Thursday, April 28, 2011

Wednesday/Thursday - Going to the Library

Gracie had a good day at school and at daycare.  Last week we were asked to send a baby picture of Gracie to school for a project.  That project came home with her yesterday.  It showed her baby picture with how much she weighed and how long she was when she was born.  They took a picture of her now and weighed and measured her.  Then they had Gracie make a little book out of it.  It was very cute.  It's been a while since we've measured Gracie's height -- we knew she has been growing, but were surprised that she has grown 2-1/4 inches since the beginning of the year.  At 3-1/2 years old she is now 45 lbs. and 45-1/4" tall.

Gracie had a good night's sleep, she awoke twice.  The first time she went right back to sleep, the second time she felt the need to talk a little bit and then give me a couple of kisses.  I didn't mind!  :) 

I had to bribe Gracie again this morning to swallow her antibiotics -- chocolate Easter eggs are a wonderful bribery tool!  As she was holding the medicine in her mouth and refusing to swallow.  I asked her if chocolate would help to make it go down better.  She emphatically shook her head "yes".

Today Gracie gets to go to the library with daycare.  She loves storytime and getting to pick out some new books to read this week. 

She was in a very good mood today, so hopefully her ear is on the mend.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Tuesday/Wednesday - A Happy Girl

For a girl with an ear infection, Gracie has been in a good mood.  She was very talkative at daycare yesterday, active and happy as well.  She even went poop and potty in the toilet.  YAY!!!!  Jeff picked her up at daycare and they went driving and listening to tunes for a while before they came home.  Gracie was happy to see me when I got home, but was definitely her dad's girl. 

Gracie was having a great time in the tub at bathtime, until she must have gotten water in her sore ear.  She grabbed both of her ears in a wince and put her head down.  That was the first time she has really indicated that her ear "hurts". 

Last night we were watching a rerun of the show "Full House".  Gracie loves this show...so do I.  One of the little girls said "I'll get you my pretty!" in the voice of the witch from the Wizard of Oz.  Pretty soon we hear Gracie imitate her and say the whole sentence.  Of course, once we laughed, we were treated to her saying it a couple of times. 

Gracie slept really good last night and only awoke twice for very short intervals.  This morning she needed a little more snuggle time.  She hates taking her antibiotic for her ear...so I had to bribe her with Easter chocolate to get her to swallow.  Her seizure meds are still going down very easily.  YAY!

She has school today, so hopefully she has a good day.  I happen to know the theme is about things growing and spring.  They've got some fun sensory tables set up with that theme as well.  I just know Gracie will enjoy those.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Monday/Tuesday - An Ear Infection

Gracie had a good day yesterday and brought home some butterfly artwork/projects from school.  Gracie LOVES butterflies and was very proud of her work.  I love to listen to her say "butterfly", it is so sweet sounding.

After nap yesterday, Gracie had a dry diaper so Mandy put her on the toilet and she went potty in the big potty chair.  YAY!!!!  We were so proud to hear this and when we talked to Gracie about it, she was very proud too.  Gracie was a happy girl last night, but a little more needy.  Just needed to have attention.  Then it was bedtime and she was restless, but did fall asleep, but couldn't stay asleep.  Once again I suspected ear infection, so I gave her some ibuprofen and let her sleep leaning on me as I sat up.  Laying down makes the pressure on the ear intensified.  She had a fairly good night.  I wish I could say the same. 

This morning, Gracie and I were second in line at Express Care and my ear infection theory was confirmed.  Her right ear looks great, her left ear has a nasty infection.  This is her first ear infection since having ear tubes inserted and removed.  I must say she has a very high pain tolerance as she has been happy despite the infection.  We went to Target and got her prescription filled and then she got to go to her buddy Aubrey's house for the morning.  She was so excited about that and was very happy to see Aubrey.  Mandy will pick her up around lunch and head back to her house for the rest of the day.  Since we got her first dose of antibiotics in, I'm hoping the infection will go away quickly. 

On a fun note, Gracie was being very grumpy with me this morning when I went to change her diaper.  I said, "Hmmmm, I wonder where my sweet Gracie went?"  Pretty soon I felt two kisses on the top of my head.  She was also very excited to tell me there was "rain" all over my coat this morning.  She got mondo excited when a lady came to Express Care and had an umbrella.  Gracie loves umbrellas for some reason and was quick to tell me that it was an "umbrella". 

