Hospitals, yuck

As many of you know, we are getting to know the Our Lady of the Lake Emergency Room very well. Last month we were there because Kailey became dehydrated from a stomach bug. The we started out this week with another emergency room visit. Friday afternoon, Kailey started showing some signs of croup (you know, the yucky seal bark cough). She ran a little fever, it was no big deal. I figured, it's viral, its just gonna have to run its course, and no use running to the doctor when that's all that she will say. So by Sunday morning, things were still pretty much the same, a little bit of coughing and low grade fever. However, Sunday night things started going down hill. It all started with some wheezing. After she went to bed, she woke up coughing, this scared her, and she started crying. The crying really exasperated the wheezing problem and it turned into labored breathing. So we would get her calmed down and after a while she would go back to just wheezing, and go back to sleep. This went on through the night. We thought we could make it until morning and bring her right in to the pediatrician, but by 4 a.m. she was having a hard time calming down and the gasping was lasting a lot longer. Long story short, the breathing treatments and steroids in the emergency room didn't improve her breathing enough so we had to be admitted. I was so sad, because I knew that this meant that she would be missing her preschool character parade (they don't do halloween themed parties, but they do let them wear their costumes for a character parade and have special snacks after). I was also sad because Monday was Joel's birthday. We just had to postpone his birthday celebrations.

We did have lots of great visitors at the hospital. My mom and dad, Joel's mom, Mavanie, Jamie and the girls, and Jenny (Allison and Sara stayed in the playroom down the hall so that they weren't exposed to the germs) all came to visit. We also got a few phone calls from friends, and email/facebook well wishes. I'm grateful to have such wonderful family and friends.

Eli had a fun time playing peek-a-boo in the closet :)

3 hours and play doh in the data cord...argghhh

I'm currently enjoying a three hour glucose tolerance test at the lovely lab services office at Woman's Hospital. If you want to know how I really feel about the glucose test you could check out this post from almost exactly two years ago.

Earlier this week I came in for my prenatal visit and the one hour test. The folks in the lab wouldn't even give me the drink for the one hour test because they said that my sugar was already too high and they didn't want to put even more sugar into my system. Ofcourse! I always fail that stinking test anyway. I was ok with this because this meant there was a chance I could plead with Dr. Breaux to just skip that whimpy little test and go straight for the 3 hour. Now, don't get me wrong it's not that I was so eager to get in there and take the wretched 3 hour test; it's just that I knew that I would fail the one hour anyway and those two blood draws would be in vain. If I could just convince Dr. Breaux to skip the one hour test I could get away with 4 needle sticks instead of 6! See, for me it's all about minimizing the number of times a needle is put into my arm. Did I ever tell you about the time I almost passed out in the waiting room when I went in to have my booster shots to register for college. I just saw the dark spot where the blood was underneath the band aid, and the black spots started moving in. Clare had to take me out into the parking lot and I had to lay down on the side walk. Anyway, Dr. Breaux agreed that I could skip the one hour test and here I sit watching the clock, waiting for the next round of torture.

This morning as I was getting ready to go, I packed up my computer, phone, and data cord (I have some pictures on my phone that I wanted to put in a post) so that I could do some blogging while I hang out for three hours in the waiting room. Once I got settled in the waiting room I pulled my stuff out only to discover that Kailey had used my data cord to make some imprints in her pink play doh. Now the data cord will not plug into my phone, so no pictures :( If I had my keys I would just use my swiss army knife to clean it out, but Joel has my keys. He had to take Kailey to preschool this morning and Eli to Jamie's house so we switched cars. So here I sit with two and a half hours to go and no pictures to post.

Half way there folks!

I reached the 20 week milestone today. I got Kailey to take a picture of my belly. This was more difficult than I thought. She does good with her Fisher Price camera, but my camera was a little trickier for her. Her's what we got.


By the way, we did have our sonogram a week ago today. We did not find out what we are having. I wouldn''t have been sad if the technician had let it slip or if I had been able to see something. Ok so that was an understatement. I was listening carefully to every word that she said hoping to hear, "that is HIS foot" or "that is HER heart," but she was good, she didn't slip up. She also went pretty fast over the key areas so not to expose anything. I'll post some of the sonogram pictures as soon as I stop being lazy and get the scanner out :)

First day of School!

Today was Kailey's first day of school. She is only going a few days a week and half days. It was fun getting her ready, new backpack and new shoes. Then yesterday about half way through the day, it occurred to me that I was going to have to leave her there for three hours. I started to worry about her being homesick or what if she didn't have any friends to play with at recess. I decided that I needed to just put the worries out of my mind and just deal with them if they actually happened.




This morning, Joel and I dropped her off, and she did great, no tears. She has always been such an independent girl.

First Primary talk, school's about to start, Eli is 18 mo...

I have a few things to catch up on, I don't have all of my pictures ready, but I know if I don't get started I will keep procrastinating.

Sunday Kailey gave her first primary talk. She talked about preparing now to go to the temple. She did a good job (with help ofcourse), aside from keeping her mouth on the microphone the whole time :) Joel's parents happened to be in town on Saturday, so they stayed for her talk.

That's Izzy (Mavanie's pup) stretching in the background, she had been napping too.

Kailey starts school in less than a week, next Tuesday! I think she will have a good time. She has been good at jumping into new things. She got her hair trimmed a couple of weeks ago, we've done a little clothes shopping, so we are almost ready.

Eli turned 18 months on the 1st. You know what that means...nursery!! Not that I don't enjoy having Eli around, I was just very ready to not have to reassemble the bottoms of the primary bulletin boards every Sunday, and keep him away from the piano (sometimes while Sis. Gale was playing). We went this week for his check-up. He is 24 lbs. (50th percentile) and 32 inches (90th percentile) and as healthy as a horse. Our pediatrician pointed out that he has not yet been in for a sick visit, they have all just been well check-ups.

This is one of Eli's favorite things to do. I dont' understand it either.

Since I've been slacking on the blog we have been to California for the Bonnette family reunion and Eva got her ear's clipped, and I made it out of the first trimester. I'll get some of those pictures up soon.

New pup

Today we took a trip out to Prairieville, and picked up a new pup. We had been thinking about getting a new puppy for a while. Since we lost Sam a while back, Rickey has been a little lonely. The past few weeks we have had Izzy staying with us (Joel's little sister's dog), and Rickey has been really happy. They play and Rickey doesn't squeal/howl when I leave the house. One time we were leaving the house, the brakes on the car squealed, and Kailey exclaimed, "Mama, I hear Rickey."

I figured now was as good a time as any since the new baby won't be here for another 7 months; should give us plenty of time to get her house broken and settled. So this afternoon we brought home a miniature schnauzer. She is about 2 months old. We haven't decided on a name yet, but we are working on it. Kailey has given us many suggestions, her crazy made up names of course. I wish that I had written down the name that she was calling the pup tonight when she was in the bath.

I've been on a summer break

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in quite a while. I guess I was just on a summer break. My brain has been programmed to work august through may, and then shut down for the summer months. After all I was only in school or teaching school for 20 years. K-12:13 yrs. + college: 4 yrs. + teaching: 3 yrs. = 20 yrs.; I couldn't have you thinking I had repeated a bunch of grades :) I'm just glad I was able to break this in June instead of going all the way to August.

We haven't had a whole lot going on. I've just been trying to find food that I can eat without feeling ill, and trying not to succumb to the fatigue of the first trimester. This pregnancy has turned out to be a little more challenging than the previous two. All in all, it could be worse, much worse. I have seen the suffering first hand that others have endured in the first trimester, and I really do have it easy.

Kailey did a week long summer class at the dance studio, and she had a really fun time. Joel and I got to go the last night for parents night. I am so proud of how far she has come from when she first started dance. I have a couple of pictures on my phone that I will add later. (My phone and cord are in the back and I'm running out of time with the babies. I knew if i waited until I had time do both write the post and add the pictures this post might not happen for a while).

One more thing and I'll be caught up. Seven years ago, when Joel and I were still dating he gave me Cold Play concert tickets for Christmas. The concert was probably the best show that I had ever been to. Not that they were my favorite band that I had seen live, they just had the best live performance. So Cold Play came back to New Orleans and we did not hesitate to buy tickets. We went last night to the concert and it exceeded my expectations. The very best surprise was the opening band, Snow Patrol. I love snow patrol!! I knew their music much better than the Cold Play music. I would have gone to the concert if it had just been Snow Patrol.