Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Big Update!!

  Potty Traing a boy about killed me.  Day time is easy, now trying to train him at night. . . somedays we had way too many accidents during the day and most nights Jacob would wake up with a wet diaper.  So ultimately to make things easier on me. . . I know, I'm ashamed. . . we always put him down for the night in a diaper.  Never gave him a chance to night time train.  However, last Sunday night, I was feeling a little brave and Jacob was fighting the diaper, so I gave in and decided to let him go to bed without a diaper on.  Worse thing that could happen is I would wake up to even more laundry that needed to be washed! 

Jacob surprised me. . . and that's sad for me to say, I should have believed in him. . . but Monday morning Jacob was dry, woke up and went straight to the potty like a pro, and WE HAVE NOT WORN A DIAPER OR HAD AN ACCIDENT SINCE!  I am so proud of him!  And he is so proud of himself!!  We officially put the rest of his diapers in Jaxen's room with his diaper stash. . . Jacob finally potty trained!  I'm kinda wishing I would have cold turkey'd him a long time ago.  He was ready, he's been for a while. . . but Mom just had to let him.  I see now that going between underwear and diapers, we were confusing him, he was going in the diaper because it he could. 

So with this blog I proudly announce that the Daily family only has ONE child in diapers!!!!  Another parenting lesson learned, I'm blogging this as a reminder to myself when it's time to potty train Jax.  Trust the kid, when he's ready, he will do it! 

(And to all those reading this with kids on the way, that are wondering why I didn't learn this lesson with Chloe. . . Girls are SO much easier to potty train!! LOL)


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

2011 Spring Pictures

Chloe's New School Pictures. . .
(They may seem a little distorted because I had to take a picture of a picture. . . Can't get the scanner to work correctly with this new computer yet!)


Sunday, March 27, 2011

Family Memory Book 2011

I've been working on a little memory book.  My goal is to have all the scrapbook pages made into a book at the end of the year.  I think only hope that I can keep up with it and remember to make the pages when the month is over.  Here's what I have for the first 3 months. . .









Saturday, March 26, 2011

A whole lotta whatnots.

It's been so long, I don't even know where to begin!  And at this point I'm not even sure I can catch you up on everything that's been going on!  So here's a giant update for March in pictures!!!

Chloe's Birthday Party at the bowling alley.

Jaxen's first attempts at smiling caught on camera. . .
  
Jaxen Ryder, smiling baby!!

Chloe's new do! 
Jaxen and Aunt Amanda - spent the weekend in Cole Camp for Amanda's baby shower!

Caleb and Jaxen

My Jacob. . . crazy as can be.

Jaxen enjoying the swing. . . he used to hate swinging by himself. . . I love that he's finally coming around to it!

Jaxen

Tummy time on a snowy spring day!
 
Chloe and Jaxen

My babies. . . It's love!
Chloe, Jaxen, and Jacob

Chloe and Jacob getting in Jaxen's picture!
I must say, it's been crazy around here.  Just when I think somethings going to slow down, it doesn't!  The weather for the most part has been nice, we've been able to have the windows open and enjoy some time outside.  Of course, that was until today when we received a freak springtime snow storm.  Luckily, it won't last long and it will be in the 70's by next weekend.

Jaxen is doing good and getting big.  He's enjoying belly time and his swing more and more each day.  I'm sure it won't be long before he'll be sitting up and holding his own bottle. 

Chloe's getting along well.  Keeping me on my toes, we've had to go through our first grounding to together.  I'm sure it was harder on me than it was on her. . . but we survived and are better for it.  We also have decided to sign her up for tee ball again this summer.  She seems excited and it will give her an opportunity to see some of her friends this summer. . . and get some exercise.  Jacob wanted to play tee ball too, but he's not old enough yet. . . poor little boy, he wants to grow up so fast!

Jacob is just Jake.  He's stuck in the middle. . . not the baby and not as big as Chloe.  He's become quite the handful sometimes, but overall, I think he's really starting to mature.  He just doesn't like getting left out of anything. . . and I understand that.  So for now, to curb the tantrums he requiring a little more attention from both Mommy and Daddy.  He's been hanging out with Daddy 'fixing' things - like my washer, and helping Mommy cook dinner - by hanging out on the counter keeping me company.

Any free time that I have had lately, I've been researching and planning a little family vacation for us.  I think we are going to plan a 2 day trip to St. Louis this summer.  Been looking into taking the kids to the Zoo and the Gateway Arch.  There is tons to do with the kids in St. Louis, I just haven't decided if we are going to try camping with the kids or rent a hotel room.  I'm still looking into all my options. . . of course, this will all depend on if we are in the middle of moving or not!

Today, we are doing laundry, cleaning house and hanging out.  It's too cold to be outside today.  Back to work I go. . . Happy Saturday!

Friday, March 18, 2011

I'm back!!

Yay!  The laptop crashed and we got our new computer, sorry I've been gone for so long!! 

I will be back in a few days to update. . . We have a big weekend planned around here.

:o)

Monday, March 7, 2011

Sickness

Oi!  It has been one heck of a week!  I went back to work on Monday.  It feels good to get back into the routine of things. . . I'm not use to being up and on my feet all day long, so when 4 o'clock rolled around I was ready to go home!  When I walked in the house, Jaxen was screaming!!  I just picked him up and he instantly stopped crying and stared at me.  His face said it all!! "Where were you?!?!"  Lol, I let him know that this was going to be the new normal. . . and he was going to have to get use to it!

