Happy Birthday Ryan!!

Today my first born baby is 9. Wow, where did the time go. I remember when I found out I was pregnant with him. I was so happy. After 3 years of trying, the moment I had most looked forward to in my life was happening. I was going to be a mommy. Lots of things happened after I found out. I was living in South Milwaukee with Ryan's dad, going thru a divorce and I had an amazing job. All things considering, since I was starting a new chapter in my life, I decided that I needed a fresh start in a different city. So, I made the decision to leave my job and move up to Appleton. Now Ryan's dad was from the Appleton/Neenah area and I had been up here to visit many times. I thought that this was a good decision. New life, new start.

So in June of 2001, I pulled stakes and moved 2 hours from my family. I had moved plenty of times before, but this was the furthest I have been from my parents. It took me 2 months to find a job. I hated it and had such horrible morning sickness. That job only lasted a few weeks. They had an issue with me leaving the room to go to the bathroom. I asked the director if she preferred I puke i the room. I told her that that day was my last day and I wasn't coming back. I had a job interview the next day. I landed the job and started that day. Over the course of the next few months I had my regular ob appts and then the big ultrasound. I went in thinking that I was going to have a girl. Boy did Ryan throw me for a loop! I was stunned when the tech said congrats, it's a boy!

After that the planning really kicked in. I had to get a crib, clothes, diapers and all the baby stuff that I would need to bring my son into the world. My friend Jenny gave me the crib and some clothes that she had from her son, so that helped. I bought odds and ends that I needed. My mom bought me  a pack and play and the rest of what I needed. The months tick down and soon, it's almost time to meet my little one.

January 9th, 2002......Wednesday night karaoke. It was an every Wednesday thing. A friend of ours Jeff did karaoke at a local bar in Appleton. So we went as we always did since my due date was still 3 weeks away. The night was awesome. Ryan decided to be very active that night. He usually moved around alot when we were out Wednesday nights, but this night was different. He actually stuck his foot and arm out to let everyone know that mamma wasn't make things up when she said he did that. Jeff was joking with me saying I would be in labor for 72 hours and have contractions 3 minutes apart. I laughed and told him if that happened, I would kill him. So we got home round 1:30am and went to bed. I was suppose to be up at 5am to get ready for work. I woke up at 4:15am for the normal bathroom run. Well this morning was different. I thought I had peed the bed! I got up and went to the bathroom and realized that I was still leaking fluid. So I woke Mike up and called the doctor on call. Mike was still drunk from the bar. Great......The doc called back and asked if I was contracting yet and I said no. I was told to take a shower and head over to the ER to be admitted. So I did all that and grabbed my hospital bag that I had only packed 2 days before. Mike still being drunk couldn't drive, so I did drive myself to the hospital. Thankfully, I wasn't really in labor yet.

Got to the ER and they took me up to Labor and Delivery and got me all set up in my room and hooked up to the monitors. This was at about 6:30am. I had called my parents right after my water broke, so they were on stand by. At 6:45ish my contractions started. Like most first time mom's, I had decided that I was going to go all natural and not have any meds. By 1:30pm my contractions were so intense that I called for the meds. They gave me a shot of something in the arm to take the edge off, but it didn't help. I finally broke down and asked for an epidural. Only problem, they couldn't get an IV in me. So the epi was a no go.

At 4pm my mom and brother arrived at the hospital. I was so glad to see them since Mike had gone home for awhile. He arrived at 4:30. So I was ready to push. After 3 pushes, Ryan Michael was born at 4:45pm. He weighed 6lbs 11oz and was 19 inches long.

It is hard to believe that my baby boy is already 9. Time flies....So Happy Birthday Ryan! You are my little boy even tho you are getting older.

On the upswing

So I think that my sickness exorcism worked. The kids seem to be feeling better, but the last few days have been really hard for me. Between sick kids and me just not feeling right, it's been rough. Azzie went back to school yesterday and was a mess come 6pm. Actually, now that I think about it, she was a mess since she got home from school. I am wondering what happened to my sweet little girl that loved to cuddle and never talked back to me. She has increasingly been talking back and throwing us an attitude that I have never seen come from a 4 year old. If this is a sign of things to come with her as a teenager, boy am I in trouble!!! She acts likes a 16 year old. <sigh> Thanks for the curse mom.

