676-700

1. dual naptime...I know I have said it before, but it hasn't happened for a long time
2. the girls playing quietly separately/together without my presence in the room
3. a variety of Christmas music on the radio
4. Kj knowing some of them...and recognizing more and more each day
5. "Mama, you sleep?" Maybe. "I give you a kiss."
6. layers of clothes to make a cozy outfit for the cool day
7. 20 degrees the other day so I could just wear a fleece and vest outside (with gloves, scarf and ear coverage of course)
8. my sister making it safely "home" for Christmas
9. just a few days until she gets to meet L!!!
10. running in the snow with her in a few days...I don't get out much with 2 girls that always (between the 3 of us) seem to have some sort of cold or flu
11. getting to shovel last night while Kevin washed dishes
12. Kj realizing that she was "throwing a fit at you" (me)...and then changing her behavior, and giving hugs
13. leftovers tonight
14. not really doing much shopping besides the grocery store this season...but also finding random little fun things for the people we want to give gifts to
15. a surprise for the weekend!! --for you mom!!
16. the possibility of going out to a movie with my siblings +
    
17. mail received in Africa!
18. pictures of the lunar eclipse, because I certainly wasn't going to wake up in the middle of the night if I could help it...apparently Kevin did wake up with Kj...sorry, I didn't hear it...
19. cards that make music when you open them...my girls were learning about cause and effect thanks to grandma!
20. a styrofoam packing thing that makes a good Fischer Price tub or ramp and a good bit of creativity in Kj
21. a new game...thanks C,L&E - we'll read about the real way to play it next month
    
22. The best gift ever...Jesus!!
23. another way to encourage generosity and the true meaning of Christmas:
    

    "My kids made a pile of toys they want to donate after we put presents under the tree. We talked about Jesus blessing us enough to be able to get fun things. Then we talked about how some kids aren't able to to get gifts. So, they rounded up TONS of toys...even favorites... to give away!!"

24. strong tower song
25. the beautiful mess that my house is with all the played with toys strewn here and there...what a lovely lived in look!
    

Update

Ah! She is doing so well. She was up for a while in the middle of the night...not sure if that was a tummy ache or just wanting to play. So, we're pretty tired today, especially my wonderful husband who took most of the consolation shift. He is amazing, just in case you ever wondered.


Check out this little munchkin playing with a new toy...the bottom water bottle/bib drawer in the kitchen!

Next Day News

Well, we found out how to make her crawl! Just put the computer on the floor and she'll get to it. :)

So, next morning after the craziness she is perky as ever...jumpy even. Her eye is pretty swollen, but we are reassured that it is usually more puffy in the morning. Also, all the other signs (fever, lack of appetite, etc.) are all on the better end. Yeah.

1. smiles
2. jumpy energy
3. Nana's house
4. holiday concert
5. Bumpa playing with Kj in the basement (in the play kitchen)
6. a quiet morning
7. soup last night
8. Aunt A. - babysitter extraordinaire - through sickness and health
9. the music book that Nana has
10. the amazing ability to ignore too much repetition
11. cozy sleepers
12. soft carpet
13. "new" toys
14. naps on the way to Nana's so Mama and Daddy could "really" talk
15. Christmas lights
16. Kj's excitement about those lights
17. a child's JOY!
18. our camera
19. this blog
20. writing
21. The Healer
22. Adventures in Odyssey
23. Signing Time
24. Mmmm...the bread we got as a Christmas gift yesterday!
25. the morning off...in a way

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

So, I got the call about L. Her CRP level is 72 (normally 1-10/11). CRP is a marker of inflammation or "A C-reactive protein (CRP) test is a blood test that measures the amount of a protein called C-reactive protein in your blood. C-reactive protein measures general levels of inflammation in your body." ~WebMD

So, we will continue with home treatment and antibiotics and be vigilantly watching for changes. If it stays the same or gets better then we will be great. If it gets worse, we call or head to the doctor's office/urgent care/emergency room. So, there you have it. Thanks for prayers.

Sorry about the tipped picture. Kj and L playing at the table together. Enjoy!

Swollen Eye

These first two pictures are yesterday afternoon...this is after much improvement throughout the day!! I thought about but didn't act on the picture taking yesterday AM.

