As the girls and I were driving down the street, Jenna pointed to "Jack In The Box" (a place we never eat.)
The following conversation took place:
Jenna: I wanna eat there!
Me: Not this time.
Jenna: Why not?
Me: Because we are going home and we have food at home.
Jenna: But I wanna eat there!
Me: No, Jenna (now trying to think of a better reason then "we have food at home")
People only eat there when they don't have food at home.
Jenna: Huh?
Me: You are lucky that your mommy and daddy feed you at home because some little kids don't get to eat good food like you.
(This was me trying to switch the conversation to show her how lucky she was.)
Jenna: Some little kids don't have food?
Me: No, some kids are very hungry because their mommies and daddies can't feed them. You are very fortunate that your parents love you, take good care of you and feed you because there are lots of little kids out there that don't have it as good as you.
Jenna: (just sits quiet)
Me: That is sad huh?
Jenna: Yeah, it's sad because they have hiccups.
Me: Uh....yeah....sure
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Photo Session
Jenna has been asking me to take pictures of her lately.
Yesterday, she was finding different "sets" and putting blankets down, like they do at the professional studios, and then posing for me.
Here are a few:
She had to get the blanket perfectly straight to stand on.
The crazy hair is because the pony tails had already come out.
Jocelyn wanted in on the action!
Sisterly love!
Yesterday, she was finding different "sets" and putting blankets down, like they do at the professional studios, and then posing for me.
Here are a few:
She had to get the blanket perfectly straight to stand on.
The crazy hair is because the pony tails had already come out.
Jocelyn wanted in on the action!
Sisterly love!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Jenna and Maggie
Genevieve got a life-size doll for Christmas named "Maggie."
I haven't figured out who enjoys playing with Maggie more...Jenna, or her parents! :-)
I haven't figured out who enjoys playing with Maggie more...Jenna, or her parents! :-)
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas Day with the Humfelds
Each year, we switch off spending Christmas day with my family and Sam's family. This year, we were with my family (although we will still celebrate with the McCoys on New Years.)
Our morning started off nice, opening stockings with the girls and enjoying a breakfast casserole that I had made the night before with some lemon bread.
Before long, Jocelyn started getting pretty fussy and was obviously tired. We decided that since she had been sick, we would let her sleep as much as she wanted, so we put her down for a morning nap (even though she gave those up a couple months ago.) We then let Jenna open her gifts. Well, we didn't make it far with that before we got the call.
The call would be from my sister (via my mom since we didn't get to the phone when my mom tried calling.) Amy was obviously upset and asked me to drive over to Mom and Dads immediately because something was wrong with dad.
*Side note: I live 5 blocks from my parents and Amy lives about 15 minutes.
All I got from Amy, before putting the phone down and grabbing my keys, was that "mom couldn't get dad to wake up."
I drove straight to my parents with blurred vision from immediate crying. Good thing we live as close as we do!
When I got into the house, I found my mom "force-feeding" my dad.
For those of you who don't know, my dad is a Type 1 Juvenile Diabetic and has been for 30+ years.
Long, long, story made short, his blood sugar got super low. It was 47 when we checked it after getting some cheese and Hershey Kisses in him. It was most likely lower than that. Being that 120 is average, you can see how this can be very dangerous! My mom had let him sleep in that morning but started getting concerned when she kept trying to wake him up and he just wouldn't get up. Then he got to the point where he wasn't really responding to her.
My mom was trying to feed him, but he couldn't figure out why she was doing that and he just wanted to go back to sleep. He actually started getting upset with her because he didn't want to eat. When his blood sugar gets that low, he just isn't "aware" of what is going on. We managed to sit him up a bit, against his will, and gave him grape juice. He then ate an entire plate of breakfast. He became a bit more "coherent" but admitted that he still didn't feel normal. So, we tested his blood again. It had went up to 59 which is obviously better, but still very low!
I stayed with them until dad was able to get out of bed. When he got out of bed, he could tell that his body had been through a severe insulin attack because he had very little energy.
After some talking, laughing, and crying, I could tell dad was better and mom agreed that he was "back to normal."
The funny thing about the whole thing is that during the worst part of the ordeal, he was talking to my mom about a contract that needed to be signed. Mom had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and knew he needed food ASAP but he kept telling her that it needed to get signed.
When we asked him about it later, he acknowledges that he remembers talking about a contract, but that he has no idea what it meant. Later that day, when the family all got together for Christmas, we all had a good time joking about "the contract."
Dad and Jenna, only 5 hours after the insulin attack. He looks pretty good huh?
My dad is Jocelyn's favorite (other than mommy.)
Although, she does well with my mom's motherly affection.
The "kid-table." How nice of mom and dad to sit with them, while the "big kids" sit at their own table.
The original Humfeld Family. Oh, how sweet!
Our morning started off nice, opening stockings with the girls and enjoying a breakfast casserole that I had made the night before with some lemon bread.
Before long, Jocelyn started getting pretty fussy and was obviously tired. We decided that since she had been sick, we would let her sleep as much as she wanted, so we put her down for a morning nap (even though she gave those up a couple months ago.) We then let Jenna open her gifts. Well, we didn't make it far with that before we got the call.
The call would be from my sister (via my mom since we didn't get to the phone when my mom tried calling.) Amy was obviously upset and asked me to drive over to Mom and Dads immediately because something was wrong with dad.
*Side note: I live 5 blocks from my parents and Amy lives about 15 minutes.
All I got from Amy, before putting the phone down and grabbing my keys, was that "mom couldn't get dad to wake up."
I drove straight to my parents with blurred vision from immediate crying. Good thing we live as close as we do!
When I got into the house, I found my mom "force-feeding" my dad.
For those of you who don't know, my dad is a Type 1 Juvenile Diabetic and has been for 30+ years.
Long, long, story made short, his blood sugar got super low. It was 47 when we checked it after getting some cheese and Hershey Kisses in him. It was most likely lower than that. Being that 120 is average, you can see how this can be very dangerous! My mom had let him sleep in that morning but started getting concerned when she kept trying to wake him up and he just wouldn't get up. Then he got to the point where he wasn't really responding to her.
My mom was trying to feed him, but he couldn't figure out why she was doing that and he just wanted to go back to sleep. He actually started getting upset with her because he didn't want to eat. When his blood sugar gets that low, he just isn't "aware" of what is going on. We managed to sit him up a bit, against his will, and gave him grape juice. He then ate an entire plate of breakfast. He became a bit more "coherent" but admitted that he still didn't feel normal. So, we tested his blood again. It had went up to 59 which is obviously better, but still very low!
I stayed with them until dad was able to get out of bed. When he got out of bed, he could tell that his body had been through a severe insulin attack because he had very little energy.
After some talking, laughing, and crying, I could tell dad was better and mom agreed that he was "back to normal."
The funny thing about the whole thing is that during the worst part of the ordeal, he was talking to my mom about a contract that needed to be signed. Mom had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and knew he needed food ASAP but he kept telling her that it needed to get signed.
When we asked him about it later, he acknowledges that he remembers talking about a contract, but that he has no idea what it meant. Later that day, when the family all got together for Christmas, we all had a good time joking about "the contract."
Dad and Jenna, only 5 hours after the insulin attack. He looks pretty good huh?
My dad is Jocelyn's favorite (other than mommy.)
Although, she does well with my mom's motherly affection.
The "kid-table." How nice of mom and dad to sit with them, while the "big kids" sit at their own table.
The original Humfeld Family. Oh, how sweet!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas at the McCoys
Unfortunately, we have not gotten as much snow as other places in the state. Luckily though, the snow that we HAVE gotten has been light enough for Sam to shovel since....
We have a long enough driveway to shovel! :-)
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Zoe update:
Well, if you haven't already heard...sweet little (or big) Zoe officially has a new home. This was not an easy decision, and honestly, Sam and I had been toying with the idea for a month or 2 now, but we kept on keeping on! We tried for 5 months to make it work with our family, our schedule, our life, and basically, it came to the point where we realized it wasn't working.
Zoe has seemed like an abnormally energetic puppy, but we just kept thinking that we weren't used to the "puppy stage" and that it would get better. Unfortunately, with 2 little girls and 2 very hectic schedules, Zoe was getting attention, but not enough.
The dentist (Dr. Clark) that practices next to our office has a 3 year old Dane and we have talked about our dogs before. I told him that we were going to find a home for Zoe and without hesitation he asked if they could take her. He said that he and his wife would love to have her, but his only concern was that he wanted to make sure she got along with "Bear," their dog.
So, Sam and I took Zoe out to play with Bear and they got along great! Dr. Clark has a large fenced yard and the dogs ran back and forth for a long time, playing really nicely with each other. You could see how much energy Zoe had built up and she was loving the large area to run in! So we left her for a night or 2 to see how they would do together. Dr. Clark came back to tell us that it was definitely going to work!
Dr. Clark updates us regularly on how well they play together. It made us feel better knowing that now Zoe has a friend as well as an area to run and play with her friend.
The downside is that Jenna has been regularly asking about Zoe and wanting to bring her in to play. She also says, "I love Zoe." We have just told her that Zoe is staying with a friend right now. Our hopes is that she starts to forget about her. She hasn't realized that Zoe is "gone."
We still would like to be owners of a Great Dane in the future. They are excellent dogs with children and are very gentle. They are actually considered "gentle giants" and they are absolutely beautiful dogs. We would like to wait until the girls are a year or too older. Also, we are going to try and find one that is 2 or older so that we don't have to deal with the puppy stage. Keep us posted if you hear of anything!
Zoe has seemed like an abnormally energetic puppy, but we just kept thinking that we weren't used to the "puppy stage" and that it would get better. Unfortunately, with 2 little girls and 2 very hectic schedules, Zoe was getting attention, but not enough.
The dentist (Dr. Clark) that practices next to our office has a 3 year old Dane and we have talked about our dogs before. I told him that we were going to find a home for Zoe and without hesitation he asked if they could take her. He said that he and his wife would love to have her, but his only concern was that he wanted to make sure she got along with "Bear," their dog.
So, Sam and I took Zoe out to play with Bear and they got along great! Dr. Clark has a large fenced yard and the dogs ran back and forth for a long time, playing really nicely with each other. You could see how much energy Zoe had built up and she was loving the large area to run in! So we left her for a night or 2 to see how they would do together. Dr. Clark came back to tell us that it was definitely going to work!
Dr. Clark updates us regularly on how well they play together. It made us feel better knowing that now Zoe has a friend as well as an area to run and play with her friend.
The downside is that Jenna has been regularly asking about Zoe and wanting to bring her in to play. She also says, "I love Zoe." We have just told her that Zoe is staying with a friend right now. Our hopes is that she starts to forget about her. She hasn't realized that Zoe is "gone."
We still would like to be owners of a Great Dane in the future. They are excellent dogs with children and are very gentle. They are actually considered "gentle giants" and they are absolutely beautiful dogs. We would like to wait until the girls are a year or too older. Also, we are going to try and find one that is 2 or older so that we don't have to deal with the puppy stage. Keep us posted if you hear of anything!
Bananas?
Apparently, Jocelyn wasn't hungry for bananas and rather than throwing them on the floor like she normally does when she is done, she found a better place for them. :-)
Her mug shot:
And so proud of it!
Here is the aftermath: Much better!
Her mug shot:
And so proud of it!
Here is the aftermath: Much better!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Pictures Take 1
We had an appointment for pictures this morning. I was hoping to get a good shot of the girls in their coordinating dresses to use for our Christmas cards this year.
Here they are getting ready...brushing their teeth like good little girls. :-)
Still brushing... and looking absolutely darling in their Christmas outfits!
Waiting for mommy and daddy...wondering why it takes them soooo long to get ready!
Anyway, long story short, picture taking was a DISASTER and none were taken! Jocelyn WAS NOT going to stand on that white sheet and Jenna WAS NOT going to smile for a picture (and we even bribed big time!)
Good times!
We made an appointment for next week, so we will give it another try. My dad offered to come with us because the girls happen to have a special liking for him. We'll see what happens. If not, our Christmas card might have them brushing their teeth in it! :-) Just joking!
Here they are getting ready...brushing their teeth like good little girls. :-)
Still brushing... and looking absolutely darling in their Christmas outfits!
