Adrienne has slept in a cradle in our room for the last 3 months now. I have been serenaded by the sweet sound of her sucking her thumb each night and if I wake up and am worried about her, I hear her breathing and instantly know that she's okay. I love having her close and I love knowing that she's safe.
BUT... I'm afraid she's growing out of her cradle:-( Whenever she moves the whole cradle thrashes about with her. She also pushes her face up against the side of it and I'm starting to worry that she'll suffocate herself or something. Thankfully, we have the amazing Angel Care Monitor that will notify us if she stops breathing or else I would feel absolutely scared to death to leave her in there for that reason.
It's just so hard for me to think about Adrienne sleeping alone in her big girl room in a CRIB and not in her little cradle. "Graduating" is always so emotional for me for some reason. I love that closeness and sense of security that I feel just knowing that she's a foot away from me. Our upstairs is pretty big and there's a small hallway leading to her room, which lends to my apprehension about this transition. I wish that she was RIGHT next door to me but I don't think the floor plan is changing anytime soon!
My baby is growing up... And MUCH too quickly. It seems like just yesterday that my precious Brookie was in a cradle in our room. Or wait, let me edit that... It seems like just yesterday that Brooke was in our bed in our room nursing all night long. Lol! Just to clarify:-)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A Bunch of Sicko's
It seems like sickness has taken my little family by storm. At midnight last night I heard Brooke crying, which is so NOT like her. I went in her room to check on her and she was absolutely burning up. Poor baby! I took her temperature and it was a whopping 103. I snuggled close with her until her fever broke and she drifted off to sleep.
This morning, her fever was 102 but she was extremely happy, had an appetite, and was showing absolutely no other signs of being sick. I was in desperate need to go to the walk-in clinic (more on this later) so I decided that I would just ask them to look at Brooke while we were at it. As it turns out, they couldn't find anything wrong with her... No ear infections, no strep throat... nothing. They said that it's just a virus that should pass over the next couple of days. I sure hope they were right, though. In my opinion, the caregivers at the walk-in are NOT as reliable as our primary care physicians.
So, then it was my turn. I suspected that I had a kidney infection because I was having this horrible pain in my lower back. After some tests and stuff, they discovered that I have one whopping infection with a fever and everything. I knew I didn't feel well! The lady put me on an antibiotic but she said that she didn't know if it would do the trick. She said that she fears that I'll need a much stronger antibiotic that is not safe for breastfeeding moms and that I may need to pump and dump to take a course of it:-( I'm sorry, my health is important to me, but Adrienne's well-being is much more important. For one, she hasn't ever had a bottle and second, she certainly has never had formula. That would be completely unfair to her. So, I'm just praying that this antibiotic works over the next couple of days. If not, I honestly don't know what I'll do...
As for Miss Adrienne, she's been a fussy wreck today as well. Every time I tried to feed her she would scream and she had a slightly elevated fever. I sure hope that that's the extent of her sickness and that tomorrow she's completely back to normal. Wishful thinking, huh?
I just put Brooke to bed about an hour ago with a fresh dose of Ibuprofen in her. Her fever was 102 before bed and she had some pretty nasty, runny diapers so I'm thinking it might be a long night. Tomorrow we have church and Hudson's 3Rd birthday party and I'm thinking we're probably going to have to sit out on those:-( We'll make that judgement call in the morning.
John is luckily feeling fine! Phew! He's working 11-7 tonight (which was supposed to be his night off). I'm trying super hard to support him in this whole overtime frenzy of his, but having him home tonight would have been MUCH better than extra money. I always think that though!
Okay, I'm off to send my man out the door and then hopefully get some rest myself. Wish me luck!
This morning, her fever was 102 but she was extremely happy, had an appetite, and was showing absolutely no other signs of being sick. I was in desperate need to go to the walk-in clinic (more on this later) so I decided that I would just ask them to look at Brooke while we were at it. As it turns out, they couldn't find anything wrong with her... No ear infections, no strep throat... nothing. They said that it's just a virus that should pass over the next couple of days. I sure hope they were right, though. In my opinion, the caregivers at the walk-in are NOT as reliable as our primary care physicians.
