Mum-Mum and Pop-Pop's Visit

I'm unashamedly going to copy and paste Mum-Mum's summary of last weekend:

Good Morning! 

We had a wonderful time in California.  Olivia is adorable as expected.  I played with her on the floor a good deal of the time.  We went to the lake that Annie went to for a walk on Friday and had a picnic.  Kate and Kevin had tickets given to them at the last minute for the baseball game in the Lockeed box.  They went all the way up there and the game was canceled. 

Saturday, we went to the Fremont lake for a two mile walk around.  We could see the mountains etc.  We also dropped off books at the library.  It is a beautiful community complex....police station, athletic fields etc.  Saturday evening Dolores and Charlie came over for pizza.  We were going to go out but it was just too much.  Olivia was sick Friday and Saturday with a temp of 102 and runny nose.  Her disposition was fine and was not cranky.

Sunday, we  met K&K friends Natalie and Steve and two daughters from Santa Rosa at the Science Center.  Daddy and I watched two planetarium movies.  Which means I closed my eyes the whole time because it was the teacups!  Daddy snored for part of it. Afterwards, we walked in the Botanical Garden associated with Golden Gate Park.

Next home and to the  plane.  I did not know it at the time but I was sick.  Sometime during our flight I threw up all over the place.  i had taken two sleeping pills so i was out of it and Daddy was concerned.  Daddy took good care of me and the guy next to me.  He disappeared someplace.  i guess I had the flu K&K had.  Took Monday and Tuesday off. Still feeling queasy.

Sarah, where were you that people commented on your pearls.  Makes me happy.

Ok, back to work.  What is going on in your neighborhood? xoxoxooxoxox

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We had a fabulous time with Gma and Gpa Bellenger last weekend.  Olivia is amazing to be around now.  She's so interested in everything.  Tonight we went to the Smoking Pig Smokehouse with Olivia and she tried the chicken, pork and corn muffin.  She also tries to look around you to see the television and is making more and more noises of different varieties.  Olivia is now clapping a lot on her own and loves banging her little bongo drums.  

Music class resumes this weekend and Kevin is looking forward to watching the Master's Golf Tournament.  

We're now sitting on the couch getting ready to book a fabulous trip to Hawaii.  A vacation sounds fabulous right now!  We're thinking Kauai.

OK, time for me to help with vacation booking....  Next week Kevin is on travel.  I'm hoping to hang a few pics on the walls while he's gone.  we shall see.

First Mommy Work Travel - Growing Soooo BIG!

Quick highlights.  Typing with eyes closed because it's past my bedtime.

Last week, we all made it through my first trip away from Olivia.  Kevin was Mt. Mom all week and while fighting a terrible cold, took care of getting Olivia to daycare, getting himself to work, working, picking up Olivia from daycare, washing her, bedtime routine, washing bottles, then finally making sure Olivia had food and bottles for the next day and getting to bed.  Gold Star dad!  Olivia remained healthy - another Gold Star!  I managed to continue pumping fairly regularly and brought home an ice chest of milk and melted ice.  The trip was very useful and dramatically improved relationships with folks out East.  One unique moment was driving from Danbury, CT to Marlboro, MA I was pumping with the hand pump... no one saw though.  Not the safest, I'll admit it.  I didn't have much choice though.  Long story.

 We had a few attempted photo sessions i the beautiful mustard fields that are abloom with yellow flowers.  I desperately wanted to take pregnancy photos in those same fields but we never got to it before the flowers were fading.  This year, we have the fancy camera and I bought a cheap tripod - but it does the trick!  The bummer though was that Olivia is sick all the time from daycare so she wasn't in the best of spirits when we tried the first time as a whole family.  We never even got a single photo of all three of us.  Maybe we'll try again when my parents are here this weekend.  However, the series of photos are pretty funny, if you're aware of all the attempted Bellenger family portraits through the years as my sisters and I grew up.  They were usually traumatic experiences - the worst was in teh grasses of the dunes on Cape Cod as we were eaten alive by those horrible green horse flies!  Needless to say, those photos also turned out poorly.

I tried one more time to take photos of Olivia in the adjacent field for her 8 month photo shoot (a week late) because it was still gorgeous.  Those turned out a little better, but it was Olivia's bed time so mostly sleepy face and no dad to help make her smile.  It was impressive though, I snapped all those photos in 9 minute and then packed up, took Olivia home, bathed her, nursed her and got out the door to my massage appointment at 7pm.  I needed that!  Poor Kevin didn't join us for the 8 month photo shoot because he was home with a 24 hours stomach bug... again.  Saturday night was awful for the poor guy.  Sunday wasn't much better.  Then he was on a plane at 0600 Monday morning for work.

And then I got it ... Monday afternoon.  Thank goodness for Karen coming over to help out with Olivia while I was stuck in the bathroom for most of the evening, or laid out on the couch.  I hope I didn't spread the love to her again.  Fortunately, I had it about 1/5th as bad as Kevin.  Tuesday around lunchtime as I dropped off Olivia, I found out that 3 other sets of parents had the bug, and at least one of Olivia's daycare buddies - Lorelai, the other one who is there around 6:40 am daily.  Just tonight, I heard from new mommy Shonna from my lactation circle, that her whole family has it at the same time - and Kailani will vomit in her sleep and then roll around in it in the crib - ugh!  Crazy year for stomach bugs around here!  Is this what they mean by it takes a village to raise a child - because everyone gets sick and has to cover for one another?

Lately I've been thinking more about weaning Olivia.  I love nursing her, but my supply seems to be dropping and we are past the 6 month mark... but on the other hand, it makes me kinda sad to think about ending the nursing since it's such a nice bonding time for us.  It helps make up for the fact that Olivia is so so happy to see Cinnamon and mostly happy to see me.  

Oh, Olivia 'dances' to music and bangs her little bongos when I put on tunes - very cute.  She really doesn't like it when she's left alone in a room, and specifically is unhappy when I leave her sight (same for Cinnamon, which is cute).  She's starting to have a little stranger anxiety, so they told me today.  I guess a new teacher was in the room and Olivia just watched her and howled.  When Cinnamon went over to Olivia and held her to calm the little one down, she stopped crying but wouldn't stop watching the new teacher.  Pretty funny.  

Olivia is a little behind in locomotion, but her fine motor skills seem pretty good to me.  She isn't crawling or really rolling over yet, but she has a ton of strength.  I think shes just lazy.  We have to do more tummy time with her and that should push things along.  She's sitting up on her own really well now.  I think that some of the delay is because she's been sick so often that it's hard to do anything other than recover from not feeling well.  So she has less time to practice.   Olivia seems MUCH longer too - I think she had a growth spurt.  We'll have to measure her length this weekend with gma and gpa Bellenger around - and her weight.  

Olivia like her high chair now and be-bops around in it.  It's like she's in the jumperoo all the time.  Adorable.  But scary when she's eating chunks of things.  I worry she'll choke.  Olivia's eating is pretty picky, though she likes to self-feed and will guide a spoon into her mouth as long as you're holding it (keeping it from flying across the room).  She loves the teething biscuits, and likes cauliflower florets.  Tomorrow I'm sending split pea soup, whole green beans, broccoli florets, and pepper strips.  There will be one bottle of formula because of my supply dip.  Hm, I should have defrosted a thing of breastmilk.  Well, we'll do that later.

Oh, I fit into pre-pregnancy clothes - which vastly expands my wardrobe these days.  Love it.  Pants are still tight, but it's something!  I've been receiving compliments on the clothes, which is also nice.  Still need more exercise though.  I hope that will come if I get away from breastfeeding and pumping, but I don't know.  It's still so tough to get my hours in.

Hm, I'm sitting in bed listening to Kevin's sleep apnea - it's scary to hear him stop breathing for awhile.  Don't like it.  Hopefully he'll go to the doctor about it some day soon.  Scary stuff.

OH, been working on taxes.  That's just depressing.

On that note, time for bed.  I'll have to add photos to this one a little later.  Especially a photo of Olivia in the flowers!

Can't wait for Mom an dad to arrive tomorrow evening.  That will be fun!

Oh, and I'm pretty convinced I have an issue digesting lactose... a stinky issue. :)  lolz.

Kate,

bed

time.

Now!

Sitting up Straight

Brief one tonight, but it's been far too long!  Ever since Mum-Mums came to visit, Olivia has been much healthier!  We still put some cereal in her bottles and she get probiotics daily.  The little one continues to be a fussy eater occasionally, but at other times she's all for it!  Olivia is sitting up very well on her own now, and reaches for things, but is not quite interested in moving around yet.  I think that's a saving grace for the parents since our house is not yet baby-proofed!

