A family bonding weekend.

This was a pretty good weekend! On Friday, the kids and I went outside, did a bit of yard work, planted seeds in a green house and just had a nice day.

Saturday, Kaylee Malaika, Brenda (kaynes mom) and I went out and had a great girls day out! We went to Walmart to pick up a few things. I was happy as I found 3 pairs of jeans that fit me, and cost a total of $21.00 for all 3!! Kaylee was happy as she got a Dora laptop computer. She has been adamantly been asking for one of these for a few weeks now, how she knew there was one was beyond me!! Malaika got a new little toy for her carseat, and for Wyatt we picked him up some blocks...he loves these!!

After we were done shopping, we stopped and grabbed some lunch, and then off to a greenhouse. Brenda was on a mission to get some soil, look at plants, and I was on a hunt for some seeds. We were both successful! Grandma bought Kaylee a plant that she fell in love with, and even today she was still smelling her pretties!

While us girls were all out, Wyatt and Kayne had some boy bonding time...and from what I understand there was a lot of block building and I am sure some facebooking (not sure who is more addicted to facebook....Kayne or Wyatt)

Today was a bit more laid back day, I slept in (YAY for me). We made pancakes for lunch with the kids helping, and then later in the afternoon, Kaylee and I did some sewing, and you can read all about her sewing her first project here.

To end the day off, we had a pizza and movie night! What a wonderful weekend it has been :)

More answers, and new activities!

Malaika had a follow up appointment a couple of days ago, and I did get some more answers. It turns out that the doctor did not tell me right from the start that Malaika has a staph infection. The cream that he prescribed was a cortisone and an antibiotic cream. I knew there was more to it than just eczema, I had a suspicion of an infection. And I must say that even when I was at the stollery and asked directly if it could be an infection, the answer I was given was that if it was an infection she would be really sick as she has had it for 5 weeks. Not to happy about how the communication has been, but I listened to my gut instincts and finally had it comfirmed...infection. Now we continue with the cream, and when she is not flaring up, I can use a fragrance free moisturizer for her. YAY for getting to the bottom of it and now to get it to go away!

So, it is spring here. (Not that you can tell as it is snowing, windy and cold outside, gotta love Alberta weather). So, when it is nice outside, we have been outside enjoying the sunshine! We have already managed to get most of the spring yard work done, and today I covered the yard with some grass seed. Our yard REALLY needs it!!! My goal this year is for a green lush yard, rather than brown spots and weeds!

The kids have been so happy to be able to go out and run around, play with their toys, and swingset, and be free instead of couped up inside because of cold yucky weather! One thing we have started today, and will be doing this year is a garden (mainly in containers). Today, we planted seeds in a little greenhouse to get the seedlings growing. Then in May we can put them in the containers outside. We so far have planted peas, spaghetti squash, 3 kinds of tomatos, and lettus. Some of these should sprout in about a week or so. I think it will be fun to have the kids participate and learn about plants and gardens and then see their faces when things are ready to pick and eat fresh from the garden...yummy!

This weekend, I am hoping to get some one on one time with the kids. With Kaylee, I have picked up a fabric panel with Dora on it, and the panel will make a pillow. It will be an easy project that will not take long. But it will be a project that will mean a lot to my little girl, and it will be used, and she LOVES Dora! Oh it will be so much fun, we even get to go to the fabric store so we can get some batting to stuff the pillow!!

With Wyatt, not to sure what I will do, may go on a long walk with him and let him explore. That boy has so much energy that it will be nice to get him out of the house, tire him out while having some special time with mommy!

Malaika, well she gets mommy time every night so she is good for now!

I am so excited that spring is here and looking forward to and dreaming about this summer! It will have so many memories and experiences that will be cherished for many many years!

got a few more answers...

So I did take Malaika to the Stollery Children's Hospital to be looked at. Her skin was so irritated, her back, sides, stomach and legs all had red patches and bumps. Her elbows were very red, dry, warm and the skin was actually seeping. After waiting for over 2 hours to be seen, I finally got some information.

This doctors seems to agree with the pediatrician that it is eczema. He asked if there are any skin conditions in the family, and there is none. Then he asked if there is a history of asthma in the family and there is. Then he asked if there is a history of seasonal allergies in the family and that was a yes as well. Apparently, all 3 are related and sadly, Malaika has a nasty case of eczema.

