Sunday, November 30, 2008

We survived...

We all survived a pretty nasty stomach flu and finally a week after it started, we feel back to normal. We managed to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jeremy's family and hopefully kept germs to ourselves. Jeremy and I planned to head to Louisville for a wedding with friends last night and we couldn't get there. The girls were so needy and we just didn't feel like we could leave them, so we stayed up at the lakehouse with Grandma & Grandpa Ash. I head to Denver this week for a board meeting of the organization I'm working with, so dad's on duty with help from my mom and his. Hopefully everyone stays healthy. Here's some pics from our Thanksgiving!

"Now, Grandpa Dave, tell me what card you are looking for and I'll try my sweet talk."--Lilly

"Uncle Joe, does your belly hurt from all that yummy food, I think I have heartburn."--Addy
"Yep, definately heartburn..."(Lilly on left, Addy on the right)
PS. Aunt Cat--we are sorry you are sick, do pictures of us make you feel better???? Get well soon!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Blogging through the Barf....

I said in an earlier post when my babies were battling reflux that there was nothing worse than a sick baby...well there is, 2 sick babies, a sick mom and a sick dad--yep, that's right, we all have some gross strand of the stomach flu (apparantly one that a flu shot doesn't prevent). Life has not been good. This all happened after I had begun to let my guard down about my toddlers going out to public places for playtime, knowing it would be a long and lonely winter if I didn't get over some of my OCD tendencies. So, we had a good 3 days--went to our Mom's Day out Program on Friday, visiting the childcare center at the YMCA while Jeremy and I worked out Saturday and celebrated Tyson's 2nd Birthday at a Run/Bounce/Jump facility in Cincinnatti on Sunday. The girls loved them all, but somewhere we caught the bug then spread it to other unexpected kids---I am so sorry!!! Anyway, not much time around here for blogging, but here are a few things I've discovered over our few days....


1. When I was registering for baby items, I remember saying to Jeremy that the recommendations at Babies R' Us listed 4 sets of crib sheets, "when on earth would you need 4 sets of crib sheets?"...last night we needed 4 sets.
2. Babies can get this weird bacteria rash on their face when they have a cold. It's from a persistent runny nose. No big deal, the doctor prescribed a tube of ointment to clear it right up-went to the pharmacy and it costs $50...when was the last time I spent $50 bucks on face cream for MYSELF?....before we had kids...right.
3. When the doctor says bland food, be very specific to your husband about what bland means--mandarin organges are not bland and if you offer a sick baby their favorite food, they will eat it and regret it later.
4. The BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast) diet really does work for upset tummies
5. No more calling in sick, Christina's blog said it well, but when you are a mom, it sure gets lonely, Monday was awful, with Jeremy at work and never feeling so bad, it's true what they say, it's lonely at the top.
6. During this hellish week, my little snot nosed, vomitting, never stop pooping, bacteria rash on the face, diaper rashed butt babies know exactly what they want....their mom...and amazingly I'm still thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving--Please pray that we are all better for some turkey!

Here are a few pics pre-plague (we never look at the camera anymore)...

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Guest Blogger: Aunt Cat visits!

I have been visiting with my amazing nieces for the past four days. They have been a little under the weather with colds and coughs (real coughs this time not fake ones!). One of the funniest things they do now is dance, which consists of them shoving their hips forward and then shoving their hips back so their butts stick out. They do this over and over and over again when listening to any sort of music, whether it be Elmo's world, the ABCs or the itsy-bitsy spider. They love music though, I sincerely hope that neither inherited my sister's or my own tone-deafness! We have had a super busy weekend - Uncle Jonathan and Grandma and Grandpa Sadler were all here as well. Jonathan had surgery and really who better to nurse him back to health than the cutest one year olds in the world? Addy was fascinated by Uncle Jonathan's nose cast and kept trying to help him with it...maybe she'll be a musical surgeon?

What cracks me up about Addy and Lilly is how much they like to talk...they are never, ever quiet unless they are eating or drinking. Both of them run around the house jibber-jabbering all day long, telling you lots of stories. We went shopping on Saturday with the twins which was a blast - when they were finally allowed freedom from the stroller they thought the mall was the best thing ever. I think this might be because it reminded them of one of their favorite play areas, mom's closet. I think when Addy and Lilly come and visit me in DC (I keep trying to get them to come for the Inaguration of Democratic President-elect Obama) I might have to install a security system on my closet! Addy and Lilly do love shoes - they probably inherited that from their father!

To write about my favorite brother-in-law for a moment, we did make a bet that if Indiana went blue I would wear a colts jersey. Yep, an electric-blue polyester colts jersey:( The things I will do for the Democrats! Jeremy also likes to give me the history of the new stadium every time he picks me up at the airport. I did wear my colts jersey...I don't know how I did not break out in hives with that much polyester next to my skin:( But yes on Sunday, the babies, Aimee, and Jeremy were all wearing colts jerseys right along with me (I cannot believe a fire marshal did not stop by!).

All in all, my nieces are unbelieveably smart, Addy said the word "vitamin" the other day! Lilly is a little book-worm, she loves, loves, loves to read. They are getting so big though and so quick - I am actually watching them by myself right now and now and fully understand "zone defense." We are going to the Children's museum today so I am sure Aimee will have tons of stuff to say about their brillance next week!


(She'll be mad I posted this, Jeremy made her put it on early, so the pic was taken somewhere before 9 a.m.) Jeremy's holding Lilly, Cat is holding Addy




Exploring the sand table with Aunt Cat at the Children's Museum

"Am I seeing double?"--Lilly



"God, mom, how many times do I have to tell you not to bother me when I'm working."-Addy

**One of my college roommates, Jessica, had a beautiful baby boy about a week ago--he has battled some health issues early on, but showing us he is a fighter! Congrats Jess & Jon and if you want to check out Baby Brayden, she's blogging at: http://www.braydenworthington.blogspot.com/

I'll get her added to my blog roll as soon as I have time!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

15 months

I've said this before, but my babies are no longer babies--full blown toddlers. Addy has mastered the stairs, while Lilly still likes to be carried. They head for their highchairs when you tell them it's time to eat, they bang on the back door when anyone leaves the house. Addy says "HI" to anyone she sees and if Lilly makes anyone read the Dr. Suess Alphabet book one more time, she may be reciting it before the end of the week. They also are at the age where they are testing me. I hear this stops somewhere around college graduation, but seriously, are they this smart already. Here is an example of behavior from each...
One day a couple weeks ago, Lilly was facinated with the only cord and plug accessible to her in our family room. It's attached to a tall lamp and they hadn't really bothered it before that day. I told her no several times, used my no/then distraction method and that didn't work, said no and smacked her butt and she kept going back to it, finally she lost interest/stopped fighting with me and went on to the playroom. Several hours later, she was playing with tupperware while I was unloading the dishwasher. I gave her several kid-friendly utensils and she was entertained, then she got her hands on the apple corer. I said no, chased her across the kitchen, pulled it out of her hands and walked away. She had a total meltdown, looked at me, stomped in the other room and ripped the lamp's cord right out of the wall. Are you serious?

Then there is Addy, she's a climber, she's been my monkey since very early. She now can get up on the couch and ottomon herself. When she does it, she typically raises her hands in the air like she's the gold medalist in Olympics gymnastics, it's pretty funny. Jeremy and I try not to encourage this and I tagged it an acronym my mom used to use and say simply it is ASB (Attention Seeking Behavior). Because a little like her sister, you tell her no and she wants to do it even more. So last week, with my mom and other witnesses, she climbed up onto my mother's antique coffee table. We all looked at one another, I told everyone to avoid eye contact and that it was ASB. She proceeded on raising her arms in the air, looking around and when realizing that no one cared she was on the coffee table, she sat down, reversed off like she does the stairs and went back to her toys. I realize this is typically behavior for kids, I guess I'm just shocked it is happening as early as it is.

This past month has been fun. We joined the YMCA and the girls seem to have fun in the child care center while mom tries to lose the last of my baby weight (how long can I use that phrase?). We headed to Pittsburgh last weekend so Jeremy could see the Colts defeat the Steelers. The Cahill crew came along since they had never been to Steel City and the road trip was better with DVD players for the girls to watch. We know every word to their Elmo video, but sanity was saved. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the long weekend.

Grandpa Ian reading to Ms. Lil.

The girls loved my sister's giant stuffed dog--Patrick the pup.

Since, mommy got a new phone, Addy's now obsessed with my old phone, it rarely leaves her hands.

After a couple too many....(don't worry we had a babysitter)

Name that movie..."You have a baby...in a bar."


Not just a baby--3 of them, L-R: Mallory, Addy & Lilly

Lastly--Happy Birthday Michelle! We love you! If you don't know Michelle, you can read about her amazing family here and her business ventures here. Friendships that lasts a decade are few and far between, so I appreciate her everyday!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day 2008

Addy & Lilly say "Get out and Vote!"
I can't wait to tell them that during the first presidential election of their lives, their homestate (Indiana) went BLUE for the first time since 1964!




Sunday, November 2, 2008

The Week in Pictures & Videos

Okay, so between a fun/new playgroup, a visit from my parents, a great halloween party at friends and the girls halloween, I am selfishly admitting that my highlight for the week was getting my new IPhone today. I'm officially obsessed and have no time today to update my blog because I am busy organizing my life with a new calendar, contact list, etc.

Let's just say it was a big step up from my old school phone that still used an antennae....
But, because I know you didn't hop on my blog to hear me talk about my new phone and how incredibly hip I already feel having it, I'll give you some pics of the week...

*Lilly is becoming quite the book worm right now--loving to be read to and pretend "reading" each time you finish a book with her, she's off your lap and on to find a new book.


*Uncle Jon & Dad with the girls Halloween night (yes, those are beers)

*Our politically incorrect costume party threesome--me dressed as The Nanny, Jeremy as the Man in the Middle and our friend Becky as the wife (Mrs. Denial)

As for our new "winter" playgroup, you'll have to visit Jacob's blog for the outcome of the chaos, but here's a video teaser of us trying to get our costumed kids to pose for the paparazzi.