Clearwater Beach: Day 2

Day 2 started with breakfast at Cracker Barrel. While we were eating Mallory said she liked Cracker Barrel better than Jerry J's. I asked if that meant we didn't have to go back to Jerry J's and she smiled, shook her head no, and said, "no mama." It was worth a try.

After breakfast, we headed back to the beach. In the second picture, you can see that Mallory had to carry her own sand toys. She did not like this but she preferred it to leaving them in the room.

The other picture is her walking back up to the room. She liked being wrapped with a towel and I told her that she looked like a sausage link.

After the beach, we went back to the room for a small rest and some lunch. During the middle of the day, we swam in the pool. Mallory called it "the blue pool."

For dinner, we went to Frenchy's Cafe, an awesome restaurant. They serve the BEST fried shrimp that I have ever eaten. Yes, mom better than Cedar River or Captain Joe's.

We made it to the sunset but I didn't have enough space to upload any. The sunsets are truly beautiful and are my favorite time at the beach. Everything is so calm and relaxed that I believe I could sit there every night of my life.

On our second day, we went swimming in the hotel's pool. Mallory really surprised me, she is nearly an independent swimmer.

We got some good news at the eye clinic today. Mallory's glasses has corrected the wondering eye and eye muscle surgery has been taken off the table.

Clearwater Beach: Day 1

We arrived in Clearwater on Saturday at around noon, as planned. We checked in, ate lunch, and headed straight to the beach. The beach was crowded but we still managed to have fun!

As you can see from the pictures, Mallory is a true beach person. She loves swimming and she loves playing in the sand.

On our first day, a wave kinda scared Mallory. After that, she didn't want to be alone AT ALL in the ocean. However, she recovered the next day. In fact, I think she began to prefer the rougher waves because she seemed to like being knocked around--a tiny bit!

She preferred swimming with Daniel, which is just fine with me. He went out further and he would go lower in the water. Although the water is clear, I still don't like swimming with fish and sea shells.

After playing for a while, we went back to the motel, went into town for dinner and went to the main beach. The playground is located at this entrance. Mallory had so much fun playing that we forgot all about the sunset. Yep, we missed the sunset on our first day. I was sooooooooooooo disappointed but remembered that I had 3 more days to see it.

The last photo was taken by tourists who offered to take our picture. I thought that was really nice because we don't have many family pictures.

BTW, Lealane I don't blame you for the motel. I read the same reviews and was shocked at the true appearance. Also, other vacationers complained about the difference as well. Most importantly, the hotel didn't ruin our vacation. Truthfully, we were not there much. We were either at the beach, pool, or in town.

BTW2, Aunt Peggy, you are always welcome to join us at the beach. Why don't you pack your bags and we can plan a trip this weekend????? Perhaps Sunday? You don't have young children and your off from work, you have absolutely no reason not to come!

Piece of Advice

If you ever go to Clearwater Beach, do not stay at this hotel. It was terrible. It was very small, the bed was has hard as the wood floors, the linens were older than me, and there was no washing machine.

We couldn't even eat inside the room and we definitely didn't want to cook, although Daniel did on our last day.

We left last night, after the sunset. We got home at around 2:30am but it was worth it to be able to go to bed in our own awesome king bed!

At least the beach was fab!

Packin' Up and Leavn' Town

Yep, we started packing tonight. Mallory loves packing her suitcase. She gets it out of the closet and chooses shirts that she doesn't EVER wear, Christmas socks, and leotards instead of bathing suits=)

She was a good sport about the leotards so we were able to take those out and add her 4 bathing suits. I will have to wait until tonight to take away the shirts. I might let her keep the Christmas socks!

The plan is to leave tomorrow as soon as I get home from work. We will be staying the night at mom's and on Saturday Daniel and me will sleep late before finishing our journey. We are hoping to be in Clearwater by noon. I am really excited!

After this I am signing off. I will return on late Wednesday (Daniel's birthday) with Clearwater adventures!

I hope everyone will have a good weekend and an awesome week!

Why I Don't Like Wednesdays

1) have to get up 20 minutes earlier
2) have to workout early
3) swimming a part of workout
4) work out of town entire day
5) have spin class after work
6) pick Mal up from gymnastics
7) get home late
8) nearly too tired to eat but I manage!!

Just Like the Corona Commercial

Just like the commercial, I will (hopefully) be lying on the beach, watching the sunset with a beer nearby. (Daniel and Mallory will be playing in the water)

Yep, this will be my life starting Saturday. Can't wait!

Mallory and her Friends

Today Mallory had company. Sabrina and Caylee played with Mallory while the dads were working on our new pool.

In the photo, they are playing Hullabaloo, which is a fun dvd game.

Don't worry, Mallory isn't swimming yet. She is supposed to wait 3-4 weeks. Our upcoming beach vacation will be close but I am hoping she will be able to ward off infection. She better, I just spent $70 on ear drops.

