Tiwsted Sisters

Upper respiratory infections had us feeling icky most of last week, but Anna Claire and Mallory thankfully started feeling more like themselves Saturday. Sick little ones is NO fun, but being a sick mommy having to take care of sick little ones really stinks!

It was good to see the girls feeling well enough to play a game of twister Saturday afternoon ~ hilarious!!

It's Finally Friday!

Anna Claire and Mallory are pretty much recovered from bronchitis...just a couple more days of prednisone. They went back to playschool yesterday and dance class Wednesday night ~ and weren't we so excited that the recital costumes are in!? They're brown!! Yay!! They are dancing to The Lion Sleeps Tonight/I Just Can't Wait to be King and that means they must be dressed as little lion cubs. Cute!

I'm not sure if my sarcasm is translating through my writing, but all that matters is that the girls really are excited. Anna Claire ran around the studio roaring and Mallory wouldn't stop smiling. Nevertheless, every Wednesday we look at the big poster in the waiting room with the pictures of all the recital costumes and the ones they ooh and ahhh over every time are the costumes that look like princesses and brides, and those really are beautiful costumes. But, they seem to be happy with their brown lion costumes {thank goodness} and that's enough to make me happy, too.

Rhyme Time

I've been working with Anna Claire and Mallory for a while on rhyming. A few weeks ago, it "clicked" with both of them and now we're rhyming all the time...real words and nonsense words...in the car, in the tub, at the dinner table.

Well, it finally happened today. I was at my parents' house to pick up the girls after work when Mallory asked, "Do bucket and @#&% it rhyme?" Now, I know for a fact she has never heard the f~word or the phrase. Ever. But, both girls have caught on to the concept that swapping out initial consonant sounds produces rhymes and they come up with rhymes like lamp and bamp, basket and hasket all the time. Knowing her slip of the tongue was completely innocent is what made it so funny. I think my mom and I let out a scream at the exact same time then started laughing uncontrollably.

Luckily, Mallory had no clue what she had said or what we were laughing about and she has not repeated herself. Whew!

In other news, the girls are still sick ~ coughing, throwing up from coughing so hard, sneezing, runny noses, Mallory's had diarrhea, and Anna Claire has been running an evening temp {101 last night and 102.5 tonight}. Thankfully, the girls are in pretty good spirits.

Here's to hoping we get a little more sleep tonight. The weekend cannot get here fast enough.

We Want Our Warm Weather Back!

The weather was cool and rainy all day Sunday, so the girls were pretty much stuck inside all day which was fine since Mallory wasn't feeling well. She didn't eat a thing until lunch and seemed to feel better after that. I'm sure the nice long nap the girls and I took after lunch helped. A nap on a rainy Sunday afternoon ~ is there anything better?

Lunch on Sunday ~ the perfect grilled cheese. For almost 38 years {OK, not quite that long} I've been trying to spread butter on the bread before grilling the sandwich which tears the bread  if you're using cold, real butter, and I can never get the butter evenly spread across the entire surface. Sunday I put the butter in the pan to melt then but the sandwich in the pan ~ perfection!

Mommy gets to eat the crust!

We also made our favorite peanut butter dip Sunday. The girls have finally decided they like peanut butter which is great because Walter and I eat a lot of peanut butter. I don't really follow a recipe, but it's basically 2 parts peanut butter to 2 parts yogurt to one part honey. Yummy with green apple slices!

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, this is what our living room floor looked like. If you can"t tell {ha, ha}, you'd be looking at Equestria, specifically Ponyville and Canterlot Castle. We watch way too much My Little Pony!

 We also eat a lot of grapes around here, so one of the girls' "jobs" has become rinsing them off.

The rain brought much cooler temps for Monday and today and now both Anna Claire and Mallory have terrible coughs. We want our warm weather back!

Road to Recovery

I am so happy to say that when Anna Claire woke up yesterday her rash looked so much better ~ not completely gone ~ but I am not freaking out about it anymore.

I haven't seen her to check the rash this morning because the girls had their very first sleep~over ever with Granny and Papa last night, so I could sleep after my sinus surgery {which seems to have gone very well considering that I'm feeling much better this morning than I though I would ~ Lortab will do that for ya'!}.

I cannot wait to hear how last night went; it is so strange for them to not be here in the house this morning; I am never at home without them and I miss them so much!

Thank you!! to Aunt Michelle for taking all the kids to visit GiGi yesterday, to Granny and Papa for keeping the girls last night, and to Grandmom for bringing over dinner. We love you!!!!

Outbreak

Anna Claire woke up Thursday covered in an awful rash that's gotten worse as it's spread down her body...

Thursday morning about 7am:

 Thursday at playschool about 11:00am:

 Thursday night about 7pm:

She's pretty tired of me asking to check her rash {and take pictures of her}, and you do not want to see what the rest of her body looks like tonight anyway; it would shock you. I've never seen anything like it. She is covered in red splotches all over ~ ears, face, neck, tummy, back, bottom, arms, legs, even the bottoms of her feet. Her little thighs are the worst ~ just one big red, swollen, hot splotch that looks like the worst sunburn you've ever had.

