I have always hated the old saying "When it rains, it pours." Just because it's raining doesn't mean it's going to pour - there are varying amounts of rain, ie sprinkling, etc. Why do we have to quantify it anyway? Why can't it just be raining?
The past week, it's been pouring in my house. First, Brooke's double ear infection. Then, her strange reaction to the antibiotic.
The pedi said what's going on with Brooke is not a reaction to the antibiotic (I'm not convinced). She slept a little better last night, but was still up about 5 times between 9:30 pm and 5 am (something she didn't even do as a newborn!)
Last night, I barely slept at all because my ears were hurting SO BAD. I finally fell asleep a little after 3 am, and when I woke up this morning at 6 am, there is liquidy stuff coming out of my right ear.
Nonetheless, I got ready and was on my way to work when I hear Brooke sneezing and coughing - she's forward facing now so I turn around in time to see her vomiting all over herself and the carseat :(
She's at daycare now, but she's going to the pedi this afternoon, and I'm going to my dr as well. Fun day, huh?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Walking!
In my last post, I was so focused on what's going on with Brooke's antibiotic, I forgot to mention....
....she's starting to walk on her own!
So far, we're only talking 4-6 steps on her own, but she just started on Wednesday. Last night, she did this 4 times in a row....one of these days she's going to just keep going, and I cannot wait!
....she's starting to walk on her own!
So far, we're only talking 4-6 steps on her own, but she just started on Wednesday. Last night, she did this 4 times in a row....one of these days she's going to just keep going, and I cannot wait!
Omnicef.
I hate the word. I hate to think if it. Omnicef is the antibiotic given to Brooke for her ear infection, and it has been tough on my little girl.
Before we went to the pediatrician on Wednesday, Brooke was sleeping great and seemed to be feeling great. I got the prescription filled immediately after leaving the office and gave her the first dose that night.
Wednesday night, she seemed to be in more pain, and it seemed like she was teething on top of everything, so I gave her some generic Tylenol. She did not sleep well - she was up several times overnight.
Each night has continued to be the same thing. She falls asleep about 8:15 pm (earlier than her normal bedtime) and sleeps until about 10 - then she starts waking up every 10 minutes or so until midnight (last night, until 2 am!). Then, she'll sleep for an hour or two stretch at a time.
Last night was night #5 of this....so dreadful.
When she's awake during the day, she's cranky and clingy (OK, so maybe she likes to cling to Mommy just a little, but I can normally get her play...and she is ALWAYS smiling and laughing). Her appetite is pretty much non-existent (she used to eat 3 stage 2 jars of food for lunch, now she's only eating 1). Her eyes are puffy and pink from being so tired and crying so much. She's been hitting the side of her head, which she's never done before.
What caused this? I'm pretty sure it's the antibiotic. On Sunday, after 4 nights of no sleeping, I put a call in to the pedi's office. The after hours nurse said that Omnicef can cause diarrhea (we've had some of this too), upset stomach, headaches (I don't know if Brooke has a headache - I'm guessing this is why she's been patting her head, as the patting goes away with Tylenol), restlessness, lack of appetite, and irratibility. She advised that I should call the pedi this morning (which I did, and I'm waiting for a call back - if I don't hear anything by the time they get back from lunch at 2:30, I'm calling again).
I know all antibiotics have side effects, but I really do not like that my girl is not sleeping - how's that going to help her feel better? I'm insistent that they need to change the antibiotic so she can rest and get feeling better.
On another note, Jacqui, Brooke's godmother, was released from the hospital on Thursday, exactly 3 weeks after her bone marrow transplant on 8/5/10!! Please say a quick prayer that she continues to do well and recover from her transplant as well as she has so far - we cannot wait until she's well enough to travel and see us!
Before we went to the pediatrician on Wednesday, Brooke was sleeping great and seemed to be feeling great. I got the prescription filled immediately after leaving the office and gave her the first dose that night.
Wednesday night, she seemed to be in more pain, and it seemed like she was teething on top of everything, so I gave her some generic Tylenol. She did not sleep well - she was up several times overnight.
Each night has continued to be the same thing. She falls asleep about 8:15 pm (earlier than her normal bedtime) and sleeps until about 10 - then she starts waking up every 10 minutes or so until midnight (last night, until 2 am!). Then, she'll sleep for an hour or two stretch at a time.
Last night was night #5 of this....so dreadful.
