Pray for little Henderson

Yesterday, about 1:00 I got a call from the Dayschool that Henderson (4 mos) was running a fever - 102.6 (axillary, so really 103.6)- he has had an ear infection for the last week so we both assumed that was what it was. The director said he could stay (since Thursday is the only day I work all day) if we brought him some tylenol and the fever went down. Well, I was about to go into a meeting, so Will took him some Tylenol at 1:30. At 2:30 I got another call that he was still running a fever -102.9. I called the Pediatricians office and b/c he is on an antibiotic and still running a high fever, they wanted to see him right away. So I leave work and pick him up and take him to the doctor at 3:00. He has a mild rash all over his body (little red dots, nothing raised or serious-looking) my other two children have had this before when they run fever. The doctor assumes it is just a fever virus b/c his ears look great, but b/c the fever was so high and he is so young, she ran some blood work and did a urine test just to make sure. Well, his blood work came back and his WBC count was 25,000 (should be 5,000-10,000). She sends us to the hospital lab (it's now 4:45 and the lab closes at 5:00) to have more blood drawn and a urine culture done. We get there at 4:59 and they get us back. They put the tourniquet on his arm and try to find a vein and stick the needle and tubing in and WIGGLE it around to find blood, but can't find any. SO, they go to the other arm and do the same - NO BLOOD!!! They go back to the original arm and stick him again and finally find blood, they are able to fill 2 vials (they need 3) when no more blood will come out (I guess he's a little dehydrated). So they go to the hand and find more blood (I feel like I'm talking about digging for oil right now!!!=) After 30 minutes of holding H's legs down and listening to him scream bloody murder and turn bright red and blue, it's finally over (or so I think). We go back to the Pediatrician's office and he is SOUND asleep in his carrier (you would be too after all that screaming). We are waiting for the CBC, CRP and urine results (the cultures take longer) and the doc comes in and says she is going to give him 2 Rocephin (sp?) shots - an antibiotic, just to cover any infection. Well, I WAKE him up and the nurse comes in and tells me what she is going to do - the shots are BIG and they have lidocaine in them b/c they hurt so bad - it's thick and I need to give him Motrin for the next 24 hours b/c he will be SORE - ya think?????? My little man is black and blue all over from 7 sticks in 2 hours - not just little vaccine sticks, but BIG needle/tubing/squeezing/thick sticks. I hate I didn't get a picture of him all bandaged up - he was a sight, but he began eating the guaze and tape and bandaids, so I had to take them off and throw them away! The urine came back clean and the CBC confirmed that the Ped lab is correct - WBC still at 25,000, the CRP is slightly elevated - meaning there is some sort of inflamation going on probably. He ran a high fever about midnight last night - 103.3, I prayed over him and couldn't sleep until he finally went to sleep an hour later when the fever broke. We go back today for more results and a follow-up - no one seems to know what's going on. He will get 2 more shots of Rocephin if he's not better and possibly more blood work - Seriously, poor guy =(

Please pray that he will get better miraculously and if that is not God's will that we will at least know how to treat it.

Sorry no new pictures lately - but here is the little guy - how he looks even when he's sick - with a big smile on his face - he was all smiles even with 103 degree fever!!!!

Faith as a child

The sweetest thing happened yesterday afternoon while I was playing on the floor with Henderson (4 months) and Emma Claire (4 years). EC and I were both "baby talking" to H and handing him little toys to suck on and watching him roll over when all of a sudden EC said "mommy, I want to pray" and I (kind of shocked, b/c we were in the middle of play time) said "okay honey, you pray" and this was her prayer:

"Dear God, please come live in Henderson's heart. Amen"

It was the sweetest thing, but I did go on to tell her that it was wonderful for her to want that for her brother, but that one day when he gets old enough to understand, he will have to ask Jesus into his heart on his own! We then talked a little more about sin and our need for Jesus and why Jesus died on the cross. It was a very special unplanned moment on our den floor!

EARLY Morning Run

Okay, I'll set the stage: I got up this morning at 4:30 am (yes, that's right, it hurt me too - I go to work at 7:00, so in order to get in any excercise, that's what has to be done). I pumped (b/c I dare not go running without:) and I was on the road with my precious Weimeraner dog Daisy by 5:00. I live in an area where there are 4-5 fairly large neighborhoods all within a 3 mile radius connected by 2 fairly busy roads (not highways by any means, but busy during school time traffic). Well, in my neck of the woods it is still pitch black dark at 5:00 am. Daisy is all bark no bite - but she is my security, b/c a kidnapper (womannapper) might not know the difference =). I am armed with my cell phone - ready to dial 911 at any approach of a stranger (or so I think). Well, I am about 10 minutes into my run, on a dark street (with houses, but these houses sit about 100 yards away from the street - they are on "Estate" lots as some call them) when all of a sudden my worst nightmare comes true. From behind me I hear a car coming and SLOWING down!!!!!!! My heart was racing so fast (from being scared, not the run), I had my cell phone ready, but I just froze, then the car came to a crawl - I looked over and do you know what I saw???



