Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Liv's hearing test

Olivia had her hearing test yesterday and it didn't go very well. She doesn't like doctors and I knew it was going to be a tough visit. She was sick last week and I didn't know if that would affect the results, the doctor said she had some congestion in her ear but it shouldn't make too much of a difference. Then she wanted to put something that looked kind of like an earbud (that's the best way I can describe it) in Liv's ear for the first test but Olivia was crying and screaming so that didn't work. After we gave up on that, we went into the sound booth to start a different test. They played sounds and it seemed to be going well, Olivia was looking towards the sounds and the doctors voice whenever she talked on the microphone. We tried the other test again and we were able to get it done. Olivia cried most of the time so the doctor didn't get everything she needed but she said it was enough. During the test, Olivia kept doing the sign for "all done" and she had the saddest look on her face, it broke my heart. Her test results showed that she's in the low normal to mild hearing loss range. I was actually surprised to hear that, I guess I was just hoping that her hearing was fine. I even made the doctor repeat what she said because I was caught off guard a bit. She told me that we need to come back for another test in three months to compare the results. She also said that a hearing aid would be the solution for mild hearing loss. At first, the thought of a hearing aid made me a little upset but it's really not the worst thing in the world. We have been through much tougher times. I obviously don't want Liv to have any hearing loss but at least it would explain why she isn't talking much. I would be happy to know the issue just because that means we could fix it. The doctor said I shouldn't worry just yet, so I'm not going to.

Monday, March 30, 2015

High five for the Easter bunny

Over the weekend, we did lots of fun Easter stuff. On Friday, we dyed eggs. Well, I did most of the dying and Olivia added stickers and played with the eggs. She had more fun taking them out of the bowl and putting them back in over and over than actually making them look pretty. Then she learned how to break them, she started to take off pieces of the shell and that was the end of that. On Saturday we went to the mall to get her picture taken with the Easter bunny. I wasn't sure how she was going to react because Santa did not go well this year. She didn't cry with him but she just wanted to get off his lap immediately. The line was much shorter than it was for Santa, there were only two people ahead of us so I figured it would be quick. Nope, they wanted their infant son to smile and that wasn't happening so they kept trying but eventually gave up. It took almost ten minutes and it was finally our turn. Olivia did really well, she even smiled! She definitely liked the Easter bunny better than Santa. I kind of thought she would since she loves animals. After she got her picture taken, they gave her some jellybeans and she even gave the bunny a high five. When we were done with that, I brought her to the play area so she could run around for a while. She absolutely loved it, just like last time. Paul hates the play area because there's always a lot of kids and most of them are bigger than Olivia so he was getting pretty nervous. I don't worry because I've seen her get knocked down before, she gets right back up and continues to run around and have fun. We also took her to the pet store and she had a blast in there. She was going wild when she saw the rabbits, she wanted to hug one so bad, she was pressing her face up against the glass. The mall isn't my favorite place to go but it was a really fun day, I'm so glad we took her.



 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

What's in Liv's Easter basket

Since Easter is next week, I decided to share what I am putting in Olivia's basket. I kept it pretty simple at first but then I found a few extras from our Citrus Lane stash. Easter baskets wouldn't be complete without a chocolate bunny and Peeps, it's just necessary. I don't like filling the basket up with candy so a few books and small toys are also great additions.
 

Peeps and plush bunny: I found this at the grocery store and I think it's adorable! It's a Peeps bunny plush and it comes with bunny Peeps. I'm glad it only comes with eight because Olivia will probably only eat one and I don't need all those extra Peeps around to tempt me.

JJ Rabbit's Cuppie: We got this in our Cirtus Lane box so I saved it for her basket. I am excited for Olivia to try it out, she normally drinks out of straw cups so this will be great for transitioning her to open cups. It has a little bunny at the bottom so as you drink, you uncover it.

Color me Cottontail: This is pretty cute, it's a chocolate bunny but it also comes with three crayons. There is a black and white picture on the back of the box that Liv can color. I think this will be fun for her, she loves to color.

