First fever... and first time to CRAWL!

Last Monday, I got a phone call from Emma's school saying that she had a fever of 101.2. This was Emma's first time to have a fever. I brought her home, gave her tylenol, gave her extra snuggles, and put her to bed early. She woke up in the middle of the night burning up. I was sure I was about to have to rush her to the ER, but after taking her temperature it was only 102. I gave her more tylenol and put her back to bed. The next morning I took her to the doctor. Her pediatrician was worried since she didn't seem to have any other symptoms that it may be a bacterial infection. She took a urine sample (by putting in a catheter), took blood, and gave her 2 antibiotic shots to fight the infection while we waited for the results which would take 2-3 days. The experience was traumatic. For both of us. :( The test results came back on Friday, all clear! I guess that was good news, only now all I can think of was how horrible that experience was for nothing! Meanwhile, the entire week Emma woke up every 2-3 hours and began showing some symptoms of a virus. I think the fever was due to the virus. Poor thing. Poor mama... it was like I had a newborn at home all over again! I was exhausted and had a big weekend ahead...

Saturday- I co-hosted a bridal shower for my friend Erin. I am honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding on May 18th. :) I have worked with her for the past 3 years and we have grown to be good friends. We had such a fun time celebrating Erin and she got tons of goodies to stock her kitchen!

Sunday morning- After waking up THREE times between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am, I got up and ran a half marathon. Seriously. We drove down to Fair Park, took a shuttle downtown and stood outside in the FREEZING wind waiting anxiously for the race to begin. The first 2 miles were terrible. I had such a difficult time breathing due to the cold. However, I warmed up and finished the 13.1 miles successfully! Not my best time, however considering it was only 7 months post-Emma I am very proud of myself for running. :)

Sunday night- My sister Abby had a senior NCL event to celebrate her time with NCL the past 6 years. I threw on a cocktail dress and heels and tried to walk like a normal human being (my knees were KILLING me!) Abby looked beautiful as did my mother. I was so proud to watch them receive their awards for all the philanthropy work they have done over the years. My mom was actually the co-founder of the Keller chapter back when my sister was only in 7th grade. It brought tears to my eyes thinking of how much my sister has grown over the years into a beautiful and intelligent woman who gives back to the community. I can't wait to see what college has in store for her. I still remember the day she was born, when all my wishes for a "baby sister" came true. How time flies. Uh oh, now I'm getting tears thinking of Emma going to college. :(

Needless to say, I had a very busy weekend. Emma is STILL not back to her typical sleep schedule, but she's getting better. I think I can, I think I can.... ;)

OH! AND, guess who decided to crawl today for the first time?! We were at my Gran T's home (my grandmother) when Emma went for it! It was so fun that Gran T got to witness it! Here is a video.... pay no attention to my baby voice. What was motivating her to crawl? My necklace. A girl has to accessorize. ;)

Looking forward to celebrating our little crawler's first Easter this weekend!

XOXO,

Lexi

Rattlesnakes?!!! Eek!!!

So over the weekend, to celebrate Brian's birthday, we went to Bastrop where Brian's family has a farm to visit with Brian's cousin Kevin and his new bride Rachel. I think I mentioned before that Brian's Uncle Don bought a caboose a few years ago and completed renovated the inside to look (for the most part) like it would have when it was in use. It has 2 sets of bunk beds, a full bathroom with shower, and a living area. It's very cool. We have stayed in it before, however this time we stayed at the home that they have on their land since we had EG with us. Here is a pic of EG in front of the caboose. It was super windy as you can tell from her face... (don't make fun of my photo skills- I'm learning.)

We had such a fun time even though it was super windy (which made it a little chilly). Here are some more pics of us...

There was just one little problem... the last night we were there I went to check on EG (asleep in the caboose) when I walked right up to not one but TWO rattlesnakes. Yes, you read that right. SO scary!! Luckily the boys had their guns handy and they were dead in no time. They were coiled up right by the outdoor patio where we were sitting. Here is a pic...

