It's been a while since I posted a funny story about my sister, Tracey's, crazy kids.
Tracey called me earlier today. Here's how this true story goes:
Tracey's in the bedroom (probably tending to Olivia) when she hears a loud "Pop!". Isabella, who just recently turned 3 years old, runs in the hallway yelling, "Mommy that bright light scared me!". Tracey said Isabella's face was white as a ghost and she went out to the kitchen to investigate. The microwave was still going and was now making a "grr...grr...grr" sound. She opened the microwave door to find a Kool-aid Jammer inside. Kool-aid Jammer packages are made of tin/foil and therefore spark and explode inside the microwave.
Tracey has no idea what possessed Isabella to put the Kool-aid inside the microwave. But then again, we don't really know what possesses Isabella to do anything besides the fact that she is 3 and loves to explore and must try things out for herself rather than taking your word for it that it could be dangerous.
Luckily, no one was injured and no fire started (although this could have easily happened...scary!!!)
Morals:
a) Kool-Aid Jammers should be enjoyed cold from the fridge and not nuked
OR
b) Don't teach your 3-year old to use the microwave (of course, they're so smart they generally learn on their own anyways)
The microwave is now caput!
On the bright side:
A similar incident of "exploring" happened with the apartment elevator and Isabella no longer will go inside one without an adult very close at hand.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Hearing Test
Not sure how many of you knew this but Sarah failed her infant screening test when she was first born.
I honestly wasn't really worried (well, maybe a bit) because she seemed to be reacting and responding to sound very well...turn her head towards our voices and the cat meowing, open her eyes wide when we turned on her mobile, get a fright at loud noises.
But you just never know so...
Today we went for our secondary testing...and she passed in both ears. YAY!!!
And we're doing really good in all other areas too. Nanny and Poppy Hynes were here last week to visit and got to see the baby for the first time so that was pretty exciting for all of us. You should see all of the clothes they brought - some new stuff and LOTS of hand-me-downs from cousin Chloe. I had to buy a closet organizer to fit it all and still have to pack away some bigger items in bins. Seems like we won't have to buy clothes for this kid til she's like 2 years old between all of sisters!!
AND we have a big box FULL of the cutest shoes!! he he --- Baby is starting out on the right track. That's my girl!!
I honestly wasn't really worried (well, maybe a bit) because she seemed to be reacting and responding to sound very well...turn her head towards our voices and the cat meowing, open her eyes wide when we turned on her mobile, get a fright at loud noises.
But you just never know so...
Today we went for our secondary testing...and she passed in both ears. YAY!!!
And we're doing really good in all other areas too. Nanny and Poppy Hynes were here last week to visit and got to see the baby for the first time so that was pretty exciting for all of us. You should see all of the clothes they brought - some new stuff and LOTS of hand-me-downs from cousin Chloe. I had to buy a closet organizer to fit it all and still have to pack away some bigger items in bins. Seems like we won't have to buy clothes for this kid til she's like 2 years old between all of sisters!!
AND we have a big box FULL of the cutest shoes!! he he --- Baby is starting out on the right track. That's my girl!!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Lost my Mind
I just came home from the baby shower the ladies at my church had for me. Thanks Ladies! (even tho' none of them read this blog but anyways...) Got some great stuff, baby was sleeping in the car on the way home, pretty normal, right?
And then...
The ultimate "baby brain" thing happened:
I was standing at my front door, arms loaded down, and there I was holding the automatic TRUCK key/door opener thingy and pointing and clicking and pointing and hitting the button again at the HOUSE door for it to unlock. It was just for a second but still...OMG!
lol...thought you might enjoy your daily giggle at my expense.
Seriously tho'...so when does this brain mush thing end? Ever?
And then...
The ultimate "baby brain" thing happened:
I was standing at my front door, arms loaded down, and there I was holding the automatic TRUCK key/door opener thingy and pointing and clicking and pointing and hitting the button again at the HOUSE door for it to unlock. It was just for a second but still...OMG!
lol...thought you might enjoy your daily giggle at my expense.
Seriously tho'...so when does this brain mush thing end? Ever?
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Happy Mothers Day!
To my wonderful mother and to you all you other fabulous moms out there, hope your day is filled with all the great things you deserve for having the toughest job on earth!
