Emergency Room

My first experience with kids and an emergency room turned out to be for Raya. As seen in earlier posts she has been fighting a fever. Monday night at 1:30 she was whimpering in her sleep when we went to her she was burning up. We tried giving her Tylenol and she threw up and was shaking. Not exactly a seizure but very close. I took her to the ER while Dennis stayed back with the other three (I am counting Broc). We got to the JMH ER a little before 2 am. The nurse took her temp and it was 105. I think my heart stopped when I saw that. I didn't even know a fever that high was possible. The nurse gave her some Tylenol and the doctor was examining her. They did a strep throat test and chest x-rays. I was also trying to give her a pedilite bottle so she would pee in a bag, but she HATEs anything besides milk so that took about an hour to get her to drink 2 ozs. At about 3:30 the docotor came back with the results. Strep - negative, chest x-ray showed problems with her lungs. The doctor called it a viral broncitis. At this point her fever was down to 100.8 and because she did not appear dehydrated they sent us home with instructions to use Tylenol to control the fever and if it didn't get better in 2 days to start her on an antibiotic. Tuesday I decided to take her to her regular doctor. She said the x-rays showed pneumonia. This doctor prescribed a stronger antibiotic and said to continue with Tylenol. So we are not at day 5 of fever. Last night it got as high as 103, but by the morning the fever is gone. It starts back up in the middle of the afternoon and hits a peek in the late evening. All in all she is doing pretty good. No cough or congestion and is in a decent mood. She doesn't cry a lot - just kind of whimpers. The worst part is trying to get her to take her medicine and Tylenol. She hates it - she spits it out or gags on it and throws up. We have to lay her on the table and put small drops in the corner of her cheek and wait for her to choke it down.
I have now decided the worst thing about kids is when they get sick. There is nothing I can do to help. I will take discipline issues over sickness. At least with discipline you have a chance of it getting better, but when a kid is sick there is not a darn thing you can do about it.
In honor of Miss Raya being a trooper here are some cute photos of her.

Tri-fecta

Cute pillow case dress!

So to make my Monday at work completely unproductive work wise - I will post my third blog for the day... There is just so much I want to have written down so 10 years (or 5 months) from now I won't forget. Kyrah is doing some of the cutest things ever. She now says Bless You whenever someone sneezes. She says "Tank You" and "Pease" - such a polite little thing. Most of her answers are "Yeah" or a screamed "NO". When asked what color something is - her answer is always "Yeah-Yo". Sometimes we let her take her sippy cup of milk to bed - not too often because I don't want to start that habit, but if she hasn't eaten or drank much that night I will send her to bed with it hoping she will drink it and avoid waking up from hunger. So when she is done with her cup she stands up in her crib and puts the cup on the rail. I think she saw me set it there while I was putting her to bed then hand it to her, so in her mind she thinks that is where it goes. Last night both me and Dennis had a baby in our lap so she went to her toy box and pulled out a baby doll to put in her lap. Of course she had her binkies and had to try to give the baby doll a binkie, then she laid it in the swing and put her head down on it. Oh and the cutest thing is that she was giving it kisses. Her kisses have evolved as well. She now makes a smooch noise when she kisses and it is typically closed mouth too. Much closer to an actual kiss. Everytime she wakes up from a nap or the night and we go in to get her (of course she always calls out for Ma Ma - never for Da Da to come get her) she has to clean everything out of her crib. So she hands you all her binkies, stuffed animals, blankies and her pillow. You then have to carry all this and her out to the living room.

She also has this little monkey stuffed animal that has a hat which stays on its head by a magnet, so she can pull it off and on very easily. She likes to walk around putting the monkey's hat on and off. This morning she had it and was making it jump on the floor, but she was jumping with it. She doesn't get much air time yet but she understands the concept of jumping.

