Happy Halloween

What a fun and easy Halloween we had! A laid back day with two happy and healthy kids!



Holden and Everett spent some time cooking dinner for us.


The snow fairy had fun playing outside all afternoon with the knight in shining armor (our neighbor, Zander).


Holden also decided it was much easier to eat our candy than to walk around and knock on other people's doors.



She did finally go to a few houses with our neighbor, Abby. But mostly the girls took turns going to each other's front porches and sharing tons of candy. Holden would get so preoccupied with one piece of candy, she couldn't focus on going to more doors to get more. She just wanted her one lollipop and was good. Until she finished it, and then she wanted Skittles, and then chocolate. UGH.

Everett was a very cooperative and jolly puppy dog. He hung out with Ian giving out candy. Although, we got bombarded and ran out within an hour. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.


I know the kids had fun, but I feel ripped off. Holden was supposed to score tons of candy and I was supposed to be able to steal it without her realizing it. She got like 3 tootsie rolls and a pencil, bummer. Luckily, I hid away a small bowl of our candy for just such an emergency! I am off to eat some peanut butter cups and watch the Phillies win game 3!!

GO PHILLIES!

Winter Wonderland

We got hit with an awesome snow storm On Wednesday and Thursday. Of course, that was right about when Holden was feeling better and we could have left the house, but oh well. She got to play in the snow which was some welcome fun after the miserable past week she had.

Everett got his first chance in the snow. He was excited in the beginning.

He kinda looked like Randy from A Christmas Story.


But, he was finished with the whole experience pretty quickly.


We are getting back to normal around here. Holden is now eating and drinking normally. Although, she now thinks chocolate milk and juice boxes should be the norm. Ugh And, while she was so sick, we were sleeping with her and letting her sleep with us since she was waking and crying every hour all night long. Now, she will NOT fall asleep on her own in her own bed. Last night from 8:20 until 9:30 she cried and screamed. She would get out of bed, walk to the door, peek out, and I would put her back in bed. This happened like 39 times. During this production she was wailing, "mommy, sleep in my bed....I am hungry for lunch...I have to pee... I have to poop...I sleep mommy's bed..."

Meanwhile, Ian was in Everett's room holding him because the yelling and banging kept waking him up. I think I am going to put him to bed in the basement with the monitor for the next few days until this little issue clears itself up. God, we are tired.

New Blog Title

So, we aren't living in Colorado Springs anymore, so we definitely need a new name for the blog. Denver Hanous sounds so, well, blah. My creative bone is a bit stunted at he moment. I know there are a few people who actually look at this, so I am open to suggestions. I want something funny, sharp, and reflective of this family of mine. Like, my friend Amy, named her blog, "turkey sandwich for lunch," because it was what she was eating when she wrote her first post. LOVE IT! I want to rechristen the blog and send out the new name with our Christmas cards, so we have a little bit of time.

Help Me!

Just when you think....

all hope is lost and life is a temporary mess, your ill daughter remembers how to speak and your son takes his FIRST STEPS!!!

Holden started talking this afternoon and is acting normal other than not eating. SUPER!!! She is drinking gallons of strawberry milk and I couldn't be happier. (I am eating the chocolate cupcakes-haha). Check out the pic from before the fluid intake....


Her mouth looked all weird like that for four days.


Everett waited until Ian got home and decided he was ready to walk. Not like one wobbly step at a time, but like eight or nine steps, practically running and over and over. He had done it 4 times and I finally ran and got the camera and he did it some more!







Ev is also enjoying more and more regular food. He is ready to be like 16 and eats almost as much as I do. Here he was having fun with some pasta. Do you think he could open his mouth any bigger?



Uncle Pete stopped in for a quick one night visit while he passed through Colorado...prior to Holden getting sick. He got to draw with her on the Magna Doodle.

.

P.S. Everett is wearing his amber teething necklace. Heard about it from some crunchy girls at a playgroup. It is AWESOME. He doesn't chew on it. The amber contains some miniscule amount of some chemical thatt seeps into his skin and acts as a natural pain reliever. After his first four teeth came in we were desperate for something and I figured this was worth a try. It is really working. He got another tooth and we did not hear a peep about it and we didn't have to use any meds at all.

EAT THE CUPCAKE!

Well, it has been four days without food and minimum liquids and Holden needed an IV last night because she was dehydrated. She handled the 6 hour ordeal pretty well. We also got some Tylenol with codeine, which helped her sleep. Thank God! Of course she still is not eating today, but I think she may have drank a little more.

Last night a the hospital the Doctor said she has seen thousands of kids with Hand, Foot, and Mouth and Holden is worse that 99.9% of them. Great. So they gave her a giant Care Bear. Then, she was the lucky 1,000 patient of the month in their emergency children's clinic, that has never happened before. Great. She got a stuffed bunny.

We were at the grocery store this morning buying Horizon Farms strawberry milk in drink box sizes. It is the ONLY thing she will drink. As we were walking through the bakery she grabbed a pack of chocolate Halloween cupcakes. With lots of icing and goop on them. She cried until I took one out of the pack and gave it to her. She carried it through the store and held it in the car. Well, she has been staring at it for 2 hours now. It is completely pathetic. She had me cut it into bite size pieces and put the plate on the kitchen table. She is sitting in front of it with her chin resting on the table just staring longingly.

Today, the Doctor said no big deal if she isn't eating. I asked, "how long is it no big deal?" "Well, she is fine for at least a week..." Are you kidding me??? She already lost 2 pounds and when you only weigh 27 pounds that's a lot! Anyway, they said if she doesn't eat by Thursday I should bring her back.

Anyway, Ian has been in Nashville and Jess and Courtney saved my life yesterday by taking care of Ev while I was in the hospital with Holden. My saviors, really. Ian will be home tonight to join back in the fun here at home.

She has to get better at some point...right?!?!

UGGGHHHH

Holden is in full blown crisis mode. She has the worst case of hand, foot, and mouth I have ever heard of. I think she ate a goldfish cracker on Thursday morning and nothing since. ...yeah it's Saturday at 6:52 p.m. She drinks a milk box twice a day and that's it. Everyone is trying to be so helpful, "get popsicles, pudding, jello..." If only she would unclench her teeth, those ideas might work. However, her jaw is locked with a constant stream of drool (I guess it hurts too much to swallow). Her fever is unrelenting and we have to hold her down and inject her tylenol and motrin with a syringe.

The sleeping situation has been just as difficult. This is the baby who did not sleep for nine months, then, thanks to Dr. Ferber she turned into a sleeping princess. We have not had one night time peep from this child in 2 years. We are now paying. She will not sleep unless one of us is laying with her, and even then she awakens every hour to cry out in pain. Last night it took us from 8-11:30 to get her to sleep.

Let me set the scene, she hasn't unclenched her teeth in three days and her mouth is littered with puss filled blisters that are beginning to pop, obviously she will not allow us to brush her teeth...now imagine the smell! UGHHHHH She did allow us to make her a very bubbly bubble bath and she is in there right now, playing silently by herself. At least her body won't stink!

Anyway, the Dr on Thursday told me that she should be getting better in 1-2 days...and she better be acting more normal tomorrow or I am going back for a refund.

Now here is the really exciting news, he Dr also told me, on Thursday, that if Everett was not showing signs by now he would not get it. HMMMMM, Prior to his afternoon nap I discovered bumps on his but, "Diaper rash" I tried to convince myself while fighting back tears. Then as I was getting him into his crib, I found a blister on his hand.

And there you have it, they story of how I ended up in the asylum....

Estes Park

AAHHHH....how I love Estes Park in the fall.

What a treat to get back up there every year around our anniversary. Last year, Courtney watched Holden while Ian and I (VERY preggo I might add) spent a cozy weekend in a creek side cabin at Glacier Lodge. This year was a little bit different, we rented a 5 bedroom house with 6 adults and five kids (under the age of 3). Lucky for them they are all super cute and charming! We were all so excited for a little get away and we miss our COS friends so much. It was a great chance to relax and get together.

