sick children 2

Julia's test came back negative, but I didn't get to talk to the doctor so I'm not sure what this means. She still sounds horrible - getting better about doing the nebulizer treatments, still NOT liking the prelone. I know we're not dealing with the common cold - that's for sure!

Tyler had a brief hospital stay - he is home with his mom now.

Thanks for your thoughts, advice, and prayers! I'll keep you posted!

Oh, and Julia finally ate Grandma's oatmeal cookies today while watching, what else? Curious George. :)

Sick children...

I sit here trying to finish up some paperwork while I listen to Julia breathe. She's asleep in the playpen to my left (as several of you know, she refuses to sleep in the crib - only our bed or the playpen). I'm relieved that she is sleeping peacefully at the moment. Our family doctor, a wonderful man named Aydrian Thomas, believes she has RSV. I will know for certain when he calls me back in the morning to tell me so.

In the meantime, I listen to Julia wheeze, and strain to catch her breath, then breathe like she's run a race, and listen to the deep, crackly cough that takes my baby's breath from her. It's treatable at home, but it sounds serious and can be serious stuff. I just pray that it doesn't turn into anything more like pneumonia and that she does not become dehydrated. I'm having a really hard time getting her to eat or drink. She'd lost 1.25 lbs. today from last wednesday and went 26 hours without eating - we're talking not even Grandma's oatmeal raisin cookies that she was scarfing down like no tomorrow on Saturday!

I hope that she gets well soon - this certainly hasn't taken her spunk away. Even as bad as she felt this morning in the doctor's office she was very friendly,waving hello and saying hey, to people in the waiting room and at the front desk.

I just hope that you all would keep Julia in your prayers this week that she gets better instead of worse. I have been told it will get worse before it gets better. And that we're out of commission on activities and playdates for 2 weeks because we might make her little friends sick and we wouldn't want that!

Also, if you would, keep Mallory's brother, Tyler, in your prayers too. He also has RSV and pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital today. I love this little guy and hate that he's feeling so rotten right now. I'm fairly certain that Julia got this from him - not upset - just hope he gets well soon too.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I hope that Julia does not get to the going in the hospital point and that we fiend this off at home. I also hope Tyler gets to come home soon and get back to being a normal, rowdy boy.

Take care!

Sometimes I want to say something...

and don't know how to express my feelings.
And then I hear a song that says it exactly.
I purchased Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight this past week. I'm a fan of some pretty dark sounding music - not sure why I like it - I just do. Anyhoo... I was listening in the car while I drove to Shelby, NC for work and track 7 just really hit me hard. I had tears come to my eyes as I listened because it explained all that I've felt about our nation's current situation with the military and the war. All that I've not been able to explain, all that I have tried to explain that only made others mad was encompassed in 2 verses. It was refreshing to know that someone out there was feeling the same and angry too at the situation.

Here are the lyrics (FYI - the f- word is used a few times) :

Hands Held High by Linkin Park

turn my mic up louder i got to say something

lightweights step it aside when we come in

feel it in your chest/the syllables get pumping

people on the street they panic and start running

words on loose leaf sheet complete coming

i jump in my mind and summon the rhyme i'm dumping

healing the blind i promise to let the sun in

sick of the dark ways we march to the drum and

jump when they tell us they want to see jumping

fuck that/i wanna see some fists pumping

risk something/take back what's yours

say something you know they might attack you for

cause i'm sick of being treated like i have before

like it's stupid standing for what i'm standing for

like this war's really just a new brand of war

like it doesn't cater the rich and abandon the poor

like they understand you in the back of the jet/when you

can't put gas in your tank/and these fuckers are laughing

their way to the bank/cashing the check

asking you to have compassion/have respect

for a leader so nervous in an obvious way

stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay

and the rest of the world watching at the end of the day

in their living room laughing like

what did he say?


in my living room watching/i am not laughing/'cause

when it gets tense i know what might happen

the world is cold/the bold men make action

have to react or get blown into fractions

ten years old/it's something to see/another

kid my age drug under a jeep

taken and bound/and found later under a tree

i wonder if he had thought the next one could be me

do you see/the soldiers/they're out today they

brush the dust from bulletproof vests away

it's ironic/at times like this you pray

but a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday

there's bombs in the busses/bikes/roads

inside your market/your shops/your clothes/my dad

he's got a lot of fear i know

but enough pride inside not to let that show

my brother had a book he would hold with pride

a little red cover with a broken spine

on the back/he had wrote a quote inside:

"when the rich wage war it's the poor who die"

and meanwhile/the leader just talks away

stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay

the rest of the world watching at the end of the day

both scared and angry like

what did he say?


with hands held high into a sky so blue

as the ocean opens up to swallow you

You guys enjoy your snow!!

