Sledding with Mommy

Christmas has been fantastic!  Santa delivered the Chipettes and he ate all of his Candycorns and M&M's that Alex left for him.  I included a picture of our dog, Finley, because she also had a great Christmas.

Tops N Tights

Uncle Travis and Aunt Karen came by to deliver Alex's present of "Tops N Tights".

Dinosaur puzzle

Christmas puzzles with Grandma and Sussa.

Best presents ever!

Santa brought a Cassowary family!!!  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

People are nuts.  This little house is famous for their Christmas decorations each year.
I woke Alex up, out of a dead sleep in the car, to this crazy scene.  She was sooooo excited.  There were a bunch of creepy dolls in those boxes from the 1940's.  (There was also a donation box to help with their energy bill.)

Hot tubbing

Hot tubbing after a day of sledding...
Alex made a snowball and put her apple juice in it for a refreshing beverage while soaking up the hot tub goodness.

Snow days

We have been playing in the snow A LOT the last few days.  We have been sledding, building snowmen, constructing tunnels, and having snowball fights.  Being a kid is the best ever!

Finally, a proper haircut

Alex went to a REAL salon the other day for a proper haircut.  She didn't love it, but her hair is so stinkin cute!

Let's bake some cookies!!!

I can't believe it!

Don't adjust your eyes, WE ARE ACTUALLY RIDING AN ELEPHANT!!!!!!!
You can see from the enormous crowd in the stands, just how popular this circus was.
The Carnies were real pushy, but we had a great time.

Look! Reindeer poopie!

First thing Alex says every morning, "Is this the part where Santa comes?"
It's going to be a long couple of weeks.

The good news is, Santa's Reindeer came to our house last night (as shown by poop).
The bad news is, Santa didn't leave any presents.  (This bad news had Alex hysterically crying in our driveway for about 10 minutes.)

"In a purfect wurld..."

Introducing:
LOVE WILL FIND A WAY
Credits:
Alex..........Alex, as herself
Crazy-haired Mailman..........Alex's Left Hand
Rasta Man..........Alex's Right Hand

"Tigers love pepper, they hate cinnamon."

So that is a REAL LIVE TIGER swimming right in front of Alex.  Do you see how underimpressed she is?  The Employees of the Aquarium were gathered around telling us how RARE it is for one of the tigers to be swimming!!!  It was so cool.
Alex was only interested in the Macaw that was in the next exhibit...crazy kid.
She is doing so great by the way.  She is happy and hungry!  I cannot believe what a change this tonsillectomy has made on her countenance, simply amazing.

Ralph versus Santa, the showdown

Santa is a real popular guy in our house these days, but he still doesn't compare to Ralph, the mailman.

A conversation between Mommy and Alex:

Alex:  "For Christmas, I want a Scooby, Velma, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, and a  baby cassowary."
Mommy:  "You need to ask Santa for those gifts."
Alex:  Closes her eyes real tight, puts her hands together, and begins whispering gift ideas.
Mommy:  "Are you praying to Santa, or are you praying to God?"
Alex:  "I'm praying to Ralph."

Batgirl is back in gymnastics

Check out that form...sweet huh?

Cheers!

Batgirl is feeling much better, thank you for the kind words and thoughts.  She had a bit of bad luck, and caught a nasty cold 2 weeks after her surgery.  We had a follow up with the Surgeon yesterday, and other than a bad cough, everything looks good.  Slowly, we are integrating "normal" activities back into her life.  We signed her up for gymnastics, and next month we will do music.  She is eating like crazy, which the Doctor says that it is common for kids for go through a big growth spurt after they recover from a tonsillectomy.  She is back up to her fighting weight (same weight as before surgery), and she is growing out of her pants!!!  It is so great to see her actually hungry.  She really has not had a good appetite for at least a year.  Lots of lessons learned the last 3 weeks, but mostly, we are thankful that we are all healthy again!!!!
Cheers to a GREAT Christmas!

