Helen Claire Weekly (times two)

Weeks 34 and 35 have knocked us out. Stomach flu is a witch. Poor Helen Claire has been sick since last Tuesday, and my Granny has been here helping out since Sunday because Helen Claire has not been vomit free for 24 hours, so she was not able to attend daycare. Granny, Jonathan and I all caught the virus, too, but thankfully, we did not get it as seriously as HC did. Helen Claire went back to school today, and Granny went home, so I think things are getting back to normal. Dear, Lord, please let this be the end of the sickness for my sweet girl for a while. I feel like she has had something since Christmas. I cannot thank my Granny (and really all my family) enough. We would not have made it without her. Because she came, I was able to go back to work, Jonathan could study and go to class, our laundry is caught up, which is HUGE becuase literally every blanket, crib sheet, sleeper, etc. Helen Claire owned had been thrown in the dirty clothes pile. Thank you Granny Helen!!!
As you can see, we have no picture to commemorate her 34th week. She was just plain out too sick. Thursday and Friday of last week, she could barely hold her head up on her own. She was like a limp noodle, which is why we went back to the doctor's office to check for dehydration. Long story short, we didn't make a picture our priority. We had bigger issues to think about. Oh, well. Here's to week 35, I guess :)

As you can tell from the pictures, she still LOVES paper and has a meltdown when I take it away. I am thinking of a new plan for weekly pictures.
She did lose a little weight, a little over a pound, I think, so she doesn't look quite like her usual plump little self. I can tell in her face, and I could tell compared to the other kids at school today, but she's trying out lots of new foods, so hopefullly, we will have our chubby cheeks back soon enough.

Speaking of foods, Helen Claire got to have peas last night, since we are on "green" foods now, and she actually liked them. She was a good eater and did not spit them out or anything. She also tried some finger food so she can learn to use her pincer grasp. She had slices of cheese. She is not quite able to feed it to herself, but she did like it when Granny and I helped her get it in, and she will eventually figure it out. I haven't given her anything else new, since she has been so sick, but we are going to introduce cultured dairy (cottage cheese,yogurt), blueberries, mango, and some different finger foods this coming week.

Even though I would like to forget most of the past week and a half, I do have some outtakes to share:

• Helen Claire wore her Mrs. Phoebe outfit that she got for Christmas from Granny and Pa to church the Sunday before she got sick. She was so cute.








• We had two Onesie Wednesday sessions and tried to use up some of our Valentine's Day clothes, since we didn't get out of the house to show them off











• Even though I would never want her to be this sick again, she was such a cuddle bug. Look at that sweet little face.


• She said "Dada" the sweetest I have ever heard her say it. She was very sick, hardly able to hold her up little head, and she just looked over at Jonathan and said "Dada" in the littlest whisper. It was really so sweet. She knows she already has him wrapped :)





• We've seen a lot of our friend Dr. C. We saw him three times during all of this! At least HC likes him. Blue Cross Blue Shield thinks we are dream clients!


• We have been introduced to Pedialyte in both liquid and popsicle form.


• Helen Claire got her second tooth, so now she is sporting her two middle bottom teeth. It is pretty cute when she smiles.


• She learned to wave with both hands, and does it literally all the time. She gets so excited and just waves and waves. She uses both hands now for saying hey and bye-bye.


• She is making a new face/gesture. She learned to tap her two teeth to the top of her mouth, and she's really proud of herself. She makes this little "gumming" face and just laughs at herself. She will even do it anytime she's in front of a mirror so she can she herself. So funny!


• Her friend, EF, at school sent an email yesterday with a get well picture. HC was so sweet and got so excited when she saw it. She bopped up and down and waved at the computer screen.


• When I dropped her off at school this morning, she was so proud to see her friends. I just got an email from the school director that said she had been waving to everyone and smiling ear-to-ear this morning. Praise the Lord!!!

We have Step Sing this weekend, and Vickie, my mom, Granny and Pa are staying with us. We are so excited. Let's just hope this is the end of being sick for HC for a while and no one catches it.