Meet Clyde!

Clyde is our new red-eared slider. He's pretty cool, but he's very skiddish. He's scared of me, although I'm the one who feeds him. Also, turtles are dirty! I have to clean his tank regularly. But he's too cute!!

Do You Kiss Your Momma with that Mouth?

As you know, 19 month-olds really like to babble. They are learning all sorts of interesting words and sounds! Well, Kami knows the word "sit" and she knows what it means. But when she says it, well, it sounds like a dirty word. I knew this would end up embarrassing me.

This weekend at church, we decided to not sit in the cry room and actually sit in the sanctuary.

Mistake.

We tried to get her to settle down and we told her to sit. Seconds later, Kamryn yelled "sh-t!!!!"

The congregation was completely silent because they were in prayer. But when Kami belted out that word, the chuckles emerged. My mom and I were laughing so hard, tears were streaming down our face!

Then, service started and the organ blared. Kami is scared of organ music. So she screamed! Needless to say, we made a bee-line to the cry room.

Summer Fun!

Despite Kami's eye drama, we've had a great summer! Kam loves the water. She's gotten her share of pool time at her Aunt Amy's and Canebrake country club. Enjoy the photos!

Cellulitis: A Cautionary Tale

Wow! So much has happened since my last post. I'm sorry, again, that it's been so long. We've been quite busy, oh, I'd say, this entire month! First, we had a wonderful Father's Day weekend. Kamryn got to celebrate with her daddy, her pops, and paw-paw. But that Saturday, we noticed something funny with her eye. It was red and swollen. We thought it must have been a bug bite, or something got in her eye, and we didn't think much more. Well, on Father's Day, her eye was swollen partially shut. We also noticed a bump underneath her eyelid.

Okay. This is the part where mommy really screws up. Seeing that I'm not a doctor, for some reason I felt qualified enough to diagnose Kami with a sty. There is nothing a doctor can do for a sty. So I decided not to take her to the doctor that Sunday.

Big mistake.

Monday morning, Kami was unable to open her eye. I found drops of blood in her crib that dripped from her eye. Her little eyelashes were clumped with puss and blood. She looked awful, and I was scared.

We took her to the doctor, and her pediatrician was mortified. She prescribed bactrim and eye drops and told us to come back first thing in the morning. Well, the next day, her eye looked even worse. We brought her back to the doctor, and doc decided immediately to admit her to the hospital. She was diagnosed with cellulitis, an infection of soft tissues around the eye. What makes this even scarier....the bacteria was staph.

I had a mini breakdown in the doctor's office. Thank God my mother was with me. I had to be strong for my girl!

The next two days at the hospital were long, to say the least. They put the IV in her hand. But the nurse got a needle that was too big. So, after butchering her hand for about five minutes, she decided to try a different needle on the other hand.

Now, you mommies know that toddlers love to explore. Every corner of a room, or building for that matter, is an adventure. Now, imagine your toddler being hooked up to an IV with about ten feet to spare. Believe me, it was hard keeping Kami from running around. But she's one tough cookie. I was so proud of her! She laughed and played in that hospital gown! Now, make no mistake about it. She didn't feel so hot, and she wouldn't touch her food. But I kept thinking, if an adult had an eye infection like that, he or she'd be much more dramatic. Kami acted like she didn't have a care in the world! Gosh, I love that kid!

After a day and a half in the hospital, her eye was well enough that she could be released. What a relief! The antibiotics really, really worked. Thank God for answering all of our prayers!

So, if I learned anything from this, it's that it's okay to be one of those mothers who always rushes her kid to the doctor with every ailment. That's what we do! We're mothers! Now, it's time to plan a beach trip :)

It's Been Way Too Long......

First off, I want to apologize for not blogging in so long! Life has been extremely busy...in a good way! We are chugging along here in Mobile, Alabama, and we have been very blessed along the way!

Kamryn has been moved up to an older classroom at daycare. I had very mixed emotions about this. There are no cribs in this class, just toddler cots. No bottles. No binkies. No high chairs. She sits at a little table, and eats in the cafeteria. Can you believe it? My little baby now eats in the cafeteria! I was a little misty-eyed when I dropped her off for her first day in her new class. Adjusting to this new schedule has been a little tough for Kamryn. She only gets one nap a day as opposed to two naps. So, when I pick her up, she is EXTREMELY cranky. She is sooooooo overwhelmingly tired. I try to put her down for a nap as soon as I can when I get home. She is getting more and more used to the routine. But today, she cried when I dropped her off, and that made me sad. She rarely does that. But when she does, it just tears me up. But her teacher assures me that Kamryn always stops crying in mere seconds after I leave.

Our family has wasted no time getting in the swing of summer. Last weekend, we celebrated my niece's six year birthday with a pool party! We have decided that Kamryn will easily be a water-baby. She loves the water! She even got her head wet, and loved it! Of course, being around a pool is scary. When I was a news reporter, I did stories on tragedy after tragedy of little toddlers finding their way to the pool and falling in. We would like Kamryn to learn how to swim as soon as she is physically able to. But I can tell you this...she loves the water! For now, she has no idea that bad things can happen.

This weekend, we celebrate father's day. We will once again head to Hattiesburg. I will spend Friday night with my dad and Saturday night with Josh's dad. Josh's dad hasn't been able to really spend a lot of time with Kami. So, I am excited about spending the day at Rowell Ranch. We are also blessed to spend the day with Josh's pa paw, who fought for his life last week. After prostate surgery, he had a stroke and kidney failure. (it's a long story that I won't get into in this blog). But pa paw is a tough cookie! He pulled through and he is back to his old self!

We are also praying for our friends Glyn and Ashley, whose twins are due in about four weeks. So far, things are looking good! I am excited about the impending birth. It also brings back memories of Kami. I remember being so happy the day I gave birth. I also remember struggling to adjust to motherhood. Indeed, life will be different for the Guidry's, especially with two babies. Can you imagine? I know twins are quite common, but it's hard for me to comprehend the thought of having TWO newborns at one time! I know my friends will be overwhelmed, but they will also be very blessed. I can't wait to meet the twins!

I will post Kami swimming pictures shortly. Much love! XOXOXOXOXOX!

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers are a gift from God! I thank Him every day for giving me a wonderful mom, and for allowing me to be a mommy to my little Kamryn.

More Than A Mother

When God set the world in place,when He hung the stars up in space,

when He made the land and the sea,then He made you and me.

He sat back and saw all that was good, He saw things to be as they should.

Just one more blessing He had in store; He created a mother, but whatever for?

He knew a mother would have a special place to shine His reflection on her child's face.

A mother will walk the extra mile just to see her children smile.

She'll work her fingers to the bone to make a house into a home.

A mother is there to teach and guide, a mother will stay right by your side.

She'll be there through your pain and strife, she'll stay constant in your life.

A mother will lend a helping hand until you have the strength to stand.

She'll pick you up when you are down,when you need a friend she'll stick around.

A mother is one who listens well,will keep her word; will never tell.

A mother never pokes or pries but stands quietly by your side,

giving you the strength you need, encouraging you to succeed.

A mother is one who can be strong when you need someone to lean on.

You're more than a mother to me; a reflection of Him in your face I see,

a love that knows no boundaries.

I'm glad that you chose to be all this and more to me.

You share a love that knows no end,you're more than my mother,you are my friend.

Kari Keshmiry

An Unwanted Present

When I became a mom, I knew I would have to become used to all things that are gross. Well, Kami has gotten into a habit of wanting to take off her diaper whenever she's wearing a dress. Last weekend, her granna put her to bed without putting any pants over her diaper. When Kami woke up, she left us a nice little present in the crib. Yes, she had taken her diaper off and dropped the bomb. We had to stick her in the bathtub and wash everything in her crib. Ahhhhhh, the joys of motherhood

!

Happy Anniversary!

On April 23rd, Josh and I celebrated our four year wedding anniversary! Josh and I actually started dating back in 1996. So, we've been an old married couple for years! Many of you have been with us through our ups and downs. But I have to say, marriage has been AWESOME! I wouldn't change a thing, and having Kamryn was nothing short of a miracle. Thank you for four great years, and the best is yet to come!

Some Health Concerns

As usual, Kami has had some visits to the doctor. She broke out in red spots on parts of her body. She also had thrush...a yeast infection in her mouth. Blah! But she is on a cream an antibiotics, and she is happy as can be. Poor little thing! It never seems to end for her!

I'm Walking!

