Flags and Tippy Toes

Oh goodness gracious!  I'm so behind...I think I'm trailing myself.  Oh well, new baby reigns! ; )
Let's see..I've had a baby lose his first tooth, made a long flag bunting, worked on a sweet baby shower for a wonderful friend (with lots of flag-inspiration!), painted Mary Claire's room, trying to work on new bedding and drapes for her, made her a slipcovered headboard (still working on the slipcover..), had an ER trip with Carter on July Fourth, working on planning surgery for him-whew!  No, we don't slow down. : )

Ok, so first things first.  Carter was screaming when I was changing his diaper while out to eat on July fourth (no new thing here).  But..I saw that his groin area was rather large on one side, and I pressed the bulge.  It didn't go down.  Ewww!!  (and Scary!)  I called the pediatric clinic after-hours number, and when the nurse called back and found out "it" didn't go back in, she told me to go immediately to the emergency room, to stay with him, and to have someone else drive us. (!!!)  Well, that'll scare a mom, thankyouverymuch.

I sent a text asking for prayers, and when we got there-I thought, Miracle!  The thing had gone down.  We still had to see the doctor though.  When we were back there (you know..an HOUR later), the doctor squeezed on his tummy, pressed on things, and generally made him scream again...and the thing popped back out!  It was kinda like a small egg-yep, that big.  Come to find out, it was his INTESTINE.  He has an inguinal hernia.  It does require surgery, since they do not heal on their own.  It didn't require immediate surgery as they'd first thougt (if it doesn't push back, it's stuck, and needs surgery right away to remove the stuck/dying bowel, and they resect the remaining bowel).

So, I can tell you all this calmly now that we are a few days out.  At first, I was panicked.  We've also been keeping him as absolutely happy as possible (requiring holding at ALL times).  When he gets mad/cries/stresses, he screams, and the hernia pops out, and it hurts, so he cries more.  Etc.  Our house is FUN!  It's a circus to get someone to hold him so we can go to the bathroom. : )

His crying/colic is starting to get better (and maybe the hernia was part of the colic/crying?).  We are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. : )  Sleep helps a great deal!  He now goes to bed about 10:30 at night, and doesn't wake up till about 4am, so a big sleep stretch helps me keep my sanity and does wonders for my personality. ; ) haha!  I think a rested momma is a happy momma.

He also turned over for the first time in his bed today!  Ches found him while I was at my friend's baby shower today (so I didn't get to see him), but WoW-it's early!  He's not even quite three months...well, tomorrow he will be. ; )  Will he do everything early?

Ok...so some crafts!  I'll have to show you how I made these, but here are some pictures!  The bunting (over there > ) was fun, and really easy.  I just made double sets of triangles (front/back), sewed them together inside out, reversed them, sewed the edges neatly, then put them in order into some seam binding with hanging loops at each end.   After I made it, I made some easy ones with leftover muslin and jute string that I liked just as well (if not better!) just running the jute through some small holes in the tops of the triangles I cut with scissors.  (over there > )  The flags didn't even slip around since the jute is really rough.  I used the extras on the gift tables at the shower!  And just for fun, here are the invitations and a little book I made for putting in those cards (my friend had the greatest idea!  We each wrote a word on a card to pray over the baby and family through birth..and who can't use more prayer?!):

Invitations!  (yes, they were all kinda different..it took some practice to perfect them. ; )

Little photo album with colored pages for the prayer cards (with teensy flags!)

Mary Claire's headboard is a work-in-progress, and I had to quit on it to focus on the baby shower I was helping to plan.  I'll get back to it this week.  She picked out her extra fabrics, and they are all silver.  Never would have guessed.  I'm praying her room turns out the way she likes, it's become her room, and I'm not so much in control right now.  I think it's called the Tween years.  They've come a-callin'.

It'll look so much cooler with a slipcover on it!  This is just a 2x4 frame with wood on both sides of the "sandwich", then some ball feet screwed in, covered in extra loft batting, then muslin..followed by the yet-to-be-finished slipcover.  (but the white linen is already prewashed and cut..waiting to meet my sewing machine!)