It was a POLICE CAR

Do you know how happy this made me???

He said, "I was just making sure you were working out and not up to something."

Do you know how happy this made me???

This police man was just canvasing our "nice" neighborhoods at 5:00 in the morning to make sure no one was "up to no good". All I could say was "no" - yes, that's what I said, if I had not been nervous to the point of near hysterics I would have said "oh thank you Mr. Police Man for making our streets safer and for really making sure that I was "legit". Thank you for actually doing your job and not just sitting in some Krispy Kreme eating away your shift." Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!

My run was a bit faster and better from that point on - no more looking over my shoulder waiting for the boogie man to get me!

And did Daisy bark or growl even once? Notta!!!!! So much for my "guard dog"!!

Just thought I would share this fun event with you all.


***Just a side note, don't think that I get up at 4:30 every morning - I am aiming for 1-2 times a week at this point - maybe more later, but you've got to start somewhere and with 3 children now 4 and under, and a 32 hour a week job, it's the only time I have!!!!

Tailgating on the Quad

We had a great, yet busy time tailgating on the Quad Saturday for the Alabama game! It was humid but not too hot, thanks to the cloud cover! We had good food, good fellowship with great friends, and lots of fun! Emma Claire had a great time with one of her best friends Mary Alice, whom she went to the game with and had a fabulous time - thanks William and Ashley!!!!

She also had a great time on the bouncy things - but she was disappointed that you could only go on them one time per ticket - we're used to having "unlimited" time on them at birthday parties/church functions, etc. Maybe we can bypass the "dollar drainer" as I like to call it next time :).

Fearless Wilson was terrified of Big Al - he clung so tight to Will and buried his head in his neck - only when Big Al was driving off in his golf cart did Wilson finally look up and cheerfully say "Bye Bye Big Al!!" Emma Claire loved him of course!

We didn't lose Wilson, but it was tough keeping up with him - I'm sure I was a sight over at the bouncy things with Henderson asleep on my chest in the baby bjorn (thank God for that thing) chasing Wilson through the 10,000 some odd people out there - he can weave in and out of people much better than I could with a sleeping baby attached to me!!!! Next time I will do like a brilliant friend of mine did and write with a Sharpie on his bicep my cell phone number - or better yet, I will just keep him strapped in a stroller and listen to him scream the whole time =)

Henderson was wonderful - doesn't it look like he's doing a cheer??? Roll Tide Roll!!!!

Why do they do the things they do?

Wilson does the funniest thing EVERYTIME I pick him up from preschool, he says
"mommy!!!!!" with the biggest smile on his face and runs to give me a hug, and THEN immediately starts bawling crying (and I mean can't catch a breath crying) EVERYTIME????? It is quite hilarious and all the teachers just look at him stupified b/c he's not cried all morning long!!!???


I guess he's just so overwhelmed with emotion that he just doesn't know what to do with it all!!! =)





Emma Claire:


Will had to work late last night (until 3:00 am), so Emma Claire slept with me and when he came home he slept in Emma Claire's bed so he wouldn't be woken up in the morning -- yeah right!!!! While I was in the shower, Emma Claire woke up (out of my bed) and immediately went down to give her daddy the picture she had drawn him last night (that I specifically told her to just hang on the door - tied with a beautiful stain ribbon nonetheless -that's my girl!) and then came back upstairs and while she was pottying I looked out of the shower and this is how it went:


Me: good morning pretty girl


EC: good morning - daddy's sleeping, but i gave him the picture I drew for him


Me: You did what? EC, why did you wake your daddy up?


EC: But I was afraid he wouldn't see it and I wanted him to see what a good job I did!! (with the saddest face you ever did see)


Me: Okay (what do you say?), but don't wake him up again!





5 minutes later:


EC: Mommy! I hear Wilson on the monitor, can I go get him?


Me: He can come out, I already opened the door this morning, so he'll come up when he wakes up.


EC: Ughh, mommy? I closed that door when I went downstairs.


Me: fine, EC, go down and open the door, but do not wake your brother up, unless he's already awake





2 minutes later:


Wilson: mommy! daddy night night!!!


Me: EC, did you go in your room again and wake up daddy?


EC: Wilson did!


Me: But how did Wilson know that daddy was in your room?


EC: I showed him!








AAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! Sorry Will!





30 minutes later as we are loading up the car to leave:


EC: (Frantic!) Mommy it's share day - I need to find something to take to school to share!


Me: Okay, EC, go find something really quick, but be very quiet! (in other words, don't wake up your daddy again)





2 minutes later, still no EC in the car, I go to find her - where is she???? Her ROOM!!!!! Sorry again Will! We settle on a Ballerina Barbie Doll (not in her room by the way).





On another note, for the last 2 days, I've been putting Rice Cereal in Henderson's bottles and he WILL NOT drink them - I've widened the nipple and it flows out fine, but he will only take maybe 2 ounces intead of 5-6. So I'm stopping the cereal in bottles, he seems to like it fine from the spoon (what stays in his mouth), but not so much from the bottle - I guess it taints the perfect bre*** milk!!! =) He's still such a joy and smiles so much and sleeps so good!
We are tailgating tomorrow on the quad - with ALL 3 children - so pray for me - (mainly that we don't lose Wilson) - he's so stinkin' fast!!! ROLL TIDE!!!!

P*tite B*ys???

Well, Henderson had his 4 month check up yesterday. It went well, he was a sweetie - never cried until the Dr. held his head down to look in his ears - he does have a slight ear infection in one ear and is now on Amoxicillin - what is it with my boys??? Wilson had many ear infections and finally tubes at 9 months. None since then thank goodness. Emma Claire has never had an ear infection. Henderson got 4 shots and the rotavirus vaccine and slept much of the afternoon. He woke up with a fever (the first one he's ever had) and he was so pitiful - all he would do was lay on my chest - never even picked his head up. He would whimper if I tried to move him. He finally went to sleep after some Tylenol and did wake up at 3:30 am to eat (which is not usual).

Here are his stats:

Height: 24 inches (20%)

Head: 16 1/2 (40%)

Weight: 12 lb 7 oz (10%)

Here's why I am concerned - his height and head have remained at the same %. His weight has gone from 25% to 10% - you ask, so what?? Well, it was about this time that Wilson began dropping off the chart - Wilson dropped off in everything (not just weight), so maybe we have hope. Wilson weighed 11 lb 12 oz at 4 months. Emma Claire weighed 12 lb 7 oz also, (but remember, she was born 8 weeks premature). So, where do we go from here? If his weight continues to drop off, do we go through the dozens of procedures and tests that we went through with Wilson, only to find nothing, or do we just accept that I have very petite boys and an average girl??? Oh, why can't it be reversed - girls are cute and "dainty" when they're skinny and petite - but I bet no one looks at a 5 ft tall 100# man and says "oh, he's so dainty and cute" Seriously.... But Henderson is a good eater - he drinks 24-30 ounces of milk a day and we have now begun the dreaded RICE CEREAL!!!! He seemed to like it last night (what stayed in his mouth). He still has the tongue thrust that causes most of it to come back out, but he was begging for more, so he must have liked the taste. We are putting Rice Cereal in his bottles also, to help with the spitting up (which has gotten right crazy) and to add extra calories. I absolutely love my pediatrician and gladly put my childrens' lives in his hands, but I am open to any suggestions you experienced moms out there might have. Yes, I am a registered dietitian, but when it's your own children and you're in the thick of it, sometimes you just need others' advice.!!!! Wilson has gotten OKAY with eating, but he will eat something one day and flat out refuse it the next - I think we've wasted enough food on him to feed all the children in Ethiopia. I hate wasting food, and it's so frustrating to not know what he likes. I just don't want Henderson to go down that same road.

All in all my children are doing great. God has blessed us with happy, healthy children who are growing bigger everyday (although a little slower than the world thinks they should be). God is so good to us and I am thankful for every day I have with these precious gifts. I love being a mom above all else and they bring such joy to my life!

Emma Claire started ballet yesterday and loved it - she is so sweet and such a big help at home. We are getting excited for the first home football game Saturday - we'll be out at the Quad tailgating in the hot September sun!

ROLL TIDE ROLL

ROLL TIDE everyone! We've had a great day at my parents' house so far - the children have played outside, rode bikes, skated, played in the little pool, washed my car, and then my dad took my car to get the oil changed - it's been good for me folks! Lots of extra hands. My sister and her boyfriend came out last night and we had dinner and cake for her birthday. They brought their cute little boxer named Tyson and Emma Claire and Wilson had a blast with him - he did tackle Wilson once though, and that was the end of that. After getting eaten alive by mosquitos, we had to come inside and play. Emma Claire whispered to Katie -"can I take him home"? It was so cute! Now, it's rest time and then we'll get ready to watch the Tide! I hope everyone is having a super weekend!