Just an Update

Alexandra is feeling much better after her experience with the hands, feet and mouth virus. She has an appetite back and starting to drink her juice again. I believe all the blisters in her mouth are gone. She does have a few blisters left on the bottoms of her feet. The blisters either pop (Yuck!) or just go away. She still has one blister on her finger.
As for myself, Im feeling better as well. As some know Doug and I woke up with sore throats Sunday morning. It hurt worse for me as I could not talk (Doug was enjoying that), eat or cough without cringing. Tuesday I planned to stay home with Alex but ended up taking her back to daycare and spending most of the day in bed or on the couch. I was achy and felt warm. I went back to work Wednesday but didnt have much of a voice to speak to anyone. By Thursday I had a scratchy voice, not as much coughing but some sneezing. Today Im doing pretty good other than sneezing. I always seem to get a few colds in the summer no matter how much vitamins I take. And of course, Doug, he is fine. Sore throat went away by Monday.

Alex is quite the chatter box still. We continue to get compliments on how much she talks. She is adding more words and sentences to her vocabulary. She continues to tell barking dogs to "Hush". Her first sentence was about a month ago when she ran to the fence where Lucifer was on the other side. She ran back to me and Doug saying "I touched Bubby". She continued to do that laughing as it was a game touching Lucifer through the fence. She now calls our cat by her name Yasmine rather than just Kitty-Kitty. She picked up quickly on how to use the word "please" and continues to say please when asking for something. "Thank you" was a little more difficult. But she has finally picked up on it and uses it appropriately too. She recently started calling me Me-Me and she doesnt call me Daddy anymore when I walk in the door at daycare. We continue to use flash cards of animals. She knows pig, cow, cat, dog, duck, frog, fish and bug.

Ribbit! Ribbit!

I have a new project! Since I released the butterflies I have been itching to grow something else. I decided on Tadpoles. I ordered a frog kit which came with directions/care book and a habitat for tadoles and frogs. The certificate that came with it allowed me to buy tadpoles for $14 but a friend found them cheaper at a local pet store. The store finally had tadpoles in stock and tonight we bought two. We brought them home where we placed them in their habitat. For a while they will be pretty boring as they slowly grow legs. Once the legs come in, their tails will slowly go away...and PRESTO... We have our frogs. I made sure with the pet store that I can release them in the wild once they are fully grown. So now we just sit, wait and watch!

Ok, So I'm Not a Doctor-Don't Sue Me

Well last you heard we thought Alexandra was teething. She had all the symptoms, so we thought. Lastnight after we got home from Nana and Paw-Paw Thayers, I noticed she had several blister like bumps on her feet. Now I noticed these bumps earlier Saturday but there were only two, so I assumed she got them from walking around barefoot or from her shoes. Well lastnight they spread. More were appearing on her bottoms and tops of her feet and on her finger. I had no clue what was the cause of them. We went to bed. Doug had a normal morning with her. I made an appointment with the dr for Monday afternoon. I called daycare to advise and we starting discussing the bumps. Melissa advises me she thinks and is almost 100% sure she has the hand, foot, mouth virus. I have heard of this a few times but thought one got it from being dirty (dont know where I heard this). But she comforted me advising it can be caught from anywhere, anyone or anything. Kids can put things in their mouths, be around another kid who has it or even be in the grocery store and pick it up. And its also very contagious. So I had to leave work and pick her up. I noticed too that all the toys in daycare were outside being washed. Great-"Mother of the Year" here! Give me that trophy! Im getting all the other kids infected!
I got her into the doctor early and verified Melissa was correct. Nothing really can be done except make her comfortable because the blisters hurt. We have to let it take its course. Because she doesnt have a fever, which was gone Sunday morning, she is not contagious. So theres a plus, we didnt infect the other kids at daycare. So now she is napping while I hang out at home. Now its time to make some calls and send some emails to the parents of children she played with starting last Thursday.....
And Im returning the "Mother of the Year" award. But don't go too far with it, Im sure I will earn it again down the road.

So Soon?

