bumpy tummy

Roo woke up moaning in the wee hours of the morning. She wanted her music turned back on. On my second trip, she asked for some water. My third trip was met with the smell of vomit. Roo said she'd "spilled" and "needed a napkin". I wonder why she didn't tell me about her tummy ache? Usually, she's quick to let me know that her tummy is "bumpy". I wonder why I didn't clue in with the moaning and the requests for water and all?

Those things, especially, in the middle of the night, are unlike her.

Her Nannie Blanket bore the mark of the initial 'spill' and did its time in the wash. Roo was content to sleep with her Sesame Street dolls, thankfully. So, J and I spent a fitful night sandwiched between Roo, Elmo, Grover, Ernie and Cookie Monster. In between sleeps, we spent the rest of the night racing to the bathroom.

This is the third go around on the tummy bug for Roo since Christmas. She's a pro now.

Roo sits on the step stool in front of the potty, grips the porcelain rim, waits for the big tummy bump and hits her mark each time. We clean her face, swish some water and stumble back to the bed together. She immediately passes out from exhaustion, maybe sleeps an hour and then moans awake. That's my cue. "Is your tummy bumpy?" "Yes. No. Yes!" And off we go again.

Roo's mending. She made a lot of quick potty trips this morning, giant children's edition of All Creatures Great and Small in one hand.

(My girl likes to read. If she's to be stuck on the potty, might as well be entertained.)

The book is approximately 1/3 of her height. It's pretty comical.

If she keeps gravitating towards large compendium-type literature, we may have to get her a Kindle. By the way, if you're ever hanging around here and you hear Roo ask where her James Herriot book is... that means she needs some quality time in the bathroom.

So, all this to say, we are sick, tired, recovering and still finding the humor in daily life.

schtuff

J is traveling for work, so we're in hold-down-the-fort mode at the moment. So, while the entertainment continues, the documentation of said entertainment is lagging.

For posterity, and possibly your amusement, here is the schtuff that's going on right now.

1. J is traveling. I mentioned that already, right? It's significant.

2. In his place, the gross slimy green guy on the Mucinex commercial came to stay. Currently, he's taken up residence on Roo's face.

3. We went to the doctor today for Roo. This visit was spurred by her early dismissal from preschool yesterday. Because her eyes were oozing so much, the snot was sticking in her hair. Ew.

4. We were just at the doctor last week for Em.

5. Em was incredibly excited to be returning to the doctor. She was all prepared to get weighed, listened to, and stickered.

6. Roo was not excited, nor cooperative. She kicked our doctor in the boob while getting her nose looked at.

7. Roo has another sinus infection, plus a surprise ear infection. And.

8. She got a referral to an ear/nose/throat doctor to get her adenoids checked.

9. So, 50% of all preschoolers do not snore every night? That's not normal?

10. The doctor said Roo should be feeling well enough to go to school tomorrow. J is traveling. I know, I already said that.

our sanity is questionable

In addition to potty training, I made the call to convert the girls' beds from cribs to toddler beds. Except I chickened out part way through the remodel. So, only the front railing has been removed. That means, if this is all a horrible disaster, it will be easy to replace the railing and go back to the safe, warm and cuddly place that provided us all a good night's sleep.


As of midnight, the evening has gone as follows:

7:30pm
Just closed the door on the RGs and R is already out and climbing in with E. Thnx video monitor

Now they're singing, running in circles and swapping Nannie blankets. Oh crap! And getting into their dresser.

8:00pm
It's like the camping with the raccoon army all over again. Why did we let them out!

8:30pm
Just finished the first (of many, I'm sure) barge-into-room-restore-order-return-shortpeople-to-beds.

9:30pm
2nd time in. This time at a dead run. Vomit. Ruby hurling after trying to swallow a penny. She & Em were in bed together. Barf in E's hair.

10:20pm
J's just gone back in, with clean, vomit-free Nannie blankets and is putting Ruby back in her own bed. Again.

10:40pm
Watching Ruby take ALL her stuffed friends + blanket over to Emme's bed. She's moving in. Guess we'll push their beds together tomorrow.

Now Ruby's singing, 'We did it. We did it." Clever little things. The camera is on Ruby's bed and we can only hear them now.

11:15pm
Oh.my.word. We've been back in there twice more. Ruby has so much of her stuff in Emme's bed, neither of them can lay down.

11:20pm
J declared the parent involvement over and said they have to work it out themselves. This is more humorous but just as agonizing as cry-it-out

11:40pm
Quiet. But both in Emme's bed. Video monitor still aimed at Ruby's bed. Can't see a thing. But, can't hear anything either. Good?

Dogs and Blogs

A week and a half ago, Maggie dog stopped eating and started acting a little depressed. By, Friday, we were very concerned and J took her to the vet. She was running a temperature and he said she needed antibiotics. Then, the vet sent her home.
She didn't get better.

On Sunday, J took her to a different vet. Who told us she, most likely, had a uterine infection (pyrometria). This vet did blood work, gave Maggie dog IV fluids and an antibiotic injection. She sent Maggie home with instructions for us to watch her closely for certain symptoms and to bring her in Monday morning for a re-check.
photos taken upon Maggie's return from the vet on Sunday

Monday morning brought no good news. Maggie needed emergency surgery, a spay. The new vet saved her life, because the encapsulated infection was on the verge of bursting. At the end of the day, Maggie appeared to be recovering properly. So, she came home.

Tuesday morning, at 2am, J was so concerned that he took her to the pet emergency room. Her gums were white, she was huffing in pain and, it turned out, she was hypothermic. So, more IV fluids, antibiotics and warming blankets. She was able to come home by 4 that afternoon. Behaving much like her old self.

By Tuesday night she wanted to catch a ball and ate a few table scraps. By Wednesday night she was running across the yard and barking at the blender again. And today, she seems completey normal, with the exception of not chowing down yet.
We are so very thankful!!!

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Have you noticed the new and improved blog header?
Isn't it wonderful!
Thank you so much to Aunt Becky at Cheese My Head for the fun changes!
She's working wonders in lots of places. Ask her for some pretty for your blog, too!

in lieu of the actual event

Last Thursday was a bad day.

J was called out of town for work at the last moment. I woke up with pink eye. Em and Roo both had hacking coughs that caused my paranoid self to imagine pneumonia recurrences.

The girls had to wait a lot that day. Feeling icky already, their patience was thinly stretched. First a lengthy don't.touch.anything.hold.still.and.be.quiet. wait at my doctor's office. Then, another car ride to the library to quickly pick up a held item while we waited for my prescription to be filled. Except the library quickness evaporated in a spring break slam with long lines of disgruntled patrons. Of which I was one.

Sometime during the lengthy wait, the girls completely lost the remnants of cool.
Em was frustrated. She was begging to be held.
And Roo just snapped when I put her down to switch kids.
She just reached out.
And.
Slapped Em.



And, of course, Em fell down. Because she's dramatic like that. And she sobbed and sobbed because her feelings were hurt. Which was legit. And heartbreaking.

We should have left then.

The long line was futile. The library managed to lose my held item.

Feeling Poorly

You may have noticed that Em seemed a little less bright and shiny than usual in yesterday's cookie making session.


Towards the end of the cleanup she started whining. Then, she grabbed her blankie and then her thumb. And got in my lap. That's when I noticed how toasty she was. The thermometer said 98.9 and that's enough to feel yucky.




After some Tylenol, I gave her some snuggle time and she fell asleep quickly. About and hour and a half earlier than her normal nap time. So, she got to sleep in Mama's bed while Roo and I played, ate lunch and read stories.

before the fever broke

after - little sweaty head and pushed off covers

She woke up from her nap feeling lots better, but by bedtime was running a fever again. This time 100.3. I called the on-call doctor because this is so close on the heels of her pneumonia recovery. Em has no other symptoms of illness other than the fever. So, we're to wait and see.
Full recovery and excellent health prayers are most appreciated!

Good Enough

Em and Roo are slowly, but steadily, recovering from the cold that rocked McThanksgiving.

Today Roo felt good enough to bug her sister. That is a return to normality.

Sick Day

Last Friday was a toughy. J was out of town and I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with all the classic signs of food poisoning. Fortunately, the fabulous Aunt Kaki was able to reschedule her work day and came to my rescue.

While I was sequestered in my room (read: bathroom), the RGs had themselves a pant-less dance party. Because I felt too bad to actually put all their clothes on them that morning.

Kak took a ton of pictures. She also treated the girls to a little movie making session. She turned on her webcam and let them go wild. It was hysterical to view after I started feeling better. Em is a H-A-M.
Also cracking me up is this video I discovered on my camera amidst all these photos.

Hats are OFF to the Triplet Moms

Our sweet friend, Miss Blythe, had a hard day in the ER trying to get re-hydrated after being t-boned by a nasty nasty virus. So, the girls' bff, Chloe, spent the day hanging out here with us. She was, as always, an angel.
The girls were wonderful, too.

Here Roo and Chloe playing sweetly side by side.


And here are Em and Chloe waiting patiently for dinner to be set on the table.
(Notice the living room floor behind them.)


The girls sang songs and ate grapes for dessert like they were going out of style. They all helped clean up the mayhem. Sort of. Chloe did lead us in song.

Clean up. Clean up. Everybody Everywhere...
Ver' Cute.

Bedtime was a little tricky, but it all worked out.

Chloe is home with her daddy now. And Miss Blythe is bunking at the hospital overnight for observation :( Say some prayers for her, please. She's the "cutie" in the picture taken below.



March 2007