Week in Review

I've got lots of pictures to post!! Where do I start???

Last Friday, we went to Trader Joe's. Madeline loves any store that has a kid cart.

So, she went and filled up her basket.

Friday night, we went to Papalino's with my parents. It's hard to tell in this picture but Maddie's pizza came out as pizza lollipops in a cheese shaker with candy in the bottom. She loved this.

Saturday, we had Outback with nana and grandpa and then had Graeter's for dessert!

This is how Sydney felt about being the only one to not get any ice cream.

Don't worry about me. You enjoy that double scoop on the chocolate waffle cone. I'm fine eating my pacifier clip.

Sunday, we had a shopping date with Hudson.

Waiting outside Barnes and Noble.

Hudson helped Mads find a new dress.

Nana got Madeline a new princess bathing suit.

She wears it 24/7.

On Wednesday, a new friend, Harper came over to play. The girls played very well together!

They were originally playing shaving cream outside ON the table...but then they covered their whole bodies. It was a mess! But they laughed and laughed and laughed.

So we got the sprinkler out to clean up!

Wednesday night, we watched Hudson so his mommy and daddy could look at a house in our neighborhood. 

Sydney spent the week pulling up on things. That lasted a few days until she realized she could start shuffling her feet and actually move.  My goodness, that child is going to be the death of me!

Sometimes I have to scoop her up and put her in the carrier because she's so wild!

The girls LOVE their baths together.

This weekend we had planned to take the girls to Anchorage park to get some family pictures made. When I picked up Sydney at school on Thursday she had been scratched by a friend across the head. I thought I would try to cover it up with a bow. Until Thursday night when Madeline FACEPLANTED on the driveway, leaving her with a bloody fat lip and scratches all over her face.

This doesn't really do the situation justice.

Pictures were postponed!

Chris finished the living room cabinets. Now I have to decorate them.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!

Stay at Home Mama Day!

Madeline is a mini-me. Well, I guess technically she's a mini-Chris since she looks just like him....but she acts just like me. (Which is a little scary...I wish it were reversed because he's super calm and composed...but I digress.) 

Anyways, she likes to know what she's doing every day, the minute she wakes up. She gets completely dressed, usually with her shoes on, literally within TEN minutes of waking up. Typically, she wakes up, yells for us on the monitor and then immediately says, "what are going to do today?" Her schedule is a little different now that she doesn't go to daycare everyday so she has classified her days: Nana Monday, Ms. Stephanie's class, and 'Stay at Home Mama Day.' 

Madeline loves going to her nana and grandpa's on Mondays. They do fun things like having lunch at Chik Fil A or playing outside in the pool. She loves going to Ms. Stephanie's class because she gets to see Emma and Stella Murph. And she loves 'Stay at Home Mama Day's' because we play and I usually let her pick what we do. 

Sometimes we get a special afternoon treat. Shh! No telling!

We got our pool out and have been playing outside a lot. Here she is picking up a caterpillar.

Dumping a bucket of water on a very surprised Stella.

She loves playing with Sydney. Here she is pushing her around in the push car. 

Getting a little vitamin D!

Watering her plants.

Trying on a new dress.

Jumping on Dawn's trampoline!

Playing in the tunnel in the playroom.

I love 'Stay at Home Mama' Day's too!

Ear tubes for Sydney...

I had tubes put in twice. Madeline has had them put in twice. I always knew Sydney would need tubes too, I was just hoping we could hold off for a while. She didn't get an ear infection until seven months, but then it didn't go away. We tried Amoxicillen. We tried Omnicef. The ears were not clearing up. 

Last week we to see our ENT, Dr. Brown. (The blur in the front of the stroller is Madeline wriggling out).

Maddie was happy it was a doctor's visit that wasn't for her. 

Waiting patiently while Sydney got checked out. 

Turns out, she still had a double infection after 2 full rounds of antibiotic. 

So, the antibiotics did nothing for her ears, and everything for her belly.

This happened EVERY DAY while she was on the meds. Usually 3-4 times a day.

Which then led to multiple baths.

