TEMPTATION

We all face temptation.

And when you are 3, it's hard to say NO to temptation.

Chad and Sondra are here for Thanksgiving and they stayed at our house on Friday night and then went to a wedding on Saturday morning. They brought with them some gifts for an early Christmas with Chad's family. Andrew had seen the suitcase full of presents and expressed an interest, but we thought we had made it clear that they were not for him.

We were wrong.

I suddenly realized he was too quiet and Keith went running downstairs to find Andrew surrounded by open gifts. After sending him to time out while we laughed at the mess, we told him that he had to apologize to Aunt Sondra and Uncle Chad when they came home. He decided he wasn't going to wait until they got home got a phone and "called" them to tell them, "I sorry. I didn't know." He was walking around with the phone and he started with "Well," and then other words I couldn't make out. I was trying to record it, but it didn't turn out because he didn't want his apology to be public.

Well, now he knows that some gifts are not for him to open. At least, until we put up the Christmas tree and start wrapping our gifts...

Surgery Update

Trying to keep the gown on Andrew.

Giving up on the gown and letting him play.

So peaceful after surgery

In recovery, enjoying the sucker and not wearing the gown.

At long last, here is a little update on Andrew's surgery last week. I'm very happy to report that it went very well! I think the most traumatic part for Andrew was the hospital gown. He was adamantly opposed to wearing it, and so he didn't. At least, not while he was awake. The nurses were kind and understood that it wasn't a battle worth fighting and so, they waited until he was asleep to put the gown back on.

We left for the surgery center at 6 am, got there around 6:30 and started the pre-op process a couple of minutes later. The pre-op process took place in a playroom with a TV, toys and a couple of other kids waiting for their surgeries. The ENT came in around 7:30 and told us they would be ready for us in a couple of minutes.

When it was time, the nurse and anesthesiologist scooped a screaming Andrew up and assured us he would be fine and asleep in a couple of minutes. We settled in to some comfy chairs in the waiting room. I was all set to read a new book, and then less than 10 minutes later, they came out and told us the doctor was ready to see us. That was it. The surgery was over. I didn't even get to read the first chapter in my book.

The doctor said it was good we had done the surgery because Andrew had a lot of fluid and junk in his ears and that everything had gone well. We were then taken back to his recovery room, where we helped him wake up. He looked so peaceful - sleeping - and then suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat up. He yanked the pulse-oxygen monitor off his big toe. Someone had put both his socks on the same foot so they would have access to his toe. This was not OK with Andrew. He took the extra sock off and in his semi-awake state, tried to put it on his barefoot. The recovery nurse tried not to laugh as I explained that we are very Type A and two socks on one foot is NOT acceptable!

He was cranky and wanted to be held, but who could blame him. As soon as he was settled on my lap, he asked for his sucker. (They bribe children with suckers as they take them to the OR and then they "knock 'em out" before they can unwrap the sucker.) I didn't want to give him the sucker right away because I feared being covered in blue raspberry puke, but I couldn't bear the whining, so he got his sucker. Good news - he didn't get sick. Bad news - he spilled orange juice on me while trying to be independent and holding his own juice.

They let us leave about 20 minutes later, and we were back home before 9 am. Andrew was cranky for about an hour after we got home, but he perked up after we got some breakfast in him. Poor kid suffers from LBS (low-blood sugar) just like his mama.

We haven't had any ill side effects from the surgery. Just a little drainage, which they assured me is normal. We've noticed a slight behavior change for the better. He seems to be more himself again. We asked him if he could hear better, but he didn't seem to know what that meant, so Keith asked him if everything seemed louder and he said, "Yes!"

He asked to read his "Tubes in My Ears: My Trip to the Hospital" that night and there is a part in the book about being put to sleep and how they play a counting backwards game. Keith asked Andrew if the doctor asked him to count. He said "Yes, but I didn't count. I just cried." And he hasn't talked about the surgery since. Guess he's not scarred for life!

Andrew update

Attack of the frozen blueberries.

Andrew wanted to have his picture taken with Jonathan before church. I'm not sure what this picture is all about. Any caption suggestions?

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I've sort of lost count, but I think this is the fourth or fifth week of hives for Andrew. And I'm happy to report that he only had a small break out on Monday and has been hive free these past two days. Praise the Lord! I asked the pediatrician last week at Jonathan's well-baby if we could have some steroids or something to help get rid of the hives. The doctor didn't think it was a good idea, and so I asked if he could give me some drugs and he just laughed at me. He didn't realize how serious I was! I may not have the irritating hives, but I do have to deal with an irritated 3 year old!

Poor Andrew just hasn't been himself these past weeks and some days have been a struggle for all of us! And to top it off, he's been failing his hearing tests and has been diagnosed with fluid build-up with a recommendation to have tubes put in his ears. We get to have that fun experience early tomorrow morning. We've been talking about the surgery and reading him a book called "Tubes in My Ears: My Trip to the Hospital." He studies this book like a manual and seems to understand the purpose and outcome. We've explained that this will make his ears feel better, and he seems excited about this prospect. I guess his ears have been bothering him more than we realized and are probably part of his recent irritability.

