We decided to take a day at home to try to get John better. He got some good sleep. We only gave him one nebulizer treatment in the morning. The idea is to see if the doctor still sees a problem when she checks him on Friday, even though he hasn't been having treatments. Cross your fingers. We are still having the bum problem though. We've chosen to fight it with Desitin and baths today. All well and good, but my hands stink like zinc.
Cheap tip: CVS will give you 50 free prints with your ExtraCare card online. Also, you can get a second deal where you upload an additional 50 prints, and only pay for 30 of the 50. By my math, that's $4.50 for 50 prints -- about $.09 a print. The second deal expires really soon, so take advantage while you can.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Still getting better....
Well, it's day three. John's still on the mend, but just a cranky little guy. He sat in my lap today for about half-an-hour, just watching me or the computer. Not his regular behavior. I gave him a nebulizer at 8 AM and one at 1 PM, just before his nap. We're supposed to be tapering off, but he was wheezing and breathing quickly. UGH! I'm ready to be done with the thing.
Our dear friends took Maddie for the day. She needed to get out of the house and away from me. She's been just dying to play with her CT friends since we got home. Thanks Lisa! I dropped her off at 10 AM and she stayed there for hours and hours -- I seriously owe babysitting swap for this one.
Jared gave his annual presentation on his lab work today. They have a funny tradition that you have to feed the crowd that attends your lecture -- two dozen doughnuts, one dozen bagels, 2 pounds of strawberries, and two gallons of juice. All that was left was a bit of juice. Jared said that the talk went well. He feels pretty good about it.
John slept for 3.5 hours this afternoon. YEAH! He woke up just as happy as can be. Other than the bum. Still a problem. He's started trying to do flips while on the changing table. It's a serious problem with poop flying off his cheeks. So, I strapped him in this afternoon -- crime against humanity! Oh, he was angry. He let me have it in his grunty, shouty babytalk.
We picked up Maddie at about 5:30 PM. Dinner was courtesy of Stouffers Lasagna and some frozen garlic bread.
We are having a tremendous bedtime battle -- tonight took almost two hours to finally get Maddie to sleep. We're idiots. We actually respond to all her questions and help her get what she wants. Well, it's a-changin' tomorrow!
Why? Well, Jared and I have started watching Hulu.com for funny tv shows. We like laying in bed, after the kids are asleep and using the laptop to catch a couple of episodes of The Office, The Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Maddie's influencing our tv time together. It must end!
Our dear friends took Maddie for the day. She needed to get out of the house and away from me. She's been just dying to play with her CT friends since we got home. Thanks Lisa! I dropped her off at 10 AM and she stayed there for hours and hours -- I seriously owe babysitting swap for this one.
Jared gave his annual presentation on his lab work today. They have a funny tradition that you have to feed the crowd that attends your lecture -- two dozen doughnuts, one dozen bagels, 2 pounds of strawberries, and two gallons of juice. All that was left was a bit of juice. Jared said that the talk went well. He feels pretty good about it.
John slept for 3.5 hours this afternoon. YEAH! He woke up just as happy as can be. Other than the bum. Still a problem. He's started trying to do flips while on the changing table. It's a serious problem with poop flying off his cheeks. So, I strapped him in this afternoon -- crime against humanity! Oh, he was angry. He let me have it in his grunty, shouty babytalk.
We picked up Maddie at about 5:30 PM. Dinner was courtesy of Stouffers Lasagna and some frozen garlic bread.
We are having a tremendous bedtime battle -- tonight took almost two hours to finally get Maddie to sleep. We're idiots. We actually respond to all her questions and help her get what she wants. Well, it's a-changin' tomorrow!
Why? Well, Jared and I have started watching Hulu.com for funny tv shows. We like laying in bed, after the kids are asleep and using the laptop to catch a couple of episodes of The Office, The Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Maddie's influencing our tv time together. It must end!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Pneumonia Day Two
John is getting better.
