Doing a little better...

Layla is doing a little better today. It helps that I gave her some tylenol with codine (left over from Hannah over a year ago, but hey - it worked).. She slept until about 1:30 and then was up for a little bit - put her back down around 3 and she slept until 7. So better. Sleep is helping her heal. Her cough doesn't sound as violent. She is still pretty congested and coughing, but her fevers aren't as high so we know she is over the worst. She is still not drinking a lot, but she is taking about 3oz now so that is better. I was really worried last night that we would be in the hospital today, but then she drank 4 oz before bed - whewww! We are going to take it easy this week and get all better!

On another note - potty training began today with Hannah. So far it is not going well. We have had 4 accidents and it is only 10am. Here is to hoping we improve quickly! Thank goodness for a good steam cleaner.

Surgery cancelled

We spent the night in the ER with Layla because she spiked a temp of 103.9 and started coughing uncontrollably. She has RSV. This is the 3rd leading cause of death in kids under 1! She is home and on breathing treatments now. We will see how long we can stay at home as she is not drinking today. We are going to give her until tomorrow midday to start drinking or it is back to the hospital we go. Her surgery will be delayed about a month until she is fully recovered from this virus. Poor girl cannot catch a teeny tiny break. She is just miserable and we have been up for over 36 hours now.....Please send us healing vibes so we can at least enjoy the holidays a little bit.

Surgery Tomorrow

Layla is having her surgery tomorrow. She will be having her ear tubes put in and she will also have an upper endoscopy. The GI will do 3 biopsies while she is in there to see if we can determine why her reflux is so bad. I am a very nervous mommy today.
I'll update more after the surgery is over and Layla is awake and playing. I am planning to hold her for 24 hours afterwards just to be safe :)

Baby update

Layla weighed in at 18lbs 4oz (75%) and 26.5 inches (50%) yesterday. She is a little chubby monkey :) The pediatrician is going to talk to the GI about further testing because Layla is still having a lot of tummy trouble. We don't know if she just can't handle the cereal or what is going on. It is so hard to tell. Here are some new pictures and some other Hannah b-day pictures that were too cute not to post. You can also see Matt's new 'baby' in the background here.

Big Birthday Party and Birthday Pictures

Hannah had her huge birthday party this weekend and it was a blast. There were about 40 people in my very medium sized house, so it was very crowded! The party was a huge success and Hannah had so much fun. The little girls did candy crafts and were so good the whole party. Hannah got a new big girl bike and so many fun things. We put away some of the new toys to bring out later in the winter when she gets bored :)

We also had the girls ped appt yesterday and Hannah was 38.5 inches tall (97%) and 31 lbs (just under 50%). She did great on her developmental screening and got the flu vaccine in the form of a nasal mist. She is a perfectly healthy 3 year old. We need to make her first dentist appointment soon so that will be a treat. She is ahead of the curve in her speech and her learning skills (in fact she was writing the letter H over and over on the dr's table paper) so he was very impressed with her. My big girl......

Pictures and a video!

6 Months & 3 Years

Oh my - I'm late again. Sorry.

Well Layla had her 3rd ear infection and another round of antibiotics. It has been very crazy here! We did get in to the ENT and she will have tubes placed on the 20th. We cannot keep having ear infections like we did with Hannah all last year. The surgery risk is low and hopefully it will help us avoid this problem all winter!

Layla weighed in at 17 lbs 2 weeks ago so she is on track for weight gain still. We don't know how tall she is yet, but I would venture to say - short :) She's a chubby monkey though and so sweet with all her baby rolls. She is sitting pretty well for short times so she should master this skill this month. She also rolls from her belly to her back pretty easily now. She hasn't yet figured out the other way, but whatever. We started cereal this past week and she is liking that in the evenings. Now that antibiotics are done, we will try carrots this weekend - yum!

Layla is still pretty happy despite her continued belly issues. She plays a lot and has a pleasant disposition. She loves Hannah and just giggles up a storm at her. It is very cute.

I can't believe my big girl is 3! We had a very fun birthday party at school and her BIG party is this weekend. It should be a blast and we will take tons of pictures. She is so excited about her birthday this year which is fun. She is also super excited about Christmas so we know that will be awesome. All in all - things are pretty good here. We are looking forward to the holidays and being home with the girls for a week (it is potty training week for Hannah - oh my!) I'll update more after the party!

Take care.

24 weeks.......I have feet?

Yes - Layla finally found her feet. She is not obsessed with them like Hannah was, but it is still so very cute. She had that wonderful surprised baby look on her face when she found them.

Layla had her second double ear infection and second round of thrush this past week so it has been a rough stretch. Remember, antibiotics make her puke and thrush medicine makes her puke, so together it is just ridiculous. We will be done with both medicines this weekend so hopefully we can have some good weeks ahead just in time for the holidays! Layla is around 16.5 lbs now so she is growing well. She is not too tall, so her 16.5 lbs is pretty condensed into her chubby thighs. Here are some new pictures of my big baby girl :)

We are getting ready for Hannah's big 3-year birthday bash! She is so excited and I'm sure it will be fun. We will have about 9 kiddos and some family here to celebrate. With the holidays and the birthdays coming up, we will be a very busy family. Take care.

