Life as we now know it...

So you may already know that Caitlyn loves to do dishes and scrub the
sink. It is hard to find little gloves for her to wear and I am
worried about the chemicals from dish soap on her skin.

This post is way overdue. I have had good intentions on completing it the minute we got back but life sometimes happens. It was our first mini vacation since Conor was born at the end of June. Have to admit the weekend was a blast!

The minute I received the invite from Elizabeth Norton @ Party Planning Professor I knew it would be an amazing weekend. I have followed Elizabeth for the past year on Twitter (@Elizabeth_N) and have had the privilege of getting to know her. The Golden Inn graciously opened their doors to my family and a few others for an amazing party to promote Cabbage Patch Kids.

When we arrived late Friday afternoon our family was pleasantly surprised. The front desk staff was courteous and prepared for our arrival so checking in was a breeze. We got the kids in the room and unpacked a few things (husband has a bit of OCD so he had to have things just right!) then we headed back down to the reception area. There was a beautiful fire and a cart with some tasty hot chocolate and coffee. I immediately recognized Elizabeth and introduced myself and the family... have to admit that I never would have guessed she was that tall. Yes, it is the little things that I really remember. After all the introductions we headed to dinner with Elizabeth's family. Went to Sea Grill Restaurant for dinner. The dinner was very tasty but I was nervous the entire time because it was more of a 5 star place and I had Caitlyn and Conor there... thankfully our waitress was super friendly and talked with the kids.

Once the kids were in bed for the night I met up with Elizabeth, Sarah, Kelly and Mariana stopped by for a few minutes. Let me say that the band was great at the hotel bar... so great that we had our picture taken with them. I also found it amusing that Elizabeth had her laptop on the bar. :-)

Stone Harbor had many activities on Saturday. We had breakfast at the hotel Saturday morning, strolled the beach and then ventured out.  Walked around town in the morning, Caitlyn had her face painted and ate some fresh donuts. She made a fun little Christmas ornament at Just Bead It and Conor chilled in the stroller. The kids sat on Santa's lap... it was the first year that Caitlyn didn't freak out and Conor just stared at him.

Sunday morning we had breakfast again at the hotel and it was just as good as it was the day prior.  I have to admit that this is one area that they do extremely well in.  The bacon was tasty!! We all slept very well on the nice comfy beds... I think it might actually be better than my bed at home. After breakfast we had a few hours before the Cabbage Patch Party so we headed back to the beach.  At least the winds had died down and it was comfortable.  Oh, did I forget to mention that the hotel is ON THE BEACH?! Yes, you look out the room and there it is.

Party time!!!!  Caitlyn was beyond excited about the party.  She kept thinking it was her birthday party so it was a bit hard to explain that her own party would be in a few weeks.  I managed to get her into a skirt and cute boots (she doesn't do girly very well) for the occasion.  She walked into the party room and her little face lit up!  There was a green runway for the kids to walk down, lined with balloons.  The kids immediately sat down for story time with Elizabeth... all the moms were live tweeting the event.
We were all treated to a nice lunch and then the party really got going with the adoptions!  One by one the kids were called back to adopt their own Cabbage Patch.  Caitlyn's baby is Lonna Lorraine... no clue how they come up with those names!  After Cait picked Lonna she took her to the 'Doctor' to have her checked over.  The baby needed a bath so she got one and after everything was just right in her eyes, the adoption ceremony began.  She had to take her oath to always love and protect her baby... a very serious matter.
This was all exhausting and a treat was desperately needed.  The Golden Inn chef came in and taught the kids how to make their own Cabbage Patch cupcake.  He took the time to talk with each kid.  Those were gobbled up pretty fast.
The party has ended... it was time to give some feedback to John @GoldenInnAvelon.  I know that my little girl and my family had the best weekend there.  She definitely wants to go back and it is a place we would have very high up on our list.

Highlights

• Family friendly
• Courteous staff
• Great fireplace (reception area)
• Great breakfast buffet
• Fun nightly entertainment
• Comfortable beds

He sits. My sweet little man is so perfect. He is now 5 months old and
has had a tough few weeks. Admitted to the hospital with a UTI and
nasty follow-up doc visits. There are some posts that I need to write
but still need to catch my breath from all that has transpired with my
little man.

We had such an amazing time last weekend that I haven't had a chance to get caught up at work and home. There will be a full post this weekend describing the events.

Caitlyn had the time of her life! She keeps asking to go back.

Cait loves her little brother so very much but over the weekend the
inevitable happened. She asked if could go back in my tummy. But after
she whispered in his little ear "you are my best friend" I was such a
proud mom!

This was a pretty big week for my little boy. He is now 4 months old
and received his loaner aids from CHOP. We got them on Monday but had
to wait till Tuesday night for him to experience hearing. I have to
say it was a perfect and beautiful sight.

He was a good little boy and stayed still and calm while I fitted the
tubes. Once everything was just right with the equipment I turned them
on. He sat there quietly for a minute. Looked all around just taking
everything in. Then his dad loudly said hello - it must have
overwhelmed him cause he started to cry. Got this funny little look on
his face when he heard himself cry and broke into laughter. For the
next 20 min he cracked himself up by laughing.

It was truly amazing to witness this.

Now he has hearing aids like his older sister. I remember when she
first got hers. There were so many mixed emotions and uncertainty.
With him it was relaxed and happy. We know what to expect with him.
Caitlyn does so well with her hearing aids and I am positive he do
well too.

It is sad that both kids have a disability but if you had to pick one
this would be the easiest to deal with. With hearing aids both kids
can hear very well.

I am so proud of them.

I was asked to leave a comment on @tadahmom blog. Her post is here: tadahmom.com worth taking a peek at her blog... great reading!

So without any hesitation I wrote my comment. It was so easy to think of, no hesitation as I truly do love my kids.

"Less than 10 minutes ago I put my almost 4 yo little girl to bed. She asked politely "stay 5 minutes, couple minutes" and I love it when she asks. I cuddled with her and being silly I put my head on her chest to hear her heart beat. She is my best friend... she has been my entire world for almost 4 years. Her little brother was born 4 months ago and I never thought I could love anyone as much as my little girl but the little guy just made my heart even bigger.

My little girl has started to love writing so she writes notes all the time. I taught her to write "I love you" and I keep it with me at all times.

Honestly, I am a very lucky person. Have two of the best kids in the world."

Testing out posting fon my phone.

Sent from my iPhone

The past 8 weeks have gone by so fast. I am just starting to get to know Conor and it is time to go to work. This week my focus is getting him ready for school. He has issues taking a bottle and I think today was semi-successful.

He has great head control. Typically a great mood. Loves his sister (not nearly as much as she loves him though)

I am so very lucky to have 2 great kids!

Caitlyn had her first day at her new school today and she loved it. She was happy and singing when I picked her up. No grouchy little butt today. I think she will learn more at this new place plus she will start learning spanish again. Her teacher is wonderful with her - this is the same teacher she had at her old school when she was 2.

She excitedly told me about her day and that truly made me happy.

On the home front today Conor and I tried to get some rest to recover from this stomach virus. He slept alot but of course when I tried to lay down he would scream.

New Addition
Since I last posted we have a new addition to the family. Conor was born June 27th, 2009 @ 6:30AM. He weighed 7lbs 15.5oz (we are rounding up to an even 8lbs) and was 20.5in long. I will post his birth story separate.


Hearing Loss
In the past week we found out that baby Conor shares his sisters hearing loss. It is so much easier to accept this time around since we have been there, done that.


Work
In 2 weeks I go back to work... at a new job. I am so very excited. I will miss the people at my last place but this new adventure should be very stable. Plus, I will get the ability to expand my knowledge.

Family Fun
In 2 weeks the family is going camping for the first time. Yes, even the baby! We are all excited and plan on making this an annual event. Some of Cait's friends are coming with us and that makes her a very happy little girl.

Why is everything with a 3yo about Best Friends? If she gets pissed she tells me I am not her best friend anymore.

Every night Q asks Cait if he is her best friend and that sets her off on a lecture "We are all best friends at home and we are all best friends at school." So she won't be a best friend to one of us unless she really wants something and then she is a best friend.

Only a few more days and Caitlyn will have a sibling. I am beyond worried about her and not quite sure what to think myself. Caity will always be #1 for me... we have been through so much together. I know I am sometimes hard on her but for the most part it is for her safety. The kid can be a bit crazy at times. I am so proud of her in every way. She knows what she wants and the buttons to push in order to get it. Even at 3.5 years old she can control any situation.

