Fun with a Box

Well, things have been a whole lot less sick around here in the past week, thank goodness. I couldn't take much more of that! Did I mention before that my head cold resulted in a loss of both smell and taste for an entire week? So weird. And no fun. We've finally been enjoying a little bit of normalcy around here now, including a weekend family trip to IKEA. We needed something for a little craft project that bub the hub is helping me with... more on that later. When we got home, this IKEA box seemed a lot more fun to Maddie than any silly project. So we put that on hold and made a castle instead.

Designed by yours truly and finger painted (mostly) by the girls.

That's a dinosaur roar coming out of Maddie, if you were wondering. Probably the most fun I've had with a box! I really love this age. We can make practically anything into a toy, and it makes her so happy :).

Later this week we will have to snap out of normalcy again while Avery undergoes a 48 hour EEG check-up. The good news is we will be able to do it all at home, no hospital stay! The bad news is gluey hair and annoying sensors. Stay tuned!

Spoke Too Soon

If you happened to read my last post, just totally disregard it. Like, I should probably just delete it. What we thought was on the mend, wasn't. Every single member of our little family has come down with something or other, maybe even for the second time since my last post. Only one of us right now seems to be mostly healthy, but I won't mention anyone by name... you know how jinxes work... and it certainly isn't me if you are wondering! I NEED MY HEALTHY FAMILY BACK. May was pretty awful to be honest, and now that I really think about it, 2014 has brought the most illnesses to my family, ever! What is the deal??

No photos to post tonight, we haven't been looking so hot lately ha. I don't want to end on a totally depressing note though, so I thought I'd share some positive thinking... or rather, speaking.

From goop mag #16--Figure of Speech: How The Words We Choose Shape Our Lives 
By Dr. Habib Sadeghi
Words have power. Their meaning crystallizes perceptions that shape our beliefs, drive our behavior, and ultimately, create our world. Their power arises from our emotional responses when we read, speak, or hear them..... it seems life is more of an energy flow than a collection of solid things. What that means for us is that if we stay conscious of the energy we contain, based on the emotions we feel, we can make deliberate choices that alter our frequency and create the realities we desire. If we’re feeling down about something, we can choose to reframe the situation and raise our own spirits. With a renewed perspective and a higher, more positive energetic vibration, we stand a much better chance of bringing good into our lives, rather than bitterly repeating old mistakes. 
Words are extremely powerful tools that we can use to uplift our personal energy and improve our lives, though we’re often not conscious of the words we speak, read, and expose ourselves to. Yes, even the words of others can easily affect our personal vibration. Spend a few minutes with a chronic complainer who uses all sorts of negative terms, and you’ll feel your personal energy bottom out. Words have great power, so choose them (and your friends) wisely! 

On the Mend

Ugh I've had a house full of sickies this week! It really stresses me out when my babies feel so bad. We had a nice time last weekend in Dallas visiting Aunt Christine and Uncle Rob, and then Maddie promptly woke up with a really high fever on Monday morning. She was pretty pitiful. She's also had this terrible cough for almost 3 weeks now. A cough just like the one she had back in March for about the same amount of time. Poor kid.

I took her in to see the doctor and they spied a right ear infection, which can apparently happen with a lingering cough, so sweet girl finally got some antibiotics! They also prescribed a chewable tablet for her "chronic cough" which makes me cringe to hear from the doctor, but so glad we could actually treat it since most of the time there is nothing that works for kids this young. Took it straight to the pharmacy and they end up telling me it's really expensive and not covered by our plan. We were SO disappointed! Maddie woke up Tuesday and I felt like her cough was even worse than usual, so I went ahead and called our insurance company to ask why it wasn't covered. Turns out it was! Just a total mistake! They called the pharmacy for us and we had the medicine within a couple of hours. Sometimes I swear they just do this random stuff to test you. It really goes to show that you should follow up on things like this. Lord knows we pay enough for insurance, so double checking is always a good idea. Many of you know I used to have weekly fights with insurance companies about coverage for Avery. It had been a long time since I had called, geared up for a fight! A little shocked when they lady was just like oh yea it's covered and only $10 copay. Whew...

So Maddie was on the mend when Avery woke up Friday morning and proceeded to throw up all day! At school and at home. All over herself, the couch and the rug. Awesome! She also had a high fever. The really strange thing is she refused to nap, which is especially crazy considering she was sick. She woke up this morning still with a fever and totally lethargic, although able to keep some bread down. We snuggled and watched Mickey Mouse and she fell asleep around 11am and slept for 3 hours! Woke up acting like her old self again, makes mommy and daddy so happy! Talking and smiling on the couch again.

Whew! So glad. I don't know about you, but when my kids have mystery symptoms (all of the time), my mind tends to go to worst case scenarios. It's super annoying. I don't usually voice these concerns, they just stay in my crazy head. I'm not sure if a lot of Mom's do this, or if it's more intense for me because Avery can't tell me what she's feeling or what hurts. I need to chill.  

Being A Mom Is

Thrilling. Magical. Terrifying. Heartbreaking. Messy. Overwhelming. Beautiful. Fulfilling. Gut wrenching. Loud. Joyful. All of these things and so much more, changing constantly from one thing to the next. From wondering how I ever lived without these little people dancing around my feet to wondering how I was ever crazy enough to start a family. 

This Mother's Day has been even more special to me because of the "Happy Mom's Day" greetings I've been hearing from my little Maddie. It sounds like such a small thing, but hearing it come out of her mouth, and getting the hugs and sweet kisses really makes my day. Six years of being a mom and these little things still feel somewhat foreign... because my firstborn hasn't ever been able to express herself like her little sister can now. Of course, I parent these girls because I love them to the moon and back, not because I want or need constant affirmation. And it's not to say that Avery doesn't express herself in other ways, but it sure is different to hear the words. It does hit hard, when suddenly I hear exactly what I've been missing. 

There is not a day that goes by that I am not wondering what she is thinking and feeling and wants me to know. Her teachers at school are still working on communication devices and her speech therapist is still working on jaw strength. We all see that there is a lot going on in that pretty head and Avery grows more and more frustrated to get it out. We won't give up! 

I think a lot about the summer of 2009 when she was one and a half, and much to her daddy's and my delight, started mimicking "ma-ma" and "da-da." Hearing her make these kinds of sounds was something we thought would be a lot farther in the future. I can't even explain how exciting it was to hear. In the video below, you can see how proud I am, and how proud she is of herself! A couple of months later she stopped making these sounds, and we haven't heard them consistently, or been able to get back to mimicking since. We know she has the capacity because she proved it. We've just got to keep working. I'm looking forward to a Mother's Day in the future where both my girls can say "mom." It's something I won't ever take for granted.