If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

My mom always used to say that.  I didn't really understand it.  I think it's a mom thing.

Levi started the week with a fever.  And got better over night.

Kolby came down with a fever on Tuesday night and it was gone by Wednessday night.

I took Kolby to the doctor today for his four year well child visit.  I took all 3 of the boys, actually.  I've done it many times.  They are pretty well behaved while we're there.  Today was no different.

Kolby had to get 5. F. I. V. E. shots.  We've talked all week about being brave and not fighting the nurse.  He did great.  He didn't kick her or fight her at all. 

We put all our books back on the shelf.  Got a copy of his immunization record for the preschool.  Picked out a small toy.  Received a special book for getting so many shots. 

And we're on our way.

I had promised a special lunch during the shots.  Anything to get his mind off that nurse sticking another needle in his leg. 

He refused the lunch.  Sage encouraged him to reconsider.  A different restaurant maybe?

He started coughing.  He "throws up" but it's all mucous.  In general, he just wasn't being himself. 

I pressed on, offerring ice-cream.  McDonalds?  Chick-fil-A?

Anything to make him happy.

Strapped everyone in the car.

He kept refusing a special lunch.  Saying he wanted to go home and go to sleep.  At 11am.

His face was red, but he'd been coughinig and coughing.

He took his sandals off and cried that his feet hurt.

Then I saw some white splotches or dots. 

I called the doctor's office.  I hung up.

I called Drew and willed him to answer.  He told me to call the doctor back right away.

I turned the van around and headed back to the doctor as I called. 

I started to get panicky.  My emotions were thick in my voice as I explained his symptoms.

"Red face, coughing, lots of coughing, white dots on his face, he's saying his feet hurt and itch."

"How close are you to the office?"

"I'm already heading back that way."

Thankfully, I had the double stroller in the van from the race on Saturday.  Kolby was in no mood to walk and I felt hurried. 

I wheeled us in the doctor's office and one of the nurses, said "our last name?  Come on back."

We were seen right away by Dr. Thaller (the greatest doctor ever). 

His breathing was better, not coughing anymore.  And he sounded good to Dr. Thaller.  

Benadryl was brought in and drank. 

Dr. Thaller ordered a shot of something.

The nurse, sweet Kim, came to give it to him.  I broke the bad news that he would have to get another shot.

Immediate cries.  "No more shots.  No more shots." 

I had already told him the first ones were to keep him healthy.  How do I explain he needs another one to get him better from the ones that were supposed to help in the first place?  I felt terrible. 

We both cried as he got the shot.  I prayed.  I needed that prayer the most.

We read every book in the room for about 30 minutes while Dr. Thaller intermittently came back in to listen to his breathing. 


Levi ate two boxes of raisins.

Finally, we were cleared to leave.  He has to take Benadryl every 6 hours since whatever he's allergic to is still in his body.  No messing around, Dr. Thaller said, if there is shortness of breath, more hives, go right to the nearest ER. 

And we'll be scheduling a visit to the allergist. 

It's been a day.  And it's only 2pm. 

And we're still on alert. 

That sounds more serious than I intend.  He looks so much better, I can see faint traces of the hives.  I'm just a little nervous to not let that Benadryl wear off.

I can't express how fearful I was.  I didn't even think to pray as I turned the van back around.  Not even a help me Jesus. 

We've had emergencies before, trips to the ER for vairous places on heads that were bleeding.  But, I knew those were fixable and manageable and the bleeding would stop and I could see the situation getting under control.

I didn't know what was happening.  He was so irritable.  And crying.  And scratching at his feet.  And he didn't have the words to express what his body was feeling.  I felt helpless driving my van.  I couldn't comfort him, hug him, touch him.  Try to figure out what was wrong. 

It could have been so much worse.  It was just hives. 

I am so thankful.  And this time, I did remember to tell Him.

I also need to remember to trust my gut.  Don't hang up on the doctor.  Do what you think is right for your kids, right away. 

Walking on Clouds

We changed up the blog look again.  If you're reading in google reader or something, come on over and check it out.

Drew helps me out with my blog design.  Meaning he does the header. 

It's fresh and springy. 

I was trying to make it fancy and I couldn't figure it out.  So, this is less fancy.  A template from blogger and Drew made the header.    

So, Levi is over his fever and now Kolby has one.  He hasn't missed a day of school and tomorrow will be the first. 

And that about sums up my thoughts.  Except that Sage has a performance at church this weekend, so any prayers that he somehow misses this 24 hour fever bug would be great! 

