Catching up

We celebrated Annie's second birthday this month. I can't believe my sweet baby is two years old! In preparation for the event, we decided it was finally time to cut the mullet. Annie wasn't as psyched for the milestone as I'd hoped. But our sweet stylist was ready with a sucker, which was all Annie needed to convince her to sit in the chair.

 We had a birthday brunch with the grandmothers and a few friends.

 And Annie got a tricycle, which SB is teaching her to ride.

 Annie was pretty worn out by the end of the day.

I've been ordered to sing "Happy birthday to you" every night at bedtime since.

Annie is getting bigger, smarter and cuter every day. She sings her ABCs (with about 50% accuracy). Today she said a 6 word sentence on the way to church. I would have been excited if it hadn't been, "I want to eat the boogers." She's been learning too many things from SB.

Sarah Beth is a little too smart for her own good. She doesn't miss a thing. And she eats boogers. On the plus side, she has decided to stop sucking her thumb. Jack promised to build her a playhouse in the backyard if she did it. Then he decided to google search kids playhouses while SB was sitting next to him. Huge mistake. On a related note, we have started a playhouse fund if you'd like to donate.

One of SB's babysitters is getting married this summer. She called last week and asked if SB would be her flower girl. I took a photo of her on the phone getting the news.

Guess what. She said yes. She's actually been looking at bridal magazines every place we see them, picking out dresses and cakes for the big event.

The best news of all is that SB made a big decision this month. She asked Jesus to come into her heart! It was an exciting day.

My sweet girls are growing up so fast!

A Difficult Life

Two quick stories to share this morning:

Last week SB came into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to me. She sighed heavily and moaned, "My bunyans are KILLING me." I suspect this line came from her favorite show "Pound Puppies." A few months ago, she snuggled into my lap, called me Uncle Barlow and asked me to tell her a story. I later discovered that Uncle Barlow is a character from Pound Puppies. SB has a memory like an elephant and is constantly quoting things she hears other people say as well as infomercials. You may remember this story about Packit, which ended up on that company's facebook page not long after I shared it with you! A few days ago she was telling me all about another product called Custom Made. I saw the commercial a few days later, and most of it sounded very familiar. These folks surely know how to advertise to kids.

Yesterday SB was going to run errands with Jack. She had packed a few toys into her backpack in case she couldn't handle the 30 minute trip. She was struggling to get her backpack on for a minute before she sighed and said, "why does my life have to be so difficult?"

Strong Willed and Easily Irritated

Strong willed and easily irritated. Not a good combination. My sweet Sarah Beth turned FIVE earlier this month. I don't know what happened to my baby, but she is long gone. She desperately longs to be a grown up and constantly bemoans her youth. Every night while forcing vegetables down her throat or announcing with glee that "it's bedtime!!" I'm always met with the same response, "I wish I was a grown up so I could do/eat whatever I want."
 I'm trying to allow her some independence, but she often takes more than what is offered. Today we had lunch with my mother at a local restaurant. SB asked if she could order. I said sure. She ran up to the counter, greeted the cashier and ordered her food, drink, and requested a special side dish. Then she tugged on my shirttail and whispered loudly, "Mom! Can I pay?" The cashier was quite amused and played along nicely with Sarah Beth as though I wasn't even there. She thanked her for her order and handed her a cup and a number for our food. SB was quite pleased. "Can I get my own drink??" Of course. "Can you take Annie outside and I'll be there later?" No. She wasn't quite as pleased with that.
 After we chose a table outside, SB kept thinking of reasons to go back in. By herself. "Annie, do you want a cracker? Mom, can I go get Annie a cracker?"... "I really need to wash my hands. I'll be right back." She was not happy that I insisted on coming inside with her to the bathroom. She asked (told) me to stay by the drink machines while she washed her hands. When she realized she couldn't reach the faucet, she came for help, but immediately wanted to me to leave again. Her final trip inside the restaurant was for napkins. I let her go in but stood inside the doorway watching. She went to the condiment table and squatted down behind it. I don't know what in the world she was doing, but she was getting some strange looks. I hurried over to her and pulled her off the floor. She was sooooo embarrassed. "Mom! I'm okaaaaaay. I'm just looking for the napkins." That's funny. It looked an awful lot like you were trying to hide from me. And the napkins certainly weren't on the floor. I pointed to the basket on the table and she shooed me out the door. She waited until I was far enough away, then grabbed about 4 dozen napkins and casually strolled in the general direction of the door, smiling and nodding at each patron as she passed them. Just another grown up restaurant customer in need of lots of napkins.

 Whew. At this rate, she'll be having me drop her off three blocks from the movie theater by the time she's 12.