Ryan was diagnosed with scarlet fever yesterday. He has been home since Wednesday. I am so ready for him to go back to school. He really needs the schedule and routine that school provides. Hopefully things will get better around here.

In need of a sickness exorcism!

This week has not been a good week health wise in the house. Azzie started running a fever Sunday morning and pretty much just laid around all day. I kept her home from school Monday in hopes that she would be able to go back on Tuesday. Ha no such luck. After not running at ever at all Monday, she started a temp again Monday night. So I made an appt for her on Tuesday. Her diagnosis was croup. I kept her home Wednesday too just to make sure she was at least 98% better. She still has a cough, but that only comes at night.

Ryan started running a temp on Tuesday night as did Brenna. Ryan's wasn't too high, but it was high enough to warrant keeping him home yesterday and today. I noticed a slight rash on his face last night and when I checked it this morning, it had spread to his chest and back. First thought was strep. So to the doctor's office once I again I went this week but this time I had all 3 kids in tow. Doc took one look at the rash and diagnosed scarlet fever. So all 3 of my kids are on antibiotics for one illness or another.

Brenna's fever was attributed to a virus and 4 teeth coming in.

I am so tired of heading to the doctor and Walgreens. Not that I mind the kids doctor, but 2 visits in a week for all 3 kids and Walgreens too.

So the list of illnesses that the kids have had since last month are as follows:

Brenna: Pink eye, thrush and an ear infection all on top of a cold....this was before Christmas.

Azzie and Brenna: both had impetigo last week.

Azzie: Croup on Tuesday along with a fever on and off since Sunday. Thankfully the fever broke Tuesday night.

Brenna: fever on Tuesday. Diagnosis a virus and 4 teeth coming in.

Ryan: fever on and off since Tuesday. Slight rash appeared last night on face and spread to his chest and back. Diagnosis....scarlet fever.

I am ready for the illness and germs to be gone. In the name that is all holy, I banish the germs and illnesses from this house!!

A message from Brenna

  bv bhgf8gfttt6t70yyyyyyytttttttttttcccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccklkjdhhhg6rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddyyyyyyyyydddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd555555tgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddhb vgbbghbgh             
kugmjngm,kjhhjksb hbgc cfvgbhnjue5r6t76y878xxxxxxxxseycrdgty
rrrrrrrrtttttttt
c        nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnncccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccchccccccccccccggggggggggggggggggggvvvvvvv

VVVVVWE4R56FTYvvvvvvvvvvvvvIDEdegfrt^by&NUmCDER56TVGB7YHUJCRDETVFYGBUHIMDFTVYGBUH
HYFGYHGCRVTFYGBUHNIJIFTVGYBUHJIUJY6Y5T5434DEC56TGV

Acid reflux and fevers....Oh My!!

So Azzie had a fever all day yesterday. I kept her home from school today due to the "fever free for 24 hour" rule that the school has. So this morning she gets up and she is back to her normal self. She played play doh for almost 2 hours, ate everything in sight and was even wrestling around with Ryan tonight. At 6:30 she asked to watch a movie in her room, so i put G-force in the dvd player. at 7:15 when I checked on her she was asleep. I didn't think twice about this since she was feeling better earlier today. At 8 she woke up and I put her in my bed to watch a movie since Brenna was going to bed. She fell back asleep immediately, but woke up around 9 saying she was hot. I went in there and she was already uncovered. Then I felt her head and she was burning up again. Grrrr I temped her and she was at 102.6. I gave her motrin and a cup of ice water. She still has the barky, croupy cough so i called the nurse line again and they assured me that unless Azzie's temp went over 104 that she could wait til tomorrow to be seen by the doc. So we play the waiting game and see how she does overnight. The sucky thing is she is on antibiotics already for her impetigo, so hopefully that held whatever she has at bay.

On another note, I have horrible acid reflux going on tonight. This sucks major booty!! I have had AR issues for as long as I can remember, but this is the worst it has been since I was preggo with the kids. AND NO!!!! I am not preggo!!! So just get that thought right out of your heads. I do not, repeat DO NOT need to pee on a stick!!! I read about a home remedy that is suppose to work. Drink pickle juice. I know, I know it sounds gross. But it works........for a little bit at least. I think it may be time to get back in to see the doc about my reflux issues and get back on meds since the over the counter meds don't do anything for my reflux. <sigh> I suppose I should just suck it up and get it over with. I need to get back in to see him anyway for the carpal tunnel issues too. But that my friends, is an entirely different post.

