Ketchup

Remember this: http://www.dublinzimmermans.blogspot.com/2010/06/omg.html  Riley loves to look at these pictures so last night when we had chicken tenders for dinner and she wanted some ketchup I decided to let Jacob have some as well (also note that Riley didn't eat ketchup until almost 18 months and Jacob had it for the first time at 13 months, ah the accelerated growing up of being the second child).  I knew he would throw a big huge fit if  I let big sister have some and not him so I gave him a little squirt to try, this was his initial reaction:

What is this red squishy stuff?  And why have you been hiding it from me for so long???

It quickly turned to this:

Jacob couldn't get enough ketchup and kept pointing at the bottle and saying "mo" until I gave him another squirt.  Aside from enjoying the tasty treat that ketchup had to offer, Jacob LOVED watching it get squirt out of the bottle and laughed hysterically with each squirt (excuse Riley's "it farted" over and over in the background, she was getting a reaction out of Jacob so she was hard to stifle!)

So this is how it's going to be from now on

We've got a climber on our hands! What a difference between boys and girls! Riley never ever emptied all of my cabinets and drawers in a matter of moments and she NEVER climbed!

It's My Birthday, Or At Least It Was

Thursday was my birthday and I decided to work since I have been taking so much time off for the kids' birthday (my how times have changed) and I have MLK Day off so I figured I would go in.  My awesome co-workers brought me some balloons and then the 3 of us went out for Thai food for lunch.  Fun times!

Marc went all out for my birthday, we picked up sushi for dinner and her got me loads of presents, all well thought out.  And of course what's a birthday without Baskin' Robbins birthday cake. 

Meant to post pictures and blog about this earlier but the kids got sick on Friday, at least they waited until after my birthday to spike the fevers!

I got  a call at 9:20 on Friday morning that Jacob had a 101 fever and I needed to pick him up.  I got him and called the Dr on the way home since he also had a cough and I was really worried about pneumonia.  By the time we got home his  fever was over 102 so I was so glad I got him in at noon.  When the Dr saw him she couldn't believe how bad his ear infection was, which would explain why he's stopped trying to walk and the sleepless nights.  She actually said it was so gross that I should see it (I declined). She put him on augmentim which a stronger antibiotic but taking into account the stomach issues he just got over, we are on 2 yogurts a day as well as a powder probiotic to help maintain his tummy help.  Riley was scheduled for her 4 year well check at 4:15 but when I described her cough and symptoms and considering what Jacob looked like she changed it to a sick visit.  Sure enough double ear infection for her too!  Ugh!  We may be heading back to the ENT for her as well.  We'll see how this round of antibiotics go, same yogurt and probiotic regimen for her as well.  Fun times over here! 

We got Riley's weight and height, at 4 she's 30lbs (10.44 percentile) and 37.8in (12.29 percentile), little pipsqueak.  We go for the official well check Feb 1, hopefully ears will be cleared up by then!  I ask her Dr about her feet and she noticed a huge difference between Riley's left and right foot.  Ah, I just wish I knew what to do about her foot!

Party Girl!

We got to have Riley's birthday party on her actual birthday since it was on a Saturday.  The little girl was beyond excited.  We started the day off with gymnastics, Riley did great again and I am very hopeful that her participation helps her foot bounce back.  Then we came home where I made Riley's favorite for lunch, Macaroni and Cheese of course, then both kids napped for over 2 hours...at the same time.  Happy birthday to ME!!! 

Then it was time to go to Riley's birthday party.  We had it at a place called Partipalooza out in Livermore.  It had one room of bouncy houses, a personal request of Riley's and then another room with a slide, 2 lanes of mini-bowling and a rock climbing wall.  We of course had a princess theme!  It was a super fun time!  All of the kids had a blast and we had a great group of kids there and most importantly the birthday girl had the time of her life and was so incredibly happy.  I love seeing the look of pure joy on her face. 

We had freezing rain the night before Riley's birthday!  Crazy CA weather!

