Reese with a little glam and an ice cream face
Kaelin is a princess
Saturday, October 13, 2007
finally ... HAIR!
I just couldn't resist ...
Reese with a little glam and an ice cream face
Kaelin is a princess
Reese with a little glam and an ice cream face
Kaelin is a princess
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
They're baaa-aaack...
...and with a vengence.
Reese had another rash break out on Monday. Woke up with a few spots all over her belly. By lunch they were starting to pop up in other places. It's been a good 6 months or so since her last one so it got our attention. We started trying to figure out what she may have come in contact with. Two new things were introduced the day before ... almond butter (of which she had VERY little) and a new shampoo that I had used to make bubbles in the tub. Either could be the culprit but it certainly doesn't explain the ones in the past.
All of the doctors have advised against allergy testing since the spots don't seem to bother her much and because she has never had a really horrible reaction (ie .. no breathing problems or shock)
This time made us worry though. It seems that with every new round, it gets worse. I'm guessing that she has a semsitivity to something and as it builds up in her system, it finally just hits the breaking point and her body freaks out in the form of these rashes. That leads me to believe that if we just go with the Doctor's reccomendations, we could be moving toward possible anaphylactic shock. Not good.
We will definitely have her tested now, although I am going to take her to a naturopath instead of an allergist. The naturopath will be able to tell if she's having a delayed reaction to something, whereas the allergists can only test for a true allergy. Many times, the alergists can miss certain sensitivities (as I understand it)
I have put a call into a highly respected naturopath not far from us. Fingers crossed we can finally get someone to take this seriously and get some answers.
This rash was different than the others ones in that the spots turned into large clusters below her belly button and under each arm. The outer edges were bright red, while the middle of each was a faint green / blue color.
Freaked me out when I saw that. I called the pedatrician on call and she assured me that normal hives can look like that .. well, as much as she could reassure me without actually seeing them in person. Glad it wasn't anything more serious .. but worried for what may be in store the next time this happens.
She'll definitely be kept away from almonds and new shampoos in the time being!
Reese had another rash break out on Monday. Woke up with a few spots all over her belly. By lunch they were starting to pop up in other places. It's been a good 6 months or so since her last one so it got our attention. We started trying to figure out what she may have come in contact with. Two new things were introduced the day before ... almond butter (of which she had VERY little) and a new shampoo that I had used to make bubbles in the tub. Either could be the culprit but it certainly doesn't explain the ones in the past.
All of the doctors have advised against allergy testing since the spots don't seem to bother her much and because she has never had a really horrible reaction (ie .. no breathing problems or shock)
This time made us worry though. It seems that with every new round, it gets worse. I'm guessing that she has a semsitivity to something and as it builds up in her system, it finally just hits the breaking point and her body freaks out in the form of these rashes. That leads me to believe that if we just go with the Doctor's reccomendations, we could be moving toward possible anaphylactic shock. Not good.
We will definitely have her tested now, although I am going to take her to a naturopath instead of an allergist. The naturopath will be able to tell if she's having a delayed reaction to something, whereas the allergists can only test for a true allergy. Many times, the alergists can miss certain sensitivities (as I understand it)
I have put a call into a highly respected naturopath not far from us. Fingers crossed we can finally get someone to take this seriously and get some answers.
This rash was different than the others ones in that the spots turned into large clusters below her belly button and under each arm. The outer edges were bright red, while the middle of each was a faint green / blue color.
Freaked me out when I saw that. I called the pedatrician on call and she assured me that normal hives can look like that .. well, as much as she could reassure me without actually seeing them in person. Glad it wasn't anything more serious .. but worried for what may be in store the next time this happens.
She'll definitely be kept away from almonds and new shampoos in the time being!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Random things I learned today ..
1. Elmo stickers will stick to a cat's butt no matter how fast he runs and spins and jumps.
2. If one of your kids comes to you with a tube of toothpaste with no cap saying, "uh-oh", resist the temptation to investigate. You're better off not knowing ...
3. Reese's rashes are definitely not caused by peanut butter.
She was sweet enough to demonstate just how non allergic she is by smearing it all over her belly .....
and face ....
and hair.
4. The combination of a two year old, a comb, and your hair can only have one outcome .. you in tears, holding a clump of your hair in your hand.
5. There is a slight possibility that the other people in line at Starbuck's do not think your kid is as cute as you think she is .. especially while she's counting pennies to give to the barista. "One .. two .. free .. four .. eight .. nine .. ten .. ooonnnnee .. twwwoooo .............."
6. A child who insists she is starving and will absolutely not live another minute without sustenance will immediately turn up her nose and happily leave an untouched dinner plate on the table after you have slaved away in the kitchen. Somehow just seeing you work that hard for nothing will change her from a whiny, clingy, screaming baby into a happy, singing, laughing child.
and finally ...
(I actually learned this lesson on Friday but it's still a good one to keep in mind...)
7. If a two year old eats only skittles for dinner (don't ask), chances are you'll be seeing them again around 3:00 a.m. ....
and 3:30 a.m. ....
and 4:00 a.m. ....
and 4:30 a.m. ....
brilliant.
2. If one of your kids comes to you with a tube of toothpaste with no cap saying, "uh-oh", resist the temptation to investigate. You're better off not knowing ...
3. Reese's rashes are definitely not caused by peanut butter.
She was sweet enough to demonstate just how non allergic she is by smearing it all over her belly .....
and face ....
and hair.
4. The combination of a two year old, a comb, and your hair can only have one outcome .. you in tears, holding a clump of your hair in your hand.
5. There is a slight possibility that the other people in line at Starbuck's do not think your kid is as cute as you think she is .. especially while she's counting pennies to give to the barista. "One .. two .. free .. four .. eight .. nine .. ten .. ooonnnnee .. twwwoooo .............."
6. A child who insists she is starving and will absolutely not live another minute without sustenance will immediately turn up her nose and happily leave an untouched dinner plate on the table after you have slaved away in the kitchen. Somehow just seeing you work that hard for nothing will change her from a whiny, clingy, screaming baby into a happy, singing, laughing child.
and finally ...
(I actually learned this lesson on Friday but it's still a good one to keep in mind...)
7. If a two year old eats only skittles for dinner (don't ask), chances are you'll be seeing them again around 3:00 a.m. ....
and 3:30 a.m. ....
and 4:00 a.m. ....
and 4:30 a.m. ....
brilliant.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
a glimpse into the future
Sooo .. the girls were playing with their dress up stuff the other day ..
Kaelin first went for the Princess look (big suprise there huh?) while Reese decided to top off the princess hair with a pimp hat. God love her.
Kaelin decided next to be a Doctor .. which could come in very handy if she follows that thought into adulthood
Learning how to write prescriptions for Mommy ..
on second thought ... no way am I trusting a Doctor who makes that face and puts a shot in her ear.
Kaelin first went for the Princess look (big suprise there huh?) while Reese decided to top off the princess hair with a pimp hat. God love her.
Kaelin decided next to be a Doctor .. which could come in very handy if she follows that thought into adulthood
Learning how to write prescriptions for Mommy ..
on second thought ... no way am I trusting a Doctor who makes that face and puts a shot in her ear.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Jenny McCarthy on Oprah .. one size does NOT fit all
Someone mentioned that Tueday's show was to have Jenny McCarthy speaking about her son's autism diagnosis. I set the DVR since I know a number of different families who have kids that have been put on the spectrum.
At one point she talked about vaccinations and about how her son's MMR vax was the start of his symptoms.
All of a sudden I found myself a sobbing mess remembering the nightmare of the NICU and the Doctors trying to convince me to sign the waver for the girls to get their first round of shots.
They had been in the NICU for about a month at that point .. weighed around 3 and 4 pounds. They were still having episodes of apnea and bradycardia and just looked so small and weak. At that point they should have still been growing inside me but here the doctors were telling me that it was imperative that they get the vaccinations started. They looked at me like I was crazy when I didn't just sign on the dotted line
(the dotted line that absolved them from all responsibilty if the girls had a horrible reaction to the shots given. The dotted line that said, "hey .. there's a possibility that these shots could make them really sick ... there's a possibility that these shots could cause irreversible harm)
It seemed to anger them. The whole, "Great .. another mom who knows how to google" thing.
My mommy gut said no. Plain and simple.
I had read numerous books about the dangers of vaccines while on bedrest. A lot of sleep was lost. I went back and forth with my decision. Vaccinate .. not vaccinate .. vaccinate .. not vaccinate.
In the end .. for our own reasons, we DID decide to vaccinate. (although we refused the flu vaccine because of the mercury content... scary... and the girls waited for their MMR vax which we did a tad delayed)
SO .. I have nothing against vaccines. I DID have something against giving them to babies who weren't even supposed to be born yet.... babies who were still hooked up to tubes and monitors, kept warm in isolettes, and who needed 24 hour medical staff watching over them.... babies who still sounded alarms to alert us that they had stopped breathing and needed to be reminded to take a breath.
The doctors pestered me every time they saw me there. One day it got so bad that I just broke down. We're brought up to respect authority. Brought up to trust our Doctors. I felt bad for "giving them a hard time" but I knew that something inside me was screaming to hold firm. Luckily we had an amazing nurse practitioner who took me aside and told me that I was their mom and only I could make decisions for them. I was their voice, and if my intuition was telling me that something was wrong .. I needed to listen to it because I was connected to them in a way no one else would ever be. She saved me that day and I always hear her voice in the back of my head when I'm in situations like that. She gave me so much strength.
Five weeks and a couple pounds later we signed the consent forms. That was the night before they came home. Reese ended up getting very sick from the shot and needed oxygen administerd to keep her with us. I can't help but think what could have happened if we had allowed them to give the shot 5 weeks earlier.
Scares the hell out of me.
The CDC gave a statement for the show that is a change from what they have been saying in the past. In a nutshell, the past statements were that there was NO link betwen autism and vaccines. End of story. On Tuesday they wrote, "we don't know what causes autism, current science doesn't support vax/autism connection, but we don't know and we're still looking into it."
Huge change .. very encouraging.
Below is a quote from the show. The last paragraph basically sums up what I have been feeling since that day in the NICU.
In recent years, the number of children diagnosed with autism has risen from 1 in every 500 children to 1 in 150—and science has not discovered a reason why. Jenny says she believes that childhood vaccinations may play a part. "What number will it take for people just to start listening to what the mothers of children who have seen autism have been saying for years, which is, 'We vaccinated our baby and something happened."
Jenny says even before Evan received his vaccines, she tried to talk to her pediatrician about it. "Right before his MMR shot, I said to the doctor, 'I have a very bad feeling about this shot. This is the autism shot, isn't it?' And he said, 'No, that is ridiculous. It is a mother's desperate attempt to blame something,' and he swore at me, and then the nurse gave [Evan] the shot," she says. "And I remember going, 'Oh, God, I hope he's right.' And soon thereafter—boom—the soul's gone from his eyes."
Despite her belief, Jenny says she is not against vaccines. "I am all for them, but there needs to be a safer vaccine schedule. There needs to be something done. The fact that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] acts as if these vaccines are one size fits all is just crazy to me," she says. "People need to start listening to what the moms have been saying."
We all need to stop working against each other and come together for the sake of our children.