We gave him two nebulizer treatments in the middle of the night( 12:30 AM and 4:00 AM) -- Jared and I rotated so that we could both get about 6 hours of sleep in a row. Both treatments went well. I gave him another at 8 AM before we headed to the pediatrician to get him checked out. He also had augmentin and oraped -- antibiotics and a steroid. All in the hopes of getting him better. But, (no pun intended) problem inducing -- diarrhea. UGH! Poor guy has a bright red bum.
The doctor said he's getting better. YEAH! We need to wait and see what's happening though. We'll know more by Friday, after all the medication has time to work it's magic and get rid of the infection, and help his lungs to get better. There is a small possibility that he could have asthma or a similar condition. Time will tell. We're slowly tapering off the nebulizer so that he can get stronger on his own.
The funny of the day came after we had both kids in bed. I walked past Maddie's room, saw that her light was on, and as I passed I said, "Maddie, time to go to sleep. Please turn out your light."
"Mom, I only have two pages left -- can't I just finish?"
I just laughed and laughed. Oh, the thousands of pages I read using the excuse of 'only two pages left.' It was one of those payback moments that left me with a smile.
We gave him two nebulizer treatments in the middle of the night( 12:30 AM and 4:00 AM) -- Jared and I rotated so that we could both get about 6 hours of sleep in a row. Both treatments went well. I gave him another at 8 AM before we headed to the pediatrician to get him checked out. He also had augmentin and oraped -- antibiotics and a steroid. All in the hopes of getting him better. But, (no pun intended) problem inducing -- diarrhea. UGH! Poor guy has a bright red bum.
The doctor said he's getting better. YEAH! We need to wait and see what's happening though. We'll know more by Friday, after all the medication has time to work it's magic and get rid of the infection, and help his lungs to get better. There is a small possibility that he could have asthma or a similar condition. Time will tell. We're slowly tapering off the nebulizer so that he can get stronger on his own.
Last night as we were going to bed, I mentioned to Jared that I thought we needed to lower the crib mattress. He thought we'd have a few more days before it was a problem. This is how I found John this morning after his nap. Needless to say, I lowered the mattress. He spent the rest of the day trying to pull himself up so that he could stand. It's an obsession.
I'm predicting that he'll walk by Sept. 15th. We'll just have to see.
Maddie's having a bit of a rough time of it all. She's just plain exhausted. Also, she's frustrated that John's getting all the attention, love and movies that he wants. So, she went downstairs to watch tv. She ended up getting distracted by a mediocre tv show and missed her favorite. She came upstairs and threw herself on the floor screaming and wailing. I have never been so angry! John started crying. Yep -- the dreaded nap waker-upper. I explained to her that I was furious and that she had better take her crying self out of the room before she regretted it more than she could possibly know. Some of my anger must of conveyed, because even through her own tears and wailing, she rushed downstairs.
Our other big problem, is that Maddie wants to be in control of John's every movement. She is constantly shouting, "NO, JOHN!" at the top of her lungs and removing from one side of the house to the other. This was a picture of her rescuing him from the floor in front of the stairs. Don't worry, he was never in danger.
The funny of the day came after we had both kids in bed. I walked past Maddie's room, saw that her light was on, and as I passed I said, "Maddie, time to go to sleep. Please turn out your light."
"Mom, I only have two pages left -- can't I just finish?"
I just laughed and laughed. Oh, the thousands of pages I read using the excuse of 'only two pages left.' It was one of those payback moments that left me with a smile.
Just a note
I've decided to start using the blog as a journal. So, if the posts get too long, just skip 'em and enjoy the pictures of my beautiful kids :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
John Gets Pneumonia
During our visit to Utah, John started wheezing, but we thought it was no big deal. We just decided the last week to take it a bit easier and get him some more sleep. I was planning on taking him into the pediatrician Monday morning to get it checked out.
Sunday night, John started screaming his head off around 9 PM. Not usual for our baby. Not at all. So, we gave him some tylenol cough & cold. That didn't help. We tried a bottle -- no interest. About 11:45 PM we tried giving him some ibuprofin as well. He was still one upset little man.
So, about 12:30 AM, I geared up for the long night of watching the Muppets and trying to sleep while holding him in a chair. Jared and I started getting set-up for the night in the basement and started the movie. About 2 minutes into it, John started coughing and then had this funny bark. Jared and I looked at each other and said, "That's it."
