Wow, the last week has been a crazy one! I think maybe this past week has been the low point for number of pictures taken since Carolyn was born! If you can't tell, I take pictures nearly every day, but I was so wrapped up in taking care of a sick child and husband, working and trying to keep the house clean, and desperately hoping I wouldn't catch the Bug myself that I really hardly snapped any! But I'm happy to say that my camera and I are back in business. And our main subject is just as cute as ever- though somewhat diminished in size as a result of the events of the past 2 weeks.Here Carolyn enjoys her first Camel Ride on the Original Camel- the very same Camel who gave me rides to bed when I was a little girl- slightly balder (he says this is my fault for drooling in his hair when I used to ride on his shoulders) but the ride is just as much fun (as Carolyn will one day learn when she is old enough to not be scared of falling off... no doubt, her own Daddy Camel will give her plenty of practice as she grows :)) Here Carolyn tastes her first raw carrot- Grandma thought it might be soothing for sore gums (two molars coming in at the same time- one on top and one on bottom)- and Carolyn quite agreed. She enjoyed munching on the carrot until she saw that Buster the Dog had another carrot, then she abandoned her own and went after his. Buster the Dog jumped at the opportunity, swallowed the rest of his carrot and seized hers, too! Yesterday we actually got out of the house for awhile! We visited a local public pool with Aidan, Christi, Caimon, and Lenore. Carolyn didn't enjoy the experience as much as I'd hoped she would- she was really too tired and cranky for something so exciting and pretty much cried the whole time. I think she will enjoy stuff like this more when she is walking like the other two because then she will be able to move around more without worrying that her head will go under the water. Still, I had a nice time getting wet and spending time with friends! We're hitting the beach this Friday as a group and I'm looking forward to that. :) I have been searching for one of these shopping carts for months and I finally found one! Carolyn loves it! It steers much better than any of the other push-type toys I've found and will serve her well as she grows older and her imagination starts to develop. :) Thanks Grandpa and Great Grandma for putting it together!! Sadly, I broke it as soon as we got home from Grandma's... but I managed to fix it, so all's well that ends well, I suppose. :) Carolyn finally got to spend some time with Great Grandma (Brad's grandma) who is visiting from Florida. She's been here 3 weeks, but we've been out of town or sick almost the whole time so we haven't been able to see her much. We hope she comes back for Christmas. :)
Well, that's all for now. Carolyn has had a much better today today than she's had for more than a week, and I'm so thankful! We went to the library and played with the train (and the other children surrounding the train) and she really seemed like her old self again. Welcome back, baby! I missed you!
I think we're finally on the way out of this thing! I worked all weekend this weekend, so Grammy and Papa and Daddy had some special bonding time with Little Carolyn. By all accounts, she is feeling much better- though still not completely 100% herself. She's fussier than usual and her appetite isn't quite back to normal, but she is eating, drinking, and playing again, and the digestive symptoms are nearly gone. I'm so glad to see her finally starting to enjoy life again. We're hoping to get to go swimming tomorrow with Aidan and Caimon and it will be SOOO nice for us to get out of the house! I've felt a bit like a shut-in the last couple weeks. So anyway, thanks for all your prayers and warm feelings toward us in our weeks of illness. I think I can say we've survived! :)
So those of you who think I only blog about the positive things in our little life together will be pleased to find some balance in my posts this week. :) It really has been one of the toughest couple weeks I've known as a mom since this was the first time little Carolyn has been sick for a more protracted period of time- it feels like we just went straight from the coxsackie virus infection into the stomach flu, with just a few days' reprieve in between (during which I was recuperating myself and taking care of a sick husband)! I know I shouldn't complain since so many others have to deal with much greater health problems, but it has been a real challenge for me emotionally to try to be the mom I know my little girl needs. I take joy in nurturing her, yet I feel drained in somewhat the same way as I did when she was brand new and couldn't "give back" yet. It's so hard to know what to do sometimes when nothing you do to try and comfort your child seems to work and she just cries and cries and cries until your heart cries out along with hers because your utter inability to change one single thing about her pain and discomfort. That's the helpless feeling I've had a lot over the past week or so with Carolyn feeling so sick.