Today was a big day - she clapped her hands!  Apparently she did it yesterday too, but I saw her and caught it on video this morning!  Olivia was fussing as I was leaving daycare and the teacher came over to sing and clap hands with her - so adorable! 

I think she's starting to look a bit more like her Momma. :)  Olivia still loves the jumperoo, and she's just so very interested in everything around her.  Constantly checking things out, watching the dogs, she knows when I'm in the bathroom and Kevin's holding her in the bedroom - she tries to look for me.  Adorable!

We have her first "school pictures", soo much cuteness! 

Olivia's way of giving Momma kisses is to open her mouth real wide and almost 'eat' my cheek.  So endearing :)  She now reaches for me with both hands to be held too.  Adorable. 

Mostly, it's fabulous to have a happy girl after February's sad girl. 

We mounted the "OLIVIA" letters on her wall and hopefully will get to hang some other pics soon.

Next week I go on my first work trip since having Olivia.  This will be tough - hard for me to be away from her, and tough for Dad to be the single parent for the first time.  We're taking steps to make sure it goes smoothly.

Big news is that Aunt Annie and family are moving out to Berkeley for Joel to be a Berkeley professor!  They were in town this past week and we were fortunate enough to see them a couple times.  Annie and Walter spent the night Friday night, and joined Olivia and I for "Music Together" Saturday morning - fun time!!!  (Olivia now 'dances' with the music, at daycare too!  Apparently she get upset when they turn the music off.  Too much!)  Then Kevin, Olivia and I hopped in the car and drove to Santa Rosa for a 3-year-old's birthday party.  Lovely day.  Olivia slept the whole way up, and the whole way back, and didn't go down for the night until like 9:15pm.  Not good.

Sunday, Aunt Kathy came to play while Kevin and I rented a trailer and picked up 3 Japanese Maples from the Calaveras Nursery and shimmied 2 of them into the backyard.  Slowly but surely, at least one project is semi moving along.  Next step is to take the jackhammer and dig the holes!  Yikes!  But Sunday night, we restarted sleep training and got Olivia go bed much earlier.

Since she was getting anxious as soon as I would taker her to her room, we changed approaches and now feed her the last bottle/feeding in her room and read books there, then put her straight in the crib, give a kiss, and leave the room. She cries for 2 - 20 min and is asleep.  Olivia is finally sleeping through the night again - thank goodness!  And now she likes her room better.  We're also sat out on the back patio while Kevin worked in the yard and looked around at the trees and birds and dogs.  She's so observant and loves it!

I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep up the nursing.  Tonight it was almost a wrestling match!  I'm also worried that my supply will be basically gone by the end of next week's travel.  But, I'm bringing my pump so we'll just have to see how it goes.

Okay, bedtime.  Will have to add pics later.  These days I'm exhausted and usually in bed with lights out by 9:45, so this is pushing it!  I have to make sure to get Olivia up tomorrow around 7 to keep her on a schedule!

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Olivia is feeling MUCH better and is the happiest little girl on the block.  Such a relief!  She still has the occasional green goo poo, but the diaper rash (especially the oozing wounds) is gone and she no longer seems in physical pain with tummy aches!

A couple weekends ago, when Olivia was having a bad Saturday night, Mum-Mums Bellenger decided it was time for a visit.  Lo and behold, Sunday morning after our visit to urgent care, Kevin, Olivia and I were picking up my mom at SFO for a three day visit!  I think Olivia decided to recover as soon as Gma bought her plane ticket!  Mom being out here allowed Kevin to relax a bit after all his crazy work travel, and gave me the opportunity to work for 7 hours and semi catch up from the last several weeks of single-mom'ing it with sick kiddo.  I really appreciated the help.

Olivia stayed home with Mum-Mums for Monday and Tuesday.  They went for walks, Olivia refused to nap, she showed off her trick of holding the bottle, they read books and did LOTS of jumperoo.  At one point, they had so much fun, Mom's tooth fell out!  Mom made us beef stroganoff and beef stew.  We really had a lovely, relaxing-ish time.  The big thing is that I was finally able to concentrate a little bit on work.

