Storybrook Ranch, Fire Safety Town and a birthday Celebration…a very busy Tuesday!

We started out the day with our adventure at Storybrook Ranch.  We did this last year just after moving to Texas and wanted to check it out again.  The kiddos again had a blast playing in the bounce houses and running through the hay maze. Elin loved spending time with the ponies.  She wasn’t afraid of them at all and she was eager to ride on one.  Trying to teach her to be careful around them was a huge task and thankfully these ponies were very well mannered.  She’s such a fearless little thing!  After the kids got their fill of the ponies and animals we hopped on a wagon ride and headed back to the 1800s.  The ranch’s historic “dry bones town” has buildings from all over that they hand picked and had delivered to the town to preserve them.  In our quick tour we stopped into the jail house, the doctors office, the barber shop, the black smiths shed and the fire station.  There was so much more to see and explore  but time ran out!   We found a live praying mantis on the blacksmiths workbench.  It was so cool and very neat to see in the “wild.”  I hope to someday have one of these critters in my garden!After we were at the town we stopped back at the pumpkin patch for a few pictures and then headed out.  We got a decent picture of the kiddos and I still can’t believe I have 3 kiddos when I look at the picture of myself with them, crazy and amazing all at the same time!

After a quick hour at home and a recharge and refill of our waters we were headed up to Fire Safety Town for Grahm’s birthday.  The little boys were pretty excited and I was very proud of how well Thomas listened and answered the questions.  He was so eager to learn and tell the fire fighter what he knew about fire safety.  Elin did a pretty good job for not having a nap and paid attention as well as an over tired 2 year old could!  She loved driving the big fire truck at the end of the tour.    After we finished the tour we headed over to a park for cupcakes and some playtime to finish off Grahm’s birthday celebration.

It was a busy and extremely fun day!  On our way home I risked a complete melt down and took the 3 kids out to dinner.  Elin wasn’t going to make it home in the car awake and we were just about to the time when if she goes to sleep she could sleep til the next morning…so we stopped in and grabbed a quick bite successfully before heading home.  As expected Elin fell asleep at 6 in the car and slept til the next morning at 7:30, it was a busy day!! 

Grandpa Jeff is in Town

Grandpa Jeff had a few meetings in Dallas so he came down a day early to spend some time with us and meet William.  He got in on Sunday afternoon about lunch time and after some lunch and a little football he and Mike took the big kids to the sports store.Then it was time to come home and head to the park for some JLBBA (Jeff Laschen Baseball Academy).  Thomas had a blast and just as he was getting tired, Elin got attacked by fire ants.  They had crawled into the wagon and as she sat to get a drink of water they started to bite her.  We got the ants off her as quickly as possible and and a few bites later, she was ant free and we were headed home.  Fire ants are a new bad thing around here….their bites feel like a quick needle poke and then they get blisters and really itchy.  We have been luck to avoid them for the most part and hope to continue this trend.

When we got home we had 2 very tired kiddos on our hands.  We got them in and out of the shower and then Grandpa read them a few books before Elin went to bed.  Then Thomas got to go in the backyard again and play with Grandpa and have dinner with us before he went to bed.  It was a fast few hours but we got lots of things jammed in with Grandpa. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday night Elin was already asleep by the time Grandpa got home from his work dinner.  Thomas was exhausted too so he and Grandpa did a few animal calls on his iPad and then a couple books and then it was bedtime.  It was a quick trip for Grandpa, but we will see him in a few more days when we head to Minnesota.

Botanic Gardens

Our friends, Grandma Debbie and her daughter Shelby, met us at the Arboretum to check out the Children’s Garden and the fall Pumpkin/Gourd area.  We spent the morning exploring the Children’s Garden.  The kids had a great time playing in all the water features as it was in the low 90s.  Then we grabbed a bite to eat and checked out the pumpkins before heading home.  It was a fun morning with Deb and Shelby. 