Today was a hard day. I thought we were on the way out of the Stomach Virus Pit... but we took a tumble back in last night. :( I got home from work to a nearly inconsolable Carolyn who cried for about an hour and a half before finally losing the entire contents of her stomach all over the carpet. Bless her heart, she was so very miserable! It took awhile, but I was finally able to calm her down again and get her to get some sleep- at about midnight last night. But today really wasn't much better- she cried most of the time she was awake and at one point I changed about 4 diapers in the space of about 30 or 45 minutes. Fortunately, she did sleep a lot today, so hopefully she will be back on the road to recovery tomorrow. I have to work all weekend and my mom and dad are here to watch her, so I really hope that she has a better day tomorrow than today. I would hate the thought of not being here when she feels like she did today. One of the things that's made me saddest about this whole experience (other than the obvious fact of her misery) is the toll that the past 2 weeks has taken on the beautiful rolls on her legs! I'm afraid that my round, rolly, chubby baby may be gone forever, to be replaced by this lean, slim little toddler! I love the toddler, but I loved the little chubby rolls that reminded me of days gone by... ah well, I guess they had to go sometime- she would have hated them in middle school! :) And to end the post on a positive note, this was the best part of my day (really, my whole week!): being able to hold my precious little girl without her squirming away! Though my friend Carolyn was a wise woman when she told me that although you love the snuggling, all you really want the whole time is to have your child be "herself" again- even though that means she's squirmy! So here's to the squirms! I loved the snuggles, but I'm ready to have my little wild child again! :) Feel better Carolyn!
Well, there hasn't been a whole lot to post about this week since we have been pretty much shut in all week. My day yesterday consisted of: diapers, laundry, changing too-tight crib sheets, more diapers, tears, snuggles, more laundry, and more diapers. Carolyn's been pretty sick this week- poor kid. Three days of fever, feeling crummy, and having considerable gastrointestinal distress (I shall spare you the details :)) By the end of the day, however, things seemed to be looking up for her- she actually wanted to eat her snack and drink her juice for the first time since last weekend. Her fever finally went down and she felt like playing again- albeit more subdued than usual. She even took about 4 more steps by herself! She woke me up twice last night crying and signing "more"- and was completely unsatisfied until she was given something to drink. So I think she's on the mend and today will hopefully be a much better day- just in time for me to go back to work after a week off! :)
But the saga of our digestive woes is not yet complete. Poor Brad- he works much harder than any sane person should and the last month of being on the obstetrics service in July has really taken a toll on him. Anyone who has experience in the medical field has probably heard the groaning of the more senior residents when the Green, Green first year interns start on the first of July- after the comparatively quiet month of June when all the interns were experienced and confident... The newbies, by all reports, are learning and growing well, but one can only expect so much from brand new interns and residents. So Brad has added to his already full plate of responsibility the job of instructing and teaching the new residents- a job he enjoys in many ways (and is very good at, being, like his father, a patient and competent teacher)- but one that takes a lot out of him. So suffice it to say, his immune system has also taken a hit. The Illness we had last week pretty much wiped him out and he was easy prey for this new stomach virus. He ended up being sent to the ER when he got off work yesterday for some IV fluids and a dose of Almighty Zofran (a powerful anti-nausea drug) and didn't come home until late in the evening. Fortunately, he is staying home today- taking only the second sick day I have ever seen him take in the past 5 years of marriage. I hope he gets some rest today!
So, I am left, the last one standing. I've been earnestly praying that God will spare me from being stricken with this dreadful illness! So far I feel fine and the nurturer in me feels fulfilled in the all-consuming task of caring for my dear, sweet family.