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Monday, April 25, 2011

The Weekend - Happy Easter

Gracie enjoyed Chuck E. Cheeses on Friday (mommy enjoyed that most of their food is allergy-friendly).  She did enjoy some of the games as long as they weren't too loud.  She got a VIP pass - which is a little card with her picture on it and a sticker, which we chose to put on the puppy calendar in her room. 

On Saturday Gracie's cold was in full force.  You could tell she just didn't feel all that great.  We changed our errand plans and just stayed home.  We were going to go see Jeff in the "Alive Forever" program at his church, but she just needed some TLC at home.  I did take her outside for a walk and a stroller ride, and now looking back, that probably wasn't my best decision.  Gracie had a horrible time at bedtime, I suspected an ear infection or something similar.  She was so jittery and just couldn't be still.  It took her 2 hours to finally fall asleep and even after falling asleep was very restless through the night.  I was pretty sure we wouldn't be travelling to Iowa for Easter.

On Sunday morning Gracie woke up.  She was still pretty tired but seemed to be feeling a bit better, so we decided to continue with our travel plans.  Gracie did good.  You could tell she didn't feel perfect, but she enjoyed all the attention from my family.  She had cousins to walk with and sit with for lunch.  She had cousins to take her around and help her with the Easter egg hunt.  She was just in heaven if she was either sitting on someone's lap or holding their hand and walking.  Her appetite wasn't great, but she did okay.  The Easter bunny did bring Gracie a basket with videos, books, a little chocolate, and a chirping baby chick.  Her little eyes lit right up when she saw that. 

Gracie had a much better night last night and seemed to be feeling even better today, thankfully.  I think she was excited to go to school, so I'm hoping she didn't get too run down or tired out today. 

Happy Easter to you all.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Friday, April 22, 2011

Thursday/Friday - Getting a Cold...But Still Happy

Gracie had a fun day yesterday.  At daycare they filled plastic eggs with candy and had an Easter egg hunt.  Gracie got very into this when she realized that there was candy inside.  She had a good day, played well with the other girls, played well with toys, was very verbal, and wasn't quite sure she wanted to go home with me.  I think she was having too much fun. 

Gracie was in a great mood last night.  She did get upset again when supper wasn't ready quite fast enough.  So again we sang our made up "It's so hard to wait when you want to eat your food." song and that seemed to help the time pass. 

Gracie splashed like a crazy girl in the tub and then got out just in time to go poop in the big girl potty chair.  At 9:00 p.m. (way past her bedtime) she was still going strong, rocking out to Twisted Sister's "I wanna rock".  She informed me she was hungry.  She wanted cereal...then a banana...then a pear.  She must be growing again. 

Gracie had an okay night.  She is getting a cold and was having some problems breathing.  She finally found comfort sleeping with her head elevated on my chest.  She awoke this morning and her first request was to rock out to....you guessed it...Twisted Sister again!  She was in a good mood for the most part, until I wanted to get her dressed...yep, she bit me and yep, she got a time out.  I finally did get her dressed and she was all decked out in a little jean skirt and some striped leggings.  She looked so cute.

Today she is going to Chuck E. Cheese with daycare.  It will be interesting to see if she wants to join in on the fun or just stand back and take it all in.  Can't wait to hear all about it.

Happy Easter to all of you.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Wednesday - Taking Mr. Giraffe for a Walk

Yesterday was a great day for Gracie from the moment she woke up to the moment she fell asleep.  She was happy and giggly and well-adjusted.  When I dropped her off at daycare she was fine with me leaving.  Usually she just wants to hold on for as long as she can.  Yesterday it was "bye mom" with a big smile.  She had a good day playing with the other kids.

Jeff picked Gracie up and they did a few errands and then went to visit some work friends.  She was spoiled there as usual.  When I got home she was happy and smiley.  She did get a little aggravated because she wanted her supper and it was too hot, so we sang a song (a made up song) about how hard it was to wait, when you wanted your food.  Gracie joined in and that made the wait a little easir. 

