Keeping Track of Lauren & Jack » August 2006 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Wed, Aug 30, 2006 9:17 PM
Tuesday we had a follow up with the G/I specialist for Jack and she showed me the results of all the tests which basically boil down to the fact that it's not malabsorbtion and it's not infection. The only other thing she had to offer was that they csan use a medicine called a linea (sp?) for 3 days to see if there's a parasite that they can't detect through other tests, but she didn't think it was called for since he's thriving. So basically I'm supposed to go back in 6 weeks. I think he is a little bit better. But just when I think he's getting back to normal he'll have another "episode". I don't know. He's grown an inch in a month, and he's now 27 pounds, which I'm pretty sure is heavier than Lauren! He was very cute and coy with the doctor when she tried to put her stethescope on his chest.

After that we went to pick up Lauren who went with Daddy to the office at the University which was very close-by. Then we decided to go to lunch, which I hadn't really planned for. Jack was throwing his mac'n'cheese all over the place and Lauren would not stay in her booster seat for two seconds straight. Luckily it was a booth so she was somewhat contained! The funny thing was when I was explaining that she had to use her indoor voice because all of the other people were having lunch, she quieted down right away. I forget sometimes that if I explain WHY I'm asking her to do something, (like be quiet), she's usually pretty willing to oblige. It's just hard to take the time to do that when you're also trying to wolf down your own food and keep Jack from grabbing everyhthing on the table!

Today I had planned to go to the Aquarium with Jack's playgroup, but I decided not to at the last minute. Tropical storm Ernesto was dumping a lot of rain on us and I just didn't feel like driving in all that. Sometimes you just have to admit defeat! It was hectic enough with preschool drop off/pick up.

Lauren apparently did not want to participate in the beading activity where a lot of her class-mates made simple necklaces. I wonder if I should try to do some of that at home so she feels more comfortable next time. It's supposed to be very good for the hand/eye coordination in preparation for writing.

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Sun, Aug 27, 2006 11:15 PM
Wow, really fell off the wagon of writing something every day! I will attempt to recap. Thursday we had Lauren's playgroup which we attended without Jack, who was at home napping, so I was actually able to have a conversation for a change!

Friday was busy. Lauren had preschool and then after lunch and nap there was the Mom's club "Back to School Bash" at a local place called My Gym which has a huge ball bit and little trampolines and all kinds of stuff to play with. There were something like 45 kids there, along with all their parents so it was a bit of a madhouse. I left Jack home again with Jennifer because he was still napping and he also had a few sniffles. Thank goodness, because it was all I could do to keep up with Lauren. But she had such a great time it was well worth it and she ate and slept well that night!

Saturday afternoon we then returned to the same place for a Birthday party, which was much calmer because there were less kids. This time both Jack and Mike came, and it was so cute to see Jack discovering everything. But the climbing that boy can do is just astounding! Lauren most distinctly did NOT want to join in to all the group activities, so after a while I gave up trying to encourage her because it was just a losing battle. I was also mortified when she peed a little puddle on the jungle gym! I guess she was just so excited by all the playing, she didn't want to take time out to do her business. Oh well, this is actually her first accident in public, so I think she's done really well so far. I also blame myself for not reminding her to go. At least I did remember to pack a change of clothes!

So today we were just gearing up for a new week, trying to contain the chaos and do laundry. I've been doing my utmost to get the orange crayon out of a load of my favorite clothes of Lauren's. She left it in a pocket of one of her shorts. Argh! Note to self: always check ALL of the pockets from now on! Mike starts his classes this week, so I guess that means the summer is officially over. :(

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Wed, Aug 23, 2006 11:04 PM
Today after getting Lauren off to preschool we hosted Jack's playgroup here at the house. It only occurred to me on the drive home that I would either have to end playgroup early to go pick her up or have Mike pick her up. Luckily Mike agreed to go get her. I guess he'd have to do it at some point. Now at least he knows where it is! Apparently they played soccer in PE today. I need to remember to ask her teacher how she liked it, becuase I get the feeling she'd be pretty good at it. She loves to kick a ball around at home.

I had forgotten how hectic it is with playgroup at this age. The kids just tear the house apart and it's total chaos. It's fun, but sort of hectic. I'm sort of glad I won't have to do that again for a while.

Something I saw Jack do yesterday that I forgot to mention was that I saw him marching with his feet up high. It was sofunny, it looks like a sort of moon walk with his big feet! Lauren saw him doing it and started copying him and they were marching around all over the place. It was fairly hilarious!

Tonight I went out to dinner for a Mom's night out with the Mom's from Lauren's playgroup, but aparently the nightime ritual went more smoothly with Mike. Just a few minutes of protests and then quiet. And actually it was better at naptime too. I explained that we would only be going to the potty one time, and Lauren seemed to understand, and she settled down and slept for a little over 2 hours. So I hope we've turned a corner with that whole situation.

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Tue, Aug 22, 2006 11:28 PM
Monday Lauren was a bit reluctant to say goodbye at preschool beacause he needed to use the potty, but she was fine after that. When I picked her up they had made pictured frames and each child had a nice close-up photo from last week. So cute!

In between drop-off and pick-up I brought Jack to a free demo Music Together class. I'm trying to decide which class to sign up for. The Monday class is right here at the community center, but I actually like the other site better because it was carpeted and easier to be on the floor. Hmmm. . .decisions, decisions.

Mike bought this great steam cleaner contraption which seems to be the only real way to clean the grout, so I spent a large chunk of today working on the grout on the kitchen tile floor. Once I saw how clean it could get I became mildly obsessed. I just can't do it with both kids around since it's dangerous with the hot steam. Of course we have a lot more tile in the house so I still have a long way to go.

Another mundane household tidbit. . . I did a huge load of laundry only to discover that an orange crayon was hidden in one of Lauren's pockets and little tiny bits got on every single thing in there, plus it's all over the dryer too. Oh joy. I've consulted my household tips book and it suggests a mixture of baby oil, petroleum jelly and glycerin. I'm not even sure what glycerin is but apparently it's what you make soap out of and I can get it at Michael's Craft store. Of course. What CAN'T you get at Michaels?

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Sun, Aug 20, 2006 11:05 PM
Welcome to baby Nathaniel early Friday Morning! Carrie and Roger have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. Can't wait to see pics but already have reports from Tatiana that you are beyond cute!

Also welcome to the baby boy and girl (twins) born to Lande and David. It took them 3 days to name Christopher, so we'll just have to wait on the names, especially since they didn't find out what they were having. I can't think of a more wonderful surprise!

Jack's tests from the lab came back negative, so we're still at a loss as to what's bothering him. He threw up all over me on Friday evening so I was a little worried about him, but it was once again not too long after he had eaten, so I think it might be overfeeding that's the cause. He immediately seemed to feel better and has been fine since so I continue to be puzzled. I'm trying to limit his yogurt intake to one a day.

Saturday morning we went to the playground, because the kids were just climbing the walls. It was fun but I think it's still way too hot and humid. I'm going to have to find some indoor amusements for a few months yet. Jack is quite an intrepid explorer now that he can walk. He's still not really used to his shoes and kept tripping. I was aghast to see that he may be growing out of them already, not in length, but in width.

If that wasn't enough excitement we went out to dinner Saturday night. It was OK until towards the end when Lauren didn't want to stay in her booster seat anymore and Jack started shreiking non-stop at the top of his lungs. There were plenty of other children and babies at this place, but of course THEY were all being angels! I did get some very empathetic looks from their parents though, which made me feel a little better. I hate the thought that I'm ruining everyone's dinner!

Today Mike finally lowered Jack's mattress down to the lowest position. I was getting worried that he was going to climb or fall out, so it wasn't a moment too soon. Of course now he's harder to see on the video monitor so I'm considering mounting it on the wall. I'm addicted to that thing! I love being able to keep an eye on him without disturbing him.

This afternoon Lauren was begging to go outside, so we went out onto the lanai to play in the sand box. Well, Jack wanted nothing to do with the sand box. He's all about exploring the boundaries of the screens and trying to hatch his escape. He's getting so good at opening doors that my new nickname for him is Houdini! After Jack went to sleep Lauren did some finger painting. She was very excited to discover that red and blue together make purple!

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Fri, Aug 18, 2006 3:34 PM
Hmm, yes, I'm going to have to talk to Mike about not undermining the rules in front of the kids! Or maybe he needs a nonspill cup too?

Preschool seems fine. Wednesday they had PE and jumped around with a parachute. When I picked Lauren up that day they were dancing and she didn't seem to want to leave! Today she seemd a little reluctant to say goodbye, but I think that's because there was a boy crying and it set the tone for neediness. Ms Lori said she was fine and they did painting today, which I know she loved. She told me she used green paint, and indeed I could see a little left under her fingernails! The only problem is that she had the sniffles and her eyes were watering and she was sneezing. I'm not sure if that's allergies or something she's picked up from one of the other kids. I gave her Benedryl, hopefully that will help.

Those 3 hours go by really fast! Actually, it's more like 2 hours because it takes me 1/2 an hour to get there and back. So I get back here by 9AM, only to have to leave to pick her up again at 11AM. In between Jack fell asleep and I felt terrible getting him up only to put him in the carseat. I hope he moves over to one nap soon. Next week I'm going to try going to the playground or some other activity to keep him up. Then hopefully he'll take one long nap after lunch.

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Fri, Aug 18, 2006 11:00 AM
Temporary guest reporting, Mike here. Dateline: Tampa. Heading: Logic and reasoning established. Last night, while Lisa was out, Lauren and I had an interesting conversation. I had a glass of wine (cheap wine, for those wondering if it's really me) in my hand and was about to sit on the couch, when Lauren said, "No drink on couch." I said, "What?", and so she repeated, "No drink on couch," this time with a bit of a head shake and an implied "tisk, tisk." I was surprised at that, but then quickly pointed out that she had a sippy cup containing chocolate milk in her hand, and she was about to get on the couch with me. She considered that for a second, nodded in agreement, and decided to just sit on my lap, both of us with drink in hand.

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Mon, Aug 14, 2006 10:41 PM
Preschool was apparently a great success! Lauren gave her new teacher, Ms Lori a big hug and sat down and started playing with playdough. She seemed right at home. I was trying not to project my own emotions of worry and concern onto her. So I made sure Ms. Lori knew which backpack was hers and told here there were plenty of changes of clothes in case of any accidents. And then I kept a big smile on my face and said good-bye. She said Bye bye and waved but didn't seem at all concerend. So I lingered by the door and peeked at her for a few minutes, but then realized that I had left my car keys on the floor inside. Luckily another teacher was on hand to get them for me. As much as I was longing to go back in there, I don't think it would have been a good idea. So I hung out chatting with some other moms for a while in the parking lot, but finally told myself to just leave already, because Jack was cranky and hungry.

But pictures today have been a complete disaster. First of all I brought my fancy new camera and the battery was dead. So when I got home I found the other camerea, and took pictures when I picked her up instead. Then just now I was trying to upload them and I think I deleted the file from the memory stick. And I can't figure out how to recover them. So. . . I may have to take pictures at the second day of class. Technology is just not my freind sometimes!

But she did so well at school! She used the toilet and even pooped, so I'm so releived! No accidents! And she kept saying how much she loved the swing, so I guess she went on that when they played outside. There was a paper in her cubby hole where she colored and they were learning the names of all the colors IN SPANISH! I am so proud of her.

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Sun, Aug 13, 2006 11:43 PM
Today I was all on my own because Jennifer couldn't come, so it was a pretty long day for me. It wasn't as bad as it could have been in a lot of ways. Jack took 2 really good naps, and Lauren even settled down for her nap pretty easily because I promised a play date with Taylor when she woke up. Sure enough, the second she was up she was asking about Taylor. So we went down the street to their house, and I was so grateful to get out of the house! Of course Jack was nothing but trouble because of his new found mobility! And Taylor and Lauren were hopping up and down and dancing and screaming.

I'm nervous about Lauren's first day at pre-school tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to get them both up, breakfasted, dressed and out the door, all within an hour. I am not usually an organized person, but I have her backpack ready with her changes of clothes, her snack bag is ready except for her milk which I'll pack in the morning. I have the outfit she's going to wear laid out, including underwear, shoes and socks, even the bows for her hair. I have everyone's breakfasts laid out as much as possible. I even have the coffee machine ready with the coffee and water all set so I just have to push a button. You KNOW I'm nervous if I've prepared to this extent! I'm just terrified of running late. If there was ever a day NOT to be late, this is it!

I think she'll be OK. I've been talking to her about school, and she's been saying "I love school!" Tonight I told her that she's going to stay there and I'm going to go away for a few hours. When she heard that she seemed a little distressed and said that she's going to stay home. Maybe that wasn't a great idea, but I didn't think it was fair to just spring it on her for the first time tomorrow at the moment I'm doing it. I stayed very positive and said that it would be just a few hours, that she would have fun and have a snack and then I would be there to get her and we'd come home and have lunch. She did seem excited to pack up her fancy rolly back pack which has butterflies and fairies on it. Oh well, I'd better get to bed if we're ever going to do this thing in the morning!

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Sat, Aug 12, 2006 11:56 PM
Today Jack slept for 2/12 hours all at once, so perhaps he is finally working towards one nap.

This afternoon I took Lauren to see a matinee performance of a local community theatre production of "The Wizard of Oz". It was fun and she seemd to enjoy it. The only problem was we made about 5 potty runs! And since it was right through nap time, she was sort of spinning her wheels towards the end there. But she was very sociable afterwards and said hello to everyone and showed her usual enthusiasm by jumping up and down with great vigor. I think I need to take her to see more things, becuase she still doesn't seem to get the concept that she should be quiet and that it's disruptive for her to talk loudly. But it was wonderful to see it through her eyes, especially the arrival of Glinda the good witch in her frothy pink costume and in a cloud of bubbles. Lauren was just mesmerized!

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Fri, Aug 11, 2006 10:46 PM
Today we took Mike to the airport to catch his flight to Atlanta. Wow, 6 days without Daddy! Luckily Jennifer is coming every day or I'd never survive.

Tonight we had the ice cream social at Hand In Hand Academy, Lauren's preschool which starts Monday. Her teacher Ms. Lori seems very nice and we know a few of her classmates from playgroup, so I think it's going to be fine for her. She did get a bit intimidated by all of the adults that were there, but I imagine it will be different on Monday when classes start. We checked out the potty and it's a normal toilet, so I've been trying to practice having Lauren go on the toilet as opposed to the potty. Ms. Lori said she'd make her a chart and reward her with stickers, so hopefully that will be enough incentive for Lauren to keep it up. Plus she suggested we dress her in underwear and not a pull-up diaper, so we're going to go for it and just bring many of changes of clothes!

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Thu, Aug 10, 2006 3:20 PM
Happy Birthday to Mike!

Not much to report. Jack had 2 days of normal poops, but I finally brought his stool sample in today. Glad that's over with!

Yesterday we went to Jack's playgroup. He had fun running around after all the girls, but he missed his morning nap and was all off schedule after that.

Lauren did finger painting yesterday which she thoroughly enjoyed. I think she likes the whole tactile sensation of it. Of course it was much messier than using the sponge brushes, but thank goodness for those washable paints!

Oh yeah, and Lauren's current obsession is with the moon. She's constantly asking to see it, day or night. She's also always asking "Where'd the sun go?" when it's still shining outside. Maybe I need to take her to the science museum where they have exhibits about the planets. It's a difficult thing to explain to a 2 year old!

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Mon, Aug 7, 2006 8:56 PM
Today went like this: all was pretty calm until Jack woke up from his morning nap. He had a blow out poop all the way up his back. I decided I needed to bathe him, and just after getting him naked Lauren informs me that she's peed on the carpet. I put Jack down to blot the pee before it soaks in, and I turn to see Jack peeing on the carpet too! Went through lots of Nature's Miracle today (a product we bought for the dog which eliminates odors by breaking it down naturally somehow). After I bathed Jack, gave Lauren potty time and rinsed out the poopy pajamas and sheets, I just laid on the couch watching them chase one another for about 15 minutes. I couldn't move, I was so worn out!

Then before lunch Lauren peed in her pants again. Then I changed her into a dress and she was bare bottomed once more, and she peed on the floor. So she's having a little potty set-back. Not really sure why, other than we've been trying underwear and shorts. Maybe that gives her a false sense of sucurity. We'll have to make that transistion at some point, but maybe it was just too soon.

I finally got the containers for Jack's stool samples from the lab, so I get the lovely task of collecting them tomorrow. Yeehaw.

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Sat, Aug 5, 2006 11:38 PM
The air conditioning is fixed, thank goodness! You never realize how much you depend on it til it's gone! Luckily it rained last night so it wasn't unbearable.