Maybe there will be something worth taking pictures of later. For now, I leave you to imagine my piles of laundry. :)
Carolyn's learned a new sign- "Cold!" There's something so sweet about little children- even when they feel really rotten (as poor Carolyn must have felt last night), they can still smile and laugh and enjoy life! Enjoy this little clip- and please ignore what I look like at the end of a long day of traveling- I couldn't blank myself out of the video. :)
Well, it WAS a long day, but we are finally home and without any of the serious mishaps I feared at the outset of the day. Carolyn did not throw up any more today, but had some digestive trouble downstairs earlier in the afternoon before we got on the plane. Thankfully (miraculously? :)) there were no blowouts on the airplane! She hasn't been at all herself all day- fussy and sleeping a lot and running a fever all day (102.5 when we got home, just two hours after an ibuprofen dose...) She hasn't really eaten much of anything today... but hopefully will be on the mend soon.
Anyway, we're home now. Had a great trip. Thanks for praying for us! We all survived! :)
Pray for us today! I got Carolyn up this morning, only to find that the poor child had thrown up in the night- and I had no idea! She seems to feel okay and hasn't vomited again; just doesn't have much energy or appetite... but I'm afraid I know what's coming... We considered changing our flight to a different day, but decided that today might just be the best day for travel for several more days based on the course of Emma's illness. So we're off! Driving to Philly, then flying to Chicago, then driving back home to Grand Rapids... I'll post when we get home to let you know how it goes, but if you think of us, pray that we'll have patience- and enough spare towels and clothes to go around!
Today we had a nice, quiet Sunday- we went with Steve and Carolyn to their church and enjoyed a wonderful lunch afterwards and and a sleepy afternoon together. :) Highlight for the girls was Bubble Bath time tonight! Don't we have such cute baby girls?!
We head back home tomorrow through Chicago and by way of the outlet mall in Michigan City... :) We're hoping for an extra seat on our plane so that there's a chance Carolyn might get some shut-eye... it'll be a long day... It's been such a fun trip! We're excited for the next time we find tickets for $44 each way (go Southwest)! What a great blessing to have two such wonderful friends. Brad and Steve were in med school together and we all were married the same day and have stayed close friends ever since.
Today we planned a "big" excursion to HersheyPark, the theme park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. :) The day didn't exactly start as planned, but really the surprises of the day were the best parts! We took it easy this morning and didn't rush out the door (read: left 2 hours late...) It turned out to be a good thing that Carolyn got a nice morning nap, because it was pretty much all the rest she got! Brad and Steve drove over to the Enterprise to rent a car- we were supposed to get just a 4-person car and take 2 cars, but God blessed us with a great big truck instead- for the same price! So we were able to drive all together, which made the whole trip so much more fun. :)
The back seat was surprisingly roomy! We were so engrossed in our conversations that we missed our turn and ended up taking a little alternate route that turned out to be a wonderful drive. The girls were happy and well-behaved, and we enjoyed driving through small towns and seeing the rolling hills and lush farmland. I was a little disappointed to be driving through Amish country and not seeing any Amish people- though we did see the tracks from their buggy wheels. :) We stopped for lunch at Pizza Hut (wisely deciding to skip the overpriced food at the park) and got a nice picture of Steve and Brad with their baby girls. :) We finally made it to the park- more than 3 hours later than originally planned, but Carolyn was ready to go! :) Doesn't she look sweet here? I love the relaxed look on her face. :) Our first move after getting in the gates was to wait in an uncharacteristically long line for the carousel. The girls enjoyed standing at the bars and watching the horseys go by. Carolyn and Emma rode on a "real" horse. Little Carolyn and I rode on a bench and Daddy stood on the side and watched us go 'round. Carolyn loved waving at everyone we passed. In all, this was the most pleasant carousel ride we've had yet- I guess she's just not quite ready for the moving horses part- but she loved to stand on the seat. Shortly after the carousel, we decided that the girlies were oh-so-ready for a nap- and fully expecting that with a little droning motion they would both nod right off, leaving their caretakers in semi-privacy with one another, we decided to split up and try to do some roller coasters. This was not the smartest move we made. Brad and I waited in line for an hour to ride