I'm a little jealous of your snow. For once it actually snows, and not that icy junk, and we have to be out of town. I know that by the time I get back home, it will be really yucky. Julia has yet to see her first real snow. I'm a little disappointed we missed this one.

On a lighter note, we have had a good time visiting with my parents. My dad is home for the day again. He worked half a day yesterday and his knee hurt so bad he stayed home after lunch. Today he went outside and it was wet, cold, and rainy. He slipped a little trying to get to his car and he said heck with it! and stayed home. It's good that he's not being stubborn and staying home off of it some. I really hope it clears up soon and there's not anything else wrong with it. I'm just not used to seeing him hurt like this and not be able to move around normally. Julia is certainly enjoying her extra Grandpa time and Grandpa is enjoying the extra Julia time.

I hope you guys all have fun today with your no school day. Julia and her diaper call (Grandpa has trouble getting in the floor to do that!). Take care!

Julia's Squeaker Sneakers

Julia has these really neat shoes called Squeaker Sneakers. Grandma and Grandpa bought them after seeing another 16 month old wearing them and thought "Julia HAS to have those!".

They are really great - she loves wearing them and they're actually beneficial for her to wear! They are supposed to help kids walk correctly and when they do, the shoes squeak with each step.

I was trying to capture her with them on with her pajamas this morning (hence the baby finger in the camera). She's had to have them back on her feet as soon as she awakens each day! They even make them in actual sneakers, sandals, and dress shoes for boys and girls! It's a family business - you should check out their website. It is: http://www.squeakersneakers.net/ . We love them!

a few pics from this week.

Julia even has her own special travel bag for this joint. Imagine that - Traveling to Grandma's!

Still asleep. If you look closely, you'll see the blue marks from the washable crayon she kept putting to her lips. She kept waiting for Grandma to say "no,no,no" and she'd laugh, pull it away and put it back - waiting for her to say it again. There were red crayon marks by her ear, but she's lying on them.

Julia asleep in Grandpa's lap - I told you we couldn't keep her away from Grandpa!!

Alligator on the bank behind my parents house - far right by the tall rushes.

a brief post

I am at my parents' house in Bluffton. Tracy is home in Spartanburg, getting some things done around the house, running errands, and working. He's supposed to come pick us up sometime this evening or tomorrow.

My dad has hurt his knee and is at home with us today. He and Julia are resting (at this moment, they're taking a nap). Julia is pretty attached to Grandpa. She didn't want to lie in bed this morning unless Grandpa was in the bed - she threw a fit when they tried to bring her to me in bed so they could get ready for work. I had to take her to the bathroom with them. Grandpa decided his knee hurt awfully bad (plus the doctor said to wait until he got his knee brace to go back) and he stayed home today. If you know my daddy, it takes an awful lot for him to stay home from work. He has acute tendonitis in his "good" leg (he was in a work accident when I was about 7 or 8 years old and did some permanent damage to his left leg -it's always a little on the weak side, sometimes gives him pain, and he wears ace knee braces on it all the time for support). The doctor is having him wear a hinged knee brace for a couple of weeks and if it's not any better, they'll do an MRI. So it's pretty serious stuff. It hurts me to see my daddy hurt like that - he's not one to complain about pain at all. So please, if you would, pray for a speedy recovery for the "good" leg.

I'm going to go help clean up the house since they have other visitors coming this weekend and fix us a late lunch. I'll post some pictures soon. There was a huge alligator sunning itself on the bank behind their house yesterday. Julia also has some new shoes called Squeaker Sneakers - they squeak with each step and she LOVES it!!

take care! more soon!

Julia after the playdate

For some reason, Blogger is being particular.

