Icky

That is the best word to describe our house right now. It started on Saturday with AJU6 throwing up 5 times. Sunday was "clear" but we also took it really easy. Yesterday morning AJU5 woke up not feeling well, and she started puking around 6am. I think she puked 5-6 times, and luckily she has been "clear" since about noon yesterday. But, she still has a fun cough and isn't herself yet. I started felling bad yesterday afternoon. It got really bad around 5pm just as my husband got home from work (huge blessing that it stayed away until then!). I was "stuck" in bed basically all night. By around 11pm, I was a little better, able to go downstairs and get my cell phone and my own drink without thinking I was going to die along the way. Since then I just have been mending from getting very dehydrated.
My husband started getting sick around 2am. He has been stuck in bed almost all day. He was supposed to leave on a work trip this morning, but that is on hold. He did get out of bed around noon, but then he overdid it and ended up back in bed.
AJU7 started throwing up this morning. She threw up once in her bed and then once as we went downstairs. Since then I think she has thrown up 4-5 times. Most of the time I only notice because I either see it or feel it. She doesn't complain unless it comes out her nose (and she can't breathe well). That means she is attached to me right now so I know if she gets sick again.
AJU6 has also had some bad diapers last night and today. He seems to be "acting" like AJU5 did two years ago when the stomach bug last hit our house. She would puke one day, have bad diapers the next, etc. It last almost a week with her, although AJU6 seems to have done all the puking in one day.
I just hope we are done with it after today. I have done more laundry and carpet cleaning the last few days then I do in some months. I am tired of all of that house work for sure!

No Answers...

I ended up taking AJU5 to the doctor Tuesday. She had a low fever in the morning, but then it spiked to over 104 in the afternoon AND she threw up the Advil I was trying to give her. It turns out her tonsils are nasty, so they did a strep test. The rapid test was negative, and since the lab was already closed by the time we knew that (well, about to close - would be closed before we could get there), we waited on the over night version. It came back negative, so today I took her to get a mono test. There is a "rapid" mono spot test and then another test for the other antibody. The rapid test came back negative, but the CBC levels are indicative of mono or a mono-like virus. So, (hopefully using the blood they already have) now they are testing for the other antibody tonight/tomorrow. We should have an "answer" by tomorrow afternoon...

AJU5 is miserable though. She is okay for a few hours at the "height" of the Advil, but she still isn't herself. And she doesn't want to take the Advil, so it is a struggle. Baths are also a struggle, but she smells so bad after she sleeps because of all the sweat and her throat. Her face also swelled up Tuesday morning, and we have no clue why. Luckily she can still open her eyes, and it is mostly around her eyes and cheeks (and she doesn't notice it). Keeping her hydrated has been not too hard, but she isn't eating much. Luckily I can get at least one sippy cup of milk with carnation instant breakfast in her and a few bites of something each day (yesterday was a pickle spear and one or two bites of cereal, and today was about 1/3 of a hot dog).

Hopefully tomorrow will bring an answer and no fights over medicine...

Thwart by a Bug

Also - How to Second Guess Yourself and an Apology (again)

Today was supposed to be day 1 of swim lessons for the kids, but we aren't going. AJU5 is sick :( Yesterday she woke up with a fever and complaining about her throat. I gave her some benadryl and advil, and she napped. By the end of the nap and a little TV, her fever was gone and her throat didn't hurt. But, I guessed (and was right) it was just the medicine. Her fever came back as the Advil wore off, but we waited until she wasn't comfortable to give her more. The throat wasn't bothering her, and now her complaints were her nose (which was congested/runny the whole time) and her mouth. She slept and watched TV all afternoon, and with a second dose of Advil in full swing, she was a little more herself in the evening. Her fever didn't drop completely, but she wanted to play "person game" (Chutes and Ladders), and she was up and moving at least. She had been drinking all day and even snacking a little, so I wasn't too worried. She got some more benadryl and tylenol before bed, and we were praying by morning she would be fine.

