Rollin' With the PuNCHeS

I know that it's been a while since I have posted anything, but really it would have been depressing if I had. It has just been one thing after another. My kids have been sick, then sick again, and now sick again. It is a never ending cycle and it is so draining and frustrating. I don't know where we get all these weird things from. I mean really...I make Kai and Cic wash their hands all the time and we are constantly using hand sanitizer. We don't really go out a lot (in the winter). So where could we have gotten the coxsackie virus (a.k.a. Hand/Foot/Mouth Disease) and now the impetigo that Kai has? I asked the doctor and she gave me the, "they could have gotten it anywhere b/c it is everywhere" answer. Well, that does NOTHING but discourage me. I try to protect them from being sick and I feel like it's pointless if it really is everywhere. I was really lucky that Kai was so healthy when he was younger. We never really had to go to the doctor for any issues (other than his low weight). We have been the doctor a lot lately. As soon as we recover from something then BAM we get hit with something else. It has been quite educational though. I had never heard of any of the things that we have gotten this winter.
I've also learned to listen to my "Mother's Intuition." I didn't know what a mother's intuition was. But I have since learned that it is that nagging feeling that something just isn't right. I had never really felt such strong urges about things until my kids got sick. I had the internal debate about each kid...
"Should I take them in? They don't act like they are in any pain. What if I am overreacting? It's $25...I would rather pay $25 just to ease my mind though."
Each time I have taken them in I have been so grateful that I did. I have also felt so guilty that I didn't take them in sooner. I know. I second guess myself all the time.
Anyway, the week of Easter Cic started waking up in the middle of the night SCREAMING...and I mean screaming. I didn't get it. I didn't know what was going on. It wasn't the "come hold me," or "I want out of my crib" cry. It was a sobbing scream. When I would go get her she wasn't standing up in her crib watching for the door to open, each time she was face down in her crib just sobbing. It was heartbreaking b/c she looked so...pathetic. Just miserable and I didn't understand. (It's hard to understand a lot at 2:30am.) I would hold her and she would just lay there staring at me with the "I LOVE YOU" look. When I went to put her back down she would scream again...tears and all. This non-sleep (which soon included nap times) went on for a couple of days. She then stopped taking her bottle. So, she had NO fluids...which really scared me. The day she wouldn't take her bottle at all I noticed that she had a fever. I took her underarm temp and it read 102. AWESOME. So after taking her the the doctor we discovered that she had HORRIBLE blisters on the back of her throat and was diagnosed with the coxsackie virus. Highly contagious. She did develop the blisters on her hands and feet. It was crazy. Kai even got the fever and told me his throat hurt. It was not fun. We quarantined ourselves in the house for a week and a half until both kids were healthy again. Easter weekend was a really low key one and we spent the entire holiday indoors. It was so sad b/c it was B-E-A-utiful outside. We even had the Easter Egg Hunt indoors. Kai didn't seem to mind though.
After Easter, I noticed that Kai had some blisters around his mouth. I assumed that it was from the coxsackie virus he had just gotten over. I didn't think anything of them and they went away shortly after. The only thing that lingered was a patch of dry skin on the corner of his mouth that the doctor had assured me was "just dry skin." "He just needs to keep his tongue in his mouth." Easier said than done. All day long I found myself saying, "Kai put your tongue back in your mouth." "Don't lick your lips."
I mean really. If you tell a two year old not to do something he is totally going to do it.
Kai's "dry skin" got worse and worse and then he started scratching it. It developed into an open sore on his face and then started weeping. It was horrible. The doctor had told me to put aquaphor on his face but that didn't make any sense...it's an open wound. So, I tried everything I could think of and it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. This little dry spot grew to be bigger than my thumbprint. It just looked like it was eating away at his face. Finally on Monday he woke up from his nap with a rash all over face and neck. That was the final straw. This wasn't just "dry skin." After going to the doctor we discovered Kai had impetigo. He is now on antibiotics and I am praying that Cici doesn't get this bacteria. It is awful. I haven't taken any pictures of Kai with it just b/c it is so gross. I will spare you. It looks like flesh eating bacteria. His entire mouth is covered with sores.

Though everyone was sick, we did have a great Easter. Here are some of the shots I got from the weekend.

Dying Easter Eggs
Kai had a blast this year (even if he was sick). I love holidays with kids!

Cic was making faces at Ben while we dyed eggs. She was kinda out of it really. Didn't feel well and we couldn't get the "Dimple Smile" out of her all weekend.



Kai loves any sort of craft or cooking project that he can help with. He is the best helper and just loves to see how things work.


Easter Morning

You can kinda see Cici's top teeth coming in on this one. They have now already broken through the gums and are working their way down.
Since we did the hunt indoors we hid the baskets the night before. Kai was so excited to see all the fun things the Easter Bunny had left. He sure has a great Easter Bunny (AKA Grandma Lundeen). Holidays would not exist without my Mom. She is always so thoughtful and sending little things for every holiday (and even holidays she makes up.) I want to be a grandmother just like her one day. I love you Mom!

Cici didn't have the same enthusiasm as Kai, but she did love her basket.

Oh to have the complexion of a child...

Kai after the egg hunt. (I know there are a TON of eggs.) We went a bit overboard. Kai had a blast though.
This picture is so sad. Cic wanted Ben to hold her but I wanted a picture. (I won.)
This is the "Puppy Dog" face she makes when she is sad and wants to be held. How can we resist that face???

SPRING IS HERE!!!

Some pictures from the yard. It makes me so happy to see things coming up. I go out everyday just to see how things have changed.






I will try to be better about posting but honestly when the kids are sick...we don't do a lot. Pray that nothing else hits us. (I say that knowing that something will.) I know I need to be more optimistic.

Colorado Weather...

So crazy that one day we can have this...
(Don't let the sweaters and beanies fool you. It was AWESOME weather. I am just a wee bit paranoid that my kids might be cold even when there is the slightest breeze.)

The very next day we had this...

The local news called that storm, "Winter's Last Blast". Ha! We have had two more snow storms since then. LOVE THE WEATHER PEOPLE! Luckily next week we are supposed to be in the 70's. I am craving that!

...And a Slap to Grow On...
We went to a birthday party for Kai's best friend, Grace. It was so much fun and I wish that I had taken more pictures but these are all I took.


Kai picked out a pink 'Hello Kitty' bubble train for Grace. He was so excited about it. We later found out that he thought it was for him because after Grace opened it he gave her a big hug and told her thank you. Yup, we haven't quite been able to grasp the giving gifts to other people part yet. So, after opening the gift, Grace and Kai fought over it and then started hitting each other. The fight ended with Kai slapping Grace in the face at her own birthday party. (I just couldn't get over there fast enough I guess.)
Where is Kai learning these horrible things? Where does he learn to hit??? Anyway, I felt terrible and am pretty sure that we will never be invited to another birthday party again. (Lesson learned...do not buy the other kid something that my kid really wants.)
On a happier note...Cic was an absolute dream at the party. She was so happy the entire time. I love these pictures of our baby girl. She just makes life so much better.

More of Cic...
Cicilee loves chocolate covered graham crackers. I just love these smiles.


Barely There Hair...
During bath time tonight we tried to spike Cici's hair. (The very little hair that she has is on the top part of her head in the back.) I guess I should be happy that she has hair now...Kai's hair was in the same spot when it started coming in.
Love that dimple.

"Giving Credit Where Credit is Due...

Just when I thought that I had outsmarted Kai's thumb sucking addiction...

