Spring Is Finally Here

I can't be the only person on the planet who is happy for spring, but I wanted to add in my two cents....THANK GOODNESS!  Seriously though.  We've lived in the Midwest for 11 winters.  This was my least favorite by FAR!  But now the snow if finally melted and the sun is out longer.  Our grass is starting to green up and the kids are spending a lot more time outside.  I am loving it!  Here is just a whole bunch of pictures of the girls playing on our swing set.  There are a lot of Peach.  It is hard not to want to take her picture because face is so expressive, she is just fun to watch.  There are even a couple of Peach holding onto a new worm friend.  The girl is a friend to all bugs so far.  There are also a couple of Gigi reading to Peach.  That is one of my favorite things about the kids learning to read, when they share that joy with their younger siblings.  Love it!

Peach and Her Colored Pants

Peach has always had her own sense of fashion.  She loves bright colors, she prefers purple to pink, she likes leggings with short shirts.  Often when she comes out of her room a internally cringe.  I once figured out that of all my clothing 90% is in the colors of black, red, white, and blue.  I own at least five plain white tees and 10 black ones.  I think I'd be exceptional happy as a pantomime...at least when it came to fashion.  Peach is my opposite.  She doesn't look to stand out, she really just goes with what she likes, but she doesn't mind standing out.  Earlier this week she asked me to put her hair in a unicorn horn.  She wore it like this all day including to school and had great fun pretending to be a unicorn.  Then yesterday she came down in these pants which she absolutely adores but Dr  J and I dread because she always pairs them with a patterned shirt.  Dr J sees her and says, "I think maybe you'd prefer to wear a pair of jeans."  She looks up at him and with a big smile says, "I think you should wear colored pants."  Daddy didn't have anything to say to that so he just laughed.

A Superhero For Worms

A few days ago it rained and our driveway was covered in worms looking for a good place to go.  Peach was in a tizzy.  "Mom, someone has got to save these worms before they get dried up into crispy critters and I'm that someone."  She then proceeded to run around collecting standed worms and tossing them back into the grass.  Some were tiny and some were HUGE!  It did not matter.  She just kept picking them up and throwing them.  "Hey little wormie, you are so squish, slimy, and (wait for it) ADORABLE!"  I thought she was pretty darn adorable.  You don't expect to see you little girl playing worm rescuer but that's what my little one was doing.  Maybe we'll make a scientist out of her yet!

Tiny Tim

There is a part of me that thinks, Grandma's you don't deserve this video!  If you want more videos you have to respond on the ones I've posted before, but this is too cute not to share.  Also notice the baby wailing in the background...if you watch the video close you see the baby foot hit Peach midway through the song.  That wailing baby is my six year old throwing a massive temper tantrum.  I can't remember what it was over or how it concluded, but I can tell from the video it was a doozy!

Dehydration - A Cautionary Tale About How My 3 Year Old Ended Up In The Hospital

We got that stomach virus again.  This will be the third time this season we've gotten it.  The first was when my mother was in town.  Then our Christmas vacation was disrupted by the whole family, and I mean the whole family, constantly running to the bathroom.  I've tried to avoid it.  For months we did a pretty good job.  Most of our friends had it twice.  It went through our ward.  My visiting teachers son actually threw up during Sacrament meeting.  It went through school.  We avoided it.  I was feeling pretty good about myself and then it hit.  And then it hit again.  And then again.  Twice it started with Cheetah making me think it probably originated at the gym.  Just recently it hit our house again.  It started with Captain E last weekend.  He told me on Saturday he wasn't feeling very good, right before the babysitter was suppose to show up and then started puking.  He puked all night and spent the next two days in bed recovering before the fourth day we he just jumped out of bed and went back to school good as rain.  I spent the weekend in a battle to constantly disinfect everything.  Christmas had been horrible and I didn't want a repeat.