So, then it was my turn. I suspected that I had a kidney infection because I was having this horrible pain in my lower back. After some tests and stuff, they discovered that I have one whopping infection with a fever and everything. I knew I didn't feel well! The lady put me on an antibiotic but she said that she didn't know if it would do the trick. She said that she fears that I'll need a much stronger antibiotic that is not safe for breastfeeding moms and that I may need to pump and dump to take a course of it:-( I'm sorry, my health is important to me, but Adrienne's well-being is much more important. For one, she hasn't ever had a bottle and second, she certainly has never had formula. That would be completely unfair to her. So, I'm just praying that this antibiotic works over the next couple of days. If not, I honestly don't know what I'll do...
As for Miss Adrienne, she's been a fussy wreck today as well. Every time I tried to feed her she would scream and she had a slightly elevated fever. I sure hope that that's the extent of her sickness and that tomorrow she's completely back to normal. Wishful thinking, huh?
I just put Brooke to bed about an hour ago with a fresh dose of Ibuprofen in her. Her fever was 102 before bed and she had some pretty nasty, runny diapers so I'm thinking it might be a long night. Tomorrow we have church and Hudson's 3Rd birthday party and I'm thinking we're probably going to have to sit out on those:-( We'll make that judgement call in the morning.
John is luckily feeling fine! Phew! He's working 11-7 tonight (which was supposed to be his night off). I'm trying super hard to support him in this whole overtime frenzy of his, but having him home tonight would have been MUCH better than extra money. I always think that though!
Okay, I'm off to send my man out the door and then hopefully get some rest myself. Wish me luck!
Friday, August 28, 2009
What A Man!
The Sheriff's department where John works is extremely low on cops right now. Several have transferred out and due to budgetary reasons, the county isn't allowing them to hire more right now. It's tough... They have inadequate back-up much of the time, which obviously is very scary, and many of the shifts have been greatly under-staffed lately. Because of this, that means that there is overtime galore. There is so much money to be made right now, which I suppose can be a blessing and a curse!
John and I had a long talk about the abundance of overtime available and he's going to work 40 hours of overtime over the next 9 days or so. John doesn't want to do this and I don't want to sacrifice our time together, but opportunities like this help us put lots of money in the bank. He's supposed to be off tomorrow night and Saturday night but he's working the overnight shift on those nights. He's also doing a million half shifts before and/or after his regular shifts. When it's all said and done he'll have 40+ hours of overtime in his check. To top it off, on the 5Th he's doing security for a speedway around here and then he's doing wedding security immediately after that. It's hard to imagine how he'll fit it all in, huh?
I have the utmost respect for John- For this, but for other reasons too. First of all, he consulted me about whether or not I could handle this rough week of not having him around. Though he is always trying to get us ahead, he would have totally been sensitive to me if I had said that it was too much. Also, I respect him because he provides for us so well yet he isn't a workaholic. He picks up lots of overtime and is constantly striving to make sure that we're financially sound, but he would never sacrifice us for money and he knows when enough is enough. I have the most amazing husband and feel extremely blessed that he picked ME:-)
We're thinking that we're going to put some of this mega overtime money aside and take a really nice vacation in February... When it's cold and crappy in New York. It may be a tough week ahead of me (and him- the poor guy!) but when we're basking in the sun while everyone else is shoveling snow, it will all be worth it!
John and I had a long talk about the abundance of overtime available and he's going to work 40 hours of overtime over the next 9 days or so. John doesn't want to do this and I don't want to sacrifice our time together, but opportunities like this help us put lots of money in the bank. He's supposed to be off tomorrow night and Saturday night but he's working the overnight shift on those nights. He's also doing a million half shifts before and/or after his regular shifts. When it's all said and done he'll have 40+ hours of overtime in his check. To top it off, on the 5Th he's doing security for a speedway around here and then he's doing wedding security immediately after that. It's hard to imagine how he'll fit it all in, huh?
