This morning we barely had any snow on the ground...just a patch or pile here or there. WELL...NOW we have a ton! Claire started asking to play in the snow ALL day. I told we would wait until Daddy came home. Well, so we finally went out about 5 and BRR! It was really really wet, heavy, sticky snow. PLUS it was windy, so it was blowing sideways. I started freezing my face/eyes off after about 5 minutes. And she didn't want to come in! But I told her we could go out again tomorrow. So hopefully it will stop coming down. It's not so fun to play in when it's falling because then it melts on your face and makes your face all cold and wet and freezing. Maybe I should invest in some ski masks and goggles? :)
And I figured out why her boots get full of snow. Her snowpants are only a 2T. Yeah...they were a tad big on her last year, but this year, too small. I could barely get them zipped on her today. Her jammies that she sleeps in, you know the footed ones...they are a 5t and a 6T...insane. This girl is freaking tall...like me I guess. I'm just glad she's slender enough to still fit into the 2T snowpants, even if they are like floodpants. :)
Today I did a "deep clean" vacuum of our bedroom which involved pulling out furniture and cleaning under things...something I've never done since we've moved in. AND YIKES!!! Well, in my defense, we've never lived in once place as long as we have here! In May it will be 5 years. That's a lot of dust, let me tell you! And Claire had a blast, too. For Christmas, she got a gift card from her Glama Lynn and Grandpa Jason, so I ordered her among other things, a toy vacuum, which finally arrived. Who knew toy vacuums would get back-ordered?!!? But our neighbor Christopher has one that she loves to play with so I thought she'd enjoy it.
It's really cute watching her pretend to vacuum. I watched Christopher all day yesterday, and boy, I don't think he put that vacuum down for more than 10 minutes!!!
She also has recent fascination with this Strawberry Shortcake puzzle. It's 15 pieces and says ages 4-7 on it. She LOVES it. She seriously will sit and do it 10 times in a row and still want to do it some more. It was actually one of my puzzles when I was little so it's extra cute! I think I want to shoot myself in the foot if she wants me to "help" her with it again. I guess she just wants me to "play" with her because she can do it by herself! Today I had to laugh when I saw her doing it UPSIDE DOWN! Like, she flipped all the pieces over so they were the brown cardboard and put it together that way, with no help from the picture! I was actually really impressed!
While cleaning up our bedroom she wanted to get in the pack-and-play. I plan on setting up the bassinet feature for the new baby. Yeah...gotta find all the parts! But Claire climbed in and can't even lay down sideways in it anymore! She still said "MY PACK-AND-PLAY!" I told her we were cleaning it up for her brother. I also shoved her bed (aka mattress) on the OTHER side of ours. I had it by Josh's side. But then she kept rolling off. So I put her mattress against the far wall today. Hopefully that will keep her in it better. I wedged the Pack-and-Play against it since it has soft mesh sides. I think it will work and we won't have to buy another baby-gate-fence thingy for the bed.
I need to make a to-do list of things I need to do before the new baby comes. I feel like we are down to crunch time. And like I said before, I am feeling exceptionally huge. So I think I'll try to get all the big moving and stuff done. Then if I have time, I really need to get scrapbooking and organizing print pictures!!!
There is just so much to do. It seems like just normal daily things take longer. I want to have Claire help me with daily routines instead of parking in front of the TV. And she loves it. The other night I made red potatoes. She helped me wash potatoes! She'll go get her footstool anytime that she gets to help. She basically had a blast "scrubbing" the potatoes and playing in water for awhile. Then she wanted to help me cut them. This is where helping is bad sometimes because, um, she so cannot use a sharp knife yet.
So I got out her playdough and told her to cut up "playdough" potatoes, which she was really pleased with since I gave her a real butter knife to use. She was begging me though, "PLEASE MOMMY! PLEASE LET ME CUT A REAL POTATO!" She'll also get really mad if I start the dryer. She wants to press the button! Luckily that's an easy fix!
So while it's snowing like crazy out there, we're trying to get a lot done in here because, well, once the new one comes along, there will be like, oh, say a year of slacking again. ;)
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
How am I feeling?
I've been feeling fine...other than the fact that I feel like, well, as big as a freaking house. I swear I am as big now at 30 weeks as I was at 40 weeks with Claire. I know they say that you get bigger sooner with the 2nd plus, but DANG. I think they say boys are bigger and second babies are bigger too.
Some things I've done because I forget I have a big baby belly:
Spit while brushing my teeth and gotten the spit all over my belly.
Have to fold in the mirrors to walk between our 2 cars in the garage. Can't squeeze through sideways anymore.
Hit my belly on various doors/doorjambs/counters. No bruises yet. I did bruise my belly one time with Claire in a parking lot. I turned sideways and smacked into a rearview mirror. Dang that one hurt.
Given up sleeping on my back in the past few weeks. I am a huge back sleeper. :(
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
If all the Raindrops...
Claire's newest favorite song we've been singing in this storytime session is "If all the Raindrops..." Watch the "music video" here:
Monday, February 1, 2010
Oh so Organized?
Well. I'm organized for now. Ha. I took Claire to pick out bins this morning. She wanted to climb in them...
I needed some different sized toy bins for toy organization. I had gone almost a whole year or maybe a tad longer before I got 2 large clear rubbermaid bins for Claire's toys. I just keep the lids in the closet so they are like toy boxes.
But...all the little toys would fall to the bottom and get "lost"---and she would only play with the toys on top! So then about last year at this time I got about 5 small baskets for toys, but they are really too tiny.
So today I got some smallish to mid-sized bins to organize toys. So now there is a bin for her Barbies, a bin for baby-ish toys like teethers/rattles (got to keep this out for littler friends!), a bin for things with wheels (and here I thought she had a lot of girly stuff!), a bin for random little "crap" toys/figurines, etc, and finally, a bin for blocks. I put one of the big bins in the closet to rotate the bigger stuffed toys/dolls. Her wagon is actually empty instead of full of toys, so she can play in it, which she did tonight, which kept her nicely away from the toys I was trying to sort.
The upstairs always seems more organized for some reason. It's mostly just books and stuffed animals/dolls in her "playroom." Plus, I think we spend a lot more time downstairs.
Now...I wonder how long this will last....ha! Actually, I'm trying to get into an evening routine of picking up. She thinks it's still fun at this age. Of course she gets easily distracted, but I think it will be easier if she knows Barbie stuff goes in the Barbie bin, etc.
She is pretty good about keeping her toy food stuff by her toy kitchen and her books on her book shelves. She knows her shoes go by the back door and her pens/pencils/papers go in her little desk. Yeah...I found a little plastic desk at a yard sale when she was like 11 months old! They were nearing the end of their day, and basically gave me anything I touched for 20 bucks TOTAL!!! It's the same garage sale I got her bike seat at.
I saw the exact same desk at Big Lots around Christmas for $30 so I was excited that it's a "new" desk, that's still being sold. It even has a little drawer in it and shelves on the side. The top is angled with pockets and places to put stuff. I decided to just let her keep her "own" paper, pens, and pencils in it since she LOVES that stuff and wants to play with it everyday. And knock on wood, she has never drawn on a wall or anywhere she shouldn't...knock on wood that she won't do this tomorrow just because I said she hadn't yet. Way to screw myself! :)
I actually got her craft stuff organized too. I re-purposed a 6-drawered mid-sized caddy thing that I've had forever. So she has all her crafty fun stuff there, which I stashed in the cupboard under the microwave. I couldn't do messy crafts anywhere but at the kitchen table. She's still pretty messy with the paint/glue.
We've also started leaving the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs down because she doesn't play on the stairs or anything anymore. She would the first several times because of the whole novelty of the thing...but I'm still a little leery to leave the top one down. I know that most home accidents are on the stairs. Kids fall mostly from stairs, highchairs, and changing tables, right? Hmm...so maybe I should leave the bottom one up?
I have to keep the top gate up though because otherwise she would have no boundary and be free to roam the upstairs, and that's just too far away in this house!
So I'm feeling a little bit organized, but not nearly as much as I'd like to be. I feel like there is still a lot that I need to do soon AKA...before baby boo two arrives. I guess picking out a name would be another good thing to do...ack. We are so not going to decide on this until like, um, he's born! Yeah, it sometimes feels like when you start organizing, that you just realize how much more stuff there is to organize.
I needed some different sized toy bins for toy organization. I had gone almost a whole year or maybe a tad longer before I got 2 large clear rubbermaid bins for Claire's toys. I just keep the lids in the closet so they are like toy boxes.
But...all the little toys would fall to the bottom and get "lost"---and she would only play with the toys on top! So then about last year at this time I got about 5 small baskets for toys, but they are really too tiny.
So today I got some smallish to mid-sized bins to organize toys. So now there is a bin for her Barbies, a bin for baby-ish toys like teethers/rattles (got to keep this out for littler friends!), a bin for things with wheels (and here I thought she had a lot of girly stuff!), a bin for random little "crap" toys/figurines, etc, and finally, a bin for blocks. I put one of the big bins in the closet to rotate the bigger stuffed toys/dolls. Her wagon is actually empty instead of full of toys, so she can play in it, which she did tonight, which kept her nicely away from the toys I was trying to sort.
The upstairs always seems more organized for some reason. It's mostly just books and stuffed animals/dolls in her "playroom." Plus, I think we spend a lot more time downstairs.
Now...I wonder how long this will last....ha! Actually, I'm trying to get into an evening routine of picking up. She thinks it's still fun at this age. Of course she gets easily distracted, but I think it will be easier if she knows Barbie stuff goes in the Barbie bin, etc.
She is pretty good about keeping her toy food stuff by her toy kitchen and her books on her book shelves. She knows her shoes go by the back door and her pens/pencils/papers go in her little desk. Yeah...I found a little plastic desk at a yard sale when she was like 11 months old! They were nearing the end of their day, and basically gave me anything I touched for 20 bucks TOTAL!!! It's the same garage sale I got her bike seat at.
I saw the exact same desk at Big Lots around Christmas for $30 so I was excited that it's a "new" desk, that's still being sold. It even has a little drawer in it and shelves on the side. The top is angled with pockets and places to put stuff. I decided to just let her keep her "own" paper, pens, and pencils in it since she LOVES that stuff and wants to play with it everyday. And knock on wood, she has never drawn on a wall or anywhere she shouldn't...knock on wood that she won't do this tomorrow just because I said she hadn't yet. Way to screw myself! :)
I actually got her craft stuff organized too. I re-purposed a 6-drawered mid-sized caddy thing that I've had forever. So she has all her crafty fun stuff there, which I stashed in the cupboard under the microwave. I couldn't do messy crafts anywhere but at the kitchen table. She's still pretty messy with the paint/glue.
We've also started leaving the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs down because she doesn't play on the stairs or anything anymore. She would the first several times because of the whole novelty of the thing...but I'm still a little leery to leave the top one down. I know that most home accidents are on the stairs. Kids fall mostly from stairs, highchairs, and changing tables, right? Hmm...so maybe I should leave the bottom one up?
I have to keep the top gate up though because otherwise she would have no boundary and be free to roam the upstairs, and that's just too far away in this house!
So I'm feeling a little bit organized, but not nearly as much as I'd like to be. I feel like there is still a lot that I need to do soon AKA...before baby boo two arrives. I guess picking out a name would be another good thing to do...ack. We are so not going to decide on this until like, um, he's born! Yeah, it sometimes feels like when you start organizing, that you just realize how much more stuff there is to organize.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Feeding Baby Brother
Today completely out of the blue, Claire lifted up my shirt and tried to feed her baby brother a cheddar bunny through my belly button. She's so sweet trying to share. ;) I explained that he won't be able to eat or drink anything other than nummies for a long, long time! She seemed satisfied when I told her that she could tell him about her food or show him food, just not feed it to him.
On another note, she continues to leave the "l" out of clock. So if you hear her talking about her "cock" puzzle, it's just a clock puzzle. And although when she talks about a "cock-a-dile" it may sound like a racy 900 number, she's really just saying crocodile.
On another note, she continues to leave the "l" out of clock. So if you hear her talking about her "cock" puzzle, it's just a clock puzzle. And although when she talks about a "cock-a-dile" it may sound like a racy 900 number, she's really just saying crocodile.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Video City!
I put up a few videos on Facebook today. I figure that there's not point really in re-posting them here, so go check them out! :)
30 Month Update
Well Claire has officially turned 30 months...or exactly 2 and 1/2 for those of you who are not so math-inclined or don't have a toddler. ;) Here's some things that she has been saying and doing lately:
Instead of "No" she will say, "I don't think so."
She has started to say "notice" like, "I noticed Belle on that!" which cracks me up because "notice" seems like a big word.
"Goofy." She will usually say this like if her socks are twisted. She'll say, "Mommy! My socks feel goofy!" She is very dramatic when it comes to clothing.
We've enjoyed the little snow we got this week. When we came in and took off her boots, she goes, "I got wet socks from my pee." I started cracking up. They weren't pee-wet. They were snow-wet. That's what you get from boots that are 2 sizes too big. :) Yup. Garage sale boots for $1 and they will totally fit next year as well. It's not really worth buying boots in her current size for wearing out in the snow for 10-20 minutes a pop for maybe 3 times a week or snow. And if she'd stop crawling around in the snow, then the snow wouldn't get in there!
She calls everyone her "best friend" including certain toys and books as well as people.
Her questions continue. She wants to know "Who is that from?" regarding all her books and toys...I think it is a carry-over from Christmas!
She'll ask "Who got that for me?" It's enough to drive me batty because she'll ask about the same items over and over...yes, repetition helps them learn alright.
But, she wants to know more. She will ask silly things like, "Who bought the table? The chairs? Who bought the ceiling? The bath tubs?" etc. etc. naming everything in sight Goodnight Moon style.
Then if we go to someone's house she will ask about all their stuff when we get home, "Who bought Christopher's bathtub? Who bought Christopher's potty?" etc. etc.
She wants to know how old everyone is. "How old is ___________?" She wants to know all the ages of the Princesses. I've decided that they are all 16. Ha. I don't know why she is so obsessed with them. She's never seen one of their movies, just a Sing-along that's 30 minutes! Hmm...maybe one of these movies would entertain her long enough for me to get some scrapbooking done?
She of course still wants to know everyone's name, or she wants to name them. Girls will be named "Sarah" because she likes that movie The Labyrinth" even most boys will be named this as well. She has a book called "Dragon Tales" and loves the book because it has a squeaky caterpillar on it. There is a character named Cassie in it, so she has named one of her night-night babies "Cassie." I think it's a TV show or movie too?
Her favorite book is currently Just in Case You Ever Wonder. I like it because it's God-centered, but not overly dry. There are 2 pages about "monsters" which she absolutely loves. I'm not sure why, but I guess it's something fun?
If she wants me to see/do something, she'll say, "Come on. Let's go. It will be very fun! No monsters! I'll protect you!" This is of course, totally from the book!
I'm glad she's developing other favorites. She seems to have a favorite book for a week or so and then shifts. She is also wanting me to listen to her read. She'll say, "NO! I gonna read it to you!" Then she will tell me what she remembers, which is really cute to hear what the important parts are that stick out in her mind. She will also ask me lots of questions. I guess I tend to do this a lot because I've gotten tired of "reading" the text. So she'll say, "Mommy, now point to the cow jumping over the moon?" or "Where is the little gray mousie" or "How many mittens hanging up?" about Goodnight Moon.
We have since installed door knob covers around the house. I'd always strongly discouraged her from even touching the doorknobs or letting her see "how" to open the door knob...but yes, oh can she open them all now. It took a little bit long to open the side that pulls out toward you. It's easier to push the door open.
I got the knobs installed because I NEEDED her closet locked off. She wants to change her clothes all day. My next project is to shift a dresser that's in our master closet into her dresser. And ahahha...she won't be able to open it for awhile. It pulls very hard, and the drawers are heavy. Then her current dresser will be the baby boy's since it's smaller, and well, he'll be smaller for awhile!
She can also turn on/off the sinks. She may have actually been able to do this sooner, but I never let her since I was "afraid" she might burn herself or something. Ha. This time of year it takes awhile for the water to get WARM let alone HOT! I figure I may as well try to teach her as much as I can before the new baby!
We've also put the trash cans back in their old positions. We had set the bathroom and kitchen wastebaskets up on the counter when she started pulling up. I'd tried putting them down before but she would either throw toys in them or try to take out stuff...yuck! Now she understands NOT to take out a half-eaten cracker if it's in the trash. Knock on wood. I'm sure this one won't be flawless.
She follows directions really really well. She will set the table for me and LIKES to help. She gets mad if I put the plates on the table. She wants me to then take them off and give them to her, which cracks me up. Sunday, I made omelets for my parents and she even set the table with extra places!
She wants to help me fold laundry so I've been trying to teach her to fold towels/washcloths, which is something I know will come in very handy!
She wants to hear about her baby brother all the time! I told her we have to wait until a little bit after Easter when it starts to get warm out and the flowers and trees start to green-up again. I'll tell her that he can't eat any food or drink anything other than nummies. She goes, "OK! I'll share." And then...melt my heart...she goes, "I'll feed him my nummies" and points at herself! That was so cute! I see lots of doll-nursing going on in a few months!
Mobile stuff...she loves to run in circles still. She likes to put a little blanket down on the floor and call it her "jumping spot" and then will jump right on that spot...handy! She has taken her little bikes out in the snow and is pretty good at scooting them along despite the extra blockage from the snow. We're still working on pedaling. I think that's a 36 month milestone?
She LOVES ring-around-the-rosie and sometimes I wish I'd never taught it to her ;) Ha! She loves to jump in the pool at the Wellness Center. She can jump with 2 feet just fine, but jumping forward off the ledge is a bit trickier. She kind of just steps off it. Sometimes when she runs she gallops which is really funny looking!
I've been trying to film her singing her ABCs but she's a little stinker. She will just say "ABCs poop. ABCs pee!" when I try to film her singing it. I've tried filming behind her when she's busy, but she always catches me ;) I think she knows that it makes me ticked.
It's amazing how much she has changed since a year ago last January! I'm sure it will be just as amazing as we move forward another year.
Now we're starting to think preschools...she'll be old enough for any of the 3s classes in the fall. So I'm wondering to start her now, or wait until she is 4 and start her then. I know she would LOVE preschool. I remember absolutely LOVING preschool myself. My favorite preschool memory is of a "Lollipop Tree." My teacher, Mrs. Brown, read us a story about a tree that grew Lollipops. Then she had us go outside and...there were suckers tied all over the tree!!!
I've thought about just continuing to do crafts and things with her at home for another year and then starting, but I think I need to talk to some more moms about how old their kiddies were when starting preschool. Thoughts? Leave me a comment.
Viola Lennon's Eulogy
Viola Lennon’s Eulogy by her daughter Maureen
The last years of my mother’s life were difficult for her because her health started to fail. She was often house bound because of it. For the last few years, we had a schedule where we brought her meals and checked on her daily. My sister, Gina and I referred to our respective days with our Mom as “Driving Miss Daisy”.
We would talk about how we were taking care of our Mom. But now, when I look back at it, she was the one taking care of us. We would bring our meals for her and then start to do a few things around her condo. She would make us stop doing the house work and sit on the couch with her. WHO WERE WE TO ARGUE? Before you knew it, you were sitting there, in the middle of the day, with your feet up on the table, reading the paper, watching CNN, drinking tea and eating chocolate. That was my mother, never in a hurry to do anything. Think about that one. She had 10 kids and she was never in a hurry to do anything.
My Mother had a deep and abiding faith. During this time, she would often wonder out loud what God wanted her to learn from her poor health and old age. I do not presume to know what God wanted my Mom to learn from it, but I can tell you what I learned from it. I got to know my Mother.
This is what I learned. She grew up in the Loyola area, the oldest of three kids. Her grandparents lived with her family in an apartment. Oddly enough, it was her blind grandfather who taught her to read. Reading was one of the great joys of her life up until the very end. She passed that love of reading on to all of us.
She attended St. Ignatius grammar school and St. Scholastica High school.
She adored her father. Unfortunately, he died when she was only 14 and his death changed the course of her life. She had dreamed of going to college in New York City but once he died that was no longer possible. She graduated from Mundelein College. Thereafter, she worked in New York City, with the YCW, the Young Christian Workers, which is where she met her life long friend Edwina Froelich. It was Edwina that brought Mom into the group that would then become Le Leche League
Le Leche League
What a group this is. When I think if LLL it makes me think of a famous quote by Margaret Meed who said:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world….. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
What I have learned these past few days is what a vital role my Mother played in LLL. She was Chairman of the Board for five years, an active part of the Capital Funding Campaign and its Alumnae Association.
Up until her fall on Sept 15, she would sit in her condo and work on draft after draft of the latest edition of the Womanly Art…. She was really hoping to get back to it. She devastated when she realized that she would never get back to it.
The Sunday following her death, I read an article on a blog by Desiree O’Clair which stated in part “I think it was easier for me to enjoy my babies because of the woman of the League. I belonged to a subculture of society that gave me strength and love… I had been given a sacred opportunity to nurture and protect my babies. In this subculture my work was honored and my happiness was shared. The women of this subculture gave freely of their lives. We loved each other’s children. The examples set by the founding mothers were like a good old-fashioned bowl of chicken soup- simple, nourishing, healing. We were a tribe.”
Through LLL, she met the best friends anyone could ask for. One time while she was in ICU she called Betty Ann Countryman, her dear, dear friend They chatted for a long time about LLL and its issues. When she got off the phone she said, and I quote, “I hope God is not relying on me to fix LLL’s problems in my current condition”. Then she paused and said, “I don’t even look good”. That was my Mom, I put down vain until the very end but then someone suggested better term at her wake last night when they said she was regal.
She made us carry her compact and lipstick from the hospital the to rehab, back to the hospital, then back to rehab, back to the hospital and then to the condo.
I found a letter from Helene Scheff to my mother dated 1981 in which she wrote- “I cannot tell you how much I have learned at your hand. I cannot tell you the profound influence you have had on our family, all of whom keep a special place in their hearts for you. You deserve all the respect and love we have to give. May you live a long, fruitful life and may we work together for much of that time, for the things we hold dear”.
Helene and my Mom remained the dearest of friends to the very end.
My Mom had many moments during hospice where we were convinced that she was not going to make it. One such time happened about two weeks prior to her actual death where she slept for about 3 days, without food or water. Then she awoke that Monday morning asking for bacon. Shortly thereafter, we received a card, from her dear friend Leslie Hawkenson, one of the countless she wrote my Mom, which said, “bacon and chocolate, it doesn’t get any better than that”.
LLL and good Nutrition have always gone hand in hand. Good nutrition was so important to my Mom her entire life. We were just talking the other day about how if you helped my Mom push one of the two heaping shopping carts at the grocery store you could get a treat, which for us meant something with white sugar in it, often times it was sugared cereal. We would hide it in our bedrooms so no one else could get it. A funny thing happened these past 130 days, NUTRITION WENT OUT THE WINDOW AND FANNIE MAY CAME IN THE FRONT DOOR. I cannot begin to describe to you how much chocolate she ate or should I say we ate.
The emails I have received these last few days practically crashed my computer. I am going to have to talk to someone in my IT department. But they have reminded me that she was known for her sense of humor and sense of adventure. She was someone who would show up at the airport without a drivers license, without a ticket and somehow get on a plane. I received an email a LLL member last night which described an incident in Wash DC in which my Mom was traveling with a group of people from Japan. I got the impression that they didn’t speak English. She lead the way for the group to get into a cab and told the driver where they needed to go, at which point the driver said, “HEY FOLKS, THIS IS NOT A CAB, JUST A YELLOW CAR!”.
What really surprises me about that story is that she didn’t talk the guy into taking them to their destination. Nothing ever rattled her and somehow it always worked out.
Hospice
My mother’s hospice experience will be one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Why? You say. Because every person who played a role in it brought their very best to the experience.
First and foremost, our Mother, she never ONCE complained.
- All of her friends came for visits.
- People sent cards and emails from all over the world: From South Africa to Argentina.
-All of my brothers and sisters who cared for her these 130 days:
Elizabeth- You kept her in the light.
Mark- You kept the condo clean.
Mimi-You gave us Hospice Olive.
Becca- you were her spiritual connection.
Matt- You kept us laughing.
Cathy- I will get to you later.
Marty-You made sure we had all the shifts covered.
Gina- You got her home.
It is a beautiful thing to see people at their very best.
Thank you
Lastly, on behalf of my Mother and my family I want to thank a few people. We would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses at Glenbrook Northshore Hospital and Glenbrook Northshore Hospice who guided us every step of the way. Their care and compassion was exceptional.
I would like to thank our immediate families for their support and understanding during this time. We all dropped out of our families so that we could care for our mother. This meant that we missed games, events, parties, meals and so much more. We thank you .
Lastly, we would like to thank the one person who really made it all possible, our sister Cathy. When this started, and we brought her home, the Doctors told us it was only going to be a matter of days. Our sister Cathy, said she wanted to take the lead on her medical situation. I, for one, was against the idea. I wanted to hire someone because I thought it was too much of a responsibility. Cathy was adamant that she could run the show and that she did. She took vacation time, sick time and then she took time under the Family Medical Leave Act.
I know she thinks that she peeked in 6th grade when she was nominated most valuable cheerleader… but as my brother Marty said to her, “this was truly your finest hour”. She showed all of us how to take care for our Mother with respect and dignity. She gave us the courage to do it. Because of Cathy we were able to give our Mother her last wish, which was to die at home.
The last years of my mother’s life were difficult for her because her health started to fail. She was often house bound because of it. For the last few years, we had a schedule where we brought her meals and checked on her daily. My sister, Gina and I referred to our respective days with our Mom as “Driving Miss Daisy”.
We would talk about how we were taking care of our Mom. But now, when I look back at it, she was the one taking care of us. We would bring our meals for her and then start to do a few things around her condo. She would make us stop doing the house work and sit on the couch with her. WHO WERE WE TO ARGUE? Before you knew it, you were sitting there, in the middle of the day, with your feet up on the table, reading the paper, watching CNN, drinking tea and eating chocolate. That was my mother, never in a hurry to do anything. Think about that one. She had 10 kids and she was never in a hurry to do anything.
My Mother had a deep and abiding faith. During this time, she would often wonder out loud what God wanted her to learn from her poor health and old age. I do not presume to know what God wanted my Mom to learn from it, but I can tell you what I learned from it. I got to know my Mother.
This is what I learned. She grew up in the Loyola area, the oldest of three kids. Her grandparents lived with her family in an apartment. Oddly enough, it was her blind grandfather who taught her to read. Reading was one of the great joys of her life up until the very end. She passed that love of reading on to all of us.
She attended St. Ignatius grammar school and St. Scholastica High school.
She adored her father. Unfortunately, he died when she was only 14 and his death changed the course of her life. She had dreamed of going to college in New York City but once he died that was no longer possible. She graduated from Mundelein College. Thereafter, she worked in New York City, with the YCW, the Young Christian Workers, which is where she met her life long friend Edwina Froelich. It was Edwina that brought Mom into the group that would then become Le Leche League
Le Leche League
What a group this is. When I think if LLL it makes me think of a famous quote by Margaret Meed who said:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world….. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
What I have learned these past few days is what a vital role my Mother played in LLL. She was Chairman of the Board for five years, an active part of the Capital Funding Campaign and its Alumnae Association.
Up until her fall on Sept 15, she would sit in her condo and work on draft after draft of the latest edition of the Womanly Art…. She was really hoping to get back to it. She devastated when she realized that she would never get back to it.
The Sunday following her death, I read an article on a blog by Desiree O’Clair which stated in part “I think it was easier for me to enjoy my babies because of the woman of the League. I belonged to a subculture of society that gave me strength and love… I had been given a sacred opportunity to nurture and protect my babies. In this subculture my work was honored and my happiness was shared. The women of this subculture gave freely of their lives. We loved each other’s children. The examples set by the founding mothers were like a good old-fashioned bowl of chicken soup- simple, nourishing, healing. We were a tribe.”
Through LLL, she met the best friends anyone could ask for. One time while she was in ICU she called Betty Ann Countryman, her dear, dear friend They chatted for a long time about LLL and its issues. When she got off the phone she said, and I quote, “I hope God is not relying on me to fix LLL’s problems in my current condition”. Then she paused and said, “I don’t even look good”. That was my Mom, I put down vain until the very end but then someone suggested better term at her wake last night when they said she was regal.
She made us carry her compact and lipstick from the hospital the to rehab, back to the hospital, then back to rehab, back to the hospital and then to the condo.
I found a letter from Helene Scheff to my mother dated 1981 in which she wrote- “I cannot tell you how much I have learned at your hand. I cannot tell you the profound influence you have had on our family, all of whom keep a special place in their hearts for you. You deserve all the respect and love we have to give. May you live a long, fruitful life and may we work together for much of that time, for the things we hold dear”.
Helene and my Mom remained the dearest of friends to the very end.
My Mom had many moments during hospice where we were convinced that she was not going to make it. One such time happened about two weeks prior to her actual death where she slept for about 3 days, without food or water. Then she awoke that Monday morning asking for bacon. Shortly thereafter, we received a card, from her dear friend Leslie Hawkenson, one of the countless she wrote my Mom, which said, “bacon and chocolate, it doesn’t get any better than that”.
LLL and good Nutrition have always gone hand in hand. Good nutrition was so important to my Mom her entire life. We were just talking the other day about how if you helped my Mom push one of the two heaping shopping carts at the grocery store you could get a treat, which for us meant something with white sugar in it, often times it was sugared cereal. We would hide it in our bedrooms so no one else could get it. A funny thing happened these past 130 days, NUTRITION WENT OUT THE WINDOW AND FANNIE MAY CAME IN THE FRONT DOOR. I cannot begin to describe to you how much chocolate she ate or should I say we ate.
The emails I have received these last few days practically crashed my computer. I am going to have to talk to someone in my IT department. But they have reminded me that she was known for her sense of humor and sense of adventure. She was someone who would show up at the airport without a drivers license, without a ticket and somehow get on a plane. I received an email a LLL member last night which described an incident in Wash DC in which my Mom was traveling with a group of people from Japan. I got the impression that they didn’t speak English. She lead the way for the group to get into a cab and told the driver where they needed to go, at which point the driver said, “HEY FOLKS, THIS IS NOT A CAB, JUST A YELLOW CAR!”.
What really surprises me about that story is that she didn’t talk the guy into taking them to their destination. Nothing ever rattled her and somehow it always worked out.
Hospice
My mother’s hospice experience will be one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Why? You say. Because every person who played a role in it brought their very best to the experience.
First and foremost, our Mother, she never ONCE complained.
- All of her friends came for visits.
- People sent cards and emails from all over the world: From South Africa to Argentina.
-All of my brothers and sisters who cared for her these 130 days:
Elizabeth- You kept her in the light.
Mark- You kept the condo clean.
Mimi-You gave us Hospice Olive.
Becca- you were her spiritual connection.
