Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Happy Birthday Auntie Cat!
Lady Advice is taking a week off to wish Auntie Cat a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you and hope you have a great one!
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Timehop Tuesday
My first Timehop is in video form! Click here to see Maya go from just starting to put words together to rapping the song “TMI.”
And beach kids!
Last one- Maya at the doctor! She humored me to recreate this pic.
And then we have Cal and her oldest/longest pal Charlie:
And beach kids!
Last one- Maya at the doctor! She humored me to recreate this pic.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Weekend Update
Happy Sunday! If you read my post yesterday, you know what we were up to yesterday. Maya is doing much better and we are just continuing with the nebulizer and trying to keep her calm!
Then we went to Dan and Hanna’s for a BBQ.
We also have our friends the Stolles from Seattle in town and staying with us. They have Weston (2) and Isaac (5 months). The girls are having so much fun with the boys.
Have a great week!
Yesterday while Maya was resting, Callie played with Luna and then Uncle Dan and Auntie Hanna took Callie to see Circus Juventas.
Then we went to Dan and Hanna’s for a BBQ.
We also have our friends the Stolles from Seattle in town and staying with us. They have Weston (2) and Isaac (5 months). The girls are having so much fun with the boys.
Have a great week!
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Maya Update- Saturday
Hi all! Thanks for the nice texts and messages about Maya. If you have been following along, you know that she ended up overnight in the hospital! So here is a run down of what happened.
Friday 6am: She woke up and was coughing a bunch...we didn't think it was very unusual because this girl gets bad colds ALL THE TIME, and they always last longer than Callie's colds. So we decided to have a chill movie day and I kept an eye on her.
Friday 1:45pm: After the second movie of the day, she started to get a bit hysterical and kept saying she couldn't breathe. So I made an appointment at Target Minute clinic and we headed out.
Friday 2:30pm: We spent about 2 minutes with the Minute Clinic doctor, and as soon as she saw Maya's fever, oxygen levels and how hard it was for her to breathe, she immediately sent us to the ER. The closest one was Southdale, so we headed there. Callie got really scared and teary in the car, but was a great support to Maya once we got there.
Friday 3:00pm: We got checked in to the ER and saw one doctor before shift change. They started her on oxygen and ordered a chest x-ray to check for Pneumonia. Chris arrived from work.
Friday 4:30pm: She went for the x-ray and it befuddled the new doctor (after the shift change). He said he WISHED it was pneumonia but her chest looked clear. Her breathing was still bad so they gave her a nebulizer and told us she should be monitored overnight.
Except that Southdale doesn't have a pediatric wing in the hospital, so we had to get her to a different hospital, and we had to wait to see how her oxygen levels did to determine if it was going to be an ambulance ride or if she could ride with us.
Friday 5:00pm: Her oxygen levels were stable enough for us to drive her, so Chris took her straight to the other hospital ER and I took Callie home to pack an overnight bag. By 5:45 we were checked in to the new ER, and once again arrived during a shift change. We saw lots of doctors and nurses yesterday!
Friday 6:00pm: We talked to the ER doctor and he ordered another nebulizer and a steroid to calm down the little breathing things in her lungs (I don't remember any of the actual terminology). Then Chris and Callie headed home.
Because she was still wheezing, they ordered her a bed in the pediatric wing of the hospital around 6:30pm. In the meantime, we watched the original Aladdin movie and ate goldfish!
Friday 7:00pm: I talked to the daytime pediatric doctor, who was almost done with his shift. They decided to treat it as an acute asthma attack brought on by a bad virus: nebulizer every 2 hours, with the goal of being off oxygen and nebulized every four hours to get home. We were still waiting on a room in the hospital.
Friday 8:00pm: I talked to the nighttime pediatric doctor, who confirmed all the things the other doctor said and spent time talking with me about asthma. It wasn't officially diagnosed, but she recommended a follow up appointment with our pediatrician. I also learned from her that since I had asthma as a kid, that is the greatest risk factor for my kids. Sorry Maya! Then she got nebulized again.
