Yesterday was the 100th day of school at Ellie's preschool. They celebrated the number 100 by making "100" hats (not 100 hats, but hats that looked like the number 100), reading about 100, making a snack of 100 pieces, talking about 100, singing about 100 - you get the picture.

So when I picked Ellie up yesterday, she was quite excited. Here was our conversation.

Me: What number did you talk about at school today?
Ellie: I don't remember.
Me: You talked about a big number - what was it?
Ellie: Ummmmmm..........2?

It's been a strange couple of months around here. In everything that's been going on, I've been thinking a lot about why I blog. I read several blogs regularly. Blogs that are about something specific. Bloggers that are actually making money just from writing. Bloggers who get free stuff for their opinions and a few paragraphs about what they thought.  That's not why I started blogging.  But should that be my goal?

The answer I've come to is no. At this time in my life, I don't have the time or desire to turn my blog into something bigger. I started the blog to document our life. So that one day my kids have something to read and remember. And for now, that's good enough for me.

It's my party

conversation between Ellie and I:
Ellie: I was thinking I clean my room after rest time.
Me: I told you to clean your room now.
Ellie: YOU'RE NOT COMING TO MY PARTY!!!

Christmas photos

This year for our Christmas pictures, Kyle set up his lights & backdrops. It's been a while since we had "formal" pictures of the kids. It's just so much easier to get great pics outside of them acting natural. Grandparents don't get the non-traditional pictures, though, and have been begging for "real pictures" of the kids they can put in their wallets.

It's always so stressful, but I think Kyle managed to get some of their personalities even with the backdrops and posing.

 

 

 

 

It all started on our way to family camp. Noah started running a fever 2 days before we left for Michigan.  It was low-grade and, other than a cough every now and then, there really was no other symptom. It lasted 48 hours and by the time we got to camp, he was back to normal.

Fast forward to Thurs. morning 3:45am. I am awakened to Ellie screaming in the bunk next to me. I get up and go over to her to find that she is now burning up with fever.  Hers, too, lasted 48 hours. She had a sore throat. Her last day of fever and our 1st leg of the trip home, Lucas is complaining of a sore throat. But, he has no fever and is acting completely normal. The next morning, Lucas woke up with a cough and said his chest felt funny. I thought he had bronchitis.

We got home that night and he did indeed have a low-grade fever. I sent him to bed.

Sunday morning he was vomiting, coughing and grunting when he breathed. I couldn't leave the thermometer in his mouth long enough for a full reading but when I pulled it out it was 103. I called Kyle home from church and took Lucas to immediate care.

After a chest x-ray, it was confirmed he had pneumonia. They sent us home with antibiotic and albuterol for breathing treatments.

Monday morning we went in after a sleepless night of vomiting, high fevers, and cough. The triage nurse took his oxygen level and was alarmed. It was 95. Not awful, but an hour after doing a breathing treatment, it really should've been higher. She checked his pulse and immediately told us to go into Room 2 and have him lie down. She ran (yes, literally) to get the doctor.

"Pulse is 280."
"Really?" our ped. replied


The pediatrician listened to him. I was told to calm down.

"His pulse is high, but not THAT high. We wouldn't even be able to count that."

I'm crying, Lucas is freaking out (which didn't help his heart rate), and the doctor says:
"I need you to head over to the ER. Do you feel comfortable driving him?"

I head next door to the ER. I can't get a hold of Kyle. While registering Lucas, I see a good friend from church in one of the offices. Who knew she worked over there? God did and it was just what I needed at that moment.

They take us to a room and while waiting on the dr. I get a call from Kyle.

Long story short, Kyle did indeed come right over. (so glad he works at the hospital!) We spent 8 hours in the ER that day and were on the verge of being admitted to Children's. We spent every day of the next week in the doctor's office. Lucas' oxygen level dipped to below 90 several times. Each time, though, they were able to get it to come back up so we were sent home. It was a scary, stressful week.

After being put on a super-strong antibiotic, breathing treatments every 4 hours round the clock for a week, zantec for the heartburn caused by the antibiotic, and finally steroids, Lucas recovered. An entire week of fever and feeling awful. It was, by far, the sickest any of my kids have ever been.

One month later he was deemed "all clear" and we celebrated. With the H1N1 vaccine. :)

Volunteers anyone?

This morning I was reading the story about Daniel out of The Jesus Storybook Bible for Noah & Jacob's Bible lesson. I was telling them that God is teaching me that He is still the same God that closed the mouth of the lions for Daniel and kept Shadrach & his friends safe in the fire.  The following was our conversation:
Me: Isn't it cool to know that the same God that did that for Daniel is the same God that we worship today? He hasn't changed! Do you ever wonder why we don't see God do those things anymore?

Jacob: Well, He doesn't really get the chance. I mean, they don't just throw people to lion's anymore.

Ouch?

Quote of the day from Noah:

"Sometimes they bring a real bulldog to the Bulldog game and sometimes they bring a real falcon to the Falcons game, but I don't think they'd bring a real yellow jacket to the Yellow Jacket's game."