Happy Halloween, Little Princess!

Today Rowan and Nathan went to a little pumpkin party where they jumped in a bounce house, went on a hayride and played a few games. I'm not sure they recognized each other as Nathan was bundled in a dragon suit and Rowan was in her Piglet costume. It seemed a bit chilly when we set out in the morning, but once we got there, we were all hot. So, after a while, the kids were stripped of their costumes and enjoyed the festivities in their play clothes. Rowan saw Ray, the sun character of the Parks and Rec. dept. and freaked out, so we did our best to avoid him.

After the party, Rowan accompanied me to my doctor's appointment. I've gained a bit too much weight and am measuring 1 cm. too big. Hmmm, maybe this will inspire me to go to the gym, swim and make sure I'm keeping myself healthy! Also at the doctor, Rowan cracked up when they listened to the baby's heartbeat with the little monitor. Not sure what was so funny, but she really liked it.

Tonight was Rowan's first experience trick or treating. She was the sweetest little princess ever. She was so excited to wear her little crown and carry her wand and her basket. She loved her purple sparkly shoes from Grandma Rowe. Most of our neighbors weren't home when we started out so it took us a while to actually find a house that was ready for us! Rowan had worked very hard at saying "trick or treat" but once we were out there, she became a very shy and silent Rowan--a side of her she reserves for strangers only. She also was very scared of any and all inflatable characters--including Pooh and Tigger. When we would get near them, she would cuddle in with Lance and say "no, no"! But, overall she was quite proud of herself and very excited about candy. She even seemed to know what it was as she pretended to lick a lollipop. She then handed Lance and I each one piece of candy at a time and threw her basket out of the wagon. She must know the candy is forbidden. Our little family had so much fun tonight.

Just the Two of Us

Today Rowan and I went to a Halloween party. Since it was an outdoor party and it was, surprisingly, chilly, Rowan wore her Piglet costume, the warmer of her two. She was quite adorable running around and playing with her big costume on. The party didn't last too long and then we were at home, playing with Little People and walking around looking at leaves and putting sticks in a large pile. She likes to call the larger leaves and sticks "mommy" and the small ones "baby".

Lately I've been thinking about all of the time Rowan and I spend together, just the two of us. And when I feel the little flutters in my tummy I realize our "just the two of us" time is almost over. I can't wait to meet little Sprout and I can't wait for Rowan to be a big sister, but I think we will both miss our one-on-one time. The last time I went to Dr, Meek, she said "The spacing between your kids will be great. Rowan won't even remember being an only child." Of course she said this so that I would feel good, but it made me really sad to think that Rowan won't remember all of the things about life "just the two of us". Our long walks, our cuddly time in bed, me chasing Rowan all over the house, playing with stickers, swimming, gymnastics class. These are all things I will remember forever and Rowan will remember for a few weeks or so. So, Rowan, I hope we will make many amazingly wonderful memories with your new baby brother or sister and even though you might not remember the time it was just the two of us, I want you to know that I do remember it and I will cherish it forever.

Back to Reality

Well, we're finally back from two full weeks in Hilton Head. I'm still shocked at the warm sunny weather we were blessed with most of the time. On Friday it was chilly and rainy so we spent the morning at The Ssandbox, a children's museum. The girls had lots of fun and were kept busy a good amount of time. We also played games, played with stickers and play-dough and Rowan and Lily both got temporary tattoos of butterflies on their hands. We also all started the packing frenzy. Once the kids were in bed, we played an everlasting game of Phase 10 (Susan finally won). Saturday morning we packed the cars and then headed to the mall so the girls could run around a little bit and eat before we all left for long trips home.

On the way home, Rowan was a trooper. She slept for almost 2 hours and then watched a little bit of a DVD on the way home. We sang lots of songs and there was a little whining, but, really, I was quite impressed. Susan had it a bit rougher flying with 2 babies. On flight #2 the girls had a crying competition and Susan was thrilled to finally be home last night at 8. My mom and the rest of the ladies just got home at 8 tonight. They had a long drive which lasted a few hours longer than the way down, though no one really knows why.

