Happy Halloween!

We had a great day today! Madeleine inherited this great raccoon costume from our friends and she fell in love with it. In fact, yesterday the child didn't want to take it off all day. Our local Catholic bookstore was having a party today and they got a special treat if they dressed as a saint, so I thought maybe I could throw together a St. Francis costume for John Paul to go with the raccoon.

She was a little nervous at first to say "Trick or Treat" but she got that down right away!

Father Joshua was on hand to bless all the kiddos. John Paul won't go to just anyone but he does love Fr. Josh! (And Fr. Josh is already praying for a vocation for him!)

I love this picture! The costume is a little big for her so she couldn't see very well, but she was fine with it!

Me and my sweet St. Francis.

I took over 100 pictures today and couldn't get a decent one of the two of them! I did get some funny ones though, so I will have to do an Outtake Post this week for sure!

Her tail wagged back and forth as she walked around. She did not want to take off the costume, even when she was playing in the leaves!

For throwing this costume together yesterday, I am pretty proud of it! I altered a dress pattern to make the robe (shhh! Don't tell him!) I cut the ends of the arms and the hem and put it through the wash so it would fray. The rope belt I tried to dye with tea, it didn't work very well. The rosary I got at a high school youth conference at Steubenville, and it hung in my car window all through high school and college. It is faded and well - used! I'm sure I prayed for my future children on it. And the very best part of all, the sacred heart necklace I bought in Assisi, right outside St. Francis church. It was from a little cart on the street and the man hand-carved it. I wore it a lot in high school and college. AND.... it is blessed by Pope John Paul 2! I am SO happy that I got to go to Rome and Assisi when I was in high school. I saved my babysitting money for a year and a half and paid for most of the trip myself. And I got lots of things blessed by the Pope that I can give to John Paul one day. How many people actually have something blessed by their patron saint??

Hm... can you say Ordination slide show??

This was the last picture I took of them. I loved it because I can just tell Madeleine is thinking, "I've had enough of this!"

Madeleine got to go trick or treating for the first time. First we went to Grandma's house, and then 3 or 4 houses on their street. We stopped at 2 more friends houses. Then we went to Taco Bell for supper. We had a great day. Happy Halloween!

Beautiful fall day

I went out to take out the trash this morning and I knew we had to go for an early morning walk. It was such a beautiful day! I bundled them up, gave Madeleine a waffle and milk, and we went for a long walk.
This is our street, not quite as many trees as the rest of the neighborhood, but still really pretty.
My view from the top. John Paul fell asleep before we were even off our street, and we walked for at least an hour before he woke up. Madeleine and I looked for pumpkins on porches and colorful leaves. We talked about how beautiful the leaves were, all the different colors, and how God made them like that. We talked about how the seasons were changing and it was getting colder and soon winter would be here.
The sun was shining through the leaves on our favorite street, where the leaves form a canopy over the road.
When we got home, I let John Paul sleep in his stroller for a few minutes while Madeleine and I raked up a small pile of leaves for her to jump in. He woke up and was a happy boy!
Madeleine was thrilled that our entire driveway was covered with leaves. She watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown last night and really liked it, especially the part where Lucy's lips touch Snoopy's when they're bobbing for apples. I thought the child was going to fall off the couch she was laughing so hard! She's enjoying wearing all kinds of hats these days!
I love these days of playing outside before it gets too cold! I hope she always loves playing outside!

Croup

Poor little Bud.

Last night he went to bed great at 7:30 but woke up at 10:30 when I went to bed. I nursed him and then he started coughing and coughed so hard he threw up. All over me, him, the chair, his blanket....

We both changed and the the child would NOT. go. to sleep. Until 1:00am when I finally put him in our bed. He got up this morning and I fed him and he coughed and gagged and threw up again. So I called my mom over because I did not want to leave him in his crib or the swing while I was in the shower, because I was afraid he might throw up again. She came over and of course the child did not cough once while she was here so we thought he was fine.

But then later in the afternoon, he started coughing a lot more. Then he started making a really weird noise when he breathed in - like a honking sound. I called my mom and let her listen to him on the phone, and she said it sounded like croup. So I called the doctor and they got us in this afternoon. He listened to him for two seconds and said he had croup. I also told him about the fever he had Friday and Saturday, and he said that was probably from his shots. And about the vomiting and diarrhea all weekend, and he said that was probably gastroenteritis. Now he has croup in addition to those things.

