the flu

It has probably been over a week since I have blogged about my kids, my husband, or my life. Last week was a real circus. Monday I took off a few hours in the afternoon and brought my daughter "O" back in to see the Doctor. It was decided that we should run some blood work and my hubby meant me at the hospital to help out with that. 

It was a traumatizing experience they poked my little girl 7 times! Then came Tuesday and Wednesday things were starting to look a little better. Wednesday - afternoon my headache came on. I thought it was the ice storm and being stuck inside with the kids all day (level three) but no.. I was coming down with the flu! By Thursday morning I was running over a 103 temp. NOT GOOD... 

When I say not good, I mean I felt awful! I was basically bed ridden until two that afternoon when I got out of bed and onto the couch and waiting for Kevin to come home and bring me to the doctor. Turns out I have the influenza too! Thanks Miss Olivia.... wink. 

My fever persisted though Saturday! and on Saturday my daughter started back up with a fever and a deeper cough. (the never ending flu) I decided yesterday that I should just bring her to urgent care and get it over with. Here her flu virus has turned into a secondary infection. She now has bronchitis and is on an antibiotic. 

I sent her to the sitter this morning - I need to be at work. I have missed enough days in the past two weeks. Time for me to get caught up around there! It shouldn't be this hard to keep up on housework and laundry however... nothing is possible during the flu.

an ice day

After several days of high fever and stomach problems for Miss Olivia.

Yesterday we had to bring Miss Olivia back into the doctor. She still just wasn't herself with a low grade fever and not keeping liquids down. She just would puke or have a number 2 diaper following every feeding. After visiting the doctor it was to Dr Kucks best interest that we would send Olivia on to get blood work done over at the hospital. She wanted to run a CBC and a dehydration drawl as well. 

This was an absolute mothers nightmare. Because of her dehydration the nurses were unable to get a vein as easily as they would have liked after poking her five times... Olivia just gave up. She stopped breathing. I looked up at her face.. and I screamed for them to stop. I picked her up and she finally took a big breathe. She was a blueish color by this point and basically was hyperventilating. It was so sad. The nurses felt awful and they called for someone to come down from the OB floor. They pricked her again, with no luck. At this point Kevin had showed up to meet me, and I quickly met him in the waiting room and told him to come in and hold Olivia down, because I could not do that to my daughter any longer. 


They tried one more time, and poked way deep and it was a success, they got the blood they needed, only an hour and fifteen minutes later. I was to return to work and await a phone call from the doc office and Kevin took the afternoon off to stay home with Olivia. 


I got a call an hour later and just as I had suspected/hoped everything was fine. She is slightly dehydrated, but nothing she needs to be hospitalized for at this time. The CBC came back good, meaning that she has a virus not a bacterial infection. All these results are good, but a mothers heart it also makes you think, great I just made her get poked 7 times and tortured for and hour and fifteen minutes for nothing! But I guess if the doctor is happy I am happy. 


As for today. Olivia and Gavin are at the sitters. And the storms a brewing outside. The babysitters Kids are home (no school) and Gavin is thrilled this means he has more kids to play with!

The news reporters just keep chatting away, there are warnings in the bottom of every TV station, the blizzard of 2011 is on it's way. According to the station we will be getting 5-10 inches of snow and several hours of ice to follow. By the looks of it tomorrow may be no work or school but instead of a snow day - an ice day.

sick baby

There is nothing worse than having a sick child and one that is running a fever. While Aunt Melanie was in the hospital, I was busy at home with Miss Olivia running over 102 temp. She was such a sweetie though and a trouper at that. She tried to stay on top of an eating schedule and slept a lot. However she puked and had blow outs to follow most every meal. 

It all started on Wednesday after work and I took her to the doctor on Thursday - and they ran a RSV test done and thank goodness that came back negative, on the down side there i nothing the doctor can do to help we just need to push fluids and keep an eye on Olivia's fever. 

