Friday

It's hard to believe this was Friday, right?  And that hours later, she'd be throwing up all over me?  This was in a rare burst of energy, jeez she is CUTE, right? 

I was looking at this shadow and it reminds me, today I went to get Veronica at school and we walked out together, me and Felicity, Maria in front and Veronica behind us.  LORD, LORD, she is behind us.  Slow!  She reminds me of Prissy in Gone with the Wind, when she is moseying down the street and Scarlett is waiting for her to come help with the birthing of the babies.  "Only three more days to tote the weary loooooooad, she sings, remember?  Anyways, I am always stopping to turn back and remind Veronica that what we are doing is walking to the ding dang car.  Meanwhile, Maria is taking off into the parking lot.  Sheesh. 

Today it was so sunny and beautiful and Veronica was in love with that shadow of hers.  IN LOVE.  She was walking all over the parking lot, saying "my shadow!  Look, mama, my shadow!".  I told her she could walk toward the car and her stupid shadow would be there, too, ha!  She is a sweet thing, I can't believe it but she will be three years old in about a month.  Veronica Lucy Beck!  Three years old! 

 

Sick, in a new and different way

Ugh, I haven't posted since the last time Veronica was sick.  In fairness, it wasn't THAT LONG AGO!  Last night Mike took Anthony up to the bath kind of early, he was driving us mad with the taking the clothes off thing, so I figured he could get a solo bath, which is a plus for him, and he could be in his pajamas, which is a plus for us.  As it's been a long week, and Felicity has another ear infection, I thought the girls would benefit from a nice walk around the block.  As usual and for always, I was wrong.  It took us FOREVER to walk around one block.  When we were almost home, we stopped by my friend and neighbor's house and her husband commented that he had mowed not one but TWO lawns during the time it took me.  It was Veronica, of course, barely walking, that took us so long.  I was pushing the stroller but I carried her for about half of it, just so we could get home before dark.  We stopped by my neighbor's house and she seemed a little sad and she insisted on riding in the stroller on the way home.

After she got out of the tub, she was freezing and crying, miserable.  She didn't feel warm, so like an idiot, I figured she was fine.  I fell asleep after 11:00, the baby woke up at midnight until 12:30, and at 12:35 Veronica woke up screaming and howling and, of course, burning up.  Mike and I took her in our room because she was so loud and I forced some ibuprofen on her which of course, she viciously threw up all over me moments later.  Ugh!  It's so, so frustrating!  I always feel so stupid, I should see it coming, but I never do.  Anyways, we were up until almost 5:00.  I used to think it was the medicine that made her wide awake but NOPE.  It's just how she gets sick, she stays awake as if she's taken speed.  It takes a bad situation and makes it almost unbearable.  I took her downstairs and she threw up a few more times and we watched several episodes of Peppa Pig.  I kept saying to her, let's watch this one and then we'll go to bed and she'd FREAK OUT and yell, NOOOOOO!  Finally around 4:30 I said it and she didn't yell but said okay, so we went up to my bed around 5:00 and she fell asleep.  She had to have been exhausted, she threw up like five times!

She's no better this morning, she couldn't go to the Easter Egg Hunt in our neighborhood, I just took Maria.  She's still warm but hasn't thrown up again today, so we'll see.  The baby is sick and Anthony is impossible and I'm working tonight and hosting Easter tomorrow, soooooo.  I'm going to think of Christ on the Cross and be silent.  It's incredibly challenging but I'm trying.

Ear Infection

Now Maria is the only one who's never had an ear infection, never taken antibiotics.

Here's a pro tip: if it seems like your child is sick, has a fever, and is stuffy, but is also A RAGING LUNATIC, IMPOSSIBLY FUSSY AND UNWILLING TO BE PUT DOWN OR STOP CRYING, chances are very, very VERY good that that child has an ear infection. You're welcome.

I'm editing this to say that she also couldn't get comfortable - she slept with us, in our bed or on the couch, for two nights and she kept shifting and shifting.  Of course I thought she was just being difficult, it was between 11 at night and 3 in the morning, but now that I look back on it, it was a lot like Felicity was acting when she had her ear infections.  I've never had one, but I guess it's just awful.

We went to CVS to the Minute Clinic.  I wanted to go to the IU Urgent Care where I've been taking Felicity but there was a horrible traffic jam and I didn't have much time because Anthony had to get to swimming, so I went to the Minute Clinic.  There was ONE person in front of me and she was in there FOREVER, Lord, Lord, I was getting tense!  Veronica was really taking a turn, lying down on the floor, falling asleep, crying, etc.  It was awful.  I wanted to ask the guy who was the husband of the lady who went in there what she was in there for?  To discuss End of Life issues?  LORD!

Anyway, once we got in there I could see why it took so long, the NP was super, super SUPER slow.  She didn't have a great bedside manner, she couldn't really get that thing into V's ear to see what was going on.  Veronica was screaming and screaming and she didn't stop for NINETY MINUTES.  I had to take her home so Mike could get Anthony to swimming, so I just loaded up the other two girls and we went BACK to the CVS to get the prescription going.  I dropped it off and then drove through Steak and Shake to get them something to eat and went back.  I picked it up, it was only $3.50 with our insurance and you sure get what you pay for, because I got home and that stupid amoxicillin was POWDER that I was supposed to MIX on my OWN.  It called for 67 ml of water.  ?  Who has that measuring capability in their house?  Not ME!  I called and had it out with the jackhole pharmacist and we went round and round, he said they were 'real busy' that day.  It scares the hell out of me to think these people are in charge of anything, particularly dispensing drugs.

BUT he fixed it and Mike picked up the rx on his way home from swimming and she took some and she seems better this morning, already.  We have our last ballet class today and a recital, so I hope she can go.

Sunday

Veronica just stopped knocking at her door.  The other night, she was sleeping and Maria couldn't and tonight it's the opposite.  We took everyone to church today and I am sorry to say that Veronica was AWFUL.  AWWWWFUL.  Mike ended up taking her to the car and putting her in her seat to wait it out.  She ran away, slapped at him, and was super noisy.  Then we got home and even thought we had breakfast ready, she went right to the couch and fell asleep for like two hours.  Poor baby, she must have been tired or not felt well.  I never have that as my first thought when they are bad,  even thought it is usually the cause of it.  I just think hey!  They're being so bad!  Ha!

She is doing just great in ballet and she is having fun while Maria is in gymnastics.  She is (this is a theme, I guess), pretty bad and messes up a lot of stuff but overall she's okay.  It's hard for her, she's jealous that she can't go to gymnastics too, I'm sure.

She talks so much and it's getting clearer.  We miss speech therapy and her therapist but in some ways, it's like we never had it, like I never wondered if she'd ever talk.  Sometimes she sings and dances to the Backyardigans and I can't get over it, I feel like my heart will burst with happiness and pride and relief.  Then other times she comes bashing in when I am putting the baby down and she says WHAT YOU DOING, MAMA, YOU PUTTING FELICITY DOWN, MAMA? and I just think SHUT UP!  Ha!

Ballet

She started ballet a few weeks ago, after ONE YEAR spent looking longingly into that room, now she's in it! The first week I think the teacher wasn't so sure if she could do it, you're supposed to be three and V. has a few months to go, but she has really been doing well with it, so she's there to stay! It's a good thing too, because I can't say what would happen if I told her she couldn't go.

It's hard, having the girls be so close in age. Maria is taking a gymnastics class and Veronica was FURIOUS the first time we went and she couldn't go in. She stomped her foot, crossed her arms AND blew a raspberry at me! But I always remind her that SHE can go to ballet TOMORROW (gymanstics is on Thursdays) and she is usually okay with it.

Lord, God, we had a rough day today. We went to Chic Fil A to meet some friends and toward the end, Veronica was very unhappy. It's so unsual for her to be so whiny and horrid. I mean, she can be as bad as anyone, NO ONE would keep on their damned socks so they were walking around a restaurant in bare feet, which, ugh, but she was really unhappy and she kept saying her belly hurt. She wasn't hot or anything and she had eaten okay so I had no idea what went down. My friend Silvia carried the car seat to the car for me, THANKS GOD, or I would have been in trouble. So we go to gymnastics and we are there a few minutes and I start to smell something. I asked her, Veronica, did you poop? NOOOOOO, she said, and then I moved on to something else. Then a friend of mine came in and she said, does something smell?, and I remembered what a LIAR V can be so I took her to the bathroom. Oh Lord. LORD. It was all over her legs and all the way up her belly to her NECK practically. She was wearing a dress and a diaper and these super cute long baby legs/socks and there was poop on the top of each sock (it goes up to her thigh) and all on the INSIDE of her DRESS! And of course I had no other outfits for her and of course my friend was staying outside with Felicity, who was asleep but I figured who could wake up at any time. So I scrubbed at everything with the wipes, I must have used 100, and I rolled down the socks a little and ... we just went back out there. V was wearing a cute sleeveless vest, like as a jacket, so I put that on her and zipped it up. It was all fine for a while until I looked over at V and she had her vest off and she was SHOWING some kid the POOP STAIN on her dress. We bugged out of there, Lord, Lord, the SHAME. I felt like *I* had pooped my pants, sheesh! And is it ironic or just annoying that Veronica didn't give a HOOT!

Anyways, ballet, pooping, school's fine. I intend to start her in pullups here soon, maybe Monday. I can't just put her in underwear for preschool, because of health codes (ha ha smart people), so I bought some Princess pullups and off we'll go. I think she'll be fine once she gets started but I have to wait until her belly is all better before I start, obviously. Felicity has been sick with something viral and Anthony and Veronica just seem to have some d-ha and nothing else. I feel like from September-April, it is literally always something with them.

But isn't she cute? Her hair is starting to grow a little, thank God. Sometimes she asks me to put it up and ha ha ha boo hoo, you should see it! It's a WRECK! A cute wreck, but still.

Blockhead

Isn't she fun? Look at her little arms, dancing. She is so funny and so full of personality now that she is talking more! She was sick last week - was it last week? It must be two weeks ago, now. I forget if I said, but she'd be all fevery, hot and red cheeked, and I'd say, take your medicine, Veronica and she'd say, all bleary, "I fine, Mama. IIIIIII fiiiiiine". Poor stupid baby.

I can't believe she'll be three in four short months! This winter has gone by fast, mostly because the weather has been so good. I'm sure I just cursed us all but what can you do? I am worried it's going to snow and ice the whole Superbowl week or weekend or whatever it is. It's so exciting that it's here in town, I'd love to all go downtown but I am just going to have to hope for another Superbowl in a few years, so the kids can be old enough to enjoy it.

Anyway, Veronica. I have no complaints. I took Maria to Disney on Ice today and I only had one ticket for her and I don't think Veronica would have enjoyed it as much, if her behavior at church is any indication, but she was very cool and good natured about it. We promised her a trip to Costco - Costco! - as a runner-up prize and she was fine with that. We are just crazy about her.

Boo!

She is a funny girl, she was so determined to get in that hamper the other day when I was exercising. I put the baby down for a nap and then ran into my room to do the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, which is good and hard but only 22 minutes long so it's ideal for my short-napping baby. Anyways, the girls were in here with me, playing a game on the computer, while I was working out but they like to exercise too and I guess Veronica was doing a Feat of Strength or something, to show me how she could crawl in the hamper. She really does like to have fun, I'll say that for her.

The girls go back to preschool tomorrow, they've been off for two weeks! It feels like a VERY long time to me, and to them too, I'm sure. Today Veronica was so crazed that she flat out left me at the store. I took her and Maria and Maria was the good one! V kept lying down on that dirty, dirty floor and then she'd stand up and I'd say, "Come ON, Veronica!" and she'd fold her arms and turn away from me. CHARMED, I'M SURE, I always think. But mostly she is funny and sweet.

I have been terrible about keeping up with these lately, I'm sure it will get easier soon but for now I have to get to bed! Veronica's here, she's fine, she's looking forward to her birthday in May. We've been having so much birthday talk - first the baby Jesus, then Maria and now the long wait until May. I hope the time flies, for all our sakes!