At one point she talked about vaccinations and about how her son's MMR vax was the start of his symptoms.
All of a sudden I found myself a sobbing mess remembering the nightmare of the NICU and the Doctors trying to convince me to sign the waver for the girls to get their first round of shots.
They had been in the NICU for about a month at that point .. weighed around 3 and 4 pounds. They were still having episodes of apnea and bradycardia and just looked so small and weak. At that point they should have still been growing inside me but here the doctors were telling me that it was imperative that they get the vaccinations started. They looked at me like I was crazy when I didn't just sign on the dotted line
(the dotted line that absolved them from all responsibilty if the girls had a horrible reaction to the shots given. The dotted line that said, "hey .. there's a possibility that these shots could make them really sick ... there's a possibility that these shots could cause irreversible harm)
It seemed to anger them. The whole, "Great .. another mom who knows how to google" thing.
My mommy gut said no. Plain and simple.
I had read numerous books about the dangers of vaccines while on bedrest. A lot of sleep was lost. I went back and forth with my decision. Vaccinate .. not vaccinate .. vaccinate .. not vaccinate.
In the end .. for our own reasons, we DID decide to vaccinate. (although we refused the flu vaccine because of the mercury content... scary... and the girls waited for their MMR vax which we did a tad delayed)
SO .. I have nothing against vaccines. I DID have something against giving them to babies who weren't even supposed to be born yet.... babies who were still hooked up to tubes and monitors, kept warm in isolettes, and who needed 24 hour medical staff watching over them.... babies who still sounded alarms to alert us that they had stopped breathing and needed to be reminded to take a breath.
The doctors pestered me every time they saw me there. One day it got so bad that I just broke down. We're brought up to respect authority. Brought up to trust our Doctors. I felt bad for "giving them a hard time" but I knew that something inside me was screaming to hold firm. Luckily we had an amazing nurse practitioner who took me aside and told me that I was their mom and only I could make decisions for them. I was their voice, and if my intuition was telling me that something was wrong .. I needed to listen to it because I was connected to them in a way no one else would ever be. She saved me that day and I always hear her voice in the back of my head when I'm in situations like that. She gave me so much strength.
Five weeks and a couple pounds later we signed the consent forms. That was the night before they came home. Reese ended up getting very sick from the shot and needed oxygen administerd to keep her with us. I can't help but think what could have happened if we had allowed them to give the shot 5 weeks earlier.
Scares the hell out of me.
The CDC gave a statement for the show that is a change from what they have been saying in the past. In a nutshell, the past statements were that there was NO link betwen autism and vaccines. End of story. On Tuesday they wrote, "we don't know what causes autism, current science doesn't support vax/autism connection, but we don't know and we're still looking into it."
Huge change .. very encouraging.
Below is a quote from the show. The last paragraph basically sums up what I have been feeling since that day in the NICU.
In recent years, the number of children diagnosed with autism has risen from 1 in every 500 children to 1 in 150—and science has not discovered a reason why. Jenny says she believes that childhood vaccinations may play a part. "What number will it take for people just to start listening to what the mothers of children who have seen autism have been saying for years, which is, 'We vaccinated our baby and something happened."
Jenny says even before Evan received his vaccines, she tried to talk to her pediatrician about it. "Right before his MMR shot, I said to the doctor, 'I have a very bad feeling about this shot. This is the autism shot, isn't it?' And he said, 'No, that is ridiculous. It is a mother's desperate attempt to blame something,' and he swore at me, and then the nurse gave [Evan] the shot," she says. "And I remember going, 'Oh, God, I hope he's right.' And soon thereafter—boom—the soul's gone from his eyes."
Despite her belief, Jenny says she is not against vaccines. "I am all for them, but there needs to be a safer vaccine schedule. There needs to be something done. The fact that the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] acts as if these vaccines are one size fits all is just crazy to me," she says. "People need to start listening to what the moms have been saying."
We all need to stop working against each other and come together for the sake of our children.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
offensive content (god bless this woman)
http://mamamojo.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/breastfeeding-in-public-warning-offensive-content/
Friday, September 14, 2007
First day of school!!
Ready for the first day!
Walking to their classroom
Kaelin and Cooper getting into the swing of things
Reese and Cooper ... being very stereotypical
Mommy is sad to leave them
but ......
quickly realizes that there are a lot of fun things to do while the girlies are away!
lunch with Layne and Cooper after school
Their first school art project!
Walking to their classroom
Kaelin and Cooper getting into the swing of things
Reese and Cooper ... being very stereotypical
Mommy is sad to leave them
but ......
quickly realizes that there are a lot of fun things to do while the girlies are away!
lunch with Layne and Cooper after school
Their first school art project!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Sometimes even the little princess gets grumpy
ETA: This look was a direct result of Kaelin asking, "Party? Cake? Friends? Fun?" and Mommy saying, "No babe .. only one birthday a year. No party today"
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
long overdue
I am in planning hell at the moment. We have the girls' second birthday coming up on Sunday AND we are selling a ton of our baby stuff at the North Fulton Mother's of Multiples Club consignment sale on Saturday. On top of all of that I am the team leader in charge of a group of volunteers putting up signs and passing out flyers for the sale.
Can you say stress?
I swear, I have never been this busy in my life.
Sooo .... let's see ...
the stuff that has been going on here lately ..
Kaelin had a second round of febrile seizures one night while she was sick. Again, we woke around 2 am to hear her in the middle of one. So sad to see your little one like that and know that there is nothing you can do but wait it out.
