Life as we now know it...

If only I had done all the research prior to her getting the vaccinations. I knew there were some minor risks but never knew this would happen to my little girl.

She had her 12 months vax on Dec 21st. She started with a similar rash on
Monday the 25th and it slowly started to go away and had a low grade
fever - around 101. Yesterday, Friday, she developed a fever over 103
and extremely cranky. This morning her rash is back again and getting
much worse... it is spreading up her neck, on her back and everywhere
else.

When talking to her doctor he said it was viral. She has had many
viral things in the past year and this is not one of them. The shots
she had: MMR, varicella & 2nd flu shot.

Cait doesn't want to eat or drink like she normally does.

Anyone reading this... if you have had a similar experience with shots or know anyone who has please comment.

Since starting to walk a few weeks ago she has progressed into doing other dangerous things. Just check out the look in her eyes... she knows very well that she shouldn't be doing this.



Of course we get this view quite often too:

Okay so it is Cait's actual birthday so we got her yet another cake. Girlfriend certainly does love chocolate cake. We have a funny pic of her licking the plate trying to get every last crumb but I'll save that pic for those of you that I know well! I think she had a wonderful time turning one. Well, who wouldn't love to eat that much cake!

Oh, check this out... Miss Amy Jo sent a beautiful doll, Miss D. loves it. She takes the pacifier and tries to suck on it.

Well, Miss D. had her 1 year doc visit today. She is doing well.
Thankfully the little Bossy Butt has gone down for a much needed nap.
So what if is is a few hours late. She had to play with her dolls for
a while since they had missed her all day.

She had 3 more shots today and was NOT pleased with that at all.

If you are curious here are her stats:
Birth
7lbs 13oz weight
20.5" height
13.75 head

22lbs weight
32" height
19" head

So, in 1 year she has grown 11.5" and gained 14lbs 3 oz!! Not gonna
figure out the math for the head... we all know it is huge.

Her hearing situation remains the same. She still wears hearing aids
as often as possible.

This is the easiest way I could come up with!

At 2:30pm today Caitlyn visited the dentist for the first time for a routine check-up. She wasn't thrilled that she had to get up early from her nap but she dealt with it, her maturity is already showing through! We get to the dentist office and I could tell she was a bit nervous. They call her name and we follow them back. Her eyes are wide open now... any sign of sleepiness is far gone. She meets her dentist and we sit in the chair. I was told to have Cait face me and then lay her back on my knees so the dentist could check out her teeth. Of course Miss Cait starts having a fait cause she has to lay down and open her mouth. The exam was very short and sweet. All 7 teeth are is excellent shape. She should have another one within a few days! No tarter and certainly no cavities. Just keep brushing 2 times per day and things should be fine.

We are trying to break her of the bottle habit now. She is down to only 2 a day, one in the morning and one before bed. The rest of the day she has a sippy cup. Once we get rid of the bottle by the new year we will work on tossing out her binky. She is only allowed to have that in her crib.

Only a few days left until her 1st b-day. We are all very excited. She even got a really nice book in the mail from her friend Sarah. Thank YOU!!!

Here is a pic of Cait and her new tooth brush:

To Quang at least! lol

Photo and video editing at onetruemedia.com

Okay, so those of you that have been to our house have seen the hideous master bathroom we have. The previous owners killed the walls... it looked like someone puked different shades of green and swirled it around. We have been here for a year now and I couldn't take it any longer. Ohhhh, when painting they used a flat paint and tried to do a faux finish. They got it on the ceiling and made a crazy mess.

Before:

After:

What a day.

Woke up with such a migraine I couldn't move. Q went downstairs to get my medication... took the max amount I could for a 24 hour period and it didn't even touch it. He got Cait ready and took her to daycare. When he got home I called my doc in tears, they said to have someone drive me in right then. We get in the car and once at the doctors they give me a shot of Toradol. I get back home and finally start getting some relief. I take a nap from 9am till 11:30, get up for some food and crash on the couch at 1pm till 3:45pm.

Make dinner for everyone and then head over to my neighbors house for an Arbonne party. I get there and decide to have a glass of wine... it was fine at first but now the headache is starting to come back, or maybe the shot is wearing off. Either way I am miserable.

Time for bed.

