Water Bead Woes

So, I've noticed I haven't been keeping up with the blog like I thought I would. I think it's cuz most of you who read this blog are friends of mine on Facebook and hear everything through it. If you'll notice, my Facebook posts are few and far between translating into...nothing new and exciting usually happens around here.

However, Avery broke our dullness streak a few weeks ago that involved a water bead. So upon reading the title of this post you probably knew what I was talking about...unfortunately. Anyway, here's a little more background about the story incident emotional disaster!

You remember the post about the water bead activity I had with Avery...about how she just LOVES these little water beads that miraculously grow in water and how she would submerge her hands in them and loved how they felt? Avery is probably the world's hardest toddler to please. Almost every activity I do with her seems to be a total failure; only holding her interest for about 10 minutes (if I'm lucky). So watching her play with these water beads in true amazement made me feel like I had hit a homerun...until one Sunday afternoon...one baaaaaaaad Sunday afternoon.

For days I had been smelling an odor coming from her nose so (geeky me) I get on the computer and Google it. Tons of articles came up that said odor in the nose is caused by something stuck in it. "Great!" I thought. So Jesse and I pin her down in an effort to see up her nose. There were a couple problems with our tactic.

1.) Kids don't like to be pinned down and Avery was no exception.

and

2.) Toddlers have the smallest nostrils EVER!

Amazingly I was finally able to see that it was a water bead up her left nostril. I read (via Google of course) that one approach to get it out ourselves was to cover her other nostril and blow in her mouth. You can imagine how well THAT went over with Avery. So, I threw in the towel and decided to call her pediatrician first thing the next morning.

After explaining the incident to him on the phone he recommended I bring her into his office. Little did I know, after 45 minutes of waiting to see him, he tells me he hasn't performed a nasal extraction in over a decade and he referred me to the ER which, he informed me, was packed. You could imagine the few choice words I wanted to say to him for wasting my time but politely bit my tongue.

The next day we took her to the ER which turned into a 4 hour failure. Complete with temper tantrums that rumbled down the hallways of the ER and still they had no solution for getting the water bead out. We felt totally defeated. The ER doctor referred us to an ear, nose and throat specialist who, in my then tired, overwhelmed, and defeated eyes was just a few steps down from God himself when only after 10 minutes, the water bead was out. I felt such a rush of relief come over me that I wanted to cry.

Tool used to get it out

Avery was so exhausted from the days happenings that we didn't even make it out of the parking lot before she was dead asleep in her car seat...with the slightest stream of blood running down her left nostril. It was actually a pretty cute sight. One I wished I would have caught on camera.

When we got home I mailed out a thank you card to Dr. Leonard and his staff just to show how appreciative we were for their help. Then I gathered up every single water bead and threw them in the garbage; regretting ever having bought them.

I'm positive this won't be the last fiasco we go through with Avery. Especially now since we know she likes to stick things up her nose. In which case, I'll be sure to blog about it. But for now, I could stand to go back to our normally uneventful life for awhile.

Oh the joys of parenthood!

Another Pinterest Project

I've been cooking this one in my mind for awhile now. I found this quote on Pinterest and wanted to do something really cute with it.



yougetthepicture.net

But, since I don't have $300 to put towards a Silhouette CAMEO to recreate a wooden sign like this one, I had to improvise.

So, I uploaded this photo of Avery (when she was first born) onto Photoshop.

I lowered the opacity a little so the words would show better against the background. I downloaded some free fonts that I found online to make the words "strength" "love" and "heart" look more elegant. Then I bought a frame and ribbon from Hobby Lobby and I came up with this.

I thought it turned out pretty good but I think I could have used a better picture. Overall, I'm happy with it.

DIY Pinterest Projects

Im trying to be more of a "Do It Yourselfer" and since I discovered Pinterest, I've gotten a lot of good ideas. Here are a couple I've seemed to pull off.

Jesse and I don't have a headboard on our bed so the wall behind it is a little bare. I've been wanting to find something that would help and found this idea. Hobby Lobby had their frames and vinyl wall quotes on sale 50% off so this ended up being around $25. It's a little crooked on the bottom but oh well. It stays! 

This is in our living room. I grabbed another vinyl wall quote from Hobby Lobby for $9.99 and I already had these pictures framed. Please excuse the smudges on the pictures, Avery had to "give the baby kisses."

I found this idea on Pinterest too. The original idea was for a birth announcement but I thought it would make a great wall decoration in Avery's room. I printed it on $0.99 canvas texture paper from Jo-Ann Craft Store and the frame I got at Fred Meyer $9.99

I was also on Pinterest when I discovered Water Beads. Since Avery doesn't attend daycare she has the wonderful pleasure of playing with me all day. She's getting pretty bored with her toys and with the winter weather, trips to the park are pretty limited.