We didn't go to the hospital this time .. but we did finally call the Firefighters to come and check her stats when the seizure lasted longer than 10 minutes. She was fine ... came through it like a champ. She was super sore the next day though .. She was telling me that her arms and wrists hurt .. she kept getting frustrated and biting at them. Poor little thing. That lasted for a few days and then she was back to normal.
Looks like we will have to just kind of expect it to happen every time she comes down with something. Fun times.
The girls are growing up so fast. Kaelin is talking in sentences now .. albeit here and there.. and she is the sweetest, most considerate child. She warms my heart when I watch how she cares for her sister and when she comes to me out of the blue to give me a hug or a kiss.
She is also a tad obsessed with her cousin Cooper .. every night when I put her in bed she starts sighing his name. It's hysterical .. and disturbing. She says his name over and over in the saddest little "I miss him" voice. During the day, she will pull the blinds back, look outside and ask, "Coopah?" and then put her hands up in that questioning pose.
No doubt if she had the ability to write, she would be filling notebooks with his name .. her name .. their name ..... eek.
Reese is still the physical one .. racing here and there at breakneck speed. The bruises that constantly cover her legs show her personality perfectly. I never know where or when she gets them .. she's tough .. but good god, they're enough to warrent a call to DFACS by some concerned neighbor. I'm afraid.
She is also very interested in the potty thing .. she's definitely ready to start to tackle the whole training thing. Mommy is not pleased that this day has come so soon. My days are about to get stressful ....... and messy.
That's about all I have the brainpower to muster up right now. The rest is the same old stuff... playdates with the girls' little friends, nights out with the big girls, Gymboree classes, shopping, and trips all over the city for fun outings.
Have to get back to making birthday favor baskets .. more later .. if I survive this.
Can you say stress?
I swear, I have never been this busy in my life.
Sooo .... let's see ...
the stuff that has been going on here lately ..
Kaelin had a second round of febrile seizures one night while she was sick. Again, we woke around 2 am to hear her in the middle of one. So sad to see your little one like that and know that there is nothing you can do but wait it out.
We didn't go to the hospital this time .. but we did finally call the Firefighters to come and check her stats when the seizure lasted longer than 10 minutes. She was fine ... came through it like a champ. She was super sore the next day though .. She was telling me that her arms and wrists hurt .. she kept getting frustrated and biting at them. Poor little thing. That lasted for a few days and then she was back to normal.
Looks like we will have to just kind of expect it to happen every time she comes down with something. Fun times.
The girls are growing up so fast. Kaelin is talking in sentences now .. albeit here and there.. and she is the sweetest, most considerate child. She warms my heart when I watch how she cares for her sister and when she comes to me out of the blue to give me a hug or a kiss.
She is also a tad obsessed with her cousin Cooper .. every night when I put her in bed she starts sighing his name. It's hysterical .. and disturbing. She says his name over and over in the saddest little "I miss him" voice. During the day, she will pull the blinds back, look outside and ask, "Coopah?" and then put her hands up in that questioning pose.
No doubt if she had the ability to write, she would be filling notebooks with his name .. her name .. their name ..... eek.
Reese is still the physical one .. racing here and there at breakneck speed. The bruises that constantly cover her legs show her personality perfectly. I never know where or when she gets them .. she's tough .. but good god, they're enough to warrent a call to DFACS by some concerned neighbor. I'm afraid.
She is also very interested in the potty thing .. she's definitely ready to start to tackle the whole training thing. Mommy is not pleased that this day has come so soon. My days are about to get stressful ....... and messy.
That's about all I have the brainpower to muster up right now. The rest is the same old stuff... playdates with the girls' little friends, nights out with the big girls, Gymboree classes, shopping, and trips all over the city for fun outings.
Have to get back to making birthday favor baskets .. more later .. if I survive this.
Monday, August 6, 2007
FYI
Publix now gives a free 14 day supply antibiotics with a doctor's prescription ...
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/08/06/publixdrugs0807.html
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/08/06/publixdrugs0807.html
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
I have sent her portfolio to the HIGH ..
Yesterday, for the first time, Kaelin drew something and told me what it was ....
Below are her interpretations of Mommy and Daddy.
At first I just thought it was cute ... but after looking more closely, I have determined that she is an artistic genius...
The first one she told me was "Mommy"
My interpretation? Well ... first ... I see a figure bowed down .. there to be of service, as moms usually are. Not to mention that the girls are a tad spoiled (yes, I'm working on that) so I see the figure in an "as you wish" stance. That was a quick dose of reality.
I also see a lot of embellishment on the head ... mommy DOES tend to spend a lot of time on her hair ... what can I say?
Of course, you can't miss the wings on the back ..
mommy is an angel you see.
It's just sooo obvious!
(I would also like to take a moment to thank her for making mommy's lower half smaller than the top .. smart girl .. she's getting ice cream for breakfast for that one)
Now for "Daddy" ....
When David is with the girls, it basically looks like a tornado .. a lot of spinning and throwing and dancing and screaming and jumping ... right side up .. upside down .. round and round and round and round and round.
It's truly exhausting to watch.
I think she captured that spirit perfectly.
Below are her interpretations of Mommy and Daddy.
At first I just thought it was cute ... but after looking more closely, I have determined that she is an artistic genius...
The first one she told me was "Mommy"
My interpretation? Well ... first ... I see a figure bowed down .. there to be of service, as moms usually are. Not to mention that the girls are a tad spoiled (yes, I'm working on that) so I see the figure in an "as you wish" stance. That was a quick dose of reality.
I also see a lot of embellishment on the head ... mommy DOES tend to spend a lot of time on her hair ... what can I say?
Of course, you can't miss the wings on the back ..
mommy is an angel you see.
It's just sooo obvious!
(I would also like to take a moment to thank her for making mommy's lower half smaller than the top .. smart girl .. she's getting ice cream for breakfast for that one)
Now for "Daddy" ....
