Ugh! The Sicks!!!

Lovely day today. (can you hear how thick the sarcasm is in that line?) Strep has been going around the city and lil' Sean’s daycare, only he's not the one who caught it. That's right. Me.
I just had strep real bad back in January (that required an overnight stay at hospital) and this case is pretty bad, too, but was caught in time. Doc says that one more case and he's pulling my tonsils.
The worst part is not being able to really function. With the fever and soar, swollen through and dizziness from the fever and not being able to swallow (so lower blood sugar) I just feel like a blob. Sean at least had a real good day with his great-Grammy and then with Daddy tonight. I just wish I could have done more when Nate's gone (had a little get-together) and Sean woke up and was mad. I don't want him exposed anymore than he already had been, and I don't feel safe holding him with the light-headedness. And boy was he mad!

At least he and I had a good time last night. We went to the mall to drop off some books (our library is temporally located during their renovations). We had a good talk with or three librarian friends and then went to play in the kiddy area. (I'm going to have to management about that they need to enforce the age limit rule. Honor system isn't working and kids are getting hurt)
But the best part was very unusual. There is a wild life educational center that opened up a couple months ago, so Sean and I checked it out. They had real live wolves and a baby cougar there! Don't worry, they were use to people and born in captivity, plus in their fence area, so we were safe.
They had all sorts of cool things, like fossil and skeletal remains that were found in Iowa. Sean really liked the Saber Tooth Tiger skull and holding the Mammoth tusk replica. They had lots of pelts that had been donated of native species that you could touch and feel; Sean grabbed everyone I showed him and gave it a big kiss!! It was the cutest thing in the world! He especially liked the mink and otter pelts.
His highlight of that visit was he got to pet a real live skunk! De-smelled of course, but still a real skunk! He thought that was super cool. And boy, was this skunk a big fella'! The last thing we did before leaving was pet a black ferret. Sean has been around ferrets before, so I know he likes them, but it was real close to bed time and he was getting tired and tried to grab this lil gal’s face. We left, and he didn't have a fit or anything, so I think he had a real good time. We're going to go back there with Daddy soon, once I'm done with this crud.

Tosty Varn... hopfully.

Isn't it an odd feeling when you are so use to having lights off and noise turned down so that your little one can sleep undisturbed while you're still up - and then have a night where he's not there?

Sean is at Grandma and Granddad's tonight, along with Tobey. Tomorrow, were having insulation blown into our attic and walls (Praise GOD!) and the only thing that scares Sean is the latter that leads to the attic. I don't know what it is, but he looses it every time it comes down and will scream until it goes back up.
So were saving some heartache and split eardrums. Plus, Grandma had a wonderful time playing with (and spoiling!) him.
She took care of him today, to while I waited to go to the doctor. I got a really bad sinus infection (thanks Nate), so they gave me some super heavy duty meds... so heavy duty that they had to make sure I wasn't pregnant first. Already after my first douse, I'm feeling some better.

But hopefully this insulation will help with the frigid temperatures inside. Then maybe all of us will stop getting sick.

But I'm going to keep it short. Got to get to sleep so I can get up early for the isolation guy.

Change in Plans

I was going to do a Wordless Wednesday and blog tomorrow about how crazy the past two weeks have been; Omaha Zoo trips, birthdays, Broadway shows, surprise parties, and so on.
But all of that changed this afternoon.....
Monday, Nate was diagnosed with diverticulitis, which is rare in a 27-year-old. The doctor prescribed antibiotics and tool him to keep in touch if anything new came up. That night, he spiked a temperature with a splitting headache, vertigo extreme nausea (which we figured out was him not taking his meds with food). Tylenol brought the fever down, but it kept coming back.
He called the Doctor this morning about the fever and headache, and the Doc said to high tail it to the ER to make sure there wasn't an abscess. My grammy was able to shuffle the three of us to M----- Hospital and take Sean to her place. Nate and I were there for about three hours, and after some abdomanel x-rays, IV antibiotics and blood work, his temp was still slowly climbing; from 98.8F at ER admission to 99.1/99.2F an hour and a half later - on antibiotics. That got the doctors scratching their heads.... plus the fact that nate started to get a rash raised some red flags. The rash probably was from the hospital linnes (my hands were started to turn pink for handling them, too. Stupid sensitive skin...), the the doctors had to treat it as if it were the medications - just to be safe.
He was admitted at around three thirty this afternoon. His parents came in from Ill. and are staying with his brother for the night. Tomorrow we're going to make plans on who is visiting when and watching Sean, and to help me out. The stay is 24 hours at bear minimum, it could be longer if need be. A CAT scan is going to be done sometime tomorrow morning to see if they can find anything the couldn't the first time without the dye stuff.
I know that I shouldn't worry like our pastor told me, but where Nate hasn't been able to work all week we are going to be really hurting when we are already between a rock and a hard spot financially.
I know that not a lot of anyone reads this blog, but if you are one of the few who do, please leave a comment and say a prayer for Nate, Sean and myself. We need it.

Mini Monet!

Hi there.
First thing and it's real weird; I was up at 6am, on my own, and feeling totally refreshed. I NEVER do that!

So, Sean was done with breakfast, but was still a little hungry. I needed to work on emptying the dishes (still need to re-load, though. Nate.... ). Did I give him Cheerios? No. Did I give him some puffs? No Did I give him the yogurt melts that he loves oh so very much? No! What did I give him? Baby finger paint.
Yes, baby finger paint. Just a simple mixture of fruit and cereal watered down some so it's nice and semi-runny like paint. Not only is it real fun to smear around, squish through fingers and make a huge mess, but it also helps get those finger muscles working so maybe one day he'll point (he has the concept of pointing seeing he'll look in the direction you're pointing at, but he has still to point).
Did we have fun Sean?

(Yes, he also ate some...)

And I guess that I should just bite the bullet and explain yesterday’s Wordless Wednesday photograph (Lord, help me…)
Sean figured out how to take is diaper off, again. I honestly think the first time was a happy accident for him caused by flipping a rolling around in his crib trying to find his corner (he likes to sleep with his head in the corner…). But this was a true, honest-to-God, he took the diapie off all by himself event……… and then proceeded to discover his boy parts.

He also saw the camera and decided to pose for the latest new installment of “Babies Gone Wild.”

It’s really not a big deal. I mean, he found his little baby boy parts; it’s just like finding his fingers or toes. It’s a part of his body and he should be entitled to explore it and figure out what it does, just like any other part of his body. It’s not a big deal, so I’m not going to treat it like one… until he starts undressing in public…

Other than dealing with a nude baby, how an I doing. Well, I have contracted Tiny Chicken Disease so my nose feels like a leaky faucet. Nate also had Tiny Chicken Disease,only his tiny chickens laid rotten eggs and thus has a sinus infection! Great.... He is feeling better, though. Sean also had this chicken disease, but only because those two front teeth are cutting in but don't want to poke through!
The inverters of Puffs tissues are my best friend right now....

Sometimes, I just don't understand God...

I have lived my entire life reading, studying and being taught the Bible and God. How God created the heavens and the earth and all living things; that God is love; That God sent Christ, his only Son, to die a humiliating, painful death so that we may be saved. And as much as I'd like to say that I understand and 'get' God, I don't.

A wonderful lady who's blog I follow and occasionally communicate with has a son, Stellan, who is right around my little Sean's age. Stellan has Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) which causes his heart to beet dangerously fast. Stellan in in the hospital tonight literally fighting for his life. Today his heart was racing at 224 beats per minute. Around 20 minutes ago, Stellan's blood pressure was at a dangerous 57/32. Anyone reading this, please pray for Stellan, his parents and three older siblings.

But like I said, I just don't get God. Both she and I did everything 'right' during our pregnancies. This was her fourth baby, and everything was suppose to go wonderfully. I just don't understand why my baby turned out to be the closest thing to perfect a baby can get and her baby is seriously sick! How does God choose who lives or dies or who is healthy or who suffers? I would just love to get the slightest glimpse of Gods ever present, omnipotent mind; I would just love to know that Stellan will be all right and that his mom would post on twitter that Stellan is cured and I wouldn't have to hit refresh every 60 seconds to see if there is any improvement and just know that Stellan is okay.
The only comfort that I can find is that everything is in Gods hands and that His plans are for hope and prosper. But my heart is still breaking for this mother! All that I can do is pray, so pray I will.

UPDATE:
Stellan is not doing well at all. Instead of me posting what is happening, as I don't know the story in it's entirety, pleas check out MckMama's blog or on Twitter.
Please, continue to pray.

Burnt Out

I am burnt out.
I'm just going to do a quick review of the past two weeks.

• Sean decides he doesn't have enough toys out in his room.

(Full story in later post)

• Nate hates his job right now and I don't blame him.

• Sean's pink eye cleared up. (Yea!)

• My friend Lacy came to visit Sean, Tobey and me one afternoon. :)
  

• I get the stomach flu.

• Sean turns 7 months!

• Sean keeps pooping out his diapers.

• Nate and I messed the Tony's because the tape didn't record! (*cries*)

• I find out that Tobey sleeps really funny.

• Sean is fussy from his tooth.

• Sean is trying to cut a top tooth.

• I'm going crazy; nothing new.
  

• Sean gets a new toy.

(A play yard! So much fun!)

So...

Sean had a tummy ache and teething pains yesterday, wouldn't stop screaming, wouldn't take a nap, finally settles down just in time to go get his shots! He slept well last night (we were at Grandma and Grandpas from baby sitting and we were traveling with them today), but woke up at 5am with poop leaking out of his diaper, running down his legs and between his tows, all over the porta-crib and then won't go back to sleep!
We traveled to Auntie Mary Jane's today to give her her retirement gift, stayed for about two-and-a-half hours, then turned around and came home... a six hour trip both ways. Sean is not happy! At least he's asleep.
And speaking of sleep, I'm going there now. Thank you for listing to me vent! :)

Eye See You!