After supper, Jeff left to perform Magic at Hope Lodge and Gracie, Mr. Giraffe (Gracie's toy giraffe) and I went for a walk.  Gracie insisted Mr. Giraffe come along.  She was hilarious with him.  He stopped at just about every yard for a nibble of their grass.  At a few houses, she just plopped Mr. Giraffe on their lawn and stood back and laughed.  She was having a great time, talking the whole way.  With our frequent stops for grass nibbles, our walk took quite a long time.  Once we got back home, I put Gracie and Mr. Giraffe in the stroller and took another walk at a little faster pace.  We were outside for about an hour.  It was very crisp and cool, but it felt good.  I gave Gracie a little warning that we would have to go in soon and she was fully cooperative...no meltdowns.  YAY!

We read a couple of books and Gracie fell asleep quite quickly.  She had a very good night, but woke up a little owly.  This morning was a little more difficult than we've had in quite a while.  I got bit twice (and yes she got two time outs) for putting on her clothes.  She wanted to play with her balloons and didn't want mommy messing with her.  She mellowed on the way to daycare...as always.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Tuesday - Another Good Day

Gracie had another great day!  A couple of fun things at daycare yesterday -- she got to go to Olive Garden for lunch.  She ate and ate and ate...and she LOVED the strawberry lemonade.  She also went potty and poop in the toilet at daycare.  We made sure to celebrate that!

I picked Gracie up at daycare and we were on our own last night as Jeff had to work late.  Gracie was a very good girl, she splashed in the tub, but didn't seem to want to stay in there too long.  We got a new "One Step Ahead" magazine in the mail and she was obsessed with looking through it.  That is one of her favorite magazines because it has toys AND babies in it.

She fell asleep very quickly last night and I think she only moved once all night long.  She was refreshed this morning and was in such a great mood.  She was extremely cooperative and I was shocked to see we were ready to leave the house before it was time.  We just don't seem to be having the morning struggles we had.  She is taking her seizure meds for me with no problems at all.  She is very willing.  I chalk this up to the name brand meds.  The positives of this have been so noticeable. 

Gracie was wearing a shirt today with an Easter bunny on it and some Easter eggs.  She was watching Mickey Mouse on TV this morning and Mickey was holding an Easter egg.  She pointed to it and then to the egg on her shirt.  She is totally making connections and associations. 

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Weekend & Monday Too: Content, Cooperative, and Happy

Gracie had an absolutely awesome weekend!!!  We are finding that the name brand seizure meds are agreeing with her beautifully.  We've seen her frustration levels go way down, she is content, happy, cooperative, she is talking even more, she has hardly been grinding her teeth at all (this used to be a VERY common occurence), her biting has pretty much stopped.  I think we've only had one bite in 4 days.  She is singing more, content to just look at a book or magazine on her own for a while, doesn't need constant attention, and after years of trying to get her interested in blocks (with no success), she took her blocks and began building towers, then knocking them down, laughing, and starting over again.  I talked with Gracie's neurologist yesterday and asked her if this was just a fluke or could the name brand meds really make that big of a difference.  She indicated she was not surprised that they made a difference for Gracie.  Gracie just seems to be very sensitive to many things. 

I was trying to figure out why we didn't notice a dramatic difference when we switched her from name brand Topamax to generic a couple of years ago...and then I realized this switch took place when she was on major steroids -- which made her majorly grumpy...so we really didn't notice a dramatic effect at that time.  They say things happen for a reason and I'm now so glad that she had a major reaction to the new batch of generics.  It helped us to realize she really does need the namebrand. 

On Friday night, Gracie was just a hoot, so funny and full of energy!  On Saturday she had a great day too.  She was happy to play by herself for periods of time, read books, build block towers, and loved attention from mom and dad too.  Aunt Sheila and cousin Kayla came to visit for a while on Saturday afternoon.  Gracie loved all of the attention and was very sad to see them leave. 

On Sunday we had a fairly lazy day and Gracie continued to be such a good girl.  She helped us vacuum the carpet and loved it.  This is the girl who used to scream in terror whenever we would bring out the vacuum cleaner.  When we were done, she insisted she wanted to do more.  Jeff left around 3:00 p.m. for play rehearsal at his church, so Gracie and I took a nice nap, ate a fairly early supper, and then headed to the neighborhood school playground.  Gracie didn't want to swing, just slide.  Then she had a great time chasing robins.  She ran and ran and ran.  She would get so close and then they would fly away.  She started yelling at them "nice, nice, nice" with sort of a sad look.  Then I realized that is what we say when we pet puppies and kitties.  Gracie wanted to pet the robins.  When we got home, we went to visit neighbor Diane's flowers.  Diane let Gracie pick a daffodil and take it home.  She is SO proud of her flower.  We put it in a vase and when daddy came home and asked her where she got the flower, she proudly announced "From Diane". 

