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Friday, December 31, 2010

Ready for a new year...

We all have been sick with stomach bugs, colds, and coughs since Decemeber 15th. And wow, we are ready to be healthy again.

Peyton was the first to get the stomach bug and poor thing fought it for six days. Of course we don't get the stomach bug that lasts 24-48 hours, we get the one that last for a week. She was a trooper during her bout, but unfortunately she passed the bug to her little sister. Hey, sharing is caring. I guess? So as Campbell started her round with the stomach bug (six days for her as well), Peyton then caught the nasty cold/cough bug. She really must have gotten into the whole sharing thing because she then passed that bug onto all of us as well. Poor Campbell spiked a fever yesterday and really was not feeling well. During her second visit to the doctors (she went the week before for the stomach bug), we discovered she has lost a pound and she the dreaded "fever virus." I hate that diagnosis because it really is the doctor saying we don't know what it is and there's nothing we can do about it. But oh well. Campbell is feeling a little better today and we are all recovering at home today and tonight as we ring in the new year. Brad and I are exhausted from fighting the colds and coughs ourselves and dealing with two grumpy and sick little ones. Whew!

One of my new years resolutions is to have a healthier family! I will post more later about the baptism, Christmas, Zoolight Safari, and so on. But that will have to do for now.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Teaching momma a lesson...

The previous post describes our very long morning at the doctors and CVS. For some reason, I thought the day would be calm after we got home and I put Peyton down for her nap. Hah, what a joke.

Peyton was up after her nap and doing her usual business of touching everything in the house and making a mess in every room. Since she is so busy I have to remind her to eat and this afternoon I was bribing her to eat a banana. I was in the kitchen looking at my schedule so I could go ahead and set up a day to get my MRI done (migraines) when Peyton came into the kitchen and pointed to her tongue. I thought she was complaining about me making her eat a banana and gave her some water. Then she asked for a napkin to wipe off her mouth. I thought this was a little unusual but Peyton does tend to be dramatic so I brushed that nagging feeling aside. She went back into my bedroom to watch a movie and I went back to my schedule. A few minutes later, that bad feeling came back so I went into the bedroom to check things out. Then I went into my bathroom and saw that she had brushed her teeth and got her toothpaste all over the sink. I cleaned that up and then decided to hide the toothpaste (which is toddler friendly and ok if they swallow it) in my closet so she wouldn't get into it again. Then that's when I discovered what had happened.

I walk in and there is an opened bottle of Unisom on the floor with 5 pills scattered around it. I immediately picked them up and counted them and noticed there were several missing. I also found an empty gel cap that she had squeezed the medicine out of and then spit the cap out. So I knew she had taken at least one pill. I ran over to her, assessed her and she was acting normal. Then I got on the phone with poison control (they are so nice) and they told me to immediately take her to the emergency room since Unisom is a sleeping pill and the dosage was pretty high. My mom came over and picked Campbell up and then Peyton and I rushed to the hospital. Thank goodness we only live miles away from the hospital because if the drive was any longer, I think I would have started to run cars off the road to get them out of my way. I wonder if I could buy some lights and sirens to put on my car, because surely this won't be the last time I find myself rushing to the ER with Peyton. It didn't help that it was 5 in the afternoon and traffic was horrible. During those few minutes, my mind was racing with all of these horrible thoughts and I broke down. Peyton was getting a little quiet so I made her sing some songs.

We got there and after filling out paperwork, we were taken right back. I was so glad we didn't have to wait, but the nurse side of me realized the doctors in the triage ranked our situation as pretty urgent. That scared me. They took us back into the room, laid her down on the stretcher, and hooked her up to a monitor to check heart rate and oxygen levels and they looked great. Several doctors and nurses assessed her and decided to give Peyton charcoal so it could absorb the medicine in the belly before it dissolved.

This was probably the worst moment of my life as a mother. I see some tragic things at work unfortunately since I work with sick and premature babies. But having to hold down my daughter while they forced 4 20cc syringes of charcoal down her throat was the hardest thing I have had to do. Poor Peyton didn't understand what was going on and didn't want to take the medicine, but with some persuasion they were able to successful administer a lot. I had to ask them to stop for a minute to give her a break and because it was just killing me seeing this. At that point, they decided that it was enough charcoal for now and now it was time to play the waiting game.

Peyton became pretty agitated and her face was BRIGHT red as if someone had taken a red marker and colored on her face. But other than that, she did great and responded well to the charcoal. Even the doctors were amazed at how active she was considering she took a sleeping medicine (that just shows you how busy she always is!!). We had to sit there for four hours so they could observe for any adverse reactions to the unisom and finally at 9 we got to go home! Peyton really did so well and I am so proud of her. Playing the waiting game really lets your mind think some awful dark thoughts about what could have happened and I broke down in tears several times. When Peyton saw my tears, she asked if I had a boo boo and needed a kiss. I love that kid so much.

I should have known that putting my medicines on the top shelf in my closet was not going to be safe from Peyton. She can climb anything and everything. I never imagined that she would be able to climb that high and open a childproof (hah) bottle. But I learned my lesson and will most likely have nightmares for a long time about this. It was a very scary experience and I am so thankful everything turned out ok. But sometimes I look at Peyton and tell her that she has to give me a break one day. She keeps us on our toes 24 hours a day!!

So today I will be working on Peyton-proofing the house.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

I can't even think of a good title for this one...

Holy. Smokes. I think I just earned the biggest gift ever from Santa Claus. We are talking at least a year of free massages at the nicest spa in Birmingham kind of big gift. It is no longer a question whether or not Peyton will be the death of me; it is now a fact. She is going to kill me.

After suffering from a massive migraine for the past eleven days, I finally decided to pack up the kids and head to the nearest doc-in-a-box. Side note - do you know what DOESN'T help a migraine? A toddler suffering from the terrible twos and a colicky three month old. Just a little FYI. I should have known to give up on the doctors when we pulled into the parking lot and there was one spot left. Determined to get some relief, we went inside, signed in, and sat in the corner farthest away from everyone else. Things started out great and Peyton was behaving so well. Even after 25 minutes of waiting, she was being good and Campbell was sleeping peacefully in her carseat. Finally they called my name and we went back into the tiny nurses station where they take your vital signs. At this point, Peyton decided she wasn't getting enough attention so she screamed. Loud. When she was satisfied that all eyes were on her, she proceeded to dump out her entire bowl of fruit loops onto the floor. Mortified, I started apologizing profusely to the nurse while simultaneously asking where the nearest vacuum cleaner was. The sweet nurse told me not to worry about it and said let's just go ahead and go into the room. 15 minutes later, the doctor finally comes in, we talk, he checks me out, blah, blah, blah.... he decides to give me a bunch of medicines and a shot. I was worried about how Peyton would handle seeing this, but amazingly she was good and repeatedly told the nurse that the needle was sharp and to be careful. Finally we leave and I quietly say my blessings, thankful that Peyton behaved fairly well and that the building was still standing.

