Brooke has been slow moving on her feet still and this morning she woke up SO grumpy and refusing to walk. I was really discouraged because I just wanted her to be all better. However, when I was getting her breakfast ready this morning I looked over and saw her walking around everywhere and playing with her toys. It was truly a sight for sore eyes!!! The precious sound of baby feet on my hardwood floors is BACK!!!
I'm went over to my sister's house this morning and Brooke and Nathan were running around like little crazy kids. For the past week Brooke has sadly sat out on the action but today she was a brand new baby and she created LOTS of chaos:-) It was obvious that she was excited to be back to "normal," but Nathan seemed to be in heaven too! I must say that my life is much easier when Brookie can walk!
Things have been pretty slow in our house lately, which is why I haven't been updating a lot, but life is really great. I'm enjoying the wonderful weather and I just want to savor the beautiful leaves and crisp, autumn air before the nasty, long winter comes. That REALLY puts a damper on Fall but I try not to let it ruin it for me.
Alrighty, I'm exhausted so I'm going to go wind down and watch my shows with John. One Tree Hill is on tonight!!!!!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
An Update on Brookie
I have fantastic news... Brookie is starting to walk again!!!! Tonight after she soaked in yet another Epsom Salt bath she took a few steps and continued to attempt to walk all over the house too! It's obvious that she's still in discomfort and unsure of herself, but I'm so happy that she's at least trying now. I think the problem with her ankle now is that it's just really weak from not being used in 5 days and it will get better the more and more she uses it. She still prefers to crawl most places so we have to keep encouraging her to walk because we know she can. As I watched her walk tonight it felt like I was watching her for the first time. I was so captivated and excited by her walking that I didn't want to take my eyes off of her!
We had the most AWFUL night with Brooke last night. It was really quite bizarre because she's been sleeping through the night without a peep for the last 6 months or so. Here's how the night went down...
*10:30: John heard her fussing so he went in her room to make sure she was okay. She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and said, "Daddy, help please." John, the softy that he is, picked her up and brought her back to our bed to snuggle for a bit.
*11: Brooke clearly did NOT understand that she was brought into our room to rest... She thought it was time for fun and games. We told her to settle down or go in her crib and she screamed "NO CRIB!" Because we knew her foot had been bothering her we put up with this rare behavior. She kept asking John to sing "Jesus" so for about 30 minutes he did just that. Anytime he stopped she got upset. Lol!
*11:30: John read her PrincessBaby (upon Brooke's request), prayed with her and put her back to bed. She went to sleep until....
*12: She was screaming and asking to "snuggle daddy" so we brought her back into our room. (I know what you're thinking... SUCKERS!) She was pretty upset and unhappy so I gave her some Ibuprofen for her foot and let her rest in between us. We were watching a movie and she thought that the movie was pretty funny (even though it really wasn't).
*12:30: She was obviously not in discomfort anymore so we repeated the prayer, book, and singing routine and put her back to bed. She screamed for about 15 minutes before passing out.
*12:45: I convinced John to check on her to make sure she was still alive (I'm neurotic, I know), which woke her up again. She came to our bed a third and final time. Our movie was over and we figured that the silence might encourage her to go to sleep. Wrong.. She didn't want to sleep.
*1: I convinced Brooke that going to sleep in her crib with my pillow would be wicked cool so, I once again, repeated her bedtime routine, gave her my pillow, and she was out for the night.
Can you even believe that? I sure hope that last night was a one time deal because I can't handle that again tonight. I'm too worn out from our struggle last night. I'm just glad that John was home then!
Alrighty, I'm off to get some rest (hopefully)!
We had the most AWFUL night with Brooke last night. It was really quite bizarre because she's been sleeping through the night without a peep for the last 6 months or so. Here's how the night went down...
*10:30: John heard her fussing so he went in her room to make sure she was okay. She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and said, "Daddy, help please." John, the softy that he is, picked her up and brought her back to our bed to snuggle for a bit.
*11: Brooke clearly did NOT understand that she was brought into our room to rest... She thought it was time for fun and games. We told her to settle down or go in her crib and she screamed "NO CRIB!" Because we knew her foot had been bothering her we put up with this rare behavior. She kept asking John to sing "Jesus" so for about 30 minutes he did just that. Anytime he stopped she got upset. Lol!
*11:30: John read her PrincessBaby (upon Brooke's request), prayed with her and put her back to bed. She went to sleep until....
*12: She was screaming and asking to "snuggle daddy" so we brought her back into our room. (I know what you're thinking... SUCKERS!) She was pretty upset and unhappy so I gave her some Ibuprofen for her foot and let her rest in between us. We were watching a movie and she thought that the movie was pretty funny (even though it really wasn't).
*12:30: She was obviously not in discomfort anymore so we repeated the prayer, book, and singing routine and put her back to bed. She screamed for about 15 minutes before passing out.
*12:45: I convinced John to check on her to make sure she was still alive (I'm neurotic, I know), which woke her up again. She came to our bed a third and final time. Our movie was over and we figured that the silence might encourage her to go to sleep. Wrong.. She didn't want to sleep.
*1: I convinced Brooke that going to sleep in her crib with my pillow would be wicked cool so, I once again, repeated her bedtime routine, gave her my pillow, and she was out for the night.
Can you even believe that? I sure hope that last night was a one time deal because I can't handle that again tonight. I'm too worn out from our struggle last night. I'm just glad that John was home then!
