Tuesday, June 30, 2009
What's old is new again
Well it's official, if I thought my house had already been taken over by toys, I was wrong. NOW it has officially been taken over since Lucy is old enough to actually play with more than just soft or teething toys. But the good thing is, at least (for now) these toys just had to come up and out of storage, nothing new has been purchased. I think we have a good year before we have to think about princesses or baby dolls or tea parties. So until then, enjoy your new (old) toys little Lulu. And I'll keep reminding myself that this is just a season of life and someday, someday that will come all too soon I'm sure, I won't be tripping over toys daily and well, I don't think I want to think about that right now. Because wow, it sure is an undeniably amazing, fantastic, best season of my life.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Patriotism
I read this quote recently:
"America will never run....And we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders" - George W. Bush
We are lucky to live in a country that is free and thriving, full of countless opportunities and even in tough times, the chance to follow a dream. And most importantly, in my opinion, we are lucky, like President Bush said, to have "such brave defenders" of this great nation. Defenders that make it safe for us to follow those dreams and take advantage of our freedoms. I am a military spouse and although there are times (many, many times I'll admit) when I disagree with things that the military does and the transient lifestyle, on a whole, I am extremely proud of my husband and proud of his mission.
On Friday night Wright-Patterson Air Force Base held their annual "TATTOO" event to honor the military members for their hard work. It is a great family event that includes yummy food, great music, flyovers and fireworks. Perhaps the best part, of course, are the friends.
We had a great time with our friends, celebrating America and celebrating our freedom. God Bless America.
"America will never run....And we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders" - George W. Bush
We are lucky to live in a country that is free and thriving, full of countless opportunities and even in tough times, the chance to follow a dream. And most importantly, in my opinion, we are lucky, like President Bush said, to have "such brave defenders" of this great nation. Defenders that make it safe for us to follow those dreams and take advantage of our freedoms. I am a military spouse and although there are times (many, many times I'll admit) when I disagree with things that the military does and the transient lifestyle, on a whole, I am extremely proud of my husband and proud of his mission.
On Friday night Wright-Patterson Air Force Base held their annual "TATTOO" event to honor the military members for their hard work. It is a great family event that includes yummy food, great music, flyovers and fireworks. Perhaps the best part, of course, are the friends.
We had a great time with our friends, celebrating America and celebrating our freedom. God Bless America.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The (many) joys of summer
Wading in Little Sugarcreek, one of our favorite summer pastimes.
Yeah he looks like a 10 year old, I know.
Crocs, perfect wading gear.
Venturing a little further away from the Mama's (that's our friend Hannah).
And sometimes when all those joys of summer get to you (heat, humidity, soaking wet bum bum, bug bites), you end up in a time out in the car after throwing a major fit and you have to leave the park and go immediately home. But that never happens to my child, no, not here. He's an angel. All.the.time.
Can you see that face? He was pretty angry with me. Yeah.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Some of my favorite things about summer
Fresh Fruit, most of which I was able to buy locally
Eating outside, every night!
Eating outside, every night!
Bare feet in the grass.
Especially if the bare feet belong to this little one.
I hope you are enjoying your summer day, wherever you are.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
This is how we ROLL
I am not a double stroller Mommy. It's just not for me! However when you have two kids and you want to exercise it seems that a double stroller is necessary (especially if you want to exercise when your husband is deployed which will be our case in 2 1/2 months). So we broke down and got one...it's not your typical double stroller though which is why I love it! You won't see me pushing this around the mall but you will see me biking, walking and running with our new Croozer .
Such a smooth ride, we walked 1.5 miles this afternoon and both kiddos were so calm and relaxed. They both have lots of room. Brady got out of the stroller before I got the camera and he said he just wanted to stand next to it!
Croozer "profile" Right now we have the stroller wheel on the front, it has a large front wheel for jogging and it also has the bicycle attachment.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Reminder
We just got home from a trip to see my parents and sister in Pittsburgh so of course like all trips, you come home and make a mess with laundry, bags that need unpacked, grocery shopping that needs to get done. I think today Brady (who is now napping on the couch and Lucy in her crib) asked me to push him on the swings or play Lincoln Logs with him about 30 times already and it's only 12:15pm and my answer every time "Brady, not right now, I have to insert some chore, I'll play in a few minutes." Now that he's asleep, I was looking for a gift on etsy and I saw a quote on a picture frame and the guilt set in a bit.
