Happy Birthday Amy (22.5 months and 16 weeks)

The last couple of weeks we have been busy.  I had to work on my birthday.  I was not expecting anything special for my birthday.  After all I totally ignored Brian's birthday this year since he got sick and was traveling for work.  I still feel bad about that.  After work, I was planning on doing my regular routine.  Run home, pack lunches, getting dinner started, and go pick up the kids all before 5pm.  Sydney eats at 5 pm so I am on a strict schedule.  When I got home I found Brian already home.  He left work early (actually early - usually "early" means not late).  Early never happens.  When I came in the house I was pleasantly surprised to find the house completely clean and him making dinner.

Brian made an excellent Thai dish.  It had shrimp, pineapple, rice, and cashews.  It was so yummy.  It was quite the deluxe dinner.  Brian rarely cooks but when he does he goes all out.  He said it took him more than an hour to find all the ingredients at the store.  I was so happy.  It was a great day.  I wish  everyday was my birthday now.  LOL.

That weekend we put up the Christmas tree.  Our tree is small and basic.  We use to have a nice big beautiful tree but we got rid of it once Austin came.  We knew we could not have it for many years so it was better to get rid of it (and the 3 boxes in the garage it took to store it).  It is just too big, too fragile, and too difficult to setup.  Our new tree fits our purpose for now.  One day I hope to get a live tree but we will see once the kids are older and would enjoy the experience too.  Austin helped set up the tree.  We don't have many ornaments because our other tree used to only have glass icicles.  Austin put on his first Christmas ornament then then started throwing his large bus at the tree (literally throwing it into the tree and watching it crash down).  Again it made us realized it was good we got rid of our nice tree.  

The time is going by really fast.  We have a set routine and it seems like the time is flying.  I can't believe next week is already Christmas.  We have the kids shopping done for Christmas.  I still have to wrap everything but I am planning on doing that next weekend.  Also next weekend we will have to make Christmas cookies.  Austin will love that.  

Austin talks a lot now.  He is good at saying two word phrases like "more cookies", "orange ball", "Austin up" (or more infamously, "Up Please" which sounds like "uppies" because he says it fast), and "Right Back" (as in, I'll be right back).  It is really cute.  He can basically tell us anything now.  It is so much fun watching him turn into a little boy.  He loves Sydney and enjoys being a helper.  He will help me get her in and out of the car.  After daycare days, he always closes the downstairs door to the house for me. He will get Sydney blankets and her pacifier.  She really doesn't use a pacifier much but Austin thinks it should always be in her mouth.  In fact, he will wake her up to put it in.  

Sydney is growing and becoming more interactive.  She holds on to her rings on the play mat very well.  She is great at smiling at you.  It is so cute!  Sydney has a great temperament.  She rarely cries and lets Austin play with her whenever he wants.  

Sydney got sick this week.  She lost her voice on Wednesday.  It was so pathetic because she could not even cry since she had no voice.  It was a little cute too.  :)  She had some nasal congestion.  Friday night she developed a fever.  We were suppose to go to a Christmas party on Friday but we stayed home since Sydney was so sick.  She would also vomit after coughing and she vomited a lot each time.  We were worried she had an ear infection because that was the only sign of an ear infection with Austin.  

The girl next door asked us a month ago if we would let Sydney be in a little skit at the local Catholic school for her youth group.  The skit was Saturday morning.  Since Sydney was sick, we did not know what to do.  We figured this was going to be a disaster.  But we went ahead and went anyways.   There were crafts for Austin to do.  He liked it.  Plus he ate his first candy cane.  He really liked that.  We ate some pancakes.  Then the teens put on a skit about Christmas.  Sydney played baby Jesus.  She did so well.  She never cried or anything and was happy to be held by whomever.  We were so happy.  

Afterwards I took Sydney to the doctor to have her checked out.  Brian took Austin to swim class. The doctor examined Sydney.  She has a respiratory virus that is causing wheezing and fever.  Luckily no ear infection or fluid.  We got a prescription for inhaler for when she is wheezing.  She told us to monitor her.  Since Sydney was so happy, the doctor was not too concerned.  But if she got fussy or lethargic we would have to take her to the hospital so she could be on oxygen for a while until she got better.  That is a little scary.  After Austin's illness, we really don't want to go though that again.  Hopefully she gets better soon.
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