Big Sista!

1-24-2011. Amelia is going to be a big sister!! We are almost 12 weeks already! 28 to go! Here is Amelia proudly sporting her new big sister t-shirt. So proud. And the next photo...well, tonight Ford went in to check on her and found her like this...asleep with her baby (doll) in her tummy. She must have been thinking about baby brother or sister when she fell asleep. So sweet.

If I were...

Below are a few unprompted quotes from Amelia...

"Hey Dad! I can smell the sunshine! If I were a superhero...I would fly up into the sky, lift my head, and smell the sunshine."

"If I were a butterfly...I would stay in a cage so I wouldn't be so tickly."

Just cute.

Pink Medicine

Much has happened since my last post. We moved. We moved from a condo on a golf course where we lived for almost 6 months into a town-home where we will reside for probably a year. We are hoping Ford will land a summer job next year at a firm out of town, and if that's the case we will move again.

A lot of moving for a toddler. For an adult too. :) But Amelia has handled it all really well. The fact that summer is here helps since we have been spending a lot of time outside. We have even taken a few trips to the beach and Up North. She is a true Michigan kid. Looking forward to the rest of the summer.

We have been blessed with good health this past year. I feel especially blessed that Amelia has been such a healthy kid. Just a few days ago however, she began sneezing, the dark circles under the eyes appeared and her little hands felt warm to the touch. I knew something was coming. She awoke the next morning with a fever and a full on runny nose. She's has low grade fevers with a runny nose before, and sure it slowed her down, but she pretty much played right through them. Not this time. She was on the couch or in my arms the entire day. She did her best to play but would collapse with exhaustion and frustration into my arms after a few minutes. Hard for a little one to understand why they feel so bad.

We took her to the doc and to my surprise she tested positive for strep throat. Strange since she never complained of a sore throat, even when asked. So we were prescribed a round of antibiotics. I knew what this meant...

She was quite excited at the though of pink medicine and wanted it right when we got home. Great, pink! Her favorite color! I told her she could take it after she ate dinner. I held her and Ford gave her a taste on the spoon. She smiled, bubblegum flavor. He gave her the rest. Her face shifted and she began to cry and gag at the same time and then...up it came, with all of her dinner and all of her juice. All over her, all over me, all over the floor and counters. Two times a day for ten days? Right.

I called the doc and they said the alternative antibiotic was even less tolerable. I hate this.

When she was one, she was prescribed the same medicine for a bacterial infection...and the same exact thing happened. I tried hiding it in her food. She knew and would not eat it. That time the doc said don't worry about giving it to her. She made a full recovery and all was well.

But step is much more serious. She has to take the medication.

I made the mistake of giving it to her in full form. Should have hid it from the start.

So, that night I made a milk shake and put some pink fizzy in it along with the antibiotic, hoping she wouldn't notice the pink bubblegum flavor she had previously puked up. (She's NEVER had soda in her life by the way...I was desperate). She drank it, hesitantly. She acted suspicious. I told her to drink all of it. She said, "why, Mom, why??"

Yesterday morning it was smoothie. Last night another milkshake. 8 more days of this. Come on.

When I asked what our alternative were...the answer was "injections." Plural?

So, I will do my best to lie and hide and sneak pink medicine into yummy foods and drinks.

It's going to be a long 8 days. :)

More tales from the potty...

It finally happened. I don't think I've blogged about this before but today is the day.

Amelia is pooping on the potty.

Hallelujah!

Today is day 4 and there's no stopping her.

She's been peeing on the potty for a long time now, no problems there. But #2 was another story. She refused. She cried and whined when we encouraged her to try to go on the potty. And while we haven't had diapers in the house for months and months, there were still the trusty Pull-Ups on hand. Always conveniently there when she had to go.

When asked why she didn't want to poop on the potty she said it was just "too scary." Why, I still don't know, other than the first time she did poop while on her potty seat last winter, she freaked out at the sight of it...obviously not ready.

After giving it some time since that incident, we tried everything. Encouragement. A Poop Chart. Talking about her friends who pooped on the potty. Asking her friends to leave her messages on my voice-mail about pooping on the potty and how awesome and totally fun it is. Bribery with jellybeans (her favorite). But no matter what, it was always a no go.

