Wordless Wednesday - Abby's Newest Obsession

Background: It all started the other night at Gramma & Grandad's house. Abby wanted to use the real hair dryer to dry her hair after tubby. Thinking it would be cute ... we let her do it. She liked it, although wasn't really sure about the warm air in her face. Cute turned into annoying because every time someone used the hair dryer, she wanted to be right there using it herself. Or she would randomly go into the bathroom and try to find the hair dryer. She didn't want anyone else to use it!

Gramma thought maybe we should look for a play hair dryer for Abby. She remembered my sisters had one when they were little ... So after getting back to FL, Aunt Jenny, Abby, and I went to Target to pick one up. Let me tell you ... she loves it. Even more than the real deal. Believe me when I say, Abby is doing her hair all. day. long.

Back in our home :)

It feels so good to be home, back in Florida that is. My sister Jen has been here with us since we arrived on Saturday and just left this morning. It was too short of a visit, but it was nice having her around while it lasted. We spent our time hanging out at the house, running a few errands, catching up with friends, eating our "Sarasota favorites", and searching for a frog in my new car. (Don't worry, we found the little guy ... dead... this morning)

It seems I was quick to forget the little things that I would miss. I mean, I knew I would miss my girlfriends. That's a given. I knew I would miss the everyday grind of our family being together ... again, that's a given. But it's also the little things ... like ... big, comfy bed. The shower head in our shower. Sounds silly, but I swear the pressure and amount of water is just perfect. The whole assortment of kitchen utensils and pots and pans, unlike the few we have in Baltimore. Abby simply enjoying our house. The quiet.

Although already missing family, I'm happy to be home. It just feels right and I'm so anxious for the hubs to join us. TWO more games!!!! :)

I get it. I'm a mom.

Growing up, I remember always saying ...

"I will never worry like my mom."

My mom would worry about everything. Whether I was at the mall with friends, boating with the church youth group, or traveling on an airplane ... she would worry. If I was out with friends and she heard sirens, she would always call to check if we were okay. To this day I still call her when I arrive somewhere after flying or even traveling a longer distance in a car.

"I will never worry like my mom."

That all changed when I had a child of my own and I can now say these three words. I get it. There is nothing scarier than the thought of something happening to your child and it being out of your control. But still ...

"I will never worry like my mom."

It all started Tuesday night when Abby didn't want to eat, was sluggish, and asked to go to bed on her own. I knew something wasn't right and figured I would be waking up to a sick baby. Jim and I heard her throughout the night through the monitor; coughing here and there and seeming to be a bit restless. That morning she woke up with a high fever and a barking cough. I knew it, my baby was sick. Abby coughed off an on all morning and when it was time to take a nap, she was a little wheezy and didn't want any part of taking any more medicine. She got all worked up, crying real tears, vomited, and began to take deep awful sounding breaths. Poor thing wanted to go to bed and so we let her. Rest baby rest.

Jim headed to the ballpark and I checked on Abby every twenty minutes or so, hearing her cough and "bark" over the monitor throughout her nap. I made a 4 o'clock doctor's appointment for her and at around 3:30 I decided to wake her up from her nap. She was really hot and quite upset waking up early from her deep sleep. She began to cry, cough, and it appeared she was having a hard time taking a deep breath. I panicked. My heart sank. Abby kept saying "mouth" and pointing to her throat. I thought something was terribly wrong. I wasn't sure if she was truly having a hard time taking breaths. I called the hubs and asked if I should call 911. And a minute later the ambulance was on the way.

It didn't take the EMT's long to arrive and by that time, Abby had settled down and was laying on the sofa. She didn't want me touch her or hold her, she just wanted to be still. They listened to her heart and lungs and advised me to go ahead and get her to the doctors instead of going to the ER. They assured me she was okay and would get the treatment she needed sooner at the doctors office, rather than sitting in the waiting room of the ER. She was okay. She was breathing fine. My heart was still racing.

Jim left the ballpark and met us at the doctors, which luckily was just a few blocks from our house. Thankfully nothing was seriously wrong. Abby has croup, a viral infection of the upper airway and vocal cords and sometimes that can cause swelling in the throat. The croup was what caused her seal like barking sounds and the difficulty with taking deep breaths. She received an oral steroid treatment and another yesterday. Thank goodness, her fever has broken and today she is feeling a bit better. She still has the horrendous cough but is at least up and playing around the house.

I had heard friends talk about croup before and just how scary it can be. Later that night, thinking back to the days events, I thought maybe I overreacted with calling an ambulance. Maybe? Who knows. But when all is said and done, I made the right choice. I was scared. I was worried about my child. And thanks to my Mama, I get it.

"I will always worry like my mom."

Wordless Wednesday - My Little Daredevil

Llama Llama ....

Last Christmas Abby received a set of three "Llama Llama" stories from her Aunt Melinda and Uncle Chris. I'm sure you've heard of these books before ... they are the cute little stories that tell about the adventures of a llama. I knew Abby loved reading the books, but little did I know how much her fascination with llamas would grow over time.

Back in May, we decided it was time to take Abby to the Llama Barn near my parents house. She of course loved watching them but wasn't ready to get too close ... just yet. Since then we've been to the Llama Barn several times and with each visit, she becomes more and more obsessed.

This past week we visited the llamas again ... and again Abby watched them move all around the pasture, eat handfuls of grass, and make funny faces with their oversized teeth. There is just something about these animals that can capture her attention!

Taking it all in ...

Here Abby imitates the face of a llama.

She was attempting to show off her teeth...

and thankfully they look nothing like that poor llamas!

Wordless Wednesday - Grandad's Hat

When asked to pose for the (cell phone) camera,

this is what I got. :)

It's almost that time ....

You can tell it's September outside today ... the rain is steadily falling, the wind is picking up, there is actually a chill in the air, and some of the tree leaves are already changing colors. It's a yucky day, but a reminder that Fall is right around the corner and it's a perfect excuse to snuggle up inside.

September is also the month that another baseball season comes to an end. Our little family will pack up during this month and get ready to head back home to Florida, where it's likely the rain will be there to greet us and unfortunately the Fall weather will be left behind in Maryland.

I always look forward to the end of baseball season. We are able to be in our home, sleep in our own beds, get back to our regular life routine. But those little things compare little to the most important thing... family time. Unlimited family time. Our family can actually eat meals together, the hubs and I can have movie nights, we can split trips to the grocery store, and make plans with friends on a whim. We just get to "be" if that makes any sense. No baseball schedules and no out of town road trips that last eleven days. We get to be a family. :)

Will anything be missed about the baseball season? Of course.... We are going to miss being around family that we miss horribly when we are back in Florida. We are going to miss our baseball family friendships and the occasional baseball games together. We are going to miss the families that we met just this year and have gotten a chance to know and watch their babies reach milestones. Luckily, we will be able to do this again next year ... and hopefully the next ... the next... and so on.

But for now, I'm happy to see September arrive. I'm anxious to get home, jump into our regular routine, and enjoy some time with my hubs. :)