Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Blizzard or nah?

It snowed, again! It started on Monday and lasted until yesterday evening. It snowed probably a foot, maybe a little more. It was actually supposed to be a historic epic crazy blizzard but that didn't really happen. I'm not complaining though, I'm not a fan of the snow. It was way too windy out to let Olivia play outside so we just stayed in, I started to get a little stir crazy by the end of it. I wasn't able to go out looking for jobs so I just applied to a few places online. I'm hoping I can go this weekend but it's supposed to snow on Friday. Seriously, the snow needs to take a seat. The last few nights Olivia has been waking up in the middle of the night, ready to party. I'm pretty much exhausted right now but I have so much to do, all the little annoying things I haven't been able to get to because of the snow. This week/end it's time to catch up and cross everything off my list!

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Snow day

I had so many errands to run yesterday and thanks to the snow, I got zero of them accomplished. It's so frustrating since the most important thing I had to do was job hunt. I haven't blogged about this but my job is closing (on February 2nd) for at least four months, I can't go that long without a job so I have to find another one. My new plan was to go searching on Tuesday (the only day my mom can watch Olivia) but of course, it's supposed to snow then too. I'm starting to get nervous, I know I shouldn't have waited this long to start looking but like I said in a previous post, it's been a crazy month. Olivia was happy to play in the snow yesterday though, at least someone enjoyed it.

 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Citrus Lane review - January 2015

It's officially been one year since we first started getting Citrus Lane boxes and I still love it! I think it's the anticipation of wondering what we will get, it's just really fun. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick neutral). This box is for a 23 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her January Citrus Lane box.
 
Petit Collage Beginner Puzzle Set - Pets: This puzzle is adorable! I really love this brand too, all the stuff they make is so cute. These little puzzles are great because they each have a different amount of pieces (3, 4, 5 & 6) so Olivia can start with the easiest and then move on to the next when she's ready. I'm glad we got the pets version because she's slightly obsessed with cats and bunnies. I'm not quite sure if she will be able to figure these out yet so I am going to save them for Easter. I love getting stuff like this because I rarely have to buy presents now, it makes life a little easier. Retails for: $14
 
 
JJ Rabbit Cuppie: Hmm, not sure if Liv is ready for an open cup yet. Judging from the way she drinks from her straw cup (she hurls it around and turns it upside down), I might hold off on this. My plan is to give this to her in the Spring when she is playing outside, at least if when she spills it everywhere it wont matter. She needs practice and outside seems much easier to me. Anyway, the cup is pretty sturdy and I think it will hold up well. There is also a cute little rabbit inside of it, I'm not sure if this will help her drink faster to see the rabbit or if she will decide to just dump out her drink to see it. Retails for: $8.99
 
 
Eco-Kids Eco-Dough: Olivia is not a fan of play-doh and she doesn't seem to be much of a fan of this stuff either. It's great that it's made from natural ingredients and is safe for her to play with. Although, I still wouldn't want her to eat it (obviously). When I first let her hold it, she put it up to her lips and said "mmm", so I had to let her know that it was not food. After that, she wasn't interested. She did have fun taking off the lid and putting it back on (ten times) though. It has sort of a weird smell to it but it still doesn't smell as bad as play-doh. Retails for: $8 (estimate.)
 
B4 Products To Go Hand Sanitizer Packs: I can't believe this actually counts as an item. This is just a sample pack of hand sanitizer. I guess it's because the other three items cost a bit more. Oh well, I'm sure I'll use these at some point. I will say that It's pretty awesome that this company gives 50% of their profits to children-focused causes. Retails for: < $1
 
 
I didn't really love this box but it's not bad, the puzzle is my favorite and the cup may come in handy soon. The total value is about $32, not a great value this month. Luckily I got a six moth subscription (running out next month) and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month so I'm happy with it for that price. Although I have to say that I really miss all the coupons and deals that Citrus Lane used to have, they haven't been doing that as much and I'm bummed about it. Anyway, If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Party planning

This has been a busy/crazy kind of month. I've been trying to plan Liv's party, I still can't believe she will be two in less than a month! Her party is going to be Dora themed since she's obsessed. I found a ton of cool ideas on Pinterest but since Olivia's been sick and I've been busy that got pushed to the back burner. I ended up picking up some Dora stuff from the store so I don't have to do any DIY stuff this year (even though it was all so cute), maybe next year I'll have the time and energy. I really got the ball rolling this week and now I only have a few more things to do (order the food and make a couple more trips to the store for supplies). I'm also planning to do something special for her heart surgery anniversary, maybe I'll make her cupcakes or a cake. I got her a booboo buddy and a heart hero cape so I'll be giving her those on that day. I wish time would slow down a little, it makes me sad that my baby isn't really a baby anymore.. sigh.