Hey little boy!

This is the "You better give me back my stuffed Mammoth" face.

School and friends!

Back to the grind at school.  Day by day, Alex is getting better (and boy is she ever hungry!).

Spidey is at it again

I just got out of the shower and found Spiderman eating her cupcake in the kitchen.  It's 7am.

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Day 9, not so bad...

Just a quick update to let you all know that each day, Alex is getting a little bit better.  We actually left the house, for the first time yesterday, and it was fantastic.  We just hung out at the mall for about an hour, but it helped our spirits to feel like normal human beings.  She spent the entire day today either in her Batgirl costume, or her Spiderman costume, so she's getting her mojo back!!!
She doesn't require nearly as much painkillers as she did a couple of days ago, and she's eating like a High School Football player.  In the morning, I can't seem to make her breakfast fast enough (this morning it was buttered noodles with a cup of yogurt and some water).
Life should be back to normal in a few more days, and as a reward, Alex wants to go to Chuckee Cheese with her friend Melissa (she also had her tonsils out a few months ago and has been a HUGE support to us over the last 2 weeks).
Thanks for all the love...
Mama and Mommy

Day 8 of Tonsil Hell

In case you were wondering, we are still in "Tonsil Hell".
A few hours after my post on Friday, we went back to the Hospital for dehydration, where we were admitted overnight.  The details of that Hospital visit I will spare you, because I don't want to relive it.
We are now beginning day 8 of Tonsil Hell.  Our biggest struggle right now is getting Alex to take her medications.  #1 for PAIN CONTROL, #2 to fight infection.  These are to be given EVERY 4 HOURS.
EVERY. FOUR. HOURS.
The first few days we literally wrestled her down, jammed the syringe into her mouth and hoped that SOME of the medicine made it in.  Well, since day 4, that technique has not worked AT ALL.
We have since tried mixing it with various liquids to get it in her pie hole.
The confusing part of this whole thing, is that Alex has never said that she is in pain.  So there's always this doubt in the back of my head, that all of this torture is for nothing.  The only real signs of pain that she exhibits now is that she furrows her brows, and she will refuse to drink water.  But like I said, the real trick is getting her to actually ingest the meds.
Today we begin day 8 of Tonsil Hell with a refrigerator full of Hydrocodone Jello Shots, genius I think, but I know that it may exclude me from a "Mother of the Year Award".

We have been playing a lot of Doctor.  Yesterday Alex and I were sitting together, and she pointed her finger at me and said, "I'll be right back.  I'm going to get something that hurts A LOT!"
She came back, wearing her doctor costume and carrying 2 different kinds of shots and pretend needles from her doctor kit.  She would give me the shot and press as hard as she could, so as to inflict the most pain possible.  The Child Psychologist at Children's Hospital (whom we had 2 encounters with), said that this is a good way to let Alex process everything.  I am thinking of inviting her over to be the patient, because it is no picnic.

Sorry no pics.  It breaks my heart when I look at her pale skin and dark circles under her eyes and how thin she is...

Keep checking in, this has got to get better.

Dr. Sarafina

Guess who is the patient?

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MY FRIENDS

I didn't take any pictures from her stay at Children's Hospital, mostly because I couldn't bare to see those images again.  Let me paint one picture for you, that will forever be en grained in my head.

Alex wanted to get out of the room and "...go find some kids" the first night we were there.  We walked up and down the halls, wheeling her IV pole with us.  She saw a little girl in a room down the hall, and she said, "Mama, I want to make a friend."

We poked our heads in, and this little girl was soooo happy to see us!  She was 4 years old, and she has Spinabifida.  She told Alex all about her walker, and the tubes in her tummy, and why she has braces on her legs.  And she wanted to be Alex's friend too.  Then she asked about Alex's IV.

It was super cute to see these two interact.

