1 day, 3 doctors visits

We all finally went to the doctors today since we have been sick for 6 days now and it has only gotten worse. I went in at 8:40 while Dan watched Delaney, then came home and picked up Delaney for her appointment at 10:30 and Dan left soon after for his at 11. Luckily, we were all able to get appointments this morning and had time to get all the antibiotics.
Here is the verdict:
Dan has a throat infection. It isn't strep (thank goodness), but it has moved beyond just a sore throat and has made his glands infected.
I have a very bad sinus infection and pinkeye.
Delaney has a nasty double ear infection and pinkeye.

So, there it is. We are all set to start our antibiotics and start feeling better finally. Hopefully by Mother's Day we will all finally be feeling more like ourselves again.

The sickness has invaded

Yes, we are all sick again. Actually, we went a few months there without anything. We are unsure who brought this nasty cold into the house, but all three of us have it. Sunday, Delaney and I woke up with a stuffy nose. She went to daycare and I went to work on Monday, and then Monday night it got worse. Tuesday she woke up with a horrible cough and stuffy nose. We both stayed home that day. Dan has had the sore throat part of it, but he had to work 14 hour days on Monday and Tuesday, so that didn't help him. Today, Delaney got to go spend a couple hours with Grandma Marlene so I could go in and finish payroll and then we have been back at the house ever since. I am following her around with Kleenex everywhere or else we have little "snail trails" all over everything. She was up for a few hours during the night last night, but of course was still wide awake at 6 am. Hopefully, we will be reaching the end of this thing soon. She is still playing like normal and won't sit still for a minute, but she is slightly more crabby when things don't go just right. Even with the sickness, I am enjoying this extra time with her. Although being up with her at 2 in the morning is not the ideal, she was laying next to me and reached out and grabbed my hand and looked me right in the eyes, and I didn't care what time it was.

Oh, and I ate almost an entire pan of Rice Krispie treats while at home on Tuesday. Not proud of it, but there it is. I would like to say Delaney helped, but I think she ate maybe a square inch and that was it. Oh well.

Here's our little sickie:

Delaney discovered her nose...

Actually, Delaney figured out how to stick her finger up her nose. She did it randomly in the car on the way home from the grocery store this morning and I have caught her several times since with her finger shoved up her nose. I have spared the pictures I took in the car, but I'm sure they will still pop up on here sometime. Other than that, she has another tooth, is walking more frequently (but still only on her terms), insists upon going with anyone that is going "bye-bye" (she suckered Dan into that one yesterday on his trip to Costco), is quite vocal, and basically is just a goofball.


Delaney and I had an unexpected day off a few weeks ago. The keys got locked in the car on Sunday without us realizing it until Delaney and I were trying to walk out the door on Monday. Dan had the spare set with him on his route way up north, so we were stuck at home. We were playing with stickers (as you can see on Delaney's cheek). Unfortunately, I didn't take it off quick enough and it stuck to her poor little cheek and left a mark once I got it off. Needless to say, no more stickers on the face that day.

This is Delaney doing one of her new favorite things. She brings a whole armload of clothes and blankets out to the living room from her bedroom. She thinks it is quite funny. I think it is quite messy.

For some reason, she always sits still if I take a picture myself of the two of us. However, if I try to get one of just her, she doesn't sit still long enough for me to get many.

Her hair is getting really long and curly.

She was just so smiley yesterday I kept taking pictures.

Didn't you know we are proud endorsers of Gatorade?

This is her walking towards me. She is so proud of herself anytime she ventures to walk on her own. It cracks us up.

The zoo and a fat lip (not necessarily in that order)

Delaney took her first good fall here on Saturday. She decided to play daredevil and kneel backwards on her little chair. As Dan and I were telling her to get down, sure enough she tipped over (in slow motion it seemed). She did a faceplant on the floor and I rushed over and picked her up to comfort her and a few seconds later, noticed the blood on both of our shirts. She cut her lip and it immediately started swelling up. She had to cry for a few minutes, but then it was over and she forgot all about it (although she did stay far away from the chair the rest of the day). If you can take it, here are some pictures of our poor little girl. It still makes me cringe to see it.

So now, to make up for that horror, here are some pictures from our trip to the zoo on Sunday. Delaney's lip was MUCH better the next day, and by today, it isn't even noticable except for the cut on it. She took it like a trooper and has already made up with her chair.

Delaney always likes to look at the meercats. They are so cute and they come up to the window when you bend down. Delaney thinks they are quite funny and giggles at them no matter what they are doing.

She calls them

"kitties". I guess I could see that. They were adorable all looking out the window.

Of course we saw the goats.

Help! Our dear sweet baby girl is being eaten by a hippo!

The zoo isn't complete without stopping for some snacks.