When she's awake during the day, she's cranky and clingy (OK, so maybe she likes to cling to Mommy just a little, but I can normally get her play...and she is ALWAYS smiling and laughing). Her appetite is pretty much non-existent (she used to eat 3 stage 2 jars of food for lunch, now she's only eating 1). Her eyes are puffy and pink from being so tired and crying so much. She's been hitting the side of her head, which she's never done before.
What caused this? I'm pretty sure it's the antibiotic. On Sunday, after 4 nights of no sleeping, I put a call in to the pedi's office. The after hours nurse said that Omnicef can cause diarrhea (we've had some of this too), upset stomach, headaches (I don't know if Brooke has a headache - I'm guessing this is why she's been patting her head, as the patting goes away with Tylenol), restlessness, lack of appetite, and irratibility. She advised that I should call the pedi this morning (which I did, and I'm waiting for a call back - if I don't hear anything by the time they get back from lunch at 2:30, I'm calling again).
I know all antibiotics have side effects, but I really do not like that my girl is not sleeping - how's that going to help her feel better? I'm insistent that they need to change the antibiotic so she can rest and get feeling better.
On another note, Jacqui, Brooke's godmother, was released from the hospital on Thursday, exactly 3 weeks after her bone marrow transplant on 8/5/10!! Please say a quick prayer that she continues to do well and recover from her transplant as well as she has so far - we cannot wait until she's well enough to travel and see us!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
My poor baby
Apparently, all my posts about my baby girl not eating have a reason!
She's been playing with her ears lately - but no fever, no crying, no real crankiness/fussiness (except when eating veggies!), no nothing. She plays with her ears when she's tired (sticking her fingers inside) and sometimes just to play (she also sticks her fingers in my ears, in my husband's ears, etc....she's fascinated by them), so Jim and I had decided to just watch her and see how it went.
On Saturday, I decided to take her to the dr, but the office was closed. I waited until yesterday (Wednesday) because it's the first day I could leave work early to take her, and I had a couple of other questions for the dr (mostly about eating!) I didn't think it was a big deal to wait, since she didn't seem to be sick and plays with her ears anyway (last time this happened, she was just getting teeth, and she was drooling so I thought I'd be losing $25 anyway!)
Well, turns out, she has a double ear infection. They put her on an antibiotic for 10 days. (She is also getting more teeth, which might have caused the congestion that led to fluid build-up that led to an ear infection....). I feel like an absolutely awful Mommy for not taking her sooner, but it is SO HARD to guess when this child has an ear infection. She doesn't complain about them - I can't wait until she can start to tell me, "Mommy, my ear hurts!"
On a more positive note, Brooke hasn't been sick (and no antibiotics) since APRIL! (You might remember one fever in June, but that was solely due to teething!) The ped was so happy, and so am I!
She's been playing with her ears lately - but no fever, no crying, no real crankiness/fussiness (except when eating veggies!), no nothing. She plays with her ears when she's tired (sticking her fingers inside) and sometimes just to play (she also sticks her fingers in my ears, in my husband's ears, etc....she's fascinated by them), so Jim and I had decided to just watch her and see how it went.
On Saturday, I decided to take her to the dr, but the office was closed. I waited until yesterday (Wednesday) because it's the first day I could leave work early to take her, and I had a couple of other questions for the dr (mostly about eating!) I didn't think it was a big deal to wait, since she didn't seem to be sick and plays with her ears anyway (last time this happened, she was just getting teeth, and she was drooling so I thought I'd be losing $25 anyway!)
Well, turns out, she has a double ear infection. They put her on an antibiotic for 10 days. (She is also getting more teeth, which might have caused the congestion that led to fluid build-up that led to an ear infection....). I feel like an absolutely awful Mommy for not taking her sooner, but it is SO HARD to guess when this child has an ear infection. She doesn't complain about them - I can't wait until she can start to tell me, "Mommy, my ear hurts!"
On a more positive note, Brooke hasn't been sick (and no antibiotics) since APRIL! (You might remember one fever in June, but that was solely due to teething!) The ped was so happy, and so am I!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Update
I haven't blogged for almost a week, because, really, every day is the same old, same old....
Last week, Brooke had a really runny nose that I attributed to teething since she's been literally grabbing her mouth. Saturday, I started getting a cold that has now moved into my chest and is making me really miserable. It's hard to breathe, but I'm not really coughing much so no relief there.