I have the utmost respect for John- For this, but for other reasons too. First of all, he consulted me about whether or not I could handle this rough week of not having him around. Though he is always trying to get us ahead, he would have totally been sensitive to me if I had said that it was too much. Also, I respect him because he provides for us so well yet he isn't a workaholic. He picks up lots of overtime and is constantly striving to make sure that we're financially sound, but he would never sacrifice us for money and he knows when enough is enough. I have the most amazing husband and feel extremely blessed that he picked ME:-)
We're thinking that we're going to put some of this mega overtime money aside and take a really nice vacation in February... When it's cold and crappy in New York. It may be a tough week ahead of me (and him- the poor guy!) but when we're basking in the sun while everyone else is shoveling snow, it will all be worth it!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
3 Months Old!
To my sweet Adrienne:
Before you were born, I was so anxious about how you fit into our family. I knew that I would love you and daddy and I were absolutely certain that we wanted our family to grow, but all of the changes that were going to come kind of scared me... Until I met you. Once I heard your sweet little cry and gazed at your breath-taking beauty, I instantly knew that life had become so much more wonderful than before. You have been the most perfect addition to our family and these last three months have really been a much easier transition than I could have ever imagined!
You have the most amazing personality. While you are an easy, easy baby to take care of because you are content and you sleep like an absolute champ, you also have a feisty, goofy personality that commands my attention. When you are smiling at me or talking to me, I honestly cannot keep my eyes off of you. I want to hear everything that you have to tell me and it is with joy that I coo back at you. I know that one day, before we know it, you'll be able to carry on actual conversations with me and tell me what's on your mind. I can't wait for those days, but right now, I'm just holding on tightly to your babyhood and not wishing a moment of it away!
Each night before you go to sleep I say a quiet prayer over you and thank God for allowing me to be your mommy. I thank him for your health and beauty and ask him to prepare your future for you. I also ask for wisdom to be the very best mommy that I can be for you because I know that you deserve the best and only that! As I put you in your bed, you quickly find your thumb and drift of to sleep all on your own. I check on you about a million times a night and you always seem to be sucking frantically on that thumb!
I have loved watching Brookie adore you and learn how to be your big sister. Sometimes I think that she thinks she's your mommy! She's always concerned about you being warm enough or that you're nice and full. She loves to help with your bath time and she absolutely hates when you cry. Pretty soon you'll be big enough to actually play with her and I cannot wait to watch the two of you grow up together and become the strongest, most reliable support system for one another.
Miss Adrienne, there are not words to let you know how loved you are. I get choked up when I think of just how full my heart is for admiration and pride for you. You have changed my life and I am so thankful for the past three months and am eager to watch you grow. Mommy will always be here for you and you will always be loved unconditionally.
I love you, sweet baby!
Mommy
Before you were born, I was so anxious about how you fit into our family. I knew that I would love you and daddy and I were absolutely certain that we wanted our family to grow, but all of the changes that were going to come kind of scared me... Until I met you. Once I heard your sweet little cry and gazed at your breath-taking beauty, I instantly knew that life had become so much more wonderful than before. You have been the most perfect addition to our family and these last three months have really been a much easier transition than I could have ever imagined!
You have the most amazing personality. While you are an easy, easy baby to take care of because you are content and you sleep like an absolute champ, you also have a feisty, goofy personality that commands my attention. When you are smiling at me or talking to me, I honestly cannot keep my eyes off of you. I want to hear everything that you have to tell me and it is with joy that I coo back at you. I know that one day, before we know it, you'll be able to carry on actual conversations with me and tell me what's on your mind. I can't wait for those days, but right now, I'm just holding on tightly to your babyhood and not wishing a moment of it away!
Each night before you go to sleep I say a quiet prayer over you and thank God for allowing me to be your mommy. I thank him for your health and beauty and ask him to prepare your future for you. I also ask for wisdom to be the very best mommy that I can be for you because I know that you deserve the best and only that! As I put you in your bed, you quickly find your thumb and drift of to sleep all on your own. I check on you about a million times a night and you always seem to be sucking frantically on that thumb!
I have loved watching Brookie adore you and learn how to be your big sister. Sometimes I think that she thinks she's your mommy! She's always concerned about you being warm enough or that you're nice and full. She loves to help with your bath time and she absolutely hates when you cry. Pretty soon you'll be big enough to actually play with her and I cannot wait to watch the two of you grow up together and become the strongest, most reliable support system for one another.