I think I need this reminder every day because really, playing and making memories, that's what matters. They aren't going to be little forever.
Brady bear, the rest of the day belongs to you my boy. No chores, no computer. Just you. Well and Lulu too. Love you kiddo.
I hope my children look back on today and see a mother who has time to play.
I think I need this reminder every day because really, playing and making memories, that's what matters. They aren't going to be little forever.
Brady bear, the rest of the day belongs to you my boy. No chores, no computer. Just you. Well and Lulu too. Love you kiddo.
Friday, June 12, 2009
A First
Yesterday, we had a true first in our family. Something that Brady has never "experienced" yet in his 3 years. Something Lucy beat Brady to.
Yes, this is a picture of Lucy hanging out in the ER of (the brand new, very huge, amazing, beautiful) Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Wearing a mask just in case she had swine flu. LOL We knew she didn't have swine flu, but the precautions they take in ER's in this day and age are a bit much.
Lucy started having a very high fever on Tuesday afternoon. She had her 6 month well baby appointment on Wednesday at the base right before we were scheduled to leave for Pittsburgh. The doc noted the fevers, checked her ears (no ear infection) and said that if the fever hit 102 or higher that I was immediately to take her to the ER regardless of if we were in Dayton or not. We drove to Pittsburgh that afternoon and wouldn't you know, as soon as we get here, I take her temp and it's at 102 flat. Well I decided to wait it out, see what would happen because to me, it seemed that taking her to the ER was a gross overreaction. I didn't want to be one of those parents! Tylenol kicked in, dropped the temp to a cool 100.5. This happened for the next 18 hours. Temp would jump to over 102 and drop again. Finally yesterday afternoon around 2pm when it hit 102.5 for the 5th time I decided to take her to the ER like the doc told me to do the first time it hit 102. Lucy had not been herself for over 48 hours, cranky, clingy, crying and crying, not drinking her bottle or eating her baby food, so it was time.
We got there and they made both her and I wear masks because she had a fever for more than 48 hours AND we had been outside of the state in the last 7 days. They took a rectal temp and it was 103.9
They put us in an isolation room and made all the nurses and docs wear gowns and masks to come in and see it us. It was pretty comical trying to keep a mask on a 6 month old. Turns out, the admitting nurse made a mistake with the whole mask and isolation thing. Lucy WAS NOT having any respiratory symptoms which is what should have triggered the whole isolation thing, I guess if there is a high fever AND respiratory symptoms and you've been out of the state that ='s isolation and mask but Lucy has no cough, drippy nose, etc. Just an extremely high fever!
They checked her ears, no ear infection. So then, poor thing, had to have a catheter for a urine sample to rule out a Urinary Tract Infection. That came back just fine. And that was it! So they sent us home with an explanation of Fever of Unknown Origin! She continues to run these high fevers but her mood has improved and she is drinking 2-3 ounces of her bottles so hopefully she is on the mend.
Brady is spending the day with Mema and Pop downtown riding the Subway and having lunch and doing whatever else the might come across. The kid is a transportation fanatic. Aren't most boys at this age? Lulu is napping and hopefully she'll wake up feeling a tad better.
Finally, if you've read through this wordy long post, the only thing left to say is LET's GO PENS!!!
Yes, this is a picture of Lucy hanging out in the ER of (the brand new, very huge, amazing, beautiful) Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Wearing a mask just in case she had swine flu. LOL We knew she didn't have swine flu, but the precautions they take in ER's in this day and age are a bit much.Lucy started having a very high fever on Tuesday afternoon. She had her 6 month well baby appointment on Wednesday at the base right before we were scheduled to leave for Pittsburgh. The doc noted the fevers, checked her ears (no ear infection) and said that if the fever hit 102 or higher that I was immediately to take her to the ER regardless of if we were in Dayton or not. We drove to Pittsburgh that afternoon and wouldn't you know, as soon as we get here, I take her temp and it's at 102 flat. Well I decided to wait it out, see what would happen because to me, it seemed that taking her to the ER was a gross overreaction. I didn't want to be one of those parents! Tylenol kicked in, dropped the temp to a cool 100.5. This happened for the next 18 hours. Temp would jump to over 102 and drop again. Finally yesterday afternoon around 2pm when it hit 102.5 for the 5th time I decided to take her to the ER like the doc told me to do the first time it hit 102. Lucy had not been herself for over 48 hours, cranky, clingy, crying and crying, not drinking her bottle or eating her baby food, so it was time.
