Rochester & Run Down

Last week we headed to Rochester for the day.. we had 2 places on our agenda.

Trader Joe's and The Zoo.

We are getting a Trader Joe's here soon, but since we made the drive, we stopped and grabbed some of our favorites

 

Baby on the hip, headed into TJ's

Andrew slept on the way there.. and he was in such a good mood.. SJ too of course.

 

We loaded up and headed to the zoo next

 

It was around 70 degrees and sunny.

Perfect day.

The Rochester Zoo had a lot of very active animals! Almost every animal was out.. and the kids lovvvved it..

 Our zoo is flat... very flat.. This zoo had lots of hills, which was great.. great for wearing out a little almost 15 month old

We stayed about an hour and a half, then headed home.

SJ fell asleep pretty quickly, and Mr Energizer Battery conked out as we pulled in the driveway.

 

 

We stayed out when we got home and just enjoyed the long awaited weather.

Playdough outside is a great idea .... mess free!

 

 

I made some Sugar Cookie Bars this week, and Samantha requested purple frosting.

They were sooo good.



This past weekend, we had a lot of running around to do.

Andrew managed to get a huge fat lip as well.

He falls every single day.. multiple times.. but he still looks so sweet with his poor battered lip

Samantha had another party this weekend. This time for her friend from school.

The girls from her class were all there.



We almost didn't make it, SJ was feeling pretty lousy on Saturday morning... Maybe because the weather dropped 30 degrees in 2 days... UGH!

But we went to the party, after I called and warned them that she was under the weather.. so were many other people there as well...

Passed out cold after her party....

Im so glad we went.. but she was spent..

I hope this is the last cold till Fall.. 



Coughing, Puking and Boogers Oh My!

Im gonna keep it real on this blog entry..

You'll immediately know this when you see the picture below..

Exhausted eyes.. bags... eyebrows in desperate need of waxing..

 

This week BOTH Andrew and Samantha were sick...

When they're sick... Daddy is a HUGE help.. but sometimes they just want Mama..

And this week it was all the time.. at the same time..

Our sickness started last Saturday ...just Samantha... then over the weekend .. her fever spiked to 101.. and she just went downhill from there.. 

She was miserable.

And just couldnt shake it like she usually does in 2-3 days.

She missed school all week.

I finally took her into the doctor on Wed.

She has a virus, which will have to work itself out... and a massive ear infection.

I was shocked! Samantha? An ear infection.

It was kind of funny, because the doctor had asked if she had ever been on an antibiotic before... and I said I dont think so.. not in the last 2 years anyway..

Amoxicillin it is for our little sicky...

She's already feeling better and its Friday.. thank god...

 

 

Mister Mister...

It took him a few days to catch up..

But he has a viral bug as well

He is super miserable.. Isnt sleeping (which he never does anyway)... and his appetite is slim to none.

Its so hard to deal with him lately

Plus we've been living like this for a whole week now.. and our nerves and patience are shot.

We're trying to be creative, move around toys, cook cozy meals when we can..

But we are beat.. mentally and physically.

 

Two sick kids at the same time is hell...

Nothing I was prepared for

Life has come to a halt around here..

Laundry is in huge piles...

Blankets are everywhere..

Medicine bottles, and droppers line the counters

And in the middle of all the chaos and sleeplessness

there is love...

Andrew puts his head on his sister during double bathtime for his version of a "kiss"



 

Last night we had a little flashlight party... 

And made a little comfort food

Because what else can we do

Its just us..

This was one of the hardest parenting weeks on record..

and I hope its nearing an end..

Please...

WILW {A Quick Entry While We're All Sick}

Were fighting some sickness this Wed.

Both kids... since Saturday.. so I'd like to preface this post by saying im NOT loving my kids BOTH being sick at the same time... NO NO NO

 



 

1. Im loving this adorable onesie that came in the mail yesterday for his Birthday party...

Aside from the booger wiping, blow out diapers, fevers, and the list could go on.... It was a happy mail day...



2. Sweet Even when Sick

My poor guy.. took him a while to catch up to Sister.. but he's feeling crappy too...

 

Its a short WILW.. but Mommy Duty is on maximum overtime..

I couldnt even put Andrew down yesterday ... all day..

Im loving though that I know they will get better eventually... and its nothing permanent..

 

 

 

Surgery Day for Andrew

Let me just preface... last night was ROUGH...

I wasnt allowed to feed him .. so he of course was MAD...