Monday, January 19, 2015

RSV update

Olivia is doing better, we got to leave the hospital on Friday evening. We didn't know if we would be staying another night so Paul went home to grab some stuff we needed but while he was gone they said we could go home. I had to pack up everything by myself and she was sleeping so I had to wake her up (always a bad decision). Carrying her plus all of our bags was a struggle, I seriously felt like my arms were going to fall off. Olivia got to pick a toy from the toy closet before we left, the nurse showed her a doll and asked her if she wanted it and of course she shook her head no. She ended up getting a little wooden peek-a-boo toy. The doctor wanted me to bring her in on Saturday morning to see how she was doing but she didn't make much improvement overnight. Her breathing is a little better now but she still has an awful cough. Her mood is much better though and her appetite is almost completely back to normal, it seems like she is on the road to recovery. It was a crazy weekend but we are slowly getting back into our routine, which is how I like it.

 She wouldn't touch the hospital food, she only ate snacks while we were there.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Stuck at the hospital again

Olivia was feeling much better and then all of a sudden, she got sick again! Three days ago she started coughing nonstop so I brought her back to the doctor (third time in one month). He said her lungs sounded clear and everything was good, just a long lasting cold. He also told me to call him if she had any fevers or trouble breathing. Of course this morning she started breathing kind of fast and it continued into the evening. She was acting normal and eating okay so I wasn't sure if the fast breathing was just because she was stuffy or something more serious so I called her doctor (again) and he had me count how many breaths she was taking, it was higher than normal. I also took her temperature and it was only 98.6 but he said it would be a good idea to bring her to the ER at least for peace of mind. When we got to the ER, her temperature was 101! I was shocked, obviously we need to invest in a new thermometer. They gave her some Tylenol and sent her for a chest X-Ray which came back normal (luckily). They also took a swab of her nostril to test for certain viruses. She tested positive for RSV (respiratory virus). It's very contagious so we are not allowed to leave our room, the doctors and nurses have to wear masks so they don't spread it from patient to patient. Unfortunately there is nothing they can give her to help her get better any faster, it has to just run its course. Tylenol will help her fever but not the virus. I'm not sure how many days we will be here but we got admitted so they can keep an eye on her (mainly because of her heart defects). The doctors came in to talk to me and explain everything, they checked her (she was not happy about that) and then we settled in. She would not lay down in the hospital crib so she is currently asleep in my arms. I'm sitting on this very hard wooden rocking chair that is causing me a lot of pain but I will always put her comfort before mine so it's okay. I'm so nervous that she is not going to eat breakfast tomorrow morning, she is so darn particular and picky but it's really important that she stays hydrated, especially now. I fed her before we came here but she's only had snacks (she stole and ate my bag of chips, she was saying "nom nom nom" while smirking at me) and sips of water since around 7pm, it's now 2am. I'm 99% sure I'm not getting any sleep tonight. Being here brings back a lot of horrible memories but it's giving me such a weird feeling because it's almost as if we never left. I know it's been almost two years since then but it's sadly so familiar to me. As much as I rather be home right now, I'm so glad I brought her here because I know she is safe.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Olivia's favorite toys

Olivia got a ton of toys for Christmas (a few too many to be honest) but I thought I would share her absolute favorites, well.. favorites for now at least. I'm always surprised at which toys she likes the most, it's usually something I didn't think she would be interested in.


Playskool Pounding bench - So this actually came with a hammer type thing but Olivia already lost it. It's not a big deal because she didn't really use it anyway. She sits and plays with this for ten minutes at a time, it keeps her quiet. She takes out each peg and then puts it back in and I've been using it to teach her the colors. I'm quite impressed with how she matches the peg to the right color hole. She doesn't get it right every time, she mixes up blue and purple sometimes but that's okay. I was surprised at how much she loves this toy, she plays with it all the time.


B. LapTrec: Liv really loves this. At first, she just liked putting the little animal stamps in (like a puzzle) but now she loves to draw on it and erase it (over and over). It's great because she loves to color but this is much less messy and doesn't require fifteen sheets of paper. I had one of these when I was younger but this one is a lot nicer, it even has a little cushion on the back. I really love the brand that makes it and I think she will use this for a long time.


