Kira updates

This year for Christmas we decided to get Kira an exersaucer. Only problem was that we didn't have anywhere to hide/store it until Christmas so we let her have it early. Besides, she doesn't know about Christmas and presents yet anyway. We've been using it for a few weeks now, and she is figuring out how to work the toys. She seems to like it. Kira has a little frog/blankie/lovie and she will cuddle with it and rub it when she goes to sleep. Also, she will take and likes a pacifier. It is so nice. Gabe and Carissa never would take a paifier, and I tried every version there is with them. Last update for the day is that since Kira is now 4 months old we gave her rice cereal for the first time today. She had a lot of it come back out, but she seemed to like it. She would open her mouth for bites and even leaned forward to get a bite. I think that she liked finally getting to try something other than milk.

New haircuts

Today, Carissa and Gabe both got new haircuts. Carissa wanted her hair cut short, to her chin. Gabe wanted a Mohawk or fauxhawk. Carissa's hair was probably half way down her back before it was cut, and I was kind of sad to see it go. But, it is her hair and it will grow back. They were both very excited and happy with their hair cuts.

Christmas tree

This weekend we finally got our tree up and the kids decorated it. I guess at this point it is kind of a family tradition now. The kids decorated the tree all on their own again. They use the step stool to reach the higher places, and the only thing that either Ben or I do is put the star on top of the tree. They love doing it, and I think they do a pretty good job.

Kira's hair

Kira has so much hair and I love it. At 1 year old Carissa didn't have as much hair as Kira at 3 1/2 months old. Well, Kira's hair finally got to where it was in her eyes so I gave her a little trim.
Before


After


Also, I love her curls.

Skiing

I finally got a chance to watch Carissa ski, and she is doing a great job. I guess Gabe kind of forgot how to ski over the summer, so he is going to take another ski lesson sometime this year. Gabe really wants to ski though. Carissa actually went down a black diamond on her second time out this year, so I guess she didn't forget how to ski over the summer.

Gabe's evaluation

So, we took Gabe in for an evaluation about 2 years ago when he was 3, because of the problems I was having with him. At that time he was diagnosed as "most likely ADHD." We did some counseling and a parenting class and it helped a lot. Then the last few months things have been getting worse at home and with him in kindergarten. So, we went for an evaluation the week before Thanksgiving, and got some questionnaires for Ben and I, and for Gabe's teacher. When I looked over the one that the teacher filled out it made me really sad, and Ben got kind of defensive. I guess things are worse at school than we thought. And I'm glad I've had some time to get to know Gabe's teacher before this or I might feel that she was "out to get him."

Then we had a meeting on Monday the week of Thanksgiving to go over the questionnaires. And, it seems pretty certain between both appointments that Gabe does have ADHD. We started going to a weekly peer interaction group to help Gabe interact with his peers. And, we will be finding out what the school has available to help him as well as soon as we can. So far, Gabe is really liking the peer interaction group and they have a group for the parents at the same time to help us with information and such.

Conferences/Report Cards

This week we had parent teacher conferences and got Carissa's and Gabe's report cards. They are both doing well and have improved from the beg. of the year. Carissa had almost all 4's and Gabe had mostly 3's and 4's, but he did have one 1. Gabe also had a couple of NI's (needs improvement).

Carissa's teacher said that she is doing really well and doesn't have any concerns. Carissa is above level on her reading and hand writing, and on level for her spelling and math. She does very high quality work, but she doesn't finish all of her work. So, a goal for Carissa is to work harder on finishing more of her work without losing the quality.

Gabe's teacher loves his enthusiasm for everything, and he "keeps her in stitches." Gabe is picking up on everything academically really quickly and she isn't worried about that at all. But, Gabe needs to work on using his words more when gets angry. He also gets distracted and kind of does things on his own terms. We told Gabe's teacher that we are thinking to call about getting Gabe evaluated again, and that when had it done we were told that he most likely had ADHD. She said that she wouldn't be surprised by it if he does, and she is willing to work with whatever we decide to do to help Gabe.