Around 3am, she cried enough for me to get out of bed (i.e. it wasn't just a dream cry). It turns out either she coughed up a little crud or her nose ran enough on her pillow to bother her. Since it was dark, I thought it was worse than it was until I got to the bathroom and just saw a little snot in a few places on her pillow. Luckily there is a second pillow on her bed, and she went back to sleep. Well, for an hour at least. Then she joined up in bed, asking for some milk. She was half awake from then until 5 I think, and then she pretty much slept until 8. Periodically I would check her temperature this morning. First it was 100. something. I was happy - I could deal with that. About 45 minutes later I checked again and it was 105. I was worried. Luckily I checked about 2 minutes later and it was down to 101. I checked again about 30 minutes later, and I got temperatures between 102 and 103. So, I knew it was time for Advil again. After with more Advil and milk in her system, she asked to be carried downstairs to watch her favorite TV show (which today appears to be Curious George). She is sitting up about 1/3 of the time and zombie-like the rest of the time. Hopefully once the Advil is in full affect, she will have a little energy....

I definitely have been second guessing myself with her and this bug. First I was afraid it might be strep, but I quick look online revealed that wasn't likely due to the congestion. And since her throat isn't bothering her anymore, I have ruled that out. Now it is the bug (virus) vs. infection debate. Is it worth going to the doctor? If it is just a virus, they won't be able to say or do much to help. But, if it is an infection, we could get medicine. I know it isn't a sinus infection (still running clear), and there is no stomach issues. So, it is just a head "disease" of some sort. Right now I am thinking virus and praying it is over by morning...

And today I realized once again I have been terrible at commenting on blogs. I gave up and closed about 10-15 tabs in Firefox, all of blogs I had opened and meant to comment on. But, when I am on the third row of tabs (and I have a wide-screen monitor), it is just too overwhelming. So, I cleared the deck and hopefully I can try to stay on top of them now!

A Case of the Icks

Our house has been sick this past week. It started last Sunday. AJU1 didn't feel good, and I wasn't 100%. His was a bug he caught on his trip the week before. I wasn't sure if mine was just exhaustion from the week or a bug. Monday I knew it was a bug when I threw up and was running a fever over 100. Luckily, my bug was basically gone the next day, and I was back to normal on Wednesday. But then Wednesday afternoon happened. AJU6 started to run a fever. It wasn't too high yet, but I was watching it. AJU1 was still sick with a head cold, but he was going to work (he claims he gets just as much rest there as at home with the kids). Thursday AJU6 was burning up - fever of 104 without medicine. Luckily Advil dropped it down to about 100, and he just "hung out" there for about 24 hours (with Advil every 6-7 hours). Once it got up to 104, but that was because he took a 3 hour nap starting about 45 minutes before I could give him another dose of Advil. He wasn't eating much, but he was drinking more than normal. So, I wasn't too worried. Yesterday he was doing better. His energy was back, and his fever was definitely on its last legs. But, then AJU5 started running a fever. First time I checked it it was 101.4. About 30 minutes later, it was up to about 101.8. So, she got Advil too. Other than the fever, the kids are just dealing with some congestion and the related cough after a night of sleeping, so I wonder if it is a different bug than AJU1 and I had - as he hasn't run a fever, and they haven't been nauseous. Luckily today AJU6 is fever free, and AJU5 was only at 101.2 this morning after going 14 hours without medicine (since she slept all night). So, maybe we are on the tail end of it...

The good news is I didn't have to deal with any ick. AJU6's diapers haven't been the nicest since he hasn't been eating as much, but luckily this isn't a stomach bug. A little runny nose snot I can deal with, but I am not a huge fan of puke or diarrhea - I HATE them.

The saddest part is AJU5 so wanted to go to church today. Her friend has been sick twice in the last four weeks and missed another Sunday because her mom was sick. She started asking on Monday for her friend to stop "sicking" so they could play at church. They did play Wednesday night and Thursday night, but I guess it just isn't the same as Sunday morning. She so wants to stop "sicking," but she isn't completely understanding that it takes time and rest. Hopefully after today both kids can be healthy for a while so they don't have to miss each other...

Sleeping on the couch isn't terrible...

Friday night and last night I sleep part of the night on the couch. And no, AJU1 did not kick me out of bed. AJU6 (and AJU1 and AJU5) is sick. He has a head cold sort of bug, and laying flat makes it almost impossible to breathe. Both nights, I have tried and tried to get him to sleep - in his bed, in my arms, anywhere. Both nights I found success in his car seat. It keeps him reclined but not flat, and he can't escape! Our pediatrician recommended it when he had RSV, so it was on the list of things to try this time around (I have also put a pillow under the "mattress" of him pack n play so that has an incline too).