Hello all. I thought I would do a post with some pictures so you could see what's going on with our littlest girl. She is currently being treated for "Periorbital cellulitis". When I looked on WebMD, I only saw a post on Cellulitis. Reading the first paragraph was a little alarming..."This can be deadly." Yikes. Then I was looking at some Facebook posts and was reminded: "Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bare. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer." Thank you, J. So, now we are waiting to get a call from the doctor to see if some level is high in her bloodwork. So, that's where we are now...along with strong antibiotics and watching for higher fever, worsening, less activity, less urine, and less appetite.

These next three pictures are this morning. She hasn't improved a whole lot since these early morning pictures. She is still smiley. Not as perky as usual, but if we couldn't open one eye the whole way, and it was tearing, wouldn't we act the same way??




Please keep her in your prayers. I will update as soon as we know more...and maybe it is nothing to worry about...well, it is!! Because God has it all under control!

A break from the thousand

Wow, I was just reading these two blogs... one linked to the other. One answering questions from readers about homeschooling and the other explaining how shelter is not a place but a relationship.

I read these things and think of all the ways that I am inadequate. I will never be a great mother, not really, never on my own. I need more than I can even dare to imagine... the grace, forgiveness, patience, help, and more help, and more patience. While remembering the long-term goal of raising my girls to be God-loving, God-fearing, beautiful women, I can't get too far ahead of myself. I can't let myself be overwhelmed by the year to year, but focus on the moment to moment. What part of this moment is teachable? How could I do that differently next time? Where do I step up, where do I back off?

Starting the last couple of weeks, Kj is getting into the "why?" stage, so we can start explaining why we do the things we do, and why we don't do the other. Then maybe she will also start standing up for the things we believe to be important.

Hmm... this post got interrupted by life! So, I'm not exactly certain as to the planned ending... just thoughts. No, I'm not thinking about home-schooling but many of my friends are, so the topic comes up often enough. I do have fun "art class" ideas for them!! :) Maybe I can be an assistant art teacher to them. hahaha

626-650

More things I'm thankful for...

1. my unwrapped Christmas gift :)
2. talking about quality time
3. new ideas for transition times
4. the last session...and a new beginning in January
5. the prospect of a birthday party for Jesus with the neighbor kids
6. chickens
7. asking Kj what the instrument looked like..."a big -tar (guitar)"...it was a cello
8. the way she moved/danced when Andrew played it
9. home again
10. a large bottle of tahini when I only need 1 1/2 T...and that I don't have to tell Kevin the price of it...
    
11. sticking to the list has meant that I stay within the budget...definitely a God-thing...because I do no prior calculations
    
12. a new recipe to try
13. my favorite fleece that I gave away because I left it at a friend's relative's house, then my mom helping me pay for a new one...I use it OFTEN! Thanks mom!
14. fun with kids atlases
15. L paging through books like Kj used to do and that only infrequently does she try to eat them
16. thoughts
17. quiet moments
18. reversing the direction of overhead fans to keep it warmer in the house...I think it is working in our living room
19. earlier bed times again (for Kevin and I)
20. other blogs to peak at while thinking of more thanks
21. rollerskating...planning for it
22. a little snow outing with the girls. L in the wrap under a spare Kevin jacket and Kj bundled to tromp around
23. a "snow book"--a slab of snow that Kj transported from one neighbor's yard to ours
24. mirrors--as toys for the girls
25. Kevin finally being able to sit down beside me and relax for a few minutes before bed
    

601-625

1. a clean robe after a week of sickness
2. hearing about others' Christmas traditions
3. a long afternoon nap for kj
4. a few unwanted sips taken from the new sippy cups
5. that she doesn't want to sleep anywhere but on me after the sippy trauma
   
6. a surprise for Aunt C. hehehe
7. family outing
8. kj running around the plant in the mall to get the energy out
9. running with kj across the mall hallway
   
10. not finding any interesting buys with my gift card, so Kevin used it to buy a gift for me!
11. a carseat adapter for our single stroller
12. little wind tonight
    
13. for experimentation...is keeping L. up an hour later going to make her sleep in an hour later? I'll let you know tomorrow--Kevin's been getting up with her at 5 am
    
