Happy Birday!

Today is my sweetie pie's birthday and he is........don't worry honey, I won't tell them how old you are.......just that you were born on Thanksgiving day in 1981! I thought the fam would enjoy a walk down memory lane! So it looks like our little familia will be all well for our trip out to Mississippi for Thanksgiving. James is recuperating just fine; he likes to sleep A LOT when he is sick which is a-okay by me! Audrey is back in full force. She is always 100% and that steroid made her 300%. Wowza. For real y'all. For 2 days straight the child did nothing but scream, at the top of her lungs. Her reasons for screaming: just because she could, her brother tried to take her toy away, her brother looked at her, her brother started crawling in her direction, I told her no-no, or I took something away from her. Her reaction to everything (good or bad) was to scream. By Sunday James and I had had enough. Poor baby looked at me one time and put his hands up to his face and started crying! But thank goodness that is over with and she is back to her "normal" full force self!

James was the sweetest sick baby ever. He barely made a peep (probably because his throat was sore) and he just sat still watching t.v. most of the day. I have to admit that last week my kids watched an awful lot of that "idiot box" of ours but I'll make up for that these next 4 days since there is no television where we are a going tomorrow!

You know, when you are around someone all day every day it is difficult to see the changes that they make in appearance over time. But James and Audrey have gotten so big lately I can definitely see their changes this time. When we went to the doctor the first time last week, they weighed Audrey and she was almost 22 lbs. James must be the same or a little more so.......looks like they will get to ride forward facing for this trip! Never thought I'd see the day but here it is. Next thing I know they will be out of the car seat and I think I'll have to shed a few tears over that one. Audrey is taking more and more steps by her self and James has started walking around things. That is when he remembers to get off his tippy toes! Audrey will actually sit still for a story now and James is talking up a storm; I think he is going to have his mama's lisp. Poor baby.

Jimminy Cricket

So somebody is feeling better! Dear, sweet Audge is pretty much back to normal. We got lots of smiles and giggles yesterday which was a welcome sight! She is constantly at my feet these days, like a little puppy dog. Always wanting to be picked up and if I don't pick her up right away, she throws her little face down on the floor (very dramatically I might add!) and cries ever so pitifully till I pick her up! She has learned how to crawl on top of things and as soon as her little ear gets back on track, I know she will take off walking like she's been doing it all along. Oh won't that be fun! About 5 yesterday evening James crawled into the kitchen where I was washing dishes(I waste sooooo much time washing dishes!) and started crying. Then he started shivering and his bottom lip was quivering. I had been waiting all day for this since he didn't want breakfast, only ate a few bites at lunch and ate only 1 of 2 cookies for his snack. If James turns down food, you know something is about to break loose! I took his temp and it was 101 so I gave him Tylenol and we wrapped up in a blanket on the floor. We sat there for about an hour(he eventually quit shivering)all the while Audrey Grace is sprawled out on the blanket in between my legs, like she is in the picture below. She's started doing that this week. I know it's because she just gets tired of trying to hold her head up with out falling over and sometimes she has to give in to the dizziness. But I think she's grown to like sprawling out in the middle of the floor just when ever!


We already had a doctor's appointment for Audrey this morning to check her ears so I was glad of that. Dr. Walker said her ear looked good and to just finish her meds and she should be fine. But he wants to see her back in 2 weeks. Jamsie was another story. He took a swab for strep but the test came back negative. I was so relieved and he sent us on our way. As I was loading them in the car though the nurse came running out and said they had looked at the test again and this time it was positive. Oh boy! My week just keeps getting better and better. At this rate I'll be good and sick on Thanksgiving.

I never let them play in the fridge, even though every time the door opens they pop outta no where to try and get in. Yesterday I was tired of telling them no so while I was cleaning it out I just let them have at it. They enjoyed and I had fun watching!

My poor baby boy. He's so pitiful. He doesn't really whine, he just sits there with these huge, sad puppy dog eyes. We caught it early thank goodness so hopefully he will be feeling much better by Monday AND Dr. Walker said he felt like a secondary infection was on it's way(like a ear infection) for James and this med will take care of that before it happens! He slept all night last night and I hope he can continue to do so; rest is so good for the sickly. I asked how likely it is that Audrey will get it and the nurse said very unlikely since the antibiotic she is on already is one of the two used to treat strep. Hallelujah! As the nurse was walking back into the building she called over her shoulder "Hope you can stay well!" Yeah, me too but seeing how both kiddos are constantly trying to stick their fingers in my mouth, always manage to cough or sneeze directly in my face and since all I've done all week is wipe snotty noses, I highly doubt it. But here's hoping!

Doctor, Doctor!!!!

I ended my week last week totally exhausted from working 2 1/2 days straight on our house.

I started my week this week with 2 sick babies. James has gotten better as the days have passed. Audrey is another story. Saturday morning they both woke up with runny noses but they seemed to feel pretty good. By Sunday afternoon Audrey would just sit in your lap and not want to move. Sunday night me and her were up every 2 hours. She was pitiful; she kept grabbing at her ear and she just could not get comfortable, except when I was holding her! I called the doctor Monday morning but they couldn't fit us in but we could come first thing Tuesday morning. A little frusturating but whatever.