Waiting for mommy and daddy...wondering why it takes them soooo long to get ready!
Anyway, long story short, picture taking was a DISASTER and none were taken! Jocelyn WAS NOT going to stand on that white sheet and Jenna WAS NOT going to smile for a picture (and we even bribed big time!)
Good times!
We made an appointment for next week, so we will give it another try. My dad offered to come with us because the girls happen to have a special liking for him. We'll see what happens. If not, our Christmas card might have them brushing their teeth in it! :-) Just joking!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Competitive Spirit
You may be wondering what I have been up to in the last week since I haven't posted a blog. Well, I will tell you that in all, (well most) of my free time, I have taken up a new hobby. You see, I come form a pretty competitive family. Or I should say, my sister and I are competitive! :-) And when we want to beat each other at something, we will stay at it until we do it. We are always friendly and loving about it, but determined to beat the other person. So, after she introduced me to a computer game ( Mahjong Titans- for anyone interested) we went back and forth trying to see who could win the game the fastest. What's cool is, I got my husband into the competition! And now that I have blown them away with my unbeatable time, they have actually given up on me! So, now, what else am I to do, but blog?
Ok, now that I have patted myself on my own back, I will tell you that honestly, playing computer games is not what I do on a regular basis (although I really do have the fastest time! :-) )
Genevieve has completely amazed us with her potty training skills! She rarely, very rarely, has accidents! She gets so excited to go and has learned to take off and put back on her panties and pants all by herself. We really don't have to do much of anything except help her wash her hands when she his done going potty. Oh yes, and since she has learned to go pee-pee on the potty, she has decided that she has to go every 20 minutes. Seriously! And she does! That gets a bit exhausting! And the best part...she forgot that we used to give her chocolate every time she went, so she never asks for it anymore. This is cool because it means there is more for me! :-)
More cool Jenna news...she knows her ABC's! I don't know, maybe they are supposed to know them by now, but she sings it so well. She ALWAYS forgets the letter "J" and "TUV" but everything else is there precisely! And she says them very clearly, even the toughest "LMNOP" part!
Jocelyn has completely given up her morning nap which is actually very exciting for me. I don't feel like I have to be at my house from 9-11 everyday anymore. She stays in a fairly good mood too!
She has found a new toy. Our toilet. If we ever forget to close the bathroom door, she will be drenched from head to toe in seconds. So will the entire bathroom. Nice huh? Although we occasionally forget to shut the bathroom door...we ALWAYS remember to flush, so luckily, she is playing in clean water! :-)
Both of the girls love Zoe! This is good news since Sam and I don't always love Zoe. :-)
Actually, she is a very sweet, fun dog, but at 7 months, she is still a lot of puppy! And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!! I don't know how much she weighs, but I would say she is nearing 100 pounds! She does better the more we walk/run her, but finding the time to do that isn't the easiest.
Hopefully next post will have more pictures and less chit-chat!
Ok, now that I have patted myself on my own back, I will tell you that honestly, playing computer games is not what I do on a regular basis (although I really do have the fastest time! :-) )
Genevieve has completely amazed us with her potty training skills! She rarely, very rarely, has accidents! She gets so excited to go and has learned to take off and put back on her panties and pants all by herself. We really don't have to do much of anything except help her wash her hands when she his done going potty. Oh yes, and since she has learned to go pee-pee on the potty, she has decided that she has to go every 20 minutes. Seriously! And she does! That gets a bit exhausting! And the best part...she forgot that we used to give her chocolate every time she went, so she never asks for it anymore. This is cool because it means there is more for me! :-)
More cool Jenna news...she knows her ABC's! I don't know, maybe they are supposed to know them by now, but she sings it so well. She ALWAYS forgets the letter "J" and "TUV" but everything else is there precisely! And she says them very clearly, even the toughest "LMNOP" part!
Jocelyn has completely given up her morning nap which is actually very exciting for me. I don't feel like I have to be at my house from 9-11 everyday anymore. She stays in a fairly good mood too!
She has found a new toy. Our toilet. If we ever forget to close the bathroom door, she will be drenched from head to toe in seconds. So will the entire bathroom. Nice huh? Although we occasionally forget to shut the bathroom door...we ALWAYS remember to flush, so luckily, she is playing in clean water! :-)
Both of the girls love Zoe! This is good news since Sam and I don't always love Zoe. :-)
Actually, she is a very sweet, fun dog, but at 7 months, she is still a lot of puppy! And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!! I don't know how much she weighs, but I would say she is nearing 100 pounds! She does better the more we walk/run her, but finding the time to do that isn't the easiest.
Hopefully next post will have more pictures and less chit-chat!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Princess Panties!
Genevieve's new attire! :-)
Overnight.
That's how quick Jenna learned to potty train!
She is amazing!
I have to thank my sister for pushing us into it. Jenna ended up pooping in her diaper at Amy's house and we hadn't left any diapers for her so she put some big girl panties on her. Later, she had Jenna sit on the big girl potty to try and go and Jenna sat there for an entire HOUR until she went! Amy rewarded her and since that time (2 days ago) she has only had 3 accidents! Every other time she has gone in the potty. AND...I put a diaper on her at night still, but it has been dry every morning! :-)
It is quite the process for rewarding though. If she goes without having an accident, she gets the following:
And to get a piece of chocolate.
Good job Genevieve!
Overnight.
That's how quick Jenna learned to potty train!
She is amazing!
I have to thank my sister for pushing us into it. Jenna ended up pooping in her diaper at Amy's house and we hadn't left any diapers for her so she put some big girl panties on her. Later, she had Jenna sit on the big girl potty to try and go and Jenna sat there for an entire HOUR until she went! Amy rewarded her and since that time (2 days ago) she has only had 3 accidents! Every other time she has gone in the potty. AND...I put a diaper on her at night still, but it has been dry every morning! :-)
It is quite the process for rewarding though. If she goes without having an accident, she gets the following:
To use toilet paper (trust me, this is something she has wanted for a long time, but that we have used as bribery)
To wash her hands with the purple foam soap (again, a form of bribery)And to get a piece of chocolate.