Matt- You kept us laughing.
Cathy- I will get to you later.
Marty-You made sure we had all the shifts covered.
Gina- You got her home.
It is a beautiful thing to see people at their very best.
Thank you
Lastly, on behalf of my Mother and my family I want to thank a few people. We would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses at Glenbrook Northshore Hospital and Glenbrook Northshore Hospice who guided us every step of the way. Their care and compassion was exceptional.
I would like to thank our immediate families for their support and understanding during this time. We all dropped out of our families so that we could care for our mother. This meant that we missed games, events, parties, meals and so much more. We thank you .
Lastly, we would like to thank the one person who really made it all possible, our sister Cathy. When this started, and we brought her home, the Doctors told us it was only going to be a matter of days. Our sister Cathy, said she wanted to take the lead on her medical situation. I, for one, was against the idea. I wanted to hire someone because I thought it was too much of a responsibility. Cathy was adamant that she could run the show and that she did. She took vacation time, sick time and then she took time under the Family Medical Leave Act.
I know she thinks that she peeked in 6th grade when she was nominated most valuable cheerleader… but as my brother Marty said to her, “this was truly your finest hour”. She showed all of us how to take care for our Mother with respect and dignity. She gave us the courage to do it. Because of Cathy we were able to give our Mother her last wish, which was to die at home.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Claire's First Surgery
I was at my computer. Claire was digging around in my desk for paper and pens as usual. All of a sudden I felt this horrible HORRIBLE sharp pain in the soft back part of my arm, about half-way between my elbow and shoulder. She had pinched me with a stapler remover!!!!!!!!!! Holy hell!!! OUCH!
I had no warning since she hadn't even been touching me prior to the stab wound. She had just been scribbling on a pad of paper standing next to me, while I sat at my desk. It looks like the stapler remover bit me with it's four little teeth and drug it's teeth across my flesh. It started bleeding right away.
I of course had screamed, so then Claire started crying. :( I think she was trying to preform her first surgery on me. In retrospect, I'm very glad that she took a chunk out of my arm rather than her own arm or finger...etc. I don't know what possessed her to do that though! I don't think I've used that thing since I was teaching. Sigh. It's so weird because she's had access to all my drawers for MONTHS and had never touched it!
We used to keep a yardstick in the drawer handles so she couldn't get them open. Then she figured out she was strong enough to just yank hard, and she has broken 2 yard sticks this way. FUN! Well...I think my desk drawers are now totally kid friendly...now...
I had no warning since she hadn't even been touching me prior to the stab wound. She had just been scribbling on a pad of paper standing next to me, while I sat at my desk. It looks like the stapler remover bit me with it's four little teeth and drug it's teeth across my flesh. It started bleeding right away.
I of course had screamed, so then Claire started crying. :( I think she was trying to preform her first surgery on me. In retrospect, I'm very glad that she took a chunk out of my arm rather than her own arm or finger...etc. I don't know what possessed her to do that though! I don't think I've used that thing since I was teaching. Sigh. It's so weird because she's had access to all my drawers for MONTHS and had never touched it!
We used to keep a yardstick in the drawer handles so she couldn't get them open. Then she figured out she was strong enough to just yank hard, and she has broken 2 yard sticks this way. FUN! Well...I think my desk drawers are now totally kid friendly...now...
Glucose Test Already
I am in the homestretch now! I had my glucose test yesterday as part of the standard OB care. It was fine, or they would have called me today. The test really wasn't THAT bad...I think that there are much worse tests. I drank an orange pop type drink that tasted pretty flat. Then I had my regular OB appointment. Everything was fine. I had to wait a full hour, then they did a simple blood draw and took two vials. Baby's doing well, and he is growing on schedule. I'm going to the OB every 2 weeks now! AHH! That little boy will be here before we know it. Time to start getting some baby boy names together! I didn't have GD or any other problems with Claire's pregnancy either. Knock on wood!!!
I have been following the Brewer's Pregnancy Diet which is the same one the Bradley Classes advise following. It's basically a standard healthy eating plan incorporating a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. My breakfast is usually 2 hardboiled eggs and a large orange. Claire loves oranges as well. I would say that's the only thing "unique" about the diet is that they want you to have citrus daily and 2 eggs daily. I can't stand eggs most ways restaurants make them, unless they are poached extra hard, then it's like hard boiled eggs! Ha! But we maybe make it out to breakfast once/month! I find the one thing hard about the diet is to eat 3 baked potatoes a week. That seems like a lot. I am very into rice and pasta more than potatoes. I also like to make soups with bread for sides. Once a week we usually do breakfast for dinner since it's easy. Another easy dinner is soup/sandwiches which of course wouldn't include potatoes either! Monday I cracked out my breadmaker and made some homemade bread as well as some "Sunday Roast Chicken" in the crockpot. I love crockpotting! (Is that a word?) My goal is to not gain any more weight than I did with Claire's pregnancy and so far I'm on track. If anything, I've gained less so far, but that's subject to change...lol!
One thing I have noticed this pregnancy is some back pain, but honestly I think it's from carrying Claire around way too much...still. She still asks to be carried a lot and I pick her up without thinking. I've been trying to have her walk more, but I honestly enjoy it when she lets me carry her because I know that her carrying days will be ending soon! So it's hard to say what the back pain is from...maybe from when Claire was born? Who knows. It could also be from a lot more nesting and working around the house. With Claire's pregnancy I was teaching full time, and I did not do a lot of nesting...plus we hadn't been in this house that long...so there wasn't a lot to do to nest! Now I feel like everything is always a mess! (BLAME THE TODDLER!)
Everytime I get down on the floor to do exercises or stretches Claire wants to climb all over me and/or play horsey. Sigh. Today I was on the exercise ball, and she goes, "Me take a nap on the big ball?" HA. She can't even sit on it alone, and she wants to take a nap on it? LOL! Yesterday we got to go outside and play in the dusting of snow. She had a ball, but I froze. I need snowpants! I don't think they make maternity snowpants! HA! I also refuse to buy maternity nylons. And since I'm 6'1 it's hard to buy nylons long enough anyways. That was always my other trick. I'd just put nylons on under my pants. I have a pair of "snow pants" that I wore sledding/skiing in high school, but they are only a large. So. Not. Fitting. at 29 weeks prego! FAIL! I tried them on and had to laugh.
I have been following the Brewer's Pregnancy Diet which is the same one the Bradley Classes advise following. It's basically a standard healthy eating plan incorporating a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. My breakfast is usually 2 hardboiled eggs and a large orange. Claire loves oranges as well. I would say that's the only thing "unique" about the diet is that they want you to have citrus daily and 2 eggs daily. I can't stand eggs most ways restaurants make them, unless they are poached extra hard, then it's like hard boiled eggs! Ha! But we maybe make it out to breakfast once/month! I find the one thing hard about the diet is to eat 3 baked potatoes a week. That seems like a lot. I am very into rice and pasta more than potatoes. I also like to make soups with bread for sides. Once a week we usually do breakfast for dinner since it's easy. Another easy dinner is soup/sandwiches which of course wouldn't include potatoes either! Monday I cracked out my breadmaker and made some homemade bread as well as some "Sunday Roast Chicken" in the crockpot. I love crockpotting! (Is that a word?) My goal is to not gain any more weight than I did with Claire's pregnancy and so far I'm on track. If anything, I've gained less so far, but that's subject to change...lol!
One thing I have noticed this pregnancy is some back pain, but honestly I think it's from carrying Claire around way too much...still. She still asks to be carried a lot and I pick her up without thinking. I've been trying to have her walk more, but I honestly enjoy it when she lets me carry her because I know that her carrying days will be ending soon! So it's hard to say what the back pain is from...maybe from when Claire was born? Who knows. It could also be from a lot more nesting and working around the house. With Claire's pregnancy I was teaching full time, and I did not do a lot of nesting...plus we hadn't been in this house that long...so there wasn't a lot to do to nest! Now I feel like everything is always a mess! (BLAME THE TODDLER!)