Thursday evening I came home late from work. Doug and Alex were sitting on the couch and she looked unhappy. Doug said she had been whiney and wanted to be held all the time. She is drooling a lot. She also felt warm. After an hour or so she was back to her normal self. We played outside with the neighbors for a couple of hours. Had a bath and off to bed.
Friday as Im on my way to pick her up from daycare I receive a call from Amy advising Alex has a temperature of 102 and is whining and crying. This has all occurred within the last hour. Alex greets me at the door, saying "Me-Me" and looks pathetic. We get home and she naps for a few, wakes up and is Miss Sensitive Susie. I notice her drooling again. We start the motrin/tylenol trick as we notice she is still warm. She doesnt want to eat. After walking on glass around her for an hour or so, Alex totally does a 180 and is back to her silly, rambunctious, daring, crazy self.
So saturday she wakes up crying. She still has a fever and her pillow is sopping wet. Literally we sat around all day with her trying to make her comfortable and happy. I start to notice lots and lots of drooling to the point she has soaked my shoulder after resting her head. She continues to hold a fever. Her eyes and face seem swollen as well. Then we give her a banana. She sits down at her table, takes one bite and starts crying. As Im asking her what is wrong, in baby language she is babbling something and then spits out the banana. Totally not her! She puts her finger in her mouth. Does her throat hurt when she swallows? Did she cut her mouth when chewing on a rock the other day? No, Its her teeth, had to be. The drooling, fever, swollen eyes and face, sensitivity and now spitting out bananas. She has to be getting her two year molars. I really was not expecting these to pop through so soon. I havent been able to look inside and into the back of her mouth. but I think her molars are starting to come down. I feel like we just got over the canines which was what seemed the worse teething experience so far. I wanted a lil longer break with teething but guess it came sooner. So now she sucks on cold wash rags, pacifier and teething rings. I have been told canines and two year molars are the worse. This is also the first time she has gotten a fever with teething. So we really did think she was sick. So now today we are waiting for her to wake up and start another fun filled day with hissy fits and mood swings. I plan to call the dr monday morning to discuss it and maybe even take her in if they advise. I want to make sure its teething and nothing else.We are hoping medicine will kick in at the right time as well. We have dinner plans with Dougs dad, step mom, step brother and neice. I truely hope she is in a good mood tonight.

Running Wild with the Animals

Alex and Alli watching "Cars" on the way
Alli and Alex holding Dougs hands
She was terrified in the beginning
She eventually warmed up to everything

Sorry a week later Im sharing our adventure. I have been extremely busy at work, staying late every night.

Last Saturday we ventured to the zoo with Alexandra for the first time. Allison and her dad Nick came with us. Alex did pretty good except in the beginning she was scared in the aquarium exhibits. Because it was new to her the large windows and all the unfamiliar faces were over whelming. She held onto Doug really tight and whimpered and whined. When she saw Alli go to the glass she would run up there, check out a fish and then run back to us. Eventually she got used to everything and checked it all out. She definitely knows her fish. The whole time she was pointing with excitement screaming "fish!". It was cute. She didnt really care for the penguins and the sealions were definitely scary for her. When they swam by really fast in the windows she would jump back. Outside she liked checking out the turtles, ducks and chickens. She even was pecked by a chicken but didnt cry. Just looked at me like "what the hell?". She enjoyed going into the caged area with the colorful birds. She was constantly pointing and saying "birdie". In the petting area she pet the goat once but that was enough. We took the wagon but the girls wanted to walk or be held the whole time. It was definitely fun and wore us all out. Doug and I are so excited to take her back.

Petting the sharks-I could have stayed here all day

Notice she kept her hands in after she was pecked.

But she still enjoyed talking to the chickens

The empty wagon we had to hall around

She was excited when the ducks and turtles came up close

The girls passed out on the way home.

"Mary, Mary Quite contrary, how does your garden grow..."

I went around the house yesterday snapping some pictures of the flowers that are blooming. I love planting and working the yard. Its very relaxing to me. Right now as I sit and watch the rain fall I am ticked because I cant be outside doing something in the yard. Well the rain was needed so at least theres one positive. We had plans to take Alexandra to the zoo today for the first time. Well looks like we cant do that. So we are planning to do that tomorrow morning. I am hoping the weather will clear up by tonight, like the weather station says it will. It wouldnt be any fun to celebrate the fourth in the rain like last year. Guess it will just be postponed till tomorrow night.