So, I've been wanting to find craft projects suitable for a toddler. That's when I came across Water Beads. I found them at Jo-Ann's for $4.99. These have been a big hit with Avery. They're little beads that grow when you put them in water.

I first put them in her bath water which was ok. She liked to move them around but I didn't realize they took about 30 minutes to fully grow so she didn't get the full effect of the beads.

Plus, I had to fish them out of the bath tub after she was done with her bath. It only took about 10 minutes but it wasn't really something I wanted to do.

The next day, after I put them in a mason jar and let them grow a little, I put them in one of our glass Pyrex bowls. She really loved sinking her hands in them. Jesse and I had to play with them too. They look like marbles but feel like slippery rubber.

We've also discovered Crayola Window Markers which is another activity Avery loves but she doesn't quite understand yet that regular crayons aren't for the windows and the window markers aren't for the walls :o/

Luckily, they're washable and I haven't found anything that they don't come off of.

Fun At The Park (With Shoes)

Avery loves to be outside. She would spend every waking moment outdoors if we let her. Now that the cold weather is setting in, days at the park are few and far between. Which really stinks because the Tri Cities really doesn't have any indoor playgrounds for toddlers. Jesse and I usually take Avery on a stroll through the mall when running around outdoors is out of the question.

The other day it was almost like spring weather so I grabbed Avery's jacket and shoes (which is another story) and we went to the park. 

The story behind Avery's shoes is, since she's was born, there has only been 1 pair of shoes that she's been able to wear which were soft sole crib shoes. I've bought about 12 different pairs total; some I've returned (numerous times) because they wouldn't fit and some she flat out refused to wear and now they don't fit.

Now that she's a toddler (and in a size 5) I really wanted to get her into a REAL pair of shoes. Pretty simple task right? Wrong! Avery has the widest feet EVER!!! Jesse and I went into Journey's and tried to find shoes that fit her and nothing worked. Her feet are shaped like upside down teardrops; even extra wide shoes wouldn't fit.

Then we were strolling through WalMart where I saw a pair of Garanimals that looked like they might work so I grabbed her foot and they slipped right on (with a few tugs, pulls and wiggles)

So back to the park story, I thought this would be a great time to try out her new shoes! At first she walked like a cat with tape on their paws; which was kinda cute hearing her "clomp" through the kitchen. When we got to the park though, her feet hit the dirt and she was off!!

Posing for a pic

Taking a 1 second break

I wish I would have had the video camera to record her running and playing. Sometimes she looks like a total train wreck about to happen when she really gets moving but somehow she pulls it off and stays on her feet! She makes me laugh.

Wow!! Catch Up Time!!

Ok, I've been lazy & haven't posted anything in 6 months so I thought I'd post everything (well, all the important things) that's happened since Avery's first birthday. Here goes....

HALLOWEEN

Avery was a cupcake for Halloween but absolutely refused to wear a hat. She hardly lets us brush her hair, I don't know why I thought she'd actually wear a hat. We went to my mom & dad's ranch and took some really cute shots of her in her cupcake costume.

We didn't take her Trick or Treating because we thought we'd keep the "freak out" level at a minimum this Halloween.

CHRISTMAS

For Christmas we went to mom & dad's again and this time Emily & Randi were able to come so Avery got some much needed Auntie time...

She loved opening presents & was spoiled rotten...as usual.

 

And Now...

The Holidays were wonderful this year but it's always nice to get back into the swing of things. We're all doing great. Jesse's work is going well and he enjoys what he does and who he works with.

Im still working a few hours a week just to get me out of the house and I've also started a couponing blog. No, Im not a crazy Extreme Couponer but the blog is mainly just a hobby and it's brought in some extra money so that's always nice.

Jesse took Avery to her 18 month well check visit, all by himself because I had to work and she was 35 inches tall and 25lbs 12oz...I wish her hair would grow as fast as she is!!

She's definitely coming into her own and she's so funny to watch sometimes. Her first word was "cow" (grandpa was proud) and I think she learns a new word everyday. The word of the day today is "no" and Im actually surprised she didn't pick up on it sooner. It seems like every time I turn around she's getting into something she shouldn't. We've definitely learned to pick our battles though.

Avery saying "Cow!"

I never really understood the saying "kids minds are like sponges" until you actually have a little one running around mimicking everything. 

Time flies when you're having fun!!

Just born

6 months old

1 year old

18 months old