Facetiming with Peach

By Friday it was looking like we had dodged a bullet, but then Saturday morning again I had to message the babysitter.  "Sorry Sky, looks like Peach is throwing up.  We'll have to reschedule...eventually."  It was a bitter blow.  We had a babysitter, a day off, and there were tickets to the symphony available.  I was really looking forward to it.  Instead I was on day two of Peach throwing up, and nothing would stay down.  Even small sips of 7 up were evacuated plus more within seconds of being ingested.  We kept forcing her to sip sprite and Pedialyte but as the day wore on Dr. J and I started talking about taking her to doctor to have her checked out.  Her vomiting was so violent and her total fluid intake was in the negative.  We decided to settle her down for the night and hoped that in the morning she would be feeling better so that we could get some liquid to stay in her.  At five in the morning, Dr. J ran to her room to help her to the bathroom.  "That's it."  I said, "Take her to the emergency room."  And so Dr J. got to spend his second day off of the weekend at another hospitals ER.  When they got there quick lab work showed her to be exceptionally dehydrated.  She was immediately hooked up to IV fluids and they decided to admit her overnight.  Dr. J texted me to say she was crying but was so dehydrated she had no tears.  By mid-day she was finally able to keep Popsicles down.  By evening she was drinking fluids.  We missed her dearly and because of hospital policy disallowing anyone under the age of 18 to go past the hospital lobby were only were able to see her via facetime.  It helped a little with the bitter pill, but when she was crying for momma it was heartbreaking.  I was so grateful when the next morning she was back in my arms again.  I was so thankful to live in a time and place where modern medicine is available.  I am very aware of problems with the current health care system and I recognize that medicine isn't always the answer but I personal keep a running list of times medicine has been literally a life saver for our family, when my appendix burst, when Cheetah was born 11 weeks early, when Dr. J couldn't pass his kidney stone, and now when a simple stomach bug got Peach so dehydrated her bicard was at 13 and I'm certain we were not going to get things to turn around here.

The once again hydrated Peach

Diarrhoreal diseases are still the second leading cause of death in children under five throughout the developing world and are estimated to be responsible for a yearly 1.5 million deaths of children (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/index.html).  Even with this nasty virus going around we in this country are for the most part buffered from the unclean water, food, and diseases that are responsible for the main causes of death.  We are lucky to be able to avoid some of the main causes, we are also lucky to have medical personal available when things aren't getting better on their own which is why in our own country they result in very few deaths a year.  Here are a few things to keep in mind if your kids should end up throwing up this year.

1) We often call it the stomach flu, but viruses that make people throw up really aren't the flu at all.  The "flu" or influenza is that nasty bug that seems like a cold, only twenty times worse.  It is the fever, body aches, tiredness, coughing/sore throat, runny nose, and very occasionally in kids it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.  It is the virus that they make a immunization for each year.  The "stomach flu" is really no flu at all, but instead is gastroenteritis, inflammation of the GI tract that causes vomiting and diarrhea.  it is most commonly caused by rota-virus (there is an oral immunization for this).  The nasty strain going around this year is caused by a norovirus.  "It can be transmitted three ways, fecally contaminated food or water (yum), person-to-person contact, or aerosolization and contamination on surfaces."  It is super contagious, most common in the winter when people are stuck in doors together and "often occurs in closed or semiclosed communities" ie playgroup and my family :( (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus)

2) If your kids are throwing up do not just give them water.  They need to be constantly sipping or being spoon feed an oral rehydration solution.  You can use Pedialyte or Gatorade.  Even sprite or juice is better than just plain water.  You can also make your own rehydration solution in a pinch by mixing 1/2 teaspon salt, 6 level teaspoons sugar and 1 liter of safe drinking water.  Measurements need to be accurate because dehydration is made worse by electrolyte imbalance.  (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/index.html) Babies should continue to be breastfeed.

3) It is super easy for kids to get dehydrated.  It happens super fast and dehydration will make dealing with the virus even harder.  Kids under six should be taken to see a doctor if they have been vomiting longer than 24 hours. Adults if more than 2 days.  I wish we would have taken Peach in the day before.  You should go to the emergency room immediately if you have a severe headache, can't drink for more than 12 hours (8 for kids), excessive thirst, stop peeing (Peach didn't even have the liquid for tears anymore), get dizzy, or if you have blood in your vomit (it sort of looks like coffee grounds...poor Peach had this).(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nausea/MY00572/DSECTION=when-to-see-a-doctor).  In this case an IV will be needed to get you quickly hydrated and back on the road to health.  Don't mess around with this.  Severe dehydration is easy to treat, but can cause death if not taken care of!