I wanted to sleep near him so I could pop the pacifier back in when he spit it out - hopefully before he was too awake to fall back asleep. So, I was relegated to the couch. For some reason he is awake for over an hour every night (while sick) between midnight and 3am. It is getting old for sure! Last night is was about an hour and a half. Then he finally agreed to sleeping in his pack n play, and slept for almost 4 hours (a huge relief).

As you can guess, I am a bit of a zombie. I was hoping AJU5 would sleep until 7 this morning, but she was up at 6. So, I put on an hour long Veggie Tales. Now to go take a nap...

Change of Plans

I was going to do a little review of another diaper we are trying with AJU6 (since he is between sizes for the Kirkland ones), but I am not in the mood. Maybe next week...

The ick may hopefully have finally left our house. AJU5 had an ick free night last night, and she seems to be 100% today. So, that is a huge relief! After almost a week of all variations of stomach issues, I am ready to be over with it. The big thing we have to deal with now is retraining AJU5 and ourselves. AJU5 got more juice in her juice because I just wanted her to stay hydrated. Now she is refusing her juice because I am trying to bring it back to the 1/3 juice- 2/3 water combo we had. She used to even drink it more diluted sometimes, but not now. She has also figured out that "oh-no" will get a quick response from us. This is what she said often when she need assistance with ick, so I would run to her whenever I heard it. This morning she used the same tone when she spilled water on herself. Now, I know to her it might be just as bad as ick, but to me it isn't!. A wet shirt does not require me to run as fast as I can to her side...

But the most frustrating thing right now is a student I have. After the first exam, he went on a tirade in an email to me about how unfair the exam was. He also complained on the course discussion board, where other students (thankfully) voiced their disagreement with him. I did my best to deal with him politely, and he chose not to do most of the work for Exam 2. He did take Exam 2, but of course he bombed it. Then Saturday he emails me asking if he can still pass the course. Well, I had already posted the grades and explained to the course how many points are left. So, he could easily calculate his current total and see that yes, technically he can still pass the course but he has to do very well on everything from here on out. I didn't get a chance to reply to the email because of the ick on Saturday (and I take Sundays off from work). During this time period AJU5 restarted my computer, so I forgot about the email. So, this morning I had two emails from him. One asking if I was still around and the second saying I was the worst teacher ever and he was going to set up a meeting for us with the dean. Luckily I had already talked to our associate dean about the Exam 1 issues. I am fairly certain they will not make me sit int he same room with this student after what he said in some of those emails... I did email him back and explained that I was sorry I had not gotten back to him and it was because I had been dealing with sickness in the family, etc and he could have answered the question himself. Oh, and of course the end of the email I got from him was again not something any student should say to his/her professor. He went off on how I had been scammed into being a Christian. Now, I don't expect all of my students to agree with my beliefs. Actually, I expect many to have different beliefs. But, even if you don't agree with what I believe, it doesn't mean you have to basically say I am stupid as a result.

So yeah, I am glad I got that off my chest. I am glad I don't have to see this student face to face. Although, I bet if we were face to face, he either would not have said these things OR I would have gotten him removed from my course. Hopefully he will either get over his issues or the dean will back me up.

More Fun

So, after the ick of Saturday morning, things looked up. AJU5 returned to her normal self by 11am, and we were able to run a few errands in the afternoon. Easter Sunday started off great. AJU5 loved her basket and found a few of the eggs before heading to church. Church went well, and we came home to enjoy a nice dinner with a recent widower in our church. After he left, we all ended up napping. When AJU1 woke up, he didn't feel good. It only got worse. He spent about 8 hours running to the bathroom every half hour to hour. Luckily, by Monday morning he was starting to feel better. He spent yesterday home in bed, but today he made it to work. He even survived watching AJU5 last night so AJU6 and I could go to class (he normally goes and we watch at home, but since he wasn't 100% he decided to let me go). Then 12:30am came, and AJU5 woke up throwing up again. Luckily it was a once and done sort of thing. Later today I am taking AJU6 to get his 4 month shots, so hopefully we will all stay healthy...

I actually have a hypothesis as to why AJU5 threw up yesterday. I think she had hidden a pickle somewhere and found it. That girl is getting very sneaky about things, and she LOVES pickles. Based on what I saw last night, it was what she threw up and neither AJU1 nor I had given her one yesterday...

Here are some pictures from Easter. I took the easy route and didn't dye eggs with the kids this year again. We went with the plastic eggs with fun foam stickers (which AJU5 likes to peel off the eggs). Maybe next year I will be ambitious enough to let the kids dye eggs...