Sometimes I pushed, and other times I just let it go holding onto the notion that it would just happen one day. Now I will admit, I did have some concern always in the back of my mind that I would have a 5 year old in kindergarten who refused to poop in the toilet and would ultimately end up holding it for the entire day until she got home. Thoughts of tummy aches and constipation. A poop saga.

As of late I've been in one of my "let it go" stages, I had even taken the poop chart down off of the bathroom wall...and then it happened. Just like that.

Ultimately, I think she just surprised herself. She got up to pee and it just happened. The look on her face was priceless and she laughed out loud! It was great. We cheered and clapped. She got to put stars on her poop chart and we proudly hung it back up on the wall.

So, like the suckie, the diapers, the sleep issues (well, most of them) these things just resolve, in time, with patience, and encouragement, and love. Even when you think there is no possible way it's ever going to happen...that your child will be married with a suckie in her mouth, snuggling a mommy shirt, and wearing adult diapers...it just happens.

And when those moments do finally happen, they are great, and prideful, and unforgettable. :)

I Was Going to Repaint That Anyway

Well, a first for us today. Amidst a busy morning, Ford told me he needed to tell me something but did not want to say whatever it was he had to say in front of Miss Amelia. After church and lunch and nap...he finally remembered to tell me as we finished our dinner dishes.

"Did you see Amelia's dresser?"

"No, what about it?"

"She wrote all over it. I didn't see it happen and I'm not sure when she did it but I thought we should talk about it first before confronting her."

A bit shocked but thinking 'how bad could it be?' I put down my dishes and walk into the bedroom. Ford and Amelia followed.

No, it's wasn't just a few scribbles. She wrote on every drawer.

With a pen.

Calmly, I said. "Amelia, could you come here for a minute?"

She walked right over. I said, "what's on your dresser?"

She looked on top of it and saw a card from her Great Grandma and said, "a card."

Obviously oblivious.

"No, what's this on the drawers?"

"I wrote on my dresser," she said happily.

I reply calmly, "Yes, I see that. I need to tell you that it's not okay to write on the furniture. We only write on paper. Do you understand what Mommy is telling you?"

"Well, I was just writing my name."

(Ford and I both had to hold back smiles...already making a case for herself).

Again I repeat, "It's never okay to write on any furniture. We only write on paper."

She pipes in, "not couches, not dressers..." (Was she thinking of moving onto the couch next)?

"Right, did you use a pencil or a pen?"

"I used a pen, the white one."

Can you tell me why you did that?

"I was just writing my name." She scrunches up her nose. "But it's okay...but...I'm sorry, Mom."

"I accept your apology, Amelia. Now you are going to help mommy try to wash it off."

Ford got some rags and she willingly ran to the bathroom, to get hers wet and get some soap.

She rubbed and rubbed to no avail. "It's not coming, off," she huffed. "I just have to scrub harder." Oh brother, somehow I'm feeling kind of bad for her at this point.

We all scrubbed but alas, the pen remains.

I had a 'what was she thinking' kind of moment on this one. It clearly was not a malicious act. Just looked like fun...to write your name...in pen...on your dresser drawers...all of them. Because maybe she just couldn't find any paper and felt like being creative, or maybe did she just wanted to see what would happen, how we would react, or maybe that's not it at all...maybe writing your "name" on your dresser in pen is just a good time.

I'm pretty sure I'll never know.

Brett's Battle

I added a new blog to the list of "other blogs you may like" on the left side of the screen. Brett's Battle. Aunt Amy Jo's husband, Brett, or brother as I call him, is undergoing radiation and chemotherapy in preparation for a bone marrow transplant in 3 days. He recently fought his 3rd battle with cancer (first battle he fought as a child with leukemia) and the next step is the transplant.

Pray for healing, strength, courage and hope for he and Amy.

To keep updated on his progress you can read the blog Amy started.

More prayers, more miracles...because they happen.

p.s. to hear the music, you now have to push the play button in the playlist box to the left.

Duck, duck, goose...