MOLD!

So, Ellie has had a runny nose for over three weeks now. Off and on she has also had a cough, been cranky and her eating is hit or miss. After the first week of a REALLY runny nose, and finally a fever, she went to the Dr. and was diagnosed w/ a sinus infection. 10 days of antibiotics--about half way through those, started to seem better. After 2 days off the antibiotics, started w/ a runny nose again AND a cough. Started another round of STRONGER antibiotics (as most of you know antibiotics are great, but do have some ill side-effects, like diahreahh). She's about half way through those now and although she seems better STILL has a runny nose and cough!!!!

So, throughout this process, we are thinking she has allergies and that was contributing to it. Her Dr. agreed and we are supposed to give her daily infant claritin (or zyrtec) once she is done w/ medication. I agree that she probaby does have some wicked Indiana allergies.

HOWEVER.... GET A LOAD OF THIS!

Craig and I were getting Ellie ready for bed Tuesday night and I was looking up to the top of her bookshelf where her humidifier is. Since she has been sick off and on we have been running it like crazy. There is a stuffed duck up there, so the thought popped in my head that the duck was probably moist (OMG I HATE THAT WORD DID I REALLY JUST TYPE IT????), so I asked Craig to take it down and throw it away.

What happened next should have been an episode on the Discovery Channel.

MOLD. MOLD, MORE MOLD. AND SOME MOLD!!!!!

The top of her bookshelf was untreated particle board--meaning there was no paint and no sealant on it... and it looked like a black, white & green mold science experiment! SO GROSS!!

So, now we think that is maybe why she has been sick!!!!!!!! GROSS!!!!! We are the worst parents ever!

Anyway, we threw the entire bookshelf away immediately!

Any thoughts or advice on what to do now???? I'm definitely going to mention it to her doctor at our next appointment.

UPDATE TO THIS POST: I have been trying to go "Green" and "Organic" in our lives. I am very proud of my efforts thus far in the realm of food but I am no where near where I need to be in terms of household products. Please also provide recommendations here if you have any ideas/suggestions!!!!!

Happy Birthday Grammy!

Yesterday was mom's birthday! We had fun hanging out at home & we grilled out steaks for her last night. I wish I had a picture of her and Ellie to post here but, alas, I do not. We wish she was feeling better these days! Her hip and knee are just hurting her so bad... I know it takes ALL of her effort & energy to spend the day with Ellie on Mondays and Fridays. Ellie just ADORES Grammy, so I'm sure that's what gets mom through those days! She is scheduled to have her hip surgery in only 3 weeks! I can't believe it's so soon. We are going to miss having her around! She is planning on spending several weeks at my Grandma's right after the surgery.

Ellie is still not feeling too good either! She came down w/ a cold about 3 weeks ago, which turned into a sinus infection. She got done w/ her antibiotics last Tuesday and by Thurs or Fri she was a hot mess again! Snot, coughing, etc. So, the Dr. called in another round of antibiotics which we started on Friday. It's a different kind, and we have to give it to her 2 x a day. Poor girl has been taking SO much medicine she is getting so tired of it. Between all the antibiotics, benadryl, claritin, tylenol, etc she is OVER IT!!! Please pray for us that this round of antibiotics finally kicks this bug out of her system and she can be healthy for a while! She has been really good about letting us wipe her nose 1000 times a day but it's sad when you are 13 months old and your favorite thing to do right now is play with kleenax!

We went to the zoo on Saturday w/ my company (family picnic thing). We had fun but she doesn't get TOO excited about the animals yet. I think she just likes anything where we go to people watch and walk around in her stroller :)

Here is a picture of her on the train. Not a very good picture but I love her cute little head.

We are getting excited about fall... there are so many things to do! Pumpkin patch, apple orchard, festivals, halloween parties, bonfires, etc! YAY!

The best kick off to fall is in less than 2 weeks... the Pumpkin Show!!!! This is the annual town festival in Versailles, IN where my mom grew up and my grandmas still lives. Seriously, I can't even begin to put into words how excited we used to get. Probably equal to Christmas morning. Friday after school we would speed down to Versailles, fly into my Grandparent's front door, eat chili & head "up town" (a couple blocks walk!) to ride rides, play games and eat elephant ears! If you are over 21, after you are done riding rides, you can stop by the American Legion for a $1 beer (or two!). Saturday morning, there is a small town parade that is seriously a HUGE event for everyone in the whole county & surrounding. After the parade, you get to go back around the square and eat more fun fair food and play some more games! I am so excited to take Craig and Ellie for the first time this year!

