April 27, 2011

Hives

The Phebis had hives again this past week. This was the third or fourth time ... hmm, I can't remember. For sure she's had them three times: the first time in January; then again right after I had the flu in February; and I thought another time but I can't remember when that was. Anyway this was the worst of all but she didn't seem like she was itchy and she was generally pretty happy, so I kept an eye on her and gave her benadryl when she seemed uncomfortable. I cannot for the life of me pinpoint the cause. Since she breaks out all over her body I'm sure it's something she is eating or perhaps breathing? But I haven't been using anything new (detergent, fabric softener, cleaning products, soap) or feeding her anything new (at least I don't think I have) so I just don't know.

Yesterday morning after several days I finally called the pediatrician to ask how long I could continue to give her benadryl. I had put it off because I knew they were going to want to see her ... and sure enough, they wanted to me to bring her in. I didn't want to pay my thirty dollar copay to have a doctor look at her and say, "Yep, it's hives." But they seemed concerned over the phone and wanted to see her, so I took her in, paid thirty dollars, and the doctor looked at her and said, "Yep, it's hives."

And of course by this morning they were completely gone. Figures.

While we were at the doctor's office waiting in an examination room, the Boogie asked, "Where is the doctor? When is he coming?"
I said, "Pretty soon. I don't know if it will be a man doctor or a lady doctor. There are men and women doctors here. Would you like to be a doctor when you grow up?"
"No," she answered right away. I was surprised, considering her ongoing infatuation with all things medical! "Well then, what would you like to be when you grow up?"
"A mom," she said, "like you! And I will go to a hospital and get a baby."

I take that as a great compliment!

Of course, when we had a similar conversation the other day it went a little differently. She heard a song on PBS Kids that said something about "you can be whatever you want to be." Her face lit up.
"I can be whatever I want to be?" she asked excitedly.
"Sure," I said, thinking she would say she wanted to be a firefighter or a teacher or something, "what would you like to be?"
"An elephant!" she exclaimed.

Sometimes I forget how literally preschoolers take things!

April 22, 2011

The Boogie Turns Four

Because the Boogie's birthday falls on a holiday weekend this year, we had her party last Sunday after the morning service.

She had a pretty new dress from her Pops and Lela to wear.


We had dinner with immediate grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There was good food to eat, party hats to wear, and cake, of course!


There were lots of great gifts to open, too: chalk, bubbles, and a sprinkler for outside fun; lots of workbooks and coloring books; cute new clothes!




She had a whole week of birthday celebrating, receiving cards and packages in the mail every day.


And today for her birthday she got, among other things, a new bike from Honey and Daddy!

She got a dollhouse, too, which I somehow did not manage to get a picture of. It needs to be assembled so I'll take some when it's completed! I'm very excited about a dollhouse. I remember wanting one for years when I was a little girl. I can live vicariously through my daughters now. :)

I think she had fun today. I think she's had a fun week!

And of course, as always, I must not neglect to remember the other reason that makes this day special: five years of happily-ever-after! Five years -- in some ways it doesn't seem that it could possibly have been so long already.

Happy 4th birthday to my sweet Boogie, and happy 5th anniversary to my love.

April 15, 2011

Hair!

Can you see it?


When she woke up from her nap yesterday she had a tiny little curl right at the back.


I think she is destined for a mullet.

April 13, 2011

She's Coming ...

... an even more mobile Phebis.


Apparently she did this several times today, for grandparents and then for her daddy. She wasn't too keen on demonstrating for me, however. Maybe she'll be more willing tomorrow.

April 11, 2011

11 Months Old

*sniff, sniff* The last monthly "birthday" post for Pheeboo. Next month will be the One Year Old post and then I guess I will do every three months or something ... or forget altogether as is my wont.

Yesterday the girls wore matching dresses that MIL found for them. So cute! We tried to get some pictures when we got home from church but even with overcast skies it was too bright for little blue eyes.







 



April 8, 2011

Psalm 139

O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
 2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
 3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
 4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
 5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
 7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
 13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
 19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
 20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
 21Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
 22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
 23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
 24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

April 7, 2011

Blankie Addict

I think this child needs a 12-step program.

And not to exclude her sister:

April 5, 2011

My Baby Girl

 ... is getting so big. She is so smart!

One day I was blowing bubbles for the Boogie. Phebis kept trying to take the bubble wand so finally I let her, thinking she would put it in her mouth and be in for a soapy surprise. But no, instead she tried to put the wand into the bottle. She had been watching me and knew just what she was supposed to do with it.

She also likes to hold the spoon while I'm feeding her and put it in her mouth herself. I have to hold it, too, because she doesn't have very good aim. But she can do it some of the time!



She waves "hi" and "bye". She likes to violently shake or nod her head. She babbles a lot, just like the Boogie did. She looks right into our faces and talks to us very seriously. It's obvious that she has something important that she just has to get off her chest -- too bad we don't speak her language. The other day I noticed her sitting on the floor looking at some CDs on a shelf. She would babble something then laugh, babble something then laugh, over and over. I sneaked over with my phone to take a video but of course as soon as I got close enough she stopped doing it.


She says "uh-oh" and lately has been saying a few other things. I thought maybe they were random, chance happenings, but she has done it enough times that I really think she is saying it on purpose. She says "mama" all the time. More than once she has seen Eric's mom and exclaimed "Mummmum!" The other night she waved her arm at his dad and said, "Puh-puh," and then later that night when Eric came into view she said "Daddy" clear as anything!

She is starting to give kisses, big open-mouth slobbery wet ones. If we say, "Give me a kiss," she says "mmmmmMUH" or makes kissy noises. Within the past couple of weeks I've noticed that she will wrap her arm around my neck and hug it when I'm holding her. She has become a little bit more snuggly, especially if she has her blankie while we're holding her.


She does the cutest little nose crinkle when she grins. This is the closest I've come to catching it on camera.

Because of her limited amounts of transparent hair, I put stretchy headbands on her for church. Sometimes she will leave them alone but more often she will pull them off right away. This past Sunday, however, she left it alone all morning and when we got home from church I took it off and tossed it on the floor. A little bit later Eric nudged me and pointed at Pheeboo -- she had the headband and was trying to put it on. She used both hands to stretch it, then put it on top of her head. She sat there for a good five minutes, trying to put on that headband. The next day while I was brushing the Boogie's hair, the Boogie was "combing" the baby's hair, er, head. Phebis got hold of the comb and began to comb her own head.


She likes to explore. She pulls the scarves out of their basket. All small toys must be pulled from their bins and strewn across the playroom floor. Books and CDs are pulled off of shelves. Her little fingers have been pinched multiple times in drawers but that doesn't stop her the next time. She can't crawl past the bins blocking doorways, but has learned that if she is persistent enough she can sometimes stand up and inch her way sideways through the gaps.

She still refuses to stand unassisted but will walk anywhere with someone holding her hands. If I tried to let go with one hand she used to immediately sit down. One day I was holding one of her hands and she had a grip on her jacket with the other. She thought I was holding both of her hands and she was walking around just fine! Proof of mind over matter. In the last couple of days she has gained enough confidence to walk around while only holding one hand.

Yesterday was a beautiful day and when I got home from work Eric was outside with both girls. We have a nice driveway just right for a baby in a walker. She was walking all over the place, holding her head in both hands. It was cracking us up.


Today I asked her, "Where's your nose?" and she grabbed mine! What a smart baby.


And pretty cute, too.

April 2, 2011

A Conversation With The Boogie

Tonight the Boogie told me, "When Pheeboo gets growed up big, we can get another baby!"
"Oh, really?" I asked. "What will its name be?"
"It will be ... Krayta!"
"I see," I said, "and will it be a girl baby or a boy baby?"
"It will be a girl baby, like Pheeboo," she laughed.
"A girl baby! Then we will have a lot of girls."
"No," she shook her head, "we will have three girls." Aha. I stand corrected.
"But what if we have another baby and it's a boy baby?" I asked her.
She thought about that for a minute. "I guess, then, we will have three ... children. And then we'll get ANOTHER baby and we will have ..." more thinking "... FOUR CHILDREN!" *jumping up and down*
I put an alarmed look on my face. "Four children? That's a lot of children. You are going to have to help me take care of them. I'm going to need a lot of help."
"I will," she nodded solemnly. "I will help you. I'm a good helper."

I have to put it in writing so I can remind her someday, when she's older and much-relied-upon!