Menacing Red Lights

Last night I was tormented by a row of lit up red lights.  Seeing those lights and hearing the cry that went along with them, tore me up inside.  Not because I felt bad for the crying child on the other end, but because it meant that for one more night, the baby and I were not sleeping straight through the night.  Since she got sick about a month ago, Little L has stopped sleeping through the night.  She wakes up between 2 and 3 in the morning to be fed.  Usually, this means that I am up feeding her for about half an hour and then we both go back to sleep.  Last night was different.

She woke up at 2.  I changed her, fed her, and attempted to put her back to sleep.  She wasn't having any of it.  Little L decided that it was "waking up time" (in the words of D).  After fussing, crying, and whining, I thought she wasn't feeling well.  So, I took her temperature.  That wasn't it.  She was drooling like you wouldn't believe, so I tried Orajel.  No go.  I held her, I tried to put her back to bed.  Nothing worked.  Finally, I let her play. 

For the next two hours, Little L played and played and played until she wore herself out.  I on the other hand had been worn out since she woke up at 2.  Oy!  After I put her to bed at 4, I sat on the couch and watched those menacing lights dance up and down the monitor.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (it was probably only 5 minutes but every second took forever at that time of day), the lights stopped blinking.  The soft music in her room played, but no crying accompanied it.

What a terrible, sleepless night.  I will be heading to bed in a few minutes in case we have a repeat from last night.  I have already prayed that Little L gets her rest and feels good.  And maybe I can get a full night's sleep as well.

Sick Day and making a Lapbook

Little L is sick again.  I am blessed to work at an amazing school.  Yesterday was parent/teacher conferences.  As the computer teacher, I didn't have a lot of parents ask me for a conference.  So, I packed up the baby and she came with me.  The head of school and assistant head of school are so supportive.  While there, I went ahead and made sub lesson plans. 

Then, L and I headed over to a friend's house to bake for my brother's upcoming wedding.  It was a great day and evening with good friends, good baked goods, and good laughs!  Little L actually slept through the night and slept late this morning!!!  I was so worried that I checked on her three times before she woke up at 8:30!!! She woke up smiling and fever free.  Since I am home with her today, I decided to take time to make D a new lapbook.  Carisa at 1+1+1=1 has created an amazing website (and a blog) that she created as a homeschooling parent.  The lapbooks, which I have spoken about before, are great resources and D learns through play all the time.  She has about 4 lapbooks including Cinderella and Brown Bear. 

She has the entire week off of school next week for Thanksgiving.  So, husband will be home with the girls for most of the week while I work.  To make the time a little easier, I decided to make a Thanksgiving lapbook for D.  Once it has been introduced, D can do a lot of it by herself.  She has a bag of lapbooks that she pulls out and plays with, so I am excited to have some time to create a new one for her bag.  Once I create it, I will post pictures.

Terrible Misnomer

The phrase "Terrible Twos" is a misnomer.  D was pretty good as a two year old.  She had issues, don't get me wrong, but they were manageable.  If she got into trouble, we would tell her to go to time out and she would walk there.  Now, when we ask her to go to time out, we are met with "NO!", fits, and running away.

For the first time in a LONG time, D had a meltdown.  This meltdown was a fall to the floor, kicking, screaming, all out meltdown.  As if that wasn't bad enough, it was in the library!  OY!!  We got on her level and tried to talk to her, which just elevated the noise level of the crying.  Finally, husband swooped in, picked her up, and carried her out to the car.  After about 10 minutes, she was finally calm enough to talk it out, but it was a beating.

I want  to write to all of the mommies out there who are in the two year old phase and thinking, "This is no big deal."  You are right.  This is no big deal, this is the calm before the storm.  Just watch out for the "Terrible Threes"!!!

Prima Ballerina

D has wanted to take ballet for about a year now.  We held off because we didn't think she needed an extracurricular activity before she turned 3.  Well, she turned 3 and kept asking to take "bal-le-le" as she called it.  We looked at our city's community center and viola, they have classes for her age for a reasonable price.  We bought her a leotard, tights, ballet slippers, and tap shoes.  Now, the attention span of a three year old is short, but she LOVES ballet and tap.  Tomorrow will be her third class, and we are already looking to sign her up for the next session.  She gets so excited to go to dance class.  She knows that Tuesdays I pick the girls up from school and take them to dance class.  Little L and I play in the hallway outside the room (and I only peek in the window a few times). 

Yesterday, we asked D to play with Little L while we made dinner.  We came in to the girls playing dress up.  D was sharing her purses and necklaces with Little L.  Pictures had to be taken.



 It was too cute!!!  I hope they always enjoy playing together like they did yesterday.

Food Inc.

I am NOT granola in any way.  I am not a free spirit, I am not into yoga, and I am not a vegetarian.  So, why did I have to say that?  On Sunday morning, I taught a Religious School class.  The class was on overconsumption.  During the first part of the class, I was feeling good about the choices I make.  I buy clothes about once a month for my children and less often for my husband and I.  I drink from a reusable water bottle.  I leave some items plugged in even when they are not being used (lamps, baby monitor, cell phone charger), but for the most part, most of my outlets are empty. 

