Catch up via Pictures

Delaney was all smiles this night at dinner time.  We've been enjoying a little down time here lately before the hustle and bustle of the holidays kick in!

Delaney and Daddy snuggling up on a lazy Sunday.  You can't see it all that well, but she picked her own ensemble this day.  It was pretty "creative"! 

Then, we came down with a tummy bug.  She fought it off and on for about a week, but the worst was about 10 days ago!  Poor peanut wasn't herself at all!

We all did a lot of napping while Delaney was sick.  Izzy of course naps all day every day, so she was grateful to have company!

Luckily, she snapped out of it and was back to her crazy self before too long!

Which was perfect timing because cousin Chase was coming for a visit!  We only have a short time for it to be "OK" for them to bath together, so we try to take advantage of it while we can!

Jess & Nick went to the Husker game, so we got some quality Chase time in while they were gone!  I love that little munchkin!

Delaney's newest trick is trying to dress herself, and she usually asks me to take her picture after she gets the shirt over her head.  Here's last night's edition!

We will be heading north for the Thanksgiving Holiday/Weekend for some much needed family time!  We have so many amazing blessings to be thankful this year!  We wish all of our a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Stressful catch-up

We have been busy with a lot of stress here lately!  We have had everything from sickness, to lack of sleep, to horrible tax return news over the last few weeks!  Thankful, we have this little face to keep up focused on what's important in life...even if she's a little stinker!  With everything going on, I haven't taken many pictures lately.  These are all from my phone, so bear with me...





Delaney is still working the minor kinks out of potty training.  We are way past the point of no return, and she is still doing remarkably well considering she isn't even 2 yet!  If we could just get her more confident with the whole process, especially at daycare, and understanding the different levels of "needing to go" we'd be set!  She is still having her moments of "Terrible-Two-ness" too, but I think that's just the way it's going to be for a while!   Good thing we love her so much!






I mentioned we've been dealing with some sickness here lately.  Thankfully, the worst of it hasn't hit our household, although we've all been dealing with some symptoms that just don't seem to want to go away. Baby Chase has had RSV for a couple weeks and he's been teething, so he's been a pretty sick little boy.  Luckily, he's such a happy kid so it hasn't been completely unbearable for all of them.  It appears as though the worst is over for him, and he's on the road to recovery!  We went and visited him this weekend just to see for ourselves, and he's still the happy little cutie that we know and love!  The worst has been my grandmother.  Long story, short, she had emergency surgery last Tuesday to repair a bleeding ulcer and remover her gallbladder.  After months of virtually starving and dehydrating herself (because she's so stubborn and didn't want to burden anyone), the symptoms got bad enough to warrant a trip to the ER, which ultimately led to the surgery.  She is also hopefully past the worst of it, and on the long road to recovery!  We visited her at the hospital in Omaha Saturday morning, and she's was much better overall than I was expecting!  She's a tough old lady!














So after an exhausting and much needed trip home for the weekend to visit everyone and catch up, we are home and trying to get and stay healthy.  We are also gearing up for a big birthday coming up in two weeks!  It's hard to believe our little peanut is going to be 2!  More details to follow...

So much for getting healthy...

Delaney came down with a nasty cold last week, and I spent Thursday & Friday home with a sick little girl.  She had a runny nose and stuff like that since before Christmas.  But when she woke up with a fever Thursday morning, I thought for sure she had an ear infection or strep or something like that, but alas it was "just a combination of viruses".  Awesome!  My little girl had a low fever from Thursday until Saturday, snot everywhere, a smoker's cough, and was extremely clingy.  Since it was a virus there wasn't much I could do for her...fluids, ibuprofen/Tylenol, humidifier, etc.  Obviously, I enjoyed all the extra cuddles and snuggles, but of course those have now come back to bite me in the butt! 

I'm sick.  Craig's sick.  We are a big, snotty, miserable family.  No fevers since Saturday, so we have all gone back to our normal day-to-day happenings.  All I want to do is go home to my sweat pants and DVR.  I haven't made it back to the gym since Thursday thanks to this lovely sickness.  I toyed with the idea of going tonight, but the way my head is pounding right now and the fact that I can't breath all that well, I'd say that's highly unlikely at this point. Here's to hoping this doesn't stick around too long! 

Too Much Weekend

I think Delaney had a little too much weekend!  She got run down, and has now gotten sick!  This is something that I used to do when I was a kid (actually, I still tend to get sick when I get run down.)  Nothing serious, but still no fun!  I'm hoping it's just a cold that she got because she was so tired & run down.  I also think her teeth may be bothering her!  I'm just hoping now that all this drainage doesn't turn into an ear infection again!  I stayed home with her yesterday, so she could get in some extra rest and down time.  She seemed a little more spunky this morning, but she still has that nasty cough!  I hope this doesn't linger too long.  Last night was the first night she hasn't woken up in the middle of the night in almost a week! 

Craig and I are still trying to get caught up from the weekend too.  We must be getting old because it's Thursday, and we are still exhausted!  Having a sick kiddo doesn't help!  Here's hoping a low-key weekend at home this weekend, gives us all a chance to get some rest.  My parents are coming to town to go to the Husker game, so Craig and I might actually get a Date Night and some extra help with D.  Should be a win/win for everyone! 

I spoke too soon...

We are now dealing with another first at our house...Delaney has her first ear infection, and it's not just an ear infection...it's a double ear infection! This lovely condition was caused by all the drainage that she's had since last week...which is also the same virus that presented like pink eye, even through it was likely just part of the virus. After not sleeping through the night since Sunday, and waking up yesterday with goopy eyes, a faucet nose, and a nasty cough I decided to call the doctor. It was one of the few random days that I absolutely had to be at work and Craig couldn't get away, so I sent her to Holly's with severe apologies and guilt. Holly was very understanding!

After a conversation with one of the nurses, we decided we better get D into see one of the doctors to figure out what was going on. I had to trek clear across town to get the last appointment available yesterday, but after we saw the doctor I'm so glad I did. She said that the right ear is really bad, and the left is getting there. We have 10 day of Amoxicillian ahead of us, and a re-check of her ears scheduled for next Friday since we are leaving for the lake on Saturday! If it's not better we will have to go with a stronger antibiotic and ear drops...fun stuff! Luckily, so far Delaney seems to tolerate the Amoxicillian, she apparently like the taste of it which has helped tremendously! She also has not shown any signs of allergic reaction to it...I was a little worried since she hasn't had any real (non-OTC) medication yet and her cousin is allergic to penicillin. Let's hope that the meds help, and our little girl is good as new by the time we leave for vacation! I'm tired of sickness!

Road to Recovery

Well, I think I can safely say that the Mencke house is on the road to recovery. We have all been back to work/day care since Tuesday, and so far so good. So far, I have miraculously remained healthy despite being a human kleenex for Delaney for over a week now! Both Craig and Delaney have lingering sniffles and coughs, but they are doing much better!

I have continued with my 30 Day Shredding this week! I started Level 2 on Monday, and I have felt it all week! My wrist is starting to get a little sore (remember last summer when I had that weird tendinitis "BlackBerry tumb" thing?), so this morning I had to do a few "alternative" moves from Level 1. I hope I can continue my workouts with this improv substitution. I am starting to feel stronger and a little more fit, so I think it's definitely helping! So continuing the effort of full accountability...after a recommendation from a close friend who is looking fabulous these days, and who will remain nameless, I have started Weight Watchers this week! So far, I think it's a perfect fit for me. I don't have to deprive myself of the things I love, but I have to account for every bite or drink of food I take and stay within my limits! My problem all along has been food, and more specifically portion control and self control, so this is a great step in the right directly for me! So far, I'm loving it, and cautiously optimistic for results!

We have a busy Mother's Day weekend planned with hopes of seeing all our mothers! We are very blessed to have our mothers and grandmothers so close that we can celebrate with them! It should be a fun weekend, and a good test for my new diet! Happy Mother's day to my mom, mother-in-law, grandma, and all the other wonderful moms in my life!

Mencke Hospital

I'm home playing nurse today with two sick patients...no fun!

A party side-effect...

Well not only did we share food, cake, and laughs on Saturday at Delaney's birthday party, we also apparently passed around a nasty virus. About half the guest list has been or is currently sick since the party! I feel horrible that everyone is getting this nastiness after celebrating with us. I came down with it Tuesday night, and now it appears that Craig has a touch of it. We have heard from several of our guests that they too have been sick and missed work/school this week! Boo! So far (knock on wood) Delaney remains healthy! We have another big weekend planned full of working for Craig (sorry, honey) and throwing a baby shower for Jess! Let's hope we get healed up before then! So far it seems to be a quick-moving virus!

D got a cold for Christmas

Delaney got a nasty cold/virus this week! It has been no fun whatsoever! When I picked her up after work on Tuesday, Holly said that her cold had kicked in full blown. She wasn't kidding! Delaney has been pretty miserable since. I stayed home with her yesterday, and Craig is home with her today. Poor little baby! We had her 9 month check-up yesterday, but the doctor said that it's just a virus and there isn't much we can do for her. We just have to ride it out for a couple weeks.

We did find out that she's a pretty big girl. She's weighing in at 21.3 pounds (84 percentile) and is 29 inches long (92 percentile). She's had quite a grown spurt in the last month. No wonder all of her clothes are suddenly too short! Good thing Christmas is almost here...

Well, we're hoping for a big recovery, so she isn't so miserable for her first Christmas! We shall see...

Thinking of our friends...

Today, my mind, heart, and prayers are with some of my very good friends. I have two friends that are dealing with their parent's illnesses, and I'm very worried for both of them. One is dealing with the after-effects of a stroke that her mother had, while the other continues a 3 year battle against cancer that her father's been fighting. I'm praying for the best for all of them, and I hope you will do the same!

I've been whiny lately about my situation...money, stress, lack of sleep, etc... Then, I see what my friends are up against and I feel incredibly guilty. There are so many worse things out there, and I'm so thankful that we have the life we do. I'm working on living in the moment, and not taking everything so seriously, but it's hard. I'm trying to focus on the good, and not let the bad consume me. We have a great family that is healthy (knock on wood), and honestly what more could we want. We are also on the brink of my favorite time of year when we get to see everyone we love and spend some serious time together, so that is something I'm definitely excited for and looking forward too!

Please keep the Helt (Aerni) family and the Bright family in your prayers today!

P.S. I promise to have a post full of Delaney and new pictures on Friday for her 8 month birthday!

Sad, Sick Puppy!

We had a long night last night...Izzy was sick! Craig had spent the evening fishing with some friends, so it was just me and Izzy at home for most of the night. She was hanging out int he backyard as she does most nights. I was puttering around the house doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen. I noticed she was licking/digging at a spot in the yard. I tried to call her in the house and she wouldn't budge. (She usually comes when we call her!) So, I went out to check out what she was doing...it was a pretty gross site. I wasn't completely sure, but it sure looked like she had gotten sick.

So, I thought maybe the front yard would be a better place for us to hang out, as she wouldn't leave "the spot" alone. I took her out front, hooked her to her chain, and settled into the lawn chair on the porch for some magazine reading. Izzy started chowing down on grass like I've never seen her do. It was crazy. She would eat, then lay down, and then eat some more. She didn't get sick again outside for almost 2 hours, so I thought whatever it was had passed.

I brought her back inside and gave her a bath. It was the time of the month for her flea/tick treatment, so I thought I should give her a bath first since she wouldn't be able to have another one for a week. Shortly after the bath, Craig came home. She seemed her usual, excited self when he came in. We hung out in the leaving room for a little while, then Izzy got sick on the floor. We cleaned it up, she napped for a while, and then we headed to bed. She got sick at 12:15 a.m. and again at about 1 a.m. It was a long night!

I didn't sleep well. I was worried about her and afraid she was going to get sick again at any time. I can't imagine how it's going to be with babies. If they are ever sick, I might as well just stay up all night because sleeping is impossible when I'm worried/paranoid like that! It's almost worse to stay in bed and fight with sleep than to just stay up all night!

Izzy still seems "off" today. I hope she just got into something she shouldn't have in the yard or something. She's never been "sick" for so long. I hope it's not serious!

A Sick Husband

So, Craig has been sick since last Thursday. He never gets sick, so when he is it's bad. He's had a severe sore throat...developed a bad cough...had a few fevers...and gotten some headaches. I finally talked him into going to the urgent care clinic on Sunday. They tested him for strep throat...negative. Then, they gave him the old "you've got a virus...you need to rest and drink lots of fluids routine". Well, he's not getting any better after a few days of extra rest. In fact it's getting worse. He's at my normal doctor now, so we'll see if he can resolve anything.

The thing is, I feel like I've been pretty good to Craig since he's been sick. You know getting him medicine, making him soup, etc. Now, I get sick (usually with migraines) far more often than Craig, and when I do I don't think he's as nice to me. Why is that? I've discussed this with a few other females, so find the same thing happens with their men. Is sympathy for sickness a gender specific thing?

Grrr!

I'm beyond disappointed. I have been working on a case for 9 months...9 months...since July. I finally got everything finished with the life insurance companies. I delivered everything I had promised to in the beginning. Then, I come to find out this morning, the client has suddenly changed his mind and decided to go elsewhere. There were times throughout this process I was literally banging my head against the wall. We had a good company, the lowest premium, and he still went elsewhere. This industry is really starting to put me in a bad mood! (I realize most of you have no idea what I'm talking about...I needed to vent.)

In other news, graduation is rapidly approaching for both of my siblings. Chip is busy finishing out the year...right now he's at the beginning of track season. He also has Prom coming up in a couple weeks! Jessica is busy student teaching and looking for a job. She's getting a little discouraged, but I know something will work out soon! Any school would be lucky to have her!

My uncle Jack was scheduled to come home from UNMC yesterday. But, Tuesday night he developed a fever, which got up to 102 degrees and continued all day yesterday. His nurse told my dad he didn't have a very good day yesterday. He even told Mom to stay home and not come visit because he felt so bad. It is likely that he has developed some sort of infection...this is very bad because the chemo has wiped out his immune system. Now, we'll just have to go day-by-day to see if he can come home.

Craig woke up with a sore throat this morning. Mine has been a little scratchy the past couple days too. I hope we aren't getting sick! I finally feel like I'm over my 2 week long neck pain that triggered migraines about every day...I would seriously hate to set sick again!

Well, this is fairly random...that's about all I have to tell you about right now!