Dr. T. thinks it's probably a "drug reaction" to the amoxicillin she had been taking {no longer} for her very first ear infection...meaning she's likely not allergic to amoxicillin/penicillin but rather has caught a virus that has caused a reaction to the antibiotic.

As horrible as it looks, the good news is that she's not itching, hasn't run a fever and doesn't seem to be affected in any other way than the rash itself. We're hoping it will be gone by Monday; if not, we'll likely be headed back to the pedi. With my nose job all set for tomorrow {septoplasty and turbinate reduction}, I am SO hoping she looks better when we wake up...what a way to start our Christmas break!

Cousin Catastrophe

Walt and Terence have a catch phrase for all their outings-gone-wrong {and there have been plenty of them ~ think trucks stuck in the mud, boats stuck on sandbars, wedding bands lost forever in water hazards}. They call them Cousin Catastrophes.

Hence, I give you the next generation of the Cousin Catastrophe:

Friday I took the day off and kept the girls home along with Connor and Dylan while Granny went to the mountains and Aunt Michelle went to work. I basically gave these four the run of the house for more than an hour as I tried to get some sewing finished and laundry done. I must say they did quite well considering all the freedoms they were afforded.

What you might not be able to tell from above is that every pillow in the house has been piled on top of Anna Claire’s bed. I can’t remember what they were pretending, but it sure kept them busy. While the house was certainly a catastrophe, after all was said and done I must say everyone did a great job in helping to clean up.

Sadly, the real catastrophe of the weekend is that Connor and Dylan both came down with a nasty virus. Seeing as they were at our house much of the day Friday, we are holding our breath in the hopes Anna Claire and Mallory don’t come down with it.

Tough Girl

Isn't it great to see that smile? After six weeks of illness, Mallory has been healthy for a week and a half!

After getting over the worst of croup, the ear~infection~that~just~would~not~go~away flared up again. We headed back to the pediatrician and the reality that she really needed another course of rocephin. So, for three days in a row, this tough girl faced a really big needle for a shot of antibiotics. She did so GREAT! She was a little anxious each morning, cried only briefly after the shots, and after the first injection was already feeling so much better ~ which made it a little more difficult to have to go back two more times.

Over those three days we decimated the doctor's office supply of Toy Story and Disney princess stickers, made a swing through CVS each day for surcies, and ate a lot of jelly beans in the waiting room. A week~and~a~half later she is still feeling great and I hope it lasts. We go back to the regular pediatrician Thursday afternoon for a two~week check and our appointment at MUSC is Monday afternoon. I am a little worried now that she is healthy about taking her into germ~infested doctor's offices. With all the antibiotics she's been on, I am concerned about her resistance to infections. I guess we'll be sure to take along plenty of our own books and toys and lots of antibacterial wipes!

Croup *updated*

Saturday ~~ We have our appointment at MUSC Monday, April 4, with Dr. Dixon. Mallory didn't have the greatest day today and her fever was up this afternoon, but she made a little turn around this evening and went to sleep with a smile on her face tonight...and so far no coughing.

I guess I spoke too soon because now Mallory has croup.

I thought the coughing that started Wednesday was likely due to allergies, but that night she started running a fever and had another febrile seizure, so we were back at the doctor's office yesterday. He ears are looking much better, so we were thankfully able to stop taking the oral antibiotic which was causing her yeast infection {she seriously can't catch a break}. Unfortunately, that meant she needed an injection of antibiotics to finish up the course which just broke her heart. The prednisone she's taking has helped her cough, so we all were able to get a little sleep last night.

Because she has been so sick with so many different infections and high fevers for so long, we've got a referral to the infectious disease department at MUSC just to make sure we're not overlooking something, which is kind of scary, but I'm not a worrier. Right now, I just want her to get over the croup and we'll cross the next bridge when we come to it.

The weather continues to be nice, and the girls love being able to play outside, so hopefully I'll have some pictures of a smiling healthy Mallory to share soon!

What We've Been Up To

Being sick for so long sure did take a lot out of us. Between the four of us, we've each had the flu, three sinus infections ~ or one huge sinus infection that wasn't responding to antibiotics {all me}, two cases of bronchitis {Anna Claire and Mallory}, and two ear infections {all Mallory} ~ all in an eight week span. I am so over being sick and happy to report that, although we are covered from head to toe in yellow pollen, we are all finally well!

In between illnesses we were able to have a little fun here and there {our trip to the zoo, for example}. 

A few weeks ago, Grandmom took the girls on a little shopping spree to the outlets and I got to tag along. Anna Claire and Mallory insisted on sunglasses. Can you tell Anna Claire isn't feeling well in this picture? In actuality, it was Mallory who ended up at the pediatrician's office later that afternoon.

The weather has been wonderful, so we have been playing outside a lot.

In the sandbox...

On the swings...

Trying to get rid of all the germs...

Celebrating Owen's 3rd birthday!

Drawing with sidewalk chalk...

Hopscotch...

Modeling their silk pajamas straight from China. Thanks, Uncle Terry!