Things on the eating front have not gotten any better. Brooke won't eat meat, which doesn't worry me because it didn't worry Dr. Castro - she said many kids don't eat meat at this age (now that I think of it, I know my niece didn't and she's healthy as can be at 4 years old!). While she used to eat regular veggies and spit out baby food veggies, she now refuses anything but the baby food veggies. She'll eat some regular veggies if they're mixed in soup, but not very many - I don't think she even eats a tablespoon that way, either! I offer her table food at every meal and then give her baby food at the end if she's still hungry - she's definitely getting over 5 servings of fruits & veggies a day, so it will work out. I'm trying to be patient, but I am so excited to not have to buy baby food anymore!
One thing I've found that Brooke loves is roast beef from Subway! Go figure.
Last week, Brooke had a really runny nose that I attributed to teething since she's been literally grabbing her mouth. Saturday, I started getting a cold that has now moved into my chest and is making me really miserable. It's hard to breathe, but I'm not really coughing much so no relief there.
Things on the eating front have not gotten any better. Brooke won't eat meat, which doesn't worry me because it didn't worry Dr. Castro - she said many kids don't eat meat at this age (now that I think of it, I know my niece didn't and she's healthy as can be at 4 years old!). While she used to eat regular veggies and spit out baby food veggies, she now refuses anything but the baby food veggies. She'll eat some regular veggies if they're mixed in soup, but not very many - I don't think she even eats a tablespoon that way, either! I offer her table food at every meal and then give her baby food at the end if she's still hungry - she's definitely getting over 5 servings of fruits & veggies a day, so it will work out. I'm trying to be patient, but I am so excited to not have to buy baby food anymore!
One thing I've found that Brooke loves is roast beef from Subway! Go figure.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Eating.....
Brooke's eating really has me frustrated!
For a while, it was really hard to feed her at breakfast - almost like she didn't want to eat as soon as she got up, so she would hardly eat anything. That went away during/after vacation, and I've found that she LOVES breakfast foods - pancakes, eggs, fruit, yogurt, toast/bagels, donuts/pastries....
Now, the difficulty is veggies, which she's always loved! It used to be the only thing she wouldn't eat was meat - now she's spitting out her veggies no matter what form they're in. She will eat all fruits (except fresh blueberries), cheese, pasta, rice, etc., etc., but I cannot, for the life of me, get her to swallow those veggies! She'll chew them for a second and then spit them out, use her fantastic pincer grasp to pick them up, and hand them to me.
So, Mamas out there, do you have any advice for me? I know to keep trying them (and I'm hoping eventually she'll start to love them again!) In the meantime, I'll also stick with the baby food purees and mix them into my meals (for example, beef stew) whenever I can. This is so, so, so important to me - my #1 goal is to teach Brooke to eat healthy (all things in moderation, which I tend to have trouble with when it comes to yummy, sweet, chocolate-y things). (OK - maybe not #1 - but it's one of my top goals to be a good Mama!) I do NOT want her to be in her mid-20s and have high cholesterol (like me) - (I know part of it is hereditary, and we have an incredibly strong family history of this, high blood pressure, and heart disease in mine and Jim's families).
For a while, it was really hard to feed her at breakfast - almost like she didn't want to eat as soon as she got up, so she would hardly eat anything. That went away during/after vacation, and I've found that she LOVES breakfast foods - pancakes, eggs, fruit, yogurt, toast/bagels, donuts/pastries....
Now, the difficulty is veggies, which she's always loved! It used to be the only thing she wouldn't eat was meat - now she's spitting out her veggies no matter what form they're in. She will eat all fruits (except fresh blueberries), cheese, pasta, rice, etc., etc., but I cannot, for the life of me, get her to swallow those veggies! She'll chew them for a second and then spit them out, use her fantastic pincer grasp to pick them up, and hand them to me.
So, Mamas out there, do you have any advice for me? I know to keep trying them (and I'm hoping eventually she'll start to love them again!) In the meantime, I'll also stick with the baby food purees and mix them into my meals (for example, beef stew) whenever I can. This is so, so, so important to me - my #1 goal is to teach Brooke to eat healthy (all things in moderation, which I tend to have trouble with when it comes to yummy, sweet, chocolate-y things). (OK - maybe not #1 - but it's one of my top goals to be a good Mama!) I do NOT want her to be in her mid-20s and have high cholesterol (like me) - (I know part of it is hereditary, and we have an incredibly strong family history of this, high blood pressure, and heart disease in mine and Jim's families).
