Now that things are getting back to normal at our house, I can post about the many things that I was going to post about before our house was consumed by Boogie Wipes and thermometers. 

For one, Ryan had been working very hard to make this wonderful kid-sized table and chairs set. You may remember that Twinkle and Bing brought over Ryan's childhood set. With the help of our very kind neighbor, Mike, Ryan made these:

What an incredibly special treasure for David and Rachael to enjoy for years to come!

David woke up feeling MUCH, MUCH better today! His fever is gone and he is back to his full-speed-ahead, mile-a-minute self that I love so much! He felt so good, in fact, that we made a quick trip up to our local Feed and Seed to see the Easter chicks and ducklings they have for sale.

David being picked up by the owner of the store so he can get a peek at the babies.

Rachael couldn't wait to get her hands on that chew toy!

Once David saw Rachael touching the duckling, he wanted to give it a try.

Rachael is still working on getting better. Her nose continues to run and her chest is congested. But she isn't running a fever, so there's no cause for concern right now. I just wish she would be 100% soon so I can stop worrying and taking her temperature five times a day! 

An Update

Well, after another night of coughing and sniffling David woke up still running a fever and very lethargic. He wouldn't eat breakfast and spent the vast majority of the morning on the couch, with his "juice"- watered down Gatorade, watching Sesame Street. (I am SO thankful for On Demand). 

After refusing to eat anything for lunch, I put him down for his nap. He went right to sleep, but woke up much sooner than normal. When I walked in his room, he was clearly still tired. I kissed him on the head and thought my lips were on fire! I immediately took his temperature. 102.6. We were headed for the doctor's office within minutes. 

After an extensive exam, the doctor concluded that David must have developed a secondary infection from all the coughing. We were given an antibiotic and told to give him Tylenol around the clock until he starts to feel better. 

I am praying the medicine starts to help immediately! It hurts me so bad to see my baby boy so miserable.

Baby Girl is getting better, but still has a cough and runny nose. Nighttime seems to be the worst time for her cough. She is pretty happy during the day, just has a yucky nose. Thank you God for keeping her feverless. 

When we arrived home from the doctor's office at 6pm, I was hurrying to get things started for dinner. All of a sudden I was greeted by this beautiful pot of flowers!!! If you know me, you know what happened next- I started crying. Even before I read the card. Someone was thinking of me! 

 "You are the best Mama, wife, daughter, daughter-in-love, sister-in-love. Hang in there. We love you, Twinkle and Bing"

After that I cried even more. How thoughtful and kind of Twinkle and Bing to think of me! 

I am so blessed.

This weekend was NO fun whatsoever for our family. Everyone, even Bogie, was sick. Ryan, David, Rachael, and I all have a hacking cough, runny nose, and major sinus congestion. On Friday afternoon, David began running a fever, so we took both kids to the pediatrician just to be safe. The doctor advised us all to take it easy over the weekend, stay hydrated, and eat bland foods. He was mostly concerned about Rachael's cough developing into RSV and instructed us to watch her very carefully since she is so young and can't take any medications.

So, we spent ALL of Saturday and the vast majority of Sunday indoors watching tv, making cookies, reading books, playing, and singing songs. Anything to keep David happy. He was miserable for two reasons. One- he had a fever and felt bad in general. Two- he couldn't go outside and it was beautiful weather, which didn't help matters. We finally gave in and let him play outside for a little while Sunday evening when it wasn't too hot and almost time for dinner. Rachael has been a trooper. She will cough real hard and then moan as to say, "Man, that was a lot of work!"

We've all been having trouble sleeping because we all cough all night long! Being the Mama of two sick babies and wife to a sick husband while you are sick is an incredible challenge. But, I am very thankful to have Ryan's help. It seems like without fail both of the kids wake up at the same time during the night and need attention. So, I am in charge of Rachael and Ryan goes to check on David. These last few mornings, Ryan has greeted the day from David's bed and Rachael is in our bed with me.
Bogie hadn't felt well since Friday morning, but today seems to be feeling better. He hasn't been interested in his food until this evening and even threw up around 3:30am Saturday morning. 

But, tonight was a new experience for us all. 

We all sat down to eat dinner. Rachael ate a few bites and began fussing. She soon fell asleep in her highchair. Ryan, David, and I finished our dinners. The three of us were enjoying some after dinner conversation when all of a sudden David started coughing and coughing and coughing until it got out of his control. Then it happened. Up came his dinner. Thankfully, he still had on his bib and the attached pocket caught it all. I jumped up to get a wet paper towel to wipe his mouth. As I got to him, out came more and I caught it in the paper towel. He started crying because he was scared. As Ryan and I were consoling him, Rachael woke up crying. Two babies crying. Ryan took over with David and I switched my focused to Rachael. Thinking she must be hungry, I gave her a bite of her sweet peas. She eats it. Looks right at me. Starts coughing. And up comes all the food she had eaten before she fell asleep! She cries. Two babies crying and throwing up. We get them both calmed down. Ryan and I take a minute to take in what just took place in the last two minutes. We head upstairs to take each baby's temperature. David's is 101.2 (right where it's been all weekend) and Rachael's is normal. So, we choose to go right along with our usual nightly routine and get both babies in the bed as soon as possible, which we did.