Melissa & Doug slide and seek egg: This is the perfect toy for Easter, it's an egg that slides up and down and there's a little chick inside. Even though it's for younger kids (12 months+), Olivia still loves her peek-a-boo panda so I know she will love this too!

Where Are Baby's Easter Eggs book: We have a lot of books by Karen Katz, they are Olivia's favorite so when I saw this one, I had to get it for her. I love the colorful illustrations and the stories are short so it keeps her attention.

Dora the Explorer Loves Easter book: I wasn't planning on getting another book but Paul picked this one up. Liv is obsessed with Dora, I'm sure everyone knows that by now. She will love this book and I'll be happy to read something new, I'm getting pretty bored of all her current books.

Petit Collage pets puzzle: We got this puzzle in our Citrus Lane box a few months ago and I saved it because I thought it would be great for Easter. I think it's really adorable and Olivia will love all the animals. There are four different puzzles and each one has a different amount of pieces so once she masters one, she can move on to the next.

 
I'm also going to add the bunny bag that we got from our Citrus Lane box this month (see my last post). Next year, there will probably be a few less items in her basket since we may not be getting Citrus Lane by then. I'm pretty excited for Easter and I think she will love everything, I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post them!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Citrus Lane review - March 2015

There were some major shipping delays this month but we finally got our box today. 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 25 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her March Citrus Lane box.
 
Begin Again elephant family puzzle: My first impression was "ugh, another puzzle" but this one is a little different from what we currently own. Olivia is getting to be a pro at all her chunky puzzles so when I gave her this one, it was a challenge. I sat with her and helped her put it together (about ten times). She seems to like it but it might take her a while to be able to do it on her own. I think this puzzle will be a great stepping stone to jigsaw puzzles (for toddlers of course). It's also good quality, the wooden pieces are really thick and sturdy so she would have a hard time destroying it. Retails for: $13
 
 
North American Bear Co. goody bag - bunny: This is kind of a repeat for us. I got Livy a mystery box a few months ago and it came with the poodle goody bag. When I saw this, I was thinking about how she never plays with the poodle version so I might as well sell this one. Low and behold I walk into the living room and she had the poodle bag around her arm with her play cell phone in it. After seeing that, I decided that I will just add this to her Easter basket. It's actually pretty cute and soft, she loves bunny rabbits so I think she will love it. Retails for: $12
 
 
Baby Bow Tie barrette: This is the item that I got to pick this month. I wanted to pick one that would match her Easter dress but I didn't know what she would be wearing at the time so I decided on the pink. She has a lot of pink in her wardrobe so I figured we would get the most use out of this one. She actually wore it today for her picture with the Easter bunny (I will post about that soon). It's a pretty good sized bow, it looked big on Liv. She usually wears the little mini bows in her hair but she looked adorable with this one on. I love the design and the back of the clip is velvet so it stayed in place really well. She tried taking it out a few times but somehow it lasted until we got home. Retails for: $12.95
 
Back to Nature mini chocolate chunk cookies: Our card actually says we should have gotten the honey graham sticks. We have gotten those before and they were really good but I am so glad we got the cookies instead. I've seen people get these before and I've been eyeing them for a while now. I'm pretty obsessed with cookies (my husband likes to make fun of me for that) so I couldn't wait to try these. I gave them to Olivia and secretly hoped that she wouldn't like them. She loved them but she shared a few with me so I was happy. They are so delicious! I have to find out where I can get more because I need these in my life. They are also made with good ingredients, no artificial preservatives or high fructose corn syrup, always a plus. Retails for: $1.25
 
 
When I was looking through spoilers, I was hoping that Liv would get the box with the animal magnets and snack container but I like this box for the most part. I was frustrated that there was a shipping delay but I'm glad that they e-mailed me to let me know about the issue. The total value of this box is about $39, I feel like that's a higher value than I've seen in a while. I used coupon codes and only paid about $15, so right now I'm satisfied. I really can't see myself paying $29 for these boxes though. My subscription runs out in two months and I'm starting to think about if we will continue with this or not. I've really enjoyed getting these boxes for Liv but our living room is starting to get a bit cluttered. 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. Please keep in mind that it's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.


