Pneumonia/Asthma Troubles

A couple of weeks ago I signed the girls up for "Parent Night Out" at my gym.  While the girls were having fun at the gym, Brad and I tried our luck at the slot machines down at Mystic Lake.  We ended up winning some money for once.  I think I ended up winning $120 overall.  WINNING!  That's the good news!

The Bad News...
When we went to pick up the girls from the gym, Erin saw us and came running/crying to us.  At first I thought she was just tired and missed us.  But when I bent down to give her a hug & kiss, I noticed that she had a fever.  I felt terrible that she wasn't feeling good & exposing her to other kids, but she wasn't sick when we dropped her off earlier that night.

I took her temperature when we got home & gave her some meds.  She spiked a fever of 104 and it went up & down through Sunday.  She had a little runny nose but nothing else.  I figured we should start giving her the nebulizer treatments again just to be safe.  She was working harder to breathe all through Sunday.  I took her into the clinic first thing Monday morning and found out she had pneumonia.  They gave us more meds and told us to come back in two days for a follow up.  As in the past, we NEVER make it to day two. 
Brad stayed home with her on Tuesday and by the afternoon she was really working hard to breathe & was pretty uncomfortable.  Brad brought her back to the clinic but they said she was getting good oxygen, gave her a neb treatment, etc & said "come back tomorrow." 
She never really responded too well to the neb treatments that afternoon and by 8:00 pm I decided to bring her to Children's Hospital ER.  

The Triage area nurse made me second guess why I was there.  He kept asking me questions... "Who sent you here?"  Um...that would be me.  I'm her mother.  Then he said, "Well, what's wrong with her?  What's changed?  When was her last neb treatment?"  She still had good O2 levels so he looked at me strange.  I replied, "We've been here three times before for this same thing.  I know what to look for!"  We then kindly took a seat and our name was called shortly after. 

The doctor checked Erin over, gave her an IV, neb treatments, and an x-ray.  They thought she may have had a collapsed lung.  After all the tests, they decided she needed to be admitted for Pneumonia/Asthma.  We camped out at Children's for 2 1/2 days.  Erin even made me order her Mac-n-Cheese for breakfast one morning.  I figured if I could at least get her to eat, I'll order whatever she wants. 

She's feeling much better now.  We are now seeing a Pulmonologist for follow ups.  They gave us all the necessary meds to have on hand in case this happens again.  This was Erin's 4th hospital stay in three years.
She has neb treatments & an inhaler until June.  Keeping our fingers crossed this doesn't happen again.   

Activities Update - Swimming, Gymnastics, Dance...

Once again, we've overloaded ourselves with activities.  We've been such busy bees, I don't know if I'm coming or going lately.  The girls absolutely love being in activities though and it's good for them to socialize as well as learn new things. 

Since we're going to be spending a lot of time on the boat this summer, we started up with swimming lessons this spring.  This was Erin's first time at swimming lessons and she's doing so well.  She loves the water.  We started her out in the Littles 1 class.  I didn't want to put her in the Baby Beginner class because let's face it...it's expensive and she can sing & pat the water at home for free.  Emmy loves to sit nearby and cheer her little sister on during her lessons.  She's such a good big sister. 
Last night we had evaluations.  Emmy finally mastered her flips from front to back and is able to advance to the Littles 4 class.  She's really doing so amazing for a four year old.  Last weekend we took the girls to the community center pool and stayed in the deep end without life jackets so that we could work on their skills.  Emmy was jumping in the 5' water and swimming back to the edge all by herself!  I don't think I knew how to swim at that age.  I do know that when I was little, my brothers threw me in the pool and said "kick" and that's pretty much how I learned.  Nice Brothers. :)  

Both girls are loving gymnastics.  They really love their instructor, Charles.  He does such a great job with the girls.  The girls' lessons are on different nights so Brad usually takes Erin to her class while I'm at dance lessons with Emmy.  Did I mention we're busy?

Emmy's ready to be done with dance.  She doesn't enjoy it very much, so this will probably be our last year.  Recital/Rehearsals are coming up soon - we are looking forward to being done.

This summer we are just going to focus on having FUN!  We're going to spend a lot of time on the boat & enjoy LIFE! 

Record-Breaking Breaststroke

This past weekend was the State Swimming & Diving competitions at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.  My nephew, Tyler, qualified to swim during three events at State - The 200 Yard Medley Relay Team, the 200 Individual Medley & the 100 Yard Breaststroke.

On Friday, the medley team did awesome and actually broke the previous Monte High School record, but they unfortunately got disqualified at the very end due to one of the swimmers diving into the pool too early.  That was a real bummer.  They didn't get to advance to the final round during that event.  

Next was the 200 Individual Medley.  Tyler gave it his all - it's not one of his favorite events.  He finished 21st out of 26.  They only take the top 16 to qualify for the final event.  He still did very well.

His third & strongest event was one of the last events of the day - The 100 Yard Breaststroke.  To say we were excited, anxious and nervous would be an understatement.  After all, this would be one of Tyler's last events of his high school career.  We've watched him grow and work to achieve his goals since middle school.

His goal was to break the school record of 100.81 (which has been held since 2005) and he was very determined to get there.  We all had faith in him that he could do it.  As the buzzer went off to start the race, we were all cheering, "Go Tyler, Push Tyler, You Can Do It Tyler, Come On Tyler!"
He stayed with the group during the whole race and then on the last lap he just broke away from the pack and took off.  As soon as he touched the edge of the pool, we looked up at the scoreboard to see his time...OMG, OMG, OMG it said, 59.66!!  For a split second I thought "That can't be right?"  And then it hit me...HE BROKE THE SCHOOL RECORD!!!!!!!  My mom was video taping the whole thing with my camera!  It was such an emotional experience witnessing him achieve his goal!  All his hard work and determination paid off.

He advanced to the final rounds on Saturday for the 100 Yard Breaststroke.  We were all watching with pure excitement and holding our breaths as this was his final swim of the season.  He dove into the pool and on his second pull, his goggles broke in half.  He had to give it his all and push through it.  Even with broken goggles he finished in 6th place and still beat the old Monte record with a 100.21.

We are all so very proud of you Tyler!  His plan is to swim at the college level, but he hasn't made his final decision on where he will be going to school just yet.  I think he has narrowed it down to SDSU or Gustavus.  Wherever it will be, we will be there to cheer you on!  His next goal is to make it to the national level and I have no doubt that he can & WILL do this.

Their awards banquet was held on Monday night at the high school.  Tyler received a plaque for his record-breaking time, earned All-State Honors, as well as half of the "Coaches" award.  It's an award that is voted on by all of the coaches to the best member of the team.  He tied with his teammate Andrew.

Here is a link to the record-breaking video from this weekend.  He is in lane 5 with the yellow cap...stretching his arms and jumping up & down before the race.  At the end you can hear one very CRAZY, excited, proud aunt!!!!

 Broken Goggles

 Just found out he broke the school record.  His teammate Jack Spaeth gave him a congratulatory pat on the head!  AWE!

 Tyler's Fan Club

 6th Place Medal

Look Who's 3

Miss Erin Lynn turned three years old on Friday, February 22nd.  She came into this world on her own schedule and has been a ball of energy ever since. 

On Friday, Erin and I had a little mommy and me day.  We ran a few errands & then we got lunch at Noodles and Company.  She requested her favorite food, Macaroni & Cheese.  I love how she says it, "Mac-roni-n-Cheeeeese."  After lunch we headed over to Nadia Cakes to get a little birthday cupcake.  She must have been full from eating all of her Mac-n-cheese because she only took one bite of her cupcake.  I could tell she was getting tired, so we headed for home to take a nap. 

That night we had her open one of the gifts from us.  She has been asking for a Minnie Mouse kitchen ever since she saw a picture of it from the Target Christmas Toy Catalog.  Man, did she light up like a Christmas tree when she ripped open the package.  It's so much fun to see her so happy!  She was jumping up and down and screaming in pure excitement!  Brad put it together that night and the girls were having a blast making us all kinds of pretend food.

We had a little party on Sunday at Lifetime Fitness for Erin and her friends.  The kids had fun in the bouncy house & zipping around on the gym floor with little scooters.  They really enjoyed the parachute too!  All the kids were so busy running around and having a blast. 

Erin received so many cute gifts: A Dora backpack with accessories; a Dora Costume; a coloring book with paint set & a Dora doll; a hair accessories tote & flavored chap stick; a Tinkerbell costume; a Lalaloopsy doll; a pink clip-in hair piece; play-do set; a hooded blanket; a coloring book with stamp set; a Hello Kitty night light from grandpa Brad; coloring book & luggage from grandma Linda & uncle Bob; clothes from Unkie Hoda, Rachel, Sam, Tyler & uncle Jesse; and a jewelry box filled with jewelry from mommy, daddy & Emmy.

Some of her favorite things are:

• Her favorite foods are Mac-n-cheese (of course), yogurt, black olives, ravioli, broccoli...there isn't much that she doesn't like.  She's a good eater!
• Dora, Mickey & Minnie, Tinkerbell, Toy Story, Finding Nemo & Caillou
• Brown is her favorite color
• Gymnastics
• Helping mommy
• Painting & Coloring
• Babies
• Playing with her friends Isis & Hadley
• Playing with her kitty Max
• Loves to dance & sing
• She's a daddy's girl

My sweet girl. We are so lucky to have you in our lives. This past year, your personality and preferences have really shined through. You are incredibly witty ~ especially for a three year old! There isn't a day that goes by where you don't make us belly laugh. I adore that about you.