Off to CVS we went to get my medicines filled. By this time, it had been a long morning and Peyton was losing her patience. I was hoping the pharmacist would notice that I had a migraine, a hungry baby, and a toddler who was getting irritable and would speed up the filling process. Nope. I swear she decided to take her sweet time so she could sit back and enjoy the show that was about to transpire.

In an attempt to entertain Peyton while waiting, we walked around the store naming all the objects we could. I'm pretty sure Peyton rolled her eyes at my lame game and thought I was an idiot for pretending to not know what a toothbrush was. She was quickly losing interest as we turned into the next aisle.

Then all hell broke loose.

Before I could realize what was happening, Peyton screamed, stuck her right arm out, and took off running. She knocked over EVERY. SINGLE. ITEM. ON. THE. SHELF. Down the entire aisle. It happened in slow motion and all I could do was sit there and laugh in disbelief. Instantly, my kid became that kid, the monster kid that moms secretly talk about during gossip sessions.

After finally convincing myself it was in fact not a nightmare, I began the slow process of picking up every item and restocking them. By this time, Campbell was screaming for a bottle and Peyton was casually perusing the next aisle, unattended, as if nothing had just happened. 20 minutes later after all items are back in their place, I grab Peyton and Campbell and walk over to the pharmacy counter asking if my medicines were ready. The pharmacist crossed her arms, told me no, and waited for the next act of Peyton's Show.

Peyton got out of my grip, hopped (literally) over to the candy aisle and demanded a chocolate bar that was the size of her head. I looked at her and said "hell no, you are not getting any sugar." That went over well. She then body slammed herself onto the floor while screaming and flailing her arms and legs. Campbell took this as a cue and started screaming bloody murder herself. I calmly picked up Campbell's carseat, left Peyton screaming in the candy aisle, walked back over to the pharmacy, asked for my medicines, paid, and walked out. I waited by the door as Peyton ran out after realizing that I had left without her, packed up both kids into the car, and sped out of the parking lot.

Minutes later, I walked into the house before even getting the keys out of the door, changed Peyton's diaper and threw her (not literally) into her bed and told her she better sleep for at least three hours. I haven't heard a peep out of her so far.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

I didn't invite you...

The other day I was going about my usual business of cleaning the house for the billionth time of the day when I noticed something unusual. A bag of chips sitting on my counter had a hole in it that looked as if it was made with teeth. Tiny teeth. Not like Peyton's teeth when she tries to get into her fourth bag of Cheetos in one day even though I tell her NO. But instead, tiny teeth that kind of resembled mice teeth. In my head alarms were ringing and screaming saying THIS ISN'T GOOD! But surely I wouldn't have mice in my house. No way. All I do is clean. Yes I have a husband, two kids, and two dogs but I do keep my house fairly clean. I texted Brad and told him to pick up some mouse traps on the way home from work, but reassured him (and myself) that we didn't need them and instead I am just being paranoid. That was Thursday.

Saturday morning at 5:45 Campbell decides it's time to eat. I stumbled into the kitchen half asleep, made a bottle in the dark because it's entirely too early to turn on the lights, and as I am about to head back into the bedroom something catches my eye. I look into the kitchen sink and think my mind is playing a game on me because SURELY that isn't a furry little thing sitting there watching me. After a good 15 seconds of standing utterly still and debating on whether or not I should turn on the light, I finally reach over and hit the switch. Lo and behold, there is a MOUSE sitting there so still in my sink looking straight at me. I was too scared to scream bloody murder like my mind was wanting me to, so there we sat and played chicken for at least a minute, seeing who would make the first move. Finally, I manage to call out Brad's name and told him to get in here this instant. He walks in, looks at me and cannot figure out what the hell is going on and why I am frozen with a look of horror on my face. My mouth wasn't working again so I could only point to the monster that was sitting there, daring me to make the first move. After he became aware of what I was staring at, I hauled ass into the bedroom and took refuge for most of the day, letting Brad deal with our unwanted guests.

Not how I wanted to start my weekend.

Saturday afternoon I realized that more than one critter had decided to move in. My husband definitely thinks I am such a girl now after hearing me scream nonstop in the highest pitch ever whenever something moved. Or when I saw a shadow. Or when I thought I found mouse droppings but really it was a piece of lint. In fact, I'm sure we need to get his hearing checked now. I am not going to lie, I was totally that girl that screamed and scrambled onto the nearest table after seeing a tiny mouse. P.S - climbing onto a table is a hard thing to do when having a newborn and a two-year old in your hands. Just FYI.

Brad played whack-a-mole for the majority of the weekend and five little mice have gone to mice heaven so far. We did see one more but that little sucker escaped and hopefully he is realizing that it is time to pack up and move onto greener pastures. Like the back yard. Like now please.

So little mice, I didn't invite you. You have overstayed your welcome. Well, technically you were never welcomed but we won't go there. Find another place to call home! Or else you may become paralyzed by some horrifying, ear piercing, girly screams.

Friday, October 15, 2010

What I see/hear

(I am "borrowing" this concept from another blog, hope this is ok.... She writes a fabulous blog and every now and then see writes this posts titled "What I hear..." where she describes cute things her daughters have done and said. I love the idea and think it's a great way to tell stories of the kids without making it into a long story (I do have a tendency to ramble sometimes).)




As we were leaving the gym today, I told Peyton it was time to go to the car wash. She said "no car wash" repeatedly and was not happy about the idea at all. She even turned on the waterworks. I tried to make it sound like it was going to be so fun to give the car a bath and we could sing songs while we did it. Nothing was working. Finally I told her that I wanted the car to be pretty like Peyton. She instantly became quiet and thought about the idea. I asked her "Peyton, are you pretty?" She broke out in a huge grin and said "yes, I'm pretty."

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The girls and I were sitting on the bed eating lunch (bottle for Campbell) and watching a movie. All of a sudden, Peyton reached over and grabbed my phone and said "think I call daddy" and proceeded to chat it up on the phone. I finally called him for her so that she could have a real conversation and they spent 5 minutes on the phone talking about Ice Age II. Peyton does adore her daddy!

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The other day Peyton, Campbell, and I were sitting outside enjoying (or trying to at least) the beautiful weather. Peyton was in a "terrible twos" kind of mood since she did not take a good nap after school and every single thing was causing a major meltdown. It got so bad to the point where I was thisclose to spanking her and putting in her bed for the night (it was only 4 pm). Then, it became hilarious. Peyton finally calmed down for a second and I thought we were in the clear when all of a sudden she saw a leaf fall from a tree. The girl broke out into tears, screamed and cried, and threw herself on the ground. Apparently that particular leaf needed permission before it could fall off the tree. I think the tree is now too scared to let anymore leaves fall off.