Needless to say, that may be the last time I go to the farm! ;) All in all, it was a great weekend and EG did pretty well for the 4 1/2 drive down there and back. (I did spend the majority of the trip back entertaining her in the backseat, but she was a trooper!) Brian's birthday also happened to be Emma's 7 month birthday (they share the same birth "day.") I can't believe she is 7 months! I'll have to post her 7 month pic when I actually take it.

OH, AND for all my friends with little ones... a friend of mine, Jenny, told me about this awesome website called Citrus Lane. It is basically like the baby version of Birch Box. You can sign up for a monthly box to arrive in the mail that is loaded with some fun baby toys and products! Even better, you put in your child's birthday so they send toys that fit your child's age. Click here to check it out and get $10 off!

XOXO,

Lexi

Swim lessons...

Today we tested out a waterbabies class at Emler. It was... eh. Emma had a ton of fun, she laughed and splashed, and enjoyed the singing. However, moving her legs and saying "kick kick kick!" and holding her on her back as we swam under a piece of foam that the teacher held up to make a "bridge" while singing "London Bridges Falling Down" was not something that I need to pay $300 to do. (Okay, it was $300 for 14- 30 minute classes.) Let's do the math; $21 a class for something I can do. I mean, come on, I work with kids. :) SO, instead I came home and did some more research and I found a waterbabies class through the City of Plano that cost $65 for 8 classes. Hello?! Way more reasonable! More math; $8 a class. I can pay $8 to have access to a heated pool, sing a few songs, and maybe teach my (almost 7 months!!) old a few things. I'm registered! It may not be AS good, but who knows? I'll let you know. By the way, Emma was super cute in her little swim diaper, but no pics to show since I was the only one there with her. I'll try to get some pics next time.

After our swim adventure, we went to lunch with my friend Erin. Emma did pretty well until she was almost finished with her mum mum in which case she cried big fat tears. Being the good behavior analyst that I am, I gave her another. ;)

We then went to my office to visit some friends and EG got on her hands and knees and rocked... then she moved one hand... then she fell. She is SO close to crawling! I don't know whether to be excited or petrified that my life will never be the same. ;) No, I'm definitely excited. Next purchase? Baby gate!

Saturday is Brian's birthday (and EG will be 7 months!!) so we are celebrating by going down to Bastrop to visit Brian's cousin and his new bride. We are looking forward to getting out of town for a few days. Praying the rain stays away and we have nice weather... It will be Emma's first visit to the Caboose! For those of you who didn't know... Brian's uncle bought a caboose (yep, you read that right) a few years ago and completely gutted it. It's very cool. Pictures to come.

Have a great weekend everyone!

XOXO,
Lexi

Croup.

So last night the girls were over watching The Bachelor (it was Monday night after all) and Emma woke up coughing and crying. I went in to get her and she was wheezing pretty bad. Since I have taken Brian to the hospital with the same thing before only to find out he had very little oxygen (he has pretty bad asthma) I was super freaked out. SO thankful to have 2 professional moms over to help me out! Julie found a place called Acute Kids (kind of like a Care Now for kids) in Plano that was open until 11:00 pm. I threw Emma in the car (it was about 10:00 pm at this time) and raced over there. All of the nurses were very sweet and the doctor was great too. They tested Emma's oxygen and luckily she was at 99% and her lungs were clear. Whew! The verdict? Croup. They gave Emma a steroid and a prescription and we were on our way home in about 15 minutes (much faster than Care Now!) Emma slept in our room last night with the humidifier on and thankfully she seems to already be feeling better this morning. It's so sad when your baby is sick! Now we just wait for the huge bill that will be sure to arrive in the mail in a few days... Oh well, no cost is too much for peace of mind!

Speaking of the Bachelor... what is everyone's guess? NO spoilers please! I don't read RealitySteve! I think my official guess is Lindsay. Sort of sad for AshLee to leave, but she was beginning to be a bit much for me especially when she told Sean what kind of ring she wanted and the size?! I mean, seriously? Pretty sure they have that on some form they fill out to go on the show... eek!

Oh! Remember the teething necklace I talked about in my last post? Emma LOVES it! I highly recommend it as a sneaky way to get your 6 month old to sit still... perfect for church! I just might need another in a different style...

Here is an EG pic for the day. Her first time in a restaurant high chair!

XOXO,
Lexi

I have an addiction...