Here's a fun list of things from our vacation:

10. Number of full days Rowan and I were at the beach without Lance.
9. Number of women staying in the condo in week #2. Yes, three were babies, but it was still pretty crowded considering we all tried our best to be quiet while the kids were napping.
8. Average time the girls went to bed, leaving us plenty of "adult time". However, in an effort to keep the noise down, instead of chatting and playing games, we checked our e-mail, blogged, listed to a very quite TV and, in week #2 Mom and Donna listened to two books on CD. Susan and I really appreciate our two-story homes and may try to look for a 2-story condo if we decide to do another trip with kids anytime soon.
7. Number of people plagued with a nasty, but relatively short-lived stomach virus (for the record, in order, Matt, Lily, Ally, Susan, Judy, Mom, Michelle).
6. Number of baths Rowan and Lily took together. The two were just so cute splashing, talking and playing.
5. Number of books I brought along, sincerely planning on getting in some great reading. In actuality, I probably read about 100 pages of one book total.
4. Number of times Rowan somehow played in the toilet--such a disgusting habit I hope does not continue at home.
3. Number of full days all three of us (Lance, Rowan and myself) got to spend at the beach together. Also, number of decades I've been alive!
2. Number of rainy days we had (not bad at all!!!)
1. One wonderful vacation and a perfect way to celebrate my thirtieth birthday!

Also some fun tidbits from our vacation: Rowan now likes to wear a ponytail in her hair, thanks to Susan. She looks like such a big girl! Rowan went pee-pee on the potty three times today, thanks to wanting to be just like Lily. Rowan also started saying a lot more words including Susu, Lily, Matt, beach, dig, beach bag, Deedee, Aunt and the list could go on and on. She even said "Love you, Daddy" on Susan's camcorder and said "No thank you, mommy" to me. She is to the point of repeating virtually anything you ask her to repeat.

Today we slept in a bit and spent the afternoon watching Lance's outdoor soccer game. It felt like fall and Rowan loved playing with soccer balls on the sidelines, cheering for daddy ("Go, red", "Go, Daddy" and, randomly "Go, Roger"). She also loved that Roger's kids came for the second half so she played with Hannah and Matthew. The whole way home, Rowan said "Hannah, Hannah". We had a quick and easy sweet and sour chicken for dinner and are now enjoying Rowan's peaceful sleep while I blog and Lance takes a test for the job at Hope.

Just About Ready to Go Home!

Well, with only one day left of vacation, I can say that I'm getting ready to go home. Rowan is cranky and needing her schedule. Today was rainy and buggy. We tried to go to the beach, but the bugs were biting. We tried to take pictures, but the girls weren't cooperating. When Lance called, I was literally two minutes into the conversaion and three adults were "watching" Rowan, but I had to cut the call short as Rowan was playing in the toilet. Lovely.

On another note, Lance is back in Charlotte. The interview went well. He has had as busy of a week as I have. Everyone here is finally healthy.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so I think we're going to head to the children's museum in the morning and maybe to a Halloween fest at The Salty Dog in the evening. Then the chaos of packing and leaving on Saturday.

These past few days of not-so-nice weather have made me really appreciate the gorgeous weather we had the majority of this vacation. I have no idea what we would have done inside with two toddlers and a baby this whole time!

Another One (or two) Bites the Dust

This stomach flu is just making it's way through the vacationers. Last night I had trouble sleeping. There was a loud and bright lightning storm, Rowan was tossing and turning and then my mom woke up very sick and spent the rest of the night in the bathroom. Today she and Michelle slept and rested most of the day. My mom was really sick. Michelle may have been sick, but I think it was more in her head than anything else.

This morning we got the kids suited up for the beach and brought out our video cameras to capture a few fun beach moments on film. Alas, the one day we are prepared it starts to rain. So the girls got a few moments of fun beach time before being hauled inside to avoid the thunder and lightning. We decided to stay away from the sick germs and take the kids to lunch. After driving around to look for Atlanta Bread, we ended up at McDonald's. I got Rowan a cheeseburger and took the meat off as Rowan has entered a self-proclaimed vegetarian diet phase. She liked that okay. I gave her a few fries which she was completely uninterested in--until I dipped one in ketchup. She looked at me with absolute glee, ate the fry and couldn't wait for more. It was so adorable watching her excitement over the ketchup!

Today was Lance's interview at Hope. It was a really long day, but he felt the interview went well. He's now on his way to the airport to head back to Charlotte. He did get to spend some time with his family tonight before leaving, which is nice. Rowan called him tonight and said "Night night, Daddy. Love you, Daddy."

Repeating Myself

I feel like I'm writing the same thing every day. Once again, we spent a lot of time at the beach today. Rowan woke up relatively early, we hung around for a bit and then we decided to head to the beach around 8:30 or 9. It was gorgeous as always and Rowan had so much fun playing in the sand, chasing seagulls and walking on "the beam" (a washed up log) with Lily. A little time in the pool and we came in around 11 for some downtime before lunch and naps. The ladies all did some shopping and went out to lunch during naps and Susan and I talked and played with Ally.

After naps and a little playtime, I just had to take Rowan to the beach again. She just loved every minute of it. She ran right into the water and laid down while the waves splashed in her face. Everyone kept stopping to say how fearless Rowan is. Yes, I know. It's what keeps me up at nights--or at least it will once she's a bit older.

The rest of the house seems to be feeling all better. Rowan took a huge spill this morning and got a bit of a bruise on her head, but she seems fine now.

Lance is presently on a flight to Detroit for a big interview tomorrow at Hope. We're anxious to hear that he got in okay and he's ready for his big day. He has a three-hour interview from 9-12 and has a long drive in the morning, so he'll have to leave his parents house at around 5. What a long day! Hopefully he'll at least be able to have a nice dinner with his parents and Monica, Hope and Grace who happen to be visiting. Then tomorrow evening he heads back to Charlotte. What a busy week!

Please, Mr. Officer...

Today started out with Judy, Susan and Ally all under the weather. So, the rest of us packed up and headed to Beaufort. On the way I got pulled over. I was speeding, however, I was also being passed by people and was going at or under the flow of traffic. When even my mom and Donna feel I was wronged, I'm pretty sure I was. But, I got a ticket nonetheless. Though it was somewhat tempting to beg and cry, I instead tried to seem like a sane adult and just take the ticket. Of course I was in a rather sour mood for the rest of our little road trip. Beaufort was a cute enough town, I suppose, but we went on a 2-hour walking tour which may have been asking a bit much of Rowan. She was amazingly well behaved as long as I continually produced snacks for her to eat. We saw lots of old mansions and heard about the history of the town. We stopped at a couple of shops, let the kids play for a bit at the playground and headed back. It was a long morning, but it was good for all of us to be out of the house so the sick ones could get a little rest--and we could stay away from the germs for a while.

Once home, the girls took naps and then we took Rowan to the beach. She, of course, had a blast as usual, and I'm dreading the return home even more than I was before! Today she was following two teenage boys around. They sat on the sand, tossing handfuls of sand at their feet and she stood next to them picking up sand and throwing it...always a good beach activity. Then some sort of exercise class made it's way down the beach and stopped near us to do some exercises. Rowan stood near their group doing a little dance. My mom and I got such a kick out of her. She also thought it would be fun to slither like a snake through the sand and then lay down on her back and bury her belly with sand. Where does she come up with this?

I do think, from now on, our perfect vacation will be a beach vacation. And I'm so glad I insisted on having an ocean front place with a pool. We could easily never leave our complex. If we ever have an extremely warm weekend in the forecast, we should just pack up and head to the beach. Rowan is completely in her element and we are loving every minute of this! With the exception, of course, of that ticket...

