An apple a day...

We had only taken Madeline to the doctor for sickness once before last Sunday. However, last Sunday began our long adventure through sickness. Madeline got conjunctivitis in both eyes and had an ear infection, so the doctor started her on antibiotics and her symptoms cleared up. The following Sunday she came down with a bright red bumpy rash ALL OVER every inch of her skin. We took her into the doctor again, and were advised to stop the antibiotics because she had a sensitivity. He told us the rash would fade, so when it was larger and redder the following day I took her back in. I'd hate to keep her home and then find out that there was something seriously wrong. This different doctor said that he wasn't sure if it was an allergy or not, but that since she wasn't itching or in pain, she was fine. The rash did fade and we thought we were through with our visits to the doctor. This morning when Madeline woke up her eyes were glued shut with goop. I couldn't ignore it so we took her in YET AGAIN. We found out that thankfully it was not an eye infection (and that she's not contagious), but 2 ear infections, and that her congestion is leaking out of her eyes. So Madeline is on medicine again, and should be back to normal soon.
The good thing about all of these visits is that Madeline has learned to enjoy the doctor's office. She screamed her head off when we went 2 weeks ago, and I had to hold her down so they could check her out. We've been reading the book "Corduroy goes to the Doctor" and learning all of the things that happen at an appointment (this is one of her current favorites). By Monday and then again today, Madeline enjoyed being "tickled" under her arm while the nurse took her temperature. She held still and breathed slowly while the doctor checked out her lungs with the stethoscope. She said "aahhhhhh" before the doctor even wanted to see in her mouth, and she "reminded" the doctor to look in her eyes and ears. She also told him "I sick."
I'm glad she enjoys the visits now, but I really hope that we're done for a while! We don't feed her many apples, but she does eat applesauce daily. I guess it just doesn't count.

Happy Birthday Raymey!!!

We had a crazy busy day filled with errands, meetings, and apartment searching in Cincinnati. We're extending Raymey's birthday to the next few days so we can get in some celebrating! Madeline gave him a great present tonight by saying the following during her bedtime prayer:
Raymey "Bless us to be like Jesus."
Madeline"Bless us to be like Jesus--and and and Daddy!"
How sweet is that?!

Out of my comfort zone...

I'll probably never be one of those moms that goes out and plays with her kids in the mud. I'm trying to be a little more spontaneous. We went to a nature trail today. I just bit my lip and laughed when Madeline fell in the mud (less than an hour after her bath) and messed up a cute outfit shoulder to toe. I didn't sanitize her hands after she played with the community animal pillows. I let her dress up in the animal costumes for a full 45 seconds until I just couldn't fight away the thoughts of "what kids wore these last, and were they sick?" When she ate her bread off the ground I just forced a smile and thought about how she must be bolstering her immune system. I trudged through a quarter mile of muddy trail with her for "fun" and when she wiped her muddy shoes all over my pants and jacket I tried to be chill because, hey, it's nothing a washer and dryer can't fix. See, I made a conscious effort to be a laid-back, "cool" mom. I was trying to give Madeline some wiggle room and let her wander several feet ahead of me. But I lost my cool when she and her friend Eli bent down to pick up "mud" that was actually made by a puppy. AHHHHHHHHH It got all over her fingers and a little on her jacket. I think I'm much more comfortable being germ-freak, over-prepared Mom.

Little Talker

Madeline is getting better at figuring out how to communicate, but she definitely has her own way of saying things.
Example:
Madeline just asked me (Raymey), "Are you poopy?"
I replied, "No I'm not, Madeline. Are you poopy?
Madeline: "Yeah."

The kindness of strangers!

A couple of days ago I noticed that my wallet was not where I thought it was. I often misplace things, so I checked all of the usual places and still couldn't find it. By today (the 4th day missing) I was feeling pretty frantic. I was pulling things apart trying to find it! I was trying to remember what places I'd been where I might have left it. I was feeling sick about it when I received a message on facebook that someone had found my wallet. It was found in a place I had forgotten I'd visited! These 2 nice people went to the trouble of tracking me down (they found an old address in my wallet, and didn't find the new one) and Raymey and I picked it up with everything intact. I'm so lucky that good, honest people found it!! There are so many good people out there!

I think I can I think I can...

Tonight Madeline, my mom, and I were all walking around the park. This 10ish-year-old boy glided by on a pair of shoe-skates (Is that what they're called, the kind with a wheel in the shoe). Madeline was amazed and watched him roll away from us. Then she started kicking her shoes and she stood still, waiting to start gliding. She looked at our feet and I think she was wondering why we never do that. She tried again a couple of more times, but to no avail. I love watching the world through her little eyes!

Now and Then

October 2007

March 2009

We passed through the Smokies on our way home from South Carolina and couldn't resist another State Line picture. Please note the tip of my head behind the sign where Madeline is staring in the last picture. I was behind her in all the pictures! Strangely enough a couple of guys waiting their turn for the sign didn't see me and thought that Madeline was very coordinated to be able to balance on the sign and sit so still!