A not so great start to the new year

Today was a not so great day. I woke up to Azzie yelling at Brenna to shut up because she didn't feel good. Usually this isn't a big thing, but the fact the Brenna woke up in a good mood for a change is amazing. Azzie was laying on the couch when I got out of bed and grabbed Brenna out of the crib. I got Brenna a bottle, set her down on the floor with it and asked Azzie what was wrong. She said she didn't feel good, so I touched her head and she was burning up. I temped her and she was at 102.3. So I gave her a dose of tylenol and she laid on the couch all morning. At lunch I made Brenna a grilled cheese sandwich and Azzie said she wanted one too. So I gave her the other half of Brenna's and she ate that all up, minus the crusts. LOL Then Azzie asked for another sandwich. She ate half of that one and drank a bit of juice. She went back to the couch and I ran to Walgreens to get more tylenol and motrin. By the time I got back Azzie was passed out on the couch. She did sleep for a few hours and when she got up I temped her again. Her temp was up to 103. I called nurse direct and they said that having just a fever isn't too harmful. Well I disagree! I know that every child is different, but Ryan has had 2 febrile seizures and I take fevers very seriously. The nurse said that since I had given her tylenol an hour before I called and Azzie was still at 103, I could give her a dose of motrin. Well that brought the fever down to 101, which is alot better than 103. She took a small nap again at 4pm. When she got up I made her chicken noodle soup and she ate most of that and drank some juice. Poor kid was back in bed by 715 passed out. She got up around 8 to use the bathroom and went right back to bed to pass out. Needless to say if she's still running a fever that high tomorrow, I will be taking her to the doctor. Oh and did I mention that she is on an antibiotic already for impetigo? Well Azzie just woke up again and is back at 103. More motrin and a cup of ice water for her. DJ said he will sleep on the couch so we don't have to move Azzie into her room in case she gets up in the middle of the night and wakes Brenna up. Looks like it is going to be a long night.

Ryan isn't sleeping yet either. He got his bedtime meds at 7pm and is still awake! He keeps coming out and the poor kid has bags under his eyes he is so tired. Why don't kids get it that sleep is a glorious thing???

While I am ranting.....I hate my upstairs neighbors too. It has been so quiet since we got home from my parents on monday. Well it's 11pm and all of a sudden they are stomping around and dropping things on the floor. I wish that they would just freaking move out. I have called the cops on them once already for excess noise after 10pm. I mean it's common courtesy to not make so much noise after a certain time right? Obviously the visit from Metro's finest didn't make a difference. I swear if they wake up either of the girls, there will be hell to pay. Maybe I will have a party on friday and invite a ton of loud people!! Either that or I will get my broom out and start banging on the ceiling. Common courtesy people! Shhhesh. I don't care if you just got home from where ever it was you were. Maybe you should go back there cuz I like my piece and quiet!!

2011 is here.

Well it's here. 2011 has finally came. Not much on tap for the new year I guess. The one thing that is going to happen no matter what, is DJ and I WILL get out of debt. We are working on it and are caught up on our bills for the most part. The only one that is still behind is the electric. Other than that, they are all caught up. I am excited to see what this new year will bring. DJ starts back to his normal full time shift on Monday. The kids go back to school and we will fall back into our normal routine that has been interrupted by the holidays. Not that I don't like the holidays because I do, it's just that the kids get all squirrely and get off their routines.

I went out to Walmart with Azzie tonight to get Brenna her formula. The weather is suppose to change and it's suppose to get icy tomorrow, so I didn't want to go out in it. I love the weather here in WI, well not really. It can be so nice one day and the next, it's colder than and iceberg in the Antarctic! Yesterday I had my heat off and the windows open and today I have the heat cranked! Someday I will move to a tropical island where they don't get any cold weather, snow or ice. LOL I guess one can wish right? I should start playing the lottery so I can make that dream come true.

Ryan is at his dad's for the weekend and the house is so quiet. Normally him and Azzie are at each others throats fighting about this or that. So honestly, the quiet is nice. Azzie has been pretty good today. She played with Brenna while I cleaned up Ryan's room. It brought a smile to my face just listening to the girls playing and laughing their heads off for no apparent reason. Brenna is now in bed sleeping and I really should be getting Azzie ready for bed too. Well, off to do what I need to do.