With a new appreciation, here are some of the latest and greatest pics of my little reason for enjoying this day!
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With a new appreciation, here are some of the latest and greatest pics of my little reason for enjoying this day!
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Thursday, May 03, 2007
It's Official
Facebook has been taking up too much of my internet time and I haven't been blogging...not good.
So here's an update on Baby Sarah:
At her last doctors appointment on Tuesday, May1st, she was a whopping 15lbs 4oz and 23 inches long!! Yup, quite the little porker apparantly. Obviously no problems here with adequate milk production. he he.
She also had her first vaccinations - that did not go over so well. When the doctor put the needle in her leg, she stopped suddenly, got this really confused look on her face, and then let out a shrill "Waaaaaaa!!" And then she kept staring at the doctor - he said she was making sure to remember his face for next time. Poor little girl had quite the fussy day yesterday. And it seems when she's really fussy the best thing to soothe her and put her to sleep is the vacuum cleaner - go figure!
Sarah also has eczema on her arms, legs, and tummy as well as continuing with a bit of cradle cap on her head. It's not too bad I guess but it makes her skin quite dry and I have to keep cream the doctor prescribed on her all the time intermingled with a good lathering of olive oil. So at any given time of the day my baby either smells like the pharmacy or the kitchen. Whatever happened to smelling just like a baby? Oh well...
Here's a few recent pics...
Chillin in the bouncy chair.
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With ducky in my crib
Snoozing in mom and dad's bed
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Enjoying a sunny day outside with mommy (mommy really needs to get some sun!)
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Mommy put me down for a nap...on a camping chair! (don't worry...mommy was keeping a very close eye on me)
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Not very happy about the reason for those bandaids on my legs.
See y'all on facebook. Bye for now,Myrna
So here's an update on Baby Sarah:
At her last doctors appointment on Tuesday, May1st, she was a whopping 15lbs 4oz and 23 inches long!! Yup, quite the little porker apparantly. Obviously no problems here with adequate milk production. he he.
She also had her first vaccinations - that did not go over so well. When the doctor put the needle in her leg, she stopped suddenly, got this really confused look on her face, and then let out a shrill "Waaaaaaa!!" And then she kept staring at the doctor - he said she was making sure to remember his face for next time. Poor little girl had quite the fussy day yesterday. And it seems when she's really fussy the best thing to soothe her and put her to sleep is the vacuum cleaner - go figure!
Sarah also has eczema on her arms, legs, and tummy as well as continuing with a bit of cradle cap on her head. It's not too bad I guess but it makes her skin quite dry and I have to keep cream the doctor prescribed on her all the time intermingled with a good lathering of olive oil. So at any given time of the day my baby either smells like the pharmacy or the kitchen. Whatever happened to smelling just like a baby? Oh well...
Here's a few recent pics...
Chillin in the bouncy chair.
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With ducky in my crib
Snoozing in mom and dad's bed
.jpg)
Enjoying a sunny day outside with mommy (mommy really needs to get some sun!)
.jpg)
Mommy put me down for a nap...on a camping chair! (don't worry...mommy was keeping a very close eye on me).jpg)
Not very happy about the reason for those bandaids on my legs.
See y'all on facebook. Bye for now,Myrna
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Baby Talk
Today I don't know what's wrong with her...she's been very fussy these past few nights and today in particular she doesn't want to be down out of my arms at all. And since she won't take a soother to try and relax and since I still need to try and get a few things done, I brought out the snugli for the first time. This is how I've spent most of my morning. Sarah seems to really love it and it allows me to have full use of both of my hands.
While on the topic of having my baby up in arms...let's talk about crying...
A while ago during my pregnancy I was watching Oprah when she aired THIS EPISODE about the language of babies. A lady named Priscilla Dunstan had noticed with her own child a distinct cry for each thing the baby wanted/needed. She theorized that perhaps all newborns are born with this "language" and set out to experiment. She found that with 1000 newborns tested from all over the world, there were many cries that had a particular sound in common. Here are five she discussed on Oprah:
Neh = hungry
Owh = sleepy
Eh = Upper Gas/Burp
Heh = discomfort
Eair = Lower Gas
I was skeptical but intrigued and decided that I would try her thoery when my own baby arrived. At first when Sarah came I didn't even think about it but one frustrating day of crying and me not quite sure what to do I thought about it and went online to research. Sarah was mostly making the "Neh Neh" sound...hungry? How can that be? I seemed to be feeding her constantly. But hungry she was. I also found the "eh" sound worked for when Sarah needed that extra burp and the strong "eair" sound when she seemed to have gas. The "heh" and "owh" not so much but 3 out of 5...not bad.