He woke up grabbing his ears and screaming around 1am... and didnt go back to sleep till 4:15.. And the alarm went off at 5:30am.. we had to be at the hospital at 6...

 



As soon as we checked in to admissions, I knew I needed a large one of these.....

He was in a bad mood... naturally...

 

Screaming and crying for most of the admission and when we went for the pre-op vitals, etc..

Then he passed out .. thank goodness... right before the surgery..

I was nervous of course.. but they were so wonderful at the Children's Hospital.

 

They explained everything so well. We got a pager, that the doc would beep us when it was finished... And there was also a computer board that looked like a flight schedule..

telling you where he was at all times. He was #14354 - It reads "In OR"

 

After the surgery... I was informed (thank you Nicole!!!) That he might freak out, and it would last a while.. and it was all normal.. the Anethesia ...

And boy was he MAD...

The nurses came to get me immediately after he woke up..

I tried to nurse him, a little, but he had just drank a bunch of juice.. and it didnt work..

Nothing was soothing him.

Nothing

PLus he was connected to monitors, and cords, and he was trying to kick them and rip them off..

We headed upstairs to recovery for more vitals..

Screaming ... crying...

Every time a nurse walked in he would freak.. as if he knew..

Then we were cleared to leave..

I was holding him and about to step on the elevator, and he puked.. ALL OVER ME..

Not once, but twice...

We turned around and went back to the room.. I threw my shirt right in the garbage, and put on my sweatshirt I thankfully brought.

 

So then vitals again... GREAAAAAAAAT

Daddy took over this round...

The nurse was wonderful, and he DID calm down for her.

I think he felt better after he puked.

We changed him, and tried again to leave, this time success!

He was already happier when we got to the car.

 

And the ride home he ate some puffs and didnt make a sound

 

He came home and was so happy.. talking and cooing.. "mama" and "dada"

He was walking around the house, opening cabinets.. doing his usual "boy" things.. haha..

I was so happy to see him better ... and home.. 

I just nursed him to sleep so we'll see how well he naps..

Were taking it slow today... but hopefully he's on the road to feeling MUCH MUCH better..

I can thankfully say Im glad this is over..

Now how am I going to get through the rest of the day on 2 hours sleep????



These Days....

Ive been MIA lately..

Because I've been nursing 2 sick kiddos..

Not just a cold I think ... but a virus.

 

We had some REALLY hard days last week...

And then at the end of the week the kids and now I are all sick.

 

Its so hard to find grace in some things when you're sleep deprived, and have not a lot of patience left on certain areas.  I cried, I was grumpy, I snapped at Mathew, I snapped at Samantha... it was just an all around UGLY week.

 

So sorry if this is a Debbie Downer post..

But this blog is somewhere I go to release my thoughts, and beleive it or not, I really do feel better after writing my feelings down... some sort of release.. and it is good.

 

I turned to my bible last night as (I slept next to a stuffed up Andrew for the 2nd night in a row) and I have a study bible.. and if you turn to an emotion you are feeling, it gives you a verse you can read and take in, and help understand and reflect on it.

 

All my fears, concerns, frustrations, and tears I should offer up to God.. but this verse from James made me feel better too.. and I must keep remembering...

 

James 1:2-4

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing

 

Im getting all religious now, huh?

But seriously.. better days are ahead, and this truly is a trial and test in our lives... and this too shall pass..

 

The kids are feeling better today.. and so am I.

Tomorrow is another school day for Samantha, and we're gonna just take it as it comes, and offer up whatever happens  to God.. and let him worry about it.

 

Im praying though for a good day.

Instead of festering all day today and worrying about what will happen tomorrow, Im going to pray on it, and ask God for strength for Samantha that she can get through a good day tomorrow.

We're having Daddy drop her off to see if this makes a good difference.

 

Our lives are FILLED with so many blessings...Im gonna try not to get caught up in the bad/hard things too much..

 

the end.. =)

 



Weekend Wrap Up

Our weekend started off pretty good..

Samantha and I had MOPS on Thursday, and her fever broke, and she was feeling/acting MUCH better.. so I took her and she had a ball playing with the kids, eating donuts and juice and running around. Next week she'll go into a classroom for MOPS.. so Im hoping she does well.. (a little nervous)...

If she took a good nap, I told her she could help me make cupcakes for Uncle's Birthday... and when she woke up thats just what we did.