Mallory's New Toy

Thank you Aunt Brandy. Daniel's step sister gave Mallory this very large pool. I'm not sure how big it is but it is 4ft deep. She loves swimming in it and can't wait for it to be ready again--in our yard.

Currently, it is being filled with water by 2 water hoses. We started filling it around 3:30 and it is only about a quarter full. Maybe not that much. (my math sucks).

Perhaps a birthday party doubled as a pool party will be in our future........

Welcome Papa Don

Today Papa Don came to visit. He is here for the weekend and Mallory couldn't be happier. I think he is planning on eating at Jerry J's with us tomorrow. At least Mallory has already invited him!

Books Books and More Books

Thanks Aunt Peggy for the books. Everyone loved them. As you can see, Mallory was flinging them everywhere. In the third picture, she is holding her favorite. I cannot tell you how many times we have actually read that book. There is nothing like finding a box on your doorstep.

You will also be pleased to know that Mallory has had several conversations with you on her pink Barbie phone. Don't get too excited, its nothing deep, more like, "hey whatcha you doing?" and "Can I call you back?"

We go for our last post op visit on 8/6/09. On that day, I think we will retest the right hear for hearing and schedule the left ear for surgery. I haven't gotten with my boss yet, but I would like to schedule it during fall break or Christmas break. I would prefer that Mallory not miss much school.

Speaking of school, Mallory's material list is OUTRAGEOUS! I'm guessing about $40 worth.

Book Video

Here is a video of Mal opening the box of books.

Ear Update

Sorry, I didn't post last night. I guess I got lazy plus the Deadliest Catch came on-LOVE that show. If you haven't watched it, you should at least listen to the theme song.

Anyway, Mallory's ear looked good. No infection was noted and the doctor took the padding out of her ear canal and the bandage from behind her ear off. He instructed us to keep it dry and to obviously not hit it or lay on it. He suggested that we use cotton balls with Vaseline to prevent water intrusion.

By Clearwater time, he said we should be able to use ear plugs. He also gave us ear drops.

Mallory's Box

Today Mallory received a box from the UPS man. It was her new "kindergarten" clothes. She received 3 new outfits and a new book bag. As you can see, she loved her new clothes. I think everything fits except for one pair of shorts. We will have to try those on. Might have to send them back.

Tomorrow we are going back to Savannah for a post op follow up. Will let you know tomorrow night.

Kirsten's Big Birthday Present

For her birthday, Kristy took Kirsten to have her ears pierced. She chose ruby ear rings for her starters. I was really impressed, it was reported that Kirsten didn't cry or yell. She just said, "ow."

Happy Birthday Kirsten

Today we celebrated Kirsten's 6th birthday. We all attended a skating party in her honor. The theme was Hannah Montana.

Nearly everyone tried skating except for one person. Can you guess who? Hint: she isn't pictured!

Kirsten and everyone else had a great time. Kirsten received some awesome gifts. She got a fish aquarium, a new
ds game, wii accessories, money, make up, a travel puppy dog, and Littlest Pet Shop toys. I think she got more stuff but I can't remember what else.

A pinata was also enjoyed. Everyone took a turn whacking it and finally candy fell out.

I think everyone was pleased!

Pappy's New Truck

Pappy got a new truck! I'm not sure about the make and model but it is really nice. It is fully loaded and Mallory loved playing in it. It is a quad cab so all of the grand babies should fit!

Today Mallory had a good day. She only complained once about ear pain. She has been playing hard and when her cousins arrived, she matched their enthusiasm.

Mom also came. She got here at around 7:15 and she ate pizza with us. We have big plans tomorrow. They include a skating birthday party for Kirsten and a breakfast play date at Chic-fil-a.

Don't worry, I'll share pictures!

Thursday, 7/9/09

Vomiting is no longer a problem but diarrhea has been! I think I prefer the vomiting.

Mallory had diarrhea until about 1:00 pm today. Thank goodness it has stopped. She is slowly evolving back to her old self. She is still sleeping more but is more bouncy and happier today. Her ear has stopped bleeding and I have allowed her to take off the ear helmet. Now our main concern is keeping the ear dry, safe, and uninfected.

I go back to work tomorrow. Daniel will be home with Mallory. We found out yesterday that the local doctor that referred us to the surgeon refuses to perform post op care. We were hoping to have the post op appointments through him so we wouldn't have to make several more trips to Savannah. No such luck. I guess I will be asking off for the next 2 Tuesdays.

Mom is coming this weekend. In fact, she will be here tomorrow night. We will be celebrating Kirsten's 6th birthday. I cannot believe she will be six!

Aunt Peggy, we use Kroger pharmacy and this is the first time this has happened. In fact, in the past, they have been very good to us. I politely complained about the wait and was told that the immediate need was not clearly expressed. Whatev, next time, I will be sure they understand our circumstances!

Wednesday, 7/8/09

Today Mallory has slept more than she ever did as a baby. Together we have taken several naps, 2 were over 1.5 hours. The pain medicine makes her drowsy and nauseous. She has vomited many times today. I called the doctor and he has called in something for the nausea. I waited an hour before calling our pharmacy but when I did, I was told the medicine wouldn't be ready until 5. I will be there at 5 to pick it up. He also encouraged me to get her to eat. I have tried but have only been able to get her to eat some crackers, which she threw up. Daniel got her to eat some chicken noodle soup and that was thrown up to.

Although I have given Mallory the pain medicine as prescribed, she is still complaining about ear pain. I think the pain is a dull throb because she seems to be able to rest comfortably. In between naps, she is playing some and talking. Hopefully she will return to normal real soon.

Tomorrow I am hoping to switch to Advil. I'm hoping the Advil will be sufficient. I don't like giving her medicine that makes her sleep all day but will if it is the only thing that will ease the pain.

We're Home

Mallory was discharged earlier today. She came out of surgery around 10:40. We stayed in recovery for a while and then was moved into another room. The doctor told me that the perforation was bigger than expected but he was able to completely repair it. He also said her second ear bone was very soft due to previous ear infections. He said he wanted to monitor that as well.

When I first came into recovery I was really worried. She was still sleeping but quickly awoke. She immediately started crying. She didn't stop for nearly two hours. She was obviously in pain but she also hated having the IV in and she didn't (and still doesn't) like wearing an ear cup. The ear cup is designed to protect her ear from mishaps as well as absorbing blood. It is fastened by a headband that goes around her forehead. I think it is uncomfortable.

Mallory thankfully has been resting well. Her pain medication seems to be strong and really working. She has slept most of the day and when she awoke this evening, was ready to do some light playing and conversing.

I'll be home with her until Thursday and on Friday Daniel will continue her care. I will post additional updates each day.

Thank you for your concern. I wasn't supposed to use my phone while in the hospital but managed one or two calls.

Update

This is Lealane posting for Anna. I just received a text- they are scheduled to arrive at 7am tomorrow morning for Mallory's procedure. Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for a smooth day.

Our Plans

I have booked a hotel. We will be leaving tomorrow evening, as soon as I get home from work. We will be in Savannah Monday night and most of the day Tuesday. We are hoping Mallory will be discharged on Tuesday, needing only outpatient care. Kristy has agreed to post to my blog while I'm gone. I am hoping she will announce surgery time, Mallory's medical status as she recovers and any other important information.

However, she told me that her internet connection is sketchy so by way of this post, I am asking Lealane to be my backup. Lealane, if needed, I will contact you regarding my sign-in information.

I am not dreading the procedure. I have faith in the doctor and know that everything will be okay. I'm concerned with how she will feel. I know she will be miserable and in pain for a few days and that I will not be able to make her feel better. I'm so used to Mallory running around that whenever she gets sick, I get really worried and sad. I hate seeing her not feeling good.

Happy Birthday America

We celebrated by first joining Daniel's family in swimming, fireworks, and cooking out.

As you can see, Mallory was all decked out in her July 4th t-shirt. It barely fit over her big head but we managed!

Mallory's older cousins, Blake and Harlie, helped her light each of her sparklers. At first she refused the sparkler but then realized how much fun they were.

After we left the family, we went to another party. Daniel's friends had a pool party. They also had sparklers and bottle rockets. Mallory enjoyed swimming again and watching the bottle rockets.

She had a busy day but I think she had fun. I'm glad she is enjoying these days before her surgery.

Finished school shopping for Mallory. She will be getting 3 new outfits from Gymboree plus a new book bag. Her Nikes that Santa Claus brought still fit so I don't think she will be getting new shoes.

Beach Fun with Baby Bryce

Today Baby Bryce and Krystial met us at the beach. Mallory loves Bryce--as long as I'm not holding him. He fits in perfectly because he loves the beach and the water.

Mallory treats him just like a baby doll. She wants to hold him, kiss him, and play with him. As you can see in the third picture she likes to feed him to.

She also wants to leave him laying around whenever she is tired of him. She told us several times to leave him on the beach blanket so we (me, her, and Krystial) can go swimming together.

In the fourth picture, Mallory is lying on MY new beach chair. She keeps calling it hers and even suggested that I "sit in her lap" when I reminded her that it was my chair.

We stayed at the beach for a record time today. We were there for 4 hours. We normally leave between 2-3 hours.

Afterward, we went shopping. Today Mal was allowed to pick out new pajamas. I have started talking to her about her upcoming procedure. I told her that she could have new PJ's to go to the hospital in.

The movie, The Proposal, was really good. It was funny and romantic. I still want my hair to look like Sandra's, even though Lealane disapproves.

New Reading Material

Guess what I'm reading??????

Here is a hint: It is Janet Evanovich's new book!!

Looking forward to a girls night out tomorrow. We are planning on dining and watching a movie. Here is a review of the movie.

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/proposal