We also did a hearing test and she couldn't hear some of the sounds. This was a huge bummer. Fluid like that can cause permanent hearing loss and speech delays. So, I talked with both the ENT and our pediatrician and we decided to get her scheduled for ear tubes.

Wednesday, we went back to Kosair's for the surgery.

Y'all, I was sound asleep and my mom scooped me out of bed, no food, and brought me here. What is this?!

The lady registering us was so excited about the slide show she had all of the patients take a picture by their name.

Waiting in pre-op for the doctor.

The surgery is very simple. Sydney was away from us for maybe 20 minutes total. When we went to recovery, she was VERY cranky. This is normal and we knew what to expect since Madeline had already gone through post-op anesthesia let-down. Seriously, it's WILD. We just loved on her until she got cleared to leave. Her vitals were great, but the nurses have to see the patient's eyes.

Finally, we got to leave. She immediately passed out in her carseat and stayed asleep, buckled in her seat, for 3 hours. Woke up, ate, played and went back to sleep for another 2 hours. And then, she was back to her normal, pre-infection self. 

Which means she was into everything and EVERYWHERE!

Oh yeah. And trying to stand up and walk. 

So thankful for a great medical staff at Kosair! Praying Sydney continues with her healthy recovery!

Mother's Day 2014

Happy Mother's Day! We've been celebrating the last week and a half!

Last Saturday we went to Nana and Grandpa's to celebrate Mother's Day and Aunt Laura's birthday! Madeline and Dane ran around like little crazy people.

Because of course when you see a large basket you want to run around with it on your head.

Dane is really sweet with Sydney girl.

*ALERT! DAD OF THE YEAR HERE!*

Nana and grandpa have just opened their pool and the water is freezing a brisk temperature, as it's still warming up. Madeline begged and begged and begged daddy to get in with her. No one else that day was brave enough to go in, but you know daddies....he jumped in and literally I think his heart stopped beating for a second.

Oddly enough, Madeline then put a little more than her toe in and declared it to be too cold. She went in the house, leaving Chris shivering in the pool.

Cory and Quinn snuggling on the couch.

We put Sydney up there, but she just stole Quinn's pacifier. The littlest cousin might just be the meanest! ;)

Having supper on the patio!

For my mom, I took her to dinner and to a tea tasting at Teavana. We took a quick selfie in the car before going in.

It was nice to go out just me and my momma. We rarely get out by ourselves anymore.

Daddy took the girls to Qdoba. This was his first official trip out by himself with both girls and everyone survived! Qdoba, Barnes and Noble...he even managed to get them both in Bed Bath and Beyond and bought a new Keurig. 

For my Mother's Day, nana and grandpa watched the girls so Chris and I could go have a nice dinner out just the two of us. We had yummy fish market (stuffed lobster tails and lobster mac n cheese....yes please!!!)

Chris got me a necklace with the girls initials and did a photo collage in our living room. 

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my mother in law. Wonderful wonderful women who we love so very much!

Mercedes graduates!!

My little sister graduated college today! 

Funny story about my sister. After she graduated high school she turned down several college scholarships because she wanted to stay close to home. I nearly scratched my eyes out when she didn't go to UK and be a Theta...but we are totally different people, so I accepted it. 

She wound up at Georgetown and it has been a great fit for her! These last four years have really transformed my sister. She spent a summer in Costa Rica, a semester in Disney World, interned with an equine vet, became a student ambassador for the college and is one written exam away from having her pilot's license. I'm so proud of her!!

Waiting on little sis to walk out.

Just missing my little ladies and we'd have a four generation pic!

In my high school graduation picture, Mercedes is wearing my cap. We tried to recreate the pic, but I don't think it works as well since she was like 9 and I'm 30. 

My family.

I mean...what do you expect?

We didn't have reservations so we wound up at a Japanese steak house since everywhere in a 50 mile radius had an hour wait! I was getting hangry so hibachi it was. YUM!

Chris kept the girls all day and they had a blast. He took them to Lowe's and then Costco, where he ran into K and D and, of course, Hudson. He shared his hot dog with Madeline for lunch. And, considering how that boy eats, it must be true love!

Congrats Mercedes. Can't wait to see what the world has in store for you!