God likes it when

Sarah Beth asked if we could go to Sonic for lunch earlier this week. I usually get that request when leaving Wal Mart, as it is directly across the street. Meanie that I am, this time I said no. Immediately she hit me with the inevitable, "But WHYYYYYYYY?"

I explained that we had a car full of groceries and needed to get home to unload them. Plus we had plenty of food to eat at home, and chicken strips and fries aren't very healthy. SB was still unsatisfied. She sat quietly for a moment plotting a way to get to her fast food destination. Finally she said gently, "You know, Mom. God likes it when you do nice things for other people."

So I did something nice and didn't spank her for the blatant manipulation attempt.

Annie says

For those of you who plan to visit in the next few months, let me offer a translation guide to Annie speak:

Tup Tup: cup
TUUUUUUUUP!: I have spotted my cup.
Squeals of distress: I cannot open the tupperware cabinet / SB is sitting on top of me.
Rah Rah: Sarah
Daw: dog
Maaaaaah-ow: I see a cat. I am attempting to communicate with it.
Poo poo: diaper. not even a dirty diaper, just diaper.
Uh uh: yes (in most cases, no really means yes, unless you are offering her some kind of meat to eat, in which case, no really does mean no. Annie is a vegetarian).

Shish: I see Sarah Beth's fish. Which means I am in Sarah Beth's room. Which means I am probably going to be in trouble. (Usually followed by "nah no")
Nah no: I'm not supposed to touch whatever I am touching.

The last one is tough because it can mean any number of things. I'll narrow it down to the most common interpretations and what you should do in each instance.

Mama:
 1. most often means "I see my mother." No action necessary. Sometimes redirection is necessary when she repeats the word over and over and over for no reason. Especially when in the car.
 2. mama, when screamed frantically means "Help!" First check the tupperware cabinet as she is likely stuck in there. Otherwise, reprimand SB because she has probably taken a toy away from Annie.
 3. mama, when screamed in angry fashion early in the morning means "Get me out of my crib before I rip this thing apart." It's time to get her out of bed.
 4. mama, when whining means "I'm hungry." Get some food and a broom.
 5.mama, when repeatedly chirped excitedly means "I've just done something I'm not supposed to do. Look how cute I am before you check the toilet for your favorite shoe." Check the toilet for shoes. Close the bathroom door behind you to prevent additional casualties.

God's favorite color

SB asked Jack last week one of those questions that we as parents love to field. Not the "where do babies come from" variety of question, although I've certainly handled a few of those. This time, her question was much deeper.
SB: "Daddy, what is God's favorite color?"
Jack: "I don't know, Sarah Beth."
SB: "Ok, well I'll just ask Caroline."

Caroline is Sarah Beth's slightly older cousin, whom SB adores. She tells SB lots of things, many of them related to Justin Beiber.

Jack: "If I don't know what God's favorite color is, what makes you think Caroline knows?"
SB: "Caroline just knows those kinds of things.
Jack: "Well, if Caroline says she knows God's favorite color, then she is LYING. It's IMPOSSIBLE to know those kinds of things.

SB was quite taken aback at Jack's stern response. She thought for a minute and then said "Okaaaaaaay....well, I'll...deal.... with that.....tomorrow."

A few days later, we had the opportunity to ask Caroline. She didn't miss a beat. "Of course I know God's favorite color. It's white because He washed our sins away and now we're white as snow."

Turns out, she does know those kinds of things.

A present from SB

My dear friend Amy is getting married in September. SB and I are both in the wedding. I was telling SB about the wedding shower and how everyone brings a present and we have a party.

SB asked me, "Mom, what should we get her?"
Me: "I don't know, what do you think we should get her?"
SB: Ummmm...I know! What about a wedding dress?
Me: That's a great idea, but I think she already has one of those.
SB: Oh ok, a ring then!
Me: Mr. Brian gave her one of those already.
SB: Goodness. Well, how about a necklace she could wear when she gets married?
Me: That's a lovely idea. You can certainly get her one if you want. I'll let you pick out whatever you want for her.
SB: Or a bracelet or earrings or something.
Me: You know, you don't have to get her something for her WEDDING. Usually people buy things that she will need after she's married.
SB: Ohhhhh ok . Well then I will get her some baby clothes in case she wants to have a baby.
Me: I don't think Aunt Amy is ready to have a baby just yet.
SB: Why not?
Me: Hey, you want to go to Newks for lunch???

At the store SB wanted to get everything she saw (in her favorite color blue).

SB: Mom, let's get her that blue candle!
Me: Is that what you really want to get her?
SB: No....wait! I see a something!

It was a shelf of travel mugs. We went back, but there were no blue ones. SB was distressed.

SB: I guess I'll just go get her some baby toys.
Me: How about a necklace? Didn't you say you wanted to get her one of those?

We perused the jewelry section and she changed her mind 7-8 times before settling on a pair of blue earrings. Sb is certain they will be perfect with Amy's wedding dress. I did talk her out of these

 and also some 4th of July feather hair extensions and rubber arm bands. I finally relented when SB reminded me that I had said that she could pick out whatever she wanted.

I had to run through the clothing section to get some socks before we left. SB was wandering around, and I heard her yelling from another aisle that she found the perfect thing.
I peeked around the corner and SB was wrapped up in a silky soft nightie in her favorite color blue.

SB: Mom, this is perfect! I want to get her this.
Me: Well, you already got the earrings so...
SB: No, I changed my mind. I want this.
Me: I don't think so. I'm not sure that's right for this shower.
SB: But whyyyyy? You said anything I wanted!
Me: Hey, you want to go to Newks for lunch?

I dragged her out of the store with the earrings and promises of Newks pizza, and now I know just what to get for the lingerie shower.

10,000 Reasons

 Yesterday we sang one of my (and Sarah Beth's) favorite songs. 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman. I couldn't help but tear up during the second verse thinking about my sweet Annie and how thankful we are that she is healthy. My "moment" was interrupted when we got to the chorus and SB started yelling at the top of her lungs "BLESS THE LOOOOOORD oh my soul, OH MY SOUUUUUUUL." (Note to self: have a talk with SB about the difference between singing and yelling and disrupting worship time). After I and the people around me got over the giggles, I went back into thankful mode.

We had kind of a scary week with Annie earlier this month. When I took her to the doctor for her 15 month check up, the doctor wasn't pleased when I told her that Annie is a vegetarian. Not because I showed her one of those gross food documentaries but because she refuses to go near anything that looks or smells meaty. The doctor recommended we check her blood to see if she was anemic. I would have been amazed was she not.

 But first she listened to her heartbeat. Then she frowned, moved the stethoscope around and listened some more. Heart murmur. Not happy news. She assured me that anemia could cause that and not to worry yet. Everything else looked fine, so after giving her a shot, another nurse came in to draw blood to check her iron levels. SB also had to have a shot, so it was Scream Fest 2012 in that exam room.

 As soon as I walked in the door at home from the doctor's office, my cell phone rang. It was the doctor. She said that Annie was anemic, which I had pretty much expected to hear. She suggested boosting her iron to take care of that and then see if the heart murmur would go away once we got her iron levels up to normal. I was okay with all of that. Mary Beth had already assured me that it probably wasn't anything to worry about. It is during times like these that it really pays to have a sister who is a nurse. Specifically a nurse who works in a pediatric cardiac wing of a large hospital.

 Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the conversation. The doctor then asked me if I could come back in to the office.

Right now?

Yes, right now.

Could I come tomorrow instead? I just got home and we live half an hour away.

First thing would be best.

This did not make me feel good. I asked what the problem was and she told me that Annie's white blood cell count was pretty high. This made me feel even worse. Had she been sick lately, the doctor wanted to know. Not so much as a sniffle or a sneeze. No fever. No nothing. Everything had looked fine at the office that morning. Ears, nose, throat - nothing looked suspicious. The only thing left for me to fear as a terrified mother was the worst case scenario. The c word. I put in another emergency call to nurse sister. She calmed me down a little.

 "Emily, don't look for a zebra when there is a horse standing in front of you." My meltdown only lasted about an hour before I pulled myself together. A horse, of course. Back to the doctor on Thursday to run more tests. We spent the whole morning and then some in that office waiting. I'm pretty sure Annie remembered her experience there from the day before (shots and drawing blood) because she went nuts every time a nurse or doctor came in to see us. The doctor was certain that since everything else looked fine, she must have a bladder infection. She sent us home that afternoon with an antibiotic and another appointment for Monday morning.

 Monday arrived and the doctor came in with the news: no bladder infection. I had actually spent the weekend praying that Annie had a bladder infection. Simple explanation, simple fix. It was at this point that I began to panic. Why on earth had I not accepted my mothers offer to come along with me to that appointment? The doctor was at a loss for what was wrong with my baby. She had no more ideas regarding what could be causing the infection.

 So she suggested that we check Annie's blood again and go from there. After being on an antibiotic for 4 days at this point, maybe her white cell count had come down. Another finger prick and she sent us home to await results. MERCIFULLY we didn't have to wait long. She called me soon after I left the office with the good news. The number had come down to almost within normal range. The antibiotic was working. We would probably never know what caused the infection, but at least whatever it had been was going away.

 Just one more reason to add to our list of 10,000. That reminds me, I need to have a chat with SB.

 Thanks to those of you who prayed for Annie that week! And if you didn't even know about it, don't feel bad. I didn't tell anyone because I wasn't ready to sound the alarm bells. Jack told several people who were praying, and I believe that made all the difference.