Connor's Big Scare

Connor gave us quite a fright this weekend. During breakfast, he suddenly shaked and shivered like he was cold - but I knew something wasn't quite right. A few minutes later, I had him lying down on the changing station - when it happened again, but more clearly. His little arms and legs and whole torso just shook all over - and his eyes stared off in to space. I knew it was a seizure. After he finally came around, I started to finish to change his diaper and it happened all over again. 3 seizures in 15 minutes. I quickly called Poppa, and he calmly told me I was right to be concerned and to call the Doctor. I called the Pediatrician, and they referred me to the E/R. Meanwhile, he had another seizure again while Hugh was with him. Now, we're all scared. 27 months of these kids and we've never had to go to the ER. Argh.


Fortunately, we live near a wonderful Children's Hospital, so I rushed their while Hugh stayed with Kate and Kylie. They quickly took us in and we went through triage. What a wonderfully comforting place to be when you are afraid. He loved the little stickers that they put on his PJs.





We then got taken back to the patient room where we had to get Connor set up to have some blood taken and to start an IV. Should I leave the room to not hear him howl, or stay with him? Of course, I had to stay with him and help hold him down. I've never heard a more pitiful sound than of my little one crying.

After that, we met with a Doctor, who consulted with a Neurologist. A CT scan would be in order for today. For most of us, that would be a quick 2 minute test. For a child, they have to be sedated first so they can be still in the machine. Since Connor had just eaten breakfast, we had to wait several hours.

It was hard to distract Connor with an IV in his hand, but hid did decide to color a little and to watch some cartoons.

Meanwhile through all of this, they set him up on all of the monitors. I was never so happy to watch a little heart beat.





Finally, it was time for the CT. Hugh and I went back to the room to be with him while they knocked him out. He was given propofol (but monitored MUCH more closely than Michael Jackson was!) and he just slumped down to the table. He looked so tiny and helpless and we prayed for him dearly. The CT was over before we knew it, and little Connor's body was lifted back to his bed and rolled back to his room.

He slept and slept and slept. I just wanted to see him "bounce back" - but we had to wait about 30 minutes before he finally woke up. A very long 90 minutes later, we got the "all clear" on the CT results... Amen! We were told we need to get an MRI and an EEG done later this week - but we could go home now. I was so grateful and hoped the drama of the day was done with.

Not so fast, Connor got sick 4 times in the car coming home and again in his bed and yet again on the couch. Poor little pun'kin - the medicine they gave him didn't agree with the milk and snack he had at the hospital before we went home. Regardless - we have our Connor at home and hope that the worst of this is behind us.

Little Kylie's Kabuki face

Kylie looks a lot like both Connor AND Kate - but in one way - she is ALL Connor. She drools.

Connor was a big drooler, and so is Kylie. Not so bad except for the extra laundry, right? Well mostly true - but the poor little thing is getting chapped cheeks due to always having wet fingers in her wet mouth and on her now wet face. Nothing a little ointment can't help with - but it does interfere with picture taking. With all of that white creme on her face - she looks like she is ready for a Japanese Kabuki production.

Mom and Kate go to IKEA

Kate is such a love and such a handful. Today - I went to wake her up and she was wearing the Parisian black beret that Aunt Anne bought for her. She slept with it on ALL night and wouldn't consider taking it off today. So - we got dressed and wore the beret to go shopping. I think she looked pretty styling for a 2 year old!


We've found a few things at IKEA for the kids bedrooms. While I like what they have, it takes a long time to shop there. Crowds where ever you go and it's just a huge store.

Since we had been shopping for so long, we stopped and had lunch together. Kate "ordered" the Mac and Cheese and a juice box. So very sweet to watch her take in the scenery and all of the people. She even said "Bon Jour" to a few people. So cute!!!

SNOW JAM 2011

Atlanta just isn't set up for ice and snow. For 4.4m residents, the city has 10 snowplows (no joke). So, when a heavy snow came down Sunday night, I knew we'd be snowed in for a day or two. Nope - we were snowed in until FRIDAY.

Crazy. The kids were ready to go stir-crazy, while Mom and Dad worried about running out of Kylie's special formula and plain ol' milk for Kate and Connor. When the temps finally got above 30 - the kids went out side to play (and taste) the snow.

Breakfast Conversation

Hugh was feeding the twins breakfast this morning. The kids are always in a good mood at breakfast and ready to chat up a storm.

Hugh asked Kate if she was a "big girl?".
Her priceless response?
"No, I'm a Princess."

Kate Gets the Hang of the Big Girl's Cup

Connor was willing to try the big boy's cup (no sippie cup)earlier this week, but Kate was more hesitant until today. Today, she was ready to dive in and try.

I love that she says "Ayúdame" (help me in Spanish), but then she really does it on her own. Very cute!

It's snowing...

And the kids are all asleep... beautiful! This is Kylie's first snow - but she's peacefully oblivious.

A BIG Outing

Today - we had a big family outing. First stop up - the Library for "Family Story Time." To get Hugh, the 3 kids and me out the door takes quite an effort - so I was amazed we actually pulled this one off! We got to the library and it turns out that it's only every OTHER Saturday that they read. On the off Saturday's, it's "Family Movie Time." The movie "A Stranger in the Woods" was nice - but too old for the twins - so we just played with the puzzles and left.

The kids have been needing haircuts for a while, so we went over to Pig Tails and Crew cuts that's near our new house and on the way home anyway. It's a great place. Too great. There was an HOUR wait.


So, we took off to the McDonald's across the road.





Before you say I'm a bad mom, they don't eat the burger in the Happy Meal - it's mostly apples and milk for them.

After eating, the kids played for their first time in a McDonald's play gym. WOW - did they love it! Kate was "chatting up" every toddler she say there, and Connor was following Kate all around.

Very cute to see them interacting with so many other kids (since they don't go to pre-school - they don't see too many other little ones).




It was time to go, but the kids didn't want to leave. I'm glad they were having a good time - but it was exhausting.

After me having to CLIMB in to the tubes to get Kate out, it was back to get haircuts.





Pig Tails and Crew cuts caters to the under 12 crowd, so the waiting room has a TV, trains and all kinds of toys.

The twins just loved playing with the train set... and they didn't even fight over the trains too much.




Everyone was happy until Kate had to get in the (cute) red fire engine chair. While she boo-hoo'd at first - after she got a few animal crackers - all was better. And of course, now I can see her beautiful eyes again.






Connor picked the yellow truck to sit in. For some reason, Connor is not bothered at all by having his hair cut - so he just watched the TV while the nice lady snipped away. My handsome young boy!

EXCUSE me!!!

At dinner tonight, Kate wanted more noodles (or as she pronounces them - noo-noos). Hugh had his hands full with Kylie, so he told her that she could have some of Connor's if he didn't want to finish them all. So, our precocious little Kate said "Excuse me, Excuse me Connor. Noo-noos - I want to eat them." What a polite child!
Connor's simple response? NO!

Kylie is 3 months old!

Kylie is 3 months old today. Amen! I'm hoping that people who say infants outgrow colic at three months are being literal. While I thought Kylie was over her colic in early December, it came back to greet us last week for a few days. Fortunately, it has been MIA again for the past few days - so we're thrilled with that. Such a sweet angelic face - hard to imagine she can cry so pitifully and loud.


I'm keeping up with my "tradition" of taking a picture in the same chair every month with Kylie on her "birthday". Hugh thinks she is growing in to her weight better - but she still looks like a pork chop to me.

So - for the basics. Kylie (or Little Missy or Snookums as she gets called) eats around 5 times a day, about 6 ounces of that terrible smelling formula I've shared with you. She eats at 6am, 10, 2, 6, and 10pm. It seems that she mostly only cries (this week at least) when she's hungry. Not only do her eyes track on my voice, she now moves her head to find who is talking to her. She is also beginning to try to grab objects. Sometimes it's the mobile above her in the swing, more often it's my hair (ouch!). What's most cute to me, though, are her big gurgles when you hold her up to your face to talk to her. She likes to keep up her end of the conversation for sure! Her eyes are still crystal blue - and I'm selfishly hopeful they will stay that way - since both Kate and Connor ended up with Hugh's green eyes.