Here are our star players...and my favorite kids in the world!

Holden



Emily



Julia



Everett



John Thomas


I should say five and 3/4 kids...Nichole is ready to pop any day now with baby Troy.


The house was huge and had a great circular pathway and patio for the girls to run lap after lap.



The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm. We all went over to the Stanley hotel for a little sightseeing. The highlight was the waterfall and pond. Holden and Emily were convinced if they looked hard enough they would find some fish...didn't happen And luckily no one fell in either!

I scored some lovin from Holden ...


before it all went to hell.


How cute is this shot of the girls walking back to the car after the hotel??!!!


Our house was on the YMCA campus and they had a great little playground for the kids.




Saturday night we fed the kids early and decided we (the adults-we are in charge, right?) needed a peaceful grown up dinner. So we put the boys to bed, turned on Nemo, and parked the girls on the couch with their blankies and juice. We had some wine and delicious lasagna and talked. It was luxurious!



Awww you may say. How sweet to see the little darlings cuddling and being sweet. I would have said the same thing yesterday. However, as a result of the shared blankets, pillows, chewie giraffes, spoons, and cups 2 of our little darlings have hand, foot, and mouth disease! YUCK!

Poor Emily got it and we have been fine for a few days. I thought, by some miracle, we had escaped. And then, Holden woke up from her nap today with a fever. She acted fine all afternoon. This evening she was quietly looking at books while I did school work, when all of a sudden she let out a blood curdling scream...."MY MOUTH HURTS!!!!!" She proceeded to cry for the next 45 minutes as if she was experiencing a slow torturous death. She even refused chocolate milk and cookies...it's bad.

I sure can't wait for tomorrow! Ian is out of town, but lucky him, he gets back tomorrow afternoon. And lucky me, I have tickets to see Wicked and I will be out of here at 5 and he will have to get them fed and to bed. Normally a pretty easy job, but I am scared of what it will look like tomorrow night!

So far Ev is ok, but I can't imagine how he would come through this unscathed.

Nichole did and awesome job taking tons of pics-THANKS! Here are all the rest
http://picasaweb.google.com/KimHanou/EstesPark?authkey=Gv1sRgCNa9j7jWi6H4cg#

Best Day Ever!

Just when I think my little angels are trying to kill me so they can take over, they astound me with a beautiful day.

Yesterday morning Ev and Holden entertained themselves with Dora and toys in the loft for 45 minutes while I drank coffee and got myself ready for the day. No screams, pulling hair, accidents...nothing! That hasn't happened in like...ever. We loaded up to run a ton of errands for our weekend in Estes Park. We went to the grocery store and Holden declared she would "not be riding in the cart today!" Uh oh, I was expecting a disaster. However, she walked next to the cart, helped me grab items, and was pretty much a delight. She chose an apple when we arrived and that kept her busy for most of the trip.We must have been in there for 45 minutes and it was pleasant and relaxing. Ev was happy as long as I kept the snacks plentiful. Then we went to the liquor store and the drug store and they were happy to smile at strangers and be their cute and charming selves.

Things were going so well, I decided to tempt fate and went to grab a cup of coffee. I know, I must be crazy, but it was awesome. They munched graham crackers and played peek a boo while I sipped coffee for a few minutes. These days keep me going, and help me remember the tough days will pass and are completely worth it!

Skiing...Holden....Ummmmm?????

Oh my goodness! We ran out to grab our ski passes last weekend and I honestly didn't think Holden was old enough. However, the ski experts said kids usually get out between two and three, so here we are. Holden has her first ski pass. Needless to say, she probably doesn't need one, because I can't imagine she will be riding a lift this season. I see us hiking up the tiny little beginner hill at A-Basin and enjoying the three second ride down. I am petrified. I bet she will be freaked out to be locked in to the skis and not able to move around normally. And I am sure the ski boots will be fun when she realizes how hard it is to walk! But, the thrill of the ride down may be exciting enough to offset the other discomforts. More to come.....

