Della has her own page on here, so I wanted to start one for Lana, too. This one won’t be quite as daily journal-ish as D’s is, though. I’ll use this space mainly to keep track of milestones, stats, things of that nature. Basically whatever I’d want to keep track of in a pen-to-paper journal and/or stuff that doesn’t really go in a baby book. So here we go…
(FYI, because I write so much about these kids, their pages are all broken into yearly chunks so as not to crash my site. I’ll keep the current year on the main page for ease of use. Enjoy!)
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January 2, 2019
We had your 6 year well check today, so here are your stats:
- Height: 48″ (86%)
- Weight: 47 lbs. (57%)
- BMI: 14.3 kg/m2 (23%)
- Blood pressure: 117/64
Everything looked good, and your heart murmur from a few years ago is finally completely gone!
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January 7, 2019
Your first sick day home from school for the year. You’ve had a really phlegmy cough for a couple weeks now, which fortunately the doctor said was nothing to worry about. But last night you started having a sore/scratchy throat, which continued when you woke up today, so I kept you home for a day of rest. Morrison is sick now, too, so thankfully all 4 of you who were home took naps at the same time this afternoon. I hope you’re all feeling better tomorrow!
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January 8, 2019
Day #2 of being home sick, but I think the worst is over. You and Della were both home today, so all 5 of you were with me. You appear to be feeling the best of all 3 of you bigger kids now, so hopefully you’ll have no problems tomorrow. I hope you feel good in the morning, my love!
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February 4, 2019
You are definitely an artist, and your latest creation is pop-up art. The other weekend you made a picture using pop tops from soda cans. It became a game of bag toss between you and Grandma Jenni, with the pop tops being the bag boards and little piles of tiny felt squares that you cut up being the bags. You cut out little drawings of you and Grandma and taped them so that they stood up. Amazing!
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February 6, 2019
You are a never-ending adventure, my love. The day before last, you came home making a winking, tongue out to the side face, just like a human emoji. Apparently that was how you were saying “yes.” Then yesterday, I got a call from the school clinic that they had you in there complaining of incredibly itchy eyes. The only thing you’re allergic to is cats, so I’m not sure what triggered this attack. They called me back about an hour later and I took Benadryl over to give you. Fortunately that helped clear everything up, but I always forget how sleepy it makes you. Last night, you made me an amazing drawing of a polar bear. You used a blue marker then wet the marker on the paper to make it look almost like a watercolor. Your artistic talent just gets stronger every day, and I love it.
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February 12, 2019
All right, kiddo, my little fairy spirit. You have GOT to pay more attention. To everything. Last week after variety show rehearsal you came home with the wrong boots. They were labeled with the other girl’s name and everything. Yesterday, you came home from variety show rehearsal without your snow pants, which we only discovered today when you guys went to go play out in all the snow we got last night. (Another snow day! Thank heavens, because now I’m sick and I don’t think I could’ve even driven us all to school and back, ugh.) You better find them in the lost and found tomorrow, because that’s the only pair you have and we now have a foot of snow on the ground!
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February 13, 2019
No snow pants. Ugh! As punishment, I’m making you use your $10 Amazon gift card to help pay for a new pair. You girls are still going to look again at school tomorrow, because I know how well you “look” for stuff sometimes. I’m really hoping you just didn’t see them today and this order will prove unnecessary. I hate taking a chance with so much snow outside, though, because you can’t go on the playground at recess without snow pants.
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February 14, 2019
The snow pants have been found! You were wearing them when you came walking around the corner to the car this afternoon, and I was so happy. I had a feeling your searching skills just weren’t entirely up to par the first time. Nice job. Now we can return the Amazon ones, and you can keep playing in the snow at recess. This now concludes the snow pants saga of February 2019.
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February 28, 2019
You read me an entire book – The Happy Book. The author came to your school today and signed it – “To my pal Lana.” Great job, sweet girl!
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March 2, 2019
The variety show! You and Della were part of a performance of “It’s A Hard Knock Life” that Miss Kristen and Miss Rachel put together for a bunch of K5-4th grade girls this year, and you loved it. You girls did so great, looked so cute, and I was so proud of you both. You put on 2 shows – quite the day!
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March 3, 2019
You and Daddy went to a show at the planetarium this afternoon with your Daisies troop, and you both loved it. You got so worn out, though, you fell asleep in the car on the way home.
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March 5, 2019
You’re out sick today with another fever. Man oh man! You’ve missed so many days this year.
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March 6, 2019
You’re still running a fever, so you’re home from school again today. Boo! You had to miss 2 Dr. Seuss days this week and Fun Lunch.
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March 9, 2019
The next round of swim lessons started today for you and Della, and you both hopped right in and picked back up exactly where you left off. I was so happy to see that! You and Della waving to each other across the pool was so cute, too. My heart was so full watching you girls.
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March 10, 2019
You had Arya’s birthday party at Rockin’ Jump today, which you love. Tooth #3 came out tonight, too! The top front left one. Daddy pulled it out after dinner. Here comes the Tooth Fairy!