Monday, August 16, 2010
Just a quick update....
Nothing too exciting to report here.
Everytime it seems like we have a little extra money to save for our eventual move, something happens. This time, it was a flat tire on my car (that we were lucky didn't blow out while I was driving), which required us to replace both front tires and get my car aligned. Oh, and that weird thing that my car does where my a/c doesn't come on all the time? It's the blower motor - which I will need to replace soon so that my sweet little girl doesn't melt in this heat when it finally decides to stop working for good. Plus, it was Florida Bar dues time and daycare. I wish I could just stay home and save that money, and travel money I spend to and from work, but we're just not in a position for that to happen right now.
Life is still good, though. Brooke is growing so fast! She loves to walk around the living room pushing her toys, and she loves to feed her new baby doll a bottle! She's starting to talk a little more now - but still not trying to repeat everything. That will come with time, I suppose. For now, she says baabaa (bottle), hi, boo (book), wha (what happened? She puts her hands up in the air with this one), Mama, Dada.....ba (ball)....so cute! She started smelling her food now, too - she purses her lips like a kiss and sticks her nose in her food. Too funny! She gives kisses - she does the lips and that's how she blows kisses.
Jim and I moved to the sports room so Brooke now has her own room - and she sleeps better than ever! I miss our big, comfy bed, but I'll adjust.
When we were in PA, on 8/6/10, we went to my Gram's house after the rehearsal dinner. Brooke stood up in the middle of the floor by herself! She tried to take a couple of steps on her own and fell forward - now she's only done it once or twice since then.
One thing that is frustrating me lately is that while she used to love veggies, it gets harder and harder to feed them to her each day! It doesn't really matter if they're whole or pureed, she doesn't like them. Guess I'll have to get her some asparagus and then try to convince her to eat others. She LOVES spaghetti, mac and cheese, and all thing carbohydrates, LOL.
Today, Jim and I are starting weight watchers again - wish us luck!
Everytime it seems like we have a little extra money to save for our eventual move, something happens. This time, it was a flat tire on my car (that we were lucky didn't blow out while I was driving), which required us to replace both front tires and get my car aligned. Oh, and that weird thing that my car does where my a/c doesn't come on all the time? It's the blower motor - which I will need to replace soon so that my sweet little girl doesn't melt in this heat when it finally decides to stop working for good. Plus, it was Florida Bar dues time and daycare. I wish I could just stay home and save that money, and travel money I spend to and from work, but we're just not in a position for that to happen right now.
Life is still good, though. Brooke is growing so fast! She loves to walk around the living room pushing her toys, and she loves to feed her new baby doll a bottle! She's starting to talk a little more now - but still not trying to repeat everything. That will come with time, I suppose. For now, she says baabaa (bottle), hi, boo (book), wha (what happened? She puts her hands up in the air with this one), Mama, Dada.....ba (ball)....so cute! She started smelling her food now, too - she purses her lips like a kiss and sticks her nose in her food. Too funny! She gives kisses - she does the lips and that's how she blows kisses.
Jim and I moved to the sports room so Brooke now has her own room - and she sleeps better than ever! I miss our big, comfy bed, but I'll adjust.
When we were in PA, on 8/6/10, we went to my Gram's house after the rehearsal dinner. Brooke stood up in the middle of the floor by herself! She tried to take a couple of steps on her own and fell forward - now she's only done it once or twice since then.
One thing that is frustrating me lately is that while she used to love veggies, it gets harder and harder to feed them to her each day! It doesn't really matter if they're whole or pureed, she doesn't like them. Guess I'll have to get her some asparagus and then try to convince her to eat others. She LOVES spaghetti, mac and cheese, and all thing carbohydrates, LOL.
Today, Jim and I are starting weight watchers again - wish us luck!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
I just wanted to add...
a prayer request.
I've posted on here before about one of my best friends, my sorority sister, and Brooke's godmother, Jacqui, and her battle with leukemia. Most recently, we had the chance to visit her at the hospital on July 30 as she was beginning preparation for her bone marrow transplant. Her transplant on August 5 went well, and she was infused with 8 million cells from a donor in just 31 minutes! There are additional cells frozen in case Jacqui should need them.
Now, Jacqui is dealing with exhaustion that comes with her blood count plummeting to zero (no immune system), vomiting, mouth sores from medicine, a fever, and I'm sure other side effects that I'm unaware of.
Jacqui is a very sweet, amazing person, and we all know she'll come through this with flying colors. But, please, PLEASE say some extra prayers for her, her husband, her amazingly supportive parents, and the woman who was kind enough to donate her bone marrow to save our Jacqui!
If you want to read Jacqui's story from the beginning and see the current happenings, just go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacquibuckley.
I've posted on here before about one of my best friends, my sorority sister, and Brooke's godmother, Jacqui, and her battle with leukemia. Most recently, we had the chance to visit her at the hospital on July 30 as she was beginning preparation for her bone marrow transplant. Her transplant on August 5 went well, and she was infused with 8 million cells from a donor in just 31 minutes! There are additional cells frozen in case Jacqui should need them.
Now, Jacqui is dealing with exhaustion that comes with her blood count plummeting to zero (no immune system), vomiting, mouth sores from medicine, a fever, and I'm sure other side effects that I'm unaware of.
Jacqui is a very sweet, amazing person, and we all know she'll come through this with flying colors. But, please, PLEASE say some extra prayers for her, her husband, her amazingly supportive parents, and the woman who was kind enough to donate her bone marrow to save our Jacqui!
If you want to read Jacqui's story from the beginning and see the current happenings, just go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacquibuckley.
Vacation....part 4
I'm going to see if I can speed through the rest of our vacation so I can get back to boring, everyday posts, haha.
On Wednesday, we took Brooke to have her pictures taken at Penney's with her cousins, Jenna (3 and a half) and Thaddeus (almost 2). It started out terribly. Thad started crying and wouldn't sit down. Jenna was sitting on the floor smiling, so I put Brooke next to her - and Brooke joined in the crying! Then the photographer started getting grabby and looking at Jenna's necklace, etc., so she didn't want to do pictures. I finally got Brooke calmed down, and she had a few individual pics taken in a rocking chair and started playing ball. My brother put Jenna in the picture next to her, and we got a cute one of the girls. Thad still wouldn't get in, so my mom promised him money to buy a whole bag of "lello" (yellow) lollipops. He got in, and we got a few cute ones (although none really of all the kids looking at the camera and smiling). Then they wanted me to put Brooke on the floor...that was pretty much the end, because she kept crawling away! After pictures, we had dinner with Jim's parents since they were leaving the next morning.
Thursday, Jim, B, and I dropped my mom off at work and went out for breakfast. Then we met my best friend Becky (the bride-to-be!) at the mall, where Becky and I got pedicures and had a chance to spend some time alone and catch up (way overdue!). Jim, B, and I did some shopping and spent the afternoon with my dad - then we all picked up my mom and headed to Johnstown for the best Chinese food ever! It was delicious!
Friday, we did some more shopping and had lunch at King's with my parents. Then I got ready and headed to the rehearsal & rehearsal dinner. At the rehearsal, I met Becky's other bridesmaids - friends from college & teaching who all seem so sweet! I especially liked her bridesmaid Leann, who rode to the rehearsal dinner with me - we pretty much hit it off right away! I recognized some of the groomsmen from Bellwood - some who were several years ahead of us and I'm relatively sure didn't recognize me, and a couple that were closer to Kevin and Kelly's ages and probably still think I'm, like, 5! haha. The rehearsal went quicker than mine, and we had a cookout at one of the groomsmen's houses!
Saturday was jam-packed fun! I had my hair done by An, who has cut my hair since I was a junior in high school, if not earlier. I met Becky where she was getting her hair done and went to breakfast at Panera Bread with her little cousin Tori, then we all headed to Boscov's to get our makeup done. Afterwards, I went home to spend some time with Brooke, but the only thing I got to do was get her to sleep for her nap. A little before 1, I headed to the church to get dressed.
Becky's gown was GORGEOUS, with a full pick-up skirt and beaded bodice. Our gowns were strapless with pick-up skirts and were a beautiful dark purple color. We all carried a single pink rose (except for Becky, of course). The ceremony was beautiful, and Becky did a great job picking out the music (even the Michael Jackson we exited to). We went to Legion Park in Hollidaysburg for pictures, and then to the reception at the Casino. We had stuffed chicken breast dinner, and Jim and I enjoyed our night out listening to music, doing some dancing, and having a couple beers. It was a beautiful wedding, and many congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs.!