Week in an Insta(gram)

Peach has really been enjoying this year.  She's finally in preschool, a dream of her since Gigi went two years ago.  Sorry kiddo one kid in preschool year is kind of our limit.  She is the cutest when I pick her up.  She always greets me with a huge "Momma".  Then she proceeds to give me the run down of her day.  I should video tape it.  Her voice is so tiny it's like being with a living breathing sesame street segment.  My favorite is when she narrates her life.  "To put my shirt on I start with this arm, then this one, then my head."  It makes cooking with her super fun.  This week we made banana bread.  She put in all the ingredients in after periodically checking the recipe, and then started the mixer herself.  She added sprinkles on the top and the kids loved it.  She then started in on the dishes.  Love this kid!

So our garden this year was sort of a flop.  Things took to long to get started and then stumped out for a few weeks until I figured out that fish emulsion was the way to go.  Then our garden took off.  We've been reaping the goods in way of carrots...which is awesome because Gigi loves them.  I found nubs in her closet this week.  Wish I loved carrots this much!

We've had kids in our bed everyday this week.  EVERYDAY!  Why is it our two youngest are the two least likely to sleep?  I looked at our kids yesterday and said to Dr. J, "in just a few years when they are big enough to do the chores without a lot of help we're going to have a good thing here"....until then we'll just have to enjoy these cuddle times.  

Gigi put these pjs on.  When I asked her why she was wearing Peaches' pajamas she said, "Wait, what do you mean these aren't mine?"

Cheetah is just getting crazier and crazier.  The girls is a climber.  She likes to get up on everything.  She likes to pull items off all our shelves. She loves to stand.  Today she took a step toward Captain E.  Then she did it again.  I was so bummed out that I missed it.  Then she took a step toward me.  She's such a cutie!

Peach loves her olives.

And her sister.  She ask Gigi if she can sleep in her bed almost every night.  Sometimes Gigi lets her, sometimes she says, "No, you are too noisy and you play too long."  These little girls crack me up.

This week the weather has really started to change.  Fall is coming.  It's been cloudy a lot and we even had a hail storm.  The kids wanted to run out and play in the rain.  I convinced them to stay on the porch so they didn't get knocked by any ice but they still grabbed a few pieces to eat.  It was a little intense.  

They Just Keep Growing

The kids just keep growing.  I mean seriously why won't they stop!  Captain E is eight now.  It's great to be eight.  Kid cracks me up.  As soon as he knows you are taking a picture those eyes snap shut.  It is almost impossible to get a picture of this kid when he knows you are trying.  Easter, mother's day, back to school pics.  These are so hard.  Kid kills me.  I tried growling and bribing.  No joy.  Instead enjoy this silly look with the eyes closed.  Look at those skinny long legs and arms.  This kid cracks me up.

Then we've got Gigi.  Finally five an moving on to school.  She loves the bus.  She loves the social aspects of school, having a whole new group of friends.  She loves snacks, reading, the library, art, and PE.  There is one thing she hates about Kindergarten, nap time!  Everyday she comes home and tells me they had to have rest time again.  "I haven't taken a nap in years mom," she tells me.  Yes I know sweetie, yes I know.

Little miss peach.  Oh boy.  Three has always been the hardest age for me.  The kids go from being these cute little mama loving babies to being these independent, opinionated little people.  Every day becomes an exercise in hostage negotiation.  Peach has been no exception but she also is adorable.  This particular day she wore her pajama top all day under her backwards shirt.  That's just how we roll her.  She also recently got this little pixie cut.  In general I'm anti bangs on my babies because as the hair thickens up they just keep getting thicker but Peaches hair is so thin and crazy :)  She loves it!

Then we have little miss cheetah who I have renamed Petitie Sweetie, aka sweet pea.  She is adorable and pretty much the most trouble I've ever seen in such a small package!  In three days she will be ten months old....or 71/2 months adjusted.  She is just a tiny little thing, 16lbs but she rules the roost in this house.  Smart little whip of a girl.  She can get the lids off markers.  I often find her crawling around chewing on the tabs of the door stops.  She will unplug my phone and suck on the chord.  Ok maybe she just has an oral fixation.  She is one of the happiest little people I've ever seen.  We adore her.

