What is your name? "Emma Duh-mmm. Emma Iwene Duh-mmm."
How old are you? "Six."
When is your birthday? "October tenf."
Who is your mommy? "Bah-bwa."
What does mommy do? "Work. Cook Banjo meat." (Banjo is our dog.)
Who is your daddy? "Daddy."
What does daddy do? "Work. Work on my swide and chickens."
Who are your friends? "Bryson, Sophie, Blayton, Helton, Smith, Carter, Jeri, Jeri (she means Julie, Jeri's twin, LOL!), Arthur."
What is your favorite color? "Gray."
What is your favorite food to eat? "Sketti."
What is your favorite song? "Hap Birfday."
What is your favorite movie? "Sight Words."
What is your favorite book? "SpongeBob book."
What is your favorite animal? "Cocoa." (our neighbor's chocolate lab)
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? "brown"
What is your favorite toy to play with? "SpongeBob"
Where is your favorite place to eat? "Sonic--fwench fwies and pop."
Who is your favorite person? "Bryson."
Who is your best friend? "Hmm. Chicky (tricky)...Bryson."
What is your favorite thing to do? "Pway doll at school."
What do you want to be when you grow up? "Emma cwimb up ladder. Pool, then swide down. Spwash!"
Where will you live when you grow up? "Hotel."
What do Mommy and Daddy do after you go to bed? "Play."
Where do we go to church? "Bwoomfield, Iowa."
Why do we go to church? "Go to church and pway. Fravrite."
Showing posts with label Emeline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emeline. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Small steps over time....
It is fun and exciting and scary at all once, watching my sweet girl growing up. She has gained SOOO much independence this year. While it occasionally poses a problem (like when she packs a bag, grabs my car keys from the mantel and says, "Bye, Mom! Emma go hotel!" and opens the front door...but, that's another story for another day...), but for the most part, this increasing independence is a WONDERFUL thing to see.
The lessons may take a while to learn, they may require lots of repetition, but she is gaining. I have learned an invaluable lesson along the way: Small steps will cover a great distance over time.
One area where Em is gaining independence is in her personal self-care, specifically, taking her meds. She has done well with this for a while. (Please know *I* still do the dispensing!!) I lay them out in the morning: 2 pills, and 3 syringes (one small, and two large), accompanied by a glass of juice with Miralax. She knows they're there, and she takes them. The nurses at school give her her meds there at lunch time, and when I pick her up from school, I have her meds lying on the counter to take when she gets home. If I don't have her fourth and final dose for the day already out when she is getting tired at night, she will say, "Mom, med-cine!" I go and fill the final 2 syringes and get out the final pill for the day, and she takes it. "All done med-cine!" she lets me know every night.
If only I'd known 4 years ago, when it was a two-parent job to hold down the screaming toddler and force the syringes into her mouth while she squirmed and fought and more often than not, spit out half of whatever we did manage to get in...Those were some hard times. I remember calling my mom more than once, in tears, saying, "I can't do this," and she always said, "Yes, you can. You don't have a choice. You WILL do it. It will get better...with time. Just get through today." And she was right. (As usual!)
Em's keeping her glasses on was another battle I thought I would *NEVER* win. She started wearing glasses at 12 months of age. People told me, "Oh, you're so lucky she got them at such a young age. She'll learn early to leave them on, and you won't have near the trouble later." Well, I don't know about that. She's six years old now, and it's only in the past month that I'd say it wasn't an on-going challenge to not only keep the glasses on her face, but to make sure the glasses weren't being deposited in the garbage, hidden in the refrigerator, stuffed in a pillowcase, dropped in the deep-freeze...the list could go on and on. (Yes, really!) Glasses have been a HUGE (though necessary) hassle. Until recently. Em has finally realized that she can see MUCH better with the glasses, than without them. First thing in the morning, that's what she's asking for, as soon as she's out of bed. And she leaves them on, all day long!
Emma is able to completely dress herself independently, as far as putting items of clothing on. We are, however, still working at tweaking the whole concept of matching. She understands the concept that if a skirt has a pattern with red in it, a plain red shirt will match it, or that any shirt she has will be okay with a pair of jeans or plain black pants. She is, however, quite adamant in her belief that anything that is striped will go with anything else that is striped. I guess she has internalized the concept that "likes go together," and when I tell her, "Stripes don't match stripes," she says, "Yes! Same!" and gets very aggravated with me. So, we clearly have a little bit still to work on, but for the most part, I can trust that when I send her to her room to get dressed, she will come out looking neat and presentable a great majority of the time. And TIME is what it took to get there. Boy oh boy, I could post over 100 pictures of some of Em's outfits from the past. There were some real doozies! But time and a lot of talking and showing and practicing and playing games and looking at books and magazines have paid off, as one more step has been made towards a little more independence and self-determination.
Emma's speech has taken off this past year. She is saying new words almost every day. While she still can be hard to understand (especially for people who aren't around her very often), and has many articulation errors, and continues to refuse to use any pronouns (except the word "me"), I am not discouraged. I see growth; I hear change. I have learned that nothing big happens overnight. It takes time, practice, and most of all, patience. She will get there. I no longer fear "if"; I know know we're just waiting for "when."
Oh how well I remember praying, working, watching, waiting for her to sit up. To crawl. To drink from a cup. To walk. Always small steps....always over time (sometimes a LONNNNGGGG time!)...but they ALL happened. She will get there. In her own time.
Perhaps the biggest change I have seen in Emma lately is the beautiful little person inside that she is becoming. While I am undeniably proud of each accomplishment, every new "thing" Emma has learned to do, I am most desirous that she learns to LIVE LOVE because she understands God's love. I am constantly challenged in my own life, constantly aware that a little pair of eyes is watching me--Seeing what I do, how I treat others, hearing how I speak to them, and she is storing it all away in her mind. When she on occasion behaves badly, I find myself asking "Did she see ME do that?!" It is my daily hope and prayer, my daily goal that she sees me living God's love in action--a care and concern for others and their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, not for anything I can get out of it, not for any motive or reward, other than knowing that is pleasing to God.
Last night after supper, I was in our bedroom, folding laundry, and Emmie came in. She touched my arm and said, "Mom, Kank oo mah food Emma eat. Good food. Kank oo, Mom, make mah good food." (Translation: Mom, thank you for the food I ate. It was good food. Thank you, Mom, for making my good food.") I looked at her, and walked out to where Bill was sitting in the living room. I said, "Did you send Emma back to the bedroom?" He said, "No, why?" I said, "You didn't tell her to come and tell me thank you for making supper?" Again, he replied, "No." I went back and hugged Emma and said, "Thank you, Emeline. That is very kind of you to thank me for making your supper. I really appreciate your doing that. That made me feel really good." She again said, "Kank oo." And then she was gone. Back to her room, where she was doctoring Howdy Doody yet again with bandages and tape. (Poor Howdy!)
Small steps. We'll never be the fastest, and that's okay. It may take us longer than most to get places. But we will get there. And we are finding joy in each of these small steps, each of these moments worth remembering.
The lessons may take a while to learn, they may require lots of repetition, but she is gaining. I have learned an invaluable lesson along the way: Small steps will cover a great distance over time.
One area where Em is gaining independence is in her personal self-care, specifically, taking her meds. She has done well with this for a while. (Please know *I* still do the dispensing!!) I lay them out in the morning: 2 pills, and 3 syringes (one small, and two large), accompanied by a glass of juice with Miralax. She knows they're there, and she takes them. The nurses at school give her her meds there at lunch time, and when I pick her up from school, I have her meds lying on the counter to take when she gets home. If I don't have her fourth and final dose for the day already out when she is getting tired at night, she will say, "Mom, med-cine!" I go and fill the final 2 syringes and get out the final pill for the day, and she takes it. "All done med-cine!" she lets me know every night.