When David is with the girls, it basically looks like a tornado .. a lot of spinning and throwing and dancing and screaming and jumping ... right side up .. upside down .. round and round and round and round and round.
It's truly exhausting to watch.
I think she captured that spirit perfectly.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
From the edge indeed
[This was sitting in my draft folder... not sure why it didn't post.
It's from July .. but I'm still pissy about it so I guess it's still relevant]
Sooo ... I made a trip with the girlies to Victoria's Secret recently. I go in with the girls in their Maclaren double stroller. First .. I can't get through the damn store AT ALL! I keep running into racks and displays .. I have to continuously back out and walk all the way to the front of the store around the makeup section and back in the other side .. just to get to a rack that was two feet from where I was to begin with! There were even sections that I couldn't get the stroller to period. Now, I do not think that the world has to design itself around the fact that I have twins BUT if I can't get around with my stroller, this means that people in wheelchairs can't either. Last I heard, women with disabilities do wear undergarmets! Shocking, I know!
On top of that .. after 30 minutes of push .. pull .. yank .. damn, stuck .. push .. whoops.. I'm exhausted, out of breath and starting to work up a friggin' sweat. I take my two measly bras that I could grab and head to the fitting rooms. Of course, all the doors are locked. Awesome.
I stand .. and I wait .. and wait .. and wait. The girls are starting to get antsy of course, can't blame them .. so I look around for an employee. Nope .. don't see one.
I go over to one side of the store and see that no one is working the register. Okay. I do the whole .. out, around, and back in thing to the other side. Nope .. no one there either. sigh. Out, around, peek into the makeup section .. nobody. Are you friggin' kidding me?!?!?! ugh.
Out, around, back to the first register .. still empty. Of course, at this point I see someone (and hear the angels singing) walking toward the fitting rooms .. I race over and get there just in time ......... just in time to say "Hi, I was ..." only to have her just glance at me and keep walking .. right through the "employees only" door.
I stared at that damn door for a good 2 minutes .. completely astounded ..mumbling "what the .. but I ... how did she .. why would .. daaaammmmnn"
The girls and I just look at each other .. Their big blue eyes seem to be asking "Mommy, you're not just going to take that are you??" Of course, looking back on it now .. it was probably more of the "hey, gotta cookie in that pocket?" type of look .. but I digress. I decide .. oh hell no .. I'm done.
I turn around and bolt. Of course, I hit a rack on the way .. but istead of turning around I just pushed harder until the stroller won out and the rack tipped onto a display. Ha. Too bad snooty retail b*tch wasn't there to witness my rebellion .. but I felt vindicated.
We pass the register where low and behold, there are now TWO employees ringing up a woman. I chuck my bras at her, one hitting one emloyee in the chest (double Ha!) and thank them sarcastically for the wonderful customer service. I bite my lip from going further since Kaelin has started repeating any bad words she hears with glee.
I'm still pissed. I'm still wearing crappy old bras.
I'm thinking of setting up a playdate where we all go in VS and rearrange all of the sizes ... of everything .... then we can grab a soy latte from the Starbucks a few stores down ... then we can make ourselves comfortable on the chairs outside so we can laugh as the snotty retail girls have to take everything off of the shelves and start from scratch. Here's hoping they don't pay overtime
It's from July .. but I'm still pissy about it so I guess it's still relevant]
Sooo ... I made a trip with the girlies to Victoria's Secret recently. I go in with the girls in their Maclaren double stroller. First .. I can't get through the damn store AT ALL! I keep running into racks and displays .. I have to continuously back out and walk all the way to the front of the store around the makeup section and back in the other side .. just to get to a rack that was two feet from where I was to begin with! There were even sections that I couldn't get the stroller to period. Now, I do not think that the world has to design itself around the fact that I have twins BUT if I can't get around with my stroller, this means that people in wheelchairs can't either. Last I heard, women with disabilities do wear undergarmets! Shocking, I know!
On top of that .. after 30 minutes of push .. pull .. yank .. damn, stuck .. push .. whoops.. I'm exhausted, out of breath and starting to work up a friggin' sweat. I take my two measly bras that I could grab and head to the fitting rooms. Of course, all the doors are locked. Awesome.
I stand .. and I wait .. and wait .. and wait. The girls are starting to get antsy of course, can't blame them .. so I look around for an employee. Nope .. don't see one.
I go over to one side of the store and see that no one is working the register. Okay. I do the whole .. out, around, and back in thing to the other side. Nope .. no one there either. sigh. Out, around, peek into the makeup section .. nobody. Are you friggin' kidding me?!?!?! ugh.
Out, around, back to the first register .. still empty. Of course, at this point I see someone (and hear the angels singing) walking toward the fitting rooms .. I race over and get there just in time ......... just in time to say "Hi, I was ..." only to have her just glance at me and keep walking .. right through the "employees only" door.
I stared at that damn door for a good 2 minutes .. completely astounded ..mumbling "what the .. but I ... how did she .. why would .. daaaammmmnn"
The girls and I just look at each other .. Their big blue eyes seem to be asking "Mommy, you're not just going to take that are you??" Of course, looking back on it now .. it was probably more of the "hey, gotta cookie in that pocket?" type of look .. but I digress. I decide .. oh hell no .. I'm done.
I turn around and bolt. Of course, I hit a rack on the way .. but istead of turning around I just pushed harder until the stroller won out and the rack tipped onto a display. Ha. Too bad snooty retail b*tch wasn't there to witness my rebellion .. but I felt vindicated.
We pass the register where low and behold, there are now TWO employees ringing up a woman. I chuck my bras at her, one hitting one emloyee in the chest (double Ha!) and thank them sarcastically for the wonderful customer service. I bite my lip from going further since Kaelin has started repeating any bad words she hears with glee.
I'm still pissed. I'm still wearing crappy old bras.
I'm thinking of setting up a playdate where we all go in VS and rearrange all of the sizes ... of everything .... then we can grab a soy latte from the Starbucks a few stores down ... then we can make ourselves comfortable on the chairs outside so we can laugh as the snotty retail girls have to take everything off of the shelves and start from scratch. Here's hoping they don't pay overtime
Monday, June 25, 2007
We are sooo enjoying summer ....
Does sarcasm come through in type?
The girls are sick .... again. I swear, it's unending.
Reese got sick last Wednesday .. seemed to be a cold that morphed into a nast respitory thing .. the rattle in the chest, faint wheeze while breathing, not sleeping well, horrid congestion and coughing, with a low grade fever. Of course, not to be outdone by the dramatics of her sister, Kaelin started having the same symptoms a day and a half later. While Reese got better on Sunday, Kaelin got much worse. This morning she woke at 7 am (ack!) with a temp of 103 and was coughing so much that she couldn't get a breath in. She was making the most painful wheezing noise trying to get some air. Not fun.
I called the pediatrician to make sure I knew what to look for in case this turned into a bacterial thing which needed be treated. When they heard about the wheezing, they had us come in for a look.
Turns out that both have ear infections.
So... another round of antibiotics for them, which I hate.... but hopefully this will get them feeling better soon.
On a lighter note ...
Reese has just started talking more, which makes me laugh because it seemed to start up when Kaelin started to lose her voice and got quiet from not feeling well. I always suspected that she was the quiet one mainly because no one can get a word in edgewise with Kaelin's incessant chatter.
She is very excited about her new "voice" .. and is loving going around pointing out colors to me. The downside is that almost every night I hear her chirping away on the monitor .. which she usually does, just some mindless babble here and there when she wakes. The problem is that now I hear, "Mommy ... Mommy .. Mommy ... Momieeeee"
If that doesn;t make you want to drop everything and run up to her, nothing will! I know full well that she's just happily making conversation with herself, but it still tugs at the heartstrings and I end up going in for a hug and get greeted with an excited "Hi!!!" This of course means that she's now wide awake, excited to see me ... and planning on having fun with mommy for an hour or so at 3 am. Ugh. I need some earplugs.
Last night before I got her I heard her saying softly, "Mommy .. Mommy .. no no no ... Mommy .. no"
I had to think back to the day and try and figure out if I had overused that word! I decided that she was just reacting to a dream ... not repeating Mommy's favorite mantra! Suuuure.
I have noticed that while the girls have been sick that Kaelin seems to need her sister more. I catch her all the time sitting next to Reese, gently stroking the back of her hair. Of course, this drives Miss Independent nuts, and she is constantly shaking her head or trying to lean away .. but Kaelin just moves with her. When I stopped to think about it, I realized that Kaelin has always been very attached to Reese. Constantly getting in Reese's face saying, "Hi Reesey!" and following her around demanding, "Kiss! Kiss!" She will pass Reese and kiss her on the back of her head, always wants to play with her and know what she's doing when we are out with their little friends, and when she wakes, the first words are almost always, "Reesey?"
Reese, on the other hand, seems to need a break from the constant barrage of sisterly love. If we are playing at someone else's house, she will try and find a quiet corner to play .. or will leave an activity if Kaelin joins in. Unfortunately for Kaelin, she seems to have the soul of an only child. Of course, she loooves her sister .. and relishes in the fact that her best friend is always here when she needs / wants her .. but for crying out loud, is a break every now and then too much to ask for??
The only child in me feels her pain.
I am already stressing over their second birthday. You would think that I was in a quest to end world hunger or bring peace to Iraq ... not just trying to figure out fun birthday ideas for two year olds! Sometimes even I am amazed by my "life or death" priorities.
Of course ... that doesn't stop me.
I have become a master at quieting the rational side of my brain.
Are ponies too much? I mean, come on ... we have the perfect yard for ponies... it would be a shame to let a "pony lawn" go to waste. Right?
The only thing that has stopped me from going completely overboard is the fact that their birthday is in August. The heat is a huge factor here in Atlanta... especially when it comes to ponies.
Two little birthday princesses, all dressed up in obnoxiously frilly dresses and smelling of sweaty pony isn't really the "look" I'm going for.
(oh good lord .. that reminds me .. I need to shop for birthday attire!! I can imagine the number of eyes rolling at that comment .. knock it off and humor me... you ALL should just expect this from me by now)
Off to google.
The girls are sick .... again. I swear, it's unending.
Reese got sick last Wednesday .. seemed to be a cold that morphed into a nast respitory thing .. the rattle in the chest, faint wheeze while breathing, not sleeping well, horrid congestion and coughing, with a low grade fever. Of course, not to be outdone by the dramatics of her sister, Kaelin started having the same symptoms a day and a half later. While Reese got better on Sunday, Kaelin got much worse. This morning she woke at 7 am (ack!) with a temp of 103 and was coughing so much that she couldn't get a breath in. She was making the most painful wheezing noise trying to get some air. Not fun.
I called the pediatrician to make sure I knew what to look for in case this turned into a bacterial thing which needed be treated. When they heard about the wheezing, they had us come in for a look.
Turns out that both have ear infections.
So... another round of antibiotics for them, which I hate.... but hopefully this will get them feeling better soon.
On a lighter note ...
Reese has just started talking more, which makes me laugh because it seemed to start up when Kaelin started to lose her voice and got quiet from not feeling well. I always suspected that she was the quiet one mainly because no one can get a word in edgewise with Kaelin's incessant chatter.
She is very excited about her new "voice" .. and is loving going around pointing out colors to me. The downside is that almost every night I hear her chirping away on the monitor .. which she usually does, just some mindless babble here and there when she wakes. The problem is that now I hear, "Mommy ... Mommy .. Mommy ... Momieeeee"
If that doesn;t make you want to drop everything and run up to her, nothing will! I know full well that she's just happily making conversation with herself, but it still tugs at the heartstrings and I end up going in for a hug and get greeted with an excited "Hi!!!" This of course means that she's now wide awake, excited to see me ... and planning on having fun with mommy for an hour or so at 3 am. Ugh. I need some earplugs.
Last night before I got her I heard her saying softly, "Mommy .. Mommy .. no no no ... Mommy .. no"
I had to think back to the day and try and figure out if I had overused that word! I decided that she was just reacting to a dream ... not repeating Mommy's favorite mantra! Suuuure.
I have noticed that while the girls have been sick that Kaelin seems to need her sister more. I catch her all the time sitting next to Reese, gently stroking the back of her hair. Of course, this drives Miss Independent nuts, and she is constantly shaking her head or trying to lean away .. but Kaelin just moves with her. When I stopped to think about it, I realized that Kaelin has always been very attached to Reese. Constantly getting in Reese's face saying, "Hi Reesey!" and following her around demanding, "Kiss! Kiss!" She will pass Reese and kiss her on the back of her head, always wants to play with her and know what she's doing when we are out with their little friends, and when she wakes, the first words are almost always, "Reesey?"
Reese, on the other hand, seems to need a break from the constant barrage of sisterly love. If we are playing at someone else's house, she will try and find a quiet corner to play .. or will leave an activity if Kaelin joins in. Unfortunately for Kaelin, she seems to have the soul of an only child. Of course, she loooves her sister .. and relishes in the fact that her best friend is always here when she needs / wants her .. but for crying out loud, is a break every now and then too much to ask for??
The only child in me feels her pain.
I am already stressing over their second birthday. You would think that I was in a quest to end world hunger or bring peace to Iraq ... not just trying to figure out fun birthday ideas for two year olds! Sometimes even I am amazed by my "life or death" priorities.
Of course ... that doesn't stop me.
I have become a master at quieting the rational side of my brain.
Are ponies too much? I mean, come on ... we have the perfect yard for ponies... it would be a shame to let a "pony lawn" go to waste. Right?
The only thing that has stopped me from going completely overboard is the fact that their birthday is in August. The heat is a huge factor here in Atlanta... especially when it comes to ponies.
Two little birthday princesses, all dressed up in obnoxiously frilly dresses and smelling of sweaty pony isn't really the "look" I'm going for.
(oh good lord .. that reminds me .. I need to shop for birthday attire!! I can imagine the number of eyes rolling at that comment .. knock it off and humor me... you ALL should just expect this from me by now)
Off to google.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Atlanta Pride Festival
The festival is this weekend at Piedmont Park. Unfortunately BOTH girls have come down with a nasty respitory thing so we're stuck indoors until they're better. Hopefully their timing will be better next year!
http://www.atlantapride.org/info/festival/
http://www.atlantapride.org/info/festival/
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Holland
A mom in one of my groups posted this .. it was written by a friend of hers. I love the way she explains what it's like having a child with disabilities. Just too wonderful not to share.
I am constantly awed by the fact that our little ones came into the world at 29 weeks and have managed to rise above the difficulties that can come with prematurity. I am constantly thinking about the list of possibilities that was given to us by the neonatologists at Northside. Two strong willed little fighters we have .....
Welcome To Holland
By Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
Part 2
Celebrating Holland - I'm Home
(Author unknown)
I have been in Holland for a while now. It has become home. I have had time to catch my breath, to settle in and adjust, and to accept this different trip than I'd planned.
I reflect back on those years when I first landed in Holland and remember clearly my shock, my fear, my anger. In those first few years, I tried to get back to Italy as planned, but Holland was where I was to stay. Today, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected journey, how much I have learned about Holland. But it has been a journey of time.
I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language, and I slowly found my way around in Holland. I met others whose plans had changed like mine and who could share my experience. Some of these fellow travellers had been in Holland longer than I and were seasoned guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me and have taught me to open my eyes to the wonder and gifts to behold in this new land. We supported one another, some have become very special friends, and I have discovered a community of caring. Holland isn't so bad.
I think that Holland is used to wayward travellers like me and has become a land of hospitality, reaching out to welcome, assist, and support newcomers. Over the years, I've wondered what life would have been like if I'd landed in Italy as planned. Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewarding? Would I have learned the important lessons I benefit from today?
Sure, this journey has been challenging and at times I would (and still do) stomp my feet and cry out in frustration and protest. And, yes, Holland is slower paced and less flashy that Italy, but this, too, has been an unexpected gift. I have learned to slow down and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the remarkable beauty of Holland. I have discovered that it doesn't matter where you land. What's more important is what you make of your journey and how you see and enjoy the very special things that Holland has to offer. I have come to love Holland and call it home.
Yes, I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am thankful, for this destination has been richer than I could have imagined!
I am constantly awed by the fact that our little ones came into the world at 29 weeks and have managed to rise above the difficulties that can come with prematurity. I am constantly thinking about the list of possibilities that was given to us by the neonatologists at Northside. Two strong willed little fighters we have .....
Welcome To Holland
By Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
Part 2
Celebrating Holland - I'm Home
(Author unknown)
I have been in Holland for a while now. It has become home. I have had time to catch my breath, to settle in and adjust, and to accept this different trip than I'd planned.