Thomas is 4 and a HALF

Although it feels as tthought it couldn’t be Thomas is already 4.5 and he is quickly turning into a “real boy.”  What I mean by a “real boy” is Mike and I are constantly saying things to one another about what Thomas did or said and then we follow it up with “he’s getting so big, just like a real big boy!”

Physically he is getting taller and heavier by what feels like the minute.  Things he couldn’t do before-like reach the bathroom sink-he can now do without stools or help.  He is also getting harder to lift and carry around and I am dreading the day when he is officially “too big” to be swooped up in Mike or I’s arms when he is upset, hurt, or just needing a little more TLC.  His facial features are also changing and he’s starting to look older to us.  He is getting a few more freckles across the bridge of his nose. 

Thomas is now in his own room sleeping from the beginning to the end of the night. When he needs Mike or I he comes into our bedroom or calls for us.  He isn’t looking back thought and if you ask him if he wants to sleep in our room he will tell you nope.  He’s dressing himself and picking out all his clothes.  Sometimes he still needs our help with a pesky button or a zipper here and there, but for the most part he is totally independent which helps out a ton in the morning or for bedtime.  Sometimes his selection of matching outfits is a bit wonky to us, but it works for him and that is all that matters.  Along with other self help skills he is really mostly independent with all of them, we often do a check cleaning or brushing but more and more he is doing it all on his own and very well.  He is really taking pride in how he is dressing, brushing his hair, and maintaining his body to keep it healthy.  Next step learning how to tie his shoes!

He still loves all things boy!  He is a strong worker and likes to help with all jobs, well most, around the house.   Although playing alone isn’t his strongest skill he is working on it and we can see this skill improving by the week.   For the most part if he is directing play it is with his fire/rescue toys or dress up clothes, in his sandbox with his trucks/toys or lately with his rescue bots rescue heroes.  Helping and rescuing is a big theme with him at the moment.   When he is with his friends they also mostly play games like that, but they are also starting to play sports games together of baseball, catch and chase.   When he and Elin are playing together she mostly plays what Thomas wants to direct….they play a lot of chase and or watch me do this and then you do it on the trampoline, outside, ect.  They are quickly becoming better friends and learning from one another.  Like any siblings they will often get on one another's nerves so we have been working a lot on kind play and not hurting one another.  They have their moments where they are great and moments where I feel like I have been a referee ALL DAY LONG!   He continues to be very active and needs a good deal of daily exercise.  Biking is one of his absolute favorites at the moment and he continues to challenge himself to be and get better. 

We have started to add a few more responsibilities and chores to his world.  He’s learning how to keep his room clean and being more responsible for helping around the house.   He never complains about helping with yard work or big jobs, but he sometimes gets bored with cleaning his room alone.  Since we have started the chores he is getting much better about cleaning up one thing before moving to another.  He is also very proud of his room and when he has it looking all nice all on his own.  In my dream world he would also be independent with putting away his washed clothes…we are working on it…but it still takes some direction and maintaining focus!

Thomas is a really genuine little boy with a huge heart.  He is a great big brother to both his little sister and brother.  He loves to sit and hang out with William and if he is near him you will see him holding his hand and kissing him all over.  He is also very protective of Elin and as long as the two of them are together I know he is looking out for her.  Sometimes he needs to be reminded to not use his hands to express his frustration, more so with his sister than other friends.  He is the first one to help or entertain the little kiddos that are around in different play situations.   Along with this comes Thomas’ sensitive side.  He can have his feelings hurt by things and he feels them pretty intensely.  There are a lot of conversations at our house about big feelings and how we can work through them. He has a love of animals and seems to posses a special touch with them.  Mike and I continue to be impressed by his genuine sincerity and kind heart.  We hope that these are two characteristics that he continues to possess as he matures.