If only I'd known 4 years ago, when it was a two-parent job to hold down the screaming toddler and force the syringes into her mouth while she squirmed and fought and more often than not, spit out half of whatever we did manage to get in...Those were some hard times. I remember calling my mom more than once, in tears, saying, "I can't do this," and she always said, "Yes, you can. You don't have a choice. You WILL do it. It will get better...with time. Just get through today." And she was right. (As usual!)
Em's keeping her glasses on was another battle I thought I would *NEVER* win. She started wearing glasses at 12 months of age. People told me, "Oh, you're so lucky she got them at such a young age. She'll learn early to leave them on, and you won't have near the trouble later." Well, I don't know about that. She's six years old now, and it's only in the past month that I'd say it wasn't an on-going challenge to not only keep the glasses on her face, but to make sure the glasses weren't being deposited in the garbage, hidden in the refrigerator, stuffed in a pillowcase, dropped in the deep-freeze...the list could go on and on. (Yes, really!) Glasses have been a HUGE (though necessary) hassle. Until recently. Em has finally realized that she can see MUCH better with the glasses, than without them. First thing in the morning, that's what she's asking for, as soon as she's out of bed. And she leaves them on, all day long!
Emma is able to completely dress herself independently, as far as putting items of clothing on. We are, however, still working at tweaking the whole concept of matching. She understands the concept that if a skirt has a pattern with red in it, a plain red shirt will match it, or that any shirt she has will be okay with a pair of jeans or plain black pants. She is, however, quite adamant in her belief that anything that is striped will go with anything else that is striped. I guess she has internalized the concept that "likes go together," and when I tell her, "Stripes don't match stripes," she says, "Yes! Same!" and gets very aggravated with me. So, we clearly have a little bit still to work on, but for the most part, I can trust that when I send her to her room to get dressed, she will come out looking neat and presentable a great majority of the time. And TIME is what it took to get there. Boy oh boy, I could post over 100 pictures of some of Em's outfits from the past. There were some real doozies! But time and a lot of talking and showing and practicing and playing games and looking at books and magazines have paid off, as one more step has been made towards a little more independence and self-determination.
Emma's speech has taken off this past year. She is saying new words almost every day. While she still can be hard to understand (especially for people who aren't around her very often), and has many articulation errors, and continues to refuse to use any pronouns (except the word "me"), I am not discouraged. I see growth; I hear change. I have learned that nothing big happens overnight. It takes time, practice, and most of all, patience. She will get there. I no longer fear "if"; I know know we're just waiting for "when."
Oh how well I remember praying, working, watching, waiting for her to sit up. To crawl. To drink from a cup. To walk. Always small steps....always over time (sometimes a LONNNNGGGG time!)...but they ALL happened. She will get there. In her own time.
Perhaps the biggest change I have seen in Emma lately is the beautiful little person inside that she is becoming. While I am undeniably proud of each accomplishment, every new "thing" Emma has learned to do, I am most desirous that she learns to LIVE LOVE because she understands God's love. I am constantly challenged in my own life, constantly aware that a little pair of eyes is watching me--Seeing what I do, how I treat others, hearing how I speak to them, and she is storing it all away in her mind. When she on occasion behaves badly, I find myself asking "Did she see ME do that?!" It is my daily hope and prayer, my daily goal that she sees me living God's love in action--a care and concern for others and their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, not for anything I can get out of it, not for any motive or reward, other than knowing that is pleasing to God.
Last night after supper, I was in our bedroom, folding laundry, and Emmie came in. She touched my arm and said, "Mom, Kank oo mah food Emma eat. Good food. Kank oo, Mom, make mah good food." (Translation: Mom, thank you for the food I ate. It was good food. Thank you, Mom, for making my good food.") I looked at her, and walked out to where Bill was sitting in the living room. I said, "Did you send Emma back to the bedroom?" He said, "No, why?" I said, "You didn't tell her to come and tell me thank you for making supper?" Again, he replied, "No." I went back and hugged Emma and said, "Thank you, Emeline. That is very kind of you to thank me for making your supper. I really appreciate your doing that. That made me feel really good." She again said, "Kank oo." And then she was gone. Back to her room, where she was doctoring Howdy Doody yet again with bandages and tape. (Poor Howdy!)
Small steps. We'll never be the fastest, and that's okay. It may take us longer than most to get places. But we will get there. And we are finding joy in each of these small steps, each of these moments worth remembering.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
An interview with Emeline, 5 years, 3 months old, January 10, 2011
Here is yet another never-before-posted blog entry I found, from
January 10, 2011. Em was 5 years and 3 months old at the time.
What is your name? "Emma."
How old are you? "Five." (Held up five fingers.)
When is your birthday? "Oc-(pause)to-(pause)ber 10."
Who is your mommy? "Home."
What does mommy do? "Mom Home."
Who is your daddy? "Dad."
What does daddy do? "Home."
Who are your friends? "Luke."
What is your favorite color? "Blue.Red.Green" (I said which one do you like the best? She answered, "Yes. Blue.Red.Green.")
What is your favorite food to eat? Pah-cone (Popcorn)
What is your favorite song? "Bible."
What is your favorite movie? "Bob-Bob" (SpongeBob)
What is your favorite book? No answer.
What is your favorite animal? "Brown."
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? "Pahpole." (Purple)
What are your favorite toys to play with? "Shirt"
Where is your favorite place to eat? "Food"
Who is your favorite person? "John"
Who is your best friend? "Luke. "Papa"
What is your favorite thing to do? No answer.
What do you want to be when you grow up? No answer.
Where will you live when you grow up? "Home."
What do Mommy and Daddy do after you go to bed? "Night-night."
Where do we go to church? "Church. Papa."
Why do we go to church? "Church. Why."
January 10, 2011. Em was 5 years and 3 months old at the time.
What is your name? "Emma."
How old are you? "Five." (Held up five fingers.)
When is your birthday? "Oc-(pause)to-(pause)ber 10."
Who is your mommy? "Home."
What does mommy do? "Mom Home."
Who is your daddy? "Dad."
What does daddy do? "Home."
Who are your friends? "Luke."
What is your favorite color? "Blue.Red.Green" (I said which one do you like the best? She answered, "Yes. Blue.Red.Green.")
What is your favorite food to eat? Pah-cone (Popcorn)
What is your favorite song? "Bible."
What is your favorite movie? "Bob-Bob" (SpongeBob)
What is your favorite book? No answer.
What is your favorite animal? "Brown."
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? "Pahpole." (Purple)
What are your favorite toys to play with? "Shirt"
Where is your favorite place to eat? "Food"
Who is your favorite person? "John"
Who is your best friend? "Luke. "Papa"
What is your favorite thing to do? No answer.
What do you want to be when you grow up? No answer.
Where will you live when you grow up? "Home."
What do Mommy and Daddy do after you go to bed? "Night-night."
Where do we go to church? "Church. Papa."
Why do we go to church? "Church. Why."
Coe Feet, or No Crying over Socks!
Before you get too impressed with the volume of posts I have for today,
let me tell you that I am going through my posts and kicking myself for the number of half-finished blog posts there are.
Here is one from April, 2011. I have no idea why I never posted it...
Emeline is obsessed with feet. Cold feet, specifically.
More often than not, I am bare-footed. Em frequently will
disappear into my bedroom and come out with a pair of socks,
and hand them to me, "Mom, Coe Feet." At that point, she wants
me to immediately sit down and put the socks on. It doesn't matter
if I'm stirring something on the stove, or cleaning the bathtub,
or whatever--cold feet rank right up there with national emergencies
in her book, apparently. And waiting 5 minutes to warm those tootsies
up is waiting 5 minutes too long.
Sometimes, I will humor her, and put the socks on, because my feet
actually are cold. LOL Other times, they aren't. Some times, I
just don't want to have socks on. So I won't put them on. I will
ask her to go and put the socks back in my room, because I don't want
to wear socks right then. You'd think I was telling her we were
giving each of her precious SpongeBob characters away or something,
she gets so upset. "Mom, no coe feet, Mom. Peas No coe feet."
She has even been known to cry, in her earnest and very sincere desire to protect my feet from the chill. I tell her, "This is NOT something that it is okay to cry over; this is SOCKS we're talking about here. I will have NO CRYING OVER SOCKS in this house!" And then I stop, and stand there, giggling at the utter ridiculousness that mommies sometimes hear themselves saying.
let me tell you that I am going through my posts and kicking myself for the number of half-finished blog posts there are.
Here is one from April, 2011. I have no idea why I never posted it...
Emeline is obsessed with feet. Cold feet, specifically.
More often than not, I am bare-footed. Em frequently will
disappear into my bedroom and come out with a pair of socks,
and hand them to me, "Mom, Coe Feet." At that point, she wants
me to immediately sit down and put the socks on. It doesn't matter
if I'm stirring something on the stove, or cleaning the bathtub,
or whatever--cold feet rank right up there with national emergencies
in her book, apparently. And waiting 5 minutes to warm those tootsies
up is waiting 5 minutes too long.
Sometimes, I will humor her, and put the socks on, because my feet
actually are cold. LOL Other times, they aren't. Some times, I
just don't want to have socks on. So I won't put them on. I will
ask her to go and put the socks back in my room, because I don't want
to wear socks right then. You'd think I was telling her we were
giving each of her precious SpongeBob characters away or something,
she gets so upset. "Mom, no coe feet, Mom. Peas No coe feet."
She has even been known to cry, in her earnest and very sincere desire to protect my feet from the chill. I tell her, "This is NOT something that it is okay to cry over; this is SOCKS we're talking about here. I will have NO CRYING OVER SOCKS in this house!" And then I stop, and stand there, giggling at the utter ridiculousness that mommies sometimes hear themselves saying.
Emeline's 6th Birthday!
10/10/2011
As we always have, we celebrated Emeline's 6th birthday with a birthday party at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Illinois.
Emeline's favorite movie for several months now has been "Peter Pan" (or, as she pronounces it, "Pee-nah Pay-an), so we chose to go with that for her party's theme.
I searched and searched, but never did find a single shirt with Peter Pan on it. Apparently Tinkerbell is the only marketable character from that movie. LOL When I showed Emeline the Tink shirt I'd bought for her, she
said, "Ew. No sanks. No yike Tink. Tink bad guhl. Onwy wike Peenah Payan." (Translation: Ew. No thanks. I don't like Tink. Tink is a bad girl. I only like Peter Pan.) It took a few minutes of talking, but I finally convinced her to put the shirt on.
Aunt Joy made (or had made?) a Peter Pan hat for Em.
She LOVED it!
Mommy is no "Cake Boss", but Emeline was happy with her birthday cakes.
We had pixie sticks (Everyone needs a little pixie dust now and then!)
and of course, Em's favorite, M&M's, along with our cake, ice cream, and punch.
I was getting ready to cut into the cake when Em reminded me, "Mom! Emma
no bwow candles out!" OOPS! Good thing she was paying attention! LOL
Em and her good buddy, Justin. (Or, as Em calls him, "Jut-tin")
This last picture would have been precious to me anyway, but it became
even more so in December, when we said goodbye to our dear old friend Bob.
He and Lois have been dear to me all of my life, and they are like "great-grandparents" to Emeline. Last year, it was our good friend Joe Coley whose absence was felt at Em's birthday party. Next year, Bob's presence will certainly be missed.
And that's the end of the birthday pictures for this year. I had some more of Em opening presents, but of course, almost all of them are blurry. A photographer I am NOT.
I can't believe how quickly the time has past! It doesn't seem all that long ago, when Em was turning 5; I can hardly believe she's 6 already! And I know 7 is just around the corner. I *must* do better at writing down more of our "daily adventures." (Because if you know Emeline at all, pretty much EVERY day is an adventure!!!) Birthdays are fun times to remember and look back on, but every day has moments I don't want to forget. Every day has Moments Worth Remembering.
As we always have, we celebrated Emeline's 6th birthday with a birthday party at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Illinois.
Emeline's favorite movie for several months now has been "Peter Pan" (or, as she pronounces it, "Pee-nah Pay-an), so we chose to go with that for her party's theme.
I searched and searched, but never did find a single shirt with Peter Pan on it. Apparently Tinkerbell is the only marketable character from that movie. LOL When I showed Emeline the Tink shirt I'd bought for her, she
said, "Ew. No sanks. No yike Tink. Tink bad guhl. Onwy wike Peenah Payan." (Translation: Ew. No thanks. I don't like Tink. Tink is a bad girl. I only like Peter Pan.) It took a few minutes of talking, but I finally convinced her to put the shirt on.
Aunt Joy made (or had made?) a Peter Pan hat for Em.
She LOVED it!
Mommy is no "Cake Boss", but Emeline was happy with her birthday cakes.
We had pixie sticks (Everyone needs a little pixie dust now and then!)
and of course, Em's favorite, M&M's, along with our cake, ice cream, and punch.
I was getting ready to cut into the cake when Em reminded me, "Mom! Emma
no bwow candles out!" OOPS! Good thing she was paying attention! LOL
Em and her good buddy, Justin. (Or, as Em calls him, "Jut-tin")
This last picture would have been precious to me anyway, but it became
even more so in December, when we said goodbye to our dear old friend Bob.
He and Lois have been dear to me all of my life, and they are like "great-grandparents" to Emeline. Last year, it was our good friend Joe Coley whose absence was felt at Em's birthday party. Next year, Bob's presence will certainly be missed.
And that's the end of the birthday pictures for this year. I had some more of Em opening presents, but of course, almost all of them are blurry. A photographer I am NOT.
I can't believe how quickly the time has past! It doesn't seem all that long ago, when Em was turning 5; I can hardly believe she's 6 already! And I know 7 is just around the corner. I *must* do better at writing down more of our "daily adventures." (Because if you know Emeline at all, pretty much EVERY day is an adventure!!!) Birthdays are fun times to remember and look back on, but every day has moments I don't want to forget. Every day has Moments Worth Remembering.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Before I can start the new year, can I PLEASE finish up the old?
In the scale of ranking the importance of pictures, "first day of school" are ones on the higher end (for me). So of course I was frustrated when I couldn't find the ones I was SURE I had taken. But here we are, in January (well, it was December when I found the memory card), FINALLY uploading Em's first day of school pictures. (Okay, so I uploaded several, but I'm only posting one here.) This is from August 24, 2011. My big, bad KINDERGARTENER.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Catching Up (Copied from Facebook posts--September)
from September 29, 2011
I was talking with Em about her first class field trip tomorrow--a trip to a pumpkin patch. I told her we'd have to pack a lunch for her to take; she said, "Emma pack yunch."
I just opened her backpack, and here is a list of everything she had CRAMMED in there. Apparently, this is what she considers important to take to the pumpkin patch: winter coat, lightweight jacket, teddy bear, black patent leather shoes, pair of pants, a long-sleeved (turtleneck) shirt, a pair of socks, a pen, 2 pieces of blank white paper, a tube of crescent rolls, a tub of Philadelphia cream cheese, a pudding cup, 4 cheese sticks, a Capri Sun pouch, a stack of about 22 paper plates, and a stack of about 50 napkins.
from September 28, 2011
On Monday I bought a cheapie new Sterilite (plastic) pitcher with a great snapto-close lid. I made some lemonade in it for supper that night. Tuesday morning, when I got up, I walked by the trash can in the kitchen, and what do I see, but my brand-new pitcher in the garbage!
I said, "What in the world?!? Who threw my brand new pitcher away?!?"
Emma said, "Emma frow way."
I said, "Em! Just because it's empty does not mean it's garbage. That's brand new; I JUST bought it yesterday!"
She looked at me, said, "O-kay," and then walked over to garbage and pulled out the empty milk jug and the empty Powerade bottle that were also in the garbage, and brought them over to me. "Heyah (here), Mommy. Sowwy."
September 26, 2011
Oh, dear. Oh, my. How I wish my computer would let me upload pics. I have been listening to Em puttering around in the bathroom, but (probably against my better judgment), I let her be. She just came out....Now I see why she was in there for so long....
Lipstick on her lips (and above and below them, as well). Eye liner (several lines) across her forehead. Mascara all over her eye lids. Blush (I think??) on her eye lids, too. Foundation smeared across her cheeks, in two thick stripes. And the beauty queen just keeps wanting to kiss me. "Emma pwetty, Momma. Emma pwetty." ♥♥♥♥♥ (I'm sure if you saw me, after all these kisses I've received, I probably mirror Em's makeup pretty closely! LOL)
And......I *just* noticed, as she was walking away (from yet another kiss!) that she found the hair clips, too. 4 of them are now gracing the back of her head! (Along with the 2 barrettes and pony tail that she already had!) LOL
I was talking with Em about her first class field trip tomorrow--a trip to a pumpkin patch. I told her we'd have to pack a lunch for her to take; she said, "Emma pack yunch."
I just opened her backpack, and here is a list of everything she had CRAMMED in there. Apparently, this is what she considers important to take to the pumpkin patch: winter coat, lightweight jacket, teddy bear, black patent leather shoes, pair of pants, a long-sleeved (turtleneck) shirt, a pair of socks, a pen, 2 pieces of blank white paper, a tube of crescent rolls, a tub of Philadelphia cream cheese, a pudding cup, 4 cheese sticks, a Capri Sun pouch, a stack of about 22 paper plates, and a stack of about 50 napkins.
from September 28, 2011
On Monday I bought a cheapie new Sterilite (plastic) pitcher with a great snapto-close lid. I made some lemonade in it for supper that night. Tuesday morning, when I got up, I walked by the trash can in the kitchen, and what do I see, but my brand-new pitcher in the garbage!
I said, "What in the world?!? Who threw my brand new pitcher away?!?"
Emma said, "Emma frow way."
I said, "Em! Just because it's empty does not mean it's garbage. That's brand new; I JUST bought it yesterday!"
She looked at me, said, "O-kay," and then walked over to garbage and pulled out the empty milk jug and the empty Powerade bottle that were also in the garbage, and brought them over to me. "Heyah (here), Mommy. Sowwy."
September 26, 2011
Oh, dear. Oh, my. How I wish my computer would let me upload pics. I have been listening to Em puttering around in the bathroom, but (probably against my better judgment), I let her be. She just came out....Now I see why she was in there for so long....
Lipstick on her lips (and above and below them, as well). Eye liner (several lines) across her forehead. Mascara all over her eye lids. Blush (I think??) on her eye lids, too. Foundation smeared across her cheeks, in two thick stripes. And the beauty queen just keeps wanting to kiss me. "Emma pwetty, Momma. Emma pwetty." ♥♥♥♥♥ (I'm sure if you saw me, after all these kisses I've received, I probably mirror Em's makeup pretty closely! LOL)
And......I *just* noticed, as she was walking away (from yet another kiss!) that she found the hair clips, too. 4 of them are now gracing the back of her head! (Along with the 2 barrettes and pony tail that she already had!) LOL
Catching Up (Some Posts I've Cut & Pasted from my Facebook page--October)
from October 20, 2011 9:00 pm
Overheard in my house in the last 2 minutes:
"Oh, soup nuts!" (Emeline's favorite expression for when she's frustrated. I have no idea where it came from; I'm guessing she made it up.....at least I don't remember SpongeBob ever saying "Oh, soup nuts!") Maybe I just missed it ????
and
"Nigh-night time! Yaaaaaaay!" as she runs to get into bed. (Don't be envious. That will last all of 15 seconds, and then she'll be back out here again....)
from October 20, 2011 9:00 am
Today is picture day at school for Emeline. She was SO excited. They put a "Don't forget it's Picture Day!" sticker on the kids' shirts yesterday before they were dismissed. She must have 'remembered' 10 different times last night. She'd be in her room playing, and all of a sudden, come RUNNING out, yelling, "Mom! No Foh-get! Pic-ture Day! To-mah-woah! No Foh-get!" I'd reply, "Okay, Em. I won't forget." And she'd go back to her room.....only to repeat the same exact scenario ten minutes later. LOL
And
Em must have been having SOME dream early this morning. At 4:00 she woke me up by yelling at the top of her lungs, "DOGGIES!!!!" ROFL When I woke her up this morning, I said, "Em, did you dream about... doggies last night?" She looked at me like, "How did you know that?!?" And the she started cracking up. "Yep," she said. "Bah-jo and Cay-cane FUN-NY!" (Banjo and Candy cane are our two beagles.) Silly girl! ♥♥♥
from October 15, 2011
Barb D. loves a girl who knows what she wants. Emeline came in carrying a box of spaghetti and a jar of Prego. Mom! Sketti! Emma hungry! ♥ Hmmmm...it wouldn't be the first time we've had spaghetti for breakfast. (But Daddy is definitely NOT a fan....so it probably won't be happening today. LOL)
from October 10, 2011
Dear Emeline,
Putting all of the kitchen towels and dishcloths inside the stove was a mean trick.
I'm just thankful I noticed it before I turned the oven on tonight. Next time, please put them away in the drawer, rather than the oven. Thank you.
Love, Mommy
Overheard in my house in the last 2 minutes:
"Oh, soup nuts!" (Emeline's favorite expression for when she's frustrated. I have no idea where it came from; I'm guessing she made it up.....at least I don't remember SpongeBob ever saying "Oh, soup nuts!") Maybe I just missed it ????
and
"Nigh-night time! Yaaaaaaay!" as she runs to get into bed. (Don't be envious. That will last all of 15 seconds, and then she'll be back out here again....)
from October 20, 2011 9:00 am
Today is picture day at school for Emeline. She was SO excited. They put a "Don't forget it's Picture Day!" sticker on the kids' shirts yesterday before they were dismissed. She must have 'remembered' 10 different times last night. She'd be in her room playing, and all of a sudden, come RUNNING out, yelling, "Mom! No Foh-get! Pic-ture Day! To-mah-woah! No Foh-get!" I'd reply, "Okay, Em. I won't forget." And she'd go back to her room.....only to repeat the same exact scenario ten minutes later. LOL
And
Em must have been having SOME dream early this morning. At 4:00 she woke me up by yelling at the top of her lungs, "DOGGIES!!!!" ROFL When I woke her up this morning, I said, "Em, did you dream about... doggies last night?" She looked at me like, "How did you know that?!?" And the she started cracking up. "Yep," she said. "Bah-jo and Cay-cane FUN-NY!" (Banjo and Candy cane are our two beagles.) Silly girl! ♥♥♥
from October 15, 2011
Barb D. loves a girl who knows what she wants. Emeline came in carrying a box of spaghetti and a jar of Prego. Mom! Sketti! Emma hungry! ♥ Hmmmm...it wouldn't be the first time we've had spaghetti for breakfast. (But Daddy is definitely NOT a fan....so it probably won't be happening today. LOL)
from October 10, 2011
Dear Emeline,
Putting all of the kitchen towels and dishcloths inside the stove was a mean trick.
I'm just thankful I noticed it before I turned the oven on tonight. Next time, please put them away in the drawer, rather than the oven. Thank you.
Love, Mommy
Our Daily Conversations On the Way to School
If you were riding in the car with us in the morning, this is the conversation you would hear. Every day. :)
"We ah we?" (Where are we?)
"You tell me where we are."
"In da cah. Sool." (In the car. School.)
"That's right. We're in the car, going to school."
"Ohhhh-kay."
"We ah we?"
Repeat entire conversation two more times, or until we get to the end of our road, whichever comes first.
Once we turn onto Hwy 63 (7 miles still to go before we get to town), the animal watch begins.
"Whey cows?" (Where are the cows?)
The cows are up here, on the right. Just wait a minute, and we'll see them.
"Ohhhhhhhhh-kay."
"We ah we? Oh, COWS! Oh, no! COWS! Goo Moh-ning, Cows! Goo Moh-ning!" (wave, wave, wave)
I also greet the cows. "Good morning, Cows!" Because that's the way we roll. ;)
"Toooo many cows."
"Yes, there are quite a few. Can we count them?"
"Oh, No. Toooo many. One, two, OH NO! Hoh-sie! (Horsie) Too many hoh-sie! Goo Moh-ning, Hoh-sie! Goo Moh-ning! Mom, Goo Moh-ning Hoh-sie!"
Okay, I will. "Good morning, Horses!"
"Tooooooo many hoh-sies."
"Yes, there ARE a lot of horses, aren't there."
"Oh NO! Cows! Moh cows! (More cows!) "Goo Moh-ning, Cows!"
Repeat entire conversation every time we pass cows or horses. (About 7 times, I'm pretty sure.)
The last mile before we get into town, there are no more animals. So I seize the moment.
"Em, what kind of note do I want to read tonight in your Notebook?"
"Goo Note."
"That's right. I want a good note. What do you need to do, to make sure it's a GOOD note that your teacher writes to me?"
"O-BEY!"
"That's right. When she says it's time to stop coloring, you stop RIGHT THEN. Right?"
"Yight!"
"When she says it's time to line up, you line up RIGHT THEN. Right?"
"Yight!"
"What else do you need to do, to make sure it's a good note in your notebook tonight?"
"No pinch fwends."
"Uh-huh. No pinching. What else?"
"No huht fwends."
"Yep. No hurting friends. Keep your hands OFF of other people, right?"
"Yight!"
"Anything else you should do?"
"Be nice."
"That's right. Anything else?"
"Hahd wook."
"That's right. You should work hard. Do your VERY BEST. No piddle-poking around, right?"
"Yight! Oh, NO!"
"What's wrong?"
"Daddy miss Emma."
(Notice her skill at changing the subject? I'm pretty sure I didn't learn that until at least junior high. LOL)
"Yes, Daddy misses you when you're at school. But he's at school, too, working hard, and he wants YOU to work hard at school, too. He wants to see a good note tonight that says, "Emma worked hard and had a GREAT day today. You know that?"
"Yep. Poh Daddy miss Emma." (Poor daddy misses Emma.) "Daddy key-eye." (Daddy cry.)
"I'm pretty sure Daddy doesn't cry when he's at school, but I know that he is thinking about you, and that he is hoping you are having a good day, and obeying, and working hard."
"Yep. Daddy key-eye." (Daddy cry.)
I have learned there is no debating this subject. She is firm in her belief that Daddy cries when he's at school, because he misses her that much. There is no changing her mind.
By now we're just a few blocks from school. We start seeing school buses.
"Mom! Sool Bus! Fwends!"
"That's right! There's the buses. Some of your friends are on the buses, aren't they?"
"Yep."
"Oh NO!"
"What?"
"Fwends."
"What about your friends?"
"Fwends sad Emma no sool."
"Your friends are sad when you're not in school?"
"Yeah."
"But you're going to be in school today, so they won't be sad, right?"
"Yeah. Fwends happy."
"Okay. Here we are. You have a good day. Be a good listener and what else?"
"O-BEY!"
"That's right. When you have a good day, you make Mommy happy, and Daddy happy, but most importantly, you make Jesus happy, right?"
"Yight. Momma happy."
"That's right. You make Grandma happy, too."
"Poppa happy."
"Uh-huh. Grandpa is happy, too."
"Ya-ya happy."
"Em, I don't think Boomer really cares at all if you have a good day, or not. He's a dog, and dogs don't care about those kinds of things."
"Yep. Ya-ya happy. Yep."
"Okay, well what's MOST important is that we make Jesus happy. And if we make Jesus happy, Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa will be happy, too. You know that?"
"Yep."
I walk with her up to the building, where her 1-to-1 aide is waiting.
"Goo Moh-ning, Miff!" (Good morning, (Mrs.) Smith!)
Mrs. Smith replies with a cheery good morning, and a beautiful smile, and I walk away knowing that my child is in good hands, and is happy. What more could a mom ask for? (Other than maybe a good note from the teacher in that notebook every night. LOL)
"We ah we?" (Where are we?)
"You tell me where we are."
"In da cah. Sool." (In the car. School.)
"That's right. We're in the car, going to school."
"Ohhhh-kay."
"We ah we?"
Repeat entire conversation two more times, or until we get to the end of our road, whichever comes first.
Once we turn onto Hwy 63 (7 miles still to go before we get to town), the animal watch begins.
"Whey cows?" (Where are the cows?)
The cows are up here, on the right. Just wait a minute, and we'll see them.
"Ohhhhhhhhh-kay."
"We ah we? Oh, COWS! Oh, no! COWS! Goo Moh-ning, Cows! Goo Moh-ning!" (wave, wave, wave)
I also greet the cows. "Good morning, Cows!" Because that's the way we roll. ;)
"Toooo many cows."
"Yes, there are quite a few. Can we count them?"
"Oh, No. Toooo many. One, two, OH NO! Hoh-sie! (Horsie) Too many hoh-sie! Goo Moh-ning, Hoh-sie! Goo Moh-ning! Mom, Goo Moh-ning Hoh-sie!"
Okay, I will. "Good morning, Horses!"
"Tooooooo many hoh-sies."
"Yes, there ARE a lot of horses, aren't there."
"Oh NO! Cows! Moh cows! (More cows!) "Goo Moh-ning, Cows!"
Repeat entire conversation every time we pass cows or horses. (About 7 times, I'm pretty sure.)
The last mile before we get into town, there are no more animals. So I seize the moment.
"Em, what kind of note do I want to read tonight in your Notebook?"
"Goo Note."
"That's right. I want a good note. What do you need to do, to make sure it's a GOOD note that your teacher writes to me?"
"O-BEY!"
"That's right. When she says it's time to stop coloring, you stop RIGHT THEN. Right?"
"Yight!"
"When she says it's time to line up, you line up RIGHT THEN. Right?"
"Yight!"
"What else do you need to do, to make sure it's a good note in your notebook tonight?"
"No pinch fwends."
"Uh-huh. No pinching. What else?"
"No huht fwends."
"Yep. No hurting friends. Keep your hands OFF of other people, right?"
"Yight!"
"Anything else you should do?"
"Be nice."
"That's right. Anything else?"
"Hahd wook."
"That's right. You should work hard. Do your VERY BEST. No piddle-poking around, right?"
"Yight! Oh, NO!"
"What's wrong?"
"Daddy miss Emma."
(Notice her skill at changing the subject? I'm pretty sure I didn't learn that until at least junior high. LOL)
"Yes, Daddy misses you when you're at school. But he's at school, too, working hard, and he wants YOU to work hard at school, too. He wants to see a good note tonight that says, "Emma worked hard and had a GREAT day today. You know that?"
"Yep. Poh Daddy miss Emma." (Poor daddy misses Emma.) "Daddy key-eye." (Daddy cry.)
"I'm pretty sure Daddy doesn't cry when he's at school, but I know that he is thinking about you, and that he is hoping you are having a good day, and obeying, and working hard."
"Yep. Daddy key-eye." (Daddy cry.)
I have learned there is no debating this subject. She is firm in her belief that Daddy cries when he's at school, because he misses her that much. There is no changing her mind.
By now we're just a few blocks from school. We start seeing school buses.
"Mom! Sool Bus! Fwends!"
"That's right! There's the buses. Some of your friends are on the buses, aren't they?"
"Yep."
"Oh NO!"
"What?"
"Fwends."
"What about your friends?"
"Fwends sad Emma no sool."
"Your friends are sad when you're not in school?"
"Yeah."
"But you're going to be in school today, so they won't be sad, right?"
"Yeah. Fwends happy."
"Okay. Here we are. You have a good day. Be a good listener and what else?"
"O-BEY!"
"That's right. When you have a good day, you make Mommy happy, and Daddy happy, but most importantly, you make Jesus happy, right?"
"Yight. Momma happy."
"That's right. You make Grandma happy, too."
"Poppa happy."
"Uh-huh. Grandpa is happy, too."
"Ya-ya happy."
"Em, I don't think Boomer really cares at all if you have a good day, or not. He's a dog, and dogs don't care about those kinds of things."
"Yep. Ya-ya happy. Yep."
"Okay, well what's MOST important is that we make Jesus happy. And if we make Jesus happy, Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa will be happy, too. You know that?"
"Yep."
I walk with her up to the building, where her 1-to-1 aide is waiting.
"Goo Moh-ning, Miff!" (Good morning, (Mrs.) Smith!)
Mrs. Smith replies with a cheery good morning, and a beautiful smile, and I walk away knowing that my child is in good hands, and is happy. What more could a mom ask for? (Other than maybe a good note from the teacher in that notebook every night. LOL)
Monday, May 16, 2011
So, Who Wrapped All of My Willow Tree Figures in Toilet Paper?
(As if anyone needed to ask?!?) LOL
I have six Willow Tree figures on a table in my room. They've been there for a while, standing in their positions without any trouble. Or at least I thought they were. But Emeline must have had some sort of conversation with them, unbeknownst to me, because I discovered yesterday that she had laid all 6 figures down, wrapped them in toilet paper (each one individually!), and then covered the entire group with a hand towel.
Who knows what they must have told her??? My best guess is that they were tired and cold. Tired of standing all the time, and cold because it was a cold day yesterday. So of course Em, being the helpful friend that she is, decided to help them out...or so I imagine. LOL
I can't wait for the day that she will be able to tell me why she does some of these crazy things!!!
I have six Willow Tree figures on a table in my room. They've been there for a while, standing in their positions without any trouble. Or at least I thought they were. But Emeline must have had some sort of conversation with them, unbeknownst to me, because I discovered yesterday that she had laid all 6 figures down, wrapped them in toilet paper (each one individually!), and then covered the entire group with a hand towel.
Who knows what they must have told her??? My best guess is that they were tired and cold. Tired of standing all the time, and cold because it was a cold day yesterday. So of course Em, being the helpful friend that she is, decided to help them out...or so I imagine. LOL
I can't wait for the day that she will be able to tell me why she does some of these crazy things!!!
Okey-Dokey!
The other day, while explaining to Emeline our plans for the day, I ended my statement with the question, "Okey-dokey?" Her reply (an attempt to repeat what I had said) made me giggle: "A weeka-weeka!"
I make no claims to understand how the brain processes speech, but that one just about did me in.
I was cracking up even more when Em used my phrase again later in the week, when she was asking permission to go outside to play. She said, "Mom. Emma Ott-side. A Weeka-weeka?"
I said, "You want to go outside?"
She said, "Yep."
"Okey-dokey," I replied. "A weeka-weeka!"
Sigh...I love that girl!
I make no claims to understand how the brain processes speech, but that one just about did me in.
I was cracking up even more when Em used my phrase again later in the week, when she was asking permission to go outside to play. She said, "Mom. Emma Ott-side. A Weeka-weeka?"
I said, "You want to go outside?"
She said, "Yep."
"Okey-dokey," I replied. "A weeka-weeka!"
Sigh...I love that girl!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I'm not even kidding you...
THIS is what she just brought me. Just NOW. Like, 5 minutes after I posted the picture-filled post of Emeline making pizza--the post immediately below this one.
She ate one piece of her HOMEMADE pizza, and then she disappeared,
only to return a few minutes later carrying this Tony's frozen pizza. (She has disappeared to the basement, where the big freezer is.) At first I just thought she was showing me the pizza, you know, like, "Hey, Mom!
Look, we MADE a pizza, and here's a pizza from the freezer. Isn't that cool?!? Two pizzas! Awesome!!"
But no. That wasn't what she was telling me. In no uncertain terms she made very clear to me that she wanted me to cook the frozen pizza. (We won't even pretend that THAT actually worked out the way she had wanted it to. Yeah, NOT a CHANCE.) She wanted to eat the frozen pizza. She did NOT want to eat the homemade pizza. She had great fun MAKING the homemade pizza, but when it came down to it, she didn't want to EAT it. She wanted the Tony's pizza, NOT the homemade pizza. I can't believe it. I really can't. What a sad, sad day for pizzas everywhere....Except for Tony's pizzas, of course.
Silly, silly, pizza-confused girl of mine.
She ate one piece of her HOMEMADE pizza, and then she disappeared,
only to return a few minutes later carrying this Tony's frozen pizza. (She has disappeared to the basement, where the big freezer is.) At first I just thought she was showing me the pizza, you know, like, "Hey, Mom!
Look, we MADE a pizza, and here's a pizza from the freezer. Isn't that cool?!? Two pizzas! Awesome!!"
But no. That wasn't what she was telling me. In no uncertain terms she made very clear to me that she wanted me to cook the frozen pizza. (We won't even pretend that THAT actually worked out the way she had wanted it to. Yeah, NOT a CHANCE.) She wanted to eat the frozen pizza. She did NOT want to eat the homemade pizza. She had great fun MAKING the homemade pizza, but when it came down to it, she didn't want to EAT it. She wanted the Tony's pizza, NOT the homemade pizza. I can't believe it. I really can't. What a sad, sad day for pizzas everywhere....Except for Tony's pizzas, of course.
Silly, silly, pizza-confused girl of mine.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Problem: We're out of chocolate milk
Solution: That's okay, Mom, I'll just drink the chocolate syrup!
No, we did not have this conversation. This is just how I discovered her, when I came up from switching loads of laundry. She is a girl after her Momma's own heart, when it comes to all things chocolate. Where there's a will, there's ALWAYS a way...
No, we did not have this conversation. This is just how I discovered her, when I came up from switching loads of laundry. She is a girl after her Momma's own heart, when it comes to all things chocolate. Where there's a will, there's ALWAYS a way...
Newsflash!! Missing Underwear FOUND!!!
In Momma's CROCKPOT?!!?