I even got out a stool so she could "help" me. I filled the cake liners depending on which one she wanted me to do next.. she thought that was the greatest thing in the world to be up by the counter with Momma. While they were baking I let her clean/play in the sink while we waited.
Uncle had requested Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.
I found this recipe for the CUPCAKES.. I just used the "cupcake" part of the recipe and since we were all a little sick/exhausted.. I just got a can of Milk Chocolate Frosting for the top, and I had some fall leaf sprinkles.
On Friday I just made Sugar Cookies with Fall M&M's too.. just in case some people didnt like Peanut Butter...
They were all packaged and ready to go!
On Friday it was out to see Uncle at his "school"
Samantha was all bundled up, it was a gorgeous drive, and beautiful campus.. she had fun picking and throwing acorns before we ate dinner. A bunch of our family members came too .. and we all sat and ate Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, and Salad.. It was like a college cafeteria style dinner, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to my brother, it was funny!

We took a walk around after dinner, saw his room, and this cute little chapel off the hallway where his "dorm" is..

Saturday... No pics.. Momma was sick as a dog, fever, sore throat.. chills.. oh AND pregnant.. I've never had a cold AND been pregnant at the same time.. Thank goodness Grammy took Samantha for the morning.. I couldnt even get off the couch.. It was awful.. I was popping Cough Drops, Gulping down OJ and Hot Tea.. and Thank Goodness woke up feeling a little better Sunday.

We went to the grocery store, and I found the ONLY medicine she'll willingly take for me.. Little Noses' Suckers (for sore throats).. she only had a few licks.. but the point was, it was "medicine" so if anything made Momma feel better .. ha!

Its always a challenge having her sick.. b/c she gets so spoiled namely at nighttime, with being held, or having her head rubbed, or ending up in our bed.. so finally last night (Sunday.. she went to bed easy.. and we didnt hear from her till 7am this morning.. thank you Jesus!!!)
Sunday afternoon she took a good nap, then I ran out (feeling good) and got her Halloween costume. She keeps saying she wants to be a dinosaur.. and this looked pretty close to me! I love the feet!!!

We had my Mom and one of her dear friends from Colorado who was visiting us this weekend over for dinner.. and we had a little bonfire till it got dark.. Samantha LOVED Momo (as we call her).. She was cracking them up all night! Momo what a great visit!! Please please come again soon! I hope to take a trip to see you when the kids are older!! Mathew has never been to Colorado.. and I think after we visit, he may want to relocate.. (not kidding)

And of course a nice cozy dessert... Country Apple Dumplings.... which Im told by the hubby, that they are sooo good even better than the ones he gets back home in the Amish Country..

Simple recipe from Allrecipes.com... love love these..

I serve them in a bowl with cream ... amazing...

So glad SJ is feeling better, and I just have an annoying cough now and lingering sore throat.. It was a rough couple days/nights..thankfully they are over!

Sick Day...

Not me, Samantha.

We were up from 1am till about 4-5am then again at 7:30 for the day.

I cant remember the last time she was sick, so in this madness I guess we can consider ourselves lucky...

She had a fever around 102.. and runny drippy nose.. Which means she cant sleep, cause she has to concentrate on breathing through her mouth. So she kept waking herself, and us up.. all night poor thing...

{im trying everything!!}

She hates medicine..so she fights us, and we basically have to force her to take it, which I feel bad about but what choice do I have?

She woke up and was a little better.. fever was around 100.. and she was running around.. (leaking all over the place... as we were armed with wipes and tissues)... Now she passed out on the couch, and im trying to get some work done, for work, and home, (i've got laundry going, and chicken soup cookin')

Im praying this will not linger too long.

I was supposed to take her to the MOPS open house tomorrow morning and meet my friend and her daughter there.. Looks like I may be going solo..

Pass me the Boogie Wipes.

Last week Samantha was welcoming and unwelcome cold! The weather changes, and presto...we are sick!

I was not prepared, so we needed a few things..off to Wegs

I tried these...


which are such a great product.. and I always just pass them by in the baby aisle, but they worked great, since Samantha wont let us near her with the nasal aspirator, and they smell good too.. Bonus! SO we grabbed some tissues, vicks, water, juice, boogie wipes.. haha..

She was so quiet and good in the store, and looking at her face you could see she wasnt herself. Even after her usual cookie from the bakery.


I just wanted to hug her and cuddle with her all day...


After we got in the car from our little grocery trip, she was passed out cold before we even got out of the parking lot.. bless her heart

So after the first day, she was learning to deal with feeling under the weather..and she was back to playing, screaming, yelling and of course climbing..





Its now day 4.. and Im hoping this cold is going to leave soon! But now Momma has it, and Daddy's throat is starting to feel sore too.. oh dear!