Don't worry, nothing too bad!
Today has been a very strange day somehow. We woke the girls up at quarter to nine this morning as they showed no signs of waking by themselves. After we'd fed them breakfast they went straight back to bed and slept through until after Noon. Z has a 24 hour volleyball tournament so he took off just before lunch while I waited for the girls to wake up.
When the girls finally woke up they gobbled down lunch and then we drove through to town to go shoe shopping. Unfortunately I forgot where I was, here in Germany a lot of the smaller shops close on a Saturday afternoon, so it was a waste of time! We drove to visit Z at his tournament as it was in our neighbouring town. Boy was that exhausting! With them both being mobile and Ciara now climbing stairs and up on to benches, I just couldn't manage alone. Thankfully there were enough adults at the sport centre that they kept bringing the escapee back to me when one made a break and I was distracted by the other. Next time though, I'm definitely taking the baby reins with!
Enya demonstrated her walking technique for everyone to see though and climbed her first step although she didn't trust herself to go up the second step. She was blown away by watching her daddeee playing volleyball. She stood on the terrace overlooking the playing field, screaming, laughing and banging on the glass, it was hysterical. Unfortunately it was so loud in the sports hall that Z didn't even realise that he had his own personal cheerleader. Ciara was more interested in climbing onto the benches and digging in other peoples tog bags!
We then brought them both home for dinner and bed. Z came to help although he left straight after dinner as they still have games to play overnight. He'll come back sometime tonight to sleep and so he's here for breakfast tomorrow before he drives back for the last games tomorrow (usually he just stays for the entire 24 hours at the sports hall).
So it was a day with only one nap and I don't have the feeling that they missed the second nap. I'm dreading losing that second nap but today underlined that it is rapidly approaching.
31 Jan 2009
30 Jan 2009
On the mend
"What do you mean, you don't have this shoe in my size"
Ciara's rash is fading and so far Enya seems fine (she is refusing bottles but that, as the old faithfuls know, is nothing new) so hopefully "SICK" has left our house.
In the aftermath of this sickness though Ciara is being incredibily affectionate and keeps climbing on to my lap for cuddles. Yes, she is actually giving me cuddles, including laying her head on my shoulder. I'm making the most of this phase as I don't belive it will last long (Ciara is not usually very affectionate) but it proves the saying "every cloud has a silver lining".
Paper sea
Enya managed 18 steps a couple of days ago and has even mastered turning 180 degrees without falling. She loves walking between two objects e.g. from Z to me and back. She gets so much enjoyment out of her improved mobility and is practicing so hard that I really need to get my A in to G and go buy the girls some shoes for wearing outdoors. Ciara is a toddler now (pretty much always on her feet although still a bit unsteady) and although I would still class Enya as a crawler I don't think it will be long until she too prefers toddling to crawling.
28 Jan 2009
ER today
Our 2nd ER visit, this time with Ciara.
This morning she woke up with no temperature and eating nearly normally but in an absolutely foul mood. She also had a slight rash on her trunk. The midday nap didn't happen as Ciara screamed the whole time and when I finally got her up she was inconsolable. I had another look at her rash and did the glass trick (you know roll a glass over the rash), the rash didn't blanch with pressure and what with it being a Wednesday afternoon (do all your doctors also take Wednesday afternoon off?)so off we went to the ER.
After sitting around for an hour we got in to see the doctor to be told she just has a viral infection, probably a respiratory one but nothing to worry about. Believe me I'll take a respiratory infection over meningitis any day of the week! He even showed me a more accurate way to check for a non blanching rash for next time.
I feel a bit of an over reactive idiot but I'd rather go once too often to the doctors and be called an over anxious mother than miss something big.
This morning she woke up with no temperature and eating nearly normally but in an absolutely foul mood. She also had a slight rash on her trunk. The midday nap didn't happen as Ciara screamed the whole time and when I finally got her up she was inconsolable. I had another look at her rash and did the glass trick (you know roll a glass over the rash), the rash didn't blanch with pressure and what with it being a Wednesday afternoon (do all your doctors also take Wednesday afternoon off?)so off we went to the ER.
After sitting around for an hour we got in to see the doctor to be told she just has a viral infection, probably a respiratory one but nothing to worry about. Believe me I'll take a respiratory infection over meningitis any day of the week! He even showed me a more accurate way to check for a non blanching rash for next time.
I feel a bit of an over reactive idiot but I'd rather go once too often to the doctors and be called an over anxious mother than miss something big.
27 Jan 2009
Eating strike
Well the temperatures are down to nearly normal levels without any meds and the moods are slightly improved, unfortunately neither girl is really interested in eating. Even the morning and evening bottles are not exactly easy. Up to now I haven't started to panic but all bets are off if this continues too long.
Okay topic change: I've been a bit concerned as I didn't think the girls were understanding much.... until this last week. It seems like they have had another developmental leap forwards. If we ask them where something is, they look around. Now don't get to excited, they are not looking for the object we asked for but they are aware that we want something. They also both clap their hands and wave, as well as show us how tall they are when we ask them to. I've been trying to teach Ciara how to be gentle by stroking her with the command "mach Aii" ("make nice" is a fairly close translation), when I say the words she now strokes her own head. Now I just have to teach her to do that to others instead of hitting them or pulling their hair!
Enya calls me "meme" and Z is "dadee", she also says some other words like "heiss" (hot), "Eya" and "up" although they are not often used in context ("up" is being used more and more in context which gives you some idea what today has been like).
Ciara calls me "mama" and Z is however as yet unnamed, she also said "heiss" for the first time yesterday but is more interested in babbling than talking. They are both very vocal and babble all the time, just the connection with words is not quite there yet.
We knew they were likely going to be late talkers as we are bringing them up bilingual but it's still nice to see that some things are clicking in the speech works.
Okay topic change: I've been a bit concerned as I didn't think the girls were understanding much.... until this last week. It seems like they have had another developmental leap forwards. If we ask them where something is, they look around. Now don't get to excited, they are not looking for the object we asked for but they are aware that we want something. They also both clap their hands and wave, as well as show us how tall they are when we ask them to. I've been trying to teach Ciara how to be gentle by stroking her with the command "mach Aii" ("make nice" is a fairly close translation), when I say the words she now strokes her own head. Now I just have to teach her to do that to others instead of hitting them or pulling their hair!
Enya calls me "meme" and Z is "dadee", she also says some other words like "heiss" (hot), "Eya" and "up" although they are not often used in context ("up" is being used more and more in context which gives you some idea what today has been like).
Ciara calls me "mama" and Z is however as yet unnamed, she also said "heiss" for the first time yesterday but is more interested in babbling than talking. They are both very vocal and babble all the time, just the connection with words is not quite there yet.
We knew they were likely going to be late talkers as we are bringing them up bilingual but it's still nice to see that some things are clicking in the speech works.
26 Jan 2009
Not so happy 200th post
Well a double century in posts has been reached and soon I reach my first year blogging anniversary, who would have thought.
The not so good news is right now the girls are sick again. Saturday night was very disturbed with Ciara waking every few hours and being very hard to comfort. On Sunday Z noticed she was not her usual self while they were having their normal tumble hour on the couch (insert: Ciara can now get up on the couch by herself, oh joy!). With a temperature check the reason became crystal clear, she had a temperature of 40.1 C, that is a first!
Thankfully the temperature responded to paraceta.mol, although it is not yet normal it is now a low grade fever. Unfortunately though she is incredibly clingy, she just wants to be carried and petted and she is not eating! Can you believe I wrote that CIARA is not eating! Last night she even refused a Fruchtzwerg (yogurt) and went to bed with no dinner. Today this trend has continued and if it doesn't get better tomorrow, we are heading to the paediatrician.
Scary part is Enya also has a temperature this evening....tomorrow should be fun!
The not so good news is right now the girls are sick again. Saturday night was very disturbed with Ciara waking every few hours and being very hard to comfort. On Sunday Z noticed she was not her usual self while they were having their normal tumble hour on the couch (insert: Ciara can now get up on the couch by herself, oh joy!). With a temperature check the reason became crystal clear, she had a temperature of 40.1 C, that is a first!
Thankfully the temperature responded to paraceta.mol, although it is not yet normal it is now a low grade fever. Unfortunately though she is incredibly clingy, she just wants to be carried and petted and she is not eating! Can you believe I wrote that CIARA is not eating! Last night she even refused a Fruchtzwerg (yogurt) and went to bed with no dinner. Today this trend has continued and if it doesn't get better tomorrow, we are heading to the paediatrician.
Scary part is Enya also has a temperature this evening....tomorrow should be fun!
23 Jan 2009
Slapstick Comedy
So maybe I overstated Enya's walking abilities a bit. Not that she isn't trying, she even managed 12 steps yesterday...yes consecutive steps ;0). No, the exaggeration was saying she is walking, a more correct description would be lurching, wobbling or slapstick mobility.
She has moments where she is balanced on one leg, the other leg at right angles to it with her body at almost 180 degrees in the opposite direction to counterbalance. The scary thing is she somehow manages to hold her balance in this position and still take a few more steps after! When Ciara started trying to walk she used to take one step, balance for a second, then take another step,she pretty much stayed in the midline. Enya just goes, swinging wildly from side to side until she plomps down. We have these sessions where she'll keep at it for 20 minutes or so: standing up, lurching off, plompsing down, up again, plompsing down, up again..lather rinse repeat ad nauseum.. until she's so tired she barely can get up again. I love it, from day to day I can see the improvement. I can't believe how quickly this has all started, last week when we discussing it at Krabbelgruppe, I said walking would still be weeks if not months away for Enya!
I have a great video of it from yesterday where she actually looks very controlled (for her) and as soon as Z has time I'll get him to down load it for you all to enjoy (I'm the technophobe in the house). It was the first time Z has seen Enya walking as she is usually so exhausted by the time he comes home, she can't stand up anymore.
In lieu of video here are some more photos of the sweeties.
Z holding the girls
Christmas, Enya the Intellectual.....
..or maybe not.....
.. but then Ciara isn't much better.
PS the BumGen.ius nappies have been a huge disappointment as they leak out from around the leg. They are not so full that they are overflowing around the waist like with the disposables, rather they just don't fit as well around the leg. Now I really don't know what to do overnight. I looked on the internet and Huggies Overnight got a good review from other moms in the same boat, unfortunately they are not available in Europe. Advice anybody??
She has moments where she is balanced on one leg, the other leg at right angles to it with her body at almost 180 degrees in the opposite direction to counterbalance. The scary thing is she somehow manages to hold her balance in this position and still take a few more steps after! When Ciara started trying to walk she used to take one step, balance for a second, then take another step,she pretty much stayed in the midline. Enya just goes, swinging wildly from side to side until she plomps down. We have these sessions where she'll keep at it for 20 minutes or so: standing up, lurching off, plompsing down, up again, plompsing down, up again..lather rinse repeat ad nauseum.. until she's so tired she barely can get up again. I love it, from day to day I can see the improvement. I can't believe how quickly this has all started, last week when we discussing it at Krabbelgruppe, I said walking would still be weeks if not months away for Enya!
I have a great video of it from yesterday where she actually looks very controlled (for her) and as soon as Z has time I'll get him to down load it for you all to enjoy (I'm the technophobe in the house). It was the first time Z has seen Enya walking as she is usually so exhausted by the time he comes home, she can't stand up anymore.
In lieu of video here are some more photos of the sweeties.
Z holding the girls
Christmas, Enya the Intellectual.....
..or maybe not.....
.. but then Ciara isn't much better.
PS the BumGen.ius nappies have been a huge disappointment as they leak out from around the leg. They are not so full that they are overflowing around the waist like with the disposables, rather they just don't fit as well around the leg. Now I really don't know what to do overnight. I looked on the internet and Huggies Overnight got a good review from other moms in the same boat, unfortunately they are not available in Europe. Advice anybody??
20 Jan 2009
She walks
Well that happened faster than I expected! I was sitting on the floor playing with the girls yesterday when Enya stood up by herself and took off. She walked/ran 6 or 7steps before I caught her and would probably have done more as she was perfectly balanced. I should have let her do more but I was just so excited that I didn't stop and think.
Then yesterday evening she did it again 4 or 5 times, standing up alone and taking off I mean. Once she even managed 8 steps before she fell! The best thing is we are doing nothing, she is initiating everything, we don't even have to hold out our hands.
I was contemplating buying Ciara her first proper pair of outdoor shoes but I think I'll wait a little bit longer and get them both a pair when Enya's walking improves.
Wow, 2 walking babies!
*The picture is Enya cuddling her Tssszzzz
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