Cutting teeth and Chicken Noodle Soup

Little E-man wasn't feeling too perky last weekend and earlier this week. He had a low-grade fever, lots of pain and wasn't very interested in solid foods. Bless his heart, he was so miserable he would just sit in our laps with his favorite blanket (his "binky") and want to be snuggled. Of course, there were plenty of times when he would just scream......

Turns out, after a quick visit with a doc, he agreed that he was cutting A LOT of teeth at one time and that was making him miserable. No kidding! Thankfully, he's feeling much better.....shout out to the makers of Orajel.

I know it's a cliche, but every time someone in the house is under the weather I get the urge to make a pot of chicken noodle soup. In our house, there's just something about smelling the wholesome aroma as it wafts up from a pot of simmering goodness that signals comfort and well-being for us. It doesn't hurt that it tastes good, too!

What's your go-to meal or drink when you or the fam aren't feelin' so perky?

An unlikely friendship...me and my toilet.

*spraying the Lysol sanitizer*

Oh, hi! I couldn't see you for the Lysol fog! I've been out of commission with the stomach flu and I am determined that the buck (or bug) stops with me.

And with that, pathetically, my little spurt of energy is spent. I'll be catching up on all your fabulous reads this weekend...in between catching up on everything else that's been neglected the last few days. Laundry and dishes wait for no man, er, woman!

Peace, Y'all!

"Hear Ye, Hear Ye!"

I'm writing this from my throne (not that one!) in the land of Ifeellikecpraplandia.

My throne made of used tissues and empty Sudafed packets.

My royal robes are more in the line of old, comfy pj's and a warm throw.

My royal sceptor? Why, a t.v. remote.

My new royal decree........

The common cold is to be banished from this land by order of Anna K., Queen of Ifeellikecraplandia.

Sick day #124...

Okay, I'm exaggerating a lot, but it sure feels like the Bubs has had a ton of sick days since he started school. We're hanging out at home while he gets over yet another round of a stomach bug. My thanks to all the parents who sent their children to school sick. Nice.

We've developed a bit of a routine since we've had so many of these kinds of days. He knows that the sheet and waterproof pad covered couch in the living room will be his daily hang out and that chicken nuggets are out of the question...no matter how much he might think he can handle them.

He seems to be doing marginally better than he was the last couple of days, thank goodness. The first day (Wednesday) I got a call from his teacher saying that she was concerned about him so I dropped everything and rushed over there. Still in my black yoga pant pajama bottoms, no less. By the time we got back home he was tearful and moaning his way through some hard chills. Poor guy. He was absolutely miserable until he fell asleep a couple hours later. It was odd to see him so still that early in the day.

Like I said, though, he is slightly better today. He's steadily drinking water and has managed to hold down some pretzels. Yay! We'll take progress in any form we can get it in at this point.

Darn that stomach virus!

You know, I really did try to outrun that pesky stomach virus that's been laying people low lately, the Hubby and Bubs included, but it stuck out it's vile foot and tripped me up a couple of days ago. Ick. I ended up in the hospital with a bag of saline or two for company and a fetal monitor to keep track of the baby. He's fine, but the dehydration brought on some mild contractions and severe cramping that we were concerned about.

I'm on the road to recovery now, albeit a bit on the weak side. The Hubs has become my pusher...of fluids, that is! If he's not asking me how much I've had to drink, he's bringing me a glass of something. He's almost fierce in his care of the Bubs and I these days what with the sickness that has snuck in and batted us about. After all the times that the Bubs and I have had to do without his help and concern because he was away from home, this is wonderful.

So, I hope no one else has been tripped up by the long, slimey leg of the stomach virus bug! As for me, I'll just keep chugging fluids (that'll keep Hubby from grumbling!) and resting when I can...

Like an episode of E.R.

Well, this week has been an interesting one for our family. Medically speaking, that is. Mom is back in the hospital because she's retained a lot of fluid (again). Hopefully, while the fluid is being dealt with, they can also do something to keep it from happening over and over again. I know she hates being in the hospital even though, logically, she knows she needs to be there right now. Needless to say, when Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. We're prayerful, but tense. Tbe Hubs is also going through something, but out of respect for his wishes, I'm not going to post any specifics.

I'm still having contractions at odd moments, but nothing overly worrisome. Nothing is comfortable for any length of time...sitting, standing or lying down. I wasn't this uncomfortable when I was prego with the Bubs until a few weeks before he was born. The Hubs' understanding and frequently given back rubs have gone a long way to making things more bearable. I love that man!

Well, there are dishes in the sink crying out for attention and more water for me to chug down so I'm gonna run...

He's down but not out, Y'all!

Today makes a week that the Bubs has been sick and out of school. Well, technically four days since Tuesday was a holiday. He's still blowing his nose like a fiend, still got a double ear infection, and still hacking until he's yacking. I know....that last phrase was a horrible rhyme! Most of you know that the reality isn't that funny.

Thankfully, the fever that he's had seems to have dissipated and we have (even more) new meds to battle back the "snottery boogs". His teachers have been helpful in getting me his missed assignements that the Bubs was actually eager to do, by the way. He doesn't know it, but he was not only chosen to be Star Student of the Week, but he was also one of eight kids from his class to get an award in the kindergarten award ceremony yesterday. Y'all, he's been waiting for months to be the Star Student thing! It hurts my heart that he's been sick this week and missed out on so many fun things...some tangible success for his hard work. I think his teacher is going to reschedule things so he's star student another week and, hopefully, do something to make getting his award momentous for him. I know that his dad and I will be doing something to congratulate him, but I remember how big it was to be recognized in front of your peers.