I left Jack home napping in the newly cooling house and took Lauren to the "Back to School" carnival at our community center. It was great, there was a bouncy house, pony rides, a fire truck, face painting, games, a trackless train. Lauren's favorite thing was the bouncy house. I couldn't get her out of that thing. The best thing about that was that she went down for her nap really well and slept soundly. In fact Mike had to go wake her up. I'm trying to figure out a way to wear her out the same every day at home! But I suppose preschool will be pretty stimulating.

I finally got the little armchair from BabiesRUs, which is actually a little bigger than the one we already had, which is perfect since Lauren is so much taller than Jack. Now they each have their own place to sit while watching Elmo or the Wiggles or whatever other thing we have to watch over and over and over and over!

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Fri, Aug 4, 2006 9:33 PM
This morning I noticed Jack get up to standing from crawling without pulling up! Somehow that seems like a turning point with his balance. Now if he falls over he can pick himself back up again.

We all went bowling with Lauren's playgroup this morning. It was so cute. Thankfully they had bumpers, and also this little metal ramp thing which is actually designed for handicapped persons, but it was perfect for 2 and 3 year olds! All you had to do was push the ball and it rolled down and onto the lane. The kids seemd to enjoy it, but they would lose interest and wander off. Jack was showing off his walking skills from one end of the place to another. First time he did a lot of walking in his sandals. They didn't seem to slow him down any! Oh, and Lauren went on the the toilet there. Mike took her actually. Her first time on a public toilet and it was in the men's room!

Afterwards we went to lunch at a buffet place, and that was sort of a disaster, but a little better than our last lunch excursion. The nice thing about a buffet is that you can try out a little but of all these different foods, especially for Jack who is just starting to experiment with real food.

Our air conditioner is not working, which is a nightmare here in Florida in the dog days of August! We've got someone coming in the morning but I hope we can make it through tonight. Lauren is still screaming and it's WAY past her bedtime . . .

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Thu, Aug 3, 2006 9:26 PM
Happy First Birthday to Victor Humphrey!

Jack threw up today, and on top of the diarrhea I'm worried about dehydration. But he immediately seemed to feel better, and he peed and had another wet diaper, so I think he's still OK. I called the doctor and he didn't sound too concerned.

After Jack went to bed Lauren did a little more painting. Mike even took a video and some pics, so we'll get those on here ASAP. Very cute in her apron and bandana. That may sound a bit too much, but last time she got paint in her hair!

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Wed, Aug 2, 2006 10:49 PM
I noticed yesterday that Lauren is getting another back molar, this time it's her upper right side. I really should take her to a dentist one of these days.

Today was sort of tough. Now that Lauren likes to go on the potty, it's impossible to get her to nap or go to sleep at night. Last night, (or this morning, rather) she woke up 5AM wanting to go to the potty and she kept screaming about 4 different times to go on the potty until about 6:15, which was hard on me because Jack gets up at 7! The good news is that she's hardly ever going in her diaper anymore. Maybe we're getting ready for underwear. I did try underwear today at the house so she could practice pulling it up and down. She's really getting the hang of it.

Jack has napped a lot today, but otherwise is not drinking his milk well. I'm still wondering if milk is contributing to his stomach ailments. I'm worried he's not getting enough fluid except that he's making plenty of wet diapers. I tried a couple of pairs of shoes on him and he's outgrown them without ever having worn them. I bought them in anticipation of him walking, and then all he's worn are his bobux soft soled shoes for months now. At least his Stride Rite sandals fit him perfectly now.

I had to cancel my planned visit to NYC this weekend to see Tatiana because she's not feeling well. I'll have to reschedule it for another time. Oh well, maybe in a few weeks. . .

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Tue, Aug 1, 2006 10:15 PM
We went to the Gastro/Intestinal specialist today, and she didn't really have much to say. When a child is still thriving and having diarrhea it's called chronic nonspecific diarrhea, also called toddler diarrhea. Basically they don't really know why it happens. And they don't have a lot to suggest other than give him high fat, high fiber foods. Which I'm doing already. But they are going to test for a few more things, so I get the joyous task of collecting the stool sample again. Yuck.

I bought Lauren a bunch more painting supplies, so after Jack went to bed last she had a little painting session. I bought her a large pallet and some sponge brushes instead of real bristle brushes and that was much easier for her. It's so great to see her so excited about color and texture. I want to encourage her as much as possible. Luckily the paint washes out really easliy!

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