Most imporantly what I've discovered is that scary as the crying is when you don't know what's wrong and feel helpless, eventually you begin to recognize your babies cries and what they mean. For example:
Hungry - she's crying AND trying to eat her hands while smacking her lips vigorously
Sleepy - crying interspersed with yawning
Burp - she does this little gaggy thing
Lower Gas - Cries really hard and strong like in pain and keeps pulling her legs up to her belly
Discomfort - she feels too hot or too cold, seems not to like the position she's in OR is a little smelly with needing a diaper change.
And then there are the times when it seems nothing works and all you can do is try and stay calm and do everything possible to soothe. Eventually something stops the madness.
This also brings me to a contraversial topic I feel very passionate about - that is the "just let them cry" theory. Seems some brainiac doctor or scientist wrote a book telling us to ignore our babies and some people actually bought it!
I know there are times when we are tired and frustrated and don't know what else to do. I know there are times when we are mid-supper, mid-laundry, mid-shower when our babies start to cry and we may need a few minutes before we can get to them. I'm not talking about the whimpers and gurgles and sighs our babies make when we put them down or when they first wake up - because I also believe that we need to give them some time to self-soothe instead of picking them up with every sound.
What I'm talking about here is full-fledged crying and the parents who make the conscious decision to just sit and listen to the screaming because some idiot told them that paying attention to their newborns only means of conversing with us would somehow constitute "spoiling". I just don't understand at all - even animals, as we've all seen, are distraught at their babies crying and instinctively comfort their young by feeding them, cleaning them, nudging and cuddling them. But we humans, given the choice, sometimes go against our better judgement and ignore our motherly instincts! Why is that?!
Isn't it partially because we have such a distorted view of what "spoiling" actually is. We have become parents who don't take the time out to communicate with, snuggle with, read to, eat dinner with our families. And then we feel guilty and try and buy affections with material possessions. Isn't all that stuff what spoiling really is?
Overall, I simply believe babies cry for a reason. They can't spell out for us what they want and how else are they to tell us? To ignore them, in my opinion, is teaching them right from the get-go that they can't rely on us, the parents who were blessed with having them in our lives to begin with. What I think about and breaks my heart are the poor little babies who are out there in orphanages with nobody to love them, nobody to meet their basic needs. Doesn't the thought of that just make you want to hold and hug your baby all day long? Or what about if you DID let your baby cry all night long and after she finally went back to sleep she dies of SIDS...we don't know what life might bring and wouldn't you give everything to have the time back to just pick her up and soothe her? So whether it's for feeding, burping, changing, sleeping, or simply to be cuddled (cause don't we all need a little love sometimes?), please pick your baby up, let her know she's loved and okay and that you're doing your best.
And if doing all those things will make my baby spoiled...then very spoiled my baby will be!
While on the topic of having my baby up in arms...let's talk about crying...
A while ago during my pregnancy I was watching Oprah when she aired THIS EPISODE about the language of babies. A lady named Priscilla Dunstan had noticed with her own child a distinct cry for each thing the baby wanted/needed. She theorized that perhaps all newborns are born with this "language" and set out to experiment. She found that with 1000 newborns tested from all over the world, there were many cries that had a particular sound in common. Here are five she discussed on Oprah:
Neh = hungry
Owh = sleepy
Eh = Upper Gas/Burp
Heh = discomfort
Eair = Lower Gas
I was skeptical but intrigued and decided that I would try her thoery when my own baby arrived. At first when Sarah came I didn't even think about it but one frustrating day of crying and me not quite sure what to do I thought about it and went online to research. Sarah was mostly making the "Neh Neh" sound...hungry? How can that be? I seemed to be feeding her constantly. But hungry she was. I also found the "eh" sound worked for when Sarah needed that extra burp and the strong "eair" sound when she seemed to have gas. The "heh" and "owh" not so much but 3 out of 5...not bad.
