Ear Update

Well we are home and all is well!

Megan was a little trooper today. It was an early morning to get her ready and to the pediatric surgery center, but she was so sweet and flashing smiles at everyone. She charmed the socks off her nurses. She only got grumpy a few minutes before the procedure when she was asking for water (which she couldn't have - try explaining that one to a toddler). She went under easy - but that was the hardest for mommy. I still tear up just thinking about having to leave her on that table. But within minutes she was done and we were in the recovery area getting lots of hugs. Once she got some juice and cheerios in her, she was a happy smiling camper again. It definitely was a best case scenario. Praise the Lord!

I'll try to put up a real post later.

Slacker

Well this week I've obviously been a slacker since I haven't had gotton a blog update done. Oh well.... welcome to my world.

If you read this tonight or in the early morning, say a little prayer for us. We are headed out in the morning to have tubes put in Megan's ears. I have to say I'm very calm and very nervous all at the same time. I know it's the right thing to do (and I've never heard a parent who's gone through this say they wish they hadn't) and I pray this will keep Megan's ear infection free and get her hearing back to normal (which is expected). I also hope that tomorrow will go very smoothly - no reactions to the meds, no overly grumpy little girl, everyone on time.... I haven't been feeling all that great so I want to be on my game in the morning as well. So for specifics.... we have to be there at 7:30 (no liquids when she wakes up.. ugh!) and the procedure is at 9am. We get to take all her "lovey items" with us so hopefully that will help when she's frustrated that she can't eat or drink. Please say a prayer that all goes well!

Doodling

Megan has found a great new past time.... the Magna Doodle. I remember growing up with the Etch-a-sketch, but she's got a cool magna doodle to keep her busy. She loves doodling!

I had picked up a tiny one at some point much earlier in her life - obviously too early because she bit off the little magnetic tip of the pen and scared the daylights out of me. But now that she's old enough to realize she's drawing - she loves it (thank Lynley!).

It's sweet because she's getting good at remembering her shapes too.

And after all that work, it's good to take a little break....

That'll teach me to leave my sprite sitting in such a "handy" location.

Is it that time already?

OK - so this is really for me and interested family... everyone else may think it's totally boring...
BUT...

Megan is starting to potty train herself. Let me just say, I don't think I'm ready for this. And it's not really because I've been trying - and it may end at any time. I'm now trying to decide if I should go with the flow and just jump in.

Here's the story: The past 2 days Megan has gone on the potty twice each day. After her nap and before bed. wow! Then this morning, Tom gave me a lovely morning to sleep in and I got up when I heard them in the bathroom... she evidently took her pj's off and her diaper off and went to the potty by herself. Oh my goodness! My baby is growing up.

We'll see what happens today and tomorrow and if she keeps it up, we may just go ahead and go for it.... this scares the living day out of me!!!!

Yesterday we had a little belated birthday playdate with our friends Hannah and mommy, Rebekah. The girls wore themselves (and us) out jumping, laughing and playing.
The little cowgirls got in some horseback riding... Lots of time in the foam pit - They especially loved it when Ms. Rebekah jumped in.

We had some less active playtime with the sand table and kitchen area...

But no matter what they were doing, these 2 cute girls were all hugs.

That hug ended with both of them on the floor - thankfully, they were still laughing and smiling.

We took a lunch break and even then, the giggles and fun didn't stop.

Thanks for driving down to come play with us Hannah - we can't wait to do it again soon!

Chalk, chalk and more chalk!

It turned out to be such a beautiful day yesterday that once Megan woke up from her nap, we pretty much stayed outside until bedtime. We ended up having some unexpected playtime with the boys next door and ended the evening with a fun cookout with them.

Our fun time was started with some sidewalk chalk that Megan got for her birthday (Thanks Macie!). Megan has been begging to use it - she would pull the case of chalk off the table and walk around with it..... of course it has been raining so this was our first chance to pull it out.
For awhile, I couldn't figure out what she was trying to do - she about toppled on her head several times while in this position. Finally I deciphered the Meganese and realized she was saying "trace foot". How cute is that. I ended up helping her out a little bit. She realized trying to trace her shadow was too tricky.
One of her chalk pieces broke and Megan was very concerned with how to fix it.