Well, my little girl is officially a toddler. She finally started walking! She is so cute as she struggles to keep her balance! Now, she is absolutely into everything. She loves opening and closing doors. She loves looking at herself in the oven door reflection. She loves taking everything out of her pajama drawer, then putting it back in. Every day is a brand new adventure for her. Wow, how I long to have that enthusiasm! She is a very happy little girl. She is described as "jolly" at daycare.

She finally has enough hair to hold a bow! Yayyyyy! Last weekend, Kami was all green as we went to the Irish Italian festival. It was rainy, but we still had a blast. Kamryn is bringing us so much joy.

First Kiss!

We all remember our first kiss. Actually, some of us would like to forget it! Ha! Ha! But I just experienced a first kiss that I will forever cherish! I asked Kamryn to give me a kiss, and she gave me one smack on the lips. It was the first time she had ever done that! She was so sweet!

She also knows what "hugs" are. I've been asking her to give me hugs lately, and she just climbs on my lap, buries her head in my chest and hugs me. She is also very liberal with those hugs!

But she is more picky with the kisses. I asked her for another kiss this morning. She shook her head no with a big smile on her face. I said, are you sure? And I puckered up, making a funny face. She just laughed and shook her head no. She is too precious!!

Ouch!

Well, the other day, Josh picked up Kami from daycare, and she was in the front office with the owners. They told Josh she had just been bitten by a 15 month-old boy! She had a toy that he wanted. I know kids at that age have a really hard time controlling their emotions. As a result, they throw temper tantrums, which sometimes lead to biting. I tried to remember this so I wouldn't be mad at the boy. But another part of me wants to whip his butt!!!

As soon as we got her home, she was fine and happy again. I guess it's just another day in the life of a toddler!

Kamryn's First Mardi Gras

Last weekend, Kamryn got to experience the beads, moon pies, bright colors, music.....all of the magic of Mardi Gras! We joined our friends, John and Christie Cowart, their children, Riley and Lexi, my mom, dad, Dawn and Bo. We had a great time in downtown Mobile!

Of course, you can imagine, Kamryn wasn't all smiles. She got very tired at one point and just fussed and fussed. But once the parades got going, she loved it! A sweet officer even stopped by and put her very first beads around her neck....the extra large beads!! Today is Fat Tuesday, and I'm a little sad to see the season go. But it will be back before you know it. Now, I have to decide what to give up for lent. Possibly facebook?

God Gets Us Through Another Tough Week

Last Monday, we received that familiar call. You know the routine.....daycare.....fever......doctor.....ear infection. This time, the doc prescribed a different antibiotic. Just so I won't get sued, we will call this the "fruit medicine." We gave her two doses of the fruit medicine like the doctor told us. Usually, she starts feeling more like herself in less than 24 hours. But this time, she seemed to feel worse. Thank God, her fever broke. But she was terribly fussy, like nothing would make her happy. I thought, her ears must be really bothering her, this should pass in another day. But the next day, she was still pretty bad. She would not stop crying. She woke up crying and nothing would calm her down. She would hardly eat a thing.

She took about three big naps, which is not like Kamryn. If she wasn't sleeping, she wasn't happy. She was also terribly clingy. Then, her body broke out in a rash. To make matters worse, she had terrible diarrhea. It was so bad that her wet wipes made her poor little booty burn. She went through two to three pairs of pants a day, because her bm's were so explosive. She stopped smiling. She stopped laughing. Usually when I play peek-a-boo with her, I turn into Dave Chappelle in her eyes. I am so hilarious!!! But she just looked at me with a glazed over look in her eyes.

She returned to daycare after a couple of days and even the teachers were baffled. She wouldn't crawl, smile or laugh. She just wasn't my little Kamryn.

The scariest thing happened after day eight of the fruit medicine. At about 1:30am, I heard a blood-curdling scream. I had never heard a scream like that in my life. I feared she may have fallen out of her crib or something. I knew it had to be bad. I ran to her room, where she was in her crib screaming. I went to pick her up and calm her down, and she freaked out even more! She started kicking and flailing around, pushing me away. I could not calm her down! I went to get her a bottle of milk. She took a few sips and knocked it to the floor. I didn't know what to do. I put her back in her crib, turned on her jungle soother, and gave her the glowing seahorse toy that plays music. She seemed to finally calm down. But about ten minutes later she started screaming again. I got back up and checked her diaper to make sure there wasn't another explosion. It seemed fine. I tucked her back in, gave her a pacifier, and left the room again.

I told my mom about the incident the next morning, and she said I should google it. Well, after hours of googling, it seems that Kamryn had a "night terror." Read the definition from babycenter.com below.

What are night terrors?
Night terrors occur in at least 5 percent of young children, and can start as early as 9 months. These mysterious disturbances happen during deep, non-dreaming sleep. A child in this state will cry, whimper, flail, and even bolt out of bed. Though his eyes may be wide open, he's not awake and isn't aware of your presence. Once the night terror (which can last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour or more) is over, your child will return to a sound sleep and have no memory of the incident in the morning.

How are night terrors different from nightmares?
Nightmares happen during rapid eye movement (REM) or dream sleep. A child who's had a nightmare is likely to have a fairly clear idea of what scared him, though he probably won't be able to articulate his fright until he's about 2. He may also be afraid to fall back asleep, and in the morning, he'll probably remember that he had a bad dream.

What should I do when my toddler has a night terror?
Of course, your first instinct will be to comfort him, but your efforts will most likely be futile (remember, he's not really awake and he's not aware of your presence). You just have to wait it out and make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Don't speak to him or try to soothe him, and don't try to shake or startle him awake or physically restrain him — all of which could lead to more frantic behavior. In 15 to 20 minutes, your child should calm down, curl up, and fall into a deep sleep again

Kamryn has done a lot of weird things in her lifetime, but she's never done anything like this. So, with the rash, zombie-like behavior and night terrors, I decided to google the fruit medicine. It seems that these bizarre things are all side effects of this medicine, including the night terrors!!! Why wouldn't doctors warn parents of this? I am so mad, hurt and confused. Does the treatment have to be just as bad as the illness? Where did my little girl go?

Thankfully, she is now officially off the fruit medicine and my happy little girl is back. This is yet another lesson learned. Ask plenty of questions. DO NOT depend on your doctor. You have to be your own advocate for your child. If you want to know what the fruit medicine is, call me or shoot me an e-mail: denise.rowell@gmail.com

A Day at Rowell Ranch!

As we drove up to the house on Rowell Ranch Road, butterflies filled my tummy. How was Kami going to react when she saw her paw-paw? Was she going to cry big crocodile tears? Was she going to be scared? Or was she going to be playful and loving? The last few times she spent time with her paw-paw, she acted scared, and cried every time he got near her. Needless to say, I was embarrassed. Well, as we walked up to the sitting area outside, the tears came a-comin'. That little face just wrinkled up and turned red as she wailed, tears streaming down her face.




Here we go again.


I decided I was not going to let it freak me out or stress me. Babies just do weird things, and this was just a phase. I took her inside and let her play with her toys. Anytime Kenny popped his head into the room, boom! There came the tears.

Whaaaaaaaa!

Then, something incredible happened.

A couple of hours after we arrived, she stopped screaming at Kenny. He tickled her and did this Donald Duck voice, and she actually smiled. Then, he played peek-a-boo and the smile got even bigger. Eventually, that smile turned into giggles and laughter. By mid-afternoon, she couldn't get enough of her paw-paw!! He took her outside and started kicking the soccer ball with Josh while she looked on, laughing and having a great time. After that, he grabbed her hands and helped her walk. This lasted for a long time. She is sooooooo close to walking. At one point, she took four steps while trying to get to Kenny. I don't think she even realized she did it!

Then, at the end of the day. she gave him a huge hug. It was a blessed moment. Enjoy the pics!

Teething

Just when you think she is finally recovering from a tooth coming in, it's time for more! Kamryn's back teeth are coming in, and she's had quite a time with it. It has caused her nose to be runny and she is basically just really irritated. Lately, it seems like nothing is making her happy. She wakes up in a bad mood. Then, when I pick Kami up from daycare, she comes home in a bad mood.

Usually, I can put her straight to bed for a nap after daycare and she just konks out. Not any more. Her teeth are bothering her so badly that she can't seem to get comfortable. Plus, she is congested. So, I have to give her some "little noses" so she can breathe. She had been sleeping through the night so well. But that came to an end this week. Lately, she has been getting up around 3 in the morning and fussing.

But here's some good news! It seems to have finally come to an end! Yesterday, she finally woke up in a great mood. She got home from daycare, konked out, then woke up as happy as can be. I think those teeth have finally pushed through. When Kami is in a good mood, she is such a joy to be around! She truly brings out the best of me and Josh. Those of you who know Josh know that he can come across as the alpha male, man's kind of man. But when he gets around Kami, he truly melts. It is so awesome to watch those two bond. Kami truly adores him. She's always saying "daddy, daddy, daddy!" over and over. She only says "momma" when she's ticked off!

This weekend we are going to see Josh's dad, Kami's paw-paw. The last time Kami saw paw-paw, she cried and was scared of him. How embarrassing!!! Those of you who have had babies know what I am talking about. You know, when your child is petrified by someone you love. You just want to crawl in a hole and hide. My mother said I was afraid of a sweet man with a bushy mustache when I was little. There was something about that mustache that frightened me! Well, pray we will have a good visit with paw-paw and Kami can behave herself. If the weather is good, we will take her outside to look at the horses. She loves the outdoors, although she is scared to be placed in the grass. Hopefully, she will have a great time this weekend! I'll keep you posted.

I Like Wild Game!

On Wednesday, Josh cooked up some delicious deer backstrap. He marinated it overnight and grilled it. Well, we weren't the only ones enjoying the delicious dinner. As soon as we sat at the coffee table to eat, Kami came crawling over to check it out. She couldn't keep her eyes off of the steak as we put it in our mouth. Finally, I gave her an itsy bitsy piece. She loved it and whined for more! So we tore off itty bitty pieces and fed them to her slowly. I couldn't believe it! My 13 month-old was eating deer meat and loving it!

She is starting to not like her baby food now, which is great, but now I need to figure out which table foods are appropriate and how much I should give her. It's just another new adventure for all three of us! Miss Karen at daycare told me I didn't need to bring bottles anymore because Kamryn was drinking out of her sippy cup so well. I guess she is really growing up!

By the way, any food suggestions from parents would be wonderful.

New Foods for Kami!

Well, now that Kami has passed her one year mark, it's time to ease up on the liquid foods and get her more on solids. This has been quite a challenge because she does not handle different textures very well at all. But persistence has really paid off. In this picture, she is eating lasagna and green beans! As you can see, she's fighting it. But at the same time, she is still eating it. Sometimes, she turned her head away and the spoon hit her face, hence the messy food all over her. She used to hate chicken noodle. Now, she likes it! For the first time ever, she ate little pieces of chicken. She watched me eat chicken and she looked like she wanted to take the food away from me. So I gave her little bitty pieces and she ate it! But if the piece was too big she would spit it out. This is the age where I really need to watch with the choking. I took a CPR/First Aid class last week, which taught us how to handle a choking victim. I pray to the good Lord above that I never have to use this knowledge.

The other pictures are of Josh taking the binky away with his mouth. I thought it was too cute!

Mommy Update

Sorry it's been awhile since I have blogged. This has been a rough week at the Rowell Household. It seems my stomach virus has returned with a vengeance. I have been pretty sick most of the week. It's probably the worst I have ever felt. The good news is Kami and Josh are both spared from the illness. But the picture has been far from pretty at our home. It is very difficult taking care of a little one when it sometimes hurts to move. Thank God Josh has done a great job playing Mr. Mom. We also had some help from Grana Pam.

Here is some more good news. Josh is now a permanent federal employee! For the past couple of years, he has been in a term position at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But thank the Lord, a permanent position came open and Josh landed it. God is good! Now, we are feds for life!!!!

Back Problems for Mommy!

You will not catch mommy lifting Kami like this!

Well, it has been a rough couple of days at the Rowell household. Kami is great! Momma, not so much! I woke up a couple of days ago with excrutiating lower back pain. I could hardly get out of bed. I had to walk hunched over. It killed me to try and stand up straight. I went to a chiropracter, who did some "adjusting." But I was still in excrutiating pain and had to go home for the day.

The next day, I went to a doctor who said my back was very inflamed. My blood pressure was also high, she said, probably because I was in such pain. She gave me a steroid shot and anti-inflammatory. The culprit? Kamryn! Apparently, momma needs to lift more with her legs instead of her back. I am now on medicine and feel much better. Naproxen in really helping. But if I sit for too long, I start to hurt. I guess I just have to be more careful when lifting Kami. So, I'll leave the "superman" lifts to daddy!