Christmas Morning

Kaylee woke up long before Tyler on Christmas morning. She got her Santa gift and stocking but had to wait on Tyler to open the rest. That was torture. Her big gift was a princess bike with training wheels. She took off and has not slowed down.

Christmas Eve

Kaylee and Tyler sprinkled magical reindeer food in the front yard right before bed. It is suppose to bring Santa to the house quick. You sprinkle it and then run to bed.

Christmas in Indiana

We spent December 19 - 24 in Indiana. These are all of Kaylee and Tyler's cousins.

Tyler with his Great Grandpa Bauer. We love you Grandpa Dallas!

Kaylee's Christmas Program

The kids on our way out the door to Kaylee's Christmas Program. It was December 18th. It went as well as you could expect a 3 and 4 year old program to be. Kaylee recited her verse great! She was not all smiles when they walked out so I was a little nervous she might crack. When she sat down with me and we were watching the 4's she wanted to know when she was going to get up there again. She was not intimidated at all. We left for Indiana the next morning.

Christmas Card

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I was not able to send Christmas cards this year. Sorry. Consider this your electronic Holiday Card. Thanks to all of you who sent us cards. We really enjoyed them and displayed them for all to see. I pray everyone had a Merry Christmas!

ENT

Kaylee had her first appointment with a pediatric ENT at UMC yesterday. He said she definitely has sinus issues and his recommendation was to take her adenoids out and do a sinus culture. Adenoids harbor infections so after the age of three if there is a reoccurring issue he prefers to take them out. The culture would let him know what type of bacteria is growing so he would know how best to attack it, possibly through IV antibiotics which would require a pick line IV in the arm. It would stay in for a couple of weeks. He and I discussed keeping her home from preschool through the winter months to avoid exposure. Considering her temperature was 103.0 when we got to the doctor I believe that is the best option for now. She was doing great for a week and then caught some type of viral flu that should only last for a few days. Keeping her home will also give some protection to Tyler.

The plan is for her not to return to school until around March and see how many if any sinus infections she gets without exposure. If she continues to have issues without exposure then we will go ahead and do the adenoidectomy. If she does okay then we will re-evaluate.

Feeling Better

Tyler had a good night and is making slow progress. He was able to keep his feedings down last night and then go right back to sleep. I think the sleep has helped tremendously. He actually is having periods of play time today instead of being lethargic all the time. He is still wheezing and dealing with a lot of mucus but he is definitely showing some improvement. Before he got sick we had been working with him a lot on sitting up. He does really well but he is so busy. He will not be still long enough to stay balanced. He has rolled off his changing pad today while I was changing a nasty diaper and laughed at me while he was doing it. I think he is on his way to feeling better!

More Sickness

I took Tyler to the doctor yesterday and we began treatment for an upper respiratory infection and inflammation in his ears. He got worse last night and began wheezing really bad. I took him back this morning and he has mycoplasma pneumonia. He has lost half a pound in the last couple of days because the cough makes him gag and he throws up everything he eats. He is completely miserable. He and I have been sleeping in the recliner so he can be upright. He can breathe so much better that way. Somehow in the midst of all this Kaylee and I were able to get the Christmas tree up which made her very happy. There will be no Christmas cards this year because with all the sickness I have not been able to take a picture or the time to do them. Sorry..... Keep baby Tyler in your prayers. It is very treatable but can develop into full pneumonia.

Sick Again!

Kaylee is sick again! Her pediatrician ordered a flu swab and a CT scan. She didn't have the flu but she had flu-like symptoms. Her CT scan showed that her sinuses were draining which is good. They had been so blocked however that they are even draining out her tear ducts. That happened the last time she was sick. She has complained the most with her eyes hurting and her throat when she coughs which is often. She has ran a little fever but nothing extreme. Her pediatrician seems to think she caught a little cold and it settled in her sinuses and then blew up. This is par for her chronic sinus problems. With chronic sinus infections the common cold always settles in the sinuses and causes infection. A person with chronic sinus infections isn't able to get over the cold in a few days like most people would because of this. The pediatrician is going to call the allergist and they are going to collaborate on what to do. They may send her to an ENT since her recurring issues do not seem to be coming from allergies as they initially thought. I wish so much that she could be well and stay well. I know her quality of life would be so much better if she were well. However, I am reminded daily how blessed we are and she is. We could have a lot worse issues!