Poor Audge would just crawl around whimpering and laying her head down where ever she felt like it. I didn't get one smile or laugh out of her all day which was hard to watch. Monday night was more of the same. Up every couple hours. Oh and Jon came in sick Monday but he got some medicine pronto and is all better today. Thank goodness!
Yesterday the 3 of us went to the doc in the freeeezing cold and found out that my poor baby girl's ear drum ruptured. When the doctor told me that, it took everything I had not to burst into tears. I felt horrible for her. Mine ruptured when I was in high school and I well remember the horrible pain and uncomfortableness that came with it. Atleast I could tell my mama what was wrong. My baby couldn't. (Oh the guilt we mothers are plagued with) She was given 3 different kinds of meds:a steroid for her barking cough, ear drops to numb the pain from her ruptured ear drum, and an antibiotic for her nasty cold. I got the first round in her as soon as we got home (it is so hard to have to put those drops in because her little ear hurts so bad, even to the touch and I have to do it twice a day) and by bed time I could tell a HUGE difference in the way she felt. And the angel was able to sleep all night and woke up feeling much better. She is still sick mind you; her nose is still running and she still whines some but over all she is on the road to a full recovery! Thank you God!
I know, I know. It's not even December yet and my kids are wearing santa hats and Christmas pj's. The hat is just to stinkin cute to wait 2 more weeks and the Christmas pj's are the snugliest that they have and it was soooo cold here last night.

So you're probably wondering how James is and what the doctor said about him and well, he was licking the doctor's hand while she was listening to his chest so I think he's gonna be just fine! Seriously though, she said to just keep on with the saline and using the humidifier at night. She didn't prescribe any medication.
By the way, keeping their germs to themselves is quite the challenge let me tell ya. They love to swap pappies and juice cups. And their new favorite activity is to stick their pointer finger in the other's mouth. They think it's funny for some reason!

A lesson in appreciating the simple things in life

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Don't worry. I found the pledge!

The title may have most of you scratching your heads so I'll explain. In an "email complaint" I sent my dear American-living-in-Brasil-friend earlier in the week, I listed some things that I needed to complain about and get off my chest so I could find my motivation again! I was having one of those days that I am sure ALL of you stay at home mothers can relate to! I'll share just a few "complaints" with y'all since the list I sent her was a little more than half a page long, with no spaces in between lines! By the way I can't tell you how much better I felt just writing everything down that was bugging me!

-Totally worn out from chasing babies till 7:30 at night by my self

-Sick of changing teething related poopie diapers 6 times a day

-Missing my husband(he's been pulling some late nights at our new house) and adult company

-Frustrated beyond belief because I cannot seem to keep my house clean or straight for more than 30 seconds; this is when I told her "I don't even know where my can of pledge is"!

But alas, I found it today so now my house smells all lemony and clean. Oaky, okay. I really knew all along where that can of pledge was but I was telling my self I didn't so I wouldn't have to dust! It's sad but true!

My physical part in the home renovations has been few and far between since we don't want to wear people out around here keeping the kids. We would like people not moan and roll their eyes every time they see our name come up on their caller-id! So Jon alone has been doing the bulk of the work these last two weeks. But I have been scouring the internet for paint colors, counter tops, carpet and other things. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece and nephew are coming to stay the week next week and keep my chillins so I can devote a good three full days to the house! And my mom will be coming on that Friday so we can work all day Saturday and perhaps have a few people from church help us out. We hope to get a lot accomplished next week!

I told you yesterday that James can stand up at his leap frog table. Well when I went to get him up yesterday afternoon from his nap, I found him like this!

Last weekend James, Audrey and myself attended our first Mule Day here in our little town; population of perhaps 200 souls. There are approximately 65,000 people who attend this event every year. Yes you read that correctly. 65,000 people. It's a big deal, at least for people who like arts and crafts like myself. Jon had to park cars for his school so it was just me sporting the youngins and our double stroller through all those crowds. It was fun though and the twins really enjoyed seeing all the sights. We met up with some people from church to watch the parade of mules, horses, bands, beauty queens, old cars and Santa clause. I thought it was a little early for old saint nick but whatever. Audrey apparently agreed with me because she started screaming like a banshee when he walked by. I guess we will just be throwing her list to him this year! She was interested in everything else though. James started screaming when ever there was a loud noise. There were 4 school bands marching in the parade so I had to cover his ears while they went by. We were exhausted by the time we got back to the house and the kids were starving but I'm glad we went. Next year I'll have to leave the kids at home and take the stroller as a shopping buggy!

This week the weather has been georgous so we've gotten to spend lots of time outside. You know, you can fix most any problem a child has just by going out side!

Election day blues and cute babies

The darlings had to get the 2nd part of their flu shot yesterday and I figured since we're going to the big city we may as well go to the mall too, right? Right. So I invited a sister in the church to go with me and we had a wonderful time shopping and talking and laughing at the kids. It was so refreshing to have some adult company through out the day! I am so glad that I already had yesterday planned out because if I'd had to stay at home by myself yesterday and have nothing to think about but the election outcome, I might have drifted into a state of depression no one could talk me out of! At least we have victory in Jesus, right? Amen!!

James can stand up now by himself at their leap frog table and at their little(noisy) cars. This is a HUGE step for the little guy. Now all he needs to learn is to stand on the soles of his feet and not his tippy toes and it wont hurt so much! Audrey can now go from sitting to standing with out any help and has tried to take a few steps here and there. She can walk circles around any thing she is holding on to. She will definitely be walking by Thanksgiving!

As many of you already know, my babies LOVE to read! They are so cute and so serious about it I could sit and watch them read all day long. They both have very distinctive ways of talking and I honestly can't pick a favorite. I could gobble them both up at the same time!

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Quote of the Century!

"My goodness! When you have them that close together it's just like having twins!"