2008 July « …And Bells on Her Toes

…the Verdict?

She loved it. Caity had so much fun in the pool! Getting there was a bit of an adventure though. We had the windows down because it was so nice out and there was a really loud noise coming from the back end of the car. Alex stuck his head out of the window and told me to pull over, now. I said that sounded like a flat, but I don’t feel anything. Once I was by the curb, he hopped out and took a look at the back tire… sure enough, flat as a pancake. We were halfway between our house and the rec centre (only about a km apart), he said we should go back home. I asked him how fast he could switch the car seats to his car… anyway, we put the carseats in his car and took off for the rec centre. Lexy started her first lession as a salamander and Caity was a duck!

We were a few minutes late, but finally made it. Caity and I headed for the opposite side of the pool that Lexy was on. Cait loved the water right away and started spashing as soon as we were in. She didn’t like floating on her back, but she was ok on her front. No sooner did the swim instructor tell us that we should try to avoid them drinking the water does Cait scoop up a handful of water and took a drink. “mmmmm” she said. *sigh* After that she proceeded to dip her fingers in the water and then put them in her mouth. “mmmmm” *sigh*.

We left the big pool and went to the little pool – much warmer! We played with some toys and floated on our backs. I only drowned her twice! When our time was up, Cait didn’t want to leave the pool. She kept looking longingly at the big pool. That will have to wait, babes.

Once we got home – it was time for bed. Both Caity and me. My arms are sore from lifting her up and down in the water. Oh well, I need the exercise anyway …

Maybe Esther Williams Started This Way

July 26, 2008 at 5:05 pm | In Caityisms | Leave a Comment
Tags: bathing suits, Swimming Lessons

Tomorrow Caity starts swimming lessons. I found the cutest suit for her the other day. I was going to put her in one of Lexy’s old ones, but the smallest I could find was a size 3 and it kept falling off her shoulders. I saw a sweet cover up too. Caity’s been prancing around in her suit for a while now, she seems to really love it. I love the baby fat that peeks out from behind her diaper.

I took the cover up off and she started parading around the family room giving us a fashion show. She’s a funny little kid. Not a lot of people could carry off pink-leopard print, but it somehow works for her. I guess it’s ok when you’re a toddler.

Hopefully the swimming lessons will go ok. If it’s anything like bath time, it could be interesting. She’s perfectly ok when we’re just sitting in the tub, getting washed or playing with some of the bath toys.

The second the water shower head comes out, it’s a whole new ball game.

Caity screams and cries and looks at me like I’m ripping those cute little toes off her feet. She grabs me and tries to climb out of the tub, wailing the entire time. I have to hold her with one hand and the shower head with the other. By the time I’m done washing her hair, we’ve both had a shower. The bathroom too.

So I imagine we’ll be ok unless we have to dunk her under the water. As long as there are toys and songs involved, we’ll be fine. That is if she doesn’t cling to me for dear life because there are strangers amok!

She Loves Me, She Really Loves Me!

July 22, 2008 at 9:53 pm | In Caityisms | Leave a Comment

Ok, I may be paraphrasing Sally Field, but I felt it was important. Tonight as I brought Cait to bed, she leaned in for a big kiss “mmmmmwwwaaa!” and said “love you.”

She said it first …!

That was the first time that she said it on her own and it made my heart melt. I nearly cried as I put her down to sleep. My little girl is getting so big, and I love it!

Love you too, baby. Sweet dreams.

Weekend Stuff…

July 21, 2008 at 6:36 pm | In All Things Doodle, Caityisms, Sisters, Toeses and Noses | Leave a Comment

It was a pretty busy weekend. Lexy passed her swimming lessons! She’s no longer a Sea Turtle and she’s excited because now she can become a Salamander! I guess that’s a big deal when you’re five… I’m actually surprised that she passed considering she nearly drowned … right in front of me. Lex was showing off last week. She knew that if she jumped off the edge of the pool, she could touch the bottom of the pool with her feet. I guess that meant she could also swim. So, my little acrobat decided that it would be safe for her to do this on her own. I was sitting on the edge of the pool and had an idea of what she was going to do and I told her sharply, No! As usual, she didn’t listen. In she jumped and she was about 2 feet away from the edge of the pool and about an arms length away from where she could reach. The two swimming instructors both have their back turned to her, assuming that the three other kids are safe on the wall and Lexy starts going under.

She can’t swim. She can’t doggy paddle, and she can’t tread water.

I shouted over to one of lifeguards to grab her and they quickly turned around and got Lex back to safety. After some coughing and sputtering she looked over at me and could see that I was displeased.

As if that wasn’t enough, she decided to do some hot-dogging. She was sitting nicely in between the two handrails of the ladder, and instead of either going up and around or down and around, she decided to crawl through. Don’t you think she nearly wipes out and smacks her head on the pool. The Lifeguards yell at her to not fool around, I yell at her to not fool around and well … I think she learned her lesson.

Lexy is very stubborn, a trait I have no idea where she gets it from *whistles innocently*. After that swimming lesson, we head towards the Ladies’ change room and as soon as you enter, you can shower. I told her she could shower for a minute, but we had to go and get changed after that. She wouldn’t leave. No matter what I said. Lexy wanted to do what Lexy wanted to do and that was that. I had to pull her out of the shower and then she had a fit. She got her bum spanked in the middle of the change room. It was right about then that she decided to start listening to me. *sigh*

Caity is turning out to be just like her sister. When Lexy was about her age I used to have her on a leash because I needed to keep her safe. This morning when I was dropping the kids off at Terri’s, I got Cait out of the car, turned and grabbed the diaper bag, and when I turned around towards Cait, she was running down the road, giggling with glee…. *sigh*. I walk after her, because she’s actually not moving that fast, and of course, she thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world. We play the “I’m gonna get you” game at home and she loves it.

So here’s Cait, running down the street, arms up, looking back at me while she runs and bam – she trips and falls. She didn’t hurt herself, but because of all the rain, her hands got dirty and she held them up to me and said “Noooo”. I guess she wanted me to fix it. I ended up carrying her into Terri’s and discovered she had another present for us – in her diaper.

Always when I’m going to work …

Uh-oh!

July 17, 2008 at 9:03 pm | In Caityisms, Toeses and Noses | Leave a Comment

Alex is working the night shift for the next 3 weeks which really sucks. It’s great that he gets up to help me herd the kids in the morning, but I’m here alone with them in the evening and at night. It’s hard too because we don’t get to see each other. I hate the night shift.

This morning after he got the girls ready, Caity decided to have a cuddle with Daddy while I put my make-up on. So Alex was sitting in the rocking chair watching TSN, and Caity climbed up on his lap. She sat there for a few minutes, then she let out this big TOOT! (a.k.a. Baby-fart). She put her hands over her eyes, shook her head and said very loudly “Nooo! Noooo!” and quickly slid off of Alex’s lap.

Alex sighed “Great, not even two years old and already your blaming things on me….”

Mine!

July 15, 2008 at 9:07 pm | In Caityisms | Leave a Comment

Did you ever see Finding Nemo? Caity seems to think she’s one of the seagulls…

Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!

Since the weekend this has been her new word. She uses it for “up”, she uses it for “down”, she uses it along with grunts when she wants something out of reach.

It’s cute and annoying at the same time.

At least it’s not “No!”

Not Again …!

July 15, 2008 at 7:15 pm | In Caityisms, Toeses and Noses | Leave a Comment

Poor Caity-Belle’s sick again. She’s had a fever since Saturday and today’s Tuesday. Mind you, Tempra and Motrin has kept it at bay but she would still spike. Sunday at Lexy’s party she looked like a little junkie. She had red-rimmed eyes, red cheeks and she could barely keep her eyes open.

But Cait, being Cait, she was still happy.

I took her to the doctor today because her glands were so swollen yesterday she looked like she had the mumps. After pinching her repeatedly… trying to look in her mouth and ears, the doctor concluded that she had a sinus infection and sent her home with some Biaxin. At least it wasn’t in her chest and throat this time. But seriously, it would have been easier to give her a couple of shots for all the carrying on she did.

She was just on antibiotics not even a month ago. She seems to be like me. She will need more than one course of antibiotics to finally kill the infection. I feel bad subjecting her to so much stuff but I keep telling myself it’s for her own good. At least it will stop the fever. She’s taken stronger stuff before. When she was first born they put her on antibiotics that they give if you have Meningitis. When Caity was born she had an extremely high white blood cell count. Apparently the ‘normal’ count is around 12,000 – Cait’s was 25,000. The poor little thing had a spinal tap before she was 2 days old. Luckily it was just some mystery infection, probably related to her swallowing Meconium when she was born, and not Meningitis. The doctors and nurses at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto were wonderful. Cait was in the NICU for 2 1/2 days of our 7 day visit. Caity was born weighing 7 lbs., 11 oz., a giant for NICU. There was a baby in the incubator next to her that was born at about 24 weeks if I remember correctly.

He weighed a pound and a half.

His poor mother would come to visit him and she’d be weeping. She was reluctant to name him but the nurses were supporting her, telling her that every baby deserves a name. I understand why she didn’t want to. She wanted to remain detached, in case he didn’t make it – perhaps it would hurt less.

I think about them often. I hope he is OK.

At night when the kids are asleep, I always check on them. Last night I found myself brushing Caity’s hair out of her face while she was sleeping. I hope she gets better soon. I hate it when they’re sick …