Idol and Birthday - Part 2

First off...big shocker on Idol. Not so much that Lisa was voted off. But that 1) Bucky wasn't in the bottom three and 2) Katherine was. I'm not a huge Katherine fan, but she is good...certainly better than Bucky. Okay...to go into the "what DO you believe?" category...Katherine sings this song proclaiming that you can only trust in yourself. Tonight, being in the bottom 2, she says that she'll just keep doing what God wants her to do. So...which is it?? *sigh* It was sad to see Lisa go though since she's a local (from Anaheim) and has a killer smile. Then they said next week, they're all doing country. Great...right up Bucky's alley...guess he'll be around a couple more weeks *sigh*.

Back to Danielle's birthday...which was today. So, I stayed home from work to basically watch the kids all day. Although, she did take the kids this morning and go to breakfast with her mom while I stayed home. I used that time to put together a couple happy birthday letters, one from Joshua and one from Abigail. Danielle got back about 9:45 and pumped some milk for me to use at the next feeding which was about 10. Soon after, she and her mom went to get their nails done. So, after I fed Abigail, I took the kids to get some birthday cards I could put their letters into. I also went to the florist to get some flowers, some from me and some from Lisa who had asked me to get some.

Once back home, I put the letters in the cards I got and realized that the card that was to be from Joshua was a birthday card for grandma, not mom. I also had put together a little gift certificate for Danielle - good for 5 2-4 hour naps throughout the year. Basically, I give Danielle the opportunity to go to a neighbor's or something to take a nice long nap without the distractions of two young children. It's always a good thing to let your wife nap.

Anyway, I later was able to go to the store and get the right card for Joshua to use and all was well. Danielle loved the flowers and the letters. Later we went out for dinner to a Hawaiian BBQ place that we'd been wanting to go to. It was really good. So, that made for a nice birthday dinner (even though Monday's trip to Summit House was really the birthday dinner).

Been a while...more American Idol...Danielle's Birthday - Part 1

While it's been 11 days since the last post, I will try not to make this too long. Not so much because I don't want to share everything, but because of what time it is right now. You see...I don't often get a chance to do much posting till late at night when we're all in bed and by that time, I'm fading pretty quickly.

Case in point...check out the previous post...the title of which is "Survivor Wrap-up..." I think because I make reference to Survivor, I was inclined to use that. But the fact is, I was probably falling asleep while finishing the post and when entering a title, didn't think twice about what I was putting down.

Well...since it is Tuesday, and American Idol was just on and it's fresh in my mind, I'll provide my own synopsis of it. B-O-R-I-N-G! Wow...what a non-event it was tonight. They were all donig songs from the 21st century, which is basically anything in the past 5-6 years. Mandisa surprised me by doing a Mary Mary song (they are a Christian R&B duo) and proclaiming pretty loudly her faith in Christ. Her performance wasn't earth-shattering, but it was cool to hear it. Contrast that with Katherine's song called "The Voice Within" where she says that you can only trust yourself. *sigh*

The last couple weeks have been tough. Both kids and Danielle have been sick for most of that time. I just have a minor cough which is manageable. Danielle took them to the doctor this morning to have all three of them checked out. Joshua's ear infection is still there (or left and came back) while now he says Joshua might have a sinus infection. Either way, it makes him pretty miserable at times. We know this too shall pass...we're just hoping it passes soon.

Tomorrow is Danielle's birthday. So, Monday we got a babysitter - first time for Abigail - and first went to dinner at the Summit House. We've been there a couple times before and usually get the John Dory. That was nice. Afterwards, we went over to a friend's who have a nice jacuzzi formed from rock. We sat in the jacuzzi for almost an hour and that was really nice.

Okay...it's late again and I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. So, I'll post what I have and update it later.

Survivor Wrap-up; Sickness; Big Bear

First off...I must do a quick follow up on American Idol...Melissa was voted off. Sort of sounds like Survivor. Melissa was voted off the island. Just as well. Not sure I liked her as much, although I don't think she did as bad as a couple of the others.

Now, back to the children. So, Wednesday, Joshua got sick. He's gotten a heck of a lot more sick these past several months compared to his first year. This time...like most every time so far...we think he got it from the church nursery. Kind of a cop out I suppose, but it sure seems like when he does get sick, it's either on Monday (the day after Sunday church) or in this case the day after the Women's Bible Study on Tuesday where there's childcare provided.

So, back to Wednesday...our sister-in-law, Sharon, came up with her son, Jefferson (almost 4) to hang out, meet Abigail and play with Joshua. She also was kind enough to offer to watch Abigail during Joshua's nap so that Danielle could get some good quality sleep. That was huge! Unfortunately, an hour into Joshua's nap, he woke up crying. Normally, he'd go back to sleep, but he kept at it to the point where Danielle had to go in and check. Long story short, he threw up (or insert your favorite expression - blew chunks, upchucked, spewed, etc.).

