Is This Normal?

So amid the cheers of Kate's winning, we've got ourselves a situation in the Zimmerman home.  Maybe Kate is feeling the pressure to be skinny since she's now won or something is seriously wrong with her.  

For two weeks now, she pukes...she pukes?  yes, she pukes.  Let me explain.  

When it started, it was once a day, after I would change her diaper.  I figured I was feeding her too much and the pressure on her tummy was too much.  So I cut back on the amount I was feeding her but to no avail, she would still throw up.  And then it began to occur twice  a day.  That's when I started to worry.  Last Tuesday, I went to the Pediatrician to make sure she was still fine, weight wise and not becoming dehydrated.  Well she was about the same weight as she was at her 9 month apt, which, the doctor said was normal at this age because they tend to taper off in gainage and becoming mobile.  So she assumed it was reflux and gave me a prescription for a baby antacid...

I asked, Is it common for babies to develop reflux at 10 months old? 

She says, not really but sometimes this happens.

Okay, I say.  I am just hoping this solves the problem.

Fast forward to right now.  

She now pukes any time she lays on her back, meaning: diaper changes, naps, bedtimes, playing around with Emma, cuddling on the couch. (the scary part is during the night, when we don't always know...what if she chokes?!)

I have permanently smelled like puke for 2 weeks straight..it's quite becoming...no but seriously, I am honestly worried.  This is NOT normal, right?

We take the precautions of  making sure she never goes on her back.  So that means changing her diaper angled on a boppy pillow or something to prop her back...or even standing up...ya, can you imagine that?  I couldn't until now.

We make sure to change her right before we feed her so as to limit the amount of puke that will come out of her mouth.

We have gotten so desperate as to tape a large circular object on her back so she can't completely lay flat on her back... 

(...umm Joe's idea and invention...first time we're using it tonight and it seems to do the job...she just looks like a bug or something )

So I called my pediatrician today or the on-call answering service and my Ped called me back and I explained to her the extreme situation we are having with Kate.  She seemed not alarmed and said to come in sometime this next week and we'll have a look see at her vitals.  

So I just tell her the reality of what happens each day and my suspicion that it is not reflux but something else.  So I've been going crazy, trying to figure this out.  The antacids she gave us before don't do anything.  But luckily, Kate is such a calm, content little thing that she's just fine.  Other than the fact that she pucks like 3-4 times a day, she happy and laughing, playing with Emma.  It doesn't even phase her.  So it's quite the quandary.

Any takers?

Kate is the WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who helped us out and voted.  Thanks to all of your hard work, Kate was crowned the "Cutest Sassy Baby" this evening, 6 pm MST.  We were so excited to find this out!  I had no idea it had ended.  I was minding my own business and checking votes when I stumbled upon the final votes.  Kate won with 924 votes, the next contender had 862 votes...so I think that's a pretty good lead! (secret shout out to my brother JC...love you!!) 

Even though it was a tiny baby boutique contest, this is so exciting!!  I know Kate is going crazy about the win :)  I'll let you know what I buy with my winnings!

Love you all :)

Friday is the last day!

The baby contest for Kate is closing tomorrow, Friday! So everyone VOTE to the end!!

remember, go to www.sassybabies.com and vote for Kate!

the end...

Not the end of this blog.  Yes, i'm aware of the lack of participants this blog is experiencing right now.  I haven't given lots of effort into it since the blog shop opened.  But as months go by, I get more anxious and panic attacks about the shop.  I don't know if I can handle juggling that and family life.  I hate having to neglect children or housework to sew something together.  Before, I was up for the challenge of making and selling nursing covers but honestly, the thought gives me even more butterflies!  I just have to be honest with myself.  I can not juggle things I'd like to make and being a mom and homemaker.  I've tried it and looking back, I was in constant stress and worry all the time.  I have realized that I like to make and create things not under a time contraint.  I like to make things when I like to make them.  So I think i'm out....okay, let me re-phrase that.  I am out!

I have tons of things that I need to work on and do at home and with my girls.  And personally, I feel that that is much more important than making a few bucks on the side, right?  I honestly feel so much better about this decision.  But this is just me.  Honestly, more power to those who can do it all.  But I'm just not one of them.  So hopefully with that said, i'll have many new things on this...but let's not hold our breath anytime soon :)

Which TWo do you like?