I certainly hope we are all done with being sick for a while...as long as the pollen doesn't do us in!

Still Sick...Seriously!

Tired of being sick; sick of being tired. Pretty much we're all just sick and tired...STILL. Mallory is felling somewhat better, but Anna Claire is still struggling a bit...and then the darn Bradford pears bloomed this weekend. Allergies.

 I hope we have a better health report soon.

How Do I Know Anna Claire and Mallory are Feeling Better?

Because they're at it again...grumbling with each other. Things like, "Mallory is looking at my bed," and "Anna Claire's monkey touched my leg."

Seriously?

You bet.

Things are finally getting back to normal around here. Yippee!

When it Rains it Pours

After yesterday's sunshine it is raining here again today...and it looks like the girls have the flu.

Things did not get better for the girls yesterday, bless their hearts. This is absolutely the sickest they have ever been. Their temperatures soared {104.2 was the highest on record for either girl}, Mallory experienced a febrile seizure {scared me to death}, both girls started vomiting at about the same time, and all that sent us to the Children's ER at MUSC.

They've been doing a little better today and are napping now. I am hoping their temps don't shoot back up this afternoon, which was the trend over the weekend.

The Scoop on Febrile Seizures

The Sun is Out and the Temperatures are Rising

After days and days of cold, clouds, and rain, the sun finally peeked out again today and temperatures ~ the girls' temperatures ~ began to rise.

Anna Claire and Mallory have been running temps in the neighborhood of 102-103 since yesterday afternoon. Other than feeling crummy and not having much of an appetite, the don't seem to have any real flu symptoms {they had the flu shot}. They both took two~hour naps today and now, Mallory is curled up in the living room watching cartoons and Anna Claire is still cuddled up in our bed dozing in an out. I think if their fevers aren't down by the morning we'll be making a trip to the doctor.

I’ll probably ramble a bit because I am a little sleep-deprived…

Mallory coughed all night Saturday {I mean all.night.}, so first thing Sunday morning I got her an appointment with the urgent care doctor. She coughed the entire time we were there {and threw up twice from coughing so hard} and as terrible as this might sound, I was so glad about it because the doctors and nurses actually got to hear how awful her cough really was and didn't have to just take my word for how sick my baby really was. {I don’t know how many times I have made appointments for the girls only to get them to the pediatricians office and they no longer show any signs of whatever I called for in the first place.}

The doctor thought it was probably a virus since Mallory is already on Flonase and Zyrtec for seasonal allergies and the strep test came back negative. So, while we were there Mallory got a breathing treatment {and two stickers for being such a good girl} which slowed the cough some. Once home she was only able to nap for about twenty minutes and hardly ate anything all day. We came home with a cough suppressant/decongestant and an inhaler with an AeroChamber we’ve been using {with only a bit of a struggle}, and she slept wonderfully last night despite a few coughing spells here and there. This morning she woke up all smiles after a good night's sleep, so hopefully she'll be back to her silly self in no time.

Mallory woke up this morning not feeling so hot; all she wanted to do was sit in my lap and watch cartoons. It wasn't much later in the morning before she was feeling quite hot ~ literally. I could feel her temperature shooting up as she sat in my lap. It seems she now has whatever mystery virus Anna Claire has had for the last couple days.


Poor thing was asleep in the chair before breakfast and slept straight through.
Alternating Tylenol and Motrin is helping, and she played some once her temperature came down a bit, and she ate a great lunch. Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon.

How I Know Anna Claire Isn't Feeling Well...

{other than the 102.9 fever}

She crawled in bed all by herself at 7:30, curled up on her side, and fell fast asleep. Poor sweet baby.

Oddly enough, she and I were at the doctor's office this morning to check a little cyst she has under the skin on the back of her hand {nothing to worry about} and she had no fever.

She played well this morning and seemed fine when I dropped her off at my parents' house with Mallory so I could go to the office for awhile. Mom called me a little while later to tell me Anna Claire was burning up with fever. I talked to the nurse and we're watching her closely and alternating Motrin and Tylenol. She played a little bit before and after dinner but didn't eat much. She did tell me just before bed tonight that her head hurt; other than that and wanting to be held and rocked in between playing, nothing in particular seems to be bothering her. Hmmm...

Hopefully she'll have a restful night and the fever will be gone in the morning.

On the Mend

Mallory and I both went to the doctor today. We're each taking lots of medicine now, so hopefully we'll be feeling much better very soon.

We're Still Here!

I've taken tons of pictures recently and have lots of stories to tell, but we've each been suffering with allergies and colds in one form or another for more than a week now; the end of the school year is simply exhausting with lots of projects to be completed; and I'm having to get up earlier these days to get myself ready for work since the girls are waking up {and getting out of bed} around 6:30.

I.am.tired.


I don't want to sound too whiny, so here's a little something to make us all smile ~

Sneezy and Grumpy

Who is whom? {Ugh! I've lost sleep over that "m." Now is not a good time to be making grammatical errors!}

They've been taking turns.

Scratchy throats + runny noses + a lot of sneezing = not a lot of smiles today {as you can see above}.