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March 20, 2019
Last night was your K5 music performance, and you did such a great job! You picked out your black velvet and red sparkly Christmas dress to wear, paired with your black sparkly leggings, which looked adorable. Unfortunately, you don’t have any black party shoes that fit right now, so you wore your midnight blue socks and dark blue little Mary Jane-type shoes, but it actually looked really cute. You couldn’t even tell that your socks and shoes weren’t black, and I just loved it. You’re one of the tallest in your class, so you were up on the back row of the risers, and you had so much fun. I recorded all your songs for Daddy, and I especially loved the all-grade dance you guys did at the end, choreographed by your P.E. teacher. Great job, my love! I’m so proud of you.
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March 30, 2019
And now you have strep throat, too, my love. Yuck! Thankfully the babies should not get it, but it has run the gamut of you big 3. I’m sorry! I hate seeing any of you guys sick. Thankfully it didn’t ruin your time at Grandma and Grandpa’s for spring break, since yours really just came on last night. I took you to the minute clinic at CVS as soon as we got home this afternoon, and sure enough – test positive. Ah well, I’m not surprised at all, and fortunately we already have your amoxicillin and got your first dose in this evening. I’m just happy we were able to go there this afternoon and get you started on the medicine tonight so you don’t have to miss any school for it.
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April 8, 2019
Now you have the amoxicillin rash, too, just like Morrison did during his dosage. Hopefully it goes away just as quickly.
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April 16, 2019
Well, well, my dear. I got an email from your teacher today saying you’ve been goofing around at school, not listening very well, which isn’t like you at all. I got it out of you that you’re trying to be like the naughty kids in your class because you like being funny and making them laugh. Oh don’t you dare, my friend. I told your teacher you said you could not sit by them anymore and stop goofing around on your own, so we’ll let you try. If you can’t, I told your teacher to move you to a new spot (update – you didn’t stop, so she moved you. gheesh!). Don’t ever change who you are to be like someone else, my love. I said you’re such a great kid inside, and we all know it, so be her. Don’t try to change yourself and be naughty Lana. If someone wants you to be someone you’re not, they’re not really your friend.
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April 20, 2019
You taught yourself how to ride a bike with no training wheels at our Easter block party today! I can’t believe it! I’m so proud of you, my sweet baby girl!!
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May 5, 2019
Tooth #4 came out while you guys were playing at the beer garden playground with Daddy and Auntie Arianne this afternoon. Here comes the Tooth Fairy again!
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May 13, 2019
Your bottom left next molar is poking through – is it a 12-year molar??
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May 18, 2019
You moved up to level 3 in swimming today – excellent job!
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May 31, 2019
I was the guest reader in your class today, the very last one for the school year, and you were so happy to see me. I love getting little peeks like this into all your school days.
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June 4, 2019
Today was your first ride to school on a 2-wheel bike!
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June 13, 2019
Last day of K5 – off to be a big 1st grader!
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June 24, 2019
Today was your first ride on the bike path on 2 wheels! Great job!
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July 5, 2019
You made an astronaut helmet today, and I was so impressed! You made an antenna on top with a wire and sparkly pom-pom, glued beads on top for stars, drew the sun on one side and all the planets on another, and cut out a hole for your face. Your creativity is amazing!
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August 3, 2019
Gwen came down with Grandma Rau for Della’s birthday party, and she taught you and Della how to do real backbends, not the ones where you push up from the ground. I was amazed! I remember Grandma Barbie teaching me how to do that on a pile of pillows at their house in Spring Bay when I was little.
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August 5, 2019
You learned to do a sitting dive off the side of the diving well today in swim lessons, and you jumped off the diving board with no float on. Great job!
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August 10, 2019
What a fun day you had today while Della is gone! First you went over to Anna’s birthday dance party, then you went to your friend from school Natalia’s birthday party at a tae kwon do place where you got to break a board into 3 pieces (you were the only one at the party who broke it more than twice!), then you and I had a girls’ movie night while Daddy took Morrison to the Brewers game. I love hanging out with you, my love!
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August 18, 2019
You lost tooth #6 this morning, and you pulled it out by yourself again! You were sitting in the rocking chair in my bedroom, you said you could wiggle it side to side, then a few minutes later you held your hand out to me and there it was!
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September 3, 2019
Happy first day of 1st grade! You were so cute – you wore the same green checked dress that you wore for the first day of K5 last year with your new mint green runners, and you looked incredible. We had to line up in the gym this morning because of rain, and Della and I dropped you off in your line first while I took her over to find hers since the 4th grade teachers weren’t in there yet. By the time Mrs. Bowman came to Della’s line and I got back to you, I could tell you were getting nervous without me. I was so happy to finish waiting in line with you. Mrs. Ernst had given you all little lanyard name tags, and you looked so cute with yours on. We waved to Della as her line went out, then I was able to wave to you all the way into your classroom before I had to go back out to the car to get Morrison. It was great – I saw your smiling little face the whole time. It worked out better than normal dropoff outside! Then after Morrison’s shortened K4 session, we saw you in the hallway as we were leaving. I was so happy! We waved to you, which I’m afraid kind of distracted you from Mrs. Ernst and your line. I really hope I didn’t get you in trouble and get your year off to a bad start with your teacher! She seemed so nice at meet and greet and in line this morning, and I know she liked the little card you gave her at meet and greet and I’m sure she loved the one today, too. I so hate having you girls away from me all day again, but I’m very happy that you’re so excited for this school year. Have a fantastic day, my sweet baby girl!! I love you so much.