Alrighty, I'm off to get some rest (hopefully)!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
New Layout
I am SO excited because I finally figured out how to make my blog pretty!!! I've tried applying templates and such but I could never find one that worked. I just got really bored tonight and searched for Blogger templates, which led me to this beautiful layout! I got it for free from this site. I LOVE IT and I'm so excited about blogging again!
Brooke is still not doing very well at all. Her foot continues to look very swollen and bruised and she has yet to walk on it. Tonight after her bath she seemed to be doing just a tad bit better and I'm hoping that tomorrow she will show marked improvement. I think I'm also going to try soaking it in Epsom salt at some point tomorrow, in hopes of something miraculous happening. It's been a rough couple of days around here and all I want is for my princess to feel better and QUICKLY!
I made Chicken Parmesan for church dinner tonight and everyone loved it! I had lots of help in the kitchen, which was great, and John and Patty took Brooke so I could cook without her on my hip. It was nice to have those couple of hours without carrying Brooke, even if they were spent frying chicken for the masses! Lol
John has tonight and tomorrow night off and I'm SO excited! I love spending time with him so much!
Brooke is still not doing very well at all. Her foot continues to look very swollen and bruised and she has yet to walk on it. Tonight after her bath she seemed to be doing just a tad bit better and I'm hoping that tomorrow she will show marked improvement. I think I'm also going to try soaking it in Epsom salt at some point tomorrow, in hopes of something miraculous happening. It's been a rough couple of days around here and all I want is for my princess to feel better and QUICKLY!
I made Chicken Parmesan for church dinner tonight and everyone loved it! I had lots of help in the kitchen, which was great, and John and Patty took Brooke so I could cook without her on my hip. It was nice to have those couple of hours without carrying Brooke, even if they were spent frying chicken for the masses! Lol
John has tonight and tomorrow night off and I'm SO excited! I love spending time with him so much!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Crippled Baby
Poor Brooke! Her foot is showing very little improvement. Actually, I think it has shown NO improvement. I'm so upset for her because she's extremely frustrated and she is also in obvious pain. Throughout the day she continued to forget about her sprained ankle and when she tried to walk towards something she would immediately fall over in pain. :-(
I feel so broken hearted because Brooke is just NOT herself. All she wants to do is lay in my arms, which is great, but I'm so used to her being crazy and hyper. It almost seems like she's sad and I tend to think that her inability to carry on as normal really has her down.
I had a revisit back into the days of Brooke's life before she walked today and it was so weird. I never realized how easy it is when your baby can walk to where she needs or wants to go! I had to do every little thing for her and she ordinarily rummages through my cupboards, drawers, her toy box, etc... to find what she's looking for. She crawled a few places today but she has to drag her bad foot behind her (because I think it hurts too bad for her to use it) so she really struggled with that too.
Please continue to pray for Brooke. It's really, really crushing me to see her so miserable:-( As a mommy, I have a pit in my stomach knowing that my precious baby is hurting.
I feel so broken hearted because Brooke is just NOT herself. All she wants to do is lay in my arms, which is great, but I'm so used to her being crazy and hyper. It almost seems like she's sad and I tend to think that her inability to carry on as normal really has her down.
I had a revisit back into the days of Brooke's life before she walked today and it was so weird. I never realized how easy it is when your baby can walk to where she needs or wants to go! I had to do every little thing for her and she ordinarily rummages through my cupboards, drawers, her toy box, etc... to find what she's looking for. She crawled a few places today but she has to drag her bad foot behind her (because I think it hurts too bad for her to use it) so she really struggled with that too.
Please continue to pray for Brooke. It's really, really crushing me to see her so miserable:-( As a mommy, I have a pit in my stomach knowing that my precious baby is hurting.
Monday, September 22, 2008
My Poor, Pitiful Brooke
Today at the park Brookie was going down the slide and the rubber on her shoe caught the side of it, causing her little foot to be bent backwards. She screamed uncontrollably and refused to walk on her foot but it wasn't black and blue or anything. I thought that she was just REALLY upset and sleepy because it was nap time and things are always seemingly worse when you're dealing with a sleepy toddler. I decided to get her home to see if she just needed to rest and settle down and as soon as I put her in the car she instantly went to sleep. She continued to stay sleeping for 3 hours too! I thought we were in the clear...
HOWEVER, when Brooke woke up from her nap she couldn't even stand up in her crib:-( She was not able to walk, even though John and I tried coaxing her with her favorite toys. It was clear that her foot was really hurt so off to the ER we went. After X-rays and a thorough evaluation, it was determined that her ankle wasn't broken (THANK GOD) but just sprained. She has to keep an ace bandage on her foot to help support her and if she's not better in a few days I'm supposed to take her to a pediatric orthopedist. I'm praying that it doesn't come to that though.
Brooke still can't walk, which breaks my heart. She'll get down to go play with something and she simply can't do it so she screams. It seems as though the next days will be draining on me because she can't walk anywhere. I'll do whatever it takes to be there for her but I hate to imagine the frustration that she must feel, seeing as how she's used to being so VERY active.
I have major mommy guilt for letting Brooke get hurt. I know that kids get hurt constantly and that they are easily resilient, but I keep thinking that if I had done this or that differently then she wouldn't have been hurt so badly. I realize that that's a bad way of thinking because accidents are going to happen, but STIL. I want to fix EVERYTHING for her and I just wish that she could be spared from ever being hurt!
I went to put the princess to bed and she was just so pitiful. Her foot was starting to turn black and blue and it was swelling pretty bad. Little tears trickled down her face as I slipped her PJ's over her foot and it killed me to have to put her to bed. I just wanted to hold her for the rest of the night.
