Madness

Did anyone watch the Kansas vs Michigan game last night? Funny back story. . . My friend Amanda lives in Ohio and is a huge Michigan fan. My husband went to Kansas State, which is a huge rival of Kansas (KU.) Anyway, so I texted Amanda and said Kansas plays Michigan tonight and Wichita State (my alma mater) plays Ohio State tomorrow. This is awkward. So we decided that WE would root for Michigan and THEY would throw their support towards Wichita State. It must have been our traitor-like ways that caused Kansas to lose. Yikes! I just told them not to show up in Kansas with any Michigan apparel for awhile. But at least now everyone is pulling for Wichita State!! Go Shox! They play tonight to move on to the final four!

And here's a cute pic of Abigail trying so hard to sit up. :-)

Elite 8

Headed to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1981! Go Wichita State Shockers!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Boy, have I not updated since Monday? It's been a crazy week and we have not been home at all. I'm sooo looking forward to a day at home tomorrow. Olivia and I went and got our haircuts today with Grandma Glunt. Olivia, who used to cry when getting her hair cut, now chats it up with everyone in the salon, decides on a hairstyle and admires herself in the mirror.






Love this girl!! And I got highlights for the first time in about 2 years. I'm ready for Spring!

Jodi- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, March 25, 2013

So, I used to have longer hair and I would cut it every now and then, but I would always grow it back out. Ever since Olivia was born, I've pretty much had short hair. She was looking at older pictures of me a few weeks ago and commented on how she really liked my longer hair. Since then she has not stopped commenting about how I need to grow my hair out. We play a game called "I Like/ I Don't Like where she tells me something she likes followed by something she doesn't like. She recently said," I like mommy with long hair. I don't like mommy with short hair. Haha! I never knew she had such a strong opinion about it. Of course, no matter what I do to my hair, I hope she doesn't expect me to look like I did in high school. Hey, I like "that mommy" a lot better too.

I'm missing Olivia and Abigail like crazy tonight. Ryan and I went to a comedy show tonight (Jim Gaffigan was in town) and they stayed the night at their grandparents' house. Ryan and I had a blast and ordered pizza at 10pm and watched tv together. But, then that horrible lonely feeling set in. Like, I needed to hear Olivia yell MOM! for the millionth time because her ice melted in her water or she couldn't find her favorite stuffed animal or her closet door wasn't shut or a cat was in her room or she just needed another hug. I think I'll just sleep with the baby monitor on because I don't think I'll be able to sleep without the static in the background. I wonder if I'll just automatically wake up at 4 am? Any time my family is not all under one roof, I get like this. It's awful. You'd think I could just enjoy a long restful night! Love my girlies!!! Mommy misses you so much! (Long haired and short haired mommy! LOL!)

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Yesterday we celebrated Ryan's birthday with his parents and today we celebrated his birthday with my parents. Two cakes! We also had a little indoor Easter egg hunt with the girls since they won't be together for Easter. I would have enjoyed my weekend a lot more, however, if I didn't have this jaw pain!! Not sure what it is, but I'm sure a trip to the dentist is in my near future.

Shockers!

Wichita State, my alma mater, knocked off #1 Gonzaga to make it to the sweet sixteen!! What a great game!!

Happy Birthday. . .

To my husband Ryan! Our children are lucky to have you as their daddy. Love you!

The iPhone

I came upon a frightening revelation the other day. I am completely addicted to my iPhone. I don't feel this is a good thing because what I do, Olivia does. And she has been a little too dependent lately on her technological toys. And it's my fault. So, I vowed that today was a no iPhone, no iPod, no iPad day. And we both only made it until about 3 pm. Then I figured out WHY this tiny device has taken over our lives. It takes the place of about 10 devices!! For example:

It is a phone and a way to connect with people. In this day and age, you have to be immediately accessible 24/7.

The iPhone has replaced the watch and the alarm clock.

