Happy Father's Day Chris!

Remember you're her daddy
when she's crying late at night,
when she needs a little loving
to know that it's alright.

Remember you're her daddy
when dolly's lost an arm,
when you take the time to fix it
because you can't resist her charm.

Remember you're her daddy
when she's had a real rough day,
when school's been pretty tough on her
and nothings went her way.

Remember you're her daddy
when she goes on her first date,
when you tell her to be in by ten
and she's not home 'till late.

Remember you're her daddy
when she makes you very proud,
when in a very awkward way
she stands out in a crowd.

Remember you're her daddy
the first man she's ever kissed,
and when you go away
you'll be very, very, missed.

Remember you're her daddy
remember I'm your wife,
we know that you'll love us
for the rest of your life



This is the poem I used with Chris' present this year. I took the girls hand prints scanned them in to the computer. I did this because getting 3 sets (for Chris, Grandpa and Pop-Pop) just wasn't working. So I took the best of the best. Grandpa/Pop-Pop had poems about Grandpas hands with a watermark of two big trees at sunset. Chris had this poem with their hand prints on a watermarked picture of the Wilderness Lodge boat dock at sunrise. I had picked a different picture at first, so I printed them both out. I asked Lily which one she liked better and without any prompting she picked the Wilderness Lodge. When I asked her why she liked it she said 'it means something to us'. She is just too intuitive!




This is the picture:


Father's Day morning we got up and hung out till after nap time then we headed over to Aunt Lizzie's house for a Father's Day cookout. We had such a nice time. The girls just ran crazy all over the yard and though the sprinkler. We didn't leave there until it was close to bedtime. Overall I think it was a really fun day!



Chris Thank you for being such a great Daddy! Your girls love you bunches!!

Crayons, Markers and Paint OH MY!

This week the girls and I have been hard at work making all week making our Daddy's Day goodies! I had found a really good idea about using fabric paint to make a custom tie. Well I couldn't find a white tie, so I picked up handkerchiefs. Yeah.... that didn't go well at all. They were covered in paint, I am talking literally covered! Charlotte had paint on her back! I have no clue how that got there. It was so messy I ended having to give them a bath! I shelved that idea and went back to the drawling board. Luckily I figured out an even better (I think) gift idea! I cannot spill the beans on that because I know Grandpa and Pop-Pop frequent the blog.
:-)

Today we went to work on the newest idea. O M G! It went so much better... They were into it and had a really good time making it! I am really excited to get it all together now! Then we worked on the cards I signed Charlotte's name BUT Lily wrote her own!!! Yes! She is writing her own 'short' name I love that she calls it this! She can almost get her 'long' name too! She just having a little trouble with the N... apparently it is 'trwicky'! She just about has it. I am going to take a picture when Chris opens his card on Father's Day. Then once they both sign I have them write something special on the card. It was really sweet!

Chris I know that you read this too so this is ALL the info I am giving up! We just have a couple of loose ends to tie up and we are all done!

Chats With Lily

Today she and I had the best adoption conversation ever. I love to see how much she is understanding, and even better how a 3 year old expresses that.

This happened today around lunchtime. I was getting it ready for them and they we watching a cartoon/playing in the living room. Lily came running to the gate and announces...

L: Mommy! Did you know that Diego's friend is the same name as my birthmador? It is A just like her.
M: Yup they are the same...(then I think about this for a sec) Lily remember that they are two different people.
L: Blank stare
M: They have the same name but Diego's friend isn't your birth mother.
L: Oh like the red shirts
M: blank stare
L: (shows two fingers) the two red shirts they are both same red but they are different.
M: (thinking that she is brilliant) Yes that is a very smart way to think about it.

We have been keeping her birth mother's photo is easy reach, just for times like these. She ran back into the living room and I went to go get the picture.

M: Lily this is your birth mother picture remember (it had been a while since we looked at it)
L: Ohhh she is A, my birthmador... she has long hair like me.
M: Yes she is very beautiful like you too. You grew in her tummy, like Charlotte grew in my tummy.
L: I grow in your heart
M: Yup
L: She holding me. she love me.
M: yes she does. Lily do you want to hang up this picture so you can look at it whenever you want to?
L: Yes (she got up and pointed to a very low place on the wall.. to close for Charlotte)
M: How about we find a place in your room, way up high. Maybe by your bed. That way Charlotte can't get it.
L: Yeah she is a baby, this is for big girls (I LOVE when she says that!)