Pumpkins

Smiles


Silly faces

Red Ribbon Week

This week was red ribbon week at Carissa and Gabe's school so they had a wear red day, wear pajamas day, a crazy hair day, and a costume day. It was interesting listening to Gabe explain to me how his class doesn't do drugs at school, and talk to me about what they had been talking about at school. But, they also had fun getting dress differently this week. We have also as a family decided that we don't like colored hair spray, after sore throats and headaches for Ben and myself and the kids having it up their noses and in their ears. We were as well ventilated as we could be inside the house, but it wasn't good enough. Here are some pictures of the kids from this week.

2 months old

Kira is 2 months old today, and we had her 2 month check up today as well. She is doing very well with her growth and development, and we talked about her exposure to chicken pox. So far no chicken pox spots, but I will keep watching her for a while. If she gets chicken pox I can let our doctor's office know about it and we can give her some medicine to make to a little easier on her. Hopefully, Kira won't get chicken pox though. It was just bad timing for Ben to get Shingles, but that isn't something that you can control. Also now that Kira is 2 months old we don't have to worry about taking her in for a fever anymore. We can just use our own judgement. Anyway, Kira's weight was 11 lbs. 2 oz and her height was 23 1/4 inches. That puts her at the 59th% for weight and 83rd% for height. Also, Kira got her vaccinations and she did really well. She was sleeping so peacefully by the time the nurse came back with the shots, so she was woke up with a needle poking her leg. Not the nicest way to wake up. She got 3 shots in her legs and then an oral vaccine, which must taste pretty good. After Kira calmed down a little from the shots, drinking the oral vaccine got her to calm down the rest of the way. Overall, she cried very little. And, she was happy and smiling during her exam. She is such a bright and cheerful little girl, and we love her so much.

Eye Exam

Gabe had his annual eye exam on Monday. He did well with his appointment which was great considering how long we were there and that I had Kira with us. Good news is that the range of movement in Gabe's eye is still staying consistent. So, 3 years and about 5 eye exams later we are still in the best case scenario. If things continue this way when Gabe is about 8 or 9 we could start doing eye exams less often than once a year. But, for now they still want to catch it quick if something does change. This is the first time that Gabe got upset about having his eyes dilated though. He started crying on the way home, because one of his eyes was "foggy."

Dentist

Carissa and Gabe had the dentist appointment yesterday. I was so nervous about it, because over the past few months I have been completely slacking. I haven't been flossing their teeth regularly or helping Gabe brush his either. And, since they have both had cavities in the past I was really worried that my being tired/busy the last of my pregnancy and since Kira was born was going to show up at this appointment. Great news is that they have no cavities or problems to treat right now at all. Yay! And Carissa is doing an excellent job taking care of her teeth by herself. Gabe isn't quite ready to take over brushing his teeth though. So, now I just need to get back in the habit of helping with flossing and helping Gabe brush better.

Kira's hospital stay

This is probably going to be kind of long. Last Monday evening I got really sick. I was achy and had a fever of 102 and 103, and my right breast was sore and red. Tuesday I was diagnosed with mastitis and started antibiotics. Wednesday Kira started getting fussier and spitting up more often, normally she doesn't spit up at all. Thursday, she threw up and continued to get fussier. Friday was about like Thursday including throwing up once. Then Saturday she was still even fussier. I was thinking that the antibiotics I'm taking has been upsetting her stomach and tried talking to my doctor's office Saturday morning to see if there was something different that I could do. But, they didn't get back to me and closed. Then Saturday night she got a stuffy nose. We were up most of the night together, and Sunday morning when I checked her she had a temp of 99.5. I was told anything over 99.4 for an underarm temp was reason to take her to the doctor. So I took all 3 kids to the instacare because Ben was already at work. There she got her nose cleaned out, her eyes checked for scratches, a catheter for urine, and generally checked out. They couldn't find anything wrong but she had a rectal temp of 100.7, so they sent us to Primary Childrens. My mom took Carissa and Gabe for me, and I called to let Ben know what was going on. Carissa and Gabe did well at the instacare, but it was better for them to not come to the hospital. They were both actually having a hard time watching Kira scream during tests at the instacare. And, of course they would have more fun with Grandma than sitting at the hospital.

Ben met us at the ER room right as I was getting told all the tests that needed to be done. I was so happy to not be by myself. Between the Instacare and the ER Kira has had 3 catheter attempts/2 of them successful, 5 IV/blood draw attempts/1 successful, 2 spinal tap attempts/1 successful, and a tube that sucked the junk out of her mouth/nose (I couldn't see for sure how they did that one). She was then given a dose of antibiotics as a precaution. Then, we are checked in for a 24 hour observation while getting test results back. All results so far have been good, and the junk that was sucked out came back saying that she has the parainfluenza virus.

Pictures from after Kira was checked in to stay:




Then this morning we found out that Kira most likely has a UTI in addition to the virus. So, she had an ultrasound to check out her "plumbing" and that looks good. Now, it looks like we will be here for 36 hours instead of 24 hours and Kira will get more antibiotics today. Hopefully, everything continues to look good and we can go home in the morning tomorrow.

I know that things can go really bad really fast with such a young infant, and that all of the tests were needed to make sure that she was okay. But, it is so hard to watch your 4 1/2 week old get poked over and over and listen to her screaming and not be able to make it all better for her. At least she will have no memory of all the awful tests that she has had and hopefully she won't have any more problems in the future either.

Pictures while waiting to be discharged:

Gabe's hair

Over Labor day weekend, Gabe decided to use his scissors and cut his own hair. I thought that his hair was short enough that he wouldn't ever feel the need to try cutting it, but I was wrong. He cut a stripe in his hair. Then we went to see Grandma the next day and she buzzed it for us to even his hair out again. Hopefully, we won't need to do that again.

Before buzz:


After buzz:

Kira's 2 week check up

Kira's 2 week check up ended up being the day before she turned 3 weeks old. Everything checked out well at the appointment, Kira is healthy and doing well. She weighs 9 lbs. 3 oz. now, so she gained all of her birth weight back plus more. Also, they measured her height at 21 3/4 inches which is a 1/4 inch less than her birth height. So, someone measured wrong somewhere, because I don't think that she is shrinking. Kira got her second PKU, so she was very unhappy about having someone poke and then squeeze her foot. Also, I talked to the doctor about Kira's umbilical stump and he said that it all still looks healthy and he said that she is on the long side of still having it, but it is ok for now. He also said that if it is still there when she is 2 months old that he would do something about it at that point. It is very unusual for that type of thing to happen, but since my youngest brother had to have his removed at 2 months old I know that it can happen. Next appointment will be at 2 months when Kira will be getting some shots, and hopefully her cord stump falls off long before that appointment.

Kindergarten

So, I was really hoping that Gabe wouldn't be sick for his first day of school, and that didn't happen like I wanted it to. On Monday morning he got up to get ready for school and I checked his temp. and asked how he was feeling. He was in that in between phase of not sick enough that he needs to stay home, but he still wasn't better yet. I ended up letting Gabe make the decision of whether or not he wanted to stay home from school, after all it is only 2 hours 40 minutes long. Gabe really didn't want to miss school so I let him know that if he changed his mind or felt worse to tell his teacher and I would come get him. Drop off didn't go at all the way I would have liked it to that morning, but I tried to not let it get to me too much. Traffic at the school was crazy and we were in the drop off area right as school was about to start. Carissa got out of the van and ran to make it to her class on time, while Gabe wanted to get his backpack on so that he would look like buzz and he could show off his new backpack. Well, he couldn't get to work for him and I was worried he would be late and we ended up with a small crying fit in the back of the van. Fit stopped and he got out, and then stood by the van crying that he didn't know where to go. At that point I decided to put the van in park and walk over to Gabe to talk to him and point him in the right direction again. That is when a lady from the school scolded me about being out of my car and told me that I was holding up the line (by that point the kids were all almost in the building). I more or less just told her too bad, and I wouldn't be causing this problem in the future. She apparently thought that I should leave my kindergarten crying outside of the school on his first day and just drive away. I told Gabe where to go again and he was still having a hard time, so I told him to go back to the van with me and I would park and take him in. Only he didn't follow me, so I figured he could just wait there until I parked and came back to him. Another mom started talking to him and then asked me while in my car where he needed to go, and she said she would walk him in. I said okay, and went to park. I wanted to be certain that he ended up where he was supposed to be. When Kira and I got in the school I couldn't find him, he ended up in another class in the first day shuffle. I found him and got him situated with his class and then left. Throughout the drop off I told Gabe a few times that he could just go back home with me, because he wasn't all the way over being sick. But, he wanted to stay and he had a very good first day at school after the drop off issues. It turns out the big issue he had with drop off is that he knows that his classroom is a portable on the big playground, and that is where he wanted to go. But, his teacher gets his class from the kindergarten playground and takes them all to the bathroom in the morning before heading to their classroom. I think that is all straightened out now.