Due to some medical complications, potty training Emeline has been an extremely long and frustrating on-going challenge for us here. While I am proud to say (but still feel the compulsion to whisper, for fear that actually speaking the words out loud might accidentally jinx it, or something) that Em is 99% potty-trained and wears BGP (big girl panties) almost all the time now, she still has
her moments where she decides she wants the ease and comfort of her old faithful Pull-ups. (Because yes, life is so much easier when you can just GO, and not have to worry about your pants suddenly being wet and therefore uncomfortable! Eww.) Anyway...so on one of her more rebellious days last week, she took off her BGP's and started wearing a Pull-up.
I went into the bathroom, intending to make her put the BGPs back on, but said BGP's were nowhere to be found. Upon asking the Big Girl where her BGP's were, I was met with a blank stare, such as one might expect if one were hearing a foreign language being spoken to them. But such was not the case.
Sigh...I looked in the hamper, in her toybox, under her bed....all the usual places, but the BGP's had vanished.
It wasn't until I got the crockpot out yesterday morning, intending to put a roast in it for Sunday dinner, that I finally solved the mystery of the vanished BGP's. AHA! Mystery solved! Just call me Nancy Drew! LOL
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Let's see...November, October....Is December Next?!?
It is here! LOL
Early December found us making back-to-back trips to Iowa City two days in a row, for appointments with the ophthalmologist and the dentist. We received good news from the ophthalmologist--no changes in Emeline's eyes, and no signs of cataracts. Having Down Syndrome puts her at greater risk for cataracts, as does taking steroids every day (which she does), so it is something we monitor twice a year. Her eye glasses Rx didn't change, so that was good news. Since I had just replaced her "lost" glasses in October, I was really hoping NOT to hear, "Oh, by the way, her Rx has changed." So that was very good news!
Her dentist appointment wasn't so great. She had two cavities. I cried.
I didn't cry because she had cavities. I cried because they had to strap her down with the pappoose board, and at that moment, I was just SICK of having to stand by and watch my girl go through one more ANYTHING. How silly of me to cry over a dentist appointment. But Em didn't know what was going on. It didn't matter that they were simply trying to brush her teeth. All she knew what that those people in the white coats are messing with me again, and I.DO.NOT.WANT.TO.BE.MESSED.WITH.ANY.MORE. PERIOD!!!!! And I just felt bad. I tried to hold them in, but the tears just rolled silently down my face. The dentist noticed and said, "Mom, I promise you, we're not hurting her." I told him, "I know you're not. She has just been through too many tests, pokes, and scans that no matter what it is, she's going to fight it. She is just DONE." So they did what they had to do, and I sucked it up, and as soon as we got out of there, we headed for the playground outside the clinic. And amazingly enough, all was instantly right with the world once again, when I heard the laugh, and my sweet girl say, "Fun, Mom!" as she climbed the steps to go down the slide, and smiled that beautiful smile. Even with two cavities in front.
Early December found us making back-to-back trips to Iowa City two days in a row, for appointments with the ophthalmologist and the dentist. We received good news from the ophthalmologist--no changes in Emeline's eyes, and no signs of cataracts. Having Down Syndrome puts her at greater risk for cataracts, as does taking steroids every day (which she does), so it is something we monitor twice a year. Her eye glasses Rx didn't change, so that was good news. Since I had just replaced her "lost" glasses in October, I was really hoping NOT to hear, "Oh, by the way, her Rx has changed." So that was very good news!
Her dentist appointment wasn't so great. She had two cavities. I cried.
I didn't cry because she had cavities. I cried because they had to strap her down with the pappoose board, and at that moment, I was just SICK of having to stand by and watch my girl go through one more ANYTHING. How silly of me to cry over a dentist appointment. But Em didn't know what was going on. It didn't matter that they were simply trying to brush her teeth. All she knew what that those people in the white coats are messing with me again, and I.DO.NOT.WANT.TO.BE.MESSED.WITH.ANY.MORE. PERIOD!!!!! And I just felt bad. I tried to hold them in, but the tears just rolled silently down my face. The dentist noticed and said, "Mom, I promise you, we're not hurting her." I told him, "I know you're not. She has just been through too many tests, pokes, and scans that no matter what it is, she's going to fight it. She is just DONE." So they did what they had to do, and I sucked it up, and as soon as we got out of there, we headed for the playground outside the clinic. And amazingly enough, all was instantly right with the world once again, when I heard the laugh, and my sweet girl say, "Fun, Mom!" as she climbed the steps to go down the slide, and smiled that beautiful smile. Even with two cavities in front.
Yay!!! No Hospital Stay for Emeline this time!
Emeline started December off with a bang. On the evening of November 30th, she fell asleep around 4:30 pm and slept all night through. I had to wake her up at 8:00, and even then she didn't want to get up. That is not normal for her at all. She is usually up much later at night, and up much earlier in the morning, so I was a little concerned. She fought me when I tried to get her up, and she stumbled more than walked down the hall to the bathroom. After she'd been up just a few minutes, she started vomiting. By then I knew the signs. I called our local Ped's office and told them I was on my way. We have been through this before, so we have a pre-arranged agreement that they will give her a shot if/when she needs one. They gave her her shot of hydrocortisone (solu-cortef) right away, and then I called our Endocrinologist's office in Iowa City. I told his nurse that Em had slept for over 15 hours, wasn't "waking" well, and had just vomited several times, but that she'd had the shot, so I was hoping I had caught it in time. She said we'd have to wait and see; she wanted me to call back in the afternoon and we'd talk then about whether or not we needed to head to the hospital. Meanwhile, I gave her a triple-dose of her oral hydrocortisone at the regular times (which is what I'm supposed to do), and watched her closely. And--drum roll here please--we did NOT have to go to the hospital! WooHoo! That was really a source of excitement for me, as it was the first time in the 14 months since Emeline had been diagnosed with Addison's, that she did NOT end up in the hospital from an Addisonian crisis. It gave me hope, that finally, FINALLY I was learning to catch it soon enough that we could handle it at home, and not have to go to the hospital in fear every time she threw up. (After almost losing her twice in the hospital because of Addison's, it is not something I took lightly.) So I am thrilled to report that, for the first time, we survived an Addisonian crisis and managed to avoid the hospital! We continued triple-dosing for 2 more days and then weaned back down to her regular dose, and Em came through it just fine! YAY!
What a way to welcome December!
What a way to welcome December!
More from November...Sleep Study Number 2 and Aunt Caryl's Funeral
On the Monday after Thanksgiving, Em and I hit the road again. (Yes, we do that a lot.) My Aunt Caryl had passed away, so we were going back to Illinois for her funeral. Things got a little complicated, however, due to the fact that Em had a follow-up sleep study already scheduled for that Monday night---in Iowa City. But I was supposed to sing and play the piano for my Aunt's funeral, and I really did NOT want to do that without practicing with the person I was playing for (my sister, Joy), so I really needed to go to Illinois, too. So...we left home after Emmie got out of school, and went to Illinois, where we stayed for about 2 hours---long enough for Joy and I to practice until we were both comfortable with the songs, and then Emmie and I headed to back to Iowa again, to the hospital in Iowa City.
The idea of a C-Pap Machine isn't new to Emeline; Bill uses one every night. She has messed with his more than once, putting the mask on herself, or on her baby doll. So I had hoped that it might not be a HUGE ordeal, getting her to wear the mask. Well, she screamed a good while and kept trying to take it off, but she eventually wore down and gave up. It was definitely another one of those times where I wished she was able to tell me what she was thinking/feeling. (Other than, "No, Mom, No! Hep, Mom! Noooooo!" That is just heart-breaking. We have been through it too many times to count, and it never gets easier, even when you know it's something your child NEEDS, and something that will HELP them.) Anyway...I *think* that she was scared because she couldn't feel her nose, when she had the mask on, so maybe she was thinking that her nose was gone, or something? I don't know, obviously. But each time she woke up, she said, "My nose, Mom," and then would reach over to me, and feel MY nose. I just kept telling her that her nose was still there, it was just under the mask, and she immediately calmed down and went back to sleep, so I don't know if that was it, or not. All I know is that it calmed her down. Although she did wake up several times through the night, overall, I considered the experience a success. We left at 5:30 Tuesday morning, and headed back to Illinois.
