Sunday, December 28, 2008

I'm ashamed to admit it.....I bought new pacis

I have ALWAYS looked in Target/Walmart for the 18+ Gerber Nuks. I can never find them. But I did last night. I bought two packages (4 pacis).

Yes, I want them gone, but at the same time, I really don't feel all that bad about him having them. I've said it before that I'd rather see him sucking a paci than screaming his head off in the middle of the store or a restaurant. No reason why everyone else's outing needs to be screwed up because of my child.

But, we were down to TWO! TWO!!!!!!!!!!

I'm okay with it, though. Really I am. He's been giving them up freely and not really wanting them as much aside from bed and nap time or when he's hurting or in need of consolation. I'd rather work on potty-training thank you.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

And now a post for Nana and Papa

Duck loves to color. Moreso, he loves to color while standing. He loves his easel from Ikea!

What a MERRY CHRISTMAS surprise!

Well, we were supposed to have a friend of MIL's for dinner last night. E and I talked about a possibly early arrival, so we tried to make sure we had everything ready and cleaned. Didn't quite happen, but neither did our guest.

A knock at the door and who did E see? His parents, all the way from Michigan!

It was all a surprise. Oddly, I knew. Things just didn't add up over the past few weeks. After all, if David wanted to come see us, why wouldn't he call himself? Plus, with an off-hand remark back in October about wanting to be here for Christmas, kind of made everything fit last night.

Quite funny actually.

It was a nice surprise and Duck had a lot of fun playing with Grandma and Pampu.


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

It's time for a development update

It seems that every time Duck gets sick, about a week later, he has an all-out verbal explosion. so, here goes. The following was taken from the Arnold Palmer Hospital Howard Phillips Center for Children Development Center website (click here) to see the full outline.

I've changed all the things he CAN do to blue.


18 - 24 months of age - Receptive Language Skills

  • Recognizes body parts and clothing articles in large pictures
  • Understands simple yes/no questions
  • Understands differences in personal pronouns (me, you)
  • Follows a series of two - three simple relations commands with the same object
  • Appears to listen to meaning of languarge, not merely words
  • Recognizes many common objects and pictures as they are named

Expressive Language

  • Replaces jargon with meaningful words
  • Imitates animal sounds and other environmental sounds in play
  • Refers to self by name
  • Uses "no" frequently
  • Uses "my" to declare ownership
  • Begins combining words to form two-word phrases
  • Asks questions by raising pitch of voice at end of word or phrase

2 - 3 years of age - Receptive Language Skills

  • Understands actions in pictures
  • Recognizes names of smaller body parts (chin, knee, elbow)
  • Understands functions of objects
  • Understands size concepts big and little
  • Understands quantity concepts one, more, all
  • Understands spatial concepts in, on, under
  • Becomes aware of a sequence and organization for daily routines
  • Understands question forms who, where, what doing
  • Understands genders (boy/girl)
  • Likes to listen to short stories

Expressive Language

  • Combines words to express: - Possession: "my coat"
    - Recurrence: "more juice"
    - Action: "go outside"
    - Location: "want up"
    - Negation: "no eat"
  • Usually uses two- to four-word phrases
  • Asks for help with personal needs
  • Uses I, me, mine, you
  • Can say first and last name when asked
  • Can repeat two numbers in squence
  • Talks about an event that has just happened
  • Uses many commands ("go get it")
  • Uses here, there
  • Begins using "is" verb form
  • Speech is understood by others 70 - 80 percent of the time

3 - 4 years of age - Receptive Language Skills

  • Understands concepts hard/soft, rough/smooth
  • Understands spatial concepts front/back
  • Understands question forms, "What do you do when you're hungry? Sleepy?"
  • Follows two-step directions involving two different actions

Expressive Language

  • Asks many who, what, where, why questions
  • Uses four- to five-word sentences most of the time
  • Engages in detailed conversations
  • Uses language in imaginative play
  • Imitates whispering
  • Relates two events in correct sequential order
  • Completes simple verbal opposites
  • Uses verb forms is, am, are
  • Uses regular plural forms consistently ("blocks")
  • Uses possessives ("mommy's car")
  • Begins using "because" as an explanation

In the past 24 hours

It's hit me that my not having a job in 5 weeks time is a HIGH possibility. this depresses me to no end because aside from the 10 days in 2004 between leaving my job at IRMC in Lansing and starting at Disney in Orlando, I haven't been unemployed since I was 16 years old. and it's not like I can really do much about it at 7.5 months pregnant.

Duck puked again last night, not sure why, but at least this time I kept him in the bathroom, facing the toilet and he hit it! I'm good. Not exactly something I like being good at. But at least I didn't have a bathroom, clothing or bedding to clean up. Just a quick wipe of the face and hands and he was good to go. (he's like his daddy.....puking makes him feel better)

Monday, December 22, 2008

Today is a VERY good day

So much to be grateful for today.

My day started with a very happy pre-schooler in my room at 6:30. Why was this a good thing? Because he was happy and he had POOPED! Poor kid had tried all day long yesterday without luck......even with getting him on the potty. He just gave up when we got him there.

Next? I had put his usual chobby, 2 mini pb cups and a syringe of Atarax on his little table. All I wanted was to change his butt. When I said, "C'mere Duck".....he not only came right over, but he grabbed the syringe of medicine!! Just too cute for words. He's finalyl just relegated that this is part of our morning routine. Shock of his life when by the end of the week all he's getting is chobby!

Then? We have company coming for dinner on Wednesday evening. A friend of MILs is stopping by. Don't get to see David much even though he only lives 3 hours away, so it's a nice treat. But what is making the visit more enjoyable (especially since I have work all day) is MIL treated us to a Honeybaked Ham dinner with cornbread stuffing and cheesecake. YUM! Very excited I do not have to cook this holiday, Thanksgiving was hard enough. So, 7.5 months pregnant and NOT cooking on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Quite possibly THE perfect gift.

And then???? I made a call to the pediatric allergist the pedi we saw on Saturday recommended. They have an appointment for him on Friday at 10:15!!! OMG, this really was a huge highlight to my day. Thought I was going to have to wait WEEKS to get him in. Turns out, we only have to wait a few days. YAY!!!! (Now, anyone want to tell me how to make sure my kid's not screaming bloody murder during an allergy test?)

Now? I'm getting to help out on another grade level at work. My stuff hasn't come in yet, so this gives me something to do, and it's NOT measurement!!! Just simple basic multiplication facts. Of course, my own measurement chapter is due in this week, but it's nice to have a break and be of use to someone.

To make a good day better? My friend Morgan offered to go to Midnight Mass with me on Wednesday night so I can leave my boys at home. Now, just to decide which church to go to.

So, it's 1:00 p.m. and I'm having an EXCELLENT day!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

I should add....

the streak on his face? NEARLY GONE!

I'm wondering now if the steroid cream could have made the situation a bit worse, haven't used it since Friday morning. Coincidence? Maybe, but we'll see.

And of course because he's feeling better, we're seeing lots and lots of chattering.

Thank you Reese's!!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.....now my favorite food item in the entire world. Not for me. But for Duck. Definitely makes the medicine go down.

3 mini cups + 1 cup chobby = no fuss medicine time

Now, he's still complaining a bit about it, but three little squirts (about 1/4 tsp each time) and he's done and off to eat his Reese's and drink his chobby.


(chobby is chocolate milk for those not fluent in "Duck-ese")

Saturday, December 20, 2008

This is the last photo update

What a difference two trips to the pediatrician's office (1 NP visit/1 Pedi visit), two phone calls with same NP, 8 doses of Atarax, and 4 doses of Augmentin can make in just 48 hours.

12/18 @ 9:30 p.m.


12/20 @ 8:30 p.m.

I have to say that I *LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE* our pediatrician. Seriously, I don't know how I would have managed the past 3 years without him and the rest of the practice.

All I can say to any friend, family member or reader is if you EVER have a doubt about your pedi and think you should switch: DO IT! That really goes for any caregiver you have, because YOU are the client, they work for you. That's not to say that there's a point you need to get a grip and just do what the dr says for the betterment of everyone. But, you have to trust in the person you're dealing with.

So, if you live in the west Orlando area check them out: Windermere Pediatrics. I can tell you that we drive 35 minutes on a clear day, including a few miles on I-4 in order to go to them. They are entirely worth the drive for us. Been doing it three years already and already plan to have them see HJ as well.

Post-dr visit update

He's definitely A LOT clearer now. She said not to be too concerned about the redness creeping upward. She it's usually day 3 when things start to look better anyway. (Someone here said that too.....so thank you, I was already at ease before she said that)

We got the referral to the pediatric allergist and I already know that the one she recommended is actually part of my insurance network. So now we hope that I can call AND get him in before January 30 when my contract (ie my insurance) ends.

She said that I was right to be concerned since all of his reactions have worsened in such a short time (4 months). The pedi we saw this morning isn't one we usually see. In three years time, I think this might have been the third time we've seen her. The first time was at 6 months and somewhere in the middle was the second visit. We usually see the other two drs. But at least it's all in his file, whereas if we'd gone to the pedi clinic, they'd just get a copy. Not exactly the same to me.

