Nursemaid

A story that I've been meaning to share for a week...

Daddy was suffering from a migraine/headache, so little Miss Ella:

• brought Daddy her Leappad to play with
• brought Daddy some stuffed animals to keep him company
• gave Daddy's head repeated kisses throughout the episode to help him get better--she was very excited when he got better! (he had taken Tylenol)

:)

The Sick

'Twas the week before Christmas, and to my dismay, two children were feverish and hacking all day. And if this condition could get any worse, the father got sick and desired a hearse. "The sick" was here and lasted all week, while preparations for Christmas were considered at peak. Presents were wrapped, the family survived, and at long last, Christmas Day did arrive!

Thankfully, both Mommy and Ella were spared but Ella felt left out...

Ella (from her bed):  Mommy, I'm sick...  (pause)  I have the hiccups!!

Ella's Surgery

Considering I had just written this post, imagine my surprise when Ella's surgeon's office called me with a surgery date of June 7th!

[I've been remiss in keeping this blog up to date. There are a few things that I've wanted to post. Mainly, I just can't wait to be able to remember ALL the GOOD things after death. ;) ]

I have a couple of pictures on my phone from after Ella's surgery but until I have a way to transfer them to the computer, that's where they'll remain.

Her surgery (tonsil- and adenoid-ectomy) went well; no post-op complications. I spent the night in the hospital with her but she didn't sleep much after the anesthetic effects wore off. We walked the halls of the unit for a lot of the night. :( She was allowed as many popsicles and jello as she wanted. She wasn't a fan of the jello. She ate lots of popsicles and apple juice after the surgery but then promptly threw it up. Following this, however, she ate and kept down 3 bowls of chicken noodle soup!

Daddy and the kids visited for a short time in the evening. They had to leave expeditiously due to the fact that Averi and Taylor were too boisterous and unintentionally waking kids trying to sleep. Why don't kids ever listen??

Ella had horrific breath for a week or so but that is normal. Averi, among others, constantly checked her diaper to see if she had messed herself! My favorite comment, however, came from Daddy who said that it smelled like something crawled into her mouth and died and then something else crawled into her mouth, ate the dead thing and then died.  lol!  Some of the more colorful versions were longer.

Ella was not a fan of taking Tylenol. She was supposed to take it every 4 hours for the first couple of days. The only way we could get her to take it was to force a FastMelt into the back of her mouth. They're difficult to spit out because they kind of stick to your tongue but we had to monitor closely. The liquid Tylenol was promptly spewed out on most occasions, despite using a syringe and only squirting it in in small amounts. Crushing a FastMelt and mixing it into applesauce or yogurt only worked if she'd eat the whole amount, which didn't seem often.

On the amazing side, her loud breathing and snoring have completely disappeared! The difference has been like night and day! She no longer has her apneic spells and we no longer fear that she won't wake up.

On the negative side, we can no longer hear her coming.

;)

Taylor's Turn in Surgery

Averi passed the surgical torch to Taylor on Friday.

He's having some minor surgery in a "sensitive" area (I deliberated how much detail to go into and decided to be vague).

The nurses were very impressed with how happy Taylor is!

Here's our little trooper after the procedure:

He had 5 popsicles!!

He's still very careful about bending over and going to the bathroom but the swelling is going down. The poor guy is constantly wary of people around him.  ;)

The Sisters Arrive in Victoria!

I'm finally getting back to our trip to Victoria...  ;)

Wednesday, June 22 was the day that my sisters and Claire were to arrive.

 Of course, they were later than anticipated. At least later than I had anticipated since I had forgotten that they were coming via Port Angeles rather than Tsawwassen.

Can you believe that Eva DROVE in those shoes!! So Eva!  :D  Her philosophy is: if you can't do it in high heels then you shouldn't be doing it!  ;)

Claire and my kids hit it off right away, of course!

Eva did Claire's hair so nicely and she was only happy to oblige Averi with the same hair!

They had driven through the night and were quite tired but still, Eva insisted that we stick to the general schedule we had planned.

So we headed off to the water front!

The kids were fabulous together!

We caught some moments of them holding hands but the pics are blurry:

Taylor wasn't too excited about the ocean until we started climbing over the monstrous rocks!!

Then, he couldn't get enough!

Everyone had a good time:

You can tell that Lerina was our primary photographer!! With us so busy with the kids, it was very reassuring that our memories would be captured.

Here's a shot of Eva wearing Claire's Hello Kitty hat!

I love this shot of Ella heading upwards:

She always has more energy than I do!

I also love this shot of Auntie Lerina holding Ella... Not so much because Ella is squirming to get away but because Dad is in the background holding everyone's coats!!! Seems familiar somehow!

Heading for the car, the girls and Dad (Grandpa) were holding hands and singing... I don't know if I caught the singing but it's still cute!


We weren't the only happy ones at the water front... This random little girl just stopped on the path and gave the kids hugs!!

So adorable!!

Next up was Beacon Hill park, of course!! Mostly just the petting zoo...

That evening, Des and Jane and all their kids came over to Grandma's for supper! I hadn't seen my cousins in AGES!!

Here's Lerina and Des:

Here are Lerina and sorta-cousin, Ashley, showing off tattoos!!

Lerina's "sleeve" isn't finished yet....

I laughed at Lerina for getting a picture of "the spread..." It's so Dad!! ;)

Here are Grandma and Jane... Jane is reclining due to pain from her abdominal cancer, though you couldn't tell by looking at her.

She was such a trooper!! She made dozens of FABULOUS deviled eggs. I didn't even think I liked deviled eggs but I think I ate my weight in them!

More pictures with Des and Jane in future posts.

A long and busy day!!

No wonder it's taking me so long to get these posts up... With so many photos, etc., they take FOREVER!!  ;)

The Money Shot

I finally got a good close-up of Avi's healing eyes...

Due to the swelling, her eyes are pointing in all different directions... But she's doing just fine!

Avi's Surgery

Averi opened her eyes this morning.

Her eyes are still quite swollen and the lateral aspect of each eye is incredibly bloodshot. She's been lovingly referred to as  our "vampire child." :)  She is, quite obviously, very happy.

Her surgery on Friday, March 11th went excellently. She took some time to revive from the anesthetic but was much more reasonable than last time. She drank plenty of fluids right away, as well as a popsicle and some jello.

Her superbly dedicated surgeon has called once or twice a day to check up on her over the weekend. Avi's next appt with her is on Friday.

The helium balloon in the photo is from her caregiver, Linda. It came along with a care package that included crayons, a coloring book, Dora cards and snacks (which she couldn't eat until after the surgery). I was quite grateful for these activities as the wait for her surgery always seems to take forever...

I was unable to accompany her into the OR this time. I was of two minds about it anyway, since last time was somewhat traumatizing... It's very difficult to watch your child fight the strange smelling gas and then go completely helpless. The reason I didn't accompany her this time, however, was due to an injury I received while dropping Ella off at her caregiver's home... I slipped on some ice and bruised my knee (enough to limp for only a little while) and seriously sprained (my guess) my arm. I thought I had dislocated it at first since I could barely move my right arm/elbow/wrist without acute pain. I was left to guard it for the remainder of the day, disappointingly useless to my daughter while she was in the hospital. The staff were considerate and fashioned a makeshift sling for me (I believe it was a baby blanket).

While waiting for Averi during her surgery, a code blue was called in the Daysurgery department. A code blue indicates some sort of serious medical event, usually cardiac or respiratory arrest. Every parent in the room stopped what they were doing and held their breath. One mother then proceeded to panic and wail, requiring comfort from her mother and reassurances to her young son. Another mother started crying quietly. I just stared at the Daysurgery doors and waited for news. The code blue team rushed through the waiting room into Daysurg, inciting more panic to those present. I can't stand dramatics... Anyway, it turned out that a PARENT accompanying their child into Daysurgery had passed out, due to lack of food. (I think all parents go without food when their child also has to... I just went to the cafeteria as soon as they took Avi away... ;) ) It was a relief to hear but I couldn't help rolling my eyes at those who had chosen to engage in theatrics instead of waiting for an actual announcement.

The most mortifying thing about the whole experience was that the surgeon herself helped me to my van with Averi after discharge. No, wait... the most mortifying thing about the whole experience was that the surgeon paid for my parking because my debit card had become damaged in my pants pocket, where I had left it for easier access due to my injury. Of course, I'm paying her back but it was just a terrible day, in general.

Anyway, my range of motion has improved, though I still can't wash dishes (tee hee!) or write very well. Typing is much easier. ;)

Cutest Picture with No Picture

I was notified at work yesterday that Averi was sick and that I needed to pick her up from the dayhome. When I arrived, Averi had curled up on a rug and fallen asleep. The cutest sight to behold, however, was that her baby sister had curled up next to Averi's sleeping form and fallen asleep herself!

I had no camera, of course, but it was the sweetest picture!

Incidentally, Averi seemed to get over her little bug right away.

History Repeats

I remember a specific instance when Taylor fell asleep in his high chair while eating supper, still wielding a fork. Look-y who's done the same!

She's actually sick today, poor little thing... Puking all day...

Just Call Me Dr. Dana

Avi was getting her glasses repaired for the 2nd day in a row--we've only had her glasses for that long--and it was taking quite some time (she had really done a number on them). She was restless but fairly well-behaved. While I was sitting holding her hands, she yanked away. She cried a little and said "Ow," obviously indicating that she'd hurt herself. I thought it was her wrist because she was guarding it and refused to use that hand. I gently moved it in different directions trying to ascertain the damage and she would flinch and cry upon suppination. I feared a dislocation.

Upon consulting with my dad, a family physician, it was determined the she did indeed have a subluxation at the radial head--otherwise known as toddler's elbow. Through much crying and frustration (the 1st from Avi, the 2nd from myself), I was given instructions on how to reduce it. It wasn't until after I'd given Averi and myself a settling down period that I was finally successful in popping it back into place. She cried for a few seconds but then was using her hand again! I was elated!

Good Taylor!

I was feeding Ella during the night when I heard Taylor get out of bed saying "Hurry! Hurry!" I thought maybe he had to go to the bathroom but instead he ran to go puke in the toilet! By the time I was able to get to him, he was done the deed and, apparently, feeling fine. He apologized for puking and recalled the incident some time ago when he puked on Grandma and Grandpa's carpet. I was surprised at his memory, though he's always had a good one. I told him I was so happy that he was able to get to the toilet, helped him brush his teeth and put him back down.

What a good boy!

Happy New Year!

Our little family brought in the new year with illness. At least the kids are taking it well. Daddy's a different story. Men. Poor Avi's nose is raw from constantly being wiped, as is Taylor's bottom.

On the bright side, we spent the evening at our neighbor's home playing Rock Band and eating, eating, eating. We also played Texas Hold 'em and Battle of the Sexes. These are the same neighbors that got us all Christmas presents when we hadn't gotten them anything!! They really are that amazing.

Happy 2009 to all!

Mothers Beware!

Everyone is sick but me...

Taylor and Averi both have pink eye. Shawn, Taylor and Averi have bronchitis. Shawn also boasts sinusitis and tonsilitis. I'm coordinating eye drops and antibiotics on a mass scale. All I can do is pray I don't catch anything.

Yet, my princess is happy:


Unfortunately, due to illness, Shawn is having to cancel his motorcycle trip to Alaska. It was supposed to start tomorrow. It isn't possible to sneeze and hack inside a helmet without disgusting, and potentially dangerous, consequences. The fatigue inherent to illness is also a hazard. He's taking this development rather well.

Despite the germs permeating my dwelling, I can't help being grateful for my children's health. I've been lucky enough to get to know several amazing women via there blogs. Anna Marie's oldest has a rare genetic condition known as microdeletion. Heather and Mike's precious baby has a multitude of issues related to prematurity and oligohydramnios. I know a young mother suffering from multiple sclerosis and another young mother with depression.

These same people have remarkable bonds with their children. These children are happy, happy, happy. It is so heartening to see the sunshine amidst the clouds in a world with such sadness.

The blogging world is truly amazing to me. You can become friends with someone without even meeting them. You can offer support and advice, share laughter and opinions, witness faith and miracles. I have people I've never met on my mind and in my prayers. It is such a privilege.

Again!

I was attempting to recover from my aforementioned illness when Shawn came home early from work sick. My deterioration rapidly ensued. Shawn and I both sick at once! It's a miracle the kids seem untouched. *knock on wood!* I haven't recuperated as quickly as Shawn on this one, probably only because I wasn't at full strength beforehand. Quite frankly, I'm sick of being sick!

Ughhhhhh....

Murphy strikes again! The morning I was to start my motorcycle training, I had to make a mad dash to the toilet. Again and again. I'll save you the lurid details. I can count myself lucky that they're allowing me to reschedule. Thank you so much to my husband who watched the kids and cleaned up before he had to work all evening. (And for dropping me off and then picking me up all the way at McMahon stadium. I thought since I'd plugged myself up with Immodium that I could handle the training. Alas, I hadn't counted on the weakness and dizzyness and continuing nausea.) Thanks a million to Lizzie and Kyle and Mommy for watching the kids for me yesterday evening while I slept and slept and slept. Between toilet sessions. Ugh.

On a happier note, Averi's crawling! I mentioned it before but she only went about one baby step. Now, when something nearby catches her attention, swish swish swish and she's there. Soon, the speed factor will come into play. I better dig out my baby gates.

Illness

I've just gotten over the "24-hour flu," or at least flu-like symptoms. Shawn took the day off to watch the kiddies, thank goodness! Avi's had some vomiting but is in good spirits.

There's now no stopping Averi's rolling. Look away at your own peril! She'll be gone when you look back! She's also trying to pull herself up on objects. She'll be crawling in no time (though she'd rather be walking)!

Mom and I are hoping to attend the Harris family get-together in McCall this June. It's dependent on her getting time off from work, which is really busy at that time of year.

We're having Diana's family over for Easter dinner. My first turkey! I was trying to get around it by suggesting some magnificent lamb dish, since we recently had ham, but D insisted on the traditional poultry item. So, here goes! She'll be bringing mashed taters and salad and I'm going to try my hand at cauliflower and brussel sprouts au gratin and a pumpkin cheesecake. Plus sage and apple stuffing and the afore-mentioned turkey. Probably couldn't do it without mumsy!

Mobility Foreseen

Avi's on her way to crawling! She leans over from a sitting position until her legs finally pop out. She ends up on her belly and then flips onto her back. She actually rolled with a bit of prodding tonight, going from belly to back to belly, etc.

I've become very frustrated with two things: feeding a spitting baby and changing a 2-yr-old's diaper. I'm ready to potty-train Taylor as soon as Walmart actually has some plastic training pants in stock! I've loaded up on the padded briefs, have adequate pairs of pants on hand and a will of iron born of desperation. Ready or not, here I come Taylor!

Taylor's feeling much better today. Just a little cough and a runny nose. Appetite, at least where meat is concerned, is alright.

Fever

Taylor's not feeling well today. He feels quite hot but I'm not unduly concerned since he still manages to eat. Averi doesn't seem affected (yet).

A guy came in to fix up our hardwood floors today. Someone also came in and fixed the deadbolt that didn't open with our key and switched our one knob to a handle. We're nearly done!

Out of the blue this evening Taylor said to me, "Don't do that or I'll take it away!" Amazing what kids remember... Taylor has the ability to repeat an entire list of admonitions all in one breath. Of course, he can do the same thing with a list of (LDS) curse words (freak, shoot, great, jeez, heck, etc.).

Another Day in the Life

For some reason, Taylor tried to join us in bed during the night again. When I asked what was wrong, he just went back to his own bed. Is he sleep-walking?

The weather being respectable, the four of us went for a walk today. We clip Avi's carseat into the stroller and Taylor alternates between walking, riding Daddy's shoulders and sitting on the stroller's "handlebars." Avi stayed awake the whole time, which surprised me. Near the end, Taylor was nodding off as he rode the stroller. A few houses away from home, I just carried him the remainder of the way. After disrobing from a mountain of winter wear (Taylor likes to jump into snowdrifts), Taylor said "Nap time." It always reminds me of Aunt Lizzie when Taylor puts himself to bed as she is reported to have done the same thing.

This afternoon I contracted/exhibited something requiring close proximity to a toilet. Shawn works evenings so I've had to care for 2 kids from the throne room. All considered, it wasn't too bad... I've fed Avi on the potty before but I still say hooray for Imodium!