The boys next door made a few hopscotch boards so Megan was out there today trying to put them to good use. I think we'll have lots of jumping in the driveway until it rains next.

If you can't beat it, join it!

It's been a rainy rainy day around here. On one hand, we sure do need it - on the other, Megan has been begging to go outside. We went to storytime to see Granny Snazzy and when we got home, Megan went running for a puddle. I figured it was worth a clothing change. She had so much fun playing splashing and chasing raindrops. I loved to see how much she loved her romp in the light rain.

What's a 2 year old into?

Megan has been enjoying some of the presents she got for her birthday. I think it is so funny to see her look of intense concentration as she plays. Play for a 2 year old is serious business!

Gotta love Ms. Potato Head! This little set has been a great introduction to the old classic. Megn loves trying to put all the parts in the right holes. Let's just say she's come up with some very creative variations.

The real excitement of the week was getting a sweet birthday package from her Uncle Tony and Auntie Dawn... a Bitty Baby (that's the baby doll from American Girl). She's been carrying her around ever since.

Megan got a little concerned when Bitty Baby got a little dirt on her during the swing dismount. But after some brushing off, she was good to go. She loves her Bitty Baby! My camera battery died so I didn't get too many shots of her with her baby.

Welcome Benjamin

Congratulations to our friends Todd and Julianne on the birth of their sweet little baby boy - Benjamin. He's a cutie pit - Megan's already chomping at the bit to get her hands on him.... ok, we'll hold her off for quite awhile. But we are looking forward to getting to you know - you little cutie pie!

Say What?

Megan is such a cute little teacher, obviously taking after her mommy! Sorry for the blurry picture, but I thought it was so cute to see how she grabbed 2 chairs so that she could give Molly a little instructional time with our Baby Einstein flashcards, and Megan wanted to make sure that Molly knew how to work the musical baby toy.

We also headed to the ENT today to chat about Megan's ears. I have to say it was one of those "double edge sword" scenarios. We started off with a hearing test and low and behold, my concerns about Megan's hearing and articulation were valid. She failed her hearing test for one ear, and passed the other with flying colors. They weren't too shocked when they realized how bad her current ear infection was. This is her 2nd round of antibiotics for this infection. The double edge there was... I was sad that my baby can't hear well out of one ear, but I'm also a bit relieved that my momma's intuition wasn't wrong and we now have a plan to help.

So - Megan is getting tubes in her ears in 2 weeks. I am a little nervous, but more hopeful than anything. I just pray that this will help her ears to stay infection free and that her hearing (and speech) will go back to normal asap (which is what they expect). We will go back for a follow-up and another hearing exam 2-3 weeks after the tube surgery.

And until then - please pray for her right ear to clear up. The Dr said it was a really bad infection and he was a little surprised that it wasn't already starting to clear up after 48 hours on the antibiotic. Ugh. Well my little one just woke up so I guess that ends this post!

More Celebrating

You know - you can't turn 2 without lots of celebrating! Granddad giving a lesson on how you show 2 with your fingers.

The birthday girl got lots of love from Grandad and Grandma. She was eating it up!
Justin and Anna wanted to make sure they got some time with the birthday girl.

Justin and Daniel were right there to help with the opening of presents and cards.

And of course, Megan LOVED blowing out candles.
One of her favorite gifts was a Molly doll (from the big comfy couch). It took me quite awhile to finally win one on ebay (they don't make them anymore). And I must say, it was worth the fight. Because she loves her Molly. After she opened her up, she carried her around for the rest of the evening. Molly even got a snuggly swing.
Daniel helped Megan get inside with her precious Molly doll so that she could say goodbye to everyone at the end of the night.

Here's our Happy 2nd Birthday family photo. Definitely was a memorable birthday!

2 Year Old Stats

Ok - so we just got back a bit ago from our check-up. Boy am I ready to come home from a well-child check-up without having to go by the drugstore for some medicine!

