A Plague On Our House

Last week was so promising: the kids were feeling much better from their earlier sickness, they were laughing and playing, Harper helped me cook dinner Thursday night, Jack was playing soccer and building towers. Harper was even being silly taking funny pictures. They were both in a great mood Friday afternoon and we went to dinner Friday night- everything went great.

Then came 11pm on Friday....

All heck broke loose at our house when I went in to check on a screaming Jack and found him covered in vomit. UGH. I grabbed Jack and took him to the bathroom; while Tony cleaned up his bed, I gave Jack a bath. He seemed to be okay and even played a little in the bathtub- I thought maybe it was a fluke thing, until I was getting him into clean pjs and he got sick 4-5 more times. Poor kiddo was hunched over the toilet and would lean on me long enough to cry and then get sick again.

We took sick Jack to our room and put him in a pack n play. I grabbed a shallow tub affectionately known in my family as a "barf bucket" and put it next to the bed, though I was sure that he was done being sick.  Nope, not even close. That poor kiddo sick 3-4 more times throughout the night. I didn't know I could move so fast; I would go from a dead sleep to hearing a cough, pick up the bucket, and leap across the room to Jack and stick that bucket under his face. He would get sick a few times and then push the tub away and say "all done".  It was cute and so sad- poor guy.  Jack finally went to sleep around 3 and we didn't hear from him again until 7:30. 

When Jack woke up we gave him something to drink and tried to keep him comfortable until Harper woke up. That girl slept and slept- finally at 8:15, Tony went to check on her. He said that he would take care of "well Harper" so I could take care of "sick Jack". Next thing I know, I hear the bathwater turn on in the kids' bathroom. I put Jack back in the pack n play and went running in to find Harper covered in vomit...this is where the weekend went from bad to really bad.

We spent the next 48 hours cleaning sheets, beds, pajamas, blankets, barf buckets, toilets, towels...you name it, we cleaned it, and poor Tony did most of the gross cleaning- he was an extra awesome dad this weekend; we couldn't have done it without him. 

We also watched a lot of children's programing and laid on the couch. The kids both wanted to sit with me, so I spent most of my time pinned down- I was thankful I got to cuddle with my little ones so much. It's always so neat to me when both kiddos sit with me- it reminds me of the time I spent on bed rest when it was just the three of us in the afternoons, and I feel perfectly content in those moments.

We thought that we had finally rounded a corner when we had been vomit free for 24 hours on Sunday night and the kids were eating toast...nope, spoke too soon...

Monday about 1am, I started getting sick. I was up every 1/2 hour-hour from 1-7am and I felt miserable. I called in sick to school and tried to drink some fluids throughout the day, but when Tony came home, he had to take me to the ER. I was given two bags of fluid and some medicine for the nausea.

The kids, however, did great on Monday and were playing with Durinda and having a good time- they even started eating more "normal" foods. 

So on Tuesday morning when Harper threw up again, we were frustrated, scared, and exhausted. Tony came home from work to take Harper to the doctor, and that's where she tested positive for flu B.  

So, that's where we find ourselves today. Jack is feeling better- though I'm cautious to report that. Harper is getting some anti-nausea medicine, and I'm still eating Jello and popsicles.  Speaking of which, Jack has enjoyed getting to eat some "new" things that I wouldn't normally buy.

I'm not sure what we've done to irritate 2015 so much, but in the last month (I'll include December as well), our family has had the following "bugs" come through our house:

-Flu type A (me)

-Bronchiolitis (Jack)

-Strep Throat (Harper)

-Pneumonia (Harper)

-Stomach bug (Tony)

-Flu type B (Jack, Harper...and me)

We are ready to get over this and feel better, and move into the rest of the year with good health. If you're a prayerful person, we could use some prayers for healing for these two little ones.  Here's hoping the next post will bring some better news.

Stock Show Trip

This week was a short work week for me, and I was excited to spend Monday with Jack and Harper. The weather was beautiful and after talking to Nana and Pop, I decided that a trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show was in order, and away we went.

The kids and I went over to Mom and Dad's on Sunday night so we could get an early start on our big day. We got up and got moving- the kids ate a great breakfast (including stealing Pop's Cheerios), and we were out the door by 9:45.

Our first stop at the Stock Show was a walk through the midway. My mom suggested hitting up the petting zoo first, and suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by goats, chickens, rabbits, llamas, and cows. When we walked into the petting zoo, Jack waved and said, "Hi Animals!" I was worried that the kids would be overwhelmed, but they did great. Both Harper and Jack said "pat, pat" when they patted an animal- just like they do with Abby. Nana and Pop were a big help because both kiddos went in different directions after different animals. When our time was up, neither kiddo wanted to leave, but they both waved "bye" to the animals, and off we went to our next stop.

Right next door to the petting zoo was a pony ride. I thought, "what the heck" and we got in line to see how the kids would like riding. Pop got Jack up on his horse and settled, and I got Harper situated and told her to hold onto to the saddle horn, and off they went. The ponies just went in a circle- nothing unpredictable, but I was still a little nervous to see my babies up on these ponies like big kids. Harper and Jack did a great job with their ride, and Harper even patted her pony before she left.

As we were leaving the pony rides, Jack was requesting "more animals, more animals!", but what we did next took their mind off the animals for awhile. We decided to walk through some vendor booths before going to the barns to see more animals, and when we walked in, both kids zeroed in on the tractors. Harper and Jack had a great time "driving" these huge things. We spent at least 10 minutes helping them climb in and out of tractors. Harper's favorite, of course, was the biggest tractor in the whole place. I'm sure this is a prelude to our lives in 14 years...yipes...

We rounded out our day with a trip through the Children's Barn to see a sow feeding her piglets, some chicks who had just hatched, some ducklings, a turkey, and some sheep. On our way to the Children's Barn, we passed the mascots of the Fort Worth Stock Show (two men dressed in steer mascot costumes), and when we got close to them, Harper flipped out- she yelled "No!!" and tried to get out of her stroller. After this, Harper wasn't very excited about seeing the animals, but we did stop in to see the dairy cows and some horses. Jack liked talking to the horses with Nana, and we ended the Stock Show trip all smiles.

After our morning with the tractors and animals, we were hungry and decided to grab some lunch. The kids split and huge bean and cheese quesadilla and ate the WHOLE thing- they were hungry! I took some cute pictures of the kids with Nana and Pop on their way out. I especially like the picture I took of   the shadow cast by Harper and Pop- love those pigtails.

I think the kiddos had a great first trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show, and I hope this will be the first of many Stock Show trips we get to enjoy together.

Good Kids and Warm Weather

Tony and I have been so blessed with two wonderful little ones, and this weekend was just a reminder of how lucky we are. We had a great weekend playing with Harper and Jack, and we have been so pleasantly surprised with how well behaved they have been. Yes, we have had some tantrums, but overall, Jack and Harper are pretty good little ones...they're pretty great, actually.

Friday afternoon we went for a walk with the whole crew. Jack and Harper were insistent they wear their sunglasses. The weather was so nice, and Abby was very excited to take a walk when it wasn't near freezing temperatures.

Friday night we decided to take the kiddos out for dinner- a bold move since they decided they didn't need a nap Friday afternoon. The kids were great at dinner- they ate their chicken, asked for more sides, and were overall joyous to be around. I walked out of the restaurant with Harper- she held my hand as we made our way through the crowded tables, and all I could think was how proud I am that this little girl is my daughter.  On the way home, the kids sang songs and when we got home, they played a little and then headed off to bed without much of a fuss. 

Saturday morning Tony and I both took our turns at the gym, and then the kiddos and I took Abby out for a run- the kids were happy to go with me and it was beautiful weather. In fact, we planned to go to the park, but two little ones decided that they didn't want to take a nap (again), but finally sacked out later than normal and slept until almost five in the evening. So, we took the kids out to dinner with some friends..two nights in a row...guess what? They were awesome! They ate all their food, played a little bit, loved the ice cream for dessert, and even put on a little dance show before we left. Again, they got home and went to bed without much of a fuss. 

Sunday morning we had breakfast as a family and Jack caught up on the news in the Cherokee Phoenix- he was very excited to see a story about a football player. I think this boy is going to read everything he can get his hands on.

Sunday afternoon we decided to make the park a reality...apparently, we weren't the only ones who decided to go to the park. Despite the crowd, the kids did well. Harper was very hesitant to walk around without holding my hand, but after about 10 minutes navigating through the other kids, she started getting a little more outgoing. Jack didn't care too much about the crowd, and he zipped all over the park. I think their favorite things were the swings. Both kiddos got a chance to swing, we even found swings next to each other, and Harper and Jack had a great time. Harper liked to be pushed higher and higher, and Jack liked to lean back in swing and smile. We had to pry them out of the swings when it was time to go. 

We had such a great weekend, and these two little ones are getting to be bigger little ones that can communicate much better- they are so fun to be around, and it's so neat to see things through their eyes.  

Jack has discovered his sunglasses that were stored away for the winter and has revived them in this warmer weather. I have heard this kiddo say "glasses, please!" more in the last three days than I ever have before. Who knew wearing sunglasses was so fun? instance, Jack and Harper have also both learned to rub noses and say "ooga mooga" and now this is their new trick that they love to show off and giggle about. Never have I had so much fun rubbing noses and giggling before. 

The kids would also like to send a big "thank you" to Grandma and Grandpa for the new table and chairs. They were so excited Saturday morning to get to sit at their table- Jack, of course, had to wear his shades. Tony said he looked like he was playing poker, and Jack stared yelling "poker! poker!" like he knew what it was- ha! Thank you again, Grandma and Grandpa! They love it!

Day off with Momma

Durinda had to take day off this week, so I was pleasantly surprised with a day off with the kids. It was wonderful to be able to see their little faces when they woke up and have breakfast with them- something I never get to do on work days.

We spent our time playing in the morning after a big breakfast- each kiddo ate 2 waffles; I'm glad they're getting their appetites back. We made all sorts of things with blocks, played a little golf, cooked in the kitchen, and played with trucks and cars.

I gave the kids a bath before lunch and they were giggling that they were in the tub during the day time.  They had so much fun splashing each other (and me) and Harper even washed Jack's back for him- sweet sister.

After bath time, we read books until our visitors came over. Nana, Pop, and Uncle Tanner brought lunch by and stayed and played until nap time. It was good to see Uncle Tanner before he heads back to school tomorrow, and we were glad to see Nana up and moving after surgery to repair a broken wrist. The kids were startled to see Nana's arm all bandaged up, but they got over that pretty quickly and had fun playing.

Jack kept Uncle Tanner busy building towers with blocks, reading books, and playing golf while Harper "cooked" up a storm in her kitchen for Nana and Pop. She had Pop eating cookies and hotdogs and drinking tea- it was a hoot.

When our visitors left, the kids took a nap (even Abby got in on the nap action) and we rounded out the day with some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and macaroni and cheese for dinner followed by play time with Daddy. All in all, it was a great day and it was just the thing I needed to help me make it through the work week.

P.S. Harper has been "cooking" for her baby dolls and I have been taking pictures of the aftermath of the meals. Here are two pictures I've taken in the last 24 hours. The first is of the doll eating "cookie chili". I was making a big pot of chili and Harper started cooking in a big pot too...but she was making cookies instead.

The second picture the doll is eating breakfast: macaroni and cheese and a petifore- yum!

I don't know why these strike me as funny, but I crack up when I see the remanence of these meals. I guess it just shows how Harper's little gears are turning all the time. Gotta' love her!