Message to Holden

Dear Holden,

There is nothing in the world I love more than watching you and Everett together. You make each other smile and seeing you two grow closer is an amazing experience. You can be so sweet to your little brother! You call him "little guy" and rub his hair. You tickle his belly and blow raspberries to make him giggle. You pick up his toys and hand them back to him when he drops them. You share your graham crackers when he is hungry. You do dances and sing songs to keep him entertained and laughing while I change his diapers. You beam with pride when meeting new people and introduce "my brother, ev-e."

However, life isn't all giggles and kisses and one day your brother will begin fighting back. Here are a few items I want us to all remember when he finally hauls off and socks you.

1. Yesterday, while Ev was laying on the floor watching you in awe, you stood up, picked up the Little People Farm (hard plastic, weighs about 6 pounds) and dropped it onto his stomach.

2. Last night at dinner, you walked over to his high chair and handed him a cheerio. While he used one hand to put it into his mouth you grabbed his thumb and bit him. You left marks, big ones.

3. Today he was precariously balanced on the Dora ride on car when you pushed him and the car over, onto the hardwood floor.

Now, I know you are only 2 1/2 and I KNOW you love your little brother, but he will grow up, he will learn to walk on his own, and he will learn to fight back. I just wanted to take this opportunity to warn you!
xo Mommy

Walking, Walking, Walking

Good god, what was I wishing for? As soon as Everett learned how to crawl he was over it. All he wans to do now is walk all over the house. Holding my hands of course. So I spend most of every day stooped over following my little man around, circles, circles, circles around the first floor. Sit down and play with some toys? CRY! Sit in the Exersaucer? CRY! Read a book? CRY! Eat? Well ok, but only for about 8 minutes, shoving food in his mouth as fast as he can so he can get back up and walk. Can I cook dinner, do dishes, play with Holden? No way. Everett is in serious need of a personal assistant to follow him around!

I am tired

Last week my mom came in for a visit. After one day with Everett, she agreed-this was not going to work. So, I went to the store at 9 pm to buy a walker. I was desperate. I didn't think I could last one more day. I was so excited to bring him downstairs (at 5:30 am :) to try it out. I excitedly plopped his behind in the comfy little seat and...wait? what?... his feet don't touch the ground!!! UGH!!! If he stretches he can push it backward, but as soon as he hits the wall, CRY! Since he can't get himself to move forward. I almost cried. I seriously thought this device would save my sanity.

However, thank goodness, he is calming down a little bit. He is remembering how much fun it can be to chew on the remote control and get wedged under the computer desk for a few minutes while I switch a load of laundry or color with Holden. So luckily, we may survive this stage.

I will leave you with this....
Yesterday I slept late and went out with friends all afternoon. Ian had the kids all day and around 5 he sank into a chair with a beer and with all sincerity said to me, "with many other options available, you willingly choose to do this everyday?" After laughing at his exhaustion, I said,"yes, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!"

Moving, moving, moving

So Everett is REALLY moving. He almost headed down the stairs today when Ian forgot to close the gate. It feels like overnight we are back to childproofing and kiddie gates. He was working the outlet the other night too. Luckily, Holden is there to tackle him and put an end to any fun!



Then he discovered a doorstop AND how to pull off the soft white tip and put it in his mouth. UGH what do I do about that???....Superglue?



AND, a real live action shot. He really is crawling, we aren't making it up!



We had some fun bath time antics




Ian loved the "How to Save a Forest" t-shirt I found for Ev.


AND Holden is reverting to babytalk and playing in the exersaucer...the fun never ends!



She is growing up so fast. Here we are enjoying some of my birthday cake. She loves to help me cook and get meals ready. Stirring eggs and baking cookies are her favorites!



Here is a link to some of our recent pics

http://picasaweb.google.com/KimHanou/2009Oct3?authkey=Gv1sRgCMWW4f3p9vmOwwE#