Thanksgiving

We did have a good time on Thanksgiving, thanks to Oma's great cooking and Julia's brief reprieve from her illness. Julia got a kick out of playing with a napkin...great for both peek-a-boo and as a blanket for her babies. Jake basked in the glow of Oma and Opa's attention.

A Big Price to Pay for a Bit of Fun

Julia is a very active kid. She likes to climb and run....not just likes, she needs to climb and run and play. The problem comes when the weather outside is cold and gray. A little over a week ago, I took her to the play area at the shopping mall. She had a great time playing with the other kids, sliding on the little slides, crawling through the tunnels.

We have been paying for it ever since. Poor little girl.

No fun.  At all.

I've never been a germaphobe, but I'm changing my tune. It started with a runny nose the day after our trip to the play area. A few days later, it escalated to three near sleepless nights with a feverish, congested baby in my arms. No one in the house got much sleep, even Jake.

She wasn't herself most of Thanksgiving Day, but after a suprisingly good nap in the Pack n' Play, she had a good hour or so of playing with and entertaining Oma, Opa, and Uncle Roger.

It can be so deceptive, because kids seem to feel better during the day, and at night, the high fevers and major congestion returns. I wondered what parents did years ago before the modern wonders of Ibuprofen and Actimetiphen to help reduce the fevers. I felt awful for Julia and just wanted to make her feel better. To help her breathe, I had to torture her with the nasal aspirator (aka the infamous Bulb). The pediatrician said they did not prescribe antibiotics until a child had a fever of 102 degrees or higher for 4 full days. 4 FULL DAYS!?!

Luckily, Julia slept through the night last night for the first time since Tuesday. She cried out in the night a couple of times. Formerly a heavy sleeper, I have a special radar for Julia's noises at night. R says I can be dead asleep three rooms away, and I will bolt up in bed if Julia so much as farts in her sleep.

So, last night, we all got some rest last night. It was a little too late for me, as I have caught the bug. R took care of Julia, who is better but still cranky and clingy. Thankfully, I was able to spend the afternoon in bed.

Julia Loves Her Babies

Loving her babies

What's Cooking, Julia?

Julia found the best toy in the house: the spice rack!

Julia enjoys the spice rack.

Julia enjoys the spice rack.

Julia enjoys the spices.

Jake was an innocent bystander.

Here!

Ooo, paprika!

Making a mess is fun!

Tired and ready for bed!

A Trip to the Toy Store

Julia's playgroup gathered at a local toystore for a story hour. The story hour was canceled, but the kids had such a good time, they didn't seem to miss it.

Playing Fetch with Jake

Adventures in Self-feeding

I gave Julia a spoon and a bowlful of yogurt and cheerios. She enjoyed herself thoroughly and made quite a mess. The Cheerio stuck to her head was not staged; it was the impetus for me grabbing the camera!

Welcome, Meredith!

I'm thrilled to announce that we have a new niece, Meredith Lynn. She was born at 5:50 am on Sun, Nov 9th. She weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and is 18.5 in. Both mother and baby are doing well.

Congrats to Charlie, Kylelyn, and Big Brother Scott.

Here are some pics from Charlie's cell phone:

Baby Meredith

Baby Meredith

Julia, Purses, and Babies

Julia can be a rough-and-tumble kid. She's not afraid of much, not shy, and loves to climb. I would think she might lean towards being a tomboy, but the child loves carrying around little purses (anything with straps that can be put over her shoulder and carried).

Here are some pictures Robert took in October when it was still warm of Julia with one of her purses:










She also loves her babies: Dolly, her new baby, Tubbles (thank you, Carol & Abigail), and all her stuffed animals. Her favorite word is baby,and she always has a baby with her. Some more recent pictures of Julia with some of her babies: