Sick Boy and Girl in Stitches

We didn't escape 2008 without some Urgent Care, a couple of trips to the ER, stitches and 1 hospitalization. Here's a recap of what's happened health-wise in the past couple of months. Alex got his first stomach flu. (thanks to Kimmie's kids and she's already apologized profusely!!!) The whole family had it, but for baby boy Robinson it was much worse and lasted much longer.

A week later he had an ear infection and went on antibiotics. Between the bug and the antibiotics, his little intestines really got a workout. So they just stopped working altogether. It was about 9pm when he started puking and he didn't stop until around 1a.m. We called Laura in a panic and she rushed over to stay with Ella so Troy could drive to Children's Mercy and I could sit next to Alex, catching the puke. He was like a little zombie. He looked white as a ghost. He was almost unconscious, and he'd just wake up every few minutes to vomit.

We were sent from the south hospital on a 30 minute trip to downtown KC at 2a.m. for potential surgery. Alex was admitted and moved into a room around 7a.m.

Can I just say this was my first and hopefully my last experience at Children's Mercy Hospital? We were 10 hours into this ordeal and no one had cared for my child!!! They took x-rays, gave him an IV, had at least a half dozen doctors and nurses ask us the same questions, but no one gave any indication if we could feed him, no one asked if he was in pain or offered to help ease that pain, no one even offered shampoo or a washcloth, so I could clean the puke off him!!! I sent Troy to get bathing supplies as soon as we got into a room and I cleaned him up and gave him a massage, and gave him some mylicon out of the diaper bag. It was the first time in those 1o hours that he seemed comforted and calmer and finally slept!

He was released from the hospital after about 48 hours. The resting of his digestive system with just IV fluids was enough to get things working properly again. It took another several weeks to get his feeding back on track. But he's eating, fruits, veggies, and cereal now and growing like crazy. Even at his worst, he was sure a cute boy! Just check out those chubby cheeks in his hospital bed.


Not one to be outdone, Ella had her first "war wound." She toppled out of a chair at Border's story time and managed to bust her chin open. She needed 3 stitches to keep the cut closed and she took it like a champ! She screamed when they pulled off the Band-aid I'd stuck on there to keep the blood off her clothes, but after it was all said and done, she was hugging the doctor and thanking him for "making it all better." Nothing like a "HELLO KITTY" Band-aid to make this girl's day!

Apologies... and an update on our family!

I have to start by apologizing for not keeping this up to date! I know it's been months and the excuses are many.

My life totally changed when Alex came home, I started working from home, and Ella starting staying home as well. Let's just say I've spent the past several months working out our schedule, adjusting to life with 2 kids, and learning how to be a full-time mommy, full-time employee and occasional wife and friend.

We've had a few bumps along the way. I resent Troy regularly for getting to leave the house. (even if he is going to work) Yes, the kids drive me crazy on a daily basis and I wonder how I ever thought life in TV news was stressful. But would I trade the choices we've made for anything in the world... absolutely not!!!

I've never been happier than I am at home with my kids. Alex has never known life without mommy here around the clock and Ella and I are having so much fun together. Their lives are amazing and some days, I'm in tears because I'm so grateful to have this gift of watching them grow up!

We have lots to share from playgroup and play dates to the home office and girls' night out. Not to mention all the kid stuff from Alex's hospitalization to Ella's first stitches, and our first Christmas as a family of 4!

I'll be more diligent in 2008 to keep everyone up to date on what we're doing and how they're growing. Happy New Year to all of you!

My little man

Alex really gets cuter by the day! He has much more personality than Ella did at this age. He giggles and smiles and goo's constantly. We're amazed and how emotionally, he seems to be developing quicker than she did.

Physically, it's another story. He weighed just 13 pounds 11 ounces today at the doctor and he's almost 4 months old. I don't think he's as strong as Ella was. But he's being cheated on a lot of the activities that could help with that. He doesn't get much tummy time, because Ella won't leave him alone. He can't sit in the Bumbo seat for long. (same reason) You get the picture.

Nonetheless, he loves that big sister of his to pieces. No one makes him light up the way she does. They're sure to be a force to be reckoned with in just a few months when he's mobile as well.

The Terrible Two!

It's official. We have a 2 year old! Just look at that face, and you know we're in for trouble!!

Her birthday was last week and we celebrated this past weekend with a huge party! 8-10 kids showed up, almost 20 adults, so we had a house full!

It was great and Ella really enjoyed the cupcakes and corn dogs. She was NOT a big fan of the birthday cake bounce house which we rented for the backyard. But the other kids love it, so she had fun watching them.