So, for right now, she is to remain on the cortisone/antibiotic cream, and hopefully they will send us to a dermatologist where a skin biopsy can be done to confirm this.

Other than her skin bothering her, Malaika is doing well! She is holding her head up, almost rolling over, when on her tummy she is scooting forward. She is also smiling much more and coos lots! That is such a wonderful sound :)

Kaylee and Wyatt are both doing well. They are happy that the spring weather is here and likes to be back outside! Getting them to come in now is not so easy. We have had to deal with a few severe meltdowns...oh the hardships of being 2!

Today, we did about 90% of the spring yard clean up, then we built a little foot powered car for each of the kids to ride around in. We also had a BBQ...first time we have fired up our BBQ this year, and oh was dinner tasty!

Tomorrow, I think the kids and I will decorate some Easter eggs. We have never done this so I think that it is going to be a fun, crazy messy happy creative time! I will definitely have to post pictures of that!!

Some Pictures.......

Thought I better post some pictures!!!!

Malaika!

Wyatt wearing one of mommy's hats, and daddy's shoes...what a fashion statement..lol

Daddy and his littlest girl

Wyatt

Kaylee

Malaika smiling at her sister Kaylee

Malaika smiling

Baby feet...just love them :)
and more baby feet!

Wyatt and Kaylee helping with some baking...they LOVE chocolate cake! They are wearing the aprons that I made them for Christmas :)

Malaika about 1 month old having a snooze

Wyatt was helping daddy put up his new surround sound system!

Daddy and Wyatt gaming together!

Daddy and his girls!

Kaylee and Wyatt in Kaylee's new bed

Kaylee waking up in her new bed

Wyatt waking up in his new bed

Here is Kaylee with some of her sass! She was eating raspberries and did not want to wash her face...lol


Well that should do for now! I will now try to keep updated on these pictures :)

Another day done, and a good decision made!

Today was a much better day, no extreme accidents, no coloring...still had to pick up toilet paper...oh Wyatt! Kaylee's lip is still fat, but it is going down so that is good! Otherwise with those 2 it was actually a fairly mellow day...very rare, but I am sure they will make up for it tomorrow :)

With Malaika, we have decided that we are going to take her into the Stollery Childrens Hospital. We would like some answers as we have been dealing with this now for about 6 weeks now. She has been off of her cortisone cream now for pretty much 24 hours and in that time, both her elbows have flared up, the redness has spread to her legs, behind her knee is very red and shiny, almost looks like her skin is ready to seep again. I did cave and put the cream on her head this morning as she was scratching and pulling her hair and the entire back of her head was red and irritated.

So, tomorrow I will take her in so we can have all specialists and doctors there and hopefully get some answers, as mommy's instincts are saying something is not right! I think the only way this will not happen is if she has a miraculous recovery!

Will update when I have more info!

Sharpie pens, fat lip, and toilet paper...oh my!

Just like any other day around here the twins keep me very busy, and when they are content Malaika requires mommy time, and today was no exception!

Things started out pleasant, morning cuddles, breakfast, tv shows and playing and then Kaylee and Wyatt decided we needed more fun and entertainment!!!!! It started with one of them getting a sharpie marker out of Kayne's camera bag (pretty sure this was Wyatt), then the marker just happened to open up and managed to make artistic statements on the floor of the back hallway(this was Kaylee)!!! I did manage to get all of the pen off of the floor with hairspray...phew!!!

BUT before I could actually clean the floor, Kaylee was running around the kitchen and did a good face plant...as a result, she gave herself a wonderful fat lip! And while I was attending to the bleeding crying little girl, Wyatt made off to the bathroom and grabbed a roll of toilet paper and unrolled the roll in his room! This all happened before noon!!!

Lets just say I was very happy to see that wonderful hour of nap time!!!!!

After nap time, Kaylee and Wyatt followed the path they chose in the morning...trouble! They decided that they needed to learn a new trick and give mommy a new heart attack! They figured that they can stand on the back of the couch and jump off and it is fun! Oiy!! Lets just say that they were banned from any adult furniture, they were only able to sit on their little chairs or their little couch!

So, little miss Malaika, we are still having issues with her skin :( The doc says that it is eczema and that there is no cure. And seeing that she flared up pretty good after being off of her cream for a few days, she was put back on it and it has again made a difference. I am also trying a tea with her, Rooibos tea, and I wash her with it. I figure it is worth a try! We gave her the first washing today, and she seems to like it, and it makes her smell nice too!