We woke up Maddie and loaded the family into the van. Jared drove as fast as he dared to the hospital while I kept track of John's breathing in the back seat. We got to the hospital around 1:30 AM.
L & M was great. They took us straight to a bed, requested a respiratory therapist and had treated him with albuterol within a half hour of our arrival. It was amazing to see the difference the nebulizer made. They took x-rays and did bloodwork. He had nebulizer treatments at 2 AM, 4 AM, 6 AM and 9:30 AM. In between, they had us hold a blue tube to his face -- it blew cold air. It is supposed to help reduce inflammation in the lungs.
About 5 AM, we were told that John had a case of pneumonia in his left lung for sure, not sure about the right lung. He didn't have an ear infection. His white blood count was over 20,000. High enough to warrant antibiotics. Sorry kid. They put an IV in around 5:30 AM. John was seriously unhappy with it. They had to try two times before it was successful. After they wrapped it, he forgot about it. Around 6:30 AM they gave him antibiotics and fluids through the IV.
The ER doc told us that she'd be checking John into the hospital for further monitoring and treatment. Since we weren't sure when we'd be going home, we decided that Jared and Maddie should go get some sleep and collect some supplies for an extended stay. They left about 6:30 AM.
John finally fell asleep around 7:00 AM. I tried as well. We had a very squeaky door and we were two feet from the bathroom everyone was using, so sleeping was a bit difficult.
We had been told that John was going to be checked into the hospital for treatment until he was breathing better. But, our pediatrician showed up, and changed the plan -- YEAH PEDIATRICIAN! He sent us home with a nebulizer to continue breathing treatments on our own and oral steroids, and antibiotics.
The respiratory therapist gave John a final breathing treatment at 9:30 AM and then the nurse took out his IV around 9:40 AM.
I called Jared to tell him we were going to be coming home. I'm not sure it really sunk in through his sleep deprived state. I had to call a second time to rouse him again and ask him to come and get us because we were all checked out and at the door. They only got 2 hours sleep before we found out that we were going to be coming home, so both of them were exhausted too. They finally picked us up around 10:30 AM.
Here we are at about 2:30 AM. Maddie was lucky enough to get a blue Popsicle --
It's amazing to see how much the medication helps him to breathe. He'll be breathing rapidly, his tummy will extend and contract drastically and he's just cranky. We give him the albuterol, and he just relaxes from head to toe. Of course, this is after the nebulizer is finished -- he hates the nebulizer. It's a wrestle off to get him to breathe the "smoke" as we call it.
Side note: As a mother, this was a terrible experience. I know now that John's life was not in danger, but it sure didn't feel like it at the time. I don't like that feeling. It makes me sick inside with worry, fears and doubts. My children are so precious to me. It's so terrible to think that one of them could be in a life and death struggle. Not a surprise, but I hate the loss of control and not knowing what is coming next. It's also really hard because it's difficult to know how serious it is. When it's in your own body, it's easy to know that it hurts, or is difficult, but you're still surviving. With a baby, there's no real way to judge how terrible it is.
Now that I'm on the other side of the fear, all I can feel is gratitude. I'm so glad it wasn't as scary as it could have been. I'm so thankful for medical care and the wonderful people who make it a more pleasant experience. We had great doctors, nurses and therapists that helped calm our fears and helped us to understand what was happening.
I'm most grateful for a terrific husband. He's just fantastic in a crisis. You couldn't ask for a better thinker, a kinder heart and a great man. He makes things happen and provides a positive spirit all through the night, even when he's exhausted. Thanks dear -- I love you!
Sunday night, John started screaming his head off around 9 PM. Not usual for our baby. Not at all. So, we gave him some tylenol cough & cold. That didn't help. We tried a bottle -- no interest. About 11:45 PM we tried giving him some ibuprofin as well. He was still one upset little man.
So, about 12:30 AM, I geared up for the long night of watching the Muppets and trying to sleep while holding him in a chair. Jared and I started getting set-up for the night in the basement and started the movie. About 2 minutes into it, John started coughing and then had this funny bark. Jared and I looked at each other and said, "That's it."
We woke up Maddie and loaded the family into the van. Jared drove as fast as he dared to the hospital while I kept track of John's breathing in the back seat. We got to the hospital around 1:30 AM.
L & M was great. They took us straight to a bed, requested a respiratory therapist and had treated him with albuterol within a half hour of our arrival. It was amazing to see the difference the nebulizer made. They took x-rays and did bloodwork. He had nebulizer treatments at 2 AM, 4 AM, 6 AM and 9:30 AM. In between, they had us hold a blue tube to his face -- it blew cold air. It is supposed to help reduce inflammation in the lungs.
About 5 AM, we were told that John had a case of pneumonia in his left lung for sure, not sure about the right lung. He didn't have an ear infection. His white blood count was over 20,000. High enough to warrant antibiotics. Sorry kid. They put an IV in around 5:30 AM. John was seriously unhappy with it. They had to try two times before it was successful. After they wrapped it, he forgot about it. Around 6:30 AM they gave him antibiotics and fluids through the IV.
The ER doc told us that she'd be checking John into the hospital for further monitoring and treatment. Since we weren't sure when we'd be going home, we decided that Jared and Maddie should go get some sleep and collect some supplies for an extended stay. They left about 6:30 AM.
John finally fell asleep around 7:00 AM. I tried as well. We had a very squeaky door and we were two feet from the bathroom everyone was using, so sleeping was a bit difficult.
We had been told that John was going to be checked into the hospital for treatment until he was breathing better. But, our pediatrician showed up, and changed the plan -- YEAH PEDIATRICIAN! He sent us home with a nebulizer to continue breathing treatments on our own and oral steroids, and antibiotics.
The respiratory therapist gave John a final breathing treatment at 9:30 AM and then the nurse took out his IV around 9:40 AM.
I called Jared to tell him we were going to be coming home. I'm not sure it really sunk in through his sleep deprived state. I had to call a second time to rouse him again and ask him to come and get us because we were all checked out and at the door. They only got 2 hours sleep before we found out that we were going to be coming home, so both of them were exhausted too. They finally picked us up around 10:30 AM.
Here we are at about 2:30 AM. Maddie was lucky enough to get a blue Popsicle -- it made her look like the one with breathing trouble though!
Here's a picture of John's mummified IV foot.
Here's John about an hour after we got home from picking up
Here's a picture of John's mummified IV foot.Here's John about an hour after we got home from picking up the nebulizer, prescriptions and some lunch.
We gave John a breathing treatment at 1:30 and all crashed for a nap. We were just exhausted.
It's amazing to see how much the medication helps him to breathe. He'll be breathing rapidly, his tummy will extend and contract drastically and he's just cranky. We give him the albuterol, and he just relaxes from head to toe. Of course, this is after the nebulizer is finished -- he hates the nebulizer. It's a wrestle off to get him to breathe the "smoke" as we call it.
Side note: As a mother, this was a terrible experience. I know now that John's life was not in danger, but it sure didn't feel like it at the time. I don't like that feeling. It makes me sick inside with worry, fears and doubts. My children are so precious to me. It's so terrible to think that one of them could be in a life and death struggle. Not a surprise, but I hate the loss of control and not knowing what is coming next. It's also really hard because it's difficult to know how serious it is. When it's in your own body, it's easy to know that it hurts, or is difficult, but you're still surviving. With a baby, there's no real way to judge how terrible it is.
Now that I'm on the other side of the fear, all I can feel is gratitude. I'm so glad it wasn't as scary as it could have been. I'm so thankful for medical care and the wonderful people who make it a more pleasant experience. We had great doctors, nurses and therapists that helped calm our fears and helped us to understand what was happening.
I'm most grateful for a terrific husband. He's just fantastic in a crisis. You couldn't ask for a better thinker, a kinder heart and a great man. He makes things happen and provides a positive spirit all through the night, even when he's exhausted. Thanks dear -- I love you!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Family Day at Plum Island
We got to go to the annual Plum Island Family Day on Saturday. It's a really great time. We get to take the ferry out -- about a 30 minute ride -- and then enjoy the beautiful private island.
