Another Funny Abby-ism

Last night after both girls were supposed to be asleep, Abby called down from the top of the stairs. She said "Mom, I wish dreams wouldn't come true, because I was starting to have a bad dream and I'm scared it will come true." I told her to go back to bed and think about things she WOULD want to come true. She replied "I want to be a mermaid. I wish I could fly. And I wish I could marry Grandma."

A Conversation Overheard Today

Sammy's been at the beach for the past week, and Abby and he finally had their reunion today. Abby is currently over there playing, and I just received the following email from Kim:
---
I went up to check on them and listened outside the door:"Oh Sammy, I missed you so much when you were at the beach. I asked my mommy every day when you would be back."

Sam The Rationalist replies, "Well Abby I missed you too, but sometimes families have to take vacations together and last week I was just the lucky one. You probably cried every day for me didn't you? But I was at the beach so I did miss you but not as much as you missed me because I was having a lot more fun than you." (oh the competition returns)

Annual Beach Trip

As Jill mentioned in a previous post, we had a great time at the beach. Having just gone through Emmy’s hospital ordeal for most of July/early August we had to push our trip back a couple weeks till late Aug. But that turned out to be a blessing in disguise as crowds and traffic was light.

The theme park was a hit (that’s Abby and I getting ready to “take off”) although Jill and I both almost threw up several times. Pop taught Abby how to catch a wave on the boggie board and I must have pulled Abby and Mikey on that board in the surf 100 times. We also had fun with Uncle Mike, Mikey and Grandma/Pop plus Nan and Pop stopping by for beach fun and subs. Emmy enjoyed getting sand in every possible location in her body. I think she must have eaten 4 handfuls throughout the week. She also enjoyed the rides, eating a huge ice cream cone and attacking me with her big sister. (You can click on any of the below pictures to make them bigger).

As always, thanks to Poppa Sonny and Deb for letting us use the condo. We look forward to our week at the beach every year and this year didn't disappoint!

Pine Cone

The other day i got home from work and Jill said "Oh, Abby has a new name for Emmy." Since Abby was standing beside me i said, "Great! What should we call her?" Abby said very seriously "I want her name to be Pine Cone". So there you have it. From this day forward, we are changing her name to Pine Cone.

Emmy's Ordeal

Jill summarized what happened w/Emmy below but thought i would post a couple more pictures.

The one of Jill with Emmy was taken about 7AM just before her first surgery. The exhausted and sad look on Jill's face bascially sums up how we both felt from mid-July through mid-Aug.

The second picture of Emmy sums up how SHE felt. Sad, tired and probably very confused.

Special thanks to Mama Jo and Grandma/Pop for helping to watch Abby during this time, making meals and generally being there to help out. I really don't know how we could have managed without you all.

Update on a Crazy Few Months

It’s been a while since David or I have posted, but in our defense the past couple of months have been a bit hectic. First of all, poor Emmy was hospitalized THREE times and had to undergo THREE separate operations to treat an abscess on her neck that turned out to be MRSA (a dangerous staph infection). It was a stubborn bug, and a misdiagnosis by a hospital intern did not help matters. But thankfully our little girl is now healthy and happy. During the ordeal (9 nights total in the hospital) the nurses all commented on what a sweet, good baby she was and that she didn’t even seem sick. As always, she was a trooper.

After we got the green light from Emmy’s surgeon, we took a much needed family vacation to Papa Sonny and Deb’s condo. We had a blast and spent tons of time on the beach and eating out. Highlights include hitting the theme park, going out on the fishing pier and seeing a baby hammer head shark up-close, and acquiring a new pet hermit crab that Abby named Julia. David will post some pictures from our trip soon.

School started last week, with Abby in the 4 day 4’s class and Emmy in the 2 day toddler class. So far, so good! I was pretty organized in terms of having them dressed and arriving on time, but I forgot one major thing—FIRST DAY PICTURES! Oops. Sorry girls.

We are just about into Fall and the weather has been incredible. Yesterday Abby was looking up at the sky and she said “It’s a beautiful day for catching clouds.” It was also a beautiful day to be hanging out with my two favorite girls.

Abby Vs. Sleep

Abby has officially waged war with the act of sleeping. She's going through a phase right now of feeling like she's "missing out" by going to sleep by 8PM every night. I'm pretty sure she thinks Jill and I eat candy, watch Barbie movies or Spongebob and play with Sammy when she goes to bed. At any rate, she's fighting it big time. Two nights ago she feel asleep at the top of the stairs (pics below). I wonder when she'll realize that sleep is good for her and makes her feel better the following day? Probably after she's a teenager and sleeps until 1PM everyday.

A Day to Remember

Dear Abby,

Four years ago today, you had surgery to correct bilateral hip dysplacia. Your father and I agree that it was the worst day of our lives.

The surgery was supposed to take an hour or two, but you were in the operating room for five hours. When I was finally allowed to come see you in the recovery room, you were an absolute mess. Your body was hidden beneath a hideous, humongous cast that went from your upper chest down to your toes. Only your shoulders and arms were visible, and your little face was so swollen from the anesthesia I could barely see your eyes. You didn't react well to the morphine, and your vitals dropped more times than I care to count. I still feel physically sick when I think about it.

That night as I slept in your hospital room, I woke up to the sound of someone crying. It was your dad, standing over you as you slept. And your Mama Jo and Grandma both earned a few extra gray hairs that day. The experience was awful, but you were surrounded by people who loved you and nursed you back to good health.

I started this post with the sad side of the story, but there was a lot of good news too. You were born with a problem, but it was FIXABLE. We are so lucky for that. We have access to excellent medical care here, and we brought you to the best doctor we could find. And your Dad and I were so grateful to have such a strong support system -- Grandma and Pop, Mama Jo, Papa Sonny and Deb -- everyone pitched in to help watch you so we could keep you out of daycare the long two months you were in that cast. And Pop rigged baby seats, swings and car seats to find ways for you to be comfortable, which wasn't easy given the odd shape and positioning of your cast.

About two weeks ago we returned to UNC Hospital and Dr. Campion's office for your check-up. They performed X-rays, and of course the news was wonderful -- your hips are "perfect" according to the doctor. In fact, he said there is no longer reason to see you since "there's nothing else we need to do for her."

We are so grateful, and we never take it for granted. To this day, your dad and I love watching you run, skip, jump and dance (and you do all of those things constantly!) This weekend on the beach you just ran your heart out, and I sat there thinking how grateful I am that you can run at all -- let alone without so much as a limp.

So, here's a few pictures to commemorate what you went through. Now, take good care of yourself -- eat your veggies, exercise, and stay healthy. Your beautiful little body earned it!

We love you sweetie.

XOXOX,

Mommy

July 4th Fun

Just thought I would post a couple of photos from the weekend at Grandma and Pop’s. We had a great time at Shannon’s backyard cookout on Friday and then spent all day Saturday on the beach. Highlights from Saturday were “surfing” (consisted of me pulling Abby and Mikey on the boogie board), Abby and Mikey inadvertently killing a tiny sand crab by playing with him to death and then being attacked be a real crab. And how could we go to Cherry Grove without eating lunch at Basil’s pizza? It’s always fun to sit outside after a long day on the beach, eat great pizza and watch Mikey as he yells “MOTORCYLE!!” anytime he sees one. This trip was memorable because a grizzled biker got off his motorcycle and came into Basil’s while we were eating outside. I guess his headband threw the kids off because both Abby and Mikey yelled “Pirate!” as soon as they saw him. I’m not sure he appreciated it but we all got a laugh. It was a perfect weekend.

Ballerina Girl

We had Abby's 2nd dance recital on Saturday night, and afterwards we all went out for pizza to celebrate. Here are a few pics from the occasion.

At the end, each girl gets called up to the podium for a medal ceremony, and when they called Abby's name, Emmy broke loose and ran across the dance floor to be near her sister.

Race for the Cure

This past Saturday was the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and as always it was an amazing, inspiring event. Unfortunately, our team was a bit smaller than planned since my mom and Mikey were both sick, therefore none of the "Dougherty Clan" were able to attend. However, Grandma was there in spirit, represented by her girls:

(she's hot & grumpy here)

Next year I want to get t-shirts made and go all out. And congrats to Angie for raising $650 for the cause!

