4 1/2 years

Today, Dylan turned 4 1/2. It's hard to believe that he's been with us for that long. On one hand, it seems as if he's always been here, but on the other hand, I can't believe how fast the years are flying by!

Dylan is still tall and lanky. He is 45 inches tall (3'9) and 38 lbs.

He has his first loose tooth!

He is obsessed with superheroes. He loves Spiderman, Batman, Wolverine, Superman, and Iron Man. He loves anything that has to do with Star Wars. He often pretends he is a superhero, and has to coordinate his outfit to who he currently is. That means, he changes several times a day!

His favorite cartoon is (gulp) Spongebob Squarepants. He also loves Berenstain Bears.

He loves playing outside. We spend hours outdoors, every sunny day.

He is a great eater. His favorite snacks are fruits, vegetables, cheese, and nuts. He loves edamame and pita chips with hummus. His favorite thing to drink is milk.

His junk foods of choice are popcorn and gum.

He has a bit of a developmental stutter. It seems to come and go. Sometimes it gets frustrating, but we are patient with him.

He loves playing games. His favorites are memory, candyland, and cooties.

He still loves to read. His favorite books are Berenstain Bears.

He is amazing at baseball.

He loves animals.

He loves to perform and be the center of attention. He is a ham and a ladies man.

He says that he's going to be a baseball player or a doctor when he grows up. I wouldn't be surprised if he's an actor.

He is still the sweetest little man, despite the attitude and typical 4 year old behavior. He is constantly hugging, kissing, and telling people that they are his best friend or that he loves them so much. He has more compassion at 4 years old than a lot of adults.

I love him to pieces.

Coincidentally, Lexie turned 27 months today.

She and Dylan were both born on the 22nd of the month, so it just so happens that she is the exact same age today that Dylan was on the day she was born.

I can't even remember him at that age. He seemed so much older at that age, than she does now! Probably, because he had the duty of being a big brother.

Happy 27 months, princess!

Happy 4 1/2 years, Dylan! You are now closer to 5 than you are to 4. Stop growing up so fast, buddy!

Summer Sneak-Peek

We got a glimpse of summer today. It was gorgeous-really warm and sunny! Of course, the kids wanted to be outside all day! We only came inside to eat lunch, during Lexie's nap, for dinner, and then bathtime/bedtime. I have a feeling this is what almost every nice summer day is going to be like!

I set up the new Slip 'n Slide for the kids. Best $5 I've ever spent! They LOVE it!

I finally was able to convince them to get dressed. Hey, I guess if they spend the day in their bathing suits, it means less laundry for me!

They finished up their day outside with a little skywatching.

They should sleep well tonight!

Loose tooth!

Dylan had a checkup with his dentist today. He was so good, even during the bite-wing x-rays! We found out that he has his first loose tooth!

I honestly can't believe we're dealing with this already. The doctor said he's ahead of schedule with this, but it's probably due to the fact that he had all of his teeth at such a young age. Because of that, she thinks that his 6 year molars may come in earlier than usual.

Ahhh...loose teeth. I hate tooth gore! This makes him seem way too grown up!

No sweat

Lexie had her sweat test redone today, to check for CF. Once again, she didn't sweat. The lab tech basically told us that this test most likely won't work for her.

So, we heard from her doctor. She wants us to repeat a stool test so they can compare the levels in this test to the levels in the previous test. If the levels are still the same, we'll talk about testing for CF again.

So...what does this all mean? This means that I have to dig through poop again. This means that we will wait 4+ weeks for the results, worrying about the possibility of CF for even longer. This means that I'm completely fed up with not having answers! On the 24th, Lexie will have had diarrhea every single day, several times a day, for 6 straight months. Instead of starting treatment for malabsorption, we're just going to sit around waiting to see if she needs to be re-checked for CF, and then go from there.

Completely. Fed. Up.

Good news for Dylan!

Dylan had his appointment with the pediatric dermatologist today. His suspicious-looking mole is okay for now. He will have to get it removed sometime in the next few years. The doctor would like to wait 2-4 years, because it's a difficult location to remove from-the area is prone to infection and it will be a painful healing process. For now, we just monitor it. If it grows or changes again, or starts irritating Dylan, he will have to get it removed. If everything stays normal, he will just go in once a year for an exam, until the time comes that he's old enough to handle it. I'm so glad he can wait to have it removed!

Mother's Day weekend with a few MoM's

On Mother's Day weekend, I had the opportunity to go visit my friend, Jen, in Eastern PA. I met Jen on a private, mom message board, and after about 2 years of talking, we went to meet them in November. I was so excited to see Jen, Mike, Gage, and Lila again.

Two other MoM members, Annie and Heather, who are from Minnesota and Wisconsin, flew in to stay with Jen, so I got to meet them!

It was so wonderful to meet my fellow MoM's. They were every bit as amazing in real life, as they are on the message board. I really wish we could have spent more time together. One day was not enough!!!