K, gotta go! ..fussy baby (hungry?)  Gotta prevent the hernia pop-out! ; )  Hugs, and pray for my baby please! : ) 

Need to giggle?  Some of us at the end of Tiffany's shower...guess who's on their tippy-toes trying to be as tall as everyone else? ; )  You guessed it!!

Sum-Sum-Summertime

Days just zoom by!  I feel like summer is almost half over.

We are just taking it a day at a time-literally.  We make it through the evenings with Carter-still on and off crying-and then the mornings are slower.  I get up with the kids, and Ches sleeps in.  I really like the house all quiet in the morning-I can get the kitchen cleaned, things picked up, and laundry started before the house really gets going.  Then in the day we run errands, swim, or see friends.  By evening we have to figure out dinner-sometimes we are eating at 8pm! then gear up for whatever Carter has in store. ; )  I am out by 11:30, and Ches stays up with the little guy till he's exhausted.  Hoping a bedtime will surface in the near future. ; )

He's finally smiling at us-I told the doctor at his two month appointment that I didn't feel like he was making eye contact, and not smiling (on purpose-there are all kinds of smiles in his sleep!).  But..two days later, he was smiling..and now does it every day. :o) I didn't want to worry about him, but darn those baby emails I get every Monday with the milestones!  Enough to stress me out.

He's also still in baby mittens.  When I take them off and retrim his nails..he always manages to reach up, grab his face, and claw himself, especially when he stretches.  I've never had a baby scratch their face like he does!  Mittens are new territory to me.  I keep wondering if I take them off for a few days if he'll make the connection that he's doing it to himself.  Are they old enough for cause-effect relationship?  ..Nahh..I didn't think so. ; )

I think I have a thing for a sleeping baby! ; )

He was 11lbs. 12oz. at his two month check up, so I'm guessing he's just over 12 pounds now, but we are moving up to 3-6 month clothes.  Some of those stiff cotton clothes are soo hard to get on him!  I got a friend the same outfit as Carter as a gift (the boys are the same age!), and I just want to apologize to her!  It's awful.  He's only worn it once, but it was tough to get it on/off, and when I tried to put it on him the second time, it was too much.  That one retired early.  And I've decided I like one-pieces better.  His shirt rides up when I'm holding him, and who likes a waist if you don't have to have one? ; )


He's super good at holding his head up, and loves to sit (with us holding him of course!).  We got him a Johnny Jump Up..but he can't use it till he's three months and holding his head really still.  He loves to stand (well, in that stiff legs on your lap kind of way, or "walk up my tummy shelf" way).

Ethan had ear surgery this morning.  His hearing had slowly gone downhill..he was even yelling to us, and really couldn't hear at all.  He failed his hearing test miserably, and could only hear if you maintained eye contact, enunciated very clearly, and spoke loudly.  His old p.e. tubes had finally fallen out, and his ear drums were retracted (sucked in based on negative pressure).  It was no wonder he couldn't hear!  He did well, the worst was taking the Versed before surgery.  It tasted gross, but was supposed to make him drowsy, sedated, and keep him from remembering anything unpleasant.  The only thing he remembered was having to swallow the awful stuff!  He also had his adenoids removed.  Sometimes if they have to put in a second set of tubes they'll take the adenoids out at the same time, it usually means they are enlarged and blocking the drainage of the eustachian tubes.  He's home now and doing fine.  He was so excited to be able to hear, bless his heart.

Mary Claire is good, she got to go to Gigi's house last night to miss out on surgery this morning!  Her blood sugar had been super high on Monday, but after a new site and basal corrections, she's running low now (well..70-100).  She loves the extra little treats she gets when she's low-ish.  Real Coke (from Gigi), good chocolate milk, Nerds, and extra free foods.  She's also being really good since we're working on redoing her room!  We bought some mattresses, and I'm going to make her a slip-covered head board.  I bought the lumber on Sunday afternoon, but had to finish up a couple other projects first!  She also wants her room repainted pale turquoise, and then new bedding, and everything else follows. ; )  We found a very mature picture to work from, with mostly white bedding-beautiful.  Whether or not she'll stick to the scheme..not sure! : )  Feathers are calling her name. ; )

Clay is off at boy scout camp this week-three hours away.  I took him to the drop off on Sunday morning, and we stopped to get bait (live night crawlers!) and cash on the way there.  I also was going the wrong way...we still made it on time though..miracle! : )  He was really excited-we'd packed all his stuff up (in tubs), and he had tons of food, his fishing pole, and his bike.  I've been praying so hard-we talked all about getting lost if they were hiking and what to do!  I just worry, but I'm sure he's having a wonderful time...fishing and swimming every day, plus all the neat classes he's taking.

We sent a care package with another parent this morning (with over 4 dozen chocolate cookies...to share!), some plastic waterproof playing cards, a pea-less 120 decibel whistle (for hiking ; ), new baseball cards, a tennis ball, fresh socks and towel...just stuff I thought he'd need/want.  We are planning to drive down tomorrow to visit, I'm sure he'll only have time to see us at lunch or dinner!  He really loves all the outdoorsy stuff they are doing, and I'm so happy for him.  Even though I'm really missing him.


Just FYI.  If you get lost in the woods (or anywhere I guess..) and separated from your group, stay in the place you last saw them.  Don't wander around.  Hug a tree, Mr. Brian says.  : )  You'll need a pea-less whistle (the others with the ball (pea) don't work if they get wet), a trash bag to sleep in or use as a poncho if it rains, something to start a fire if it's cold weather, and water.  (I even told Clay if he runs out of water, he'll have to start peeing in his water bottle.  He loved that.)  I found the best fire starter things (a magnesium fire starter)-it was a silver rectangle that you shave on one side with your pocket knife (oh yeah-you need one of those!), then strike the other side to light the shavings, which are magnesium.  They burn at an extremely high temperature, so even wet tinder will ignite.  Cool.  I didn't get him one of these based on the BURN BAN here after all our missing rain, and that he'd probably want to try it out after he gets home.  Again, dangerous.


Also nifty?  Signal mirrors to reflect light, bracelets made with 27 feet of cording (you just untie the braidy bracelet to use it!), and the pocket sleeping bags were impressive.  All this wonderfully handy (emergency/rescue) stuff does not make me want to camp though.  I love hot showers and a comfy bed.  Air conditioning comes in mighty handy too. ; )


Hope you are having a great summer too!  Hugs, ya'll!

It's All About the Numbers!

Oh gosh.  I only ever have time for a quickie.  ; )  Here are some Picture People pictures, and if I'm behind sending you a thank you note for your graciousness, please forgive me!!  I'm going as fast as I can!

And then…yesterday was our endocrinology appointment.  Mary Claire had a too-high a1c, and she was honest about why.  I have tried so hard to micromanage her blood sugar, every carb in (we even count gum now!), and I'm constantly rechecking her basal.  All that to say…it wasn’t my human error.  (can I say thank goodness, or is that wrong?)
 
She told me that all those food wrappers I’d found in her room, she had indeed consumed.  She said she wasn’t so much sneaking food (my words) as hiding extra food when she asked for a snack (I know, mincing words).  She said she’d hold a pack of peanut butter crackers with 2 protein bars behind them, and ask for a snack.  When we said yes, give yourself a bolus…she’d bolus for the crackers and one protein bar.  The other she just ate. (!)  She said she thought if the carb number in the bolus was too high, I’d find it in her bolus history. (ha! She gives me tooo much credit.)  So, this is the Random High Culprit.  I’m just glad to get it out in the open honestly.

She obviously doesn’t want me mad at her, and I asked her if she thinks I’d rather find her 400 or find an extra bolus, and she didn’t know. (!)  Does she know me at all?  It’s all about the numbers.  So, I told her what I’d rather find.  We discussed it all with the doctor too, since I’ve been feeling awful about why her a1c has been higher the past two visits, and why I can’t figure out the random high numbers.  I felt like I had some ‘splaining to do.  So we both felt bad. 

