Six More Weeks of Winter

Happy Belated Groundhog Day. Looks like good ol' Punxsutaney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter... we could have all guessed that, seeing as it's only the beginning of February. However, we're just praying it's not six more MONTHS of winter like last year. I can barely stand it! We need fresh air and sunshine to not feel down, I think.

On Tuesday, 2/2, Caleb had is 18-month well check-up. They asked me lots of questions about his progress and said he's doing just fine. These questions check for early signs of autism, and the pediatrician said it looks like he's developing very well. But, strangely enough, his weight was less than what it was when he was vomiting and dehydrated. His stats are below:

Height: 33" (63.27%)

Weight: 24 lbs 7 oz (26.6%)

Head Circumference: 19.02" (61.44%)

So, the doctor told me he's long and lean and that's his normal growth pattern. He's thin. But, with his weight still being down from what it was in January (when he was over 25 pounds), they want him to come back in for a weight check. She told me to continue to push calories. That's hard when he hasn't been wanting to eat anything. I've been thrilled that he's wanted to drink. She also said that sometimes after sickness, kids have a hard time digesting lactose. I knew that from when Joshua was sick around that same age. She said Caleb's belly sounded "gurgly" and that he's likely still not feeling well. I asked about the possibility of it not being viral because again, no one else in our family got sick. She said if he's not feeling better in a week, they might do an ultrasound. But, all the symptoms lead them to believe it's simply a virus. I want it to be a virus, so I'm okay with that. I just don't want to miss anything. She said it is, in fact, going around. I guess we'll take it. She also said that the rash looks now like dry skin. I agree. It was red and humped up before but it turned into severely dry skin, so maybe that came from being irritated by the hospital outfits & diapers. His skin is really sensitive. Caleb's ears looked healed already, so they went ahead and gave him all the vaccines, including his second round of H1N1 that he missed from being in the hospital.

Tuesday night we ate at Friendly's. Shawn's cousin Don's wife Jess had emailed that for a donation to Easter Seals, you get 5 'Valentines' for $1 and each one is a voucher for a free ice cream cone for a child. Since Joshua's preschool is having a little party next week for Valentine's Day, I thought these might be worthwhile to get. Caleb was not thrilled at the restaurant and didn't eat anything but ice cream, but Joshua was an angel. He said 'please' and 'thank you' to the waitress, and she seemed impressed by his charm and smile. That night when I went tanning, I ran into Angie from small group. Small world!

Yesterday at preschool, Joshua got his eyes examined as part of a free screening that they do for all children. He had a big sticker that he was proud of that said "I got my eyes checked" and the paper said there were no problems to report, which I had assumed. He told me that he saw Thomas in the machine, and he was thrilled. He told me that Ethan (S, since there are two Ethan's in his class) is his best buddy and he also likes to play trains with Liam, another little boy in his class. :)

For me yesterday included waking up with my left ear still being slightly sore. It hasn't been ungodly painful like when you have an ear infection, so I hadn't called the doctor. Still, every once in awhile it popped and felt a little ouchy. Not unbearably, but enough that I finally broke down and called the new doctor's office that's down the street. They got me in after my class, and the doctor said that neither ear was infected but they were 'red.' He asked about any other symptoms and I told him how I had lost my voice over the weekend, but I assumed it was from lack of sleep, explaining that Caleb had been vomiting and in the hospital. Hearing that we had been in the hospital, he told me that most likely I had a bacterial infection. While my lungs sounded fine and I felt fine, the sheer amount of time led him to believe that we picked something up in the hospital, which is a hotbed of germs. UGH!!! He said that the voice/throat is connected to the ears so when my vocal cords were gone, likely that was putting pressure on my ears... or something to that effect. So, I picked up a pack of 5-day antibiotics just to be preemptive 'in case.'

Last night Joshua started to cough, and this morning he woke up barely able to breathe. We're going to the pediatrician at 11:45 for him. I also called the doctor for Shawn who woke up with a sore throat. If we all got germs from the hospital, I want everyone to get healed up and all better at once. But, I must admit, I'm glad we're not all vomiting like Caleb was. There's nothing worse (well, I guess asthma attacks are worse because they're more life-threatening...but you know what I mean.) While I could use to lose the pounds, I'd rather do it the healthy way.

But, that said, we finally found something that Caleb will eat: chocolate chip cookies. So, last night I baked a half batch for him, and we ended up eating some too. Doh! But, he eats them like they're the best thing he ever tasted and they're high calorie. So, hopefully this is helpful. The doctor told me to put cheese, peanut butter, butter, eggs, etc on and in everything he eats. He doesn't like cheese, doesn't like eggs, etc. so that's a tall order. Please pray that he feels better, eats and gains enough weight to be healthy.

I have some funny moment baby stories to tell from this week, like Caleb always picking up the tiger in his little animals and saying "roar" and then finding the baby one and saying "baby...  momma" and Joshua telling us that getting to watch TV before bed was a "good deal." There are many times we've chuckled over the past few days, but alas it's time for me to run. So, more soon! Enjoy the pictures of the boys in their new sweaters that Grandma made. :)