Grandma Relief Squad

Yesterday morning Matt left to head back to Grand Rapids and "Team Grandma" (plus Aunt Michelle) arrived in Hilton Head. Matt left early in the morning after a night of being very sick. Susan and I cleaned up a bit, did a huge amount of laundry and got the girls down for their naps. Judy, Donna, Jackie and Michelle got in around 2. We got somewhat organized and then the girls woke up and my mom and I took Rowan down to the beach to play. Of course my mom is amazed at how much Rowan is saying and doing. They had so much fun playing all day.

This morning Rowan woke up and I put her in bed with me and my mom. She didn't notice my mom at first and, when she did, she got quite upset. I think she was expecting Lance and was rather confused when my mom rolled over to say hi. Her little face was priceless. My mom, Michelle, Susan and I were able to get out and do a little shopping while the girls were sleeping. Judy and Donna were nice enough to stay home with them.

Then this evening, a bit more beach time and a yummy dinner. Lance sent a box of yummy chocolate covered fruit yesterday and we finished it up today. A nice, delicious way to end the day.

Fire Ants

This morning we woke up to cloudy skies and the threat of rain so we all stayed inside and played for a while before heading to the mall playland. Lily and Rowan had a great time running around for a while. After Rowan's nap I decided to ignore the ominous dark clouds and suit up for some beach time. There were a few short minutes of undetectable sprinkles, but Rowan and I had fun digging in the sand and splashing in the waves nonetheless. We took a shower when we got inside and then Rowan started having a major meltdown. Despite her bad mood, we decided to head out for some quick Mexican food and Rowan ate so quickly. I'm assuming now her previous meltdown had much to do with hunger.

On another note, I noticed Rowan had many blistery looking bites on her foot and leg and realized she must have stood in a fire ant nest, possibly when we were out taking pictures. They look very painful and, I must say, this is one time I'm pretty glad that Rowan is so busy she doesn't seem to notice the obvious.

Tomorrow morning Matt leaves (early) and the grandmas and Aunt Michelle arrive (late). Not sure what we'll do during the day, but I'm excited for a little relief!

More of the same...

So, it seems as though this week will consist of rather identical blogs. Again, gorgeous weather. Lots of playing at the beach and in the pool. Attempts at photos. Did I mention Matt cooks dinner almost nightly? I even took a short nap with Rowan today. Even with Rowan's rather challenging morning (a nice, deep cut on her thumb resulting in quite a bit of blood and even more tears), the day turned out quite nice. It makes me think living on the beach would make life much easier as a stay-at-home mom. However, if I lived here I would have much more housework, would still be responsible for cooking and would have a mortgage I care not to consider. So, I will enjoy this each day for the two weeks I am here.

"Go Beach"

This is what Rowan said to me after breakfast this morning. So, who was I to say no? First we had Susan take some family pictures at the beach in hopes of possibly getting a photo for our Christmas cards. It was quite bright out so I was squinting and Rowan, as usual, did not want to look at the camera. But, I do think we got one shot where we were all at least looking in the same direction. Unfortunately pictures make my whole pregnancy weight gain quite obvious. After the photos we got ready and spent the rest of the morning at the beach playing in the waves and the sand. Then we ran around the pool deck for a while before heading in for lunch. Rowan was quite a stinker this morning, ignoring virutally every request made of her. I think she was making sure Lance would be okay leaving her for a week and a half.

After lunch, Lance had to head back to Charlotte. He has such a busy week getting ready for Monday's golf tournament and I know he's headed back to long work days. So, he'll miss us while we're playing on the beach and we'll miss him, too!

Rowan woke up from her nap in a much better mood. She had a great snack, played well with Lily and Ally and was even a bit cuddly before bed tonight. Tomorrow is supposed to be 85 and sunny again, so at the beach we will be!