Tyler has began to cough and was up a lot last night so I hope he isn't getting sick as well. He is into everything and isn't even crawling yet. He can roll everywhere and is beginning to inch a little. He whacked himself in the head with the gliding ottoman, got stuck under the wing chair, tried to eat Kaylee shoes, and crumbled her color pages to name a few things that have happened just this week. Big Sis is in for trouble. He gets really mad when you take things from him. It has been difficult to keep an eye on him this week while Kaylee has been sick. She doesn't want me out of her sight.

Thanksgiving

We had a nice and relaxing Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving day we visited with my Stepfather, my Mom and family for lunch. We were home by 4:00 and we have been home ever since. Tyler's teeth and gum pain seems to have eased a little so he is napping better.

The day after Thanksgiving I went to Wal-mart at 6:00 with all the other insane people. I've only done that once before. They had one item half price that I wanted to get Kaylee for her birthday so I went again. I woke up at 5:00 but John wouldn't let me leave because Tyler hadn't woke up for his normal early morning feeding. As soon as he did I left. I was going to get her a handheld leapster game but they were out by the time I got there. I ended up getting her a V-tech handheld which is just as good. There were only 3 left! I stood in line longer than I shopped. Everyone at home stayed in there jammies for most of the day. They watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving with Dad after we watched the Rebels slaughter the Dogs. Tyler tried out the bath tub seat we got out of storage. I guess Monday I will have to begin getting the house back in order after a week of relaxing.

Kaylee's Doctor Visit

After Kaylee's every 4 weeks allergy visit we went to Chuckie Cheese. She had a good time. The last time we went she was too little to play on a lot of the things. This time she was very excited because she could climb in the tunnels. We were lucky it wasn't too busy because it was Thanksgiving break.

Kaylee's nasal passages were still impacted which means if something isn't done she will have another sinus infection within the week. The doctor increased her nasal spray to two times a day so maybe her nose will drain. He is going to try that for another 4 weeks and if she isn't better he will put her on another extended antibiotic. He will also send her for a CT Scan of her sinuses to see if we are headed for some type of sinus cleaning. He thinks there may be a blockage that is not allowing her sinuses to drain. Until she has a positive allergy skin test he will continue to treat her for chronic sinus infections and non-allergic rhinitis.

Breakthrough

We have teeth. He cut two at the same time. Maybe he can get some relief now. He went for his 6 month shots last Thursday. He weighs 20 lbs 1 oz. He is 27 1/2 inches long. The boy is a monster. I keep asking if I need to be worried that he is going to be a big child but they keep telling me to relax. He is very long which makes him proportioned right for his weight. Also most breast fed babies are big and then they slim down. I am destined to look up to my children when they are teenagers.

Kaylee the Indian Princess

Kaylee's class wore Indian outfits they had made the last day before Thanksgiving break. Her teacher named her "Running Fawn". She also put the following Bible verse: "Be still and know that I am God." Kaylee got in trouble a couple of times last week for not being quiet. I wonder if that verse has some underlying meaning?

Enjoying Outside

Kaylee and I decided to do yard work again when of course Tyler woke up. Clean up turned into play time.

Practicing for the Program

Kaylee has to recite a Bible verse in her preschool's Christmas program. We have been practicing a lot and she is doing very well.

Little Tawana, Little John?

Most people say Kaylee looks just like me. Although she has a lot of her Daddy's features and attitude I might add. We haven't figured out who Tyler looks more like yet. I guess he has some of his Daddy's personality as well because he is always ready to play with a basketball.

Playing on the bed

Why is it that kids love to play on their parents bed? I was trying to get ready to go somewhere when Tyler woke up. Kaylee was having a puppet show behind our pillows when brother crashed the party. She helped me entertain him long enough for me to finish getting ready.

French Camp Basketball

John's first basketball game as the head coach at French Camp Academy was last night. The girls and boys lost but only my a small margin. It was a very exciting time and I'm sure John is glad to have that first behind him. Most teams have a girls coach and a boys coach but John has the responsibility of both and is doing an excellent job. From what I hear the kids respect him and enjoy being around him. Kaylee had a difficult time realizing Daddy was at work and kept wanting to see him. GO PANTHERS!

Yard Clean Up

Kaylee said she wanted to jump in the leaves. It gave me a good excuse to start cleaning the yard. We live in a subdivision called "The Oaks". It is named that for a good reason. There are lots of huge Oak trees all in the neighborhood. Their shade is a blessing in the summer but their leaves are a curse in the fall. Although Kaylee seems to enjoy them. She also enjoys seeing how many acorns she can collect in her bucket.