Leapfrog - My own LeapTop: Olivia always harasses me when I'm on my laptop so I figured this might keep her busy when I am. I love it because it's an educational toy and she loves pressing buttons so it's perfect. Every time she presses a button, it says the letter, sound and shows an animal that begins with that letter. Her favorite is the "R" button because it shows a rabbit jumping across the screen and she gets a big kick out of that. It also plays music and reads "e-mails". I would definitely recommend this one.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

First day back at playgroup

Olivia was doing much better this morning, she was playing with her toys and she even ate breakfast really well. It was the first day of playgroup and I wasn't sure if I should bring her but she seemed fine. She was having fun but she had a meltdown every time we stopped doing an activity. When the teacher stopped blowing bubbles, Olivia freaked out and started crying. Then she was happy again while we were playing with the parachute but after that was done, she started screaming again. It was kind of embarrassing because she wasn't just crying, she was kicking me and throwing a fit. I know she's still a baby but none of the other kids were doing that and I couldn't get her to stop. One little boy actually came over to ask if she was okay, it was sweet but Olivia wanted nothing to do with him. She was much better once we got home and she took a pretty long nap. She didn't want to eat her dinner but she wanted mine, I was sitting on the couch and all of a sudden she was taking a bite out of the burrito on my plate. It was funny and I'm glad she ended up eating. It was a much better day (minus the meltdowns), hopefully she wont get sick again for a while!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Cranky toddler

Olivia is still sick. Actually, she threw up (a lot) on Sunday and then again yesterday. I brought her back to the doctor because she was just being super lethargic and she had me worried. She didn't have a fever, her lungs sounded fine but she did have some fluid in her right ear. The doctor said it wasn't red so there was no infection but I am going to keep a close eye on her. Today started off great, she was in a good mood and ate a ton for breakfast. I put her down for a nap at her usual nap time and she just did not want to sleep. After over an hour, I got her out and tried to give her something to eat but she just didn't want anything. She drank a ton of water and then she layed on my lap and started to fall asleep. I put her back in her crib and she finally fell asleep. After her nap, she woke up more cranky than ever and she stayed that way for most of the night. I gave her some Tylenol and it helped a little but she just didn't want to be bothered. She refused to eat and didn't drink much either, she didn't want any milk but at least I got her to drink some water. It was a long stressful day and I'm really hoping tomorrow she will feel a little better. We have both been sick for far too long and I'm just over it.

Loving her doughnut.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

2014 reflection tag

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year? Olivia's progress. Specifically, getting her to the 10% weight curve. Feeding her was/is a huge struggle for us and I am finally able to be slightly more relaxed about her calorie intake.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Definitely financial issues. It took me months to find a job and money was very tight for a while, especially with all of Olivia's medical bills piling up.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year? It's hard to pick just one thing. Every time Olivia reaches a new milestone, it's exciting for us. Seeing her unexpected reactions to something fun/new is awesome.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle? Taking Olivia to the ER when she hit her head. Being back there was scary but luckily everything turned out fine.

5. Pick three words to describe 2014. Challenging, exciting, overwhelming.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2014 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you). Stressful, happy, exhausting.

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2014 (again, without asking). Different, an adjustment, exhilarating.

8. What were the best books you read this year? I Heart My Little A-holes, If I Stay.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships? Olivia, Paul & My parents.

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year? Going from being a stay at home mom to working part time (and missing Olivia like crazy).

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally? Being a mom has made me grow emotionally, I love Olivia more and more every day. I've never been an overly emotional person but that has changed (when it comes to her).

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually? Honestly, I don't think I've changed much spiritually. My beliefs have always stayed the same thus far.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically? Well, I definitely could stand to lose a few pounds. I've been eating terrible (I plan on changing that). Although, baby number two might be in the works soon so maybe I'll put that off for a while.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others? I've met a lot of awesome people at my job and gained some new friendships. My relationship with Paul has changed since we are both new parents and we have our own way of doing things (very different). I think we are doing a pretty good job of coming together and compromising when it comes to Olivia's best interest.

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)? Meeting new people (the nice ones).

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)? Learning a whole new job. Adjusting to not seeing Olivia at night and missing her bedtime routine four days a week (sigh).

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? Probably watching TV. I can admit that I get addicted to way too many shows. After I put Olivia to bed, I stay up till almost 3am catching up on shows (totally unnecessary). I think it's the main reason I ended up in this terrible sleep routine.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Bringing Olivia around other kids. Going to play group, the library, the playground, Monkey Joe's. She loves it and I think it's so important for her to socialize, we get a kick out of it too.

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year? Not to worry. I still do but so many things I worried about never amounted to anything. This is something I constantly struggle with, I like to have a solution before I even know that there is a problem. I am going to try my hardest to wait for a definite problem and then go from there.

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2014 for you. Go with the flow and if you don't like something, change it.

Paul and Liv enjoyed the snow today while I stayed warm in the house.