the coaster (which really was quite good)... but Emma and Carolyn had something else to say about the idea of taking a nap- so we really would ahve been better off to just stay together, but oh well, we learned something! We won't try an amusement park again for a few years- or if we do, we'll plan to do only toddler-appropriate things! :) However, our learning experience did not prove to be a fatal error- when we rejoined Steve, Carolyn, and the girls, everyone was still in good spirits and had been enjoying Snack Time. Here, Little Carolyn is sharing bananas with "Uncle" Steve. Quick! They're being still together! Snap a picture! Since it WAS Hershey Park, we had to get some chocolate! Carolyn loved it! After the first bite, Emma told her mom "No, I'm fine!" when she offered her some more! We all got a good laugh out of that one. I am surprised at how much Emma can communicate being not yet even two! She is pretty precocious and says the funniest stuff! Here Carolyn samples Daddy's Twizzlers. :) After snack time, we decided to try another ride- the kiddie train this time. The girls thought it was fine, but really would have been happier had they been free to move around. We were all pretty tired at the end of our day! I don't have any good pictures, but we also attempted to experience some of the water park area... which would have been better with swimsuits! We learned that next time we want to go somewhere like this, we will map out all the places that would be kid-friendly so we know everywhere to go, and we will also make sure to bring suits if there's a water park because we will certainly want to go! I think this was the girls' favorite part- at least in the wading area they could crawl/walk around a little more freely- though they did get pretty soggy. :)
Carolyn finally sacked out on the way out of the park and slept through the entire tram ride and the transfers in and out of her stroller! We had dinner at the local Panera Bread. We're so thankful to have such wonderful friends! The very best part of the whole day was after dinner when Emma and Carolyn really started interacting together. Carolyn even picked up Emma's name! She calls her "Memma" :) Such sweet girlies!
Even if you're bored after my description ad nauseum of our day, you simply must watch these videos! Carolyn and Emma played such a fun little game together- Emma would hide behind Carolyn's high chair and pop out at her, thrilling little Carolyn (who loves to hide and loves all people who also hide) to pieces!
And, lest my mother think I did not see them, we did even see the "stacks" of the Hershey factory- I felt like I was in a Willy Wonka movie! The main street in Town (Chocolate Avenue) really does have Kissies for street lights! And it really does smell like chocolate! But sadly there is no chocolate shop anywhere on the street! We looked! Isn't that a shame?! Well, that's that. If you've made it this far, I know you must be related to me... or you ought to be. :)
Soo... our previous travel experiences have all been positively idyllic compared to what we experienced today! It's definitely more challenging traveling with a toddler! We left our house at 4am to drive to Chicago to catch our plane to Philadelphia. The car ride was fairly uneventful and checkin at the airport was actually easier this time since we're becoming old "pros" at it... but by the time we got on the plane, Carolyn was hungry, overtired, and overstimulated- a killer combination for an enclosed space with a couple hundred of our closest friends!
We knew what she really needed was a nap, but instead, she did a lot of this... And this... lately she's been very interested in Mouths... perhaps a future dentist?! But eventually, we landed in Philadelphia and our friend Carolyn and her daughter Emma picked us up at the airport... The car ride started out okay, but turned south about 20 minutes before we arrived at their house when their 2-year-old suddenly and violently blew chunks all over herself, her car seat, and Me! Poor Emma! Bless her poor little heart, she was so miserable all covered in puke- and we just had to sop it up as best we could with a blanket and I read stories to her over and over again to distract her until we could get home and get the dear child cleaned up. I felt so sorry for her! Apparently, the flu bug she had last weekend (it seemed to be done...) wanted to have one final word- or maybe she was just motion sick- we can always hope, since those faithful readers of 3 months ago will remember our prior bout with the flu and will certainly understand why I have no longing for a repeat performance. Pray with us for healthy tummies and strong immune systems!! :)
My favorite part of the day was after lunch when Carolyn was finally liberated from the confines of airplanes, laps, car seats, or high chairs and revelled in her newfound freedom to explore an entirely new territory! She was just tickled with all the great places to hide... like behind Emma's high chair...