I’m Sure Someday We’ll Laugh But…

Last week while I was working in Greenville, SC at a golf tournament, an unfortunate series of events occurred that I thought I would put on the blog so we can laugh about at a later date. In short, here is what happened:

• I spoke with Jill via phone Thursday AM who was in tears b/c she exhausted herself tending to Emmy who was up ALL night
• While on the phone, Abby’s school called Jill to come pick her up because she was sick
• Emmy was diagnosed later that day with a severe ear infection, then Abby started throwing up with a nasty virus
• Later that afternoon, the upstairs AC went out (just paid $500 to get it fixed 14 days earlier)
• I drove home Friday AM to find out that Jill was now sick and the upstairs toilet was broken. And it was 90 degrees upstairs.
• The AC man said our system is completely shot and we need a new unit which is understandable since it is 22 years old. That will cost about $5K which we did not budget for.

We realize these are all minor inconveniences but funny how it all happened within 48 hours when I was out of town. I guess this stuff just comes with the territory when you’re a parent and homeowner. So girls, if you are reading this, stay a kid as long as you can (as long as we’re still not supporting you into your 30’s…ha, ha).

The good news is that while I was at the golf tournament (which is a celebrity Pro-Am) I got my picture taken with Terry O’Quinn who plays the central character John Locke on our favorite show “Lost”. I don’t usually get star struck as I run into famous athletes in my job a lot but I REALLY like this show so was happy he offered to take a photo w/me. Cool!

Bouncy Castle!

Attached are some pics from your recent birthday party in the back yard. All your buddies were there from preschool and of course Sammy and Mikey. Everybody had a great time including Emmy.

Happy 4th Birthday Abby

Dear Abby,

Happy 4th Birthday, Pumpkin! We had such a great time celebrating the wonderful little girl you are growing into.

There’s a saying that with kids, “The hours can drag, but the years fly by” -- and it is proving to be so true. I cannot believe you are already 4. There’s a big difference between 3 and 4, and somehow in the past few months it seems you have just sprouted. Or, perhaps blossomed is a better word. :)

Here’s a bit about you at 4:

- The princess obsession is going strong.
- You love doting on your little sister and you are like a second mother to her. It never ceases to amaze me.
- You and Sammy play together for several hours each day. Most of the time you get along well, but there are time you fight like an old married couple.

- You love arts, crafts, dancing and singing.
- You have a great sense of humor and love being silly with me and your dad.

Sometimes you and I fight like cats and dogs, but so it goes with moms and daughters I guess. You are spirited and sensitive and strong-willed – a lot like me! And it’s my personal opinion that those particular traits have lots of positive aspects. So… when the day comes that you are 14 and can’t stand me, please re-read this blog and know that you and I are very connected and very alike. And nothing matters more to me than being a good mom to you and Emmy. I love you little girl, and I’m so proud to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Abby

Dear Abigail,
Since it’s your birthday (well, a little after), I wanted to keep with our tradition of writing you a note for this blog. So I thought I would focus on what traits/habits you have that I get a kick out of and some of my favorite moments with you.

• You are fiercely loyal and protecting of your sister Emmy. If and when another child is the slightest bit mean to her, you immediately defend Emmy. When you are accidentally too rough with her and she starts to cry, YOU get just as upset.


• You talk ALL THE TIME, usually in the form of questions to Mommy or me. I often wonder if your mouth hurts. Sometimes we laugh at how many questions you ask, it’s really amazing.


• I love how excited you get when I tell you I don’t have to go to work. It’s usually followed by a “YAY!!” and a hug


• You are very independent. From pouring your own juice to choosing your clothes for preschool, YOU want to do everything. I think this is probably the case with most kids your age but you seemed to be especially in tune with your independence.


• You love watching SpongeBob Square pants even though you don’t quite understand it.


• I really enjoy watching you entertain yourself. When not asking a question, you are usually singing/skipping/dancing/playing with toys or a combination of the above at the same time. I love those moments.