Discussion commenced today regarding the Harris family reunion. Since we just had one in 2005, some of us feel it should wait another year or so for a repeat. Issues such as money, time away from work and transportation are on the table.

Shawn's booked passage on the Alaskan ferry for his motorcycle trip with his dad this summer. Being indecisive and a worry wart, Shawn is still not sure he will go...

I'm scheduled to return to work on July 7th. I'm hoping to work 4 days a week rather than 5. I've enjoyed staying with the kids alot more this time around probably because 2 kids keep you busier than one! Eva said that she wouldn't be able to handle staying home with Claire and I told her that I understood! I was quite happy to get back to work after Taylor... Time away from the dependence!! Anyway, so far with Avi it's been pretty nice. It helps when one has a better idea of what to expect with a new child and has a child to help keep the entertainment factor up! So far I'm not anxious to return to work!

Workwise, I've missed a major change. The health Region's been reorganized and my department no longer exists! I'm now part of a new department that encompasses the IT (Information Technology) guys. I keep hoping that maybe we'll be relocated a little closer to home! My commute is 35 minutes in exemplary traffic, 45 minutes in heavier traffic, and even longer if there's an accident or construction (plenty of construction in the summer!). And that's if I'm driving. Back when I was taking transit, it would take me at least an hour and a half to get to work if I timed my connections perfectly.

My mother-in-law came over tonight to get music put on her iPod. It wasn't exactly a relaxing evening with the kids around but hey... Thanks for helping me tidy up!

Naughty Taylor

Taylor has taken to hitting people so he can say sorry. What the!?

New Blogger

My sister-in-law, Ariel, turned me onto blogging. Her family lives in Nova Scotia and this is one of the ways she keeps them up-to-date with goings-on here in Alberta. I see the value of this since my family lives predominantly in the United States and I wish I were more up-to-date on their goings-on (especially Eva and her little Claire!). Maybe I'll convert them yet!! (Eva says I have too much time on my hands...)

For the more technically-challenged, blogging is basically an online journal. The most recent post will always come up first, so if it is one that you've read before, it hasn't been updated since. Readers are able to comment on blog posts. Just click on the 0 comments or whatever it says at the end of the post. If you have any questions, you can ask them in a comment and I'll get back to you via email or answer it in a subsequent posting. If you need the font larger, I'll try to accomodate.

Feel free to tell any family members that may be interested in this blog the web address as I didn't email everyone.

Enough tech chat.

I hope I haven't built up any hopes as to content. There isn't much to talk about when you have kids except kids! You'll need to be open to potty-talk. Literally. Taylor had a blowout during his nap today and it's super-fun to clean that kinda stuff up alone. Especially when you realize you've run out of diapers. Well, pull-ups, since Taylor is 2 and we've attempted potty-training twice in the past. (He's not ready yet...) Anyway, Taylor is currently wearing one of Averi's diapers and it is my prayer that he's done pooping for the day because with diapers, size does matter! Daddy is picking up diapers on the way home from work (may he please remember!).

Taylor and I started exhibiting cold symptoms yesterday. Nothing too serious but his coughing was enough this morning that I decided it would be unfair to take him to President Hinckley's funeral at the stake centre. That and Avi gave me a run for the title "Nocturnal Mother of the Year" last night. No matter how much cereal I stuff down her before bed, she still wants to feed in the middle of the night. I prolong the inevitable by countlessly replugging her with a soother. Feel free to give advice, people. Anyway, Avi's showing signs of having contracted said cold too. Poor baby girl!

Dad called last Sunday to let us know of President Hinckley's passing. For a very quick moment, I felt the sorrow of having lost a dear man. But my first thought after the reflexive reaction was "He's back with his sweetheart." Most everyone seems to have felt the same way. I have to say that the Mormon grapevine is truly the fastest! I'm sad that I missed the funeral but, as mom suggested, I can probably view it online or something at a later date if I'm so inclined.
Weather's been milder recently. We had a cold snap for a couple of days this past week. Nothing we Canadians can't handle! ;)

At this time, Averi is 5 months and Taylor's about 2 1/2 years old. I've attached a couple of recent pics of the two of them.