Most imporantly what I've discovered is that scary as the crying is when you don't know what's wrong and feel helpless, eventually you begin to recognize your babies cries and what they mean. For example:
Hungry - she's crying AND trying to eat her hands while smacking her lips vigorously
Sleepy - crying interspersed with yawning
Burp - she does this little gaggy thing
Lower Gas - Cries really hard and strong like in pain and keeps pulling her legs up to her belly
Discomfort - she feels too hot or too cold, seems not to like the position she's in OR is a little smelly with needing a diaper change.
And then there are the times when it seems nothing works and all you can do is try and stay calm and do everything possible to soothe. Eventually something stops the madness.
This also brings me to a contraversial topic I feel very passionate about - that is the "just let them cry" theory. Seems some brainiac doctor or scientist wrote a book telling us to ignore our babies and some people actually bought it!
I know there are times when we are tired and frustrated and don't know what else to do. I know there are times when we are mid-supper, mid-laundry, mid-shower when our babies start to cry and we may need a few minutes before we can get to them. I'm not talking about the whimpers and gurgles and sighs our babies make when we put them down or when they first wake up - because I also believe that we need to give them some time to self-soothe instead of picking them up with every sound.
What I'm talking about here is full-fledged crying and the parents who make the conscious decision to just sit and listen to the screaming because some idiot told them that paying attention to their newborns only means of conversing with us would somehow constitute "spoiling". I just don't understand at all - even animals, as we've all seen, are distraught at their babies crying and instinctively comfort their young by feeding them, cleaning them, nudging and cuddling them. But we humans, given the choice, sometimes go against our better judgement and ignore our motherly instincts! Why is that?!
Isn't it partially because we have such a distorted view of what "spoiling" actually is. We have become parents who don't take the time out to communicate with, snuggle with, read to, eat dinner with our families. And then we feel guilty and try and buy affections with material possessions. Isn't all that stuff what spoiling really is?
Overall, I simply believe babies cry for a reason. They can't spell out for us what they want and how else are they to tell us? To ignore them, in my opinion, is teaching them right from the get-go that they can't rely on us, the parents who were blessed with having them in our lives to begin with. What I think about and breaks my heart are the poor little babies who are out there in orphanages with nobody to love them, nobody to meet their basic needs. Doesn't the thought of that just make you want to hold and hug your baby all day long? Or what about if you DID let your baby cry all night long and after she finally went back to sleep she dies of SIDS...we don't know what life might bring and wouldn't you give everything to have the time back to just pick her up and soothe her? So whether it's for feeding, burping, changing, sleeping, or simply to be cuddled (cause don't we all need a little love sometimes?), please pick your baby up, let her know she's loved and okay and that you're doing your best.
And if doing all those things will make my baby spoiled...then very spoiled my baby will be!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
CopyCat
A few days ago Tara ---->> posted on her blog pictures of her son, Noah, who decided he wanted a new hairdo - a MOHAWK! You should check it out, it's cute as can be!
And now since I have to put cream on Sarah's scalp for the cradle cap , it makes her hair go kinda stiff and PERFECT for styling!!! he he...I'm such a cruel mom...
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So chances are she's totally going to hate me when she's a teenager for taking these goofy pics of her...
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Sarah likes UFC...Uncle Darren will be so proud
"Helping" with laundry
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Oh, and I FINALLY joined FACEBOOK....
Under the name Myrna Goosney Hynes (again copying Tara so that people can find me with both my married and maiden names).
I can totally see how this is going to be very addictive!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Don't be Alarmed
Viewer discretion advised...
Remember a few days ago I was telling you about the nasty rash Sarah had. We brought her to the clinic on Sunday but her skin progressively got worse.
These are the pictures from Monday...again, seriously, it's probably the worse skin condition you've ever seen on a baby...very nasty...And honestly, these aren't the worse pictures. The photos I took on Wednesday are so bad I didn't think it appropriate to post online.
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On tuesday we had a midwife appointment and Shirley advised me to make a doctors appointment because she really wasn't sure what it could be. She said in all her years of practice she hadn't seen anything quite as extreme.
