Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Daddy Saves the Day!

Daddy closed his store early due to the snow and then came home and snowblowered (is that a word?) the driveway (and got his car stuck and then unstuck). So, since he was home and the sun was out, he had me get Taylor all dressed for the snow and took her out in it. It's really her first time "playing" in the snow. She's touched it and all but never been out in it for long periods of time to play. We need better snow gloves for her! The snow suit (yard sale!) was perfect! The boots we got on sale before last winter were great too! Here are some of her (and some of Grady beingterribly upset that he couldn't join in the fun!)









Snow Day Fun!

Taylor wanted so badly to play in the snow but there's too much to send her out in alone and I can't take Grady out in it (plus, she's still got a cough she's getting over) so I brought some snow in! We're on a snow day from school so it's been a lazy lazy day! Please excuse her hair, mismatched pjs, and the mess behind her! I guess I could edit the mess behond her out but, again, I'm being lazy! She's pretending to be a pirate which explains her funny faces toward the end.
We also made some yummy snow icecream!















Check out this site and enter to win!

Go to this site MudpiesandMaryJanes and read about Serah's beautiful soaps. They tell you how to enter to win some soaps!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

So sick of the coughs!

So Grady had one of his more scary nights last night since we've been home from the hospital. His cough was scaring me so we started his oral steroid. Today it's been better. Praying that the albuterol and Flovent and Orapred help him to sleep well tonight and not cough. Praying that this doesn't settle into pneumonia. Also praying that Taylor's cough doesn't keep her awake all night (and us!)
Pulmonologist is going to check Grady over on Feb 3 to see how he's doing from this latest flare up and then decide if he's well enough to be cleared for the tubes in his ears. Praying he gets over this soon! Poor little guy needs those tubes to get rid of the fluid in his ears that keeps causing the infections and is causing him mild hearing loss.

Monday, January 26, 2009

A Day of Firsts

Today Taylor told me, "I hate you!" That was a first (although when I look ahead to the teen years I'm guessing it won't be the last!)
Today at daycare, Taylor took her pants and underwear down and laid on the floor to watch tv. This is fairly normal at home but the first for daycare! We've had to talk about not doing that in front of others! :)

25 Random Things About Me

25 Random ThingsRules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
1. I love bread and cheese (ok, how's that for random?!?!)
2. My kids are the two most important people in my life period.
3. I don't love my job.
4. BOBE'S pizza ROCKS!!!!
5. I like hard liquor but no beer or wine or champagne.
6. I am lucky to have good inlaws.
7. I appreciate my parents more with every passing year.
8. I love love love to read even though I don't get to much anymore.
9. I love to spend time at my parents' house (and not ONLY because they take over with the kids! :)
10. I love many of the people I work with
11. I spend way too much time on the computer after the kids are in bed.
12. I'm addicted to tivo and watching things days/weeks later
13. I love 24, Prison Break, Friday Night Lights, Lost, ER, One Tree Hill
14. I think I have some post traumatic stress disorder when it comes to my son's illness
15. I am not happy with the way I look
16. I don't like to cook or bake
17. I have some great friends that I wish I could spend more time with
18. 25 things is an awful lot to think of for me!
19. I'm not a huge animal/pet fan
20. I wish we could have a bigger house for more storage and a fenced in back yard
21. I'm terrified of deep/open water
22. I love taking and editing pictures
23. I wish I lived closer to my family
24. I have had a wasp nest fall on my head! OUCH!
25. I live for naps and long nights of sleep!

Now I tag:
Debbie
Sandy
Rose
Alicia
Rachel

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Free Valentine's Day photo cards

http://stories.scrapbooksetc.com/landings/valentine0209.php

6 free cards (free shipping too) Just create account, choose card, put your pic in, put in code (valentine) and get 6 free vday photo cards with no shipping!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

I have an idea

Ok, so I'm not scientifically or medically minded enough to actually MAKE this but, as a mom, I definitely can think it up!! :)
Someone needs to create a litmus strip type thing that is reasonably priced that parents can keep in their medicine cabinet and when their child is sick they stick it in the child's mouth and within 10 minutes (or less!) the result shows up clearly. I was thinking it needs to test for:
1) Virus (and which type!)
2) Bacteria (and which type!)
3) Ear infection
4) Sore throat caused by something other than virus or bacteria
5) Teething
6) Headache
7) Tummy ache
8) Something else hurts

Ok, so like I said, this will need to be created by someone other than me. However, I do ask that this person gives me credit for the idea and gives me part of the profit. There will be tons of profits!!!

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

Grady lovin' on Taylor. He banged his head on her nose right before this pic was snapped so she's not real happy!


Awwww, Grady loves Taylor!

Pushing Taylor down!

Grady's done with hugging!


Hey, Taylor! Are these your underwear??



Here you go, Taylor!

Friday, January 23, 2009

My poor baby!

Grady is running a fever and puking!!! NOT FUN as many of you well know! I better head to bed in hopes of getting SOME sleep.

Taylor is healing from the strep.

ENT put Grady on 14days of augmentin. Said there's so much heavy thick fluid in his ears that he'd never be able to be off antibiotics without getting infections. So, once pulmonologist clears him for the tubes we'll have the procedure done (hoping within the next two weeks) He has a mild hearing loss from the fluid that should fix itself once the tubes are in.

So, are there stocks in antibiotics?? I need to look into that! Between my two lately I'd have quite the little $ bundle built up! :)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

View this montage created at One True Media
Just a couple minutes of T and G!