Gracie's nights have been a little more restless.  Last night as she was trying to fall asleep she was so restless and she had her shirt up and kept rubbing her tummy and scratching.  I asked her, "Gracie, what can mommy do to make you feel better?"  She responded in a desperate voice "LOTION".  So we put lotion on her tummy and that seemed to do the trick.  I just love that she can tell me what she needs. 

Gracie had a good day at school and at daycare yesterday.  Her daycare mom said she was very verbal and just so much fun yesterday.  When I got to daycare to pick her up she was crying very loudly and was very sad.  She and another little girl knocked into each other and she fell down.  She really didn't seem to be hurt, but we think her feelings were.  Once we got in the car, she recovered quickly and she was in a great mood all last night.  Her latest thing that cracks me up is that she wants to feed her food to the kids on TV. 

Stay safe and warm...we're supposed to get between 4 and 6 inches of snow today.  Hmmm, I thought it was April...and springtime.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday - A New Adjustment

Gracie had what seemed like a good day at daycare. Two new girls (ages 2 & 4) started at daycare yesterday. Gracie seemed to get along with them, but as is her nature held back and watched rather than being engaged in play. New adjustments like this are hard for Gracie and I suspected we would have a rough evening. I suspected correctly. This difficulty goes hand in hand with her sensory integration disorder and we needed to give her a lot more TLC.
For example, I gave her a bowl of pears to eat while I was making supper. She had a big explosion that she didn't want the pears. Mere seconds later, I sat down on the floor, put her in my lap and just held her. Suddenly she wanted the pears and ate the whole bowl. After supper we suggested a bath and she did not want one (so unlike her). I insisted and she splashed like she hasn't splashed in days. The water is great therapy for her and really gives her good sensory input. Although very tired afterward, she seemed a little better able to cope with things.
Gracie fell asleep very quickly and was a sound sleeper all night long. She awoke in a very grumpy mood. Nothing Jeff did was quite right. She settled down after he left for work. She does so much better with just one of us present in the morning, then she does with both of us there. She ate a huge breakfast and was a happy girl by the time we got in the car to go to daycare.

I think all three of us are looking forward to the weekend. Wishing you all a great one.
Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Thursday

Gracie had school yesterday, but didn't have much to say about it, so not sure if she enjoyed herself or not.  She had a good day at daycare and was a happy girl last night.  She had quite an appetite last night.  After eating a pretty good supper, she took my hand and lead me to the fridge.  She then had some applesauce.  A little after that, she informed me she wanted chocolate milk.  This is the same child that has refused to drink milk of any kind for the last month.  She only drank about a 1/4 of glass, but I'll take that.  She also ate two small bowls of coconut milk ice cream while talking to Aunt Cheryl on Skype. 

We did start Gracie's new namebrand seizure meds last night.  So I'm hoping all goes well.  I have no reason to think it won't, other than they may be a bit more potent than the generic...or that's the rumor on the street anyway.  I'm not sure if it is true or not. 

Gracie had a good night for the most part and will have two new playmates at daycare today...a 2-year old and a 4-year old.  Hopefully they will be good playmates.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Wednesday - Counting

I'm thrilled to say that Gracie is back to her normal self.  The most exciting news I have to share is that Gracie counted from 1 to 10 all by herself last night.  Jeff and I immediately cheered and clapped and at first our excitement surprised her a little and then she started getting all giggly and excited and clapping.  We've been working on counting for a long time and she loves to count things. 

I also want to share a story from last week.  Gracie, Jeff, and I were taking a walk.  Gracie loves to pick up things along the way.  I can't tell you how many dried up worms, I've had to stop her from touching.  She picked up a big dried up maple tree leaf and told us it was a "leaf", then proceeded to pull all the leaf part off and was left with just the stem.  I said "Hmmmm Gracie, I wonder what happened to your leaf."  Without missing a beat, she looked up at me with a big grin and announced it was a "stick"!!!  That gave us a big smile. 