Oh, and I took my camera with all my pics......since I knew it was highly possible we wouldn't see the same one we saw Thursday night. She was glad I did because she could see the 3-day progression.

I guess I found one arena that my anal retentiveness can pay off!

And here's your morning update

Duck is was in better spirits.....until he tried to get behind my chair and as I lifted the chair and came back down in it in one movement and landed on his outer two toes on his right foot. DAMMIT. His pinky toe is scraped pretty good, but the one next to it too the brunt of the chair....not sure if I ripped the nail off, it's a little bloody. I feel like crap now.

Here is the morning's picture:

Friday, December 19, 2008

SHHHHH, I have a secret

wish me luck on my secret!

Up and over the belly button

We see the pediatrician tomorrow morning at 10:00. It's definitely still spreading, even with continued dosing of Atarax. The good news is that the lower part (below the diaper line) appears to be less red than this morning.

I sent the pics to his teacher and she actually said that she didn't notice anything on Thursday before he left school when she changed him. Not exactly sure HOW that would happen....especially given what I saw Thursday morning before school and what the sitter saw after school. Unless she changes him so fast that his t-shirt gets kind of tucked into the diaper. Entirely possible.....happens to me all the time.

So, here are the latest pics.....from about 5:00 tonight. He's had Atarax at 6a, 12n, 6p and I'll have to get him up at 12m. He got Augmentin at 10a and I'll give it to him again about 8:30 before bed. I should find some yogurt he'll eat.....maybe prevent a YI. He's prone with certain antibiotics and God knows that's the LAST thing I want to deal with now.


Added Augmentin

and we got back to the pedi in the morning just to make sure it's not getting worse.

And this morning.......


Thursday, December 18, 2008

Crimeny, can my kid not catch a break?

I would love it if someone could tell me what my kid is allergic to so I could stop giving it to him and so that I could keep this from happening! Keep your fingers crossed we avoid the ER in the next 24-48 hours.


Sunday, December 14, 2008

So........

The streak on Duck's face is still there, but the rash seems to be nearly gone. Which is a VERY good thing. The streak is red and hot. Really convinced it's tomatoes. He wouldn't be getting better if it was the Lactaid, right?

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Day Three of no puking......

BUT!

He's got a streak of red across his left cheek, reminds me of the sweet potato reaction from when he was 6 months old. He also has a rash around the right side of his tummy/back.

I *think* it's from tomatoes....he's never had them raw, just in spaghetti or pizza sauce. Or it could be Lactaid (doubtful). Or it could be the Florastor. I just don't know. I do know that it wasn't there yesterday and those are the only new things.

the tomatoes, he didn't really eat. E and I had BLTs for dinner and he kept picking up the tomato slices and licking them. Wouldn't eat them though.

He's has several cups of the Lactaid, though. Only two doses of Florastor, each in his morning milk.

And now that I think about it, he's had a bit of a cough (short coughs, several in a row, then nothing) since Thursday night when we started the Lactaid.

Can a child be allergic to Lactaid and not milk?

Friday, December 12, 2008

Update

Okay, so we took Duck in to see the pedi Thursday morning. Apparently he will hang on to a stomach bug longer than the average child since he has a sensitive stomach. So, she had us switch him from 2% milk to Lactaid for hte time being. We're also giving him Florastor to help with good bacteria. His appetite is definitely back in full swing and I anticipate another word/developmental explosion in the next 2-3 days.

I did pull a groin muscle and am walking very gingerly at this point. The OB wanted me checked out before they called in any pain meds since I am unable to sleep/walk/lay down without excruciating pain. But, they also wanted to get an ultrasound before they did that. The result was the following picture.



HJ is fine, I'm fine and will heal fully after he's born and the pressure is off my groin muscles. I did get a prescription that I will only use if absolutely necessary.

We also got a 3D shot of the boy bits, so thankfully I can stop having nightmares that he comes out a girl.

And will SOMEONE please tell my husband that waking up his 7-month pregnant wife out of a drug-induced dead sleep at 2:00 in the morning to tell me the internet is out is a really stupid thing to do?

I swear he's the one with pregnancy brain this time around.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Dammit dammit dammit

He puked AGAIN!

Eric thinks he was too warm....I think it was due to a second cup of milk, but at this point, I have NO FREAKING CLUE.

This is the 5th time in 6 days he has puked and I can't figure out why. It's not the milk.....he was FINE yesterday. He was fine with it this morning. He ate dinner tonight and had some milk. I took him to Target to get prescriptions and he had his before bed milk.

About a half hour later......he started getting really upset. That was my clue that it was going to happen. I ran him to the bathroom, he got even more upset. E was of no help. I got him calmed down and had E get me a t-shirt. We figured he was overheated from the crying, he was in long-sleeved jammies. He was all snuggly on my lap in the bathroom, but he wanted to go to bed.

NOT 3 MINUTES LATER, yes I said 3.................

I hear him crying and I go running at full speed into his room and he'd already puked. I was hoping to catch him beforehand like I did Monday.....no such luck. He nailed his bed, blanket, pillow case through to the pillow, and one of his dogs.

I think I hurt myself as I was running because when I got to him I could barely stand up. and I'm still having a problem walking without pain.

Of course, I cleaned up the bed, got things into the washer and remade the bed....all in pain. Sometimes I really don't like my husband. Seven months pregnant and I'm cleaning up vomit and trying to make a bed while on my knees because I can't freaking stand up.

Sam is sleeping now. I'll be calling the pediatrician first thing in the morning and if I'm not feeling better, the OB as well.

There's a lot to be said for sharing information

I mentioned over the weekend while were in Jax that I needed some additional mat clothes for my remaining 10 weeks. I'd been planning to head to the Community Thrift store in Orlando to see what I could find. but Avery pulled out an entire bag of maternity clothes to go through. Convinced she was much taller and thinner and that nothing would fit, she still encouraged me to go through and see what I might find. I surprised myself. There were a few items that actually fit and fit well. I came home with 4 "new" pairs of pants and 7 "new" shirts.

Two of the outfits I've already worn to work and gotten LOTS of compliments on. Of course, they're definitely much closer to the body than I usually wear or would pick out, but according to Eric and my work friends, they are a great choice. Accentuating my pregnant belly hides everything else. :) So, rahter than continuing my age-old habit of hiding my body, I've put my pg belly out there....in so many ways.

I feel enormous and my duck-waddling days have definitely begun, but I feel better knowing that my clothes aren't the cause of me appearing to be bigger than I am. I just AM big.

We had another vomit incident on Monday night, but I talked to Duck's teacher and he ate really well on Tuesday and by the time I got home, he had a poopy diaper. Hmmm, coincidence? I think not. Because, then he ate some dinner and had some chobby and went to bed without issue.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Today's stats

Weight: 185 lbs (18 gained so far, but I've been slacking on my non-testing days)
GD: still only have to test every other day.....possibly will be able to stop testing at 34 weeks. Numbers are really good, though!

HJ's hb: 140s
HJ's wt: ~ 3lbs

He's butt up, STILL. Guess we know what he thinks of the world already!

And we have a tentative birthday of February 20. That's the date the nurse is aiming for, I'll know for sure on January 5th when I go for my 32-week appointment.


They were almost as happy as I was that I brought in E's bloodwork. YAY ME! No Rhogam.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

I guess I should update.....

This is me at 27 weeks, 6 days.......and YES, I feel as huge as I look.


Thanksgiving was AWESOME. 14 lb turkey was perfect for two days of guests. I even have most of the dark meat leftover. So we froze that and E is hoping that when my mom comes in February for HJ's arrival that she'll make (I mean help me make) turkey noodle soup with it.

HJ is crazy busy growing and flipping around. My sugar is well under control. I see the OB tomorrow morning. We finally got E's bloodwork back to prove he's O negative and getting me out of a Rhogam shot.

We spent this weekend in little town near Jacksonville. Went to see family and had a BLAST! Duck got to play with his cousin Brody and really loved every minute of it. Of course, they have a yard with a swingset, which was definitely the hit of the weekend. (aside from the playroom that is)




Duck's new phrases are "sit chair mama", "more Toot mama", and "I soh-yee mama".

Oh, and we have the whole new routine in the car each morning of "no hitting, no fighting, no screaming." I say each one, then he repeats. The "no screaming" came in handy as E's cousin has a macaw that likes to scream when things are kind of loud and out of control. (hee hee, the boys had a blast together)

We learned how to quickly clean up puke by just making sure Duck pukes all over Mommy. It doesn't even phase me anymore, ya know? I really, really, really hope that HJ is not a puker. I also learned that I want the same kind of washer and dryer that K and A have. The washer took a little over an hour, but that was with a SECOND rinse *AND* the dryer had everything completely dry in about a half hour, including both Doggies. (because God forbid we do anything without Doggies)