Saturday, March 31, 2012

We were supposed to go do an Easter Egg hunt today but it ended up getting cancelled because of the weather. So, we had to come up with something else to do since we were already prepared for a day out and about!

We ended up at the mall where we ate lunch, and the kids played in the play area while Scott and I each got to go do a little shopping while the kids were occupied. Our final stop at the mall was Build-A-Bear where Fischer picked out a puppy, Butterscotch, and Addison picked out a bear, Murray. They also got to pick out an outfit, so Butterscotch came home with a fireman outfit while Murray will be wearing a princess shirt and plaid shorts. :) Here is our growing Build-A-Bear family...



And here is a picture of Addison and Fischer this morning. They were both in great moods when they woke up - always a great thing! :)


Thursday, March 29, 2012

Most nights after dinner, the kids head upstairs to play on their own while Scott and I clean up. Usually Scott will then go upstairs to check on things while I finish up downstairs.... tonight when he went to go upstairs, this is what he found. :)


I guess their Easter party at school, haircut for Fischer and first swim of the season in their new pool wore them out! :) They, of course, hopped right up, ran upstairs and played hard for another 30 minutes or so before bath time. I always wonder where their never-ending energy comes from!

Here they are in their new plastic pool today - it wasn't hot but they were eager to play in the water. They were chilly but it didn't stop them from having a great time! Bo wanted in on the fun too. :)



Monday, March 26, 2012

I forget what I may have mentioned about Addison and Fischer's 3rd birthday party.. since it was over a month ago. :) We had a "Tractors and Tiaras" themed party, and it was lots of fun! I just wanted to post a quick picture of their cake  - it turned out so cute and it was delicious. I emailed Lauren, the girl who made the cake, a proof of their invitation and she sent back 5 sketches of cake ideas. 2 were for joint cakes, like the one we chose, and 3 were for 2 smaller individual cakes.

I love how it turned out and can't wait to use her again in the future!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Yesterday afternoon was spent at Addison and Fischer's car wash! Water and bubbles are always good at entertaining the kids! They had a great time washing their car, wagon and tricycles!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Over the weekend we went on a little shopping trip to a sporting goods store. We were going to find Addison and Fischer some Crocs, or shoes similar to those that are good for Spring and Summer. It's nice to have slip on shoes that can get wet/dirty/muddy that they can easily run around in. The store did have some Crocs but we opted for the much cheaper style ($10 each!) and I happen to think they are so cute! We had to get Fischer a size 8 because they didn't have a 9 so I doubt his will last through the summer - his feet are growing so fast! Addison is wearing an 8 that is a bit too big so they should be good for awhile. He chose the orange pair while she chose the pink and purple pair. Thankfully they had orange for him because he had been saying for days he wanted orange shoes.

While we were there, we ventured over to the fishing pole aisle. The kids have been asking to go fishing and wanting to play with all of Scott's fishing gear so we thought it was time to get them a pole of their own. Fischer chose the Toy Story one that lights up (fancy!) and Addison chose the princess one (shocker!). Now, it will be a miracle if they aren't broken by the time we actually get to take them fishing. But they've been having a great time out in the driveway practicing their casting and reeling!

Here they are with their new toys and new shoes!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Things are busy busy around here! And with the great weather, we are outside a lot of the time so I haven't been around the computer much.

I was gone most of the weekend working my Moms of Multiples group consignment sale. I sold some old stuff and got the kids some great new stuff for spring and summer!

Last Wednesday, we took Addison and Fischer to their 3 year check up. I think it was the longest appointment they've ever had - we were there for well over an hour! But the doctor was very pleased with everything! These appointments get harder as the kids get older because they are quite aware of what's going on - like when the nurse walks in with the shot tray... the kids know exactly what that is now and FREAK OUT!!

Anyway, we got there and while we were in the waiting room both kids had to potty... so we had to ask the nurse for a cup because this time, my big kids had to give a sample! I couldn't believe how well they did with us standing right there, holding a cup for them! So that was one hurdle out of the way. :) Then, we finally got called and it was time to get weighed and measured. As of last Wednesday, Addison was 28 pounds (25th %), and 37 inches (50th %). Fischer weighed in at 29.5 pounds (25th %) and 37.75 inches (50th %). They are growing so much!

After that, it was time to take their blood pressure. Both seemed a little confused about the cuff as it got tighter but it was no big deal. Then, it was time for the finger prick. Fischer went first, so by the time it was Addison's turn, she was a wreck from watching Fischer get upset. It was over pretty quickly, but it wasn't fun.

Then we headed into the exam room with the nurse. She did an eye exam with each of them - so grown up! They had to cover one eye at a time and read a few shapes off of a chart across the room. They both did great but Addison's took a little longer because Fischer kept yelling out the shapes before she could answer. We finally had him look the other way so she could finish up. I guess he was just trying to help her out!

The doctor finally came in to start the exams. She looked at their ears, and said Addison's tubes looked "Beautiful" and Fischer's ears were nice and clear. This is our first visit since November where they've both had clear ears. WOOHOO! :) While she did their exams, she asked us a lot about their diet, sleep, behavior, school, etc... I had a list of questions and remembered to ask all of them! Sometimes I take a list and forget to look at it.  As I said, she was very pleased with their progress and all of their blood levels (cholesterol, iron, etc) looked great! She said they seem to be doing great with their nutrition based on their blood test. Yay for that!

So we thought we were done but she said they each had to get a shot. Ugh! Their is one nurse in this office that does all of the shots so as soon as she walked in with her tray they got really upset. Fischer went first again, so by the time it was Addison's turn, she was thrashing around and even managed to kick the nurse. Oops! I managed to hold her still long enough for the nurse to do the shot, which only took about 2 seconds. Apparently they get a lot of shots at their 4 year appointment so we are going to have to take one out of the room while the other gets their shots. They get too upset watching each other!

So finally we were done and it was time to head to Krispy Kreme for their much-deserved doughnut! And sadly, I didn't take a single picture of them during this visit. I usually take at least one with my phone and completely forgot this time!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

We have been outside a lot over the past few days. The weather has been so nice, and I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can before it gets crazy hot soon.

Saturday morning, we headed to a birthday party for 2 of Addison and Fischer's classmates. They had a joint party and it was a lot of fun! Here are the kids enjoying their pizza.


They had every ride on toy imaginable there for the kids to play on, and A and F had a great time trying them all out. Fischer jumped on the 4 Wheeler right away and knew exactly what to do, even when going in reverse. Instinct, I guess. Luckily Addison was feeling up to going after her big day on Friday. Our original plan was for Scott to take Fischer while Addison and I hung out at home, but she really seemed perfectly fine to go. And I know she would have been quite mad if she found out she missed out on some cake.

Anyway, back to the ride on toys. Scott and I had discussed getting A and F a car for their birthdays, but never got around to shopping for one. After seeing them drive a car at the party on Saturday, we decided we should just go ahead and get them one so they can start enjoying it! I had actually seen them a few days before at K-Mart, so after checking a few other places we ended there.

And we came home with new, shiny, blue (Addison really wanted the pink Barbie one) Jeep Rubicon. So far, they have been so great about sharing driving time! It's so funny to watch them mimic what Scott and I do while driving. They haven't brought out their toy cell phones yet, but I'm sure that's coming.... :)

Here they are in their new Jeep!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Addison got her tubes yesterday, so now we are hoping that they work and she will stop having ear infections! The doctor told us yesterday that both ears had all kinds of fluid in them, so they cleaned them out really well before putting the tubes in.

So, we left the house at 6:00 am. Addison wasn't too happy when I woke her up so early but she got over it pretty quickly. We told her she had to go to the doctor. We hadn't told her anything leading up to this because she gets excited/anxious/stressed and we were worried she wouldn't sleep at all Thursday night. Thankfully, Dianne came over to keep Fischer, so we didn't have to worry about him at all!

We got to the hospital right on time, at 6:30. We waited in the waiting room for about 15 minutes, while Addison climbed on the chairs and collected business cards that were on display around the room.



Then we got called back, where Addison saw all of the hospital beds. This is where she started to question what was really going on. We went into her little room where there was a gown and a teddy bear laying on the bed. She did not want to put the gown on, but after Scott and I told her several times that it was a cool princess dress she finally agreed.



Then we waited some more. We played with her bear, and read some books that I brought with us. Nurses were in and out, along with the anesthesiologist, and finally the doctor that would be doing the surgery. Addison didn't like all of the different people coming in and out, I could tell it made her uncomfortable. But she just sat on my lap most of the time and didn't  cry a single tear (until later).



She would be put to sleep for the procedure once back in the operating room using a little gas mask that looked like a strawberry. But we were given the option to give her a sedative that would make her "giggly and loopy" so that when they actually took her away from us she wouldn't freak out. We said yes right away... she's been especially clingy lately so I think it would've been traumatic for all involved if we didn't do that. So, they gave her this tiny dose of pink medicine. She drank it, and within 5 minutes, she was out of it. She was laughing, worried about falling off "the cliff" (the edge of the bed), cracking herself up with fake sneezes, slurring her words and falling from side to side if I wasn't holding her up! She even said "I really like this place" at one point! :)  So, because of this medicine, they were able to wheel her away on her bed without a single tear, from her or me. That was the part I'd been dreading and it wasn't bad at all. I, of course, wanted to cry, but because she wasn't crying I was able to hold it in!



The doctor was back in our room in about 15 minutes and said everything went great! They looked at her adenoids again and they had actually gotten smaller since her last ENT visit, so they didn't take them out. YAY! Both ears were infected with all kinds of "gunk" in them, but now they are good and clean! I was able to go back to the recovery room at this point. I had already been warned that kids get really mad when they are waking up and that she'd be worse because of the sedative they gave her.

