Hockey

Thaniel's hockey team did well at the playdowns in Fond du lac this past weekend. They won both their games, and therefore won their chance to compete at State. So, Spooner it is this year for State.

Have been looking for work, but not much luck as of yet. Two of my past co-workers now have facilities of their own- Ann opened her own facility in Slinger, and Lynn is administrator at a facility here in West Bend. They both told me not to hesitate to call them if and when I decided to come back to work, since they knew I wouldn't be returning to Cedar Community (they weren't willing to work something out with me as far as a new part-time work schedule- either come back full-time, or not at all is what it pretty much came down to). I need weekend work only, so that has been difficult to find. They both only have prn work right now (fill in when others are absent from illness or vacation), so I may just do that and be patient until something more opens up. All other places locally are either not hiring for 3rd shift, or are hiring, but for part-time, which includes weekdays, which won't work for us due to Kendel's work schedule during the week. And if I worked weeknights, I would never get any sleep since I'd be up alone with Isabel all day, and only nap when she has her hour or so nap. I'm getting too old for no sleep like I used to do when working full-time 3rd when Abby was little. It took a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. I was so burnt out all the time from exhaustion- got sick often. Don't want to go through that again. I need to get sleep to function. I'm still not sleeping well ever since leaving work after having Isabel. After working 3rd for so many years, I'm so used to being a night owl. Don't get to sleep most nights until after 1 am, and have to be up after 7:30am to get Abby off to school. Right after I usually just fall asleep is when Isabel gets up to nurse in the middle of the night, so then it is really hard to get back to sleep after that again. So, I am hoping I can find someplace closeby that will allow me to work every weekend (every Friday and Saturday night).

Hope everyone is doing well. Happy belated Valentine's Day! And thanks to those who wished me a happy 34th birthday- I'm getting old!!!!!!!!

Isabel the Giant

Yesterday was Isabel's 9/10 month well baby visit. She weighs 18 1/2 lbs. (has been thinning out due to being so active with crawling and walking along everything), which puts her in the 50th percentile for her weight. Her head circumference is in the 50th percentile, and low and behold, no surprise here.... she is over the 95th percentile for height. The pedatrician said she is the height of an average 19 month old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is only 10 months old!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She said that if she stays on this growth course, she will be the height of an average 26 month old by the time she is 19 months old. CRAZY!!!!!!!!!


She is being tested for food allergies. She has a reaction any time she has eaten carrots or tomato based baby foods (rash on face, hives), and when she eats cottage cheese, little tastes of icecream, yogurt, etc....anything dairy, she gets really cranky, throws up what looks like spoiled, curdled milk (smells like it too), and gets diarhhea and blaring red bottom. So, we are concerned what I will be able to have her start taking after done weaning from nursing. I will be going straight from nursing to the sippy cup. She's great with a cup when she has her juice throughout the day in between nursing. If she is allergic to cow's milk, there is a good chance she is allergic to soy's milk also due to they share similar proteins that may be what she is allergic to. So she said I may not be able to even have her drink formula out of a sippy cup since most formulas are made from either cow's milk or soy proteins. I was hoping to wean her around a year old, but she is already starting to show signs that she will start to wean herself. She has been showing less interest in nursing unless it is before nap or bedtime (I think it is more of a comfort thing then, snuggle time with mom). She is getting more distracted and wanting to explore and get back to playing instead of eating as well as she used to. She is a great eater otherwise, as far as solids go, so I am not too concerned she isn't getting enough. I am just concerned about getting the results from the allergy testing to find out what I will be able to switch her to once she's done nursing.

She is also exhibiting some warning signs for a need for pediatric orthotics. When she stands, she doesn't stand on the bottom of her feet. Her feet roll inward and she stands on the insides of her feet where her arch should be. But she doesn't have any- her feet are flat. So at her next check up (when she will be hopefully walking and the pediatrician can see her actually in action and see how her feet position when she is actually taking steps) it will be decided if she will need orthotics, which can get very costly since she would have to have a new one made every time she outgrows her current shoe size, which we all know, babies feet grow like crazy. Especially hers! She has had big feet from day one. She is already in a size 4 or 5 in toddler shoes. The orthotics will help to eventually force her feet to form arches, so she will not have problems in the future. It is much easier to form them when they are little and the bones more soft and pliable, than to wait til much later and have more problems and be much harder to fix.


So, alot of info and some things to worry about, but hopefully we'll get the results back from the tests soon so we know where to go from here, and we'll just have to take things one day at a time with the possible need for orthotics. I read that they can cost anywhere from $300-$600 each time you get a new one made, and that most insurances do not cover the cost. We will have to look into Kendel's insurance to see if it will be covered. Otherwise, we will really be struggling to afford that kind of cost. But you have to do what you have to do. So it will be done.

I will update when I find out more.

Abby

Abby had a gymnastics meet in Sheboygan today, and won 7th place in her age group for Beam (which actually has been one of her more difficult events, but she really did great today!) This was her first time she got to have her name announced and go up on the podium to stand on the 7th place spot and accept her ribbon. She was so surprised and excited! I was so happy for her. She was wondering when she would finally get to place in an event. So she is thrilled.

No hockey games for Thaniel today. He can't play til tomorrow. He's feeling much better though.

Thaniel has a hard head!

