Emily is 4 Years 8 Months Old!

It's official- this summer is FLYING by!  How is it already the end of June (almost?!)  We are cruising on through the days and having a great time with our sweet girls. Here's what life is like with Emily this month:

- We traveled to Cincinnati for a few days for a vacation.  It was SO nice to get away and have Paul ALLLLLL to ourselves for a few days! We stayed the first night at Great Wolf Lodge where Emily swam like crazy!  She was a total water dog- never left the pool except to eat!  She really surprised us with how eager she was to ride the water tunnel rides- some of them are very fast and steep and she just yelled and laughed and enjoyed every minute.  I think we have another adrenaline junkie in our house!

   The second day of the trip we spent more time at Great Wolf and then had dinner out. We stayed that night in a Hampton Inn (after briefly checking in at the Kings Island Resort across from Great Wolf....absolutely DISGUSTING----- stained carpets, debris all over the carpet, including plastic trash and a SAFETY PIN(!!!!!!), broken furniture...it was AWFUL.  We checked in, saw the room, and then promptly demanded a refund and left.  I have no idea how that place is even open!)  Once we were safely in our nice, clean Hampton Inn room, we snuggled up and went to bed- we were worn out from all the fun at GWL.

The third day we headed out to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.  We had a great time, even though Emily was completely exhausted and pretty whiny.  We made it about 2.5 hours before Paul and I had had enough of the complaining and decided we would just head home, haha!!!  Emily even fell asleep in the car on the way home and that NEVER happens!  Overall it was a fantastic trip and we all enjoyed the time together.

- She is reading more words this month and is constantly writing us notes and drawing very detailed pictures for us.  Growing up for sure. :/

- She had her first sleepover with her friends Lila and Caroline.  It was so much fun! We watched movies, did hair, danced, and played a ton.  Emily had a great time and was a terrific hostess.  She is already planning the next time friends sleep over!

- She has been still going to preschool each morning (well, most mornings...there are a lot of Home Days this summer, for sure!) so she can see friends and socialize. What's funny is that on the (rare) days that she is there after nap starts, she will nap.....but she never naps at home anymore.  As soon as we hit the driveway, all the kids in the neighborhood come running to get her and they play outside for the rest of the day!  I actually miss having her inside with me in the afternoons- we snuggle and watch movies, rest together, etc....but I am definitely second fiddle to the neighborhood kids. I guess that's how it should be. ;)

- She is growing- I had to buy size 6 panties (she probably really needed a 5, but those little boogers shrink SOOOO much in the wash- it's crazy!) She is in mostly size 10 shoes.  Any NEW clothes I'm getting for her are size 5-- no more 4 or 4T.  She is also about 41 inches tall- I'm amazed!

- She is very into accessories now- every day it's headbands, or bracelets, or a necklace, or fingernail polish, or earrings, or a handbag....or ALL of the above.  For a while there was a trend in her class to wear TWO headbands at the same time-- haha!!! They were all so in love with it for about, oh I don't know, a week.  Then they (sort of) came to their senses!

- We used sponge rollers in her hair on Father's Day because she wanted to "look extra beautiful" for her daddy and grandaddy (see Accessories, above, ha!)  I would LOVE to know if her hair will really hold a curl or not, but I haven't been able to tell yet because the few times we've rolled her hair, she has insisted on taking them out just an hour or so after...not long enough at all.  Maybe someday she will sleep all night with them in and we can really know!

- She thinks we're eating too much corn on the cob this summer and accused us of having it "every single day."  Which was a stretch...but not by very much. :)

- She is getting very good at helping with Audrey- they will play together now for a while and will play cooperatively- pretending to do the same thing (like they will both be a Mommy and have a baby, etc). 

- Both girls are spending HOURS in the pool and water tables both here and at the in-laws house.  They are having a wonderful summer!

Thanks for checking out our blog! Click on the link on the right side to see all of our web albums! :)

Audrey is 21 Months Old!

Our sweet princess is 21 months old- the days are flying by! She is just the sweetest girl you could ever hope to know- here's what life is like with Audrey right now:

- she is speaking in complete sentences now.  I know, amazing, right?! Just a couple of months ago she started to really label things and now it's full-fledged conversations.  She is happy to tell you exactly what she wants!


