The Mystery Rash

Finally starting to get over the mother of all colds this weekend, it looked like Reese was finally on the mend.  Then on Sunday I noticed what looked like a mosquito bite on her chest, which was strange because she hadn't really been outside, and I'm no bug expert, but I think it's too cold for mosquito's.  So I didn't think much of it.  Later that night, after her bath I noticed those marks ALL OVER HER, my first thought was chicken pox!  I was reminded shortly after by our babysitter, who I called in hysterics, that she has actually been vaccinated for that, and any case she developed would be mild....but in my mass hysteria over the rash covering my 2 year old, any logic like that went straight out the door! And the rash was strange, it would just disappear! I new spot would pop up and before I could get my husband back to look at it, it would be gone and a new spot would pop up somewhere else.  The dr got her in in first thing in the morning and told me that it was Viral Exanthem.  A rash small children sometimes get when they have a viral infection, I had NEVER even heard of this before!  Thankfully it isn't really harmful, and Reese doesn't even seem to notice it.  But I was really surprised at the diagnosis, because I had seriosly never heard of anything like that!

Now, I'm a crazy first time mom, I read what to expect while your expecting and what to expect your first year and any other overly informative book with way to much information that makes you always think the worst of anything your child has,  I could get my hands on, and I had never heard of kids getting a rash with a cold!

At any rate, the rash hasn't gotten worse and she doesn't even seem to notice it, I guess you learn something new everyday!  The Dr. said it will clear up as she fights the virus.


Yesterday was the 1st day (of 7) for a vinegar cleanse that my best friend and I are doing.  We wanted to do this cleanse and then lead right into a good healthy diet to try and shed some weight for a wedding we are both in at the end of May.  I thought, how bad could vinegar be??  Turns out REALLY BAD!  You are suppose to drink 2 Tbsp of it in 8oz of water 5 times a day!!  I actually had nightmares last night about having to wake up and do it all again today.  There are also diet restrictions involved to aid the cleanse, but the vinegar is AWFUL! It better be worth it!!! 

It's A Party!!

Since I am a VERY new blogger, I was looking for a way to get my name and blog out there, and try to build a network of blogger friends! This morning I was reading my list of favorite blogs and Julie over at From Inmates to Playdates had a post about a Blog Party hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom.com. The whole purpose of the party is to help bloggers "meet" new friends and introduce youself to new readers. EXACTLY what I was looking for! So...here's my introduction: I'm a 29 year old wife and mother. I've been married for 4 years and we have a 2 year old monkey who is seriously the funniest person I know! I work full time, with my husband (that's right...we're together ALL day EVERY day!) I'm a very social person, but also a homebody, I love television and books, celebrity gossip is my secret guilty pleasure and I'm TOTALLY excited about the Royal Wedding! I guess I consider myself quirky and silly and I Love to laugh!

I think if I had to describe my parenting approach it would be summed up by the quote at the top of this blog, I try to smile and enjoy life everyday, because that's the type of person I want my daughter to be. I think we all have different opinions and approaches, but at the end of the day, we are all just trying to love our kids and raise them the way we think is best, even if we all do it a little differently, we all have the same goal.


Photo by Fallon's Photography

I've thought a lot about what I want this blog to be, when I first had the idea for this blog I really just wanted a place to write all the things that are happening in our lives, those moments that we forget if they aren't written down, but are the important details I want to remember! My favorite blogs to read are the ones where the writters are just honest. Honest about their feelings and thoughts, and make me feel like "Hey, I'm not the only one that has felt like that" So I guess that is what I strive to do, to write an honest blog about what is going on in my life, with a little fun and crazy mixed in...because that's who I am!
Laurie

The Diet!

I am gearing up for a new diet challenge! I am still carrying some extra weight, and since Reese just turned 2, I think it's officially NOT considered baby weight anymore! :)

I am in a wedding at the end of May and I just refuse to be unhappy with myself for any longer! I heard Kirstie Alley say on DWTS (yes I was watching DWTS) that she just for once in her life wants to be happy about her body. I thought, ME TOO! I wasn't happy with my body in high school or college or before pregnancy or after pregnancy...seems like the common denominator is me!

SOOOO back to the diet! A few friends (you know how you are!) and I are starting a cleanse on Monday! An APPLE CIDER VINEGAR cleanse....I don't particularly like vinegar...so this should be interesting! I will spare you the details (mostly because I don't want to be held liable if someone tries it and ends up in the hospital or something!) but it's gonna be rough! After our 7 day cleanse, I will be following a diet that was made for me by my personal nutritionist (I know it sounds very high class, but really she's my best friend, who happens to be a dietitian....I like to pretend though!). I want to once and for all be at a weight that I'm comfortable with!

4th of July

What a perfect holiday weekend. Saturday we took Reese to the zoo, which she loved. I love watching her around animals, she just can't get enough of them! Of course we saw a lot of "kitty"'s and "chloe"'s. It seems anything that is black and white is a Chloe these days! The only thing she wasn't too thrilled with was the up close encounter with a curious monkey! As Reese was looking through the glass of the Monkey exhibit, the monkey decided to get a better look at her too! After that we went home through Clarion and had super with Grandpa Jeff and watch the fireworks at the stadium in Clarion.

Sunday we spent the day swimming and eating at Grandma Barb's. And Dan made a fire for us to cook hot dogs and set off some fireworks for us, we even got to Grandma Joy and Grandpa Mikes house in time to watch the Cochranton fireworks display.

Monday we did laundry while Tim and Grandpa Jeff worked in the basement getting ready for the big laundry room/shoe room remodel in the next few weeks.

All in all a perfect holiday weekend! Even the weather cooperated! 80's and sunny all weekend long!

And I'm back....

I started this blog so that I could try and get on "paper" all the daily things in our life that happen and get forgotten in the hustle and bustle of life...and as ironic as it is...in the hustle and bustle of life, I've been neglecting to update the blog :o(

I am making a commitment to turn over a new leaf! I will update this blog at least 2 times a week! Even if I'm the only one reading it, at least the memories are here!

Quotes

I've been looking online today to find a quote that I really love to use somewhere on this blog. I've always loved a great quote, but since Reese has come along I've really had a soft spot for ones that have to do with Children and mothers and fathers.

Here are a few good ones I came across:

"Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them." -Richard L. Evans

"Children learn to smile from their parents." -Shinichi Suzuki

"A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future." ~Author Unknown

"Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express." ~Joseph Addison

Worst Night Ever!

The day after Reese's tube surgery she seemed off all day. She was running a low fever and not eating well. The scariest part to me was that she was SSSOOO lethargic...she would be awake for about 20 min and couldn't keep her eyes open and have to take another nap...now that she is crawling and cruising it was VERY out of character. She started to feel really warm so I took her temp and it was 101.5...after Tylenol and Motrin it wasn't coming down at all, it actually went up a little...so i called our dr and he told us to go the emergency room. Long story short she had developed a type of pneumonia that comes from not getting all the gas anesthesia worked out of her lungs (which is why adults blow into those things that make the little balls go up after surgery)....that night was horrible. She had to have IV fluids because she was dehydrated and blood drawn and a chest xray...at one point she was so exhausted from crying so much she couldn't even cry anymore...I think I held it together pretty well for the most part...but I lost it when they were trying to get the blood drawn and had to stick her twice and move the needle around in her little arm...they finally gave up and did a heel prick instead...it was just awful.

I hope to NEVER have to go through anything like that again and think that the parents of chronically sick babies deserve all the credit in the world for what they go through. What a strong bunch you are!

Of course my mommy guilt has taken over these last few days. I know they needed to do those tests, but I feel like I should have made them stop trying to get the blood sooner. After typing it I realize how silly it sounds, but all I can picture in my mind is how sad and upset my baby looked lying on that table, wonding why I wasn't helping her. Even typing it makes me cry. All I could do was hold her hand, stroke her hair and whisper "it's gonna be okay" in her ear.

"She won't remember any of it" that's what I keep repeating to myself...those were the comforting words of one of the nurses that took care of Reese in the ER.