I reflect back on those years when I first landed in Holland and remember clearly my shock, my fear, my anger. In those first few years, I tried to get back to Italy as planned, but Holland was where I was to stay. Today, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected journey, how much I have learned about Holland. But it has been a journey of time.
I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language, and I slowly found my way around in Holland. I met others whose plans had changed like mine and who could share my experience. Some of these fellow travellers had been in Holland longer than I and were seasoned guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me and have taught me to open my eyes to the wonder and gifts to behold in this new land. We supported one another, some have become very special friends, and I have discovered a community of caring. Holland isn't so bad.
I think that Holland is used to wayward travellers like me and has become a land of hospitality, reaching out to welcome, assist, and support newcomers. Over the years, I've wondered what life would have been like if I'd landed in Italy as planned. Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewarding? Would I have learned the important lessons I benefit from today?
Sure, this journey has been challenging and at times I would (and still do) stomp my feet and cry out in frustration and protest. And, yes, Holland is slower paced and less flashy that Italy, but this, too, has been an unexpected gift. I have learned to slow down and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the remarkable beauty of Holland. I have discovered that it doesn't matter where you land. What's more important is what you make of your journey and how you see and enjoy the very special things that Holland has to offer. I have come to love Holland and call it home.
Yes, I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am thankful, for this destination has been richer than I could have imagined!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
You know you wish you were as cool as us.
Me, Katie and Emily circa 1984 /85 (?)
I want to know where those kick butt red wedges came from ... and where they went!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
House Arrest
Poor Kaelin was stuck indoors while her sissy was sick. This is how we were ALL feeling.
make a difference
Sometimes it is just so easy to help ....
http://www.kiva.org/
Give a small loan to help lift someone out of poverty.
You can put up just $25 (or more!) to help men and women all over the world achive economic independence. For those a bit gun shy about donating money .. you will eventually get your money back.
~~
http://hungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces;jsessionid=4DC99C96871E37ECE490EAF835014B67.ctgProd03b?siteId=1&link=ctg_ths_home_from_ths_home_sitenav
Click the button on this site and corporate sponsers will donate a cup of food to people in need around the world. (If you make it your home page, you can do it daily .. hint hint!)
~~
Foster children are moved often from home to home, and birthdays are forgotten. You can give a foster child something to celebrate by sending her or him a new, unwrapped gift to the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles. The children are newborn-18 years old. Great gifts are books, makeup and manicure kits, games, legos, baby toys, etc.
Address: CLCLA, c/o Princess Ramey, Esq., Children's Law Center, 201 Centre Plaza Dr., Suite 10, Monterey Park, CA 91754. More info: 323 980-1700, pramey@clcla.org
~~
Operation Feel Better: Make a get well card for a child. Mail it to Do One Nice Thing, 149 S. Barrington Ave., #279, Los Angeles, CA 90049-3310. We're delivering the cards to children's hospitals.
~~
When you're shopping for greeting cards, buy a "Thinking of You" card for a lonely senior citizen. A home-made card is good too! Just mail it to us and we'll deliver it: Thinking of You, Do One Nice Thing, 149 S. Barrington Ave. #279
Los Angeles, CA 90049-3310.
~~
Click to donate free bowls of food to animals at shelters and sanctuaries at www.theanimalrescuesite.com each day. They also have an online store with unique gifts for great prices and with each item you purchase, more bowls of food are donated.
~~
Donate used towels and sheets to local animal shelters
Whe you see the Buy One Get One Free while grocery shopping, buy two and donate the extra products to local women's shelters.
Family Courts are often open to recieving new and gently used backpacks and overnight bags. These can be used by foster children who usually have nothing more than plastic bags to transport their belongings.
http://www.kiva.org/
Give a small loan to help lift someone out of poverty.
You can put up just $25 (or more!) to help men and women all over the world achive economic independence. For those a bit gun shy about donating money .. you will eventually get your money back.
~~
http://hungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces;jsessionid=4DC99C96871E37ECE490EAF835014B67.ctgProd03b?siteId=1&link=ctg_ths_home_from_ths_home_sitenav
Click the button on this site and corporate sponsers will donate a cup of food to people in need around the world. (If you make it your home page, you can do it daily .. hint hint!)
~~
Foster children are moved often from home to home, and birthdays are forgotten. You can give a foster child something to celebrate by sending her or him a new, unwrapped gift to the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles. The children are newborn-18 years old. Great gifts are books, makeup and manicure kits, games, legos, baby toys, etc.
Address: CLCLA, c/o Princess Ramey, Esq., Children's Law Center, 201 Centre Plaza Dr., Suite 10, Monterey Park, CA 91754. More info: 323 980-1700, pramey@clcla.org
~~
Operation Feel Better: Make a get well card for a child. Mail it to Do One Nice Thing, 149 S. Barrington Ave., #279, Los Angeles, CA 90049-3310. We're delivering the cards to children's hospitals.
~~
When you're shopping for greeting cards, buy a "Thinking of You" card for a lonely senior citizen. A home-made card is good too! Just mail it to us and we'll deliver it: Thinking of You, Do One Nice Thing, 149 S. Barrington Ave. #279
Los Angeles, CA 90049-3310.
~~
Click to donate free bowls of food to animals at shelters and sanctuaries at www.theanimalrescuesite.com each day. They also have an online store with unique gifts for great prices and with each item you purchase, more bowls of food are donated.
~~
Donate used towels and sheets to local animal shelters
Whe you see the Buy One Get One Free while grocery shopping, buy two and donate the extra products to local women's shelters.
Family Courts are often open to recieving new and gently used backpacks and overnight bags. These can be used by foster children who usually have nothing more than plastic bags to transport their belongings.
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