Oh, and I have an addiction. 

Hi, my name is Kristy and I love purses. 

It's nothing new.  I have had a love of purses since I was quite young.

My family liked to make fun of me because I fixated on wanting a purple purse for quite some time.  I think they got one for me when it wasn't cool anymore.  Meaning, I didn't want a purple purse anymore.  And they just kept the joke going. 

I was at the mall today, getting my watch battery replaced and fell in love with this Fossil bag.  It took me forever to find that picture on the internet, but I was determined!   I think it just screams spring and fresh to me. 

And I would love to show you a picture of this pattern in a wristlet because I determined that is what I would really love.  Apparently, Fossil doesn't make this pattern in a wristlet. 

Maybe I should be a purse designer. 

Maybe I should just stick with being a stay at home mom. 

 

Weekend Wrap

Saturday we woke up bright and early and went to the Aid Sudan 5k.  The plan was to register the boys for the 1k and I would walk/run with them and Drew was running the 5k. 

The plan was set in motion.  I registered the boys.  Then decided I needed to go to the bathroom. 

I stood in line for 1 minute, heard the start for the 1k and walked back to where Drew was with the boys.

Except he wasn't there.  I couldn't see him anywhere.  It's not like he's short and he was pushing our big, orange, double stroller. 

I walked around.  I looked at the people walking/running in the 1k.  He had vanished.

Except he hadn't.  He was within a few feet of where I left them.  I just couldn't see them.

I braced myself for the boys' disappointment.  It didn't come.

I spotted donuts.  (The irony of donuts at a 5k run isn't lost on me.) 

We collected their t-shirts, chatted a little and made our way to the finish of the 5k to see Drew finish. 

It was at a park and the boys wanted to play but it was really small so we took them to a different park. 

Then we went home and got Kolby and I ready to go to a birthday party at the zoo. 

I was really regretting going, I just wanted to take a nap.  Kolby and I ended up having so much fun.  The party was easy going, Kolby got a carousel ticket, it was just enjoyable.  We got to walk around the zoo and see whatever Kolby wanted to see.  That doesn't happen often for the middle child.

When we got home, Sage had requested to play Monopoly.  Sage, Drew and I played.  Kolby and Levi played outside with the sand table.  We didn't finish, but I'm pretty sure Sage beat us pretty badly.  He had Park Place and Boardwalk and had a house on Boardwalk.

We finished the day with burgers, fries and grilled asparagus.  A great meal for a great day.

After the boys were all in bed, Sage and Kolby sleeping in a "tent" in their room (they've now slept in it for 3 nights), Drew made us strawberry chocolate shakes.  The perfect ending to a perfect day. 

Levi woke up with a fever this morning.  Drew stayed home from church with him.  We were convinced he was teething.  But then Levi fell asleep on Drew's lap twice. 

We've been meaning to buy a new thermometer, almost every time one of our kids gets sick.  I just kept putting it off.  My $3 one worked just fine.  Until Levi gets a fever and screams the whole time while I hold his arm down to get a reading.  Drew got a thermoscan from Costco.  Just scan it across the forhead.  In like 2 seconds, you get the temperature.  I highly recommend it.  It would also make a great baby shower gift.  We paid for it, I just have really enjoyed it today.  I'm even going to check his temperature before I go to bed. 

Good night!

Friday Morning Ramblings

Last night I was putting Levi to bed, I prayed and he was still snuggling against me so I asked him if he wanted me to sing.  He nodded yes.  So I started singing Jesus Loves Me.  He looked up at me, smiled, and reached his hand up to cover my mouth and said shh, shh. 

I laughed.  And now he does it everytime I sing. 

I built a tent this morning  for the boys in the living room.  They are happily watching Sesame Street from the tent.  At 9:30, Sage said this was the best day ever.  We had made lemonade and Rice Krispie Treats.  I'm thinking they might get to sleep in the tent tonight.  I'm going for best mom award.  Fully knowing that title can be stripped from me at any moment. 

I wish Starbucks deivered.  There is a Starbucks about half a block from my house and sometimes that still feels too far.  Especially when I've vowed to not leave the house today. 

I still feel shocked that we're having a girl.  Not that the shock has stopped me from buying some clothes!  Apparantly, I like polka dots. 

We decided to not transition anyone to a new room yet.  So, I won't be decorating for a little girl yet.  I returned the bedding that I had purchased before we found out she was a girl!  It was cute, polka dots, but I didn't love it.  It matched the green of the room and the brown quilt that is on the queen bed.  We're going to get some kind of bed for our room and have the baby in with us and see how things play out.  Levi cries still going to bed and I'm not ready to take him out of his crib.