Dylan and Lexie came along to play with Gage and Lila. I would have loved to meet Annie and Heather's adorable children, but it was a child-free weekend for them. Dylan was not acting like his normal self. I know the long drive and the lack of sleep contributed to his behavior, but he was driving me crazy. He did show a bit of his sweet personality by declaring Jen, Heather, and Annie his best friends, and giving them plenty of smooches and hugs. What can I say? He's a ladies man.

That picture above sums up his attitude that weekend...he's subconsciously giving me the middle finger, I'm sure. ;)

We got a very nice break from Lexie's non-stop talking. She clammed up in front of all the new people, only talking a bit here and there. Grant and I kept commenting on how nice it was that she was quiet for once. Her non-stop chatter and singing resumed the second we pulled away from the curb on Sunday. *sigh*

We arrived on Friday night, and after checking into our hotel, we went over to Jen's. It was very surreal to see Annie and Heather, who I only knew by pictures, sitting in Jen's backyard. We chatted for a few hours, while Grant and Mike kept the kids busy. On Saturday, we had a picnic at Jen's. Several other MoM's were supposed to come by, but they were unable to. We had a great time talking all day.

Annie spent the day with her camera by her side. Check out her blog-she takes some beautiful pictures!

I had my camera with me, but didn't take too many photos. Here are a few from our weekend. Gage and Lila are so adorable!

Jen is pregnant with her third child. Isn't her belly adorable?!?
Annie and Heather had to leave way too soon. I was so sad to see them go! After they left, we had dinner with Jen and her family, and then we were able to get all the kids to bed early! We spent the evening talking, laughing, and playing Quiddler. They are very serious about this game! Jen, if you find a patch of my hair in your tent, don't worry. It's just acting qua your tent zipper. (Yeah, not so sure I used that right, but I had to try!) I wish we lived closer to Jen and Mike, because we love spending time with them.

Thanks for letting us stay with you, Jen! We can't wait to see you again!

I had a great Mother's Day weekend. I got to spend it with some wonderful moms! I feel so lucky to have been able to meet Annie and Heather and to see Jen and her family again!

When we got home, we stopped by my sister's house for dinner so I could see my wonderful mom. The turkey dinner was so good, and I got an unexpected gift. It was a poem I wrote for my Grandma when I was 12, for Mother's Day. She had it framed, and sitting in her room. I forgot all about it, until I saw it, and memories came flooding back with the tears. She meant the world to me, and I really miss her.

Lexie with my mom. Her beloved Nana.
My sister with my oh-so-adorable great niece, Aubrey.
And here is me with the best thing that ever came into my life:



I love Dylan and Lexie more than anything, and feel so blessed to be their mom.

Sweat test, take one

It has been a super long day, but I figured I'd type up a post before I drag my tired rear to bed. I've been so distracted lately with all that's going on, but I promise to be back to my old bloggy self as soon as all of these tests are over!

We took Lexie in for her sweat test today, to test for CF. Everything leading up to the actual test was a nightmarish ordeal. We drove into the city during rush hour, so we were already a bit late when we walked into the hospital. Dylan enjoyed going into the city, and said, "I like this place! It's awesome!" After waiting in line at the information desk, like we were told to do, we were redirected to another floor. Where we waited in line again. The hospital had just moved to this new location on May 2nd so there were a few glitches. As in, we were given a faulty pager. After waiting for a half hour, and seeing tons of people who came in after us, go before us, we found out that our pager wasn't working. So we were given another. Which also didn't work. Finally, Grant approached a manager, who promptly took us to where we needed to go. By this time, an hour had passed!

Lexie did so well during the sweat test. They place two electrodes on each arm that conduct heat. We were told that it feels like a slight burning, scratching sensation. I can't believe that she freaks out when a doctor approaches her for an exam, but sits still for an uncomfortable test. After 6 minutes of that, the electrodes were removed, suction cups were put on her arms to collect the sweat, and then saran wrap was placed around those. We waited in the waiting room for a half hour, only to find out that she didn't sweat at all. So the test was inconclusive. Meaning, we have to get it redone.

One thing that did occur, was an allergic reaction to something that was used during the test. Poor Lexie had welts all over her arms.

When I spoke with someone at her doctor's office, I was told that we needed to get this test redone as soon as possible. I am already obviously worried that they have to test for CF to begin with, but when they said how urgent this was, I became even more worried. I demanded a call from the doctor, who did in fact call, and ease my fears a bit. This is just something that needs to be done, so we can rule it out. She has no other symptoms for CF other than the malabsorption, but something in her stool test was enough to cause concern. I highly doubt she has CF, but I'm not going to be okay until we get this test done and over with!

After such a stressful, emotional day, it was nice to unwind with my best friend, Jocie, at the spa. She treated me to a pedicure for my birthday. It was so nice to be pampered, and get to spend time with Jocie, without our kids. I was able to concentrate on having fun, instead of worrying, for a bit. If you're reading this, thank you so much, Jocie! My toes look great (for once) and when Lexie saw the bright polish, she said, "Mama, you put toes ons!" Yes, I sure did!

A certain adorable hubby let Lexie nap until 7 pm (EEEK!) which meant that she did not go back to bed until 11. That's okay, though. I snuck in a snuggle with Dylan while he was falling asleep. Ahem...make that a fall asleep with Dylan as he was falling asleep. ;)

And in other news, the Pens won and Adam Lambert is in the American Idol finale! Can I get a woot-woot?

Diagnosis....

After almost 6 months of constant diarrhea, we finally have a diagnosis for Lexie: Malabsorption. Basically, certain nutrients aren't being absorbed by her body, which is causing the diarrhea, the anemia, and most likely other nutritional deficiencies.

I am relieved that we finally know what's wrong, but also terrified for another reason. One of the nutrients that isn't being absorbed is Potassium. The malabsorption/potassium link concerned Lexie's doctor enough to order a sweat test, which is to test for Cystic Fibrosis. I know she is just ruling it out to be safe, but the thought that they have to rule it out, scares me. I am trying to remain positive, because Lexie has no other CF symptoms, but there's always a "what if?" running through my head.

On top of that, Dylan has to go to his pediatric dermatologist next Monday. He will most likely need to have a very suspicious-looking mole removed and biopsied.

It is a mother's greatest fear that their child will get sick. Instead of just one child to worry about, I have two. All I can do is take this one step at a time.

I am praying that CF will be ruled out, and that we can move ahead with a treatment plan for Lexie's problem. It will most likely involve speaking to a dietician about a special diet for her, and a daily pancreatic enzyme supplement. Malabsorption is a manageable condition, and I'm glad we caught it early. (Please bear with me if I messed up any facts-I'm still trying to absorb all this information!) I am also praying that Dylan's mole is just a cosmetic problem, and nothing more.

I can't wait until this is all over.

Mr. Toad

Dylan loves animals. Any animal. He's not afraid to touch snakes, bugs, spiders, worms, frogs, fish...all the things that make me shudder or gag. I always knew the day would come when my little Jack Hanna would find a wild creature and want to keep it.

Papa found a baby toad in his yard, and saved it to show Dylan. Dylan fell in love at first sight, and insisted on keeping it. He promptly declared that Mr. Toad was his best friend. He kept Mr. Toad safe in his small hand, stopping every so often to give him a smooch. Mr. Toad even wanted to give me a smooch. *shudder*
Mr. Toad slept the night in a container beside Dylan's bed. Dylan woke up, and insisted on going outside to find bugs to feed his best friend. Ewwww! He even sat in the empty bath tub with Mr. Toad, so Mr. Toad could exercise.

I knew that getting rid of Mr. Toad would break Dylan's heart, but that Mr. Toad would be happier living a life outside.

I tried everything. I told Dylan that Mr. Toad needed to find his mommy. Dylan replied, "Here she is!"
Nice try, buddy! ;)

Dylan spent the day outside, playing with his best friend.
I have to admit, the cute little guy was really growing on me, and I entertained the possibility of keeping him.
But I knew he would be happier in the wild. I tried to convince Dylan all day to let him go. Every time I mentioned it, Dylan broke into tears, and it broke my heart. When Grant came home, he immediately convinced Dylan to let him go.

Dylan went outside, with Mr. Toad clutched in his fist. He gave Mr. Toad a smooch, and put him under a pile of logs. "Goodbye, Mr. Toad. I love you." He turned, and went into the house.

He had a moment shortly after, when his lower lip jutted out and quivered, and he said, "I miss my buddy. I'll never have a froggy again."

Grant and I promised we'd discuss getting him his own pet, to keep in his room. Perhaps a guinea pig. Perhaps.

Dylan wants me to print out a picture, to keep next to his bed, so he can remember his buddy. (Really, is your hurt breaking yet?!?!?)

Should have just kept the darn toad.

Let's Talk About.................Cleaning

Inquiring minds want to know: What are your best house cleaning tips...specifically time-saving cleaning tips?

I'll be honest. At first glance my house is immaculate. Well, except for my husband's side of the bedroom (which drives me nuts, honey) and our basement. I am OCD about clutter-it has no place in my living space! Deep cleaning, however??? Not so much!

As a busy mom of two, I find that I spend most of my time putting things away, cleaning up messes, and doing dishes. I just don't have time for that nitty-gritty stuff, such as cleaning the baseboards.

My favorite time-saving cleaning tip is to clean the bathroom while bathing the kids. I wait until my two get engrossed with their bath toys, and then I scrub the toilet, wipe down the sink, clean the mirrors, dust the windowsill, etc. They ignore me anyway, so I may as well do something productive! I keep all of the cleaning supplies on the top shelf of my linen closet, in the bathroom. That way, everything I need is in there with me. I love to give the kids toys to "bathe" while they are in the tub, as well. That way, a dirty, sticky toy gets cleaned by them, and not me. They have fun doing it, too! Sneaky, huh? ;) Finally, I'll often spray the shower with a shower cleaner before I get in to take my shower, and then while conditioner soaks into my hair, I scrub down the walls.

So, tell me. What are your favorite time saving cleaning secrets?