She picked a great place, but I didn't want to put tooo much tape on it and it kept falling down. So I asked if we could wait and I would ask Chris to put it in a frame for her. She liked that idea. She held on to the picture for a while looking at it. Then she looked back up and said

L: When I was a baby you rock me and gave me a bottle in Guatemallra?
M: Daddy and I came for a visit but we couldn't stay. We had to leave and come back here to wait for you. It made us very sad to leave you.
L: (she started to cry!) I cried when you left, I didn't want you to go.
M: (trying to stop the crying) I know, but we were able to come back, and we brought you home and now we are together forever.
L: that made you happy
M: Very, I tell A thank you all the time because she gave me you.
L: I love her.
M: You should she was very brave woman.
L: She not a woman she a girl in Guatemala. (Pauses) we are friends.
M: Who are your friends?
L: Daddy, Chardette, me and you we friends we are together because of A
M: (trying not to tear up) yup you are right.
L: yes Mommy we are a family.

I heard the phone ringing but I couldn't move I just gave her the biggest hug and asked if she wanted to help finish lunch. I always imagined that she would talk about her adoption. I thought it would be more formal, but it never has been that way. We have had the best talks about everything when something pops up out of the blue. It is casual and easy.

Disney Update

This morning brought strong thunderstorms inside and out of the house! I called in right at 7 am, I am talking literally the clock turned to 7:00 and I pressed send! I got right through, told the CM what I needed, then she informed that their system was undergoing 'enhancements' and to call back at 8:30!!! I hung up and wanted to cry.... ( I have done a lot of that lately). I just sucked it up called Chris for moral support.. yeah he giggled at me for being upset about this.

Did I wait till 8:30 to call back.... nope! I tried again. This time I got a great CM who made NO mention of the computers being down. I start working on getting everything booked, we made it half through and the system froze!!!! O M G! I know this may seem like I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. I am sure in some respects I am... but when you have done as much research for this as I have and know it is hard to get ressies for some of these places it just really crappy when this happens.

The CM was wonderful and apologized all over herself, but there was nothing more she could do it wasn't letting her even see what we had already booked. Without confirmation numbers it is like nothing was even put in for us. It wasn't her fault the system did this and I told her this. She told me to wait it out and try back in about an hour. I called Chris again... more giggles... this time I wasn't as ummm forgiving about this!

Did I wait out that hour... not even a chance someone else was going to get my Lily's Bibbity Bobbity Boutique Princess makeover appointment.. I was a women on a mission!! I sucked it up and started calling back every 5 mins! Thankfully we have free long distance!

I had just hung up and the phone rang, it was a weird number but being that it was only 8:00 in the morning I went ahead and picked it up. I am sooo glad that I did! It was my CM I was working with! She said that my ressies just popped back on her screen and it let her confirm at least those! It was the first 4 days! She gave me those confirm numbers and then we were able to very slowly get through the final 3 we wanted!! By the time we hung up I must have told her I loved her at least 12 times! It took 2 hours but it is DONE!

Here is what I booked:

9/7 Whispering Canyon (wilderness lodge) Dinner at 5:10

9/8 Crystal Palace (magic kingdom)- Breakfast- this is a Character meal Pooh and Friends! 8:10... we get into Magic Kingdom BEFORE it opens.. can we say photo ops!!!!

9/9Akershus (Epcot)- Lunch This is a character meal with the PRINCESSES!! @ 12:00pm

9/10 Bibbity Bobbity Boutique (princess makeover for Lily!) Magic Kingdom @ 4:00pm... then we go over to the Grand Floridian for Dinner with CINDERELLA! @ 5:30pm. That is the night we are staying late in the park for fireworks and the Spectromagic Parade!

9/11 Cape May Cafe (Beach Club resort) Dinner 5:30pm

9/12 Chef Mickey's! (Contemporary Resort) Character Meal with MICKEY and Friends! Dinner 6pm

9/13 Tony's Town square Magic Kingdom Lunch 11:30am

With the exception of Lily's Princess makeover this was FREE! WAHOO! Now I get to move on the fun part of this... packing! Did I mention I have spreadsheet for this... I know, I know I am looking into a program!!

Doctor Follow Up

The girls and I got it together this morning and headed to the doctors office for Miss. Charlotte's follow-up appointment. THANK GOD our Ped was back! I told her that she is NEVER allowed to be sick again! LOL

She agreed that Lily also had Croup, just much milder. It was just too similar in the symptoms and onset. It just effected Lily (again thanking God) less then Charlotte. She told me that Lily's age played a large part in that.

