Thanksgiving Day 2011

There are so many things I am thankful for this year. I have a wonderful husband and an amazing little girl who surprises me everyday with something new she has learned. We have our health. I have the best family and friends that a girl could ask for. I have a job that I can honestly say I love. I am lucky beyond words.

Thanksgiving Day was absolutely fabulous this year! We woke up and took our leisurely time to get ready. Attempted getting Khloe to nap. Completely unsuccessful...the usual these days. And were out the door by 1:30 PM. We spent our holiday at Grandma LaRaine and Grandpa Randy's house. The food was amazing and the fact we only went to one house this year really helped with getting to visit and take our time. Once it started to get dark outside Grandpa's Christmas lights lit up and we walked around the yard to take a look. Khloe LOVED the lit up Santa and the Reindeer, or puppy's as she called them. Once back inside a few of us (me) decided it was time for some dessert. I made some delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake cupcakes, from scratch might I add. Hubby doesn't care for pumpkin to much so the leftovers are all mine. I can accept that. Especially since they aren't to bad on the calorie front.

I can't believe I don't have any pictures to share. I took my camera, but completely forgot about it and left it in the car. I could kick myself. So bummed!

18 Month Well Child Check

Well, I was hoping for some weight gain this time round. Looks like that wasn't in the air for my little one. Here are her 18 month stats:

Length: 31.25 in - 45%
Weight: 18 lbs 12 oz - Below the 3%
Head Circ: 44.6 cm - 10%

I'm not going to lie. I'm starting to get discouraged. It seems like Khloe eats and eats and eats but never gains. Actually she's lost weight since her 15 month check up. Her ped is starting to get a bit worried as well. Granted she did just get over a UTI and the meds they had her on gave her diarrhea.

So here is the plan:

~ Carnation instant breakfast with her milk twice a day. The hope is this will help build the calories and help her gain some.
~ Weight check in January. If she hasn't gained what she needs to by then it's time to schedule another appt with the ped. He will write up orders so we can get her kidney's checked at Riverton Hospital. They'll be looking for swelling which could indicate Kidney Reflux. Meaning that her urine doesn't completely drain and actually comes back up into her ureters (If I am remembering correctly). Depending on those results we may have to go in for a bit more invasive procedure. I'm not really sure what happens if that all comes back positive.

So over the next few months I am going to be trying my hardest to fatten this kid up! Good vibes sent our way would be appreciated!

Serving Up The Coffee Grounds

While I'm im the kitchen cooking dinner Khloe likes to lock herself in the pantry. I figure no harm, she's entertaining herself long enough for me to get dinner on the table. Then I look down and there are these little black specks ALL over the floor.

When I check to see what little miss has gotten into I find this:

            

She's only this little once, I figured I better grab her silliness on camera.

Rough Night - Toddlers Get UTI's?

Apparently it's not common, but it's not all to uncommon either. Who knew? I guess that is my own ignorance shining through.

Last night was rough. One of those nights that really test you as a person and mother. I put Khloe down as usual, however, she was awake and screaming by 11:00PM. I went in and held her and once she had calmed down I tried putting her back down. Nope, not happening. Well, she has been coughing and has had a stuffy nose for the past week. I figured that was bugging her so I grabbed the Tylenol and rocked her until she fell asleep. When I tried laying her down again, she woke right up and grabbed my neck and started screaming Mommy, Mommy, Mommy. Okay, well it's 11:30PM now, so I decide to take her in my room to see if she will fall asleep with me. Nope. Finally at 12:00AM I take her and lay her in her crib. She is crying, but soothes herself enough to fall asleep within a few minutes. Throughout the night she would wake but put herself back to sleep without my assistance.

4:45AM comes around. Khloe wakes back up screaming. More Tylenol. But she refuses to sleep anymore. I'm crying by this point. I hate to admit it. I do NOT do well on little to no sleep. Like I said above, a very real test! However, this time is different. She is grabbing herself saying owie owie owie and crying. Talk about heartbreaking!

THANKFULLY, after a call to the ER, I was told there is an InstaCare in Orem that is open on Sundays. Hallelujah! I was there before they even turned the Closed sign to Open. Two hours later and one bizarre contraption to catch urine in a toddler, we get the confirmation that momma's instinct of UTI was dead on.

Khloe started showing great improvement shortly after her first dose of the prescribed meds. She took a 3 hour nap (the longest stretch of sleep she has had since Friday) and I have not seen her grabbing at herself in apparent pain. Now the real test, a good night's sleep. We both need it after last night and today.

Part Time Single Momma

.... Or at least that is how it feels sometimes. The hubby's work schedule sucks, to say it nicely. It's all over the place and moves from days to nights all to often. I absolutely despise it.

We've talked about it alot lately. Before we had Khloe it wasn't as hard. It was never ideal, but it was definitely easier. Now that we have started our little family it is right there in the forefront. Kind of like the elephant in the room. We both hate him being away at nights and a few weekends every month. But he is a good man and is doing this for us. He sacrifies his time with us to give us everything, and more, than we could ever want and need.

Although I know this isn't true. And perhaps it's a bit selfish of me. When he is away I get a small taste of what it is like to be a single momma to a toddler. It's HARD. It holds more challenges than I thought possible. It definitely opens my eyes and gives me a whole new respect for those true life single ladies out there that are raising kids on their own. You ladies deserve an award. And multiple glasses of wine.

I cry and moan and throw momma tantrums all the time on this subject. I feel abandomed sometimes. BUT at the end of the day I love my husband. He is a good man who LOVES ME and our DAUGHTER. We are lucky and I know that in order to get where we REALLY want to be, sacrifices must be made. This is not forever.

Pumpkins & Trick - Or - Treating

This year Khloe really started participating in the Halloween activities. It’s crazy to think that last year at this time she was only 5 months old. Time sure does fly!

A few weeks ago we headed to Grandma Co’s and PaPa Casey’s house for some pumkin carvin, cider drinking, chili eatin fun.

It was awesome to have my little helper clean out the pumpkin guts.

Momma and Khloe’s finished product. Notice the adorable Halloween shirt that Khloe is wearing?  Thank you again Grandma Co!

This year we actually got to take her trick or treating! It was fun. She was starting to get the whole idea of taking candy from someone’s bowl and placing it in her pumpkin bucket (Not sure if this is good or not J). But still, Super Cute! It was hilarious to watch her try to walk down the sidewalk carrying that thing barely 2 inches from the ground. And man oh man, if you tried taking this so called bucket of chocolately heaven from her, you better be prepared for high pitched, break your ear drums, screaming and kicking.

Giving this was her first year out we didn’t do to much of the door to door walking. Dewey brought her up to my work (where she received most of her loot).

Then we headed over to Grandma LaRaine’s and Grandpa Randy’s house for a quick visit.

And finally, off to Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Dean’s house. Khloe got to trick or treat around the cul-de-sac with her cousins Shayli and Mikayla.

It was such a fun day! I can't wait until next year when she REALLY starts having fun with Halloween!!!