We got there and they made both her and I wear masks because she had a fever for more than 48 hours AND we had been outside of the state in the last 7 days. They took a rectal temp and it was 103.9
They put us in an isolation room and made all the nurses and docs wear gowns and masks to come in and see it us. It was pretty comical trying to keep a mask on a 6 month old. Turns out, the admitting nurse made a mistake with the whole mask and isolation thing. Lucy WAS NOT having any respiratory symptoms which is what should have triggered the whole isolation thing, I guess if there is a high fever AND respiratory symptoms and you've been out of the state that ='s isolation and mask but Lucy has no cough, drippy nose, etc. Just an extremely high fever!
They checked her ears, no ear infection. So then, poor thing, had to have a catheter for a urine sample to rule out a Urinary Tract Infection. That came back just fine. And that was it! So they sent us home with an explanation of Fever of Unknown Origin! She continues to run these high fevers but her mood has improved and she is drinking 2-3 ounces of her bottles so hopefully she is on the mend.
Brady is spending the day with Mema and Pop downtown riding the Subway and having lunch and doing whatever else the might come across. The kid is a transportation fanatic. Aren't most boys at this age? Lulu is napping and hopefully she'll wake up feeling a tad better.
Finally, if you've read through this wordy long post, the only thing left to say is LET's GO PENS!!!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Just so you will always remember and I will never forget
*I started writing this post in mid-March and it took me this long to finally get around to finishing it, today, on her 6 month birthday. It's raw and the grammar is, I'm sure, incorrect, but these are my words, how I remember it and how I want Lucy to remember it.*
This post is mostly for me, and for Lucy, so that you, my sweet girl, will always remember and I will never forget how you came into this crazy, beautiful world.
Everything about your arrival Lucy was completely different than Brady's arrival and that made this Mama crazy. At 36 weeks I was asking the doc to induce me because that's when Brady was born and I didn't feel like going any further than that! How would I know what natural labor felt like, how would I know when to go to the hospital? I didn't like not being in control of the situation! I felt like a first time Mom because I didn't know what to expect.
Your due date, according to me, was December 6th, 2008. The doc said your due date was December 9th. The ultrasound said December 5th, 2008. My tummy was measuring little, I only gained 22 lbs. Family, friends and strangers kept telling me I was going to go late with you because my tummy was little. I thought they were probably right!
On December 4th, which was a Thursday, we were getting ready to go to the grocery store to get candy and icing for our gingerbread houses. Before we left I made a phone call to your Grandma Zollars to ask her about a sign that my body was giving me that you might be coming soon. I described what was happening and she said you could be coming soon or it could be days still.
We came home and put Brady to bed but he didn't cooperate, he got to bed late. I sat down at the computer to catch up on some emails and then came the contractions. I decided that I'd better go rest. I fell asleep for a few hours and woke up around 1am because the contractions had gotten stronger. I let Dada sleep and went downstairs to watch the clock and count the minutes ticking by between each contraction. I sat on the couch and typed Sarah an email because you see, earlier in that week, on Tuesday, the 2nd, she wrote me an email that said:
Okay, I'm thinking she's going to come on Friday
And at 3:01am on Friday, December 5th, I wrote this to her.
Dear friend,
I think today is the day. If not today by tomorrow. Right now, contractions every 8-10 mins. that last about 30 seconds. It's hell, I forgot LOL And all along I thought for sure (and so did everyone else it seems) that she was going to be late. She might just be right on time..
Didn't watch Grey's, B was still awake at 940p so at that point I was so tired I just decided to go to sleep. Apparently that was a good decision. I'm going to watch it now though, keep my mind off of what is potentially going to happen in the next 24-48 hours :) I'll be in touch my friend.
While we driving to hospital, Dada was eating Cheerios and wow, the smell of the cheerios was making me feel oh so nausea. I know, Cheerios?? Who knew the smell of cheerios was so strong? Unfortunately the nausea turned into sickness and we had to stop of the side of 35 so I could get sick. This nausea didn't go away for the rest of the labor. I was getting sick at least twice an hour until you arrived.
When we got to the hospital on base, I tried to walk up to the Family Birthing Center but I made it about two steps and Dada had to wheel me up in a wheelchair. The first person we saw when we got on the floor said "did you call before you came?" Not even a good morning or hello or how are you doing. No lady, I forgot to call before we arrived. Sorry. Thankfully, once the doctor checked me and told me that yes, in fact, you were coming today, I didn't feel so bad that I hadn't called. I was 6 cm dialated at 5:50am. The doc that admitted me, Dr. Newman, said the same thing everyone kept saying to me "oh you are so tiny, you don't look like you are going to have a baby today". He felt my stomach, pushed and pressed and said "I think you are going to have about a 5lb 10oz baby". Little did he know.
The got me set up in a room and we got things moving with the epidural. It took a long time to get the epidural because they were concerned about my very low blood pressure. The anestesiologist wanted to have several reads on my BP before she would administer the epidural. I kept saying "I have low BP", "that's normal for me" but the silly blood pressure "machine" kept sounding an alarm because of my low reads. It felt like hours passed but finally I got the epidural and was able to relax.
After that, not much happened, we chatted with the wonderful nursing staff, a few docs came in and out, we watched Sportscenter, I kept asking for a Pepsi (which every nurse promised would be delivered to me as soon as you arrived), I got sick LOTS of times, we talked to Mema and Grandma on the phone, the blood pressure alarm kept sounding, and you, little one, stayed cozy and warm inside.
Around 11:45am, I started to feel some major pressure so it seemed like it was time to push. So that I did. For 2 hours and 45 mins.
And then it happened, you were here. You were healthy and big and oh you had a cone head. All that pushing and you not wanting to come out did a number on your sweet little head. Our 7 lb 11oz, 21 inches long Lucy May Zollars, arrived at 2:30pm on a snowy, cold December day. And from the moment you took your first breath, Lulu, you won us over, you drew us in, you "had us at hello". Our girl, our sweet angel, our little beauty; we were madly in love with you.
We called Mema and Pop, we called Grandma and Grandpa. Your Aunt Laura announced your arrival on Facebook, (something you may or may not know about when you are older). All of the family was of course elated and couldn't wait to meet you. The nurses made good on their promise to bring me a Pepsi, two in fact. It tasted amazing.
Your big brother Brady arrived with Grandma and Grandpa Zollars around 5pm. Not going to lie, he didn't really care about you. He just wanted to see me and Dada. This is what we expected though. He looked at you and talked about the little crib you were in but mostly he just wanted to know when I was coming home.
You figured out how to eat, took your bottle with no problem. All systems were a go. From the beginning, you were calm, laid back, content. I held you the entire time, taking in your features, your smell, listening to you breathe. I wanted to remember every little tiny inch of who you were, wondering who you were going to become.
We stayed at the hospital until Sunday, December 7th at lunchtime.
Home we went, on that bitter cold December day. The Zollars Family, party of 4
This post is mostly for me, and for Lucy, so that you, my sweet girl, will always remember and I will never forget how you came into this crazy, beautiful world.
Everything about your arrival Lucy was completely different than Brady's arrival and that made this Mama crazy. At 36 weeks I was asking the doc to induce me because that's when Brady was born and I didn't feel like going any further than that! How would I know what natural labor felt like, how would I know when to go to the hospital? I didn't like not being in control of the situation! I felt like a first time Mom because I didn't know what to expect.
Your due date, according to me, was December 6th, 2008. The doc said your due date was December 9th. The ultrasound said December 5th, 2008. My tummy was measuring little, I only gained 22 lbs. Family, friends and strangers kept telling me I was going to go late with you because my tummy was little. I thought they were probably right!
On December 4th, which was a Thursday, we were getting ready to go to the grocery store to get candy and icing for our gingerbread houses. Before we left I made a phone call to your Grandma Zollars to ask her about a sign that my body was giving me that you might be coming soon. I described what was happening and she said you could be coming soon or it could be days still.
We came home and put Brady to bed but he didn't cooperate, he got to bed late. I sat down at the computer to catch up on some emails and then came the contractions. I decided that I'd better go rest. I fell asleep for a few hours and woke up around 1am because the contractions had gotten stronger. I let Dada sleep and went downstairs to watch the clock and count the minutes ticking by between each contraction. I sat on the couch and typed Sarah an email because you see, earlier in that week, on Tuesday, the 2nd, she wrote me an email that said:
Okay, I'm thinking she's going to come on Friday
And at 3:01am on Friday, December 5th, I wrote this to her.
Dear friend,
I think today is the day. If not today by tomorrow. Right now, contractions every 8-10 mins. that last about 30 seconds. It's hell, I forgot LOL And all along I thought for sure (and so did everyone else it seems) that she was going to be late. She might just be right on time..
Didn't watch Grey's, B was still awake at 940p so at that point I was so tired I just decided to go to sleep. Apparently that was a good decision. I'm going to watch it now though, keep my mind off of what is potentially going to happen in the next 24-48 hours :) I'll be in touch my friend.
I tried to watch Grey's but I was so miserable I couldn't concentrate, even on McDreamy. LOL. Brady woke up at some point crying for me, perhaps he knew that his life was about to drastically change, I don't know. I lied on his floor next to his toddler bed and I (silently) cried and cried for two reasons, 1. I was in pain, 2. I was sad and happy for what was apparently going to actually happen. He fell asleep and I decided to take a shower. I woke up your Dada and told him that today was the day and asked him to call his Mom to let her know because she was going to come take care of Brady. I took my shower and then finished packing my bag with odds and ends. Grandma Zollars came over a few minutes after 5am. We got into the car and noticed it was snowing. It snowed the day Brady arrived too.
While we driving to hospital, Dada was eating Cheerios and wow, the smell of the cheerios was making me feel oh so nausea. I know, Cheerios?? Who knew the smell of cheerios was so strong? Unfortunately the nausea turned into sickness and we had to stop of the side of 35 so I could get sick. This nausea didn't go away for the rest of the labor. I was getting sick at least twice an hour until you arrived.
When we got to the hospital on base, I tried to walk up to the Family Birthing Center but I made it about two steps and Dada had to wheel me up in a wheelchair. The first person we saw when we got on the floor said "did you call before you came?" Not even a good morning or hello or how are you doing. No lady, I forgot to call before we arrived. Sorry. Thankfully, once the doctor checked me and told me that yes, in fact, you were coming today, I didn't feel so bad that I hadn't called. I was 6 cm dialated at 5:50am. The doc that admitted me, Dr. Newman, said the same thing everyone kept saying to me "oh you are so tiny, you don't look like you are going to have a baby today". He felt my stomach, pushed and pressed and said "I think you are going to have about a 5lb 10oz baby". Little did he know.
The got me set up in a room and we got things moving with the epidural. It took a long time to get the epidural because they were concerned about my very low blood pressure. The anestesiologist wanted to have several reads on my BP before she would administer the epidural. I kept saying "I have low BP", "that's normal for me" but the silly blood pressure "machine" kept sounding an alarm because of my low reads. It felt like hours passed but finally I got the epidural and was able to relax.
After that, not much happened, we chatted with the wonderful nursing staff, a few docs came in and out, we watched Sportscenter, I kept asking for a Pepsi (which every nurse promised would be delivered to me as soon as you arrived), I got sick LOTS of times, we talked to Mema and Grandma on the phone, the blood pressure alarm kept sounding, and you, little one, stayed cozy and warm inside.
Around 11:45am, I started to feel some major pressure so it seemed like it was time to push. So that I did. For 2 hours and 45 mins.
And then it happened, you were here. You were healthy and big and oh you had a cone head. All that pushing and you not wanting to come out did a number on your sweet little head. Our 7 lb 11oz, 21 inches long Lucy May Zollars, arrived at 2:30pm on a snowy, cold December day. And from the moment you took your first breath, Lulu, you won us over, you drew us in, you "had us at hello". Our girl, our sweet angel, our little beauty; we were madly in love with you.
We called Mema and Pop, we called Grandma and Grandpa. Your Aunt Laura announced your arrival on Facebook, (something you may or may not know about when you are older). All of the family was of course elated and couldn't wait to meet you. The nurses made good on their promise to bring me a Pepsi, two in fact. It tasted amazing.
Your big brother Brady arrived with Grandma and Grandpa Zollars around 5pm. Not going to lie, he didn't really care about you. He just wanted to see me and Dada. This is what we expected though. He looked at you and talked about the little crib you were in but mostly he just wanted to know when I was coming home.
You figured out how to eat, took your bottle with no problem. All systems were a go. From the beginning, you were calm, laid back, content. I held you the entire time, taking in your features, your smell, listening to you breathe. I wanted to remember every little tiny inch of who you were, wondering who you were going to become.
We stayed at the hospital until Sunday, December 7th at lunchtime.
Home we went, on that bitter cold December day. The Zollars Family, party of 4
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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