That night went okay. The next morning, however, Danielle noticed what looked like an infection in his eyes. We debated whether to take him in to the doctor and decided she should take him. It was probably good that we did. He does have eye infection. But he also has an ear infection. So, we got a couple prescriptions. One is some eye drops which he said might sting (oh joy!). The other is some liquid medicine that has to be refrigerated and then shaken well before dispensing it. Smells pretty good actually. We were also told by a nurse friend - other than Lisa :-) - to get an antihistimine to help dry his sinuses up. So, Danielle got bubblegum flavor Benadryl (kids get all the great flavors!). For the most part, he takes all the medicine pretty well. That's nice.

This morning, we drove up to Big Bear to the cabin that we share. A couple of friends of ours wanted to use it and so we drove up with them to open it up and show them around. It had snowed the previous weekend and there was another storm brewing. So, I was a little anxious to get up and get back home before it snowed hard enough to have to use chains. Turned out to be beautiful up there during the few hours we were there and just as we were leaving the clouds started moving in. We actually did drive through the clouds and snow/rain, but it hadn't gotten bad enough yet. Although, later that night, I checked the road report and chains were required everywhere.

Now we find that Abigail's gotten some of what Joshua has...mostly congestion, which is hard to hear because there's not much you can do. And laying her on her back isn't that good since the flem just sits at the back of her throat. *sigh*

Now for a completely different post

I always talk about my kids...and I don't mind that. But there is more to life than our kids. First, we'll start with a completely superficial topic...the weather.

This is going to sound weird to the non-CA crowd, but we've been having some cold weather for March. This morning, I walked out and there was frost on the roofs. The other day, we had a storm pass through and when it first started coming down, it came as hail. Not very large stones, the size of pebbles. But not something that happens very often. Unfortunately, it was at night and so Joshua didn't get to see it. There I go talking about the kids again :-).

Today, I was listening to some music while working and started listening to Michael W. Smith. Came across one song that I like and recalled really liking the video to it. Thought I'd check his website to see if I could see it online. Come to find out that he's starring in a feature length film that was written and directed by Steve Taylor. Steve Taylor is/was one of my favorite music artists who I've always admired in terms of his authentic faith in an industry that's not always authentic. He hasn't done a CD in over 10 years, but still has an impact in other areas and with other artists (like the Newsboys). At any rate, it's called The Second Chance and deals with issues of race in the church. Looks fascinating, especially for a first time film for Taylor as well as first time acting for Smith. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's playing anywhere near here right now. I'll have to check around more.

Back to more mundane things. I hate to say it...but I really like American Idol. I watched the show tonight and it was just fun. I enjoy watching the contestants perform and hearing the feedback from the "judges". It's mostly entertainment and maybe I'm easily entertained. But there's something organic about it that makes it very interesting. I guess it's the ultimate reality show.

So, tonight, they all had to sing a Stevie Wonder song. Not the best option for some of them who just don't have much soul in them. But they tried. Here's my roundup:

• I thought Ace did pretty well...better than previous weeks, especially that horrible falsetto he did of a Michael Jackson song last week.
• Kellie, who I think is extremely cute, especially with her southern drawl, was horrible. Totally out of her element with this one. I hope she doesn't get voted out, but I'm afraid she will be after that performance. But here is last week's performance which is the reason she's in the competition...not to mention that Simon thinks she's a "naughty little minx".
  
• Elliott did alright. He just doesn't strike me as an "American Idol".
• I haven't always like Bucky...both the name and his performances. Tonight was no exception. It was almost painful to listen to. I hope he gets voted off.
• Mandisa was pretty good. Incredible voice. Powerhouse vocals that can tear down any house.
• Kevin...he's got a good voice, but he just seems too awkward. Like a fish out of water. But he's only 16, so he's got some growing to do.
• Melissa was okay. The judges liked her even though she forgot some of the lyrics. That's an honest mistake, but not one you should make in a competition.

Then came the last 5...all of which will easily move on to the next round:

• Lisa, who's only 16 herself and yet she sings and performs like she's done it for years. Tonight was more of the same. Awesome...and she's a local from Anaheim!
• I've always liked Katherine. I can see her going all the way. She did a great job tonight as well.
• Taylor Hicks. I love the name, love the grey hair, he's got an awkwardness that actually works, unlike Kevin. He makes you smile when you watch him perform. Sometimes I smile because he makes me laugh at how awkward he looks. But mostly it's because he's got some soul that comes out when he sings and it's fun to watch.
• Paris is quite simply a fireball. Extroverted with more than a capital E...it's in ALL CAPS. But she's good. Her voice is like Mandisa's...powerful. Yet she's 10 years younger. Pretty cool. Tonight's performance was a showcase of that voice.
• Finally, Chris...the Bo Bice of this year's lineup. Total rocker and so he does a Stevie Wonder song that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had apparently done. Go figure. That sounds like having The Rolling Stones doing "The Sound of Music". I wasn't totally into it tonight, but the judges thought it was brilliant. Hmm...shows how much I know...or maybe it shows how much they know.

All in all...fun show. Look forward to the results show tomorrow night.

Recap of the Past 9 Days

Lots of stuff has gone on this past week or so. So, this may be a long post, but it’s a lot of good stuff IMHO. For those not abbreviation savvy, that means In My Humble Opinion :-).

My brother, Bruce, was here from Poland. He’s a missionary with SEND International. The link to their page on SEND’s website is a couple years old, but gets the point across. Anyway, he was here alone to travel the western states to meet with supporters and try to attract new supporters due to some changes in the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro. We were sad to not see the rest of his family, but know it was for a good reason. It was still a lot of fun to see him and spend some good quality time with him between all his meetings and presentations.

One thing that will make the distance not so bad is Skype. Bruce has been encouraging the rest of the family (one brother in San Diego, myself in Fullerton and the other brother and the parents in near Portland, OR) to get on Skype so that we can essentially talk with each other free through the Internet. Not only that, but the latest version of Skype has video. So, I will break down and get a webcam and join the crowd. It should be fun.

On to some things Joshua is doing. The other day, he climbed into his crib…sort of. We lowered the side of the crib and he was able to get up and almost get his foot over. So, Danielle helped it over. He just needed a little help! He does seem like a good little helper. We’ve “taught” him to help put things in the trash, especially Abigail’s wet diapers (dirty ones are off limits). So, not only will he put the wet diapers in, but he likes putting other things in the trash, like socks, sippy cups and so on. Definitely something we have to keep an eye on. Although, sometime later, he took 2 or 3 of Abigail’s diapers from our bedroom trash, walked into his bedroom and put them into the diaper pail. That was pretty cool. Of course, he’s been known to put other things in the diaper pail…but I digress.

He’s decided to also change his sleep schedule on us this past week. Not drastically, but enough to cause us a little grief. He used to sleep from about 12 Noon to 2PM (give or take a half hour) and then go to bed between 7 and 7:30. He would then wake up between 7 and 7:30 in the morning. Now, he isn’t falling asleep until 1PM or after and sleeping till well after 3PM. It seems he also doesn’t fall asleep at night till after 8. But he does make up for that by sleeping in till almost 8 most of the time. So, it’s not horrible, but does cause us to accommodate.

Joshua had been teething for the longest time a while back and we figured he was getting his molars, but wasn’t sure. Then he stopped teething, but we never noticed any additional teeth. The past week or two, we’ve noticed he’s started teething again. But this time, we noticed a molar in the back had come in, presumably from the previous teething session. By the way, his sign that he’s teething is when he begins chomping on his fingers and hand while his mouth and nose are dripping almost uncontrollably. So, hopefully, another one is coming in this time. I’m sure it hurts a lot, so the more that can come through now, the better.

Danielle and I do like taking Joshua to various parks and Joshua has really begun to enjoy going down the slides. When Bruce was here, we went to a park next to the Brea Plunge. Here’s a picture of him going up the slide…notice daddy behind him with his hand ready to catch him when he falls back. Of course, I’m not sure how successful I’d be since I’m holding Abigail with the other arm. Fortunately, he didn’t fall back and he actually made it up the slide. Later on in the week, we went to Arovista Park in Brea. I hadn’t been there in years and so it was fun to see all they had done to that park (I played some Little League games there “back in the day”). We played on the slides for awhile and then I took him down to where the ball fields are and explained to him the basics of baseball. He told me he’s looking forward to playing when he gets older – well, I know that’s what he was thinking at least.

Friday was his 18 month checkup. He weighed in at 35 lbs and measured 34 ½ inches in length! He got his last shots until before he enters kindergarten. As always he did fine…cried a little bit…well, a lot…but he’s a trooper. Our doctor really encouraged us to have him use his words more. We know what Joshua is asking for half the time, but to tell him to say “ball” or “juice” and have him actually try to say the word. We can already see him getting closer and closer to saying things. It’ll be fun when he actually starts putting those sounds together and forms the words themselves.

Not too much to say about Abigail since all she does is eat, sleep and cry. But she is smiling a lot more and is in general less emotional than she has been. She’s enjoying her bouncy more and we’ve also introduced her to Baby Einstein (Baby Mozart to be exact) which she seems to get into most of the time (provided she hasn’t pooped). This has allowed us to get more things done in between feedings because we’re not having to always entertain her.

She seems to be sleeping a little better now. She is more consistently getting about 6 hours of sleep each night which has been really helpful. But throughout the day, it seems she won’t sleep for more than 30 minute chunks. Maybe when she’s in the car, she could go longer. But that’s not always possible nor do we want her getting a preference for it.

In a previous post, I mentioned Abigail’s pattern of pooping once every 2-3 days. Well, for whatever reason, she’s pooping more often too…usually once a day. The other day she went three times.

There's probably more...but I'll save it for another post that won't be nearly as long.

Abigail's Two Month Checkup

We went to see the pediatrician today for Abigail's 2 month checkup. I was looking forward to go so we could get her official height and weight. Also, since she'd been going 2-3 days between bowel movements on average, we were interested to hear what he had to say. Now, before anyone gets concerned, we had been asking around and felt that since she was not exhibiting any other odd behavior and that she seemed to be eating and growing fine, we weren't going to concern ourselves too much.

As it turns out, our doctor told us that breast-fed babies can normally have 3 or more BM's each day and that breast-fed babies can normally have one BM every 3 days. It really comes down to how efficiently their bodies process the breastmilk. In Abigail's case, she is probably just processing it all so efficiently that there's not as much waste produced. So he said not to worry.

Abigail weighed in at 11lbs 13oz and measured 23 1/2 inches long. So, she's grown over 2lbs and 2 inches from 4 weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised. They also told us she's in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. Not that we're to compare with the siblings, it's still an interesting excerise. At 2 months, Joshua weighed in at 16lbs and measured 25 inches long. And yes, he was above the 100th percentile for both height and weight.

Nonetheless, Abigail is doing very well healthwise which is nice to see and hear. Now if we can just get her on our routine :-).

Everyone Poops

One recurring theme with kids is poop. I'm sure most parents would nod their heads in agreement. It's not necessarily something you always would talk about, but the reality is it's everywhere. Especially if you had twins. I hear stories (notably from Danielle's mom - since Danielle is a twin) about how once you change one diaper, you have to change the other and vice versa. It's simply a never-ending saga.

Abigail's movements are quite often an experience. They don't come often, but when they do, they pack a punch. It's as though she really saves them up for one incredible blast. She did that at the hospital after she was born. Danielle was on the bed changing her and Abigail let out this projectile that splattered all over her pants and arm. We did take pictures, but have refrained from posting any...I mean, this is a family site. Some things just aren't meant to be shown.

The other day, she released one that the diaper just could not handle. It was the type where if you just pressed on the diaper, it would ooze out the top or back. We have some friends who we were told had a record of using 14 wipes in one diaper change. We didn't quite make that record, but we were close. Nonetheless, this was a "throw her in the tub" kind of poop. Yeah, the babywipes can wipe it all up. But sometimes, it's just not enough. I think our saving grace right now with Abigail is that her poop just doesn't smell that bad. It's not till they start eating solid food that the odor goes downhill. I won't even begin to talk about Joshua's.

One other poop story...Danielle had let Joshua play out in our patio area which, in general, is safe. No sharp objects. No drop-offs to fall down. At most, he could probably climb up on one of the patio chairs and accidentally fall down on the concrete. But this time, Goldie had apparently dropped a bomb earlier that day in our grass area of the patio (although...there's no grass, but that's another story). Danielle didn't notice it and of course, as with any curious toddler, he had to check it out. By the time Danielle had noticed it, he had already picked it up and smushed it in his hands. Fortunately, he didn't choose to do any taste-testing. And it was firmer than most, so it wasn't as messy as it could have been.

Where's Goldie?

Here's something we hope we never do to our kids. Danielle had come home with Abigail and Joshua. She did the typical routine of getting the kids up to the living room. That is to get Joshua out of his carseat and start him up the stairs. Then getting Abigail and finishing going up the stairs together. This particular time, once they were up in the living room, she noticed Goldie wasn't around. So she went back down to the garage to see if she was there.

Quick side note...there've been plenty of times Goldie would follow us into the garage and either we wouldn't notice or we thought she'd gone back up already. But then in a minute or two, we'd hear scratching at the garage door and find her still there. Danielle went to the garage to find her since this had happened before.

This time, however, when Danielle went to the garage, she didn't find Goldie. She happened to glance at the car and there was Goldie...IN the car. Pretty funny really. Sad for Goldie...but in her quest to find food (cheerios, raisins, etc.), she ended up in the car while Danielle was getting the kids out. You gotta love her.