Sunday, we left to come home. :( We were delayed in Pittsburgh, and when we were close to Ft. Lauderdale, the weather was so bad here that we were in a holding pattern and not allowed to land. We were almost 1.5 hours late landing, and then we had to find the shuttle to the parking lot, drive home in the rain - until we did that, it was after 8! We had a late dinner and got to bed to late. Now, Brooke and Jim are still on vacation until Sunday, and I've been slaving away at work again.....
On Wednesday, we took Brooke to have her pictures taken at Penney's with her cousins, Jenna (3 and a half) and Thaddeus (almost 2). It started out terribly. Thad started crying and wouldn't sit down. Jenna was sitting on the floor smiling, so I put Brooke next to her - and Brooke joined in the crying! Then the photographer started getting grabby and looking at Jenna's necklace, etc., so she didn't want to do pictures. I finally got Brooke calmed down, and she had a few individual pics taken in a rocking chair and started playing ball. My brother put Jenna in the picture next to her, and we got a cute one of the girls. Thad still wouldn't get in, so my mom promised him money to buy a whole bag of "lello" (yellow) lollipops. He got in, and we got a few cute ones (although none really of all the kids looking at the camera and smiling). Then they wanted me to put Brooke on the floor...that was pretty much the end, because she kept crawling away! After pictures, we had dinner with Jim's parents since they were leaving the next morning.
Thursday, Jim, B, and I dropped my mom off at work and went out for breakfast. Then we met my best friend Becky (the bride-to-be!) at the mall, where Becky and I got pedicures and had a chance to spend some time alone and catch up (way overdue!). Jim, B, and I did some shopping and spent the afternoon with my dad - then we all picked up my mom and headed to Johnstown for the best Chinese food ever! It was delicious!
Friday, we did some more shopping and had lunch at King's with my parents. Then I got ready and headed to the rehearsal & rehearsal dinner. At the rehearsal, I met Becky's other bridesmaids - friends from college & teaching who all seem so sweet! I especially liked her bridesmaid Leann, who rode to the rehearsal dinner with me - we pretty much hit it off right away! I recognized some of the groomsmen from Bellwood - some who were several years ahead of us and I'm relatively sure didn't recognize me, and a couple that were closer to Kevin and Kelly's ages and probably still think I'm, like, 5! haha. The rehearsal went quicker than mine, and we had a cookout at one of the groomsmen's houses!
Saturday was jam-packed fun! I had my hair done by An, who has cut my hair since I was a junior in high school, if not earlier. I met Becky where she was getting her hair done and went to breakfast at Panera Bread with her little cousin Tori, then we all headed to Boscov's to get our makeup done. Afterwards, I went home to spend some time with Brooke, but the only thing I got to do was get her to sleep for her nap. A little before 1, I headed to the church to get dressed.
Becky's gown was GORGEOUS, with a full pick-up skirt and beaded bodice. Our gowns were strapless with pick-up skirts and were a beautiful dark purple color. We all carried a single pink rose (except for Becky, of course). The ceremony was beautiful, and Becky did a great job picking out the music (even the Michael Jackson we exited to). We went to Legion Park in Hollidaysburg for pictures, and then to the reception at the Casino. We had stuffed chicken breast dinner, and Jim and I enjoyed our night out listening to music, doing some dancing, and having a couple beers. It was a beautiful wedding, and many congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs.!
Sunday, we left to come home. :( We were delayed in Pittsburgh, and when we were close to Ft. Lauderdale, the weather was so bad here that we were in a holding pattern and not allowed to land. We were almost 1.5 hours late landing, and then we had to find the shuttle to the parking lot, drive home in the rain - until we did that, it was after 8! We had a late dinner and got to bed to late. Now, Brooke and Jim are still on vacation until Sunday, and I've been slaving away at work again.....
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Vacation...part 3
I'm going to try to speed up recounting our vacation because I'm sure the details are boring!
On Monday, we went to Delgrosso's Amusement Park with my parents, my sister, and my brother's family. This is a family-friendly park very close to where I grew up - it's free to park and walk around, and they have delicious food and fun rides! First, I put Brooke on the boats with my brother's son Thaddeus (who will be 2 at the end of this month). She didn't like it when I walked away. She did better and clapped as we rode the railroad. But then, we tried the Carousel. She didn't like being on the horse even though I was holding her - so that was it for the rides for her.