You can hold your own with your sister. The two of you can be so angry with each other and then in the next blink of an eye you are snuggled up on the couch watching a movie.  We love you bugga-boo!

Vitamin C Overload

We received a very special package in the mail last week.  Grandma Bev sent us hand-picked oranges from her home in Arizona!  These oranges are so yummy!  We are definitely not lacking in Vitamin C. 
Thank you Grandma Bev!!

Brad's parents are currently visiting Grandma Bev for a few weeks.  While they have been away, we have been watching their cat, Snoopy!  She is so adorable and friendly.  She purrs even if you just look at her.  The girls give her so much love, I think she gets sick of the them.  They call her "Snoop Dog."  The girls also go around the house singing, "Snoopy in the Sky with Diamonds."  (A little remix of the Beatles' Song)

Our cat Max is getting along with Snoopy very well.  We've even caught Max & Snoopy napping together and hanging out in the window together!  Snoopy tries to swat at Max sometimes and he just takes it.  He's such a little gentleman.  He doesn't fight back.

I think we might try to keep her.  Just kidding.  But, I think Max would really love another permanent playmate.

Honoring Harley

My grandfather Harley passed away last week at the age of 87.  He was a kind hearted, gentle, soft spoken man.  He served in the United States Army during WWII and was awarded several medals for his bravery, courage & acts of heroism.  Among them were the Bronze Star & the Purple Heart. 

The Bronze Star was awarded to ground troops, infantry in particular, during WWII who lead miserable lives of extreme discomfort and were the ones who were the closest in personal combat with the enemy.

He was wounded one night when his troop rushed into a building that was full of heavily armed enemies.  He fought his way through the building while being shot at several times.  One of those bullets ricocheted off of the butt of his rifle and went into his heart and then into his arm.  After taking over the building from the enemy, my grandfather looked down at his chest to find that the bullet did not in fact go into his heart.  The bullet was stopped by a Zippo lighter that he had placed in his shirt pocket earlier that day. 

If it weren't for that Zippo lighter, my family wouldn't be here today. 

I will always remember camping at Kandiyohi Park 2, riding his red scooter, how he always picked up empty pop cans on the side of the road while riding his scooter, his great sense of humor and family get-togethers.

He was honored with a full military service featuring seven United States Army Honor Guards.  The firing of the rifles, sound of taps & the presentation of the flag with the words "This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service" will forever remain as one of the most unforgettable, emotional days of my life. 

Thank you grandpa for your service to our country, your bravery & courage, and for giving me your sense of humor.  I will miss you dearly!

Click here to read his obituary.

Maxi

Last week at Emmy's preschool it was "Bring Your Pet To School" day. (any stuffed animal)
Emmy first thought she was going to bring Jingle, her interactive puppy.  I didn't want her to bring a noisy stuffed animal so we decided on a regular stuffed puppy.

During circle time all of the kids got to show everyone their "pets."  Each child took turns telling everyone what their pet's name was.  Emmy told the whole class that her pet's name was "Maxi-Pad."  

Our cat's name is Max.  But as a joke we call him Maxi-Pad.  My brother has a dog named Max as well and he calls his dog the same thing.  The girls picked up on that name pretty quick.  Yikes, I'm going to really have to watch what I'm saying from now on!  UGH!!   Not a proud mommy moment!

George The Casanova

We are very pleased with Emmy's preschool - 4 Star Express.  She attends all day every day classes and loves every minute of it.  She is learning so much and is making lots of new friends.  She loves the school lunch but asks me every day what she'll be having the next day.  If it's something she doesn't like, she gets to bring her own lunch from home.  She told me the other day that she was sick of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.  I guess I need to change it up a bit.  :)

She has four teachers during the day.  Mrs. Scherber & Mrs. Schultz in the morning and Mrs. Barnes & Ms. Mattheson in the afternoon.  She loves clip time, home living & computer lab the best.  

Since the first day of school she has had a little admirer named, George.  He is the cutest little four year old boy I have ever seen.  The first week of school she was telling me all about George on the playground and then she said that he sits by her all the time.  I told her, jokingly, that I thought he had a crush on her.

Then, one day Emmy received something in the mail from George.  It was a puzzle that he had colored specifically for her.  I thought, well, every kid likes to get their own mail, so I helped Emmy write his name/address on an envelope and we sent something back to him.  I thought that was the end of it.  Then we received another letter with his preschool picture and another picture that he colored.  His preschool picture is now on a magnet on our fridge.

A couple of months ago, Emmy came home and told me that George kissed her (and some of the other girls).  He's quite the little Casanova!  This week during "Circle Time" at school the kids were all taking turns telling everyone who they loved (Valentine's Theme this month).  George told everyone that he loved his mom, dad, brother Thomas & Emmy.