Letters To Santa

This morning the girls composed their letters to Santa. I'm not quite sure they get the concept of writing a letter, so I tried to prompt them, but wanted to keep it as pure to their thoughts as possible. Most of what came out of their mouths was about things they saw around the room, or things have been talking about in the past few days. At any rate, it brought me to tears as I read the letters to Mom over the phone, and I thought you might get a good laugh out of them as well....



Abby's Letter

Dear Santa Claus,

I have been a blue girl this year. I want two girls. I want to wear my stripe pants. I have been a good girl this year. Yes!

I like to do toys. I have a booster seat. Tiny doesn't have a booster seat?

I wanna go to Minnesota for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Love,
Abigail



Lauren's Letter

Dear Santa,

I wanna wear a swimming suit with my hearts. I like Chicken Run, Potty Video, and this, this, this; okay Mommy? I wanna wear flowers.

I wanna get Rock, I wanna get him, okay. No more, no more, no more. No more cookies, no more privilege.

I gave up Bubba in my mouth this year. Yes I did.

Merry Christmas, I need a fresh diaper.

Love,
Lauren

Good Nite

Last nite was pleasurably uneventful. Lauren had about a three hour nap in the afternoon, so she was happy and enjoyable to be around--my Lauren was back! I fell victim to exhaustion and passed out on the family room floor while the girls hopped from room to room playing with their toys and reading their books. And I'm delighted to report that we all slept well; it was truly a good nite.

This morning started early as we had to get everyone up, fed and dressed to head into Dayton for our appointment with the GI. For the first time in weeks Geoff and I watched our girls run, play and giggle the way little girls should. And for the first time in weeks, a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. The medical staff was very helpful. Their belief is that it is a virus, but that the girls are having continued problems because of the damage that may have been done to their stomachs by the bacteria. It is nothing that will cause serious or long-term damage, it will just take time, maybe months to fully recover from. After listening to both of their stomachs, they were convinced Lauren is closer to recovery than Abby, whose belly is distended. Abby still has a lot of gas in her belly, which my nose could have told anyone if it could talk. They recommended we give them Lactate, which is easier to digest than regular milk, since the sugars have already been broken down. But ultimately the best thing for their stomachs is to make sure they are eating, because an empty stomach can cause that bacteria to act up more.

So with that news and with happy babies, it was time to celebrate and we were off to the Olive Garden! The girls shared a child's pasta, ate salad, breadsticks, and then shared a bowl of soup. No joke, if we would have stayed there, Lauren would have kept eating! They were both so hungry, and what better place to go than somewhere with food they can actually eat. Geoff and I were both happy as well, and I made off with a tiramisu to go!

We need to check in with a phone call to the doctor next week to let them know how the girls are progressing, then have a follow-up appointment after the new year. Until then we're back to collecting stool samples and feeding them the right diet to get them back to the normal Abby & Lauren we miss so much. For now I'm hanging out with the girls, and my tiramisu is hanging out in the fridge with Lauren's stool. It's a great day!

Losing It

We made it through another night without puking, but Abby did suffer an afternoon setback as she lost her snack and part of her lunch. Geoff walked right into the smell of fresh vomit (it sat around a little longer than usual, as it happened while I was in the midst of changing a rather loose diaper on the other child) when he arrived home early from work so that I could go to the local bookstore to meet Rachael Ray.

Describing Rachael's book signing as chaotic would be an understatement. There were a limited number of tickets given to the signing, and if you didn't get one you were out of luck. As you may have guessed with my luck, I did not get a ticket. But I did get out of the house and to the signing, and I did purchase two of her new books, so I was determined to wait it out in the slight chance that I may get my books signed. I perched myself on the perimeter of the crowd and found myself drawn to a small gathering of women. They were chatting and laughing, and thoroughly enjoying their time together. I couldn't help but smile as their joy radiated through the entire sitting area. That smile that give me the slightest moment's pleasure quickly faded and was replaced by jealousy, then outright anger that followed me through the rest of the night. I was swimming in a pool of self pity: why can't I have a girls night out with friends? Do I not deserve any pleasures beyond a container of Key Lime yogurt? It went on and on, all of the things I sit by and watch others do that I can only dream of.... a honeymoon, a vacation--a real vacation--and trips to Minnesota don't count, I'm sorry! No need to feel sorry for me, I've been doing enough of that for myself. The truth is I am at the bottom of a W curve, and it can only go up from here. It has to. I do not know how much more of this I can humanly take!

Thus far this morning Abby has done well. Lauren is another situation entirely; there is a reason we've nicknamed her 'Stevie'. She has a terrible temper these days, she whines and whines, she bites, pinches, hits, kicks, and she is excessively clingy to me; getting anything done (even having a meal) is nearly impossible at times. Frankly, I'm tired of being tired of it all.

So to answer your question, I did not get Rachael's signature, just a few pictures. The girls have their GI appointment at the hospital tomorrow. Here's to wishful thinking that we will finally have some answers and a solution, and that my luck will start to change.

Sick in the Head

Its worse than I thought.

Now the girls' babies are sick too.... and my girls are sick in the head.

Silent Night

Silent Night. Not so silent morning. Bet you thought I was going to ruin another Christmas song!

Yesterday went well. Both girls were chipper, perky, eating nearly an entire box of cereal, and fighting like mad. They scarfed down two plates of spaghetti for supper.... in short, it seemed like normalcy had made a comeback. I laundered all of our towels and blankets in hot water and Lysoled this house from top to bottom. Both girls fell asleep in the family room last night, and Geoff and I could not wait to put the babies to bed and have the rest of the evening to ourselves. It was short-lived. Abby came downstairs to go potty and was hesitant to return to her bed. Red Flag! So Abby & I camped out on the floor. Again. I would have danced the victory dance when we woke up at six this morning, but lack of energy kept me from doing anything else but heading upstairs to take my shower. Abby made the decision to snuggle into bed with her daddy. That's when it happened: I stepped out of the shower at the exact moment Geoff successfully made the catch--Abby threw up. Again! It wasn't much considering she ate quite a bit yesterday. But none-the-less, this is not over yet.

This morning Abby is busy loving up her Lizzie elephant, and Tiny has been running around the house crying for her Wenatchee shirt.... a shirt she insists on wearing all day and all night.

So there you have it. Same story, different day.

But I can hope for a silent day & a silent night. And I will.

'Twas the Night After Puking

'Twas the night after puking
And all through the house,
Not a child was barfing
Not even my spouse.

The pjs were laundered
In the washer with care,
In hopes that they'd have them
If they needed a spare.

The children were scattered
On the family room floor,
In case they need Mama
If they threw up some more.

With Daddy in his bed
And me between them,
We slept pretty well
Though not quite like a gem.

When out in the kitchen
I heard a bit of a clatter,
It was time to get up
And take care of my matter.

Away to the shower
To get myself clean,
Daddy's out on the couch
If you know what I mean.

It wasn't too long
Before the children awoke,
Breakfast now in their bellies
They are playin' like healthy folk.

It's been thirty hours
Since our last puking spell,
I'd like it soon to be over--
Feels like I'm living in hell.

So to all of you
Who are far out of sight,
We wish you healthy days
And to us another puke-free night!

I Couldn't Sleep At All Last Night

A gal can hope. Yesterday afternoon the girls settled in to watch Finding Nemo and passed out on the floor. They slept there for hours, about five to be exact. I was able to get in a shower while Geoff supervised, and I really hoped that this was it.... they were sleeping off the virus. Geoff and I had dinner, watched a little Bill O'Reilly and then they awoke. At first they were just content reading, but by the time I had no energy left to give they were ready for supper. So Daddy whipped up some chicken noodle soup and they filled their bellies. That is when it began. They wanted nothing to do with going back to bed (and by bed you know I mean couch or floor), it was time to have a dance party. A major dance party! They sang just about every track on ABBA Gold; you can just hear little Tiny Tot belting out, "Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight!" I found it ironic that it actually was after midnight. The all-nighter they were determined to pull pulled out a duet, one I'd yet to hear; as Abby paced the floor singing the female vocals to Take a Chance, her little sister chimed in with the male vocals, "Take a chance, take a chance, take a-take a chance, chance..." But enough was enough and eventually I coaxed them into watching Chicken Run. When that was over they were still awake if you can believe it, but did follow my lead by falling asleep. The three of us had ourselves a slumber party on the floor.

