Yep - she is my child!

For those of you who did not know me as a child, I was a mashed potato freak. My mom had to stock the cupboard with boxes of instant mashed potatoes. I'd dive into a bowl for lunch or dinner...and really wasn't ashamed at all to eat them for breakfast. LOVED THEM! So when Jacob started eating soft foods, I was the most excited to try some good old mashed potatoes. Imagine my sadness...he gagged on them. Gagged! Even though he ate the filling to Babe's pierogies off of my mom's finger when he was a baby, these he gagged on. Such a bummer. Now Kaitrin is getting pretty picky about the items that she wants on her plate. And she gags on everything, not because of texture though, but because she is such a little piggy that she shovels too much food in. After her dinner, I sat her in my lap at the table and she began to play with the left over mashed potatoes on my plate. She tried a bit. She liked them. She REALLY liked them. Oh heavens, how happy am I...my daughter eats mashed potatoes!

Little Miss Social

Well, after our fun-filled trip to the hospital, Kaitrin has come out of her shell. She loves her teacher, she loves going to day care, and she is just noticing everything around her. Her little pointer finger goes to nose, hat, ear, hair, eye, mouth, tree, elmo (mo-mo), kitty, mickey mouse, and baa-baa sheep. She even picked out the moon last night for daddy.

Talking? Not yet, but we are making progress. She is making sounds for a few things - or so I think. "Kit" is kitty. "Dk" is duck. And dadadada is babbling, but we 'say' it's Dadda.

One Fish ~ Two Fish ~ Red Fish ~ Blue Fish

I thought maybe Jacob was just memorizing the books and stories that we have read him for the last four years. But as he reads signs, boxes in the grocery store, and pick words out of emails on my computer...the boy can read! He is sounding words out, putting sentences together, and pretty much reading his own nighttime book.
Little genius...

Unattractive Color of Gray

Little Miss has had the same cold for three weeks now. Just in the last day it has turned to a runny nose and lots of snoring at night. Last night, around 9:00, I was washing my face and heard Kaitrin start to cough. The coughing turned to hacking which turned to wheezing. I ran into her room and opened her PJ's to find her struggling really hard to breath - not necessarily the type of night time happenings that I was hoping for. After calling my mom, the doc, and my husband - I made the decision to call 911.

We headed to Children's with a O2 mask and breathing treatment on her, more breathing treatments and steroids in the ER, x-rays, and last but not least - admission! Although I was dreading the sleep on the hospital couch, I think Kaitrin was so happy to have people stop poking her until 2am that she crashed in her little cage (if you haven't ever seen a hospital crib then you are probably thinking that I took her to the vet).

We were discharged this afternoon on breathing treatments, which she is taking much better in the comfort of her own home. She is sleeping peacefully now. I am hoping that this will be our last ambulance ride. For a claustrophobic, motion sick, freaked out mom - it's not something that I would recommend as a roller coaster substitute.

However - trying to make a negative into a positive, sort of, I would like to say how wonderful the response time of the paramedics was, how helpful and calming they were, and how awesome the docs and nurses were at Children's.

Almost Made Me Pee

So I'm playing "ball" with Kaitrin tonight, which consists of me giving her the ball and her throwing it where ever. Then I decide to mix it up a little and I throw the ball from my left hand to my right and back - a game of keep-away. She giggles. She laughs. She starts to get frustrated. Then - with all of her strength she goes after both of my hands at the same time, whether the ball was there or not. Very strategic! Yes, I have an athlete on my hands. After the little strategic thinker got the ball on the first try - no more keep-away.

Rock Climber

I posted a while back that Kaitrin can crawl up the two stairs out of our playroom - mental note: buy gate. Well, we haven't been pushing her too hard...no long training hours or anything, but the girl can climb the whole staircase - mental note: buy two gates. She climbs the recliner, the coffee table, the bean bag chair, the couch, and the high chair.

Little Pointer Finger

Little miss has been pointing at everything lately. It used to be just at Mickey Mouse...loves Mickey Mouse. But she now knows 'baa baa sheep' (which hangs in her room), and 'nose' (which she will most likely pick if you aren't paying attention), and 'mouth' (where you can taste whatever she has picked up last)!

Moving Day

Well, I finally found the cord to download my pictures - I hate moving!

Here is a picture of Kaitrin on moving day. She was so tired...and the first time that she had ever fallen asleep in her high chair!

Can you say Hand Sanitizer?

Just too cute!