*sigh* Sean has pink eye... in both eyes. It just showed up yesterday when we had some friends over with their three-year-old daughter, so now I'm worried that she may have got it.
I was suspisios of it yesterday, but my mom and Grammy kept telling me it was nothing, even though my gut kept saying it was.
On the Ravelry group At Home Mom's I posted some photos that I took to get other stay at home mothers opinions. It was a unanimous 'pink eye'.
The doctor called in a script for him over the phone. Now I know that doctors don't usually see kids with pink eye, just call in a script. Hu? Who knew?
Sean is okay otherwise; he looks worse than he feels. He is still climbing up on things to stand, still crawling all over Gods green earth, still smiling and laughing, and he still loves his carrots!
He just looks so pathetic! What with his eyes all red and puffy and watery. At least he isn't acting like he's in any pain, other than teething.
The drops were started tonight. Nate is a wonderful daddy and drops the medication in his eyes while I hold Mr. Wiggle Monkey.
Now all we have to do is watch to make sure he didn't catch my mom's bronchitis....
Pray for us!

The Late Show with Me

Yes, I know it's almost midnight. Yes I know that I didn't sleep well last night. Yes, I know I have work tomorrow afternoon. And yes, I know Sean is going to want to eat in about three hours, but a girl needs some time to herself and reflect.

Sean is fighting his first cold; and I hate every moment he's miserable and I can't do anything to alleviate the discomfort. I feel so helpless. I mean, it’s not he is not going to get better, he is; but when he has a hard time breathing or coughs so hard he has a back arching, arm flaying, crying fit. But I’m doing my best. Lots of snuggles and kisses and baby vapor rub on his feet (for the cough).

But even with his cold, he’s still a very happy, very good baby. He’s started to ‘talk’ to us more and is so aware of his surroundings. I had my postpartum appointment a week-and-a-half ago and in the exam room he opened his eyes and smiled at me. Not a gassy smile; a smile. He is so pretty when he flashes that gummy grin. Also, the other day with his great-grammy holding him, he was looking around for my voice when I was talking to her.

It’s the small things like this that just milt my heart and make every sleepless night worthwhile.

Christmas is really close, so I did my holiday baking yesterday… but not for us. Every Christmas, since I was a freshman in high school, part of my Christmas present was to go shopping for necessities and donate them to the local homeless men’s shelter. This year, with the economy and lack of shopping time, I wasn’t able to donate my usual Christmas gift. This year, I baked 5-6 dozen cookies for the men, because everyone deserves a special treat.

This is just one of the tings I do for the shelter. And as much as I love that people give to these men at Christmas, it seems a lot of times this is the only time of year that they do give. My sr. year of high school, the a capella choir I was in sang for them and we were warned not to be upset if not a lot of men showed up. We were told that a lot of the men were upset that this was the only time of year they were thought of. That really struck me. Christmas may be a time to give, but the homeless just aren’t around during the holidays, they’re among us year round.

I have made it my personal mission to do as much as I can for these men and this shelter year round. From the 2 dozen cookies I get free from work at the end of the work week, to the travel toiletry I horde from traveling. Anything I can do, I do, because someone needs to do it year round: So why not me?

When I think of those men, I also think about Christ and how he relied on people like the shelter volunteers and people like me.

Jesus didn’t have a home. Yes, he lived with his parents and worked in his step-fathers shop, but when he left, he was just as homeless as these men. He traveled from town to town and didn’t have a BlackBerry in his Cadillac to find the closest Hilton Suite. He relied on the kindness of the people for lodge, food and transport.

If we say we would have done those things for Christ, then we must do it for these men, and women, as well. “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Mathew 25:40

A blessed Christmas to you all!

Love,

~Erin

Blurp!!

If anyone out there has had a simply wonderful, nothing but sun shine and lollypops pregnancy…. I hate you all.

Okay, I don’t really mean that, but: I can tolerate the achy, pre-arthritic joints; I can fight through the fatigue most days; the mild cramping from the womb growing is nothing compared to my usual cramping, but God, make the nausea go away!

Most days, I wake up so sick to my stomach, I can’t even think of food until well after 1:00 in the afternoon. And every time I go into the kitchen, there’s this horrible rank stench of bad meat (that Hubby can’t smell by the way) I have to hold my breath or I’ll start dry heaving. And going to work… don’t get me started on how many times I’ve gotten sick there! Yes, even the nice smell of fresh baked cookies sends me into a tizzy.

And with the nausea, that just makes the fatigue so much worse! It seems that when I wake up in the morning, I lie in bed for around half-an-hour to an hour trying to find the energy to go to the bathroom.

Saltines are my friends!