Memphis Zoo

We took our annual family church trip to the Memphis Zoo on Saturday. Kaylee was so excited and talk about what animals she wanted to see all week. When we got there she was very nervous at first. I guess she didn't realize how close some of the animals could get. The polar bear and the baby giraffe were her favorite this time. The polar bear would charge right at the window so it took her a while to get up the courage to get close. It was chilly and breezy so Tyler stayed bundle in his stroller.

Election Day

Kaylee went with me to vote. She watches "Cory in the House" on the Disney Channel which is about a boy whose Dad is a chef in the White House so they show the President of the United States. When I told her we were going to vote for the President of the US that is the image she saw. She now keeps asking if there are two Presidents. She also recognizes George W. Bush so she is a little confused on who the actual President is. We had a long explanation session so maybe she understands. I had to take a picture of our campaign sign before we took it down.

Tyler is the average size of a 9-10 month old. It is hard to remember that he is only almost 6 months old because he looks and acts so much older. He never misses anything. You would think his head was going to spin off because he watches the kids at Kaylee's school and gym run around. The boy can hardly fit into the carrier car seat but he doesn't sit up by himself yet so I can't switch him to the bigger one or I would have no where to put him when we go to the grocery store. He loves his sister and her hair. He has grabbed handfuls numerous times already.

Trunk or Treat

Trunk or Treat was Wednesday night at church. Kaylee of course was a cheerleader and I was lucky enough to find Tyler a football costume. He did not like the hat on his head. It was cold but not unbearable. All I have to say is PLEASE NO MORE CANDY!!!!

Carving the Pumpkin

One day last week it rained and rained so Kaylee and I thought it was time to carve the pumpkin. I remember the first pumpkin she helped with and how she hated all the junk on her hands. That day she got mad if I didn't let her get it all. We also baked a cake that looked like a pumpkin with homemade cream cheese icing. Kaylee did not like the icing so I guess next time I will have to use store bought.

Fall Festival

Last Saturday was the Fall Festival at Kaylee's school. Kaylee is crazy about horses all of the sudden. I wonder where she gets that from?! She got in line to chase the greased pig but after the first squeal she lost her mind and decided that was not for her.

French Camp Homecoming

French Camp's homecoming was last Friday night. Kaylee got ready by wearing her FCA cheerleading suit to school that morning. She is ready to proudly wear it to her Daddy's basketball games. Tyler felt his first cold snap and as you can see he doesn't have a suitable hat to wear. I was lucky it had the ear flaps or it wouldn't have went over his head. Congratulations to Ashley who was a Senior maid. Ashley is in one of John's classes, a cheerleader and is adored by Kaylee.

Loogootee Lions

Even though we live in Mississippi our kids can't help but be Loogootee Lions' fans. Here they are in their game day wear.

Harvest Festival

Saturday was the Harvest Festival at French Camp. They had a civil war reenactment and all of the historical buildings were open for viewing. Kaylee rode a horse at one of the horse barns on campus. Tyler slept in his stroller for a little while. It was neat to watch them make the sorghum molasses like they did years ago. They used horses to squeeze the sugar out of the cane and then heated it over a pit of some sort.

Tyler's First Food

Tyler tried his first bite of oatmeal last week. The first couple of bites he was a little unsure but now he is eating it like a wild man. I think the boy would eat constantly! I can't keep him satisfied. He went through what I hope was only a growth spurt last week. He wouldn't sleep and was eating almost every hour. I even tried to give him a little formula to see if that would help satifsy him but of course he doesn't like the taste of it. Anyway the last couple of days have been better. His naps are getting back to normal??? Whatever that is?

His sister thought it would be funny to put his hat on. His head circumference is in the 97th percentile so I was really surprised it would go on. He likes his bouncer. He can already work every gagdet on it. He still doesn't like his belly very much but he can push way up. He almost immediately rolls from his stomach to his back when you lay him that way. The second child does things sooner than the first!

Pumpkin Patch

Friday morning we went to the pumpkin patch with Kaylee's preschool. John and I took her last year but she had a lot of fun with all her friends. Tyler enjoyed himself as well. We went on a hay ride and saw lots of animals and then Kaylee picked her own pumpkin. She liked all the animals but she really enjoyed the bunnies, miniature horses and the turkeys. The turkeys gobbled a lot. She thought that was funny. This pumpkin patch has one of the few Zedonkeys in the US. It is one of the weirdest looking thing you will ever see.