Better now, thank goodness.  He said we need to make a list/spot for snacks she can have ANYtime, even 10 minutes before dinner, so she has some autonomy.  Good idea.  Gotta add that to my Things To Do list. ; )

And add to Momma's grief?  I got a 'letter' in the mail about Ethan's kindergarten testing.  Seems we still have some work to do.  He doesn't know his nickel or dime and their values, doesn't know what an exclamation point, period, comma, or question mark are (or mean!), and can't count to 50 properly.  Umm..and has to point to words as I read them in a book...there's a little more.  Let's just say when he woke me up at 7 this morning (after going to bed at 11:30 and feeding a baby all night), I made him breakfast and sat at the bar with him reading books, and TEACHING!!  It's been a long time, but I can't believe he's deficient. : (  I can't let them remember I'm a teacher!  I'm a disappointment to my profession!  (well, I am out of a contract and even my license is expired at this point...) ; )  Is that explanation enough?

Hope your littles have good numbers... and know their numbers! ; )

We're not in Kansas anymore : )

Guess who’s posting again?  Miracle, I tell you.  Or a road trip..everyone buckled up really gives me some breathing typing room ; ) But, not to worry...when I get home all that laundry catches up with me.
We made a small road trip this weekend-to Kansas City!  We lost our Picture People (the only one in Arkansas!) this past year, so we drove to the closest one. : ) The bringing home of a total matted, framed picture that you can hang immediately has totally been missed!  That’d be my favorite thing about them.  That, the clean backgrounds, and speedy process!  I can appreciate all of the above. ; )
And?  When we checked to see what else there is to do..we found out a new Legoland Discovery Center opened this spring!  We had to go.  And, of course American Girl is totally necessary. ; )

Here are some pictures of our weekend..and tomorrow?  I'll finally get around to uploading our pictures from the photo shoot at Picture People.  : ) 

In the Lego "Factory"-these are the plastic color beads

They got these free lego pieces after the "tour".  (in quotes since it was super short, could be self-guided, and was all in one room.  Also obvious?  They don't make legos there.)

A master builder at work, and on display.  We oogled his toys.

And how much did he weigh in lego bricks?  ..about 17,000!

On the Kingdom Quest ride..Not for little kids, i.e. babies.  We waited at Stroller Parking. ; )

KC Miniland.  Pretty cool.  The city made of Legos..complete with a spinning house, melting witch, and Wizard, from Oz of course (and all made of Legos). 

Took this picture a little prematurely.  He slept through the first half of Legoland.  Then was AwAkE. and unhappy about it the second half!

Should've asked the wizard for a shushing song for my sweet baby?  While we watched the kids on the next ride..they pedaled to fly higher and higher.

Building platforms..and big earthquake proof lego structures!  You could push a button to change the earth shaking movement. ; )

Ethan's favorite: Building cars and racing them!

Legos everywhere, and none of the structures was off-limits ; )

Then, on the way home, we stopped at Ft. Scott cemetery to see Ches' dad's grave site, and I saw the perfect wall for some pictures. ; )

Sweet kids.

Thank you, Ches' daddy, for making a great son!

Isn't the rhythm of the perfectly spaced stones beautiful?  I'm just sorry there are this many that have passed.  Hopefully it was later rather than sooner.

This is the one we're looking for!  Seventh row on the right, 32nd over.  Now, we'll find it easier next time.

Hope you had a great weekend!  Did you do anything fun?  Dress a family for pictures?  in a faraway city?  Do your makeup in the car since you let the kids swim too long in the hotel pool this morning?  Leave your wallet at your hotel..and have to go back for it?  And find and hug the sweet lady who found it and turned it in?  Rock on the porch at Cracker Barrel playing checkers with the kids at 8 at night, knowing you still had a drive in front of you?  Yeah, I had fun too. : )