A Trip to the ER

Never a dull moment when there is a child in your life that's for sure. Well, this was how our evening played out tonight. Randy had his usual basketball practice for his 6th grade boys from 7:00-8:30. Karenza was watching Cinderella III in her room and was being really good. I hadn't seen much of her tonight, as she was occupied in her room. She did come out to the living room where I was once and a while, and when she did come out she kept complaining of her ear hurting. I asked her if she wanted me to put some medicine in it, and she told me no. So I thought maybe it was just an itch or something so I let it be. I went to check on her in her room, and she complained about her ear hurting again, and I asked her which one. She pointed to her right ear. So I peeked in her ear and thought I saw something in there, but I wasn't quite sure so I made her come out to the living room and lay on the couch with her head on my lap so I could look closely under the lamp. It looked like something was in there. I saw something white. I looked in her left ear and there was nothing there. I thought maybe I could grab it with a tweezers, and she wouldn't even let me put it close to her ear. And I thought to myself "What am I doing? I could poke this further in her ear!" So I looked at the clock and it was 8:45 and I called Randy to see where he was. He was just around the corner and I told him we needed to take Karenza to the Emergency Room because I think she put something in her ear. So we grabbed her blanket and baby alive and and met daddy when he was pulling up. He jumped in the truck and off to the ER we went. I noticed they remodeled since we were at the ER last (probably about a year ago for me and what we thought was either kidney stones or gall stones - turned out to be neither!) we had to pick up a phone first and tell them what was wrong and then there was this buzz and the door opened. The receptionist did all our paper work, and a nurse came out and took us in this tiny room to get Karenza's vitals and weight (she weighs 34 lbs!) and asked us what was wrong. The nurse then calls someone on what looked like a cell phone and proceeded to tell them what was wrong and then said follow me, so out back to the receptionist we go and through the ER doors. Seems to me like there could be room for procedure here, but anyway. We went in this room that had what looked like a dentist chair and two chairs for Randy and me. Karenza sat in the "dentist chair" and asked Randy and me where her bed was? She was kind of confused. She tried laying down in the "dentist chair" but that wasn't working. So another nurse comes in and asks us again what was wrong, and we told her (again) and she asked me if she had a temp and what she weighed? I was like did the first nurse not wright any of this down? So I told her. Then she said the doctor would be in. It was only about 10 minutes before he came (the ER was packed!) and he looked in her left ear first and it was good. Then in her right ear and told me that there wasn't anything in there but wax built up! I was like, what? I just had given her a bath the night before and used a q-tip and it was clean! One of the things I am obsessed about is clean ears. Just ask my mom, dad, or sister. I am always cleaning my ears (and don't want anyone standing near me while I was doing for fear it would get lodged in my ear). He said that it was beyond what a qtip could reach. I think I recall when I was little having the same problem. Will have to ask my mom on that, but I think I have a little memory of that. So they move us to another room where there is a bed so that they can put some oil in her ear and lay flat with her left ear on the pillow so her right ear was facing the ceiling for 15 minutes! That is a long time to ask a 3 year old to lay still. She cried the whole time! Randy was asking her questions like where is daddy's nose? Does daddy have hair above his eyes? Do you remember what they are called? And it worked! Kudos to his fast thinking on keeping her mind off of it. So the doctor comes back in in 15 minutes and gets this "squirt gun" as he described it to Karenza. He let her squirt water in the garbage can first. She thought that was pretty cool. Not so much when it was the doctors turn to flush out her ear. One nurse was holding her head and I was holding her hand and rubbing her back. She was screaming bloody murder! The girl definitely has a set of lungs! The doctor went and got another nurse to help hold her down. So it took two nurses and the doctor to hold her head straight, and her legs. They said she was a tough little girl! Anyway, out came the wax that was in there. I felt so sorry for the little thing. That's my baby! It was about 10:20 when we left and she was thirsty so Randy stopped and did get her some juice. It was late to have some juice but I wasn't going to say no! When we were getting ready to leave the ER I asked her if she still wanted the Baby My Little Pony with the bottle and she told me that she just wanted to go home! She may still get it for being a big trooper! It's hard to see her screaming and crying at the top of her lungs and watching the doctor/nurses hold her down. Sure glad we brought our Bronco blankie along. At least it will feel better now. Didn't take her long to get to sleep. Hopefully she has a better day tomorrow!

The Chicken Dance

This is cute. Here is one of the many performances Randy and I get to see.

Last night during American Idol she was watching those girls perform so closely! She would perform with them, and after they were finished she said to Randy and me "Talk to me!" So we had to judge her! She would dip the microphone like they would and everything. I do have to say the girl has skills! :o)

Start of the week...