As a mother a fever is scary enough, but a fever that continues to go up even after Tylenol, is a flat out nightmare.We made it through though and we are on day four of it and I can finally say we are headed in the right direction. She is still sleeping a lot, and wants to be held a lot but at least she is starting to eat a little better when it comes to her formula intake. she is still a sick little girl.

As far as update on my sister, the kids Aunt Melanie she is home for now. she received a 2 pint blood transfusion and still needs to recoup and get over the mono. The doctor said that as far as reasoning for the low blood level, he thinks she has a blood iron anemia disorder. All I really know right now is that she is still a sick baby too.

aunt melanie

Last night my sister Melanie was admitted into the hospital. It is a very scary time for our entire family. She has shingles and mono and her blood count is down to a 7.9 when it should range from (10-14). This afternoon they began a blood transfusion and she is going to be getting at least 2 pints of blood throughout today. For now they are giving her O- although her blood type is A- until they can get her type in. I hear that this is a normal procedure to follow as O- can be used for any blood type. 

My brother Andy and I went to the hospital last night to visit our little Sis. Kevin stayed home with the kids, as we don't need them getting one of her highly contagious diseases. Melanie seemed to be in high spirits and is finally getting some color back to her - as the fluids run in (she was very dehydrated).

I came home last night and told Gavin that his Aunt Melanie was a very sick little girl and that the doctors are running test to find out what is wrong with her. Immediately he ran to his toy box and began shuffling through the toys. I figured eck he doesn't understand and doesn't care... it's fine he is too young. Nope.. he comes flying back with his doctor kit and hands it to me.... "here mom, make Melanie better" 

Awe... my heart melted... he doesn't know how but in his own little way he is trying to help. It was precious. Melanie's Birthday is tomorrow she will be 17! looks like she will be in the hospital for her birthday - poor Aunt Melanie.

sleepy heads

This morning neither one of the little squirts wanted to get out of bed. In fact I woke Olivia up at 7:15 changed her clothes and tried to get her to eat her bottle and she wanted nothing to do with it. I packed her up in the car and then went in and got Mr Gavin. He was still sound asleep lights on in the bedroom and everything. Nothing could disturb his restful slumber.

I put his coat on and carried him out to the van, he still didn't wake. Then on the way to the babysitters he startles away and not to my surprise he asked 'where's daddy'. That boys life revolves around his daddy. Everything he and I do together he is constantly wanting to know where his daddy is and what his daddy is doing. This morning he told me "I go to work with dad" I played along with a "really you are going with daddy" and he says clear as a whistle "Yup. I take the ool bus to work." Haha... I think little man has his events mixed up. All he really knows is EVERYONE... seems to leave him in the morning.

The other morning he was crying on the way to the babysitters telling me how Daddy go to work, Mommy go to work, Jason go to work (my babysitters husband) , Tyler Trent Megan go to work... etc... he just kept going and going... listing off everyone he knew i swear. and then ended with. Me and Livy go to Ree's (meaning Marie's) and I just always say... Yes... you are one lucky little boy... Mommy and Daddy love you soo much that you get to go to Marie's all day! and all you have to do is PLAY! and he will get a big ole grin on his face and say "Play at Marie's!!!!" and I say yes! you and your baby sister Olivia... and He responds... Me and Livy. 


They are pals anymore, they do everything together, whether they are home or at play they are completely in sink, my little sleepy heads.

cereal

For my little girl everything bring a smile and a giggle to her face. Just a simple glance from her brother can send her into a giggling frenzy. She is almost five months old but has got the biggest personality! She is so laid back and easy going. Happy with everything. 

Her favorite would have to be the excer-saucer right now, she will sit in there for an hour. She would probably stay in there longer if I would let her. She has the biggest blue eyes and she just stares at all the toys surrounding her. 

