enjoy Thanksgiving #2. I have to admit that throughout our marriage, I have complained most every year that our holidays were just too busy. I know I've said that we spend the day in a mad rush...normally running late from family to family..wanting to spend time with everyone! The Lord has taught me a lesson the past few days. With ella being sick this week I hadn't left the house since Monday afternoon. I was so ready to get out! The prospect of not getting to see our families and be a part of our normal thanksgiving was heartbreaking! Although we are doing things a little different to avoid our little cousins who may not have gotten what ella has! I have learned my lesson and I will never complain about the busyness of our traditions...instead I am thankful to have two delicious meals to eat, two families who love us! So many in our world would die to live my life!

So much to be thankful for! My greatest gift this year is our newest little turkey eliza. Happy Thanksgiving!

Feeling Bummed with so much to be Thankful for

This afternoon I felt ella's head and immediately knew she was running a fever. My hand has gotten pretty well trained in the past two years. She didn't eat well at lunch (which really isn't that out of the ordinary) and she kept wanting me to hold her. Sure enough it was 102. I was so bummed I could cry. The Tuesday night before Thanksgiving is always our annual Thanksgiving dinner at church. I don't think I'd missed one until tonight for the past 20 years. It is as much a part of our Thanksgiving as getting up early and shopping the Black Friday sales.

I was bummed to miss it and bummed that my girl was sick! She was really not feeling well tonight. She had a hard time going to sleep and was moaning and crying even though the Motrin had brought her temp. down. I am worried that we might not get our normal Thanksgiving this year. I might just add that Thanksgiving is really probably my favorite holiday because it begins the Christmas season!

So while I am bummed I will continue to try to put life in perspective... that I am so so so blessed and better off than most of the world. I have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I have a wonderful family, Godly husband who is so so good to me. I have two beautiful little girls who are more than I dreamed! I have all my needs met and most of my wants! I have health, doctors (when needed), friends and faith! I am so richly blessed!

So if you think of it pray that little ella will be feeling better, so we can celebrate Thanksgiving with our family as we normally do! Pray that I will have wisdom to know if I need to take her to the doc. tom. or wait it out over the Holiday! It is so hard to know what to do!

Look who is 2 Months Old!

(I really think I see a lot of my sister joy and newphew Landon in this pic.)

Anyone else see it?

I am trying to do a better job at tracking each month than I did with ella. I never posted her one month pic! She sure did grow last month!

Little Miss Eliza is already two months old. I cannot believe how fast time is flying with her! She is growing and changing so much and is the sweetest little thing! All 3 of us love her to pieces!

Her two month stats:

Weight: almost 10 lbs about 9lbs 13 oz. according to our home scale...she is growing fast considering she was such a peanut!!
Height:?? We go to the doc on Monday. I am thinking 22 inches!

Likes: To sleep and eat! She wants to be held in the evenings which works out well since ella goes to bed early! She likes riding in the car and sitting in her bouncy chair and car seat! She likes being swaddled at night! She has a love hate relationship with her paci and would really rather find her thumb (but no luck yet)!She loves to be talked to and smiled at!

Dislikes: When her sissy says," I got your nose!" She pinches a little too hard! She dislikes it if mommy is a little late on feeding her...I cannot blame her! She will let me know for sure when she is hungry!

Looks: We are still trying to figure out her look! At times she reminds me a lot of ella and at times she looks so different. Something about her reminds me more of my side of the family esp. her mouth and eyes. She is going to have her daddy's hair color and his hairline for sure! Her hair on top fell out completely and is sprouting back. She has the same long piece of hair in the back that ella did and the same cowlick swirl in the back (it took us forever for ella's cowlick to lie down). It is so funny how they both had this!

Personality: Right now eliza is just so sweet and easy! She has been a great baby! She is sleeping 6-9 hours each night for the past two weeks and we are so proud of her...and thankful for our sleep! I accredit that to using a swaddle blanket nice and tight, feeding on a schedule, a good sleeping baby and prayer! Watch..tonight she'll be up all night!

We are so thankful for her and the added joy she is bringing to our lives! We can't wait to find out more of who she is and what God has planned for her life.

These are a few of my favorite things!!!

I saw this on several blogs today where people are listing several of their favorite items. I thought it would be fun as I always enjoy finding new products that others recommend.



I love Neutrogena's skin smoothing under eye corrector. It goes on smoothly and gives a cool sensation under your eyes (makes me feel more awake and look awake!) The only drawback is that it doesn't last me long enough!

I have used Maybelline's Full and Soft Mascara for years. I have ventured away a few times and tried other mascara's but I always regret it! It def. adds volume and fullness to my lashes!

I am loving Dove's Winter care Soap! We always buy our soaps at Costco in bulk and last time I bought the Kirkland brand....Big mistake! It was the absolute worst soap ever. I am pretty sure my sensitive skin was allergic to it too! The bad part was that we had like 15 bars to use up! We did and I am so thankful to have a moisturizing soap now! It makes your skin so soft and smells good!

I have used this mouse for years...when I wear my hair curly! I have tried lots of different kinds of mouse in my curly years and this one is a keeper...I get it from Sally's Beauty Supply!

My new fav. scent from bath and body! I plugged in a new plug-in in this scent and Kev noticed and really liked it too. He thought it was me that smelled good! Maybe they have it in a lotion! It smells warm and cozy!

My favorite jeans are always gap jeans. I like the Long and Lean ones that work fine even though I am not Long or Lean. They just fit right and have just the right stretch to be comfy! If I wear flats I have to do one cuff! They are fine with taller shoes!

My fav. kid shoes are Puddle Jumpers. Ella has wide feet like her daddy and these shoes fit her really well! I search e-bay for weeks until I find me a good deal on them! Her aunt pam bought her two pairs for her birthday! She has more shoes than I do (well...not really!) I have a thing for polka-dots!

I got a 50.00 gift card from my insurance company for going through a healthy expectations program in my pregnancy. I had to answer these long surveys after every doc. appt. in which they wanted to know all the personal details of my pregnancy! It was very annoying but I finally got my gift card which was great! I bought yet another diaper bag. I have a weakness for a good diaper bag. I guess because I use it everyday as my purse too! I love this one. It has lots of compartments and is a great size!

These are just a few of the things that I love! What items do you use everyday and love??