The start of another week. The weekends seem to go so fast! It was nice to get away for a day and a half, but I sure do miss my baby when I am away. Randy and I were both glad they lost their last game so that we didn't have to wait around to the last game at 3:30. Plus the time difference Dickinson is an hour behind us so it would have been 4:30 Bismarck time when the game started. We were able to be home by that time. I had never been to Dickinson to stay overnight or seen much of the town. It sure is a pretty place it has a nice high school and nice college. The weather was beautiful. Most of the other players on Randy's team went down Friday night, but I didn't want to be away from Karenza for two days. We were there by 9:00am (mountain time). All the other players wives were surprised to see us that early. Not sure why. One wife said Miranda runs a pretty tight ship and has to be organized. She also told them that I told her we were leaving town at 9:00am and told them we probably left at 8:57am! She was so right.

Anyway, when we arrived back in Bismarck we drove right to my mom and dad's and of course they were gone! I was about to call Mom on my cell phone and here they come driving in. Karenza was happy to see us, and had a lot to tell! When she got out of the Tahoe she still had her 3-D glasses on and was telling me all about how she had to wear them at the movie theater. The Hannah Montana movie was definitely a hit. I asked Mom if she kept them on for the movie and Mom said that she would look over and Karenza would have them on the top of her head and so Mom would pull them down to hear eyes. Then Mom would look over again and the bow would be off her ear, and mom would tuck it behind her ear. Mom said they sat way in the back so the girls could get up and dance. Karenza was up and dancing. I still can't believe they paid $18 a piece to take the girls! Randy and I were talking about that on the drive home, and he said knowing your parents they'll spend $100 - $150 today to take the girls to the movie and of course popcorn and all the fixings. Like my Dad would say "What are grandparents for? I want to make them feel like a million bucks!" He is in Vegas this week for meetings so if he spends his $5 gambling (not much of a gambler) maybe he will hit a jackpot!

Holly had her 2nd doctor appointment today. I haven't spoke to her yet, but last night Cassidy was pretty excited that they were going to be able to hear the babies heartbeat. She was going with to the appointment today. 6 months seems a long time away for a baby to come! :o)

Have a great week.

The Weekend, Finally....

Karenza is staying at Mom and Dad's tomorrow and Papa told her they are going 4-wheeling to look for bunnies since the weather is suppose to be nice. That is all she could talk about at daycare today Cindy said. And I haven't told her yet, but Grandma told me that Papa was going to take the girls (Karenza and Cassidy) to the 3-D Hannah Montana Movie/Concert. It's $18.00 a ticket for the movie! That's crazy. I guess it's suppose to be almost like a live concert. I don't know who wants to go more Papa or the girls. I mean my dad watches Drake and Josh when the girls aren't even staying there! Too funny. She has her bag all packed and her Hungry Hungry Hippos game to take to play with Grandma. Anway, I am sure Karenza will have plenty of stories when Randy and I get back in town on Sunday. We are headed to Dickinson early in the morning for a basketball tournament. We won't be back until Sunday. It'll be nice to get away (even if it's only an hour away!).

The "ME" Show

This is just too funny not to share. I was just getting Karenza ready for her bath (well probably 20 minutes ago) and her and I were in the bathroom. She said mom I have to go rehearse! I didn't even know she knew the word "rehearse" or even the meaning of it for that matter. I am thinking she picked it up off of American Idol this week, but who knows. She goes behind the shower curtain (not in the tub, but just behind the curtain) and whispers to me "Mom, introduce me!" So I played along and proceeded to say "And now, please put your hands together for the one and only Karenza Grayson!" And then I clap. She slides the shower curtain open and says "Welcome to the show, called ME!" I was like, where is this coming from? Randy and I are still laughing about it. It took her forever to get in the tub after she had Randy and me going! She sure is a comedian. Just like at Christmas time my mom and dad bought her a microphone with a stand and she decided to start telling jokes (with the help of Papa). I was the butt of her jokes! She would always start out saying "So the other day my mom..." she is definitely a character that's for sure.