Kolby has a birthday party to attend tomorrow at the zoo for twin boys.  I got them squirt guns. 

I feel the baby move quite a bit.  She seems lower than my other babies.  Drew and Sage have felt her move too.  Next month is my glucose screening test.  No eating after midnight.  Have I blocked that out?  I totally don't remember that. 

Technically, I didn't lock us out of the house...

this time.

We dropped Kolby off at school and went to the grocery store. 

Everything got checked off the list.  With a couple of additions, two- 1/2 gallons of ice-cream because Blue Bell was on sale.

Baggers decided that the blue cooler bags were optional for cold food and bagged the cereal and canned goods in them instead.  Was slightly irritated but decided it would be okay because I was going straight home. 

Park the van.  Get Levi out of car seat.  Practice walking with Levi while holding my hand.  No melt down, this time. 

Go to unlock the deadbolt.  The key spins around and around.  Deadbolt remains locked.

Call Drew.  Because he's who I call.  He calls locksmith.  The same locksmith that came to our house about 3 weeks ago when I did lock us out of the house.  Did I write about that? 

Go back to van, have Sage "watch" Levi so that I can repack our grocery bags so nothing melts.  Decide the 3 gallons of milk will be okay. 

Levi digs in dirt with his finger and brings me a finger of dirt to wipe off every couple of minutes.

Groceries are rearranged.  Sage pretends to drive van.  Levi sits in Kolby's car seat.  I clean up trash from van.

I spy a turtle.  Show Sage and Levi.  We go to see it up close.  He hides in his shell.  I ask Sage if he wants to touch it.  He doesn't.  I touch the shell.  Levi pets the turtle.  Sage finally touches the turtle.  We marvel at the hardness of the shell and how cool it is that the turtle can pull himself in and hide away from us.  The turtle keeps his head out a tiny bit, quickly pulling it back whenever Levi's little hand comes near him for a quick petting.  I think about how getting locked out of our house wasn't so bad.  I would have been putting away laundry or groceries and missed out on how cool God's creation is.  Wish I had my camera.

The lock guy arrives and opens door.  And made it look easy.  Start to think I might be an idiot. 

Indeed, the lock was broken.  Glad to not be an idiot. 

The lock was so old it had to be replaced instead of fixed. 

$70 later, no cold stuff ruined, and getting to see my boys marvel at a turtle, not so horrible.

Not that I enjoyed spending $70 on a lock, it just didn't ruin my day.  

The Zoo Trip That Maybe Shouldn't Have Been

The trip had been planned for weeks.  Maybe a month or more.  We were going to take someones mind off something.  And we planned it a long time ago.

It was rainy this morning.  And kind of chilly but not really chilly.

But, we packed our lunches and forged ahead.

And as we drove, the misty rain started to mist more.

We got there and met Kelli and Annalee in the parking lot.  Kelli was wearing shorts and had no rain jackets (it wasn't raining on her side of town- that is how huge our city is).  We decided to dart from inside thing to inside thing. 

We went to two inside things and when we bravely walked out to go to the meercats, the rain had stopped.

It left us some new friends.  The puddle.  Lots of new friends.

Sage and Kolby had already ran through one huge one on our way from inside thing number one to inside thing number two.

I told them no more puddles.  And called after them to walk around that rather large puddle.

A mom behind me commented that they are just kids and kids should be able to run through puddles.  Her comment hit me the wrong way.  I was so irritated that she would devalue my parenting in front of my kids.  And really, I had many good reasons as to why I didn't want them to run through puddles.  I could go on and on with reasons as to why I was irritated by her comment but I won't.

After we saw the elephants, do you know what I saw?!  She pulled her kid out of a puddle and scolded him for running and splashing in it.  Seriously.

We continued on our merry way looking at the jaguar and tiger.

And it was lunchtime.  We went to a covered area to eat.  And proceeded to switch lunches with everyone.

Then, we decided that the kids probably needed a diaper change.  They sweetly change their little girls.  And I pull Levi out of the stroller.

And discover the worst diaper.  Up the front and back of him.  No clothes could be salvaged.  Did I mention it was slightly chilly?  And guess which award winning mom pulled his extra clothes out of the diaper bag before leaving?

Right as I get his shirt off.  Kelli says, "Where's Kolby?"  We yell his name, he pops out from behind these pretend buildings, where he shouldn't have gone without someone knowing.