Dancing and Singing!

Have you seen this youtube video montage yet???

AMAZING!!!!



OH MY GOSH this makes me so want to watch all of these movies! Grease! Footloose! The movie w/ Julia Stiles! West Side Story! Saturday Night Fever! All of them. Is it just me or DO YOU LOVE YOU SOME KEVIN BACON!!?!?!??!?

And speaking of singing and dancing. Did you see this?


SO SO SO SUPER FUNNY!!! And just amazing tv... I HEART Jimmy Fallon (and my girlfriend Tina Fey)

So, I hum to Ellie every night while I'm rocking her & giving her a bottle before bed (YES I KNOW we need to start working on cutting out the bottles). For whatever reason, the songs that pop into my head are mostly showtunes. I always laugh (to myself) because they are pretty cheesy. I seriously always try to think of other songs but these are my "go-tos":

-Stranded at the Drive-in (Grease)
-Hopelessly Devoted to You (Grease)
(Seriously those are almost always the first two I start humming until I can think of something else)*
-Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler)
-Somewhere That's Green (Little Shop of Horrors)
-Goodnight Sweetheart (a 50's do-wop song, but made popular to me by the movie Three Men and a Baby)
-We'll Be Together (Grease 2)
-Wonderful World (not the Louis Armstrong version, the Hawaiian Brother Iz version)
-Hey Jude (Ok, this one's not cheesy, but i still laugh to myself because I can hear my 21 year old self playing it on the guitar!)
-Close Every Door (Joseph)
-The Rose (Bette Midler--my junior high choir ("glee club") had a riveting performance of this one
-Seasons of Love (Rent)
-Without You (Rent)
-Pass it On (this is one that has appeared in my head lately for some reason--it's a Camp Pyoca song we used to sing around the campfire!)

SO YES I LIKE SHOWTUNES!

*You may ask yourself, "Why would she not include Rizzo's "There are Worse Things I Could Do" in there?" Well, that is one of my top all time favorite songs, believe me! But it doesn't HUM well. Try it. I like a song w/ easy verses and a good melody.

Ellie's 12 month pics (32 photos), by jennifer skinner

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Here is the link to the full set of high quality pictures from Ellie's 12 month photos! I had a coupon at Target to order prints, but I couldn't decide on which ones, so I spent too much $$ on this disk! SO: family members, please use it and buy some prints.

Hugs

Dried Snot

You know you are a mom when...

You get to work on multiple occasions in one week with snot on your clothes!!!

Seriously, though Ellie has been fighting something for a week or so now, and it finally reared it's ugly head last night w/ a fever and vomiting. Got in w/ the Dr. today and it's a sinus infection. Started antibiotics today, so pray for us that she kicks it quick!

Also pray for Daddy too. He's sick w/ a cold too and he might be dying a slow death. Poor thing!!!

12 Month Pics

So, Ellie got her 12 month pictures at Target on Saturday. She did good for about 5 minutes, then was pretty much not having it. I'm not sure why, but I think the time of day was off... we are in the middle of readjusting nap time and she didn't take a morning nap. Could also be that she is stubborn and only wants to do what she wants to do!!! I was SO happy w/ all of them though. I used to think these portrait studio people didn't know what they were doing, but the girl who did these was just awesome!!! I even had a coupon, but I ended up buying the CD (not cheap) because I couldn't decide. Here are a couple from the Target website they give you. You can't print these images, but I will pick up the CD Saturday and will have them up on snapfish for your viewing pleasure this weekend.

OH MY GOSH I HATE GETTING MY PICTURES TAKEN!!!

Yes, she is attempting to re-inact an album cover of some cheesy 80's artist... I am thinking MJ Thriller (although I would not consider him cheesy)

Now we're talking...

The first thing out of my mouth when the photographer busted out this couch was "OH my gosh, it's a Costanza sofa!" I tried to get Ellie to pose on it like him, but she was not havin' it. It was touch and go from the time we got there.

Love this one!

Tate!

Here is a small taste of how awesome it was to have Tate stay w/ us for 10 days! He was so good with Ellie and she, of course, adored him. He was so good about playing with her. It was truly helpful to have him around! Too bad your mom won't let you move here :)

Bestest Cousins! from Jennifer Skinner on Vimeo.