Disneyland

We went to Disneyland to celebrate Gabby's 4th birthday. Since mom had her gallbladder removed we ended up taking Jeremiah with us. After a day filled with mishaps (forgotten Disney tickets, almost missing the flight, luggage not arriving, sitting in LA traffic) we finally made it to the Disneyland hotel. We were starving the first night, so we headed over to ESPN zone for dinner where Jeremiah enjoyed Gabby's grilled cheese. We got up early the next morning and started at Disneyland. The girls were dressed up as Rapunzel and Ariel. We first ran into Goofy, Mickey, Silvermist and Tinkerbell. Jeremiah flirted a little with Silvermist and gave her some nice big smiles. On our way over to California Adventure we ran into Ariel next to the castle. We headed to the princess breakfast where we saw Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, Belle and Cinderella. We topped off our breakfast with a little birthday cake.

After breakfast we headed to some rides. Ariel's new ride was the first stop. Joel took the girls while Jeremiah woke up and ate. They were so excited when they came out and Gabby was talking a mile a minute, so it was Mommy's turn. Next we went on the Golden Zepher. Jeremiah's first ride.





Next was the Jellyfish ride. Gabby wasn't tall enough last time we were there, so she was excited she was tall enough this time. We ran into Goofy on the way to the big Ferris wheel. The kids loved looking out and seeing everything. We headed back over to Disneyland since the rest of California Adventure was being remodeled for the new Cars land. When we got there we headed to find Rapunzel and more characters. After seeing Rapunzel and going on the scary snow white ride we thought it would be a good idea to head back for some naps. On the way we ran into Minnie Mouse, Pluto and Donald Duck. Gabby was excited to meet Minnie Mouse. Last time she was so scared of everyone, but this time she kept saying how "brave" she was and if Bella needed her to hold her hand she would. 

After naps we went back to fanstyland. The girls wanted to ride the carousel...they always love the carousel! Dumbo was next while Jeremiah took another nap. After dinner we went on Pirate of the Caribbean as our last ride of the night. I wasn't sure what they'd think of it, but it ended up being a favorite.

The next morning we were able to get into the park an hour early, which makes it worth staying at the Disney Hotel. We we up at 6:30 and in the park by 7:15. We went on the Alice and Wonderland ride, Peter Pan, Tea Cups, Dumbo and It's a Small World before the park opened.

We headed over to the Princess Fantasy Fair to see if there would be any Princesses we hadn't seen yet, and we got to see Tiana, Ariel and Belle. The girls were on the hunt for Jasmine, but we everyone we asked told us a different place and time. So we used our fantastic Disney App and noticed that Splash Mountain only had a 10 minute time. I wasn't sure how Gabby would do but the line moved so fast she only saw the log drop once. She asked if that was the ride we were going on and I said yes. She was really quiet the rest of the time in the line. It was our turn and she sat in the back with me. After the first drop she was hooked. Bella hit her mouth on the seat in front of her, so I tried to tell her push back on the big drop. The girls loved the songs and characters and when the big drop came Bella loved it. Gabby I think wasn't sure. I asked her if she wanted to go again and she said no, but Bella was ready to take Daddy. Gabby changed her mind and said, "Yeah, Okay, I'll go with Daddy too." Now when you ask what their favorite ride was they both say Splash Mountain. After they took Daddy on it...we saw Tigger and Eeyore walking around. We went on the Pooh ride and then ran into Pooh Bear. Jeremiah LOVED Eeyore and Pooh. He just pet their faces because they were so soft.

 We decided to go eat lunch and go take a nap. We ran into Aladdin who wasn't sure where Jasmine was either. The girls kept asking him, "but where's Jasmine?" We ended up getting a Dumbo and Pluto pillow pet for nap time. Jeremiah of course had slept, so by the time we got the room he was up and ready to go. Joel stayed with the girls and I took him to grab some Haagan Daas Strawberry Ice Cream. We sat in the grass and shared a cone, then he crawled around for about an hour. We headed up to see if the girls were awake and then headed back to Disneyland. We hopped on the monorail and decided to get their faces painted which was on their list to do. Jeremiah of course then took a nap. While he slept we saved seats for the Mickey Parade. Joel took the girls to hopefully find Jasmine. They went back to the Princess Fair and she was there...They were so excited that they got to see all of the princesses except Pocahontas and Mulan. They came back and waited for the parade. Joel brought back a pizza for dinner and we sat and watched. Jeremiah LOVED seeing the Mickey Mouse balloons and the parade...by far the highlights for him. Gabby danced and wiggled around watching the parade and seeing all the characters. Bella liked it to but didn't dance as much as Gabby. Once it was over Joel took Jeremiah to get a sweatshirt and I took the girls on Pirates of the Caribbean again. Since I gave Joel one of the girls tickets he had to talk his way back in. He met us after the ride and we went on the Haunted House. The girls were a little freaked out, but loved seeing the ghost in our car and Daddy and Jeremiah's ghost who was tall and ours was short. We walked over to the castle and there was this great employee who told us the perfect seats to see the fireworks. Daddy found light up toys for the kids and a sword for Jeremiah. He fell asleep before they started and was out the rest of the night. The girls loved the fireworks and were so excited to see Tinkerbell and Dumbo flying in the sky. We headed back to the room.

