Spring Break in Robert Lee

Due to my work schedule we weren't able to take a week long trip this year. However, our friends the Tillman's graciously invited us to spend a day at their house in the country. We had so much fun playing with the kids and exploring their property. My favorite part of the day was when we were feeding their neighbors longhorn cows and Sidney started yelling, "Guns up Red Raiders!" to the longhorns. I was so proud!

A Little Nip and Tuck

It was time for a blog face-lift. Jennisa, thank you so much for putting this together!!! Definitely was worth the wait!

The Reign of Disney Princesses May be Over

This is what can happen to your daughter when she spends the day alone with her dad. . .

Unpleasant Surprises

Last week I found out that I'm allergic to sulfa drugs. I have had rosacea for 7 years and my dermatologist thought it was time to try out a new antibiotic - Septra. He told me a few of the side effects, but I only half listened. I'd never had an allergy and didn't expect to have any problems.



On Tuesday, approximately 10 days after I started the medication, I developed a light red rash to the front of my thighs. I thought it was a heat rash at first because I had been exercising. I took a dose of Septra that night and about an hour later I realized that the rash was probably related to the new antibiotic.



The next morning the rash had spread to my stomach. I called in at work and started taking benadryl. I then called my doctor and left a message that I was having a reaction to the medicine he had prescribed. The receptionist told me they were very busy and she would have the office nurse call me back. In the meantime I started researching sulfa drugs and what type of reactions other people had experienced. There were lots of nasty rash pictures that didn't look like mine so I wasn't worried. I figured it would take some time for my body to get the drug out of my system.



At 1pm I still had not heard from the doctors office so I called again to follow up. The receptionist told me they were still very busy, and the nurse would call me soon. I wasn't too worried. I kept taking the benadryl and trying not to scratch. The rash was starting to become a darker red and reminded me of measles. This is what my leg looked like:




The office nurse called back at 6:15pm. I didn't get to the phone in time to answer and it switched to voice mail. I called her back immediately, but I got the office answering system. I left a message asking her to call me back and then listened to her message. On my voicemail she said to call back the next day (Thursday) after 3pm if I was still having problems. I noticed that the rash had spread to my arms at this point. I kept thinking my body just needed more time. It wasn't 24 hours since I last took the medication, and I anticipated feeling better in the morning.



I had a terribly bad night. I couldn't get comfortable, and the rash was starting to become very painful. I took some Tylenol but only managed to get 4 hours of sleep.



Thursday morning the rash had spread up to my neck and down to my ankles. I was starting to get worried that I might have Stevens Johnson Syndrome. I called in again to work and called my doctor as soon as his office opened. My worry was starting to turn into fear that this might not get better. The receptionist I had spoken with the previous day told me that the doctor had left town that morning and wouldn't be back until next Wednesday. WHAT!!!!! I was starting to get angry. I told her that I was worse today and I was very frustrated that I wasn't able to see my doctor. She then became snippy with me that their nurse was busy and I didn't understand what it was like in their office. At this point I was on the verge of crying and told her that I was a nurse too and that I wouldn't have called unless it was serious. I told her that I was going to the ER and that I was very disappointed with my doctor and his staff.



So, at this point I felt horrible, I looked horrible, and I was crying. To top it all off I had to go to my hospitals ER where I would most likely see people I work with, and I was going to have to be bra-less. I've never been one of those free spirit, bra burner gals. This was easily one of the worst days of my life. Damon came home from work to drive me and we fortunately hit the ER during a lull. We were one of 5 people in the ER and only waited an hour before they called us to the back. The nurse practitioner that saw me was a guy I had worked with on 4Central. He didn't recognise me at first, but he eventually realized who I was. By this time the rash covered me from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head. The worst part was my itchy ears. It almost seemed like I could hear the itchiness. The NP told me that he didn't think it was SJS but stressed the warning signs to look for, ordered me steroid shot as well as a benadryl one and sent me home with a prescription for a medrol dose pack.



During my time in the ER, the dermatologists office nurse called to check on me. I thought it was nice that they finally wanted to know how I was and what the ER was doing to take care of me. She asked me to call her back and let her know what medicines they gave me. Since I don't plan on continuing with that doctor anymore I haven't gotten around to making that phone call.



