Wednesday, October 09, 2013

Philadelphia Trip - October 2013

We went to Philly! We traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and had a fun, family trip. We left on Tuesday, October 1^st and returned Saturday, October 5, 2013. Our trip consisted of the following:

Tuesday:

1) Travel Day & Check-In

2) Love Statue – hot pink waterfall. Abby LOVED!

3) Comcast Center – largest 4 millimeter LED screen in the world.

Wednesday:

1) Franklin Square

2) Penn’s Landing

3) Eat at Reading Terminal Market

4) City Hall Top of Tower Tour

5) Rittenhouse Square Park

Franklin Square was a cool playground in Center City. It had a carousel, which we rode 3 times! Abby couldn’t get enough. She loves horses and saying “neigh, neigh.” We also played on the playground and had a great Mommy/Daughter day.

When we were walking we saw a few murals as well. These are huge paintings on buildings, which Philadelphia is known for.

At Penn’s Landing we looked for mermaids in the Delaware River. Abbygale saw a mermaids’ head come out of the water. She was thrilled!

Thursday:

1) Please Touch Museum

2) Swimming in Hotel

The Please Touch Museum was so much fun. It was a two story children’s museum with so much to offer. We definitely made lots of memories. We played in the roadside attractions, flight fantasy, water (river adventures), hospital, McDonald’s, shoe store, grocery store, trains, exercise, music, nursery rhyme room, and of course rode the woodside park dentzel carousel multiple times.

Friday:

1) Self-guided walking tour of historic Philadelphia

2) Carriage Ride on Miss Emily (the black, beautiful horse)

We walked around and saw the birthplace of our nation. We saw where the Declaration of Independence and where the United States Constitution were created. We didn’t let the government shut-down affect us and made the best out of closed visitor centers, museums, and the Liberty Bell. We saw the Liberty Bell (through the glass, ughh), Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the First and Second Bank of the United States, Merchants’ Exchange (oldest stock exchange building in the US), City Tavern (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams ate here), Christ Church (Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and George Washington among others worshiped here), Elfreth’s Alley, Betsy Ross House (creator of the first American Flag), Christ Church Burial Ground (Benjamin Franklin’s grave), and The United States Mint.

Saturday:

1) Check out & Travel Home

Abbygale did great on the flights (4 airplanes total since no flight was a direct flight). We played, walked around outside, went to multiple parks, and just had great Mommy/Daughter days and Family evenings. Bryan was at a convention during the day at the Convention Center. I love making special memories with Abbygale and feel we did just that on this trip to Philly.

Abby at Two

Abbygale at 2 is such a beautiful site. She has an ENORMOUS personality and is so much fun!

What is Abbygale into these days? Abby loves mermaids, cats/kittens, horses, and being naked. Yes, being naked. She is a stripper and loves to take her clothes and diaper off and run around inside and outside the house butt naked. She thinks it is hilarious!

Abbygale loves mermaids and watches mermaid movies, play puzzles, and thinks Barbie’s are mermaids. She loves cats/and kittens and will “meow, meow” all the time. She pretends she is carrying around a baby kitten in her hand. I love how amazing her imaginary skills are. She is going to be a black cat for Halloween and is so happy about that! Abby loves horses. She cannot get enough of carousels (cost a fortune because she wants to go “up and down” and “round and round” over and over and over and over again. Sweet girl will pet her horse and say “I love my horse.” Cute!

Abby is maturing day by day and growing up right before my eyes way too fast. She plays and talks and sings and yells and gives kisses and gives the best hugs and is just oh so very sweet. She is the best thing ever!

Here is Abby at age 2 in pictures:

Where has Abbygale beenn since Birth to 2?

Where has Abbygale been since Birth to 2?

1) All around Texas
2) Oregon (Portland and surrounding areas) - first airplane ride at around 22 months old
3) Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) - first family trip out of Texas at around 25 months old

Dad & Preston

Here is a picture of my Dad from 1959 at Palo Duro Canyon and a picture of Preston near Caprock Canyon, (about 55 miles apart) in 2013. I love this!