- she loves to play outside.  LOVES.  She is so content to just swing (very briefly) on the swingset, or play in the pool, or go on a walk.  She adores being outside no matter the weather!

                                                  
- she learned about the sand box this month and wasn't too impressed.  She asked to get out pretty quickly, haha!

- she is suddenly an extremely picky eater.  I'm having a hard time getting typical "kid food" in her, but she WILL eat barbeque sandwiches, Thai food, spinach, etc....maybe she is just a little grown-up already!

- she wore her hair in a ponytail for the first time this month- melted my heart!!! The looks like she is about 3 years old!

                                           

- she loves to sing the Barney "I Love You" song, Twinkle Twinkle, This Little Light of Mine, and loves to listen to any kind of music.

- she is a Car Dancer.  Any time we're in the car and a song comes on with a good beat, she will rock herself back and forth and just laugh and clap- it is so cute!

- she can throw a ball overhand.

- she can blow bubbles.

- she can undress herself......see?? :)

 

- she loves her "gasses".  I guess every little girl does (even Mamas too!)

                              

- she is in love with my friend Andrea's little girl, Lila.  She is always asking to go bye bye to see Lila, go play with Lila, says she wants Lila-- it is adorable. ;)

- she has picked up the terms "NO!", "GO AWAY", "LET GO!", and "MINE!!"  We have had some tense moments, and that's putting it lightly. ;)

- she can count to 3 (just saying the words- not counting objects).

- she really like animals and has been labeling them.  I think a trip to the zoo may be in the near future for her!

Thanks for checking in on our little lady!  Hope the summer is treating you well. :)

Audrey- Surgery Update

Paul spoke to the doctor yesterday-- called his office as it had been almost 10 days since her surgery and we hadn't heard anything (and I think he got tired of me asking).  It turns out the physician in Cincinnati didn't ever respond about Audrey's results (didn't I SAY that was going to happen??) and so he consulted a peds ENT who just recently left our area (the one we would have used in the first place, had he still been here). 

The news is not good/not bad.  Apparently she does not *quite* meet the specifications for a Type 1 Laryngeal Cleft, as we initially thought.  He (peds ENT) thinks that she will simply grow out of it and we should continue on with life as usual (so thickening all drinks, monitoring her closely during baths and swimming, etc). 

 I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed.  Believe me-- it's NOT that I wanted her to have another surgery. I didn't.  But I DID want to have this problem fixed once and for all.  Waiting this out, however long it may be, is sort of torturous.  She misses out on things because of this- I won't send her to places where I am not 100% sure that she will be monitored closely.  For instance, my good friend Andrea invited Audrey to go to summer day camp a few days/ week over in Huntington with Andrea's girls...and I said no because I just can't let her go someplace like that yet.  She is supposed to go to Emily's preschool 2 days/ week starting this fall and I am not sure if I will let her go if it's still happening.  The risk is simply too great for her to get access to someone else's cup, or to be given an unthickened liquid.  It's not that anyone is "out to get her" or something like that-- usually it's a well-meaning person who simply doesn't want her to be thirsty...and so they fill up her cup with water, or juice, or whatever...and she chokes and gags and potentially aspirates, which could lead to pneumonia (again).  It is so frustrating! And we just booked that trip to Great Wolf Lodge and I am pretty sure she won't be able to go there with us since an accidental ingestion is almost certain to occur at a water park.  :( That will make 2 vacations now that we haven't brought her on this year, and I feel really guilty about that...but there is no way she can safely go to a water park and have a problem with swallowing, you know?

 I did ask Paul how long the ENT thinks we will have to wait for her to "grow out of this" and he said that the doctor offered no time frame for it at all.  We were already told it would be by the time she turned 1, which obviously wasn't true.  I know that no one has a crystal ball but I hate that we didn't really get an answer out of the study. :( And I hate that this is so open-ended and we have no end in sight for the gel.  I am very discouraged. 

 Nevertheless, I am very happy that she was fine during the surgery, and I guess I'm sort of relieved that we aren't facing some risky procedure to fix it.  BUT...... I still wish we had some answers.