Thursday, March 26, 2015

Playgroup bully

The last two days have been gloomy, it rained all day today. I took Olivia to playgroup this morning and she was pretty excited about it. When I asked her if she wanted to go, she said "yeah yeah!". She just started saying "yeah" and it's really cute because she usually says it twice. I remember when she first learned how to say cat, she would always say it three times in a row. I was getting a little frustrated at playgroup because she hit three different kids for no reason at all. She never really hit any kids before and especially not without reason. I told her no, I said "Olivia, no hitting!" and I told her to "do nice". We always say that when she hits the cats, she usually listens and then starts petting them. She didn't want to "do nice" to any of her little friends but she did stop hitting when I scolded her (at least for a while). I'm hoping this is just a phase because I don't want her to hurt anyone and it's a little embarrassing for me as well. I don't want her to be a little bully, I want to make sure that she learns that it's unacceptable to hit while she is young. She is still getting over her cold so maybe she isn't completely back to her sweet self yet (ha). Besides the few incidents, she had fun and played nicely. I might switch her to the older class for the next session. The class we are in now is for 12-24 month olds and Liv is 25 months old. I haven't switched her yet because she really loves this class, the other class is for two year olds but all they do is sing songs. She would probably miss the bubbles and marching around with instruments. I guess we can do one more session and then switch, I'll see how it goes during the next few classes. After the class, we had lunch and then we both took a nap. I haven't taken one lately but the rain always gets me. Sleeping while it's raining out is one of my favorite things to do. I just hope that I will be able to fall asleep tonight, napping really screws up my schedule.

Cranky little diva.
She's obsessed with wearing sunglasses lately.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Better speech therapy visit

Olivia has been sick since last week so she's been extra irritable. It's been a long week, I'm pretty much exhausted. On a good note, I think she is starting to feel better and get over her cold. Speech therapy went a lot better today, Olivia was actually in a good mood. She was playing with the therapist and listening to her directions, I was proud of her. After speech therapy, I had a dentist appointment and it was supposed to just be a cleaning but I had a cavity (ugh) so they ended up doing a filling for me. I hate getting dental work done, my mouth was numb for the rest of the night and I do not like that feeling. Anyway, I actually got a lot accomplished today but now I want to crash, it's early for me but I am more than ready for bed!

Friday, March 20, 2015

Spring tag

1. Where do you like to hang out during the spring? The playground, park or just out in the yard.

2. Favorite spring shoes? Flip flops!

3. Favorite spring accessory? Sunglasses.

4. Favorite spring treat? Definitely peeps, I love them.

5. Favorite thing about Easter? Good food and spending time with my family. Now that Liv is getting older, she will have fun coloring eggs and doing an egg hunt.

6. How do you like to wear your hair in the spring? I usually wear my hair down, unless it's really hot out.

7. Favorite seasonal beverage? Spring always makes me think of lemonade for some reason, pink lemonade is my favorite.

8. Do you like to travel or stay home during the spring? I love to travel but it's been a while because we haven't had extra money for it. If everything goes as planned, we will be going to visit family in South Carolina sometime before the end of the year.

9. Favorite spring nail polish? I love most shades of pink so that's normally what I pick.

10. Are you doing anything fun this spring? I would love to bring Olivia to the zoo. I also plan on bringing her to carnivals, fairs, parks, playgrounds and museums. I just want her to have a good time, I love seeing her happy.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Library adventure

I took Olivia to the library today and it was quite interesting. There were a few kids there and they all were really sweet. This one little boy kept talking to Liv, he was probably around four years old. He even came up to me and told me that Olivia was so cute. They were playing together for a while and then Liv sat down and was playing with a toy carrot but I guess he wanted it. He told me he really wanted to play with it so I told him to go ask her if she would share. I watched him go over to her and she just ignored him and then put the carrot in her lap. He came running up to me again and said "she doesn't want to share, I asked nicely but she just put it on her penis". I burst out laughing, his mom looked at me from across the room like "oh no, what did he say now". It was so funny, I guess his mom hasn't told him that girls have different parts (trying to keep this G rated). Anyway, Olivia had fun and it's always nice to get out of the house. It's been pretty cold out and it's supposed to snow tomorrow, that seriously bums me out. Tomorrow is the first day of spring, snow is unacceptable!