First Grade

Carissa was supposed to have first grade orientation on Monday, and then her first full day was supposed to be Tuesday. Well, that didn't work out for us. Carissa got a fever on Sunday, and she had to miss her orientation and her first day of school. Kira and I went to the first grade orientation by ourselves, so that we could get all the information we would need. So, Carissa's first day ended up being on Wednesday and she said that it was good. Even now Carissa still isn't fully back to being healthy, but she was at least well enough to make to school for 3 day. Gabe got sick a couple of days ago, and I'm hoping that he will be better by tomorrow. Otherwise, he may end up missing his first day of kindergarten. He starts on Monday.

ATVs and Camping

Yesterday we drove up to the campsite where my Dad, Josh, and Alyssa where staying so that Gabe and Carissa could ride their ATVs and then spend the night camping. Ben, Kira, and I all stayed up there until dinner time and then we drove home for the night. So, Kira had her first trip to the mountains at 10 days old, and apparently the mountain made her very sleepy. Kira slept basically all day long between the driving and just hanging out at camp. Good news was that she still slept last night too, and today she is back to being awake during the day. Gabe and Carissa both had a great time driving around on their ATVs, and getting firewood.

Kira

Kira has been a wonderful baby so far. She is rarely fussy unless she has a really good reason, which is usually being hungry. At 3 days old she slept for 6 hours at night and only woke up, because I woke her up. That night I woke up wet from milk and just aching, I checked Kira and she was good sleeping. I tried to rest and just wait for her, but finally I woke her up to eat. Pretty much every night she sleeps mostly in 4-5 hour stretches between feedings. During the day she sleeps quite a bit too, and when she is awake she generally just looks around at everything. After having a "high needs," colicky baby 6 1/2 years ago Kira is the complete opposite. And, because of having that experience first Ben and I truly appreciate how lucky we are to have such a happy/easy baby this time. Kira also likes to suck on her fingers when she finds them, and she will take a binky once in a while.

Gabe is 5

Gabriel turned 5 years old on Monday. The first thing he said that morning after being woke up by being told Happy Birthday was that he couldn't be 5 yet because he was the same size as he was yesterday, and he was supposed to be bigger. That day we went to the splash park in Riverton that Codi told us about. We brought a picnic lunch and Carissa and Gabe ran around and played in the water. We didn't stay for too long though, because it was pretty hot and sunny. Kira was only 5 days old and I didn't want to have her in the heat too long.



Then Gabe picked to go to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner; and Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Brandon, Angela, and Uncle Josh all joined us for dinner. Gabe made sure that he told the waiter that it was his birthday, so that they would sing to him and he could get dressed up. We went there for Carissa's birthday 6 months earlier so he remembered what they did for her birthday.

After dinner, we all went to Grandma and Grandpa's house to open presents and have cake. Gabe said that it was a very good birthday.

Kira's First Doctor's Appointment

Because Kira and I didn't stay in the hospital as long as we could have, our family doctor wanted me to bring Kira in on Saturday for a color and weight check. The doctor thought that her color was great, and there was no reason to worry about jaundice. Also, Kira's weight was good. She was almost back to her birth weight. Next check up is scheduled for when Kira is 2 1/2 weeks old.

Kira Lynae

Kira was born at 12:27am on August 11, 2010. She weighed 8 lbs. 11oz. and was 22 inches long and very healthy. We were scheduled for an induction on August 11 if Kira didn't come before that, and as things worked out she did come before I was induced but she still came on the 11th. I decided that Kira liked the idea of weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz. and being born on 8-11.