Friday 8:30pm: We finally got a room! Maya was the only patient on the floor, so she was VERY spoiled. She got a new stuffed animal and blanket to keep.
Friday 8:39pm: She finally ate a little for dinner and called me her servant. A nurse came in and took her vitals.
Friday 9:15pm: We had the first visit with the respiratory therapist. They had her breathe into a tube that measures her breath and did another nebulizer treatment.
Friday 9:45pm: Maya finally fell asleep.
Friday 11:15pm: The respiratory therapist came back and did another nebulizer treatment. Maya was out cold so it was a bit tricky, but he got it done. The nurse also came to take vitals.
Saturday 3:15am: The respiratory therapist came again and did his thing. She was quicker to do the neb and the nurse took vitals again.
Saturday 6:00am: Maya woke up SUPER peppy. I tried to get her to go back to sleep until her next nebulizer, but she would not. So she played quietly in her bed.
Saturday 6:30am: She reviewed the breakfast menu and decided on eggs, sausage, yogurt and English muffin.
Saturday 7:15am: Her breakfast came and she scarfed down the sausage patty and left the rest alone.
Saturday 8am: We met with the respiratory therapist and got instructed on how to use her new nebulizer and inhaler at home. Met with the doctor to get final instructions and clarifications.
Saturday 8:30am: Met with the nurse to get final paperwork and discharge instructions.
Saturday 9am: We headed home!
Rest of the day today: She has been a rockstar with her nebulizer and has had lots of energy we have had to temper down (Maya, SLOW YOUR ROLL).
We see her primary care doctor on Tuesday to figure out if it is actually asthma and what we can do moving forward.
I'm very grateful for the wonderful hospital staff for taking such good care of us, and for the fact that this hospital thing is not our normal.
And I'm thankful for the technology of texting because I was able to recreate this timeline by going back and reading the text updates I sent to family throughout the whole ordeal!
Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers and positive vibes for Maya! She is a trooper!
Friday 6am: She woke up and was coughing a bunch...we didn't think it was very unusual because this girl gets bad colds ALL THE TIME, and they always last longer than Callie's colds. So we decided to have a chill movie day and I kept an eye on her.
Friday 1:45pm: After the second movie of the day, she started to get a bit hysterical and kept saying she couldn't breathe. So I made an appointment at Target Minute clinic and we headed out.
Friday 2:30pm: We spent about 2 minutes with the Minute Clinic doctor, and as soon as she saw Maya's fever, oxygen levels and how hard it was for her to breathe, she immediately sent us to the ER. The closest one was Southdale, so we headed there. Callie got really scared and teary in the car, but was a great support to Maya once we got there.
Friday 3:00pm: We got checked in to the ER and saw one doctor before shift change. They started her on oxygen and ordered a chest x-ray to check for Pneumonia. Chris arrived from work.
Friday 4:30pm: She went for the x-ray and it befuddled the new doctor (after the shift change). He said he WISHED it was pneumonia but her chest looked clear. Her breathing was still bad so they gave her a nebulizer and told us she should be monitored overnight.
Except that Southdale doesn't have a pediatric wing in the hospital, so we had to get her to a different hospital, and we had to wait to see how her oxygen levels did to determine if it was going to be an ambulance ride or if she could ride with us.
Friday 5:00pm: Her oxygen levels were stable enough for us to drive her, so Chris took her straight to the other hospital ER and I took Callie home to pack an overnight bag. By 5:45 we were checked in to the new ER, and once again arrived during a shift change. We saw lots of doctors and nurses yesterday!
Friday 6:00pm: We talked to the ER doctor and he ordered another nebulizer and a steroid to calm down the little breathing things in her lungs (I don't remember any of the actual terminology). Then Chris and Callie headed home.
Because she was still wheezing, they ordered her a bed in the pediatric wing of the hospital around 6:30pm. In the meantime, we watched the original Aladdin movie and ate goldfish!
Friday 7:00pm: I talked to the daytime pediatric doctor, who was almost done with his shift. They decided to treat it as an acute asthma attack brought on by a bad virus: nebulizer every 2 hours, with the goal of being off oxygen and nebulized every four hours to get home. We were still waiting on a room in the hospital.
Friday 8:00pm: I talked to the nighttime pediatric doctor, who confirmed all the things the other doctor said and spent time talking with me about asthma. It wasn't officially diagnosed, but she recommended a follow up appointment with our pediatrician. I also learned from her that since I had asthma as a kid, that is the greatest risk factor for my kids. Sorry Maya! Then she got nebulized again.
Friday 8:30pm: We finally got a room! Maya was the only patient on the floor, so she was VERY spoiled. She got a new stuffed animal and blanket to keep.
Friday 8:39pm: She finally ate a little for dinner and called me her servant. A nurse came in and took her vitals.
Friday 9:15pm: We had the first visit with the respiratory therapist. They had her breathe into a tube that measures her breath and did another nebulizer treatment.
Friday 9:45pm: Maya finally fell asleep.
Friday 11:15pm: The respiratory therapist came back and did another nebulizer treatment. Maya was out cold so it was a bit tricky, but he got it done. The nurse also came to take vitals.
Saturday 3:15am: The respiratory therapist came again and did his thing. She was quicker to do the neb and the nurse took vitals again.
Saturday 6:00am: Maya woke up SUPER peppy. I tried to get her to go back to sleep until her next nebulizer, but she would not. So she played quietly in her bed.
Saturday 6:30am: She reviewed the breakfast menu and decided on eggs, sausage, yogurt and English muffin.
Saturday 7:15am: Her breakfast came and she scarfed down the sausage patty and left the rest alone.
Saturday 8am: We met with the respiratory therapist and got instructed on how to use her new nebulizer and inhaler at home. Met with the doctor to get final instructions and clarifications.
Saturday 8:30am: Met with the nurse to get final paperwork and discharge instructions.
Saturday 9am: We headed home!
Rest of the day today: She has been a rockstar with her nebulizer and has had lots of energy we have had to temper down (Maya, SLOW YOUR ROLL).
We see her primary care doctor on Tuesday to figure out if it is actually asthma and what we can do moving forward.
I'm very grateful for the wonderful hospital staff for taking such good care of us, and for the fact that this hospital thing is not our normal.
And I'm thankful for the technology of texting because I was able to recreate this timeline by going back and reading the text updates I sent to family throughout the whole ordeal!
Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers and positive vibes for Maya! She is a trooper!
Friday, July 26, 2019
A Picture Update: Summer Week 7
Happy Friday! We had a busy week filled with swimming lessons, head colds, a surgery (for Boom), and probably way less sun than we should have enjoyed considering how lovely it was outside.
And the best part of these particular swim lessons, of course, is being able to swim in the fun pool afterwards every day. I didn’t get too many single pictures of Cal because she spent most of the time under the water. She is turning into a little fish!
On Monday we had Maya’s family party- a UNICORN TACO PARTY to be exact!
Maya got lots of amazing unicorn presents!
Maya woke up on her birthday on Tuesday to some streamers and more presents!
After swimming lessons, G-ma came by and took the girls for birthday donuts.
Then we went to a birthday movie, did birthday money spending (thanks Nana and Papa!), and she had tacos for dinner AGAIN.
Boom had shoulder surgery, so I spent the night over at her condo and we enjoyed the sunset.
On Wednesday Luna rested, went in her first elevator ride, and played with new friends.
This is my only picture from Thursday. Maya in goggles is one of my favorite things.
The week's worth of swimming and birthday excitement caught up to us today. Both girls battled stuffy noses all week, but today Maya's moved to her chest and she is miserable with congestion, coughing, and a bit of a temperature. So today was a movie day. Luna feels great about it.
I’ll update with more news as it comes.
Update 8:45pm
First of all, swimming lessons. Both girls threw fits about going on Monday, but ended up loving it every day.
And the best part of these particular swim lessons, of course, is being able to swim in the fun pool afterwards every day. I didn’t get too many single pictures of Cal because she spent most of the time under the water. She is turning into a little fish!
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| Sister Shark Doo-doo-do-doo-doo-do-doo |
On Monday we had Maya’s family party- a UNICORN TACO PARTY to be exact!
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| Complete with unicorn horns and unicorn ring toss! |
Maya got lots of amazing unicorn presents!
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| We facetimed with Auntie Mari a bit too! |
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| And pink cupcakes! |
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| We love our family- missed you Auntie Cat, Auntie Mari and Uncle Josh! |
After swimming lessons, G-ma came by and took the girls for birthday donuts.
Then we went to a birthday movie, did birthday money spending (thanks Nana and Papa!), and she had tacos for dinner AGAIN.
Boom had shoulder surgery, so I spent the night over at her condo and we enjoyed the sunset.
On Wednesday Luna rested, went in her first elevator ride, and played with new friends.
This is my only picture from Thursday. Maya in goggles is one of my favorite things.
The week's worth of swimming and birthday excitement caught up to us today. Both girls battled stuffy noses all week, but today Maya's moved to her chest and she is miserable with congestion, coughing, and a bit of a temperature. So today was a movie day. Luna feels great about it.
Update 3:50pm: well I posted this post this morning thinking we were going to have a lazy day with not much else to report. Unfortunately, now at almost 4pm we are at the ER with Maya because her head cold morphed into a disastrous mucous-cough and she had a hard time breathing. Oxygen is helping and a chest X-ray is next. Callie is being a great big sister.
I’ll update with more news as it comes.
Update 7pm: We are at a different ER waiting to be admitted to the pediatric wing of the hospital for the night. They think she has a bad virus (the doctor said he WISHED it was pneumonia...) but is getting treated like it was an acute asthma attack. Fun times! She’s a trooper.
Update 8:45pm
We are in a hospital room and she got a new stuffed animal and blanket as a patient. Now I’m feeding her dinner and she said “It’s like you’re my servant!” She is feeling all sorts of spoiled here and has perked up a great deal. We should be able to leave tomorrow after nebulizer treatments throughout the night.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Wisdom Wednesday: Ask Lady Advice
ASK LADY ADVICE
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| This is a clue to Lady Advice's identity! |
Dear Lady Advice,
I have three adorable nieces but I live far away from them so I don't get to see them as often as I'd like! How can I best keep in contact with them and keep up with all of their fun activities?
Thanks,
It's Hot Down Here
*****************************************************
Dear It's Hot Down Here,
Face time, letters, and visits. Maybe you could move back some day!
Love,
Lady Advice
Face time, letters, and visits. Maybe you could move back some day!
Love,
Lady Advice
_____________________________________________________________
Dear Lady Advice,
Dear Lady Advice,
I just had surgery on my shoulder and I'm worried that I won't be able to hug people (especially my grandkids) like I usually do. What do you think I can do instead?
Thanks,
Love to Hug
Thanks,
Love to Hug
*****************************************************
Dear Love to Hug,
I think you should invent a secret hand shake with your grandkids. Example: high hive turn around handshake fist bump.
Love,
Lady Advice
_____________________________________________________________
I think you should invent a secret hand shake with your grandkids. Example: high hive turn around handshake fist bump.
Love,
Lady Advice
_____________________________________________________________
If YOU have a question or need help from Lady Advice, please send an email to:
She looks forward to helping you soon!
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Timehop Tuesday: The HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYA LEIGH Edition!
This girl turns 6 today!!!!!!!
Like unicorns, she is truly one of a kind. She is so sweet, very goofy, extra kind, totally hilarious, and just the best.
She is the perfect completion of our family and we love her so much.
Happy Birthday Maya Leigh!
Like unicorns, she is truly one of a kind. She is so sweet, very goofy, extra kind, totally hilarious, and just the best.
I can’t believe my baby is so big!
She is the perfect completion of our family and we love her so much.
Happy Birthday Maya Leigh!
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Weekend Wrap-Up
Happy Sunday! I’m not feeling too verbose tonight, so here are the pictures:
Then Cal, Boom, Auntie Yoda and I went to see “Guys and Dolls” at the Guthrie. It was so fun!
Then I tried and failed to get a “normal” pic of Cal in her new camp sweatshirt.
Dan, Hanna and Shambles came over and the doggies were hilarious.
Today the big project was Maya’s new birthday bed (a couple days early)! Complete with a slide!
We have an almost-6-year-old so this is going to be a big week! Have a great one.
Yesterday we had a brunch with the Johnsons and met Emily and Pat’s Baby Henry!
Then Cal, Boom, Auntie Yoda and I went to see “Guys and Dolls” at the Guthrie. It was so fun!
Then I tried and failed to get a “normal” pic of Cal in her new camp sweatshirt.
Dan, Hanna and Shambles came over and the doggies were hilarious.
Today the big project was Maya’s new birthday bed (a couple days early)! Complete with a slide!
We have an almost-6-year-old so this is going to be a big week! Have a great one.
Friday, July 19, 2019
A Picture Update: Summer Week 6
HOW IS IT ALREADY THE END OF WEEK 6 OF SUMMER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I go back to work one month from today and I can't believe it. Anyway.
It was another BUSY AND CRAZY AND SWEATY WEEK. With Callie at camp (and no communication) I channeled my anxiety and missing her by completely cleaning and redoing the whole upstairs. And let me tell you, it was A TASK.
This is what the play room and the girls' rooms looked like on Monday.
Disastrous. And what you can't even see in these pictures is all of the trash and single socks in all the bins, along with so many freaking toys and other weird things. Like Barbie hair and 5,000 cups and bowls.
So on Monday I started the project while Maya went to Boom's house to have way more fun and stay out of my way.
Monday night was an insane storm, and then an equally insane and beautiful double rainbow. And then an equally insane sky with beautiful clouds.
It was so cool. I haven't seen a rainbow that big before, ever, and to see it right over our house was awesome.
On Tuesday Maya started Open Gym camp. While she was there, I did more cleaning.
She had a great first day, and then we went to get tacos for lunch.
After Open Gym camp on Wednesday we met the Helds for lunch. Again, I had done SO MUCH CLEANING.
Wednesday was the day I tackled the 75,000 boxes and bins of girl clothes that we have stored and shoved random places for the past bazillion years. I went through EACH AND EVERY BOX, sorted the clothes into their sizes, and reboxed the clothes for storage and/or an eventual garage sale we will hopefully have in the future.
The Helds came over for lunch on Thursday and Sylvia and Maya dressed up like ROCKSTARS.
G-ma then picked up Maya for a sleepover, so Chris and I went out to an adult dinner at a new place nearby that was delicious.
Maya had fun eating spaghetti and seeing Uncle Dan play softball!
On Thursday night I finished up everything upstairs. Here are the final results.
And here are the side-by-sides of each room because I'm proud.
It was so much work, but that is what summers are for, right?
This morning Maya woke up cheerful at G-ma and Pa's house.
Boom and I hit the road early so we could get to camp by 10:30 and see the closing worship celebration. Callie had A GREAT week at camp. She was so happy and told us all sorts of stories about her adventures on the way home. And when we got home, she was SO excited to see her "new" room, especially her new bed (thanks to Dan and Hanna!) and purple fox bedding.
Every day (multiple times a day) this week I obsessively checked the camp Facebook page for pictures. There were just a few of Cal, but she looked like she was having fun, so I was so relieved!
She has already asked to go back again next year!
After she decompressed and spent some alone time in her room, we headed to G-ma and Pa's to pick up Maya. She was able to tell more stories from camp to them and Auntie Cat. Luna and Maya were SO excited to see her (as was everyone else!).
It is now 4:30pm on Friday and I'm exhausted. The girls are up playing in their new spaces while we wait for Chris to come home from work. It sounds like a family dinner out is in the cards, and then likely an early bedtime. Callie was excited to be a able to stay up until 9pm every night at camp... but that will NOT be the case back at home!
I'll leave you with some videos I have had for awhile but haven't posted. Feel free to click here for some clips from the past few weeks! And have a great weekend and stay cool.
6:36 Update: Sister Snuggles (and Barbie squishing)
It was another BUSY AND CRAZY AND SWEATY WEEK. With Callie at camp (and no communication) I channeled my anxiety and missing her by completely cleaning and redoing the whole upstairs. And let me tell you, it was A TASK.
This is what the play room and the girls' rooms looked like on Monday.
Disastrous. And what you can't even see in these pictures is all of the trash and single socks in all the bins, along with so many freaking toys and other weird things. Like Barbie hair and 5,000 cups and bowls.
So on Monday I started the project while Maya went to Boom's house to have way more fun and stay out of my way.
Monday night was an insane storm, and then an equally insane and beautiful double rainbow. And then an equally insane sky with beautiful clouds.
It was so cool. I haven't seen a rainbow that big before, ever, and to see it right over our house was awesome.
On Tuesday Maya started Open Gym camp. While she was there, I did more cleaning.
She had a great first day, and then we went to get tacos for lunch.
After Open Gym camp on Wednesday we met the Helds for lunch. Again, I had done SO MUCH CLEANING.
Wednesday was the day I tackled the 75,000 boxes and bins of girl clothes that we have stored and shoved random places for the past bazillion years. I went through EACH AND EVERY BOX, sorted the clothes into their sizes, and reboxed the clothes for storage and/or an eventual garage sale we will hopefully have in the future.
The Helds came over for lunch on Thursday and Sylvia and Maya dressed up like ROCKSTARS.
G-ma then picked up Maya for a sleepover, so Chris and I went out to an adult dinner at a new place nearby that was delicious.
Maya had fun eating spaghetti and seeing Uncle Dan play softball!
On Thursday night I finished up everything upstairs. Here are the final results.
And here are the side-by-sides of each room because I'm proud.
It was so much work, but that is what summers are for, right?
This morning Maya woke up cheerful at G-ma and Pa's house.
Boom and I hit the road early so we could get to camp by 10:30 and see the closing worship celebration. Callie had A GREAT week at camp. She was so happy and told us all sorts of stories about her adventures on the way home. And when we got home, she was SO excited to see her "new" room, especially her new bed (thanks to Dan and Hanna!) and purple fox bedding.
Every day (multiple times a day) this week I obsessively checked the camp Facebook page for pictures. There were just a few of Cal, but she looked like she was having fun, so I was so relieved!
She has already asked to go back again next year!
After she decompressed and spent some alone time in her room, we headed to G-ma and Pa's to pick up Maya. She was able to tell more stories from camp to them and Auntie Cat. Luna and Maya were SO excited to see her (as was everyone else!).
It is now 4:30pm on Friday and I'm exhausted. The girls are up playing in their new spaces while we wait for Chris to come home from work. It sounds like a family dinner out is in the cards, and then likely an early bedtime. Callie was excited to be a able to stay up until 9pm every night at camp... but that will NOT be the case back at home!
I'll leave you with some videos I have had for awhile but haven't posted. Feel free to click here for some clips from the past few weeks! And have a great weekend and stay cool.
5:35 update: Dinner at Red Robin!
6:36 Update: Sister Snuggles (and Barbie squishing)
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