The Big 3!

Ady had been asking all year when her big birthday would be here, and our reply was always, "after Easter."  So after Easter we had an anxious girl on our hands, constantly asking if today was the day.  But finally it came!  We started the big festivities with her Monkey Bizness party Thursday evening.  All she wanted was a strawberry Minnie cake, and that's just what she got!  She also had a blast climbing around and seeing all her friends.  Of course I'm not sure she even said one word to any of them, but that's a 3 year-old for you!

Girls + Callen

 With her buddy "Charleigh"

 Love her cheesy smile!

We were lucky enough to have the Thompsons in town for the crazy weekend (more on that later), so the festivities continued on Monday with just us.  It was imperative we did the usual "Chuck E. Cheese" night, and although Ady promised to give Chuck E. a high-five he was nowhere to be seen.  Bummer!

There's the face again!

We continued with some brownies, singing, and presents at home.

On Tuesday I took the little girls to the zoo for, yet, another celebration!

Ady-
I can't believe you, my baby bug, are already 3!  You make us laugh constantly with your goofy faces, silly songs, and your bubbly personality.  You are an incredibly smart firecracker who is the best cuddler in the world!  You complete our family perfectly, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for you.

Your favorites:
Show - Paw Patrol, Doc McStuffins
Book - Going on a Bear Hunt
Food - Mac & Cheese
Activities - PUZZLES, PUZZLES, and more PUZZLES

Doctor stats:
Height:  40"  (98th percentile)
Weight: 35 lb. (85th percentile)

What we love about you:
1.  Your scrunchy nose smile that accentuates that dimple just perfectly!
2.  The way you dress yourself.  You just got new panties that are a little big, so you wear at least 2 pairs "just in case one falls down."
3.  You're the best cuddler, masseuse, and head scratcher around!
4.  Even though we complain about our unwelcomed guest in bed, we really love that you love to sleep with us, because we know it won't last forever.
5.  We love how much you adore riding your bike.  You always want to ride anywhere and everywhere, and with 12" wheels and training wheels it ain't easy!
6.  Your love of singing - especially when you break out in "America the Beautiful" in public (see video below).

7.  You are such a sponge just soaking up lots of knowledge from your sisters - good and bad!  Here's one of my faves:

 (I don't think many newly 3 year-olds know their months)

Love you Bug and can't wait to see what this year has in store for you!

Lucky Gals

I treasure my memories of going to Zephyrs games (our minor league team before the Rockies) with my dad, sitting nice and close in an empty Mile High Stadium.  It was always a big deal when we attended professional sporting events - it was truly an event!  

Now I look at my girls and the life of luxury they've had - suites, firework shows, and they've experienced most of the teams around (minus the Broncos, which we save for ourselves).  What a spoiled bunch of girls!  They'll never know the feeling of sitting in the nosebleeds, waiting for long dinger in the 3rd level.  When Steve's vendor invited us all to a Rockies game in the suite we couldn't resist!

The girls had a blast - unlimited hot dogs, popcorn, and even some free hats!  As Brooklynn asked a million questions about the game of baseball (which you really can't appreciate its complexity until you look at it through the eyes of a 7 year-old), the other two were hamming it up and stuffing themselves silly!

I'm not sure if these girls will ever be able to enjoy the life of a commoner again.  If it's not in a suite, club level, or the field, we ain't going!  Haha

Ady was constantly up and down grabbing food and cracking up the "techies" inside

Apparently when you're in a suite Dinger comes to you!

 Boo Boo focusing on the game

 Had to laugh when Ady comes out just holding this brat in her hand - so ladylike!

Not again......Really?

With our rough winter in constant sickness I wasn't phased when Chandler was complaining of a sore neck.  I figured she had slept on it awkwardly and needed a warm wrap to help the stiffness, so we went about our day - field trip at the zoo, closing on the new rental house, no big deal.  Then she started complaining about her face and ear hurting and I thought that was strange, so we'd better go check it out at Kaiser.  I mean, they hadn't seen us in over a month, so I'm sure they had to be missing us.

 

 

After rushing over after the closing and waiting over an hour for a doc, we were told she had Lymphadenitis - an inflammation of the lymph nodes and sure enough it was swollen.  They put her on some oral antibiotics but warned us we needed to come back the next day to see if they were working.  We made sure to schedule the follow-up appointment around our Rockies opening day, so we wouldn't miss that!  We went back in the a.m. and sure enough the swelling and pain hadn't decreased, so they sent us on to Children's Hospital.  We figured we'd get some good IV antibiotics and be on our way to see some baseball. 

 

 

Unfortunately the CT scan showed an abscess and we would need to stay for awhile for the IV antibiotics.  No Rockies.  A sleepless night in a cot.  And worst of all a girl that was extremely uncomfortable and feisty with every nurse!  She lost all trust in the nurses when we had to pin her down to get the IV in and it was downhill from there!  Since it was still "respiratory season" the girls couldn't go to her room, so we had to do short visits in the lobby.

 

 

After 2 days on the antibiotics and her still in so much discomfort they did another CT scan and concluded the antibiotics still weren't working and they'd have to surgically drain the abscess.  What a scare for us!  We knew the procedure was low-risk, but the thought of your baby under general anesthesia is just scary!  She cried nightly just saying, "I want to go home and sleep in my own bed."  It just made me cry every time.  Once she said, "I just want my whole family together again."  Awwww........