We left Brooke with my parents, and Jim and I rode a couple of rides. Then, my niece Jenna started riding the "grown up" rides. She's 3 and a half, and she loves them! The only kiddie land rides she liked were Dizzy Dragons (like the teacups at Disney) and the roller coaster and freefall. She rode Space Odyssey (an indoor ride that goes fast with strobe lights, loud music, and blacklights). She LOVED the Paratroopers (umbrellas that go around/up & down). Her absolute favorite was....drumroll please....Tilt A Whirl! In fact, my brother and his wife were both feeling sick from being on it so much (and she likes to spin A LOT), that it was up to my sister and I to ride with her - aunts to the rescue! It was a lot of fun.
On Tuesday, Jim, Brooke, and I had lunch at Eat n Park with my friend Tammy and her kids, Clara and Daniel. Then, we went with my dad and brother's family to see the Altoona Curve (minor league baseball team) play. Brooke stayed at my grandma's with her and my mom, and they had a blast! She fell asleep in the car on the way home and slept all night. Yay!
Wednesday has some funny stories, so I'll save it for tomorrow. Preview: professional pictures with three kinds under the age of 3.5 years old! :-)
On Monday, we went to Delgrosso's Amusement Park with my parents, my sister, and my brother's family. This is a family-friendly park very close to where I grew up - it's free to park and walk around, and they have delicious food and fun rides! First, I put Brooke on the boats with my brother's son Thaddeus (who will be 2 at the end of this month). She didn't like it when I walked away. She did better and clapped as we rode the railroad. But then, we tried the Carousel. She didn't like being on the horse even though I was holding her - so that was it for the rides for her.
We left Brooke with my parents, and Jim and I rode a couple of rides. Then, my niece Jenna started riding the "grown up" rides. She's 3 and a half, and she loves them! The only kiddie land rides she liked were Dizzy Dragons (like the teacups at Disney) and the roller coaster and freefall. She rode Space Odyssey (an indoor ride that goes fast with strobe lights, loud music, and blacklights). She LOVED the Paratroopers (umbrellas that go around/up & down). Her absolute favorite was....drumroll please....Tilt A Whirl! In fact, my brother and his wife were both feeling sick from being on it so much (and she likes to spin A LOT), that it was up to my sister and I to ride with her - aunts to the rescue! It was a lot of fun.
On Tuesday, Jim, Brooke, and I had lunch at Eat n Park with my friend Tammy and her kids, Clara and Daniel. Then, we went with my dad and brother's family to see the Altoona Curve (minor league baseball team) play. Brooke stayed at my grandma's with her and my mom, and they had a blast! She fell asleep in the car on the way home and slept all night. Yay!
Wednesday has some funny stories, so I'll save it for tomorrow. Preview: professional pictures with three kinds under the age of 3.5 years old! :-)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Vacation is over...Part 2
On Sunday, August 1, it was time for Brooke's party. We got up and got ready, then we headed out to pick up the cakes. (Wait until I get pictures on here, they turned out SO CUTE). After that, we picked up balloons and headed to my brother's house.
My brother and sister-in-law were nice enough to let us use their house for the party. Leslie helped me decorate the kitchen and the screened in patio. It was a beautiful day...sunny and not too hot.
Brooke had a great party! We had meatball sandwiches, buffalo chicken dip, chips, pasta salad, fresh fruit, cake, and ice cream. She got a TON of presents, and she had an absolute blast playing my niece Jenna and my nephew Thad after the party.
She really smashed her little cake, too! She had it in her eyes, in her hair - her entire face was blue because Grover (her favorite character) was on her little cake. It was great to see everyone, and we had a great time.
Out of her gifts, two are very special. The first is a toybox that my Aunt Lisa painted. My mom has bought these wooden toy boxes for all of her grandkids, and she has Lisa paint them. Again, wait until you see pictures! It has seashells on the front, and her name on the top - and the name looks like the beach. It is beautiful, and she will be able to use it even when she's older as a storage chest. And it will always remind her that she started her life in Miami, no matter where we may end up!
The other very, very special gift is a scrapbook that my sister made of Brooke's first year. It has the professional pictures we've had done, as well as pictures of Brooke's party in it. It also has very special (and tear-jerking) messages from important people in Brooke's life - her "Aunt Jacqui," Aunt Kelly, Grandma and Pappy, Nonna and Poppa, and Nana. It is a beautiful book and a fantastic idea.
