Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

How was our Christmas you ask? I'll just say "what a rollercoaster!". To say the least, it wasn't what we expected. Why you ask?
Rowyn caught a really bad cold and we had to spend Christmas in the hospital.

We took her to the doctor on the 22nd and got some antibiotics. You could hear her chest rattling around when she breathed and she was having a hard time sleeping. She had a little bit of a fever which we got rid of by Friday afternoon. I fully expected that all would be well in a few days and we'd carry on and have a wonderful Christmas.
Christmas Eve our little lamb was coughing up a storm but still smiling and keeping a brave face. We went over to Grandma and Grandpa Phillips and Grandma and Grandpa Soloy joined us along with Auntie Kristine and Daddy - and of course Khaos. We had a good night but when we woke up on Christmas morning Rowyn couldn't stop coughing. She was into the second hour of coughing non-stop and we decided to take her to Emerg to get her looked at. I thought we just needed an inhaler or something to help her clear this up.
After 6 hours and Auntie Kristine deciphering "doctor speak" we were admitted to the Pediatric ward. I was paniking a little by now but was really glad that we had brought her in and she was going to get some good care in the hospital where she could be monitored. What does she have? She has what's called RSV - Respiratory Syncytial Virus!
It's a virus that kids get from other people that have colds/flu's. It's all in her chest and making her one unhappy girl. It's also contageous. Thankfully we didn't expose Ty to this on Christmas day!
By the time we got into the hospital room, it was mid afternoon. Rowyn crashed after she was given medication. Autie Kristine brought Brad and I over some Turkey Dinner - Yummy! Anita had to take over the Christmas celebration and move everything over to her house on a moment's notice - Thanks Grandma for being so supportive!
I spent the night in the hospital with Rowyn. She woke up 3 times and was pretty upset and hard to console but all in all not too bad. The nurses would come in every 4 hours to give her her treatments. The nurses were really good to us. Very nice and supportive. We spent two nights and three days there. Rowyn was on oxygen and needed to spend one night without the oxygen and have her levels stable before she could go home. Thankfully the second night she was able to come off and the pediatrician said we can go home.
It's never felt better to be home and know that Rowyn is on the mend. We've got some inhalers (whish are a treat to try and give to her) and some antibiotics. We go back to see the pediatrician next Wednesday. I'm hoping we have a marked improvement when we go. Stay tuned for that.

So, for right now, we have a cranky, fussy, off her routine but still manages to smile girl who is on the mend.

On the brighter side, Rowyn is sitting up! She's putting her hand down to brace herself so she can stay upright. She's doing so well. We still have to kind of hold onto her to keep her from crashing into the floor, but I can't believe how well she's doing! She's picking up everything and grabbing things (including my hair, glasses, and pinching me).
Our next adventure once our little lamb is better will be food.... Stay tuned!

A special thank-you to Auntie Kristine for being there in Emerg with us, for decyphering everything that was going on, for taking the reins and making sure we got the best treatment for our girl.

It's been a while

Hi
I was having trouble getting logged onto Blogger for the past week. We have so many things to share! I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to post anything.
So... Lots to update.
Rowyn just went through a bad spell. I think it was the stress that I was feeling that passed along to her. She went from having 2 hour naps to 30 minute naps. I was very distraught. Rowyn was cranky and tired. It made everything tough. Luckily yesterday she napped well and ate well and therefore was my happy girl again. We'll see how today goes. Cross your fingers for me!

Rowyn is doing all kinds of new things. She's almost sitting up on her own. We practice every day. She likes to push with her legs when she's sitting up so it throws her backwards to I still need to support her so she doesn't end up hitting her head. We also got Rowyn a high chair so she can eat dinner with us! We had her reclined in her highchair and her ab muscles are so strong that she wanted to sit up more so she pushed herself forward to grab a toy on the table. WOW! I was impressed.
Rowyn is grabbing things and transferring them from hand to hand and also putting things into her mouth. It's amazing to watch her decide how to pick something up and which way she wants to put it in her mouth. She's less baby and more little girl these days. We're having so much fun!

Rowyn and I are starting Swimming in January! I'm so excited. So excited that I tried on her bathing suits! I thought the one that Jeff and Hillarie got Rowyn would be too small but it JUST fits. Robyn gave us one as well for 18 months and it already fits well. Check out the cutie pics below.

Our renovations downstairs are almost complete. I'm glad we did it but WHEW! I'm glad it's over. I didn't realize how much work it would be. I should have known from when we did the kitchen. So glad we did the kitchen first before Rowyn! We still have the little things to do like change electrical outlets, put down baseboard, and touch up paint and wash wall (YUCKY!). I think all those things will have to be after Christmas. I'll post a before and after pic of the family room and office later.