I mean seriously...he took off one of the "nigh night shirts" that I had sewn the sleeves up on and found his long lost friend (his thumb).
(He must have been so excited to have access to his thumb that he decided he would nap in his little chair. Who needs a comfy bed when you have a yummy thumb?!)
I am now at a total loss at what to do to get rid of this horrific habit. Cicilee is a thumb sucker too and I am seriously considering sewing up her sleeves so that her habit doesn't turn into the drastic one that Kai has developed.

I have tried EVERYTHING that I can think of and everything that I have researched hasn't worked. I guess my next step might be to buy some extra large one-piece footed jammies and sew up the sleeves so that he can't just take the shirt off to access his thumb.
Ughhh!

CeLeBRaTe!

Yesterday was my 28th birthday...I don't feel 28 at all. I still feel like I am 16. I am in serious denial. I know that I don't look 16 anymore, but I definitely don't feel like I am almost 30 either. Not my favorite age to be...my favorite age was probably 23 or 24. When people asked how old I was it was just a great number to say. (I know I sound crazy.)

Anyway, yesterday was BEAUTIFUL! I couldn't have asked for a better day. It was gorgeous outside and I was busy busy inside. Even though I didn't get to enjoy the weather, I did have the windows open and could see the sunshine. Ben came home on his lunch break and made me a birthday cake. (I do believe this is the first birthday cake he has ever made me. And lucky for me...It WAS NOT a yellow box cake.)
When Ben came home from work we ran some errands quick and then took the fam out to dinner at Red Robin. I love Red Robin. I love that I can take the kiddos there and I never feel like they are "too loud" b/c there are always so so many kids there and no one ever pays any attention to the tantrums that my kids are throwing. (Plus it has my most favorite salad there.)
Cicilee is such a happy girl. We can take her ANYWHERE and not have a problem. She was so happy to be out and about and loves to eat anything she sees us eating. She is just a little bird and will open her mouth until I put something in it.

I love this picture of Ben and Cic! I can't describe how much Cic loves her Daddy. She adores him and all he has to do is look at her and she will giggle and give a huge smile.

Kai is going through a really rough "no nap" stage. He has decided that he would rather play in his room for 2 1/2 hours than take his usual nap. On the days he decides to forgo his nap we end up pulling our hair out b/c he is so unhappy and it seems that Ben and I can't do anything right. Kai decided he didn't want to eat dinner and just yelled, "Nigh Night" at us b/c he was ready to go home and hit the sack. We didn't get one good picture of 'happy Kai' until after dinner when he got a balloon and we headed home.

It was a great day. I had so many wonderful friends call or send e-mails wishing me a Happy Birthday. I am so blessed. Thank you!!!

Our Newest Addition...

After saying farewell to our little white car, Ben and I started car shopping online just to see what was out there. We have a friend who works for Toyota and told us to come by and check out his inventory. We went last Tuesday just to "look" and ended up leaving in a Toyota Highlander. We love it. It is just what we needed...not too big, but big enough if (when) we decide to have a third kiddo. I love that there is a third row if I want to pull it up...also it is so nice to have 4WD for when it snows here. How have we lived in Colorado for over 4 years without 4WD? (I guess that just shows you how nice the weather here really is.)
I wasn't too particular about car shopping specifics, other than I wanted 4WD and a third row. When we looked at this Highlander I was shocked at how nice it was. It is loaded! I have never had a car with leather seats much less HEATED SEATS. This is probably my favorite thing about the car. I ALWAYS have my seat warmer on b/c I am ALWAYS cold. We might have bitten ourselves in the butt with this b/c now that I have had this luxury, I never want to go back. Heated seats are the way to go!
Ben loves this car so much. I love it, but am always afraid to drive it b/c I know how much Ben loves it and worry that something is going to happen.
Here are some pics of our newest addition.


Hard to believe that in two short months this car seat will be gone and Cic will be sitting in a front facing car seat.
Kai loves sitting in the front seat! Even though I was only backing out of the garage to take some pictures of the car, Kai acted like it was 'Christmas Morning' all over again.


Here's to not having to buy another car for a long long long time!