I don't have any cute shots of my kids in Halloween costumes, as Carter refused to wear one and pitched a massive fit when we attempted to finagle him into both Cookie Monster and Dinosaur ensembles, so instead I stuck him in some plaid and overalls, let him carry his dump truck around, and called him a farmer. Behold:


He had a stuffed chicken and carrot too, but apparently he deemed them unworthy of schlepping about. I felt like a pretty crappy parent when we arrived at preschool to find EVERY other kid completely decked out in full-on Halloween costume regalia, but this just proves my theory that 1) my kid is an individual, and 2) my kid is the most stubborn creature alive.

Griffin was decked out in a Halloween sleeper and pumpkin hat, because, well, I'm just not that creative (oops...didn't even get a shot of the aforementioned pumpkin hat - alas):


Our attempt to go trick-or-treating was a massive failure - Carter wasn't remotely interested and by that point was beginning to get lethargic and croupy, plus, we evidently have the WORST neighborhood on earth for trick-or-treating anyway. We wandered around for awhile in search of pumpkins, other kids, or some small semblance of festivities, but there was NADA. Boo hiss, West Hollywood. Next year we'll drive to Beverly Hills and get Godiva and Rolexes in our plastic pumpkins.

What was NOT a massive failure? The dozens and dozens of sugar cookies that I made for Carter's preschool - pumpkins, ghosts and bats (two different sizes). At 11pm on October 30th as I stood in the kitchen frosting all those motherf-ers, I was wondering why I had been so ambitious. However, they turned out well and the kids ate 'em up. Sometimes I think maternity leave is really just one big excuse to bake. 'Tis the season!

Croup, and How Much It Sucks

What's more fun than a trip to the ER with a vomiting toddler with a 105-degree fever who can hardly breathe??

A trip to urgent care two days later with a feverish newborn.

YEEEEEHAH!!

So went our week, beginning Tuesday, when, after a sick day at home, Carter awoke in the early evening with extremely labored breathing, a hacking cough, buckets of vomit, and a scorching fever. Max rushed him to the ER, where they stayed for the next five hours as he received oxygen, steroids, and other good stuff like that. Croup, they said.

CROUP IS A BITCH.

He's recovering well, I am happy to report. Fever is almost gone, cough (which sounded soooo classically croupy and seal-like) is much improved. Doctor says he can return to school on Monday. Little G is fine too - urgent care checked him out and said that as long as the mild fever stays under 100.4, we're okay. 100.4 and up merits another trip to the ER. Today he was in the 99's (fingers crossed and wood knocking, th-th-th over my shoulder).

Fortunately, I have not been alone in this madness, as my husband has been working short days and my awesome mother-in-law has been coming to help. I cannot imagine doing it alone, as keeping sick, coughing Carter occupied and separated from his (mostly healthy th-th-th) little brother as much as possible for entire days is no easy task. It's been a crash course in HOLY CRAP we have two kids now!!?!? Like Sara said, it's NO JOKE, people. Sheesh.

So it's been a rough couple of weeks, with mastitis giving way to croupiness and general mayhem. But as if to make up for it, my sweet little Finnster slept for 6.5 hours IN A ROW last night. Huzzah!