I am glad to report that Charley has been given a clean bill health. No more meds WAHOO! We are to keep a close eye on her for the next few days but other then that she is free to run wild! Our Ped did tell me that because it was so severe that she is now predisposed to getting it again. With Charlotte nose diving as fast as she did, if we even think we are headed in that direction we are to call and she will call us in steroids, and then see us in office ASAP. So at least we have a good game plan.

Charlotte is back to herself, in to everything. She did the sweetest thing tonight... we were supposed to have a bath tonight, but we had strong storms rolling over so we had dance time instead! Charlotte threw up her little chubby arms in the air and was dancing around like a Ballerina! It was a good time and so nice to see her back to normal... even if that means we are back to chasing her through the house!!

I just wanted to say Thank You to all my blogging Momma's who left such sweet messages. Also a big Thank You to all of our family who helped us coordinate over these past few days. :-)

Eye of the Tiger (Disney Update)

Today marks 90 DAYS until we arrive at Disney!! This is a big deal as it is the day that I get to fight it out with others trying to get their dining ressies. Between 2 weeks if sick kiddies this part of the planning has rightfully taken a back seat. Last night Chris and I were finally able to figure it out and now I have a plan written out that has been reworked more times then I even want to think about. That is the only draw back is that you must plan your days around where you are going to eat lunch/dinner. I guess it won't be such a big deal when the girls are a little older. But for this first trip we don't want to drag them from park to park just to eat lunch.

I have 9 minutes left until I can call! It is just funny to me that it is FINALLY time. Time has drug since we started planning this trip in Feb. I better run and get ready to speed dial (I have already programmed it into my phone!) to beat out others who want to eat with a Princess!! Full Disney update coming soon! Wish me luck!!

Let's Play a Game...

What is different about these two pictures????

My Lily needs glasses! She went for her eye appointment on Friday she is farsighted and has **astigmatisms** in both eyes!

**Note for other Guate Mommas the Opthamologist told Chris that he is seeing this more and more in Latin American decent children.**

We thought Charlotte could use a little air so we went out this morning and let Lily pick them out. She has to wear them right? She was FIRM that she wanted these hot pink/magenta ones. Are you reading this Miss Lily? When you are older and you want to know why.. it was ALL you baby! Naa we like them and she does look super cute... Chris and I just liked the shape of another pair. The sales person said it best... that she is only 3 so no matter what she picks it is going to be cute! They had to cut off about an inch to make them fit her little face!

She has been doing well with them, we told her that the doctor said that she will have to wear them all the time so far that is working. She got to pick out her spot for them to 'sleep' while she is sleeping! Chris has been showing her the ropes of how to push them up on her face and not to touch the lenses. It has been very sweet to watch!

As far as her tear duct, the doctor told Chris that they could go in there and unblock it, but it may be tearing more because she is squinting to see making it tear more then it really needed to. We NEVER noticed her squinting, either way she will need the glasses for the astigmatism for life. We are going to go back in September to see if there is any improvement with the tearing and go from there.

So now she and Chris have more in common!

She just looks like a little professor!! :-)

Where Do I Even Begin?

When we last left off, Charlotte had an appointment with her Ped on Friday afternoon and Lily was to go to her eye appointment in the morning. As soon as I posted we went into check on Charlotte, she was burning up. Temp was 104.7 (just like Lily's had been) and her breathing sounded very bad. We got her up and put her butt promptly in the tub and we dosed her with more Motrin. When she was in the tub she just sat there, didn't cry, didn't try to get out, just sat. She stayed there for about 40 minutes and we got her out. Her temp had come down to about 103. She still didn't sound good, but we thought that it was just some congestion. We set our alarm clock to check on her even hour.

By 2:30 we decided to put her in bed with us. She slept but not well. I laid next to her just watching her breathe. We made it through the night and she finally fell into a good deep sleep. Chris had gotten up and taken Lily to the eye doctor. I was torn about this. I KNOW Chris is MORE then capable of taking Lily to the eye doctor, and staying with Charlotte. I just felt like they both needed me and I had to choose. In the end I know that Chris and I made a good choice, it became a bonding experience for he and Lily. I will write more about that later.

Once they got home, we called into the Ped office to move up her appointment they weren't able to. We just had to wait it out. Charlotte looked really bad. Her activity level was reduced to sitting on my lap and blinking. Even that was starting to be too much. She had no voice, she could cry but no sound was coming out. Again we thought she was just that congested and kept her drinking. She did eat a piece of toast, but that was it. Finally it was time for her appointment.