It's hard for me to believe that 2 years of her life have actually passed. What happened to my precious baby girl?!

This was really her first birthday "celebration." We had to cancel her party last year, when Nana died a day before. Luckily that was a lot simpler with 1 one year-old than I'm sure it would have been with a 5 or 7 year old! She never even knew, but this year was really special for all of us.

Troy's family came into town from Florida. His parents and his Grandma Gray were all here to meet Alex for the first time and to help Ella celebrate. I hope she'll look back at the photos and video and remember that they were here for her special day. She really did get the royal treatment with so many toys and dolls. She was actually quite the little lady, saying thank you and hugging her friends. I can only hope that sort of behavior will last for a few more years!

Anyway... she does have her terrible two moments, laying on the floor crying and writhing around like she's in pain because I won't let her eat an entire tube of toothpaste, feeding the dogs from the table, (which makes daddy nuts!) oh and I mustn't forget the HORRIBLE night terrors that started just this month. She's awake screaming almost every night, but she's usually still asleep. She pushes us away, screams some more, and finally we get her awake enough to end the dream.

The growing pains are sure to increase, but these have been the best 2 years of my life so far. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY baby girl! You've changed mommy's life forever, and for the better.

The Language Barrier- "Dora Toast"

She's vocal, verbal, oral, whatever you want to call it, Ella talks a lot for a kid who's not even 2 years old yet. She can put sentences together, ask for the things she wants and needs, even tell you what hurts. That is, if you can understand her.

It's a fine art. One that I'm starting to master after many days and hours of practice. But Troy, has a hard time decoding the "Ellanese."

Today was a prime example. She was frustrated and furious with me because she wanted "Dora Toast." She asked several times, then she got demanding. You'd think it was a simple request, but I have no idea what she wants. I have toast. Dora is everywhere in this house, but that's not what she's asking for.

Here's my solution. "Show mommy what you want." I pick her up and she points to the shelf in the pantry with apple sauce. "Toast." "Toss." "Sauce." I can see where that comes from. But the Dora connection is still a mystery. So I set her down at the table, hand her the apple sauce, and she points to her place mat. It's Dora and we always use it for messy food. "Dora Toast." Now, it all makes sense.

One of my favorite "Ellanese" words was a mystery for days. I even asked Laura if she could help decode. But it baffled her as well. It came up every time she watched a DVD. It sounded like "David" or "Elephant." I called it "dayfunt." What is "dayfunt?"

I'd ask her to show me and she'd point at the TV cabinet. I'd show here anything with an elephant, but that didn't work. Finally I said I don't know what you want. If you want something "different" you have to show mommy what it is. That's it! DIFFERENT! dayfunt, DIFFERENT!! I'm a genius!

It may take me days to understand my child, but I will make every effort. Eventually, we'll bridge this barrier. In the meantime, I'm the best translator she's got!

Home Alone Survival Skills

We've officially been at this for 2 weeks. (Mom at home with Ella and Alex.) We're all sick, (1 sinus infection, 1 ear infection, 1 bronchitis, and who knows what Troy has) but we're all still alive and we still like each other!!! That has to count for something.

Troy says Ishould consider the good days and the bad days... they all equal out. Well, yes, I guess they do. Yesterday was a bad day. I had a fever, Ella was a maniac, Alex was miserable, and Troy decided to take his sick day by working--- just to get out of the house. That oughta tell you just how rough it can be when everybody is sick at the same time.

But today's another day. It was a good one. We weren't well enough for play group. (no need to infect other kids) But, we did venture out for lunch with my department at work and the kids were both on their best behavior. We had fun, they napped well, and mommy got some work done. I love days like this!

Seriously we've had some truly amazing moments together since mommy started staying home. I love them so much and I realize each day just how much joy I'm getting from their everyday lives. I'd miss that if I had to go back to the office. This is a great experience and opportunity for me. I hope to enjoy it for years to come.

I also feel a lot less guilty about leaving them with a babysitter. They went to Laura's Saturday night and Troy and I actually went out on a date. We saw a movie, we had drinks, etc... best of all, Laura needed our car for the baby seats, so we had her 1969 Mustang convertible for the night. We felt like newlyweds...

Of course, we came home, Alex had a fever overnight, and I slept sitting up with him on the couch, but that's parenthood. Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

The little mother...and maternity leave ends

Seems like Ella and I are both juggling our time. She's all about the babies these days. We have several, and she has to have at least 3 everywhere she goes. Upstairs, downstairs, in the car, etc... those babies go everywhere. She nearly had a meltdown when Troy left the house this morning and DID NOT have any babies in the car. Luckily, Laura also has babies at her house, so the need was quickly met. She puts them in the car seat, feeds them bottles, gives them medicine, she's quite the little mother.

I on the other hand feel like I can barely keep up with my 2 babies. After 8 weeks, this was my last day of maternity leave. My last day to focus my attention on Alex and just be his mommy. Monday, I go back to work for 2 days, and then I'll be working from home. Alex and Ella will be here with me, so I'll divide my attention and time between the two of them, and work and this house, etc...

Oh yeah, did I mention Troy? I still hope to fit him and our time as a couple into that schedule somewhere.

I look at Ella and I realize she'll never have as much of my time as she did. I look at Alex and realize he'll never have my full attention the way Ella did as my first baby. I just try to meet both of their needs and be the best mommy I can. They love me for now. I just hope I don't screw that up when I'm home with them 24/7!

Moving to the Home Front... Missing Laura already!

It's something Troy and I have talked about since we were dating. What we wanted out of life. Our ultimate goals, etc... Mine was to stay home and be a mommy. Before we were engaged, or married or had kids, we both agreed how much we benefited from having a mom at home, and how we hoped that one of us would be able to be at home with our children. No latch key kids. That was our girl. Sounds simple, but in the 21st century world of 2 salary families, it's not.

My employer has made me an unbelievable offer that will make that goal a reality, starting next week. They asked if I'd like to return to my position, but work from home and avoid sending both children to childcare. The change would mean a pay cut, but it would also eliminate the major expense of two kids in childcare, and most importantly, it would put me at home, to nurture and care for my children. I can take them to the library, play dates, be there when they come home from kindergarten, etc... It's an opportunity that seems too good to be true. Troy and I feel we have to take advantage of this and do our best to make it work.

From the moment the proposal was handed to me, my first concern was what this would mean to Ella and to "her Laura." From the moment we walked into Laura's living room, both Troy and I knew this was a person we felt safe, comfortable, and grateful to leave our child with. Our first instincts were correct. We couldn't have been luckier. Laura and her family have basically adopted Ella as one of their own. Laura, Josh and their 4 kids (Matthew, Mason, Dalton & Hayley) make Ella feel so special and loved every day.

I knew how much Laura meant to Ella when we were in Florida over Christmas. Ella would play with her toy phone at Grandma Robinson's house and call Laura to tell her about what we were doing. She missed her! Two weeks away was apparently too much.

Starting after the 4th of July holiday, both Ella and Alex will be home with mommy, full time. I'm terrified that I'll now be responsible for two little lives, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, etc.. But I'm also thrilled that I'll get to be there with and for my kids.

Laura promises to let me call with questions, and to still be our great friend and adopted mommy. She came into our lives 2 years ago, and she'll stay in our hearts as part of this family, forever!

Alex and Ella

She loved him even before he was born. She'd hug my tummy and talk to my belly button and say "baby" all the time. But when she came up to the hospital that morning and met her new baby brother, Ella's life changed.

At first, she was unsure. Mommy was in a bed with tubes and couldn't pick her up. Daddy was there, but she didn't know what to make of all this.

She hugged him, and kissed him on the head and by the time she left, she was calling him by his name. "Alex." (although, when Ella says it, it's ALEC, she's not very good with the x sound.)

She notices every move he makes and every peep. It's always "Alex night night," or "baby Alex." She was in bed last week when Alex started screaming for a bottle, we heard Ella on the monitor saying"Alex crying."

She gets a little too aggressive with the hugging and patting and kissing etc... but so far, she's adjusting really well. Alex had lots of presents waiting for his big sister when she came to the hospital to meet him, so they're off to a good start.

I know the sibling rivalry will come. I had a little brother too. But at least we should have a few years of them loving each other first.

Be careful what you wish for!

My last blog was the beginning of a very long, and exciting weekend.

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo a day early on Friday night, May 4. I really wanted Mexican food from our favorite restaurant, even if I couldn't' have a margarita. I let Troy drink a whole pitcher for both of us... since he had a designated driver!

Too bad for him... Saturday morning I woke up at 6 a.m. in labor.

Alexander Gray Robinson was born at 10:12 that same morning. (Daddy and doctor wanted to make his middle name Paco or Jose... but I vetoed.)
He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces.
He arrived a month early... my due date was June 1.
He scared us by swallowing a mouthful of amniotic fluid and not breathing for a full 30 seconds.. but a little suction and he was fine. He didn't have to go to the NICU. He's been happy and healthy and went home with us just as we expected.

He's already up to 10 pounds at just over a month old.
Plenty more to come.
But I'll start this post with the first of many photos, photos and more photos!

Still pregnant...

We're officially past the 36 week mark... and waiting (no so patiently) for this boy to make his entrance.

They've stopped contractions with medication, but now they probably won't need to do that if it happens again. My doctor won't do a c-section before 39 weeks, unless we have an amniocentesis that shows the boy's lungs are mature. He recommends we do that after 37 weeks... so we're just a week away from what could be the GO SIGN!!!

We're still on the schedule for a c-section May 25. But my doctor thinks labor will start before that, so I'm hoping he's right. Even so, that's 3 weeks from today, so we're in the home stretch!!!

I'm dilated a little over 1cm and I'm 60% effaced, so the process is in motion. Now we just have to keep that boy moving toward the light! They've given me pain pills and sleeping pills to help with the pressure and pain so I can sleep at night. I was down to just 1 or 2 hours of sleep per night and that was starting to take a toll on my body and blood pressure. Now I'm just big and bloated and have ankles the size of tree trunks!

Troy has to put up with all my complaints, so he may be more ready than I am to have this baby!

Ella on the other hand is enjoying the final days of her time as an only child. She's clingy and loving all over both of us most of the time. She'd rather sit on the couch and snuggle with us than play and run around. I'm anxious to see how she adjusts when baby boy comes home.

We'll keep you posted as we get closer. Troy has a phone list to get the word out once we have a boy. I'll send out emails and photos as soon as we're home.

Until then...

This boy is BIG!!!

We had an ultrasound last week to see just how big. They estimated a little over 6 pounds at that point. Today, my OB says he's probably around 7.5 pounds. I still have a month until our scheduled c-section date.

But I'm having a lot of contractions, some of them pretty intense. They stopped the labor last Friday night with medication. I've been contracting on and off since then. It was rough again last night, but so far we're able to hold this baby off.

As I told my doctor this morning... I don't really like this baby boy right now. I love him and I'll melt as soon as I hold him, but he's killing me and I'm just doing everything I can to keep him in there a week or two longer.

(At that point, we'll go ahead and do the c-section early. But right now, we might risk a week or two in the NICU if he's born this early.)

So mommy will continue to soak in the tub each night, for 15-20 minutes of buoyant relaxation. Those are my only comfortable moments of the day. I've got pain medication to help me get through the night... and the daytime hours at work keep my busy enough that I forget how much it hurts.

It's not kidney stone pain, mind you! But it's annoying and it makes my blood pressure rise and I sweat and get nauseous, etc... I'll manage it for a few more weeks... then my boy can hear about it for the rest of his life!!! He was a pain in the *** before he was even born!

Pain in the Back!!!

This boy is trying to kill me!

He's putting so much pressure on my lower body, I can barely move! Sleeping has become an adventure all it's own. We have enough pillows in the bed for a harem! Troy just shoves them over to my side and tries to help me get them all situated, just so, before I fall asleep. Of course, it's only a matter of time until I have to pee. That's usually a 3-4 times nightly event.

Friday night, I felt my left leg shaking a bit as I left work and got into my car. By the time I got to Laura's house. I couldn't carry Ella to the car or get her buckled in. (thank God for Laura's help!) By the time we got home, Ella had to climb out of the car on her own and help Mommy get into the house.

Troy found us in the living room where Ella was enthralled by ELMO videos. Mommy was stuck on the couch, unable to sit up, stand up, or move in any way, and about to wet her pants. Troy tried to sit me up, lift me up, even stretch my leg. I think a couple of screams led to our call to the OB's office.

Turns out, the boy is putting pressure on a nerve and causing pain and numbness in my lower back, butt, and leg. I got some great pain medicine... but otherwise, there's not much they can do. We tried ice, we tried heat, we tried baths in the jacuzzi with the jets, I tried to stay off my feet as much as possible. Really, the best trick, was kneeling on all fours and just letting my belly hang down. It's not the most comfortable position (or attractive) but it does take all the pressure from the boy and my belly off my back. At least for a few minutes, I'm pain free.

I see the OB again tomorrow morning, so we're hoping for more answers at that point.

the Boy... in 3D

He's already stubborn and uncooperative and he's not even here yet! Baby boy Robinson must be taking lessons from his big sister.

We went for a 3D ultrasound today and he started face down, buried into my back. That explains why my back is killing me most of the time. He hasn't done the flip to put his head down toward the ground yet... but I'm having another c-section anyway, so that's not a huge deal.

Troy poked at my stomach, I rolled onto my side, the technician even clanged the cow bell against my belly. My child was constantly in motion. Those hands and legs were all over the place!! But it took more than 30 minutes to get him to peek his face out so we could get a glimpse.

It's hard to tell much. Especially with the shadows, etc... but so far, he seems to look a lot like Ella. We're only a couple of months away.. then we'll know for sure.

She wants her Daddy!!

We may never get a full night's sleep. Ella is still waking up at least once a night. She's feeling better, no more pain meds, etc... but she's having bad dreams.

The last 2 nights, she's woken up terrified. We can go in and calm her down... but she's not letting go of Daddy for anything! She's still half asleep, usually still sitting or lying down, but she's screaming!

Last night, it happened around 10:30. Troy was still WHOOPING with the boys. (special dispensation for an extra night this week... so he'll owe me. I couldn't calm her or get her to lay down, so I picked her up. She still screamed. She wanted "Da-DEEEE!"

We went into the office, and she was immediately fine. Hugging Troy, snuggling him, all smiles. As soon as I picked her up and walked out of the room, more screaming. We went to my bed, more screaming!!! Sitting there watching and waiting for Dad. The dogs came in to see what all the noise was about. They jumped up on the bed with us and she was suddenly safe and sound. She laid down with me (actually between the two dogs) and her little eyes would just droop shut. But she wouldn't let go. She'd open them and call for "Da-da." This went on for nearly 30 minutes before I took her back into the office and told Troy she needed him.

We finally pried him away from the computer screen. Troy carried Ella to her bed, covered her up, and all was right with the world.

He couldn't believe she was so insistent on seeing him and being held by him. But that just goes to show you how much she loves her daddy. When things go bump in the night, mommy can pick you up, the doggies can snuggle and and protect you, but only Daddy can make Ella feel secure enough to go back to bed. (Troy went immediately back to his video game... crisis over. Mommy can finally close her eyes and sleep!)

No studying... but I passed

We're off the hook with the gestational diabetes. My second test came back completely normal! YEEEEAH!

We still wonder why this baby is so big... but Troy was 10 lbs at birth, so I contend this is all his fault.

We're going for a 3D ultrasound today and hope to have some great photos of the boy to share soon!

New Tubes!

Ella had surgery Friday morning and the nurses say she deserved a gold star for the best patient of the day! She went in and came out smiling. She even cried to hug the nurse goodbye before we left.

She still had some ear pain over the weekend, but we were able to get outside to work in the lawn, grill, and enjoy some beautiful weather. SHE LOVES IT OUT THERE!!! So we're investigating swing sets, etc... for this summer.

She finally slept through the night without a peep so Mommy and Daddy were a little more well rested to start the workweek. Hopefully, we'll all stay healthy for awhile!

(No word yet on my 2nd gestational diabetes test. The results weren't back when I checked today. We hope to find out tomorrow or Wednesday.)

F for failure--- let the panic begin!

There is one thing I hate about being pregnant. Not the aches and pains, not the water retention or weight gain, not even the constant trips to the bathroom. I hate the test for gestational diabetes.

I'm not a big soda drinker. I don't like Kool-Aid. I can't stand sweets for breakfast. Needless to say, the super sweet soda they give you to drink first thing in the morning before this test, makes me sick! I've done it... twice now and I've managed to keep it down and get through the tests. But this time, I failed the test. So, I have to go back and take another, longer test, with more of the sweet, syrupy drink that I hate!

Okay, that part sucks! Now for the real drama. I'm terrified that I'll fail this second more definitive test and they'll decide I have gestational diabetes. I'm in a total panic.

As soon as I failed, I headed for work, logged onto the internet, and started reading everything I could about this. (MISTAKE #1-- too much information is not always a good thing!)
- it's not uncommon to fail the first test, even if you've passed in previous pregnancies
- it can be blamed on something as simple as too many sweets the day before the test or medication
- Most women who do have gestational diabetes don't have any problems

Troy reads this information and his mind is at ease. No problem, it's going to be fine, not a big deal.... (MISTAKE #2-- husbands never think anything is as serious as you do!)

I read more stuff.. .and this is where it gets really scary!!!
- some babies of moms with gestational diabetes are stillborn after 28 weeks
- some moms with gestational diabetes can go on to have diabetes after pregnancy
- some babies of moms with gestational diabetes are more likely to be overweight and have diabetes later in life

and the warning signs:
- frequent urination
- tired or run down
- thirsty

(okay, those are all common for any pregnancy) but there's more:
- large size baby (our boy already measures 2.5 weeks ahead on the growth schedule)
- little weight gain for mom (I gained my first 5 pounds this week. All the weight seems to be going to him)

Now, I'm a basket case!!! I'm convinced that I'll fail test #2--convinced that I'll have gestational diabetes--convinced that something is wrong with this giant baby boy-- convinced that we've got our hopes up and that we'll never be able to bring this baby home, now that even Ella is starting to love him.

Say a prayer for me this Thursday as I take test #2. I'm a nervous wreck. I should request prayers for Troy too... as long as I'm this crazed, he's guaranteed to lose sleep right along with me!

Tubes 2 (the Return of Sleep?)

Another week, another ear infection. Ella finished 10 days of antibiotic and had her 18 month well baby exam last week. Two days later, her ears were infected and oozing goo again! We saw the ENT specialist yesterday and yes, they want to put tubes in again.

Both tubes were originally put in last summer. The left ear apparently came out sometime shortly after Christmas. Since then, Ella has had 4 ear infections. I think this latest is #5. She has not felt well in months and we were really hoping the doctor might think a second set of tubes would be the solution. (Not that we want surgery for our child, but the first set seemed to help her so much. She slept better, felt better, developed better, etc...)

The doctor says this type of tube should stay in for 12-15 months. He really thinks that will be enough time for her body to grow and straighten out the Eustachian tubes so her ears can drain on their own.

It's been miserable to hear her cry out every hour or so overnight. She puts herself back to sleep pretty quickly on most occasions, but she's still running a fever, she can't stand to have her ears touched, and we just know she's in pain!!

She's crawled into bed with us the last 2 nights for a half hour or so while the Motrin kicks in. (I know it's a bad habit and I don't think it's something she'll continue.) She usually snuggles with Mommy for awhile and I'll rub her back. But she always want to have Daddy close enough to touch. She'll scoot up to his back and put her cheek right up again his ear. (She needs that Daddy lovin' to help get her through until the pain goes away.) After about 15-30 minutes.. the Motrin starts to do the trick. Troy can just pick her up and put her back in bed and she'll put herself to sleep.

I'll miss snuggling with that adorable little bit while we wait for the medicine to work, but I won't miss rocking her while she screams or getting up every hour. It will be nice to have our nights back for awhile... until the baby boy arrives.

Post Binky Blues...

It's been a week and we're still feeling Binky withdrawal.

Ella woke up at 11, 1, and 3:00 overnight. When I go in to check her... she asks for Binky.

The explanation that she's a big girl now and binkies are for babies... just isn't working.

This may be a tougher detox for mom and dad than it is for her!!!

Bye Bye Binky!

Our girl, she's growing up! I can't believe how she changes every day. We're about to try forcing a change on her... and I don't think this one is going to be very popular.

Now that we're in the third trimester of pregnancy number 2, things are in full swing to prepare for arrival of "baby brother." Ella has been sick a lot since Christmas. That's about the same time that one of her ear tubes "grew out." We're hoping she won't need to have it replaced, but in the meantime, we're trying to get her back into the habit of being a good sleeper.

A lot of the sleepless nights have come from being sick. She's congested, her throat hurts, she coughs, her ear hurts, etc... But, recently we've noticed that she wakes up several times at night, simply because she's lost her binky and can't find it in the bed.

We've been asking several other moms for advice, and the consensus seems to be that it's time to get rid of the binky. She doesn't use it during the daytime at Laura's house. Not even for naps. We've kept it for bedtime at home, because it really seemed to be a great tool for her to "self soothe."

Now, there's concern that she's too dependent on the binky, that she may try to take a binky from baby brother, etc... So we're going to give it a go and say "bye bye" to the binky this weekend.

At first, we'll give her the binky to fall asleep, then we'll go in and take it out of her crib. No more back-up binkys scattered around the bed. No more mommy and daddy coming to find the binky for her. She can rely on Elmo and Zoe and her blankie to help her get back to sleep. (and I"m sure we can rely on Ella to voice her displeasure with this decision)

We're sure to face a few more sleepless nights. We'll see is this trial period works... for all 3 of us!

Sick, Sicker, More Sickness.. and finally SLEEP!!!

We've basically been sick since Christmas. All of us, off and on, all at once, you name it, we've had it. Ear infection, respiratory infections, bronchitis, stomach flu, etc... We take vitamins, we all 3 had flu shots this year.... but we live with a 1 year old germ factory. Any germ that comes along... finds Ella!

She really hasn't slept well since we got home from Florida. If Ella's not sleeping well, none of us are. At first we thought she was in a rut, and we needed to use some "controlled crying" techniques to get her to soothe herself again. She's always been such a great sleeper, surely this was just a rough patch that we'd help her work through. We'd use some tips from "Super Nanny."

Then we realized she had an ear infection and we'd been letting her cry when she needed us to help with the pain! Talk about feeling like a horrible parent! But it's totally a guessing game. You never know when they're sick and when they just want to stay up and watch a video!

We capped it all off last weekend with a trip to urgent care, a trip to Children's Mercy Hospital, and Ella's fever topping 105!!! As if that weren't enough, Troy was sick at the same time with a stomach flu and my parents were in town. When it rains it pours!!

Last night, we finally got some welcome relief. Ella is hydrated again. She's drinking and eating. She went to bed at 8 and slept until we woke her up at 6:30 this morning. I was afraid something was wrong. I've forgotten what it's like to sleep for that long! Thank God we appear to be on the road to recovery!!

ELMO... our new best friend!

I have to start by saying that we blame this all on Dane! He brought Elmo into our home with a video on his laptop and there is no going back!

Ella loves Elmo. She couldn't pull herself away from the videos. Troy had to copy them onto his computer. Then she started spotting Elmo just about everywhere... on diapers, in stores, on television.

I noticed an ad on TV for "Elmo Makes Music." The live stage show was coming to Kansas City and I knew Ella would really enjoy it. I decided to get tickets, but Troy refused to go. We'd taken her to the circus late last fall, and she had little or no interest. I was certain this would be different. Music, big life-size fuzzy muppet characters, dancing, etc... they'd get her attention.

I was prepared to buy the tickets and take Ella myself when we finally wore Troy down. "I can't let my pregnant wife and baby go down to Kemper Arena alone... so I guess I'll have to go along."

Saturday morning, we got up, got dressed, had breakfast and packed our bag for Elmo's 10:30 performance. As soon as the lights came on and the first character hit the stage... we lost Ella. She was mesmerized! Lights, music, singing life-sized muppets.... she was dancing on Troy's lap, waving at Elmo and all she kept saying was "OOOOOOH!"

45 minutes into the show-- intermission. Ella finally had a chance to catch her breath and take a drink of milk! They bring out hundreds of Elmo balloons, cotton candy, snow cones... if kids will beg you to buy it, they had it-- and it wasn't cheap!! (Luckily we had brought an Elmo doll and Zoe doll from home so Ella was content.) We made it through most of the second act before she even started to wiggle. (photos all show the side of her face, I just couldn't get her attention!!)

Since the show, Ella can't get enough of her Elmo and Zoe dolls. She has to sleep with them every night... one in each arm... that's how she falls asleep. I'm not a fan of the character clothes... but it looks like Elmo is here to stay so I guess we'll all have to get used to him!

BAAAARF on Daddy

Troy says I haven't been blogging enough lately. So I'll take this opportunity to pick on him just a little bit.

Until this wekeend, Ella hadn't thrown up since she was a little baby in the hospital. That was different... really just spit-up. This was a full blown puke!

Troy was feeding her a piece of Valentine's candy from Grandma Robinson and the next thing I knew... something was splashing onto my kitchen floor. There they sat... Ella in Daddy's lap, both of them covered in kid puke. It was gross and smelly!

I thought Troy was going to hurl too!! He stood up and almost dumped Ella in the puddle of vomit. He kept saying "It smells! I think I'm going to get sick." Of course, the dogs came in to try and "clean up" for us. I told Troy to put them outside and get out of my way. He was scaring Ella more than the puke did!

We stripped off her clothes in the kitchen and I cleaned up the mess. Troy had to put clean clothes on our girl and change himself. "She got it all over me!"

Men think they're the "stronger sex," but when it comes to vomit... even our big tough Daddy gets a little grossed out.

Life is scary when you're planning for death!

When you're single you might have a little life insurance. Mine was through my employer, so was Troy's. That all changed when I was around 6 months pregnant with Ella. The doctor made the big announcement that "this baby is now strong enough to survive outside of your body. So assume you're parents from this point." That puts the fear of God in you!

Crazy pregnant lady started thinking of things like "What if Troy gets killed in a car wreck? Can I raise this baby on my own? Can I afford it?" "What if we're both killed and the baby survives? Who is going to take care of her?" "What if I die in childbirth?" (like Little House on the Prairie or something!) "This baby has to be provided for."

So we started buying life insurance. When you sit down and calculate how much it will cost to get both Ella and the new baby through childhood and eventually college, the numbers are staggering! Now that we've secured the life insurance we need, I'm a little worried that Ella and her baby brother may decide to "WHACK" us. We're worth a fortune if we're dead!!!

That's only part of the morbid discussions that Troy and I have had during my pregnancies. We also had to designate guardians. If, God forbid, something happened to both of us, we wanted to know where Ella would be, who would care for her, who would raise her as their own child if we couldn't do it?

That was a difficult decision to make. Not because we don't have many worthy choices among our family and friends. It's just that suddenly, you realize you're planning for your child's life without you. We had wills drawn up well before Ella was born. We made sure she'd be financially secure and that she'd have loving people to help her navigate life.

Now that we're expecting baby #2, we've revisited this decision. First, we wanted to consult with the friends who we chose to raise Ella. Taking on one additional child is a great commitment. Taking on two kids as your own couldn't be an automatic assumption on our part.
( Of course, they graciously accepted and assured us that should anything happen, our children would be theirs, loved equally and specially along with their own kids. )

I think it was actually harder to think about this the second time around. I loved Ella before she was born. When we selected her guardians, it was difficult to imagine not seeing her grow up. But, now that we know her, we're attached to her, we need her in our lives, I simply cannot imagine how life could continue without us all together.

How could anyone else know what she needs when she cries out at night? Is it gas? Does her ear hurt? Did she have a bad dream? Who knows that whining at the kitchen cabinet means she wants to carry her box of cereal and dump out a few pieces to eat? Who knows that when she picks up her pillow and blanket from the living room toy box and says "eye sigh" she wants to watch a Baby Einstein video? Now that we know her every move and grunt and whimper and smile, how can anyone else provide the love and care that we do?

This has to be the toughest reality of being a parent. I've always heard that if you're prepared for this sort of thing... you'll never need to use that preparation. We can only hope!

Christmas in Florida

We didn't plan on this trip. But Troy's brother, Nick, passed away unexpectedly on Christmas weekend, so we flew to Florida to be with his family and help with the funeral plans etc...

We left on Christmas morning and spent the week there. There were a lot of firsts. Ella's first time on a plane, her first trip to Grandma & Grandpa Robinson's house, her first trip to the beach... she had a great time.

It was a very difficult week for the entire family. Troy helped sort through Nick's things and make arrangements with his parents. We considered leaving Ella at home, but she was a welcome break for her Daddy and just about everyone else.

Wednesday morning, Troy wanted a break from anything that had to do with a funeral, so we took Ella to the beach. We only had about 45 minutes between errands and visitors at the house. But it was well worth it.

At first she didn't know what to think of the sand between her toes or how to walk on this weird stuff. But pretty soon she played in the sand, tried to eat the sand, and found a seashell to bring home. She wasn't big on the water... but it was pretty cool down there. We'll try that again next time.

Rough trip... but Ella made for some light moments and as usual, she was a big hit.

It's a boy!!!

It's been awhile since I've had time to post. With the holidays, my family in town, an unexpected trip to Florida for a funeral, etc... we're just now getting back into the swing of things.

We saw the specialist a week before Christmas and had our level 2 ultrasound. We decided to keep the news a secret and let the grandparents know on Christmas Day. Now I think just about everyone is aware that baby Robinson #2 appears to be a boy!

I had to ask the doctor to say it twice for Troy. He was so sure this would be another girl. I had a feeling this pregnancy was completely different, but you never know. Now Troy's greatest fear is that we'll have to buy everything again!

The most important news is that everything so far appears to be quite normal and healthy with this baby. That's all we could ask for. He appears to be growing and developing right on schedule. No signs of any of the problems that go along with pregnancy for "older women." (yes that's me, over the magic age of 35!!!) We're very lucky.

I'm still adjusting to the idea of having a son. The girl thing was pretty simple. I'm a girl. So, I know how they act, what the want, how to fix hair and dress them. Girls are drama queens. Once you get past that... you're fine. Boys are a completely different species for me. I'm still trying to figure out Troy! I'm so afraid that I'll snuggle this baby too much. What if I turn him into a Mama's boy? Troy will never forgive me! I've told Troy he's in charge of this one... I'll just handle the clothes and haircuts.

Seriously... we're both very excited and Ella is starting to get more used to the idea of another baby in the house. If you ask her where baby brother is, she'll point to her tummy and say "Mama." She knows he's in there. Sometimes she'll pull up my shirt and tug at my waistband so she can pat "him." I tell her he's growing big and strong so he can come out and play with her soon.

Hopefully she'll be ready to "play nice" by the time he gets here!