Tuesday evening we had a Birthday Party for Chloe at the bowling alley.  It was so much fun and Chloe had a blast!  We had 2 lanes, 10 kids and 2 hours of bowling.  After the bowling alley we went to dinner at Pizza Hut with Joylynn and 4 of her kids.  It was a very fun evening and we didn't get home until 830-9pm.  The evening didn't end too well for Jerry and I - We made someone mad at us because we didn't want to be part of their drama anymore, and he gave us notice - starting in April, he was raising our rent $100.  I'm still furious at him, but I can't do anything about it.  When we questioned him about it, (heck we use to call him family!) he said it was just business and we don't have a contract with him.  So, I think Jerry and I are looking for another place to live.  I can't imagine paying as much as we do and not own the house.  And we know that we can get a loan from the bank (we asked about it when we got the new car), just have to find a place we like.  The only other option we have is to buy this house from him and I know he only bought this place for $39,000 and he said he'll let us buy it for $75,000 and we've done all the work on his house, he hasn't done anything!  Plus buying this place means I'm stuck her for a while, and I really want a yard.  We really want to stay in the area and keep Chloe in the same school district. . . and maybe get a couple acres of land with a house.  It's a big decision and it's really scary to make.  But I don't feel like we can afford to stay here with the rent going higher.  I know we can for a while but I think we would slowly sink and I can't afford to do that with three kids.  I can't see staying here and living in fear that if we tick him off, he can kick us out just because.  I need something stable for my family.  He will be the one screwed over when we move out.  All it takes is a single decision at a specific moment to change your world forever. . .  just know that we are thinking about everything!  We will make a decision that we feel is best for us and our family.

Sorry about the ranting there. . . I always have a way of keeping quite when it comes to these kinds of things because I don't want anyone to worry.  But there it is, the latest drama in our lives and probably the biggest reason we need to move and get him out of our lives altogether.  Anyways, Tuesday night was a long night for me, I was stressing and I think Jaxen knew it.  I was up with him until 3am and my alarm went off at 545am!  Then after work I had Girl Scouts!!  So you can imagine how tired I was. . . LOL!

Thursday I had to leave work around 2:30pm because the school called and Chloe was running a fever and needed to be picked up.  The school had given her Tylenol and she was acting fine when I got her home.  But just before dinner she feel asleep on living room floor and was running a high fever when we woke her up.  She didn't eat that night she got medicine and layed in my bed.  When I went to work Friday morning, she was still there. . . sleeping!

Chloe stayed home from school Friday, because of her fever.  She basically slept Friday and Saturday away!!  Saturday night Jacob fell asleep on my living room floor and he too was running a high fever when I woke him up.  Medicine and to bed he went - only to end up in my bed a few hours later because he got sick in his bed.  Today, Chloe's been fever free - just giving her cough medicine to help with her runny nose and horrible cough.  However, Jacob has been on Motrin and Tylenol all day!!  I can't seem to get his fever to break. . . he runs a 100.8 fever with Motrin. 

***Since writing the above, I have called our 24-hour Nurse Line (offered by our insurance).  Poor Jacob had 103.2 fever again and I was starting really worry.  I have never not had Motrin and Tylenol work after 24 hours.  Plus in talking to my mom, I realized that Jacob had been in a diaper since 830 last night and I changed a wet diaper after he got sick in his bed and moved him to my bed at 1130 last night. . . but he had not peed since.  Worrying about dehydration, I got him in the bath to cool him down and called the Nurse Line.  She walked me through everything, gave me confidence in the things I was doing correctly and gave me ideas to get Jacob back to normal.  She informed me that a temperature of 103.2 under his arm is equivalent to a temperature of 104 by mouth.  But after assessing Jacob on the phone, she didn't feel it was necessary for me to run out in the middle of the night and take him to the ER.  Not yet anyways.  The nurse gave me a list of things to watch for and recommended that Jacob see his doctor within 24 hours.  So waiting until morning and not creating a ER bill seemed the most logical.  Jacob's fever has since gone down and he sat up and was talking with me for a little while, I think he's drank more in the last couple hours than he has all day!  Nurse wants me to watch him closely tonight (set the alarm for every 3 hours), monitor his temperature and his mood.  She also told me to trust my instincts, Mommy knows best - so if any time I feel he needs to go, I am to take him immediately to the doctor.  She said not to second guess myself. 

I really felt better after talking to the Nurse.  This was the first time I called the Nurse Line and I like that they are there to help you make an educated decision on whether or not to go to the ER.  They say a fever is nothing to mess with so as a parent you automatically think the worse, but she gave me my confidence and let me know that a high fever wasn't horrible as long as Jacob was responding to me and aware of his surroundings.  So it looks like another long Sunday night for Mommy!  Daddy is on stand by at work and I've kept him informed.  We think it's best to let him rest him and home and if he shows any signs of dehydration or his fever gets any higher, Jerry will be on his way home so I can get Jacob to the hospital and on an IV.  So as of now, Jacob and I are bunking together in my bed and I will call his pediatrician in the morning to see what he wants to do.  Hopefully, by morning the fever will be gone.  Fingers crossed!

If anything changes, I will let you all know.