Everytime I get down on the floor to do exercises or stretches Claire wants to climb all over me and/or play horsey. Sigh. Today I was on the exercise ball, and she goes, "Me take a nap on the big ball?" HA. She can't even sit on it alone, and she wants to take a nap on it? LOL! Yesterday we got to go outside and play in the dusting of snow. She had a ball, but I froze. I need snowpants! I don't think they make maternity snowpants! HA! I also refuse to buy maternity nylons. And since I'm 6'1 it's hard to buy nylons long enough anyways. That was always my other trick. I'd just put nylons on under my pants. I have a pair of "snow pants" that I wore sledding/skiing in high school, but they are only a large. So. Not. Fitting. at 29 weeks prego! FAIL! I tried them on and had to laugh.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Newest Back Seat Driver
I have 2 backseat drivers. My GPS and Claire. I normally mute the GPS because it's just annoying. PLUS Claire will repeat anything it says, "Turn Right" then she'll say "Turn Right" until I repeat and acknowledge what she said. Fun fun!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Viola Lennon
It is with great sadness that we have learned that Viola Lennon, co-Founder of La Leche League International and co-author of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, passed away peacefully in the Chicago area on Friday, January 22. Service and memorial details will be made available as soon as possible on the LLLI web page.
Viola Lennon was born in 1923. She credits her mother with having the strongest influence on her philosophy of breastfeeding and mothering, saying, “My mother portrayed breastfeeding as an enjoyable experience that brings you close to your baby.”
In 1951, Viola married William (Bill) Lennon with whom she had ten children. Edwina Froehlich, Viola’s friend from college, invited her to a meeting at the home of Mary White’s home in 1956, and she quickly joined the others.
In 1972, Viola took on the important role of Chairman of the LLLI Board of Directors, a position she held for five years. During this time, she helped guide the LLLI Board in the formalization of the policies and procedures for running this growing organization, as well as in defining the organizational philosophy and principles. When LLLI’s finances took a downturn in 1984, Viola spearheaded our “Second Founding” and later became the Director of the LLLI Funding Development Department, a position she held for many years. Vi developed close personal relationships with many generous donors who supported LLLI’s efforts financially and contributed in many ways to the success of the organization.
When she left her staff position as Funding Development Director, she dedicated her time and effort to the expansion of the Alumnae Association, becoming one of its strongest proponents.
Viola says, “Breastfeeding… led me to self-discovery and to a greater appreciation of the full humanity of the babies who were entrusted to me. Each woman needs to trust her own instincts, her own feelings, and her own sense of what will work for her with each baby. Women in the 1950s had forgotten the wisdom of previous generations in relation to breastfeeding. Mothers who tried to breastfeed on their own were almost always destined to fail.” She laughs when she adds, "The neighbors sent their children to watch me breastfeed because they knew the children would not see it anywhere else!”
Viola Lennon was born in 1923. She credits her mother with having the strongest influence on her philosophy of breastfeeding and mothering, saying, “My mother portrayed breastfeeding as an enjoyable experience that brings you close to your baby.”
In 1951, Viola married William (Bill) Lennon with whom she had ten children. Edwina Froehlich, Viola’s friend from college, invited her to a meeting at the home of Mary White’s home in 1956, and she quickly joined the others.
In 1972, Viola took on the important role of Chairman of the LLLI Board of Directors, a position she held for five years. During this time, she helped guide the LLLI Board in the formalization of the policies and procedures for running this growing organization, as well as in defining the organizational philosophy and principles. When LLLI’s finances took a downturn in 1984, Viola spearheaded our “Second Founding” and later became the Director of the LLLI Funding Development Department, a position she held for many years. Vi developed close personal relationships with many generous donors who supported LLLI’s efforts financially and contributed in many ways to the success of the organization.
When she left her staff position as Funding Development Director, she dedicated her time and effort to the expansion of the Alumnae Association, becoming one of its strongest proponents.
Viola says, “Breastfeeding… led me to self-discovery and to a greater appreciation of the full humanity of the babies who were entrusted to me. Each woman needs to trust her own instincts, her own feelings, and her own sense of what will work for her with each baby. Women in the 1950s had forgotten the wisdom of previous generations in relation to breastfeeding. Mothers who tried to breastfeed on their own were almost always destined to fail.” She laughs when she adds, "The neighbors sent their children to watch me breastfeed because they knew the children would not see it anywhere else!”
A Not So Lazy Weekend
I think the vomiting thing was a total fluke. I think she gagged herself because she had no fever on Thursday and no other vomiting incidents. Just the one time several times in a row on Thursday. Odd. But to be on the safe side we stayed in on Friday. That and I had a major project to put the car/carseat back together! My parents rolled in for a visit yesterday in the evening for the weekend, so Claire had a blast playing and reading with them. :)
We went to breakfast at Blueberry Hill where Claire had almost an entire cup of hot chocolate...holy cow!!! Then we got a new mattress for her at Sam's since we had jacked one out of the guest room. Ha...my parents got it so they'd have a place to sleep. What a deal. And guess where Claire is sleeping? Yup. On her "Princess Bed!" SCORE!
Then we swam at the Wellness Center. I think swimming while pregnant is quite possibly my most favorite thing in the world. The baby totally wakes up like when I lay down to sleep and goes crazy moving around! I wish to have an indoor pool and swim every day. Chop, chop Joshie. I'd also like our own personal hot-tub and steam rooms. Again, Chop, Chop. :) Claire had a blast and insisted on me letting her go so she could swim/float on her own. What a big step! That is the first she's wanted to do that! She had a life jacket on of course for me to let her go! :) It's a good quality boating one with complete head support. I wouldn't buy any other kind though!
Then we went to a Bday party at Monkey Joes for her friend Abby. Fun. Claire bit her lip jumping in a toddler jump area and bled, but wanted to go right back and play! Then after the party fun was over, she was playing again, went down a slide and smashed heads with another kid. This place was great though...really busy and fun. We'll have to go back! Poor Claire went to bed with a red spot on her face ... between her eyes/nose area from the head smash. Hopefully it won't bruise, but boy did she cry. I don't think I've ever actually heard her cry that hard before. :( I sat down and snuggled/nursed her and she was back to playing in a few minutes. Gotta love that "reset" nursing button.
THEN...we went to get some pizza with my parents/Josh at Mozzis. Claire dumped half her juice down her shirt from an open container, but luckily...I had an extra outfit for her :) Ha...pure luck.
So we got home and Claire wanted to sleep on her new mattress. Sweet. Knock on wood she'll be happy there all night!
We went to breakfast at Blueberry Hill where Claire had almost an entire cup of hot chocolate...holy cow!!! Then we got a new mattress for her at Sam's since we had jacked one out of the guest room. Ha...my parents got it so they'd have a place to sleep. What a deal. And guess where Claire is sleeping? Yup. On her "Princess Bed!" SCORE!
Then we swam at the Wellness Center. I think swimming while pregnant is quite possibly my most favorite thing in the world. The baby totally wakes up like when I lay down to sleep and goes crazy moving around! I wish to have an indoor pool and swim every day. Chop, chop Joshie. I'd also like our own personal hot-tub and steam rooms. Again, Chop, Chop. :) Claire had a blast and insisted on me letting her go so she could swim/float on her own. What a big step! That is the first she's wanted to do that! She had a life jacket on of course for me to let her go! :) It's a good quality boating one with complete head support. I wouldn't buy any other kind though!
Then we went to a Bday party at Monkey Joes for her friend Abby. Fun. Claire bit her lip jumping in a toddler jump area and bled, but wanted to go right back and play! Then after the party fun was over, she was playing again, went down a slide and smashed heads with another kid. This place was great though...really busy and fun. We'll have to go back! Poor Claire went to bed with a red spot on her face ... between her eyes/nose area from the head smash. Hopefully it won't bruise, but boy did she cry. I don't think I've ever actually heard her cry that hard before. :( I sat down and snuggled/nursed her and she was back to playing in a few minutes. Gotta love that "reset" nursing button.
