Feeling Better

It was a really long week.  Everyone was sick.  First, Bean got it.  Then, my husband.  Then, me.  And finally, Annabel.  It was a yucky, germy, summer cold. It meant saline drops and Infant Tylenol for the kiddies and NyQuil and rum filled tea for Mama and Daddy.  The week also included ALOT of INDOOR activities.  There was an excessive amount of television watching (Sesame Street, Little Bear, and various Baby Einstein videos) while we all relaxed on the couch or floor pillows. 

There was also an overwhelming amount of hours spent tinkering with the GEOTrax train set.  Setting it up.  Breaking it down.  Setting it up.  Breaking it down.  You get the idea.  I really did love the extra book reading moments, sticker fun, and, of course, the cuddle time.  But, by Saturday morning we were all ready for a little Vitamin D on our bodies.  I was also personally ready for some retail therapy.

We went to one of my FAVORITE stores: HomeGoods.  I SO LOVE this store and I rarely get to go there anymore.  It’s really hard to maneuver around the place with a double stroller and I am terrified of steering into the ceramic bowls and glassware.  There are too many awesome things to buy at HomeGoods.  I can’t always control myself.  Don’t even get me started on the holiday items.  On Saturday, there were already two long aisles and one front store display of just HALLOWEEN decorations.  I picked up a front door welcome sign and a cute ghost plaque.  Then, we all cruised to the kids section.  I really wanted this train step stool and some picture frames, but we managed to leave with just an adorable pink princess growth chart for Annabel and a fun fishing game for Bean.

I have been looking for a growth chart for both kids that was wooden and stable. I also wanted something that was unique.  This is the wooden growth chart we bought for Annabel’s room:

My husband laughs because “why does everything girlie have to have a unicorn on it?”  (Hee).

There wasn’t a “boy” growth chart version for Daniel, but the cashier said to definitely check back again because they get new stuff on the shelves every week.  “Come back again??”  “No problem, lady!”

Bean loved his new Melissa & Doug magnetic fishing game.  He even shared with his sister.  Everyone is FINALLY feeling better.  Amen.

Being Wanted

Bean is sick.  It’s the worst.  It’s probably worse for ME because I have this “sick phobia thing.”  I know.  I’m a Mommy now and I need to get over it.  I’m working on it.

Poor little Bean is just feeling awful. He’s had these colds and snots many times before.  But because he is almost three years old, he can really articulate the awfulness of it all.  “Daniel’s sick, Mama.” “Blow my nose please, Mama.”  “More water please, Mama.” “Daniel going to lay down, Mama.”

I know he REALLY wasn’t feeling well when he only ate HALF of his dinosaur PB&J sandwich and then he asked to take a nap.  His naps have been super sporadic lately.  It’s usually one day on and FOUR days off.  But today at 12:15 PM, he was out like a light.

Two hours later, he started to scream!  I ran to his room. He was standing up by his bed and crying through a fountain of snots and trying to tell me something at the same time. I could not, for the life of me, understand what he wanted.

“Bean, what do you want?  Do you want a tissue??” 

“Noo….”  (Sniff, Sniff.)

“Daniel, do you want some water??”

“Noo….” (Sniff, Sniff.)

“Bean, I can’t understand you. PLEASE calm down and tell me what you want.  PLEASE.”

“Daniel want…Mama.” (Sniff) ”Daniel want…Mama!” (Sniff. Sniff)

He wanted me to hold him and rock him in the chair next to his big boy bed.  He curled up in my arms and just looked at me with his watery eyes.  He smiled.  He closed his eyes and relaxed. We rocked.

He just wanted his Mama.  It was a good day after all.

Change O’ Plans

So tonight’s blog was going to be, “Woohoo!  I’m going out!  I’m leaving the house!  I’m going out on a date night with my husband and get this…we are going DANCING! Something I’ve been dying to do FOREVER.  I think the last time I went dancing at a club was four years ago.   I bought a super cute new outfit and here is a picture of me in it!”

Well, none of this is happening.  Why?  Because my back went out.  AGAIN.

The first time my back went out was when I was seven months pregnant with Annabel.  I was trying to hoist Bean up on the changing table and I just felt “click, click, click” down my lower back and BAM!  I was on the floor.  I was helpless.  My wonderful (amazing, incredible, I could go on and on and on) husband had to CARRY ME to the bedroom.  It would have been romantic expect I was SCREAMING IN PAIN.  I had to spend a week , mostly in bed, recovering.  The worst part?  My husband bought me this:

It was so helpful, but so depressing.  I’m not even forty years old and I’m wobbling around the house with a cane.  It was awful.  My mother-in-law (God Bless Her) had to come over every day for a week to help me take care of Bean while the hubbie was at work.    Everyday I felt a little better until FINALLY I was back to normal (no pun intended – Ha.)

Then it happened again after Annabel was born.  We were wandering around some garage sales in our neighborhood when I twisted down to look at a baby swing and BAM!  The same exact thing happened.  This time, since I wasn’t preggers and carrying around all that extra belly weight, I was only “down for the count” for a couple days.  But it was enough to make me schedule an appointment with a physical therapist.  She told me to exercise and do back strengthening exercises.  That was it.  (I was really, really hoping she was going to give me an open ended prescription for some PAIN killers, because back PAIN is just SO PAINFUL,  but NO.)  

I was given an exercise ball and instructions.

I was REALLY GOOD with those relegated exercises…for about a month.  Then, LIFE just got in the way. 

I’m a stay-at-home Mom with two kids under the age of three. THAT is my exercise.  I was also super careful to always lift Daniel and Annabel with my arm muscles, NOT my back muscles.  It’s really hard.  There is just so much lifting in and out of car seats, cribs, beds, etc.   And  just recently I have been leaning over half the day holding onto the hand of a 16 month old who wants to run, but usually just falls.

When I put the kids down for a nap today, I was SO excited to get ready for my night out.  I was waiting for the hubbie to come home so I could go out for my pedicure.  I had my outfit already hanging in my closet.  I went to check on Bean one more time in his new big boy bed.  He was still awake so I sat on the edge of the bed to talk him into napping. (Please!) And when I stood up to leave the room..BAM.  THE SAME THING HAPPENED.  AGAIN.  WORST TIMING EVER.

So here I am now, blogging instead of dancing.  Boo Hoo.  Oh well, everything happens for a reason..right? Someone must think I need to stay home and rest in bed tonight.  I really should NOT be out enjoying a wonderful, uninterrupted meal or having some lovely cocktails and conversations with ADULTS or dancing and partying.  NONE of that should be happening. Got it.  Thanks.

PS: Please comment if you have any back pain solutions, suggestions, good pain killer advice. I could use it.  Seriously.

Sick Days

I’m really BLESSED because my children have NEVER had a major illness.  They both have also managed to avoid the common baby ear infections and baby fevers.  I’ve never had to take them to the pediatrician for any medical scare.

(Do you hear me LOUDLY KNOCKING ON WOOD??)

But they DO get COLDS.  Blech.

The snots, the drips, the little coughs.  Lots of mucus.  Everywhere.  And I totally hate it.

I know I completely overreact, but when one of my kiddies wakes up in the morning and I am greeted with a runny nose, I start to panic.  “Oh, no! Where is the Vitamin C?!  Keep them away from the other kid!  Where are the tissues? Where is the Little Noses bottle and the nose squeegee?  Ugh!”

I’ve always been this way.  I hated to be around sick people at school and at work.  I would walk around them.  I would avoid their personal space.  My husband thinks I’m crazy because I run around with Clorox Wipes and the Lysol can when someone sneezes.  I don’t know whether I am really turned off by the cold symptoms or if I really don’t want to catch a cold. 

I think it’s both.

And with kids, you can’t avoid colds entering your home.  It happens.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics most children have eight to ten colds during their first two years of life.

Right now both Daniel and Annabel have a cold.  I’m really glad that it’s JUST a cold, but I still hate it.  They’ve been through five boxes of tissue in 48 hours.  There are damp washcloths sitting around my house in strategic locations ready to wipe their noses, cheeks, and arms. I always have to change their shirts and bed sheets because of the snot.  They want to watch TV.  They whine a lot more.  They sleep a little less. 

“BUT, after 7-10 days they will be better!”  (I have to keep telling myself this.)

Uh oh, I think I feel a scratchy throat coming on.  I need to go make some tea and relax. (And watch So You Think You Can Dance…)