He had days where he is a huge eater and then days where he doesn’t eat so much.  He is still a pretty great eater with a wide variety of favorite foods.  He loves seafood (crab/shrimp/scallops), salmon, steak.  Carrots and Apples have been a big hit at our house too.  He really loves his salad, salad of all kinds actually.  It seems like he is just all of a sudden growing and changing quickly.  He has dropped his naps for the most part, unless it is a crazy busy day or we will have a late night then we can usually get him to take a quick hour power nap.  Along with the dropping of the nap has come the more consistent really tired nighttime Thomas.  He will now ask to go to bed if we haven’t already suggested it and he is tired.  Otherwise he is going to bed about 7/7:30 with Daddy still reading him books and laying with him until he falls asleep. 

He is also learning a lot and we have been starting to get him ready for school in the spring or next fall.  We thought that if we could build him up it would help him with his school confidence.  So I started doing more preschool themed activities where he is learning to write his name, number sense with counting to 10, learning about his letters and the sounds they make and practicing writing and cutting.  It has been fun to see what he is learning and picking up and to see him get excited about school again.  

Well that is Thomas in a really quick nutshell!  Can’t wait to see what the next 6 months bring in his growth and development!

Mountain Biking and a Trail Hike/Run

Thomas really wanted to go mountain biking again and Elin, William and I tried to weasel our way into the trip.  Thankfully the boys let us tag along and we got a good hike/run in as well.  It was fun to watch Thomas concentrate so hard to go over the bumps and down the hills.

Elin loved the trail running and did a great job keeping up with the boys when we went the same direction.  For a bit of their ride we headed the other direction, went to swing and then ran up and down a bridge…a lot.  It was a fun “fall” morning!

Thomas and Elin Go to the Dentist

Thomas had his second and Elin her first dentist appointments today.  We prepped them both by talking about the dentist and reading the Bernstein Bears go to the Dentist. 

Thomas was first up and readily hopped up into the chair for his x-rays.  After the first two the back ones “pinched a little” and then I could see his eyes start to well up a bit as he got increasingly nervous.  It was over in 2 more x-rays and he then hopped down and was excited to get his baseball pencil.

It was then time to get into the dentist’s chair for the exam and teeth cleaning and he was not ready politely saying “no thanks I’ll pass.”  Ha!  I asked if it was ok if Elin went first and then that is what happened.  After he saw that Elin got to watch a movie and wear fancy sunglasses without anything hurting her he was ready for his turn. 

Both kiddos had their teeth cleaned and polished and had a fluoride treatment.  Then it was time to talk to the dentist as Thomas has a “supernumerary tooth” or an extra tooth that she said will need to be surgically removed about 6 months after his bottom 2 teeth fall out.  So somewhere she guessed between 5 and 6, boo! In the picture you can see the two top teeth with the big flat bottoms and in the middle the extra tooth is pointed up  and is in the middle of the two.  Thomas is pretty excited about this and couldn’t wait to tell Dad the “good news that he had an extra tooth!”  Glad someone was excited!

He also had one little cavity that needs to be filled before it gets bigger.   Elin had a clean bill of health and no cavities.  She also suggested that because T had a cavity and Elin has deep grooves that we switch them to an adult toothpaste to help them fight the cavities a little more.  Good thing they loved our toothpaste and have been doing adult paste off and on the whole time. 

Both kiddos had a very positive experience at this dentist and I will say it was a lot different than the pediatric dentists of my day.  There were toys, video games, movies in the ceilings, tokens for a prize at the end and the goody bag of toothpaste and tooth brushes. 

William is 2 Months Old

Well our sweet little baby is 2 months old already.  It doesn’t feel possible and although I am willing time to stand still and for him to never get bigger, I cannot wait to see what his little personality is like and watch him try to keep up with his big brother and sister! 