The morning of the 10th I started having stomach cramps and nausea along with contracts. I didn't do much around the house and I kept waiting for some sign that it was either time for the hospital or that I was just sick. Well, I never got any sign that said for sure either way, so we decided to go to the hospital and get checked out. We got to the hospital, and I was at 3 cm, I was at 2 1/2cm just a few days earlier. Then Ben and I walked around the hospital in circles, because the contracts came more often if I was up and about than just sitting around. The nurse checked me again and said that I was still at 3 cm, and we would probably go home. But, she wanted to monitor me a little longer and talk with the doctor. We were there for over 2 hours before she came back in and gave us our options. We could go home and then come back later that evening when labor got worse, but then we would risk me not getting all of the antibiotics that I needed before the birth. Or, we could just stay and get petocin to get things moving faster. We had already left the kids with my mom, had everything packed and at the hospital just in case, and no matter what we would be back in the morning for an induction. We decided to stay, so at about 7pm I got my IV started with antibiotics and petocin.

I had decided to try again to have an unmedicated birth this time. I tried with Carissa and made it 12 hours including 2 hours of petocin before I got an epidural. A med. student came in and broke my water at about 9, and they came in about every 30 minutes or so to up the petocin dosage. Once my water broke I went up to 4 cm. Then at 11pm I was still at 4 cm and petocin was increased again, and labor went from painful but manageable to absolutely horrible. I figured since I was still only at 4 cm it would still be awhile, and I decided I wanted an epidural. It took 15-20 of horrible labor before the anesthesiologist got there and got the epidural started. Some of the contractions were right on top of each other and the were very strong. The epidural gave me great pain relief, and the nurse waited for it to numb me up a little before doing the catheter. As soon as the catheter was done, she checked and said that I was ready to push. Ben and I were shocked, I went from 4cm to 10cm in about an hour. The nurse told me that was why I was in so much pain. They called the doctor and got everything ready, and then Kira was born about an hour after I got the epidural started. I was never completely numb and I got the feeling back in my legs and was able to move them a lot sooner than previous births. I even managed to get in the wheelchair with a little bit of help when we were ready to move to our room.

40 weeks

I've made it to my due date, but no baby yet. Hopefully, Kira will still decide to come on her own soon. I've had lots of pre-labor signs, but no labor yet. And, she has definitely dropped down quite a bit. I'm just trying to stay on top of things around the house while waiting, so that it will be a little nicer coming home from the hospital.

Gabe's 5 year check up and shots

On Monday, we did Gabe's 5 year check up and shots to get ready for kindergarten. Even though I normally wait until after the kids birthdays to do their check ups Gabe had his 2 weeks before his birthday this year. Mostly, because school starts exactly a week after Gabe's birthday and he needed to have the shots before school started along with the fact that I didn't know when exactly the baby would be coming. So, we opted for an earlier check up this year. Gabe's height was 3 ft. 4 1/4 inches, and he weighed 35.8 lbs. His eyes, reflexes, motor skills, counting, and everything was great. He is ready for kindergarten from a medical stand point. Also, Gabe got 3 shots and he did wonderful. He still cried and got upset with the last 2 shots, but that is completely okay with me. With his flu shots this past winter, he was fighting and hiding trying not to get the shots. So, he did a super job at being willing to get the shots this time.

Carissa's first lost tooth

Carissa lost her first baby tooth on July 31st. She has had her adult tooth coming in behind the baby tooth for quite a while, and we have been waiting on the baby one to get loose and come out. That evening after dinner she showed me how wiggly her tooth was and told me that she thought it would fall out in about 2 days. Then that night she went to bed, and didn't go to sleep. She wiggled her tooth for about 1 1/2 hours until it finally fell out. She was completely excited, and so was Gabe. She has been waiting and hoping for her first visit from the tooth fairly for the last 6-7 months. The next morning she got up early even though she had been up late the night before, and she showed me the money that the tooth fairy brought her. She got $2, which is exactly the amount she was hoping for. Since the adult tooth came in before the baby one fell out there isn't a hole, but you can see the adult tooth now.

Doctor Appointment

Today, I had my "last" appointment for this pregnancy. I'm due in 2 days, and I really hope to have my baby soon. At my appointment my blood pressure, the baby's heartbeat and everything checked out well. I've lost about 1/2 lb. since last week, so it looks like I'm at about 23 lbs for this pregnancy. I measured at 39 cm, and I'm now dilated to 2 1/2 cm and the baby is down lower than last week. We also set a date for induction. So, Kira will be here on the 11th if not sooner. We are going to do some errands/walking today and see if anything else happens.

