Now for an update

As in my previous post, my boys are sick but the upside is they are starting to feel better. Nic's congestion is breaking up and Eli sounds very nasal right now, which is a little cute. For anyone who has ever used a nebulizer knows, not the easiest thing for a baby, excuse me toddler, to get used to. But my little man appears to be getting the hang of it, he even held it up to his nose and mouth all by himself yesterday morning. Not the case the night before, our very first time using it. He cried and screamed the whole time, hence him setting in his chair much easier to do. The machine isn't exactly quiet but it's only for about 10 minutes, and it comes with a little ducky mask to try and help ease children. The worst part is listening to him cough at night but it is the best thing for him, especially with it trying to break up. Their humidifiers are turned up full blast in both their rooms, although I run them every night just on a very low setting any other time, the boys have gotten used to the sound and it is easier for them to fall asleep. Things are slowly getting back to normal around here. I sure hate when my little men are sick and I can't make it magically disappear.

Using the nebulizer all by himself, such a big boy

Daddy brought home tool belts to help them feel better

Illness falls on our household

The last two nights and days have been a little rough around here, both of my beautiful and energetic boys are sick and very miserable. It started out with Eli having drainage and a runny nose, so I thought allergies we have been down this road before but he had a little fever and we made it through the night. I took him to the doctor yesterday morning where the doctor proceeds to tell me his lymph nodes are swollen, I know that, as I said we go through this every spring and late summer/early fall. He did a strep swab, which came back negative this morning, yeah about that. But my poor guy is just miserable and his allergies really knock him for a loop a couple of times a year. I am tempted to tell Doug lets pack up and move to the desert so my baby doesn't have to suffer. And now it is Nic's turn, as the afternoon progressed he started to have a runny nose and a little cough and temp., so I think he getting Eli's cold. Then bedtime occurs, dad is out of town for the night and here I am with both boys feeling horrible. Eli slept like a champ although his allergy medicine tends to make him talk in his sleep. Nic on the other hand was screaming by 9:30 and again by 10:30, this keeps up all night long every hour to hour and a half. Around 2:00, I considered calling 911 because he just didn't sound like he was breathing right, but I got him calmed down and I had medicine on board rotating Tylenol and Ibuprofen every few hours. Finally at 5:30 he settles down and sleeps until 8:45 this morning. Eli meanwhile climbs in bed with me at 7:40 and his fever breaks and he just goes back to sleep, with me getting around for the day this didn't even bother him. With Nic up, I see how he is doing, he walks to the kitchen and is wheezing the whole way. I call the doctor and set up and appointment which isn't until 11:20, then I go check on Eli again and his is completely drenched. Finally, he comes into the kitchen and barely makes it to the den to lay on the couch and yet another soaking. I call the doctor back and the nurse tells me to bring both of them in right away. I get Eli to eat some donuts on the way, while Nic ate a little cereal and a few bites of waffle at home. The doctor checks Eli out first and believes his fever is gone for today and it might be back tonight, everyone knows the fevers are always the worst at night. But she believes his antibiotic has been in his system almost 24 hours and should be working by now. She isn't to concerned with him, since we've been down this road before. Now Mr. Nic is another story, first she spots an ear infection in his right ear, no wonder he is screaming. Then she hears rattling in his chest, so she sends us down the hall to the lab for blood work and a chest x-ray, because he has already had pneumonia twice in his 22 months. Once when he wasn't even 2 months old and again last winter, she believes it is because I had to have him a little early and he wasn't ready yet, but I had to because of my health and I held out until nine days before my due date(which was my birthday). When the doctor thought about taking him three weeks early we decided it wasn't worth the risk to him, but I suffered, which was worth it, to have him born a lot closer to his due date. Anyway, the CBC test came be okay, but his chest x-ray didn't. He has bronchitis and an early detection of you guessed it, pneumonia, so now after his nap I have to go get his medicine and a nebulizer(not cheap, about $200.00 and not covered on any kind of insurance, ironic isn't, especially with my husband being a pharmacist). The doctor made a point saying with as many people that have asthma, although he does not, that nebulizer's are not covered by private insurance you would think there would be some sort of legislation on that, but unless it fills their pockets with money the politicians really do not seem to care. Hopefully tonight will be better and everyone will get some rest.

News will make you cry

Last night I was watching the News on 6 @ 10, a typical evening of winding down. They start telling of a story about a toddler being crushed by a television which is extremely horrible (http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8912684). I am a visual person so I am picturing this as they are telling the story, then up on the screen pops the EMSA & firefighters working on this poor baby and loading them into the ambulance. I just started to cry because I can't even imagine how the baby's parents must feel. Apparently this happened while two of the older children were wrestling and the t.v. was bumped which fell off a dresser onto the baby. The nine year old lifted the t.v. off the baby and ran and got the parents. These poor children and parents and you could tell the officer explaining what happened was having a hard time. Sorry to share this but I just couldn't get it off my mind all night.

Thinking about entering a 5k

I have been wanting to run a 5k or at least try it since about April. I run on my treadmill, yes I know not the same, but when you live in the country, I tend to get deathly scared of snakes and there is no shortage out here, that is about the extent of my running unless I go up to the high school track. I was going to ask Doug's cousin to run one with me, her boys are almost 3(October) and 17 months, but she can't now because baby number three is on the way and due to arrive late February/early March. I thought about doing Susan G. Komen Race for the cure in September, which could be fun. There is also the Tulsa Run but it is the day before my birthday and I at least want to make it to my 29th b-day (ha ha). But for now I may just stick to my trusty treadmill and start hitting the track, as the weather starts to cool off. All I need to do is strap on my ipod and let the boys run free on the field.

Invitations are ordered for Eli!

It took me a little while but the invitations for his party are ordered, now all I have to do is sit and wait for the proof to be emailed to me so I can approve it. I decided to add a picture from his 1st-3rd birthdays as well as a current one. I can't believe how much he has grown up and changed in 4 years, it doesn't seem like it has been that long ago that he was born. My my how time fly's by. Next, up is Nic's invitations and I will probably do the same thing but I have a couple of weeks before I need to order those, thank goodness.

Elijah's New Friends

All weekend Elijah talked about his new friend and wanting him to come over and play but he couldn't remember his name (this may take a little time with 15 other kids in his class). On our way to school this morning he just couldn't wait, so I take him in while Daddy and Nicolas stay in the car but the little boy isn't there yet and I need to go so they could get started. The three of us head home to finish laundry and Dad can take make car to get the oil changed. Dad gets home and we turn around and leave to go back to preschool, at least I got two loads of laundry washed before we left. After arriving we have to wait for the kids to get back from the playground, it is just too cute watching them follow the teachers one by one, they grow up way too fast. At preschool the parents have the option to get out of their cars to pick up their children or one will load them and buckle them in their car seats, while the other stays in the classroom and the director is getting signatures (with a walkie talkie to let the teacher inside know which child to send out next) from the parents as they are waiting, what a great idea! We proceed over to McDonald's for lunch when in walks a little girl that Eli goes to school with and they smile at each other. We go in the play area and she joins us and I ask Eli what her name is because he keeps saying "come on friend", finally she tells him her name, Mallory, he then says, "lets slide Mallory." They were too adorable together. After we get home he finally tells me his friend's name, Jonah, and says he has a big band aid on his arm and I have to tell him "yeah that sort of right, it's a band aid they call a cast that will help his arm get all better." He is ready for his birthday so that all of his friends can come, this has only been the second day of school, so you know it will be a fun school year.
After Nic wakes up from his nap I hear Eli telling him, "come on Nic, criss-cross applesauce, criss- cross applesauce." I guess a little preschool learning from his brother is good and definitely fun to watch.

Occurances over the weekend

On Friday evening the boys wanted pizza, so I break out everything to make it and of course they want to help. While they are standing there watching and waiting as I put the pizza crust on the pan and spread the sauce, I have to say it was more fun to make with their help. I let them help put the cheese on the sauce, needless to say we ended up with more cheese on certain parts of the pizza than others. Next came the pepperoni and Canadian bacon, my boys love meat. Well that to also had clumps of meat on various parts as well as a smiley face. Next we put even more cheese, shall I say more. They got such a kick out of helping, although quite messy everyone needs to have fun sometime. They especially loved watching their creation bake in the oven. I definitely recommend letting your children help make a pizza every once in a while, they have fun and their creativity really comes out in the process.

Mr. Nicolas

Setting in his favorite spot on the couch.