A Night Out Alone

Tonight Matt and Susan watched Rowan for us and Lance and I actually had a night out alone. We went to a great restaurant called The Old Fort Pub. We had a perfect table overlooking the intracoastal waterway. I loved my fennel puree soup, crab cakes and key lime tart--all things Lance would never touch so I could never make at home unless I would eat it all by myself. After dinner, we walked along a walkway and enjoyed the gorgeous nature before heading home to see the girls. According to Matt and Susan, the night wasn't a disaster. Rowan didn't even cry and we were able to get out for a few hours alone. It really was quite a lovely evening. Thanks, Matt and Susan for watching our wild child.

Big 3-0

So I am no longer in my 20's. Yesterday was the big 3-0! It was a fun, relatively relaxing day. We got into Hilton Head late Friday night and woke up to a gorgeous day on Saturday. Lance, Rowan and I walked along the beach for a bit and enjoyed the beautiful weather and sunshine. Matt, Susan, Lily and Ally's flight got in around 1, so we picked them up, headed back to the condo and put the girls down for naps. The boys went grocery shopping and Susan and I got to sit around and talk. She gave me a book with memories from friends and family which is adorable and so funny. After their long naps we went for a nice walk and brought home some really yummy pizza.

Today we spent some time at the beach and then the pool. Lily and Rowan had so much fun playing in the sand and the water. It is so warm and sunny and the weather is supposed to stay nice for at least a few more days. I imagine lots of days spent playing on the beach. Lance and I may try to go out to dinner tonight, however Rowan is currently refusing to take her nap and I'd hate to leave Matt and Susan with a very fussy little girl.

I can already imagine how sad Rowan is going to be to go back home where the is no beach, no pool and no friends living with her. I would imagine that will be a rough week.

Moo Moo, Baa Baa

This morning Rowan and I were very busy. Rowan decided to wake up nice and early at around 6:15. We had time to play at home for a bit and then went to Rowan's doctor's appointment. The big 18-month checkup. For some reason I thought that there were no vaccinations at this appointment, but I was wrong. Rowan was all smiles for Dr. Samarel. She pulled all of the books out of the basket and climbed in herself. She was as giggly as could be, running all around the room. She was even a trooper for the shots. A few tears, but then it was over and she was better.

After the appointment, we bought the Little People Sweet Sounds dollhouse which I think Rowan will love. Then we were off to the farm and pumpkin patch with the girls from my mom's group at church. Rowan had a great time running around and picking up all of the pumpkins. She wasn't so impressed with the hayride, but liked seeing the cows, petting the rabbit and feeding the sheep and goats. She fed a few sheep quite fearlessly, but was a little more nervous with the goats. She would run up with her little cup of food, squeal and laugh, say "no" and run back. She had a great time. We all stayed and had a little picnic and ate cupcakes for my birthday. Rowan was exhausted when we got home and is now sleeping.

We leave tomorrow for Hilton Head Island for two weeks. I'm sure tonight I will be busy packing OUR NEW MINIVAN for the trip. Yes, the decision has finally been made and Lance is picking up the minivan today. I can't wait for the space! I never thought I would be this excited to get a minivan! What a total mom I am.

Happy 18 Month Birthday, Rowan!

Today my little baby is 18 months old. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. Sure there are days that seem very long, but the past year and a half seems like a blink of an eye!

Today we celebrated the day by going to gymnastics, which is always a bit hit. Then we had a lunch/playdate with Nathan and Trang, also a big hit. Rowan and Nathan are very cute together, especially the goodbye hug and kiss. Today Nathan knocked Rowan over with such a big hug and, of course, they must kiss right on the lips. I really must videotape this. After nap, we went to the park, which is also a bit hit. So, we had a busy, fun day. Rowan had macaroni and cheese for lunch and pizza for dinner. Unhealthy, but Rowan loves it. So, it was a fun day that we ended by dancing to the Dixie Chicks in the kitchen. Of course Harley and Sebastian may not have been quite as thrilled as Rowan and myself when I made them do Ring Around the Rosie with us.