Gracie had a great day at daycare yesterday and had fun outside with bubbles and she got to go to the pet store.  I was just sure that the kitties would be her favorite animal.  I was wrong.  She loved the turtles. 

Jeff picked Gracie up at daycare and took her for a wagon ride when they got home.  When I pulled up, Gracie's mouth and teeth were purple.  She had been writing on the sidewalk with a piece of chalk as Jeff pulled her in the wagon, well she must have gotten hungry, because she bit a chunk off and decided it was food.  BLEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

So I picked up Gracie's name brand seizure meds today.  I'm having a bit of heart failure.  Our co-pay for three months worth of meds, has gone from $30.00 to $2554.00.  First attempts with talking to our insurance company were frustrating to say the least.  That actually may be a good thing, because the more frustrated I get, the more determined I get, the more determined I get the more I'm willing to fight to the bitter end.  Wish me luck...my goal is to get our co-pay reduced since it is not our choice to go with generic, but that it is medically necessary.  I did talk to the pharmacy and they did confirm our last batch was from a different manufacturer.  I asked whether or not they could special order from the manufacturer that supplied the generic that did work for her and they informed me they could not do special orders.  Bummer!

Gracie has school today and she was excited about that! 

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tuesday - Feeling Better

Thankfully Gracie is doing much better.  When I got home from work yesterday she was a very happy girl.  She ate a good supper and then started on mine.  She sat on my lap for a while and was very content and snuggly.  Then she decided it was time to march around the house to the song "The Ants Go Marching".  Mommy was to be in the lead and Gracie held on and followed.  When the song was over, she requested it again and again.  So we did quite a bit of marching.  Daddy joined in too. 

Last night I was laying with her in bed, when she started singing a moon song she knows.  The only words she would sing was "Moon, Moon, Moon", but then she would hum more.  I asked her if she would like mommy to sing it and yes indeed she did.  As soon as I was done she would clap and tell me "more".  So we snuggled like that for a while.  Then I told her she needed to sing it for me.  She said "no" in a silly voice, but as she was snuggled in, she started humming it.  What a sweet way for her to fall asleep.  There is no question that she is much happier and more content.  Amazing the effect the wrong meds can have on a person. 

Gracie slept quite well, but did wake up a couple of times in the wee hours of the morning.  Thankfully, each time she went back to sleep fairly quickly.  She didn't want to wake up this morning and really didn't want much for breakfast.  She did take her meds easily for me.  She still seems to have alot of gas, so I think the old meds are still working their way out of her G.I. system. 

Gracie is back at daycare and seemed happy to see everyone.  The baby at daycare was VERY happy to see Gracie too. 

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Monday, April 11, 2011

Rough Weekend

Gracie not wanting to eat or drink continued into the weekend.  On Saturday explosive diarrhea was also added to the mix.  On Sunday all heck broke loose...diarrhea and extreme behaviors.  I lost count how many times she bit Jeff and I.  I even found her biting herself.  She also started kicking herself in the head with her knee.  Something was definitely not right!  The only thing that made her happy was being pushed in her stroller, pulled in her wagon, or swinging. 

On Wednesday of last week we started a new batch of her seizure meds.  I think I mentioned in the blog that I was a bit concerned as they were different and this is when the loss of appetite and pep began.  We do have some tablets that we can dissolve in liquid and syringe in her mouth if she is vomiting or has a medical procedure.  These don't taste very good so we don't use these all the time.  I decided to change to those last night as it was a bit too coincidental that all of this began when we started the new batch of meds.  She awoke this morning and was hungry, she even asked for food.  The extreme behaviors are gone (thank you God).  The diarrhea is gone although she is still gassy (which she blames on Jeff, as in "Daddy toot").  She had more pep today, although she is not as peppy as usual and her appetite isn't quite what it usually is, she is definitely feeling better.  I touched base with her neurologist and she is thinking what I was thinking...we will need to put her on name brand Topamax and not use the generic formula.  We're going to continue to use the tablets for a couple of days and then make a decision based on how she is doing. 

I stayed home with her this morning and Jeff is with her this afternoon.  We both have noticed a positive change.  I'm pretty sure she'll be back at daycare tomorrow. 

