New Years

Since kids weren't invited to Grant & Dede's Casino Night, we had Penningtons over for dinner and then Michele & I snuck over there for a bit while Gabe & Todd held down the fort. Campbell & Ellie and Blake & Milo play so well together. Miles got a lot of attention from the adults and had a fun time, too.  After they left, Campbell & Blake got to stay up and watch the Times Square Ball Drop. Blake barely made it, he was in bed and sleeping about 30 seconds after midnight. It was a nice night.

Liv, Rachy, Michele

Cheers!

 

 

Happy 2019!

First Haircut & Other firsts

Earliest haircut yet since Blake and Miles had curlier hair. I was reluctant, but the mullet only had a couple curls and was mostly stringy and getting in his eyes. It was fun to have Jill with (she's helping out since I still have my lifting restriction). Poor buddy was nervous and fussed thru the whole thing, thinking because he was nervous about all the blood draws he's had lately.

Before...

  

 

Marissa is so good with the boys and really seems to get a kick out of them. She even insisted on giving him a free haircut since it was his first. 

He's not sure what to think

He looks so old now

In other firsts, he also peed on the little potty for the first time today! Jill just had given him a bath and he was pointing to the potty. She asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty and he nodded & said yes. Sat down and went! Jill and I were so surprised!

And! He caught a ball for the first time! Blake was playing catch with a little soft baseball and he caught it! He also caught a larger red ball several more times this evening.

So neat to see him leaning and growing.

Christmas Spirit

Got everyone up and dressed early to see Santa at Tonkadale before the line got too long.

Picture by Campbell

                          
Everyone went to get donuts and I got dropped off to head back to bed. Amazing how hard it was to stand for 35 minutes, I was weak and dizzy, although better than yesterday when I don't think I could have done that.

Kids were so excited to decorate, they love getting everything out, which is great when I can't do anything.

 

  

Big Boy

I'm seeing glimpses of a big kid. Jill taught him to say please. It's the cutest thing "Peeeeezzzz". He started giving this big fake smile for pictures, shown above. He's still driving me nuts, he's just so destructive. Pulling the freezer drawer open so hard I'm sure it's gonna break, pulling open the oven. He never wants to play with toys, just do things like destroy the kitchen or climb over the arm of the chair in the living room. Good thing he's so cute!

Miles's First Lost Tooth

Big kid lost his first tooth! He even broke precedent by not accidentally swallowing it. All of a sudden at breakfast he announced he pulled it out. 

 

Pre K

Miles's first day of his last year of Preschool at All Saints! His last year before Kindergarten. I'm feeling relieved he didn't end up doing RSK or even Kindergarten, then I would have been alot more emotional. He said after school that it was "just like the old days." Which I think he means it's just like last year. He's a preschool pro!

 

 

Strep!

I reluctantly took Finn in to the lab for a Strep test thinking for sure he just had Roseola. I about fell off my chair when the rapid came back positive. Good thing I took him in. Bringing the rest of the kiddos in to get tested after school and have the doctor take a look at Finn since now does that mean he has Scarlet Fever??? So glad Campbell is on preventative antibiotics. But seriously. Strep?!?!?! Come on!!!

When he tested positive, I took us all in and Miles and me tested positive as well, with negative cultures and no sign of illness. AND Finn's 1st culture never grew anything! So he didn't have Strep? Got the news 7 days after he had been on Amox and he got a horrible rash all over his body. Take him to doctor. Stop Amox (which he shouldn't even have had in the first place). Benedryl dose, seems to make it even worse the next day. And this is the beginning of an epic saga.

Update as of 12.9.18. Vomited night of 10.11, the night before Gabe and I left for our trip to AZ. Felt horrible leaving puking baby with Nana & Papa but had no refundable trip. Vomited again 10.13 10.16, 10.18 & 10.21. Would vomit for a couple hours then wake up in the morning hungry and acting fine. On the 21st took him to the ER since had been going on so long and Ped didn't know what to do. Ran bloodwork and IgE high, so referred to Allergist. Allergist on 10.22, found out IgE allergic to banana & egg and mildly sensitive to basically all food he had eatten the past 2 days. Vomited again 10.25, 10.29 + 11.6. 10.26 Ped sent us to the ER as his WBC was very high (from bloodwork done on 10.22). ER reran bloodwork, WBC better. 10.28, ER called and blood culture grew so we had to go back into ER for IV antibiotics. (Days later we found out that never grew anything further, probably a contaminated sample, so more antibiotics that were unnecessary. 11.2 Ped sent us to ER AGAIN as WBC high (FROM BLOOD TAKEN ON MONDAY AGAIN!). Did xray, ultrasound, and blood all normal. Sent us home with a diagnosis of constipated. Not sure how we went from the Ped said we would probably be admitted to do advanced imaging, do being sent home with no answers and a consstipation diagnosis. During this time did 3 stool samples and a urine test. Met with GI twice, got no answers. He didn't want to do Endo and Colonoscopy or Breath Test as they are too invasive since he is stable now. Also need to sit for 3 hours and cooperate Fructose Intolerance Challenge. During this time I met with Dietician twice, Stephanie Belseth twice, the Ped times. Started him on restricted diet 10.27. After that his vomiting was after rice, corn + pork which he tested sensitive too. As I'm writing this on 12.9, he's been to the Ped 13 times since right after his febrile seizure. Blood draws....I lost count. The most memorable were the 2 times in the ER they finally got blood on try #3. Also the time in the ER blood came out drop by drop until they got what they needed. GI tried 2 seperate occasions and couldn't get the blood. At one point one nurse said he looked so blown out all over both arms and hands that she didn't know where to try. To say he was hysterical each blood draw would be an understatment. Except for 1 good experience with a numbing can and a good nurse who had me do a cradle hold, he would scream hysterically and be completely sweaty afterward. I think as of today he's had/attempted over 12 blood draws. Plus an IV. Plus 2 xrays, 1 ultrasound. I must be forgetting something although I wish I could forget this whole mess. The only word that comes to mind is a shitshow. There have been so many ridiculous things happen. Oh, go back to ER for IV antibiotics. Oops, never needed it. Oh need antibiotcis for Strep. Oops never had Strep. I got a call just the other day for a referral to Infectious Disease from beginning of NOVEMBER. I never even knew I had a referral to there. The whole time everyone kept saying they would be very worried about him if he wasn't acting so happy. As of now, he's on restricted diet (coconut flour tortillas, sunbutter, coconut or hemp milk, green beans, kiwi, kale, sweet potato, pear and some other veggies/friuts. Lately added popcorn, beef + corn chips and he seems to be fine. Also tracking all his food, poops, and belly measurements (low being 19 to high of 22!). He often looks distended and doctors say he's very gassy.