Why?

We hit the "Why?" stage a few weeks ago.  Excuse me while I go rip all of my hair out.

ER Visits and Rashes

Well, it happened.  We had to make our first ER trip.  Steven had a fever over the Memorial Day Weekend.  We went to the clinic at Kroger and he got antibiotics for an ear infection.  Monday night it spiked to 105.3.  I put him in a tepid bath and Brad called the nurse.  They told us to get him to the ER ASAP....STAT I guess in ER speak.

We headed out at about 10:20 pm in POURING down rain.  Steven was great in the car.  Tired and quiet.  Brad parked the car while I headed in to check in.  As I neared the check in desk Steven vomited.  All over me.

They checked him out and his fever was down to 103, so that meant we got to wait.  5 others ahead of us.

No problem for Steven.  He had his mommy and got to sleep on her.  Mommy and Daddy on the other hand....

They took us back close to 1.  Ran all the tests.  Conclusion.  Virus of some sort, not just the ear infection.  His best guess...Roseola.  He told us a rash would cover his body once the fever broke.

Exhausting.  Scary.  But all gone.  Back to the wild child.

Stop Growing

Can you stay the same size for a little bit?  Steven, at the age of 2, is in a 4T shirt, but still can wear is 18M shorts.  WTF?  He barely fills a 2T Short.  Don't get me started on pants.  They don't make pants that can adjust skinny enough for his length!  I know he'll level out, but GEEZ.

Not to mentioned he goes through shoes faster than I do.  Size 9...and filling those out too.  STOP.

I guess I know where the food is all going.  I do want him to be tall, but can he slow down some.  He looks like a 4 year old...a skinny 4 year old.

2 Year Old = Zombie?

So goes it...another note from school.  The last note we received was when Steven was transitioning out of the infant room.  He was not even 1 yet so you just brush it off right?  He was pulling hair and pushing.  Once.  That was it.

Yesterday, we received two (2), yes TWO, incident notes.  In less than 5 minutes this kid bit two other kids.  He can't even walk out to the car in the morning in less than 5 minutes.  He can move that fast?

Incident 1: A Friend (funny how they call them friends) and Steven were using the slide.  Steven's Friend wanted to slide first.  Steven apparently wanted to go first.  So, the natural next step is to bite his Friend's finger.  Really?  Steven can be a jerk...so I can see this.  What a jerk right?  Do not fret, he did not break the skin, but did leave a mark.  Steven got a talking to.

5 Minutes later...

Incident 2: Steven was lining up items at one of the activity tables.  His Friend wanted one of those items and came over to "share".  Steven did not want to "share".  So, the natural next step is to bite his Friends shoulder.  Shoulder?  Really?  JERK.  No blood, but a mark and another talking to.

Between you and me....Incident 2 would have resulted in more than a talk at home.

I have a zombie.  He likes to bite others.  I KNOW it's a faze.  They don't know how to voice their annoyances like we do.  Maybe he sense that I want to bite and kick people too (sometimes).  It is all about the parents right?  We make them into what they are.

Guess I am a zombie...or a jerk.  I confess to being a jerk, but I don't like to bite people.  Too many germs...I mean Ebola right?

I am not blogging for opinions or advice.  You can read 100,000 articles.  I am just amused and figured I would amuse you all too.

Here's a picture of the zombie...doing what he does best.  EATING

Pee Pee in the Toilet

Never knew I would be so psyched over someone going piss in a toilet...but I am.  Two nights in a row, before bath time, Steven went pee pee in the toilet!

Celebrate!

This kid, yes, stink face an all, went potty in the toilet...we need to burn through some diapers and then it's pull up time for day time right?  Who knows.  Just pee in the toilet!

2 Years Old: The Next Big Adventure

It's been a while since I last posted anything.  That's fine.  My excuse is I have a 2 year old.  Who has time to even sit down?

What's next for the Gorkas?  Potty training.  I have ready everything you can on potty training a boy.  I have heard every tip you can hear from friends (and strangers).  I am so not ready for this next adventure.

Steven has been showing an interest.  Why not?  His Sr. Toddler class has dedicated "potty times" for the potty trainers.  Monkey see, Monkey do.

It's so cute to watch him try and pee pee in the toilet.  He stands and holds it and everything.  Now we just need to connect the dots.  Pee Pee in the toilet = HUGE CELEBRATION and CANDY! No, I do not plan on setting up a potty training boot camp.  Sound rough on the kid (and on the parents).  I will take it slow and hopefully he will pick up on it quick.  The good thing is we have his school to support us.  They will help maintain the potty mantra while we are at work (worth the money!).