Miss Adrienne, there are not words to let you know how loved you are. I get choked up when I think of just how full my heart is for admiration and pride for you. You have changed my life and I am so thankful for the past three months and am eager to watch you grow. Mommy will always be here for you and you will always be loved unconditionally.
I love you, sweet baby!
Mommy
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Family Fun Day
We had the best day today!!! Life has been so busy lately and with John's new schedule things are only going to get busier, so we took a day and just relaxed together. It was much needed!
First things first, we went to the Science Center. They have all sorts of science experiences, animals, crafts, an awesome outdoor play area, and various other interactive games for kids. Brooke had such a blast and we loved being able to watch her little eyes light up as she explored uncharted territory. She was a bit intimidated by all of the older kids and was a little bit more reserved than usual, but she warmed up to the idea of being there after we started to have some fun.
After our fun morning, we headed for some Mexican food for lunch. John really hates Mexican but he goes for me because he loves me:-) Brookie polished off a hard taco and some beans and of course about a million chips. It was so funny because there was only one chip left and Brooke was eyeing it. Obviously I didn't care if she ate the last one but I was trying to teach her manners so I told her that she should ask if anyone else wanted it before eating it. Little did I know that she would start asking that question before taking a bite of anything the whole meal. Lol! She keeps us laughing for sure!!
Before heading home for the day, we went to this beautiful park right along a lake. It was just the perfect scene: I was nursing Adrienne under a huge shade tree, the water ahead was sparkling and sail boats were off in the distance, and behind me John and Brooke were running around a laughing hysterically. At that moment, life just felt like total bliss. Ya know? I was surrounded by the three most important people in my life, as well as God's beauty. What an amazing feeling! We stopped and bought some bread for Brooke to feed the ducks and there were absolutely NO ducks near the shaded area that we chose to settle in. John and Brooke went to go lure some in our direction by flashing their bread and before we knew it we were absolutely swarming with ducks, geese, and pigeons. Brooke LOVED feeding all the birds and she wasn't even remotely afraid of them. I, on the other hand, was all freaked out that they would hurt her or something. I'm such a mom. What can I say??
We finished off our night by having a casual dinner at home... Pulled chicken sandwiches, french fries, and brownie sundaes for dessert. It wasn't the most healthy of dinners but on a day like today, who cares?!??!
The girls are both bathed and in bed now and I'm going to top off this wonderful day by watching a movie with John. Could life be better??? I think NOT!
First things first, we went to the Science Center. They have all sorts of science experiences, animals, crafts, an awesome outdoor play area, and various other interactive games for kids. Brooke had such a blast and we loved being able to watch her little eyes light up as she explored uncharted territory. She was a bit intimidated by all of the older kids and was a little bit more reserved than usual, but she warmed up to the idea of being there after we started to have some fun.
After our fun morning, we headed for some Mexican food for lunch. John really hates Mexican but he goes for me because he loves me:-) Brookie polished off a hard taco and some beans and of course about a million chips. It was so funny because there was only one chip left and Brooke was eyeing it. Obviously I didn't care if she ate the last one but I was trying to teach her manners so I told her that she should ask if anyone else wanted it before eating it. Little did I know that she would start asking that question before taking a bite of anything the whole meal. Lol! She keeps us laughing for sure!!
Before heading home for the day, we went to this beautiful park right along a lake. It was just the perfect scene: I was nursing Adrienne under a huge shade tree, the water ahead was sparkling and sail boats were off in the distance, and behind me John and Brooke were running around a laughing hysterically. At that moment, life just felt like total bliss. Ya know? I was surrounded by the three most important people in my life, as well as God's beauty. What an amazing feeling! We stopped and bought some bread for Brooke to feed the ducks and there were absolutely NO ducks near the shaded area that we chose to settle in. John and Brooke went to go lure some in our direction by flashing their bread and before we knew it we were absolutely swarming with ducks, geese, and pigeons. Brooke LOVED feeding all the birds and she wasn't even remotely afraid of them. I, on the other hand, was all freaked out that they would hurt her or something. I'm such a mom. What can I say??