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The girls and I were in the car headed home after running some errands. Poor Campbell was screaming her head off because it was time to eat. In attempt to get her quiet, I begged Peyton to sing Campbell a song. Peyton instantly started singing the ABCs in a cute high pitch voice accompanied with some head swaying and Campbell fell right back to sleep. I so wish I had gotten a video of it! Peyton looks so adorable when she sings!

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When Campbell is fussy, I often ask her why she is crying as if I am really going to get a response from her. One day in the car, Campbell started crying and I was unable to console her. All of a sudden I hear Peyton ask, "Campbell, why you cry? Why? No cry!"


Ok those are the only ones I can remember right now. Hope you enjoyed the mini-stories!

Monday, October 11, 2010

WARNING --- TMI alert

Ok folks, this post involves a story that includes details of bowel habits. Do not read if you are easily disgusted or have a weak stomach. Or just don't feel like reading about someone else's day in the bathroom. I am so embarrassed to tell this story, but it's one that I will share with Peyton in a few years.







As a mother of two little ones, I have discovered that everything happens at the same time. The girls coordinate everything to occur simultaneously with such precision that it scares me. This wouldn't bother me as much since I know they are little and have many needs. But the thing is, they coordinate these needs at the most inopportune time for me. They both have massive poopy diapers that require immediate changing at the exact same time. They both want to be fed at the exact same time. They both want to be held at the exact same time. They both want to talk to me about their day at the same time. Except for naps of course. No, no, no. Not naps. No way would they think about taking naps at the same time.

You get the point. Sometimes having two under two is just not convenient for me.

Well, the other day something happened that just further proved my point. Campbell was sleeping peacefully, Peyton was playing by herself in the playroom, and I was laying down for a split second (a rare moment in this house). All of a sudden my stomach started rumbling. That questionable meal I had consumed earlier was no longer questionable. It became a fact that I so should not have eaten it. For a few minutes, I was sitting there wondering if my stomach would be able to fight off the meal or if I was going to be stuck in the bathroom for awhile. Of course at that very moment that my stomach decided that it was time to go the bathroom, Campbell woke up screaming, demanding to be fed. I quickly dashed into the kitchen, made a bottle so fast that it went down in the books as THE quickest bottle ever made, ran back into my bedroom, changed Campbell's diaper since she had decided to have a major poopy at that very minute, yelled out to Peyton to watch her movie for a little while, and I went into the bathroom with Campbell. (YOU MAY WANT TO STOP READING HERE IF YOU AREN'T ALREADY SO GROSSED OUT). So there I was, multitasking while sitting on the toilet - feeding Campbell and giving my stomach a break - when Peyton decides to join in the awesome party in mommy's bathroom. My stomach was in some serious knots, I was in some serious pain and not in a good mood, Campbell was eating and spitting up at the same time, and Peyton had a huge wad of toilet paper in her hands and was asking me repeatedly "Momma, I wipe? Momma, I wipe??" as she tried to reach around me and wipe my you-know-what. She was trying to be such a big helper, trying to help her mommy wipe her peaches ("peaches" are used instead of "butt" around here). I couldn't quite explain in nice terms that honey, this is NOT a good time to be a big helper. I finally shooed her off with a promise of a popsicle later, Campbell finally settled down and finished her bottle in peace, and my stomach finally was rid of all nasty food that I will never eat again.

That, folks, is how my life with two is like nowadays.

Monday, September 20, 2010

My sweet Peyton

Dear Peyton,

You are two years old. I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. I still remember the first few weeks after your daddy and I brought you home from the hospital. You certainly made us question our parenting skills. You hardly let us sleep at all those first six weeks and introduced yourself loud and clear to the neighborhood with all your screaming during the late hours of the night. Then one night, you decided it was time to give us a break. You deemed us worthy and started to sleep through the night and have done so since then (with a few exceptions, but no complaints here!). You have always been a fabulous sleeper and we appreciate that so much.

You loved to eat the first year of life; bananas were your favorite food hands down. Allen onced teased us, saying we needed a crane to get you out of your carseat. I was often told that you certainly were a healthy baby, which I found out later was a nice way of saying "man, your baby is chubby!" But I didn't mind; your rolls were adorable and your cheeks were cute enough to eat. Nowadays you are slimming down and losing your baby fat, which I will admit I am somewhat sad to see go. You are just growing up too fast for me! Your diet nowadays mainly consists of foods that would make your pediatrician have a stroke, but we won't tell her. My former fabulous eater has turned into the pickiest eater ever. You seriously could win award for your pickiness if there was such a thing. I know Mimi is just loving it since I was a picky eater myself (supposedly I would only eat hot dogs till I was eight years old). We can often persuade you to eat watermelon, grapes, and apples with peanut butter. You immediately rule out any veggies so I don't even bother cooking any for you at this point. You aren't wild about meat except for hotdogs and chicken nuggets. You LOVE cheetos and m&ms. You used to hate sweets and any foods that were really cold. Now, cupcakes and ice cream are some of your favorite foods. Meal times are a huge struggle with you, but we will work on that.

You have always been a happy and energetic little girl. You love to explore your surroundings and love to give your mommy and daddy gray hairs with your adventurous (aka daredevil) side. People are amazed at how much energy you have. You do not sit still. Ever. Even in your sleep. But since you got some movies for your second birthday, I have managed to get you to sit on the couch for a total of 5 minutes - an amazing feat. You love the movie Tarzan and often imitate what Tarzan says (makes me giggle every time). When we go on walks around the neighborhood, you check every tree to make sure there are no monkeys in there.

You are a tough girl and certainly can hold your own. Your poor little legs are always covered in bruises, but you proudly show them off to anyone that will listen. You ask for kisses when you get a boo boo and say "that didn't hurt" when you knock your head or bump into something. You are a tomboy who loves to go shopping and wear dresses. Recently, you absolutely love being told that you look pretty and often break out into a huge smile when someone tells you they like what you are wearing. You are vocal about what clothes you want or don't want to wear that day. I believe you have even taught your daddy a little about fashion (a huge thanks to you sweetie).

I was worried about your speech for awhile since some of the words you say are slightly off, but now you are talking up a storm. You tell us stories with your wild imagination and I love every second of them even if I can only make out a word or two. You are putting sentences together and learning how to express what you want. You understand what I am saying when I ask you to do something. You can identify all the main colors and animals and what sounds they make. You have such a curious mind and love to ask us to name every single object for you. You are so smart and love to learn new things. You love to tell me and daddy what to do, often shouting commands at us such as "get that ball daddy!" I look forward to all your stories and can't wait till we can start gossiping together.