He continues to be a pretty content little guy and rolls with what we are doing.  He is still able to nap through the chaos and noise of a typical day in our family and I am hoping that doesn’t change.  Most days he spends sleeping on my chest, in his bouncer or in the boppy.  He still needs to be elevated or his tummy bothers him and he spits up a lot more.  He is slowly patterning into a schedule and is starting to be awake for an hour or so in the morning, mid day and then before he goes to bed.  He usually wakes up for the day between 7:30—8:30 and goes to sleep for the night between 6:30-8:30. I will nurse him before I go to bed between 10-11 and then he wakes up a few times in the middle of the night, usually between 2 and 3am and then between 5 and 6 a.m.  He sleeps next to our bed in a Rock and Play and sometimes with me.  I am not complaining as I feel like my little itty bitty baby snuggles are passing by so quickly!

When he is awake he has just started to smile and coo to us.  He likes to get kisses and do his “baby workout” where I play with his arms and legs and help him cross midline.  He rocks his tummy time and loves to kick his legs around on the changing table or when he is naked.  He has started to watch Thomas and Elin and loves to smile at them.  They think it is pretty awesome too when he holds their hand!  Most days he spends his time snuggled into my chest in a ring sling or asleep in the baby bouncer chair. 

We have also come to find out that he too has reflux.  We started to see it early on as he is a spits baby, but as he got older it continued to get worse (more fussy when burping, crying, ect).  We started to try gripe water and positional things and then we headed to medicine.  He now takes medicine nightly to help his tummy and I have eliminated dairy from my diet. With these two things his is a content and happy guy, even if he spits here and there.  If he eats too much he can projectile spit with furry.  Mike and I giggle saying it is like the scene from stand by me’s pie eating contest.  The kids are so funny if he spits and they quickly get something to help him, but want to be no where near him if he is going to “spit.”

He had a good doctor appointment today.  They were happy with his weight gain/growth as he was 11 lbs 3 ounces and 23 inches long. 

Scare with Stella Puppy

Some of you know that back in Seattle Stella was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease.  Her x-rays showed that from C4-C6 her vertebra in her neck had began to crumble.  That was June of 2013, we treated her and went on with our lives, really not thinking too much about it.  Then a few weeks ago she started to cry out in more pain, we kept watching her and waiting to see what direction she would go.  Then she stopped getting up on the couch, her favorite spot, she started to wander and not lay down in normal places.  It was apparent that she was in pain and was having trouble getting comfortable.  We had started giving her her Rimadyl and letting her rest. 

On Friday when the kids and I got home from our walk/bike ride I thought something was different, couldn’t pinpoint it, but knew something was wrong.  That night I told Mike I was really worried about her…

On Saturday we again gave her medicine and rested her, she again was crying out here and there and we then noticed she stopped raising her head, she also wasn’t excited about joining us at dinner, a favorite human food spot for her.  At that point we had figured out it was her neck again and we were pretty bummed out. 

On Sunday morning she was noticeably worse, we had bacon for breakfast and she didn’t come get it, and before we loaded the kids up to hit the pool I had a moment with her.  While I sobbed over her giant head I told her that she needed to somehow give us a sign of what to do.  We have always been hesitant with her going to the vet because it is so super stressful for her.  So anyway, she and I had our moment, the kids and Mike headed to the pool and William and I ran to the grocery store.  When we stopped at home to drop off our refrigerated goods I walked into the house and Stella was in so much pain she couldn’t move without crying out.  I had her lay down and she was visibly distressed and so was I.  I called Mike went and got him and the kids and we got everyone loaded up so Stell could go to the vet. Then it became apparent that whenever Thomas and Elin were around Stella was much less likely to cry out, she was hiding her pain from them, tough protector.  Honestly at that moment with as much pain as she was in, I didn’t know if she was coming home, it was soo sad/scary.

The emergency vet was slammed as it was a Holiday weekend, So Stella, William and I went inside to wait while Mike, Thomas, and Elin came home for lunch and naps.  We waited and waited and after 4 hours finally saw the vet.  She suggested increasing her pain management and then if things didn’t get better evaluating Stella’s quality of life….huh!

Mike came back to get William, as he had the car seat, and we got Stella back in the truck.  We got her home and she went outside in front of the playhouse and that is where she stayed and rested for the next few days, coming in here and there but being very guarded. 

Sunday night we had steaks for dinner and she joined us by the table, but then had a very difficult time getting up.  Mike had to help her lift her back legs up.  M and I were both so so sad thinking that this might be what all the vets we have talked to have prepared us for.  Sunday night she started to slip and slide all over the floor, have more trouble getting up and going up/down the stairs was very difficult for her to coordinate.  We were hoping it was the medicine that was affecting her like this and not the neurological spinal stuff. 

Monday we kept watch over her, it was a super tough day.  We called the vet a couple times to check in and it was her opinion that Stella was going downhill and she let us know when we were ready she would be at the clinic the next 2 nights.  We were devastated to say the least.  I started reaching out to others in the great dane community and a few other super animal lover friends that I have.  That is how I got back in touch with Heidi an old friend and book club member who is also a vet in Denver.  I explained where we were at with Stella and she said at this point there wasn’t anything to loose by trying powerful steroids with Stella.  The ER vet didn’t think it was a good call because the side effects and the possibility of stomach ulcers/issues, where my friend said if the option is euthanasia or steroids give the steroids a shot and go from there, Mike and I completely agreed.  Monday night we sat with her outside in front of the playhouse and everyone but Elin and William were sobbing messes.  We made feet/paw prints outside.  It was a little bit of a disaster but we were able to get a pretty good print with all our littles feet and an ok Stella paw…perfectly imperfect. 

Tuesday morning I called another mobile vet to come out and see Stella, until she told us she was done fighting, we were going to give her every chance we could.  That morning she stopped eating both her food and also we couldn’t get her to eat her favorite human food, tuna fish to take her Rimadyl and Tramadol.   Seriously, it was a blow to the heart and both Mike and I were sure our Giant Girl was giving up her fight.  I mean who could blame her, even on major pain medicine and non steroidal anti inflammatories she was unable to get comfortable, she was so drugged that she was hardly a fraction of herself and she kept herself isolated from our family. She was going back and forth from in the office and her bed to outside to lay down, never quite knowing where she wanted to be.  Every night (Sun, Mon) we were awoke by Stella crying in pain as she tried to get comfortable to sleep and there was nothing we could do to help her because touching her hurt her more.  It was truly heartbreaking and we knew in our hearts that if her pain like this continued this was no way for her to live.  After trying to give her her afternoon pain meds again to no avail with food I had a quick “you can choose to not eat, but I will not let you not take your medicine and be in more pain” convo with her and proceeded to pill her or shove the meds back into her throat. 

When the vet called that late that afternoon to tell me he had a cancellation and could come that night vs at 11 am the next day, I told him what Stella’s current situation was so he was prepared.  When he got there that night he said he saw Stella outside and thought for sure we were headed down the path to say goodbye to her, but then she perked up and started to show off.  I am so glad she did.  He then agreed with Heidi, vet and friend from Denver, that steroids would give her a shot to be pain free and get some more time.  So he gave her a large steroid injection, and then loaded us up with a bunch of pills for her stomach and more steroids.  He said we should hopefully see a difference by the next morning… that night she started to show small improvements.

By Wednesday morning we were cautiously optimistic that the steroids were helping her.  She was also still on the tramadol as we needed to wean her off of that.   Her gait was still off but she wasn’t struggling as much with the stairs.  The best part was that her pain was managed as she stopped crying out and our pups personality was back…and that was totally worth the extra chance in our opinion.  The funky walking…well that is just part of how she was! 

A week later she hoped back up on her couch….

Then 3 weeks later she is done with all her meds and we took her for a small 1/2 a block walk…

So far we have had a few more weeks rather than days with her and we are very thankful for that…so now we just keep on keeping on and hope for the best and many more days/weeks/months/years with our very special pup.