Max & Kaylee

1. I've been in this weird blogging funk...I have so many thoughts and things to say that are racing around in my brain.  There have been a handful of times when I sit down to start typing a few of them out.  But then, my mind draws a blank - whether it's from lack of sleep, or whether I just lose whatever it is I wanted to say.  And then, instead of saying anything, I just say nothing.  So today I figured I'd made a list of sorts.  Have I ever mentioned I like lists?  I mean, I REALLY like lists.  Or maybe I just really like crossing things off my list?!

2. The weather has cooled off significantly since Sandy passed us by this weekend (which, we didn't get much more than heavy winds and rain here.  I am thinking and praying for those who have lost a lot over the last few days...).  The last few mornings, it's been in the 50's when we've woken up, which is just lovely!  It finally feels like Fall here, and I can break out my scarves and boots without thinking I am a crazy person for walking around in 80 degree weather with them on!

3. We are all finally getting over that blasted cold that we had (the same one that landed Evie in the hospital a few weeks ago...) and I am SO glad.  It's nice to have the sniffles and hacking cough leave this house - and hopefully it's gone for good.  Other than that, we are all doing well.  Evie is still eating like a champ, and therefore makes lots of dirty diapers and sleeps a lot - that was my nice way of saying basically all she does is eat, sleep, and poop, ha.  She is starting to be awake a little more each day, and we are loving the little smiles that we get from her now.

4. The transition to 3?  On my own?  It's going pretty good.  I definitely have my moments.  Some days I feel like I can't get anything done, save feeding the kids and making sure they have clean diapers on.  Other days I feel accomplished to get dinner done early and a few loads of laundry done.  Because of that, there are lots of things piling up on my to-do list.  But I am trying not to get too focused on them, and just enjoy the time we are in right now.  Evie won't be this teeny forever, so I just remind myself that my to-do list can wait.  It might be slow going checking things off of it, but that's alright for now.  It'll get done eventually.  I think the biggest challenge for me is trying to fit a newborn's schedule in with our regular routine - definitely still a work in progress, and one that I know will change a lot as Evie gets older.

5.  Eliana and Ezra love their little sister and ask to kiss her a lot.  It's sweet.  They have done well with her being here, although we have noticed a few things as they transition to having her around.  Ezra has been throwing more tantrums than before, but that also might be the "terrible twos" starting up.  For instance, if we are out and he doesn't want to hold our hand (a big rule around here, especially in the street, obviously!), he just throws himself down on the ground and starts crying/screaming.  Oy.  That can be challenging when it's just me and three kids.  We're trying to be consistent and patient with him, as he tests these boundaries and tries to challenge our rules.  With Eliana, we've been working on obedience and listening.  I will tell her not to do something and she will look at me and do exactly what I just told her NOT to do!  Bah!  This is so frustrating to me, but I know she is just testing me to see what happens and what consequences come of it.  Again, patience and consistency and grace are key with her too.  It can be hard to stay patient and consistent when I am tired, or when I am in the middle of feeding Evie, but I know it's so important.

6. I started a Whole30 food challenge this week.  Yes, I might be crazy.  Oh well.  I am excited to see how I feel after 30 days.  I'll be sharing about my adventure along the day, most likely on a weekly basis, so be ready to hear about my struggles giving up sugar and peanut butter and cheese for these next few weeks!

7. In case you were wondering, currently in my house: Evie is waking up in the swing.  Ezzy is on his hands and knees, cleaning up Kix that fell during breakfast - most of them make it back in his mouth, rather than the trash.  L is begging me to watch Dumbo (have you watched that movie lately?  I just have to say it's NOT my favorite...).  The laundry is clean and dry, waiting to be folded.  Oh the fun times that await our day...

Adventures.  I feel like that's a nice of putting how the last few weeks have been going...

Thursday was Eliana's 3rd birthday.  Complete with lots of balloons strewn about the house, donuts with multi-colored sprinkles, and another high temp for a baby sister.  Yep, that's right.  Evie had another high temp, that demanded yet another trip to the ER.

Once again, she was admitted to the hospital, and we spent a few days there with her, monitoring her vitals, and waiting for test results to come back.  It's a semi-serious business when such a little baby has a high temp.  They get you back in the ER and do an entire series of tests and cultures - a chest xray, blood draws, spinal tap, catheter to get a urine sample - and then put an IV in.  It's not very pleasant to have to watch a little wee one scream while they do all of this, but I am thankful that she is teeny and won't remember any of it - if it was one of my older kids that had to do it...oy vey, that would be incredibly traumatizing...

After getting all their samples and tests, it's basically a waiting game.  They admitted us to the hospital for monitoring, and although we were all pretty confident she picked up whatever bug the rest of us have (L, Z, my mom and I all have it too now), we had to wait for the tests to come back at the 48-hour mark.  They did come back negative, which was a relief.  The doc said she either was on the tail-end of resolving the viral meningitis from her little body, or she just picked up whatever has been floating around here.

We were discharged today, and I can honestly say that I hope that we get healthy and stay healthy from here on out.  Like the nurse said today, it feels like the hospital has become our second home the past few weeks.  And I, for one, am so ready to be at my real home and stay here with my family!

I am so thankful that it wasn't worse, and that she simply had a little cold - and that they take such care to make sure it is nothing more that is attacking her wee body.  I can't imagine being in the hospital long-term, and my heart goes out to those who have to be - I can't imagine what it must be like, as we were only there 2-3 days at a time.

Thank you to all who have been praying and encouraging our family. I am also so overwhelmingly thankful that my parents are here visiting, and could watch L & Z.  It took such a load off my shoulders, knowing they were being taken care of and that everything was fine at home.

Now, I am off to enjoy a quiet afternoon at home, resting with my family, and enjoying the sounds of a fish tank, baby monitor, and my dad's crazy laughter, instead of an IV machine, the drone of a TV, and a door opening every 5 minutes.