 

So they took her in Sunday afternoon and prepped her for surgery.  Even after they gave her the "calming drugs" she was kicking and screaming.  She would half fall asleep and then get a burst of energy and start slugging the nurses.  We couldn't decide if we wanted to laugh or cry.  Of course she woke up from surgery just as feisty, and the nurse didn't even remove her electrode tapings, because Chandler was swinging away.  Our sweet Chandler escaped us - we didn't know this psychotic strong girl!  Shortly after surgery she improved quickly.  She eventually was able to straighten her head and get back to the fun-loving sweetheart we all missed!

 

After she was feeling better she found comfort in watching lots of movies, playing in their play room, and enjoying the daily entertainment in the lobby.  The love and care in that hospital always amazes me.  From the volunteers who give their time to the nurses who are so loving to the kids, I'm always thankful we have a place like this close by and even more thankful that we were able to leave!

 

We were discharged on Tuesday after 4 1/2 days in the hospital.  Chandler was so excited to get home and see her sisters.  She had a tough time adjusting back to normal life (where she's not always the center of attention).  She still asks questions daily about her hospital stay and I know it really scared her, but we're just trying to get back to normal and help her understand that she really is healthy and she'll be alright!

 

 

The best perk of the hospital - unlimited chocolate milk!

 Her 1st visit with her sisters.  Thankfully it was a beautiful day so we were able to go out and walk.

 Checking out the interactive Seacrest Studios in the hospital.  The d.j. gave us the full tour and even let Chandler try out the sound buttons.  What a great program for the kids!

 Out for another walk (post-surgery) with Ellie, her gift from a volunteer group

Rocking out in the play room after beating daddy at air hockey

 Look who's going home - good as new!

Easter

Adaley had been asking for weeks when Easter was so she could wear her pretty dress.  Then she figured out that her birthday was after Easter, so she had been a little impatient waiting for the holiday, thinking we'd be celebrating her birthday right after.

We decorated our eggs the day before Easter, and the girls loved it!  Of course we had to boil 2 dozen so everyone would have ample eggs to decorate, so we had eggs for days.  Thankfully Steve likes the boiled eggs.  Yuck!

Brooklynn getting seriously creative

 Ady just loved the colors but didn't want to wait long!

 This is the first year we actually had colored eggs.  Usually they get dipped in so many colors they all become a nice shade of brown.

The girls woke up Easter morning to some baskets and some eggs to find.  Luckily we found all 2 dozen, so no rotten eggs behind the couch for us!

 They sure don't mind smiling when they get to wear fancy dresses!

 We went to Steve's parents' for brunch and another Easter egg hunt.  Thankfully the weather was beautiful, so we could hunt outside (and get some good outdoor pics).

 Family pic of squinters (oops)

 With Magra and Papa

 She's not afraid to run in a dress.  A competition is a competition.....

 Sunday afternoon we went to mom's for a big family gathering with all the cousins!  The girls had a blast playing together.

All the cousins (still can't believe not a single boy in the group)

 Getting serious about their egg hunting!

 And they're off!

Spring Break!

It's not always easy for Brooklynn to hear about our spring dates to the zoo or the botanic gardens, so I promised her she'd have an unforgettable spring break planned by her!  We mapped out our week, making sure to hit her favorite spots.  Although mom was pretty exhausted by the end, it was worth it all to see her enjoy a week off with her sisters, friends, and us.  I better soak up these spring break moments before she'll be off hanging with her buddies the whole break!

Monday we met our neighbors at the Thornton Rec Center for some swim time.  The girls loved the wave pool in their tubes.  Ady and I just watched the chaos from afar!

On the dock for Tuesday was a pleasant day at the zoo with Papa Jeff.  It was packed, but we raced over to feed the Lorakeets before they were too stuffed to eat.  Brooklynn managed to get her nectar cup stolen twice!

As if that wasn't enough, we met the Lewis family at the Colorado History Museum, and Brooklynn's BFF Adilan tagged along!  I was just proud to survive taking 4 girls to Denver!  I managed to get them all across Broadway in the snow with no injuries.  Success!

Daddy played hookie on Friday so we could swim, again.  Brooklynn can never get in enough swim time!  The girls had a blast at the Broomfield Rec Center - racing down the slides, chillin' in the hot tub, and tubing in the river.

Later in the week the weather finally warmed back up just in time for Steve's work's Easter Egg Hunt.  They hadn't done one in years, so the girls were excited to finally go to a big hunt.  The turnout was impressive, but that didn't keep the girls from getting down and dirty and grabbing those eggs!

All done!

There was even a special appearance by the Easter Bunny .  Surprisingly Ady wasn't scared of him and actually enjoyed him!

*The big girls were really questioning the bunny this year, and frankly, Steve and I think the "bunny" is just ridiculous!  We had to break the news to them - just a person dressed in a costume who doesn't come to our house.  So they were funny trying to be sneaky to not tell Ady and felt like they had some top secret info.  Now if we could find some way to off the bunny the holiday would be much more enjoyable!

Monday it was back to school for both girls, but they were ready, and frankly, so was I.  I absolutely love having all 3 of my girlies together, but it's tough!  It's a lot of work!  So I'll enjoy these last couple months before summer and the tough times.