Please be praying that Brookie's foot heals quickly and that God would give me the patience during this extra time of neediness for Brooke. Thank you so much!
HOWEVER, when Brooke woke up from her nap she couldn't even stand up in her crib:-( She was not able to walk, even though John and I tried coaxing her with her favorite toys. It was clear that her foot was really hurt so off to the ER we went. After X-rays and a thorough evaluation, it was determined that her ankle wasn't broken (THANK GOD) but just sprained. She has to keep an ace bandage on her foot to help support her and if she's not better in a few days I'm supposed to take her to a pediatric orthopedist. I'm praying that it doesn't come to that though.
Brooke still can't walk, which breaks my heart. She'll get down to go play with something and she simply can't do it so she screams. It seems as though the next days will be draining on me because she can't walk anywhere. I'll do whatever it takes to be there for her but I hate to imagine the frustration that she must feel, seeing as how she's used to being so VERY active.
I have major mommy guilt for letting Brooke get hurt. I know that kids get hurt constantly and that they are easily resilient, but I keep thinking that if I had done this or that differently then she wouldn't have been hurt so badly. I realize that that's a bad way of thinking because accidents are going to happen, but STIL. I want to fix EVERYTHING for her and I just wish that she could be spared from ever being hurt!
I went to put the princess to bed and she was just so pitiful. Her foot was starting to turn black and blue and it was swelling pretty bad. Little tears trickled down her face as I slipped her PJ's over her foot and it killed me to have to put her to bed. I just wanted to hold her for the rest of the night.
Please be praying that Brookie's foot heals quickly and that God would give me the patience during this extra time of neediness for Brooke. Thank you so much!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Home Again
We're home from out little weekend getaway. We had a really awesome time and I cannot brag enough about how well behaved Nathan and Brookie were. Seriously, I couldn't have asked them to be more flexible and happy. We're blessed with the best kids:-)
The ride down there and back was virtually painless, which was the part that I feared the most! On the way there the kiddos played happily with blocks, books, and and their Magna Doodles. On the way back they both played and had a few snacks and then slept the rest of the way home (almost). Not bad for a car ride that is 8 hours round trip!
I also want to brag about how the kids slept last night. We got to the hotel room and sang to them and prayed with them before putting them in their cribs. Brooke was out in about 2 minutes without fussing, and Nathan took a little bit longer to go to sleep, but he laid in his crib still and quiet. He totally knew he had to be in there, but winding down was just a little hard for them. They woke up this morning at 7:40 and were so happy when they realized that they were together. Lol! Those two are the best of friends.
I think my favorite part of the trip was last night after the kids went to bed... Ali and I ordered room-service (we split a quesadilla and salad) and watched Made of Honor. I don't remember the last sleepover we've had. I think it was long before Brooke was born. We used to have them all the time!
The trip was great, don't get me wrong, but all I could think about the whole time was how very much I missed John. This was the first time I've ever left him and I didn't imagine that it would be quite as hard as it was. Needless to say, I was THRILLED when I came home and got a big hug and kiss from my man. He spent all day yesterday cleaning the house like nobody's business... He organized closets and everything! He also did a ton of yard work, closed up the pool for winter, and organized all of our mail. I'm the luckiest woman in the world:-)
Okay, off to bed. I'm exhausted from my long weekend.
The ride down there and back was virtually painless, which was the part that I feared the most! On the way there the kiddos played happily with blocks, books, and and their Magna Doodles. On the way back they both played and had a few snacks and then slept the rest of the way home (almost). Not bad for a car ride that is 8 hours round trip!
I also want to brag about how the kids slept last night. We got to the hotel room and sang to them and prayed with them before putting them in their cribs. Brooke was out in about 2 minutes without fussing, and Nathan took a little bit longer to go to sleep, but he laid in his crib still and quiet. He totally knew he had to be in there, but winding down was just a little hard for them. They woke up this morning at 7:40 and were so happy when they realized that they were together. Lol! Those two are the best of friends.
I think my favorite part of the trip was last night after the kids went to bed... Ali and I ordered room-service (we split a quesadilla and salad) and watched Made of Honor. I don't remember the last sleepover we've had. I think it was long before Brooke was born. We used to have them all the time!
The trip was great, don't get me wrong, but all I could think about the whole time was how very much I missed John. This was the first time I've ever left him and I didn't imagine that it would be quite as hard as it was. Needless to say, I was THRILLED when I came home and got a big hug and kiss from my man. He spent all day yesterday cleaning the house like nobody's business... He organized closets and everything! He also did a ton of yard work, closed up the pool for winter, and organized all of our mail. I'm the luckiest woman in the world:-)
Okay, off to bed. I'm exhausted from my long weekend.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Off To New Jersey I Go!
Tomorrow Alison and I are taking the babies to New Jersey to see some of Alison's family from Luke's side. Luke wasn't able to make it so I'm taking the trip with her. I'm so excited because we're going to stay in a hotel (which should be interesting with two toddlers) and go to some fun places to eat. It will be a sacrifice for me to leave John (considering that he doesn't have to back into work until tomorrow night) but with Ali's new baby coming and all, I'm not sure when the next time Alison I will be able to something like this together again will be. It will probably be years!
We leave tomorrow morning as soon as we get moving and then we're coming back Sunday morning so it will be a very short trip. It's always refreshing to be gone, even if it's just for a day or so. I'm happy that it's short because I DO NOT like being away from John. I have the feeling that I'll miss him horribly, but I expect to have an amazing time with my sister.