Good job Genevieve!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Bathtime
We have been doing a lot of showers as opposed to baths lately due to the increased amount of UTI's and diaper rashes.
This is both enjoyable and miserable experience. I can't get one INTO the shower (but I couldn't get her into a bath either) and I can't get one OUT of it!
Jocelyn absolutely loves it! At 15 months, she is very brave and oblivious to water spraying directly in her face for long periods of time. She will cry and cry when it is time to get out.
Genevieve, at 2 1/2, crys and crys UNTIL I let her out! She is only ok with the water touching her toes. As soon as I aim it up to her knees, you would then think I was torchering her by the sound and volume of her cry.
There are no pictures of them in the shower, since they shower with me. Trust me...you wouldn't appreciate that! :-)
I am, however, attaching a few pictures of them playing with daddy.
This is both enjoyable and miserable experience. I can't get one INTO the shower (but I couldn't get her into a bath either) and I can't get one OUT of it!
Jocelyn absolutely loves it! At 15 months, she is very brave and oblivious to water spraying directly in her face for long periods of time. She will cry and cry when it is time to get out.
Genevieve, at 2 1/2, crys and crys UNTIL I let her out! She is only ok with the water touching her toes. As soon as I aim it up to her knees, you would then think I was torchering her by the sound and volume of her cry.
There are no pictures of them in the shower, since they shower with me. Trust me...you wouldn't appreciate that! :-)
I am, however, attaching a few pictures of them playing with daddy.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Who needs a high chair?
Jocelyn has been known to be completely content eating off of the floor. (We don't, however, make it a habit of feeding her this way, just so you all know!) She will get raisins out of the pantry and then sit on the floor while waiting for me to open them up. So, sometimes, I will just put them right in front of her. The videos show some of her many talents!
Watch how she balances it on her toes!
I suppose she gets it to her mouth more quickly this way?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Jocelyn Update #2
We had our follow-up doctor's appointment with Jocelyn yesterday and found out the following:
NOTHING!
Very frustrating day to say the least.
Luckily, she is still doing really well and hasn't had any more episodes. We still watch her pretty closely though. For example: Jocelyn was still sleeping at 7:30 on Thursday morning and she normally wakes up around 7:00. This was a little alarming to Sam, so he woke her up to make sure she was okay. She was fine, but it's hard not to wonder if it will happen again. She also seems to want to eat more frequently. I don't like to encourage "snacking" but Sam reminded me that she may be hypoglycemic, so now we tend to give her food whenever she wants.
Apparently...she likes apples! :-)
NOTHING!
Very frustrating day to say the least.
Luckily, she is still doing really well and hasn't had any more episodes. We still watch her pretty closely though. For example: Jocelyn was still sleeping at 7:30 on Thursday morning and she normally wakes up around 7:00. This was a little alarming to Sam, so he woke her up to make sure she was okay. She was fine, but it's hard not to wonder if it will happen again. She also seems to want to eat more frequently. I don't like to encourage "snacking" but Sam reminded me that she may be hypoglycemic, so now we tend to give her food whenever she wants.
Apparently...she likes apples! :-)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Jocelyn Update
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for Jocelyn and checking up on us. She has been doing just great since the whole ordeal. She is smiley, giggly, energetic, and overall, very happy! She is playing well, talking well, walking well, etc. We have an appointment next week to have blood drawn to see if we can't figure anything out but for now, we are just watching her every move! :-) I will definitely keep you all posted when we find anything out!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Very Scary Day
I am going to make a pretty long story....long.
I leave for work at 6:15am. (Yuck huh!?) On my work days, Sam gets the girls up and ready around 7:00am and takes them to my sisters house on his way to work.
Yesterday morning at work, I got a phone call from Sam. He was calling to tell me that he was on his way to the ER with Jocelyn. As he was explaining to me how she had been that morning, he would stop the story to tell Jocelyn in the back seat to "wake up." All I had gotten from his panicked voice was that she was not doing well at all, that she was "limp" and that she wasn't able to walk, hold her head up, or even talk.
As tears immediately started rolling down my cheeks, I looked at my office manager and told her that I needed to go.
When I got to the hospital and saw my little girl with my own eyes, I knew something was wrong. She looked in my direction, but wasn't really looking AT me. She made no sounds and had zero facial reactions. Her hands were cold. Sam was holding her because she couldn't really hold herself up. It was VERY VERY disturbing because as a mom...you KNOW when something is not right and let me tell you...something was not right!
They took her back immediately without registration etc. which was nice, but also a little alarming. The nurse checked her out and later told us that he himself was concerned when we brought her in. As he checked her eyes, she would follow them for only a short time, but he couldn't keep her attention.
Sam told the nurse the story: He had tried getting her up that morning and she was very "heavy." Although she was clearly awake, she wasn't very responsive. He assumed she was still very tired. He got her ready and put her back in the crib while he got Jenna ready. When it was time to go, he went back in to get Jocelyn and as he carried her down the hallway, she was "limp" and he had to hold her head because she was unable to support it as is rocked back and forth. Obviously scared and worried, he decided that maybe she needed to eat something. After offering her some craisins, she ate them very fast and then seemed to perk up just a bit. So, he put her on the floor to have her walk and she fell to the floor and just stared at him. Now he knew it wasn't right and had to make the decision to call 911 or to take her himself. He decided to make the drive himself.
The nurse took all our information and told us that the doctor would be right in. Well, we all know that ER's don't work like that. Doctors take their sweet time getting there, even when it is a baby involved!
I offered Jocelyn a cup of water thinking she may be thirsty. Thirsty was an understatement! She downed it. So, I filled it up and offered her a 2nd glass. She downed it. So, I filled it up and offered her a 3rd glass. She downed it.
The doctor came in and did a quick exam and listened to the story. He checked her eyes and ears and told us the following:
He was not going to diagnose it as anything at this point. It is possible that she had had a seizure in the middle of the night and after waking up, she was completely exhausted. He said that most everyone has 1 seizure in their life and that they don't worry about it until they have more than 1. But again, he wasn't calling it a seizure. He said that he wanted to keep her there for another 45 minutes to observe her.
At this point I was able to put Jocelyn on the floor and have her stand all on her own and the doctor had her walk to me. She was OBVIOUSLY doing better by the time the doctor came in, but Sam and I and saw her at her low. Sam saw her at her very worst. We still knew that something had not been right.
The doctor left us and so I went and got a bowl of oatmeal out of the cafeteria to feed her. As I fed it to her, she didn't even seem to chew. It entered her mouth and she swallowed. She ate the entire bowl so quickly and then got mad and fussy when the bowl was empty. The fussiness actually made me excited being that it was the most I had "heard" from her all morning. Sam went back to the cafeteria and got her a muffin. She ate that just as quickly. It wasn't long after that, that I had my Jocelyn back.
Since she was clearly back to normal, they discharged us and told us to watch for any of those symptoms and told us to bring her back if we saw anything like that again. Her clinical diagnosis was "Episodic Weakness" and that told me, "we don't know what happened." So, I couldn't help but rack my brain, trying to figure out what had happened, and why it had happened.
I am no doctor, but I am almost convinced that she may have some form of hypoglycemia since it was the food and water that "brought her back." I am definitely concerned about Type 1 Diabetes since my dad has it. We have a follow up appointment with our general doctor next week and they are going to do a blood work up to see if they can see what caused it.
As for now, Jocelyn is back to normal and doing really well. I have to admit, I did bring the baby monitors out of storage so that I can listen to her sleep for awhile.
Thank you everyone for your prayers during this time. That was a very emotional day for both Sam and I, as well as our family. We will keep you posted on anything that comes up, but for now, just know that she is back to normal and doing great!
I leave for work at 6:15am. (Yuck huh!?) On my work days, Sam gets the girls up and ready around 7:00am and takes them to my sisters house on his way to work.
Yesterday morning at work, I got a phone call from Sam. He was calling to tell me that he was on his way to the ER with Jocelyn. As he was explaining to me how she had been that morning, he would stop the story to tell Jocelyn in the back seat to "wake up." All I had gotten from his panicked voice was that she was not doing well at all, that she was "limp" and that she wasn't able to walk, hold her head up, or even talk.
As tears immediately started rolling down my cheeks, I looked at my office manager and told her that I needed to go.
When I got to the hospital and saw my little girl with my own eyes, I knew something was wrong. She looked in my direction, but wasn't really looking AT me. She made no sounds and had zero facial reactions. Her hands were cold. Sam was holding her because she couldn't really hold herself up. It was VERY VERY disturbing because as a mom...you KNOW when something is not right and let me tell you...something was not right!
They took her back immediately without registration etc. which was nice, but also a little alarming. The nurse checked her out and later told us that he himself was concerned when we brought her in. As he checked her eyes, she would follow them for only a short time, but he couldn't keep her attention.
Sam told the nurse the story: He had tried getting her up that morning and she was very "heavy." Although she was clearly awake, she wasn't very responsive. He assumed she was still very tired. He got her ready and put her back in the crib while he got Jenna ready. When it was time to go, he went back in to get Jocelyn and as he carried her down the hallway, she was "limp" and he had to hold her head because she was unable to support it as is rocked back and forth. Obviously scared and worried, he decided that maybe she needed to eat something. After offering her some craisins, she ate them very fast and then seemed to perk up just a bit. So, he put her on the floor to have her walk and she fell to the floor and just stared at him. Now he knew it wasn't right and had to make the decision to call 911 or to take her himself. He decided to make the drive himself.
The nurse took all our information and told us that the doctor would be right in. Well, we all know that ER's don't work like that. Doctors take their sweet time getting there, even when it is a baby involved!
I offered Jocelyn a cup of water thinking she may be thirsty. Thirsty was an understatement! She downed it. So, I filled it up and offered her a 2nd glass. She downed it. So, I filled it up and offered her a 3rd glass. She downed it.
The doctor came in and did a quick exam and listened to the story. He checked her eyes and ears and told us the following:
He was not going to diagnose it as anything at this point. It is possible that she had had a seizure in the middle of the night and after waking up, she was completely exhausted. He said that most everyone has 1 seizure in their life and that they don't worry about it until they have more than 1. But again, he wasn't calling it a seizure. He said that he wanted to keep her there for another 45 minutes to observe her.
At this point I was able to put Jocelyn on the floor and have her stand all on her own and the doctor had her walk to me. She was OBVIOUSLY doing better by the time the doctor came in, but Sam and I and saw her at her low. Sam saw her at her very worst. We still knew that something had not been right.
The doctor left us and so I went and got a bowl of oatmeal out of the cafeteria to feed her. As I fed it to her, she didn't even seem to chew. It entered her mouth and she swallowed. She ate the entire bowl so quickly and then got mad and fussy when the bowl was empty. The fussiness actually made me excited being that it was the most I had "heard" from her all morning. Sam went back to the cafeteria and got her a muffin. She ate that just as quickly. It wasn't long after that, that I had my Jocelyn back.
Since she was clearly back to normal, they discharged us and told us to watch for any of those symptoms and told us to bring her back if we saw anything like that again. Her clinical diagnosis was "Episodic Weakness" and that told me, "we don't know what happened." So, I couldn't help but rack my brain, trying to figure out what had happened, and why it had happened.
I am no doctor, but I am almost convinced that she may have some form of hypoglycemia since it was the food and water that "brought her back." I am definitely concerned about Type 1 Diabetes since my dad has it. We have a follow up appointment with our general doctor next week and they are going to do a blood work up to see if they can see what caused it.
As for now, Jocelyn is back to normal and doing really well. I have to admit, I did bring the baby monitors out of storage so that I can listen to her sleep for awhile.
Thank you everyone for your prayers during this time. That was a very emotional day for both Sam and I, as well as our family. We will keep you posted on anything that comes up, but for now, just know that she is back to normal and doing great!
Monday, October 13, 2008
This and That
A whole week has gone by without blogging and it makes me feel so guilty!
My niece (and God-daughter), Mikayla, turned 4 years old on Sunday, October 5th. She had a princess party that Genevieve was invited to. They got to dress up in princess dresses, dance around to princess music, play in a princess castle, and eat princess cake. When Amy asked Mikayla who she wanted to invite, Mikayla picked 5 of her little friends and then told Amy, "and I also want Uncle Sam to come too!" Unfortunately, Uncle Sam already had plans, and was unable to participate in the festivites!
On saturday, 6 days after Mikayla turned 4, she had a little accident. She was running with her mom at her sibling's soccer games, fell, and managed to break her elbow! Poor girl is now in a temporary cast and sling until the swelling goes down when they can do a better cast. She still manages to smile and warm everybodys heart though! We love you Kayla!
This last weekend I hosted a baby shower at my house for my co-worker, Katrina, who is having a little girl in December. This will be her 2nd child, but 1st girl, so she needed a good dose of pink and she got just that! We had lots of good food, drinks, and socialization!
The girls are finally both healthy again. On Saturday though, Jocelyn had a minor collision with our bar stool. Apparently, the bar stool got up and jumped in her way leaving a nice sized bruise and bump on her face, right below her eye. I hate when that happens! :-)
And finally, my good friend Mandi is going to start working with me in a couple of weeks! Our other hygienist is on maternity leave now and after she has her baby, she will only be back part time, so Mandi will be joining us! The 3 of us will all be part-time employees and full-time moms! Hopefully, if any of the kiddos or ourselves get sick, we can help eachother out and swap days if needed. Anyway, we are excited to have her with us!
Here is a picture of Jocelyn shortly after her encounter with the bar stool. This picture doesn't do the bruise justice.
Jocelyn "Mohawk" reading her book
My niece (and God-daughter), Mikayla, turned 4 years old on Sunday, October 5th. She had a princess party that Genevieve was invited to. They got to dress up in princess dresses, dance around to princess music, play in a princess castle, and eat princess cake. When Amy asked Mikayla who she wanted to invite, Mikayla picked 5 of her little friends and then told Amy, "and I also want Uncle Sam to come too!" Unfortunately, Uncle Sam already had plans, and was unable to participate in the festivites!
On saturday, 6 days after Mikayla turned 4, she had a little accident. She was running with her mom at her sibling's soccer games, fell, and managed to break her elbow! Poor girl is now in a temporary cast and sling until the swelling goes down when they can do a better cast. She still manages to smile and warm everybodys heart though! We love you Kayla!
This last weekend I hosted a baby shower at my house for my co-worker, Katrina, who is having a little girl in December. This will be her 2nd child, but 1st girl, so she needed a good dose of pink and she got just that! We had lots of good food, drinks, and socialization!
The girls are finally both healthy again. On Saturday though, Jocelyn had a minor collision with our bar stool. Apparently, the bar stool got up and jumped in her way leaving a nice sized bruise and bump on her face, right below her eye. I hate when that happens! :-)
And finally, my good friend Mandi is going to start working with me in a couple of weeks! Our other hygienist is on maternity leave now and after she has her baby, she will only be back part time, so Mandi will be joining us! The 3 of us will all be part-time employees and full-time moms! Hopefully, if any of the kiddos or ourselves get sick, we can help eachother out and swap days if needed. Anyway, we are excited to have her with us!
Here is a picture of Jocelyn shortly after her encounter with the bar stool. This picture doesn't do the bruise justice.
Jocelyn "Mohawk" reading her book
Sunday, October 5, 2008
First Night
Yesterday we converted Jenna's crib into a toddler "big girl bed." After having to take the cozy bumper pad off, it looked, cold and "jail-like," so I got a pillow and blanket for her. She came into our room at 2:30, but we put her back in her bed and told her that she needed to stay in her bed. At 7:00 this morning she stayed in bed and called for us! We are so proud of her. When I went into her room, she was very excited that she slept in her big girl bed!
Baby Genevieve
Big girl Genevieve!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday Night
Last night, after dinner, Sam and I took a drive in the rain with the girls. We both LOVE the rain, and it felt nice to get out. We drove around some areas that we were unfamiliar with and found some beautiful homes! Then, when we came home, Jenna wanted to play Scrabble. For a 2 year old, that means taking the pieces out of the box, placing them on the table, and then putting them back into the box. Fun huh? So, while we had the game out, Sam and I played ourselves! (Only we didn't keep score.) We used all but 6 pieces and combined words that describe the girls or things they like to do. Call us corny, but it beats watching TV and eating Bon-Bons! Some of the words may not seem to fit into our "children theme," but they do to us, so don't think we were cheating and just trying to use up letters. Anyone figure out how to use the remaining letters on the left side?
Ultrasound Results
Yay for us! The ultrasound came back perfectly normal! There is nothing to worry about with her abdomen or kidneys for now. We will continue to watch her stomach pains as well as her UTI symptoms to make sure they don't progress into anything else. We are also going to start really trying to potty train Jenna more aggressively now.
She has had a pretty good turn around today from being "life-less" this morning, to being energetic and eating well this afternoon and evening.
Side note: I tried to upload a couple of pictures of her feeling good and playing with daddy, but for some reason we are having some technical difficulties. Stay tuned.
She has had a pretty good turn around today from being "life-less" this morning, to being energetic and eating well this afternoon and evening.
Side note: I tried to upload a couple of pictures of her feeling good and playing with daddy, but for some reason we are having some technical difficulties. Stay tuned.
Daily Doctor's Visits
Yesterday, we had to take Genevieve back to the doctor for her follow up on the UTI. We had talked about seeing a Urologist to see why she was getting UTI's at her age, but after discussing it some more with Dr. Julia (world's best doctor by far!) she wanted to wait on that for now. The treatment to diagnose any bladder problems is pretty invasive for a 2 year old and should only be done if absolutely needed. What concerns us more is that she has talked about her tummy hurting for the last month or month and a half. And recently, she acts more lethargic and "life-less." Dr. Julia recommended an ultrasound to check her abdomen and kidneys.
We went and had that done this morning and it literally broke my heart. I can tell, as her mother, that she just isn't feeling good. She laid as still as can be through the 15 minute ultrasound. They moved her onto both sides, and she basically flopped from side to side without mentioning a word. They kept asking if she was okay, because most 2 year olds aren't that cooperative. I told them that she just didn't feel good. When we were done, we got into the car and she was asleep before I left the parking lot!
We should hear back today on any findings, but we are hoping and praying for nothing!
Maybe it's just gas? :-)
We went and had that done this morning and it literally broke my heart. I can tell, as her mother, that she just isn't feeling good. She laid as still as can be through the 15 minute ultrasound. They moved her onto both sides, and she basically flopped from side to side without mentioning a word. They kept asking if she was okay, because most 2 year olds aren't that cooperative. I told them that she just didn't feel good. When we were done, we got into the car and she was asleep before I left the parking lot!
We should hear back today on any findings, but we are hoping and praying for nothing!
Maybe it's just gas? :-)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Eventful to say the least
Just a quick update on life at the McCoys.
Genevieve is recovering well from her UTI but is going to see a Urologist to decide if she needs further treatment (surgery) to prevent more UTI's in the future. She bounced back right away with the help of an antibiotic and some extra snuggling in bed with mommy and daddy!
Jocelyn was diagnosed today with the lovely "Hand, Mouth, and Foot" disease. Luckily, it is just a virus, but she has little red blisters all over her feet and sporadically on her hands and mouth. She will most likely give it to Jenna who will most likely give it back to Jocelyn. Since it is a virus, you can't do anything about it except let it run its course. She doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all and has been in a good mood, so we can't complain!
I am temporarily out of work due to a sprained thumb but don't ask me how it happened. I really don't know anything except that it happened while I was walking Zoe. I think she may have tugged away and I wasn't holding onto the leash hard enough which ended up pulling my thumb back. I have a splint that keeps my fingers from moving which has already helped a lot!
Here are some overdue cute pictures:
Jocelyn kissing her baby
The girls wearing my shoes
Jocelyn on her bike
Jenna on her bike
Mikayla and Jenna dressing up
Jocelyn showing us that she will do anything to reach my phone
Jenna with a goofy face
Beautiful baby...don't you think?
I can't go anywhere without my blanket
Friday, September 26, 2008
A day at the ER
My poor little Genevieve has yet another Urinary Tract Infection. And I wouldn't think so negatively of UTI's if they didn't have to be diagnosed through blood work and a catheter! My little 2 year should not have things inserted into her body like that! She was so brave, but it was heart-wrenching to see those nurses poking and prodding at my completely innocent little girl!
She has been having ongoing back and stomach pain and today came down with a high fever. I took her to the Medi-Center since her doctor was out today and the doctors at the Medi-Center wouldn't even see her due to her symptoms. They instead insisted that we go straight to the hospital.
So now she is on a round of antibiotics and may eventually have to have surgery to correct the shape and size of her urethra. This is a hereditary "malformation" of the urethra that a few of the females in my family have had to have corrected.
Although she was quite lethargic at the hospital, she said things that kept me laughing and knowing that she would really be okay.
About 5 different times while waiting for results, she said, "Mom, I want outta here!"
When waiting for her prescription she asked where her medicine was. I told her that it wasn't ready yet. She asked, "Is it cooling off in the fishy-fishy." (That means refrigerator if you didn't see the blog from a few weeks back.)
And when we were released from the hospital, she insisted on walking to the car (rather than being carried) the whole way saying, "hut 2, 3, 4!"
She has been having ongoing back and stomach pain and today came down with a high fever. I took her to the Medi-Center since her doctor was out today and the doctors at the Medi-Center wouldn't even see her due to her symptoms. They instead insisted that we go straight to the hospital.
So now she is on a round of antibiotics and may eventually have to have surgery to correct the shape and size of her urethra. This is a hereditary "malformation" of the urethra that a few of the females in my family have had to have corrected.
Although she was quite lethargic at the hospital, she said things that kept me laughing and knowing that she would really be okay.
About 5 different times while waiting for results, she said, "Mom, I want outta here!"
When waiting for her prescription she asked where her medicine was. I told her that it wasn't ready yet. She asked, "Is it cooling off in the fishy-fishy." (That means refrigerator if you didn't see the blog from a few weeks back.)
And when we were released from the hospital, she insisted on walking to the car (rather than being carried) the whole way saying, "hut 2, 3, 4!"
Friday, September 19, 2008
Ladybug Galoshes
Jenna was playing today with her ladybug galoshes from her Godparents- Ron and Sarah Hartley. She asked me to take a picture of her wearing them.
Here she is showing them off
Then she asked me to take a picture of the other one
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Children, Children, Children
If any of you have talked to me recently, you have probably heard me say 1 or 2 negative things about my beautiful little girls. I have noticed lately that I get extremely excited at the chance to get away from them for a little while and I always seem to point out their faults to others.
For example:
Jenna always says she has to go potty, but after I take her diaper off, take her pants off, and sit with her, holding her hands for about 10 minutes, she will say she is done, and nothing is to show for it. This is very frustrating to me.
I put Jocelyn in her high chair, feed her, wipe every inch of her body off when she is done (because only 1/3 of the food she was offered went into her mouth-the rest made its way into her hair or down her clothes), and then wipe off her food-crusted sippy cup. I do this about 5 times a day.
And then I do that with Genevieve at 5 DIFFERENT times because they never seem to be hungry at the same time. Luckily, more of the food goes into her mouth!
I watch as Jenna shoves Jocelyn to the floor for no apparent reason at all.
What I don't say enough is the following:
Genevieve sleeps solid at night from 8pm to 7am. She shares a room with Jocelyn who sleeps solid at night from 7:30pm to 7am. Jocelyn takes a daily 2 hour morning nap and both girls take afternoon naps, at the same time, for about 2.5 hours. Basically, I have EXCELLENT sleepers!
If Jocelyn gets fussy, you will hear Jenna say, "It's okay Jocie, don't cry, what do you want?" And then you will see her gently stroke her.
When Jenna does something naughty and I ask her to come here, she comes on "1" (Most of the time) and if I have to get to 2 or 3, she comes running! And while she is running, she says, "I'm coming!" After I scold her for whatever she did, she says, "okay mom" she gives me a hug and then she says, "I love you so much mom!" All of this usually done without being asked!
If Jocelyn has a toy that Jenna really wants, Jenna will go get another toy, hand it to Jocelyn and then take the toy she wanted from Jocelyn. Luckily, Jocelyn is still young enough to be content with the new toy and hasn't realized that Jenna got the better one!
Both girls were born without any health problems.
The girls have 4 grandparents, 8 aunts and uncles, and 7 cousins, who ALL live in Yakima and that they get to see on a very regular basis.
With all of that said, I have to ask myself why I complain so much about the work required to keep them safe, happy, and healthy. My children act like all children do at this age. I have decided to relax and enjoy their company and not to take a moment with them for granted!
For example:
Jenna always says she has to go potty, but after I take her diaper off, take her pants off, and sit with her, holding her hands for about 10 minutes, she will say she is done, and nothing is to show for it. This is very frustrating to me.
I put Jocelyn in her high chair, feed her, wipe every inch of her body off when she is done (because only 1/3 of the food she was offered went into her mouth-the rest made its way into her hair or down her clothes), and then wipe off her food-crusted sippy cup. I do this about 5 times a day.
And then I do that with Genevieve at 5 DIFFERENT times because they never seem to be hungry at the same time. Luckily, more of the food goes into her mouth!
I watch as Jenna shoves Jocelyn to the floor for no apparent reason at all.
What I don't say enough is the following:
Genevieve sleeps solid at night from 8pm to 7am. She shares a room with Jocelyn who sleeps solid at night from 7:30pm to 7am. Jocelyn takes a daily 2 hour morning nap and both girls take afternoon naps, at the same time, for about 2.5 hours. Basically, I have EXCELLENT sleepers!
If Jocelyn gets fussy, you will hear Jenna say, "It's okay Jocie, don't cry, what do you want?" And then you will see her gently stroke her.
When Jenna does something naughty and I ask her to come here, she comes on "1" (Most of the time) and if I have to get to 2 or 3, she comes running! And while she is running, she says, "I'm coming!" After I scold her for whatever she did, she says, "okay mom" she gives me a hug and then she says, "I love you so much mom!" All of this usually done without being asked!
If Jocelyn has a toy that Jenna really wants, Jenna will go get another toy, hand it to Jocelyn and then take the toy she wanted from Jocelyn. Luckily, Jocelyn is still young enough to be content with the new toy and hasn't realized that Jenna got the better one!
Both girls were born without any health problems.
The girls have 4 grandparents, 8 aunts and uncles, and 7 cousins, who ALL live in Yakima and that they get to see on a very regular basis.
With all of that said, I have to ask myself why I complain so much about the work required to keep them safe, happy, and healthy. My children act like all children do at this age. I have decided to relax and enjoy their company and not to take a moment with them for granted!
Dog anyone?
My dog is about to drive me crazy! Literally! She graduated from her obedience class last Thursday and was doing quite well until Friday when we took her to the vet to get Spayed. We picked her up Saturday after her surgery and were told that most dogs need about 1 week to recuperate after the surgery, but that Zoe would need 2 weeks due to her large size. They told us to refrain from exercise for that time because they don't want to disrupt the incision site. They also said that dogs are typically calm and quiet during this time.
Today is Thursday, less than a week after surgery and I am beginning to wonder what they did to her while out of my care. She is out of control crazy! Imagine 50+ pounds of pure adrenaline coming at you anytime you look at it! In class, we learned that dogs need 3 things in this particular order: 1) Exercise 2) Obedience 3) Affection. #2 can't come before #1 and #3 can't come before #2 or obviously #1. Now, remember that #1 can't happen for 2 weeks! So, can you see my frustration?
So, I am taking her back to class tonight to see if the so-called "Dog Whisperers" can help my dog!
Today is Thursday, less than a week after surgery and I am beginning to wonder what they did to her while out of my care. She is out of control crazy! Imagine 50+ pounds of pure adrenaline coming at you anytime you look at it! In class, we learned that dogs need 3 things in this particular order: 1) Exercise 2) Obedience 3) Affection. #2 can't come before #1 and #3 can't come before #2 or obviously #1. Now, remember that #1 can't happen for 2 weeks! So, can you see my frustration?
So, I am taking her back to class tonight to see if the so-called "Dog Whisperers" can help my dog!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Binki Update
48 hours straight with no binki! That's 2 naps and 2 night times without it! And only about 20 minutes total of crying for it!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Buck teeth vs. 10 minutes of rocking?
So, my oldest daughter is going on 2 1/2 and still uses a binki to sleep with. Okay, fine, she also uses it when she is cranky, and hurt, and tired, and sad, FINE...she still uses her binki a lot!
I don't want my kids to have buck teeth. Call me what you want, but I know that anyone can relate. What teacher parks their kids in front of movies all day and tells them not to play outside. And what Dietitian feeds her children Big Macs? So, as a hygienist, I brush my kids teeth twice daily (yes, this may be excessive, but that's another topic) and I won't allow them to have a binki in their mouth at preschool.
I decided that I haven't really been trying that hard to take it away from her, so today, out of the blue, I told Sam that I was taking it away starting tonight at bedtime. I even warned Jenna by telling her that tonight she will still get to take her blanket and her baby to bed, but that she doesn't get a binki because she is a big girl now! She thought that was pretty cool because about 5 minutes before bedtime, I warned her, "Jenna, it's almost time for bed" to which she replied with the hugest, sweetest, smile, "OK, and noooooo binki 'cause I'm a big girl!"
The result? I had to rock her for 10 minutes (which is 9 minutes more than before I took the binki away,) followed by 3.5 minutes of crying. And really, the only reason I had to rock her for so long is that she didn't have a plug in her mouth to keep her quiet which allowed her to ask 4,000 questions while she was being rocked. But that's it? Well darn, I would have done that a long time ago had I known it was going to be that easy!!!
The result? I had to rock her for 10 minutes (which is 9 minutes more than before I took the binki away,) followed by 3.5 minutes of crying. And really, the only reason I had to rock her for so long is that she didn't have a plug in her mouth to keep her quiet which allowed her to ask 4,000 questions while she was being rocked. But that's it? Well darn, I would have done that a long time ago had I known it was going to be that easy!!!
Here are a few pics of all 3 of my girls! Oh yes, and one of Sam too!
"Jenna, you are choking me!"
Sisterly love!
Daddy and Jocelyn sporting their green and denim
Zoe at 17 weeks and 50 pounds!
Good stay Zoe!
Can't she stay like this forever?
Ditto!
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