Our first experience with potty training involved Kyrah running aroung the house naked and going back and forth to her potty chair. The only reason I brought out the potty chair is because she now tells us when she goes poop. I know - another post about poop! So I got the chair out just to see what she would do. She sits on it for 30 seconds then up and runs off. Well we must have let her run around naked to long because later that night I smelt poop in the twins room. Thinking it was a soiled outfit, I took all the laundry downstairs, but still smelled it. So I changed the sheets and removed anything that could have touched their buts, still the smell remained. Upon further investagtion, I found a turd in the twins closet!! Kyrah had gone in there and pooped!!! Ugh. I had to steam clean the carpet It wasn't messy but I wanted to make sure it was as clean as could be. So needless to say we have to really watch her if we atempt to potty train again.

She has found the goodness that is popcicles. And enjoys soda when she sees up drinking it she has to have some, as you can see in the picture.

I have also learned that she will put up a huge fight if something is taken away from her or she has to stop doing something. I got the joy of this the other day at the store. We had finished shopping and were going to leave, but she was busy looking at the candy bars. She didn't want one, but didn't want to stop touching them either. So I grabbed her and walked out of the store. She started screaming and fighting me. I had the hardest time putting her in her car seat. I definitely have to try redirection instead of the standard No or Don't do that.

Raya & Broden

Not sure when the last time I posted about Raya and Broden, besides Raya being sick so I will give you a recap. I don't dress them alike that often as it is kind of hard, but I love the Thing 1 and Thing 2 outfits. Technically, Raya should be Thing 2, but oh well.



They are 4.5 months old. Both Raya and Broden smile and laugh and like to be kissed on the neck or tickled. Broden will roll from side to side but not all the way over yet. Raya will lift her feet up and down but no rolling of any kind yet. Broden had started solids in the evening last week, but we stopped recently due to his pooping issues. Raya was sleeping through the night, now she is getting up once as is Broden, but he has always done that. Hopefully once she is feeling better she will go back to sleeping through the night. Another odd thing is that she no longer takes the pacifier. They both seem to eat somewhere between 3 - 4 hours and taking 5-6 ounces. We have the evening routine down pat, we just need to start on a day routine. I am trying to get them in the habit of sleeping in their crib not the swing. Broden can fall asleep on his own in the crib but only sleeps for about 45 mins to an hour, Raya has to be rocked to sleep then will sleep in her crib for an hour or so. They both like to hold onto toys and will grab at toys above their head. All in all they are doing great - maybe a little behind in their motor skills but that is not a big deal. I am sure they will catch up with no problem.


I like this picture with the little monkey looking at Raya.

What do you suppose she is thinking in this one??

The Plague and Poop

The plague has decended on our house! Also beware - this blog talks about poop a lot! Last week Raya was sent home on Monday. The daycare thought she had hand foot and mouth. I didn't see anything on her or Broden so I took him to the doctor's office on Tuesday - nope nothing wrong with them. So back to daycare they went on Wednesday. Both of them started having mushy poops (for some reason if you call it a cute name it doesn't sound so gross), but hand foot and mouth starts with a fever then develops into blisters. So Thursday daycare called because Broden had dihera (liquid mushy poops)! So he was sent home. I called the doctor, she said to put him on peidilite for 24 hours. Luckily this kid will eat/take anything. So he went on that. Raya had mushy poops and I tried to give her peidilite, but she would not drink it, so she stayed on formula. Broden got somewhat better - it improved form liquid back to mushy and that is where he is currently at. Raya got a fever on Saturday. She was so hot. Her temp was reading around 100 to 101. So she was cranky all night. Raya is a tough one to comfort. Even when she is not sick she holds her body away from you. Broden curls into you and lays his head on your shoulder whereas Raya arches her back and holds her head up straight. That makes it hard to hold her to start with, then when she is sick it is really hard to comfort her. We ended up sleeping on the couch. Finally around 2 am her fever broke and she was doing better. Oh the other thing with Raya is that she HATES taking anything other then her formula - espicially medicine. She gags on it then throws up - which she did Saturday night. Sunday morning and most of the day she was doing better. Then when she woke up from her late afternoon nap she was hot again. Another dose of the tylenol challenge - we tried giving it to her in a bottle nipple - would not come out of the nipple, then tried giving it to her via dropper in the back corner of her mouth - she took maybe half of what I gave her - the other half she spit out. So Sunday night after trying all sorts of things to get her to sleep - walking, rocking, sushing, swaying, swinging and singing finally going outside and sitting on the swing while holding my cheek next to her cheek she gave in and started settling down. She slept until 2 am when she woke up crying - a bottle put her back to sleep. She wasn't warm either, however this morning when she woke up she was again feverish. So I don't know what to think. It could be hand foot mouth, or it could just be a virus. Broden and Kyrah went to daycare, but I am expecting them to be sick was well. And I am sure it will get spaced out over a long time so that Dennis and I have to take like a week and a half off of work, rather then all 3 getting sick at once, but that is the joys of parenting.
So was there any good points from the weekend well yes. While all three kids were feeling good Sunday morning we went to a church picnic where I got to try out my new photography skills. Check out Kyrah in her adorable pillow case dress at the petting zoo.

LOVE this one!!! The puppy jumped up and licked her nose. She thought it was so funny.

She looks so much older in some of these photos ...oh my little girl is getting so big.

There were more things there then just dogs, but those were the best pictures.

Weekend Fun

Kyrah had exciting weekends the past two weekends. Most recently, she attended her very first MLB Cardinals game. She was even treated to enjoying the game from the PWC sweet. Actually, the entire Kreitler family attended the game - Dennis, Mary Kay, Broc, Kyrah, Broden and Raya - and we only needed 3 tickets! The twins spent their time being passed around to people. Kyrah spent her time running in and out of the sweet from inside to outside. She was very interested in Fred Bird. She saw him on the field then when you couldn't see him anymore she would raise her hands and say "Where go?" So needless to say, I don't think I watched any part of the game, but thats okay. And I am glad to say the Cards came out on top with a 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Broc got the joy of carring Kyrah out to the car after the game.

Raya ready to go in her Cards outfit.



Broden is super excited to go to his first Cards game.

Daddy and Broden ready to cheer on the Cards.



The weekend prior to that was our local county fair. We started the event with a parade Friday evening. Kyrah even had her BFF Lily DeJean come to visit and enjoy the festivities. Here is Lily watching the parade.


Kyrah petting a kitty at the "Barnyard Pals" area of the fair. She liked this part, but I think she liked the big pigs and cows better. The boy holding the cat is actually Kyrah's second cousin Ben.





Christie and Lily enjoying all the Barnyard animals.

Four Months Old

Happy 4 months old Raya & Broden. Only 4 months and wow have they changed. At their 4 month check up we had a good report. Raya is 16 lbs 7 ozs, 24 and 1/2 inches long. She is in the 95% for weight and 55% for height, so yes she is big but she is healthy. Broden is 13 lbs 9 ozs and 24 inches long. He is in the 25% for weight and 50% for height. He is doing great as well. Broden still fits in 0-3 clothes at least the onese that don't have feet, those are too short for him. But the onsies and shirt/short outfits still fit great. They also got their 4 month shots - so sad. They both of course cried, but only for a few moments. Once they got their bottle the shots were forgotten. At 4 months, both are smiling and laughing. Broden will bat and grab toys above him. He will also hold onto toys when placed in his hand. He is getting better at holding his head and chest up when placed on his tummy, but still doesn't push up on his hands. Raya will also bat at toys above her but her movements are not as purposful as Broden's are. She also holds her head and chest up when on her tummy. They are both at about the same point on this milestone. Neither one seems at all interested in rolling over. Both are very strong and will stand up on your lap.

Kyrah likes to move her chairs near the sink and get up and turn the water on. Such a little stinker!

The above pictures of the twins were taken on the 10th. Here is the official pictures on the 8th. In this pic, Broden's hair looks blondish. He actually has light brown hair and dark brown eyes.

I took these pictures right before bedtime so they were pretty sleepy and in no mood for smiling. Raya has dark brown hair and still has the baby blue eyes. It would be great if her eyes stayed blue, but they could still change.

And another milestone.... Broden ate cereal for the first time tonight the 12th. The doctor said they could have cereal now. I am actually in no hurry to start it. The selfish side of me thinks ugh this is just another big hassle and a messy process. I decide to start Broden on it since he is not sleeping through the night yet. So maybe this will help him make it through the night. Raya sleeps through the night great so I am not going to give her cereal yet. She doesn't need the calories and it is not like it will replace a bottle so I am going to hold off on her for awhile. Her is "little buddys" first official solid food meal.

Oh and in their tradition of being the most opposite twins. Raya hates taking medicine and Broden will take it just fine. I have not found many things about them that is similar, but that is okay too - makes them individuals.

And just another picture of Raya. I caught her the 5 minutes today she wasn't crying. For some reason the girls Kyrah and Raya had a very off day today (12th). Both of them would not nap and just fussed and cried. Oh finally Dennis and I couldn't take it anymore and by 4:30 we went out for a drive. Broden was taking a great 2 hour nap. He was an angel today. I guess they all can't be good days.

Happy 4th of July

This post is a bit out of time order, but it all relates to the 4th of July so oh well. This past Saturday, the 11th, we went to Scream's (real name is Kevin Haller) annual 4th party. He and his wonderful family live near Six Flags but is from Ste. Genevieve. Dennis and Scream have been friends since high school. The party is tons of fun. It starts out with a water ballon toss which is what Kyrah is walking through now. She would hold onto her water ballon for awhile then throw it on the ground, but get upset when it popped.


I was inside with the babies so I am surprised Dennis and Broc are standing next to each other rather then throwing them at each other. They started this game so fast no one had a chance to change into their swimwear. It was super hot this day so the water felt great and everyone dried quickly ... just to start sweating again.

Before the real fireworks start we have the annual artillery battle. It is kids versus grown up. There are many rules and strategies, but the jest of the battle is to light the other persons tank/ship/copter on fire or light it as a firework. If your tank causes one of the tanks on the opposing line to light on fire you get a point. Surprisingly it was a rather low scoring battle this year. I think it had to do with the various strategies of scaraficing their own tanks as blockers... as it turned out the kids won by a point.

Various members of the Kreitlers enjoying the battle... Raya was in the front carrier on me and I of course was taking the pictures.

"Yeeeaaahhh" and clap. That is what she does after every firework.

Now travel back in time to the actual 4th of July. This of course is also Lydia's birthday and she was nice enough to be born in 2000 so it is easy to remember how old she is because it is always the same as the year. It is 2009 and she is 9 - very easy. Usually we go over to Lydia's house and her nice pool, but this year we went down to the cabin and enjoyed Grandpa's new pool. He carved out a section of the pond and actually put up a retaining wall and concreted the bottom, put up a fence and netting (so the fish can't get into the swimming area) and made his own version of a pool. Grandpa even made Kyrah a pool called Peanuts Pool (we call her Peanuts as a nick name). Her pool is about 18 inches deep so she can walk around. The bigger pool is waist deep on an adult. The twins enjoyed their time at the cabin as well - taking bottles and naps - their two favorite pasttimes. Broden loves to snuggle up on Grandma's lap.

Unlce Steve loves to hold the twins for about 2 minutes then he passes them off pretty quick.

The birthday girl and Kyrah enjoying Peanuts Pool time.

Grandpa took Kyrah into the big pool. Ohh Grandpa - take off that white t-shirt you have on...oh wait...

Check out the huge elephant ears in the background and you get a better idea of the pond pool.

Kyrah was able to see fireworks 4 times this year, three of which were in the dark. She loved watching them, but it was so hard for us to keep her up so late. She still goes to bed at 7:15 so waiting until dark around 9 was torture. She got very cranky and needy during those extra two hours. But it was a special thing so it was worth it.

Oh speaking of schedules. She is now officially down to one nap a day. If we have to do something in the afternoon we will still give her a morning nap, but for the most part it is just one nap around 12:30. This nap can be anything from 2-3 hours.