For today, we'll focus on keeping him well, happy and *gulp* entertained. After five days, the options on the entertainment side of things have run a little on the thin side. I've let him play on some educational web sites, color and play with some balloons that his Ammah, Poppi and Aunt D sent to cheer him up. Unfortunately, he's also watched waaaay more t.v. than I'm comfortable with. What can I do when he's too weak to do anything else, though? Sometimes, I just curl up with him on the couch when nothing else makes him feel better. His dad has been sticking close, too. He feels like he needs to stand watch, I guess. I can understand the need. Simply having him here has been a help and comfort for both of us.

It's a new day and even if the Bubs isn't feelin' a hundred percent, we'll make the most of it and encourage him to move around when he feels like it. You know, prepare him for when he's feeling more like his regular self so he doesn't get tired out so easily. I don't want him to feel like sickness needs to be such a focus for him. What kind of parents would we be if we allowed him to be blinded by the circumstances of "right now" instead of looking ahead to the possibilities of "soon to come"? This sickness is only temporary, after all......and thank our Heavenly Father for that!!

Sick and tired of being sick and tired...

That's what the Bubs is right about now.....and has been for a while. He's had a bronchial infection on and off for two months. With the military appointment system at the naval hospital, we weren't able to get one physician twice in a row and every doc thought the Bubs was sick with something different. No matter how insistent I was that we had heard a particular diagnosis before and that the treatment that we'd implemented obviously wasn't effective (otherwise we wouldn't have been there), they didn't listen. On top of that, our normal physician was and, I think still is, out of town for an extended vacation....

We finally managed to find a physician who listened to me and seemed to share my frustration with the sub-standard care we'd been subjected to. He upped the prescriptions to more powerful brands and put in a referral for the Bubs to see a pulminary specialist to see if there was any lung damage or other treatments that we could be taking advantage of.

So while we're waiting on the referral paperwork to go through, is the Bubs at school enjoying being with his classmates? No, ma'am. He's snuggled up with me on the couch, wrapped up nose to toe in his favorite Thomas the Tank Engine quilt that his Nana made him. We're home sick....again. He's only been to school two days this week and has missed too many days in the past couple of months. He missed Monday and Tuesday because he was weak, wheezing, and so overwhelmed with sinus drainage his throat was raw and the poor kid would eventually just throw it up. Ick.

Hubby is out of town and won't be home for a little while longer. He's very concerned for the Bubs and feeling, I'd imagine, helpless that he's not here to be a help and comfort. The Bubs misses him somethin' fierce and there is something special about being wrapped up in a Daddy's strong arms.

We're all feelin' kinda tense that things aren't moving along as quickly as we'd like (darned paperwork), but I can't let the Bubs know that. He's uncanny at picking up on my vibes and taking them on himself. So I'd like to ask a favor, my lovelies. Please say a prayer for the Bubs's recovery, that it would be complete and quick. You have my thanks in advance...

Prayer Request

Mom is in the emergency room as I'm typing this. She's in pain and, we think, fighting off another infection that her immune system just can't handle. Please keep her in your prayers, y'all. I know she'd be thankful....and this blogger would, too. God is able to bring us through this and endow my Mom with healing and strength!

***Update- I spoke with Dad and Aunt Dianne a few hours ago while they were in Mom's room. She's been admitted. They're waiting for the results of a blood culture to determine if she's fighting off another infection. However, her doc seems to think that she could be reacting to meds that are used to access her port for chemo since she's having episodes like this everytime her port is used. The doc also seems to think she could be home by tomorrow evening....we'll see. Thanks for the prayers, y'all!

Selfish Mommy

Why is it that when my child gets sick I fully expect the world to come to a screeching halt? I'm not joking. I fully expect for traffic to part on the way to the doctor's, the waiting line at the pharmacy to be non-existant and for every item I need at the store to be in stock and magically re-arranged to be close to one another (so I don't have to run the complete length of the store with a miserable and, understandably, whiny child).

This from the mother who is constantly reminding her son that "we all have to wait our turn" when we're in traffic or waiting at the cash register, etc.

I know. How incredibly selfish and irrational of me to expect things to come to a halt when my kid is feeling more gross than the slime on a toad's butt....which, coincidentally, is what looks to be flowing in copious ammounts from his nasal cavaties. (Ew.) So after a short examination by the doc, who went out of his way to put the Bubs at ease, we found out that he has a severe sinus infection and an ear infection. Poor kid.

We spent the remainder of the day on the couch in the living room watching the Bee Movie that, yes, I had bought earlier as a blatant attempt to keep him distracted. It worked. He even managed to giggle a couple of times. It's unusual for him to be so still and quiet, even when he's sick, so I was delighted to hear his little boy giggles.

Selfish Mommy I may have morphed into, but I would have done anything to hear that sweet sound from my Bubs.

Sir Snots A. Lot

The Bubs brought home an uninvited guest this afternoon....the dreaded pre-school bug, Sir Snots A. Lot. He's not the kind of guest one wants your child to bring home. I'm hoping that a quick trip to the doctor's tomorrow will ensure that Sir Snots' stay isn't a long one.

It's pretty bad when your own child tells you to "...please call the doctor. I'm sick, Mommy."

After a quick bedtime story, the Bubs rolled over and grabbed my face in his overly hot hands before I could start his goodnight kiss routine, "Mommy please stay with me. Stay for a minute." Y'all he looked so pitiful! His face was flushed, his little nose and lips chapped, and his big, beautiful brown eyes at half-mast from sheer exhaustion. So I stayed for a few minutes until he relaxed enough to drift off, the stuffed german shepard his Daddy gave him tucked under his arm.

So tomorrow will be spent getting the Bubs to the doc and then making him comfy on the couch at home. Thanks, Sir Snots A. Lot!