January 2012!

New Years started off quiet and we enjoyed being at home together as a family. We stayed home New Year's Eve eating pizza for supper with spinach and artichoke dip with Uncle Philip. Judah went to bed while the rest of us watched movies late into the night. The next day we had our friends Katie and Lynn over for some Pork Chops and sour kraut/cabbage to celebrate bringing in the New Year.

Next, we started the New Year off with the Iowa Caucuses for the Iowa Presidential Republican Candidate. We ran our local caucus where Senator Rick Santorum won. For our large turnout in our small urban precinct we had 27 people. Judah spent the evening with a neighbor friend getting his first taste of Winnie-the-Pooh as they watched the latest movie in their pajamas. Meanwhile the statewide vote totals came in putting Senator Rick Santorum and Governor Mitt Romney at a virtual tie until mid-January when certification showed that Senator Rick Santorum finally won Iowa.

By this time we all became sick with viruses. For three Wednesdays in a row we went to the doctor. For our first round of the virus, Tim took the day off so we could go to the family doctor. The second Wednesday we did a follow up appointment with Judah as his sleeping and eating still seemed off. In spite of a swollen lymph nodes, Judah's blood work and second strep test turned out normal.
Finally by mid-January (January 18) Judah came down with the flu. After nap on Tuesday, Judah started throwing up. In four short hours, he managed to throw up five times. By 8:30pm he has stopped throwing up and was ready for bed at 10:00pm. He slept until 2:00am when he awoke throwing up again every 20 minutes on the dot until 5:00am before dropping off to snooze. By the time we took him into the pediatrician at 11:15am he still was vomiting. The pediatrician sent us directly over to the Emergency Room for some fluids. Judah had thrown up everything including water he had in the 16 plus times within that 24 hour period making him one sick boy who lost three pounds.


Our afternoon and evening then was spent in the children's emergency room at Mercy where Judah was started on fluids. Hooking him up to an IV was not his favorite part. By evening though, we transferred over to the new children's ward upstairs in the hospital to keep him overnight. Tim spent the night with Judah so that mommy could go home and take care of herself. After being hooked up to fluids all night long, Judah woke up finally laughing again the next morning, especially at his Winnie-the-Pooh movie. A little puffy-eyed, by mid morning with his IV out, he finally found the toy room across the hall. And by later afternoon, we were released to go home.

During recover, our house became crazy with piles of laundry, dishes, toys, and remnants of cleaning as we had been doing some projects around the house. Judah continued to gain his appetite and put on the calories as we let him choose his own diet and drink plenty of juice. Thankfully, for us, our church family delivered a few extra meals on the side as we got caught up at home and at work.


This month we really focused on getting ready for baby aside from being sick. Tim did some small home improvement projects around the house by adding shelving in the closet and in the laundry room. By the end of the month, we then moved around the upstairs furniture. Papa Ed and Nana Joyce came down for the weekend to help play with Judah and move desks, beds, and toys. The next week, Tim gifted us with having the house deep cleaned including in and behind appliances and behind furniture.


We were able to see lots of family this month though. Tim and Uncle Philip did take Judah to the John Deere expo for some much needed man time. Judah had fun seeing the tractors and he continues to line up his toy tractors for his own expo. That same weekend, Papa Ed and Nana Joyce came to hang out for some Judah time. Also, we saw Papa Larry a few times as he was on his way down to Kansas City as Gigi was with Cousin Gabe, who was also recovering from being ill.


Getting back home from Christmas meant we struggled with nap and bed time again. Many times Judah would get up out of bed to turn on the lights so he could play or read books in the nearby rocker. By the end of the month, we changed the room around again taking away his toddler bed and replacing it with a Tim's old twin bed. Judah had fun picking out his McQueen sheets and construction big boy sheets as a result of his new bed. Then we took out all the toys moving them into the loft, now our toy area, removing any temptation to play during quiet time. Afternoons have become quiet times now where he can just sit in bed doing quiet activities and reading his books. However, we found that if he gets too bored, he likes to rip up his books.


Weather has almost been spring like temperatures allowing us to be outside and take walks. Judah has been on the look out for snow all season. The nice January weather has allowed us to spend a lot of time outside instead of being cooped up in the house. In fact in one week we went from having Monday play group at the park and eating lunch the next day without coats practically outside to a snowstorm a week later with 5 inches. Tim finally was able to take Judah out to build a snowman and get a ride in the sled.


Judah is really starting to use his imagination and pretend. Often he takes objects and pretends they are something else. Even at meal time we pretend his macaroni is different cars and trucks. He is also starting to role play such as playing David and Goliath, being a tap dancer, or being a cowboy with dad. Judah's conversation skills have also increased to include real thoughts and several sentences. You will often hear him say, "I already did" or "I am thinking." He likes to ask so many questions and you can see his little brain processing the answers.



Being sick this month has opened a whole new world of television for Judah. He really has become quite attached to Winnie-the-Pooh. We bought him the new movie after it made him laugh during recovery at the hospital. Then with his new Chuck and Friends tumbling tower, Judah received his Chuck and Friends video, where he now plays with his cars and trucks. A lot of his play has been centered around his video experiences.

Tim has been struggling to stay afloat with work this month. Missing several sick days has caused him to get behind on the many projects and daily work. Approval for the new Boys and Girls Club site has increased Tim's work load as they move forward to making plans on setting up space in a nearby Middle school. Also, Tim has been in charge of the Iowa Youth of the Year state event.

Mommy has been spending her extra energy on getting ready for baby's arrival. Sorting, reorganizing, and packing has kept her busy. Her biweekly doctor's appointments continue to go well. In spite being more uncomfortable with swollen limbs and back pain, her diabetes has been able to be controlled by diet. The third trimester has definitely left her more tired though.

Judah has shown an increased interest in baby. He can pronounce Baby Boolina correctly even though he still tells people her name is "Four." When we pray he often wants us to include her as well as daddy's "baby" as we pray for each member of our family. Occasionally, he will think of her as he talks about sharing, saving, or getting something for her. He enjoys the few books we have that discuss baby asking to read them several times. Judah has also tried pulling up his pants over his belly like mommy's maternity pants.