You have surprised both me and daddy at how well you have adjusted to having a little sister. You adore her and make sure she is ok. When Campbell cries, you immediately let me know that she is crying and then go over to her and help her calm down. You know how to give Campbell a pacifier very gently and often help me burp her during feeding times. You cover Campbell up with a blanket when you think she is cold but you are always sure to leave her face uncovered. You are so kind and sweet with her, it just amazes us both. You have not been jealous at all, not even one time. You are the perfect older sister and Campbell is so lucky to have you.

Peyton, you are the world to me and daddy. You certainly can be a handful and have made me pull my hair out many, many times (this is why I started this blog, so I could prove to you what you did when you were little). You are incredibly fiesty and stubborn. But you are perfect. Your smile and laughter immediately make the world a better place. You make me and daddy laugh so hard with your silliness. You make our hearts melt with your kisses and hugs. And you make us appreciate life having you and Campbell in it.

Happy second birthday sweetheart! Let's pray that the terrible twos are too terrible for us all!

I love you my chunky monkey.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Two weeks down

So far Brad and I have made it two weeks with two daughters! Having two in diapers is not the most fun, but thankfully I am used to changing diapers all day long thanks to work. But it would be nice if the girls didn't try to gang up on us by giving us massive poopy diapers at the exact same time. But I guess it's just a little taste of what it is going to be like when they are both teenagers. Brad has been a huge help, especially with taking care of Peyton so I can focus on Campbell. He has also been helping out with night time feeds which is awesome. The girls and I are pretty lucky to have a guy like him in our lives.

Campbell has been a fabulous baby so far. She sleeps for the majority of the day and night, although I think she likes being up at night more so than day. She is a great eater and does well with breastfeeding (thankfully). It is funny to see how much more laid back Brad and I are with the second baby; we are stressing out about way less this time around.

Peyton has been a wonderful big sister. She loves having baby Campbell around, loves to hold her, and help me change her diaper. She was overwhelmed with her big birthday weekend and then me and Brad being gone all week at the hospital during Campbell's arrival and was starting to act out. But as soon as we all came home from the hospital and we got her back on a schedule, she has been behaving so well! Hardly any tantrums (which is a miracle) and has been so sweet and loving. Definitely helps me and Brad out with having a newborn in the house. Also, Mother's Morning Out has started up again, so she goes to "school" twice a week from 9-1. This helps me out tremendously!

Things are going well so far! Biggest complaint is lack of sleep, but it could be a lot worse. Peyton did not sleep at all for the first 6 weeks, so that is a huge switch with Campbell since she loves sleeping. Hopefully things will continue like this and Campbell will take it easy on us!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Peyton is TWO!

(Sorry, I am seriously behind on my posts)


Peyton celebrated her second birthday on August 27th! It is amazing how fast time flies! The night of her birthday, we went over to Mimi and Allen's (my parents) house for a birthday dinner, cake and ice cream, and to open presents of course. Peyton got some fabulous presents and thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cake. The next day, we invited all of our neighbors over for a cookout and to let all the kids swim and do the slip 'n slide. Peyton wasn't too thrilled about sharing her pools with the other kids, but finally warmed up eventually. The terrible twos are in full effect and with her, her socialization skills have completely evaporated. She takes a long time to warm up to people, so we are definitely going to work on that during the next few months. But anyways, we all had a fabulous time and we were so excited that everyone was able to come out and celebrate Peyton's birthday with us!



Peyton had her two year check-up the next week and the pediatrician said she is perfect! She weighs 27 pounds (50th %) and is 34.5 inches tall (50th %). Like I mentioned before, our main goals for the next few months are to improve our socialization skills and work on potty training. Peyton absolutely LOVES to talk and her vocabulary is increasing by the day and her speech is improving as well. So we are thoroughly impressed with our big girl!


Here are some pictures from her birthday weekend:















Campbell Alden Bludworth

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of baby Campbell Alden Bludworth! She arrived on August 31st at 1:37 pm, weighing 7 pounds and 6 ounces - two ounces bigger than big sister Peyton! She is a sweetie who loves to snuggle! Peyton has been an excellent big sister so far and just adores her little sister. We are home and adjusting to life with two baby girls!


















Thursday, August 19, 2010

Water baby

Our little girl loves the water!

Playing in the pool with Noah.

Sitting pretty!




She has no fear...


"What?"



Gorgeous!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

How?

Nap and bed times are dealt with by putting two diapers on Peyton - one on the regular way and another one on top in the reverse direction so that Peyton can't reach the straps and take the diaper off. Duct tape may or may not be used depending on my mood. Then, we put the footed pjs on backwards so that Peyton cannot unzip herself (the zipper is originally on the front side, so we put it on backwards thus making the zipper on her back and unreachable). When all of this is in place, I can sleep peacefully knowing that I will not be awakened by the horrible stench of poop being everywhere.

This afternoon when it was time for a nap, I had the two diapers in place (one on the regular way, one on the reverse way) and threw on a pair of her sleeping pants and put her down. Hour and half later, I go back to her room. The pants are off (which I figured would happen), but the diapers are still intact (meaning she couldn't unfasten them). I get excited that her diapers are still on and think I won't have to deal with any messy cleaning. However, Peyton was standing on one side of the crib and said "eww that's gross" and what was she pointing to? Poop. Laying on the other side of the crib. Somehow Peyton had managed to get poop out of her diaper and decorate one side of the crib. Diapers still on. Poop not in diapers. I just don't get it! She is bound and determined to get that poop out some how some way. And then decorate with it.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

We survived!

Peyton has finished her first school session!

My sister dropped Peyton off at school on Monday since I had to work and said that Peyton did fabulous with the whole drop off process. Of course she's great for her favorite aunt. I asked my mom (she's a retired preschool teacher who has lots of experience with children) why Peyton was so horrible when I drop her off, and she explained to me that it was most likely due to the fact that Peyton knows she can stir a response out of me by throwing such a tantrum. So I was bound and determined to end the summer school session on a good note and have a successful drop off. Side note - it's amazing what your priorities and goals are when you have kids. When I woke Peyton up, I made sure I was cheerful and excited so she would be the same. However, she immediately let me know this wasn't going to happen by crying and whining and refusing to get dressed. 10 minutes later, I was able to negotiate with her on an outfit, which by the way ended up being the first outfit I had originally picked out, but I guess she needed to see several more options just to make sure. We packed her lunch and bookbag and headed out the door. We sang and ate fruit loops. We arrived and said hi to everyone and everything. She walked into her classroom with a smile and I almost cried out in relief. Then came the screaming and body slamming (at least she threw herself onto the floor this time and not another adult or kid). I apologized to the teachers and left. I swore I could still hear her as I got into my car. But oh well. There was no slapping this morning. At least while I was present. And that is a huge improvement that I happily embrace.

Of course she was all smiles when I picked her up and her teachers said she had a great day. I ended up giving them each a 25$ American Express gift card which may have been a little much, but I figured with the amount of work Peyton put them through, it was certainly well deserved. I would have given them each a nice bottle of wine, but I assumed that would be slightly inappropriate at a church-affiliated school.

So all in all, Peyton made it through her first Mother's Morning Out school session! I haven't received any notices or letters kindly suggesting that we look at other schools, so I assume we will start school again on September 8th. I am so proud of my little graduate!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Oh the drama


You are probably wondering to yourself "why on Earth is Katie posting a picture of this walkway?" Well folks, I am posting it to give you an idea of how much of a drama queen Peyton can be nowadays. It now takes us a good five minutes to go down this exceedingly plain walkway to the car. Five minutes to take twenty three steps (yes, I counted them). There are no pretty flowers, no bright colors jumping out to grab your attention, no toys laying around. Nothing but cement and grass. And leaves. And bugs. Peyton has developed a huge fear of leaves, bugs, dirt, basically any speck of something on the ground. Don't get me started on feathers. Look up "screams like a girl" in the dictionary and there you will find a picture with an audio clip of Peyton screaming after she sees a feather.

This morning we were running a few minutes late for her school, and I was trying to rush her down this walkway so we could get in the car and go. She had to dodge every tiny drop of dirt, every leaf, every dead bug, every stick, every thing. She wines and whimpers and points out each tiny thing and panics if it is bigger than a quarter. My tough, tomboy of a girl has turned into the biggest whimp ever. Lord have mercy if I try to pick her up and carry her because that is just the biggest sin according to Peyton. So this morning I spent five minutes resisting the urge to pick Peyton up and carry her to the car and instead reassured her with every step she took that the world was not going to end because there is a dead leaf in her path. Could she be more dramatic?? Sadly, I know the answer to this question is "yes" and will soon learn how dramatic an almost-two-year old can be. For now, she has shown me enough drama to get by the next few years. At least it is entertaining (for the most part).

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

What a tease

I have mentioned in previous posts that Peyton knows how to throw a tantrum. I've thought for awhile that she entered the terrible twos phase at 18 months since her tantrums are increasingly dramatic (like Oscar worthy dramatic), and actually at one point told myself that it just couldn't get worse. What a naive new mother I was thinking such a foolish thing. I practically asked for it.

Well, the terrible twos are officially here and it looks like it going to be one heck of a year (praying it only lasts a year...). Those tantrums she threw 6 months ago were just tiny little hints of what was to come. She was just teasing me and testing me. Unfortunately the fact that baby number two is due in a few weeks only adds to the burden of having such a feisty toddler. Nowdays even deciding what outfit she is going to wear for the day brings on a huge fight. I've never understood how kids so young could care so much about what they do and don't wear. I still to this day do not understand, but I have since learned that I must respect Peyton's wishes or all hell breaks loose. I am probably not doing the right thing by offering her options after options on what she can wear, but if it's all I can do to avoid her screaming bloody murder and throwing herself down on the floor, then that's what I am going to do. Sometimes I am truly thankful that I can turn my hearings aids off because the kid can scream.

Another obstacle we are encountering is the whole drop-off process at Mother's Morning Out. Peyton does fabulous in the morning when she first wakes up and in the car ride over to school, but as soon as it's time for her walk into the classroom and for me to say bye for a few hours, she changes into a monster and launches into a full blown tantrum. I know preschool teachers are accustomed to all types of breakdowns, but I seriously think my daughter's trantrums make them rethink their career choices. Peyton screams so loud that I can hear her in the parking lot. Um, this is not a good thing considering I am hearing impaired. She is so loud I swear I can feel the building shake. Her teachers always tell me that she calms down about 5 minutes after I leave and acts as if all is well with the world. I sometimes wonder if they sedate her after I leave. I'm kidding. Kinda.

At this age, kids are really into showing their independence and want to do everything by themselves. Every. Thing. Leaving the house is just ridiculous nowadays since she wants to climb into the car by herself (maybe I should have kept my sedan instead of getting a SUV that is way high off the ground), climb into the seat by herself, and buckle the seatbelts by herself. What used to be a 1-minute process is now a 15-minute torture session that leaves me in a coat of sweat and head full of curse words. Really Peyton? Do we have to do this when it is 97 degrees outside and the car is boiling hot? I think she is paying me back for the impending arrival of her little sister. She is definitely too smart for her age.

One last thing. Peyton L-O-V-E-S the word "no." She has been fond of this word in the past, but now it is her BFF. Every question I ask, she responds with a "no" even if she really means yes. At night, I will ask her if she is ready for a bath. She promptly responds with a "no." Then I tell her, yes it is time for a bath and she responds with a dramatic "noo, whyyy?" like I am asking her to do the most ridiculous thing ever. And during those rare moments when I remember to not ask her a question in a yes-or-no form, she is still able to get a 'no' in somehow. She wins no matter what I do or how I do it.

Yes, the terrible twos are here and I am ready to go on a year-long vacation.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

She did what?

Peyton has always been a busy bee, even in her sleep. It is utterly exhausting just watching her play. A few days ago, I had arranged for our babysitter to come watch Peyton for a few hours while I ran errands to get the house ready for baby number 2. I felt guilty leaving her behind because I had barely seen her the past few days due to work, drs appts, etc. But then I thought about our previous shopping expeditions and immediately the guilt was gone.

I was so excited to see Peyton after finishing all my errands and got busy playing with her. I guess she decided it was payback time for being gone so long, and she went on a rampage to see how much she could do in the least amount of time. She woke up from her nap (she was initially asleep when I first got home), and decided to decorate her crib with poop. I said to myself "no worries, I will clean it up and get over it." After wiping down the crib and changing the sheets, I threw Peyton into the tub to clean her off. Then she pooped in the tub. I let out a few screams, but again said to myself "no worries." After wiping all the toys and tubs with clorox (not an easy feat to do with a massive belly), I took Peyton to her room to get her dressed. I put her on the changing table, turned around to grab her diaper and outfit, and by the time I turned back, she had pooped on the table. I did say a few words to Peyton about pooping everywhere but in her diaper, but still I told myself "no worries, at least it isn't diarrhea." She looked at my with innocent eyes and told me it was time to get dressed.

Okay.

After cleaning up the THIRD poop incident, we went to my bedroom and settled down to watch a movie. She had a sippy cup full of milk and decided that she no longer needed a top on the cup. Well, that last about 1/10th of a second. A few unmentionable words later, I was now adding my comforter to the growing pile of laundry. While getting that cleaned up, Peyton ran off to the playroom and I thought nothing of the silence that ensued. Five minutes later, I checked on Peyton and what was she doing? Drawing on the walls with crayons. After a few minutes of silently staring at Peyton's artwork, I recollected myself, grabbed those spiffy Mr. Clean scrub brushes and began the cleaning process. While doing that, Peyton decided her artwork was just too good to not decorate her face as well. So she grabbed the yellow marker and began the decorate her lips, cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, ears, arms, and hands. And did all of this in a matter of seconds while I had my back turned to her as I cleaned the wall. The kid is good. Imagine my horror as I turned around and saw my beautiful child covered in yellow marker. By this time, I had no energy to even yell. I sighed, and began yet another cleaning process.

It was during these few minutes that I experienced a brief moment of peace because I had Peyton in my hands thus making her incapable of destroying anything else. Sure that she couldn't do anymore damage, I set her free and started the second load of laundry. As I closed the washing machine, I heard the awful words, "uh ooohhh." Frantic, I ran into my bedroom and there stood Peyton with my beloved Kindle in her hands. She had managed to crack the side of it and knew she was in serious trouble. Of course, she did her puppy eyes and I could only manage a squeak of horror instead of a furious rant. She quickly ran out of the room while I cuddled my Kindle, silently begging for it to work just a little bit longer. Again, I hear the dreaded words, "uh ooohhh." I looked up to the ceiling and said "are you kidding me?" I walked out of the bedroom, and there was Peyton in the kitchen, covered in juice. Again she had decided she was a big girl and didn't need a top on her sippy cup. She managed to spill gallons (yes, I am being dramatic) of V8 Fusion juice all over herself and the floor. I could only look at her, and she knew just by that look that it was time for her to run out of the room. Back to my bedroom she went and a few seconds later I hear a crash. My shoulders dropped and my heart sank. I walked back to my bedroom and there was Peyton, standing on TOP of my nightstand with a lamp laying on the floor. Apparently, it was her turn to be on top of the nightstand and the lamp had no other choice but be thrown to the floor.

I. LOST. IT. To put it nicely. Thankfully Peyton decided that I had enough of this payback, and quietly sat on my bed and asked for a movie. I turned on the movie, told her not to move an inch or else, and walked back to the kitchen to clean the juice. Amazingly she didn't move an inch until her daddy came home thirty minutes later. Of course she was just an ANGEL for him. What a daddy's girl.

She managed to do all of this within 4.5 hours. I could feel the gray hairs growing on my head afterwards.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Oh, the drama

Well Peyton has definitely inherited the drama queen gene that may or may not run in her moma's side of the family. The girl is good. Oscar-worthy good.

You tell her "no" and you better grab the popcorn, seat yourself on the nearest chair, and prepare yourself for quite a show. First, she gives you the evil one-eyed look. Then, she looks around and knocks over any object within a foot radius (this applies to plants twice her size and 100-pound dogs). Finally, comes the dramatic body slam onto the floor accompanied with a cry so loud that it will make any new mom or non-mom search frantically for some candy, ice cream, ANYTHING to appease the poor child. Me? Nope. I sit back and pretend to file my nails. Brad? Well, he's getting used to it but occasionally I do see panic cross his eyes very briefly with his hands itching to find the nearest toy to soothe her. The dogs? They know to take cover as soon as the word "no" is said or else they will be on the receiving end of a hard core body slam. I do feel bad for my hardwood floors though. They are definitely getting some dents here and there. Thankfully Peyton's head is pretty sturdy. She's only managed to give herself one bruise during her meltdowns.

She did feel the need to give one of her most dramatic meltdowns at Walgreens the other day (the number 1 meltdown that will never be beaten occurred at the Wal-Mart in Alex City, AL - I am still traumatized by it, ask my mom). I am still contemplating on sending a Hallmark card apologizing to all employees and customers for exposing them to Peyton's bloody murder screaming that lasted for 5 minutes. I truly do not think she even stopped crying to take a breath. One good side effect of having a dramatic body slamming toddler breaking down in the middle of a pharmacy? Your prescription will be moved to the first of the line to be filled, no matter how many people are waiting and how long they have been waiting. I'm pretty sure other customers encouraged the pharmacist to hurry my order along. I had to go back a few days later with yet another prescription and unfortunately had to bring Peyton along with me. I am telling you, they had that prescription filled in seconds. They know not to mess with my kid.

Peyton starts her first day of Mother's Morning Out tomorrow. I am so excited for her and ridiculously nervous. I worry about Peyton biting, pushing, head butting, slapping, and body slamming other kids. I swear, you would think we are raising our child to be the next woman WWF wrestler. I hope she has a great time and learns how to socialize with other kids since she doesn't see many her age. We shall see how it goes and I will keep you guys updated!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Who did it?

This past weekend I was able to head to the lake house (thank you Brad, mom, and Clare for babysitting) with some of my closest friends to celebrate Keely's impending nupitals. All was well when I left. Three days later I arrived home and found out that Peyton had learned a new word.


The word "No."


I almost prefer her to give me the dramatic one-eyed look accompanied by a violent head shake than tell me no. I knew what she meant when she shook her head like that. It was the one thing that we perfected as far as communication goes. Why did she have to learn the word no? Why? Now every other word out of her mouth is 'no.' It goes something like this:


Me: Ok Peyton, nap time.
Peyton: No.
Me: Yes, Peyton. You are exhausted.
Peyton: No.
Me: Peyton...
Peyton: No, no, no, no (followed by evil one-eyed look)







Or like this:


Me: Let's change your clothes sweetheart. You are just filthy.
Peyton: Oh, no way. No.
Me: Honey, please.
Peyton: Nope (then trotts off satisfied with having the last word, just like her daddy).



Somedays it's like this:





Me: Hey Peyton....
Peyton: No, no, no, no.
Me: Pey-
Peyton: No.
Me: But P-
Peyton: No!
Me: (jaw dropping in defeat)



I almost don't even bother asking her or telling her anything nowadays because I know I am going to be greeted with a big fat no. I do give her points for being adorable when she says it. But still. I could have gone without that word in her vocabulary. I was ok with this sweet angel not saying "no" to me.


Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Sweet tooth

When I was little, I was all about desserts, especially ones involving chocolate. In high school and college, the sweet tooth was substituted with salty foods. Have you seen me around cheese dip? You might want to order two bowls if you are eating with me. And that's not even when I am pregnant. When I was pregnant with Peyton, the sweet tooth in me was reborn and I had to have at least one piece of candy every day. After Peyton arrived, I no longer wanted sweets. Well, with this pregnancy Brad knew we were having another girl before we could even see her lady parts on the ultrasound because once again I was often found perusing the candy aisle at the store. And asking for random candy selections like the sweet and sour skittles. Delish.