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October 8, 2019
You had a field trip to a farmer’s market today, and it was so much fun. I wanted to be a chaperone for this one so badly, but I would have had to ask Grandma to come up to babysit for the day and we just got home from her house yesterday, so it wouldn’t have worked very well. You were so adorable – you each got to take $5 at most to spend, and you were planning what you wanted to buy. Your list included potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, honey, broccoli, and cucumbers. Quite a lofty goal for a $5 trip. 😉 You brought home broccoli, potatoes, and 2 cute little gourds, which I thought was an excellent haul. You also loved helping cook up your potatoes and broccoli. It’s so funny how different you made your trip to that market than Della did – she bought a cup of apple cider, a flower, and little gourds. I love you and your amazing mind and spirit so much.
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October 21, 2019
Happy 7th birthday, my sweet baby girl!! We celebrated this past Saturday, Oct. 19, at our block party, and you had 2 little school friends over as a mini birthday party. You and Della helped me make mini cupcakes again, your favorite birthday party treat. Instead of decorating them with frosting Ls this year, you wanted to put candy corns on top. Very fitting for a Fall party! But, oddly enough, we could not find any at the grocery store, so you switched to decorating them with jelly beans. You said 3 little jelly belly beans on each would look like tiny ghosts, so that’s what you did. They were a hit! Then today before school you got to open 1 present, and it was a tiny package from the tiny post office. So perfect for you! I chose a tiny notebook, since you love to draw and write so much. Daddy picked you and Della up from school and took you to Metro Market to pick out your requested sushi for dinner, then you had a regular-sized cupcake we made that you decorated with 7 jelly beans for your birthday treat, and Daddy took you big 3 down to the lakefront to see the monstrous waves today and you got ice cream down there as well at the custard stand. What a great day! I love you more than you will ever know, my sweet girl, and I hope you had a wonderful birthday and the best year ahead yet!
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October 23, 2019
Today you guys had your Halloween parade at school at the end of your half day (now we have a long 4.5-day weekend, wahoo!), and you were a purple alien with the little alien hat you got from your school fundraiser last month. How fun! You are so creative, I love it.
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November 18, 2019
You had to get a filling tonight for some weakened enamel that was probably leading to a buried cavity. It’s really weird – this has happened on the same tooth on each side of your upper jaw, and they said it’s something genetic that occurred as those teeth were developing. You did amazing, though! They gave you a numbing gel before the Novocaine shot, which didn’t bother you at all, then all the drilling, filling, and sealing took mere minutes. We’ll go back for the other one on December 5, and I’m sure it won’t affect you one bit either. Plus the Novocaine wore off much faster than they estimated, so you were able to eat dinner before you went to bed after all.
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November 25, 2019
CVS could not have been more wrong last week with Della’s lice check – she and you both had full-blown lice! UGGGHHHH!!!!! Thankfully the woman in the office at school told me exactly what to do and recommended the Lice Clinics of America, where you were treated with heat to kill everything and were able to go back to school this afternoon. And we don’t have to miss going to Peoria at Thanksgiving! Yuck. The ONE thing I hoped to always avoid from school days. Oh well, at least we got rid of it immediately even though it cost a lot. And magically the rest of us were clear!
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December 2, 2019
1-week lice recheck was all clear – WAHOO!!! I was so nervous, because I swore I saw some eggs in your hair this morning. And I did. But they were all dead and fried from the treatment last week, the tech got them combed out tonight, and she said we have absolutely nothing to worry about. You and Della both had a couple left, but they were all dead and are now gone and we’re done with this. Hopefully forever, yuck!
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December 21, 2019
Last night was our annual dinner and Nutcracker night with Grandma, and you almost made it through the show. You fell asleep pretty well into the second act, using your coat and my arm as a pillow. One of these years you’ll see the whole thing. 😉 Nigh-Night got to come this year, too, and he looked great in his red holiday bow tie.
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December 25, 2019
Merry Christmas, my sweet baby girl! You are such a stinker – you totally did not like the American Girl doll that Daddy and I gave you this year, so by the end of the night you’d used your Amazon gift cards to order Botley, the little coding robot that you wanted so badly. You even changed your Christmas list for Santa to include Botley, but it was a pretty last-minute change so I told you it might not happen. Botley is now arriving Friday courtesy of Amazon Prime, so I hope it brings you all the joy that the doll did not. 😉
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December 31, 2019
Happy last day of the decade, my sweet baby girl. Wow! Here’s to a great next 10 in the 2020s!