Then we met 4 year old Erik.  Alex said, "That boy has an IV in his hand too!"  He was sitting in a wagon while his dad was pulling him around the halls.  Erik was in the Hospital to try and control his diabetic seizures.  Erik started singing "Happy Birthday", cuz he loves that song, then Alex sang "Puff the Magic Dragon".  Then they hugged.

She still talks about her friends from the "HOP-SITAL".

Watch out for those pesky apples!

OK, so we are now on day 4 of what I refer to as, "Tonsil Hell".  Every day brings a new kind of hell.
Overall, Alex's surgery went as expected.  She had a Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy that was with out complication.  We spent 1 night in the Hospital, (with a student nurse, see below).  We were discharged the next day after Alex drank the absolute MINIMUM amount of water necessary to sustain life.  So far, she has earned a stuffed kitten and a $30 "Mama Lion" for her fluid intake.  (I think the score is tied, Alex 2, Mama and Mommy 2).
There are a few childhood urban legends out there.  One of them is of course the "razor blade in the apple story" that always comes up on Halloween to scare the bajeezus out of little trick or treaters.  The other urban legend is, "You can have as much ice cream as you want after you get your tonsils out!!!!!"
The truth is, kids don't want ANYTHING in their mouth after such an invasive surgery.  Some kids even refuse to swallow for weeks.
Alex is swallowing, and mostly sleeping OK.  Her pain meds are to be given every 4 hours, and that is a full-on toddler brawl.  We wake her up for this...so you can imagine her delight at 11 pm, then again at 3 am, and so on.
Today began a new chapter.  She has been vomiting non-stop since she woke up.  That means, NO PAIN MEDS ARE IN HER SYSTEM, which means she doesn't want to drink...  She also hasn't pooped in 5 days.  We are taking measures to improve her quality of life, and also figuring out how to manage her pain.  She is sleeping comfortably now.
I think one of the hardest parts of this whole thing for Alex is her inability to talk as much as she'd like.
As you all know, talking is her gift to the universe, and without it, she could self destruct.
Anyway, this can't go on forever, RIGHT??????
Mostly I wanted to make sure that you all double-checked your kids' trick or treat bags for any apples that may have been distributed on Halloween.

This was our Nurse at the Hospital

Leigh, Alex and I endured 2 days of "Nurse Pittman" at Children's Hospital.  We laugh so hard about it now, we especially laugh about her "doll-sized hands".

Hospital tour

We had a pre-surgery tour at childrens hospital today.  This is Alex in a real operating room, putting a mask on the doll named "Claudia".
When we were done with the tour, Alex said, "Did I just get my tonsils out mama?"

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candy candy candy candy candy

November 1st 8:00 am:  Alex wakes up
November 1st 8:01 am:  Alex says, "I want to eat my candy."

Halloween 2011

Alex had 3 questions for this lady:
"Are you a stranger?"
"What's your name?"
"Can I pet your dog?"
Then she said, "Trick or Treat" to the lady, hoping to get some candy out of her.  (She was just a neighbor walking her dog.)  She is showing this "stranger" how to shoot Spidey webs.
Trick or Treating was so much fun.  Once Alex got the hang of it, she was full on RUNNING between houses.

What's been happening???

Those darn tonsils are coming out.
In 2 weeks, Alex will undergo a tonsillectomy, and possibly an adenoidectomy.  This year has been a mirror image of last year's nightmare, and we cannot live this way any more.
Today was a real heart breaker.  Alex missed the Halloween party at her school because she was so sick, as in 104 temperature, and floppy kid in our arms last night, not good.
We are simply living day-to-day trying to make it surgery.
This has been a bumpy road, and hopefully soon we can close this chapter and move on with our lives.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, we're going to need them.

Blue Spix Macaw

Alex had to miss her costume party at school for a stinkin doctor's appointment...so...we made the best of it.

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Roger Roger

Piloting a space shuttle with oven mitts is no easy task.

