Birthday Party!

This weekend we went to Monroe to (finally) have Raegan's party. It was a 24 hour trip, and 8 of those hours were spent in the car with two screaming kids. Seriously, it was not a fun road trip. I read a few blogs of people who travel a lot with kids. How do they do it? Anyway, we had a great time in Monroe visiting with family, eating hamburgers, hotdogs, and lots of cake. Raegan had a pinanta with loads of candy. And she got some cool presents. She LOVED her cake, and ate half of it. We finally had to take it away from her because we were scared she would have a tummy ache.  Here are some pictures......

Prayer for a Baby

Friends,

One of my co-workers just had a baby this past week who had to be transferred to the Children's Hospital in New Orleans due to a malformed lung.  Please say a prayer for this precious little baby boy.  I know that when Raegan had to be put in Children's Hospital for RSV when she was three months old, a lot of people were praying for her, and God heard the prayers and healed her.  I also know this can be incredibly stressful and heart wrenching to see your little baby hooked up to i.v.'s, oxygen, machines, etc.  I know this family would appreciate your prayers. 
"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found" Psalm 32:6

The Well Visit

We went to the doctor today for well check ups, and it was as I suspected.  Raegan's a little shrimp.  She's in the 5% for weight and height(17lbs), down from the 25%.  For those of you who aren't up on children's statistics, 50% would be the average weight and height for the age group .  Peyton is 50% weight and 50-75% height.  No surprise there.  Peyton can eat!  But she's perfectly average, so it's okay. 
Poor Raegan now "performs" at the doctor exactly as Peyton did.....SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM!  Peyton and Raegan both have been so traumatized by doctors' prodding in their infected ears, that they despise anything the doctor does.  Peyton, to everyone's relief, can now be bribed with stickers and suckers, and willingly cooperates without any ear piercing screams.  Raegan is just not there yet.  She could care less about a stupid sugar free sucker.  But she will be there soon.  The nurse told me that she doesn't mind the screams and cries, she hears it all day long, and it doesn't bother her at all.  I'm grateful for a nice pediatrician's office and two healthy children. 

The Best Laid Plans

Wow.  That is the word I would use to describe my last week.  It started with grand plans to go to Monroe to celebrate Raegan's first birthday with Arnold's parents and friends.  Then it digressed into a horrible virus I caught that ended in a trip to the urgent care clinic, an IV, several days in bed, and no trip to Monroe.  Disappointment!  Then when I thought things were getting better, Monday at work dealt me a blow, something totally out of my control  It was one of the most stressful days of my short career.  The Lord is still good though, and He worked everything out.  So this weekend, the Lord willing, we are going to Monroe to have that party.  Raegan still got a cake from Whole Foods, and we still sang her happy birthday and blew out the candles this past Saturday.  I couldn't let her birthday go by without some sort of celebration.  It's such an important and special milestone. 
I'm trying not to cling to tightly these days to MY plans, because they often change, it seems, without my consent and apart from my will.  Oh well.  The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.

Ignored

I hate being so busy that the blog gets ignored, but sometimes that's how life is.  You get so busy, and then a few things fall by the wayside.  My sister Janna came to New Orleans about a week ago and she's going to be staying with us until October.  We are around each other 24/7 (at work all day and then at home all night) and while I'm not sick of her yet (ha!), she is probably already sick of me!  Arnold says I'm too bossy sometimes, and I have to keep myself in check.  Janna is just so darn easy going and go-with-the-flow that it's easy to get bossy.  Why can't I be more like that??!
My little bitty baby will be 1 on Saturday, the 21st, and I just can't believe it.  She has finally cut two teeth and has started walking.  She is already a pro and gets faster and faster everyday, but she's still so short and little.  We are going to start weaning this week, and while I'm super excited about not having to pump, I'm sad because it just means she's growing up.  Oh well, time to have another one!  Just kidding!!! 
We will be heading up to Monroe to have her party with Arnold's family.  And I am sure there will be plenty of pictures to post.
Arnold and I got to go on a little date to the movies last night, thanks to Janna.  I forgot what it felt like to go see a movie at night with the hubs.  Even though the movie was just alright, I had a lot of fun. Before we had kids, we used to go to the movie theater ALL the time.  It's one of Arnold's favorite things to do, "just the experience" of watching the movie on the big screen with a big bucket of popcorn.  Thanks for the date night Janna. 

A Busy Time

We've had a busy week, and therefore, no blog posts.  Sorry.  Last Friday morning, I took Peyton to the doctor for some stomach issues and we found out Raegan has another ear infection.  The tubes are coming very soon.  Friday afternoon, I found out that my brother has an enlarged left heart and almost died the other week.  He's probably going to need a heart transplant.  He's 17.  Friday night was graduation.  Friday night my sister Janna came rolling in from South Carolina.  Saturday morning Peyton comes and lays in our bed that morning then throws up, yes, in the bed.  Yuck.  So Saturday she threw up until she was dry heaving and then by Saturday afternoon was running around the house like a cooped up two year old would do. 
Janna started being the secretary at my work (for only 8 weeks), so we've been training her.  Ahh, what I wouldn't give for a float, a pool, and a glass of lemonade on a deserted island.  :) 


Here are some pictures I took of Peyton reading Raegan a book last week.

Banged Up

I know people have probably been thinking that we're abusing our kids, but you know sometimes kids just look like they've been beat up.  Especially since Raegan has started exploring, she's getting hurt more and more.  For the record, we ARE NOT abusing our kids, they just look like it this week!  Raegan has a cut on her little foot from where she hit the handle on the fence at our apt.  She scratched her chin with her nails that needed to be cut...my bad....it's so hard to keep up with little nails that grow fast!  She has two little cuts on her fingers where I accidentally caught her fingers in between the table and her high chair.  Monday we discovered that right under one of the cuts on her finger, there was a huge blister that popped.  Not sure what happened....my guess is an ant bite from her sticking her little fingers in the cracks at the swimming pool.  Then today she fell and hit her face.  Her poor little nose that was already raw from her cold started bleeding.  Peyton has a mark on her stomach that looks like something pinched her skin...possibly the seat belt that she INSISTS on doing herself.  AHHH! What is going on this week?  And you know, I always feel the need to explain things to people because I feel like people are looking at me like, "What has she been doing to her kids?"    I guess I feel guilty because maybe people think I'm not taking care of them.  But if you are a parent, you will understand how easily kids get hurt and how often clumsy little toddlers and two-year olds bang their heads, legs, and arms.  Do you ever get that feeling--the need to explain feeling--when your kids get banged up?

Can You Tell the Difference?

Below are pictures of the girls in my Easter dress that is almost, gasp, 30 years old. Can you tell the girls apart?

Raegan is the picture on top.  Peyton is on bottom.  And below are some more pictures of Raegan for the grandparents.

How Does She Do It?

How Does She Sleep Like This?