We went to the outlet malls today and got Brookie a TON of new fall clothes. We got her three pairs of pants, three dresses (with matching bows and tights), and five shirts. She really needed new clothes for the warm weather because all of last year's clothes are too short and she only had about 5 outfits for this year. My parents are in Florida on vacation and I called them to tell them about Brooke's new clothes and they told me that they just got her a ton of clothes too. It looks like Brooke will be set! Gotta love grandparents!
Alrighty, I'm off to get some work done before I leave in the morning. I'll be back Sunday night after Bible study so I'll update again then!
We leave tomorrow morning as soon as we get moving and then we're coming back Sunday morning so it will be a very short trip. It's always refreshing to be gone, even if it's just for a day or so. I'm happy that it's short because I DO NOT like being away from John. I have the feeling that I'll miss him horribly, but I expect to have an amazing time with my sister.
We went to the outlet malls today and got Brookie a TON of new fall clothes. We got her three pairs of pants, three dresses (with matching bows and tights), and five shirts. She really needed new clothes for the warm weather because all of last year's clothes are too short and she only had about 5 outfits for this year. My parents are in Florida on vacation and I called them to tell them about Brooke's new clothes and they told me that they just got her a ton of clothes too. It looks like Brooke will be set! Gotta love grandparents!
Alrighty, I'm off to get some work done before I leave in the morning. I'll be back Sunday night after Bible study so I'll update again then!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Bible Study
My frequent readers (insert LOTS of laughs) may notice that my blog has been updated a lot less lately. I miss my time on the computer but I've replaced it with something really awesome that I'm excited to share about!
I am teaching a woman's Bible study at our church!! I'm not really sure why God laid it on my heart to lead the study because 1) I'm not the smartest person around, 2) I'm a lot younger than the majority of the women in the class, and 3) I've never taught people my own age. I'm humbled that despite my weaknesses that God using me for His glory in a situation that I never really saw myself in.
Each day there is about a half hour long devotion and accompanied with my prayer time, I pretty much have to devote over and hour to this study every day. It's been a sacrifice because I usually use Brooke's nap for housework and to prepare some things for dinner, but now I'm using that time to prepare for my study on Sunday. God is really showing me that my house doesn't always need to perfect and I don't have to be super mom/wife, but I DO need to focus on my relationship with Him first and foremost. Through this I'm learning that everything in my life can wait, but spending time with God needs to be absolute TOP priority!
I really look forward to the days ahead as I'm learning so much and enjoying this class so much already! It should be a really great experience for me and I'm excited for God has in store for me.
I am teaching a woman's Bible study at our church!! I'm not really sure why God laid it on my heart to lead the study because 1) I'm not the smartest person around, 2) I'm a lot younger than the majority of the women in the class, and 3) I've never taught people my own age. I'm humbled that despite my weaknesses that God using me for His glory in a situation that I never really saw myself in.
Each day there is about a half hour long devotion and accompanied with my prayer time, I pretty much have to devote over and hour to this study every day. It's been a sacrifice because I usually use Brooke's nap for housework and to prepare some things for dinner, but now I'm using that time to prepare for my study on Sunday. God is really showing me that my house doesn't always need to perfect and I don't have to be super mom/wife, but I DO need to focus on my relationship with Him first and foremost. Through this I'm learning that everything in my life can wait, but spending time with God needs to be absolute TOP priority!
I really look forward to the days ahead as I'm learning so much and enjoying this class so much already! It should be a really great experience for me and I'm excited for God has in store for me.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Death by Blocks
Brooke is absolutely obsessed with Lego blocks. She could sit there for the entire day and put them together and take them to part. It's really precious to wath her because she's enthralled by them.
Her latest trend with blocks, though, is a rather exhausting one... She gets her blocks out and passes them to me one by one (and there are 80!) and tells me to "build tower." That's great! I LOVE playing with my princess. That's not the whole story though.. If I stop for even two seconds she FREAKS out on me. She'll grab my hand and try to pry it open to put blocks in it and if I encourage her to play with the blocks herself she takes them and says "help" repeatedly until I take over. It's hilarious and really cute that she's doing this, but when you play this game for 2 hours straight (no exaggeration!) it gets 1) monotonous, and 2) it's almost impossible to get anything done around the house. What am I going to do with her?!?!??!??!
Block torture aside, Brookie and I had a really nice day together! She's just so precious and so well behaved (for the most part!) and watching the world through her eyes is so much fun. When I put her to bed tonight she looked up and said, "Wuv you, Mommy!" And I found myself wanting to hold onto her for the rest of the night! She's a sweetie:-)
Alrighty, it's time to go watch One Tree Hill. YAY!!!!!!! That's our favorite show by far!
Her latest trend with blocks, though, is a rather exhausting one... She gets her blocks out and passes them to me one by one (and there are 80!) and tells me to "build tower." That's great! I LOVE playing with my princess. That's not the whole story though.. If I stop for even two seconds she FREAKS out on me. She'll grab my hand and try to pry it open to put blocks in it and if I encourage her to play with the blocks herself she takes them and says "help" repeatedly until I take over. It's hilarious and really cute that she's doing this, but when you play this game for 2 hours straight (no exaggeration!) it gets 1) monotonous, and 2) it's almost impossible to get anything done around the house. What am I going to do with her?!?!??!??!
Block torture aside, Brookie and I had a really nice day together! She's just so precious and so well behaved (for the most part!) and watching the world through her eyes is so much fun. When I put her to bed tonight she looked up and said, "Wuv you, Mommy!" And I found myself wanting to hold onto her for the rest of the night! She's a sweetie:-)
Alrighty, it's time to go watch One Tree Hill. YAY!!!!!!! That's our favorite show by far!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
I Have Writer's Block!!!