 
 

 

Wednesday through Friday, Olivia was back at daycare and while she had a few green goo poos, the diaper rash remained at bay.  Thank goodness!  The solution seems to be putting rice cereal in her bottles to firm up the poop.  Olivia is temperamental on whether she'll eat purees, so the best way to make sure some "solids" make it into her tummy is via the bottle.  We are also adding probiotics to her food to help her gut. 

Last weekend, Olivia and Dad spent lots of time together at home while I ran a number of errands, including finally joining a gym!  Now I have to figure out ways to get there and workout!  Poor Kevin came down with a head cold, but it seems to be lifting now.

Okay, time for sleepy sleeps time.  Just a quick update for now and I'll add pics later.

Fun tricks:
- Blowing raspberries, especially while eating puree :)
- Reaching for the spray from the faucet while taking a bath
- Just about rolling over, reaching for things all around her
- Holding her bottle
- Still jumperooing, but even higher than before!
- Teradactyl screech
- Baby-Led-Weaning on a few things, pizza crust was tonight, cantaloupe yesterday, carrots
- Sat up in a restaurant high chair last Friday night for the first time
- Just about sitting up on her own.  She'll do it for awhile, then flop backward
- First school picture!!!

Nighty-Night!

 

A Long Three Weeks, but Spring is Here!

Between Olivia's cough virus, mom catching it, then Olivia getting the runs and Kevin being gone for almost all of it, this has been a long three weeks.  Thank goodness Olivia is *almost* healthy and I'm back to normal!  On top of all that, my daffodils, mini hyacinth and crocuses are blooming or coming up and the cherry trees are all in bloom!  How pretty! :)  Sure makes me want to go hiking or camping.

After our fun at the emergency room, Kevin was here the night for the second fever spike and that was helpful.  Then he left and she continued to have a fever for the next several days, but fortunately not as high.  Shortly thereafter, Olivia developed a bad case of the runs, which led to very uncomfortable (and red) diaper rash!  We visited the doctor a few times and never determined the cause of it.  The main fall out is that we've totally stalled on introducing solids and working on sitting up.  But now that Olivia can have a diaper on for at least half the day, it's time to start working on that again.

 This past week, lots of folks pitched in to help.  Olivia had spent most of Sunday bare-bottomed in the family room and having the runs.  Kevin had an evening flight back to LA and I had forgotten to pick up Pedialyte.  Home alone with Olivia, I started getting nervous, she was crying and I figured I needed the Pedialyte.  Charlie came to help out and babysat while I ran to the store at 8:45pm.  Awesome!

Monday, Karen babysat all day and Olivia was a fussy girlie.  Again, bare-bottomed most of the day, the diaper rash was not getting worse, but not getting better either because her tummy was still upset.

Tuesday through Thursday, Patti babysat at the house and had an OK day, a Fussy day, and a Fun day!  I'm so relieved Olivia recovered a bit for Patti to have at least one fun day with Olivia.  Even Uncle Steven pitched in for a bit and covered a few hours when Patti had an errand to run!  After taking Olivia to the doctor on Tuesday for another appointment to be checked out, we started giving her some probiotics in her milk and attempting to feed solids again - all with the objective to give her something to make more substantial poo!  I guess the probiotics are helping because Olivia refuses to eat any food.  We're trying a modified BRAT diet (Banana, Rice cereal, Apple sauce, and Toast - but no toast for Olivia).  Oh, but on Thursday she did eat some cereal-milk-applesauce mixture for Patti and apparently they had fun!


Kevin returned Thursday and rode home with me - to find a happy baby at home.  What a relief!  Wednesday evening had been pretty tough with a really fussy baby, but Thursday she was all smiles!  Perfect timing!  Suzanne even came over that night for our last hangout before she departs for Dubai to start the next chapter of her life.  Very exciting!



Today, Kevin babysat all day - the first time he's been alone with Olivia for more than about 3 hours.  They had a lovely day - jumperoo, only a few diarrheas, smiles. :)  I got some work done, but man is my work life suffering big time.  It's tough to be worried about a little baby at home and feeling like I should be there taking care of her, but having to be at work.  I think things will get much better now that she's almost healthy again!