Well, Thursday's hockey practice gave Thaniel a little more than he bargained for... he decided to use his head to hit the ice instead of his stick! He took a bad fall and hit the back of his head on the ice. Although he had his helmet on, he still hit hard, and felt a little dizzy at first. The coach said when Thaniel stood up, he seemed to be a bit in a daze and was leaning to the left when taking the first few steps after standing up. Thaniel decided to still try to finish the drills they were working on, but the coach noticed Thaniel was a bit slow going, and then saw Thaniel walk off the ice. The coach let Kendel know what happened, and they called me. Told them to bring him home. Had two sleeping beauties here at home with me, so he had to come home first for me to check him out before deciding if he needed to go to the hospital or not. Since he didn't lose consciousness or get nauseous, I decided to keep him home and watch him through the night, and if anything changed and got worse, I'd take him in. His eyes hurt and he had a bad headache, so had him use ice and take ibuprofen. He woke up this morning feeling much better, but still had a throbbing headache. So took him in to see the doctor this morning, where she told me he had a minor concussion (which I already knew), and for him to wait to resume playing for the amount of time his symptoms take to disappear from the time of initial injury. Meaning, if he still has his headache until tonight at 9pm, that means he had his headache for 24 hours, and would then have to wait an additional 24 hours before he can get back on the ice. So, he's not too happy about that, because he has 4 games this weekend! He'll be missing Saturday's two games, and we'll see about Sunday. I think he should take advantage of the break and try to relax a little tomorrow, since very rarely does he have a weekend day without a game.

Abby has a gymnastics meet in Sheboygan tomorrow. Wish her luck. She has been improving and working hard. Still struggling a little with her beam and bar routine, but improving at every practice on those two. She has her back handspring down now. She's glad for that.

Home Hockey Tourney

Thaniel's team won first place at their home tournament this weekend. Yeah! The last game was a great game to watch. They were down 2-0 until almost the last period, then caught up and tied the game. Went into 5 minute overtime, and the first goal shot won. It was an exciting game to watch. So, they won first place at their first tournament in Rhinelander, 4th place at the Green Bay Tourney, and first at home. They worked hard.

My little tadpole

Isabel had her very first swim experience in the YMCA pool this past Friday. She was so funny. The Y has 2 pools and a whirlpool room. The smaller pool is a lot warmer than the big pool- it felt like warm bathwater- which was great for her. The minute her and I entered the pool, she started giggling and kicking her little frog legs. She absolutely loved it. They have a lot of fun things for the kids to play with in the family pool, like swim boards, swim noodles, little rubber duckies floating around, balls... she had so much fun playing with everything. Her favorite was the ball. So, first time swimming was a hit. Planning on it being an every Friday night family night at the Y. (It's crazy. Friday nights are our only nights free out of 7 days a week - the only day without gymnastics and hockey practice, guitar lessons, games or meets, or Kendel's hockey practice and games too). Abby is a fish- she loves to swim, so she is happy about that. She is great at diving. Diving with Daddy last Friday. You can only imagine how much more graceful Abby's dives were as opposed to Daddy's near belly flops. lol Poor Thaniel has been afraid to enter the pool, even though he lovesswimming too, because his eczema has been acting up and his legs are really hurting him- so dry and irritated. So he skipped the swimming and played racquetball instead. Anyhow, it was a fun time. Thaniel has his home hockey tournament this weekend, so it is going to be crazy busy. 3 days of hockey, hockey, and then some more hockey, then Kendel has games on Sunday and Monday nights. No rest for the weary...

Just bought Isabel a riding/walking toy. She can either sit on it and scoot around, or you just adjust it and flip the seat up, and she can use it to hold onto/push while walking without mommy's help. She has been doing great. I foresee her walking and taking her first few steps on her own any day now. She has the whole standing and balancing thing down all by herself, now we just need to add some steps, and she's good to go. She's pushing that toy around all over the living room, then decides "I'm so done with this, now I just want to sit down and play with the toys on it..."

This weather can go to 'h' 'e' double hockey sticks! I'm so sick of winter I could just puke, and then puke some more! Actually, no, but I am so sick of this cold nasty winter- frigid temps, snow piles up to your chin... I'm praying for an early spring. Pray with me!!!!

Well, time to go make goulash while Isabel is napping. Gonna put it in the slow cooker. I love slow cookers. They make life a lot easier.

See ya.

Hello... and goodbye

Isabel has now mastered the art of opening and closing her hands and says a high pitched 'hi' to you and will wave goodbye to you! And her new favorite thing to do is turn the tv off and on. She is attracted to the light on the on/off switch on the front of the tv, and it is within her reach, so she is a magnet to it. Made Kendel put a piece of black tape on it to hopefully detract her from seeing it and pushing it. So far, so good. Out of sight... out of mind. For now anyway... she was a little girl with a one track mind yesterday. It didn't matter how many times she was told 'no' and taken away from the tv. The word 'no' does not phase her one bit. She thinks I'm being funny when I say it to her. She just looks at me and smiles the minute I'd put her down and head straight back over there. Same thing with the Christmas tree, cupboards, drawers, printer. She's relentless. She is just starting to learn how to show she is mad at you for not letting her have her way. If I take her away from something she shouldn't be doing, I try to distract her by giving her something else to play with. She swats it away or throws it on the ground and then whines and kicks to be put down or flails her hands up and down in the air, and if you are within her reach, you might get hit too! Starting tantrums already!!!! She gets over it quickly though. She's does the same thing if she see's me and wants me to pick her up- she usually only gets whiny like that if she is getting tired. Oh, the joys of temper tantrums!

I have been working with Isabel on brushing her teeth after every meal. She loves this! First I brush her teeth with the finger brush and baby toothpaste so I can scrub her teeth and gums good, then I give her her baby toothbrush to chew and brush with. I show her how mommy brushes her teeth, and she is a quick learner. She imitates everything you show her. She is a sponge. I told Thaniel and Abby they better stop fighting and arguing with each other, especially in front of her, otherwise she is going to learn and think that is how you're supposed to treat each other. She watches and listens to everything going on around her. She's a smart cookie.