Ick!

AJU5 came to our room early this morning - probably around 4:30 or 5:00. She went to AJU1's side and talked to him. She agreed to climb into bed instead of going downstairs. The next thing I remember was him asking her if she wanted to go back to her bed. Then it happened. And AJU1 asked for help. AJU5 threw up all over him (and the bed). I got up and took her to the bathroom. I stripped her down and waited to make sure she was done. Then we went to her room and put on new jammies. She asked to g back to her bed, and then asked for me to sleep with her. I went and got AJU6 (he had been eating when all of this happened, and AJU1 was taking a much needed shower). AJU6 was not hungry any more and so I took him back to his bed. AJU5 asked for juice and milk at this point, so I went and got those for her. And we snuggled in bed and fell asleep.

Then I noticed she was stirring. And then it happened AGAIN. This time it was all over her bed. So, I called for AJU1 to come help. We convinced her to take a bath, and we started stripping both beds. She didn't stay in the bath too long, and then she wanted out. I wrapped her up in a towel, and I noticed she was hiccuping and didn't look great. So we snuggled for a while. Then we got up to go downstairs and watch some TV. We stopped at the linen closet to get a sheet to protect the couch. And it happened AGAIN.

This time it was on the floor mostly. I took her to the bathroom to finish up, and then we headed downstairs to watch TV. I got her some juice (after seeing what came out the previous two times, milk wasn't allowed for a while). After I thought she was okay (i.e. after 2 showers), I went to take a shower. On my way back downstairs, I saw her coming up. I gt t her and picked her up. And it happened AGAIN. This time on my shirt.

I hope we are done for a while...

At least AJU6 is basically all better now...

This could lead to the end of co-sleeping if I wasn't so lazy...

Albuterol.
That stuff can really make a 4 month old jittery!

AJU6 has RSV and bronchitis. So, at his 4 month appointment, his doctor prescribed Albuterol syrup. If his O2 sat level was lower (it was 95%), he would have got the nebulizer version, which comes with the cute fish masks. Instead, we just have to give him 1mL of syrup every 6 hours until he stops coughing and wheezing.

Last night he woke up to eat around 1:30. I fed him and tried to get him back to a peaceful sleep. He was really congested, so I brought him downstairs so we could camp out in the recliner. After a little baby nose-blowing, he crashed on my chest. Well, crashed is a relative term. He was completely asleep yet completely active. The boy would not stay still! He was attacking me with little ninja moves, probably a lot like he did to me before he was born. After an hour of this (i.e. about 2.5 hours of being mostly awake), I brought him back upstairs and put him in his bed. He slept for another couple of hours there until he was thirsty again luckily.

When the nurse called this morning to tell me he did test positive for RSV and to check on him, she laughed when I mentioned the jittery-ness of AJU6. I wasn't concerned about it because his doctor warned me that we would probably notice it especially while he was sleeping. But when she asked how he was, I felt like sharing that point :) Today he is about the same as yesterday. Last night he coughed more than normal, but this morning he is wheezing a little less. The doctor thinks we are past half way, so maybe in another 2-4 days he will be well. I can't wait to rejoin society then! It has been a while since I got to hang out with other moms (with spring break and then this week of ick)...

Thanks for Sharing...

AJU1 and/or AJU5 has shared a little too well for my liking. They shared the crud with me, and Mommy no like! AJU6 is a little under the weather too, but he got it after the two of them. So, yes, technically he could have given it to me, but if he did it was because they gave it to him first.

We are dealing with stuffy noses and coughs around here. AJU5 and AJU6 have had some very mild fevers (under 100) as well. AJU5 seems to be on the mend now, so hopefully the rest of us will feel good in a few days too.

This is not what I wanted AJU5 to learn to share!

That was fun...

So, if we are friends on Facebook, you already know we made a road trip this week and went skiing with my family. That part of the trip was fun. I got to ski 1.5 days, while AJU1 skiied for 3 days. We got to spend time with the family, and AJU5 did great around her cousins. She actually left AJU1 and I many times to play int he other room with the big kids. She also loved walking around the lodge - we made many trips for walks!