My girls really do wear pants, but they were so cute here after new diapers for each. :)

Layla Laughing

Isn't she cute? Aunt Shelly is funny. This was from the girls first evening with Aunt Shelly and Tony. Seems to have gone ok :)

So cute.

I just think my girls are so cute. I know I am biased, but really - they are very cute kids. Although she is spitting up a ton, Layla seems to be doing pretty well on the Neocate. She has been pretty comfortable and falls asleep while eating (like a regular baby). It is a wonderful thing. So it looks like she is protein intolerant after all. This may pose issues with food in the future, but one step at a time. Right now I have a happy baby and that is all that matters.

We had a great playdate this morning with Jane and Ellen. It was much fun for all. The babies were so good and the big girls had a blast.

Tonight is the big night off for Mommy! I'll let you all know how it goes.

5 Months!

Layla is 5 months already! My little lamb is getting so big. She weighed 15lbs 4 oz at the GI on Monday (lost 6 oz somewhere) and was 24.5 inches tall.

Our formula trial is going ok and we are considering it a success at this point. I have gotten a taste of real food and don't think I can go back to not eating :) Layla is still only taking 3 oz sometimes, but she is doing ok.

Halloween was a big hit at our house. Hannah had so much fun. Layla couldn't have cared less, but she still was so cute! Hannah got a pumpkin full of candy and was so sweet. She said thank you to everyone and actually told us when she was done. She was just ready to go home and relax. Too funny.

The girls are spending their first night together at Grandma and Papa's this weekend. I could not be more excited! Not only can I eat with my husband, I can have a few glasses of wine, and then to top it off - I get to sleep all night. I feel like it's Christmas!

Take Care

21 weeks.......

Where to start....The news of the day is that we are starting our second formula trial today. We are going to try for 5 days on the Neocate (the most expensive formula known to man). We tried this 2 months ago and it went badly so we are hoping for better results. I would nurse this baby until she was grown if I could eat some real food, but alas after 5 months of eating practically nothing, I have to try the formula again. I'd say it is nice to walk into a store and pick out any size 0 and know it would fit, and it is nice to eat a bag of chips and know I won't gain an ounce, but when the rest of my family is missing me at dinner, and my husband and I can't even go out and have fun, it ruins the joy of being thin. I am hoping and praying that Layla does well on the formula this time and I can return to a normal lifestyle. She is only drinking 3oz per bottle right now (because formula is gross) but she should get used to it in a day or so. I cried a little and will surely do so again over the next few days, but I'm kind of getting used to that. We also go back to the GI tomorrow to talk about doing the endoscopy to make sure we aren't missing anything.

So for some fun news. We took the girls to the pumpkin patch which was a blast! Hannah rode a pony and a train and had so much fun. Later that same day we went to our neighborhood block party where there were more ponies and bouncy houses! It was quite a day for an almost 3-year old. The girls dressed up in their costumes and were just so sweet all day.

Layla has not rolled since my last post.......hmmmmmm. Just not interested. She is however trying to get on her knees which is funny. She can't get on her hands and then try the knees, so she just face plants and sticks her butt in the air. She wiggles herself in a circle (not quite on purpose yet) which is a good start.

Layla also has her first ear infection this week. After 4 nights of up all night with no real fever, we finally took her in. The ear infection was early, but still - so sad. So between that and the formula - she is not a happy girl. Poor baby. Just can't catch a break.

Why do I feel like I never have good news?

Really I know it will all be ok and this is just another bump in our road. We are staying positive though and looking forward to the holidays with these girls!

Take care.

19 weeks and rollin!

Layla can roll. She doesn't do it regularly yet, but I set her on her back and walked out of the room - when I came back - she was on her belly. She just grinned at me like "Look Ma! I did it!". She also can roll belly to back when she feels like it. So that is fun. She is trying so hard to sit up when you put her in her bouncy seat now so we know she will master that soon too.

Layla is still getting up around 2:30 to eat so we have made no progress there. I think next week we will also have to bite the bullet and unswaddle her too, which will be tough. We have tried a couple of times and it is no fun - Layla just likes to be swaddled. We are hoping that if we unswaddle and let her try to get herself back to sleep, it will help her sleep better. I'm not tackling this one by myself, so I am waiting for Matt to get back from Vegas.

Layla is really working on her speech lately and has multiple new sounds. My favorite is the one that sounds like 'mama'. She also has found her squeal which is cute. She doesn't do raspberries yet, but she does have her paci in most of the time, so eventually.

Layla and I have had quite a stretch. First we went to her 4 month ped appt. She weighed in at 14lbs 10oz and is 24 inches tall. She screamed bloody murder at her shots, but that is to be expected. We also found out Layla had thrush - ick. Well turns out by Wednesday I too had thrush so we are both being treated. It wouldn't be too bad except the medecine makes Layla sick. Her reflux and vomiting were back to as bad as when she was little. It was no fun. Then last weekend I got the stomach flu. Layla also was very squirmy and irratable so she was sick too. We are recovered now, but geesh - as if we need any more puke in this house.

Hannah spent last weekend with her grandparents and went to the farm. She had a great time and was very good. (Pics soon) At almost 3, Hannah is quite fun. She is very inquisitive and very sweet. She loves her daddy! They are like peas on a pod as soon as he gets home. We have made no real potty training progress lately - Hannah still doesn't quite get the pee thing yet. We are just trying to ler her work it out in her own time. She did for the poop, so we know she can. She's a bit backwards on the potty training, but that's pretty normal for Hannah. She has always had her own time-table for things. I have no idea how tall she is (very tall!) but she weighs about 30 lbs (skinny!). Her next dr visit will be in December for her 3-year checkup. We are hoping those ear tubes we had put in last spring do the trick this year and we don't have ear infection after ear infection like last year.

Life is pretty good these days. Busy, but good. I am tired by evening time, but I am finally enjoying my time with my girls :) I am so madly in love with both of them - it's just amazing.

Take care.

Abbey Laughing

This is my niece. While we were visiting Chicago, she had her first real belly laugh.
Aunt Shelly is funny. Hannah used to just laugh at her too!
Since Abbey is so cute and this video was such a big hit, I'll try to include more Abbey too :)

Layla - weeks 15, 16 and 17.....Oh my I'm late

Where to start.....We took the girls to Chicago last weekend for the first time. In fact, we realized that it has been nearly two years since we have taken Hannah there! They were both very good on the trip which was great. They enjoyed playing with their cousin Abbey and the visiting dogs, Boozer and Otis. I didn't get a picture of Layla staring at the dogs, but it was pretty funny. She has never seen big dogs before and she was quite entertained. Hannah was very good on the trip and got some quality time with her aunts and uncle (which she loves). She has really bonded with uncle Mark, which is fun since she would have nothing to do with him when she was younger. She misses her aunt Shelly, so she was happy to spend some time with her too.

Shel - when are you moving back to St. Louis?

Layla is teething like crazy! She chews on her hands constantly now and is a bucket of drool. This is extra special since she has reflux and she is swallowing that much more drool to spit back up. We aren't sure if this is the only culprit, but her sleeping has taken a turn for the worse and we are getting up several times a night with her. She is eating anywhere from 2-4am. This was hard to adjust to again, but whatever is best for Layla is fine for me. At least she rarely throws up in the middle of the night anymore so it is a full feeding that stays in her belly.

No new news on rolling over or anything. Layla will roll to her side to get a better view of her sister (or the TV) but that's about it. She plays happily on her belly a couple times a day though and does great. We are starting to work on propping her up to sit so she can start building those muscles. We have really slacked on that since it usually comes with spitting up, but I think it will really help her. We are also going to break out the stationary entertainer and jump-a-roo this weekend. They started her in that at school this week and say she loves it. Looking back - this was exactly the age we put Hannah in those too. Wow - time really goes by quickly now.

I wished away those first weeks of Layla's life - I admit. I'd say the first 8 were pure heck and the next 2-4 were still tough. I wanted her to be bigger/older/better/faster. Now that she is doing a bit better, I want time to stand still. I want to enjoy her sweet babyness and her little babbles. She is a very sweet baby and she can just melt your heart with her smile and giggle. Now that I know how to post a video, I will try to get a good one of Layla chatting and giggling.

Take care.

14 weeks

Sorry I'm late again. These weeks go so quickly now!

Layla is doing well and babbling up a storm. She has lengthy conversations with her play gym in the evenings. Her school reported that she was chatting up the toys over there as well. Sometimes she even yells which is good practice for when she needs to be heard over her big sister. Layla also rolled over this week (by accident) from her belly to her back. Twice. It was pretty exciting - she got lots of applause.

Well Layla and I have resumed our 4am get together which is pretty disappointing after getting to sleep until 5 for a week or so. She has been up between 3 and 4 every night this week. She then goes back to sleep in her swing until about 7. When I have to get them to school I usually have to wake her around 6:30 - which is sad because I believe in never waking a sleeping baby!

We had a fun holiday weekend. We took the girls to the fair which was very fun. Hannah got to ride rides, play games and rode her first pony! We tried last year, but it was just too scary for a 1 year old. This year it was a ton of fun. Then Aunt Shelly was here to play and we got lots of swimming in! It was just a very nice weekend. Layla even got in the pool. We have a fun weekend planned next weekend too when Matt and I take the girls to Uncle Marks. It will be an experience I'm sure, but it should be fun.

Take care