Sunday, September 01, 2013

23 Month Old BIG Boo Boo

At 23 months old, Abbygale got a big boo boo. Abby fell from a kitchen chair onto the tile floor at Nany's house. She had a red ear, a little bruise, and we thought sore ribs. A week later we still noticed she wasn't using her left arm 100 percent. Playing peek-a-boo she tucked her left arm when running. She wouldn't extend her arm completely when trying to touch the sky. Occasionally she would yell "ouch, ouch."

We decided to take in for a check-up. She did great!! She was such a big girl while they weighed her, checked her heart, checked her ears, and moved her arm around. They referred us to Dell's Children's Hospital for x-rays. We went around 8 pm after the doctor's appointment and got x-rays. Abbygale again was wonderful. She was scared but would laugh instead of cry. She was making strange faces but Mommy and Daddy both were right by her side for the x-rays. She handled it like a champ! The next morning they called and said Abbygale had a fracture collar bone. We headed to the specialist that afternoon. It is a hair-line fracture but the bone is still all lined up. They gave us a sling and Abbygale must stay on her feet (except to swim, bed, etc) for 3-4 weeks. We go back for a follow-up at the end of August.

All in all, Abbygale doesn't really act sick or in pain. She will say "ouch" occasionally or scream for a second and then off running around, talking, singing, laughing, and just being a happy, silly girl. You wouldn't really know except watching her be extra careful when trying to use her left arm.

We went in on Thursday, August 29, 2013 for Abbygale’s follow-up appointment to her fractured collar bone. They took one quick x-ray. Dr. Sergeant said everything is healing just as expected and everything looks great. She will have a hump on her collar bone for about a year. This is just the bone healing and growing. She was released (so no more follow-ups) but still no jumpy house and/or jungle gym type activities for three more weeks. This chapter is pretty much behind us. She is healing and everything looked great! Abby doesn’t have any more pain in her arm and has been acting normal for a couple of weeks already! She is ready to swing her arms and cheer and clap that her collar bone is back to normal!

Abbygale's 2 Year Check-Up

We went in for Abbygale’s 2 year check-up on Thursday, 8/29/13 with Dr. Thomas Hughes. Abby was so mature and grown up at her doctor appointment. She did amazing. I couldn’t be a prouder momma! She was weighed on the big girl scale and weighed 30 ¾ pounds, which is in the 90^th percentile. He charted Abby’s BMI, which was in the normal range (upper end). She is 35 inches tall, which is in the 80-85^th percentile. Dr. Hughes checked her heart, ears, eyes, mouth, legs, and arms. He also made her talk about his pen, which was Daffy Duck. He was impressed with how much she is talking and said she is one healthy little girl. We don’t have to go back in for a check-up until she is 3 years old.

He recommended us moving her to non-fat milk since she loves milk and getting her on chewable vitamins. She also got the flu mist in her nose and did so well. There were absolutely no tears (but no shots either).

He said how important it is to get Abby calcium at her age. Between 1-3 years old they need 500 mg/day. He recommended milk, yogurt, cheese, salmon, beans, collards, orange juice, cereals, or soy milk. Did you know 40% of lifetime calcium is acquired between the ages of 11-14 years? Interesting fact we learned at this check-up. He also said it is important to get fiber at Abbygale’s age (needs 7 grams/day). This can come from whole wheat bread, cereal (corn flakes, shredded wheat, oat brain), rice, spaghetti, vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, corn, peas, lettuce, squash, tomato, zucchini, etc), beans, and fruit (apple, banana, blackberries, grapes, orange, pear, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, etc). Most kids do not get the recommended calcium and fiber, which Dr. Hughes says is so important.

Dr. Hughes gave Abbygale a token for the toy machine. On our way out she got a Daisy Duck ring. She was 110 percent great. She got some play make-up for being such a good, big girl.