We finished off our night by having a casual dinner at home... Pulled chicken sandwiches, french fries, and brownie sundaes for dessert. It wasn't the most healthy of dinners but on a day like today, who cares?!??!
The girls are both bathed and in bed now and I'm going to top off this wonderful day by watching a movie with John. Could life be better??? I think NOT!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Parenting is Scary Stuff
I was at my allergist's office the other day and John was in the waiting room with our girls. The nurse who performed my allergy testing (which is a whole different story) heard a baby fussing and commented on it. I said, "Oh, that's probably mine. I have a newborn baby girl." Of course I was proud and practically glowing with pride because I love bragging about my precious babies. She said, "Oh, I'm SO SORRY." Frazzled, I replied, "Why are you apologizing? I have a 2.5-year-old daughter in the waiting room also. I love being a mom." She repeated, "I'm sorry."
As the conversation continued, she basically polluted my mind with how horrible parenting is. I found out that she has a 16-year-old daughter and as she put it, "girls go down hill after infancy." I asked if she had any other children and she told me that "one was more than enough." I seriously was astonished because I have never heard someone talk about parenting like such a plague before. She listed all of the daughter's struggles with school and boys and behavior and the list went on. It was actually kind of depressing and really, offensive. I do NOT need sympathy in regards to the fact that I have two beautiful daughters.
In a world of so much dysfunction and with such twisted views of parenting and family, I am SO thankful that I have God's word to lean on. Being a mom is difficult enough on its own, let alone when somebody lends discouraging, unsolicited advice. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." While I know that proverbs are practical advice for daily situations, they are NOT guarantees like other things in the Bible, I still firmly believe that if I seek God and honor Him with my parenting decisions then He'll bless my feeble human efforts.
It is so scary to look out into the world and see what I'm up against- Teen pregnancies are at a sky-rocketing rate, more kids than not are engaging in recreational drug use and underage drinking, and so on. It freaks me out to look at my children and know that I am going to have to equip them with the tools to fight the worldly temptations that will be practically thrown at them. That's such a big responsibility and it's one that I do NOT take lightly. The Bible says that if anyone lacks for wisdom that they should ask for it. This whole situation has reaffirmed to me that I need to be petitioning God's throne for as much wisdom as possible if I am going to succeed at raising women of God!
As the conversation continued, she basically polluted my mind with how horrible parenting is. I found out that she has a 16-year-old daughter and as she put it, "girls go down hill after infancy." I asked if she had any other children and she told me that "one was more than enough." I seriously was astonished because I have never heard someone talk about parenting like such a plague before. She listed all of the daughter's struggles with school and boys and behavior and the list went on. It was actually kind of depressing and really, offensive. I do NOT need sympathy in regards to the fact that I have two beautiful daughters.
In a world of so much dysfunction and with such twisted views of parenting and family, I am SO thankful that I have God's word to lean on. Being a mom is difficult enough on its own, let alone when somebody lends discouraging, unsolicited advice. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." While I know that proverbs are practical advice for daily situations, they are NOT guarantees like other things in the Bible, I still firmly believe that if I seek God and honor Him with my parenting decisions then He'll bless my feeble human efforts.
It is so scary to look out into the world and see what I'm up against- Teen pregnancies are at a sky-rocketing rate, more kids than not are engaging in recreational drug use and underage drinking, and so on. It freaks me out to look at my children and know that I am going to have to equip them with the tools to fight the worldly temptations that will be practically thrown at them. That's such a big responsibility and it's one that I do NOT take lightly. The Bible says that if anyone lacks for wisdom that they should ask for it. This whole situation has reaffirmed to me that I need to be petitioning God's throne for as much wisdom as possible if I am going to succeed at raising women of God!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Catch Up
John was off on Wednesday and Thursday, which is why I have been M.I.A. We usually spend one of his days off doing all of our running around like grocery shopping, doctor's appointments, etc... As always, his days off just fly by way too quickly!