I missed work again on Friday. The medrol helped with the itchy part of my reaction but it made me feel jumpy and restless. I spent the weekend resting in bed and by Monday the rash had faded enough I was able to go to work. I felt weak for the first few days. On Wednesday I was finally back to myself. Overall it took me 8 days to get over my allergic reaction, and I missed 3 days of work. To do it over again I would have had Damon take me to the doctors office at the onset and intimidate the office staff to take care of me. I definitely wish I had skipped all the wasted phone calls. Fortunately it's just a bad memory now. Sulfa drugs are not my friend. I can promise you that I won't be taking them again.

Three Years Old!

We had a princess party this past weekend to celebrate Sidney's 3rd birthday. She had a great time and got lots of great new toys. Here are a few pics of the day:


Jaime and Sidney being so excited!

Grandma, Papa, Jaime, and Sidney - group hug!

The in-laws - Papa, Grandma, and Gigi

The table decorations. It's amazing how much stuff you can find with Disney princesses on it.

Our little family!


Blowing out the candles.

Sweet cousins!

Thanks Meredith, Scott, and Sophie for the super cute dress!

Nothing like some balloon volleyball to burn off all those cupcakes!

Conversations With a 2 Year Old

This is Sidney's last week as a 2 year old. Her perspective on what's happening around her and her imagination when she plays keep a smile on my face. Here are some of my favorite moments from this year:

On a recent trip home from the babysitters...

Sidney: "Momma, I don't like dragons. I like snakes!"

Me: "Oh really. You like snakes?"

Sidney: (condescending) "Mom, people love snakes."

Me: "I'm not so sure about that."

Sidney: (again condescending) "Momma, snakes are our friends."

This was followed by a 5 minute brainwash session about how snakes are not nice and if we see one we don't talk to it or try to touch it. Thank you Dora and Diego.


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After an hour at the grocery store the novelty of riding around in a shopping cart is pretty much over. That's when it's time to make your own fun...

Sidney: "Mom there some farm animals over there" (points to next aisle over)

Me: "I don't think there are farm animals in the grocery store" (not alive ones anyway)

Sidney: "I need to warn the farm animals."

Me: "What are you going to warn them about?"

Sidney: "I need to warn them about dragons! (yelling) Farm animals watch out for the dragons!!! Farm animals you need to look out for those dragons!!!"

I'm sure you can imagine the reaction that got at HEB.

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And just yesterday...

Sidney: "Momma you need to go to the cat hospital! (makes me lay down on a blanket next a line of her animals) Now hold still (pronounced "steeeeeeeeee-yal." Yes we're doing our part to pass Texas twang on to the next generation!). All of these cats are doctors. (Points to her stuffed animals and picks up her current favorite). This is Dr. Uy cat." (Dr. Uy is our family doctor. His name is pronounced - Wii)

Dr. Uy cat: "Meow Meow."

Sidney: "He's going to fix your boo-boos." (This is accomplished by Dr. Uy cat licking my face.)

Fortunately I didn't have to get a shot. I hear that cat doctors are clumsy with needles.

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I tried to explain birthday spankings to Sidney and that she needed to practice getting them. Her opinion of that was...

Sidney: "No birthday spankings! Birthday spankings are not nice to peoples hineys!"

Ped Egg: The musical!

Yes, I own a Ped Egg. It was an impulse purchase as I was checking out at HEB last Sunday. I also picked up some Green Bags so we can save hundreds of dollars on our fresh fruits and vegetables. Anyway, back to the Ped Egg. It's basically a cheese grater for your feet. But to my surprise it really works! I wish the act of emptying it was a little more glamorous, but I don't think there's much that can be done to make foot shavings chic. Overall, it's not as fun as getting a pedicure, but it's definitely a cost effective option albeit more labor intensive. And who wouldn't want to save a few dollars now adays.

Funny Girl

This week has been full of some great Sidney commentary. Here are some of my favorites:

• During Miss Hawaii's talent performance - "Mom that's a lot of shaking." Aloha!
• I was laying on the couch reading a book and she came by very seriously and whispered, "Mom watch out for dragons!" Thanks for the heads up Sid!
• I had made some paper dolls for her, and I told her we should give them names. The first one she named "Chloe." The second one she named "Dandy." Not sure where that came from, but it's her new favorite name. For the third one, she couldn't think of a name so she combined the first two and came up with "Clowndy." The new Brangelina!
• We were naming her stuffed animals and she wanted to name 2 of her puppies "Perrito." I explained that we should give them different names so that we can tell them apart. She said, "Okay. This one is Perrito and this one is Dingy Perrito." Not only a name but an identity.
• We've been working on brushing her teeth before we go too bed. I think that she's getting the idea because last night when I was brushing my teeth she yelled at me from her bedroom, "Be sure and get the ones at the back!" Colgate smiles all around.

Coffee Talk With Kay and John

I've decided that it's time to start letting my state senators know what's on my mind. Thanks to email I can do this from the comfort of my desk with a cup of coffee in hand. Granted it's a one way conversation, but it's not their place to agree or disagree just to listen to the voice of a Texan they represent. If you'd like to let a Texas senator know what you're thinking, Kay and John are only an email away!

How many episodes of Survivor Man should you watch to prepare for the breakdown of civilization?

More than two. Hehe! As a girl who has a tough time camping in an RV that has electric and water hookups, I'm not sure that I would be able to scrape by with my own hands, a hatchet, and some flint. I suppose that the will to survive would probably be stronger than my need for a memory-foam mattress. Hopefully, all the doomsday 2012 business is just silliness, but just in case I'll be doing my Discovery Channel homework.

The Old Grind

Alas, Christmas break ends tomorrow. The past 6 weeks have really flown by. However, we were able to cram a lot of good family time into them. I'm excited that graduation is getting so close, but I know that my next batch of classes are going to create a lot of brain strain. Damon's classes will be starting this week as well, and I'm curious to see how we're going to be able to juggle our jobs, classes, and toddler. Thankfully, it's only for a few months. I can do it.

Uncle Landon Visits Odessa!

My brother Landon was able to work Odessa into his tour of Texas. I'm so glad that he came to see us! Just wish it could have been a longer visit. He's promised to come back for my graduation so hopefully we'll be seeing him again in May.

New Years Port A Trip

Damon and I spent New Years in Port Aransas with my cousins and their friends. It was a great location. Meredith found a wonderful house that was close to the beach. Devon made sure all the meals were delicious. We played games and watched a few bowl games. The Cotton Bowl was a big disappointment. Better luck next year Red Raiders! The weather was cool most of the trip. One morning everything was covered in fog. We didn't have to worry about sunburns. I'm already looking forward to going back with Sidney. Pelicans are funny looking birds but are so graceful in the air. While the guys were fishing we saw a pelican get hooked while trying to steal someone's fish. Sneaky bird! The poor pelican survived the episode, but it moped for a bit with it's beak hidden in the water before flying away.

I told Damon that if I could be a bird I wouldn't mind being a pelican. His response was, "Pelicans go blind and die." So I guess I won't be a pelican after all.

Here's Meredith our fabulous trip coordinator.
Marta and Kyle being silly. Sidney really liked Kyle. I asked if she made any friends while she was at Aunt Pami's house and her response was, "Yes! Darby. Kyle is my friend. A chiuaua lives in his car!" She had a great time playing with Aunt Pami and Haylie. She's still warming up to Sutton. Hopefully her dislike of boys will last until she's 18. The trip was such a great way to start the year. I didn't make any resolutions. I pretty much have my goals set out. This time next year I will have my BSN and will be working on becoming fluent in Spanish. 2009 is going to be fun!

Kermit Christmas

We spent this Christmas with Damon's family in Kermit. We got to see lots of family and Sidney had a great time playing with all her boy cousins. She made out like a bandit with the gifts!

You're never too young to play 42! My sassy girl!

My mom-in-law and grandma-in-law.

Christmas morning was a surprise for Sidney. This horse was her favorite gift. It walks when you tap it on the nose. Thunk!

She now has a new kitchen and a Cinderella castle! Thanks Santa!

Look at that smile!

Sweet Daddy playing Barbies!

It was a great Christmas. I ate way too much and got to spend a lot of time with some great people. Couldn't ask for more!