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Astronaut

Let me be clear.  I would love her just as much if she wanted to dress up as a Princess everyday, but that's just not her style.  She is flying to the moon.

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salon gossip

A few stats while she was at the salon:
Favorite Food:  Butter, Salt, and the Honey Bear
Favorite Thing To Do:  Push buttons, the wrong buttons

Little Vet Tech

Alex's favorite place in the history of the planet is the Children's Museum.  She has been asking to go EVERY DAY, literally for one week, I FINALLY decided to take her (despite my better judgement against germs).  She spent the majority of the time in the Children's Vet Clinic.

I lub you Sparky

Alex is in "lub" with the firedog, Sparky.  She is showing Sparky her birds.  If you look close enough, you can see the 12 pack, I mean birdcage, that she carries her birds in.

spidey

Spidey strikes again.

Step off

And I quote, "there's some trouble following me".

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Spidey

Just a few bedtime stories with a superhero.  No biggie.

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Day 2

Another day recovering.  We played it real mellow today with a trip to the Library.  FYI, this is the first time in 4 days that she is not either in her Spiderman costume, or the Tarzan "loin cloth".

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Darn you!!!!

Strep strikes again.  Here we are watching 101 Dalmations.  More on this later.  Stay tuned.

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I needed a laugh today.

Hi, it's my birthday, and I invited lots of animals to my party.

Alex's birthday party was today, and it was epic.  An entire barn, complete with cute little animals, came to the house.
Alex's birthdays are bittersweet for me.  While I am so proud of the person she has become, I am also sad that she will never be 2 again...
Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet baby!

Meet the animals

The Petting Zoo included:  2 pot belly pigs, a horse, a donkey, a sheep and a goat named "Boots".  And a surprise to us all was the fact that the people who brought the animals didn't even look like Carnies one bit!

Just having fun

Look at how beautiful my girls look...makes me happy.

just being me

Another spectacular toddler move at the wedding.  (Alex was removing the tree sap from between her toes, classy.)

"GET IT OFF!!!!!"

We have just arrived at a wedding, and Alex REFUSES to wear her dress.  If there was no proof before that she was from my gene pool, let this be the evidence.

As she is ABSOLUTELY MELTING DOWN, BFF says, "What are we going to do?"    

My response, "Get the video camera, quick!"

Clearly, you can see that reading the parenting books that last month have been extremely helpful.

Come on in!

Hello Virtual Readers, this is my school, and I still like it!
I play with Play Dough, there is a pretend kitchen, there is a water table, but my favorite is the pretend ice cream station.  Then we wash our hands and have snacks, then we go outside to the best playground in the entire world!!!  There is even a "zip line" for kids just my size!

Day 2, it's competitive to get in the door...

This is the second day of school.  Just a little taste of Alex's world in the mornings, twice a week.

Zoo day

It's starting to drip, and that's where I come in.

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open open open open open open open open open

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!
Here is our baby, waiting, patiently waiting, for the doors to open for her first day of Preschool Juniors.
Shortly after this picture was taken, the doors opened, and Alex took off running, like her pants were on fire, to her classroom.

Cold Hotdog

I heart veggies too Alex.  Another "Mother of the Year Award" coming my way.

Darn you croup!

Croup has struck again!  Alex had to miss her first day of school.  We made the best of it by going to the Botanical Gardens. 

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Guide her, protect her

This excerpt is from Tina Fey's book, "Bossypants".  

Tina Fey's prayer for her daughter:

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

Source: Bossypants

Git her outa there!!!

I'm so glad that Alex isn't in my belly anymore.  This picture was taken exactly 3 years ago.

She's leaving the cocoon and going to school...

Look at the little caterpillar, she's growing up!

Butterfly Pavilion

"Mama, look at those butterflies on the ceiling!"

This is Alex's new school! She starts next week, and she's VERY excited! Wish her luck.

Just your standard trip to the grocery store with Spiderman, no biggie.

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