Peach's Birthday Cake

 Remember when someone had a birthday?  The actual day of her birthday went by with little fan fare.  Dad was working nights or on call or something.  I honestly don't think we saw him the entire day.  But the day could not pass without some notice so we cooked up a giant cookie and ate it covered in ice cream!

We played at the park with some of my MOPS girlfriends and their kids.  Between the four of us there were 9 kids and the three of them were all pregnant (Heather had her baby a few weeks ago and Jamie's is being delivered today).  Jamie's husband joined us for lunch because they were signing papers on their new house that day.  At one point I looked over and he was laugh.  There were so many kids, and so much chaos who could blame him.  The fact that the next time we get together we'll have 12 kids between us is just NUTSO!

Father's Day, A Staph Infection, and A Plea for Hair Help

 Father's Day.  My kids have a great dad.  He brings home the bacon both literally and metaphorically.  He loves and supports their mom.  He has a better idea of scale when it comes to things like Christmas and Birthdays.  He is fun and warm and present.  Those things might seems silly but I'm a girl who grew up without my dad and so I really understand how important those things are.  We love our dad and wanted to tell him so.  A few weeks ago we bought him a kindle.  He has all kinds of gadgets but he wanted to try his hand out digital ink.  So far he hasn't really had to the time to use it.  So that gift was not so much of a hit.  Meanwhile this pintrest find was.  There is not a single one of those m&ms left, two bags, completely gone  The kids also put together a book for him, which of course he loved because the man is a sentimental type guy.  He'd like you to believe otherwise.  Don't be fooled.


Meanwhile on the home front I was pretty much dying.  I got this sty in my eye.  First the bottom swelled up, then the top.  I used some drops that I had an allergic reaction to.  My left side of my face was a mess.  I pretty much went blind in my left eye and was in throbbing pain.  At 3:30 in the morning I almost took myself to the ER.  But then I realized Dr. J had to leave for work in less than three hours.  So there you have it folks.  Your medical emergencies are more important than mine.  Welcome to being the Doctor's Wife.  That entire day I couldn't see, couldn't tolerate any sun in my eye and  in some horrible twist of fate could also barely open the one that wasn't red.  The kids watched movies all day.  They ate whatever they wanted.  I stayed in the dark and nursed the baby, occasionally venturing out to get more sugar cereal down for them.  The third day the blindness only lasted until one.  The forth day only until noon.  The fifth day by nine I could see.  My eye is no longer red and for the most part the swelling has gone down.  I think there is still a little there, seems to me my right eye is just a smidge bigger than the left still.  Maybe it's just my imagination.  I'm still having a little sensitivity to light but at least I can see, and read, am no in pain, and no longer look like a zombie.  It got pretty bad!

I blame this illness on the craziness of the Relief Society.  A few weeks ago we had a young woman's activity where we borrowed the Relief Society's white table cloths.  I brought the table cloths home to wash.  We'd had a lasagna dinner and some of the cloths were covered in sauce.  I tried spray and shot.  I tried Tied.  I bleached them.  I put lemon juice on them and set them out in the sun.  Some of the spots would not leave.  Dr. J told me I was a nut. "No one cares that much," he said.  Later when I turned in the mostly cleaned table cloths (although still slightly stained in some places) the Relief Society president told me about how she'd been working on a couple of stains for a year.  They care.  Anyway back during the cleaning process I managed to splash a little bleach on the corner of my eyelid.  I rinsed it thoroughly but in the end had a little sore right in the crease.  Every day a little crust would build up in that corner poking me.  I'd wipe it out with a finger.  My guess, I gave myself a staff infection on one of those swipes.  Remind me to never to touch my eyes again :)

Finally, any suggestions on what to do with Peach's hair?  It is so fine and thin it just is always everywhere.  I've tried barrettes, clips, ponies.  I wet it down.  I brush it.  I use detangler.  I'm thinking about just gelling it flat.  This girl just has wild hair.  It is always all over, in her eyes, and standing straight off the back of her head.  I cut it into a bob but it is the craziest thing you've ever seen.  She is constant ragamuffin girl.  What is a mom to do?