• I love playing “jumping games” with you before brushing your teeth at night. This consists of using our bed as a trampoline and then tickling you.


• You are friendly to everyone you see and assume everyone new is just a friend you haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet. I love that outlook on life and people...


• You promptly walk in our room at 6:45AM every single day and jump in bed with us and usually stare at us smiling from ear to ear before asking if you can go downstairs to start your day


• You change outfits AT LEAST 3 times a day. A princess dress is typically thrown in that mix in addition to one of Emmy’s outfits


• Your use of big words at four is pretty amazing. After our family walk on the Greenway this past Sunday, you and I sat on the steps and you said “Peeuuuu. Daddy, you smell terrible!”

Here’s to another great year little girl. Happy Birthday.

Love,
Dad

Dad

Silly Girls

I keep telling friends, coworkers, family, etc. that you two little rascals are cracking me up lately. I attached two pictures to illustrate this. Look closely at the refrigerator picture. Apparently Abby thought it would be a good idea to take all of her hair products and accessories, combine those with her toothpaste and put in the fridge (silver bowl). When asked why she did this, she replied "so Grandma can see it". Of course!

And Emmy. You have all of a sudden become fearless and are exploring what you can and cannot do physically. This photo is a good example of you figuring out "YES! I can sit in this bucket on the floor!!"

Yesterday Scooter accidentally knocked you about two feet from where you were standing and you didn't make a peep. You also walked head first into a glass partion at a museum last weekend and didn't flinch. You're a tough little girl who loves to try and keep up wiht the big kids ("big" being 3 years old).

The Princess Curse

It's no secret that I tried to avoid the whole "princess craze" with Abby. It may seem crazy to some, but the way I look at it is that it's not realistic for little girls to want to grow up and become princesses. Plus, it seems to me that all these fairy tales are just ridiculously outdated. Why does Cinderella allow her stepmother to treat her so horribly, while she simply waits around for a man to save her? Ditto with most other princess stories. So, naturally, Abby is obsessed with Cinderella. She is over The Backyardigans. Completely done with Dora. And totally obsessed with not just Cinderella, but specifically the mean step-sisters. She LOVES them! I'm hoping it's just that she's fascinated by these strange girls who are allowed to behave so badly.

Note to self: when the girls become teenagers, do not say bad things about tatoos, skin heads, or redneck boys. And if either ever brings home a guy I cannot stand, I will fake it to the best of my ability!

New Pictures!

Here are some pictures from the past month or so -- we've had lots of "firsts" including Abby's first dance recital and first time ice skating (with Pop), Emmy's first taste of birthday cake, and both girl's first snow day.

Sweet Hearts

Today Abby said to me "Mommy, for Valentine's Day I will give Sammy some of my heart."

And yesterday she saw that I was wearing a brace on my ankle (I have a slight sprain) and she bent over and kissed it. Very sweet.

Now on to Emerson -- I put her to bed last night a bit earlier than usual because she had only taken one short nap all day. She ended up sleeping from 5:50 pm until 8am the next morning, and then awoke with a smile. Thank you, little one.

Happy Birthday Em

Dear Emmy,

For your first birthday I thought I would take the time to tell you about the day you were born. First you have to understand that your mother is a HUGE NY Giants fan. On Sunday, 1/13/08 (a full 8 days before Jill’s scheduled c-section) the Giants were playing the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. It was a big game as Dallas was favored to win and the two teams are bitter rivals. Well, your mother got VERY excited during the game as the Giants were making play after play and eventually ended up winning. She got so excited that she started jumping, yelling and dancing like a lunatic (Abby was hysterical laughing at her). Later that night at about midnight, Jill woke me up and said “something is going on” so we called her doctor. He said to try and go back to sleep as he could tell she wasn’t in active labor. We went back to sleep and about 4AM on the 14th Jill’s water broke, no doubt from jumping around during the football game. So after we got our neighbor Kim to come babysit for Abby, we took off for the hospital and called our families on the way. You must have been in a hurry to meet us because once we arrived at the hospital the nurse had to give Jill some medicine to slow down the contractions so our Dr. could arrive. He finally arrived and off we went into the OR. Now we didn’t find out ahead of time if you were a boy or girl so this was the big moment of surprise for us. If you were a boy we were going to name you Ryan although we joked we should name you Eli after Eli Manning who was the starting QB of the Giants. But we knew if you were a girl we would name you Emerson (we’ll tell you why in a future blog entry). The procedure went as planned and you were born shortly after 7AM at Rex Hospital. The Dr. told us you were a girl and we were obviously thrilled. I counted all your little fingers and toes and was surprised at your full head of hair. You were crying pretty hard but the staff said that was normal and good for your lungs and breathing. All the family showed up while Jill was in labor and was anxiously awaiting your arrival.

The rest is history, you were born and the Giants won the Super Bowl that year in dramatic fashion. It really is hard to think of life before you were born. You make us laugh and amaze us at how smart and inquisitive you are. You point at every light you see and say “dahhahh?” almost like you are asking us “HEY, do you see that too!?” You are also a quick little thing. If we don’t shut the baby gate behind us, you’re halfway up the steps before we know it. You hardly ever cry and NO ONE and I mean NO ONE can make you laugh like Abby can. She loves you so much and is a wonderful, caring big sister to you. You have a great smile that you display often – especially when I start chasing you. When I finally catch you, you start giggling and screaming and it’s the best part of my day.

Here is to many more years of hearing you laugh. Happy Birthday.

Love,
Dad

Happy 1st Birthday, Emerson!

Dear Emerson,

One year ago tomorrow you entered our lives, and you’ve been nothing but a bundle of joy ever since. Both of your grandmothers say you are the best baby they have ever seen. I guess that’s why this year has gone so quickly – you make our lives better and happier, and you’re just SO EASY. You are what my parenting books would call an “Angel Baby” – easy-going, happy, agreeable. I’ll be the first to admit you did not get that from me! You definitely have your daddy’s mild temperment, but you do look like me. (Abby is exactly the opposite – she looks like him but has my feisty personality).



You are walking and running all over the place. You love having your feet tickled. You love when your dad plays chasing games with you. And any time you hear music, you do a little dance where you bend your knees and do mini-squats. You smile every time someone makes eye contact with you, and you have beautiful blue eyes that the doctor says will stay that way.


Your sister adores you, and the only problem we have is that she sometimes loves on you too much. I often find her laying across you or sitting on top of you, pinning you to the ground like her own personal pillow. The funny thing is, you rarely complain. I guess you’re just used to it. Before you were born, I worried that Abby may be jealous of a new baby, but she truly loved you from the moment she met you. You just have that effect on people. We are so lucky that you are our baby. We love you, Emerson Lily!

Our First (Hopefully Last) Trip to the ER…

Last night started out as a pretty typical Sunday in the Dykes House. Uncle Erik came for dinner, Abby got drunk on Jelly Beans (see picture)
and then both girls went to sleep without incident. I then got together with my neighbors Jen and Kim to watch the Golden Globes, and that’s when all hell broke loose. We were upstairs in Kim’s addition when I heard David come into her house yelling my name. He then appeared at the top of her stairs with a frightened looking Abby in his arms, and he said “I think Abby is choking. Something’s wrong.” I’m pretty sure I lost about 10 years of my life. Kim quickly realized she had a terrible case of croup – her cough sounded scary and awful, but at least we knew what to do. Long story short, we brought her into the bathroom for 20 minutes with the hot shower running, but she was still wheezing afterwards. We called the advice nurse, and she told us to take Abby to the ER because of her history with RAD (respiratory airway disease). So, at about 11pm, we took our little girl on a “special nighttime adventure.” She was so cute and sweet sitting in the ER waiting room in her polka dot footie pajamas. Here's a picture David took from his camera phone.



It turns out she just needed an oral steroid, and we were home by about 1am. We’re lucky to have such close friends in our neighborhood – Jen and Kim camped out on our couches to be here for Emmy and to make sure Abby was ok.

Now here’s the weird thing – it was this EXACT Sunday one year ago today that we watched the Giants beat the Cowboys in the playoffs, and then my water broke and I ended up in the hospital giving birth to Emerson. I really hope late night/early morning hospital visits do not become an annual event.