I haven't had much to say lately, huh? It seems like life has been so "routine" that there hasn't been anything too interesting to post on here. Usually I can think of something, but in these recent days I've been totally lacking inspiration!
Let's see... John's been off the last few days (which greatly contributes to my lack of writing) and we've really enjoyed one another, as always. We went on a date last night and went shopping, to dinner, to the movies, and then out for ice cream. I love the times when we're able to be carefree and do fun things together. John goes back in tonight and I'm so bummed because having him home really makes my world. He's my best friend and I hate not having him home:-( Such is life...
Brooke has been great! She's a little crack up and I'm telling you, her language is getting better by the minute. I called her a pistol the other day and now she walks around saying "pistol." Lol! My favorite new thing that she's been doing is shaking her head. Every time you ask her something she'll shake her head yes, except she looks more like a Bobble Head Doll when she does it. It makes me laugh every time! My only complaint with the princess is that she's waking up super early (around 6:30) and her naps have been too short, like less than an hour. I so hope that this is just a phase because I'm exhausted BIG TIME!
Well, that's all for now. Like I said, nothing new is going on and life's been great, but quiet. That's how we like it though!
Let's see... John's been off the last few days (which greatly contributes to my lack of writing) and we've really enjoyed one another, as always. We went on a date last night and went shopping, to dinner, to the movies, and then out for ice cream. I love the times when we're able to be carefree and do fun things together. John goes back in tonight and I'm so bummed because having him home really makes my world. He's my best friend and I hate not having him home:-( Such is life...
Brooke has been great! She's a little crack up and I'm telling you, her language is getting better by the minute. I called her a pistol the other day and now she walks around saying "pistol." Lol! My favorite new thing that she's been doing is shaking her head. Every time you ask her something she'll shake her head yes, except she looks more like a Bobble Head Doll when she does it. It makes me laugh every time! My only complaint with the princess is that she's waking up super early (around 6:30) and her naps have been too short, like less than an hour. I so hope that this is just a phase because I'm exhausted BIG TIME!
Well, that's all for now. Like I said, nothing new is going on and life's been great, but quiet. That's how we like it though!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Snuggly Brooke?
Last night we left church at 6:30 because I wasn't feeling too great and before we could even get out of the parking lot Brooke was passed out. I was less than thrilled because I just knew that that would throw off our whole schedule. However, Brooke went immediately into her crib and passed out like normal... UNTIL 10, that is. I heard her fussing so I went in her room to reassure her and she said, "All done night night!" I left her room and she cried for a few minutes but then she just lied in her bed singing and talking. It was really precious to listen to.
After John left for work, at 10:30, I went to check on Brooke again and she was just laying there wide awake. She looked so pitiful... Her hair truly looked like she stuck her finger in the light socket, she was sniffling, and she had little tear running down her cheek. She looked up at me with those big, beautiful blue eyes and said, "Mommy hold you. Carry you." Instantly, without even thinking, I scooped my precious baby up and took her into bed with me. Once we got there, she lied next to me and rubbed my arm for a few minutes and then, only moments later, she drifted peacefully off to sleep. We snuggled the whole entire night and I loved having her right there next to me. I woke up at 3 A.M coughing and Brooke looked up at me and said, "Bless you, Mommy!" Little moments like that are what keep me perpetually addicted to motherhood:-)
Brooke has continued to be extremely snugly and attached to me today. I love it but it's just so weird because she has NEVER been a snuggler. I think that her issue last night was just that she missed me. I have been so sick and she's spent a lot more time away from me than usual and I bet she just needed that reassurance that I was still there for her. I'm so glad that I was able to give her some extra, extra loving!
I was a little bit worried that Brooke would think that sleeping with mommy was the norm, but she went down completely fine tonight and has been sleeping soundly every since. I can breathe a big sigh of relief for that! I must admit that I'll miss having her tonight but I know that it's best for her to sleep on her own.
After John left for work, at 10:30, I went to check on Brooke again and she was just laying there wide awake. She looked so pitiful... Her hair truly looked like she stuck her finger in the light socket, she was sniffling, and she had little tear running down her cheek. She looked up at me with those big, beautiful blue eyes and said, "Mommy hold you. Carry you." Instantly, without even thinking, I scooped my precious baby up and took her into bed with me. Once we got there, she lied next to me and rubbed my arm for a few minutes and then, only moments later, she drifted peacefully off to sleep. We snuggled the whole entire night and I loved having her right there next to me. I woke up at 3 A.M coughing and Brooke looked up at me and said, "Bless you, Mommy!" Little moments like that are what keep me perpetually addicted to motherhood:-)
Brooke has continued to be extremely snugly and attached to me today. I love it but it's just so weird because she has NEVER been a snuggler. I think that her issue last night was just that she missed me. I have been so sick and she's spent a lot more time away from me than usual and I bet she just needed that reassurance that I was still there for her. I'm so glad that I was able to give her some extra, extra loving!
I was a little bit worried that Brooke would think that sleeping with mommy was the norm, but she went down completely fine tonight and has been sleeping soundly every since. I can breathe a big sigh of relief for that! I must admit that I'll miss having her tonight but I know that it's best for her to sleep on her own.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A Very ROUGH Couple of Days
Wow, I don't even know where to begin! The last three days have been absolutely horrible for me. I have had a very, very bad case of bronchitis, on top of my asthma flaring up out of control. I have not able to sleep because I've been coughing so bad and breathing has been so difficult and painful. On top of that, all of the medicines that are making me better (inhalers, steroids, antibiotics, breathing treatments) make my stomach sick so I feel crummy altogether. I have battled asthma for my entire life and I can't think of a time where I have had this bad of an episode. There were times this week when I had no idea how I would muster up the strength to simply breathe because it was just so hard for me. There were also times that I was completely dizzy and incapacitated from lack of oxygen. All I have to say is thank God for doctors and medicine to fix me! Though I'm not 100 percent, I'm feeling MUCH better now.
More so than feeling sick and everything, I really struggled this week with my pride. I don't like to let people take care of my family, my house, or me. I like to be self sufficient and I always strive to be "super mom" or "super wife." It's hard for me to admit when I need help but this week, I have needed all of the help that people could give me. John was amazing... He cared for me so gently and sensitively. In the midst of my pain, I felt safe in his arms and reassured that I would get better! He took care of the house, the baby, meals, etc... I don't know how he stayed so strong! Patty, my dad, my mom, Alison, and Josh (my brother-in-law) all bent over backwards to help out with Brooke when John was working. There were several times when I tried to care for her but I simply had no breath inside of me to carry her down the stairs. That was really hard on me:-( Anyways, I determined that I'm just one very blessed and lucky girl to have so, so many people in my life to help me in out in my times of need. I don't know where I would be without my husband and my family!
So, now that I'm on the mend, I look forward to loving up on my baby and spending some extra one-on-one time with her. We're way past due! My house and I are also past due for a cleaning so tomorrow I'm sure that's what I'll be doing during Brookie's nap. I'm so excited for life to return to normal! (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!)
More so than feeling sick and everything, I really struggled this week with my pride. I don't like to let people take care of my family, my house, or me. I like to be self sufficient and I always strive to be "super mom" or "super wife." It's hard for me to admit when I need help but this week, I have needed all of the help that people could give me. John was amazing... He cared for me so gently and sensitively. In the midst of my pain, I felt safe in his arms and reassured that I would get better! He took care of the house, the baby, meals, etc... I don't know how he stayed so strong! Patty, my dad, my mom, Alison, and Josh (my brother-in-law) all bent over backwards to help out with Brooke when John was working. There were several times when I tried to care for her but I simply had no breath inside of me to carry her down the stairs. That was really hard on me:-( Anyways, I determined that I'm just one very blessed and lucky girl to have so, so many people in my life to help me in out in my times of need. I don't know where I would be without my husband and my family!
So, now that I'm on the mend, I look forward to loving up on my baby and spending some extra one-on-one time with her. We're way past due! My house and I are also past due for a cleaning so tomorrow I'm sure that's what I'll be doing during Brookie's nap. I'm so excited for life to return to normal! (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
We're Sick:-(
Brooke woke up this morning with a runny nose. I didn't really think anything of it because she's getting her final eye-tooth and I assumed it was all related somehow. I kind of brushed it off and went through my Sunday morning ritual of rushing out the door to get to worship practice by 8:15. When we got to church she was SUPER fussy and clingy and when I left her for Sunday School she was a disaster. Poor baby! Apparently she sat in the rocking chair with my mom the entire time and rested. I feel so bad that she felt that awful to not even want to play! I ended up playing the piano for worship and then taking her home instead of staying for the sermon. She was asleep before we even left the church parking lot so I felt as though I made the best decision for her.
Brooke has continued to be fussy throughout the day and her nose is running like a faucet. She's also sleepy and has no appetite so it has been a difficult day in our camp. To top it all off, my allergies are completely out of control today too. I can't breathe because it's caused a horrible asthma flare up and I, too, feel like garbage due to a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. I sure hope that this isn't a preview of what our winter will look like!
I'm teaching a women's class this Fall at our church on Sunday nights and I had orientation for that tonight. John sent me on my merry way and stayed home with Miss Brooke. He gave her a bath, fed her dinner, and played all sorts of silly games with her. I am so blessed to have such an amazing daddy for my little girl! It was so nice to be able to go out and do something I enjoy and then be able to come back to a happy, well-cared-for princess. Life is good!
Alrighty, John's off tonight so it's time to go rest with him. This will be the perfect ending to our long day!
Brooke has continued to be fussy throughout the day and her nose is running like a faucet. She's also sleepy and has no appetite so it has been a difficult day in our camp. To top it all off, my allergies are completely out of control today too. I can't breathe because it's caused a horrible asthma flare up and I, too, feel like garbage due to a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. I sure hope that this isn't a preview of what our winter will look like!
I'm teaching a women's class this Fall at our church on Sunday nights and I had orientation for that tonight. John sent me on my merry way and stayed home with Miss Brooke. He gave her a bath, fed her dinner, and played all sorts of silly games with her. I am so blessed to have such an amazing daddy for my little girl! It was so nice to be able to go out and do something I enjoy and then be able to come back to a happy, well-cared-for princess. Life is good!
Alrighty, John's off tonight so it's time to go rest with him. This will be the perfect ending to our long day!
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Queen of Shoes
Have I mentioned that my baby is obsessed with shoes? Holy cow! I've never seen a child who gets so much satisfaction out of taking her shoes off and then putting them back on. She could do this over and over and over again all day and I don't think she would get sick of it! It's hilarious because now she's getting selective about what shoes she'll wear. For instance, the other day I was attempting to put her brown sandals on and she arched her back, screamed hysterically and yelled "CONVERSE!" (While pointing to her bumble gum pink Converse sneakers... don't worry, not the high top kind) Because the shoes didn't match her outfit I wouldn't put them on her and it took John and me a good ten minutes to convince the child that she was wearing sandals. Lol!