We got room service the next morning. The girls had Mickey Mouse Waffles that were so cute. We headed to the airport in plenty of time so we didn't have any mishaps. We made it home and had a great time. The girls are already talking about our next trip for Jeremiah's 4th birthday.

Loose Teeth

She keeps losing teeth!! She has now lost a total of 5 and according to her she has 9 more loose. There are two in the front that are loose, but we'll see. She pulled her tooth out herself last night after Joel had put her to bed. She came and said that was easy.

Other odds and ends:
Gabby's new answer to everything is 20-15. I'm not sure where she picked this up, but it is the answer she gives every time a number could possibly be the answer....
What time is it? 20-15
How much is that? 20-15
How hot is it? 20-15
Hold old is mommy? 20-15
How tall are you? 20-15

Gabby also keeps calling the cologne we got Joel in Mexico - caflown.

Jeremiah - besides him eating table food he has added some words - he says "Gab-bee" and "la-la" for Bella. He also loves to hear his noises...he makes this espresso machine sound and he has now added screaming at the top of his lungs in the car. I have been working on the girls ignoring him when he does this, so it's starting to go away, but I think he just likes to hear the sounds. It does amaze me that he can say Gabby but can't say Ma-Ma. I think he thinks it's a game. I'll say Ma-Ma and he says Da-Da or Daddy and then we keep going back and forth and he just smiles at me.

Cancun

The kids and I went to Cancun with Papa and Nana and Uncle Ryan and Chad. Daddy had to stay home and work. We had a blast. We went to the pool and beach everyday. The water was so clear and warm. Jeremiah loved his nap on the beach every day. We went to the market and Gabby wouldn't leave my side...until a lady asked if she could braid her hair. She had no problem just leaving us behind and following her through the market. She sat so still and some people asked to take her picture because she was so cute. Bella wasn't sure about it, but after she saw all the attention that Gabby received she said she would have one braid. Thursday we went to Xcaret. We didn't have high hopes for it, but it ended up being pretty amazing. They had all sort of animals - huge butterflies, pumas, leopards, manatees, sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, rays, etc. They also had lagoons and a beach people snorkeled off of. We finished off the trip at Lorenzillos (for the 2nd time)...we sat outside and watched the sunset. The kids loved watching them make the Caesar salads at the table. I do have to say Jeremiah loved all the table food he had quesadillas, chicken, ice cream, etc. He is now eating everything we are and loving it.

 

Hospitals

Well, I can't tell you how tired of hospitals and specialists I am. So Gabby had her drain put in and she did great...a few days later I took Jeremiah in to the peds since he was breathing a little hard...which led to him being admitted for low oxygen. He was diagnosed with bronchitis and we were there for 3 days. He was on oxygen and they sucked out his nose the entire time. We got released on Friday and were able to head to Mexico on Sunday.

9 months, family visit, Easter & 2 trips to the hospital

I feel it's been a whirlwind lately...so here goes. The little man turned 9 months last week. He weighed in at 21 lbs and was 28.5 inches. He dropped from 95% to 65th. I'm not sure if it's because of his ear infections and teething that he's not eating as much, but sure enough he is now eating everything in sight...so go figure. He is so happy all the time and does not stop. He loves to pull up on anything he can. Peek-a-boo is a favorite game right now and he seems to be working on more teeth. The little man even got his first haircut. He was so cute and sat so still.

Auntie, Granna and Pappa came to visit. The girls were so excited to take Auntie to the butterfly exhibit at the desert botanical gardens. The flowers were in bloom and we got to see a few more butterflies than before. Bella wanted to keep stopping at all the booths so she could "learn". We stopped at the mesquite booth and the bird nest booth. Gabby was good to go after she looked at things but Bella just wanted all the information she could get.

We came home and Granna and Pappa had arrived, so we decorated eggs. Auntie even made one to look Uncle Shawn since he couldn't join us.

The girls had soccer and both scored goals again (Bella 2 and Gabby 3). Bella did a little celebration after her goal. Gabby always run to Joel after she scores.

Easter was a great day. The girls were so excited that the Easter Bunny came and ate the carrots and left new dolls. We went to church and then headed to Brunch. Jeremiah LOVED the Easter Bunny. He was all smiles and just kept petting him. We headed outside for the egg hunt and then enjoyed the yummy variety of food. Bella wanted to try some things, but Gabby was set on only eating bacon, sausage and fruit. We sat next to the band and Gabby and Bella wanted to dance with daddy. Afterwards we headed to the animals so Bella could pet the bunnies. Gabby got brave and went in, but once the chickens started running around her she was ready to go.

I feel like all the kids have been rotating their sickness. Jeremiah had tubes put in the end of January. The morning that Auntie came into town Bella had her 3rd ear surgery. Dr. McKenna had to go in and put a patch on her left ear where the tube was and it never closed.

Now Gabby has MRSA again. She fell at Bella's soccer practice and got a scratch on her booty. By Friday night a little pus spot started. By Monday we were at Dr. Yoblonski's office. She drained some and Gabby was so brave even though she scream bloody murder. We went back today after starting anti-biotics and it had gotten even bigger about 3" wide and 2" tall and now a little one is on her big toe. She can hardly sit in her car seat her booty hurts so bad. Since it was bigger, Dr. Yoblonski thought it needed to drain more since it's not draining on it's own she called the peds surgeon and got us in. So we are headed to the hospital in the morning to have a drain put in. I am praying that this will start her on a rapid recovery and get rid of her pain. It is so pitiful to see her limping around. She has become a little mama's girls, which is a nice change.

To end a long post here's a funny story about our sassy ladies. The other night I was getting ready to dry the girls hair and Bella asked if she could use the ipad.

me: not tonight since it is already so late.

B: mommy you're mean

me: what did you say

B: never mind

me: what did you say

B: mom I said never mind

me: what did you say before you said never mind

B: I love you

me: no, you said mommy you're mean

B: well, if you knew what I said then why did you ask me.

A bit of rambling

So I feel like my mind is going a million places at once, so excuse the ramblings but I wanted to jot some things down.

So the little man just amazes me. He starts crawling and then that night he learns to sit. A week later (now) he wants to pull up on everything he can get his hands on. He uses people, toys, couches and tonight he used the handles on the dressers. His favorite seems to be to pull up on jungle toy. He tried to "walk" across from one end to the other and let go for a second. With adventure come a few bumps and bruises. I think he's also growing again...crazy I know, but he slept for 6 hours yesterday for naps and then ate an extra bowl of cereal, extra food and and extra bottle today. He's also getting a top tooth and has figured out puffs finally and LOVES them. He's great at just picking them up with his fingers but also loves to just shove a handful in there. He's just a busy little man.

Bella has three loose teeth. The girls had dental appointments last week and they were fantastic. Gabby is so funny about brushing her teeth in small circles now. I look at Bella sometimes and can't believe how tall she is and how grown up she seems even though she is five. She has moved on from being a hair stylist and now wants to be an artist. She loves to write things we spell out for her. I am amazed of how great she is at soccer. She has started to perfect her defense and will take a few steps back and try and anticipate which direction they are going and she'll steal the ball or protect the goal. She tries to pass, but I think the girls need to figure that out still. They are used to just taking the ball down on their own. Bella has a knack for crack her little brother up. She'll make noises and he just laughs and laughs at her.

Gabby is just our little sassy spit fire. She talks so grown up she cracks us up. The other morning I asked her what she wanted for breakfast and she replied, "well what are my options". I'm not sure how she is as clumsy as she is. Yesterday she was sitting in time out and I took her a Kleenex. I grab the Kleenex and turn and she starts crying because she whacked her chin on the ground and got a nice bruise from it. Tonight she fell out of the truck when she got out. I don't even know how that happens. She has become quite a cuddle bug in the mornings. I booked the hotel and made reservations for a princess breakfast for her birthday. I may be more excited than the girls. I am looking forward to Cancun in 6 weeks and Disneyland a few weeks after.

In the meantime we have Easter and Bella has surgery to patch the hole in her ear where the tube was. We are praying it is healed and she won't have to have a 3rd surgery. I am also praying that Jeremiah won't have any more ear infections. Even with tubes he seems to finish antibiotics and the next day his ear starts draining again. He's happy but I'm ready for the snot to be over. It's now in the 80s so hopefully the warm weather will start to get rid of this stuff.

Crawling

So the little man started crawling last week, and the next day he figured out how to sit up on his own. He is starting to figure out that he can go into other rooms of the house. Although he now has mobility he still isn't a very happy camper...all he seems to want to do now is walk. He loves to pull up using our hands and figured out how to pull up and stand next to the couch today. I can't believe how fast he picks things up and you can tell he just wants to go. He's still has a long way to go with balancing but I have a feeling he'll be walking well before his first birthday (which is when both girls started to walk).He finally came to the girls' games today...all bundle up for the early game, but by Gabby's game he was having fun playing (and eating) the grass.
This week we started with Jeremiah being pretty sick. Poor guy had green stuff coming out his eyes, ears and nose. The tubes were obviously working and draining out the gunk, but we still headed to doctor for some antibiotics and ear drops. By Wednesday, Bella was throwing up so she stayed home on Thursday and we found out she had strep. We got meds for Gabby too and she started throwing up Friday morning. Everyone seems to be on the mend...just in time for Auntie and Uncle Shawn to visit next week.