This is Julia AFTER the playdate, on the way home from Andrea and Jamie's house:

Julia's playdate

Julia and I travelled to the big town of Laurens yesterday to visit a good friend of mine, Andrea, that I met at North Greenville. We went to have some girl time and give Andrea a crib for her "coming attraction". :) Andrea and her husband, Jamie, have 2 girls already, Caylie and Abby, and are expecting a 3rd girl at the end of February/first week of March. Caylie is 2 1/2 and Abby is 6 days younger than Julia. This is the first time they've been together to play really - Julia and Abby last saw each other last February. We get busy and it's not that many miles between us - Andrea and I've decided to get our girls together more often.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of them playing - Andrea and I did more following after them than anything. I have a sweet photo of 3 girls in the backseat though!
Abby is closest, Julia in the middle, Caylie on the other side. They kicked and giggled all the way from the church. Little shoes flew off feet and giggles were heard! I kept waiting on Julia to snort.

Mallory's birthday

Mallory's birthday was last Friday and I meant to make a post.
We got super busy and here it is. Her actual birthday party is this Saturday, January 12. She actually came home sick from school on her birthday. Tracy was going to go eat lunch with her and he had to pick her up instead. I'll spare you the details. Mallory is gross though and she probably wouldn't spare you any details!

She is 8 years old now. So hard to believe. Hopefully I'll get a couple of photos from this coming weekend and the ones of her on her birthday (she did perk up when we offered presents!).

Her mom took her to American Girl Boutique and Bistro for her birthday last Saturday. She had lots of fun and spent lots of money. But really - who didn't see that coming?!
I'll post a few pics of that as soon as her mom sends them to me.

Many desire...few do.

I read this blog early yesterday.

It has echoed in my head since then.

The following is an excerpt from a man's blog,whom I met while at North Greenville College (now University folks) the first time I went, and who is now a pastor of a huge church in Charlotte, NC. He was a student at the time, and spoke often in our chapel services. I would not say I knew him personally, yet his words even as a student spoke volumes to me then.

He is Steven Furtick and here is the excerpt which has stuck in my head since reading it yesterday:

Trust God with a unique and extraordinary faith this year.
Do the things that few do.
12 spies took inventory of the Promised Land.
All of them desired to go in.
Only 2 were willing to fight for it.
Only 2.
See what I’m saying?
Many desire…Few do.

I CAN'T SLEEP!!

I can't sleep. My ears hurt and crackle and pop. Julia is squirmy because I am squirmy. She's developed this habit of propping her feet up on me in the middle of the night - usually her feet are on my chest unless she's dug down and snuggled up with her back to me. I got out of bed in the hopes that she might not be so squirmy anymore and that maybe sitting upright would be better for my head. I can breathe better, so that's progress. I just can't sleep.

I have had an earache since 4 a.m. on January 1. I have slept an awful lot since then. Tracy has been really awesome and gone to the grocery store for me. He's come home and cooked for the last 3 days. He hasn't cleaned up after himself, but I can't fault him. He gets that from his daddy - I cooked, you do dishes. :) And we've had yummy dinners. He really likes to cook and try new things. This has come in handy in the last few days.

I was hoping to feel well enough to take Julia to Gymboree today. We haven't been since before Christmas. It's been hectic around here and she went to spend several days with Grandma and Grandpa in Bluffton. Perhaps come 12:30 I'll feel a little more up to it. My ears do seem to bother me less if I'm in the upright position.

Mallory's birthday is this Friday, January 4. She will be 8. It doesn't seem like it. I remember her about to be 3 and running around my "compartment" (apartment for those that don't speak 3 year old) naked with my Tigger slippers on her feet. Boy that was a site to see! I do have a hard copy (or 4 or 5) of that printed from my old Advantix camera. If I can find one and scan it for you, I will. Great things to keep on hand for embarassing Mallory later in life - future boyfriend - this is as close to naked as you will see her or you die. Hahaha. Boy I need sleep.

Here is a recent pic of Mallory from her Sears visit (with her mom and brother):

Tracy said - pretty good for not even liking the dress. Mallory was particular about this dress. Tracy actually met Leah at the mall for Mallory to try it on before it was bought. I thought it was cute - it is red corduroy with a Santa and his reindeer smock plate. Mallory, however, thinks she is too old for this - her words were - it's like my mom wants me to be 5 or something. Because she's OH SO far from 5 years old now. But we all knew these days would come and so they have. She still looks cute in it - just wish she had her glasses on so she wasn't so squinty. Still a good pic.

On that note, I guess I'll go clean my kitchen. He did put up the leftovers. I have to give props for that. Pray for my ears that they feel better soon (hopefully without a visit to Dr. Thomas - that costs money you know).

I guess at this point, I should say I hope you have a good day - it's 5 a.m. Whoa! :)

Julia's pics from Sears