OK, momma's tired.  It's been a long day and a long week.  I'm looking forward to music class with Olivia tomorrow - it's always entertaining. :)

Recovering

Olivia is feeling much better today from the weekend's virus.  She drank all four bottles at daycare!  Yesterday she only had about 7 ozs of milk, today it was closer to 16, so clearly her appetite is recovering.  :)  Makes mom happy. :)

I have certainly contracted something, so while Olivia is better, I'm something of a walking zombie during the day when the oral decongestants don't do much.  At night, I cave and use Afrin, just one spray on each side, and the transformation is astounding!  The main advantage is that I can sleep when my sinuses are clear.  No idea what I'd do without the stuff.

So much for working a full 40 hours this week. Monday I left at lunchtime to come home and take Olivia to the doctor again.  Yesterday I only got in 8 hours before the congestion was really hitting, and today was a half-day before I came home sick and slept all afternoon.  There are several people out sick.  On the plus side, I was in the office for the important meetings today.  Tomorrow I plan to keep my germs to myself and work from home.  Maybe I'll sneak in some resume work as well.  The real bonus is that I'll let Olivia sleep in until she naturally wakes up around 7.

I'm excited to restart Olivia's adventure into solid foods tomorrow.  Since she ate most of her cereal today, I think we can start with veggies again.  She hasn't really tried anything new since late last week.

I'm looking forward to the weekend.  Friday night Charlie & Delores will come over early enough to play with Olivia, then will babysit while I go out with my lactation circle mom-friends for a quick drink.  Saturday we should be getting more rain, we have our little Saturday morning music class, then will head to Jessica's for lunch (Jessica and friends/family are doing a 10k/5k... but I was too late to register and as it turns out, the weather will be poor, so we'll just join for lunch :) )

Sunday, Aunt Kathy will come to babysit and play with a healthy, awake Olivia!  Fantastic!  Monday, Kevin comes home!  Also fantastic!

First Trip to Emergency Room

Staying home from daycare on Friday with her Puppies cuddling in close

Not so sure about eating, and not feeling well

Little Olivia has her first Big Bad Virus... which sent us to the ER Friday night when I was worried that she was having trouble breathing.  Her temperature spiked to 103.4 while we were in the hospital and they gave her Ibuprofen and Tylenol at the same time.  Then she had a "breathing treatment" aka albuterol and oxygen.  A half hour after the "treatment" she was MUCH better and smiling all over.  I think by that time her temperature had dropped as well.  She was 99.8 degrees when we were discharged.  Scary night!  Kevin was on travel so it was just me and the girls.  I'm not super impressed by Washington Hospital ER, but they did take care of Olivia... eventually.

High on Albuterol with a lowered temp at 2:30 am in the ER!  Little trickster! 

Sleeping in on Sat after our late night (home at 4am)

Last night her temperature spiked above 103 again, after being around 99 most of the day.  At least this time Kevin was home to help with giving her the inhaler, her ibuprofen and generally cooling her down and soothing her.  Olivia has been fussy from not feeling well, poor thing.

Feeling much better!!!  But Sat night still had a Big Bad Fever. :(

Just cute -with the crab on her butt

Today she's still been not herself.  Her temperature started climbing around 4pm and I gave her ibuprofen again.  She's been having diarrhea a little and not eating/drinking much.  Tomorrow she'll stay home from daycare and I'm hoping she'll be back there on Tuesday.  With any luck she'll be all smiles tomorrow!  Kevin leaves for LA again and will be gone Monday through Monday this time.

While Kevin was gone, Steve and Patti came over for a little while - we basically finished the crown moulding and baseboards in Olivia's room - very exciting!  Now Kevin just needs to paint the window casing.  He's "forbidden" me from doing it.  So, during this trip I hope to finish caulking and filling the nail holes in the guest bedroom crown and maybe the hallways.  Sure would be nice to have that all done!

But, it's going to be a long week.  My first week back FULL TIME at work, and Kevin on travel... and the dog-walker not available, and Olivia sick.  No biggie, just another week. :)  I had hoped to have some time to myself today and to get a few things done, but with Olivia not feeling well, and the Super Bowl (or Dud Bowl) on TV, I had to sit with Olivia a fair amount.  Fortunately, I was able to cook my food for the week.

Sleepy sleep time! :)  It RAINED today!!!  Not nearly enough, but at least it's something in this terrible drought!   And, I'm in drought-mode, figuring out all sorts of ways to conserve water.  I also managed to do some weeding during the weekend when Steve and Patti were here.

Nighty Night.  Pics to be added!