Snow Fun

First of all Chase got along great getting his tubes in. Hopefully they will help him as much as they did Callie.
I finally located the cord so I could up load pictures so this is old but it was so funny.
It was so cold but nothing was going to keep Callie inside...


She was "directing" daddy in how to make a snow fort, after she had beat him in a snowball fight and he had pulled her all over in the sled.



Chase was stuck inside with me and not too happy about it. We spent most of the time watching out the window with him beating on the window. It was VERY cold, the wind was blowing, and he was on antibiotics for an ear infection or I might have taken him out cause he so wanted to go.

Tubes

Friday Chase had an ear check as it had been 2 weeks since we were last there for an ear infection. The 10 days of antibiotics ran out Monday. He still had fluid and infection. The doctor was very concerned that he cannot continue like this. Since Thanksgiving weekend we are on the 4th round of antibiotics and hardly more than a week off in between. Even when we would go and there wasn't infection, there was always fluid. So she gave him a high powered shot and 10 more days of antibiotics to try to clear it up and instructions to see about getting tubes put in. It was late in the day Friday so first thing this morning I called Dr. Baker's office as he is the one that put tubes in Callie's ears in April 2008. They had no openings until March and I was about to scream when they said but we have had a cancellation for today at 1:30 if you could do that. Well we will make it work as I don't want him to be on antibiotics until March. By the time I got back to work at 2:30 we had seen doctor Baker and gone for pre-op. He is getting tubes put in Wednesday at 7 AM. Don't know how they didn't have an office appointment until March but could do the surgery in two days. I know he absolutely needs it and it is no big deal. However it is still hard for me. When Callie had hers put in it was only month after Connnor passed away and it was very hard. Now I know what to expect and know it is very quick so I think I am a little more at ease. However he is so much younger. Dr. Baker is so nice and we discussed Connor. Oh course he gave me the we have no idea what causes it and it in no way increases the risk for Chase in anyway. I KNOW THAT but it is still hard. I think God knew the quicker we got it done the less time I had to stress. Why do we think we have control anyway? Any and all prayers would be appreciated though.

Boys will be boys

Chase is so very different from Callie. He is a go getter! Into everything and nothing holds his attention for any amount of time. Shannon calls him the tank as he just plows over everything. I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before but he also bangs his head when mad, which is ALL the time. If you get onto him, move him, don't let him have something he wants, etc he bends over and starts hitting his head on the floor. Unreal. He does it A LOT.
So bathing him has been a challenge. He wants to stand up all the time. We have tons of tub toys but he's not interested. Well when Callie went on the below shopping trip as we walked all the isles I found a tub toy that was a basketball goal and three balls. He LOVES it. Guess I just had to get him a boy tub toy to play with. It is amazing to me. He makes the noise and pushes cars all the time. It just seems crazy to me how they like different toys.

$16

I never have cash so all Callie has grown up seeing me use is my debit card. A couple years ago my mom had her at big lots picking out cheap summer sandbox toys. To help avoid the "wants" constantly she knew well the only one thing rule. She had picked out her one thing but Grandma had another one she thought they should buy. After finally convincing Callie that since she was with Grandma they could get more than one thing (not like mean old mom), she let Callie pay with a $5 bill. Well Callie thought that was the best thing ever - she got 2 things, give them one bill, and they have her back two bills and some coins!!!
But still money doesn't mean much to her and even with the tooth fairy coming the money wasn't that exciting. I don't know where it came from but one day on the way to Marys she said she wanted to go shopping and take her moneys to buy something. I figured it was a passing thing but sure enough the minute we got home that day she headed to her room. I could hear her in there counting one dollar, five dollars. She came out and announced that she had $16. I went to look. She had 2 five dollar bills and 6 one dollar bills. I was SO impressed. Off we went to walmart, up and down all thru the toys to figure out what she wanted. She purchased a little dog that would fit in her hand and when you petted it it would wag its tail. So the next day she was making it a house out of an old kleenx box. It was bedtime and I was hurrying her along. She said just a minute I need to reinforce the back of this. Reinforce - not a word I expected her to use and correctly.
That is all the bragging on Callie for today - thanks for listening :-)

Nothing too new

Our weeks have been busy but uneventful. We are exhausted by the weekend and haven't been doing much other than have some time at home.
Last Monday Chase had his one year check up.
Weight 24 lb 1 ounce 70th percentile
Height 30.5 inches 75th percentile
Head remains at 95th percentile :-)
Then Thursday night he started running a fever but I thought it could be the shots or teething. By Friday morning it clearly was more than that. He had ear infections again. So another round of antibiotics and she will recheck them in two weeks. He has had them in Nov, Dec, and Jan now so I am thinking we are headed toward tubes. I would rather do that than have him keep having to fight these. He was still pretty miserable all weekend.
Callie has a third loose tooth. That is freaking me out. She has a dentist appointment for spring break. She doesn't know that though. I know bad parent that she hasn't been before now. But her pediatrician always checks her teeth at her yearly appointments. And I ask her about it at Chase's appointment and she said it was probably fine. She and Shelby had a sleep over at John and Linda's Friday night. She was so excited and had a blast. It was not the first time she had but it was the first time for me that she had when I was fine and at home. Before had always been like when I had Chase. I survived though!

Pictures

Great Holiday Break

No post for so long meant we were having a great break. The snow rearranged plans but it all worked out.
During break we:
Saturday we went Shannon's Dad's sister's up north of Fort Scott for their Christmas.
Sunday the kids and I went to mom and dad's to bake Christmas cookies. Callie used more sprinkles than I thought was possible.

Chase hung out with Grandpa.

Tuesday I had to work most of the day so Linda came over to help Shannon out.
Thursday we went to Iola to my Grandparents but cut it really short as the weather was rapidly declining. Church service was canceled that evening but we did venture the few miles to Shannon's parents to do Christmas.
Friday was had presents at home and then went to Shannon's grandma's (mom's mom) for their lunch since going to my parent's was out.
Sunday we all finally made it to mom and dad's house for Christmas there. We went out in the afternoon to do some sledding. It may have been delayed but it was a great, long, unhurried day. We have great memories of sledding down the hill as kids so it was fun to have our kids out there. None of mine went down the hill.....yet.
Tuesday mom and I took the kids to KC to have pictures - one year and missing both bottom teeth! We also went to the mall to get Chase fitted at stride rite for shoes (he has never had them and I am finally to the point that he has to wear them - at first he acted broken and wouldn't walk in them - quite a fit ;-) Callie got to make a build a bear for being such a trooper at pictures (Chase would not smile and gave them his stone cold stare - it is his look when he is around people) then we went to babies r us to get Callie a booster seat (she has been 4 obviously for a long time but couldn't get to the 40 lb mark - now with winter clothes we are counting that she is there).
Wednesday Callie and Shannon built a snow man. They had played out it in the week before but it wouldn't stick to make a snow man to then.
Friday we had Chase's first birthday party. I was quite proud of his cake :-)
Saturday Callie and I went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.

It was a great break and I so enjoyed my family. I can't believe that Chase was a year old Monday.

Here is Callie cooking out of her new cook book with her new apron on - we had to go ASAP to the store to get ingredients once she received this present.

Santa brought an art table. Callie loves it.....and so does Chase (I spent a lot of time over break distracting him from it :-)

Chase loves pillows - especially Max's.

This is just one of my favorite pictures.