It is my calendar and planner.

It replaces a GPS. With Google's new map app, it's just as good as one.

We replaced the baby monitor with a security camera which can be viewed on my iPhone.

It almost replaces my laptop computer as I use it to search the Internet, blog, check Facebook and email.

It replaces the iPod/radio and is where I listen to all my music.

We canceled cable awhile back and now use Netflix, which I can watch on my iPhone. I also downloaded a March Madness app to watch the games on. Go Wichita State!!!

I have a flashlight app instead of a flashlight.

Olivia plays tons of games (most educational) on it.

Olivia loves for me to take videos of her at least daily.

It has replaced my camera. I haven't used a real camera in months! I love the photo editing apps as well.

I don't even use a real Bible anymore as I have a bible app.

I don't use my Kindle anymore as I just read books downloaded to my kindle app.

So, good grief. . .going a day without my iPhone would be like a day without a phone, an alarm clock, calendar, GPS, baby monitor, computer, radio, television, flashlight, camera, bible and books. No wonder I'm addicted. And as convenient as it all is, what direction is this taking our lives? I don't know. Just my thoughts for the day. :-)

4 Months

Abigail is 4 months old today. She looks pretty chunky, but she's only 13.5 lbs which is actually pretty average. Olivia, however, did not weigh quite 15 lbs when she turned a year old and weighed only 19.8 lbs at 2 years old. Abigail is a great eater and sleeper nowadays. She goes to bed by 8 pm (and we've mistakenly kept her up after that. We'll try not to do that again.) She wakes up at 4 am to eat and again around 7-8 am. It's wonderful! She still isn't interested in rolling over, but she can push up on her arms while on her tummy. We haven't heard a real laugh yet, but we are close. Abigail is still on breast milk and although she loves Alimentum, we weren't going to pay for it unless she absolutely needed it. We've switched her back to regular Enfamil and she seems to be doing okay. She likes to nurse at night, but really likes a bottle during the day. She is close to being able to hold her bottle by herself! And, she is an absolute cutie pie and I love her to pieces!!


Jodi- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spring Break Day 2

Olivia was up last night with a sore throat and now she has a cough to go with it. I had one of my really bad headaches. So we stayed home today, although I think we had fun.

Olivia drew. . .a lot. I loved her Mr. Bean drawing complete with a red tie and mole.



I mastered the art of the Moby wrap.



Well, sort of. Fifteen minutes later she was sagging pretty low. Hmm, more YouTube videos I suppose.




And I let her sit and cut up paper in the hallway. Then, glue the little pieces onto bigger pieces. And I blew up balloons ( but that was yesterday's fun.) And I thought the sicknesses and winter were behind us. Nope and it might snow this week too. Boo!

Jodi- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Abigail

Happy St Patrick's Day

We spent the day with our entire family. . .both sides. Ryan's sister and family are going to be moving to Georgia and Ryan's brother and family are going to be moving to Arizona. So, we enjoyed spending time all together and got a few pictures to celebrate.


The cousins


The whole clan


Just us


Then, we headed over to my parents' house to celebrate my brother's birthday.



Here is Aunt Shelley and Abigail





Gotta say. . .one of the best St Patrick's Days I've had in years.

Jodi- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Never Give Up

Yesterday we were outside enjoying the beautiful weather. I've been trying to teach Olivia how to pump her legs and swing by herself. She's almost got it! She just needs to give it a little more umph and keep going. But, she gets frustrated and mad and says she can't do it. So, standing outside in the backyard I told her that she gives up too easily.

Olivia gives up too easily?

My mind drifted back to the NICU where I watched a 1 lb 1.5 oz little baby fight harder than anyone I'd ever seen. Her entire life tells the story of someone who doesn't give up. No matter what the odds, no matter how hard. . .she doesn't give up. She does things on her own timetable and in her own way. But, never does she give up. Keep doing what you're doing baby girl. You're amazing!