We got her there and THANK GOD that she was the very first appointment. Our Ped is still out dealing with her own infection. The doctor that was covering was not the same as on Wednesday. He came to the door and asked me to pull up her shirt and just to continue the 'Mommy Sway'. He just wanted to watch her breathe without having her get upset. His face told me everything... it was bad. He told me that he wanted to give her a Nebulizer treatment. I was on board with this for about a minute longer then Charlotte was. She wanted no part of it at all. We ended up having to restrain her. Remember she had NO voice, she was sitting on my lap screaming with no sound. It was terrifying to me. When it was done I just scooped her up and told that I was so sorry. For the very first time ever in a doctors office I cried. I was just terrified that no one seemed to know what was wrong and she was just getting worse. I just held on to her and we rocked and cried together.

When the Neb didn't work the doctor's face really became intense, and he told me it was time for us to go to the ER. Beyond that he didn't feel it was safe to have me drive over there and he was calling 911. The doctor had to call Chris as my cell phone was MIA. Chris got to work trying to find someone to stay with Lily, I had to van and both car seats. He forgot that it was Friday and not everyone has that day off. In the meantime the ambulance showed up and took us over. The doctor we had seen in the office called ahead so that the Ped on call knew that we were coming.

By this point Charley didn't care what they were doing to her as long as she could cling to my chest. They did her vitals and told me that the doc would be in soon. She and I hung out on the bed I just rocked her and hummed her song. About 15 mins later Chris and LILY came around the corner. All Chris said was don't ask... You know me... Of course I grilled him! He had put her in Juice's booster that we keep here for visits. OK not as Britney Spearish as I thought at first! :-)

A few minutes the Doc came in. He talked with us about what was going on. Then he stopped mid sentence and said that he didn't like how she was breathing- she had started to re-track in her ribs. He went out and ordered a STAT breathing treatment. He was really awesome. He was worried, I could tell that, but he handled it a hell of a lot better. I felt like he was worried but in control of what was going on. In less then a half a minute there was a respiratory tech in our room. Lily LOVED him... he had stickers. Charlotte was not very impressed. He gave her an Epinephrine Neb. This one went much better. I think it helped that I told him we were not going to restrain her. He was gentle and she was done in no time. The doctor also ordered a heavy steroid to be given by mouth. He told us that we were going to have to stay at least a while to see if this was going to help her. Then he broke the news that he was very confident that she had Viral Croup.

I guess I never really understood what Croup was. I always thought it was a term to describe the sound of a cough. The doctor told us that it was a virus that infected her vocal cords, esophagus, and surrounding tissue. He said that the 'wheezing' sound that we heard was NOT wheezing, it was the sound actually of how tight her trachea was. We learned later that it wouldn't have taken much more for her airway to have collapsed.

The doctor kept checking in on her, the meds weren't working as quick as he had hoped. After about 3 hours post meds we were told that it was going to be in our best interest to have her stay at least overnight. Then he asked me where I wanted her transferred if the need arose. I told him University of Maryland, he nodded and walked out. Chris and Lily were out breaking the law again to get our van and the real car seats from the Ped office when he came in and told me this. When the doctor left I looked down at Charlotte in my arms sleeping (thankfully) and then looked up and prayed to God to make my baby well, then I cried again....

Chris was able to get a hold of his sister who was able to keep Lily for us for the weekend. Lily took a vacation during all of this! He was able to get back to the hospital before they moved us to the Ped floor.

Charlotte was the only patient on the floor and the Ped nurses went out of their way to make her and us as comfortable as possible. Chris could not stay the night, but could stay very late and come back very early. They brought Charlotte some dinner. They asked what she liked then started rattling off items. In the end Charlotte had her favorite dinner. Chicken Nuggets, mac&cheese, and applesauce. Let me tell you Girlfriend ATE! LOL

A while later Chris got ready to leave for the night Charlotte was just about asleep. He helped me unfold the chair bed. I looked at it, then him and said something about not it having it matter as I really didn't plant to sleep. He told me to think of it like camping out.. or like we were at our resort at Disney. Yeah... he thinks he is a comic! :-)I wasn't as impressed!