Lots of presents for a little girl!

Birthday morning

Present time

Games from her brother!

Peek-a-boo from Riley's new princess tent thanks to the Gruncles

Off to her party

Hanging with Nana

Sassy princess girl

Riley and her groupy rocking out

Jacob got in on the fun this time

Bouncing is fun

Whee!

A bunch of 3 and 4 year old listening

Ready to try rock climbing

A little moral support from daddy

She did it!

Getting some help down from daddy

Bwahahaha, there's something on your forehead!

Caught her long enough for a picture

Rolling

I'll huff and I'll puff...

Pizza time, these were some hungry kids!

A very happy birthday girl

Time for cake

She loved sitting in the throne

Love that smile

Making a wish

A very successful 4th birthday!

Family photo, the balloons were too distracting for Jacob

Here Comes Trouble



I picked Jacob up from day care yesterday and they said that he took 3 steps yesterday and was so proud of himself.  Of course he did it while I was at work!  I was hoping for a repeat performance and he sure didn't disappoint.  He was pretty tired so he didn't want to humor me much but I did capture him on video, albeit a bad video but I was solo with a 4 year old and 13 month old so this is as good as it gets!  By the time Marc got home he was in no mood to humor us.  Crawling is still his preferred mode of transportation but I have a feeling he will be on his feet in no time!  I hope I'm ready for this!  I did forget how cute toddlers are as they "toddle" around!

 

I Wish

I wish this post was a story about how at 4 years old we took Riley to the orthopedic surgeon and we had conquered clubfoot treatment.  But it's just not.  We took Riley Friday for her 4 year appointment, hard to believe that it's been 4 years already since we started this process.  Her right foot is awesome, supple, corrected, her dominate foot.  Her left foot, is still the bane of my existence.  It's stiff, it turns in and I just can't even look at it anymore without getting a knot in my stomach.  My heart sinks when I see her run and it turns in, but still I was optimistic.  It's been doing this for a while and surgery hasn't even been mentioned really other than in passing.  But Friday that was just not in the stars for us.  Friday he said that she was borderline needing surgery, that the tendon on the bottom of her foot was very tight, that he may need to transfer her tendon on the top of her foot.  It's not a definite thing yet, we go in 6 months to evaluate again but I'm heartbroken that it's even a possibility.  I poured my heart and soul into fixing her feet and I promised my grandfather as he was dying that her feet were ok and that he didn't have to worry about her anymore (he always worried about her feet) and I feel as if I have failed them both.  Dr H said Riley is a tough case because her left foot is noticeably stiffer and turning into us but no one else can really see it and it's not affecting her daily activities so it's a hard call to make whether we should do it or not.  It's a long recovery, 4 weeks non-walking cast, 6 weeks walking cast, 3 month in a brace.  It would be rough on all of us but are those 5 months of hardship worth it in the long run?  I worry about her as a teenager with her foot turning in, will it make her self-conscience?  Will it affect her self esteem?  Being a teenager is hard enough but to have a crooked foot, I just don't want to make it harder for her.  I just wish there was something to tell us the right answer.  So I am super sad that we are facing this.  But I know whatever path this clubfoot journey brings us down, it will make us stronger and Riley will face it with grace and dignity that she always has. 

Happy 4th Birthday!

 

Riley-Roo, wow, how can it be that another year is behind us and you are now 4 years old!  It wasn't too long ago that you were my 4lbs of fury with 2 crooked feet and a personality much bigger than your size but here you are today, on January 12, 2013, a vivacious 4 year old, so ready to already be 5 and be off to kindergarten.  Slow down my sweet girl, you are growing up way too fast! 