So I want to get a vote going on which TWO pictures of Emma you like the best.  I love all of them but I want everyone's opinion on which two they like the best.  The reason?  I can't explain it really but just humor me on this one :)  So anyone who has an opinion on the matter, vote on the side, next to this post and vote for 2.

Please vote from the following:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Mattress

So we're in need of a new mattress for our bed. We got out current mattress only a few years ago, when we moved here but we got a knock off of Temperpedic and it was a king size bed and it was really cheap. Initially, it was comfy but as time went on, that is not the case anymore. It's not good on both of our backs. SOOO any one out there have a great mattress that they like? Please, anyone, we're desperate! Thanks :)

A time to reflect

Yep, this is a reflection post. And it helps that my camera is broken and so I haven't been able to take pictures this past week. It's been an eventful week however and hopefully soon, my camera will be fixed. Joe is now officially done with 3rd year and with it comes the pressure of answering all the "what am I going to do with my life?" questions that we've been asking ourselves for the past 3 years. 

There are so many options for Joe. Everyday we'll talk about another option. So it gets repetitive and frustrating trying to figure out what he truly wants to do. So that's what we'll be discussing everyday until he figures that out. This isn't a post about venting about Joe and him not deciding. I don't mind all the ongoing conversations because I want him to figure out what he wants to do and not to be rushed or settle for something that he'll regret years down the road.

 So he has been shadowing his options and studying for the GRE, which he'll be taking June 5th. So now we just see and wait as time goes on and applications become due. Anyways, hopefully soon, we'll have a more set future plan on that so we can then start planning the next step of where we want to live...that one is a toughy. Anywhere is an option!  Anyways, I won't go into that because that's a whole other post itself.

The other night, I had to go to the Texas Med Clinic for an infection that I potentially had.  I got there around 8 pm and didn't get home until 10:15...and it costed $150 since I don't have insurance for myself.  And after all that, they didn't find an infection at the moment but was going to send off my result to another laboratory and do a further study.  I won't find out real result until Monday.  So that stinks.  I just want my medication but I guess I can suffer for a few more days...  so yes, I am venting about that.

Yesterday, we went to Sea World.  We were all excited to take the girls to the water park for the first time this year.  We get everything packed, girls dressed.  We get there, in the thick heat that I love so much and the water park is closed!!  boo hoo!  Well great, what to do now?  I'm not about to just walk around in this weather!  They did have a little area for small kids that dealt with water so we went there for a bit.  But of course, Emma was scared of the water in all forms so she wouldn't play in it.  It was too cold for Kate so we ended up just holding our kids in 100 degree weather.  It was kind of funny and ironic that our kids were scared of water when that was the whole purpose of going and for how hot it was.  So we ended up going to look at the dolphins and the shark aquarium.  That was pretty cool.  Afterwards, we left and relaxed the rest of the day.  Today we'll probably just relax too, unless Joe wants to take a study break or something.

Some of my goals this summer are as follows:

1. potty train Emma.  She is well over due and I think she is ready.  It's really me that is not allowing it to happen.  I mean, she'll be 3 in September.  I for sure want her trained my 3!  And since this next month, Joe will be home, I think it will be a great time so I can get some help and support.  Things seem to go well with Joe's help.
2. Completely wean Kate.  I've gone down to 2 feeds a day now, morning and night.  But by the time she's one, I want those off too.  She's doing well with other liquids and milk so I think it'll be fine.
3. Do something for Kate's 1st birthday.  I am not sure if I want to do a whole huge shabang party but I probably will because, I mean, it's her first!
4. Lose these last wretched 10 lbs that just don't seem to go away.
5. My mom is the bomb and made like a gazillion file folder stuff for the kids, like sunday boxes and scripture stories for FHE and just teaching the scriptures.  So I want to organize and finish those up so I can start using them

So on the matters of my goals, I want to ask any of you out there with tips on potty training.  I have asked some of you but I just want a wide variety of options incase Emma is difficult to train.  So please, any advise or help would be great!!

And thank you everyone for your help with Kate's contest and voting for her!  Keep it up! :)