Here are some new pics of Rowyn.....

Look Mummy! One Hand!


Does this one make me look good?....


Or this one?........


Yummy! Yummy! Yummy TOy! Mine mine mine mine......


Not too sure about this contraption Daddy.....

Rowyn Update

Rowyn had her 4 month check up on Monday. She did fantastic! She weighs in at a healthy 16 lbs - up from 13 lbs at 2 months and she's a whopping 26 inches long! She was 23 inches at her 2 month appointment. Needless to say, she has inherited the Soloy genes (YAY!) Brad and I are going to buy her a car seat in preparation for her growing out of her infant seat and a high chair this month. She's getting so big! Rowyn hardly cried when she got her shots. She let out a little cry and I picked her up and she was fine. She cried more (ok she was screaming in the middle of the doctors office) when I tried to get her coat on and put her back into her car seat.

Brad and I are the proud new owners of a mini van. Yes - I said it. A mini van. I never thought we'd be the owners of one but it just goes to show that I've officially got my "Mom" hat on now. You just can't beat the affordability and the convenience. I love it! It's silver and HUGE. Khaos has his own little spot and I can get Rowyn in and out of the car without bonking her on the door or bonking my own head on the car. I'm still not very good at parking the thing yet. It's a far cry from my little Honda which by the way is still in the family. Brad's driving it to work now.

We've started to teach Rowyn sign language. We've got about 6 signs going now. Mummy, Daddy, Eat, More, Sleep, All Done, Hi/Bye. They say that it will take until they're about 6-8 months before they'll start signing back but I'm looking forward to her doing it.

Funny story.....One that I'll be telling when she's older to embarrass her.
I had Rowyn on her change table and was changing her diaper. It was dirty with a poop. I was excited because she's an infrequent pooper and we've had trouble with that already. Next thing I know she's still and quiet - not a good sign. It seems that Miss Princess Poopy Pants wasn't finished. She caught me off guard and she got poop all over the wall, the door, herself and her change table. Now she's swimming in it. Brad went to run her a bath because it was all over. I was two steps away from the bath and she decided to go again - all down my leg and on the floor. Sigh. So into the bath she went and proceeded to pee right away in the water. So, Brad had to change the water again. Now I'm thinking that we'll finally get her clean. We wash and play and I'm just rinsing her off and she poops in the water AGAIN! A change of water and another rinse and we're FINALLY done. It was an intense 45 minutes of pooping by the time all was said and done. Thank goodness we were at home and not out somewhere. Could you imagine!

Other things Rowyn is doing.....
She's grabbing at things now on purpose. She'll see a toy or was to grab her bib and she actually makes contact and is touching and holding onto things. It's really cool to see. She's still a little spazzy when trying to get things and hang onto them but her co-ordination is getting so much better. She's so strong too. She loves to stand and can stand without much support from us. She's rolled over for Brad 2 times (I missed it!) but not for me. She mostly sleeps through the night. Maybe 2-3 times a week I just have to get up to re-swaddle her and that's it. She's so awesome. Rowyn is ticklish! She's super ticklish. Whenever I'm changing her clothes and I'm taking her shirt off she lets out a big laugh. Her ribs and sides are ticklish. It's the best sound ever.

Here are a few new pics. We went and got come Christmas Pics done. Love her dress? I do! Grandma Anita bought it for her. The first thing she did when I put it on her was to bring it to her mouth and eat it! There was a nice fresh wet mark on it for her pics.

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree!

We went on a Christmas Tree excursion! Brad took Wednesday off for his birthday and because it was such a nice day (15oC) we decided to take advantage of mid-week and the warm weather and go and cut down our Christmas Tree! It was great! We were the only ones on the tractor and had the pick of the lot for Trees. It took us all of 5 minutes to find 2 really nice trees. A few saws later and we were on our way back to the car. Rowyn was great. We put her in her carrier and off we went. She's amazing.



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Can you say teething! I can't belive it. She MUST be teething. EVERYTHING is in her mouth all the time. Her number one favourite thing is her thumb. Number two is her fingers and a close third is her sleeve/wrist. I can't keep her fingers out of her mouth. I'm very interested to see if this is teething or the start of a really bad thumb sucking habit. I'll go for the teething.


So sweet! This is one of the nights that Rowyn slept right through from 7:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. I do get a full nights sleep every once in a while but it's not consistent yet. But there is hope! I went into Rowyn's room at 7:00 to wake her up to start the day and this is how I found her. She obviously woke up in the night and had a great old time playing around. I didn't hear a thing. No crying in other words. I just couldn't resist taking a picture. There is hope in the (near) future she'll be able to sleep without being swaddled.
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Brad's 30 today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD!
Brad's 30 today! YAY! Rowyn made Daddy a cake with home made icing. They blew out the candles this morning and had cake for breakfast.
Last night I took Brad out for dinner at the Keg and Grandma Anita came over to hang out with Rowyn. I was a little concerned about Rowyn because she's been having such a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep at night but our Princess Poopy Pants was PERFECT! Brad and I had a fantastic dinner out just the two of us. It was the first time that we've been out for dinner since Rowyn was born. It was so nice to socialize with each other. We'll have to do that again soon.
Thanks to Grandma Anita for hanging out with Rowyn!

Rowyn and Mummy love you!

 

 

 

Rowyn's Friends

Rowyn is so awesome these days! She's changed her voice and she's starting to make different noises. Some are "talking", then we have the "I don't WANT TO!", and we have the "I'm bored" and finally "I'm tired". Her favourite thing to do right now is to suck her thumb (braces in the future I'm sure!) and to such on anything else that is handy. We're trying to figure out if she's teething or just likes the chomping and sucking on anything and everything.

Every Tuesday Rowyn gets together with her friends and hangs out. This Tuesday we had a "photo session". Here are some of the shots!

Here's Rowyn in her cutest outfit yet! Like her two pony tails and her new Robeez!

.... Hayden, Grace, Rowyn, and Nathan dressed in their duds hang' out

Here is one of Nathan, Hayden and Rowyn last week.....

Khaos was feeling particularily sucky one day and decided he needed to sit on the ottoman. He's so funny!


Lisa and her daughters Ashlynn and Chloe came to visit Rowyn last week. This is them having some play time on the mat!

Little Girl

Our girl is 15 weeks old now and is staying up longer and longer and enjoys all her toys. Her most favorite is her new Exersaucer. We had a visit from Denise and Nicole last week and Denise brought over the Exersaucer for Rowyn to borrow. Thanks Denise and Nicole! Rowyn really likes it.
Rowyn's personality is coming through. We're starting to see a little Diva! A happy diva but a diva none the less. She's happy and go-lucky until she's decided she's had enough. Then she lets you know! Rowyn's latest thing is not liking her naps or going down to sleep. I think she's figured out that if she cries we'll pick her up or stay with her and sooth her. I'm hoping this is a phase but we'll see.
Rowyn hasn't started to roll over yet but if she keeps going at the rate she's going she'll be walking and talking by 6 months. She's sitting up with a little assistance from Mummmy or Daddy but her favorite thing to do is to stand. We haven't tried letting her stand on her own yet with the support of an ottoman or anything. Soon though. She's starting to reach for things and pick them up. Everything goes directly into the mouth. I keep thinking she might be teething but no little bumps under the gums yet.

Little Lamb
My Auntie Ollie dropped off a couple of gifts for Rowyn. Rowyn likes her new Lambie and thought we'd take a picture with her and the lamb. We'll gage how much she grows by how small the lamb gets. Right now they're about the same size!


Snoozing during Tummy Time
Tummy time is not one of Rowyn's favourite things. We do a little bit every day. Here is Rowyn sleeping on the job. So much for stimulating those muscles!


Cute Pony Tail!
This is Rowyn in her new Exersaucer. Yes - that's spit-up not droll but like her little pony tail!


Pretty Dress!
Irene gave Rowyn a really pretty dress. It's a 6 month size and didn't think she'd really fit into it yet but low and behold she fits and perfectly too! This is her first little dress. Not I just have to get some nice shoes for her to wear.


It's a hard life
Life is so hard. I wish someone would rock me to sleep for a nap!

New Pictures

I took Rowyn to the Super Store last week to get some new pictures done. The last time we had pictures taken was when she was 3 weeks old. The next set is when she's 3 months old. Wish I had of thought to go when she was 2 months old. Oh well. You can see how much she's changed though! Her hair is so much longer and lighter now. It was easier to get her to smile and she was awake for the whole photo session. Next up are Christmas pictures. We'll have to get her a pretty Christmas outfit for that.
Things have been pretty good here these last few weeks. Rowyn is now grabbing onto things when I give them to her. Everything goes directly into her mouth. It's so funny to see. We have conversations as well. I'll say something then she'll say something back to me. It's great! She's so vocal and LOUD. WOW! Sometimes it blows my ears off. She's growing like a weed too. Grandma Anita and I took Rowyn for a walk in the Pram yesterday for the first time and she almost doesn't fit in it! Tall girl that she is.
We're getting an exersaucer from Denise and Nicole this weekend. I can't wait to see what Rowyn does with this. I bet she's going to love it. All she wants to do is stand up. When I try and pull her up to a sitting position she locks her legs and goes right into a standing position. She just loves to be up and looking around. She's recognizing the dog now and just stares at him. Khaos on the other hand couldn't give a hoot. Occasionally he'll walk over and give her a lick but most times he just avoids her all together. One day they'll be close I just know it.
We're off to Grandma Kathy's today to start painting Rowyn a cookie plate to leave out for Santa. I'm looking forward to getting a tree, decorating it, and opening presents with Rowyn this year. It brings a whole new meaning to Christmas.

Rowyn is 13 weeks old in these pictures.

 

 

 

Another Milestone

Well, after visiting with Grandpa Andy and playing "jump up" I decided to see if Rowyn was ready for her Jolly Jumper. I was sure that it would be too early for her to actually be able to be in it and hold her head up and jump around. To my astonishment (which shouldn't have been a surprise because Rowyn is really strong), Rowyn LOVED her Jolly Jumper!
I put her in and right away she was looking around, moving her feet, turning and bouncing a little. She's still pretty little to get any good air, but she was moving and jumping a little bit. Too cute! I think this will be a major source of entertainment for her in the next few months. She loves to stand and to look around so this is the perfect thing for her.
The next thing on the list to get her is an exersaucer!

 

 

 

 

Halloween!

Rowyn had her first Halloween! I'm sure you have all seen her costume pics at the beginning of September, but I wanted to post more anyway.
Rowyn went and Trick or Treated at our next door neighbours and to Grandma and Grandpa Soloy's house. We also visited Stan and Anita's next door neighbours Len and Anne-Marie. Rowyn was absolutely adorable. I think she liked being a little kitty cat. I had a cat costume from a couple of years ago so I dressed up in that as well to take Rowyn around and to answer our door. The best costume of the night was a kid dressed up as the Planter's Peanut guy. It was so cool. Wish I had my camera and taken a picture. So many cute little kids just having a great time. I can't wait for next year when Rowyn will be able to walk to a couple of houses on our street. Brad and I are already fighting about who's going to take her and who's going to stay home and hand out candy.
Melissa stopped by on her way home from work for a quick visit and a hello. She's all dressed up in her costume. Perfect picture opportunity!
Grandpa Andy came for a visit and dinner last night to keep us company with all the trick or treaters. We had a great visit and Rowyn had some laughs and smiles for Grandpa.
It was a busy but great night!

 
 
 
  

Rowyn is Three Months Old

It's hard to believe that Rowyn is Three Months Old! These three months have gone by so quickly. Just three months ago she was a newborn and couldn't hold her head up, smile, or focus on anything.
Now our little lamb is getting so big. Rowyn loves her baths, can hold her head up on her own now (and Daddy insists she's ready for the Jolly Jumper - but not quite yet. Rowyn is looking at everything. She found my watch the other day and spent about 10 minutes just starting at it. The fan and lights continue to be her favourite thing. She's looking at Khaos when he comes into her field of view, the TV amazes her (I don't let her watch too much of it) and she follows you around the room when you're moving. Rowyn doesn't like to be on her tummy but when I put her there she lifts her head and looks around and does a "mini-push up". No rolling over yet. Stay tuned for that. If you put a rattle in her hand she can hold it and look at it. Already everything is going in her mouth. Her bib, the rattle, her hands, everything except a bottle! Go figure.

Here are the most recent pics we've taken:


Rowyn's hair is so long now that I can put it in a cute little clip
 
Bath time - notice the "non-embarrassing" picture for later on
 

After Bath time a nice story from Daddy. She actually listened and looked at the pictures!
 

It's fall time & with it all of the hats, mits, and snowsuites
  

Pumpkin Patch

Auntie Kristine and I decided to take Rowyn to the Pumpkin patch. There is a pumpkin farm just up the road - a two minute drive. They had a huge pumpkin field with a hay ride, a few farm animals and a little playground. It was too cute. I was so ridiculously thrilled at taking her it was silly. I can't wait to take her again next year when she'll be able to walk and pick her own pumpkin. We ended up with three little pumpkins. Neither Brad or I are big on carving them. Next year we'll have to though and get Rowyn involved. The weather wasn't very nice on the day we went.
Rowyn and I caught a cold. This is her first cold. Let me tell you - it has turned our happy baby into a little crankpot with lots of boogers (do you know how hard it is to suck out those boogers !). Thank goodness there isn't a fever to go along with it. We're 2 days into the cold so I'm hoping the worst is over.

Pumpkin Field
 

Mummy and Rowyn
 

Auntie Kristine
  

This is awesome! Love this pic!