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Friday, April 8, 2011

Thursday - No Appetite

Gracie had a good day yesterday and her daycare outing was going to the library.  They even picked up a book on sign language and were practicing when I got to daycare to pick her up.  Gracie got to play outside yesterday too and had alot of fun.

For some reason, Gracie has not had an appetite at all for the last two days.  She doesn't appear to be sick, is happy and active.  So I'm not sure what is going on with her.  She is not running a fever, her G.I. system seems to be functioning okay. She ate a little bit of lunch yesterday, but did not want much to drink and did not want her afternoon snack.  She drank some Gatorade on the way home for me, but did not want much for supper either.  As in 2 bites of the bun on her sandwich and a few diced peach pieces.  I just barely got her to take her meds.  Her urine has been very concentrated, but I'm sure that is because she isn't drinking very much. 

Gracie had fun in the bathtub last night.  Was a delight last night and was in a very good mood.  She slept great and was a happy girl this morning.  She did eat a little breakfast for me...just enough applesauce to get the meds down, a little bit of yogurt, and a slice of cinnamon bread.  She did drink a good size glass of Gatorade. So hopefully all is okay.  I'll continue to keep an eye on the appetite thing.

Have a great weekend.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Wednesday - A Girly Girl!

Gracie had a good day yesterday.  I'm not sure what she did at school, but she was one tired girl when she got off the bus at daycare.  She wanted nothing to do with lunch...just too tired to eat.  So off to sleepyville for an hour or more and when she awoke she was ready to eat. 

Gracie got to play outside yesterday afternoon.  When I arrived to pick her up she was helping push the baby stroller and really didn't want to stop.  It was a beautiful afternoon and Gracie was in a GREAT mood.  I had BBQ ribs in the slow cooker just waiting for our arrival home.  Since that is an ultimate favorite of Gracie's, I thought she would eat and eat.  I guess the later lunch kind of took care of her appetite and she ate very little. 

Gracie really hasn't had too much of an opinion about what I dress her in.  She really likes dresses, but never complains about anything she wears.  I try to give her a choice of outfits, just to get her mind thinking and she usually picks something out, but never seems to have a major opinion on one thing or another...until last night.  Gracie's feet pronate, are very wide, and she is very flat-footed, so there are only two types of shoes that work for her...New Balance or a few select styles of Stride Rites.  Sandals are out of the question.  So I found a pair of really cute Stride Rite shoes online that looked like they had the right soles and support and can be used in water, have sort of a netting material to breathe for summer.  I sent the link to Jeff, who agreed.  What we didn't agree on was the color.  Jeff really liked the charcoal color ones with hot pink and orange trim.  I liked the bright pink ones with bright orange trim.  Since we couldn't decide, I procrastinated ordering them.  When I finally decided to order them, the pink ones were sold out of Gracie's size, so I purchased the charcoal ones.  I got a good deal that when I bought one pair I would get the second pair half off, and since Gracie's feet grow so fast, I also ordered a second pair a half size bigger...in the hot pink. They arrived yesterday.  Jeff opened up the first box and put the charcoal ones on her feet.  They fit great we were all happy with them...until Jeff opened up the box of pink ones.  Gracie wanted the charcoal ones off and the pink ones on.  We didn't think much of it and let her try those on too.  Then we took both pair off.  Later last night, I was holding the box with the charcoal ones in it and Gracie helped me take the lid off.  She saw they were the charcoal ones before she even got the lid half off.  She immediately put the lid back on and said "no", then went for the box with the pink ones and wanted them on.  I guess mommy is rubbing off on my girly girl!  :)

Gracie slept pretty good last night.  She did call out a few times and sort of cry at one point, but was easily calmed.  She didn't want much for breakfast, but ate her seizure meds nicely.  We got her new prescription and the inside of these are more powdery, than the little sprinkles we had previously.  It was a new generic type and I was a bit alarmed when I opened up the capsule.  I did a little reading and it looks like they are the right thing.  I hate when they change things on me and don't let me know - it makes for a minute or five of concern.

