March for Babies!!!

Two years ago I gave birth to five tiny blessings. At 27 weeks 6 days, they had to fight for their lives. Today, thanks to St. Mary's NICU and the March of Dimes, I am proud to say I have five perfectly healthy toddlers. I remember how scared and confused I was in the beginning. The March of Dimes supports parents in times like we went through. They support research and development that helped save our kids lives. I can't say enough for this wonderful organization.

I've joined March for Babies because the March of Dimes champions the needs of moms and babies in our community and across the nation. The money we raise for March for Babies will help:
- support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects

- educate women on things they can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby

- provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in intensive care

- push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant women and children
Please help by donating today!

It's easy, safe and secure - just click to make your donation.
The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Over Protective Mama Syndrome???

I think we all do it... We say we aren't going to be one of those moms who is constantly calling the doctor thinking there is something wrong with their kids. I told myself that and I think about it all the time. Every time I call the doctor I wonder if they think I am being over dramatic about what is going on. I LOVE our pediatrician and her nurse. They have been a blessing directly from God. But, I do have five kids and that can become a lot when someone is calling the doctor all the time.

So, here is the latest drama. Yesterday was just like any other Sunday. We got up and got the kids ready for church. After church we went out to grandma and grandpa Wright's for dinner like always. We ate dinner and dessert and headed home around 1:45. The kids went down for a late nap and I got some things done around the house. Around 5:00 I went to get the kids up and found that Landon had a 102 degree fever. He acted like he felt awful and so I gave him some Tylenol to bring the fever down. I had dinner fixed and the kids to the table eating around 5:45. That is when I noticed it. Ethan had a big red splotch on his neck. After we got them down I took his long sleeve shirt off to see what was going on. It looked like he had been attacked by mosquitoes or bees. He had whelps all over his arms and neck. I had no idea what it could be. So, I called Mel to come take a look. She knew immediately. The dessert we had from lunch had strawberries. He loved them and I'm sure ate a bunch. I think he had an allergic reaction to the strawberries. So, a quick trip to Walmart for Benadryl would fix him right up. I gave him the medicine and put the kids to bed. I checked on him throughout the night to make sure he was still breathing. He seemed to do fine.

By morning the Benadryl had worn off and the hives moved to his legs. I immediately called the doctor and set up an appointment. By mid-morning his latest dose of Benadryl had kicked in and the hives looked a little better. So, I decided to call the doctor and see if they thought I should wait it out and let it run its course. We decided to cancel the appointment. Around 2:00 my mom calls me and says that my 4yr old little sister has hives. Now I am starting to worry that it isn't an allergic reaction to the strawberries and that it could be something more serious. So, I called the doctor again to see what she thought. Again, she said to see what the morning brought and we would go from there. Around 3:30 the kids started to wake up. When I went in to get Ethan I was shocked. His head was covered in hives. His eyes and mouth were swollen. His ears were covered and itching. I was freaked out. So, I called the doctor for the fourth time. By that time they said if I was going to bring him in I had to do it then because they closed at 4:30. I felt like such a nagging mom. I was worried his throat might be affected, so I decided to take him down.

In the end, they are hives. They could be an allergic reaction or a viral rash. We don't really know. Either way, the doctor gave us a steroid to help control the hives. By the time we got to the doctor's office he was running a fever and not feeling well. At bedtime he had to take Tylenol for his fever, Benadryl for the itching, and a steroid for the hives. I checked with the pharmacist to make sure he could handle all that at the same time and not overdose. Hopefully the morning will bring a better day. If it isn't one thing it is another.

What do you think? I know there isn't anything we can do about the hives, but the fear of it getting out of control at night scares me. I don't want to be too dramatic about their health, but I worry that if I let something go it may escalate to something really bad. How do you moms decide what is serious enough to warrant a call to the doctor?

Sydney & Aubrie

I was looking at the family blog and saw a beautiful picture of Aubrie. She is the kids 2nd cousin. Unfortunately they live in Florida and have never met. Maybe we will be able to come visit this summer. Anyway, the first thing I thought of when I saw her picture is that she looks just like Sydney. So, I stole the picture off of the fam's blog and put her and Syd side-by-side. Isn't it cute how similar they look?

Birthday Bash!

We are 2 years old now!!!!! Wow, what a ride it has been. We wanted to keep it kind of low key this year, so we kept it small. We let everyone know that Sunday was the kids birthday and if they wanted to stop by they were welcome. We had a house full for about 4 hours. It was a constant rotation of people. It is amazing to see how many people love us. The kids did pretty good. We decided not to give them a nap. They handled it really well until everyone left at around 5:00. I had to fix dinner and Rob was in bed trying to get a nap before work. As you will see in the video, they were not happy campers. By the time I got dinner ready Landon had given up on me. He couldn't hang on any longer. You will see what I mean in the video.

Rob and I have been so blessed by our kids. They are the best thing to ever happen to us. They challenge us in ways we never dreamed. They have brought us together closer than we ever thought possible. We have grown as a couple this past year and are learning to lean on each other more. I think we both were trying to spare the other the burden of what we were going through individually. We wanted to lighten the load for each other by trying to carry our own all alone. We have come together and decided to lean on each other and God has taken that burden away. I didn't think we could be as close as we are right now, but when you are blessed enough to find your soul mate, amazing things happen.

They didn't understand what we were celebrating about this year, but they felt extra special. February 15 will always be a day for celebrating. I can't wait to see what this year brings!

Buddies...

I just wanted to post a few pictures of the kids. They are starting to be buddies. Once in a while I will find them cozied up next to each other being nice. The nice part is a rare occasion, so whenever I catch it I try to snap a picture.

I can't believe they are going to be 2 on Sunday. Time has flown by this past year. My kids are growing up!!! This is the part where I am supposed to talk about how much I miss when they were little and I don't want them to grow up. But in reality, I am living in the moment and enjoying the good times and praying my way through the bad times. I can't wait to see the new things they are doing. It is getting tougher every week it seems. The terrible 2's. But, I only get this once and I'm not going to wish it away. However, I'm not going to wish them back. The older they get the more fun they are. We have had warmer weather this weekend and it has given me a renewed spirit. I needed a little outside time. The kids did too. It has been such a long time since we were outside to play that we weren't sure how it would be. They were so much easier to handle. They wanted to wander a little, but promptly turned around when I called out to them. That won't last for long I'm sure. Yes, all we need is a little fresh air to renew our attitudes. Hopefully we will get a few more days of nice weather.

Today I dressed all five of the kids alike for church. They were absolutely adorable!!! They were in bib overalls and white turtlenecks. I got a good group picture to be their 2 year picture. Stay tuned for it. I think it will be the new header picture for the blog. Have a good week!

Super Mom!

On any normal day I am constantly doing something. I have to make breakfast, change diapers, and get their cups ready first thing in the morning. For lunch I have to make their lunch, and change diapers for nap time. After they get up from their nap I have to get diapers changed and cups out again. Dinner is prepared and we do baths and get milk cups before bed. Diapers must be changed again before bedtime. I'm not mentioning the times they poop out of their clothes and the table that has to be cleaned off. The dishwasher needs to be ran and the floor swept. Toilets need cleaned and trash needs emptied. The list goes on and on. I try to give myself a little free time while they are napping to keep my sanity. So, what I am trying to say is that I can't keep up very well. My house is always messy and dirty. It smells like a dirty diaper and is filled with dirty laundry. I have learned to accept this fact about our lives right now.

However, the kids have had diarrhea and vomiting 4 times in the past 2 months. They aren't acting sick, but aren't getting over the diarrhea. I have to try to kill whatever is growing in my house that is adding to the sickness. So, tonight I dug out my super mom cape and gloves. I rented a Rug Doctor. After the kids went to bed I shampooed the carpet in the living room. Next I tackled the kitchen area. It is pretty well disinfected. The sinks are bleached and dishes done. Then I moved to the dining room. The floors are swept in there and the highchairs are cleaned. The table is scrubbed and new newspaper is down.

Tomorrow the kids are going to my moms. My list of things to get done are:

-Mop the kitchen floor

-Organize the junk bar

-Hang coat hooks on the wall

-Move furniture back into the living room

-Bleach and disinfect all toys

-Strip sheets off all beds

-Disinfect all cribs and mattresses

-Clean and disinfect the refrigerator

-Organize toys into tubs

-Clean both bathrooms
-Shampoo the hallway and boys room

-Put clothes away in the girls room

-Organize the girls room so it can be used for play

-Fold and put away laundry

-Shower and run to the store for a few last minute things
-Cook a pork loin for BBQ

I'm sure I forgot a few things. A mom's work is never done. Hopefully all my efforts will pay off by ending this horrible string on diarrhea. I'm hanging my cape up for the night and going to bed. Good Night!

Dennis the Menace Meets Tom Sawyer

Doesn't Peyton look like Dennis the Menace? I think it is so cute. When he smiles he really looks like him. We had two consecutive naps where he was completely naked when I went in to get him. So, we cut the feet out of his sleeper and turned it around. We made it two days until today he had one arm out the top when I went to get him from his nap. I was giving baths tonight and when I came in the living room he had one arm in his sleeper and his diaper off inside. I think I am going to start putting him in a onesie under his sleeper. That boy doesn't like clothes anymore. What am I going to do with that boy?

The Many Faces of Jenna

You may remember the posts of Jenna when she was only about 8 months old. She always made weird faces. She hasn't changed much. You would think she ate like a pig the way she gets it everywhere. No one would guess that she only weighs 18lbs 10oz. That little stinker. One of these days she may decide that food is her friend.

Oh yeah, Syd is doing great. All the tests came back normal. We just pray that it doesn't happen again. Thanks to all you blog followers. It is so comforting to know I can count on you for support. Lots has been happening lately. Hopefully I can start updating daily again.