Daddy's shoes...

Gracie loves putting on socks and shoes, even if they aren't her own. The other day I heard her huffing and puffing in the hall way, working very hard on something, and then she came trotting in saying "daddy's shoes on." She had put his socks on first, then slipped into the shoes and was so proud. I love that Merrick's ankle socks are knee socks on Gracie. I also love this stage that she is in, exploring every aspect of life and very much wanting to do everything by herself.

Back in action...

The fountain has been turned back on at our favorite park. We have been a few times and so far the girls seem to be loving it. Gracie has proven over and over lately that she is a total water baby... baths, sprinklers, little pools, big pools, showers, fountains - she loves them all! I was the same way as a kid, so I'm not really surprised by this revelation.

On this particular day Grace and

Sophia had swimsuits on, but Baylie was thoroughly enjoying the swings and playground so didn't end up in my fountain pics. These three girls beg for this park almost on a daily basis and have so much fun every time we go.

Clownin' around...

This weekend Gracie's cousins were all in town... our town. We got together to celebrate spring birthdays: Laney (2 on 4/27), Brennan (4 on 4/30), Kyler (8 on 5/3) and Ella (6 on 5/19). It was fun to have all the kids in the same place. That just doesn't happen enough. Megan and Macy threw a great party, and we even discovered a new park in the process... right up the street from our house.

Gracie loved running around and playing and watching her older cousins perform a circus show. She then put the clown hair and nose on herself to get in on the action. There are times when she is such a ham for the cameras.

Like I said, it was great to have Macy and her girls here, even though the time was too short. Hopefully they will be back soon and be able to stay longer. We miss having them close and wish we could see them more...

Mom's day...

We spent Mother's Day with my side of the family at my folk's house. My dad mad ribs on the BBQ (they were fantastic!) and we brought yummy veggie kabobs to add to the mix. We ended up piecing together quite a feast. It was a really relaxing Sunday afternoon. We got to enjoy catching up with my grandparents, resting (of course), and Gracie got in some good uncle Craig time. Grace has a really big crush on Craig, which is funny because she started life a little afraid of him. Now he is the bee's knees, and if Craig's around everyone else is old news.

These two spent time in the backyard watching for birds

and squirrels while we were getting the food ready. I love that she was so content sitting with him (arm draped over his leg), pointing everything out. And, he did a good job acting interesting in everything she was saying.

 

Coming this fall...

Meet baby Brownlee, 

or as Gracie says "Tebby Bear." 

We are expecting this little one to join us around November 14, and hopefully not much sooner. So, stay tuned for updates and adventures as we live through the remaining 27 weeks of this pregnancy!

Uh-oh...

We are home from our trip. Our bags are still packed. Merrick is still sick. I am still exhausted. 

Gracie seems to be feeling much better, however, and since she hasn't eaten in nearly 4 days, I've been a little lenient with what she's allowed to eat. She found a bag of Trader Joe's cheese puffs in my carry-on and helped herself. It was fine until I told her she could have two more... she then dumped the bag on the floor of my bedroom. What a mess. 

Disneyland...

From April 30 - May 4

Well, our five days in Disney didn't go exactly as planned. Don't get me wrong, we did have fun, we just also encountered some "road blocks" along the way.  Here's a re-cap of our time in California...

Day 1

Our first day was fun from the beginning until bed time. Gracie seemed to really enjoy all the rides we did... Jungle Cruise, the tree house, Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh (a favorite). She wasn't afraid, loved the noises, music and everything there was to look at. Looking back now we can tell that she wasn't quite right. She was spending a lot of time observing, and was a little more reserved than usual, but overall very happy.

I was feeling a little disappointed because there weren't many rides that I could do. I had done some research and thought I would be able to do much more, but all of the big rides, and some of the little ones had warnings "expectant mothers should not ride." I was early enough in the pregnancy that it probably would have been fine, but it just wasn't worth the risk. So, I sat on the sidelines and took pictures. 

After a full day of fun in the park, we headed back to our room and out to find dinner. The Diefs stayed and ate before heading home to bed. We went on a wild goose chase around Anaheim looking for a Trader Joe's that didn't exist. As frustrating as that was, we did find the In-N-Out burger and were very happy to sit in our room and enjoy dinner together. We put Gracie down and I passed out shortly thereafter.

About an hour later I woke up to Gracie crying. This very rarely happens. When I walked over to lay her back down I smelled the vomit. She was up, covered in throw-up, crying in her crib. She was burning up to the touch, but I certainly didn't pack a thermometer, so I have no idea how hot she was. I gave her some Tylenol (which I do carry when traveling), took off her sheets, put down a towel, got her cleaned up and back to bed without anyone else in the room waking up. (Have I mentioned that we were sharing a room with Merrick's parents... just a regular old standard sized tiny hotel room? How they didn't wake, I have no idea). 

Day 2

Gracie slept fine for the remainder of the night, but I'm pretty sure that I was half awake listening for her all night long. She woke up with a still high fever, so we stayed in while the rest of the group headed to the park for day 2. 

That afternoon she was acting a little more normal, and hadn't thrown up again, so her and I packed up and headed to Costa Mesa in search of some food and groceries. I was so glad to be back driving on roads that I knew how to navigate and so thankful that we'd spent two weeks in that area in February so all the routes were fresh in my mind. I hopped on I-5 and drove straight to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods before returning to the room. Merrick wasn't feeling well (a different sick that he's been battling since returning from Hawaii - IBS related we think), so he was also content sitting in the room watching ESPN. 

Gracie's fever never went down, even with Tylenol and Motrin around the clock, so we were holed up for most of the day. We did pack Gracie in the stroller and head to Disney for a bit to catch the firework show. She was so miserable though, that we ended up just going straight back home. Gary and Margaret came back and stayed with her for a bit so Merrick and I could go back for a few more hours. We weren't there long, but it was nice to get out and enjoy the fresh air. 

Day 3

(All my pictures from this day are still on my folk's camera. Hopefully I'll get those soon and have more to share.)

We spent this morning back at Disneyland, and then headed into California Adventure. I was really looking forward to this because I had never been there, but again, wasn't allowed to do many of the rides. Gracie seemed to enjoy the street shows, kid play areas, and parades, but was still not feeling great. We were now going on 36 hours of no eating for her, and we were doing everything we could to get her to drink, but she just wasn't herself. She fell asleep shortly after we stopped for a picnic lunch, and by the time Merrick met us there, she was out, I was crabby, and everyone else had moved on. The three of us walked the perimeter of CA and enjoyed all the sights and new things to look at. I found a yummy place to eat (and even treated myself to a HUGE cinnamon roll).  It was nice to be out of the hotel and spending time with Merrick so there wasn't a lot to complain about that afternoon. After watching the Pixar parade, we headed home for dinner and ended up calling it a day.

Day 4

This was our last chance for Magic Morning... an early entrance into the park. I woke up early, early, early and snatched Gracie out of bed. Merrick and his folks opted to stay asleep, so we headed off with the Diefs for an early morning of fun. Since the park was empty, it was a perfect time to take pictures in all the places that are usually packed with people. Gracie was a little out of it and still sleepy, but she posed nicely and eventually got into it a little more.

Since Fantasyland and Tomorrow Land are the only open areas, we stuck with what Gracie would enjoy most. She loved Dumbo, King Arthur's Carousel and Alice in Wonderland (the caterpillar train as she called it). I decided to be brave, not worry about motion sickness and take her on the Tea Cups... that might be a new favorite. We road three times in a row, each time just picking a new color cup and. There were no lines anywhere, so we didn't even have to get off the rides in between runs. It was great. We also rode Small World and had a boat all to ourselves - the two of us. The boats in front and behind us were totally empty.

 

Before leaving Sarri had given me a couple of tips on making the most of our time there. She mentioned that Toon Town opens an hour after the main gates, but if you are there right away, there are no lines to meet the characters. So, Gracie and I sat and waited for a few minutes for Toon Town to open. The Diefs reconnected with us then and we were all able to go see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto together. Before this trip I wasn't sure whether or not we would care about this, but I can't explain how much Gracie loved seeing these guys in real life. She absolutely loves Mickey Mouse and his friends, and she talked about them for days later... even through her sick foggy mind. 

After seeing the characters we spent some time exploring Toon Town a little more. The Dief kids made Mickey hats, Gracie and I shopped and played, and we rode the Roger Rabbit crazy cars. By now it was late morning, and Merrick and his folks were just wandering into the park. They met us and we headed off for more adventures. We didn't make it far because we decided to wait in line to meet the Disney princesses. This was another thing that was not at all high on my priority list, but Gracie loved it. She doesn't know who these girls are, but was in awe of them none-the-less. It was so precious to see her face, watch her show off, and nod excitedly to answer all of their questions.

After the princess party, Merrick and I took Gracie and were heading to the Jungle Cruise, but ran into the Main Street band so we stayed for the show. Eight of the characters came out to sing and dance, and it was fun for Gracie to watch. 

We eventually met back up with the rest of the family and headed over to the Island - formally 

Tom Sawyer's Island - to run and play. Gracie and the other kids loved the freedom of this place. The picture on the rope bridge is the closest thing we have to a group shot from our entire trip. I wasn't on the bridge because it made me sick, but I did snap the picture from the other side.

After playing there for a long time, Gracie was done. She had been up since 6 a.m. - about three hours earlier than normal for her - and needed to sleep. We opted to head to the hotel to rest and recoup before heading out for the rest of the afternoon and evening. After lunch (for Merrick and I, Gracie still hasn't eaten at this point), we all crashed. I think Gracie and I slept for almost 4 hours! When we woke up she asked for food - a first in almost three full days - so we fed her some chicken soup, crackers and juice. Yeah, she is going to beat this!

We headed back out and decided to meet at CA for a few more kid rides. After our naps, Gracie seemed to be acting better (though she still had a bit of a fever). She had fun in the Bug's Life area, playing in the fountains, and riding on the little rides with her cousins. We were also able to get into the Playhouse Disney LIVE show and see Mickey and pals, Little Einsteins, Tigger and Pooh, and Handy Manny on stage. That might not  mean much to most of you, but to Gracie it was magical. A month later, she is sill talking about it.

We soon headed back to Disney to find dinner

 and enjoy our last evening in the park. We strolled that way and Gracie was starting to get fussy. I found myself being frustrated with her and wishing she would be nice, when 

I looked down and realized that she had thrown up, everywhere, in the middle of Main Street. I didn't even know what to do. Luckily I remembered that there was a baby care center just off Main Street so Merrick and I headed there. I will never forget the sweet ladies that helped us. 

They gave us wet towels, plastic bags, a cool cloth to clean Gracie, and kept offering to help in ways that I just couldn't accept. 

As I was cleaning my baby, I had a melt down. I haven't mentioned yet, but this was also Merrick's 30th birthday. The day I was most looking forward to on our whole trip. We were supposed to be together, celebrate, and enjoy Disneyland into the wee hours of the morn. Well, instead I was once again cleaning up barf, without the resources I would have had at home, knowing that we would now be hotel-bound for the remainder of the day, and not celebrating my husband's birthday the way I had imagined. I'm still emotional about it now - a full month later - as I am writing this. It was horrible.

 

So, back to the hotel we went. I had packed extra clothes for Gracie, but nothing really warm. Her blanket was filthy, she was cold, and everything we were carrying stunk. 

Once back in the room Merrick gave Gracie a bath and I went downstairs to start laundry (again). I sat outside in the hallway and called Kelsie to let her know that I shouldn't try to meet her the next day - in case my Swine Flu infected child was contagious. It wasn't worth Kels, or Eliana, getting sick. It was good to be able to vent to someone who was removed from the situation, and who could understand my frustrations without trying to fix anything for me. She just laughed with me and wondered why all of my vacations this year have been cursed. Good question.

Once the laundry was washed and dried, I headed back upstairs to check on Gracie. She was laying in bed with Merrick and looked horrible. She started asking for food again, so he gave her some apple sauce... that came right back up. After another bath, and a few sips of water, she fell asleep. I didn't even let the poor thing sleep with her own blanket because I needed it to be clean for the airplane. She got a hotel towel instead. 

Day 5

(I have no pictures from this day, because quite frankly there was nothing worth taking pictures of).

We woke up bright and early with a very sick baby on our hands. The poor thing was begging for food, but literally everything we gave her came back up within seconds. I was starting to get worried about the fact that she hadn't kept anything down in days, and I couldn't remember the last wet diaper I changed, so I called our pediatrician. I also called the airline to see if there was any way we could get home earlier... not without over $500 in fees. No thanks. Merrick was able to talk to the front desk of the hotel and after explaining our situation, we were granted late check out. Rather than leaving our room at 11 only to sit in the lobby for three hours, we were able to stay in our room until our shuttle came at 2. What a blessing. 

Since Merrick celebrated his birthday in the park, he was given a gift certificate to spend in any 

Disneyland store. We needed to do that before leaving, so after a Gracie had fallen asleep again, we left her with Margaret and headed to the park for a quick shopping trip. I wanted a shirt for myself, and we always buy an ornament for Gracie as a souvenir. It is amazing when you have a sick baby, who missed out on most of a trip that was for her, how you just want to buy things to make her feel better. Well, we didn't go crazy, but we did get a little Goofy doll to go with the Mickey she got last time we were here. I also got a silver Mickey frame for her to put in her big girl room. 

As I was leaving the final store my phone rang. It was Dr. Moshofsky's office calling back (the answering service takes a little while). I will never forget sitting on the wall outside Disney's City Hall, watching Mickey Mouse lead the band up main street, while I was on the phone with our pediatrician's office back home. After talking to the nurse, it was obvious that she was very concerned about Gracie. I got the impression that she wanted us to take her somewhere to be seen right away, but was letting it go since we were basically on our way home. She said over and over that if Gracie hadn't had a wet diaper by the time the plane landed that she wanted us to go straight to the ER. She also recommended buying some pedialite and giving her tiny amounts every 10-15 minutes. We headed back to our hotel, and I immediately drove to Target to buy some supplies for the trip home. I also called my mom who was picking us up and asked her to pack the car with a few old towels just in case.

Our shuttle arrived on time, and our trip to the airport was uneventful. We asked security if we'd be able to take apple juice through for our sick daughter, and they were okay with it, so we picked some up at a little gift shop. We then sat outside for about an hour and ate some snacks while waiting for our flight. The Long Beach airport is tiny... three ticket counters, one double-wide trailer that is secturity, and one "terminal" for all incoming and outgoing flights. It was perfect. Gracie was acting better, and drinking as much pedialite mixed with apple juice as we would give her. We stuck to 1 teaspoon every 10 minutes, and when she was asking for food would also give her 5 cheerios. I was so afraid of her barfing on the plane that I just couldn't give her any more than that. 

We were lucky to be in the very last row on the plane, we had an extra seat in our row for Gracie, and once we were in the air she quickly fell asleep again. It was completely uneventful and Gracie did great. My mom was there when we landed, and got us straight home. The whole time Gracie was asking for food, so Merrick continued to gradually feed her cheerios and her "medicine juice." After stopping for food for us, we made it home. It was great to be able to crash and relax after a not-so-relaxing day. Gracie continued to ask for food, so we gave her toast, more juice, and apple sauce. She went to sleep quietly and woke up good as new. 

All-in-all it was a good trip, but this is one of those times in life where we wish you could just call a re-do and start over from the beginning. We had been planning and looking forward to this time with family for two years. This wasn't what we had in mind, but we still have some great memories from our time. Hopefully we will get this chance again soon. 

The big one...

Today Merrick turns thirty! Since we are in Disneyland (which I guess is similar to Never-Never Land), he claims that it doesn't count. We'll see.

This marks 10 birthdays that we've celebrated together.

This also happens to be my 500th blog post. Sort of a funny coincidence. 

I could say so much about Merrick, about what a great daddy he is, about how he is the perfect husband for me, about how well we compliment each other and the team that we are, about him being my very best friend, but I guess I'll just keep it short and sweet.

Happy birthday, buddy. I love you very much (even though you are an old man now).