Prepping for Halloween

This weekend we finished prepping for Halloween aka All Hallow's Eve! We carved pumpkins, got the finishing touches for the girls' costumes, and carved pumpkins. Ava got to go to a Halloween party in her costume (she already has all the candy one kid could possibly need)

Our lawn kitty

Violet had a blast

 She got right in there and dug out those pumpkin guts!

 

Ava had to take her clothes off before she would start.

She didn't like the slimy feeling, so of course she couldn't touch the guts with her bare hands!

 Cheese!!!

 "Ok I want to get down now Mom"

 " I'm Serious, I'm done Mom"

 Being a ham

 Goofball!!

As we get ready for the big night tomorrow, it seems almost bittersweet. It's such an exciting night for little kids, and big kids a like.

Our biggest worry is if it will rain tomorrow and make for a short, miserable trick-or-treating session, probably more disappointing to us as parents then the kids! However, there are other people (in states not so far away) losing their houses, being separated from their families and enduring much higher winds, fires and losing power in the cold. I am glad I do not have family in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, any of the affected states, but for those who do I hope you are able to locate and account for everyone. They are saying that " Frankenstorm" is not over yet, and just wait folks, it will get worse. This is devastating news, and I hope they are wrong!

So if you find yourself complaining about the weather today, or tomorrow....just stop and think how much worse it could be. A lot more could be at stake then child's costume.

So put an extra layer on them, grab an umbrella and go make the best of the night!!

Our Little Monsters!!

October 24th

Today, as you are probably well aware by now, is Wednesday October 24th. What does this mean?
Well, nothing super significant, this isn't a specific day to rememeber. However, just a few things have skipped across my mind this week (or so), and I am just now finding time to sit down and write about them.

All smiles

 

October is a month with a lot of significance for our family. Of course 3 years ago, Oct 16, 2009 to be exact, Ava Rose was born. Andy and my life together changed for the first time ever! ( In a very positive way)

 Ava only minutes old

 So sweet and innocent...and quiet!

Ava 3 days old

Can't resist sharing these cute pics anytime I get the chance

 

Skip to Oct 3, 2011...D-Day as we like to call it.

Just 10 days earlier our lives changed yet again, as we were blessed with another beautiful baby girl. However on this date, our joy was cut short as Violet was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. I'm sure by now everyone has read about our jourmey, and been down that road of emotions with us, so to sum it up I'll say it rocked our world.....or knocked us for a loop. I don't know which one is better suited for this description, but you get my drift!?!

 

Oct 15, 2011, just as we were starting to get into a new "Normal" routine for us, we hit some turbulance again! Violet was admitted to the hospital for Respiratory Distress! She was having frightening coughing spells, sometimes lasting more then 5 minutes! It was scary to see such a young innocent baby, (not even 8 pounds at this point) with an IV in her arm, and being suctioned as such. I am SO glad, and SO thankful that it was not worse, because I know how truely lucky we are and that it could have been A LOT worse!

 ( this is where I offer praise for any of you moms who have seen the "worse" You are definetely the rocks of your families for a reason)

Violet 3 weeks old

Violet was hospitalized for 7 days, 6 nights,Saturday to Friday afternoon. The day she was admitted happened to be the day before Ava's 2nd birthday, and of course also the day before Ava's party :(

Luckily, like most 2 year olds, she can't really tell her days apart yet, so we just kept telling her that her birthday party was Sunday, and celebrated the next week instead. She had no clue, and I'm confident she'll grow up without any scars from that incident.

What was harder then I imagined was the seperation for that week.We were being told Vi needed her first "clean -out " and she'd be in there anywhere from 10-14 days!!! I had never been away from Ava for more then a night, and just talking about leaving her for that long brought tears to me eyes! Of course I had to stay with Violet, because I was nursing her every 2ish hours at that point, and plus she needed her mommy there as much as possible. I knew Ava would need me too, after all she'd had me to herself for the 1st 23 months of her life! While I was busy dwelling on what a struggle this would be for me, I totally forgot to think about Ava's feelings. She got to spend a few nights with her Mimi and Papa and a lot of nights at home sleeping with her Daddy, so it seemed like she was adapting alright. Then it became apparent there was a problem..... Ava was beginning to ask more and more questions, and wanted to know where her baby sister was and what was happening to her.

So Mimi brought her up to have lunch with me and check in on her baby sister. She had to wear a mask and couldn't hold Violet, but at least she got to have a quick visit and now knew her baby was okay. After that she only asked another 2 or 3 times when Vi was coming home, and 2 days later she did.

Oct 16, 2012 Ava's 3rd birthday! Violet of course couldn't be at her party with all the kids, but she got to watch her blow out candles and open presents on her actual birthday. Having her home with us this year was a gift in itself!

 

Ava opening a present

Notice Vi in the background blowing her nose with the wipes she stole...

Birthday girl

2 peas in a pod

Oct 23, 2012  Violet turned 13 months old! This means she is officially older then 1! As Ava would say Violet is " a TODDLER Mommy, not a little baby"

I don't know how many other moms do this, but until they are like 2 1/2, I always tell their age in months...Like right now the girls are 13 mos and 3 years old. I feel like this helps keep them younger, at least for a while!

Oct 31, 2012  We are looking forward to Halloween. To get into the spirit we put this massive kitty up yesterday...Ava is obsessed with it, and names it Puss (from Puss and Boots)

Watching it inflate...

Ta-Da!!!!

 



Sunday snuggles

 Today is Sunday. End of the weekend, or beginning of the week, whichever way you see it.

Today Ava went down to her cousin's birthday party for the day with Mimi and papa, and Daddy was up at the lake golfing, so I had a lot of alone time with Violet. In between her naps aka my study time, we got to snuggle, and play just one on one and it made me realize some things about our youngest daughter and my relationship......

 Being silly, pulling her own hair

 Drink break

Even though she is still nursing, our snuggle time is a lot more brief and a lot less often then when she was a wee little one. As much work and as agitating as it can be (when a toddler fights you) during a breathing treatment, they are something I somewhat look forward to. For those 45ish minutes, no matter how much she kicks and rolls and fights me, she has no choice but to lay her head on me, relax and cuddle up to me. (Although this is becoming more and more obsolete during her morning treatments) Usually Andy and I rotate night treatments, not just for convenience, but so we can get some good quality alone time with our baby!

 " Aww mom let me go"

 

Until the other love of our lives returns tonight, and all things quiet end!!!

Princess Ava

 

Since Daddy was away today, he gets the night treatment, well that and I am studying....

 (this is just a short 10 minute break to clear my head, of course)

Back to the books for me! Have a good week friends!

A Day with the uncles

 

So it's been almost a week since my last post, don't fret my friends! I have not lost my mojo, have just been soooo busy! I started back to school the first week of October, (as I shared with my post about the drama of being separated from the girls) and I am still figuring out how to get back into the swing of things.
 Although the BIG DAY isn't til tomorrow, we celebrated Ava's 3rd birthday this weekend. Even though it sprinkled, and was CRAZY windy, we braved the weather and set up at the park!Ava was so thrilled to have all of her friends there, as well as her 5 cousins, all at the same time. She thought that was the coolest!

Ava with her two older cousins Deven and Evan

 



 One person that was noticeably absent, her little sister (insert sad face) Ava knew Violet wasn't coming to her party, and she knows the just of it...Vi can't come because "there are too many germs there, and we don't want her getting really, really sick"

 

 Pinata time

So excited to blow out the candles

 



So Violet spent the first half of the party sleeping on Uncle Daaron, and the second half playing with Uncle Todd. For some reason Ava didn't want to open presents at the party, so she opened them when we got home. Of course Violet was right there to help,what a lucky girl!!

 Swinging with Aunt Cha-Cha

 

 Peek-a-boo

Playing soccer

Sliding down, still in her birthday dress

We are staying positive, hoping perhaps next year Violet MAY be on Kalydeco, which will not only help eliminate her symptoms of CF, but allow her to start breaking out of her "bubble". It would be WILL be awesome when we can have all 3 girls at every birthday party, Christmas dinner and so much more!