We've been doing a lot of shoe shopping lately with Fall just around the corner and Brooke has become mesmerized by shoe stores. She gets very angry if we go to a shoe store and she can't sit in the aisle and try on every single pair. It's horrible taking her shoe shopping for that reason! Tonight we went to buy Nathan his first pair of Nike's (Shhh, don't tell! We haven't given them to him yet) and Brooke was absolutely beside herself because we didn't let her try them on in the store. On the way home she kept yelling for "Naynay's shoe on!" And she's only a toddler! Can you imagine her as a teenager? WOW!
We are currently missing one of Brooke's brown sandals and to this very minute I'm baffled by it. We came home from running errands this morning and Brooke had both shoes on her feet. While I cleaned up around the house she played with BOTH of her shoes too. When we went to get ready to go out to dinner, one shoe was missing. I came home and scoured the house... Every crevice of Brooke's toy room, in the cabinets where she plays, underneath the seat cushions on the coaches, and the silly shoes is still NOWHERE to be found. I'm starting to feel like I'm losing my mind! I sure hope I find it because the sandals are brand new and I'm not quite ready to part ways with them!
So, you get the point, my girl is VERY crazy about shoes. Imelda Marcos WATCH OUT! Lol
We've been doing a lot of shoe shopping lately with Fall just around the corner and Brooke has become mesmerized by shoe stores. She gets very angry if we go to a shoe store and she can't sit in the aisle and try on every single pair. It's horrible taking her shoe shopping for that reason! Tonight we went to buy Nathan his first pair of Nike's (Shhh, don't tell! We haven't given them to him yet) and Brooke was absolutely beside herself because we didn't let her try them on in the store. On the way home she kept yelling for "Naynay's shoe on!" And she's only a toddler! Can you imagine her as a teenager? WOW!
We are currently missing one of Brooke's brown sandals and to this very minute I'm baffled by it. We came home from running errands this morning and Brooke had both shoes on her feet. While I cleaned up around the house she played with BOTH of her shoes too. When we went to get ready to go out to dinner, one shoe was missing. I came home and scoured the house... Every crevice of Brooke's toy room, in the cabinets where she plays, underneath the seat cushions on the coaches, and the silly shoes is still NOWHERE to be found. I'm starting to feel like I'm losing my mind! I sure hope I find it because the sandals are brand new and I'm not quite ready to part ways with them!
So, you get the point, my girl is VERY crazy about shoes. Imelda Marcos WATCH OUT! Lol
Thursday, September 4, 2008
My Visit to the ER
Last night at about 10:30 (right after John left) I got a really, really bad headache. I took sinus medicine, along with a pain killer, thinking that it was just a sinus headache. By 11, I was dying. It hurt to move, talk or look at the light and I kept throwing up and I was running a fever. I was seriously in agony and I couldn't get John and the phone because he was at the office where he doesn't have a signal so, Sarah, my sister-in-law, was in the area so she stopped by. She was amazing and took great care of me until we could get a hold of John. I ended up taking John's migraine medicine, which took the edge off of the pain but didn't take it away.
John got home about 11:30 and I asked to go to the hospital. I didn't WANT to go because who likes going to the ER but I knew that I wasn't going go get any relief. Finally at about midnight we got there and they put me on an IV with some fluids and a heavy duty pain killer. I had a fever and the doctor said that fevers and migraines don't go hand in hand. I told him that I've been battling reoccurring UTI's that almost always start with a fever so he did a urine culture and found that I was right. So we killed two birds with one stone. Lol
We got in at about 3:30 and Brooke was up by 7. John woke up with her and fed her breakfast and dressed her and then Patty came by to get her shortly after so John could sleep. I didn't wake up until 2:30 (thank the narcotics for that!) and now I feel completely spacey and groggy. Don't you just hate that feeling? I can't stand it! I'm about to go pick up my baby now and I can't wait to give her some loving! I'm sure just seeing her will make me feel all better!
John got home about 11:30 and I asked to go to the hospital. I didn't WANT to go because who likes going to the ER but I knew that I wasn't going go get any relief. Finally at about midnight we got there and they put me on an IV with some fluids and a heavy duty pain killer. I had a fever and the doctor said that fevers and migraines don't go hand in hand. I told him that I've been battling reoccurring UTI's that almost always start with a fever so he did a urine culture and found that I was right. So we killed two birds with one stone. Lol
We got in at about 3:30 and Brooke was up by 7. John woke up with her and fed her breakfast and dressed her and then Patty came by to get her shortly after so John could sleep. I didn't wake up until 2:30 (thank the narcotics for that!) and now I feel completely spacey and groggy. Don't you just hate that feeling? I can't stand it! I'm about to go pick up my baby now and I can't wait to give her some loving! I'm sure just seeing her will make me feel all better!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Hilarious Life of Parenting a Toddler
Brooke has been keeping me in stitches lately! It seems like every 5 minutes she's doing something silly or new that amazes me. I'm really loving this age and I'm soaking every minute of it up! Here's some of her latest antics/developments:
*She now refers to herself as "baby." She walks around saying "baby hungry," "baby thirsty," "baby sleepy," etc... It's so funny! I guess we do refer to her as "the baby" a lot.
*When she claims something as her own she always calls herself "B." When she wants a juice box it' "B's box" and when she wants her toothbrush it's "B's brush." On and on the list goes...