Peyton has got to be THE pickiest eater I have ever met. She has never been a fan of candy or ice cream. At her first birthday party, she stepped on her cake instead of eating it as if to prove her point that she simply did not like sweet foods. I was ok with this because it gave me the reason to get rid of all candy in the house. But as soon as I got pregnant with her little sister, all of a sudden Peyton is all about sugar. I even carry some around with me to bribe her to not have a famous temper tantrum in public. The other day when we were leaving the gym, the day care was handing out cupcakes to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the gym's grand opening. Side note - who the heck hands out cupcakes at a gym filled with moms who are slaving away on the eliptical machines and aerobic classes? That is just mean. Anyways, I grabbed one for me, I mean Peyton, and let her taste some. Holy smokes she shoved that thing in her mouth so fast and was begging for more before I could even begin to look for leftover crumbs that she might have left behind for me. So, off to the grocery store we went to get cupcake mix and icing. Needless to say they have been a huge hit at the house although I couldn't tell you who has had the most. I believe it is a three-way tie between Peyton, me, and the baby. Yes, the baby counts as an individual.

Tonight when I got home from work, Peyton was sitting at her table munching on a cupcake that daddy let her have right before bedtime (actually not a bad idea, I think she crashed from the sugar rush - she hasn't made a peep). She saw me walk in and must have felt threatened because she turned her back on me and again shoved the rest of the cupcake in her mouth before I could even take one more step towards her. I guess that is a sign that I need to work on my sharing and not steal all of Peyton's goodies.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A letter of begging

Dear Peyton,

I love you with all of my heart, but right now we have a major issue: you have decided that naptime is no longer acceptable. I know you are too young to understand what is best for you, but please, listen to your mommy. I promise I know what I am talking about. This may be the only time I am certain that I am right when it comes to raising you. Naptime is a necessity, for both you and me. Perhaps because I am carrying your little sister in my belly, I have become particularly attached to naptime. If you want to have a nice, peaceful little sister that naps well and doesn't scream all day, it is time to train her now. Let mommy and little sister get their naptime! And we cannot do that until you decide that your crib is not a playground but instead a place for quiet time and naps. Please child, don't take away my sanity quite yet! I NEED SLEEP. And so do you. I have even forgiven you for the dramatic tantrums that you tend to have in public. Either that or I have become immune to the embarrassment of you throwing yourself on the ground, screaming and crying as other people look on with horrified expressions on their faces. I am the redhead, not you. Drama is my specialty, not yours. Lord knows daddy can't deal with two drama queens. But I have put all that aside. I didn't even throw a fit when you decided two naps a day was definitely out of the question. But no naps? Absolutely not, child. You are going to do it. Because I said so.

Love,
Your tired yet hopeful momma

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

A crappy afternoon indeed

Brad and I went to my OB appointment this morning where I got another ultrasound that confirmed that we are definitely having a girl! We left Peyton behind with a fabulous babysitter and when I returned two hours later, Peyton was sound asleep. I thanked the babysitter and decided to go lay down and close my eyes for a few minutes during this rare moment of peace and quiet. About an hour later, I woke up and saw that Peyton was awake too, playing in her crib. I wasn't ready to throw myself out of bed yet and Peyton was content playing so I stayed in bed for a few more minutes. I heard Peyton squealing, laughing, and having a great time. I should have known then that she was up to no good. Finally a few minutes later, I decided to get up and get Peyton out of the crib so we could get ready to head over to my mom's to help babysit my nieces. I walked down the hallway and was suddenly overcome with an unpleasant smell. I thought to myself, "Peyton has a poopy diaper, poor thing, and I left her in there." I walked into the room and was immediately concerned. The smell was horrendous. Peyton was naked. Her hair was sticking straight up like Cameron Diaz in 'Something about Mary.' And she was suddenly a few shades darker as if she had been napping in the tanning bed.

She was covered in poop.

That's right. She took off her clothes, took off her diaper, pooped in the bed, and decided to decorate the crib for me. Oh, and to use it as body art as well. Let's just say Peyton is a fabulous artist. I was so horrified I screamed. Poor Peyton was so startled and started boo hooing. I picked her up unable to hug her since she was coated in poop, ran to my bathroom, and threw her in the bath tub. She absolutely loves bath time, so she began squealing in delight completely unaware and without a care in the world that the water was now turning brown as well.

After using several bottles of shampoo and soap, Peyton finally emerged from the tub with her original skin color. I gave her a lecture about what diapers are for and pointed out other ways she can show her love for me, but I have a strong suspicion that it went in one ear and out the other. Completely oblivious to my exhaustion and anger about having to wash poop out of places it's not supposed to be, Peyton decided to inform me it was movie time. She parked her naked self on my ottoman and looked at me expectedly as if saying "Come on lady, I don't have all day. Start my movie." Completely flabergasted, I yanked a diaper out and shoved it on her while simultaneously contemplating pulling out the duct tape as well, then turned on her movie as I went to clean up her art project.

30 minutes later and satisfied that her room reeked of bleach and all the sheets and blankets were now in the washing machine that was set to the sanitary cycle, I grabbed her and off to Mimi's we went. What a crappy afternoon indeed!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Easter!

We celebrated Easter by heading over to my parents house where the Easter Bunny (aka Mimi) was so generous and left dozens of eggs with special treats inside for Evans and Peyton! Evans was a pro at finding eggs and even shared some with Peyton who was more concerned about the chocolate inside the eggs. That Easter dress I stressed out about for weeks trying to find? That gorgeous pink dress lasted all of 15 minutes before it was covered with chocolate gooeyness. Oh well, it was worth it.








Completely oblivious to all the eggs behind her.


Giving Evans a not-s0-friendly not-sharing-my-candy look.































Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Beware of headbutting

For those few people who make the short list of being special enough to hold Peyton (she has high standards), they are now at risk of Peyton's newest token of affection - being headbutted. You read that right. No, it wasn't a typo. Peyton likes to headbutt you smack dab in the forehead, sometimes on the cheek on those rare days her aim is slightly off. She likes to throw you off and lean in for a kiss, then WHAM! You are the proud owner of a new bruise with a side of migraine. Not sure where she learned this charming behavior, but I know she's too young to have seen Zidane's famous headbutt (2006 World Cup for those who are clueless). Perhaps she is watching YouTube when I am not looking?