So, I had to climb into her bed with her and hold her. She didn't open her eyes for about 10 minutes but she was crying the whole time and very mad. She was doing what the nurses call the "alligator roll" or the "log roll." This is when they just keep rolling over in place and won't hold still because they are so agitated as they wake up. I guess all kids do it since they have an actual name for it. She gave me quite the workout trying to keep her from hurting herself on the bed, and keeping her wires from getting all tangled.

Finally she started opening her eyes, and became a little more coherent. At one point she was crying and saying " I want mommy!" even though I was holding her. The nurse couldn't let us leave the recovery room until she knew that I was there and showed signs of knowing what was going on. Finally she saw and recognized her "wubby" and then realized I was there. Then started asking to go to see Daddy.

So it was time to go to the last room of the day, where we would be discharged. I got to go on the fun bed ride with her this time, and we passed Scott along the way so he followed us back. Here she was offered Tylenol, which she refused. Then we got her dressed and headed home. She was still crying and still pretty confused/uncomfortable. We could tell that her ears felt funny but the doctor told us there shouldn't be any pain... just a different sort of pressure in her ears.

The rest of yesterday was a little rough but she was pretty much back to normal by bedtime last night. When we got home, she crawled right into our bed and fell asleep. Bo jumped up and laid with her. It was cute. :) Then she woke up, we watched some TV, she asked for a snack, then proceed to throw up all over our bed. Later she tried eating some soup for lunch and that promptly came back up all over the kitchen table. :(  After that, she took a nap, then woke up and seemed to feel a lot better. She was still pretty whiny throughout the afternoon, but that was expected.


This morning she was back to normal! We have to give her drops for 5 days, 3 times a day, which she doesn't like but so far has let us do. And we go back in 5 weeks for a follow up.  I'm so glad yesterday is over and have high hopes that things will be better from here on out.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Tomorrow is the day! Addison is getting tubes. I am anxious to get it over with, and very hopeful that it will help her feel better!

I was assured on Tuesday that we made the right decision to do tubes when I took Addison to the doctor and was told she has another ear infection. I think that makes 8 since November. The doctor didn't prescribe anything this time since she was so close to getting tubes.

We have to leave here very early in the morning, which is good since she can't eat. Hopefully we'll be back home before lunch. I am so thankful that Dianne is going to hang out with Fischer so that Scott and I can both go and be with Addison!

More to come tomorrow!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Today was a fun day! Our friends from Rock Hill (the same ones we went to see last week) came to play. They stayed through lunch, played some more, then headed home. All 4 kids had a great time and I love seeing Addison and Fischer interact well with other kids!

After a nap, the kids and I headed outside to enjoy the nice weather. We took some bubbles (which quickly got poured out, on accident of course), cups of water and paint brushes. The kids had a great time painting the driveway, and loved how the "paint" disappeared as it dried. This kept them busy for quite awhile, which was nice!


Before dinner, the kids asked if they could go outside and play on the little playground that Scott built. They rarely ask to go out there (I usually have to suggest it), and they never go out there on their own! I guess this shows they are getting a little bit older and don't need me right there 100% of the time! I'm hoping this continues as it's about to stay lighter longer in the evenings!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

On Sunday, Scott returned from a LONG 8 day trip to Japan. The kids and I were ready for him to get home!

Because we don't live close to the airport, we never take Scott or pick him up when he has a trip. But this time I thought the kids and I could surprise him when he got home! It gave us a reason to get out of the house, too. We arrived about 30 minutes early, but the kids had a great time walking around the airport. They got to ride the escalators, look at the fish in the pond outside and pick out a snack from the gift shop (animal crackers for Addison and Pringles for Fischer).

They were really excited when Scott walked out, but I think even more excited about getting to ride the escalators for a 2nd time to get his luggage. :)

Here they are waiting and eating their snacks! I didn't get a picture of them running up to Scott and hugging him. :(

Saturday, March 3, 2012

A few days ago, the kids and I decided to do a little experiment. Actually, my friend passed the idea along to me and I thought it seemed fun. And easy!



First, we put a bar of Ivory soap into the microwave for about 90 seconds, and the kids were very excited to watch.



 And this is what happened to it! So weird!


Next, we put that soap "cloud" into a container. Then Addison and Fischer each got a roll of toilet paper to shred into the container. I thought they would both love this because I am always finding them in the bathroom messing with the toilet paper. Addison did pretty well but Fischer was much more excited about just unrolling the entire roll around the porch.




The final step was to add a little bit of water (Fischer's favorite part). Then it was time to mix it all together to form a dough.


I couldn't decide if I thought it was gross or cool... it was very strange. Fischer wouldn't touch it and Addison played with it a little bit, but it's always fun to try new things! I think next time I'd add some food coloring to make it even more exciting.