A good night's sleep was not to be as Abby woke up twice to vomit. And followed up with a third this morning. Her solid stools are back to liquid, and thus the cycle begins again. Amazingly, this has become my normal. I can't imagine a world where I can wake up, take a shower, take the dog for a walk, and get our house going for the day. To leave the home to go shopping or visit the library or another play adventure seems like privileges left for another class of citizens.

The girls are currently enjoying their sugar water and Rice Krispi Bars for breakfast--believe it or not we were told by medical professionals this is the best remedy for their stomachs--Abby is perky now that she is empty, and Lauren must just be between eruptions. No word about a GI consult yet; we are still waiting.

And the drama continues.

The "I'm Not Sick" Babies

The illness continues. They babies are so busy claiming they are not sick because they want their treats and good food back that I think for a moment they actually believe they are not sick. And for 12, maybe 24 hours they might not seem sick. But then it rears it's ugly head, and last night we found ourselves (okay, I found myself) catching the girls' vomit, again.

Here's what I know. I took Abby to Urgent Care last Friday and was told its a stomach virus. Got a prescription, it finally gave her diarrhea and we thought the end was in sight. Tuesday we took them to our doctor and she ordered blood tests (that was a real scream) and stool samples to be collected. At first Abby wasn't thrilled about me holding a basin under her bottom to catch her droppings, but by the second and third time she was yelling for me to come in and "catch her poop". Lauren's was an easier grab, though not at first because I had to make a run for a plastic spoon. But I was able to fill all three viles with the liquid from one diaper, so it was off to the lab to turn in the samples. I really hope you already ate your breakfast; if not, this e-mail could easily serve as a diet plan! It has come and gone for both Geoff and I, but is just hanging on and on in the girls.

Now I'm just waiting on the doctor to call me back and we're discussing a GI consult. The girls are eating dry Rice Krispis, as I was told Rice Krispi Bars are great to get the stomach back in balance. As you can imagine, they want to eat the RKs and they get them all over and complain about it. It doesn't help that the baby daddy left this morning without allowing time to monitor the girls so I could take a shower, so here I sit feeling all nasty--and you know I slept on the floor last night; same story, as every night.

I curse each and every person who has ever had someone around to swoop in and help. I'm tired, annoyed, gross, and trying desperately to hold it together, but what I really, truly want is for these little darlings to be rushed away to a hospital where someone can put a healthy end to all of this. It's one thing that our Thanksgiving was a bust; at this point it will be amazing if we make it home for Christmas.

Nurses, feel free to fill me with any suggestions you may have. Believe it or not, I'm sure I have not learned all there is to know about tending to the ill.

My Talking Body

As you may or may not be aware, my babies have been sick with a stomach virus for well over a week. It has been the strangest illness.... during the day they seem fine and chipper, at night they vomit until it stings. This morning, after another nite of throwing up, Abby, Lauren & I were in the toy room playing games. All of the sudden we heard a fart. Of course the girls started giggling, and immediately I blamed Lauren, our resident gassy gal. Lauren just grinned and said, "No." Abby started laughing and proclaimed, "My body is talking."

No idea where she got that from, but I sense a creative writer in the making.

Always Check Your Armpits

It isn't often I get dressed up. In fact, any day I wear something other than a t-shirt I'm dressed up. It had to be a special day for me to pull out a sleeveless number and the pearls, but for my cousin's wedding, it was such the occasion. After sporting a sweater all day and through much of the evening, it was time to get down, and the sweater had to come off. I would say it was a good two hours without my sweater before I found myself alone in the bathroom and compelled to check my armpits. Thank God I did! That cute little black sweater had left some major European style build up right in my underarms. How many songs did I dance to with my arms flailing up in the air? Oh boy, who got up close and personal with those fuzzy ladies? How humiliating! No one owned up to spotting my 'fashion statement', but none-the-less, in future sleeveless situations I will strive to check my pits. Let's hope it isn't a lesson lost over the winter.

Ohio has done it again. In my youth I was a regular viewer of Family Ties, and I believe Alex P. Keaton would have taken issue with Ohio's long-standing tradition, Beggars' Night. I certainly would have remembered this from my Thursday night Must See TV, had it come to light. Could it be even Hollywood is unaware of Beggars' Night? Word on the street is that Beggars' Night is hundreds of years old, dating back to when beggars would literally roam from home to home begging for scraps of food. Today it has taken shape as Ohio's designated evening of trick-or-treating. Let me make this clear: your October water bill will be printed with a date the city has selected for its night of trick-or-treating; always a night other than Halloween. I have no idea why these people do this. Some claim it is so adults can party on Halloween and the streets will be safer for children. Our neighbors looked at us as if we had three nipples when we confessed we had never heard of it. We've been all over the country and no where does anyone else take such liberties with Halloween. Whatever the reason, and no matter how unfortunate I think this is, as long as we are in Ohio our children will be celebrating their night of begging on Beggars' Night. Leave it to a state that worships the Buckeye.

We were a bit caught off guard by our Halloween Eve's trick-or-treating, in part because of the crazy month we had preceding. The girls and I left Ohio in early October for a stay at home in Minnesota. It was not one of my favorite "vacations" perhaps because it was nothing close to a vacation. We did have a good time getting together for playdates, visiting with family, making an endless heap of apple pies, and topped off our stay with Luke & Molly's wedding--by far the highlight of the trip, despite the hairy armpit incident. Without even going to the Cities, it goes without saying, there was much we never got to do and many we didn't get to see. I did, however and unfortunately, take in a few hockey games in my few weeks in the Upper Midwest. I say unfortunately because I hate to give Iowa heat again, but on a road trip to North Iowa I found myself completely violated in an experience I hope to never again endure. While watching the new Owatonna Express Jr. A hockey team take it on the road, we subjected ourselves to a shed on the fairgrounds in Mason City for the hockey adventure of my life. Sadly, I remember little about the hockey. It was like sitting in a tin can with a group of uncivilized mountain dwellers (yes, there were people missing teeth, none of whom were on the ice). And while others had it worse, at least I didn't get a beer bottle thrown at me, I've honestly never seen anything like this in my life. I'll save you the head-splitting details, but let's just say it makes going to a Wild game seem like a trip to the symphony. I'm sticking with the symphony.

As if our trip home wasn't crazy enough, we arrived back in Ohio the day before Abby & Lauren were blessed with a visit from their grandparents from Washington. It was a lot to deal with at once, unpacking and preparing for company after not having been home for nearly a month, but we truly enjoyed their visit. Geoff & Dan were able to get out and golf every day they were here, and the girls ate up their special time with their grandma. They played, painted, shopped, went trick-or-treating, and played some more. It took some time for Abby & Lauren to come down off of their "family high", but they seem to be doing just fine and are back into their day-to-day routine of playing, fighting and watching Nemo.

In many ways we were delighted to see election day arrive. While we weren't pleased with the outcomes in all the races, I really enjoyed using all of the political speak to teach Abby & Lauren about politics. It got to be quite entertaining watching the girls duel it out over who should to be president. I'm sure they truly could care less about who won the election, my biggest concern is that they understand John McCain & President-Elect Obama are not a two-for-the-price-of-one the same way Abby & Lauren are.

Abby & Politics

All that talking to Abby about anything and everything is paying off.... I was just taking a political quiz on the internet where you pick a quote you agree with either from Obama or McCain, then at the end of the quiz you find out which candidate your views match up more closely with. Both candidates were sitting on a teeter totter. All of the sudden Obama was flipped off and surprise, surprise, I like McCain. As I was analyzing which questions belonged to which candidate Abby said, "Where did Barack Obama go?" Honest to God. She truly knew his first and last name! Either I watch way too much FOX News, or she is so darn smart! I'm going a little of both.

Now I am really going to get supper started, all this political jargon has gotten me light headed.

*brookie

Here's the website if you're interested in the quiz: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139