So, I brought Sarah to the doctor on Wednesday. I was so nervous at this point because her ears were both infected, her eyes were swollen half shut, the yellow crustiness had spread over her entire forehead, half way down and on the sides of her nose, and around the back of her neck to the point that when she laid down for a nap the infection was oozing out and staining her sheets. Poor little girl! The doc was quite alarmed by the infection but immediately provided us with the diagnosis - CRADLE CAP! (Jamie previously researched online and he told me he thought it might be this). I'm sure most of you have heard of cradle cap (2 of our nieces had it) - it's very common and normally stays confined to the scalp area. In rare cases it can also spread to other parts of the body, particularly the face. From what I understand, because of her previous acne her skin was already compromised and the fungus just kinda took over. Totally gross I know! The doctor checked her ears, nose, and eyes to make sure nothing had spread inside - if so, he said we may have had to take a trip to see a pediatrician at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Phew! Nothing....so he gave us some cream and told me to actually pick off those yucky yellow scabs. Normally scabs are formed when the skin is broken to allow the skin to heal. This is not the case here - he explained to me that the crust had formed on TOP of the skin protecting the fungus underneath and we needed to expose the skin to treat it. And he also recommended we keep olive oil on her skin - he said I should be keeping olive oil on her skin everywhere anyways, a very good natural "lotion" for babies.
And with that, the doctor noted that Sarah still seemed to be quite happy. This was, he said, because "she can't see herself. If she was a teenager she'd be freaking out." ha ha...And seemingly very healthy too....weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs. 14 oz.!!
Today, she's looking much better during her afternoon snooze...Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.
Remember a few days ago I was telling you about the nasty rash Sarah had. We brought her to the clinic on Sunday but her skin progressively got worse.
These are the pictures from Monday...again, seriously, it's probably the worse skin condition you've ever seen on a baby...very nasty...And honestly, these aren't the worse pictures. The photos I took on Wednesday are so bad I didn't think it appropriate to post online.
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On tuesday we had a midwife appointment and Shirley advised me to make a doctors appointment because she really wasn't sure what it could be. She said in all her years of practice she hadn't seen anything quite as extreme.
So, I brought Sarah to the doctor on Wednesday. I was so nervous at this point because her ears were both infected, her eyes were swollen half shut, the yellow crustiness had spread over her entire forehead, half way down and on the sides of her nose, and around the back of her neck to the point that when she laid down for a nap the infection was oozing out and staining her sheets. Poor little girl! The doc was quite alarmed by the infection but immediately provided us with the diagnosis - CRADLE CAP! (Jamie previously researched online and he told me he thought it might be this). I'm sure most of you have heard of cradle cap (2 of our nieces had it) - it's very common and normally stays confined to the scalp area. In rare cases it can also spread to other parts of the body, particularly the face. From what I understand, because of her previous acne her skin was already compromised and the fungus just kinda took over. Totally gross I know! The doctor checked her ears, nose, and eyes to make sure nothing had spread inside - if so, he said we may have had to take a trip to see a pediatrician at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Phew! Nothing....so he gave us some cream and told me to actually pick off those yucky yellow scabs. Normally scabs are formed when the skin is broken to allow the skin to heal. This is not the case here - he explained to me that the crust had formed on TOP of the skin protecting the fungus underneath and we needed to expose the skin to treat it. And he also recommended we keep olive oil on her skin - he said I should be keeping olive oil on her skin everywhere anyways, a very good natural "lotion" for babies.
And with that, the doctor noted that Sarah still seemed to be quite happy. This was, he said, because "she can't see herself. If she was a teenager she'd be freaking out." ha ha...And seemingly very healthy too....weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs. 14 oz.!!
Today, she's looking much better during her afternoon snooze...Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
She Smiled!!
Yay!
So exciting...a few days ago Sarah started giving Jamie and I really quick kinda lopsided grins...but TODAY she finally gave me a full fledged so-happy-to-see-you smile...what could be better than that?!!?
So exciting...a few days ago Sarah started giving Jamie and I really quick kinda lopsided grins...but TODAY she finally gave me a full fledged so-happy-to-see-you smile...what could be better than that?!!?
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