Then, the next part of the class was on a movie called Food Inc.  Now, I am an animal lover.  I have a dog, and a cat.  I have had numerous pets throughout my life including a bunny, hermit crabs, mice, and dwarf hamsters.  Seeing the way the animals we eat are raised disgusted me.  The 8th and 9th graders were horrified (even the "tough guys").  These animals are living in gross, overpopulated conditions where they cannot move.  I am not going to go into details, but I highly recommend watching the film.  If you want, there is a discussion guide you can download to go with it.  Go to: Food Inc. to learn more.

So, I called husband on the way home.  I told him the highlights and lowlights of the movie.  I will be researching Kosher laws to see if the way the animal was raised is included in the laws.  It is a helpless feeling to feel like you have no control.  But, as the creator of the movie stated, I can vote with my fork.  I will research where my food is coming from.  Nothing God created deserves the living (and dying) conditions of the animals I saw.

Suddenly Sick Days and an upcoming weekend of fun

On Thursday, I got a call at work from the girls' school.  Little L wasn't feeling well.  To make a long story short, that phone call launched a sickness in our household that lasted until Tuesday night.  When Little L got over being sick, she passed it on to her big sister.  Everyone was finally well enough to go back to school on Wednesday.  Since I was off with D on Monday and Tuesday, I have no concept of time at work.  Today felt like Monday and I kept thinking it was Friday.  Hopefully I will get back on schedule really soon. 

D is super excited for Halloween, even though she doesn't truly understand what we do.  She wanted to be a purple princess, because, "Purple is my favorite."  Well, at least this week it is.  Today at school, the girls had a Book Character Parade.  D said her favorite book was Cinderella so she was Cinderella for the school parade.  Little L's class did a class theme.  The teachers chose "The Napping House" as their book.  I LOVE this book!!  L was told to dress as a child so she wore PJs.  That was easy enough for this 7 month old to do. 

D asked if Grandma and PePaw could come for Halloween, so they are going trick or treating with us tomorrow night.  We went trick or treating on Main Street last year and it was amazing!!!  They block off Main Street so cars can't come down it.  All of the stores are giving out candy, there are inflatable bounce houses and slides, there are games for the little ones to play, and more.  This is all FREE!! 

We are going to a bridal shower on Saturday and then Sunday we are finally going to the pumpkin patch, if all goes well and the creek don't rise (as my Gigi would say).  We were going to go last weekend, but the sickness prevented the trip.  D is excited and calls all groups of three or more pumpkins the "Pumpkin Patch".  Ah, the joys in the little things.

The Gift of a Prayer

Today I was really affected by a blog that I read.  I haven't read it in a while and I feel sad about it.  The blog made me reflective and I want to share the story of D with all of you.  When husband and I were ready to have kids, we decided that it shouldn't be a problem.  I come from a family with three children and he comes from a family of four children.  I spoke with my OBGYN and she said, "good luck.  Hopefully, next year when I see you, you will be pregnant."  Well a year passed and I went back for my yearly check up.  She asked if we were trying to conceive and said once again, hopefully next time I see you, you will be pregnant.  After the second year of trying passed, I went to the doctor again for my yearly checkup.  She was a little surprised that I wasn't pregnant.  She had me run some tests to see what the hold up was.  I went through a ton of tests over the next few months and was finally sent to a Reproductive Endocrinologist. 

Dr. Pinto was amazing!  He finally had answers when others didn't.  I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome).  This made it difficult to get pregnant, but not impossible.  He put me on medicine including Clomid (This was HIGHLY regulated and watched) and injections.  After seven months with this specialist, I finally got pregnant.  My friend, Rhonda, had been praying for me to become pregnant since I told her we were trying.  I know it tore her up to tell me that she was pregnant because she knew everything we were going through to have a baby.  I couldn't have been happier for Rhonda.  She is an amazing woman and an amazing mother.

Rhonda was one of the first people I told when I got pregnant.  I knew that she had been praying for me to have a baby and she was genuinely happy for our family.  Her precious little one was born six months before my D.  I visited her in the hospital when she was on hospital bed rest, I visited her when Chloe was born, she threw me a baby shower and I threw her one.  When D was born, Rhonda knitted hats for her little head.  Little L has worn some of those hats too! 

Chloe is a brave 3 year old, who will be turning 4 in December.  In her short life, she has seen more than any child should have to see.  She has been diagnosed with Leukemia.  She went into remission, but still had seizures.  Her leg has been in a cast at least two times that I know of.  Then, recently, she was diagnosed with Leukemia again.

Chloe was D's first friend.  Rhonda was the first person to visit me in the hospital when D was born.  Rhonda and my mom changed D's first diaper.  Chloe's birthday was the first birthday party D got invited too.  Chloe passed down her clothes to D.

This brave little girl is fighting for her life yet again and it is taking a strain on the family.  The medical bills are enormous, Chloe isn't sleeping well, Rhonda spends her days taking Chloe to radiation and making her a comfortable as possible. Eddie is working hard to earn a living to support his family.  Bailey is working hard in school and spending as much time with Chloe as she can.

In Judaism, it is called tzedakah.  In Christianity, it is tithing.  No matter what you call it, giving to others is the cornerstone of religion.  Rhonda has given to everyone she meets.  She has given prayers, clothes, friendship, and so much more.  She takes everything in stride and with prayer.   

Please pray for this family and this brave little girl.