THEN...we went to get some pizza with my parents/Josh at Mozzis. Claire dumped half her juice down her shirt from an open container, but luckily...I had an extra outfit for her :) Ha...pure luck.
So we got home and Claire wanted to sleep on her new mattress. Sweet. Knock on wood she'll be happy there all night!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
My Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day
Claire learned some new words today. Barf. Vomit. Throw up. Yeah. NOT words you want to experience first hand. But, I was also thinking about how it's about time she got sick...we've managed to escape the entire winter without even a runny nose. So strange...she just threw up in the car about 6 times in a row today. YUCK! She was so sad and pathetic though because after the first time she says, "Mommy, what's happening?" in a worried/concerned voice and then starting crying and saying, "Wipe it! WIPE IT!!! SO YUCKY!" Ok...you better just stop reading now if you get grossed out...(cough ahem, Dad!!!).
She had had about 8 oz. of grape juice, cheerios with milk...maybe about 4oz. of milk, and then was in the car drinking chocolate milk...she had consumed about 8 oz of that as well. SOOO needless to say...there was a lot too clean up. NOT HOW I PICTURED MY MORNING...pulled over on the side of the road with cars whipping by while I tried to wipe vomit off of Claire's face, neck, and the chunks off her her...I used up about 40 disposable wipes...sigh.
I ALWAYS have a clean outfit with. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS. Today I did not. Figures. I had taken the shirt out of the diaper bag because I was too lazy to go upstairs one day when Claire spilled food on her shirt, and I had yet to replace it. But I don't think I would've changed her anyways because I didn't see a way I could change her on the side of the road in 35 degree weather without freezing her to death...not to mention spreading the mess.
So looking on the bright side of things, I AM SO GLAD that our washer is immediately inside our backdoor. Several times a week when I schlep laundry up and down the stairs I wish we had our washer/dryer upstairs like my parents house is set-up, but today...boy was I glad I could just strip her clothes right into the machine which I promptly turned on along with our coats. It had soaked though the blanket on her lap, through to her undershirt and everything. It was on my coat from carrying her in. I didn't want her to walk in and spread it all over the garage floor. Sigh.
Looking again to the positive, I am VERY VERY glad we have a full bath downstairs. In a 2 story house, it would totally suck to carry a barfy toddler up the stairs for a bath. I was able to plunk her in and get her cleaned up and warmed up right away.
But that was only the beginning of the clean-up. That was just the clothes and the kiddo. I had to get her redressed and snuggle/nurse with her a bit. I turned on the TV...ha...but she was more interested in watching what I was doing...then I had to take the trash bags out to the car and gather up all the wipes and Cheerios chunks...without gagging myself. So I'm standing there cleaning, and Claire's asking "Why I throwed up?" Good question!!!!!! NO IDEA!!!!
I washed the 2 rugs in the backseat in the next load along with a bag that was in the middle, so none actually got on the floor. I put a bag of random crap under her carseat basically as a step so she can get up in her seat on her own. That was load 2 of barf laundry.
The rugs turned out so well, I decided to wash the 2 in the front as well! I think my car is going to need to smell as fresh as possible!!!!! It was about this time Claire started asking for lunch. Eeep. Of course she was hungry. She didn't have any food in her! So I gave her an applesauce cup and then a 2nd one and she was still hungry. It kind of felt like that very hungry Caterpillar book. Then I made her a peanut butter sandwich (she doesn't eat jelly...can't get her to try it!) thinking bread is on the BRATT diet...right...TOAST? Hoping the peanut butter would sit well, and it did. I heated up 2 pancakes for myself (we love breakfast for dinner around here about once a week!), but then she wanted those too!!! So I gave them to her, and by golly, she ate those too! I figured those were mild as well for digestion.
I kept her busy at the table by giving her playdough. I was afraid to let her down and onto the carpet in case she chucked up her lunch. I was so glad she was happy to play for so long alone...so then I went on a frenzy. I decided that since I had just cleaned out all my expired meds/toiletries, I should check my cupboards/fridge!! Nothing bad in the freezer since I just did that recently to make room for the freezer meals I made. The only thing bad in the fridge was some salad dressing that expired in Nov. 2009. Not bad considering I don't eat the stuff, and it usually appears after we have company.
Moving to the cupboards, it wasn't TOO terrible since I just trashed some rice/oatmeal cereal seemingly not too long ago because Claire...well never did eat that crap although she does love cream of wheat now....I wonder if she'd like it now! HA! I did find some kidney beans that expired in 2005...eep! I guess I normally buy the canned ones since they don't have to soak. Otherwise there was nothing else too terribly old or interesting. I did dump a few spices from 08/09, but that's not too terrible! The one really old spice I found was ALLSPICE from 2003...yikes! And some peppermint extract from 2005.
I had decided that there had to be something in my cupboards that Claire had perhaps recently ingested in the past couple of days to make her sick...I WANT A REASON...no such luck...nothing that she had eaten was bad. So anyways, then she took a three hour nap...score!!! Meanwhile I tried to get the carseat out, but had to wait for Josh to get home to start the next load of laundry...the carseat cover and protective pad under it. That thing was strapped in there so tight! I was able to leave my windows in my car down and the garage door open to get some of the smell out. Thank goodness we actually keep our cars in our garage vs. junk like seemingly half of the neighborhood does.
So where did Claire catch a bug? Who knows? Did she even have a bug??? She ate like a horse the rest of the day, which made me nervous...especially because she wanted a bowl of cheerios with milk for a bedtime snack. Along with a pudding cup, and applesauce cup, a full string cheese stick, oh, and some chips. Holy crap. I've been expected to hear the sound of chucking come from the baby monitor, but I think we are past the worry time zone.
Then I was talking to my mom. She suggested maybe Claire gagged herself on something and wasn't actually physically sick. Hmm...except her sippy cup wasn't the straw kind and couldn't have gotten back in her mouth far enough. She had 2 rounded type toys, but that's it. Oh, and those toys, TRASH. One was a McD type toy that someone had in a free box at a garage sale. Ha...bye bye! And the other, sadly, was her much beloved "real" toy cell phone. But I wasn't wasting anymore time cleaning puke out of little button holes that would still smell a week from now. I'll have to dig out another "new" old phone for her.
Anyways...my day...I pictured having fun and playing with friends...reality...NOT SO!
Then I screwed up the carseat by getting the straps wet in the tub. Apparently, they are now CRAP and won't work right. I have to buy new ones. But I think she needs a taller carseat anyways. Looks like we're not going anyplace for a couple days. But how the crap else are you supposed to clean so much liquidy vomit off of the straps without getting them wet...they were already wet. The carseat actually made a puddle on the floor in the laundry room when Josh set it down in there for me to strip the cover off. Should I have pulled over the first time she barfed?
If I would've and gotten her out quickly, she probably would've barfed ON ME...sigh. Thankfully the trash gets picked up tomorrow so we won't have that garbage lingering in the garage.
I told Claire happy half birthday, and she goes, "Me get cake?" HAHA! She connects birthdays with cakes already!!! So we made a carrot cake this evening! But she wasn't interested in eating it after tasting the cake mix...we'll frost it tomorrow and see if she's interested then!
Oh well, I guess it's good to have a crap day once in awhile to make you appreciate the normal ones. Like the ones where you don't feel like you need to have a big bowl on hand in case your toddler starts to make a coughing/retching noise. It could've been worse, but it could've been a whole, whole lot better.
So where did she pick it up? Who knows? We've only been like 20 places at least in the past week...dry cleaner, grocery store, library yesterday while getting her her very own card....how long do the barf bugs take to go into effect? Maybe it's from leaving her in the church nursery on Sunday...but aren't these things 24 hour bugs? Why do I always want to have a reason for an illness? Thank god the barfs are not an everyday thing. I better go to bed.