I think Gracie was going to go to the library today for her daycare adventure. It looks to be another nice day, so I'm guessing there will be some outside time also.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Tuesday - Singing and Dancing

Gracie had a good day yesterday.  Her daycare adventure was a trip to the park...and we all know that Gracie loves to go to the park and swing and slide.  When I got to daycare to pick her up she decided to tease Mandy and tell her that I was "daddy".  I could tell by the minute I saw her face that she had a good day.  She was dancing and smiling. 

Gracie was happy the whole drive home and she was happy getting out of the car and going into the house.  If you remember from past posts, that most days this can be cause for a major tantrum.  Her new car seat has helped with this as she can get herself mostly out and she loves to be independent.  Once in the house, she took off her own coat all by herself and then hung it on the stairwell banister.  We've been working on this for a long time.  I just stood and watched her with a big look of astonishment on my face and Gracie just beamed as she did it.  My cheers, clapping, and praise made Gracie smile from ear to ear. 

Gracie was a good girl all night.  She took a bath and that is always a hit.  She did get mad at Jeff because she wanted to lay down in the water and go "night, night".  This just after she peed in the water...so we really didn't want her laying in it.  After bath, she came out and snuggled with me, then proceeded to show me how she could take her bathrobe off herself too.  More smiles.

We're finding that Gracie knows the words to a lot of songs.  She was singing along to her Signing Times video last night and we were astonished.  Music is her thing!  Much to my dismay, she likes to have two music sources on at a time.  That drives me a little crazy, but she seems to thrive in it. 

Gracie had another great night of sleep.  She did not want to wake up and her first request was for her iPod.  Don't chastise me -- but I give it to her.  It does wonders for her mood in waking up...and when she is in a good mood and happy upon wakening, she takes her seizure meds for me beautifully.  She usually listens to some fun music or her favorite is an audio book called "Chubby Bear". 

We only had two bites this morning -- the first was when she asked for a muffin and I told her we didn't have any.  The second was when it was time to get dressed again.  So she got a couple of time outs and the rest of the morning was pretty uneventful.  She has school today, so hopefully she'll bring home something fun in her backpack.  She loves when she has projects in there to show Jeff and I.

It looks like it might be a good day to be outside too!

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Monday - Back to School

Gracie was back at school yesterday and I think she was missing it.  A whole week off for spring break is just too long when you are 3!  She carried around her class picture (which I laminated so it could be washed off once in a while) almost all week.  She talked about Brock and Justine.  I would love to meet those two kiddos.  The fact that she picks them out exclusively makes me think she quite likes them.  She always smiles when I ask about either of them. 

Gracie got off the bus at daycare and they headed to Famous Dave's for lunch.  I'm told that Gracie was quite the little piggie and loved, loved, loved their BBQ pork sandwich.  She ate and ate and ate.  This was no surprise to me...she loves BBQ pork chops and country-style pork ribs.  I can always count on her to eat alot when I make either of those. 

Jeff picked Gracie up at daycare yesterday and spent most of the evening with her as I was meeting with out tax accountant, getting our 2010 taxes done.  I know, I know...I wouldn't want to get them done too early!  Anyway, our accountant was running behind, so the wait was longer than expected and I didn't get home til about 7:30 p.m. 

Gracie and I snuggled and played a bit, but she was a tired girl and was in bed by 8:30 p.m.  I think she fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.  She slept beautifully all night long.  She barely moved, other than around 11:00 p.m., she sat up and asked about daddy.  She sat up for a few minutes, then layed back down and fell right back to sleep. 

Gracie did not want to wake up this morning.  She finally did and was very good about taking her seizure meds...this week it is applesauce and Nemo fruit snacks to get them down.  She had a huge meltdown when it was time to get dressed.  She bit me when I started to take off her shirt.  Biting in our house gets an immediate two minute time out....so off she went to the timeout spot.  When her two minutes were up, I went in to see if she was ready to say she was sorry.  She informed me she was not.  So I told her I would check back with her in a little while.  When I went back in she was a little more mellow, so I started to put her shirt on ...well, that got me a slap to the face.  Yep...you guessed it!  Another two minute time out.  On this timeout I saw her little feet sticking just out of the doorway.  She knows that if her head comes out it means she gets an extended timeout.  Jeff and I just giggled to ourselves about the toes sticking out of the doorway.    After this timeout, she was ready to tell me she was sorry and she gave me a big hug.  She was quite snuggly and happy after that. 

