Heavy Weights

Hello there.

Not much going on here. Well, that's a lie. Actually, there is. Mostly what's going on is that I'm trying not to LOSE MY MIND. Yeah. Tough week. I can't believe I thought 2 kids was tough. Phew. You know you have your hands full when complete strangers offer to help you everywhere you go. I rarely accept the help, mostly because I am stubbornly self-sufficient (I recognize this can be a very bad trait), but it does speak highly for human sympathy.

My very tough week culminated with:

1) a trip to the grocery store during a tornado warning (on Thursday).

2) a trip to the pediatrician with all three kids, by myself, where 2 of the kids were getting checked-up (on Friday).

In my own defense, I did not know about the tornado when I left. The power went out in the store, it was hailing, the wind was roaring, and the rain was full-on sideways. We waited for the worst of it to pass before we headed home, but the girls got so restless I could not wait any longer in the grocery store. Long story short, we all got totally soaked going back out to the car. Brooke and Chase screamed the whole way home like they were being tortured, Anna managed to strip herself totally naked while in her car seat, and I looked like I had jumped into a pool fully dressed. Just imagine how badly I looked with makeup all over my face---oh wait, I don't have time to put on makeup anymore--ha! We all managed to survive, but I think I might need therapy to prevent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from setting in. ;)

It turned out that the next day's trip to the pediatrician could also have warranted a few therapy sessions as well. I thought it would be a good idea to do Brooke's 15 month check-up and Chase's 1 month check-up in the same visit. Not so much. When the nurse was trying to explain some stuff to me over all 3 of them screaming, I realized my mistake. *sigh*

But anyway, here are their developmental updates:

Brooke weighed in at 23 lbs. (50%), and is 32 inches tall (90%). She is right on target with her developmental speech goals. She says please (pweese), thank you (day-do), up (pup), yeah, bye-bye, shoes (soos), cup, uh-oh, and Anna (na-nuh). She also knows the difference between ma-ma and da-da too. Apparently she should be saying 2-3 words right now, so she's doing good. So, I guess all those pregnancy "rules" that I "broke" have not affected her negatively as of yet. :)

She got 3 vaccines. (insert drama here) Later, when she woke up from her nap screaming---which she never does---I went in to check on her, and her eyes were nearly swollen shut, while her nose and lips were red and swollen. Luckily, Steven had gotten home from work early, so he rushed her back to the doctor. Yes, indeed, she had had a vaccine reaction, so Little Miss Thing will not get anymore vaccines until she's four. She got some Benadryl over the next 12 hours, and she is back to normal today. And I do mean back to normal. Her and Anna are in a neck-and-neck race for the "World's Biggest Stinker" award.

And now for Chase.

He weighed in at 9 lbs. 14 oz. (75%), and is 21 3/4 inches long (75%). The doctor said he's doing great and all is well with him. Woohoo. I asked that his vaccine be put off for another day so I would not have to deal with 2 cranksters at once, so he will get that done another time. In hindsight, that was a good decision. Luckily I have a super-cool pediatrician that is willing to work with us on that front.

So, there you have it. We have made it through another week of transitional craziness. And just so no one thinks I was actually serious about needing therapy and losing my mind, I can assure you that while this particular season in my life is challenging and tiring, my mental health is quite sound.

I think.