Trunk to Trunk begging for food

Getting ready to go out on the town

I'd like some candy, please!

Did you say more candy?

I thought cats always landed on their feet.

Is that a cat in trouble?

Sounds like a job for Superbaby!

Look at this kitten I saved from a tree

Halloween

We had so much fun this Halloween. Last year, it was so windy, we never got Carolyn out of her car seat. This year it was nice and crisp, without a lot of bite. We spent about an hour at a Trunk-or-Treat activity. Carolyn had a hard time with all the people and costumes. After being fearless at Disneyland, she was scared of a jester (among many other things). At the end, when most of the kids had left, Carolyn found her courage and would walk right up to people with her hand out. I was trying to get her to say thank you, I guess I should have started with please. Anyway, we came home with her exhausted and put her to bed. Hopefully, she will be so tired that she'll sleep through the night.

Pumpkins!

No more slide for awhile...

This picture breaks my heart a little. I know most people wouldn't even notice what makes me so sad, so I put a giant red box around it! Carolyn took a little tumble off the end of a slide last week. At first she seemed just fine, but, a few hours later, this shiner developed across her eyelid. She's fine though. She doesn't even know it's there. Just her mom does, the mom who couldn't catch her in time.

Thanks for the stickers, Grandma!

So tired.

You know how sometimes when you have a problem, you spend your time frantically trying solution after solution. Let's say your husband/spouse/whatever is running late. First, you think he just left work late. Then, he's in a meeting. As time passes, you start thinking about all these convoluted scenarios where he would be late, and lost his cell phone, and had no access to email. Finally, you realize, simplest solution: he just didn't think to call.

Tonight, we had a similar situation with Carolyn. Went to bed early due to early nap. Started waking up every 30 minutes and screaming to be held. We gave Tylenol. We rocked her. We turned on the humidifier. We lay down on the couch together. We stressed over possible ear infections, about spoiling a child who just wanted attention, croup relapse. Never did we think of gold fish and dehydrated bananas. That is until 12:45. She was hungry.

Still loves this game

Where's Carolyn?


PEEKABOO!

Suckers! They're all suckers!

Mom has awesome friends...


After giving me a taste, she got me this WHOLE bowl!

OH...I guess I'll share with the old guy.

Walking the day away.

For me, the most counterintuitive part of croup is the instruction to take my child into the cold air. But, I do what the doctor advises. This was much more difficult for Jeremy. He thought we were being irresponsibly stupid. Through our first late evening stroll, I had to reassure him that this was just what Carolyn's respiratory system needed. And, oh, how she needs it! I just returned from a 4.2 mile walk with my baby (I found the mileage from Google Maps). She loves the walks. In fact, this was her second one of the day. Her first walk was much, much shorter, but I learned that she is miserable inside the house. Then, I take her outside--and voila, she is my normal, happy baby. During our long walk today, we stopped in a beauty supply store (just for browsing), we had lunch, and we got some hot chocolate on the way home. She is sleeping--or was, I just heard her howl. I guess the nap I was planning on is no longer on the schedule.

Croup. Who knew?

So, I learned yesterday that croup is still in existence. This was one of those illnesses that I always assumed went the way of smallpox or something. Jeremy tended to use it as his default diagnosis every time Carolyn has ever gotten sick. It turns out a broken clock is right twice a day. Carolyn woke up yesterday (very early, I might add) with a raging fever and one of the nastiest coughs I have ever heard. And...apparently it is croup.

We brought her home and had a horrible night last night and a very wheezy day today. We've gone on multiple walks in the cold air to help with lung inflammation. Today, her pediatrician prescribed her a steroid. So on top of having croup we found the one medicine Carolyn doesn't take willingly. She will take her iron drops straight from the dropper (3 droppers a day!), her Tylenol, her fluoride. She gets excited for all of them. But not oral steroids apparently. We had to pin her down after she got her first taste of this stuff. I thought that some juice between attempts at medicine would calm her down. I think it would too--just not prune juice. Strike two for mama today.

She is asleep now. Please let it be for the whole night.