Brush-a Brush-a Brush-a

Well, Quang and I started fighting again. He refuses to try to understand my point. His parents, brother & bro's girlfriend were here for dinner last Sunday. So sitting at the dinner table every one of them spoke in vietnamese. This wouldn't be a problem if they even attempted to talk to me or include me into the conversation. But they all just sit there and speak a language I do not understand. This really pisses me off especially in my own house.

Yes, they do know english but it is crappy because they never try to speak it often. They have been in the states for 30 years. Am I wrong to get irritated about this? I think it is totally rude. Quang doesn't see why I get upset over it. Unfortunately, this subject comes up every so often when I get completely fed up with it. It is to the point that I don't want to go to any "family" gatherings because I am completely bored out of my mind. How can I consider them family when I feel as though they have no respect? You may be asking yourself, "Why doesn't she just learn the language?" well, I am not sure if you have ever heard it but it is not an easy one to master and all the tapes and books are in the Northern Dialect and they all speak the Southern.

I am just getting more pissed the more I think about this. Time to go focus on something else.

Happy 11 Month Birthday!! Hard to believe you have been with us for 11 whole months. You have changed so very much and a crazy funny personality has emerged. I can see how you think things through and go into deep thought about how to accomplish new goals. Just looking at you and seeing how you have grown into your own person is amazing. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't somehow love you more than the day before. No matter what happens in your life, I will always be here for you.

I was going to try to make this into a funny post but it just doesn't seem like appropriate timing. I love going into your room while you are sleeping and just touch your little hand or feel your fuzzy hair. I stand there listening to you breath. Yes, I have taken over a thousand pictures of you because I never want to forget any of this. My life has changed. You have changed me. I thought I was happy before I had you but now I know there is so much I was lacking. Thank you, baby girl, for showing me what life is really about.

Life is about looking in the mirror and smiling even though your belly hangs over your diaper just a little bit:

Life is about having the cheesiest smile in the world:

Life is about figuring out how to turn the shower on and feeling the rain drops on your head:

And Life is about closing your eyes, knowing you are safe and letting the water wash away all worries:

Cait's favorite Little Guy has turned 1 and she was so happy to celebrate this wonderful day with him.

All the kids played well together and no tantrums had to be dealt with. He was so lucky to get a manly tea set, earlier this evening I read that Jake has one too... maybe they will host a tea party and invite Cait over! After he opened his presents with Cait's help, everyone headed to the dining room for some cake. Cup cakes were passed around and when Susan asked if chocolate was okay, of course I said yes. At the time I wasn't thinking very clearly and will elaborate on this a bit later.

As you can see Miss Caitie Cait LOVED the chocolate cupcake! You will notice that I am holding her for reasons I am currently unaware of. As any good mother I was prepared for the mess that she would get all over herself and brought the little Chop a change of clothes. Of course, many of you may also know how I sometimes do not think things through all the way -- hence, holding her while she is getting frosting everywhere. I did not bring an extra change of clothing.

Look at how cute she is with frosting all over her precious little face.

I can only imagine how much of a mess she will make in 29 more days!

**Oh, I didn't forget... chocolate cupcakes with tons of tasty frosting makes for one crazy baby poop the next day. A ball had to be thrown out and a bath taken. 'Nuff said.

Here are some of the pictures we had done at Sears for Halloween

Every Sunday Caitlyn wears her cheerleading outfit, well on this particular Sunday morning she had a banana as part of her breakfast and decided it would make a good hair gel. After trying to rinse it out in the sink without getting her drenched I decided to just go with it. She helped me make it into the beautiful and creative mohawk she is proudly displaying! Go GIANTS!!

I can't sleep. Kid, husband and cat are snoring. For some reason I tried to remember this poem and somehow forgot a few of the lines, I used to have it memorized. So, I am sitting here wide awake and looked it up just for you.

If
by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!

Well, this is Caitlyn's first Halloween and she had a WONDERFUL time. She was a Cat this year just like her sister Simon. We figured a family picture would be appropriate. I certainly do miss Petey and wish he was still here with us.

Thankfully, Cait's best friend came over to go trick-or-treating with her... it would have been nice to get a good picture of the 2 of them together but that is nearly impossible to do.

Here are some more cute shots of the evening: