Chester's Not So Fun Day

(photo by Whitney)

Friday evening, our Chester officially became a special needs doggie.

He was set to stay at his T-Ma and B-Pa's overnight on Friday-Saturday, and at 4:00, I got a phone call from mom saying that he had another seizure. This was his first in over 2 weeks, so I was bummed that we had to log it and start the count over again.

According to the log I keep, he started having seizures every week and 1 day, and then it spread out to every 2 weeks. We were thinking he was starting to level himself out.

But not long after this seizure, I got another phone call from mom, who told me that he had another 'mini' seizure. And not even 10 minutes later, another call. This one was bad; he had vomited, and also had blood coming from his mouth.

I advised to have dad (who had just gotten home from work) get Chester into the car (as safely as he could considering dogs in seizure mode might bite unintentionally) and immediately get him up to his vet. Cary and I jumped into our car and drove there immediately, calling the vet on the way to let them know what to expect.

When dad got there, we fortunately were already there, and Cary helped Chester out of the car as I went in to let the receptionist know we were there.

At this time, the vet was set to close in 15 minutes, and I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to get there, and not to the emergency vet, which would have been a much longer wait, and much more expensive.

Doctor Cowser, the vet on duty gave Chester a intramuscular shot which went into his system to help stop the seizure activity immediately. Then he talked to us about starting the poor mutt on medication after this 'cluster' of seizures.

So today, as our puppy relaxes on the floor at my parents' house, I am saddened to know that he had to deal with that situation. But I am so grateful that there is medication to help him, and I do hope this stops this problem.

But I have to constantly remember that we are blessed that this has happened to our family pet, and not one of the human beings that do, or will, get behind the wheel of the car. While I have been aware of this fact since December 2009 when Chester first started his seizures, I am still baffled by the fact that this happened to a friend of ours, when her husband had a seizure as he was driving. Thank the good Lord that no one was hurt, and the passenger was able to control the vehicle and get the car safely stopped!

So now it is time to go find a tag to print out that states that he is epileptic and hopefully he will do well on the medication. Hopefully as he adjusts to his medication, we will see a sign of that lovable, goofy mutt again!

Why Read War And Peace?

When you live it 7 times a day?

1, 2, 3 O'Clock, 4 O'Clock Rock...

5, 6, 7 O'Clock, 8 O'Clock Rock

9, 10, 11 O'Clock, 12 O'Clock Rock

We're gonna rock around the clock tonight!

And that is exactly what we did--last night!

What was originally a plan to go to the McFadden's house to help set up a new tv turned into a skirt fest for the women.

On Monday I read that Brylee's daycare was having a 50's day on Thursday, and growing up, I LOVED the 50's and poodle skirts...so Brylee HAD to have a poodle skirt for herself!

Brylee's Oma used to make most of the McFadden clothes, so she has a lot of experience with making skirts. She even made her wedding dress! Me, on the other hand, have never touched a sewing machine in my life (except to go retrieve it for my parents...).

2 outfits that Brenda put together for her young ones!

I would love to learn how to sew, but just like learning how to knit, it is on the back burner for now, just because of obvious reasons. And after last night, I think I'll start with pillows...

Brenda was so wonderful, and seemed to be excited, too, about assisting in making this skirt. So on Tuesday, Cary, Brylee, and I went out to JoAnn Fabrics to purchase the needed supplies (felt, elastic, and the all-important poodle iron-on). On Wednesday, the pressure was on.

I was glad that I got to assist, but I noticed that I was slow, and not so strong with cutting circles out of felt. But I wanted to make sure that the entire task was not on Brenda. But she can cook (sew) up a mean skirt!

Of course Cary had to have his fun with all of it as well...



We finished last night about 8:30, and this morning, I was eager to get her in that skirt and see the magic occur.













Success!!!













Our little one looks absolutely adorable in her new skirt!!! And as much as I tried to help with the process, I want to make sure everyone knows that Brenda is the true star--she is incredible--and patient, especially with her daughter-in-law's persistence for a silly skirt at the last minute! Thank you so much Brenda!!!

Looking at the camera now at the daycare, they are showing off the skirt--they (the adults who know what is going on) love it!

Rock those socks off kid!

The No-Luck Geocaching

Ever done this?


You place coordinates into your GPS, and off you go treasure hunting!

My dad and mom has done this a few times, my brother-in-law and niece have as well. Last night Cary, Brylee, Chester, and I attempted our first 1st (and 2nd)...with no results.

The first one I can see why we wouldn't find right away. It is between roads on a little island that has trees and water. When it rains, the island floods, so I started wondering if it had been washed away. So after a short time of looking (we need more daylight, and an easier way to transport the kid across a super busy street), we went to the next location.