I'm not sure what adventures her day will bring today.  It's supposed to be nice out, so I suspect some outdoor time today.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Monday, April 4, 2011

The Weekend

First of all, our exciting news is that Gracie went poopie and potty in the toilet at daycare on Friday!!!!  YAY!!!

Gracie awoke on Saturday morning in a fantastic mood.  I had plans to be in Iowa all day and I really hated to leave because she was so sweet and funny.  It was a beautiful day out and Jeff and Gracie played outside and took a couple of walks.  Gracie also signed "swing" to Jeff, as she wanted to go to the backyard and swing on her playset.  The snow is finally melted so she did get to enjoy the swing.  They had a good day of bonding.  They even got to go to McDonald's and have supper with Aunt Kathy and cousins Calvin and Josh.  Jeff said she practically inhaled the chicken nuggets. 

I didn't get home until close to 8:00 p.m.  She was so happy to see me and I got lots of hugs.  It was so much fun to see her smile and she had alot to "tell" me. 

On Sunday Gracie was a little bit more tired and easily frustrated.  She was all smiles when she was outside, but indoors she wasn't as happy.  She took a much needed two hour nap and I think she would have slept longer, but I woke her up thinking she wouldn't go to sleep at bedtime and today is a school day, so I wanted her to be well rested.  She requested to go outside after nap.  We told her she could but we had to put her shoes on first.  This was the start of a VERY big tantrum.  She didn't want her shoes on.  Actually I think it was more about she wanted immediate gratification on going outside and would just kick and scream when we tried to put shoes on.  I got slapped in the face on that one.  Needless to say that prolonged going outside because a time out was in order.  I also think low blood sugar was to blame.  She hadn't eaten much for lunch, but in her emotional state, I couldn't get her to eat anything either.  So once we finally got the time out taken care of and shoes on, we went outside and put her on the swing.  She was smiles from ear to ear.  I also fed her a banana while she was on the swing.  That seemed to help the situation as well.    She was on the swing for a long time, then she climbed into the playset and played and then to the slide.  We also got a new heavy duty stroller for Gracie, so Jeff and I went for a long walk and Gracie was happy to just chill and enjoy the outdoors. 

Supper was a big hit for Gracie - pork chops cooked in the crock pot with BBQ sauce.  They are so tender and she just can't get enough.  I always know she will eat good when we have those.

Gracie had a hard time falling asleep last night, but once asleep did great until 2:45 a.m.  She awoke and as hard as she tried, she could not fall back to sleep.  So I walked with her a while, just "bouncing" her....her most favorite comforting thing.  She finally fell back to sleep at 4:15 a.m.  I hope she doesn't fall asleep in school today. 

I'm looking forward to more beautiful outdoor days.  Gracie is a happy girl when she is outside.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie

Friday, April 1, 2011

Thursday/Friday - Good Girl

Gracie had a good day yesterday and just hung out at daycare playing with toys.  No big adventures and I think a mellower day was perfect.  She did get to play outside yesterday afternoon and that was fun.  They played with sidewalk chalk.  She was very talkative at daycare and at home. 

Gracie had a good night and was a happy girl for most of the night again.  She is having some constipation problems again.  I thought we had everything regulated with diet and doing good, but this week hasn't been so good for her in that way.  So we are pushing the fruit and I think we'll start Miralax again if we don't see some success soon.

Gracie had a restless night and then woke up at 5:00 a.m. YAWN!  Once she had a little snuggle time she was a happy girl.  I changed her diaper this morning, got distracted and left the wet diaper in her room.  A little while later, I see her running toward the wastebasket with diaper in hand.  She is my good little helper.

We've been working with Gracie on identifying colors.  We haven't been having much success as everything is "green".  This morning she was taking her seizure meds...she gets a spoonful of applesauce laced with seizure med sprinkles and then she gets a fruit snack (we do this five times).  The fruit snack is the only way I can get her to swallow the applesauce.  Anyway she was eating Tinkerbell character fruit snacks and I gave her a purple acorn.  When I gave it to her, she said "purple", then she signed "purple".  I think we may be getting it slow but sure.

Today at daycare Gracie was going to get to play with her buddy Aubrey.  I know she will have a fun day.

Love,
Lisa, Jeff, and Gracie