Second Child Syndrome

This is what the pediatrician said to me as I explained to her Friday morning that Rane was sick and Ella Ann, unfortunately, was to blame. Poor little guy caught Ella Ann's nasty cold that she's been nursing for over a week now. I knew it was bound to happen when last week she was leaning over Rane in his car seat and let out a huge sneeze all over him! His cry sounds more like a croak and he's stopped up, but otherwise the doctor said he was okay...just a head cold that should clear up in 1-2 weeks. Great. He's still his sweet self and I even managed to capture a smile on camera this weekend!! On a side note, I have to tell you another Ella Ann funny. When we were driving to the pediatrician's office Ella Ann informed me that her husband was not sick. So I ask, "Who's your husband?" She responded, "My husband's at work." Again I ask who her husband is and she gives me this matter-of-fact response, "Daddy."



I went ahead and had the doctor do Rane's 1-month check up since that was going to be another visit on Tuesday. I knew he had gained some weight but I was shocked when the scale read 9 pounds 10 ounces! He gained a whopping 2 pounds 6 ounces in less than 1 month! Rane also grew 2 1/2 inches! He is in the 50th percentile for weight, 75th for height, and 25th for head circumference. Atta boy! He's even grown out of his newborn clothes!


Meanwhile, Spencer headed off to Toccoa this weekend to work so the three of us had to occupy ourselves. I went to a great consignment sale on Saturday morning at a church down the street. It was half-price day so I expected it to be picked over but it was not! I put Rane in his sling so I could shop a little easier. Well in the first 3 minutes I had already found two very cute outfits for Rane and then he decided to pee all over himself, the sling and me. So I carried him around crying for a few more minutes and got Ella Ann ready to go home and change because I was determined to find more bargains...I was on a mission! On our way out Ella Ann is trotting to keep up with me so she falls down and skins her already-skinned knees again so I have her screaming and Rane as well and I can do absolutely nothing. Such fun. I managed to get everyone taken care of when we got home and I raced back to the sale to dig around some more. I was glad I made it back because I ended up getting several things for Rane, books for both of them and a guitar for Ella Ann (50 cents!). See below for pictures of my loot! We just played around the house yesterday afternoon. Ella Ann and I played doctor and while she held the stethoscope up to my heart she told me she heard animals and they sounded fantastic. It was good to know they are alive and kickin' in there! :)

This morning when I was feeding Rane at 5 in the living room I hear, "Mommy!! I'm all wet!" So I have to interrupt Rane eating which is terrible in itself because it takes him forever to eat sometimes, especially in the early morning, and I go in Ella Ann's room and she's completely soaked herself, bobbie/horsey, blanket and sheets. So I have to strip her down and throw some towels down in her bed because I was way too lazy to change the sheets. It was quite a morning before dawn today.


It's super nice here so we went for a walk on Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday. We are very much looking forward to when Spencer gets home later this evening. I honestly don't know how single moms do it with two or more kids. It is work!

Rane's new outfits....

a few closeups. I spent $.50-$5 on each item! Not bad at all!

A long time ago at Mandy's house I saw this idea displayed on her refrigerator. Carter's teacher at school writes a letter and then beside it makes it out of dots for him to connect. We've been doing this for a while in finger paint and she LOVES it. So when we were playing school yesterday (one of her new favorite things) I decided to do it with markers...much easier on me but Ella Ann of course prefers the finger paint. She is singing the completed alphabet in the above picture and showing her work off below.

The letters I wrote are in gray. I didn't help her a bit and she did so well!

Rane relaxing in the swing, which we do not move because each time he gets going in it he vomits like crazy!

Not a good picture but it's the beautiful smile!!!!!!!! That was work to get that too!

I took this at 6 a.m. this morning because he didn't want to go back to sleep so I brought him to bed with me to watch the news. Mandy let me borrow this Miracle Blanket and a miracle blanket it is! It looks similar to a straight jacket (honestly it does) and he sleeps like a champ in it!