Operation: Potty Train Day 1

So since I'm home this week, I figured I might as well go all out on the potty training business. Some say Emily's too young; others, like my mom, claim I was potty trained way earlier. So I've gotten the necessary accessories: 21 pairs of big girl panties (I couldn't decide between Tinkerbell, Elmo, and princesses), Disney Princess pull-ups, and a book that has stickers and a chart.

Day 1 - Emily loves the pull-ups, loves the panties....but refuses to poop in the potty. She's done well with peeing, but we still have a long way to go. In the Potty vs. Diaper battle, the potty was definitely the loser today.

Santa's Message to Emily

Copy and paste the link below to see a special message from Santa to Emily!



http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/f7019b99fc127177a2be4bde0e9843f3

Cookie Time!

Our annual cookie baking Sunday at mom's:

"Are they done yet?"

Jingle bells on her head

Dutch Winter Wonderland

We usually head to Rocky Ridge County Park to check out the Christmas lights. However, this year we decided to do something different since Emily's a bit older. We took her to Dutch Wonderland, where they not only have a bunch of Christmas lights, but most of their rides are also open. We had so much fun, although we froze. It was so cold! Here are some of the photos:

Thanksgiving 2009

Some images from our Thanksgiving (which also happened to fall on our 4 year wedding anniversary).

Owen's first Thanksgiving...he's modeling a hat Emily made at school.

Everyone getting ready to eat:

Apparently, Thanksgiving is a time for presents (at least according to my Aunt Sharon). She got the kids super cute jammies. Emily's is from The Princess and the Frog.
And Owen's is to help him on his way to becoming a racing superstar. According to Dad, he already has the perfect NASCAR name - Buddy Bilodeau.
Owen and Grandma March:

Owen's 9 month stats

Yesterday Owen visited the doctor for his 9 month check-up. His official stats: 18.0 pounds, 29.5 inches. His weight gain slowed, but the doctor told me that's normal around this age as kids become more mobile and active. He's also been sick for awhile, so he isn't eating as much as he used to. We did get the okay to start him on soft, very small pieces of table food, so that will be a new adventure for him. He did great...didn't make a peep when his finger was pricked, and the nurse said he had the highest iron count she's seen for awhile.

The only downside to our visit was that he needed a breathing treatment. Owen's had a cold off and on since Thanksgiving. He developed an ear infection, and that's been treated and gone. Last week he was running a fever off and on with the cold, and he sounded very congested, so we took him back to the doctor. Again, she listened to his chest and lungs, said everything sounded fine, and we were reassured. The doctor we had yesterday listened and said she heard wheezing, which is the noise we reported back at Thanksgiving. She was concerned enough to try a breathing treatment of Albuterol with Owen to see if that helped. Five minutes of treatment (read: five minutes of me holding Owen down while the nurse held the mask to his constantly moving head) made a difference. So, now we have a nebulizer, and he is to get at least two treatments a day for a week. His bedtime treatments should be fine...there are two of us to do the required pinning of the baby and holding of the mask. However, I'm not yet sure how mornings are going to go since I'm all by myself. It will definitely be a lesson in who is strongest willed.

Here We Go Again...

For anyone who has ever had a child with recurring ear infections, you know the dread that comes with the first sniffle or cough. With Emily, I knew every time she had a cold we'd be getting a call from daycare. She'd spike a high fever, and that was our cue that she had yet another ear infection. Finally, last April, she had tubes inserted in her ears, and we've been ear infection free ever since.

Well...until last weekend. Emily had a cold. Owen got the cold. Friday night the kids stayed with Mom and Ron while Dan and I celebrated our anniversary. When I called to check on the kids, the report was that Owen was fussy (and he rarely cries or fusses), and he was yanking on his ear. Being the weekend, I couldn't get him to the doctor until Monday (which meant several sleepless nights for me). Owen had an ear infection, and now I'm back to worrying over every sniffle, cough, and sneeze.