Happy St. Patrick's Day!

So long, tonsils!

Pre-Surgery Libby in her Special PJs

Back in August, Libby had tubes put in, in the hopes that they would curtail her problem of recurring ear infections. No such luck. There was really no decrease in the number of ear infections Libby was getting, so it was time to move on to Phase 2: Tonsils and Adenoids. Libby was an absolute trooper the morning of the surgery. Unlike her trip to the hospital in August for tubes, she never cried or carried on because she was hungry and thirsty (which, of course, she was, since she hadn't eaten since 8pm the previous day). She was pretty much occupied by the fish (pronounced: "chips") in the waiting room. Once we got back to the prep area, Libby changed into her "special" pjs, got a new stuffed animal, and colored with Mom.

Post-Surgery Libby and Dora

When it was time to go back, she kissed Mommy and went in Dad's arms with her entourage into the OR. The whole time she was great. She waived to the people in the funny masks, said "hi" to everyone and sat quietly in Dad's lap while the anesthetic was administered. After about thirty seconds, she drifted off to La La Land. This was much harder on Dad than it was on Libby. She came out of the surgery an hour later, a little groggy and bitter. She spent the morning and early afternoon eating ice chips and popsicles and drinking water and juice. She was such a good girl that she got to go home the very same day! It's been a rough go since she's been home, but in the long run this will be a good thing for her. And while Libby hasn't been sleeping much, Mary has been on a two-day vacation with Grammie and Papa Hanna. She's definitely not complaining! For her troubles, Libby got her very first pet, her own fish! Can't wait to tell her we're having "chip"sticks for dinner tonight!

And, We're Back!

Mary Sporting her Cold Weather Gear

Yeah, so it's been awhile since the last post...Dad's never gone this long before! Suffice to say, life has been crazy in the Yandek Household. Miss Mary hit her six-month birthday full-steam ahead. She is now sitting up on her own, blabbering almost non-stop, and is still trying to master the art of eating baby food. To this point, she has dabbled in bananas, squash, peas and rice cereal. None of that really seems to suit her fancy, although she has started taking a liking to squash.

The St. Patrick's Day Drool Monster!

Mary has also finally made the transition from pumpkin seat to regular car seat. It was definitely overdue, as getting Mary in her pumpkin seat ended up being something like "ten pounds of Mary in a five pound bag." It's not that Mary is too big for her age, she is just one healthy, happy and super-smiley baby girl.

For St. Patrick's Day, Libby is going for the Liberace Vibe!

The big news for Libby following her second birthday is that she is having her tonsils and adenoids out on Wednesday morning. Despite the tubes last July, Libby continues to suffer from all sorts of ear problems, which not only effects her normally sunny disposition, but also her ability to get a good night's sleep. So, while the whole ordeal will be tough for Libby, hopefully it will pay off in the end. On the bright side, there is lots of ice cream and jello in Libby's very near future!

Corinne, Libby and Claire enjoying Dora cake and ice cream.

Like her sister, Libby is also continuing to grow up faster than anyone can believe. She is verbalizing at a very high level--forming sentences, using words instead of grunts to indicate what she wants, and showing the ability to follow more than just simple, one-word directions. If that weren't enough, it seems as though Libby has grown a foot taller and thinned out quite a bit. She almost looks like a different kid! While there have been some rough days in the past month, everyone has emerged with a smile on his or her face, looking forward to warmer weather and all the fun of spring!