This is my first experience with croup, except for when I had it when I was 15 months my mom reminded me today. She said I was in an oxygen tent and her purse got stolen out of the room. Nice, thief, steal a girl's purse out of her sick child's hospital room. Anyway....

So Dr. J said I could take him into a steamy bathroom or take him outside in the cold air. He also gave me steroids to give him but only if he gets much worse - like if we can hear the noise when he's not coughing. He also said to run the humidifier. He's up there asleep in his bed for now with the humidifier and Baby Vicks on him. Hopefully he sleeps ok tonight!

Madeleine got a special treat today. Ken came home early because I did NOT want to take Madeleine to the germ fest that is the doc's waiting room. He took her to Barnes and Nobles, got her a chocolate milk and did puzzles with her. She was a happy girl to get a date with Daddy!

New Record

I am pretty sure we set a new record of how many times I had to change clothes after getting puked on. A few times I had to change every stitch of clothing we both had on. Poor little guy. He had his 6 month shots on Friday morning and was running a fever by Friday night. Then on Saturday morning he had a fever, and let's just say it was coming out both ends. Not pretty. The papers they gave us on the vaccines said that fever, vomiting and diarrhea were side effects, or he could have picked up something from the doctor's waiting room. I always get the first appointment of the day hoping there aren't too many germs around, but it was completely packed this time. I mean kids were hacking all over the place and laying on the floor.

I didn't realize he was sick during this photo shoot, but he was not happy! (Still pretty adorable though!) Other than this, he was actually pretty happy through the weekend, even though he didn't feel well.

There were several nice days this week (thank goodness since we had no heat), so we got a chance to play outside. I sure am going to miss playing outside this winter. John Paul took a few naps in his swing which is right by the front door, so Madeleine and I got to play in the driveway together. We had a great time and drew some elaborate houses with sidewalk chalk. Madeleine likes me to draw BIG houses and then she stands in the house :) She also likes me to draw paths between the houses and she walks from house to house.
We inherited a bag of hats and shoes from Ava this week too, and Madeleine had a great time trying them all out! Actually when I was busy with John Paul this weekend, I just put the big bag in the middle of the floor and it kept her busy for a long time trying all this stuff on!
We did get a few good shots with their halloween shirts on. We got Madeleine's pumpkin at the grocery store and it basically took up the whole cart. We went to the pumpkin patch to get John Paul's (they charge by inches!) Madeleine is excited about carving them this week. I still haven't figured out costumes but I do have backups. There is a party at the local Catholic bookstore on Halloween and they get a special treat if they dress as a saint. If I had more time and talent, I'd love for them to be St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and Pope John Paul II. However I'm thinking it's not going to happen at this point. Maybe I'll be able to do it next year when they're older and can understand better.
This was before the meltdown. He was happy for a minute. One good thing about him being sick this weekend was I got a lot of cuddle time with him.

6 month stats

17.25 lbs, 50th percentile
27.75 inches, 90th percentile

The doc says he's going to be tall and skinny like his sister! Speaking of Madeleine, here are her 6 month stats for comparison.

He is doing great and we don't have to go back until he's a year old.

One way to make me mad

I'm already mad that we need to spend several grand on a new furnace and a/c.

So this guy comes over last night to give us an estimate - our third one. He acts extremely nice to us and our kids - even talking to Madeleine and asking her questions, and offering to let her help him measure, etc. He talked about his own kids, said John Paul was cute, and gave us a good deal. We decided to go ahead with this company (and they're here right now by the way, with my front door propped open and ladybugs everywhere, and no end in sight.)

About half an hour after he left, our neighbor calls. He said he had followed the guy out of our neighborhood when he left about 7:30 last night. The guy was driving in the middle of the street and there's a part of our street that curves sharply to the right. The guy swung left and went into the other lane, where there was an elderly man walking his dog. He came close to hitting him. The guy threw his hands up in the air. The man stopped his car, backed up, and cussed the old man out!!! Our neighbor said he was ready to get out of his car and "thump him" if he laid a hand on the old man. When he saw our neighbor looking like he was getting out of his car, he drove away.

Ok, so I was completely shocked. It makes me SO mad when people act one way around people and then the total opposite way when they think no one is looking. Ken called the company and talked to the guy's supervisor. The guy called and apologized to us today, and said that the man had cussed at him first. Whatever. The old man was probably scared because the guy almost hit him!! I hope he gets some kind of discipline for this.

Happy 6 months!

My big boy is 6 months old today. Unbelievable. It seems like I was just waiting for him and thinking he'd NEVER get here.

My little Buddy brings so much joy to our family with his huge smile and contagious laugh. He's still really laid back. It's interesting I could tell this about him right away when he was born. He's just an easy going kid, fun to be around. He loves his mama best these days. When someone else holds him he usually looks around for me and then sticks out his lip and makes the saddest face. If that doesn't work he starts crying, but suddenly feels better when I take him back!
John Paul is one big boy! I'm not sure how much he weighs (we'll find out on Friday at his doctor appointment) but he is definitely in size 12 month clothes. He is thin though -not a fat roll to be found on this kid.
So far he has eaten sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, avocados, and today he had carrots. I definitely think he likes apples best. We're trying pears and butternut squash next. I'm not sure if he really enjoys eating or not yet.
He still really likes me to wear him in the Moby Wrap or Hotsling. The Moby is definitely my favorite with this big boy! It's definitely easier to take them both somewhere if I can wear him. What's a better accessory than an adorable baby??
He loves going for walks in the double stroller and sitting next to Madeleine. Speaking of Madeleine, I think she's his second favorite person in the world. He just lights up when he sees her, and she makes him laugh every day. I love seeing their relationship develop. When Madeleine walks down the stairs, sometimes I walk backwards in front of her carrying John Paul. He thinks this is hilarious! He cracks up the whole way down.

He went through a stretch where he slept completely through the night - a few nights up to 12 hours. But most of the time he still gives me the 4am wake up call. I don't mind though, he goes to sleep pretty quick. My very favorite part of the day is in the morning - he wakes up around 6am and Ken changes his diaper and brings him in our bed. He nurses and then cuddles up with me for about another hour until we get up. He is so sweet and I just love him!

Blog friends

John Paul didn't think Sew was going to steal him this time :)

And Madeleine LOVES her. Probably because she brings her the most perfect toys. A pink Dora cell phone and binoculars! Thanks Sew!
And, Madeleine and Mary had an awesome time together at Mary's house. Cathy and Joe and I have been chatting since the girls were born. Since they're almost the exact same age we go through all the stages together. My kid doesn't know how to smile for the camera! You have to catch her un-posed to get a good one. Mary, on the other hand, is great at smiling for the camera!
Madeleine tried to "feed" Mary, and Mary was a willing recipient :) They were so cute together!
John Paul got a chance to stretch his arms and legs and roll around on their carpet. He did great in the car - cried a little right at the end of the trip on the way there, but on the way home, he was asleep after 5 minutes and slept the entire way home. What a good boy! He loved Joe too.
I love my blog friends!! This makes 5 sets of new friends we've met in person through the blog. I am SO glad I got to meet all of them.

Terrific.

This has probably been the longest I've gone without posting since Madeleine was born! We've been mostly fine, just busy.

We got to hang out with Sew last week, which was great! We had gelato, Qdoba, made two trips to Whole Foods, and just had a nice visit. I got some good pictures which I will post later.

Yesterday we decided to make an unexpected road trip to Chicago to go to mass at St. John Cantius in Chicago, and meet some great blog friends. Their daughter is a few weeks older than Madeleine and we've been chatting since the girls were babies. It was so great to meet them finally! Their church was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, including in Rome! The music was fabulous as well, and I loved the Eucharistic Procession after mass. Ken had already gone to the 8am mass that day, so he and Madeleine went to Starbucks and John Paul and I went to the mass. Mary and Madeleine were like two peas in a pod, and played great together. John Paul was a big fan of Mary's Daddy :) The drive home took forever, and we had to stop at Walmart at 11pm to get space heaters for our room and John Paul's room. (Madeleine already has one.) Luckily John Paul slept the entire way. Madeleine chattered constantly for about 2 hours but finally fell asleep. We just moved them to their beds when we got home, no problem. Thanks for having us Cathy and Joe!! We had a great time.

So here's the sarcastic "terrific" part. A few mornings ago our furnace started making a horrible noise. Ken turned it off and it was off all day yesterday, so it was freezing in the house. We called the guys out and they came at 12:20 (of course after they said they'd be here between 8-12.) The part we need would cost $1245. But the guy said our furnace was basically made for a trailer, and was extremely inefficient. It's also 18 years old. So the guy is coming right now to give us an estimate for a new furnace, and outdoor unit too, which is over 30 years old. We should have stayed in the apartment. I hope it's not too bad....... I hate these unexpected expenses.

Buddy's first meal

So I thought John Paul was getting kind of hungry. And he's a week away from turning 6 months old, so I decided to feed him tonight! I steamed and pureed some sweet potatoes for him, and mixed it with a little milk :) Here is his first bite...

He loved it! He grabbed the spoon and pulled it into his mouth every time!
I know there's a lot of pictures....
I couldn't choose just a few!! He really enjoyed eating, I'm so glad!


As you can see, he finished the entire bowl! I had some extra so I froze it in ice cube trays so he can have a few more servings for the next few days.
I'm excited to start this new phase of his life! I got this book at Borders last weekend called 100 Best Purees for Babies. The recipes look great!

We also had a great time with Sew yesterday and today... great pictures coming up!

I don't want to jinx it....

But John Paul has slept through the night for the PAST 5 NIGHTS!! I can't even believe it. Last night he slept almost 12 hours! I woke up at 5:30 and kept going in to check on him. I couldn't believe he wasn't awake yet! He is just the sweetest baby.

Today Madeleine decided she didn't want to go to sleep at naptime. She has to have several stuffed animals in her crib with her, but if she doesn't go to sleep, I give her a warning and then take her animals away. Today John Paul went to sleep around 1, and I put Madeleine to bed. He woke up at 2 and she still hadn't gone to sleep. I had already been in there a few times so I went in carrying John Paul and put her animals on her chair. Then I told her she could choose ONE animal. (I'm a big softie.) She studied them for a minute, then looked at me and said shyly, "Can I have John Paul?"

BFF

We had a fantastic visit with the Lameys this weekend! Brenda and I have been blog friends since the beginning of these girls' lives. The girls are about 6 weeks apart so we have gone through all the joys and issues of being new moms together. So we finally got to meet in real life and have our girls meet. Are they not the cutest girls??


They were pretty funny - they didn't really pay much attention to each other for about the first 24 hours. They played with seperate things at our house and didn't say a word to each other for a while. Although Madeleine started entertaining the crowds with her renditions of "the Hokey Pokey song" and "Sam the Dinosaur" complete with motions pretty much before they even sat down!

By the second evening, Madeleine and Maggie were BFF. It was really cute to see them play together. We had a great time at the Children's Museum (twice) and the zoo. It was Madeleine's first time at the zoo so I will have to do a different post for that!

Do you see my kid trying to kiss a penguin? She also kissed goats.

Such cute girls. I'm sure they will miss each other! B, C and M, we hope you guys come back soon! You are always welcome.

Brenda's version of the trip is here. The girls held hands all through the zoo and we all enjoyed our mini-vacation. Thanks again for coming!

Blogworthy

The other day John Paul had on his blue Colts shirt, gray pants and red socks. I had laid out his clothes and Ken was putting them on him.

Ken, "Red socks, huh?"
Me: "Yep"
Ken: "Well, that's ok. It's like they say on What Not to Wear, red shoes can make an outfit 'Pop'"

After I picked myself up off the floor from laughing so hard, I said, "You know that's going on the blog, right?"

Bad Dreams

Madeleine's had a bad dream the past few nights, about a black dog who comes in her room and bites and scratches her, and then goes and bites John Paul. She is pretty scared about it and remembered the dream in surprising detail. She didn't want to go to bed tonight.

So we talked about her guardian angel, how he's strong and can protect her from bad dreams. Then we said the Angel of God prayer a few times. After that I tucked her in and she went right to sleep.

It made me so sad! It was like I was helpless to protect her from this. I hope her guardian angel helps her.

Also, she had kind of a bad experience in the church nursery this week. When I went in to get her after the mom's meeting, she was sitting in a chair looking like she was about to cry. I went over to her and she had a big scratch on her face. I picked her up and she said "Mommy I wanted you SO BAD and you didn't come." The kid knows how to rip my heart out. The lady in charge said that she and another kid were going for a toy at the same time and she got scratched. She also said that she laid on the floor like she was really tired. That usually means low blood sugar. Then Madeleine told me a mean boy wouldn't let her play with any toys. I asked her what he said and she said, "NO! You can't play with anything!"

So I was a little upset about the whole thing. It was obvious to me that she was about to cry. I think someone should have come and gotten me when she got scratched on the face and it drew blood. She didn't feel comfortable asking anyone to come get me, so she just sat there and held back her tears and had a miserable time. I may be overprotective, but I won't be taking her back.

Poor kid has had a rough week! She is very excited about getting to play with Maggie this weekend though!