Grandpa and I took Jacob and Kaitrin to the Twin Lakes Festival over the 4th of July. And of course, they had to put the petting zoo at the very beginning! Jacob had a blast chasing the ducks...poor things were terrified. And then he spotted a baby lamb, which to my surprise he was incredibly gentle with (considering he was pulling the ducks' tails).

Two Peas in a Pod

With a tired mommy in the background, the two little ones are getting along! A brief moment between fighting over toys...a mom's dream.

Blue Ducky Outfit

Just wanted to post the picture because it was cute! Blue ducky outfit courtesy of Aunt Helen.

Well, we now know where little miss gets her curls! It's Grandpa. This picture was taken over the July 4th weekend (and her birthday) in PA. We now have to pull her hair into pig tails to allow her to see!

Birthday

For those of you whose 'know' me, I just turned 28 on Saturday. For those of you who can do math, you know that I am not 28...but will keep your mouth shut away.

My husband and I had a nice evening out - thanks to grandma and grandpa who braved my children for a night. We came back early, we got some sleep, we must not have had enough to drink!

It figures...

After 3 days in her new day care, little miss caught a cold, which - of course - turned into an ear infection. Lovely. But after a weekend of daddy love, medicine, and lots of apple juice...she is feeling better and her smile is back on!

She can escape...

I was in the play room with Kaitrin and Jacob the other day. Jacob playing with Hot Wheels, Kaitrin dumping out her blocks and I was trying to clean. I didn't hear blocks, or musical toys, or even claps coming from the little one. Well, that is because little miss had crawled up the two long stairs from the play room to the hallway and was heading for her room. When did crawling up stairs become a habit of hers? I am going to have to search for the lovely gates that we used to have corralling Jacob into certain rooms. She will have no boundaries soon...

First Day

Yesterday was Jacob's first day in Pre-K and Kaitrin's first day in a day-care setting. Yes, it was harder on mom than on either of the kids! Jacob hardly wanted a hug...off he went. Kaitrin wasn't sure about her teacher holding her, but once she saw kids her own size and toys...mom who? She did get a little fussy when it was nap time, but overall she was a happy little camper. And the best part...when I picked her up, she had just the biggest smile on her face! It's my mommy!

Sittin' on Frozen Peas

Man - I guess I just don't remember the pain of the last training session! I ran over 9 miles on Sunday and I am still hurting. Hopefully this week will go better and the peas will get used just a little less.

FACE PLANT!

So, little miss is not only on the move but now she has acquired super powers that make her invincible...or so she thinks. She pulls up on every unstable object, she feels as though going down the steps is appropriate, and she knows with all of her heart that if she lets go...nothing bad will happen. EXCEPT A BIG WHOPPER OF A FACE PLANT! I have been on egg shells trying to save her cute little face from being marked by the floor, the table and the wall corners. Padded cell? Yes, please. One for her (until she is at least 13 or past the awkward years) and one for me.

Be Thankful For All That You Have

Don't complain that your child didnt want to eat Cheerios for breakfast..Be thankful that your child can take food by mouth

Don't complain when your child is playing a little too loudly...Be thankful that your child is even able to play

Don't complain that you have to juggle an infant carrier and a diaper bag...Be thankful you don't have to carry half of a hospital with you.

Don't complain that your child talks too much...Be thankful that you don't have to jump at the slightest noise from your child to be sure they are still breathing, not choking, or plain alive.

Don't complain that the outfit you bought your child is the wrong color...Be thankful that you can buy almost any outfit for your child without having to worry about how you will work tubing and wires into it.

Don't complain that your child keeps you up at night about once a week...Be thankful you are not kept up every single night by machines beeping or care needing to be done.

Don't complain that your child is a month behind his peers...Be thankful your child is not a year behind his peers.

Don't complain that your child has to wear glasses...Be thankful that your child is even able to see.

Don't complain that your child was splashing in the bath...Be thankful that your child is able to take a bath.

What I Can Do

In the last two weeks, since we have been at the new house, I have noticed that little miss has just taken off developmentally.

She can crawl. Well, she can escape on all fours!

She can pull herself halfway up on any piece of furniture. She can also face plant on any floor just below the furniture that she is pulling up on if mom isn't watching!

She is clapping. Now, babies usually do this when they are smaller so it shouldn't be a big deal for her since she is one year old. But, because of her prematurity, clapping just began and boy is it CUTE!

She loves 'cruisin'. Her little tongue sticks out, her smiles gets really big, and she squeals when you put out two fingers for her to grab...and away she goes! She is even getting good at stepping up a stair or two. And she is still so little, which of course makes it even cuter.

My little miss...she is so amazing.