The verdict is in, Emma loves apples! She didn't really have much of a reaction to apples either, except in between bites she gets very anxious for the next one and gobbled down the whole serving very quickly! This morning I mixed apples in with her cereal and she loved that! Next up... peas! I'm making all of her food and last night I made tons of apples and peas to freeze. The peas looked absolutely delicious all pureed... haha, just kidding! Gross! I'm curious to see if we get a reaction (good or bad?) from peas!

I think I have an addiction... online shopping. I'm pretty sure Brian is going to take away my credit card very soon. ;) My online purchase today was from Baby Steals. If you have a baby and you haven't checked out this site, go now! (Or don't, because you might get hooked.) Today, I purchased some "teething bling."

I liked this one because it wasn't those large beaded necklaces I see all over the place. Also, it's BPA free AND if Miss Emma breaks it, I won't be upset! (She LOVES chewing on all of my necklaces and I just know one of these days she is going to break one!)

Does Folic Acid reduce the risk of autism??  I just read an article that suggests that it could reduce the risk up to 39%.... Click here to read the article. (Source: Autism Speaks)

AND, for all my fellow runners (or athletes)... Here is something fun I just discovered! On March 2, there will be a Badass Dash in Dallas benefitting Autism Speaks! If you enter AUTISMSPEAKS at checkout you get $10 off! Here is the description: 

Each race consists of a 5-7 k course that will boast unconventional, but achievable obstacles that are truly BADASS. And although each race will have a minimum of 15-20+ obstacles, not every race will have the same obstacles and you won’t know every obstacle that is on the course as the element of surprise is BADASS itself.

Each racer has the opportunity to register for one of 2 Divisions:
ELITE TRAINED - Need we say more... you know who you are 
RECREATION – Run, Jog, Walk or Crawl – It’s your personal Challenge.

For those who didn't know... Brian and I are training for the Rock 'n Roll half marathon on March 24th in Dallas, so we just may sign up for this! :)  (I'll leave you with a happy Emma pic...)

Big girl, wearing 6-9 months clothes! Yes, the jeans are a little long... She is petite like her mama!

XOXO,
Lexi

I have been meaning to start a blog for some time now... here goes nothing!

Let's get caught up...

Emma is now 6 months old! I cannot believe how fast time is flying! She is the love of my life and brings a smile to my face every single day. She is now rolling all over the place and grabbing everything! She has started eating oatmeal and she had her first veggie this past week: carrots! It was the most uneventful "baby's first food" moment ever. She literally acted like she has been eating carrots her entire life. No funny faces. Nothing. Up next... apples! I'm hoping to get a reaction, I'll keep you posted.

Autism...
This last week, I went to a Social Thinking Conference with Michelle Garcia Winner which focused on teaching executive functioning, and social skills to individuals primarily diagnosed with high functioning autism, aspergers, and ADHD. I'm going to be honest, the conference was not as great as I thought it would be, however the first morning there was a speaker named Sara Ward, an SLP who was AMAZING. I tried to find a link on the Social Thinking website and couldn't find one. I'm wondering if she stepped in last minute to cover for someone else?? Anyway, I learned a ton of great tools from her lecture. I did however discover a new curriculum coming out in March called The Incredible Flexible You. (The first volume in March and the second volume in the fall.) I am DYING to buy it! It looks really fun for the kiddos.

Another autism related note...
I just jumped on the Parenthood bandwagon and it is a wonderful show. As my friend Erin put it, I am emotionally involved with the characters. For those who haven't seen it, it is about a couple who have 4 grown children who are now raising their own children. One of the children has a diagnosis of aspergers so it is really neat to see a show portray the ins and outs of the world that many of the families that I work with struggle with on a daily basis. (As well as my own parents.) The child, Max, even has a behavioral therapist come into his home and work with him! (That's what I do for those of you who have always wondered what the heck a behavior analyst is.) Obviously, it's a little skewed, but it's awesome, go watch it!

I have to wrap this up for today. I need to go wash bottles before Emma Grace wakes up from her nap! (OK, and I'm going to have one of the delicious chocolate chip cookies that my hubby brought me last night from Tiff's Treats.)

XOXO,
Lexi