Last night was one of the rare occasions when we ventured out with the twins in the evening. That's their fussiest time, plus they are unusually fussy right now because of the teething. They did really well though and just thought they were on a walk in some strange places.
We went to the small Sears we have here to look at chainsaws and grills. Barry saw a chainsaw he wants, and we saw a grill that we might like, but we decided to do some comparison shopping at Home Depot.
This was our first and only good experience with Customer Service at the Home Depot here in Hobbs. Usually if you have to ask for help, you will wait forever and then get someone who doesn't even know how to help you... but that's just because it's Hobbs. Long term, drug free employees are hard to come by here. It's one of the few places in the nation where the employment rate is still low.
We found a grill we liked better for $20 less than at Sears, and they had it in stock. The service representative found it very quickly and loaded it onto a dolly for us and took it to the checkout. We picked up a few other lawn items we needed, and headed out. The twins were in their double stroller, and did very well looking at all the items on the shelves. They especially liked the flowers except that Mommy wouldn't let them touch. (They like to touch the flowers and leaves in our back yard.)
Then we went to Applebee's and they got fussy because it was about an hour past the time they usually have their dinner. We fed them their applesauce, but they wanted our food when it came. We cracked the ends off our french fries and pinched out the insides to put in their mouths. Not the best I know, but it kept them mostly satisfied while we ate. Now I know why my little brother Daniel never ate baby food at dinner time. We're going to have to start making sure we order something we can share with them.
When we got home we discovered they both had low grade fevers again. So it was tylenol, bottle, books, and bed. Hopefully the teeth will pop up soon so they'll start to feel better.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Updates
Ryan has now explored almost every corner of the living room. Mommy had to pull up a rug off the floor because he was chewing on the corner. I knew I'd forget something in my baby proofing efforts.
The low grade fevers usually ranging 99.4 - 100.0 (rectally) have continued this week along with the fussiness. I'll call the doctor again on Monday if it continues over the weekend. If it's just teething then we'll just wait it out, but I don't know how long I can safely give them tylenol every day. Ryan had tylenol every 4 hours yesterday until it finally broke after the 5 pm dose.
Alyna's acid reflux was doing a lot better because she's been eating a lot more solid food. The past couple days she's taken more bottle though because her mouth hurts, and the reflux has returned. I've started giving her the Zantac again.
We started putting both of them in the next size of diaper at night, and Ryan hasn't wet through since then. Last night he slept until 6:20 without waking up and the diaper could have held more. I looked at the "Huggies Overnights" but our WalMart only carries them starting in that next size up, so it's not worth the extra money if the regular ones will work. We may try them when they officially move up to that size.
When they are happy it is fun to watch them play. It hurts me when they hurt. This morning Ryan did his thing where he wants to be held but play with the toys at the same time. He wasn't too happy when I had to feed Alyna. I hope this stage passes quickly.
The low grade fevers usually ranging 99.4 - 100.0 (rectally) have continued this week along with the fussiness. I'll call the doctor again on Monday if it continues over the weekend. If it's just teething then we'll just wait it out, but I don't know how long I can safely give them tylenol every day. Ryan had tylenol every 4 hours yesterday until it finally broke after the 5 pm dose.
Alyna's acid reflux was doing a lot better because she's been eating a lot more solid food. The past couple days she's taken more bottle though because her mouth hurts, and the reflux has returned. I've started giving her the Zantac again.
We started putting both of them in the next size of diaper at night, and Ryan hasn't wet through since then. Last night he slept until 6:20 without waking up and the diaper could have held more. I looked at the "Huggies Overnights" but our WalMart only carries them starting in that next size up, so it's not worth the extra money if the regular ones will work. We may try them when they officially move up to that size.
When they are happy it is fun to watch them play. It hurts me when they hurt. This morning Ryan did his thing where he wants to be held but play with the toys at the same time. He wasn't too happy when I had to feed Alyna. I hope this stage passes quickly.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Being a baby is hard work
Between cutting teeth and learning to crawl, being 7 months old is turning out to be a rough time.
Ryan and Alyna are exploring more of the living room, mostly doing an army crawl on their bellies. We brought out the stacking rings and cups this week along with the bucket of shaped toys. They enjoy taking them apart and scattering them everywhere for Mommy to reassemble. They both also scoot their way over to the stack of books at least once during the day so Mommy has to go open them and let them turn the pages for a while.
They've both had low grade fevers a lot this week because of the teething. It makes them tired and fussy. They want to be held a lot more than usual which is rough on me. Ryan wants to be held and play with his toys at the same time so it is a challenge to keep him happy.
I started to really baby proof the living room today by moving lamps behind furniture, capping the outlets, and removing DVD cases and magazines from the low shelves. I'm sure they'll find more things to get into that I didn't think of, but it's a start. We did a lot of yard work last weekend that and have more to do next week when Barry's shift is over. Our ToDo list never seems to get done, but at least we feel like we're making progress.
Ryan and Alyna are exploring more of the living room, mostly doing an army crawl on their bellies. We brought out the stacking rings and cups this week along with the bucket of shaped toys. They enjoy taking them apart and scattering them everywhere for Mommy to reassemble. They both also scoot their way over to the stack of books at least once during the day so Mommy has to go open them and let them turn the pages for a while.
They've both had low grade fevers a lot this week because of the teething. It makes them tired and fussy. They want to be held a lot more than usual which is rough on me. Ryan wants to be held and play with his toys at the same time so it is a challenge to keep him happy.
I started to really baby proof the living room today by moving lamps behind furniture, capping the outlets, and removing DVD cases and magazines from the low shelves. I'm sure they'll find more things to get into that I didn't think of, but it's a start. We did a lot of yard work last weekend that and have more to do next week when Barry's shift is over. Our ToDo list never seems to get done, but at least we feel like we're making progress.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
diaper conundrum
We aren't sure what to do about Ryan's diapers at night.
He's waking up a couple times between 11 pm and 7 am, I roll him off his stomach onto his back, stick the pacifier in his mouth (no, we didn't get rid of it yet), and he goes back to sleep. The problem is that if we don't change his diaper sometime during the night, by 6 am it leaks and his sleep outfit and sheet are soaking wet. This greatly upsets him and he can't sleep any more. While changing him Alyna usually wakes up too.
I haven't weighed him lately but I'm guessing he's in the 17 lb range. The next diaper size up says it doesn't start until about 22 lbs. Every time previously that he's started leaking from his diaper at night he was only a couple pounds away from the next diaper size so we would go up the size just at night.
I guess we'll buy the next size up and see how big they are on him. Otherwise we'll just have to change him in the middle of the night for a while.
Any other ideas are appreciated...
He's waking up a couple times between 11 pm and 7 am, I roll him off his stomach onto his back, stick the pacifier in his mouth (no, we didn't get rid of it yet), and he goes back to sleep. The problem is that if we don't change his diaper sometime during the night, by 6 am it leaks and his sleep outfit and sheet are soaking wet. This greatly upsets him and he can't sleep any more. While changing him Alyna usually wakes up too.
I haven't weighed him lately but I'm guessing he's in the 17 lb range. The next diaper size up says it doesn't start until about 22 lbs. Every time previously that he's started leaking from his diaper at night he was only a couple pounds away from the next diaper size so we would go up the size just at night.
I guess we'll buy the next size up and see how big they are on him. Otherwise we'll just have to change him in the middle of the night for a while.
Any other ideas are appreciated...
Friday, April 17, 2009
Spring blossoming
As the trees out back are blossoming and filling in their leaves, so are the twins. They seem to learn something new every day.
They love our "go-round" toy. It's got a seat attached to a table with music buttons and toys. They can walk the seat in a full circle around the table. A month ago Alyna's toes didn't come close to the ground, and Ryan's could just tiptoe in it. Today they can both be seen cruising around in circles smacking the music buttons as they go. It's great, noisy fun.
They are still working on the crawling gig. They get their tummies off the ground by planting their toes behind them and their faces on the ground. Sometimes they get into a crawling position, but can't seem to figure out what to do next. Ryan likes to pull himself forward with his arms (tummy on the ground).
Grandma Delores was here visiting last week. She worked with them on moving their legs like on a bicycle, but Alyna always threw a stiff leg into it like that was the game. It is always nice when Grandma visits because she cleans the house before she leaves... thanks Mom.