The funeral was as nice as a funeral can be, given the circumstances. My Dad conducted the service; I imagine that was one of the harder funerals he has presided over, given that it was his sister. Funerals are not one of my favorite things to attend, but my Dad does a wonderful job of using those times to remind us of the things that REALLY matter.
My Aunt Caryl was ready to go; there is peace and comfort in knowing that.
After the service, I enjoyed having the chance to visit with many other aunts, uncles, and cousins at the funeral dinner. I especially enjoyed watching Emeline interact with some of my relatives. It is always interesting to me, to watch other people watch her. I love to watch their expression transition from curiosity and uncertainty to joy, and for anyone who gives her half a chance, that is what this girl does to people. What a gift she is!
Here are the pics from her second sleep study, where she had to wear the mask.
The idea of a C-Pap Machine isn't new to Emeline; Bill uses one every night. She has messed with his more than once, putting the mask on herself, or on her baby doll. So I had hoped that it might not be a HUGE ordeal, getting her to wear the mask. Well, she screamed a good while and kept trying to take it off, but she eventually wore down and gave up. It was definitely another one of those times where I wished she was able to tell me what she was thinking/feeling. (Other than, "No, Mom, No! Hep, Mom! Noooooo!" That is just heart-breaking. We have been through it too many times to count, and it never gets easier, even when you know it's something your child NEEDS, and something that will HELP them.) Anyway...I *think* that she was scared because she couldn't feel her nose, when she had the mask on, so maybe she was thinking that her nose was gone, or something? I don't know, obviously. But each time she woke up, she said, "My nose, Mom," and then would reach over to me, and feel MY nose. I just kept telling her that her nose was still there, it was just under the mask, and she immediately calmed down and went back to sleep, so I don't know if that was it, or not. All I know is that it calmed her down. Although she did wake up several times through the night, overall, I considered the experience a success. We left at 5:30 Tuesday morning, and headed back to Illinois.
The funeral was as nice as a funeral can be, given the circumstances. My Dad conducted the service; I imagine that was one of the harder funerals he has presided over, given that it was his sister. Funerals are not one of my favorite things to attend, but my Dad does a wonderful job of using those times to remind us of the things that REALLY matter.
My Aunt Caryl was ready to go; there is peace and comfort in knowing that.
After the service, I enjoyed having the chance to visit with many other aunts, uncles, and cousins at the funeral dinner. I especially enjoyed watching Emeline interact with some of my relatives. It is always interesting to me, to watch other people watch her. I love to watch their expression transition from curiosity and uncertainty to joy, and for anyone who gives her half a chance, that is what this girl does to people. What a gift she is!
Here are the pics from her second sleep study, where she had to wear the mask.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sleep Study
On Monday, November 8th, Emeline had a sleep study to confirm what we were pretty sure we already knew---that she has obstructive sleep apnea. Emmie has always been a restless sleeper, and she was quite the snorer until she got her tonsiles and adenoids removed at around 18 months. The noisiness improved, but the restlessness did not. It is not unusual for Em to sit up in her sleep, gasp, and then flop down, in a "seated-Indian-style-but-with-my-head-face-down-on-the-bed-in-front-of-me" position. Many times during her (more frequent than we have liked) hospitalizations, nurses would come in and say, "Oh my goodness! How can she sleep like that?" I always answered, "I don't know, but she does, ALL THE TIME.
In addition to her very active movements while sleeping, it has always been noticeable when she was in-patient, that her oxygen saturation levels
are consistently a problem when she's sleeping. (I'm pretty sure some of the nurses are convinced that I rig the O2 saturation monitor to beep on a regular basis, because it ALWAYS goes off, and they say, "I have no idea why this thing keeps going off," to which I reply, "I think it's because she has sleep apnea." Finally, at Em's yearly evaluation at the Down Syndrome Clinic a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I really thought she had sleep apnea, and I would like a sleep study to either confirm or rule it out. The doctor I was visiting with was shocked she hadn't had one by now, but I told her I think since she had already had her tonsils and adenoids removed, the ENT had assumed that apnea would not be a problem for Emeline. Well, clearly, that was not the case.
So she had the sleep study last Monday. The clinician from the sleep study center called me this afternoon and told me the results. Emeline's Base O2 levels were at 92%, with a low of 85%. She said this falls into the category of "Singificant Obstructive Sleep Apnea," and that Emeline needed to come in for another sleep study, and to be fitted for a C-Pap machine. Lovely. If I were a betting woman, I would place money that the last clinician would PAY good money to NOT have to deal with Emeline again. Don't get me wrong, the lady was WONDERFUL. Really. She was probably one of the MOST patient professionals we have ever dealt with, and believe me, that is really saying something! She spent at least an hour and a half hooking all the leads up all over Emeline's body, and even when Emeline screamed, kicked, and raised the fit to end all fits, ripping leads off, the clinician was calm and soothing and totally composed. (Even when the Mommy was about to lose it and burst into tears!)
She did eventually get everything hooked up, and I laid down with Emmie in the queen sized bed, and she went right to sleep. I was secretly relieved when she began her regular tossing and turning, because I was half-way afraid that she would go there and sleep great, and they would tell me she was fine, when I knew good and well she was having episodes of apnea. My greatest fear was they would tell me everything was fine, when I knew that it really wasn't.
Anyway, back to the sleep study...Around 5:15 on Tuesday morning, the clinician came in and woke us up, and told us we could head home. Emeline was almost as angry at the removing of the leads, as she was at the placing of them, but she survived, and we headed home. The glue they used for the leads on the top of her head (in her hair) was icky-sticky, and the clinician told me to use peanut butter in her hair, and it would come right out. Well, it did work pretty well, but Emeline was NOT happy when I had to wash her hair 3 times just to get the peanut butter and residual oiliness stripped out. Fun times, let me tell you! LOL
So where do we go from here? We have another sleep study scheduled, where they will fit Emeline for a C-Pap machine. Oh boy. I have no idea if/when/or how this will go, but if she needs to use it, we will work at making it happen! I'm hoping it will help some, that Emeline's Daddy uses a C-Pap machine, so it is something she is used to, (something that she likes to play with, actually!) so maybe that will make her a little more willing to give it a try?! I hope so! (But I'm not going to hold my breath. Because you and I both know, this girl has a penchant for NEVER doing things the easy way!)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Just one more night-night, Momma
This morning, when I went to wake Emeline up, we had another "first." For the first time EVER, when I went to wake her up, instead of just getting up when I told her to, she asked me to let her sleep a little longer. It was so cute! Here's how it went:
I said, "Good morning, Emeline! It's time to get up!"
She sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and groggily replied, "Juss one more night-night. Juss one more." And then she dropped her head back down onto her pillow, shut her eyes, and went immediately back to sleep. She was simply too cute for me to argue with. So I let her sleep. :)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Emeline's very favorite accessory...
...is this hat that her friend Abby-from-Indiana's Grandma made for her. Isn't it cute?! I think so, and I know Emmie does, too. She wears it almost daily. :)
(Thank you again, Abby's Grandma Cathy!)
(Thank you again, Abby's Grandma Cathy!)
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