Charlotte slept but it was very broken. Oh I almost forgot. When Chris came back to the hospital he brought Peggy! This is her penguin lovey. She grabbed up on Peggy and didn't let go. In the middle of the night though Peggy couldn't even really help. She was in pain every time she coughed. They gave her Tylenol and that helped, finally around 530 she fell into a deeeeep sleep. She slept until the doctor came in to check on her. We knew she was feeling at least a little better when she looked at the doctor pointed and said 'no, no, no!' Her voice was still very muted, but at least she wanted to say something. We were told that we could go home and to just keep an eye on her. She was sent home on two more days of steroids.

We got her home and put her right into the tub! Washed off the icky hospital germs. She did lay down for a nap.. and so did we! She only slept for an hour and a half. She got to have ice cream for dinner and went down at 5:30. She was falling asleep on me so we went ahead and put her down. I got into bed at 7 but was still too keyed up. I think it was closer to 10 when I finally fell asleep. Charlotte got up once around 2 and was up for about an hour. She did let Chris hold her, he got her settled about an hour later. She then slept until 830 this morning!

Today she is back more to her normal self. Her voice is still muted, she sounds like she has a cold now. She has also started to have more of the trademark barking cough today. She had sounded like a squeaky toy when she coughed! But as of tonight she was back to running Lily all over the house and even had a good couple squeals!

I will never curse those squeals again!

Grateful

Charlotte is home. We are safe, tired, and VERY grateful. more tomorrow.

Live from Room 333B

This is where our little Charlotte is currently residing at our local hospital. The virus infection that we stared with on Wednesday is now full blown Crupe with strider. Megan is staying with her tonight. Our hope is that she will continue to improve and be back home tomorrow. Please keep her in your thoughts. Thank you. Chris

One Up, One Down

I am sorry I haven't updated in a while. As soon as we got Lily to some what normal, Charlotte got sick. She woke up on Wednesday with a 103 fever, and just looked like crud! Knowing that Lily's temp got way to high so quickly I made Charlotte an appointment for that afternoon.

A little back story..... their ped had surgery over Memorial Day weekend and ended up with an infection and herself in the hospital. Ummm doesn't she understand that is the exact moment our kids are going to be sick? When we went Wednesday I thought she was back, she was still out, but I got to meet her sister! She thought Charlotte had a nasty virus and gave me the same old song and dance about fluid and rest. I felt ok with this as she did just have a fever other then that she was normal.

Charlotte had a very restless night last night=Mommy and Daddy didn't sleep. Thank God for the person who invented coffee. It had to be a Momma!!! Can't you tell that I am sleepy/slap happy now?! LOL

Anyway today she woke up again with her fever. This time 102, well a little better then yesterday. However today she really didn't look good and she attached herself to me from the moment she woke up. Normally she is a love and run kid. She is just fine with a quick hug then off to play... not today.

About mid morning she got worse, out of nowhere she started sounding like a sea lion when she coughed, and it seemed like she was having a hard time getting a good breathe. I laid her down for nap and she was just restless all over again, crying off and on etc. I went in and got her and she and I rocked for a while. She did fall asleep for about a good hour on me. She hasn't done that for a VERY long time. I didn't realize how much I missed it. When she woke up she was even worse. I called into the Ped office and they told me she needed to be seen but the doctor wasn't going to be in until tomorrow.... crap. I took the appointment for 1pm on Friday, and they told me if she really started to go downhill to take her into the nighttime ped place.

I didn't have to wait much longer for that to happen. We took her temp right after dinner, I knew she was way too hot. It was 104. So we called in the Calvary (Tracy and Brianna) and Chris and I took her in. One of us could have gone and one stayed but she looked so bad we were afraid that they would send us to the ER.

They are saying that she has bronchitis. They gave us an antibiotic and told us to follow-up with the Ped tomorrow. I am going to keep her appointment, as they heard wheezing, so did I when I checked her before we went in tonight so better have her ped check her.

Long week with sickness. Our house looks like a tornado torn through it. Tomorrow Lily goes to the eye doctor about her tear duct, then Charlotte goes back in the afternoon.

I am sure that I am going to end up with this. It is my own fault but there was no way I was turn down sweet sick baby kisses. Last night when I was rocking Charlotte she kept looking up and she would say Momma, then lean in and give the sweetest kisses. It was like she was saying thank you. It was one of those moments tired or not I didn't want to be anywhere else.

Oh we found out tonight that Lily is only 1 POUND in front of Charlotte! Lily is 30 lbs, Charlotte is 29. I am sure that is water weight from all the fluid I have been pushing LOL!!

At least she is sleeping well right now and that is where I am headed too!! Nite-nite!