Before we could enjoy our time together, John came home from work on Tuesday night with some discouraging news... He will, once again, be going to the evening shift (3-11) against his wishes. UNBELIEVABLE. They are so short staffed right now that even though John has seniority over like 5 or 6 guys, he has to go to this dreaded shift. He was supposed to be on days until at least the end of September and after that, he most likely would have been put back on days but if not, he would have gone to nights (11PM-7AM). The department is short like 5 guys so they chose to run a skeleton crew on the night shift, which is why that's not an option for John right now. I'll admit, I've been struggling and John has too. We hate that shift and it's going to completely shake up the routine that we've worked so hard to establish and our time together and with our extended family will be limited. I know that God has a purpose for everything and that in the grand scheme of things this is a minimal thing to endure, but really, I'm growing weary. Every single time that we adjust to a new schedule things get shaken up again. I'm ready for a consistent schedule. One day, right?
In much more exciting news... Today has been the first super successful day of potty training with Brooke!!!!!!!!!!!! She had been wearing her panties around the house on and off over the last couple of weeks, but today was the first day that she would actually tell me if she needed to go! She peed on the potty three time this morning, with only a slight accident due to not getting there quite quickly enough. Then, she was playing with Nathan who was over and got distracted and pooped in her pants. Even though we had that accident, I still consider today a success! When she wakes up from her nap I'll be ready to start again!
Miss Adrienne has been an absolute sleeping machine lately. HOLY COW!! She slept from 7:30 last night until 11:30 this morning. You better bet that I was ready for her to nurse when she finally woke up! She usually does at least 12-13 hours every night but lately she's extended it to 14-15. It's just nuts! She's always very happy and smiley when she wakes up and not as eager to eat as one would expect. She's just a great sleeper. I'm still not quite sure how I got blessed with TWO of those!!
Tonight my whole family is going to Outback to celebrate my parent's achieving a HUGE goal. It's always nice, but hectic, to get everyone together and I look forward to it very much!
I have two sleeping beauties so I think I'm going to go pick up from this morning's chaos. Luckily Alison and Nathan helped pick up the toys from our play date but there's always MORE work to be done!
Before we could enjoy our time together, John came home from work on Tuesday night with some discouraging news... He will, once again, be going to the evening shift (3-11) against his wishes. UNBELIEVABLE. They are so short staffed right now that even though John has seniority over like 5 or 6 guys, he has to go to this dreaded shift. He was supposed to be on days until at least the end of September and after that, he most likely would have been put back on days but if not, he would have gone to nights (11PM-7AM). The department is short like 5 guys so they chose to run a skeleton crew on the night shift, which is why that's not an option for John right now. I'll admit, I've been struggling and John has too. We hate that shift and it's going to completely shake up the routine that we've worked so hard to establish and our time together and with our extended family will be limited. I know that God has a purpose for everything and that in the grand scheme of things this is a minimal thing to endure, but really, I'm growing weary. Every single time that we adjust to a new schedule things get shaken up again. I'm ready for a consistent schedule. One day, right?
In much more exciting news... Today has been the first super successful day of potty training with Brooke!!!!!!!!!!!! She had been wearing her panties around the house on and off over the last couple of weeks, but today was the first day that she would actually tell me if she needed to go! She peed on the potty three time this morning, with only a slight accident due to not getting there quite quickly enough. Then, she was playing with Nathan who was over and got distracted and pooped in her pants. Even though we had that accident, I still consider today a success! When she wakes up from her nap I'll be ready to start again!
Miss Adrienne has been an absolute sleeping machine lately. HOLY COW!! She slept from 7:30 last night until 11:30 this morning. You better bet that I was ready for her to nurse when she finally woke up! She usually does at least 12-13 hours every night but lately she's extended it to 14-15. It's just nuts! She's always very happy and smiley when she wakes up and not as eager to eat as one would expect. She's just a great sleeper. I'm still not quite sure how I got blessed with TWO of those!!
Tonight my whole family is going to Outback to celebrate my parent's achieving a HUGE goal. It's always nice, but hectic, to get everyone together and I look forward to it very much!
I have two sleeping beauties so I think I'm going to go pick up from this morning's chaos. Luckily Alison and Nathan helped pick up the toys from our play date but there's always MORE work to be done!
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