Left: Sitting at the table like a big girl.
Right: Hiding from me because she didn't want to eat lunch.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Ditching the binky

I was pretty stressed out when I wrote my last post, I have a lot on my plate right now and that bad speech therapy visit just sent me over the edge. I'm feeling a little better now and I have a few job prospects so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm trying to wean Olivia off her binky and it's been tough. The speech therapist said that she should only be using it during naps and at bed time, she mentioned that if Liv tries to talk with it in her mouth, she will think that's the way the word is said. Olivia has been pretty cranky without it but I obviously don't want it to affect her speech, it may take a few weeks for her to get used to not having it but I know it will help her in the long run. Nap time still isn't going well, today it took her almost two hours to fall asleep. I was about to give up and get her but she finally fell asleep. I have no idea what happened to my sweet little girl but she has been a real terror this week, another reason why I've been so stressed. I am praying that it's just a phase or maybe she is rebelling because I took her binky away. I had to put her in time out twice the other day and I think it's harder for me than it is for her. She seems to understand the whole concept because when I warned her today that she would go in time out, she stopped whatever she was doing (I totally forgot what it was). Anyway, I can barely keep my eyes open right now so I'm off to bed.

Monday, March 16, 2015

First day of speech therapy

Olivia had her first day of speech therapy today and it did not go well. Sigh. She just didn't want to cooperate, she was being extra cranky. We were trying to get her to play with different toys and she didn't want any part of it. She also didn't want to repeat anything that she knows how to say, she made a few animal sounds but that was it. She basically just cried and whined the entire time, it was frustrating but there was nothing I could do to help. She may have been tired, she was just generally annoyed until the therapist left. I am not feeling my best either, I guess it's just one of those days. I wanted to give a quick update and now I am off to sulk.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Hurry up spring!

Am I the only mom that forgets she's doing laundry? The other day it took me almost six hours to do one load. I forgot to switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer for almost two hours so I had to run it through the wash again. After that, I forgot again! I guess I need to start setting a timer on my phone or something. Okay, that was just a quick little rant about my forgetfulness. Anyway, it was such a sunny and warm (well.. warmer) day on Wednesday so I decided we should go to the playground. I was really excited but when we got there, the entrance was blocked off by a huge snow pile. I was pretty bummed, especially since it's the only playground close by. I ended up taking Olivia for a walk, it was great being outside. We are both ready for the spring, warm weather just makes me happy. I am not a big fan of the winter and I'm pretty sure Liv isn't fond of being cooped up in the house either. Yesterday was pretty nice out too, just a little bit colder than Wednesday. Olivia is really missing playgroup (it starts again in two weeks) so I took her to the library and she had fun there. We didn't go until after her nap, it was around 4 o'clock so there were a lot of bigger kids running around. Liv kept yelling in excitement and one of the boys kept covering his ears, she thought it was funny. She loves being around other kids, it's really cute to watch. She has such a silly and fun personality, I love it.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Major disaster

