Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

Last night after having our Christmas card pictures taken I decided to take advantage of Hannah being dressed up and we drove to a local mall to visit with Santa!
So far every time Hannah has seen Santa this year he has been in a ‘paw-wade’ so I wanted to prepare her a bit that he would be visiting with her rather than just waving from a float.  I captured this quick bit of adorable video while she was in the car.  Truly, her sweet, wonderful, precious personality is contagious and I can’t help but smile every time I hear her sweet voice!  She was so excited and just wanted to wrap this up so that she could get on with the fun of visiting with Santa!

I love that this year the two things she consistently says she’s going to ask Santa for are ‘underpamtsl (heh!!) and clothes.  In particular, pyjamas.  She says hers are too small.  I guess the 3T’s I had her in last week were a little on the snug side so the new 4T’s are fitting the bill.  And yet, she would like more.  Oh, if only her wish lists would remain so simple and unselfish in the future!
Our mall has a wonderful area for visiting Santa and they’ve made an effort to make the waiting area as child friendly as possible.  There are games, colouring sheets and a TV playing Christmas movies.  The time flies by for the kiddos as they wait which in turn means it flies by for mommy too!  Another bonus is that the free(!) pictures and video are emailed to you the moment you complete your visit with Santa.  It doesn’t get better than that! 
Hello big guy!
Hannah was excited about being able to talk to Santa although whenever I asked her if she wanted me to go with her or if she wanted to sit on his lap alone she always said she wanted mommy with her.  I was happy to do that so went prepared with that plan.  When it was our turn I went in and put down our coats and my purse and when I looked up this was what I saw!
She was a little hesitant but had easily walked up to Santa all by herself and allowed him to pick her up.  She didn’t talk to him when she was on her own but I was still so pleased that she was comfortable visiting with him!  Way to go Hannah!!  Here’s the video they captured of Hannah’s visit with Santa.

A final pic with all of us together! 
Christmas celebrations and preparations are in full swing for Hannah and I!  I hope you’re enjoying the season too while still remembering the true Reason for the Season.

Mommy! I’m Hiding!

Hannah’s favourite game right now is ‘hide’ and we play it numerous times each day.  She loves nothing more than to hide right now and have me look for her.  It’s absolutely adorable since she makes so much noise that it’s work not to find her!  Heh!  The more I try to look other places for her the more noise she makes.  So cute!!

I also wanted to say a big ‘Thank you!’ to all who have prayed for Hannah, emailed and called to find out how she’s doing.  I’m thrilled to say that she’s almost 100%.  She has a slight lingering cough but that’s about it.  Numerous times today I found myself thinking about where we were a week ago today and how sick my little love was and thanking God that she is so much better now.  She gave me quite a scare last week and I’m thankful for the health that she has today!  She lost about a pound when she was sick and I can still see that in her little tummy and waist but in time she’ll gain it back.

Thanks again!  Your love, concern and prayers for us is greatly appreciated!

So Much To Be Thankful For!

Although I celebrated Thanksgiving with my fellow Canadians last month, there is so much to be thankful for today that in honour of my American friends I say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving!’

First off, I am very, very thankful that Hannah has definitely taken a turn for the better and she is well on her way to feeling like her old self.  Although still sporting a low grade fever and signs of a cold, the pain and high fever that enveloped her for 3 longs days is behind us.  For that I am very, very thankful!  My sweet baby girl was a trooper through it all but seeing her like this

for days at a time was hard.  Hearing her little cries of pain even though she was topped up with meds had me feeling so helpless.  When she was sleeping I shed my own tears.

Thankfully the 2nd antibiotic worked wonders and with it’s help and more importantly, the prayers of many, my little love turned a corner yesterday and her normal self began to immerge.   Never have I been so thankful to see our home littered with toys and craft supplies, walking an obstacle course each step of the day.  After 3 days of the toys and books not moving from their storage locations, she made up for it in a matter of minutes…and I was thrilled!

She is also sleeping so much better too which is such a blessing to both herself and I’ll admit, to mommy too!  Early Wednesday morning when she was awake whining crying for the 10th+ time that night, was one of the very few times that I’ve ever wished I had someone to tag team with for just a moment.  I didn’t so I took a moment, a few deep breaths and then held her close until she drifted back to sleep.  Thankfully that session at 2am was the last time she woke for the next 5 hours and we both woke up feeling much, much better!

I went back to work today and Hannah went to Ange’s.  She had a great time and when I emailed Ange during nap time to see how she was doing she said she was doing well and the kids were being their normal selves….playing one moment and arguing the next.  Heh!  We often tease that Noah and Hannah are like an old married couple!  One moment they’re hugging one another and the next they’re grabbing a toy out of the other’s hand or bickering with their little 2yo words.  They share a great friendship and I am SO thankful that Hannah has Ange’s home to go to each day!

Normally I teach piano on Thursday nights but I cancelled my students tonight so that Hannah didn’t have to jump right into a 12 hour day at daycare. (Mom and Dad are still in FL for one more week.  Normally they watch her Thurs nights while I teach.)  I wanted Hannah and I to have some time together tonight.  It was fun to watch her enjoy herself while she ate rather than not eating at all. 

Raspberry manicure anyone?

Tonight I am also celebrating with two other wonderful friends.  Earlier this week our dear friends the 3D's received their long waited for TA (travel approval) and will be leaving one week from today to meet their sweet son in China!!  Congratulations 3D’s!!

Today another precious friend and her family received their long awaited LOA (letter of acceptance) for their beautiful daughter!  Next step TA and then hopefully early in 2012 they’ll be travelling to China (to Hannah’s province!!) to meet their precious Ellie!!

I get goose bumps to think that Ellie will be placed in Pam’s arms in the very same room that Hannah was placed in mine! 

Both of these families have waited a l-o-n-g time for this day!  They both received their referrals way back in May and have been waiting since then to travel and meet their children.  Today is a day of thankfulness that each of them are so much closer to holding their little loves in their arms!!

Congratulations D and Pam!!!

Yes, so much to be thankful for!!

I think we might soon earn preferred parking at the doctor’s office! **Updated**

Sadly I spoke too soon.     While Hannah’s fever stayed away last night even when her meds wore off it was back hovering around 37.6oC/99.6oF this morning.  She had a better sleep than the past few nights with only 6 or so wake ups so that was nice for her especially…and Mommy was thankful too.  It was still a lot of wake-ups for my sound sleeper but once again she was woken by the pain in her little head.  We continued meds throughout the night but still the slightest cough brought on a sad whimper and sometimes even full blown tears.  Another day home with Mommy was an easy decision to make. 

Another change that started yesterday afternoon was that she had no interest at all in eating anything.  I tried to suggest anything easy to swallow or cool that I could think of and it went nowhere.  Even the popsicle she had in the tub last night was more fun to melt in the water than to eat.  Thankfully she was still drinking so that was a good thing.  Late this morning she asked for chicken nuggets and French fries so that’s exactly what she got.  She only ate a few fries and one nugget but after eating nothing for 24 hours I was happy to see her consume anything.  This pic is a great one and was taken during one of her ‘peak’ times during the day.  Trust me, looks can be deceiving as 30 mins earlier she was crying in pain.  Medication is our friend!!

Naps have been short and distressed for the past few days so today I decided that whenever she was ready to nap I’d hold her and see if that helped.  She had a wonderfully restful 1 1/2 hour nap which I was SO thankful for and the bonus was that I enjoyed the treat of holding my sleeping little girl which happens rarely these days.  It was a wonderful reminder of what her baby days were like!

Unfortunately when she woke from her nap she was in rough shape again.  Her fever was up and she didn’t know what to do with herself.  It broke my heart to see her sneeze and then literally shake her fists and kick her legs as she cried, ‘owe, owe, owe’ and then uncontrollable tears.  Something more needed to be done as she should not be in that much pain!

During this time I was texting back and forth with my amazing friend Polar Bear and she wondered the same thing I did; that it might be a sinus infection and both of us know from personal experiences how painful these can be.  Others had mentioned this in the comments of my last post too.

I called my doctors office with my concerns and her current status and within 15 mins they called back and told me to bring her right in.  The doctor was between patients when we arrived and he looked at her right then.  Oh how blessed we are to have such an amazing, caring doctor!  The next time I’m waiting an hour for a regular wellness check-up I’ll remember how amazing he was with Hannah during this time and that he can take all the time he needs!

Since it’s now been 5 days of constant fevers (when the meds wear off) and she’s still in so much pain he decided to change her antibiotic and give her one that is for a broader spectrum of problems.  If her sinuses are involved this one should help those out.  Praying that happens!

My lively, energetic little girl is currently a placid and lethargic with moments of energy thrown in throughout the day.  She napped for another half hour later in the afternoon, rested watching Disney Junior and still began asking to go to bed at 5:30.  Her little, ‘I tiiiired Mommy.  Please go bed.’ is such an unusual and distressing thing to hear.

She let me feed her a little supper of mandarin oranges in sauce and a couple of bites of chocolate pudding but that was it.  The fact that my, ‘I do it all myself!’ little girl asked me to feed her is another huge sign that this bug still has a firm hold on her. 

I’m praying that this antibiotic is the right one and that we see a difference even by tomorrow.  I’ve already decided to stay home with her with my employer’s blessing to stay where I’m needed and do all I can to help her feel better.   She’s resting well now and has only woken twice for a good cry and mommy cuddles.  Even that is a huge improvement over the past few nights. 

Thank you for all your kind comments and many prayers.  They are so appreciated!  I had my first big cry today about this situation.  I’ve tried to be strong for Hannah but the feeling of helplessness to take the pain away is awful!  Thank you to all who are praying for us!

Wednesday AM update:

Dare I say it looks like Hannah has turned a corner?  Yay!!!  After a rough night with no less than 10 wakings she’s much more herself this morning.  She’s been playing for the past hour and a half, chatting (sounding a lot like Kermit the Frog) and even smiling!  After 2 1/2 days of laying around and feeling pretty punk, she’s more herself.  Her little nose is running and I’m hoping that if her sinuses have been sore that this draining will help relieve the pressure.  Her fever is still present and she needed Advil (but not Tylenol) when she first woke up and now that that’s kicked in she’s enjoying playing!  SO thankful!

Praying She’s Turned the Corner

My sweet little girl has been one sick ‘baby’ for the past few days.  It hurts me to see her in pain! 

She began with a slight fever Thursday evening and throughout the day Friday.  Friday night was a little rough but meds were keeping the fever down.  Because Hannah’s history with fevers = ear infections I took her to urgent care Friday night.  The doctor said her ears were a little plugged but it was not an infection and she was fine unless her fever continued.

Saturday she was her normal happy self in the morning so we headed out to gymnastics then went to a local Santa Claus parade.  She napped in the afternoon and woke up a little bit ‘rough’ but that's not unusual after a nap so we continued on with plans to meet my brother and SIL to go to another parade.  We bundled up and Hannah had lots of fun dancing to the music and waving at the people in the parade.

Once we got into the car…she lost it!  Poor sweetie!  At the time I didn’t realize how poorly she had been feeling or I never would have taken her.  There were many tears as we waited for traffic to move and eventually she fell asleep.  Once home I took her temp and it was up again so I topped up her meds and settled her in bed.  She remained asleep but woke up within about 20 mins and needed comforting.  By then I knew that Sunday would be a day at home so I cancelled my nursery commitment and lunch with Nana and Papa.

Saturday night was rough!  Hannah woke often and I had to keep her meds up to control her fever. 

Sunday morning I was so thankful that I’d decided we’d stay home.  My feverish baby was struggling and my happy-go-lucky gal was cranky.  Understandable for sure.  Auntie K offered to come over with Pea so that I could run out and get a few groceries.  While my first thought was to say, ‘no thank you’ I realized now was one of those really good times for me to accept that gift of help that was being offered.  I told her yes and they came by for a wonderful playtime!  Hannah had a great time with Auntie K and Pea and I was able to buy our weekly groceries and stuff to make some chicken soup.  It felt weird to be at the store without her but I was also able to get a lot done in a much shorter amount of time.  As I went through the store I looked into the cart and laughed.  All the groceries were in the lower part because I’m used to the items in the top being fair game for my co-pilot.  I also realized towards the end that I’d filled one side of the seat with groceries but the spot where Hannah normally sits was totally empty.  Yes, it was great to take an hour to do groceries on my own but I missed my gal and was excited to get home to her. 

After lunch I tried to put her down for her nap but she was out of sorts and it was easy to see that even though her meds were up to date she was in pain.  She kept telling me her teeth hurt but I’m wondering if it’s a sore throat and she just doesn’t know how to explain to me where the pain is.  I decided a trip back to urgent care was in order once again.  (So thankful for free medical coverage!!)  We saw a different doctor this time and in the 36 hours since our last visit her congested ears had turned into a double ear infection.  Poor little love!!  No wonder she was having such a rough time!  She began a course of antibiotics for the next 10 days and truth be told, I was really hoping I would see improvements even overnight.

Unfortunately the opposite happened.  As on Saturday night, she slept fitfully and woke numerous times during the night crying and needing comfort and telling me her teeth hurt.  My normally awesome sleeper was fitful and restless.  I knew by very early in the morning that Hannah needed a day at home with Mommy on Monday. 

I woke up and emailed the 3 people I report to at work sharing a bit of what Hannah was going through and that I was going to stay home with her for the day.  Can I just say that they were amazing!  All 3 of them took the time to write back to tell me they were praying for/thinking of Hannah and telling me I was exactly where I needed to be.  What a blessing it is to work in a job that I love and also with great co-workers and supervisors!

Today was a-w-f-u-l for Hannah!  AWFUL!!!  I have never seem my little love so sick!  Yesterday was bad but today was terrible!  She had no voice and whenever she coughed or sneezed she burst into tears as the pain was so bad.  Oh how it hurt me to see her hurting so!  I now wonder if it could be her sinuses that are hurting her?  We spent the day together, much of it cuddled together on the couch as she just wanted to be held. 

Cuddling with her ‘Stacy blankie.’  A gift from a dear friend.There was no other place I wanted to be either!  (That being said, I’ve seen about as much Mickey Mouse Clubhouse as I care to for a while.  Thankfully I had a couple of Tinker Bell movies on the PVR that neither of us had seen and we enjoyed those together.)

Her nap this afternoon was all but non-existent so I decided on a whim to take her to our family doctor.  (You know it’s on a whim when I left the house with no make-up on and having not showered in ummm…4 days!  Sick kiddos will do that to you.)  Our doctor and nurse are amazing and the moment I showed up in their office they took us in.  Dr. Fitz reaffirmed that she did have a double ear infection and also that the antibiotics she’s on should do the trick.  That works for me.  There’s just something comforting about hearing the exact same thing from our family doctor.

Hannah finally napped on my lap from about 4:00 – 5:30 and then woke up asking to go to bed.  I know Hannah is sick when the past 2 days she has been asking over and over again to go to bed from 5:30 onwards!  That’s not my gal!   Both nights I stretched things out by giving her a bath and tonight she was distracted from how she was feeling by glow sticks in the tub. 

I put her to bed at her normal time of 8:00 but tonight was different.  Even though she was still in pain and needed meds for that, she didn’t have a fever!  For the first time since Thursday night she didn’t have a fever when her meds wore off!  She’s been awake and needed snuggles 4 times so far tonight but she’s been cool to the touch each time.  Thank you Lord! 

So, I’m hoping that she’s turned a corner and is on the mend.  Those who have known she’s been sick have been praying.  Thank you!  There is nothing like knowing others are lifting your sick child before The Great Physician!

I’ll see how tonight goes and decide in the morning if I’ll stay home again or take her to daycare.  Ange is amazing and their family has been fighting the same battle this weekend.  Poor Noah and Hannah!

Must run….my lovey needs more cuddles so I’m going to call it a night.

Thank you for praying

Cape May Cafe–A New Dining Experience for Us

And one that we will repeat for sure!!  The Cape May Cafe is located in the Beach Club Resort which is absolutely gorgeous! 

Mom, Hannah and I headed there for an early breakfast before our day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

My friend Kristy gave me this adorable little Minnie Mouse outfit for Hannah at a shower just 2 days before I received her referral.  It was so cute and although I took it with us to Disney in August I just couldn’t put it on her as the weather was so hot and I kept her in cotton clothing as much as possible.  This time it was different as it was a beautiful day in the high 70’s and she was excited to wear the pink dress with adorable white bloomers!

I’ve done a lot of character meals over the years and this one was wonderfully different in that it had a calmer, quieter mood to it.  Even though we were seated right beside the buffet we never felt crowded or out in the open.  I would highly recommend this character meal to everyone!

One treat for Hannah was that she was able to try her very first hot chocolate ever and oh boy was it a huge hit!

As we dined we were joined by 3 of Hannah’s clubhouse pals dressed appropriately for a day at the beach!  First to visit our table was Donald Duck and Hannah was all set for him!  I love to watch her little reaction and excited smile at the end of the video and this was typical of her reaction whenever a character came by.

Goofin’ with Goofy

Hannah thought Goofy was really funny when he pretended to eat her head!

Minnie…meet Minnie!

