Bounce back

This was taken this morning at 10:15 after getting out of the car from our doctor's appointment and trip to the pharmacy. The appointment was a first-thing-in-the-morning followup to our night spent in the ER. We left for the hospital around 11:30 pm and got home just after 5:00. All I can say is it's a good thing he was in front of the camera and I was behind it because, trust me, Mama doesn't look anywhere near this peppy. He's bright as a penny (as my Nana always said).



More details...he's had a cold for a couple of days. He was fine yesterfay during the day. He started some wheezing in the later afternoon so we gave him a breathing treatment before bed. He woke up at 11:00 and his whole body was straining to breathe. His stomach absolutely heaved with each breath. I took him to the ER and his pulse ox (for those who speak asthma lingo) was in the high 80s. I know that's not panic territory, but it's way out of my comfort zone. By the time we left at 5:00, he was up to 95 on room air and his heart rate was down to 138 from 174. He's still wheezing but it's better. That was the worst I think we've ever seen, but what scared me the most was how quickly it came on. Sigh. He seems none the worse for wear, though. He's chasing a ball around the front porch as I type this on my phone.

Back to School Shopping

Overhead in Gap Kids

liza: Charlie, what kinds of clothes do you think you'd like to wear this fall?
charlotte: I want a headband.
l: Uh huh. This is a cute skirt. What do you think?
c: I want a headband.
l: We'll see. Let's pick out some clothes that you like, ok?
c: OK.
c: I really want a headband.
l: Do you like this dress?
c: No.
l: This one?
c: No.
l: Anything?
c: I really, really want a headband.

***

liza: Charlotte, we need to buy some clothes for you to wear to school when the weather gets cold. Can you help me pick out some stuff? Please.
l: Do you want me to just come back another time and get clothes for you.
c: No.
l: Pick some stuff out, ok?
c: Okaaaaaay
c: I like this dress.
l: Great! We need tights or pants to go with it.
c: These match it.
l: Those are leggings. Will you wear leggings? You will have to wear socks in these when it gets cold
c: I don't want to wear socks.
l: You need socks in the winter. Or tights. These are leggings, they don't have feet.
c: What about these?
l: Leggings.
c: These?
l: Everything on this wall in leggings.
c: Hmmph
l: Sorry babe, the '80s are back.

***

liza: OK, we're going to get all this stuff. How about jeans? Will you wear jeans this year?
charlotte: Ooooh, I want a hat.
l: Will you come over here and look at the jeans?
c: Mom, I want a hat.
l: What about the jeans?
c: I like the pink hat.
l: Fine, if I get you the hat will you try on this pair of jeans?

We got the hat. She looks pretty darn cute in it, actually. What I really want to know is, who is that tall kid and where did my baby go?

Typical

This shot turned out just how I wanted. Typical scene in our house. Derek and Grace sitting watching tv after a long day like, you know, normal people. Charlotte watching the show while jumping up and down on the couch. She did this for the whole time I was there watching with them. The kid never. stops. moving. I envy the metabolism.

Yeah!

My goal for this month was a nice picture with all 3 kids. We did one better than that. I can't even begin to express how fun these were to open and edit. I'm still smiling over them.

Web size really doesn't do them justice. You can click on the middle and bottom image (my favorites) to see them a little bit bigger.





Just the girls.

A new chapter

So I went away for 5 days and my son learned to walk. He took his official first steps maybe a month ago really, but over last weekend he made that critical decision that walking was the way to go. So when I left for NY he was still crawling around everywhere and when I came home I was greeted with this cute little visual.



He usually walks with both arms up like this, I guess for balance? He loves that his new skill allows him to carry things from place to place. He has something in each hand whenever possible.

I know I'm biased, but isn't he cute?


This is actually post #300 on this blog. I have been mulling over ideas for a fun shoot, sort of as an anniversary of Post #202, which was actually one year ago yesterday. So stay tuned. I realize as I type this that I am basically saying it has taken me a full year to even hope to get another picture with all three in the frame together. Oh well, so it goes.

Summer Fun

I started working on these images last week before I went on a short (and awesome!) vacation to NYC with two of my best friends. Coming back to them this morning made me smile sitting here at my desk.

We are very grateful to Louisa and Alex for the loan of their playset while they temporarily are without a yard to put it in. The girls had the idea to turn the slide into a waterslide and we tried it out one night last week.




She made this expression above many (most?) of them :)

Then she went and got her goggles. This kid cracks me up.



Eli LOVES the slide.

Went to a garden party

Derek brought home a cake for Eli this evening and we had a little party for him in the backyard. The girls sang Happy Birthday to him and helped him with his candle.





It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.


He liked his cake.

One year ago today...

...this little guy came into our lives. He makes us laugh every day. I can't imagine life or our family without him.







At 1, he is aaaallllmost walking. He's just about got it. He loves to eat solid food. He eats pretty much whatever any of us are eating. He particularly likes pizza and grilled cheese and all kinds of fruit. He loves to press buttons anywhere on anything. He sometimes plays games with his toys now, instead of just manhandling them. He likes to play with the girls Fisher Price dollhouse and he puts the people around into all the rooms. He likes to play the game where he hands you something and then you hand it back. And so on and so on and so on and so on and so on. And so on and so on. From this game, he has developed his first sound approaching a word. He says "da doo" for "thank you" when he gives you something or you give him something (or just randomly alot of the time). The consonant sounds aren't even close but he has the cadence and inflection and he uses it in the right place, so we count it as a word. Just in this past month he has started doing all these new things that show how close he is to breaking through to toddlerhood.

But he's still my baby.