It's been a busy few days, I feel like I always say that but I guess that's just life with a toddler. On Friday, Paul & I were able to have a date night. We went out to dinner and it was so yummy, I ate way too much but it was nice to get out alone together, we rarely get to do that anymore. On Saturday we all went out to dinner with my family, it was a really fun night. I ate way too much again but I didn't even care, it was totally worth it. Olivia was excited to spend some time with her cousins, she kept hugging them over and over. I loved seeing how happy they all were to be playing together, it made my heart melt. Olivia definitely needs a sibling soon! It was funny though because at one point I looked around the table and all three of the kids were on our phones. It's nice to have something to keep them entertained at restaurants, Olivia gets antsy after a while and it's a huge help. Today we had an appointment in the morning to get Olivia's two year old pictures taken. It was a major disaster, she cried and screamed the entire time. I don't really know why she was so upset, she doesn't even cry that much at the doctors office. It might be because I had to wake her up this morning, maybe she was overtired. The photographer was very patient and I was thankful for that because it was a little embarrassing. Her eight month old pictures went much smoother, she didn't cry once. Somehow, we got a few good pictures and I ordered them so I am really excited but they wont be ready until next week. I'm glad we wont be taking professional pictures again until she's three and then once she's in school, I wont have to deal with it (good luck to them). Yeah, so that was exhausting. I finally got her to nap so I'm going to take advantage of this time and eat something (before she wakes up and starts destroying the house).

Kids these days.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Fighting naps and frozen yogurt

I have no idea what is going on lately but Olivia has been refusing to nap and even at night, she fights sleep. It takes her over an hour to finally fall asleep, she doesn't cry but it's frustrating because I know that she needs sleep. I also feel bad for her, she's sitting in her crib probably bored out of her mind (maybe not but I know I would be) and I just want to get her out but I know I shouldn't. I've tried skipping her nap a few times but by 4 or 5, she's falling asleep on the floor or in her high chair so taking a nap is still necessary for her. Today, I went against the rules and got her out and took her with me to run some errands (hoping that I would tire her out). After we did that, we stopped and got some frozen yogurt. I let her pick what she wanted (that was interesting), I don't think she really knew what anything was but it was still fun. We ended up getting vanilla and a little bit of coconut topped with gummy bears, caramel filled chocolate turtles, pineapples and a few cherries. It sounds a little crazy but it was actually really good, we finished it pretty quick (Liv ate most of it). It's so funny when she eats something she likes because after every bite, she says "mmmm". I started out feeding her but after a few spoons, she decided to take over. I'm not scared of a mess so I let her go for it, she actually did really well. She is becoming a pro at using a spoon, she only spilled a little bit once or twice. She is getting to be really independent when she wants to be, it's pretty stinkin cute. When we got home, we played for a while and then had some lunch. I know, we probably should have had lunch before the frozen yogurt but that's okay. She is napping now so I guess going out for a while was a good idea. I did a few things around the house that I have been meaning to do for a while now so I feel quite accomplished. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day/night so tonight we are going to keep it low key and probably just hang out at home.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

I love my little heart warrior

Sigh. I know I haven't updated in a week and I really have no excuse as to why. To be completely honest, I've just been so unmotivated lately. Not just when it comes to blogging but with everything. I've been super sluggish and perfectly content just hanging out at home in my pajamas. The stress of not having a job is really starting to bother me. I hate not knowing, I like having a routine and feeling secure. I was really hoping that I would have found something by now. It was Olivia's heart surgery anniversary over the weekend (Friday) so I gave her a little present (Booboo Buddy). I planned on writing a separate (long and detailed) post about her anniversary but it just didn't happen so I decided that writing a little something was better than nothing. Two years ago (last Friday) I was sitting in a waiting room wondering if my daughter would survive heart surgery. It was the absolute longest day of my life, It's hard to explain (or even remember) all the thoughts and emotions I had. It was scary, putting my daughters life in someone else's hands was not something I wanted to do but it was something I had to do. I had to trust a complete stranger to save her, I felt extremely helpless. I've said this so many times but I still can't believe it all happened, it doesn't seem real.. even now. I'm so happy that it's over but knowing that she may need another surgery is always in the back of my mind and that terrifies me. Although some time has passed and it has gotten easier, I will never have the "normal" mommy mindset. I know all mothers worry but I feel like it's intensified for me, I can never "un-see" or "un-know" all of it and that's just how it is. This year her anniversary was not during the best time because my mind has been so preoccupied and of course now I feel guilty about that. Next year I plan to make it a much more happy occasion, to focus on the good because she has really come a long way in her short life. I love my little heart warrior!

Hugging her Booboo Buddy.