Night!
She had had about 8 oz. of grape juice, cheerios with milk...maybe about 4oz. of milk, and then was in the car drinking chocolate milk...she had consumed about 8 oz of that as well. SOOO needless to say...there was a lot too clean up. NOT HOW I PICTURED MY MORNING...pulled over on the side of the road with cars whipping by while I tried to wipe vomit off of Claire's face, neck, and the chunks off her her...I used up about 40 disposable wipes...sigh.
I ALWAYS have a clean outfit with. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS. Today I did not. Figures. I had taken the shirt out of the diaper bag because I was too lazy to go upstairs one day when Claire spilled food on her shirt, and I had yet to replace it. But I don't think I would've changed her anyways because I didn't see a way I could change her on the side of the road in 35 degree weather without freezing her to death...not to mention spreading the mess.
So looking on the bright side of things, I AM SO GLAD that our washer is immediately inside our backdoor. Several times a week when I schlep laundry up and down the stairs I wish we had our washer/dryer upstairs like my parents house is set-up, but today...boy was I glad I could just strip her clothes right into the machine which I promptly turned on along with our coats. It had soaked though the blanket on her lap, through to her undershirt and everything. It was on my coat from carrying her in. I didn't want her to walk in and spread it all over the garage floor. Sigh.
Looking again to the positive, I am VERY VERY glad we have a full bath downstairs. In a 2 story house, it would totally suck to carry a barfy toddler up the stairs for a bath. I was able to plunk her in and get her cleaned up and warmed up right away.
But that was only the beginning of the clean-up. That was just the clothes and the kiddo. I had to get her redressed and snuggle/nurse with her a bit. I turned on the TV...ha...but she was more interested in watching what I was doing...then I had to take the trash bags out to the car and gather up all the wipes and Cheerios chunks...without gagging myself. So I'm standing there cleaning, and Claire's asking "Why I throwed up?" Good question!!!!!! NO IDEA!!!!
I washed the 2 rugs in the backseat in the next load along with a bag that was in the middle, so none actually got on the floor. I put a bag of random crap under her carseat basically as a step so she can get up in her seat on her own. That was load 2 of barf laundry.
The rugs turned out so well, I decided to wash the 2 in the front as well! I think my car is going to need to smell as fresh as possible!!!!! It was about this time Claire started asking for lunch. Eeep. Of course she was hungry. She didn't have any food in her! So I gave her an applesauce cup and then a 2nd one and she was still hungry. It kind of felt like that very hungry Caterpillar book. Then I made her a peanut butter sandwich (she doesn't eat jelly...can't get her to try it!) thinking bread is on the BRATT diet...right...TOAST? Hoping the peanut butter would sit well, and it did. I heated up 2 pancakes for myself (we love breakfast for dinner around here about once a week!), but then she wanted those too!!! So I gave them to her, and by golly, she ate those too! I figured those were mild as well for digestion.
I kept her busy at the table by giving her playdough. I was afraid to let her down and onto the carpet in case she chucked up her lunch. I was so glad she was happy to play for so long alone...so then I went on a frenzy. I decided that since I had just cleaned out all my expired meds/toiletries, I should check my cupboards/fridge!! Nothing bad in the freezer since I just did that recently to make room for the freezer meals I made. The only thing bad in the fridge was some salad dressing that expired in Nov. 2009. Not bad considering I don't eat the stuff, and it usually appears after we have company.
Moving to the cupboards, it wasn't TOO terrible since I just trashed some rice/oatmeal cereal seemingly not too long ago because Claire...well never did eat that crap although she does love cream of wheat now....I wonder if she'd like it now! HA! I did find some kidney beans that expired in 2005...eep! I guess I normally buy the canned ones since they don't have to soak. Otherwise there was nothing else too terribly old or interesting. I did dump a few spices from 08/09, but that's not too terrible! The one really old spice I found was ALLSPICE from 2003...yikes! And some peppermint extract from 2005.
I had decided that there had to be something in my cupboards that Claire had perhaps recently ingested in the past couple of days to make her sick...I WANT A REASON...no such luck...nothing that she had eaten was bad. So anyways, then she took a three hour nap...score!!! Meanwhile I tried to get the carseat out, but had to wait for Josh to get home to start the next load of laundry...the carseat cover and protective pad under it. That thing was strapped in there so tight! I was able to leave my windows in my car down and the garage door open to get some of the smell out. Thank goodness we actually keep our cars in our garage vs. junk like seemingly half of the neighborhood does.
So where did Claire catch a bug? Who knows? Did she even have a bug??? She ate like a horse the rest of the day, which made me nervous...especially because she wanted a bowl of cheerios with milk for a bedtime snack. Along with a pudding cup, and applesauce cup, a full string cheese stick, oh, and some chips. Holy crap. I've been expected to hear the sound of chucking come from the baby monitor, but I think we are past the worry time zone.
Then I was talking to my mom. She suggested maybe Claire gagged herself on something and wasn't actually physically sick. Hmm...except her sippy cup wasn't the straw kind and couldn't have gotten back in her mouth far enough. She had 2 rounded type toys, but that's it. Oh, and those toys, TRASH. One was a McD type toy that someone had in a free box at a garage sale. Ha...bye bye! And the other, sadly, was her much beloved "real" toy cell phone. But I wasn't wasting anymore time cleaning puke out of little button holes that would still smell a week from now. I'll have to dig out another "new" old phone for her.
Anyways...my day...I pictured having fun and playing with friends...reality...NOT SO!
Then I screwed up the carseat by getting the straps wet in the tub. Apparently, they are now CRAP and won't work right. I have to buy new ones. But I think she needs a taller carseat anyways. Looks like we're not going anyplace for a couple days. But how the crap else are you supposed to clean so much liquidy vomit off of the straps without getting them wet...they were already wet. The carseat actually made a puddle on the floor in the laundry room when Josh set it down in there for me to strip the cover off. Should I have pulled over the first time she barfed?
If I would've and gotten her out quickly, she probably would've barfed ON ME...sigh. Thankfully the trash gets picked up tomorrow so we won't have that garbage lingering in the garage.
I told Claire happy half birthday, and she goes, "Me get cake?" HAHA! She connects birthdays with cakes already!!! So we made a carrot cake this evening! But she wasn't interested in eating it after tasting the cake mix...we'll frost it tomorrow and see if she's interested then!
Oh well, I guess it's good to have a crap day once in awhile to make you appreciate the normal ones. Like the ones where you don't feel like you need to have a big bowl on hand in case your toddler starts to make a coughing/retching noise. It could've been worse, but it could've been a whole, whole lot better.
So where did she pick it up? Who knows? We've only been like 20 places at least in the past week...dry cleaner, grocery store, library yesterday while getting her her very own card....how long do the barf bugs take to go into effect? Maybe it's from leaving her in the church nursery on Sunday...but aren't these things 24 hour bugs? Why do I always want to have a reason for an illness? Thank god the barfs are not an everyday thing. I better go to bed.
Night!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
ANOTHER tooth!
And we have another tooth! I discovered about 1/4 of her bottom lower right hand 2-year old molar upon flossing Claire's teeth tonight. Crap that came in fast!!! It's so strange...she got almost all of her teeth in pairs within mere days of each other. I wonder if that's common.
Among other recent excitements, she can now sing the alphabet perfectly. There are a couple letters she doesn't pronounce perfectly, but you can tell what they are...now I just need to get a video of that posted!
But perhaps the most exciting thing is that I left her in the church nursery Sunday without a single tear, and she played happily the whole time!
Among other recent excitements, she can now sing the alphabet perfectly. There are a couple letters she doesn't pronounce perfectly, but you can tell what they are...now I just need to get a video of that posted!
But perhaps the most exciting thing is that I left her in the church nursery Sunday without a single tear, and she played happily the whole time!
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