Rowan, you are becoming such a little girl. You still love running, climbing and dirt. But today when Nathan was over, you decided you wanted to wear 4 hairbows and were very excited to show Trang your dress-up clothes--especially the pink frilly skirt. You like to pick out your own clothes, shoes and bow. Today you wore a pink shirt with an orange bow. I'm sure you would have picked out some interesting shoes, but I grabbed your white Crocs before you had a chance to pick any out. I can already picture the outfits you will be picking out. You like to take my eyelash curler and pretend you are curling your lashes. You always try to get into my makeup. Soon enough I will be painting your toe nails and maybe you will even allow me to put your hair in pigtails one of these days.

You are becoming much more vocal. I should try to list all of your words, but I know I would miss so many. Here is a very incomplete list, starting with animals and animal sounds: grrr, buk buk, duck, woof woof, pig, ah ah ah (for monkey), neigh neigh, me (meow), moo moo, hi, eek eek, bird, hoo hoo, hop hop, baa baa, fish, juice, more, please, eat, mommy, daddy, mama, dada, baby, Ro Ro, book, beep beep, no, whee, up, down, mac mac (for macaroni), bow, mirror (sounds more like "more"), rock, stick, ball, bug, Ed (the man who painted our house), Thy, Na (for Nathan) bath, toot toot, knee, wowee, shoe, butt butt (oops, we shouldn't have taught you that). You can also repeat most of the letters of the alphabet when we say them and when we get to "r", you say "Ro ro!"

For all the climbing you love to do, you still love to be carried down the stairs--even though you are very capable of walking down them all by yourself. You are a true mommy's girl. You want to be near me or carried by me constantly. Sometimes it's cute, sometimes it's overwhelming. But, I love that you love me. I'm sure when you're 15 (or younger), I'll have to beg you to spend time with me. So, I'll try to enjoy every minute of your clinginess, even when it means you are hanging on my leg.

You are such a blessing and a gift to our family. Your daddy and I love you more than you can imagine. Happy 1.5 birthday, Rowan!

Minivan Madness

With our Hilton Head trip approaching, we are on a frantic search for a minivan. It seems we've been looking forever and I really wish we had just bought the first one that had the features we wanted--just to have it all over. Way too much free time has been spent looking for cars. If everything works out, though, I think we'll buy one tomorrow. Key words being "If everything works out". It just seems as though, in the past, not everything has worked out. So, we will see.

Speaking of cars, as I get even nearer to my 30th birthday, I realized that I needed to renew my driver's license. So, Rowan and I got to spend a little time at the DMV today. Fortunately the line wasn't as bad as it could've been and I passed the test quickly and easily. But I really should have thought about the fact that the DMV doesn't take debit or credit cards. So, after all that, I had to leave, find an ATM and head back. Thankfully I didn't have to wait in line again. But I did get an extreme close-up for a driver's license picture! And my Bell's Palsey crooked smile was quite evident.

More exciting than the prospect of potentially becoming a minivan owner is that tomorrow is also Rowan's 18-month birthday. I can't believe my little girl will be one and a half! She is getting so big and is so much fun. Tomorrow is also Isaac's first birthday and Wyatt will be 6 months old. Quite interesting that my college roommates and I all had babies 6 months apart from each other. Rowan was born April 10, 2006; Isaac was born October 10, 2006; Wyatt was born April 10, 2007. God was helping me out by making these things so easy to remember.

Also newsworthy for our family is Lance's upcoming job interview. After a long phone interview, Lance got a call that Hope College would like to interview him further. So, while I am in Hilton Head with all of the girls, Lance will fly up to Michigan for a day and have a 3 hour interview--including 45 minutes with the Hope president. He'll also get to quickly see his parents and also his sister and Hope and Grace, who will be visiting at the same time.

Rowan seems to be on the mend. I was able to spend some time with my friend Stacy and get my haircut yesterday and went to the moms group at church today. Just as things are getting back to normal, I'll be leaving for 2 weeks. Hopefully Rowan will transition into "vacation mode" as quickly as I!

I'm sure the next few days will be a frantic packing extravaganza...

This Week Stinks--Literally!

So, I haven't blogged since Tuesday. Mainly because the rest of my week consisted of cleaning up poop. I'm quite certain Rowan has rotavirus which is basically vomiting for several days followed by up to 8 days of extreme, terribly smelly diarrhea. So, I guess we're on day 5 and still going strong. I could go on and on about the amount of cleaning I have done or the number of outfits Rowan had to be changed into that day, but that's pretty much the extent what we have accomplished this week. I am praying Rowan will get better soon as we hope to leave for Hilton Head next Friday night!

Today I needed a break so I went to a friend's house and learned how to make bows for Rowan's hair. I'm not sure if it's a southern thing or not, but it seems all little girls here love to wear hairbows. So, I learned to make my own. Rowan likes the idea of bows, but rarely will leave one in. When I got back from the "bow party" Rowan tried on each bow and immediately pulled them out of her hair. There were a few days she seemed pretty into them, but I'm now thinking she was just too sick to put up a fight. In any case, much to Lance's chagrin, I may just have to go out and buy a glue gun and some supplies to make darling bows--whether she wears them or not!

Since Rowan was up at (gasp) 5:30 this morning, Lance and I are going to settle in for a little junk food and some TV before an early bedtime.

A Girly Girl--sort of

I wasn't planning on blogging today as most of the day was spent with sick little Roway laying on my chest--not that I minded a bit. We missed the luncheon with the moms group at church because Rowan woke up, once again, covered in vomit. After a forced bath, Rowan wanted nothing more than to be held. Since she's not usually a cuddler, I tried to soak up as much of it as I could. I set up a doctor's appointment for 2:40 and then we cuddled the rest of the day. Since we were a bit early for the appointment, we headed to Pier 1 Kids where I bought Rowan a pair of butterfly wings and a ballet skirt for dress up clothes. Then, off to the doctor. On the way there, Rowan had a severe episode of diarrhea which was leaking through her shirt by the time we got in the door. Though this wasn't a good thing, they were able to get a stool sample without any anal probing, which I consider quite miraculous. When I finally cleaned poop up off of Rowan and the nurse changed the paper on the examination table, Rowan proceeded to pee all over herself--twice. I felt quite unprepared as I had to get some wipes from the nurse to clean it all up. So, in a few days, I can look forward to the stool sample results.

Rowan fell asleep on the way home, so that was her big 10-minute power nap for the day. Once we were home, she ate an entire yogurt which is more than she's eaten in days, but then she managed to have major diarrhea which soaked through 2 more outfits. By the time Lance got home, she was just in a onesie as I figured it was pretty pointless to continue putting on matching outfits at this point. She did, however, make sure that she had a bow in her hair and then she wanted to wear some very boyish light-up Sesame Street shoes (compliments of Grandma Rowe). And, for a finishing touch, the new purple butterfly wings. What a goofball. I love that, despite being sick, she was still able to have a little fun today.

Happy October!

I guess now that it's October, I'm getting that much closer to turning 30. Does this somehow make me much more feeble? It must as I was up no less than 8 times in the middle of the night throwing up. And, again, Rowan threw up in her crib and slept in it. I heard Lance get up with her this morning and the water started running almost immediately. I knew a bath first thing in the morning meant one of two things--neither of which suggest a healthy, happy child. So, I was very sick, Rowan was very sick and, come to find out, Lance was sick, too. What a pathetic bunch we were today. Rowan is such a trooper. She is somehow able to be quite sick but still have an unlimited amount of energy. Though this is a good thing, it made it really hard to keep up with her when we were both sick. We did our best, got through the day and are hoping tomorrow brings us a much brighter outlook...