14. Kevin getting up with L at 5 am
15. $10 rebate earning us $1 from our purchases
16. "perfect" sweater, in the "perfect" color, in the wrong size = no money spent
17. peaceful time spent in the light of the Christmas tree
18. fully formula/bottle fed
19. droopy eyes of L as she finishes the bottle
20. little hands still clutching Kevin's thumb and middle finger, hoping for more milk
21. Oxi-clean spray
22. a mind like spaghetti
23. funny marriage seminars that still make me laugh
24. small group
25. growing closer and knowing more deeply

576-600

1. snow day
2. still wanting to go out
3. a husband who is up for the adventure
4. Kevin: "Do you really want to go out in this?...pause...YEAH! It'd be an adventure!" (he didn't even see my previous 3!
5. an adventure called off halfway through
6. safety
7. warmth
8. love
9. my girls!!
   
10. that they didn't go to Nana's yesterday
11. kj: for people
12. kj: for thankful
13. kj: for mama and daddy
14. kj: houses
15. kj: grasshoppers (from a book about Laura Ingalls Wilder)
16. kj: for books
17. kj: and library books
18. kj: L.
    
19. daddy: that we didn't get stuck in the middle of the street
    
20. kj: I'm thankful for supper
21. kj: for Christmas trees
22. kj: and writing (sounded like witing, but K. translated)
    
23. kj: for strawberries (as she points to the baby links she is putting in a row)
24. kj: um...lights, and these lights (pointing to the computer charging light)
25. kj: for stepping
    

551-575

1. the 5-point star I gazed at out the window while holding L. during her nap...Follow the star!
2. windpants..."Mama, I like your snowpants."
3. snuggles
4. little children who want undivided attention
5. Nana
6. Bumpa (Grandpa)
7. a lunch treat
8. an uninterrupted shower (thank you, Mama and Dad #2)
9. that 4 inches of snow doesn't need army assistance here
   
10. 
11. 
12. thumbs and "I love you" fingers
13. 
14. husband's coworkers' wives
15. company Christmas parties
16. a great in home babysitter (Miss M.)
    
17. a kindle-like device
18. that Kevin has to wait until it is fully charged to do anything with it...meaning he won't be up all night
19. good conversation
20. being able to contribute
21. not feeling like a wall flower
22. my husband "reading my heart"
23. that sweater/shrug from Aunt A.'s wedding...got another use out of it
24. date night again next Friday
25. a great babysitter for that night as well!! (Aunt A.)
    

526-550

1. Away in the Manger on the radio and Kj chiming in...she knew the whole first verse...maybe more
2. how Kj put her shirt on backwards and didn't want to switch because "daddy has pockets on his back." So, she threw aside the "tag goes in the back" rule and went with what daddy's clothes are like
3. L. learning to transfer from table to stool to walker while standing
4. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,45 ~Kj
   
5. funny stories
6. things that make you smile when you're sick
7. Kj making each part of her lunch into something...her bread was a lady speeding in wheelchair, her red pepper half was a dog house then an edible mustache
8. Range of emotions. Wow! This is what I'm talking about: this lady's birth story...also, this quote: "There is a point in every woman's life when she should give up spandex, even for the gym."
   
9. resting time during naps today
   
10. L. not crying right now...I can here her chatting in her crib...this hasn't happened before
11. L. realizing that she is not being forced to drink, turns toward the bottle
12. the sharing of experiences with those around us
13. knowing that God put you in certain peoples' paths to make a difference
14. leave it to Kj to teach me generosity, when that was my goal of the season...it was hard to part with some of her toys...hehehe...I even wrote down a book title that I would like to replace...
15. Hallelujah!!
16. sitting in the light of the Christmas tree with my husband and just before bed smiley L.
17. me on the mend
18. my husband washing dishes and singing hallelujah
19. delivering Kj's generosity
20. great ideas from friends for other small service projects this month
21. fresh bread
22. canned soups on a day like today
23. enjoyment of cooking
24. Mmm...so many foods that I want to eat right now...being sick so that I can enjoy them all the more in the coming days
25. Aunt C. - looking forward to reading your next posts
    