Mr. Elijah

Loves climbing on the counter to help.

On Saturday, I decide to clean the whole house(a deep cleaning), I do this every two weeks with little mini cleans throughout the week. I proceed to scrub the bath tub in the boys bathroom when I hear a thud, no one is crying but all is quiet. Before starting to clean I shut both gates to each entrance to the kitchen, so that they can play in the living room or in their bedrooms. Doing this keeps them out of the kitchen, laundry room and den. Anyway, I walk down the hall to the living room, Eli is playing with my pizza pan and I see a chair in the kitchen moved to the counter. I proceed into the kitchen and Mr. Nic has climbed up on the counter, about where Eli is sitting in the picture, and is eating the cake that is setting up there, both hands and face covered in chocolate icing (guess he decided he wanted a snack). I look over to the entrance by the dining room and they had both managed to push the gate down(hence the thud) and proceed into the kitchen. These boys will keep you on your toes, just when you think it is okay to get something done they decide they want to do something else.

Everything seems to happen all at once

As I have posted before, I am starting to plan both boys birthday parties, actually the planning is done it is just setting down and ordering everything online. Not to hard right? Except you have to figure in how many children might be coming, so how many goodie bags and items to put in there, also party is a dinner time so how much pizza do I need to order to figure in children and all of the adults. As the boys get older they can invite who they want and we will do whatever activity they might want to do. It could be easier as they get older, but you never know. We have always gone out to eat on all of our birthday's, but for Eli's 2nd birthday we went to Logan's Roadhouse in Owasso(now a tradition), opening night for the restaurant, so it was alot of fun. He has always called it the Yee Haw store because they sing to you on your birthday. So since Nicolas has been born we go 3 times in one month, why you ask, well Eli's birthday is at the end of September, Nic's is the middle of October, and mine the very next week, that's alot of steak, we then wait a few months and Doug's falls at the end of January. You know management loves it when they see us coming.
Doug and I recently volunteered at church to help with raising money for the Mission's team, I guess now that means somehow we are officially part of the team. Not that I complaining, it is just you have to figure I really don't have a babysitter, except for grandparents(they don't exactly live nearby either) and you hate to ask them to watch the boys. We usually wait to see if they want us to bring the boys over and tell us to go out or something comes up that we want to do, which isn't that often. Yes, I know, just ask or find a reliable babysitter, but I get nervous when I leave my boys(regardless who is watching them), I guess it is that mom instinct to protect you children even when you know they are being taken care of. Anyway, back to what I was talking about, I was asked in church yesterday if we were wanting to go on the Mission trip in June, you hate to say no but with the boys being young I hate to leave for a week and on top of that I would be in Tuxpan, Mexico, that is definitely to far away for now. So now I have a meeting in two weeks to help with a fundraiser dinner on September 27th, the day after Elijah's birthday party. I don't mind helping with everything, it just I can't watch the boys and serve dinner at the same time, all the while Doug will be at work. I know it will all work out in the end, the committee will hopefully request the nursery coordinator to work and the boys love staying in there with her on Sundays which is a plus because we will all be in the same building.

A little lonely today

I feel all alone today, although I still have the boys here. Doug left last night for Little Rock and will be doing this every other weekend, I guess I shouldn't complain because he needs and wants to do this. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and be tough about it. Yes, the boys keep me busy but Doug and I don't always get to spend alot of time alone together, that's the way it goes when you have children. We could always go down there with him but it is such a long drive and we have a routine that you really hate to mess up. I could busy myself cleaning the house but I plan on doing that tomorrow, the boys grandparents went to Frisco for the weekend to see Doug's sister and there just isn't much to do this weekend. But he will be home tomorrow night and all day Sunday, which we love relaxing after church, kind of our lazy day around here. I need to start working on both boy's birthday parties and catch up on their baby books, today has turned out to be one of those day's you just don't want to do anything unless you absolutely have to. Maybe I should have went to Starbucks while I was in Owasso this morning and got my Mocha Frappuccino, I would definitely be wired then. I always look and the glass as half full but when you are missing your other half you don't always fill complete. It doesn't make it any better when every time he goes to leave he makes sure I know where all of our important documents are and what to do in case something happens. We have been over the routine a thousand times, you just try to not think about things like that happening. Better perk up my monkeys are wanting to go outside for a while before dinner.