I also know that I probably fooled you with my title.  The Next Big Adventure usually means something like moving to another state or having another baby.  HAHA.  NOPE.  We are hoping to move soon though.  Not far, but to a larger home.  A family of 3 with animals has stretched the limits of a 4 bedroom ranch.  Seriously.  Kids come with a lot of crap.

Is a new baby in store for the Gorka family?  We go back and forth.  We are at the terrible 2 stages you know...and for the most part Steven is cool, but he does have some terrible, patience testing moment.  So if you asked me today?  NO.  Big fat NO.

Until next time!
Yen

Steven wanted OUT!

As many of you know by now Steven Thanh Gorka wanted out 4 weeks early.  He was born 4 weeks early on January 20, 2013 at 20:20.  He weighed 7 lbs and 5 oz and measured 20 & 3/4 inches.  I guess he seemed a little impatient to meet us.

Here is a summary of his delivery - still long, but I summarized where I could:

I woke up Saturday, January 19th at 3:00 am to my water breaking...at the time a bit of denial led me to go back to bed instead of waking up Brad.  I woke up at 8:00 am and woke Brad up and told him I may have had my water break.  Against his advice I did not call the doctor's office (the baby wouldn't be 4 weeks early!) and took a shower to get ready to meet some friends at Starbucks.  I kept thinking there is NO WAY this baby is coming this early so I pushed the worries out of mind.  Just in case I called a friend and asked her what it was like to have your water break.  She said it sounded like mine did and that I should call the doctor...I said ok...after Starbucks.  Met with my friends and also got their advise.  They asked me to call after our coffee.  HA - FINE!

On the way home (11am) I called the midwife.  She recommended I go to the Women's Center for them to confirm if my water broke.  I asked "Should I bring my husband?".  There was a pause and the midwife said "Ummm, yes.  You need to head to the Women's Center like you are in labor".  Ok.  Fine.  I called Brad and told him the plan.  When I got home he was in the shower.  As I packed my "go bag" I got to hear the "I told you so" lecture.  I packed everything in record time. By the way, Brad's bag had been packed and in his car for 2 weeks.  I think it's funny that I was not packed and he was.

We head to the hospital and they confirm at 12:00pm my water has broken.  I was 1.5 cm and 90% effaced...wow.  We were moved to Labor and Delivery and we started making calls.  I was put on Pitocin for 4 hours...NOTHING happened.  They decided plan B was to use Cervidil overnight and we'd try again in the AM.  I was to try and get some rest.  Not so easy when they come check your temperature (risk of infection is high when your water breaks - they try and deliver the baby within 12-24 hours of your water breaking) every two hours and if your monitor falls off they "sneak" in to fix it.

At 6am, January 20 they started again.  The doctor that was on call was awesome.  We loved him.  He predicted the baby would be born around 9 or 10 pm.  GEEZ.  More penicilin (every 4 hours) and Pitocin.  After 3 hours and a potty break (one of many due to the IV fluid) Brad noticed an "issue".  The nurse hooked the Pitocin line back into itself.  I was not getting any through my IV.  Fun times.  They corrected it and we waited.  My contractions were getting stronger and I was in active labor around 3pm.  I was ready for the Epidural.  NOW.  After they hooked me up I was feeling GREAT...but then nausea struck.  Nice.

At 8pm the doctor came back in to check on me.  Keep in mind we were expected an updated of "see you at 10pm to deliver"...instead we got "well it's time...his head is there".  Wait what?  We're doing this now?  Brad and I were not really prepared.  Why?  No clue.  So lets do this.

Brad was a champ. He was down by a leg helping me push and he cut the umbilical cord.  I pushed for 8 minutes and out came Steven.  Technically he was premature so the NICU team had to check him out.  He went to the transitional nursery while my 2nd degree tear was fixed (ugh).  Brad sent the news that Steven was doing well and that he'd be with us in 2-3 hours.  We got to come home at 10pm, January 21.  It was nice to be in our own bed...but now we got to wake up every 2 hours with a baby.  HUGE change.

So now we are parents.  Can you believe it?  We are responsible for another human being.  We are adjusting, but I honestly though I had 4 weeks to prep.  Steven had other plans.  Let's just say I am now "nesting", but with a baby on one arm.  The nesting usually takes place prior to deliver lol.