39 weeks

I'm now at 39 weeks and 2 days, and I'm ready to be done. My next doctor's appointment isn't until Friday, and I would like to miss it if I can. I'm uncomfortable and I can hardly walk most of the time now, I kind of limp/waddle around. I'm swollen and all around just ready to see my baby. I know that I'm complaining now, but I think it is at least somewhat understandable at this point. The baby dropped about 2 weeks ago, and then last night she must have dropped some more. My belly button suddenly doesn't stick out as far. I don't remember ever noticing either of the first 2 dropping at all. I keep getting these "signs" that labor is coming, but so far no labor. I just keep reminding myself that things will happen like they are supposed to, but waiting is hard especially with the end so close. And, I'm definitely grumier lately, so I think Ben and the kids are ready for me to be done too.

38 week appointment

I had my 38 week appointment today. This last week I've gained about 5 lbs. which puts me at 23 1/2 lbs. total. I may just make the suggested 25-35 lbs gained during my pregnancy after all. I'm measuring at 38 cm this time which puts me almost right on again. I'm still not quite at 2 cm yet, but everything looks good and is progressing. Today, the baby was awake and moving around and her heart beat was 178 bpm when checked. Also, I woke up this morning with my hips and lower back all hurting and making it harder to walk, plus my feet are a little swollen. Normally, if I feel like this it isn't until the afternoon or later after being up and about for a while. I think that my body is about done. Next appointment is in a week unless I have the baby first.

37 week appointment

Today was my 37 week appointment, however since my appointments generally end up on Fridays and I'm due on a Sunday I'm closer to 38 weeks now. I've gained another 1 1/2 lbs in the last week. Blood pressure and everything else looked good. Baby is still head down and she really shouldn't be able to flip over anymore anyway. I measured at 36 1/2 cm this time, which is a little small for how far along I am. But, that is exactly the same way that both Carissa and Gabe measured at this point too. And, this week I'm dilated to 1 1/2 cm, so things are progressing from last week.

36 week appointment

Today was my 36 week appointment. Everything is still going well. I've gained about 3 1/1 lbs. in the last 12 days, which puts me at a total of about 17 lbs gained. My group B strep test was positive this time, so I will be getting antibiotics while in labor. Also, the baby is head down like she should be. And my cervix is softened, 50% effaced and a fingertip dilated. My next appointment will be on the 23rd.

4th of July

Most of the festivities here for the 4th were actually on the 3rd this year. So, we went to a youth arts fair mid-day and the kids got to color their own Frisbees, ball and paddle, and make crowns. Then we went back after dinner and met up with my parents and my sister there. My dad gave Gabe and Carissa both $5 to play on/in the big blow up toys there, and then later he bought both of them light up swords too. They were both so excited about both of those, especially since we were only letting them do things that were free due to a lack of funds on our part. They were still happy to do the free activities too, but Grandpa made it even better. Then we watched the concert that was going on for a little bit while waiting for the fireworks to start. Gabe had several questions/comments during the fireworks too. He wondered what happened if the sparks raining down from the sky landed on you, which I told him that they are ashes by then and that they couldn't hurt him. He also said, "So that is how clouds are made, by fireworks." He did really well with the loud music and the fireworks display.

Then on the 4th we had a family get together at my parents' house and had a bbq. The kids played, rode their bikes, rode their ATVs and everyone spent time together until it was dark enough to do fireworks. Then all 3 of my younger siblings lit the fireworks in the street while the rest of us watched. Carissa enjoyed doing sparklers as well. Gabe on the other hand didn't like sparklers. He doesn't think they are safe. And, he was a nervous wreck during a good portion of the fireworks. He didn't like the loud fireworks, and when he was being all fidgety and kept getting out of his seat I ask him if he was excited or nervous, and he responded by telling me that he was afraid that someone was going to get hurt. He watched all the fireworks and didn't ask to leave, but he was nervous about it.

Last day of swimming lessons

The last day of swimming lessons was yesterday, and it was a fun day for the kids. Gabe got to jump off of the diving board and go down the big water slide. Carissa got to go down the big water slide. Gabe's class only had 2 kids so I think the diving board thing was easier to manage with only 2 kids. Both kids loved the water slide, and Gabe got a few more jumps in off the diving board because he asked to keep going. They both really want to keep taking swimming lessons, which I think is great. But, for this summer they are probably done. Between not having enough money to sign up right now and the baby coming in about a month, I think that swimming lessons are going to wait.