It's so surreal to think back over the last 4 years; 4 years ago we were embarking on becoming new parents, tackling your clubfeet, and looking forward to your next milestone.  At year one we were waiting for you to walk, still nervous about your feet, clubfeet was still our life.  By 2 we were a little less nervous, we were in a good routine with you, you helped put your night night shoes on, you were walking and talking and meeting all of your milestones.  Last year at 3, you were a brand new big sister for your 3rd birthday, we stopped your night night shoes and you got a big girl bed.  Now here we are at 4, we've been brace free for a year now, you're 100% potty trained, you're an experienced big sister by now, you had your first sleepover at a friend's house, you're learning leaps and bounds thanks to phonics and your Preschool B class. 

This year has been a hard one on us, you have been the queen of bad decisions and know just which buttons to push to get mommy and daddy oh so mad at you.   Unfortunately, you don't like your brother to get attention and act out frequently when he's sick or getting attention, you also like to steal all of his toys and hoard them away in your stuff (we're going to have to watch you so you don't end up on a reality TV show!), and you have gotten quite fresh in the recent months. I know this is all stuff we will work out before you are 5!  You have also become more hesitant on change, when it was time for you to move to Preschool B, you were so nervous and argued with the teachers that you couldn't go because you weren't 4 yet.  We finally convinced you to try the class and at first you weren't open to it but now you love it.  Despite the rough year, know that we love you more now than we did 4 years ago when you came into this world.  Riley you are a trip, you love to role play (your favorite is to pretend to be a  teacher, better than a clown!), you love to help (whether it's passing out the plates at school, napkins at dinner, or "helping" your brother, you love to help and be involved), you can now write your name and recognize letters, and you absolutely love to sing and dance.  You've also gotten quite tall and I am curious to see where you land at your 4 year appointment on height.  You are quite expressive and are able to tell us how you are feeling or that you might be scared so we are able to walk you through your feelings.  You do not like to sleep which baffles your daddy and I to no end because we both love to sleep, when we ask you why you tell us "because it's not my favorite."  Oh you are such a crack up sometimes.  It the past month or so I've looked at your pictures and back at interactions with you and you seem so grown up!  Where did my little 4lbs of Fury go?  I see before me a bright, beautiful, compassionate little girl.  Just do me a favor and don't be in such a rush to grow up, there's plenty of time for that!

My favorite times are when I secretly see or hear you and your brother playing nicely and getting along.  I love seeing the two of you interacting because no one can get your brother smiling or laughing like you can my dear.  A few weeks ago, Jacob had a horrible stomach thing going on and he was screaming in pain because his bottom was so sore, you were so sweet and compassionate, stroking his arm and head and telling him it was ok because you were there and you would take care of him.  I know my sweet Riley is still in that little body that has been taken over by the Terrible 3s and I hope that January 12, 2013 is the day the magic switch flips and my sweet girl overtakes the unruly 3 year old that has taken over your body!

Happy birthday my sweet Riley Madison.  May your 4th year bring much joy, health, and happiness!  We love you to infinity and beyond!

Hours old

My 4lbs of Fury

One year old

Two Years Old

Three Years Old

Just Shy of Four Years Old!



Short, Fat, and A Ginormous Head

That pretty much sums up Jacob's Official 1 Year Well Check which we had Tuesday, but he sure is cute!  He weighed in at 22lbs so he gained back some of the weight that he lost while he had the stomach thing going on (which he still has to some extent, though he is MUCH better), which put him at the 55th percentile (the fat part).  He was 30in even which brings him to the 45th percentile on height (short) and he was the 82nd!!!! percentile on his head, which would explain why his 12-18 month adorable owl winter hat is too snug on him already.  But other than his stomach issues he got a clean bill of health and the Dr wasn't even that concerned about his stomach at this point since he started to gain some of the weight back.  He's doing everything he should be (other than walking) which she was ok with, especially since Riley didn't walk until 15 months.  Poor little dude got 2 shots (he was due for 5 but she thought that was just mean) and was up at 2AM on Wednesday morning with a fever so I spent Wednesday with him.  Marc stayed with him on Thursday and we've both decided that he is just a sweet boy, he loves his cuddles, loves to kiss and give high fives.  Sure he can be a punk but he is overall a very sweet boy!

Watch Out Gabby Douglas

Because Riley is back in gymnastics and is loving her new big girl class!  She was totally into her first class back after a 6 month hiatus and did great, it was like she never left!  Fingers crossed it continues to go well!

Why I Love Carter's...

Because I got all of these clothes for the kids for $80:

When these 3 items MSRP for $80!

Marc's even a believer and now that there is a store open in th new outlet mall in Livermore we will be frequenting often!  Great quality, great prices, cute clothes, I don't even care if they get ruined at day care!

First Sleepover

Friday night Riley had her first sleepover at her friend Bella's house (other than the night Jacob was born when she slept there but that was survival mode so it doesn't count).  She was so excited to sleepover and so we raced home after school, packed her bag and headed on over.  I fully expected her to want to come home in the middle of the night and fully expected a call from Bella's mom and dad but Riley's didn't even call to say goodnight.  She went to bed at 8:30 with Bella, was asleep by 9:15 and slept through the night on an air mattress until about 6:30, a normals night sleep for her.  In fact she looked way more rested when we picked her up than she normally does and her behavior has been so much better.  She's like a new person!  Can't believe my girl is old enough for sleepovers!

An Answer

One of the Doctors in our pediatrician office called last night and at first I thought, how nice they are checking on Jacob.  She started the conversation by asking how he was doing, if he was improving, what his personality was like.  Then she started to ask questions like if we had been traveling, if we went camping, etc and I knew something was up.  Then she broke the news that the lab had called to inform her that Jacob tested positive for C. Difficile, a bacteria that lives in the stomach and not to google it or go on WebMd because all of this horrible stuff would come up.  True story because I went on it today before his appointment and it causes colitis and deaths from it are on the rise!  I was a little freaking out considering he was at day care and not home with me.  The bacteria generally multiplies and causes diarrhea after a bout with antibiotics because the antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria.  In Jacob's case we're not sure how it was able to multiply and cause the diarrhea because he hasn't been on antibiotics since the beginning of November but they found traces of the toxin in one of his cultures.  It's generally treated with a strong antibiotic but given that Jacob is so young and that he's been improving on his own the Doctors felt that the negatives of the antibiotic outweighed the benefits of it killing off the bacteria.  I did some research online and it said that probiotics are the best way to combat C. Diff so he's still on 2 yogurts a day (I should seriously buy stock in YoBaby!) and at this point we're just waiting it out and watching him for signs that it's getting worse.  He's starting to eat more and we're introducing normal food back to him, Jacob is so over the bland diet!  We also have to keep him on formula until he's over this as they were afraid the whole milk would upset his tummy.  Ugh!  Our diaper count for the last 2 weeks is well over 100 at this point!  And fortunately his diaper rash is on the mend.  You would never know the kid was so sick, he's still as smiley and happy as ever and has started giving us high fives and pointing at objects that get his attention or things that he wants. 

At least we have an answer!

Happy New Year's!

New Year's Eve we got invited to Riley's friend Joey's house for an East Coast time New Year's Eve.  Marc and I were all about it, we loved the idea of being able to celebrate with the kids and then being home and in our pajamas for the West Coast New Year's without having to worry about all of the crazies on the road.  We had a blast, tons of appetizers, lots of friends and Jim and Jessica (Joey's mom and dad) decorated their place awesomely, complete with balloons hanging from the ceiling that they dropped at midnight.  It was so much fun!

My little stud muffing

Riley and Joey - day care calls them old man and woman because they act like an old married couple!

Joey's little brother Alex joins in!

Even Jacob was ready to party, and yep, that's a pantless Alex in the background, it's not a party until someone takes their pants off!

Our failed attempt at getting a bunch of kids up way past their bedtime together for a picture!

Happy New Year!!!

The balloons were a hit!  Especially with Jacob!

Here's to hoping 2013 brings loads of health and happiness to all of our friends!!!