The trip to the ski resort was not so fun. It snowed most of the way there, so we only stopped for one potty/gas/diaper change. It took us about 7 hours,a nd the kids did just fine. I sat in the back and pumped and fed AJU6 bottles. He seemed to take the trip okay. Then we got to the lodge and got him out of his car seat. I handed him to my sister K who had n ot met him yet. And he screamed. I tried to hold him - he screamed. I tried to feed him, burp him, bounce him, etc, and all he did was scream. My dad tried to take him, my mom tried to take him, AJU1 tried to take him. All he did was scream. After about 30 minutes of this, he was worn out and slept for about an hour. He woke up and was himself again.

Nights were a little bit of a battle. AJU5 did not want to go to sleep a few times, and we were both tired and wanted to sleep. And of course she woke at least once a night needing something... But we survived.

Wednesday night everyone else went out to eat. We decided to just grab Subway because we didn't want anything too heavy (after skiing, etc). Well, it turned out that it was a very good thing that we didn't go out to eat. AJU5 threw up just after we ate. It was mostly post-nasal drip stuff, and she was fine once she got it all out. We deposited her in the bath tub for a while, and when she was done with that, she was ready for bed (and slept well). We thought it was a once-and-done sort of thing...

We hit the round around 10am on Thursday (yesterday). After about 45 minutes, AJU5 asked for a diaper change. We were about 15 minutes from the next town, so we told her we would stop soon. She kept asking for a diaper change. There was no way she had filled her diaper yet, so I thought she might have to stand to take care of business. So, we just kept on going. About 2-5 miles outside of town, we figured out why she wanted us to stop. She threw up all over herself. And her car seat. We got to a Pizza Hut parking lot and started the clean up. She got new clothes on, and we wiped down everything else with a bunch of baby wipes. It was not fun! I also gave her some Benadryl and Motrin, and she was happy after everything was clean.

Today she has been cranky, but I don't think she is sick. The car incident probably wasn't helped by some very windy roads for the first 30 minutes (big switchbacks). Today she is cranky, but I think it is more of her getting back to rules and order than anything. We will see... Now to get the laundry done, grocery shopping done, and get everything back in order...

Big Sister!

AJU5 is taking to having a baby around fairly well. Some times she is jealous, but those are minimal. It is normally when she wants me to do something with her and I can't because AJU6 is eating. But, if she just wants to be with me, she will climb into my lap and snuggle. So, there have been many moments with two kids in my arms! She is more than willing to help with AJU6 too. She has fetched clothes and diapers for me so far. She also noticed he was only in his diaper this morning and asked where his clothes were. So, I think we are doing well. It will be interesting to see how she does when it is only the three of us during the day though. That will be the biggest challenge I think. Right now she has someone to play with her almost all the time, so if I am busy they will take her and distract her. But, my MIL leaves in 8 days, and AJU1 will be back at work. Luckily it isn't too long until Christmas, and AJU1 gets a full week off of work then.

And as for AJU6, he is doing well. His bilirubin levels are down to 14 today, and he weighed in at 6lbs 12oz on a different scale. So, our thought that yesterday's scale was wrong are probably correct. He might have been below his birth weight yesterday, but he wasn't a full 5 oz down! Due to his dropped bilirubin levels and increased weight, he doesn't have to go to the doctor's office until his two week check-up. The doctor's office part wasn't too bad (just a weight check), but having to go to the lab and having his blood drawn wasn't fun. Although, today he cried more for the weight check than for the blood draw! I am fairly sure it was because I woke him up taking off his clothes though. For the blood draw, we just left him in his car seat and he slept through most of it (a few tears here and there, but because he was bleeding so well, they didn't have to hurt him much at all).

Now to go relax until everyone else gets back from running around town! I am getting very spoiled with a quiet house this week!

Mayeb I Am Glad the Baby Hasn't Come...

It has been a "fun" 24 hours. Really, it hasn't been bad, but it hasn't all been good. Yesterday morning was normal. We got up, AJU5 watched two shows while I made breakfast, put Tom in the fridge, and got some other random things done (and AJU1 slept a little and then reviewed Sunday School material). Breakfast was normal, and then AJU5 took a nap (and I showered and napped as well). Sunday School was normal - AJU5 had a few toddler moments of wanting to be a handful and not participate, but once the glue sticks came out she was perfectly fine. Church service went fine too - she snuggled for half and then played for half. After church we ran to REI to get ski tickets for February (big discount - going with friends to share child-watching). AJU5 started to doze the last few minutes before we parked. But, we kept her awake.