Another fabulous behavior Peyton is showering me with is the eye roll. The kid has officially mastered the dreaded eye roll. At 19 months old. Do you understand how bad this is? She is nowhere close to being a teenager. Heck, she's nowhere close to being a preteen and she is already giving me a 'tude in the most annoying way possible. How, how, HOW is she learning this??? I would immediately point my finger at any (maybe all) of Peyton's Sewanee "Aunts" but only Lauren has met her and she is just too sweet to do this to me. Right? The other night after a rather long day of Peyton letting me know every minute that I was doing something wrong, I asked her for a kiss before I put her to bed. She actually rolled her eyes. She was nice enough to slightly lean in so I could give her a kiss, but not before letting me know she wasn't the biggest fan of my loving. I've said it before, but I truly think my mom is laughing herself to sleep at night seeing how much trouble Peyton is giving me and Evans with Clare. Clare and I weren't the best teenagers growing up and mom would tell us "Just you wait until you have kids!" Well, the day where she says "I told you so" has arrived and came with a massive bang that will keep my ears ringing for years, possibly decades. But no matter how loud the bang, I will still be able to hear mom mutter those words accompanied with an evil laugh.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Fetch anyone?

Today was a rather long day since Peyton woke up in a foul mood and didn't hesitate to let me know every second of every minute of every hour. We did manage to make it to Chik-fil-a with Clare, Evans, and Brooks for a lunch/playdate. Peyton did fairly well and we escaped with no major breakdowns. Clare convinced me to run a quick shopping errand to The Pants Store (if you haven't checked this store out, you need to do so asap) after lunch, and unfortunately Peyton did have a breakdown there. But, it was after she did a faceplant and came back up for air with a huge egg on her forehead so it was to be expected. Back home we went and I put Peyton straight down for a nap. So didn't happen. I was exhausted at this point. I grumbled some adult words to myself, got her up, and back to playtime it was. I fought a losing battle trying to get her to eat some dinner, but she is positively the pickiest eater ever - something I know my mom is laughing to herself about since I wasn't the best eater growing up. Payback is a certain 5-letter word. Soon it was getting close to bedtime and she was still wired. I even let her play in the bathtub for a long time, but then I was grossed out with how wrinkled her feet and fingers became and immediately plucked her from the tub. Still wired. Finally after getting her dried off and dressed for bed, I sat on the couch and just watched her play. I was pooped out. Then, she came across the soccer ball. She hurriedly picked it up and threw it in my lap, excitedly waiting to see what I would do. A light bulb went off in my head. I said to Peyton in an overly dramatic voice, "hey, let's play fetch!" I tested my idea out by throwing the ball across the room and sure enough, Peyton was game. She ran after the ball, scooped it up, came back, and threw it in my lap eagerly waiting for the next throw. We did this for 20 minutes until Peyton was sportin' flushed cheeks. I was so proud of myself. I gave her some milk and asked if she was ready for bed. She didn't protest; instead, she actually led the way to her bedroom. I was certain she was going to be out in a few minutes. I kissed her goodnight, and laid her down.

An hour later and she is still playing in her bed. Guess we need to try longer distances next time. Oh well, I tried.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

My baby's got a fever

Poor Peyton has her first real fever. Unfortunately we have been trying to find a decent thermometer for the past 18 months and have never been able to accurately check her temp when we thought she was feverish. I finally "accidently" brought home one from work and finally gave up with trying to get a temp from her armpit; instead I apologized profusely to Peyton and got a temp from a certain area that belongs in the diaper. Poor thing was so surprised and looked at me like "WHAT are you doing lady?" 100.2 - her first documented fever. Granted it's not much of a fever, but for someone who has never really had a fever, it counts. She has been pitiful all day. She did help me with unloading the dishwater but broke down into a dramatic tantrum when she couldn't get the door open to one of the cabinets. Poor thing isn't feel too hot.

So here we go with Tylenol and rechecking the temp in an hour. If it's the same or higher, time to call the pediatrician. I've got her settled on our bed with some water and popcorn, watching The Princess and the Frog.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Apparently Peyton is well-trained

Tonight I came home from work and was sitting on the couch watching Peyton play before it was her bedtime. Brad decided to use some leftover hot dog from Peyton's dinner to practice some commands with the dogs. As Brad told the dogs to sit, Peyton immediately sat down and repeated the command, adding the letter H in her version of the word (I still giggle every time, so sad). Brad told the dogs to lay down, and again Peyton followed the command and laid down immediately. This went on for a few minutes back and forth between sitting and laying down and my smart little girl got every command right every time and she was very well darned pleased with herself. I couldn't tell who was wagging their booty from excitement the most, Peyton or Ranger. I'm not sure if she ever realized Brad was trying to practice with the dogs, but hey, Peyton likes hot dogs - just like her momma.

So, apparently Peyton is well-trained.

After the mini training session, it was bedtime. Peyton recently has developed this oh-so-fun habit of screaming bloody murder till she turns blue in the face to announce her presence in the world in case you already didn't know. Well tonight as Brad was changing her and putting her PJs on, she decided it was once again time to remind the folks that a little girl named Peyton lived in Homewood, Alabama. She saw me about to say something to interrupt her screaming and then before I could even get a word out, she put her finger to her mouth and told me to "Shhhhhh." She thought it was so hilarious she did it again. Screaming bloody murder, followed by a very serious "Shhhhhh." She alternated between these two until her poor lungs cried "mercy!" Of course by then Brad and I were bent over in giggles, and once again, Peyton beamed with pride. My sweet angel could not be any cuter.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Terrible Twos

That's right folks. Peyton has hit the terrible twos at 18 months old. At first I thought/hoping she was sick, but it's looking more like just a terrible phase of major grumpiness. There are very rare and very brief moments where she is a happy camper, but almost anything and everything upsets her and she launches into a full-blown temper tantrum. She gets so angry and frustrated if she can't do something by herself, or if a toy is laying the wrong way on the floor. It has gotten so bad at points, I just lay her on the floor and walk out of the room. That often surprises her and calms her down to a degree. But almost nothing is working to help her get over this stage. Her grumpiness has rendered people speechless, stunned by the dramatic flailing of arms and legs, her evil eyes, and her screaming. Who the heck are you and what have you done to my precious blue eyed blonde hair child??

I am really hoping this phase will end soon. I am exhausted between work, insomia, and not throwing up and often find myself with little patience. Thankfully Brad is around and helps with Peyton. She definitely is still a daddy's girl and I am pretty sure she always will be. Until it's time to start dating and Brad scares off all the boys with his gun.

Other than that, Peyton does love her new table that she is able to sit down at and color and eat. She loves the independence of feeding herself with her fork, so she has been more open to trying new foods and it has been going well. I desperately need to take her to the pediatrician this week for her 18 month check-up since I totally forgot about her 15 month check up. She has not been to the doctors in 8 months!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

So, what do you think this means?









Snow day!

It snowed several inches on Friday, February 12th. Peyton hasn't been the biggest fan of the snow previously but today she was thrilled! She would have spent all day outside if I would let her. She loved walking around in it, digging her hands in it (yes hands, she wouldn't wear gloves), and tasted it several times. We walked around the block a few times and she could not have been any happier. She loves being outside, especially now when it is snowing! Here are some of the pics from that day: