Allergies?

I know I keep beating this dead horse, and no one actually cares (or should, for that matter), but I still can't smell and I can't taste anything due to my sinus congestion. It's been weeks. Maybe I have allergies. I've been sneezing like mad, and I'm constantly blowing the schnauz (sp?). I am feeling better in general, though, so I think I've had some bacteria, and maybe allergies have compounded it. So glad I'm a doctor. Nils worked yesterday until 9:00 pm, so we didn't see him at all. Anders wouldn't go to sleep last night despite the fact that he had no nap. I think he finally went to sleep a little after 9, the little stinker. Addie will not stay asleep in her crib, and it's driving us crazy. Last night she woke up to eat, and as I was trying to put formula in the bottle, her hand flailed and knocked mine, and I spilled formula all over her head and it got all over our bed. How gross! There's nothing like grainy formula all over your sheets at 3 in the morning.

We're having an art festival today for the midweek activity. It should be interesting.

Sunday Morning Excitement

It's Sunday morning. Addie woke up at 7:00, and Anders followed at 8:00. This despite the fact that he didn't go to bed until after 10 last night. Little rascal. Now we have church to look forward to. Anders is anti-church, so it's always a barrel 'o' laughs trying to get him to be quiet. I was looking on ebay this morning and Target's website at kids room decor. I think it would be so fun to decorate the kids' rooms. Alas, this too will have to wait due to our extreme lack of funds. We also have to figure out where we're going to put all of the office crap. Addie needs her own room, and we're going to have to sacrifice the office. It's got to fit in our room somehow. It's just so...ugly. You know what I could use? A coma. I'm just tired. I'm going to go think about that for awhile.

Ear Infection = No Sleep

Addie has had an ear infection for almost 2 weeks. She's had various treatments, but it's back. I just got back from the doctor for the 5th time in the last two weeks. You wouldn't think it would be this complicated to treat an ear infection, but apparently it is. I'm learning that I have to be the one to suggest what kind of medication will work the best. We have to go back on Monday for another shot. This will be the third one. If it doesn't do the trick, I think I'll lose my mind. I need sleep. I think I have a sinus infection. I called MY doctor back today to tell him that I finished all of the worthless amoxicillan and I'm still feeling crappy. He said it's viral. Yeah, okay. How about we try some real drugs and see if it's still viral. I get to go get my new prescription now. How terribly exciting. Harmony is here today to help me with Anders and Addie. How wonderful is that? I tried laying down and Anders came into my room and said, "Wake up, Mommy! Eyes open, Mommy!" He's anti-sleep, just like Addie. I'm having a mental debate right now as to whether or not I should go to the gym. I feel pretty crappy, but I have been feeling this way for quite awhile, and my gym attendance has suffered greatly. I'm wondering if I should just go and exercise my way through the pain, or if I should stay here and sleep through the pain. I know which one sounds more attractive! I'll let you know later which one I choose. I'm leaning toward the gym because I ate part of a chocolate muffin this morning for breakfast. However, the longer I sit here typing, the more I don't want to go. So I'm off.

Oh the sickness

This last week was one of the worst in recent memory. Addie had a terrible ear infection, along with conjunctivitis in both eyes. I took her to the doctor 3 times last week. I think we've finally gotten it all cleared up. We're working on clearing up her thrush AGAIN. I've been giving her gentian violet aggressively, and it seems to be working. Her mouth is purple, and I've got purple spots all over my hands. It's messy, but it works. As my luck would have it, I contracted some kind of bacterial infection as well. How fun is that? I got an eye infection from Addie, and have been feeling awful in addition to that. I also went to the doctor and got a prescription, but have been feeling lousy anyway. My eye has been swollen half shut, I haven't been able to breathe through my nose or smell anything for a week now, my neck is stiff, head hurts, throat tickles. I think I'm just feeling picked on. Being sick is so much worse when you have little kids to take care of. They don't care that you feel like crap. As for good news, Addie found her toes this weekend and has been having lots of fun playing with her feet. It's so cute. I gave Anders his summer haircut on Friday. He was so shaggy. I made a giant calzone for dinner tonight, and we had to give half of it to our neighbors because we couldn't finish it all. I hope tomorrow I feel better. I'd like to get back to normal life. Good night.

"Nap Time" (yeah right)

When I sat down initially to write this, I thought both of my precious children were asleep. Five seconds later, however, I heard Addie start crying, and Anders saying "Crayon, where are you?" Currently, Anders is still talking to the crayon and Addie is laying on our bed looking at the shelves on the wall. Apparently they're very fun to look at. This last week was pretty crappy. Literally. Anders and Addie both had the 'rrea all week, I didn't feel well either. There were some other not-so-fun events as well, but the week was dominated mostly by poopy diapers. I'm taking Addie to the doctor this afternoon. She's had a goopy eye for awhile, and she's been feverish. Last night I started getting a snotty eye, and was up for a good portion of the night trying not to rub it. I feel awful today, and so does Nils. He called me from work, and it was a pathetic, hilarious conversation. I can't say my "M's" or "N's", and my throat kills. Nils' throat is killing him as well. I also made an appointment for Anders on Friday. It's called a "consult" visit. I want to talk to the pediatrician about the little attitude he has developed lately. I also want to discuss potty training and moving him into a bed. I've been realizing lately that I don't know what the heck I'm doing when it comes to raising children. Anders is reaching a point where I don't know what to do with him when he acts up, and I don't know what to use as collateral without being too mean. I don't want him to feel like he's always in trouble, but I don't want to give in and let him have or do whatever he wants. I hope the doctor has some good advice. She's a really nice person, and has always given me practical suggestions that have been effective.

My calling in the ward is Midweek Activity Committee Member. It's basically a glorified playgroup. It's been about a month so far that we've been having activities, and it's been very interesting. Tomorrow, however, is the first activity that I'm in charge of. We're doing a Show and Tell. I thought it would be fun if the moms and children all brought something to show and tell, and we can all learn some fun things about each other. I think I'm going to take my headphones. The reason? I'm the only person at the gym who wears headphones that are that big. They're Princess Lea-ish. Every time I'm at the gym I think "I look like such a dork wearing these headphones", but I guess I don't care enough to get different ones. Well, that, and we don't have money to buy new ones. I think for Anders' show and tell, we'll take his Elmo shoes, since they are his most valued possession. I don't know for Addie. Maybe a bib, since she's required to wear one 24 hours a day due to her excessive spitting up. I really hope that stops sometime. Nils got home about 15 minutes ago, I guess he left work early. We're a sick, sick bunch of people. It's tragic.

What happened to Spring?

Hello, Katrina here. Just thought I'd tell you in case someone actually reads this. It's another rainy morning. IT'S JUNE! I don't think mother nature got the memo. We've had no Spring. It's nice for a day or two at a time, just enough to tease us into thinking the weather is going to stay nice. It's fine, I s'pose. We have been in a drought for the last seven years, after all.
All is well here on the homefront. We went to my mom's for dinner last night and a few of the other family members were there. Anders loves his cousins, and we didn't end up leaving until about 9:30. Once the kids were asleep it was 10:00, which is just way too late. Addie, however, still woke up at her usual 7:00 am. We need to do something about that. She's always really happy for about an hour after she wakes up, but then starts getting tired again. It's getting to be about that time now. She's sitting in her bouncer looking at me longingly, while making noises that indicate she'd like some attention. She's adorable. She's starting to laugh and coo, and she's getting ready to roll over. She's in the scooty stage; we can't leave her anywhere unbuckled or she scoots her way off or out.
Anders is going through a difficult phase right now. We think the terrible two's hit him late. He's been an angel ever since he turned two in January. Addie's birth didn't affect him at all. He loves her. It's been about the last month that he's started getting defiant and naughty. When we try to help him brush his teeth, he covers his mouth with his hands, clamps it shut, and then screams like he's being tortured. He has similar reactions when we try to wipe his dirty face or hands. As delightful as it is, we're hoping it stops soon.
Anders is sick today. He keeps saying his tummy hurts and he's filling a lot of diapers. Rather smelly ones. FUN! I just gave him some stickers, that seemed to perk him up a bit. Nils is really happy that I decided to write an entry. That's funny. I do keep a real journal. You know, the paper kind that you actually open with your hands and write in with a pen? The difference between this and that is I only write all my deep dark secrets in that one. I'm done now. Children call!