Sisters Are. . .

Different flowers


From the same garden.



Jodi- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oddie

Well, three posts in one day. LOL! Oh, Oddie. Olivia is in love with Oddie, a Moshi monster. She found him on an iPad app and for some reason has latched on to him. Certain things just really tug at her heart. She filled up her sticker chart and as her prize, she got a plush Oddie. He came today and you would have thought it was Christmas. Not many things inspire her to draw and she even has a picture of him that she drew in her room. Could this be the next in line of her favorite toys? Gogum, Lily, Newt, Peacock, Mr Bean, Oddie?

Not Gonna Smile

Because you want me to smile, I'm not going to smile.


Seriously, I'm not going to smile.


I'm gonna cry if you don't put the camera down.


Consider yourself warned.



Abigail hates the camera. She will smile until I get the camera out. Total opposite of Olivia as a baby. LOL!

Jodi- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mother Of The Year

Wow, if anyone DOESN'T deserve that title today, it's me. I got done feeding Abigail and noticed her nails were getting long. So, I cut her nails and it was uneventful. Then, I laid her down in her crib to go get her Zantac. I came back in and there was blood everywhere ( at least it seemed like it.) I freaked out and finally discovered it was coming from her finger. I had snipped her finger when I was cutting her nails!! I have never done that before! But, she wasn't crying and was smiling and bleeding everywhere. So, I tried to apply pressure while she's moving her arms everywhere. She seriously bled a lot!! Then, I realized that Olivia's band aids were too big for her little finger, so I desperately found some paper tape/bandages to use. Then, Olivia walked in and asked what was going on. Olivia cried for years when we cut her nails until we convinced her that it wouldn't hurt. So, I couldn't tell her what happened. She would be horrified! I just said that Abigail's finger was bleeding, but didn't tell her why. Luckily, she didn't ask questions. Sheesh. What a way to start the day! At least Abigail didn't cry or seem upset over it. That would have been even worse. I feel like the worst mom in the world right now though. I think I'll have Ryan cut her nails from now on.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

As a micro preemie parent, it's the little things that make me jump for joy. Olivia finally learned how to spit her toothpaste out. This is something we've worked on for a really long time. Last night she even tried mouthwash! She will also go to the bathroom in public over 50% of the time. She just doesn't like those horse shoe shaped seats and only wants the "circle potties." Every time I see that they are the wrong ones, I just grumble to myself. LOL! And I pray that the bathrooms don't have automatic flushing or hand dryers!

And, of course, she loves her piano. She sits now with a book at the piano and "reads" the music. I asked her how she knew the right notes and she explained that some are high notes and some are low notes and pointed them out. She comes up with some really great songs.

Upper GI Results

Well, results are pretty much inconclusive from Olivia's upper GI. While we were standing there, we had to wait awhile for her stomach to empty. She has a lot of symptoms of gastroparesis ( or delayed stomach emptying) yet they didn't even mention it on the report. So, I'm guessing it wasn't significant? As of right now, we are still dealing with constipation, but it has improved greatly over the past few months. She doesn't purposely hold it anymore. And reflux could be a culprit and she's on Prevacid for that. So I don't know why she eats two bites and is full or why her tummy hurts after eating or why she isn't gaining any weight whatsoever. But, please keep her in your prayers.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Abigail just loves other kids. Her cousin, Izzy, got the biggest smile out of her today. Izzy also got to feed her a bottle. Abigail is also starting to hold her own bottle which is something Olivia never did. So, I just look at both of my children in awe because of it. Not only did Olivia not use her hands much as a baby, but she almost never willingly took a bottle. I think of the early struggles that Olivia had and I'm so amazed at her now. It may have taken her longer to do things, but she got it.

Olivia also has her upper GI X-ray tomorrow morning. I'd appreciate prayers because I know Olivia is pretty nervous about it. I should know the results by tomorrow night too. Thanks.