As he walks toward us, his face right under his nose is bringt red and it's smeared on his cheek.

Levi is running around the eating area with no shirt on and visible poo coming out the back.  And then Kolby runs off and then comes back with a bloody nose.

I herd Levi back.  Ask Kelli to hold his arms and not let him run off, wipe off Kolby's face.  And it appears to have stopped bleeding.

I get a plastic diaper sack out and lay that down for Levi to lay on the cold, hard table.  And he cries the whole time I'm changing him.  As if we needed more attention drawn to our situation.  But, really, he was probably freezing.  He was laying on a hard, cold table naked and I was wiping him with cold wipes.

I finished cleaning him up, put his jacket back on.  And told the boys we couldn't see anymore animals today.  Sage pouted.  And came up with the grand idea that Levi and I could go sit in the van and Annalee and Kelli could finish taking my boys around the zoo.

We left.

Levi and Kolby both fell asleep on the way home.

No naps were taken in our house this afternoon.

But, on the way home, we saw a reallly bad accident.  I prayed for the people in the accident and thanked God for keeping us safe.  Maybe that diaper change and nose bleed was just what we needed to keep us out of harms way.

I'll take a poopy diaper, a naked baby home and a bloody nose over a car accident any day. 

You Might Think I'm Crazy

I have a secret.

Not a bad secret.  Just a secret.  Well, not technically, a secret.  I've mentioned it to people before.  And they usually think I'm a little crazy.  Or wonder why. 

You wanna know what it is?

I think nose rings on women are beautiful.  Not hoops.  Or chains connecting from an ear to a nose. 

Just a small, simple stud.  Maybe gold, maybe a small diamond.  Small being the key word.

One you barely notice. 

I kind of want one.  Okay, I've wanted one for a long time and haven't thought that I could pull it off. 

But now.  Something's different.  Not about the way I look.  I think it is more of a confidence thing.  Maybe because I'm  shh 30.  I just feel more comfortable in my skin.  In what I wear.  I care less of how others view me.  

So, do you think I'm crazy?  

If you do, I'd be okay with that.   

I didn't go anywhere

Alternatly titled:  Whew, I've been busy

For Easter, we hosted 2 families.  9 kids (7 of them boys) and 6 adults total.  15 people in our little house.

It went really well. 

I made Pioneer Woman's Passover Brisket, Pioneer Woman's Twice Baked Potatoes, Swedish Rye bread, white bread rolls (bought), green bean casserole, glazed carrots, strawberry spinach salad, and raspberry jello salad.  For dessert, Pioneer Womans Strawberry Shortcake Cake and Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

We had an egg hunt.  160 eggs.  It took about 3 minutes.  Apparently the ground doesn't make for very good hiding spots.

The day before, we went to a small town and went to an antique show.  We saw about .1 of all the booths.  But, we saw enough to boy some bloomers for Annika.  Monogrammed of course.  And a really cool bucket that now resides in our dining room. *Updated!  Drew talked the sweet woman down from $45 to $20.  That is the power of sending my man with my three boys to buy it and haggle.   

And, Monday night, I hosted Bunco.  Was there something else going on?  Oh, my sister and her husband drove to Indianapolis for the National Championship!  My sister graduated from Butler.  As soon as they won on Saturday night, they bought tickets and arranged child care.  They celebrated their 15th and 16th wedding anniversaries.  15 was last year and 16 will be this July.  Aren't they cute?

Oh, Bunco.  I had planned an NCAA Bunco.  Wear your favorite college t-shirt and come comfy.  The game was on the tv the whole time.  I served mini cupcake brownies, spinach dip, and individual fruit pizza's.  They were so stinkin cute.  (If I may say so myself)  I had a really fun time hosting it.  My prizes were earrings that I bought off Etsy.  I wished I could have kept every pair.

I'm just going to throw this out there as an FYI.  Frozen chicken breasts can be cooked at 350 degrees for 2 hours.  Don't plan on one hour, it won't be long enough.  Not that I would ever put frozen chicken breasts in the oven at 4:30 expecting them to be done when Drew got home at 5:30.  Because I'm a better cook than that.  Praise the Lord, Drew was late, he got home at 6:15.  I had already figured out my cooking debacle and sent Sage to shower before dinner.  Then I bathed Kolby and Levi and it worked out okay.  And I never Praise the Lord about Drew being late.

And tomorrow is Friday.  And Drew and I have a date.  And we found out last night that our friends are also having a baby girl in September.  It's been a good week.