The island is surrounded in mystique. It's actually not that big a deal. Well, OK, so yeah, they check your ID, you're only allowed on the beach or on the big grassy field, you can't take pictures of anything except the beach and the field, and you have to throw away all food or drink before you leave the island. And, there are big men with guns to enforce these rules. Other than that, it's great! We had great food and got to meet more of the people from Jared's work. All in all, I'd consider the event a big hit with our family.
Here's some pictures for you to see of this secluded scientific playground:
Maddie played on the slip and slide most of the time. She made a friend or two, and they went down to play on the beach. Someone fishing from the beach caught a shark that the kids had to go and see.
John alternated from playing in the grass to sleeping in the stroller(we didn't know he was sick at the time). 
We took the 8:45 AM boat out, and the 1:15 boat back. We were just exhausted because we had gotten home from our gigantic Utah trip the night before at around 2:30 AM. Less than 6 hours sleep does not a happy family make. We all came home and took a huge nap. Then we piddled the rest of the day away, just cleaning out suitcases and picking up the junk around the house.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
We are pooped! Today we just ran errands and tried to get the kids ready to tackle the reunion. We went to the mall to get me a couple of new shirts. For some reason, mine are starting to get holes in them, all in the same place. I bought a couple at JC Penny's to last me through the summer. Maddie pitched a fit because I wouldn't buy her something, so we had to leave.
We came home and ate leftover Pei Wei and hamburgers for lunch. I'm addicted to edamame, the soybeans in the shell. I'm eating them for every meal.
Then we got the kids a nap while I showed Mom how to quilt. I think she's just going to love it. She's doing a modified four-patch. When it was time to go get dinner, she didn't want to stop until her bobbin ran out. It was cute.
We went to Costco for dinner. Funny that I came all the way to Utah to eat dinner at Costco. We kept seeing Mom & Dad's friends as we sat and ate. We did pick up a few groceries to justify the trip.
We came home, put the kids to bed and watched another episode of 'Good Eats' before going to get Jared at the airport. Shock, his plane was about 45 minutes early. We hit Wendy's on the way home to pick him up a bit of dinner. Then we finally got to bed around 11:45 PM. UGH! Tired.
We came home and ate leftover Pei Wei and hamburgers for lunch. I'm addicted to edamame, the soybeans in the shell. I'm eating them for every meal.
Then we got the kids a nap while I showed Mom how to quilt. I think she's just going to love it. She's doing a modified four-patch. When it was time to go get dinner, she didn't want to stop until her bobbin ran out. It was cute.
We went to Costco for dinner. Funny that I came all the way to Utah to eat dinner at Costco. We kept seeing Mom & Dad's friends as we sat and ate. We did pick up a few groceries to justify the trip.
We came home, put the kids to bed and watched another episode of 'Good Eats' before going to get Jared at the airport. Shock, his plane was about 45 minutes early. We hit Wendy's on the way home to pick him up a bit of dinner. Then we finally got to bed around 11:45 PM. UGH! Tired.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
We rested a bit in the morning, but headed out the door by 10:00. I wanted to go to Elaine's Quilt Block to see what fabric they had. I bought a purse pattern the last time we were out here, but didn't buy any fabric to go with it. So, I went in search of some fun fabrics. John was not happy to be in a fabric store! He screamed and carried on so much that mom finally took him outside while I finished choosing. Maddie wants a purse too, so I let her choose a few fat quarters so that I can make her one when we get home.
We met the Carvers and Salgados at the Gateway splash pad. I'm not sure if that's the official name, but it's the function. Maddie had a great time! We bought KFC and just ate lunch and watched her run around. It was fun to see the Salgados -- Maddie had a great time playing with AnnMarie. I'm bummed because I didn't get a picture of their family. UGH! Little John had a great time once we put him down. The picture here is just after we set him down -- he's still winding up to crawl. After he was on his hands and knees, he headed straight for the water spouts. We had to watch him constantly so he didn't get a mouthful.
We finished playing in the water, and headed to McDonald's for ice cream.