*She has this little toy car that's big enough for her to ride around on. Instead of riding on it, however, she stands on it and THROWS herself on the ground. cracking up hysterically each time. Over and over again she does this and she's getting so good at it that she's now jumping off of it and landing on her feet. Quite the gymnast, I'd say! I thought this game was harmless because the toy car is only about a foot off of the ground, but this morning when she tried to jump off of our very high sleigh bed, I decided that maybe it wasn't such a great activity for her. Now I'm all nervous!
*She still continues to be a horrible eater, though she's showed marked improvement. She's currently addicted to oatmeal (we hear about it ALL day long) and get this... American cheese dipped in yogurt. Can you say DISGUSTING???? If I, heaven forbid, break out the yogurt without cheese too she says, "Cheese, dip yogurt." I cringe every time I watch her combine the two foods.
*I'm thinking that I'm going to pick back up on the potty training because now after she goes to the bathroom (poop or pee) she comes up to me and says, "Diaper change please." I read somewhere that that's a sign of readiness so I'm going to use her interest to my advantage.
*She loves to have pretend tea parties! For hours on end today she had her tea set out and she kept pouring me imaginary glasses of tea and saying, "Here go, mommy. Drink." Acting excited about each and every drink got a little old after the first 100:-)
*She can count to 3 and she knows A,B,C!
*She just got another tooth.. Her bottom eye tooth. She only has one more tooth to go (besides her two-year molars)!
*She's now starting that phase where she follows me around all day long saying, "mommy, mommy, mommy" over and over again. It's so cute (most of the time)!
*She talks endlessly about vacation... the things we did there, having Aunt Sarah there with us, riding on the plane, seeing the animals at the zoo, and going to the ocean. Most of all, though, she talks about the "messy sand." I think we've scarred her for life!
*I know that I've been saying this a lot lately, but her vocabulary is AMAZING. She says pretty much what she wants or needs to say.. when she's hot or cold, hurt, hungry, thirsty.. and she also knows how to properly name the majority of the things around her. She's speaking in 3-4 word sentences all day long and she also repeats every thing we say.
*She likes to put "you" after a lot of her phrases. Today she looked at the stove and said, "Burns you!" "Hurts you," and "Bites you" are also popular.
*She says "Wuv you" (Love you) and it melts my heart every single time that she does!
*Everywhere we go Brooke walks around waving and blowing kisses to people. It's like she's Miss America or something! People get a real kick out of her too and she knows it.
Well, I think that's all that I can think of for right now. I'm writing these things down for my own personal record because it's so easy to forget all of these silly little things! It's fun to read back every couple of months and she how my princess has changed. I LOVE being her mommy:-)
*She now refers to herself as "baby." She walks around saying "baby hungry," "baby thirsty," "baby sleepy," etc... It's so funny! I guess we do refer to her as "the baby" a lot.
*When she claims something as her own she always calls herself "B." When she wants a juice box it' "B's box" and when she wants her toothbrush it's "B's brush." On and on the list goes...
*She has this little toy car that's big enough for her to ride around on. Instead of riding on it, however, she stands on it and THROWS herself on the ground. cracking up hysterically each time. Over and over again she does this and she's getting so good at it that she's now jumping off of it and landing on her feet. Quite the gymnast, I'd say! I thought this game was harmless because the toy car is only about a foot off of the ground, but this morning when she tried to jump off of our very high sleigh bed, I decided that maybe it wasn't such a great activity for her. Now I'm all nervous!
*She still continues to be a horrible eater, though she's showed marked improvement. She's currently addicted to oatmeal (we hear about it ALL day long) and get this... American cheese dipped in yogurt. Can you say DISGUSTING???? If I, heaven forbid, break out the yogurt without cheese too she says, "Cheese, dip yogurt." I cringe every time I watch her combine the two foods.
*I'm thinking that I'm going to pick back up on the potty training because now after she goes to the bathroom (poop or pee) she comes up to me and says, "Diaper change please." I read somewhere that that's a sign of readiness so I'm going to use her interest to my advantage.
*She loves to have pretend tea parties! For hours on end today she had her tea set out and she kept pouring me imaginary glasses of tea and saying, "Here go, mommy. Drink." Acting excited about each and every drink got a little old after the first 100:-)
*She can count to 3 and she knows A,B,C!
*She just got another tooth.. Her bottom eye tooth. She only has one more tooth to go (besides her two-year molars)!
*She's now starting that phase where she follows me around all day long saying, "mommy, mommy, mommy" over and over again. It's so cute (most of the time)!
*She talks endlessly about vacation... the things we did there, having Aunt Sarah there with us, riding on the plane, seeing the animals at the zoo, and going to the ocean. Most of all, though, she talks about the "messy sand." I think we've scarred her for life!
*I know that I've been saying this a lot lately, but her vocabulary is AMAZING. She says pretty much what she wants or needs to say.. when she's hot or cold, hurt, hungry, thirsty.. and she also knows how to properly name the majority of the things around her. She's speaking in 3-4 word sentences all day long and she also repeats every thing we say.
*She likes to put "you" after a lot of her phrases. Today she looked at the stove and said, "Burns you!" "Hurts you," and "Bites you" are also popular.
*She says "Wuv you" (Love you) and it melts my heart every single time that she does!
*Everywhere we go Brooke walks around waving and blowing kisses to people. It's like she's Miss America or something! People get a real kick out of her too and she knows it.
Well, I think that's all that I can think of for right now. I'm writing these things down for my own personal record because it's so easy to forget all of these silly little things! It's fun to read back every couple of months and she how my princess has changed. I LOVE being her mommy:-)
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