Taylor taking part in the inauguration

Here are pictures of Taylor partaking in Obama's swearing in and speech. She calls him "Karack Obama" and she started praying when the prayer was said. Please note that she's got strep so she's not looking all that great! :) Grady napped through it all!

Monday, January 19, 2009

MLK Day 2008 vs. MLK Day 2009

So, a year ago today (DAY wise, not DATE wise) was TOTALLY different for us. I'm posting this at 3:00 pm and last year at this time Grady had already stopped breathing, my MIL and I had called 911 and done CPR, the EMTs had taken Grady to St. Francis and we were either headed to Riley or already there (I lost a few hours in there somewhere, forgive me!) Anyway, if you want to know more about Grady's journey (or just want to refresh yourself) please see this link http://breathingsoundssoeasy.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-had-planned-on-posting-this-in-jan.html

So, today is full of all sorts of memories for me. Of course, there's not a day that goes by that I don't have memories of the hospital and all that Grady went through during his 40+ days at Riley.

Today, Taylor has strep throat and I'll be missing school tomorrow to be home with her. I hate that she's sick but all in all this is a much better MLK Day than last year!

Here's a video of Grady's progress this past year. Oh, and by the way, Grady wasn't born premature or have any kind of problems at birth. He was perfect. It wasn't until he was 2 wks old and then into 7 wks-4 months old that he had his problems. Just click on the picture!

View this montage created at One True Media
Grady's Journey



Thursday, January 15, 2009

This Irritates Me

Can anyone explain to me how my school district's superintendet can get his duties narrowed down to just handling PR and fund raising yet still get the same large 6 figure income? What about the fact that he graciously turned down his raise this year but went ahead and accepted the $17,000 student achievement award. Then he promoted two of his assistant superintendents and the one got a 10% raise and now makes about $143,000 and the other got a 8-9% raise. Yet, and here's the kicker, the teachers are on their second year of no contract and the superintendent refuses to give us the 3% cost of living raise we're asking for and we're going to lose about 450 teachers in the district (first through 4th or 5th year teachers) and we're closing at least 6 buildings. Can someone explain this to me? Am I missing something? How does this make sense?????

Saturday, January 10, 2009

16 Things About Me

This thing is going around email and blogs and Facebook so I thought I'd join in.

1) I love to read but I mostly just like to read romance novels (good ones, not the ones that a third grader could write) but I do enjoy other books (Kite Runner) every now and then.
2) I HATE to do housework and am blessed that my husband enjoys it and does it a lot!
3) I don't mind doing laundry.
4) I'm a teacher but I'd really rather do something out of the classroom at this point. I've been teaching 10 years and I'm feeling the burn out. I want to be in education (I guess...I don't really have the "skills" or "training" for anything else at the moment" but I think I'd like to be out of the classroom for a while at least
5) I HATE talking to new people. Expecially if it's a confident/pretty woman or a really hot guy (but I'd take the hot guy over the hot girl anytime) I get really nervous and feel like I say stupid things
6) I have a horrible habit of not being able to make eye contact with people
7) I absolutely HATE confrontation of any type (especially with coworkers or family members)
8)I love taking pictures but I don't have a fancy camera or any true skills
9) I love TIVO! Thanks to it we get to watch favorite shows even if it's a week later!
10) I have daily, sometimes hourly flashbacks of the 40+ days Grady spent in the hospital
11) I am still self conscious about some things people made fun of me about when I was younger
12) I am totally in love with my two children and would never trade them even when they are driving me insane!
13) I wish that I would have become a nurse or something else (not sure what...)
14) I would rather email or send a card than call someone.
15)I don't make my bed.
16) I hate to be hot or sweaty. I like outside but not if it's hot.

Why don't you post 16 things about yourself on your blog and leave it on my comments as well? :)

Ballerina Taylor and Grady Throwing a Ball

Monday, January 5, 2009

Just complaining!

First, I have to say that going back today wasn't TOO bad (I'm a teacher and school started back today) and it's one day closer to summer break. However, I hate that the two hours I had with my kids tonight were gone in a blink and now it's time for me to crash into bed!
So, Grady's on his I don't know what # of antibiotics for another double ear infection (ENT on 23rd about this) and we're doing every 4 hour breathing treatments to stay on top of his chest/breathing junk. We've finally got him sleeping without all night coughing. He's getting 4 molars and another tooth right now. He's going to be on amoxicillin basically until the ENT appt. in hopes of keeping the infections away. He eats yogurt. Anything else I can do to offset the bad part of being on antibiotics so much? Anything cheap?
Now Taylor has a cough that's been off and on for about 3 wks but now it's worse and last night she coughed so long and hard that she puked. Delsym wouldn't even stop it. Today the ped called in a script for a cough medication and I got her to take some of Grady's albuterol and Flovent (bad, I know, but it helped and it's a dose for Grady's size so I don't think it's going to hurt her) She's coughing a little bit in bed right now but nothing like last night. Then today she tells Juana (dcp) that her ear hurts (told her the right ear two different times) but tonight no complaints and no fever or anything. She's only had one ear infection ever so this is new for her. Maybe she caught it from Grady HA! May have to call dr. again tomorrow and set up a appt. if ear continues or if the cough isn't helped by the prescript. cough med.
Ok, just needed to complain! I'm ready for no snotty noses, no ear infections, no teething, no coughs, no fevers!!!