Each Day Is a Gift

AM: we had a "funtastic" walk race!  Devin rode his trike, Emi jogged/walked while I carried Alina (when she let me, she preferes toddling/running) jogging along.  We stopped a lot to examine the different desert wild flowers, cactus, bugs, birds (heaps of birds), waved at the airplanes flying overhead (that the kids were very sure was their momma's airplanes) calling out "Hi, Mommy!".  It was a blue sky, cool morning after a light rain earlier.  The air was filled with fragrance of desert flowers.   We jumped over small rain puddles.

PM: we had heaps of fun building bridges, birthday cakes, houses, swimming pools, garages, interesting buildings with Legos.  We watched two short videos of Dora the Explorer.  Emi and Devin put on their swim-suits and we went to the "beach" which was the couch and used the cushions for surf-board.  They have never ever been to the beach!  We played with things from the "Nana box", bubbles, colored and drew pictures, Devin especially loved his "robot arm" to pick up things.  We played Candyland.  We sang and danced to the music from Pandora.   We played hide-n-seek.  We ate cookies! :)

Evening:  the only challenging thing was to get Devin to eat.  Alina on the other hand, eats a lot.  She consumes more than what Devin and Emi would eat combined.  While cohercing Devin to eat with all sorts of funny antics.  We laughed and giggled with "what would happen if we swollen a train".  Devin loves trains.  Normally, Alina would laugh and giggle when we laugh even if she has no idea what we're laughing about.  She is a very bright, delightful, happy little baby.  But I noticed she wasn't smiling but instead had this serious look on her face.  Then all of a sudden, without warning, she vomitted (good thing she was strapped in her high chair) the undigested dinner on her tray.  For the next two hours I held her in my arms and intermittently rushed to the sink as she continued to empty the content of her stomach (all the food she's eaten that day: banana and oatmeal, chocolate chips granola bar, green and red grapes, green and red apples, sweet and white potato, cheese stick, peanut butter,  crackers, cookie, tuna fish sandwitch, whole wheat noodle with cheese, milk...)  Poor thing!  Emi urged me to call her mommy; but we had just called her before dinner and I didn't want to worry her and Eric.  But, I was so worried that I called Larissa (she's a nurse practitioner and worked at a pediatrician office).   It was a little tougher to put the kids to bed (brushing teeth, toilet, changing to pajamas, scriptures, prayers, story books...) while holding Alina and rushing to the bathroom with each vomit.  By the time the kids are in bed it was nearly 8:30.  I held Alina as she slept in my arms for another 30-45 min. to be sure she's not going to vomit anymore.  Finally put her to bed and she slept soundly while I cleaned the kitchen and took a shower.  I slept fretfully worrying that Alina would vomit in the middle of the night...but she didn't! :)