EVILyn

Do your kids ever wake up as someone else? Like a somewhat evil version of them self? Well today was one of those days! I talked about the whole Evelyn transitioning to a sippy cup and losing the bottle. She's had quite the little temper since.

This morning she refused breakfast by slapping it on the ground and followed me around all morning crying. Last night when I put her to bed she cried and screamed for quite some time so I went in and picked her up. The instant I touched her she stopped and smiled. She's obviously to the age where she knows how to get what she wants so after I washed the tears and boogers from her face I had to let her tough it out.

Tonight she was a whole different child! She gladly guzzled down her sippy of formula, watched 15minutes of The Wonder Pets and happily trotted to her room at bedtime. She popped in her paci and we rocked for about 15minutes while I read her the same book over and over and over and over. The book is about a bunch of stuffed animals getting ready for bed and ends with all of them in bed and it says "Night night." So after the last time we read it I snuggled her for a minute and placed her in bed saying "Night night." I walked out and she cried for about 5 seconds and that was that! Boom! She fell fast asleep.

I mean, last night and this morning she was some terrible monster child and now she's a happy, willing little angel. I think part of the problem last night was we just kind of drank the cup then laid her in bed. I think we definitely have a bedtime routine we are going to stick to!

Too Big For Her Britches

Another great weekend! Jared and I attended a Bulls game in Chicago with his co-workers after a dinner at Connie's Pizza. Besides the rowdy bachelor party in the row in front of us which resulted in the 'bachelor' filling up a garbage bag with vomit and being drug away by First Aide, it was ultimately and amazing trip! The Bulls won, we got coupons for a free Big Mac and more importantly Jared and I really had a great time together. Thanks Oberweis!


Evelyn had a great weekend, too. She got to spend the night with Great Aunt Lor Lor and Great Uncle John. Thanks again!! She had a great time and drank her bottles down like nothing. I have to explain here that she has began weaning from the boober to formula and is doing amazing! She basically only drinks about 2oz of milk a day, the rest formula which is a huge transition from a month ago when she wouldn't give formula a chance. But we've been having issues in the morning with her taking forEVER! to drink a bottle. So we decided to break out the sippy cup again. When we first introduced the sippy she did drink juice from it a time or two. Now she has decided it is a teether and uses it soley to chew on. So we bought a different brand and she loves it! She'll chug a bottle down in no time and enjoys being a big girl. This is great for me because 1) I don't have to spend an hour trying to get her to drink 2) She now has tasted cold formula in the cup due to her impatience and drank it fine and 3) Now she is drinking her sippy cup of formula before bed and putting herself to sleep. This transition is awesome! She will totally be fine weaning to cold cow's milk and doesn't need to drink herself to sleep with a bottle. She is so easy-going! And such a big girl all of a sudden.

New!

I have so many things to report since my last blog. Evelyn has began weaning, she now has 8 teeth, and no longer crawls...like at all. Many other things but of course since I decided to blog my mind has gone blank! So here are a few recent pics.

Jared and I ice-skating in Millennium Park (Chicago) on Valentine's Day. (This was a motion picture!).


Evelyn's first time playing in the snow...she preferred to walk down the sidewalk not actually touching the snow.


Her favorite thing EVER!! Sometimes I will be cleaning and turn around and don't see her. I'll frantically look around and there she is watching TV in her rocking chair.

Stinker

Evelyn seems to be learning a new word everyday. Todays was quite interesting. Whenever I change a poopy diaper or read her book about animals and get to the skunk I say "Pee uuu!" while waving my hand in front of my nose as if something stinks. So this afternoon when I laid her on the changing table and opened her diaper I said, "Stinky." And she waved her hand in front her face and said "Pee uuu!". I couldn't believe how funny she looked. It's amazing how she associates words with what's going on without being taught. She's so smart. So, later on in the night we saw the Hefty garbage bag commercial where they say "Stinky! Stinky! Stinky!" and Evelyn repeatedly shouted, "Pee uuu!". My little stinker has some personality and it just keeps getting better.

Better Already

Evelyn has made a huge improvement the past 2 days. The cool mist humidifier has made a world of difference. She has slept through the past 2 nights with no coughing fits and no trips to the steamy bathroom. She remains a tad congested and has a touch of a loose, flemmy cough. But overall she is back to her mischievous, disobeying self. Her appetite is back and I'm no longer forcing bottles upon her and she's definitely caught up on sleep. She fell asleep in her carseat and because of the upright design I thought it best for her to spend the remainder of her nap in the seat. I carefully took her out and laid a blanket down in it for her to lay on and placed her back in the seat with a blanket and her lovie while I went to put some things away. When I came back in 5minutes she was in this position that she slept in for 2hours.



Other exciting sleep news-Evelyn has her first pair of two-piece pjs, a hand-me-down from little Ne Ne.

Mischievous Places

Evevlyn has not only learned the meaning of no, but learned how to ignore it. For instance, if she's standing up directly in front of the TV and I tell her 'no' she will look back and give me a big ol' smile and a wave. Once repeated she will slowly lower to the ground and scoot back about an inch to wait for me to turn my head so she can get up again. She knows the forbidden zones of our house-the bathroom where she was caught flushing toys down the toilet, under the desk (that's missing a chair that I sat on and broke) and in the nooks and crannies of the kitchen. But clearly, she tests the limits here.

Sick Baby Needs Chocolate

I've spent the past few night sleeping in Evelyn's rocking chair holding her upright to breathe. But last night was the worst. This terrible night included several nasal sprays, loads of discomfort, two trips outside to sit in the cold air and three trips to the bathroom that was filled with hot, steamy air. But somehow, we made it through the coughing attacks and through the night. This morning her condition took a turn for the worse. After some frighteningly heavy breathing I decided to rush her to the ER. After two x-rays and an unnerving wait she was diagnosed with Pneumonia. Scary at only 10 months! Even with this heavy diagnosis, Evelyn is still her wild self. The nurses explained that most children are scared of the neb treatment and don't like it blowing in their face. But not Evelyn! She popped that baby right in her mouth and breathed in the mist with a smile on her face. They were fully impressed.

Once we were home she took a much needed three hour nap and woke up happy as can be. She downed her steroids, enjoyed her amoxicillin and happily sat through two rounds of her inhaler. We've been pushing fluids the past few days and she has been doing well drinking her daily quota plus a few extra bottles of Pedialyte. Overall, she is doing much better. There were immediate results from the neb treatment and the nap was just what she needed. With the help of her new green frog cool mist humidifier she is in good shape tonight. Hopefully we fight her remaining cough these next few days but as far as tonight goes, so far so good. She was in good enough shape to lick the chocolate remains from our frozen chocolate bananas tonight-always a good sign.