Big Girl

I was able to snap a quick picture of Karenza with her new panties. I just think they are so cute. Randy thinks I am obsessed with her butt (maybe I am), but it just so damn cute!! Sometimes when she is in a goofy mood she'll say "Mom, you can pinch my butt!" I just love it! She was so easy to potty train. One night after she came home from daycare (in mid-December) I put panties on her and told her to let me know when she needed to go. She did awesome that night. Before we went to bed I put a pull up on her and she woke up dry and so we hurried into the bathroom and she was upset that I was going to put another pull up on her. She wanted to wear panties to daycare. So I told her that she need to make absolutely sure that she needed to tell Cindy when she needed to go potty. I took an extra pair of clothes just in case (in all honesty I thought she would have an accident). To my surprise when I came to pick her up she was in the same clothes I took her in!! And the rest is history! I think she was ready a long time ago. Maybe I was the one who wasn't ready, I don't know. I think since she had big girls panties on she knew she couldn't go, but having a pull up on she knew they were still like diapers and she knew she could still go in them. It was so easy! We have had a few accidents, mostly by the potty because we can't get our pants down fast enough. She gets so disappointed with her self when she has an accident. But I reassure her that I am still very proud of her. Now I don't have a baby anymore. I have a big girl. And she reminds me every day. She has known her alphabet for so long (before two years old), been able to count to 20 for a while (since 2), and has gotten really good at her colors and shapes. It is just amazing to see her little mind work. I bought a few hidden picture books, and some ABC and 123 books where you had to do some matching and finding stickers to match the shapes. She was great at it! I have to buy some more as she has completed most all of them. She fascinates me!

My Baby...

On Sunday night Karenza got some sort of bug. It was really weird. Randy had a basketball tournament for his 6th grade boys basketball team he coaches up at BSC and we first went for breakfast and then at the game her and Randy shared some skittles. We ran to the grocery store after the game and by the time we got home (6pm) she said she didn't really feel good and that she was puking in her mouth (that was her explanation to me). I thought she was kidding because she was still running around and laughing. I told her if she was going to get sick she should go into the bathroom. She was sitting on the couch and all of a sudden ran into the bathroom Randy followed her and yelled at me in the kitchen saying she had gotten sick. He told me that at the grocery store he had to keep telling her to stop biting on the cart. So I am wondering if that is where she got it. I was happy I didn't work on Monday in case she got the flu again, but she never got sick again. Weird. Afterwards on Sunday night she laid on the couch and said she was just going to rest for a little bit and was sleeping within 5 minutes. I had to take a picture of her sleeping ever so peaceful with her favorite Broncos blanket from Uncle Jer (and Auntie Holly)!

My Beautiful Dress...

Here is a picture of Karenza in her "beautiful dress" as she calls it. We had a wedding on Saturday and this is what she wore. It had been hanging in our laundry room for over a week with her fancy shoes and was killing her not to wear it. As you can see she was really working it with the hand on the hip! She had a blast being able to do the chicken dance. We had to leave kicking and screaming. We got home about 11:00pm (with no nap during the day) she was really crabby. She was sleeping within 5 minutes!

Old Pic

I was looking through old pictures this morning, and came across this one of Karenza when she was little (approx. 5 months old). I had her standing (yes standing) in the chair and took her picture with her new outfit on. And looking back at the photos I took of her just this week sitting in the same chair she has gotten so big! It's just crazy. She seems to have gotten so big in such little time. Time for another one...(well maybe not 'til after my 30th birthday).

Priceless...

Karenza's reaction when we told her to open her eyes! We got her a Doodlbops (her favorite cartoon) drum set. She is officially a one woman band with her Hannah Montana guitar, her High School Musical microphone (or her microphone on a stand), her Barbie piano and now her Doodlebops drum set. She sure is rockin' them all! She also recently showed Randy and me her break dancing skills too! Maybe I'll get that on video someday if she lets me. :-)

Have a great weekend!!

Karenza's Valentine to Mom & Dad

They finger painted at daycare today and this was her present to us! It will go in her scrapbook of memories I have created for her (or created for me to look back upon when she turns 18!).

Hmm who's this from?

As we were going through on who gave her what she wasn't quite understanding the concept. I was taking each valentine out and telling her that it was from Taiven, Madison, Keeley, McKenna, ect. And she was like that's not Taiven's thats mine! I had to explain slowly to here that Taiven was the one who GAVE HER the valentine and that it wasn't Taiven's. I mean how is she really suppose to know what Valentines Day is and the meaning of it? She's only 3! Waiting for Randy to get home to give her our present. I think I am second guessing it now! Will post more pics of it either later tonight or tomorrow.

The End of Valentine's Day

Here we are just after arriving home from daycare and looking through our decorated sack that she did today at Cindy's. I asked her what it said and she couldn't remember, and I said does it say that I will listen to my mommy all the time and forever. She looked at me and shook her head yes! :0) If it were only that easy.

As I look at these pictures I've taken over the last couple days I think she has had a growth spurt or looks so much bigger. She is definitely a little girl, no more baby! :'o(

Happy Valentine's Day!!

