I need some advice!!

I took Olivia to the doctor about two weeks ago for her 1 year check-up. The doctor looked in her ears and found that both were infected. She had ear infections when she was a little younger and it took awhile to get rid of them. She was on lots of different antibiotics for about 2 months until I just asked my pediatrician if we could give her a decongestant and see if she could fight it off on her own. It worked and she stayed ear infection free for about 3-4 months (at least we think she was...having found out about this latest ear infection makes me wonder if she has had them and we didn't know about them). All that to say that she still has both ears infected.
Anyway, I have been very hesitant about getting tubes in her ears. I have heard lots of different opinions on tubes and how it worked/didn't work for different people. But I also worry about her hearing. In fact, I had made an appointment (before all of this happened) to take Josiah in to have his hearing tested. Sometimes I wonder if he can hear me and sometimes I wonder if he doesn't want to hear me. :) He also had ear infections as a baby. I STILL get ear infections and have lost some of my hearing due to both ear drums rupturing twice.
Also, I just have this UGH feeling about trying out another antibiotic on Olivia. We went through this before and it did not help. All it did was make her HATE to take medicine and draw out the whole process. And I wish that I just had my old pediatrician. She was great and really talked through things with me and made me feel comfortable with all of the decisions. I guess that if she (Dr. Walsh) was telling me to give her another antibiotic, I would do it. It's all an issue of trust with me.
Oh, and I wasn't really supposed to take Olivia in today. Her follow-up appointment wasn't until Friday. But yesterday, she woke up with a rash on her forehead and on her neck. By the evening, it had spread to her scalp and all down her back and stomach. I called the nurse and she told me what to do for her yesterday. Today it was better but she was itching so badly that I decided to take her in. So today we saw a different doctor (I guess they are in a group and we see the doctor that is available) and she said that Olivia still has both ears infected and thought that rash was caused from whatever is going on in her body with the ear infections.
So here are my questions, after all of my ramblings!!!
Would you put her back on an antibiotic? Would you consider tubes? Would you be concerned about the rash? Would you tell me to suck it up and trust my new doctor? Would you tell me to give the old pediatrician a call? Have you already called me crazy and given up on reading this??

Curiosity Killed The Cat

I must know, is there someone from Pompano Beach, FL that reads my blog? Who is my neighbor?

Field Trip With Daddy

Jay took the boys to a nature preserve park on Friday. They walked around and looked at butterflies, played at the playground and went to a presentation about an owl. They had lots of fun while Olivia and I stayed home and climbed the stairs. :)
Also, this weekend, I went to a children's workshop with some other ladies (and one man) from our church. We went to Orlando on Friday afternoon and came back Saturday evening. It was nice to get to know some more people from the church. Jay did great with the kids, and the kids did great with Jay.
Then, Saturday night after I got home, Jay and I went to dinner with some young couples from the church. We had so much fun and wished that we would have told our babysitter we'd be home a little later. It was nice to get away and enjoy ourselves. We are really starting to settle in and make ourselves at home.

The boys had fun but were a bit nervous after seeing spiders...hmmm...wonder where they get that. And no, I will not post pictures of the spiders. ~CHILLS~

What a guy!

Isaac was very impressed with all of the butterflies.

I'm glad that they had a fun time! Jay and I stayed up a little later with the boys tonight and just had fun playing games, watching the boys do somersaults, headstands, skip, laugh and we just talked. We are blessed.

Play Dough

I have never made play dough before. I buy it but always wanted to make it because the homemade stuff is so much better. Well, Isaac's home school curriculum had the recipe in it so we gave it a shot. Of course, it is very simple to make and good grief, there is a lot of salt in it. No wonder I thought it was salty when I licked it (...as a young child).

I have no clue what this was about. They do their own thing.

I love when he concentrates. Isaac looks so much like my oldest brother, Matt, in this picture.

Isaac's creation. I like it in black and white. :)

Look at Josiah's eyes. He was leaning over the table to steal Isaac's play dough while Isaac was in the bathroom. He knows how to push the buttons. Hee hee!

Skype

There is a wonderful thing called Skype. If you haven't heard of it, you must learn! It is a free call on the computer and you can see the person you are talking to with a web cam. So fun! It has been great to use with family. My parents called the other night and Dad told the boys their bedtime story. Dad always tells his variation of The Tortoise and the Hare. I have never sat in on it as I'm usually glad to have a break from telling bedtime stories. But now I know why the boys love Dad to tell the story so much. It is hilarious...Dad's version, that is. Thanks for the great entertainment, Dad!

I think that it was past Josiah's bedtime. This is what he looks like when he has not had a nap...kind of zombie-ish. But a cute, wide-eyed, chubby cheeked zombie. He makes me smile 90% of the day. :)

Isaac LOVES to be told a story. He will sit and read books as long as you have the energy to read them, right Jean??

He also has a bad habit of biting his nails. But a cute, missing tooth, tousled hair, warm your heart bad habit.

These are my guys. Talking to a computer...with Dad on the other side. :)

Blog Going Private

If you would like to continue reading our blog, please email me at ikejoe@hotmail.com (This is not the email that I check regularly, so please don't add it to your address book. If you have my regular email address, then feel free to email me there.) I will send you an invitation to your email address. I know that there are several people who read the blog that have never commented on the blog...I don't even know that you read it. PLEASE email me so you can continue to get updates. Let me know what friend of a friend you are. :)
I'll be making the blog private in 3 days. Thanks!!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

These are a few of my favorite things:

When Olivia reaches for us to pick her up. We can't resist!

When the kids play together.

And when they play alone...

Refrigerator Art...

Pasta Carbonara...

My pillow from New Mexico...

The throw that I won at Bunko...

Bottles ... that we are slowly phasing out of :(...

This bib...

Piles and piles of great children's books...

Milk mustaches (or smoothie mustaches)...

My chicks...

Coasters from Jean...

This piece of an antique Chinese costume that Mom brought back to me from China...

And of course, my favorite childhood movie!!

Here are some things that I don't have pictures of but rank in the top favorites:

Jay's integrity
Isaac's heart
Josiah's humor
Olivia's peacefulness
True friends
Trees
The color green
My camera
My computer
The Green Bay Packers
Being a mom and
Being a wife!


Now I want to know some of your favorite things.