We enjoyed our time at Cape May Cafe and will return again someday, especially since it’s just a short walk from the resort to Epcot.  But for this visit it was time for a quick change for Hannah then a swing by Pop Century to pick up Nana and Papa for our day at the Studios!

Precious Moments

Saturday evening we were out for a final shopping trip before flying home the following day.  The evening was a little cool but the draw of the cart over the van just meant we wore our jackets and bundled up with blankets for the return trip to the house.

As we were preparing to pull out of our parking spot an ambulance with lights flashing and sirens blaring drove by.  From behind me I heard the sweetest little voice say, ‘Pway Mommy.’  I looked back to see her snuggled into Papa’s lap (much like the pic above) but this time with her little fingers interwoven and head bowed, ready to pray. 

We took a moment to pray for both the person who needed help and those that were rushing to provide it.  We’ve done this sometimes in the car as an ambulance has rushed by us or we’ve passed an accident scene.  That night it was Hannah who reminded me that it was a time to put others before ourselves and pray for them.

‘…and a little child will lead them.’

Isaiah 11:6b

A Magical Day in the Magic Kingdom

Wednesday we were up and on the road by 6am but rather than heading to the ‘bread store’ as Hannah likes to call it, we were on our way to Disney!!   It had been all of 8 weeks since we were last there and we knew that Mickey might be missing us!  (Grandpa decided to stay in The Villages this trip and do some golfing with Uncle Paul and Aunt Louise so he missed visiting the Mouse.)

After saying good bye to Nana and Papa at Pop Century (who were spending the day at Epcot and Animal Kingdom) Grandma, Hannah and I boarded our ‘Mickey Mouse school bus’ (Hannah’s term) and headed over to the Magic Kingdom!

For as often as I have been at Disney, there is still nothing like entering the park and realizing that we’re really there!  The Happiest Place on Earth!!  It was beautiful this time as it was also decorated for Christmas which means a treat for your eyes around each corner and Christmas music filled the air!  Oh yes, Christmas!!

With Toontown closed to create the new Fantasyland Expansion, many of the characters have been relocated to the front of the park.  We decided to meet some of them early in the day so that we could spend the rest of our time enjoying the rides, shows and parade.

The last time we were at Disney we missed meeting Daisy Duck so she was first on our wish list of characters to see.  Once again Hannah was literally jumping with excitement as we waited in line but was a little star struck when Daisy was right beside her. 

 

 

 

 

Pinocchio was also there so we took a moment to meet him too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this we headed inside to meet some precious princesses and Mickey too!  This pic makes me laugh as it was taken just as we entered the royal room where the princesses were waiting to greet us.  As you enter there is a roped area where the queue is formed.  We entered the room and before I realized what was happening Hannah was under the rope and running as fast as she could to greet Belle and Cinderella who were waiting to greet the little princes and princesses!  They bent down and spoke with her and then waved good-bye as she came back to me.  Oh how I love the spontaneity and excitement of being two!! 

Soon it was Hannah’s turn to meet each of the princesses and this time she was excited to show them the pictures she had from our trip last November.  What a difference a year makes!

Princess Aurora

Belle

Cinderella

After the princesses we used Fastpasses to visit Mickey Mouse.  While we were waiting to go in Hannah asked where Minnie was.  You should have seen her smile when she looked in and saw both Mickey and Minnie waiting to greet her!!

Next it was time for rides, shows and a parade!  Spinning teacups.

Carousel

Dumbo

Getting ready for Mickey’s PhilharMagic

We went on ‘it’s a small world’ and I had to take a pic of this.  Whenever Hannah sees these little people on the swings she looks at me and says with great concern and a furrowed brow, ‘Dey should sit down Mommy!’  Heh!

Relaxing with Grandma

Surprised by Stitch!  We were standing discussing where to go next and how to plan for Hannah’s nap when I felt this warm hand in the middle of my back.  I looked beside me and was shocked to see Stitch standing there!  He asked Hannah for a High 5 which she happily gave him and then went back to the kiddos in line.  Little surprise moments like this are fun!

Sharing her drink with Minnie Mouse

As we were leaving the park the festivities for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party were just getting started and it was snowing on Main Street!  Hannah was excited to see the snow and did her best to catch it before it hit the ground.

Our first day at Disney was a huge success and the 3 of us shared a wonderful day together!  What fun it was to be in the Magic Kingdom with my Mom and Hannah!