My parents are shipping some of Brooke's gifts down and will be bringing the rest in October. We appreciate everyone that came to celebrate with us and are very thankful for all of Brooke's presents!
My brother and sister-in-law were nice enough to let us use their house for the party. Leslie helped me decorate the kitchen and the screened in patio. It was a beautiful day...sunny and not too hot.
Brooke had a great party! We had meatball sandwiches, buffalo chicken dip, chips, pasta salad, fresh fruit, cake, and ice cream. She got a TON of presents, and she had an absolute blast playing my niece Jenna and my nephew Thad after the party.
She really smashed her little cake, too! She had it in her eyes, in her hair - her entire face was blue because Grover (her favorite character) was on her little cake. It was great to see everyone, and we had a great time.
Out of her gifts, two are very special. The first is a toybox that my Aunt Lisa painted. My mom has bought these wooden toy boxes for all of her grandkids, and she has Lisa paint them. Again, wait until you see pictures! It has seashells on the front, and her name on the top - and the name looks like the beach. It is beautiful, and she will be able to use it even when she's older as a storage chest. And it will always remind her that she started her life in Miami, no matter where we may end up!
The other very, very special gift is a scrapbook that my sister made of Brooke's first year. It has the professional pictures we've had done, as well as pictures of Brooke's party in it. It also has very special (and tear-jerking) messages from important people in Brooke's life - her "Aunt Jacqui," Aunt Kelly, Grandma and Pappy, Nonna and Poppa, and Nana. It is a beautiful book and a fantastic idea.
My parents are shipping some of Brooke's gifts down and will be bringing the rest in October. We appreciate everyone that came to celebrate with us and are very thankful for all of Brooke's presents!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Vacation is over...part 1
We had such a blast on our trip! It flew by, and I wish we were still there!
I'll update over the course of a few days, because we packed SO much into our week. And later this week, I'll post some pictures, too.
On Friday, July 30, we landed in Pittsburgh right on time about 2:15 pm. We met my dad and headed to UPMC Shadyside to visit with my friend and "big sister" in my sorority, Jacqui, who was in the hospital in preparation for her bone marrow transplant. Brooke got kicked off the floor since she had recently had shots, and I visited with Jacqui for about half an hour...then the nurse said since Jacqui's levels in her blood were still good, she could put on a mask and come see Brooke as long as she kept a safe distance from her. I know that made Jacqui so happy, and Jacqui's mom seemed so glad to be able to hold Brooke! When we left, we stopped at Hoss's and made the drive to my mom and dad's house.
Friday night was rough - Brooke was up every 2 hours. I don't need to say anything else about that....
Saturday, I started preparations for the party. Then, Jim and I went to dinner (by ourselves!!!) at Ponderoda and met up with my "pledge mom" Reneya and her husband Dave to watch the Clarks. Oh my god, it was so much fun. The concert was great - if you have a chance, check out their music. Brooke stayed home with my parents, my in-laws, and my sister. She was still awake when we got home, but she crashed as soon as I started rocking her and slept a little better - she only woke up twice!
Sunday was party day - and I think deserves its own post tomorrow!
I'll update over the course of a few days, because we packed SO much into our week. And later this week, I'll post some pictures, too.
On Friday, July 30, we landed in Pittsburgh right on time about 2:15 pm. We met my dad and headed to UPMC Shadyside to visit with my friend and "big sister" in my sorority, Jacqui, who was in the hospital in preparation for her bone marrow transplant. Brooke got kicked off the floor since she had recently had shots, and I visited with Jacqui for about half an hour...then the nurse said since Jacqui's levels in her blood were still good, she could put on a mask and come see Brooke as long as she kept a safe distance from her. I know that made Jacqui so happy, and Jacqui's mom seemed so glad to be able to hold Brooke! When we left, we stopped at Hoss's and made the drive to my mom and dad's house.
Friday night was rough - Brooke was up every 2 hours. I don't need to say anything else about that....
Saturday, I started preparations for the party. Then, Jim and I went to dinner (by ourselves!!!) at Ponderoda and met up with my "pledge mom" Reneya and her husband Dave to watch the Clarks. Oh my god, it was so much fun. The concert was great - if you have a chance, check out their music. Brooke stayed home with my parents, my in-laws, and my sister. She was still awake when we got home, but she crashed as soon as I started rocking her and slept a little better - she only woke up twice!
Sunday was party day - and I think deserves its own post tomorrow!
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