Emily is 4 Years and 7 Months Old!

Emily has had a wonderful month!  She is growing bigger, stronger, and smarter every single day- she is constantly amazing us! Here's what life is like with her right now.

- She performed in her dance recital and did a GREAT job. We were so proud! She knew every step and danced the whole thing, even when the other girls around her hesitated.  I just loved seeing her on stage in her precious outfit!

- She also sang in her preschool program and did a great job there as well.  The program was so sweet and a nice preview for what we will be experiencing next year when SHE is a preschool graduate!! :) They also had Costume Day the next week- a big hit!

- She is reading all kinds of things.  Can you see this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjjiiMvm0Uc

AMAZING!  She is brilliant...I mean, I already knew that but she is seriously the smartest child I know. 

- She and Audrey will sit together now and watch a show, or will play upstairs together. I adore how much they love each other- melts my heart!

- She knows about jokes now and when we say something funny or sarcastic to her she'll just look at us and say, "No- you're joking!" It's almost funnier than when she would fall for what we said!

- Speaking of being funny, Emily is really, really funny.  Just the other day she was listening to Paul and I having a conversation. Paul mentioned that he  might have to do a TV promotion for the hospital and I asked Emily if she wanted Daddy to be on TV.  She blurted out, "NO-- only me!"  So funny!

- She went to the dentist and still has no cavities.  Pretty great for someone who hates to brush her teeth!

-  She has become somewhat of a picky eater lately. I don't love it, that's for sure.  It's hard to get her to eat any vegetables except corn and green beans, and she really would just prefer to eat chicken nuggets, green beans, and macaroni and cheese for every dinner.  Sigh.

Thanks for checking in on our girl and be sure to check out all the photos from this month in the Picasa albums. :)

Emily's Dance Recital!

Emily's dance recital was tonight and she did an amazing job. I was so proud!  Here are a few photos.  My big girl!!

We were SO proud of her.  Way to go, EmmyGirl!

Audrey- Swallowing Surgery

Today sweet Audrey had a surgery done at our hospital to see if we can pinpoint the root of her swallowing problem.  In case you need to be caught up, Audrey aspirates thin liquids (that is, basically any liquid that we have not thickened with her gel thickener) up into her nose/ airway and also down into her lungs.  She has had 3 swallow studies done that have shown us this occurring.  The purpose of the surgery today was to have her esophagus examined using an endoscope and to take biopsies of her esophagus to see if she has damage from acid reflux.

We arrived at the hospital at 6:45 and got checked in.  Poor Audrey couldn't have anything to eat or drink and she was not very happy about that.  We walked around and waited in the waiting area until they called us back.  We were visited by the anesthesia team and also by Dr G, who was doing her surgery.  They gave her some liquid versed and she started to calm down.  She actually got pretty funny-- looking at her hands all weird and giggling a lot.  I think it would be a very handy substance to have on hand when we have to fly with the girls, just saying. ;)

Finally she was calmed down enough for them to come and take her.  I was very upset and didn't really want to let her go, but obviously we needed answers so I handed her off.  She took her Piggy Pig that she always sleeps with and headed back to the OR with a really nice nurse.

We waited about 40 minutes or so (I have no idea...it felt like 350 years!) and finally Dr G came out to us.  He showed us some images he had taken during the surgery and explained things.  Apparently she is right on the cusp of having something called a Type 1 Laryngeal Cleft, although he's not quite sure her defect is big enough to warrant surgery to fix it.  He wants to consult with a physician in Cincinnati about her case before he makes any recommendations.  He said she did great during the surgery and there were no complications.  We thanked him and went back to the waiting room to wait on Audrey.