Laying on the floor (belly time) and watching her brother run around her and bring her toys... is another favorite of hers. But by all means I'd have to say her favorite past time is the bath. She loves to splash her hands and feet and wiggle her little toes. It's the funniest thing I can just watch those little toes as she smiles staring herself. I don't know what it is - the water, the warmth, the baby lotion massage to follow, or the individual attention that she loves the most. But princess "o" just loves bath time.

And as much as she loves bath time she can have a love greater than that by far. And that love is the love for cereal! No more than I walk in the door in the evening and she sees me she expects me to pick her up give her a big ole hug and then hold her for a bit, not long though.. just enough to please her mommy fix. Then she wants to be put right in her high chair... soon to follow she needs that spoon of cereal to be heading towards her mouth. It works out nicely because we are all literally eating at the same time then. As we all sit down for supper. But she sits there and gobbles it all down. After it's gone, she's fine with it. She is happy and content and can just sit in there and play with a toy as the rest of us finish our meal. I couldn't ask for a happier baby...

The love that they show is amazing... the love for mom, dad, brother and cereal.

the sucker

Potty training has turned into such the ordeal in my house, I don't know if it is like this for everyone but it can quickly turn into a 24-hour job. I didn't want it to be. So I decided to let my little man some independence the only thing I vowed to do was to bring him to the bathroom every time he told me he needed to go or if he was clearly holding himself. Other than that - underwear all the time when he is at home. 

Last weekend we worked on it while he was at home and by the end of the weekend he was accident free and on his way. All week last week every time he got home from the sitters my husband would put on his underwear and from then till bed he would tell us if he had to pee. It was working great, he was telling us he wanted to go and other than the sitters he was doing great. His treat was stickers... Christmas ones that Santa had given him along with a laminated Christmas tree that I made and Santa brought as well. So every time he went potty he could put a sticker on the Christmas tree... and it is a beautiful tree let me tell you! 

The tree is full now, and the stickers are gone, I have tried to resort to other stickers but now he persist that it's candy he wants. We used marshmallows (the colored ones) for a while and he was fooled and loved his 'candy' treats... however every time he goes to the babysitters it is as if we have not started the potty training at all. He has not peed on the potty there at all! Not even ONCE! How can he go from being completely potty trained at home, to nothing? and using his diaper? UGH... 


Then this weekend, he did great for us - all day Saturday and Sunday he was accident free... and requesting a dum dum sucker... or smarties... after completion of using the potty. So now I send him to the sitters today - pull ups and diapers included and can't help but wonder, will he use the potty today? Or am I the sucker and the dum dum for thinking he is potty trained. 


Suggestions are welcome, how do you get your child to pee for anyone but you? - signed the sucker.
 

the pacifier

This morning started off like any other morning with my alarm clock sounding off a little before six. I checked on both my babies and they both were sound to sleep so I decided it best to hop in the shower quickly before they wake up. 

Now you mothers out there no what this experience is like, it is not refreshing or relaxing it is however a great way to wake up quickly. Your nerves are on high alert and ears ready for any squeak. Quickly getting the hair bubbles out and stepping out of the shower and then a mothers worse fear came true. 

I could hear Olivia screaming at the top of her lungs. Quickly wrap the towel around my head and grab the robe and out the door... Frozen but on my way... "Olivia - shhhh your okay... " as I find her laying in her crib worked up in a sweat from crying. I tried to pick her up and she wanted nothing to do with that. Whipping her upper body back and whaling even louder. Now at four month old I couldn't believe the power and strength coming out of her little body.

I lay her back down and search for her pacifier throughout the crib. At last I find it squished of coarse behind the crib. The furthest possible place for me to reach (isn't that how it always works). I place the paci in her mouth and silence. Not only silence but she is out sleeping almost instantly. The power of the pacifier never ceases to amaze me.

My question to all of you out there. How do you get ready in the morning? I have a four month old and a 2 year old and I have to be walking out my door at 7:30. I get up at 5:30-5:45 at the latest and still find it hard to get my morning to go smoothly. Help! Tips welcome.... and yes... tomorrow morning before I hop in the shower... i will make sure Miss Olivia has - the pacifier.

the hair cut

I don't know what it is about a hair cut - but apparently it scares my son to death. I feel like I have tried everything. We started by bringing him to a professional beauty salon, and well that took a turn for the worst. He was just seventeen months old at the time, and thought of a stranger coming towards him with a sharp object, well it was just horrifying. 

We changed pace and had him sit on my lap while she had tried to cut his hair, and we barely got the bottom trimmed up - and we certainly never even touched above the ears. 

Following that visit my husband told me I was crazy to pay for something like that and that I should just buzz Gavin's head like I do his. This is not the exact look I was going for - and I didn't want my son to look like a clown. But we gave it a shot. it was the beginning of summer, whats the worst that could happen. Well - it was short, and definitely a hack job. but we got it done... he sat on Kevin's lap and we had hair EVERYWHERE.... we would do a little of Kevin's head and then a little of Gavin's back and forth. 

The following time, we tried the sucker - someone had mentioned giving him a sucker to help him sit.... ugh.. that was the wrong idea with my son at the time, the sucker was in and out of his mouth a hundred times within the first five minutes it was covered in hair and he was bawling. This haircut did not go well either. 

Next I held him and just buzz cut as much as I could. He screamed bloody murder, this was by far the worst hair cut I have ever given/experienced. And I am surprised the cops where not called on me by the neighbors... he screamed and screamed how badly it hurt and how his 'hair' was crying and mommy mean  - the whole works... by the end he was close to hyperventilating and I was crying and Olivia had gotten worked up and was crying as well... 

I swore I would NEVER cut his hair again. and that was just the end of that, he can have long hair, some boys do... and they are cute. we will just have to wait till he is old enough to understand a little better what is going on. 

Well it has been about three months since the last instance, and well Kevin wanted a hair cut last night. I got out all the clippers and stuff and we put Olivia in the swing and Gavin watched form afar what was going on. Kevin asked him if he wanted his hair cut and he immediately cried "NO" - screamed really. After Kevin's hair was complete he asked Gavin if he wanted to stand on the chair and eat a sucker and have his turn. 

And to my surprise he agreed. We told him we were going to make him pretty - yes pretty - like daddy. And he was sold he stood there and let me cut it! :) AMAZING. He kept the sucker in his mouth, and squirmed a little when I went around the ears, but all in all - it went great! Following his hair cut, it was straight to the tub... but it was a success and we had finally done it and talked him into, the hair cut.

buddies

Just lately my son Gavin and my daughter Olivia have really started to grow a strong liking to each other. Gavin can make Olivia smile or even giggle at just the drop of a dime. She absolutely adores him. She will watch him run around the room dancing or playing and can be entertain for hours.

He is all about princess "O" though as well. Such a big helper. He wants to feed her - burp her - help change her - give her blankey/pacifier. Really he is just all about her. And also they each always want to know what the other is up to. Just the other night while Gavin was taking his bath, Olivia had fallen asleep for the night and I had placed her in her crib. Well no more than Gavin was out of the tub and in the living room ready for snack when he quickly realized Olivia was no where to be seen.

"where livy mommy" "MOMMY WHERE BABY LIVY!" not even waiting for the answer he had begun searching all the normal locations. On the floor under her play area, in the exersauser, the bouncy seat he runs into the kitchen to check the swing and then back into the living room and putting his hands out and tilting his head to the side he asked again "where livy" and I said Olivia is in her crib. 

He got a sad look on his face and said, "oh no... livy tired? livy go to bed?" and I said yes. And then he said it for the first time "livy no play" That was it, he is now playing with our little four month old Olivia. brought a smile to my face, it is getting clearer now.. that they will be buddies before we know it.