All this playing has worn us out! Today was just so hot! We came home, watched a bit of "Good Eats" on tv, picked up Pei Wei and brought it home. Yummy! I love Chineese food! I put the kids to bed and crashed around 10:00. We're so excited because Jared comes tomorrow -- yeah Dad!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
We had a wonderful day, but we're quickly wearing ourselves out running around town!
We started off by going to get my hair done. Connie is our good friend, and she's been doing hair in our family for four generations. It was great to see her and catch up on everything. I'll post pictures my new doo soon -- be prepared for change!
After we finished with my hair, I was hankering for a Caesar Salad from Fanny's Grill at the Homestead in Midway. It's one of my favorite places to eat. So, we drove an hour to go and get me a lovely meal. Maddie got to throw all of our bread, french fries and just about everything edible to the ducks nearby. We were next to the fence, and she would hurl the bread over with a big tennis, "hi-yah" with every toss. It was really fun. John had a great time sitting in a high chair, throwing spoons around. We sat there for about 90 minutes, just enjoying the peace and entertainment.
We started off by going to get my hair done. Connie is our good friend, and she's been doing hair in our family for four generations. It was great to see her and catch up on everything. I'll post pictures my new doo soon -- be prepared for change!
After we finished with my hair, I was hankering for a Caesar Salad from Fanny's Grill at the Homestead in Midway. It's one of my favorite places to eat. So, we drove an hour to go and get me a lovely meal. Maddie got to throw all of our bread, french fries and just about everything edible to the ducks nearby. We were next to the fence, and she would hurl the bread over with a big tennis, "hi-yah" with every toss. It was really fun. John had a great time sitting in a high chair, throwing spoons around. We sat there for about 90 minutes, just enjoying the peace and entertainment.
We stopped in at Mom & Dad's new house(just around the corner) to see if there had been any progress since Monday. Plants had been dropped off, and a new countertop installed. I talked with Kristie and got to wish her a happy birthday -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTIE!
We decided to take Maddie to Zermatt to ride the carousel. She absolutely loves riding on the horses. She got to ride two separate times, once on a black horse, and once on a white horse. She had it to herself the second time, grinning all the while!
John is working on his crawling skills everywhere we go -- here it's on the cement next to the carousel.
We finished off the day by getting ice cream at Dairy Keen in Heber -- burnt almond fudge malts are one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world! Maddie played in the park in downtown Heber while Mom & I sat in the car's air conditioning and gobbled our malts. We stopped in at the Park City outlet mall on the way home to Sandy. John's pretty put-out he hasn't had a good nap, so he kept crying and calling out, "Bubba", "Mom" all the way home. It was so sad! But, as soon as we put him down on the floor at home, he was crawling all over, happy as could be.
We decided with all the gallivanting today, it would be best to just eat at home. The kids were so wiped out, I only got to eat half my dinner before they just demanded to be put to bed. After I was done putting them to bed, I just couldn't climb the stairs anymore. I put myself to bed and called it a day.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hogle Zoo with the Carvers
We've made it to Utah safely, and are having a ball. On Monday, we did normal life things like going to Costco and Target. In the afternoon, we went to see my mom & dad's new house up in Midway. It's just beautiful. Maddie gets a kick out of all the farm life everywhere. It was so great to see our good friends the Carvers today. The Carvers have been our friends since the girls were born back in Maryland. We had some great adventures and fond memories of them. They moved to Utah two years ago, but we all seem to pick up where we leave off, even if it's been months. Our girls just get along great! I adore Amanda. She's the kind of friend you wish lived right next door because she's always up for an adventure, or it's just fun to sit and chat too.
We met up at the zoo and walked most of the day in the hot sun. The adults spent their time looking at animals, while the kids ran around playing.
Here's a peek at our visit:
Friday, July 4, 2008
He's a crawler!
John declared his independance by crawling today. He's been working on it for a couple of weeks, but today he travelled several feet, so we're calling it official. The funny thing is, he will not crawl 1/4 inch more than necessary to get where he wants. He'll just drop and reach when he's within an arm's length. It's a crack up. Also, he'll drop down and rest his head every so often. Gotta admit, with his head, I'd need a rest too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