When we got home, we thought she would crash, but no. She laid down for about 20 minutes, but that was it. We watched the NASCAR race, and at the end she was asking to go to bed. Unfortunately, it was too late for nap but too early for bed. So, we let her watch two of her shows before heading to church. She did normal at church - and then melted down at the very end. We got everything ready as my husband went over some details for the next few weeks with Pastor (he will be out of town). AJU5 CRASHED in my arms within minutes. She stayed out even when we got home, so we just took off her skort and let her go to slep in her tights and shirt.

Now for the real fun - Midnight. AJU5 started screaming. I gave her a few minutes, but soon I realized she was not going to go back to sleep. So, I got up and went to see what the problem was. I got her out of bed and tried to explain it was still sleepy time since she wanted to go downstairs. I went and got her cup out of bed, and then I saw it - puke. It was just milk (which is what was in her cup), we I decided we would get juice downstairs, change her, and put her back to bed. She did request cheese while we were downstairs, but other than that things went as planned. She laid down, coughed a few times, and puked again. So, I got her up again (since she was crying) and changed her pillow (exchanging it for one on the guest bed) since the two in her room both had wet spots now.

So, we went downstairs and watched an episode of Curious George and gave her some medicine - Benadryl, Robitussin, and Mortin mixed together. She refused it at first from her little cup. Then she coughed again and puked again. I got the syringe medicine thing and gave her the rest of the medicine. Once George was over, she slept until her normal time. She seems perfectly normal this morning. So, I am hoping it was just the allergies that led to a cough that led to the puking. But, I want to be sure before I call over a babysitter to head to the hospital to have this little one. So, I am happy there has been no action on Junior on that front.

And. I am thankful I wasn't having to handle two kids with one sick! I would be exhausted today if that was the case. Instead, I only had to snuggle AJU5 while she watched her show. So, now I am praying this baby just comes on its own sometime in the next 7 days. If not, I will be about to go into the OR...

Three in the Bed...

So, AJU5 either has a cold or allergies. She is stuffed up for sure, but that is the only symptom really (other than toddler moodiness and a refusal to sleep like normal). Her temp was just slightly above normal yesterday (99.5), and she feels cool today, so I am hoping it is just allergies. But, we are staying in today for sure just to be safe!

Yesterday she napped for maybe an hour. She took about 30 minutes in the morning and then snuggled with me while watching Toy Story in the afternoon (and dozed). She asked for night-night multiple other times, but she never stayed in bed for more than 20 minutes (i.e. no napping). So, I was hoping she would be exhausted enough to sleep through the night. But no. She went down at 6;30ish and was up just before 8. We watched another episode of Curious George (I think she thought it was morning already) and she went back down before 8:30. But then she was up before 10. AJU1 was still up (had gotten home less than 30 mintues earlier from his trip), so he got her and eventually brought her to me in bed. Within minutes she was OUT - enough for me to move her over to the middle without waking her. I didn't want to move her back to bed because I had a feeling I would be up an hour later if I did. All was good until about 1:30. She had woken up some, but she just snuggled in more and would crash. At 1:30 she wanted her juice (which was in her crib), so we went and got it and returned to bed. After chugging that down, she decided it was poke mommy in the face time. After about 30 minutes of this, I hauled her to her bed! I was tired and didn't want to deal with her any more. I was prepared for some cries, but she settled right down and didn't get up until 6:30ish this morning.

The funny thing is my husband had no clue she was up for 30 minutes attacking me! He slept through the whole thing. I think he has decided the king bed was definitely worth it after last night!

More Randomness...

So, I am back to the random posts...

• AJU5's body didn't seem to like lunch last week at VBS. I guess this is a good thing - I mean it keeps her eating healthier things and all instead of chicken nuggets, corn dogs, etc. But, those are great quick/easy meals! Luckily I am 9.9% sure it was just the food because the icky diapers started on Tuesday and ended Saturday morning. There were some okay ones in there too, after the pizza, etc. Luckily for her, she didn't seem to mind really. She was still happy and all!
• This whole nausea thing is getting old. Last week I was fine. But, this morning at the park I started to feel bad. I felt okay by the time we got home, but when I bent down a little bit ago to get something for AJU5, stuff came up... This just isn't fair! Luckily, Zofran works when I need it. But, I wish I didn't need it!
• Night time sleeping is back to normal for AJU5. She did wake at 9pm last night, but she went down quickly (on our bed). We think it was just a nightmare. She actually fell asleep without her pacifier in our bed too!Now, as soon as I put her back in her crib she found her pacifier, but I don't think she is as addicted to them as I thought...
• Man vs. Food - have you seen it? I guess it is a Travel Channel show, but we are watching it on NetFlicks streaming. It has made me crave barbecue... so maybe AJU5 and I will get some of that tomorrow for lunch...

