June Challange

I am going to try to blog once a day for the next 30 days. I really enjoy reading other people's blog daily and I know I don't have a huge following but it is always nice to look back and see what was going on.

Today I have to take Colin back to the doctor. He has not stopped coughing from the RSV he got on April 19. We have tried liquid steroids, breathing treatments, time and everything else and it doesn't seem to help. He will calm his cough down for a few days but then he starts right back up. Hopefully the doctor will have some advice for us, I hate to pay $30 for him to say, "yep keep doing what you are doing".

So here is hoping we come home with a result today.

Day Care

It has now been a year since I have held a job outside the home. This time last year I had NO idea what was going to happen. I knew I didn't want to go back to teaching but wasn't sure if Headstart would hire me back. I knew that I was going to enjoy my summer with Alyssa and enjoy my second trimester of pregnancy.

Here I sit a year later with 15 kids on my daycare roster and some days during the week having 12 kids. I love it. I am so grateful to stay home with my kids all day and see their interactions with other kids. I love watching the other kids and though I'm putting in over 50 hours a week I do it in my own home. I'm home for dinner and I can be a wife as well.

So far I do not regret my decision at all to stay home and leave my teaching career on hold. Someone asked me the other day if I would go back to teaching after all my kids are in school. The honest answer is I don't know. While I do enjoy parts of teaching there were also a lot of parts I hated. So I don't know what the future holds.

Right now I know that I have had my best year in 5 years. I didn't not cry over a stupid boss or have to come home complaining about kids abusing or cussing at me. I have the best assistant that I could possibly imagine. She has become more than just an employee but a good friend.

I'm excited to see as I get ready to start my second year of my business to see where it goes.

6 Months

Dear Colin,

You are now six months. You weigh 20 lbs 11 ounces and are 27 inches long. You are a big boy wearing 12 month clothes but you are happy and adorable and that is all that matters.

You can now sit up all on your own and will sit for a long time and play with toys that we put in front of you.

You are not a huge fan of baby food but will tolerate it. You eat peas, green beans, sweet potatos, carrots, and apples.(Though you would not eat anything but peas until the last week or so which is after your 6 month birthday).

You have gotten better with sleep and only get up about 2 times a night. You usually eat and go right back to sleep though at 5:30 you get up for about an hour to an hour and a half then go back to sleep for 2 hours.

You enjoy watching what is going on around you. You have stopped nursing because you can't see what is going on so you get mostly bottles now.

You love your sister to no end and will do anything to watch her. In the car you will strain your neck to turn so that you can see her and smile at her. I love sitting in the front seat and listening to you and her play.

It is now summer and really hot outside so we haven't spent much time outside but again you love to be out there.

You also still love water. If you are crying and put you in the bath you instantly stop until we get you out.

Baby Boy I love you more than words can say and I can't believe you are already a half year old. I can't wait to see what the next half year and more holds.

Love,

Mommy

Branson

This past weekend we took a trip to Branson to celebrate a wedding of one of Chris' cousins daughters. The wedding it self was just an excuse to get out of town for a few days. The wedding was a mid day one on Saturday. So Chris and I chose to leave Thursday night and return Saturday after the wedding giving us some family time while also making the most of the 4 hour drive each way.

We left about 8 pm on Thursday night. On the drive down I was nervous that the kids would get a good nap in and when we hit the hotel a little after midnight they would be wide awake in a new place. I had no need to be worried. We pulled into the parking lot of the hotel at 12:10 and by 12:40 we were laying in bed with the lights off going to sleep.

On Friday after both Chris and I checked in with our work (not planned they needed us). We headed out for the day.

We did the Butterfly Palace which was really cool but Alyssa hated. She doesn't like the butterflies to be anywhere near her. There was also a mirror maze in the dark which she hated as well. The only thing she did like was the reptile room

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After that we went to horse stables that I was told about. Alyssa loved looking at the horses and kept asking to ride one. I told her she was not old enough but that was not an acceptable answer for her. So we found a horse that she could ride and with her helmet in place (even though it was still too big for her head) she went on her first horse ride ever. While looking at pictures you would think she hated it, but after listening to her once we got back in the car she LOVED it.

We then went and rode the DUCK. Which is a big boat/car that drives on land and water. Once on the water she was allowed to drive the boat and she loved that as well.

We then grabbed a quick bite to eat and back to the hotel for naps for both kids.

After the nap we headed down to the pool. This was Colin's first time in the pool and he loved it. We got him to float on his back and go underwater. He was kicking and loved splashing around in the water.(I can't wait until swim lessons start for him).

We then got out to meet the rest of the family for dinner. After dinner Alyssa got to go swimming with all of her cousins.

On Saturday we got up and went to a fish hatchery where Alyssa got to feed trout. She liked that but really liked looking at all the reptiles before hand

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We then went to the wedding where she ohh and awwed over "the princess" and then tore it up on the dance floor for the reception.

At 5 on Saturday night we piled everyone back in the car and headed home. Both kids did great on the way home though Colin did get a little restless.

It was a nice vacation and really enjoyed my time with my family. It was nice to get away even if it was only for 2 days.

Happy Mother's Day

It has been a wonderful weekend and I am soo so so lucky to have the amazing family that I have. Yesterday during Alyssa's nap I curled up on the couch with Chris and he watched a movie while I slept. Then after Alyssa's nap we went to the park, after playing at the park we walked to Wal Mart and got a few things, came home packed the kids up and went out to dinner at a place that we haven't eaten at in over a year.

Then last night once the kids were in bed Chris and I enjoyed the quiet of the house and while he sat and played on his computer while I played on mine we knew all was right with our house.

This morning I woke up to an empty house. I got up and enjoyed some time in my Pj's and no kids calling my name. Then they came home with flowers and doughnuts for me. Alyssa came running in the house to give me the flowers. She then went running around the house saying "Happy Mother's Day Daddy". I loved it!

I got to eat doughnuts with my family and open my mother's day cards. We then got ready for church. Before getting ready for church we had some family play time. It is an amazing sound to hear the laughter of your kids. I was in the kitchen with the biggest smile on my face while listening to Alyssa play with Colin.

We came home from church and Chris fixed me lunch with a surprise soda(my favorite kind). Now both kids are napping, Chris is watching another movie and I think it is time for a nap for me before we head off to Chris's parents to celebrate mother's day with her.

I am a lucky mom to have such amazing and wonderful kids. I am also a very very lucky wife to have a husband that has spoiled me rotten today. I have really enjoyed a day of being waited upon.

SICK SICK SICK

Since April 16 no one in this house has been healthy. On April 16th I went to the ER because I was sick and ended up on meds. On April 19th Colin ended up in the ER with RSV and pneumonia. He had to stay 5 days. By the time we came home Chris was sick and had to go to his doctor for meds. During that whole time Alyssa had a cough but we didn't think to much of it with the changing of the seasons and her asthma. So this weekend when she spiked a fever we thought she had a virus. After a call to the after hours nurse line we ended up at the ER with her. She has sever pneumonia in her right lung. So she is now on meds.

I am still not healthy so I will be calling my doctor for an appointment today to see if I can get meds. I have to take Alyssa back to the doctor for her white cell level to be checked.

Since April 16 we have spent $880 in co-pays that doesn't count the bills I know will be coming soon.

Hopefully May brings with it good weather and healthy family.

5 months

Dear Colin,

You are now 5 months old. I can't believe how big you have gotten. You now weigh 18.6 pounds and are over 26 inches long.

You are a very happy boy and will smile at anyone and anything. This past month you also got very sick and had to spend 5 days in the hospital with RSV and pneumonia. During that time I did not leave your side. It was a stressful time but you did so well. Even at your sickest you would smile at the nurses when they came in. They would call you the Gerber baby or Baby Love. I would smile but know that your nickname The Wrench is still what Daddy and I call you.

You got the name The Wrench when you were born because we told you not to come until December but you had other plans and you have stuck with them. Whatever plans we have you make sure they don't happen or throw a wrench in our plans.

You were also Baptized this last month and had many friends and family come to celebrate with you. You did great and did not cry at all when they put the water over your head. You did start to pout when the Pastor took you, but when he brought you back so that you could see daddy and me you started to smile again.

You love to play in your exersaucer and roll around on the floor. You can roll both ways now but prefer to lay on your back and look around.

We started cereal but then you got sick so we stopped. We will start that back up this week. I hope you like it because you are eating more and more milk everyday.

You are very smart and know what you want and will continue to try until you get what you want.

You have also started waking up more and more at night. We thought you were going to be our good sleeper but that is turning out to be wrong with you getting up 3 or more times a night. We love you very much and can't wait to see what plans you have in store for us in the coming months.

Love,

Mommy