It was a crazy evening.

 I can't wait to have my babies healthy again. I thank God that they are healthy most of the time and that this is a rare occurrence. I thank Him for giving me the strength physically, mentally, and emotionally to make it through these last few days. 

On another note: David will turn TWO YEARS OLD in exactly one month from today. How is that possible? TWO years have gone by? How can my little, 6lb., tiny baby be turning TWO?  I am having some serious issues with this.

Spring Has Sprung

Here are a few pictures of my favorite little flower.

David had the idea to include the flowers around her.

 

Check out how much Baby Girl gained in ONE week-- eight ounces! The doctor was incredibly happy to see such an increase. Rachael recently added sweet peas to her menu and really enjoyed them. She eats very well and is still nursing great too. I am so relieved that she is on the right track now and that the "fix" was so simple. 

* Rachael has had a runny nose for several days, so I asked the doctor to make sure it wasn't anything more serious. David couldn't understand why only Rachael got to be checked by the doctor. He wanted to get up on the table, take off his clothes, and have his ears and chest checked out. So, the doctor pretended to check David too. As he stood close by, peaking over the table, watching Rachael, the doctor would listen to Rachael's chest, then put the stethoscope on David's chest. He loved it and the doctor was excited to see a toddler who actually liked the doctor's office. 

Rachael's room [aka The Nursery] is slowly coming together and becoming more girly. One thing that has really added a feminine touch to her room are her new monogram letters! They are a gift from Twinkle and Bing. I absolutely love them! They are hanging over the changing table where David's letters [seen here] once were. 

 We have also been working on getting the crib ready for her to sleep in. [The crib may be ready for her to move in, but I am not] Today I washed the bedding and bumper and David helped me put them back on.

In this picture, Rachael is in the crib and David is playing "peek-a-boo" with her! Too cute.

David couldn't stand that Rachael was in the crib and he wasn't, so I put him in while I finished tying on the bumper. This may have been a mistake on my part, because just moments after these pictures David was attempting front flips and jumping on the mattress like it was a trampoline. 

He wanted to show Rachael how to operate the crib entertainer.

She wanted to give it a try.

"Mama, seriously, I can't even have my bed to myself?!"

She Did It!!

Rachael has been working SO hard, for what seems like months and months, at rolling over. Today she finally succeeded!! She was having a great time playing on her activity mat. All of a sudden it was like she decided she was going to give it her best shot and she did it!

On her side, thinking about making a go of it.

Utilizing the dangling monkey for some leverage. 

Immediately after the flip.

She wasn't as excited about it as I was. 

Then she realized what just happened.

Looked up and saw an elephant hanging in front of her and started playing with it. [too funny!] 

Tonight, as I was getting her ready for bath time, she found that her feet make a great chew toy. 

 

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero

I am strong and wise and I know no fear

But the truth is plain to see

She was sent to rescue me

I see who I wanna be

In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal

Darkness turns to light and the world is at peace

This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak

I find reason to believe 

In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand around my finger

Oh it puts a smile in my heart

Everything becomes a little clearer

I realize what life is all about

It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough

It's giving more when you feel like giving up

I've seen the light

It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future

A reflection of who I am and what will be

Though she'll grow and someday leave

Maybe raise a family

When I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me

For I'll be there

In my daughter's eyes 

This was a very popular country song back in 2004 [lyrics by James T. Slater, sung by Martina McBride]. I have always loved it. Every time it came on the radio I would dream of one day having a daughter of my own. Every time I look into Rachael's eyes, my heart is overcome with pure joy and happiness. I don't have the words to express how blessed I am to have such a precious little girl. 

David found his shadow today! 

He absolutely loved it. He thought it was so funny. 

These are a little blurry because he was moving so fast. 

Rachael tried avocado tonight. Here's how it went. 

Oh, what's this, Mama? 

Ummm, are you sure about this?

Whoa! What in the world...?

Eeewww!

We'll keep trying.

Well, can you believe it? My little girl gained 6 ounces in less than 24 hours!! 

Because I was so worried about getting weight on her as quickly as possible I used my "Motherly Instinct" and overrode the standard protocol for introducing solids to an infant. With David, I was told to introduce them slowly, one meal at a time. So, for a few weeks the only solid meal is once a day and then you increase to two meals a day for a few more weeks and eventually they are having three meals a day, with nursing in between, of course. Well, yesterday I noticed Rachael reaching for my lunch and got mad when it went in my mouth and not her's. She ended up having solids for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and was VERY happy about that. My little girl loves to eat [I wonder who she gets that from...]! I think it's because of this, and the many, many prayers sent up on her behalf,  that we saw such an increase in her weight so quickly. 

The doctor was very excited to see such an amazing gain in such a short period of time. She complimented me on using my instincts and said I did the right thing. Rachael needs more calories and the best way to do that is with solids. She observed that Rachael is very laid back and when I was nursing every two hours her belly never filled. They were more like light snacks than meals. She was never hungry or completely full, just satisfied, which for a baby is not a good thing. 

So, we will continue on the same meal plan and soon add in some veggies and fruits to her diet. The doctor wants to see her back next week for another weigh-in. If we see another significant weight gain then she believes by Rachael's 6 months check-up she will be right back on track. I sure hope so. 

Maybe I overreacted yesterday. Maybe I shouldn't worry so much about my babies. 

I can't help it. 

I'm their Mama. 

Rachael's Recheck

she's crying because I touched her with my cold hands. 

As you may remember, Rachael was weighing below average at her 4 month check-up. So, early this morning she went in for her weight recheck. With all the eating she has been doing, I thought for sure she would have gained at least a pound over the last month. But it turns out, somehow, she has LOST two ounces!!! Because this was not an official appointment, we weren't able to see the doctor. I had been told when I scheduled the recheck that the nurse would weigh her and the doctor would contact me as soon as possible to discuss concerns, should there be any. Well, needless to say as soon as I saw 11lbs. 8 oz. on the scale, I couldn't believe my eyes. How could this happen? I have been feeding her every 2 hours and just start solids! 

As the mother of my precious babies, I take their healthy and happiness personal. So, when I saw that Rachael had actually lost weight, my mind started to race- What did I do wrong? Am I not feeding her enough? Is my milk not good enough for her? Is there something more serious going on? Did I do something wrong when I was pregnant with her?

Soon my mind was racing off the tracks. 

When we got home I told Ryan about the recheck [he was not nearly as concerned- that's why we work so well together. I worry, he doesn't]. I tried to go about our daily routine. I made breakfast for everyone, fed Rachael [cereal, then nursed], cleaned up the kitchen, but my mind still continued to race. How could this be? Was that scale right? Were my eyes playing tricks on me? No. I went back and looked at the picture. 11lbs. 8 oz. 

I began to really worry. By this point, Ryan and David were gone to the local Feed and Seed store and Rachael was taking a nap. I had a load of David and Rachael's laundry to fold. As I picked up the first piece- a tiny, pink, size 3 months sleeper, my heart began to ache. Tears started streaming down my face. I fell to my knees. I began to pray. It was all I knew to do. What is wrong with my baby girl? Why isn't she growing? Where did I go wrong? Please God, show me what I need to do to help her!  I was sobbing. 

I called Ma, and then Twinkle, to talk it over. I knew they would both understand my concerns and would also pray for their granddaughter without hesitation. After talking to them, my fears and mind were at peace. 

Soon the pediatrician's office called wanting to know if I could come in first thing tomorrow morning to discuss Rachael's weight. I asked them if they had an opening this afternoon, but they didn't. So, we will go back tomorrow and hopefully get some encouraging advice. I know it may not seem like a big deal to some, but it is to me. I want my little girl to thrive and be healthy. It is my job, my calling in life, to raise happy, healthy, good, God-fearing children. So, when one of these is being compromised, it bothers me to the core.  

Since Rachael is now in the highchair, David was given a super cool chair from his cousins, Ricky and Cate. It's like a booster seat/highchair combo and, of course, he loves it. 

Bogie thinks it's pretty great too because he has a better view of food that falls from the table. 

Rachael's First Taste of Food

In celebration of Rachael's 5 month birthday, tonight she had her first taste of FOOD! I wasn't so sure she was ready for it, but thought we would give it a shot just to see. 

She got her bib on and sat in the highchair. 

I gave her a spoon to chew on, which she really liked. 

(Sorry about the weird picture color, we got a new camera and I'm still trying to learn how to use it).

 I gave her a little bite of very thinned down, enriched farina and she pushed it all in with her hand.

 It didn't take her long to realize that she REALLY liked the taste of food and that I was taking entirely too long in between bites. She would make this incredibly sad face if I wasn't fast enough.

 I sped up the feedings and soon saw this sweet, little face as each bite came toward her.

 The meal ended with a completely empty bowl (she ate way more than I expected) and one messy, but happy baby. It was a good thing I chose to feed her at dinner time because bath time was soon after this picture was taken.