I think that is it... Who knows... Pregnancy brain is at an all time high today I think...

"Fun" Father's Day

Here is a recap of our day so far:
AJU5 wakes at 11:30pm - I go and lay down with her on the futon in her room for about 30 minutes and then put her back to bed.
AJU5 screams at 1:00am. AJU1 retrieves her and bring her to our bed.
By 1:30, AJU5 leads me to her room and we again lay on the futon. She had led both AJU1 and I to the bedroom and office during this 30 minutes.
5:30am - AJU5 is awake for the day. She wants to see Daddy, and then she leads both of us downstairs for TV watching (one of us is not good enough - that was met with lots of cries).
6:00-7:00 - I dose on the couch while AJU1 studies for Sunday School (he is the teacher) and AJU5 plays.
6:45ish - AJU1 starts breakfast while getting AJU5 a snack. I help finish breakfast when I wake up.
During breakfast, AJU1 opens his Father's Day present - bubbles and water guns. He "covers" AJU5 in bubbles after she is done eating (and still in her chair).
Then, I take a shower. When I get out of the shower, AJU5 is ready for hers (AJU1 had already started it). So, AJU1 and AJU5 both take baths (in separate tubs). After bath, AJU5 is ready for a nap.
8:30-10:15am - AJU5 and I rest. Around 9:30 AJU1 leaves for church (Sunday School is at 9:45).
We make it to church in time - nothing abnormal there (other than missing Sunday School which we did on Mother's Day for the same reason - hmmm...).
After church, AJU1 isn't feeling good. So, he heads home and AJU5 and I stop and get a take-and-bake pizza for lunch.
AJU5 snacks and goes down for another nap before the pizza is ready.
AJU1 and AJU5 both asleep...

It is 2:30 here. All quiet at least! Hopefully AJU1 will feel better when he wakes up. Hopefully AJU5 will be cheer when she gets up. Hopefully I will keep my energy/feeling fairly good up (just allergies and normal nausea).

Oh, and I hate Murphy's Law! Yesterday I returned AJU5's futon to the couch mode because we hadn't had to lay with her in over a month. It made for a long night of snuggling because she liked to lay sideways!
On top of all of this - AJU5 broke out in a rash. At first I thought it might be an allergic reaction. But, the spots I saw got better and new ones appeared. So, I think it is just heat rash!

Home Again

So, I was out of town for a little over a week. That is why I didn't blog, comment, etc. We went to the in-laws where there is "high-speed" internet, but it was very slow! Also, for safety issues, I didn't want the world to know we were gone (and end up with our house broken into or something).

The trip went fine. We drove this time, and it took two days each way. On the way there, we met friends that live two miles away from us for dinner (and stayed at the same hotel). We can't seem to get together in town, so we had to arrange to meet over 600 miles away. But, it did add some fun to that leg of the journey with the periodic checks to see where each other was.

AJU5 did fairly well. There were crying fits, but normally they coincided with a need for a nap. So, we just let her cry it out until she crashed most of the time. If I didn't think she was sleepy and I had tried all of the snacks and toys we had, I sang to her. Luckily, there were few of these.

The in-laws was okay. They live in the middle of no where, so it was kind of boring. It takes about 30 minutes to get to a grocery store or any real store, so we spent most of our time just hanging out at the house. AJU5 had fun with their cat - she even would go and touch her by the end. She also loved to go out and see the dogs. She actually like their huge dog (st. bernard size, but I am not sure of the breed) better than their beagle. She did pet the big dog a few times, but she normally just liked to be close to him with us there. There was also daily walks around the yard.

The best part of the trip was the four nights we didn't have anything to do with AJU5 from when we put her to bed until we got up. All but one of those nights she didn't need tending too, and the other time she went back to sleep quickly with a little rocking. I loved being able to sleep in though! The last three nights weren't as great though. The first one she refused to go back down so we were summoned to deal with her (she ended up in bed with us). The next night we just had her in the morning because she had moved rooms and was closer to us. The final night she woke up once and required snuggling. And again I had morning detail (AJU1 slept in because we were leaving and he needed rest since he does all the driving).

Pictures will come once they are off the camera. We haven't even been home 24 hours, and it has been busy around here! First was lunch. Next there was catching up on my work (Mondays are grading days). Then there was a trip to Costco for groceries. While AJU5 and I were at the store, AJU1 started the yard work. Not too long after that was AJU5's bed time and a movie for us (now that we have a TV downstairs). I ended up sleeping with AJU5 from 11pm on, and have been trying to do work and take care of her needs all morning. Hopefully by tomorrow life will be "normal" again!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that while we were at the in-laws, AJU5 had a runny nose and was very cranky. I think it was just allergies and teeth (she is filling in between her front teeth and molars), but AJU1 also got sick. So, there was also a lot of Gilligan's Island watching during the day!

Back at it Again...

Yesterday I got my second prescription medicine. This one actually works! I am so happy to be able to function again! I am not 100%, but I am definitely back in the world of the living!

I was going to post some pictures, but Blogger/Firefox/My Computer is not cooperating. I tried twice, but both times I froze Firefox. So, maybe tomorrow :)

Yeah, I Need to Post More Often...

I am still battle this bug. It is no fun! Luckily my doctor's office has called in a different prescription (the one I got last week was a complete failure), so hopefully I will be better ASAP!

As for happenings around the U household, AJU1 was out of town last Thursday-Sunday. It is part of the reason I didn't get a Home Improvement Saturday post up - AJU5 does not like me typing! (She is napping now)

AJU1 and 5 have been working on the back yard - trying to get grass to grow back there. Well, AJU1 does 99.9% of the work and AJU5 just enjoys being outside. But it is cute to watch her walk abound with the little garden rake (hand-held). Hopefully the seeds will grow and we will have some grass for AJU5 to play in (there is grass in the front, but there is also a drop-off into the neighbor's yard that isn't so safe...)

Well, I better take a shower and get ready to pick up my medicine while AJU5 is still asleep!

Fourteen Things...

AJU5 is fourteen months old today! Can you believe it? Here are fourteen things about her:

1. She likes to disect her food. The specimen so far have been granola bars and pizza.
2. She prefers to be barefooted but will accept socks and shoes if she is walking around enough (or just plain forgets she has them on).
3. She hates me doing her hair. Luckily, I am still stronger than she is and can distract her long enough!
4. She loves to put things around her head - lanyards, bags, clothing, what ever else she can find. I have to make sure and remove said articles before leaving the house or putting her down for a nap.
5. Another one of her favorite hobbies is leading us around the house. Although she can get to all of the places on her own, she prefers to have a finger and lead us!
6. She has re-found the love of eating paper. She ate part of a cardboard puzzle pieces and gnawed on books until we took them away.
7. She sleeps! It has been almost two weeks of success - oh, how I love my sleep!
8. She has an ever-changing food preference scheme. She loves pretzels and then won't eat them. She loves green beans and then she refuses them. It is so hard to determine what she wants to eat!
9. She doesn't have many words that we understand. But, she is very clear in what she wants. She leads us to where it is and points. If it isn't what she wants, she will refuse it or give it back. Now if only she would use the words so we can avoid the guessing sometimes...
10. She can drink out of a straw. Unfortunately, she also prefers to pull the straw out of the cup. So, she doesn't get too much practice. But, at least we can take her to restaurants and not worry if she is out of milk!
11. She will play in her crib for a while if she is tired but not sleepy. This makes it hard to determine if she has actually slept though.
12. She is a sound sleeper most of the time. I left my cell phone in her room while she was napping (accidentally), and AJU1 called. It beeped every few minutes to tell me of the missed call, and she didn't stir! I can also move her from the car seat or stroller to her bed most of the time. But, if I open the door at the wrong time, she wakes up!
13. She does not like it when certain doors are shut. She will lead you to the door and push until you open it. She can also open and close her door (as long as it isn't latched).
14. She is not a fan of the toilet. After a few too many code browns in the bath tub, I bought a toilet seat (there are warning signs). Unfortunately, she refuses to sit on the toilet. Hopefully this will change in the near future!

AJU5 is getting better I think. She is definitely more willing to play on her own. The cough and runny nose are still present though. AJU1 is now getting sick as well. Hopefully they will both be better soon!

Happy Valentines Day!

AJU5 one year ago!


AJU5 on 2/4/09 (JcPenney Portrait - more of these to come!)