After a little while longer they called us.  We had no sooner gotten within about 20 feet of the doors to the recovery area when I heard her SCREAMING bloody murder. I pushed past the nurse who was waiting for us and turned into Mother Bear... I scooted back to where she was and there was a team of nurses crowded around her.  Audrey's poor voice was crackly and straining and she was in full-on freak out mode...she has never cried so long or so hard.  It turns out that they had to give her IV Tylenol and had not done it before she woke up.  Apparently it has to be administered through the IV at a certain rate and was going to take 15 minutes to give to her.  So, the nurses were trying to control her, keep her still, prevent her from ripping out the IV, give the Tylenol, give her the paci she kept losing from crying/yelling so much....it was a disaster.  My poor little baby was just losing it. I picked her up and tried my best to hold her still and help the nurses.  Finally the 15 minutes was over and they removed the IV (more screaming).  She wouldn't let them put a band aid on it so I had to try to hold a piece of gauze on her... pointless.  She was flailing around so much, she just couldn't seem to get calmed down at all.  They had originally told Paul that she would have to stay in recovery until she drank something but they didn't make us wait that long- they basically gave Paul the checkout information and said, "If you're good, we're good..."...pretty much so nonverbally begging us to get this crazy crying baby OUT of recovery.  I can't imagine how hard it was for the other recovering patients to listen to her crying so much!  It was hard on everyone.

Paul and I took her to the car and I put her in her carseat and just waited with her for a while.  She was so drowsy and fell asleep on the way home.  Once we got home she wanted to play but she was way too wobbly to do anything.  I eventually just had to lie her in her crib and she fell asleep in just a few minutes.  I was worried about her but she just needed to rest a lot to get feeling better.

She slept for about 2 hours and then woke up STARVING.  Remember that she hadn't had anything since around 7pm the night before- so this was 17 hours of nothing to eat or drink.  That baby ate like nobody's business!!!! She had tons of food and drink...I seriously wondered if she was ever going to stop eating! She took another nap after we played for a while (she wasn't wobbly anymore after the first nap) and when she woke up after the second nap I felt like it would be OK for me to leave her and go to the dance recital that Emily was in that night.  It seemed crazy to leave a baby who had just had minor surgery but honestly, you couldn't tell at all that anything was different.  I was so glad she was feeling better and I didn't have to choose between which child to support tonight!   Now we wait to hear something back from the physician.  Hoping for good news, and maybe a cause as to what's causing her to aspirate.

PS- No photos with this update. I didn't think it was appropriate for me to be taking photos in the hospital, and I wanted to be "present" with Audrey- not trying to get a good shot.  I know you understand. :)

Audrey is 20 Months Old!

I absolutely can't believe that sweet Audrey is now 20 months old.  This is SUCH a fun time to be her parent- she is an absolute joy to be around and keeps us laughing all day, every day.  Here's what life is like right now:

- She is scheduled for an esophageal endoscopy (a "scope") on May 18 to see what the problem is with her swallowing.  She still aspirates when she drinks a thin liquid (as in, any liquid that we haven't thickened using her special gel).  I am NERVOUS about this procedure but am trying to understand that we need answers and a game plan, and this is the next step in getting those 2 things.  Hard for me not to worry though. :(
 

 

We're having a lot of tantrums now.  She is doing the whole, go-limp-and-then-go-rigid-and-then-back-to-limp trick, and also lies flat on the floor when she doesn't get her way.  Exhibit A (she wanted to go outside but didn't want to wear the shoes).

 

-She is curious about everything and makes messes all over the house.

She LOVES to play outside and is always exploring. This would be fine except that she knows NO boundaries and will just wander into the street, or up onto a porch, or where ever she thinks she needs to go.  WILD girl!  She makes me nervous!

- She adores Dora, Bubble Guppies, and Barney ("mahney"). 

- She asks me all day if I'm ok- if I cough, sneeze, etc.  It's so cute! She'll say, "You ok?" but it sounds like, "Yohkayeee?" When I tell her I'm OK and ask if SHE'S ok, she says, "I OK!"

- She speaks in mostly 2-4 word sentences now.  She asks for food ("Mommy, NUMS!") and drinks, ("Mommy, want CUP!"), when she wants to go play ("Mommy, go PAAAAAAY??")  It is so precious to see her learning so much!

- She loves to sing and we're working on expanding the song list.

- She can point out hair, head, eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, ears, arms, toes, legs, bellybutton, belly, feet, and hands on herself and someone else.

- She loves to take care of her baby dolls and will feed them, hold them, bathe them...so cute!

Hope you've enjoyed the new update and thanks for checking in on my little ladies! :)