My kids are sick :(

Pooopy! My kids are sick, like not just a cold sick but really sick, for the first times ever.  Lauren made it til exactly 20 months old before needing antibiotics.  Kaelin just 7.5 months.  I am thankful that they have been healthy thus far, but this sick stuff and medicine stuff is the pits.  Both girls have been super congested and coughing for MONTHS.  I mentioned this to the Dr. both at the end of January and end of March at the girls' well checks but he just blew it off as a common cold and teething.  I told him they have had these symptoms since December.  I was finally fed up yesterday morning.  Tuesday, Lauren came home from school with a fever and then Kaelin felt warm all day Wednesday.  By Wednesday night I noticed her right ear was draining.  She woke up Thursday morning with another fever, not super high but still a fever nonetheless.  I called up the nurse and she said since it had been going on for a while that I should bring them in.
When we got there, they took us back immediately (that NEVER happens).  The nurse that saw the girls jaw dropped when I said they have been dealing with this congestion and and coughing for MONTHS and that they had been seen twice by the Dr. already.  She repeated back to me and said "MONTHS?" and I said.."yes, Months!"   She said "okay, I will go get the Dr." 
The Dr. came in and was there for all but 5 minutes.  Long enough to hear the wheezing in Kaelin's chest and the gunk running out of her ear.  It was determined that she had an ear infection and bronchitis.
Lauren isn't too fond of the doctor and screamed the whole time.  She clinched down and refused to open her mouth.  He managed to listen to her chest.  At that time he said to me "Does asthma run in your family?" .  I said that my younger sister was always using nebulizer treatments for bronchitis/asthma but other than that I didn't know of anyone else that had issues.  He never really said what Lauren had, but because of her cough, and congestion and recent fever, he put her on the same meds as Kaelin. 
Now...I am happy that they are soon to be on the mend because of the meds but kinda annoyed that it took the doctor 4 months to actually do something about it. 
Now the next hurdle I am trying to jump is how to get Kaelin, my baby, to take her meds.  Walgreens said that she was not old enough to have flavoring added to hers.  Lauren's meds are the same exact thing but have cherry flavoring and she takes them like a champ.  No issues there.  Kaelin's meds however are so bitter and nasty! It's straight up medicine. YUCK!  I've tried putting it in her food and what not, and she refuses to eat it.  Not to mention the dairy in her formula makes her produce more phlegm which makes her cough and throw up her bottle.  It has not been fun in our house the last few days. 
Finally this morning I just held her down, squeezed her cheeks and forced the medicine in her mouth.  She had an empty stomach, so I knew that she wouldn't have anything to spit up if she did gag.  I figured out that if I blew in her face it would cause her to swallow.  I'm going to try it again tomorrow morning before her bottle and hope that she takes it again.  Only 3 more days of this stuff after today and I hope that they show signs of improvement. 

Anyway, I am going to rest while both girls are napping.  It is such a gorgeous day out.  I have the windows open and it feels amazing.  I might just have to lay down and nap too :-) I hope everyone has a great weekend!

We're back.

After a two week hiatus, we are back.  I am hoping to get some pictures and updates on here soon.  Although I am back to blogging, that means that Kevin has gone back to Iraq.  The tears have been flowing in our house.  It was so hard to let him go again.  This by far is the hardest thing we have had to deal with as a family so far.  We are slowly but surely chipping away at this deployment.  6 months done, 6 more to go.  I am so thankful to have spent the last two weeks with him.  He is my best friend and I love him more than I could ever express. 

Ants in my pants

After several delays and mix ups, I now know that Kevin is in route to the states and he should be state side by sometime mid morning!  The stupid Army didn't schedule him for a flight here to IL for twelve hours after his arrival in Atlanta.  Are you freaking kidding me?!  I can't wait that long.  If Kevin can't get on one of the 5 other flights that get in here before 10pm, then I'm gonna fork over the money and pay for a ticket myself, even if he has to connect in Chicago.  I don't care.  He does not deserve this, he shouldn't have to sit in Atlanta for 12 hours.  That is torture for him (and us!)  Please pray there are open seats on the earlier flights or that someone is willing to give up their seat so that he can make it home to us faster.  Please also pray for safe travels.  I know there are storms brewing and strong winds. Praying that they won't delay him either.  I am so excited I can't contain myself.  I was up at 4am and could not get back to sleep.
When I get nervous I get really sick to my stomach.  I usually end up gagging and sometimes throwing up.  It's just something that happens.  Do any of you have nervous habits?
Ah this is killing me, I should go do something to keep myself busy.  Have a great week everyone.  I will try and update as often as I can.  We will be pretty busy though ...and no there won't be another baby 9 months from ;-).. hahah!

Me and my girls.

 There really isn't a whole lot to say about this post.  The pictures will do all of the talking.  All I have to say is that I am extremely happy with how our pictures turned out.   I have never been disappointed to date with our photographer.  She manages to capture the beauty despite the chaos.  I am so blessed to have these little stinkers as my daughters.  They are the most beautiful little girls in the world!