Every day I try to show her how much she means to me. I don't ever want her to feel as though she is not important to me. Of course we fight at times but I make sure she knows I am here no matter what.

Having this 2nd child has pretty much taken every bit of life out of me. I want to be more active. Do more things with Caitlyn. Just be my old self again but that will never happen... there will be a new normal pretty soon. I just hope my little girl can handle it.

I have been beyond stressed lately. Between work, Cait and her father I don't even know what to think. We are still trying to sell the house. I can't concentrate on anything. Terrified of depression kicking in.

For the longest time Caitlyn has said she wanted a brother or sister. I just hope we can all handle it. I am an only child so I have no clue what it is like to have a sibling. Is it possible that this is only adding to my stress and swaying my thoughts this way?

No matter what Caity Cait is my girl. I love her.


Her first trip to Atlantic City - long time ago
Soccer 2009

This has been a week of pure hell. I can barely move right now, seen more doctors in the past few days than in the last year combined. To say I have been freaking out is an understatement. Honestly I have never felt this sick/bad in my entire life.

A week and a half ago I got a bad headache and was seeing stars flying around. Around the same time I started getting pain in my upper left side - saw my useless OB for my routine appointment last Friday 2/20 and they said I should see a neurologist. By the time Monday got here I was truly miserable. Severe cramping in my left side, from stomach around to my back. Breathing was "off" and daily headache was even worse. So, I suck it up and call my primary doc late Monday afternoon trying to get in... they are kind and let me show up at 6pm. They tell me I look very very sick and should go to the ER. Umm, thanks. Q & Cait take me to the Paoli ER and they are so kind to take me up to maternity ward right away cause I am over 20 weeks along. The strap me into the machines and ask a shit load of questions. Please keep in mind that I could barely think of what my damn name was and they wanted to keep asking me stupid questions over and over. After listening to the heartbeat and thinking the baby is fine they put another gown on me and send my sick as back downstairs for the ER. The ER lady told me there is a 7 hour wait. ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS. The door keeps opening with a cold ass breeze, many sick people packed in everywhere and here I am parked in a damn hospital gown in a wheelchair. Q & Cait were going to leave me there so he could get her home to bed and not expose the little girl to all the sickness. I said screw it...

I grabbed my clothes and went to the bathroom and left. The family was not happy with me but what good would it do for me to sit in that miserable place till 4am and get even worse? I had a plan in mind... call the doc the next morning and do whatever tests as an outpatient.

Tuesday 2/24

I go to work first thing in the morning cause I am a stupidly dedicated employee and start making calls to my OB doc to find out if there was protein in my urine from Friday (they make you pee in a cup every time you are there). Well, after sitting there on hold for 20 min they tell me they never recorded my urine results - WTF! So it is time to call my primary doc again.

Primary doc gets me in. Have to pay a 2nd co-pay in less than 24 hours but it is worth it. Doc has me pee in a cup and what do you expect... yup, protein. Doc also looks up my nose and feels around letting me know I have a sinus infection. This means an antibiotic is required. While he was listening to my heartbeat he keeps going back and listening more and asking do I have a murmur. Nope, but guess what is behind door #1? A brand spanking new Heart Murmur! He tells me he wants me to have a heart ultrasound the next morning.

Wednesday 2/25
Headed in to the doc office for day 3. Strip down and have the echo cardiogram. The woman doing it was very nice but it is painful to lay down due to sinus pressure. The test lasts just over 45 min and I am released to go home. Doc doesn't want me working or doing anything but trying to get better for the rest of the week. He calls me later in the day to tell me the preliminary results from the echo - I have fluid around my heart (pericardial effusion) and he needs to get with the cardiologist for further information.

My fever started to spike yesterday afternoon and thankfully Tylenol is keeping it around 100. I have started a full blown cough and the sinus infection is now in my entire respiratory tract. Can anything else go wrong?

Thursday 2/26
Feel the worst I possibly ever have. Doc called with more blood results. Kidney infection is confirmed and I am anemic as a bonus! What is next?

So I have:
Kidney Infection
Sinus Infection
Upper respiratory Infection
Anemia
Pericardial Effusion