Andrew has also been suffering from Separation Anxiety, which I think I have mentioned in a previous post. Anytime I try to take him anywhere - Sunday School, Kid's Day Out, Mom's Carelink - the only three places I leave him, he FREAKS out. Today was the easiest drop off we've had in the past 6 weeks. He only tried to dislocate two of my fingers and sort of cried/whined. He usually screams and cries and clings to me like an octopus. I try to talk excitedly about wherever it is that we are going in advance and get him excited to go play with other kids. He's usually OK until we get to the parking lot or front doors of the church and then the excuses start. "I don't want to go. I too tired." But today he said, "I don't want to go to Kid's Day Out. I too excited to go." WHAT? We went anyway and when I picked him up, he told me that he had a lot of fun! That's the first time in a LONG time that he has said that. So, things seem to be on the upswing.

So we can only hope and pray that tomorrow goes smoothly and that the tubes helps him feel better and change him back into our sweet boy. They tell me recovery from this surgery is short and I hope Andrew recovers as quickly as they tell me he should. Keep us in your prayers!

A day in the life of Jonathan

Here's just a little glimpse into a day in the life of our little 9-month-old trouble maker...

Ahh, the dishwasher. I swear he hears me loading/unloading it and comes crawling as fast as he can to help.

Yesterday when I put Andrew down for his nap, I left Jonathan playing contentedly (or so I thought) in the living room. I quickly checked my email while I was upstairs and then realized I hadn't heard Jonathan for a few minutes. I went to check what trouble he had found and standing at the top of the stairs, I discovered why Jonathan was so quiet. If only I had had the camera to capture the view from the top of the stairs. My little baby figured out how to climb the stairs. Oh, this opens up a whole new world of trouble and need for another gate!

Proud little climber

Standing at the coffee table, which led to the goose egg above his right eye. I think we need to get him some sort of safety helmet!

Emptying out the pantry

Jonathan had his 9-month well baby yesterday, and he is still a little peanut weighing in at a mere 19 pounds and is 28.5 inches. He seems huge to me, but he's only around the 50th percentile for length and 30th for weight.

Fat Lip Baby

Today started like most other days - me scurrying around trying to get the boys dressed, fed and out the door, and the boys fighting the idea. Let me set the stage further: I'm in the kitchen getting breakfast for myself and Andrew. The boys are in the living room squabbling over a ride-on car. Suddenly the squabble ends with Jonathan crying very loudly. I come running, scoop up Jonathan and ask Andrew what happened. Before I get an answer, I see blood. I try to determine where the blood is coming from and see a little flap of loose skin on his upper lip. Now PANIC sets in!

This happened a little before 9 am and Jonathan had his 9-month well baby appointment at 9:30. So, I knew we were going to see the doctor no matter what and at this point I feared stitches were needed. I called my wonderful neighbor to see if she could watch Andrew in case I needed to go to the ER. She came running over, literally, and helped me calm down and determined that stitches were probably not necessary. She took Jonathan and got him a popsicle to help stop the bleeding. I changed my bloody shirt, Andrew's clothes and Jonathan's and we were off to the doctor.

By the time we got to the pediatrician's office, everything was calm, except my heart rate. The doctor wasn't at all worried about Jonathan's fat lip. In fact, it seemed to this frazzled mother that he really didn't study it and examine it as closely as was necessary. He assured me that mouth wounds heal quickly and that Jonathan would be fine and to avoid salty, crunchy foods. And that was it. No stitches, butterfly band aids, or sedatives (although I think I could've used one.)

I still don't know exactly what happened, but I'm pretty sure Jonathan hit his mouth on the fireplace hearth. And I know it could've been much worse, but that was way more than enough excitement for a Monday morning.

Happy Halloween

Our little cow and monkey



We tried telling Andrew he was Curious George and that didn't work either. *sigh*

Don't worry! Jonathan is just chewing on a glow stick, not a lollipop.

Andrew's favorite part of Halloween was passing out candy. Who would've dreamed that he would love to give candy away? And all the trick-or-treaters loved him as he gave generous handfuls!

When you have a 3-year-old, life is not always as you plan. Keith found a really cute Handy Manny costume for Andrew. He refused to wear it. He kept insisting he was going to be a monkey like last year, thanks to a picture calendar I have on the wall serving as a reminder of last year's fun. We tried everything in our power to persuade him to be Handy Manny, but when it came time for trick-or-treating, Andrew was a monkey. And we barely got him out the door even as a monkey. He was not interested in leaving the house dressed as anything. He seems to have some new fear that we are going to leave him somewhere. I don't know how or why it started because we NEVER leave him anywhere except at church on Sunday morning, and he loves his Sunday School teacher and he goes to Kid's Day Out once a week, which he likes too. We haven't gotten to the bottom of this fear, but I'm hoping it passes soon!

Anyway, the costume really wasn't worth the fight. My biggest concern was that the monkey costume wouldn't fit. It did, barely. And it certainly won't fit next year. I guess we'll face that hill next October! So, we are out trick-or-treating just on our street. Andrew refused to say anything to our nice neighbors, leaving me to do all the work. And then when I suggested we just go home, he pipes up with, "Not yet. My treat bag isn't full." Whatever!

Jonathan was a great little cow. He didn't care what we dressed him as and he didn't care that no one gave him candy. Oh, if only they could stay nonverbal and content.

And have I mentioned that we've been battling the stomach flu around here? Ah yes, the past two weeks have been fun. First Andrew, then Keith and then...me. Mommies aren't supposed to get sick, and especially not with the stomach flu! It hit me hard Friday night after we got home from our trick-or-treating adventure, and I was out of commission all weekend. No Halloween candy for me!

I'm better now and I'm hoping that we are done with the stomach bug for the winter! And I'm hoping and praying that Jonathan doesn't get it! So that was our fun Halloween adventure. Here's hoping that next year is a little less "fun!"