This picture was taken this morning eating a quick apple before we are off to Cindy's (daycare). Last night we did her valentines to take to Cindy's this morning and she picked out each valentine for each kid and she picked out each of their lollipops (or according to her wollipops!). After we were all done I just threw in a extra lollipop in the bag so that she could eat one at Cindy's with the other kids. She was upset that hers was not taped to a valentine so we put one in her bag that said To: Karenza From: Karenza.

When I dropped her off this morning daycare was a zoo! Don't think I could have the patience for all those sugary high kids this afternoon! Wonder how mine will be when I pick her up. Maybe Cindy will only allow one treat (cross fingers). Knowing my daughter she will find a way to have more then one!

Have a great Valentines Day!

Guitar Hero

Really getting into it now!

Guitar Hero

Karenza rockin' away on Guitar Hero! She does hit a few notes, and then she gets booed off stage, but she's tryin!

Performer in training!

It's a little dark, but hey at least you can hear her! :-)

Valentine Present from Grandma & Grandpa

"Oh, thank you, thank you! This is just what I wanted!" was her reaction when she saw her Valentines Day present from Grandpa and Grandma. She got it early because Grandpa and Grandma didn't know her (or our) schedule for the week so they stopped over today. When mom and dad left she was banging away on it, and they just smiled and said have a nice evening! Shortly after this picture was taken she was told to take it to her room. :o)

P.S. - I asked her how she wanted her hair done today, and all she wanted was a head band. So this do is from after her short nap today. Isn't it lovely?!

Number 1 Hotel Rule!

JUMPING ON THE BED! Before the girls went swimming they had to jump on the bed. That has always been a rule since I was a little girl, and now our girls are doing it too, and of course love doing it!

Yummy Cake

Savannah Jo going at it with her very own birthday cake! She wasn't so sure at first until Mindy put her hand in it. Then she went to work on it.

Finally Cake!!

Yum! Finally she gets her cake and ice cream. It's soooo gooood! Notice the pink bracelet on her wrist. She was smooth and got that from Savannah Jo's purse that we bought her!

Karenza

Karenza's fake quick smile to try and make mom happy so she can eat some birthday cake. All she talked about from the time we left home was "I sure hope Savannah has some birthday cake, mom!" And when she saw that it was pink she was even more happy, and kept asking every 5 minutes!

The Three Girls

All three girls together Karenza (3) Cassidy (8) Savannah (1). Karenza sure was trying to get Savannah Jo to sit still, but she wasn't having it.

Opening Presents

Savannah Jo is openeing her presents from Holly and me. A baby doll that gives kisses, shirt that says future shopper, a princess wand, and of course my first laugh and play purse! :o) As you can see Karenza is close by to make sure she knows how to open her presents.

Uh Oh!

I caught Savannah Jo in the cooler! Isn't she a doll?

Wade, Mindy & Savannah Jo

Here is Wade, Mindy and Savannah. I should scan a picture of my uncle and you would see how much they look alike. Wade's mannerisms are just like my uncles that its scary. He sounds like him too.

The Robinson Side of the Family

This past weekend sure made me think of how special family is and to not take them for granted. The years sure seem to fly by. See when I was in the 8th grade I found out that my favorite uncle Paul (my dad's brother) had a child (a son, Wade) when he was a year out of high school. All those previous years I thought he was a bachlor, and he was so wonderful to my sister and I so of course I automatically assumed he would want to have a relationship with his son. Well, I was wrong. He has yet to see his son to this day. And a matter of fact I haven't seen my uncle since my grandpa passed when I was a senior in high school. It will be 12 years ago since I've seen my uncle in September, and it was 12-13 years since I've seen Wade. My uncle had an accident where he lost his arm right around when Wade was born, and I have been told that he didn't want Wade's mom to settle and thought she could do much better. As the years would progress I never knew Wade existed until I was in the 8th grade. My parents have a relationship with him and we have included him in our family. Wade lives in Coon Rapids, MN and is married to Mindy Jo and they have a little girl named Savannah Jo. They are expecting another baby in June, another girl. Savannah is turning one on the 7th, and they had a birthday party for her this past weekend where we went and saw her for the first time. What a teary reunion. Not sure if it's because I'm older, wiser, or have a family of my own. Probably a combination of all three. But we made a promise that we aren't going to let the years slip by like they have. The girls are cousins and we want them to know their family. We have tried finding my uncle and we think he is in Montana and the letters we write are never returned, and the phone numbers we find say that it's the wrong person. Then we will try a few months later and the phone number is disconnected. It's really sad that my uncle doesn't want to be part of Wade and his family's life. He's a grandpa, and would be a great one. My dad and mom have told Wade that they will be Savannah's grandma and grandpa. I will be posting pictures absolutely wonderful family weekend. Take Care. ~Miranda