501-525

1. finding a tomato soup recipe online by asking, "How to make tomato soup from tomato paste"
2. patience renewed
3. sunshine
4. letter and number magnets
5. the ability to place holds on books checked out at the library
6. Kj's incessant, "Mama, I want a snack."
7. L. liking my tomato soup experiment...which was not very successful to me
8. leftovers for Kevin! Hahaha
9. automatic numbering of the next 5oo thanks
10. happy, smiling, wiggly, giggly girls
11. peace at our house
12. warmth
13. girls clothed in polka dots
14. new toys a.k.a. baby food containers
15. time to read all the books that Kj brought to the lunch table, that I told her I would read to her
16. nurses turned friends that you can ask about questions about your baby's condition
17. reconnecting over the phone
18. personal attendant at my great friend's wedding!
19. looking at airfare
20. my dad and sparkles
21. a really wonderful man who also happens to keep our bed warm at night
    
22. wool socks
23. vacuumed floors
24. a sewing machine that is calling my name
25. the offer of weekend sitters
    

488. following through with good ideas
489. bars
490. deep breaths
491. this music
492. by grace alone
493. "And His banqueting table’s extended for the weary and the tired, the broken and discouraged, the overwhelmed who don’t know how to get through and we can get through today because we’ve been given every gift in Christ and today we can do the work of Christ because we’ve been given the abundance of Christ." ~aholyexperience
494. Kj words, constant and alive
495. the idea of: compassion capers
496. ideas of: generosity
497. Christmas lights on the way home
498. conversation with Kj about the lights...do you know why we put lights on our Christmas tree? Because Jesus is the Light of the world!
499. K: Jingle Jazz, "the best $3 CD purchase ever"
500!!

476. L. songs
477. L. smiles
478. L. mending (she had a flu this weekend)
479. L. sitting up
480. chats
481. sending good ideas over the internet
482. my sister, who will probably have a really great hummus recipe
483. disposable diapers
484. in-home laundry facilities
485. keeping up with the laundry and not feeling like throwing it away
486. taking a drive tonight to look at all the pretty lights (and get out of the house for a bit) **if Kevin is up for it**
487. going offline

460. Saturday!
461. 2 girls looking at a pile of books in the hallway while daddy works on the shower
462. dishes done for the morning
463. almost being done with 2 loads of laundry
464. no coughing by day!
465. a comfortable couch to lay on in the early morning hours so I don't wake everyone with my coughing
466. one step closer to a full shower/bath
468. story time
469. the no microwave adventure
470. finally using my small crock pot
471. finding directions online when I've thrown away the packaging
472. the sound of almost boiling water
473. the fact that Kevin read my mind and is getting some water going for a hot drink
474. the library
475. Kj not understanding the meaning behind the book we just read her

445. Pollyanna - on tape
446. how much more room the kitchen appears to have without a microwave
447. Kj still likes oatmeal that is not microwaved :)
448. Only "almost" missing it once today
449. supper ideas that include random spare food items in the cupboard, fridge and freezer
450. clean laundry
451. abundance, not that we need it
452. "Time in"
453. Boppy pillows
454. Kj: Mama, what's this? (looking at a printed page)
Mama: It's Japanese.
Kj: Oh, it's Japanese-ee.
...and then she proceeded to tell me a story about Japanese-ee...
455. coloring
456. new thing for L.--sitting up in bed when I went in to get her
457. the furnace man...not because we "needed" him, but for a yearly "check-up"
458. the "booties" he wore so he didn't get snow on the carpet
459. Friday!

432. Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below!
433. pears
434. Pandora
435. Grandma's scrubbers
436. Nana's knitted wash clothes (yes, another batch of dishes in the process)
437. "crazy" thoughts of getting rid of the microwave...starting with a temporary arrangement...to see if it works. Reasons: more kitchen space, microwaving is possibly/probably bad for food, more kitchen space, it would get the toaster oven off of the precarious shelf by the garage door...
438. Christmas music about CHRISTmas
439. paying the bills
440. post-bedtime relaxation
441. Kevin: bill pay - no stamps needed
442. guests tomorrow...
443. ...motivation to clean
444. and sharing practice for Kj