 

 





Putting on the chub

 

Now that Violet is one, I have been reading up on nutrition for toddlers with Cystic Fibrosis.

The average toddler consumes anywhere from 1000-1300 calories per day. The toddlers with CF however, require between 1300-1900 calories per day!

That's almost as much as an adult should be eating!!!!

It's been shown that higher body weight appears to be related to better lung function, for whatever reason.

Always snacking

So one of the factors of her nutrition we focus on is extra calories with each meal and snack. The hard part is adding these calories as quickly as you can. With my girls, there is about a 10 minute window they will sit still and actually eat, before they get bored, distracted, full or all of the above! So this means (going against all things I've tried not to do the last 10 years) adding real, salted butter or whole milk to any and everything.

 When I make peanut butter and jelly toast I always spread it with butter first then the PB and J.

If Im making macaroni and cheese I use lots of butter and whole milk, even when I heat up a Michelina's pasta I doctor it up.

These girls definitely do not eat like birds!

 

 Luckily Ava is a bean pole and always under the radar for weight as well. So serving both girls the same things has made it easier. However, sometimes I have to try my hardest not to indulge in these fattening, delicious foods!

 Coming down the "crazy slide"

 Climbing up the tunnel

Full of energy!!

As Ava gets older and her body starts changing she will begin eating like a "normal" kid. But as Violet ages, and becomes more active, her calorie needs will just continue to increase. An interesting thing though is that these kids with CF who eat fatty things grow up to be adults that do not have problems with cholesterol. So they eat and eat and indulge in fatty foods, but their bodies only digest what they need to and the fat doesn't hang around long enough to plug up their arteries. How crazy is that? Lucky for them, I guess when you get it bad in one body system, you get a break in another?!

 Always eating...

 having a quick snack

 making a mess of it

Even snacking on the playground

Even though there is a higher caloric need in Violet's diet, it can not be fulfilled with all "bad foods".

While it would be easy to feed her donuts and big macs all the time (and it would suit her just fine)

the extra fat and calories needs to come somewhat nutritious foods. I am always looking for more ideas, please feel free to leave me any suggestions, but a few I'd like to share a few that have been recommended to us. Some we've tried, some we have not. For any parents of kids with respiratory issues, these snacks may come in handy....

Noodles with Alfredo sauce ( add butter, cheese and even half and half)

Whole milk cheeses (cheddar, Monterrey jack and American)

Crackers with cheese or peanut butter

pancakes or waffles (add butter and syrup)

Scrambled eggs with cheese (made with half and half)

oatmeal with whole milk and butter

mashed potatoes with butter, gravy and sour cream

cut up avocados

hummus and pita

pudding (made with whole milk and cream)

 

Back to school

Happy Friday friends!

Ava teasing Violet

 Joining her in the crib

Now I have two babies

( notice the pile of lovies and animals Ava dragged in with her, they are her continuous entourage)

 

Today is Friday, and while many of you are ending your work week, mine continues.

School started up for me this week, the 3 hour classes twice a week were a breeze.

Today is different.

Today is my first clinical, (first time leaving the girls for an almost 10 hour period) since May.

 

I have REALLY enjoyed the last 5 months being home with them daily.

 Tough biker chick

 Grocery shopping

 Violet with her puppy "Violet"

 

Some of Ava's animals, as she's feeding them lunch.

Pretty accurate

(the dog gets bacon, the bunny a carrot and the kitty has a bowl of milk)

 

We've played, we've laughed, we've gone on mini-explorations and adventures at different parks. Most importantly we've grown together.

 Bouncing

 

 She's learning to get in and bounce by herself

Taking a break

 

 I am learning to give them both that little bit of independence they need, yet still cuddle and comfort them as much as they need, or allow me to.

We have a daily routine that we've vigilantly followed the last 5 months, and now that is getting shaken up!

 

So as I am returning to my role as pupil, I am beginning to wonder if leaving the girls every Friday is going to be harder for me or them?

At the zoo

 

They'll be home with Daddy, and I know they'll be fine....so why is it so hard to leave my babies?

 

 

 Violet ( 5 mos old)

Ava (6 mos old)

 

(This is how I still see them)