Sledding Fun

Today was our first really good snow, and since it was also a snow day from school, Maya and I had the chance to play in the snow. I have a tiny hill at my house, but it was the perfect height for Maya. She had a ball sliding, making footprints, yelling "No catch me, Ha Ha Ha!" and running away, knocking snow off of plants and tree branches, and asking me to make her a snowball so that she could throw it at me. And I had a ball watching her!

Barack Obama

I can't remember exactly how this started, but when Barack Obama won the election I remember telling Maya about it. About how she is living through such a momentous event in U.S. history. I bought some magazines with articles about Obama and I remember showing her the photograph of him on the cover and explaining who he is. Then, we went out to dinner with my family and I was trying to show them how she would say something-I can't even remember what- but I asked her who the president was to get her to make this other response, and to my great surprise she said "BARACKOBAMA" (In a loud, shouting kind of voice, and all one word) I almost fell off the chair. I had no idea she had absorbed anything I said about him. Maya also shouts "BARACKOBAMA" any time she sees his picture. Which is ALOT, in grocery store lines, on tv, the doctor's office... Well, yesterday Obama made his Whistle Stop Train Tour stop in Baltimore. Maya was so excited to watch her "BARACKOBAMA" on tv. As they showed video of him waving from the train in Edgewood, she waved frantically at him, and was excited that he waved back. I put our names in the lottery to get tickets to the inauguration, but Barbara (Mikulski) emailed and said we didn't get them. But you know, it will be a lot warmer watching it on tv, and Maya will think we are there anyway!

Go Raybens!

Maya wore her Baltimore Ravens shirt today, and apparently kept yelling "Go Raybens" all day long. I'm sure her teachers appreciated that.

Cookie Time

We never had the chance to make and decorate sugar cookies this Christmas so we made some now. Well, we decorated them anyway, the cookies were the pre-made refrigerator type, but that was a perfect activity for Maya. We had swirls, stars, Wall-E and Eve, and Thomas the Tank Engine. You know, all of the typical sugar cookie designs. I planned to take them to daycare this morning, figuring that Maya and I wouldn't eat them all, but then I noticed that each cookie had a small bite mark out of it. I guess we are keeping them.

Knock, Knock

Maya started this "joke" in the hospital when she finally felt like talking. (and not just fighting to breathe) Here's how it goes:

Maya: "Knock, Knock"

me: Who's There?

Maya: Me

me: Me who?

Maya: Mine-a

me: Maya! Come in!

We do this many, many times a day. If you call, she'll probably tell it to you! She has also told the doctor when she went for a recheck. (She also brought her doctor bag she got from Grandma for Christmas and showed him all of her tools. When he asked if she had an orthoscope, she grabbed it out of the bag and showed it to him. I guess it could be a coincidence, but I prefer to think my baby is a genius, and future doctor :) She is doing better. We still have to do nebulizer treatments through the winter, and he told me any infection she gets from here on will likely go strait to her lungs. Hopefully we won't have to spend more time in the hospital this year!

Happy New Year

Maya and I spent the first 3 days of the new year at the hospital. Maya was having problems with her asthma due to a virus. Her blood oxygen level was too low, so after a visit to the ER, she was admitted. She was such a trooper through the whole thing. She had nurses, doctors, and respiratory specialists coming in all day and night wearing gowns and masks. She also had to wear oxygen and a monitor on her thumb to keep track of her levels. I spent the first night just watching that monitor. It was very scary. She had so many nebulizer treatments, but still her levels were bad. I just kept praying all night that she would be okay. We were finally released today at 6:30 pm. Now it finally feels like a happy new year!