She also found some really fun refrigerator magnets on their fridge and actually amused herself for several minutes (out of sight of Mommy) playing with them! Later she carried them around as she crawled everywhere. :) Then, of course, the highlight of the day! I've been feeling like Carolyn was close to taking her first steps for a couple weeks now and today she just did it! It was a big step for her to let go of her support, even for just a few seconds, and risk falling- and she really had to consider before she was willing to try (she's got more than just my looks, I'm afraid...), but she did it! And I was so proud! She had a couple other "episodes" of taking a few steps and I was too busy celebrating with her to take any pictures. Maybe tomorrow...
Emma seemed to feel much better after a nap and dinner and the two girls got to play a little bit together- though we're trying to be careful not to allow any close contact, just in case. I leave you, for tonight, with this video. Carolyn's starting to recognize what is off limits and in this little clip, she says "No, No, No, No" as she struts around the toilet- as if reminding herself that she shouldn't be there.
Little Carolyn took her first steps today!!! Her "Aunt" Carolyn tempted her with a red block as she was standing next to the tv stand, she let go, and took three steps all by herself!!! Hurrah!
More to come later... we're visiting Steve and Carolyn in Pennsylvania this weekend. I'll try to post tonight, but I knew you would all be as excited as I am!! :)
Well, I'm happy to say that it seems that Carolyn has completely recovered from her bout with The Virus... she seems to have come through the experience with even more appetite and energy than she had before! I've had a hard time keeping up with her today! Not interested in naps, and crawling, crawling, crawling, everywhere- into everything! Still not terribly interested in walking- I think she could physically do it, but doesn't want to risk the fall to try until she feels a little steadier on her feet. Every day now, there are moments when I think she's just about to do it, though! So soon, I think.
Since the Illness has caused us all to have very sore throats, I made Jello yesterday for the first time in a long time- and today Carolyn got to enjoy a new tactile experience- I let her make a big mess with the Jello trying to pick it up with her fingers... She quite enjoyed it, and greatly desired "more" when the Jello started to melt and became harder to pick up... When "more" isn't delivered quickly enough, the signing gets a little more vicious and starts to be accompanied by some yelling. Carolyn was pleased with the initial results from her "more" sign (we were so excited that she could communicate with us that we instantly provided "more" of whatever she wanted)... and is, I think, disappointed with the way it has worked out now that the thrill of pride in a new skill is over- sometimes, "more" is not what is best for her- so I find myself repeating a new phrase, over and over: "all done!" Carolyn tried her first "real" tomato today- from Grandma's tomato plant in our backyard (since our yard gets very nice southern exposure, which is apparently good for tomato growth). She made some odd faces, but kept reaching for more, so I think she liked it! From this face, you'd think we never feed her!!! This child has pretty much eaten me out of house and home today! I've had a tough time getting the food shoveled in fast enough! It's like she's making up for the days this weekend when she didn't eat much of anything at all! Lately, Carolyn has been very "into" hiding. Usually, she hides someplace where I can find her relatively easily (like behind Mommy's back, behind a door I can see closing, underneath her high chair, etc)... but tonight, I actually "lost" her for a few minutes (seconds)! I had left her in our mud room (adjoining the kitchen) while I was putting dishes in the dishwasher. All of a sudden, it just got so quiet I wondered what was going on... where was Carolyn? A swift glance in the mud room showed no little girl... so I did a quick search of the most likely places- bathroom (no), bedroom (no), closet (no), other bathroom (no)... my heart started to pound, and then I heard this little squawk from the direction of the mudroom (where I'd left her...) and closer inspection revealed a delighted little figure underneath the shelf in the mudroom where we keep all our shoes!! I quickly ran for the camera but the moment was gone- and in this picture, she simply looks deviant. :) Carolyn uses "more" for almost everything these days... she's gotten to where she likes the water faucet on while she takes a bath- even if she's not playing with it... as soon as I turn it off, she starts ferociously signing "more" until I turn it back on. Then, just for good measure, she signs a few more times, as if to herself, to confirm that she does, indeed, have "more." :) Hello, cutie! Finally, for your viewing pleasure- a little snippet of what Bathtime is really like.
Carolyn has the best Bed Head of anyone I know. :) Hey Mom, I wasn't ready to wake up!!! I felt so bad for being a flop of a mommy yesterday (since I was flat on my back feeling like death halfway warmed over and somehow having to try to keep a toddler from doing serious damage to herself or anyone or anything else... really, I don't know how I made it through the day!) So today I was feeling better, so I took Carolyn to the park and she enjoyed some times on the swings- She got so excited when we got out of the car and she saw where we were! It's fun to please her- she's so easy to make happy most of the time. :)
Slowly but surely I'm starting to dig out from the weekend of being sick and at work! Here, at long last, are the pictures from Friday's trip to the Frederick Meijer Gardens. Two of the girls have a membership and each can bring a guest, so we all got to go for free! It was a beautiful day and everyone had a good time. :) We had a fun time exploring a "tree house" platform and associated ramps... Carolyn got so dirty! Her knees were almost black by the end of this experience... Caimon is walking!! It's so fun to watch each of the kids hit their milestones- they're all so different and they all do everything in their own unique ways. I think it'll be neat when we're on #2 because we'll all know what's coming and most likely won't all be in exactly the same place, so we'll be able to enjoy each one individually (well, while we're chasing our toddlers anyway...) We never did get an "all together" picture as the kids were more interested in exploring... especially here, at the "Great Lakes" exhibit, where there are these pools shaped like the Great Lakes- not that any of the kids cared, but one of the pools was so low to the ground that the result was inevitable... Everybody went in... even though we all had the feeling we weren't supposed to (there wasn't a sign or anything saying we couldn't... and it would be awfully mean to have a pool so close to the ground and expect small children not to try to climb in...) We didn't stay too long, though...
There was an outdoor fountain where it was evident that you were indeed supposed to get "in" the water, and Carolyn greatly enjoyed peeking around this fun pillar. Here she is on our way home- in her car seat turned around to face forward! Such a big girl! I know that some people say that it's safer to keep them rear facing longer, but I think we all like having her forward-facing! She certainly seems much happier in the car now, and I like seeing her sweet face and feeling like I can actually talk to her while I drive! Soon she'll be talking back...
Here Carolyn enjoys her first Camel Ride on the Original Camel- the very same Camel who gave me rides to bed when I was a little girl- slightly balder (he says this is my fault for drooling in his hair when I used to ride on his shoulders) but the ride is just as much fun (as Carolyn will one day learn when she is old enough to not be scared of falling off... no doubt, her own Daddy Camel will give her plenty of practice as she grows :))
Here Carolyn tastes her first raw carrot- Grandma thought it might be soothing for sore gums (two molars coming in at the same time- one on top and one on bottom)- and Carolyn quite agreed. She enjoyed munching on the carrot until she saw that Buster the Dog had another carrot, then she abandoned her own and went after his. Buster the Dog jumped at the opportunity, swallowed the rest of his carrot and seized hers, too!
Yesterday we actually got out of the house for awhile! We visited a local public pool with Aidan, Christi, Caimon, and Lenore. Carolyn didn't enjoy the experience as much as I'd hoped she would- she was really too tired and cranky for something so exciting and pretty much cried the whole time. I think she will enjoy stuff like this more when she is walking like the other two because then she will be able to move around more without worrying that her head will go under the water. Still, I had a nice time getting wet and spending time with friends! We're hitting the beach this Friday as a group and I'm looking forward to that. :)
I have been searching for one of these shopping carts for months and I finally found one! Carolyn loves it! It steers much better than any of the other push-type toys I've found and will serve her well as she grows older and her imagination starts to develop. :) Thanks Grandpa and Great Grandma for putting it together!! Sadly, I broke it as soon as we got home from Grandma's... but I managed to fix it, so all's well that ends well, I suppose. :)
Carolyn finally got to spend some time with Great Grandma (Brad's grandma) who is visiting from Florida. She's been here 3 weeks, but we've been out of town or sick almost the whole time so we haven't been able to see her much. We hope she comes back for Christmas. :)