Fort Worden

We spent Friday night and all day this last Saturday up at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend with the Bell family. The last two years, we have rented a big place up in the state park and the whole family has gotten together for Grandma Bell's birthday. Last year, Delaney was only 8 weeks old, so we didn't spend the night. This year, we were able to spend Friday night there and stayed until around 8 pm on Saturday. Delaney absolutely loved all the fresh air. She spent most of Saturday outside. Plus, that was the only way she would fall asleep. Once we got there Friday night, she wouldn't fall back asleep (she fell asleep in the car). We finally got her back asleep around midnight and sure enough, she was back up at 6:30. My dad was up too and made me a good latte to keep me going in the morning. It was a great time hanging out and having fun with the fam. Yes, I have included a ton of pictures. Be thankful I didn't post all of them. Here is a pic of just about all the Bell's (we missed those of you that weren't there!).

Yes, we did this to her. She actually didn't seem to mind the ears. It was just past her bedtime.

My goodness, she is cute.

Holly and Matt and the scooter. Once Matt got a hold of it, Holly never got it back.

Delaney and her Grandpa Bell enjoying their walk.

My cousin Holly came in from Boston again this year. She even brought her boyfriend, Matt, and subjected him to a whole weekend of the Bell family.

Delaney was tuckered out from all the fresh air. Plus, the fact that she only got a little sleep the night before. She slept like this for over an hour out on the back porch of the house.

These are just some cool pictures I took around the park. Some are from the bunkers that are located over Fort Worden that were built back at the beginning of the 20th century with the purpose of warding off any invasion attempts. The places where the guns were located were huge and it is amazing that anything that big could even stay anchored once it fired. It was a really fun exploration and I highly recommend it if you like military history or just a little kid who likes exploring. The bunkers are abandoned so you can explore all the dark hallways and stairwells. A little creepy, but very cool.

An actual picture of just Dan and I without Delaney.

Delaney took right to Uncle Bob. He was her buddy from then on and she thought he was hilarious.

Dad and I on the walk to the bunkers.

Kim and I on the hike back down from the bunkers.

Aunt Kathy and Maddisen teaching Delaney how to jump on the bed. You don't think they are having any fun, do you?

First steps!!

Delaney took her first steps today. In the same manner that she does everything else, it had to be her idea and it had to be on her terms. Mom and Dad were not right there desperately pleading with her to take steps or trying to help her along. No, she stopped by the couch to eat a couple graham cracker bunnies, made sure both Dan and I were watching, and then let go and took three steps before falling over. It was as if she was telling us, "See, I can do it myself". Then then just to prove that it wasn't an accident, she crawled over by me in the chair, pulled herself up and took another two steps. That has been it for the evening. Dan and I now know that we cannot persuade her, cannot coax her, and cannot bribe her to walk. She will do it when she wants and she will do it herself. That is our independent little girl.

The sneaky candy eater

Hope everyone had a great Easter! We had a great weekend at Fort Worden and with the family on Easter. Pictures are coming. I need to get some pictures from others as well (hint, hint for those who promised me their pictures!!) so I can put them all on here. Delaney had a little Easter party at her new school on Friday and she got a little treat bag filled with eggs filled with candy. I walked in to pick her up right as they were sitting down for snack, Angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries as a treat for Easter. It melted my heart as all these 1 and 2 year olds sat with their hands folded and recited, "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. Amen." Precious. We took Delaney's treat home since we had to get on the road for Fort Worden. We were getting in the car and she wanted to hold one of the eggs from her bag. My mother's intuition made me think twice about it knowing that she could pop it open and get the candy out, but I pushed it aside and let her have one, hoping that any candy was wrapped if it did escape.

Well, we got about halfway home and sure enough, open pops the egg. I am watching in the rearview mirror as she pulls out a sixlets pack wrapped in plastic. Phew. She can play with it but not eat it. Perfect. We keep driving and I look back and see her little fingers pulling some green foil off a chocolate egg. I am driving with one hand, reaching back with the other demanding that she gives me the chocolate egg all while watching the road and the rearview mirror to see if she complies. In true fashion, our little D stood her ground and quickly shoved the egg into her mouth. I pull the car over and she immediately spits the egg into my hand. Foil was not exactly the taste she was hoping for. I searched for any more candy that fell out, but I didn't come across anymore. I pull back out into traffic and not 10 feet down the road, I see another piece of candy quickly shoved into her mouth. We pull the car back over and I look back to see a little stream of pink spit from the jellybean she just ate running out of her mouth. I feel around her carseat again to find about 8 other jellybeans just waiting to be sneakily consumed on the way home. We made it home without any further candy capers, but I guess I will need to be on the look out from now on. Delaney is not a big sweet eater, but I guess it is more fun when she can do it while mom is demanding for her to stop, but can't do anything about it.

Easter pictures to follow :)