One of the greatest joys in the last couple weeks is that they have found a new way to show affection: the forehead kiss. We touch foreheads together and look in each others eyes. They both love to do it and will grab my hair or neck to turn my head to theirs to initiate the move. Barry thought it was odd at first, but when Alyna did it to him his heart just melted.
The challenges of this stage are many. Ryan gets frustrated because he can't easily get to every toy he wants, and he vocalizes his needs very loudly. Alyna has developed a little bit of separation anxiety after our recent vacation. She often starts to cry when she sees me leave the room, and will stop when I return. It's not encouraging for this to happen at such a young age.
The twins both seem to be more aware than ever that the other exists. They always seem to want the toy or book that the other has, and this often leads to tugging fights and fussing babies. I'm not sure what to do with a 7 month old when they want what someone else has. We just let them work it out on their own if they do it calmly, but when they seem angry about the situation we try to remove them from the toy and distract them with another. That's not always possible though. My biggest fear is that one will become totally dominant of the other and the behavioral issue will reach into other areas of their lives. But I know that a 7 month old is totally self-absorbed developmentally so it's difficult to know how to proceed. It also makes meal times longer because I can't feed them their baby food at the same time. They start to fuss when they see the spoon go to the other's mouth.
I'm excited that one of my friends from church delivered a baby girl named Sydney yesterday. I hope she and Alyna will be good friends as they grow up together. One of my other friends is having a little boy this summer, so Ryan will also have someone to play with. We have a great group of young adults at church that we are close to. It will be great to have that sense of community as our kids grow.
We're enjoying the spring weather and are spending much time outside each day if the wind isn't too harsh. I've put the play pen on the porch and sit and read while they play. They like being outside and always sleep and eat better afterward. Sunshine and fresh air is good for the body and spirit.
They love our "go-round" toy. It's got a seat attached to a table with music buttons and toys. They can walk the seat in a full circle around the table. A month ago Alyna's toes didn't come close to the ground, and Ryan's could just tiptoe in it. Today they can both be seen cruising around in circles smacking the music buttons as they go. It's great, noisy fun.
They are still working on the crawling gig. They get their tummies off the ground by planting their toes behind them and their faces on the ground. Sometimes they get into a crawling position, but can't seem to figure out what to do next. Ryan likes to pull himself forward with his arms (tummy on the ground).
Grandma Delores was here visiting last week. She worked with them on moving their legs like on a bicycle, but Alyna always threw a stiff leg into it like that was the game. It is always nice when Grandma visits because she cleans the house before she leaves... thanks Mom.
One of the greatest joys in the last couple weeks is that they have found a new way to show affection: the forehead kiss. We touch foreheads together and look in each others eyes. They both love to do it and will grab my hair or neck to turn my head to theirs to initiate the move. Barry thought it was odd at first, but when Alyna did it to him his heart just melted.
The challenges of this stage are many. Ryan gets frustrated because he can't easily get to every toy he wants, and he vocalizes his needs very loudly. Alyna has developed a little bit of separation anxiety after our recent vacation. She often starts to cry when she sees me leave the room, and will stop when I return. It's not encouraging for this to happen at such a young age.
The twins both seem to be more aware than ever that the other exists. They always seem to want the toy or book that the other has, and this often leads to tugging fights and fussing babies. I'm not sure what to do with a 7 month old when they want what someone else has. We just let them work it out on their own if they do it calmly, but when they seem angry about the situation we try to remove them from the toy and distract them with another. That's not always possible though. My biggest fear is that one will become totally dominant of the other and the behavioral issue will reach into other areas of their lives. But I know that a 7 month old is totally self-absorbed developmentally so it's difficult to know how to proceed. It also makes meal times longer because I can't feed them their baby food at the same time. They start to fuss when they see the spoon go to the other's mouth.
I'm excited that one of my friends from church delivered a baby girl named Sydney yesterday. I hope she and Alyna will be good friends as they grow up together. One of my other friends is having a little boy this summer, so Ryan will also have someone to play with. We have a great group of young adults at church that we are close to. It will be great to have that sense of community as our kids grow.
We're enjoying the spring weather and are spending much time outside each day if the wind isn't too harsh. I've put the play pen on the porch and sit and read while they play. They like being outside and always sleep and eat better afterward. Sunshine and fresh air is good for the body and spirit.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Bailey's Side Effects from GARDASIL ®
Everyone who attends a church congregation anywhere in my small city has been praying for 15 year old Bailey Waldrop for months. She was near to death just a few months ago, but I am pleased to say that God has completely healed Bailey of all her ailments.
Bailey is a wonderful, Christian girl who is very active in her school and youth group activities. Last year her Bailey went to her pediatrician to get shots as she was preparing for a mission trip to Peru. The doctor recommended she also get the GARDASIL ® vaccine at this time. Bailey told her mom and the doctor she did not need the vaccine because it was for an STD and she was not sexually active and did not plan to be. Her mother did not know much about the vaccine, so when the doctor said that Bailey could still possibly contract HPV if her future husband had it; they decided to get Bailey the vaccine. HPV has been linked to causing 70% of cervical cancer in women.
Click here to visit the GARDASIL ® official website.
The vaccine is a series of 3 shots over several months. After the first shot, Bailey had no ill effects. After the second shot in the summer of ‘08, Bailey went on her mission trip to Peru, and experienced blackouts and severe headaches. The local pediatrician said it was migraines. They even saw a neurologist who suggested the same thing. The Waldrops thought it was more than migraines because it was accompanied by other symptoms that didn’t fit.
After the 3rd shot in the fall, Bailey became severely ill with the headaches, fatigue, nausea, and pain. Bailey saw a commercial for the GARDASIL ® vaccine and realized she had all the symptoms listed as side effects on the commercial. The local doctor said neither he nor any doctor he had talked to had seen these effects from giving the vaccine. Interestingly, another teenage girl in our small town is having the same symptoms with very severe seizures after receiving the shots last year. The doctors here still refuse to believe the vaccine was the cause.
Bailey’s mom researched the vaccine on the government reporting site http://vaers.hhs.gov/ and found that there had been over 30 deaths and 8000 ER visits by healthy girls who had recently received the vaccine. Note: This is a site for the public to report effects of vaccines, not just doctors.
One night when Bailey was very ill, her mother drove her to the Lubbock, Texas ER hoping that different doctors would find an answer. The ER doctor had heard of some bad side effects from the vaccine and scheduled Bailey for an appointment with another neurologist the following day. That night Bailey got another symptom, Gillian Beret Syndrome, which starts as severe leg pain. It can lead to paralysis of the legs and move up into the brain causing death. The neurologist ran many tests with no answers. All they could do was treat the symptoms and wait until the vaccine fully left her system in about 5 years.
Over the Christmas holidays many of Baileys family and friends prayed over her for healing and strength. Bailey was also now having seizures and episodes where her blood pressure would plummet. It was a very scary time for her family.
Bailey’s mom found a Yahoo Group for people with the side effects of the vaccine, and followed the story of a girl who was getting better. She called the girl’s doctor in California, and he agreed to help Bailey. She stayed in Hobbs for the treatments so that she wouldn’t relapse simply from going home at the end. Dr. Mark was a wonderful Christian man who told the Waldrops that he and his wife personally prayed for each of his patients. Some of the treatment he prescribed included using an Oxygen tank to increase the Oxygen supply to Bailey’s cells. She slept in a hyperbaric chamber at night as well. A local family in Hobbs was very generous in loaning a chamber to the Waldrops for free. They’d had a sick child in the past who had needed it, and there wasn’t one anywhere local. Bailey also had to eat high protein meals every hour which meant that her mom was doing a lot of cooking. She also had to have daily IVs administered by a nurse in town. They eventually did surgery to put in a port for the IVs, but the surgery weakened her already frail state.
A friend of the family approached Bailey’s mom to mention a famous preacher who does healings. This isn’t a common practice at the church the Waldrops attend so they dismissed it. After a man at their church shared verses of healing with Bailey’s father, and told him they should go to that same preacher, the Waldrops felt God leading them in that direction. They decided to attend a meeting in Texas. At the meeting the preacher studied scripture about sin and healing. He said that for any healing to take place that night they had to fully repent of any sins they had been holding back.
Bailey’s father and mother decided they needed to ask God’s forgiveness for not trusting God with their daughter’s purity, and with her future spouse’s purity. At the end of the meeting, they went to the preacher as a family to ask him to pray for Bailey’s healing. The preacher spoke with and prayed for the family for 20 minutes. Bailey felt an overwhelming power through her, and she knew she’d been healed.
God healed Bailey of all the ill side effects that night. She stopped all her treatments of the symptoms immediately, and felt great. She went out that week and played golf for 4 hours, and came home perfectly well. That is pretty amazing considering she had been in bed for the 3 months before.
Bailey and her parents have been speaking at many local churches about her story of healing, and about the effects of receiving the vaccine she didn’t need anyway. I heard the full story from her mother at the local MOPS meeting this week. They are also going to be speaking on the preacher’s TV show, and at other special events around the country. They are seeing their ordeal as an opportunity to share about God and the miracles he worked in their lives.
Bailey is a wonderful, Christian girl who is very active in her school and youth group activities. Last year her Bailey went to her pediatrician to get shots as she was preparing for a mission trip to Peru. The doctor recommended she also get the GARDASIL ® vaccine at this time. Bailey told her mom and the doctor she did not need the vaccine because it was for an STD and she was not sexually active and did not plan to be. Her mother did not know much about the vaccine, so when the doctor said that Bailey could still possibly contract HPV if her future husband had it; they decided to get Bailey the vaccine. HPV has been linked to causing 70% of cervical cancer in women.
Click here to visit the GARDASIL ® official website.
The vaccine is a series of 3 shots over several months. After the first shot, Bailey had no ill effects. After the second shot in the summer of ‘08, Bailey went on her mission trip to Peru, and experienced blackouts and severe headaches. The local pediatrician said it was migraines. They even saw a neurologist who suggested the same thing. The Waldrops thought it was more than migraines because it was accompanied by other symptoms that didn’t fit.
After the 3rd shot in the fall, Bailey became severely ill with the headaches, fatigue, nausea, and pain. Bailey saw a commercial for the GARDASIL ® vaccine and realized she had all the symptoms listed as side effects on the commercial. The local doctor said neither he nor any doctor he had talked to had seen these effects from giving the vaccine. Interestingly, another teenage girl in our small town is having the same symptoms with very severe seizures after receiving the shots last year. The doctors here still refuse to believe the vaccine was the cause.
Bailey’s mom researched the vaccine on the government reporting site http://vaers.hhs.gov/ and found that there had been over 30 deaths and 8000 ER visits by healthy girls who had recently received the vaccine. Note: This is a site for the public to report effects of vaccines, not just doctors.
One night when Bailey was very ill, her mother drove her to the Lubbock, Texas ER hoping that different doctors would find an answer. The ER doctor had heard of some bad side effects from the vaccine and scheduled Bailey for an appointment with another neurologist the following day. That night Bailey got another symptom, Gillian Beret Syndrome, which starts as severe leg pain. It can lead to paralysis of the legs and move up into the brain causing death. The neurologist ran many tests with no answers. All they could do was treat the symptoms and wait until the vaccine fully left her system in about 5 years.
Over the Christmas holidays many of Baileys family and friends prayed over her for healing and strength. Bailey was also now having seizures and episodes where her blood pressure would plummet. It was a very scary time for her family.
Bailey’s mom found a Yahoo Group for people with the side effects of the vaccine, and followed the story of a girl who was getting better. She called the girl’s doctor in California, and he agreed to help Bailey. She stayed in Hobbs for the treatments so that she wouldn’t relapse simply from going home at the end. Dr. Mark was a wonderful Christian man who told the Waldrops that he and his wife personally prayed for each of his patients. Some of the treatment he prescribed included using an Oxygen tank to increase the Oxygen supply to Bailey’s cells. She slept in a hyperbaric chamber at night as well. A local family in Hobbs was very generous in loaning a chamber to the Waldrops for free. They’d had a sick child in the past who had needed it, and there wasn’t one anywhere local. Bailey also had to eat high protein meals every hour which meant that her mom was doing a lot of cooking. She also had to have daily IVs administered by a nurse in town. They eventually did surgery to put in a port for the IVs, but the surgery weakened her already frail state.
A friend of the family approached Bailey’s mom to mention a famous preacher who does healings. This isn’t a common practice at the church the Waldrops attend so they dismissed it. After a man at their church shared verses of healing with Bailey’s father, and told him they should go to that same preacher, the Waldrops felt God leading them in that direction. They decided to attend a meeting in Texas. At the meeting the preacher studied scripture about sin and healing. He said that for any healing to take place that night they had to fully repent of any sins they had been holding back.
Bailey’s father and mother decided they needed to ask God’s forgiveness for not trusting God with their daughter’s purity, and with her future spouse’s purity. At the end of the meeting, they went to the preacher as a family to ask him to pray for Bailey’s healing. The preacher spoke with and prayed for the family for 20 minutes. Bailey felt an overwhelming power through her, and she knew she’d been healed.
God healed Bailey of all the ill side effects that night. She stopped all her treatments of the symptoms immediately, and felt great. She went out that week and played golf for 4 hours, and came home perfectly well. That is pretty amazing considering she had been in bed for the 3 months before.
Bailey and her parents have been speaking at many local churches about her story of healing, and about the effects of receiving the vaccine she didn’t need anyway. I heard the full story from her mother at the local MOPS meeting this week. They are also going to be speaking on the preacher’s TV show, and at other special events around the country. They are seeing their ordeal as an opportunity to share about God and the miracles he worked in their lives.
MOPS
Yesterday, the twins and I attended our first MOPS (Mothers of Preshcoolers) meeting.
MOPS is an international organization but the meetings are organized locally. There is childcare for children from birth to 5 years old. Our group has meetings twice a month, and then plans other playdates and picnics. It was great to meet other moms in my city.
At this meeting we watched the video presentation that all the MOPS groups watch, but then we had a special guest speaker who we'd been praying for in our Ladies Bible Class for months. It was Becky Waldrop who talked about her daughter's near death experience after receiving the Guardasil vaccine last year. (I'm going to write a separate blog entry about it because everyone needs to be warned of the dangerous side effects.)
The ladies I met were all wonderful and supportive. The twins did great being left to play in the nursery, and the workers loved having them there. We will definitely make this a part of our schedule.
MOPS is an international organization but the meetings are organized locally. There is childcare for children from birth to 5 years old. Our group has meetings twice a month, and then plans other playdates and picnics. It was great to meet other moms in my city.
At this meeting we watched the video presentation that all the MOPS groups watch, but then we had a special guest speaker who we'd been praying for in our Ladies Bible Class for months. It was Becky Waldrop who talked about her daughter's near death experience after receiving the Guardasil vaccine last year. (I'm going to write a separate blog entry about it because everyone needs to be warned of the dangerous side effects.)
The ladies I met were all wonderful and supportive. The twins did great being left to play in the nursery, and the workers loved having them there. We will definitely make this a part of our schedule.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The quick report
We spent a little over a week in Colorado visiting Barry's parents and sister. Here are the highlights.
- Left at bedtime (7 pm) and arrived a little before 5 am.
- Twins didn't adjust very well to sleeping and napping in a new place all the time, so it was a rough week. Nana and Aunt Robyn were able to borrow 2 pack 'n plays, 2 swings, high chairs, and a bunch of toys. I don't know how we would have survived without the swings.
- Nana, Papa, and Aunt Robyn had lots of fun playing with the twins.
- The twins achieved a new milestone... sitting up without assistance for long periods of time
- Mommy and Daddy got a night off. A movie ("Knowing") on a giant screen, dinner at Benihana, and a full night's sleep at a 4 star hotel. I slept for 10 hours with just a bathroom break. It was so nice. Thank you Nana and Papa.
- Spring Snow Storm
- Floor seats at the Colorado Avalanche game (NHL). It was lots of fun even though they lost. Watching the 8-9 year olds play hockey at the period breaks was a highlight of the game.
- Visited with twins' great-grandmother and other extended family. The twins played with their 2nd cousin Brayden for the first time.
- Bought Alyna's spring and summer wardrobe at the outlet mall. (we got lots of nice hand-me-downs for Ryan)
- Saw 2 old friends from Harding at my in-laws church on Sunday. It's such a small world.
- Left for home at 4 pm on Tuesday, got home at 2 am. The babies did really well considering the long time in the car seats. They smiled when they saw their room at 2 am.
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