I will let you all know how that works for her!!

ohhhh what a day!!!!!!!

So the day started out really well, kids were happy and in good moods. I had an ultrasound scheduled this morning so Kayne's mom came over to watch the twins while I went to my appointment. Malaika decided she would have fun voicing her opinion almost the entire appointment. I was happy to leave that place, and of course as soon as we were in the van, she fell asleep!

Once I was back home, and grandma had left, well all chaos broke out in this house. My theory is that the kids will be amazing little angels for grandmas, but mommy is doomed after, and today this was the truth. There was fighting, whining, hitting, pulling and just plain defiance! After lunch we all went out to the van as we had to go to Malaika's doctor appointment.

Malaika now weighs, 9 pounds 11 ounces. Her skin issues continue, so I was given some more cream for her to use. This skin condition seems so nasty. Malaika seems uncomfortable and is more unsettled when she has a flare up!

We ended up getting into our appointment 35 minutes later than scheduled, and the last 15 mins in the waiting room, Wyatt had a meltdown as he was done and wanted to go to the van! Once the appointment was done I was so happy to leave! Into the elevator we go, just for Wyatt to flip a switch and stop the elevator and set off the alarm! Thankfully I was able to flip the switch back and stop the alarm and get the elevator moving. Oh I was not so happy and was very happy to get to the van, and put the kids in the carseats and just sit for a few minutes before going anywhere!

The kids moods continued to "busy" and I must say I was happy for bedtime to arrive today! Tomorrow is a new day!!

Oh wow, what to do!

Well, I am pretty confident in saying that Kaylee is potty trained...wooohoooo, she has not had an accident for a few days now! This is wonderful!! We have even been going out with her in big girl panties and she has told me when she needs to pee...yay. She uses pull ups during nap time and is usually dry! Soon, we will no longer use the pull ups, and then it will be night training!

Wyatt on the other hand, has decided that he will have NOTHING to do with the potty. He was showing interest, but I think he had too many accidents and got frustrated. Right now he almost seems scared of the potty! Still letting him take the lead and not forcing it but oh it would be so nice to have him out of diapers!

Malaika is still having problems with her skin. It is breaking my heart. We used up all her cream in 2 weeks and she had a good flare up once, and then has always had patches of dry red skin. Now the back of her head is looking awful again, and it really seems to be bothering her quite a bit. Oh I hope we can get some answers tomorrow. I can not even imagine how she feels, but you have to know it is not great when she flinches in her sleep when I touch her head :(

We had some relatives from Holland arrive the other day. We had a large family BBQ this past Sunday and today they came over to our house. We had a great visit, and wonderful meal, and lots of fun. The last time my Aunt and Uncle were here Kaylee and Wyatt were babies, so this time it was nice to see the kids playing around with them. We got some pictures (that are on my camera still with all the other ones of the kids). It has been great visiting and seeing them again!

Some success...and a few steps back!

So I would have to say that I am rather confident that Kaylee is potty trained. She pretty much goes accident free, and when she has had an accident, it was usually when her brother would beat her to the potty and not let her on! Oh the fun of siblings!!

Wyatt on the other hand, he is very hit and miss as to what he chooses to do day to day. He was only wanting to be in big boy undies, but after several accidents, he wanted his diaper back. There are some days he starts out great, but ends up back in a diaper. Then the last couple of days, he just wants the diaper on. I think that he takes it really hard when he has an accident. So we are just going with the flow and letting him decide. I know he will get the hang of it soon, but until then, we will take it one day at a time :)

Colds, potty training and rash, oh my!

So we all have a nasty spring cold...runny nose, cough, chest congestion and a lack of energy (and irritable children!). I really hope that this cold goes away soon and we can enjoy the arrival of spring...looking forward to being outside again!

The saga of potty training continues. Kaylee is doing fantastic, really no issues or concerns there. I am very proud of her for this accomplishment. Now to teach her that she has to share the potty with her brother, and that it is just not hers! Every time Wyatt says he needs to pee, so does Kaylee. Gets kinda frustrating at times I must admit! Wyatt is trying so very hard to get the potty training thing down. He does not really want to wear a diaper, he likes his big boy undies. That being said, he is still practicing the timing. But big praises for trying, he will get it soon (I hope) but until then I am busy with laundry and washing floors!

At Malaika's 2 month check up she did really well, she is growing, weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces and is now 21 1/2 inches long. Now a couple of weeks prior to that appointment, I had to get her in for a rash on her face, at that time was told it was baby acne. Well as time went on, it got worse and worse, was on her tummy, arms, legs, neck, and back. It was red and blotchy dry skin and at times looked like it was seeping. At her appointment, the doctor said it was a form of dermatitis, and was giving a prescription for a medicated cream. Well we have been using it for a week now, and she was doing great! Her skin was clearing and she was happy. Well, yesterday I noticed it getting worse on her back again, and this morning it is even worse. So guess I need to get her into the doctors again. Oh my poor little sweetie!

Day 2....

Yesterday, Wyatt decided that he was a big boy and did not use a diaper all day! He kept running to the potty with every urge and was rather successful! There were a few accidents but all in the bathroom or near to it. Poor little guy was just completely devastated with every accident. So we continued to praise him and tell him accidents happen and that it will get better!

Today, first thing he was back into his big boy undies, and so far has been doing rather well, I hope that this continues and soon both of the twins will be out of diapers. Wow, only 1 in diapers then, wow will that be a change! Never experienced that before :)

Malaika is doing well, but seems to have a bit of spring cold. Probably the same one that I have..ewwww! Last night her and I were cuddling on the couch, and then she was lying down to stretch and she was busy cooing and smiling lots at me...what a wonderful thing to experience, totally melted this mommy's heart!

I am so blessed to have 3 amazing children :)

Another day of exercise for me!

So after I posted yesterday, Wyatt decided that he needed to use big boy underwear. So to begin with it was every 5 minutes or so of running to the bathroom as he kept saying he had to pee. Then it changed a wee bit, and he would start running to the bathroom but not making it fast enough, and then we had success...WOOHOO!!! I was so proud of him for sitting on the potty and peeing, we phoned daddy at work to brag and phoned grandma too! Now to just train him to "hold it down" so the bathroom does not get a shower everytime...lol. By about 12:30-1:00, Wyatt was done with the potty and wanted a diaper back on. I let him do as he wished as I will not force this issue with him, this way I know he is ready and happy!

So this morning, he is back into his big boy underwear and has been now for 1/2 hour, and I am happy to report no accidents as of yet and only 1 trip to the potty! Here is to hoping that my little man gets more comfortable and confident in using the potty!

hey!

As you can all tell, I am terrible at being consistent with this blog! But I will admit, that with the kids it is hard to get some computer time as Wyatt believes that my laptop is his and he needs to help me!

So much has happened since my last post I do not even know where to begin! So I will start with the newest addition to our family! Malaika (Mah-lay-kah) Christine was born January 5, 2010. She arrived at 1051am weighing 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. She is such a good baby and now only gets up once, maybe twice a night...such a difference to the twins! Kaylee and Wyatt have adjusted fairly well to having a new sister. Kaylee loves to help and enjoys holding her, and she really copies me with her own "babies" it is so darn cute. Wyatt loves to get a new diaper when she needs one. He also loves to lie on his tummy and have conversations with her when she is in the floor. He is going to be such a great big brother!

Kaylee and Wyatt have grown so much! Since Malaika was born their vocabularies have increased tremendously! Along with their independence. Independence has been wonderful on one hand, but hard on the other...both seem to have quite the temper if the can not do something, but refuse any kind of help. And then when they decided they need help, they want it right now...no waiting...ahhh the fun of the age of 2 :)

Kaylee has begun potty training and all and all it is going really really well! We have had a few accidents, but she has been out of diapers now for 2 weeks (except for bedtime). We are so very proud of her for this accomplishment. Wyatt on the other hand has not been so good. I decided to let Kaylee train first seeing that Wyatt has no interest at all. This was working great until Wyatt began to get upset that he was not getting the praise that Kaylee was. So now he says he needs the potty, sits on it and gets all excited to get 1 square of toilet paper and to flush the toilet. He comes out shouting "I Peed, I peed" but we have had to correct him and say that he has not. He likes to wear big boy underwear, but with not being successful at using the potty, he gets really upset when he has an accident. So we are not pushing or suggesting he uses the potty right now. We are going with his lead and hopefully soon, he will join his sister in the potty trained club! Oh it will be so nice to not have the older 2 in diapers...woohoo!!!!