First the stats (then the stories)...
Weight - 29 lbs (approx)
Height - 34 1/4 inches
75th percentile for everything.

Now the stories.... I didn't realize we had to do a finger prick to check her iron levels. That wasn't fun. It was low, but still in the normal range. How do you get a toddlers iron levels up? Then we chatted about language and such. Megan has an incredible vocabulary and comprehension. But I'm a little concerned about her articulation. I think my concern stems more from the fact that she's lived with ear infections for 2 fall/winter/springs. Think about that... she's had chronic ear infections for at least 11-12 months of her 24 month life. UGH. At at 2, a stranger should be able to understand 50% of what she says (OK, this is the teacher in my coming out) and although she might wow them with some words (like telling the Dr she had a stethescope and otoscope) but if you didn't know what she was holding, looking at, or trying to tell you about, you might lose a lot of what she's saying in her day to day speech......

I'm not really concerned with her hearing, just that with all the ear infections she's lost some of the sounds she needs to form all her words. I think part of it is just me as a concerned mom, and part of it me as a teacher knowing how many kids I saw that had artic. issues that were never caught as kids (so I'm a bit neurotic on this one, I admit it). As we are talking - she checks her ears and YEP...
ANOTHER EAR INFECTION! Ugh.

So - now we are going back to the ENT (we went last April to have the tube talk and she wasn't a candidate), but now with these concerns, evidently she might be. So we'll see what happens with all that. And even if he says - no to tubes... maybe he'll have insights to if we have a speech consult or wait till 2 1/2.

so - it's only Monday - and it's been a very very busy day.
I'll try to post some more pictures from her family birthday party last night.

TWO!

It's true.... Megan is now a two year old.

Here's a little trip down memory lane...

2008 - turning 1

2007 - my baby

This past year has been full of fun and challenges. One of my older and wiser mom friends encouraged me to ask myself these questions and keep them as a record of where we are and where we've been. Time flies by so quickly, that these memories will always be cherished. So here goes....

1. What was the best "milestone" of the year? I'm torn here between learning to walk and learning to talk. Both are amazing in their own right. Today on the way home from church Tom sneezed and from the backseat we heard this sweet "bwess you"... oh my gosh, I could just eat her up!

2. What was the biggest challenge of the year? Beyond a shadow of a doubt I would say dealing with biting. I cannot begin to tell you how many tears I've shed over this one. If I could have bottled them, and they'd be worth anything - I'd be a rich woman. A biting child will bring a parent to their knees (and does many many times a day!). If you ever have a biter... Oh my gosh - call me and we can cry together and we discuss all the things we've tried that don't seem to work. If you don't or perhaps your child is the biten offendee - please know that if there was a way to truly stop it, we would die trying. It's painful to know that other kids know Megan as "the girl that bites" and are scared of her because I want so much more for her than that. And there have been many days that I feel like I've failed as a parent because I can't stop it. Megan can now say "self control" because of my prayers for her and with her about this one... and she knows the word "obey" very well..... but the bottom line - I don't live in her body and I can't make better choices for her. At 24 months she reverts to caveman status when angry, feels offended, just wants her willfull way, or is tired and grumpy (and sometimes just because she's teething and you're nearby). For anyone who's never had a biter in their family - I can't really portray the weight of the emotions that go along with this. I am writing this because I know this too is a horrid stage that will one day pass.... but it's brought me and kept me on my knees as we walk through this valley. Ultimately I pray that God would give her a tender spirit, a kind and gentle heart, and that she would treat her friends with respect and a quiet humility..... until then.... lookout - there's a biter who just turned 2 (and she had a great non biting day at church today - however I do profusely appologize if my child has bitten yours this year!).

3. What was the most fun memory of the year? On a happier note..... This is a hard one. Day to day we have so many fun moments and firsts to keep track of. But I think our travels have sparked the cutest memories.... Like Megan catching grasshoppers at Grandma and Papa's, and playing in the ocean when we went to the beach, or dancing at my friend Laura's wedding.... then there are the sweet things - like the first time she said "I love you" or "miss you" and the way she playfully says "nnnnoooooooo" like Uncle Dan, or how she chases squirrels, or how she jumps up and down saying "blast off" the way she learned in gym class, or how much she loves her friends and hugs them (prayerfully without biting them).

4. What surprised you the most about this year? Other than how fast it went, I think it's how much Megan has learned this year. I love it when she walks past a car and says "blue" or when she starts naming animals that I didn't know she knew (like Koala). It's just amazing when literally every single day she seems to demonstrate a new skill or language ability. I love it and my heart just melts.

5. What are you most looking forward to about this next year? Well I have to say, to even think about it makes me a little sad because this is my baby.... and she's 2! Wow. But as she enters this new age group I guess I'm looking forward to more of the same - more discoveries and new skills and being shocked as she tries new things (that I might think are too "old" for her). I think it'll be fun to watch her learn how to ride a bicycle, play in the ocean, learn to hold her own in the pool, and hopefully to get along with her friends without chomping on them. :^) I'm looking foward to her discovering more about the world God created for her and seeing the excitement on her face as she explores. That joy is contagious!

6. What are you most fearful about this next year? Watching her grow up in the world. It's a scary place. I daily have to remind myself - every day is a gift from the Lord and ultimately He is in charge of every one of them. I'm also nervous (I don't know if fearful is the right word) about discipline. Megan is very strong willed. She's really shown a lot of restraint in the past couple of weeks - but lets just say we have many years ahead of us as we work on obedience and training her heart. I've watched friends with the meekest of kids go through the worst power struggles during the 2's..... and my child is very head strong and willful... oh my goodness, just thinking about it makes me want to stop and pray for more wisdom, courage, and backbone.

7. What do you want your child to know/remember about this time in their life? That life is fun! That we laugh and giggle and enjoy being together. I want her to remember her sense of adventure and curiosity and always seek to enjoy the days God has given us. I also want her to know that she's a little cheerleader - always excited and encouraging others. She can be a little mama at this young age because she wants to take care of the littest ones. Her heart is tender in spite of her courage. Above all, I want Megan to know that she is loved more than words can say and is an amazing blessing from the Lord. Not one day has passed in the past 2 years that I haven't hugged and kissed you and been so thankful that you are a part of our lives.

Playdate Party

It's here... hard to believe, but it's here... Megan is turning 2 this weekend.
So - we had a few friends over...

Seriously, today we had a fun Playdough Playdate Party (hence my last entry about the homemade playdough). Megan was very excited about helping me get it all ready as we waited for our friends to arrive.
It was such a nice day and it warmed up so quickly, that about 10 minutes before everyone arrived, we decided to switch gears and make it an outdoor party. That's a big switch from last year when it snowed during her party. So we played with playdough (a little bit) and our outdoor toys (a lot) and turned it into a picnic.

Jackson loved the convertible (Watchout Missy, I see a ladies man behind the wheel).

Megan got a cool little tricycle and was very excited to try it out. Kenny was trying to teach Megan the rules of the road...
Bryce decided we needed our lawn trimmed up a bit.
Shelby decided to go offroading a bit.... Even Megan's littlest friends got in on the fun time. Megan took some time out from her running around to Make sure Lynley was enjoying herself.

About half of our party friends had to cancel at the last minute due to illnesses and unexpected travel, and we missed you, but it was nice to have a day to play outside and enjoy a touch of spring-like weather.

Megan was extremely cute blowing out her 2 candles. I can't believe it - 2!!!!Rayna enjoyed the cupcakes for sure!

And what's a party without some presents to open. Megan loved it and also got bored really quick... there were toys already open to play with.

After everyone left, my little almost 2 year old crashed. She was exhausted from all the fun. Thanks to our friends for coming over to play and celebrate Megan's birthday. You are all very special to us!

What I've learned from Playdough

No, this isn't a reflective blog entry on how playdough has taught me to be flexible, bend to be what the people around me need, etc....

No seriously - this is what I've learned about the process of making playdough. I know for most this will be a bizarrely boring entry.... but so many people told me they heard it was sooooo easy - and I'd like to shed a little light on the subject.

First let me say in hindsight - it is easy..... but it would've been great to have someone walking me through it because the first 2 batches were a bit frustrating. I followed the directions to a tee, but for some reason it was not "easy" and I was not enjoying the process. Then today (prior to me making my last 2 batches) I chatted with a mom (Thanks Amy F.) who had made it every year for her daughters pre-school. OK - finally I knew what I was doing wrong!!!!!

First you start with this.....
And you cook it and cook it (adding whatever color you want - and use a LOT of it)...

And you cook it until it looks like this. Now although the directions may say it'll be done at this point on the clock, it's not done yet.... So keep on cooking it (my initial mistake, I was going with the 5 minutes, no directions explained the "consistency" issue).
When it's ready to take off the heat - it'll come out in a big lump - like this....

Note the flour on my board because in all my batches I still needed to kneed in some flour because it was so sticky.

And after a few minutes of kneading and adding little sprinkles of flour, you come out with a beautiful ball of homemade playdough that looks like this....

It's hard to imagine how much that is - so I broke it down into "playdoh can" amounts...

So one batch makes the equivalent of about 6 cans of playdough. According to everyone I know - if you put it in airtight containers or ziplocks it'll stay fresh for months. I'll have to let you know about that one.

So how much did all that cost?

I would say I made 4 batches = approx. 24 can's of playdough

For about $5-7

Part of that would be dependent on if you had cream of tartar just hanging out in your spice cabinet. So it's definitely cost efficient. It's not something I would do with Megan at this point because it's too labor intensive and I couldn't hold her up to look at it, and when you take it off the heat it's hot and she wouldn't be able to kneed it.

At any rate - it's a great nap-time project if you are wanting some playdough but don't want to spend $1 per can....

Here's the recipe I used:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup salt

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups water

food coloring

mix it over medium/low heat - don't stop stirring! Once it's all combined - add your food coloring of choice. You'll need to plan on using a good amount if you want deep colors. Then continue to cook it and stir constantly. It'll get lumpy and then it'll start to pull away from the sides as you cook. If you think it's done, I'll give it a a few more seconds for good measure and make sure it comes out in a lump. If it's more runny than a lump - cook it longer. I'd say I cooked and stirred about 7-9 minutes (the recipe says 5 - whatever). Then put it on a cookie sheet or cutting board and kneed it as it cools. I would have some flour handy to help you kneed it not get all stuck to your hands. Once it's nice and the consistency you like it - put it in an airtight container and you've got playdough!

Happy Playdoughing..... I'm sure you'll see it in use very soon!

Snow Bunny

We had so much fun getting Megan out in the snow this afternoon. By the time she woke up from her nap, it had stopped snowing and the final bits of wet rain had melted a ton of the snow. But that didn't deter our little snow bunny from enjoying every snowflake she could get ahold of!

We started out building a little snowman for Megan. She thought that was fun but loved pretending she was Godzilla and knocking it to oblivion.
She quickly moved onto trying to throw the snow. It was hysterical to watch her try to throw a clump of snow in the air or at something. Most of the time the snow stuck to her mitten, but the mitten would be flung through the air. We had a lot of laughs with our "snowball fight".

Then we moved onto a "clean" area of snow and started working on a bigger snowman. Megan didn't quite get the concept of "rolling the snow" - she just wanted to carry around the big snowballs.

We did get part of a snowman built.... before Megan really got into it - and I mean into it. It became a couch, a stool to bend over, stand on - you name it. So it didn't last long (but still provided lots of laughs).

We had a blast outside. The wind had kicked up so much while we were out there that I'm betting all the streets will be dry in the morning. That's the beauty of a southern snow - a day of fun, and then it goes away. By next weekend (Megan's birthday) it's supposed to be in the upper 60's to low 70's. Yipee! I love the snow... but I love spring even more!

I'll leave you with some fun video's of our outside playtime from this afternoon.