This one is located at a bus stop, but by the time we got there, it was getting pretty dark outside, but we searched until we (Cary) started getting bit by the mosquitoes. We dug through bushes, climbed on top of the bench...all to no avail. So we walked back home, disappointed, but already planning our next trip out. This time we'll remember a pen to sign the log!...if we find it!

Check out this site, and if you are interested in a small treasure hunt or two, grab a pen, your GPS, and a small little item to trade out in the chest. But, don't get ahead of me in the hunts, 'k?

:o)

Happy hunting!

Teaser

What do the McFaddens have to do with purple felt, elastic, and an applique?

If we're successful, find out later this week!

Can You See The Comparison?

The grasshead stocking stuffer given to me for Christmas from Cary

Let me know if you need a hint!

Brylee's Busy Weekend!

From the pictures, you'll be able to see that Brylee had quite a week, and weekend!

This week we decided to approach her rice cereal again, this time in a different way. I guess you could say it was the doctor's recommended way to try. Perhaps she's onto something...

This time around, Brylee is accepting this food so much better, and will actually finish off the bowl!














Her daddy put together her high chair on Thursday, and we stuck her right in, she didn't freak out, and now enjoys being able to sit there with us as we eat. And it has wheels, so we can pull her anywhere with us!


More firsts for this week: I now have to pack away all clothing that is 0-3 months. She is now wearing 3 months, and slowly (well, not really) growing into the 3-6 month clothing. Oh my!

The outfit she has on here is one that she got from my parents for Christmas. It is super cute (I like the hat the best), but since it is velvet, I have a feeling she won't get to wear it much with the sweltering summer right around the corner. I took advantage of her being indoors yesterday and put it on her. The pants legs reach all the way down, but the way she was sitting here makes it look like shorts!




We tested her out in my old rocking chair this weekend, too. This rocking chair was originally my uncle Bill's, but I also got it when he grew out of it. Now she gets to play with it! She doesn't sit up completely on her own yet, but with her T-Ma crouching nearby, Brylee got a chance to observe and enjoy it.








She also played out in my mom's garden, sitting in a pot, and on the edge of her 'ring', looking at the flowers, grass, and even Chester running around like crazy playing ball.





She even sat outside for a short time after her daddy and Opa put up the new sun shade that was purchased for the summer.





I love the spring, and wish that the weather would stay this beautiful a lot longer before the dreaded heat came around. She's learning so much, and I feel like that heat might inhibit some of that because her mommy turns into a lazy, over-heated blob when it reaches 90!






The daycare also warned that she is showing signs of teething now. And with my mom stating the same thing, we are now preparing for the excessive drooling that I have heard so much about. Hopefully she won't be overly sensitive though!





All weekend long, she laughed and talked out loud, loving when her belly was blown, and squealing so much. She loves to copy you when you talk, and at times it sounds like she says 'hi'. She smile is getting bigger and more precious all the time, and her personality is really shining through.






After such a big weekend for her, she slept well!

An Artful Weekend

On Friday night, Cary and I got to go enjoy the spring evening in Ft. Worth at their annual Main Street Art Fair. We have been 3 years now, and every year I seem to enjoy it more. This year, I even found 2 artists I really enjoy:

Jennifer O'Meara Gallery of Window Gardens

Heather Yoki-Sanchez

Someday, when we have walls to fill up, I'll be getting some of their work to decorate with!

The evening was wonderful, with the weather perfect and the variety of art that is out there. Other than the crowded streets (you are pretty much pushed along with the people surrounding you), the only downfall are the people who light up cigars. Please, people, think about others before you insist on bringing cigars to that environment!

On Saturday, Cary and I headed to Downtown Dallas where we visited the Dallas Museum of Art and their exhibit Lens of Impressionism.

I don't know a lot about art, but I did enjoy seeing black and white photography on a wall next to a painting. Especially when the subjects were the same: one showing what the time was like, and then the other showing the emotions of it.

After checking out the exhibit and other exhibits (chocolate!), we headed out into the gorgeous Dallas day and decided to walk around a bit. We even found a little pizza restaurant to eat at, and walked to the Thanksgiving building a few blocks away. There was even a young girl dressed in a beautiful pink dress, probably for her quinceanera.
Just as I convinced Cary to take this picture of her walking down the sidewalk, a horse-drawn carriage turned the corner. What a magical scene!

What a glorious day!

After walking around for a bit, we headed back to the Coppell area where we picked up the little one, who had a busy weekend herself, and headed to my parents' for the evening. Dad even got a rare chance to go to a Globetrotter's game!

Taking A Moment To Brag About Daycare

Brylee's to be specific.

It is so hard to kiss her goodbye on a work-daily basis, but it has to be done (unless anyone has any great ideas on how I can work from home!). But it makes it so much easier to leave her with this group of people at Kids R Kids.

She has been in this daycare for almost 3 months, and I couldn't be happier with the decision of where she is! It costs an arm and a leg (well, does it really? I mean, how much do those cost anyways?), but the teachers (Ms. Maribel, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Cheryl + so many that come in to help out) are constantly having them do crafts, exercises, and reading books (to them).

The best part about all of these? Besides getting to take home the crafts, they also take pictures of the kids while they do them to send home with us!

Brylee was the smallest for the longest time, even after she was no longer the youngest. Now, there are 5 babies younger than her, one who was also a preemie, so when I see little Audrey, my heart melts remembering how Brylee used to be!

I found out that she will soon be along the finishing wall, as the cribs lined up go from youngest to oldest, and as soon as you are in the last wall, in the last crib, you are moved to the next room. How am I going to handle that?!?!

Another incredible part of this daycare is that they have video cameras set up in the rooms so you can check in on your child throughout the day. This used to be an additional charge, but for some reason now, it is included in the weekly charge (thank goodness!). I'm so happy to get to 'tune in' and watch my baby girl sleep, eat, or play on her favorite playmat.

If anyone is looking for a daycare, I cannot recommend Kids R Kids enough. They teach sign language, Spanish, and love to play with textures (mashed potato art!). It is so nice to know my child isn't just sitting there, in a crib, all day long or being ignored. They work with all the children, and it seems that they love the children as if they are their own.

Thank you Kids R Kids, particularly Ms. Maribel, Ms. Carol, and Ms. Cheryl for making leaving my little love every day a little easier. I know she is well cared for!

Blog Of The Month: cjane enjoy it

I have a confession to make: it took me at least 2 months to read this blog. She started it back in 2005 and has several entries, laying out her life for all to read.

This blog also inspired me to create Blog Of The Month. I woke up one morning, anxious to read more of her posts, and thought to myself: "I want to spread the word about her. How do I do that?" Hence this thing called Blog Of The Month.

I discovered this blog after I discovered last month's blog, Nie Nie. This is her sister, C Jane, who took in Nie Nie's children after the tragic event. She , with the help of her family, even told Nie Nie's story to the world until her little sister was able to do so again.

Easily in my top favorites right now, C Jane has an amazing combination of humor, emotion, hope, and narcissm bundled up perfectly in extremely clever writing--Oh how I admire her writing style! She inspires me to reach into the depths of my writing creativity and bring every sentence to life.

Here are 3 examples of her posts, that inspires one to just keep reading:

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2008/09/unexplained-infertility-now-explained.html

She originally started her blog to talk about her infertility and the emotional roller coaster she experienced. This post is about her niece, Claire, and her son after Claire's parents' plane crash. A very touching post.

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2009/06/nothing-to-hyde.html

As I read this one, I had running in my head, "This is exactly how I feel about Cary!". She somehow dove into my head, pulled out the words that somehow never had shape in my brain, and then put them onto her blog. I forgive her. Just as long as she continues to do it and I read it...

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2010/02/customer-service.html

This one just cracked me up. What a funny gal!

I hope these posts inspire you to start reading her story from the beginning. It might take a while but it is so worth it!

For next month, I'm reading:

Steece's Pieces

Happy reading!

Baby Product Review: Nosefrida

(photo coursety of Babies R Us)

Anyone ever hear of this thing?



I learned of it from one of my co-workers who has 2 little ones. She raved about this product, and whenever I checked out the reviews online, I saw tons of additional positive comments. So Cary and I decided to check it out.



This is the weirdest, possibly most gross-me-out concept, but it works. It is a nasal aspirator that is not like the bulb syringes. You put one end against the baby's nostrils, and the other end...in your mouth. Inhale with your mouth, and you have suction that reminds you of a tiny vaccum cleaner.

No worries! There is a filter that is in the tube, which keeps gunk coming up. And the tube is big enough that I have yet to worry about that filter becoming the only safety net between my mouth and gooby-boogers.

Unfortunately, Brylee screams like she is dying when we use this to unclog her nose, but afterwards, it is very obvious how much better she breathes. And with a less invasive tool!

I would love to give this to my friends as a gift for their new babies, but I know that it is a gross concept. But perhaps I will do so anyways, just because it might be a stress-saver for them in the future!