DYKSTERHOUSE NEWS

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Lately

Well, we're still quarantined due to sickness. Thankfully, we're over the nasty stomach bug and have moved onto respiratory issues. Mary Laine had a fever and a bad cough last week. Then, as usual, Langdon started showing similar symptoms a few days later. Mary Laine was able to shake her fever after a few days, so I assumed that Langdon would do the same. I went to Jackson and left poor Daddy in charge one day last week. When I came home, Gary looked concerned. Gary is an under-worrier, so I knew that it must be pretty bad. Langdon's fever wasn't coming down and his breathing was very fast. It was too late to even go to the after-hours clinic, so we called the 24-hour nurse hotline that our doctor provides. After about an hour on the phone with the nurse, she recommended that we take him to the ER. I'm so glad that we did. He had bronchitis and RSV and required three breathing treatments before we could go home. (I was just so relieved that they actually did let us go home!)

He was so pitiful when we got to the ER - he couldn't even lift his sweet head off of my shoulder. But after three breathing treatments, he was literally running around our room (in only a diaper since we were trying to get his fever down).

Before:

After:

I was obviously a little punchy when I took the video. I do realize that the year is not 2010.

And since we've been cooped up in the house for so long, Mary Laine and I have used the time to work on some scripture memory. I actually have to give all of the credit for this one to Seeds. She loves Delight (a man and a child saying Psalm One), and has been asking to listen to it over and over again lately.

Just so you don't think that all of our time is spent sitting quietly with hands folded in laps learning scripture (which you wouldn't think anyway after watching her squirming around in that last video - she is just like her Daddy - CAN.NOT.SIT.STILL!), here is a picture of what our days look like more often than not.

I think that I had just told her that she had to sit at the table to eat her breakfast. Just like we've done everyday of her life. I've never once let her run around the house while she ate. But you wouldn't know that from her reaction.

Langdon is on his last day of breathing treatments, so hopefully you'll see us out and about soon. Here's praying for a healthy February!!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday Mary Laine!

I think that it's safe to say that Mary Laine is a fan of birthdays. This is the first year that she has really understood what is going on and has gotten excited about all of the celebration.

We got a pose on her last night as a 2 year old:

We started the day out with a big breakfast. She had strawberries and Rice Krispies (which you'll see later are two of her favorite foods) along with some of our homemade Christmas Cinnamon Rolls:

Then we opened some presents:

We went swimming with Aunt Su-Su:

We ate lunch at one of our new favorite spots:

We did each other's nails (pink and purple, of course!):

After naps and an afternoon of playing, we went to celebrate at the Japanese Steakhouse:

And we ended the night watching a princess movie:

I know several people who ask their children the same questions on each of their birthdays and see how the answers change every year - great idea! So, I've combined two that I've seen. Here are Mary Laine's answers at the age of three. (For the first set, she focused mostly on things that were actually in the room that she could see):

I AM... Mary Laine
I WAS... beautiful
I HAVE... princess toys
I PLAY... in my tent
I WORRY... about Daddy
I KNOW... the tunnel
I WATCH... TV
I WANT... to eat
I CRAVE... strawberries
I USUALLY... play
I REMEMBER... Mama
I DISLIKE... bad things
I GO... swimming
I WENT... to play golf
I CAN... swing
I DON'T... know
I FEEL... sick
I DANCE... to "Scooby Dooby Doo"
I READ... books
I WRITE... notes
I BELIEVE... Mama
I AM SCARED... "I don't know"
I LISTEN... quietly
I WISH... "I don't know"
I LOVE... Mama
I AM HAPPY... when I play in the tent and the tunnel
I AM THANKFUL... for Mama

What is your favorite color? Pink and purple
What is your favorite toy? balls
What is your favorite fruit? strawberries
What is your favorite TV show? Signing Time, Toy Story, Dora and Super Why
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
What is your favorite outfit? Pajamas
What is your favorite game? Tic-Tac-Toe
What is your favorite snack? Honey Bunny Grahams
What is your favorite animal? Giraffes
What is your favorite song? I've Been Working on the Railroad
What is your favorite book? Cinderella
Who is your best friend? Daddy
What is your favorite cereal? Rice Krispies
What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play ball
What is your favorite drink? Orange Juice
What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Books and Baby "Mary Laine"
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Strawberries
What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Big Girl!

Some of these answers were definitely a surprise (and I think that I'd have gotten a different answer had I asked at another time), but these are the answers that came from her, so I'm going with them. It's hard to believe that it's been three years since this picture was taken: