The plague knows no bounds... and it seems to be firmly entrenched in our house. I am now running on chocolate chip cookies and 3 hours of sleep.
Mystery Baby's ears didn't quite clear up, so she is on Round 2 of antibiotics. For all those unfamiliar with Omnicef, let me just say that it's some potent stuff. She now has Chernobyl Orange diapers... and anyone who says that a nursing baby doesn't have stinky poos has never met this child. She is, after all, a Mystery.
Wonder Boy scared us to death. He just couldn't stand for Mystery to get all the germ-killing goodies I guess. He also is now sporting a double ear infection and, not to be outdone, bronchitis. Have you ever taken a two year old for a chest xray? It's not pretty. He's been on Omnicef since Monday, too, but we have yet to experience the biohazard dipes that we are sure will eventually come.
My goals for today seem monumental:
1 - Keep the littles in clean dipes.
2 - Make sure everyone eats.
3 - Time everyone's meds so as not to OD one and unmed the other.
4 - Supervise homework.
5 - Go to bed at 8:30.
6 - Avoid going postal on anyone under the age of 35 in the house.
It's number 6 that has me worried. Then again, I am assured of having plenty to confess come Saturday.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Calgon! Take Me Away!
Wonder Boy has a double ear infection, bronchitis, and a wicked temper. We are grateful that he doesn't have pneumonia... but the chest x-ray was not fun. Our Fearless Leader had to take the entire morning away from work to help me with the littles at the doctor's office. Mystery Baby's double ear infection was almost, but not quite, cleared up. So I have both little people on yet another round of antibiotics and Wonder Boy gets albuterol to boot.
Enough with the sickness already!
Enough with the sickness already!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Mud, the Toddler and You: A Mother's Guide to Cleanliness
Toddlers 101: Initial Pre-Cleansing Prep
If you have a toddler, congratulations. You are aware of the messes they make and that including stock in Kimberly-Clark and other assorted cleaning companies is good for your financial portfolio. I have nothing newsworthy to tell you. If you have never experienced the great outdoors, or indoors, with a toddler, you have much to be thankful for... and much to learn.
When preparing a toddler to play outside, especially after a rainstorm, be sure to have several key items on hand: 2-3 bath towels, 2-3 washcloths, 1 12-oz bottle of baby wash, 2 spare diapers, 1 door mat, 1 bottle laundry detergent with bleach and/or color boosters, 1 mop, 2-3 multipurpose cleaning cloths, 1 bottle cleaning solution, 4 extra hands (those of siblings will suffice), 1 bathtub, 1 can tub cleanser, 1 package baby wipes, 2 sets of pajamas, and a vat of hand sanitizer. This is the bare minimum to have readily available before sending your tot out to play. It is also highly advisable to avoid cooking dinner or anything that must be watched while the toddler is outside - playtime will end all too soon and, as you will discover, it is not a simple matter of opening the back door to allow the youngster in.
Once playtime is complete, do not allow your tot to enter the family dwelling. Place your toddler on the door mat and proceed to strip him down to the diaper. Keep telling him he is an airplane to entice him to keep his hands up in the air as wings, rather than pawing your shirt for balance with muddy hands. This is important. I f you fail to distract the hands, you will need to add a shower, spare adult sized clothes, shampoo, body cleanser, and a hairdryer to your list. The diaper comes into play here. If your toddler discovers the true zen of mud play, he will completely relax. And I do mean completely. And you will remember that mud is 100% dirt+100% water and that diapers are exceptionally absorbant in these modern times. You may need to strip the diaper off, use 20-30 wipes, afix the new diaper and then head up to the bathroom for the daily disinfecting of all your toddler's personal surfaces. Have you remembered to keep the hands busy through all of this?
Toddlers 102: Mission Impossible (Basic Bath Routine)
Indoor plumbing is highly over rated. A garden hose may be required to loosen any large debris from your toddler. (Note: Garden hoses should be used out of doors. If you have already ascended the stairs with your mudpacked tot, do not attempt to back track to the yard. If you do, be sure you have the number to a reputable carpet cleaner on speed dial.) Should you decide to avail yourself of your swelling's indoor plumbing facilities for the purpose of cleaning your toddler, plastic sheeting is recommended, as is a wet suit for you.
Do not bother to adjust the water temperature - this is no day at the Kiddie Spa. Your mission is clear: bathe the toddler with minimal fuss. Whatever you do, do not allow toys in the tub. Toys predispose your toddler to end-of-the-day meltdowns. Just place the toddler in the center of the tub and turn on the water. Do not plug the tub until the water runs clear when poured atop the head. Using the body wash (see above list of required supplies), completely cover your tot in suds. Do not panic if you cannot feel your toddler under the mud - this is normal. Rinse the brown sudded creature in the tub. If the creature still does not quite resemble your toddler, lather and rinse again. You may need to use the entire 12 oz bottle.
When it's time to remove your toddler from the tub, do not announce that bath time is over. Announcements of such magnitude are sure to cause Evening Meltdowns. Promises of watching Finding Nemo will do you no good. Just wisk the toddler out. Use one towel on the toddler by lifting from under the arms and quickly wrapping him as though he were a taquito. It is recommended that you watch nature shows about spiders silking their prey to perfect your technique. Use the second towel for yourself.
Toddlers 103: Cooking Dinner and Too Much Quiet Are Never Good
Pre Requisite: Toddlers 101 & 102
Your fully cleaned toddler is nearing the end of the day, and you are nearing the end of your patience. This is normal. Food will do much to lift your sagging spirits... so will a nice glass of wine. Be cautious at this point and do not be fooled into thinking that your little cherub will tolerate your preparation of a 7 course dinner. Think mac & cheese.
While stirring the butter into the noodles, take note of your living room's ambient sounds: too quiet? Remove the pot from the burner and run, do not walk, to the bathroom. If you should find your toddler swishing Thomas the Tank Engine in the toilet, do not panic. You still have one bath towel ready, a third diaper and a second set of pajamas. Because you are the efficient mother that you are, you know that you have cleaned the toilet sometime this year and that Junior is probably near perfectly disinfected from the blue water. (You also will remember that you haven't scrubbed the redecorated upstairs bathtub yet anyway, so there is no hope for another cleansing.) Deposit the repajamaed Wonder Child into his high chair and placate him with snacks. (Note: you can serve dinner at this point as long as you loudly proclaim it to be a snack.)
Immediately after you discover that your toddler is too full to eat "dinner" (aka, seconds of "snacks"), declare that it is bedtime. Bedtime will be discussed in another Mother's Guide class when an instructor becomes available.
If you have a toddler, congratulations. You are aware of the messes they make and that including stock in Kimberly-Clark and other assorted cleaning companies is good for your financial portfolio. I have nothing newsworthy to tell you. If you have never experienced the great outdoors, or indoors, with a toddler, you have much to be thankful for... and much to learn.
When preparing a toddler to play outside, especially after a rainstorm, be sure to have several key items on hand: 2-3 bath towels, 2-3 washcloths, 1 12-oz bottle of baby wash, 2 spare diapers, 1 door mat, 1 bottle laundry detergent with bleach and/or color boosters, 1 mop, 2-3 multipurpose cleaning cloths, 1 bottle cleaning solution, 4 extra hands (those of siblings will suffice), 1 bathtub, 1 can tub cleanser, 1 package baby wipes, 2 sets of pajamas, and a vat of hand sanitizer. This is the bare minimum to have readily available before sending your tot out to play. It is also highly advisable to avoid cooking dinner or anything that must be watched while the toddler is outside - playtime will end all too soon and, as you will discover, it is not a simple matter of opening the back door to allow the youngster in.
Once playtime is complete, do not allow your tot to enter the family dwelling. Place your toddler on the door mat and proceed to strip him down to the diaper. Keep telling him he is an airplane to entice him to keep his hands up in the air as wings, rather than pawing your shirt for balance with muddy hands. This is important. I f you fail to distract the hands, you will need to add a shower, spare adult sized clothes, shampoo, body cleanser, and a hairdryer to your list. The diaper comes into play here. If your toddler discovers the true zen of mud play, he will completely relax. And I do mean completely. And you will remember that mud is 100% dirt+100% water and that diapers are exceptionally absorbant in these modern times. You may need to strip the diaper off, use 20-30 wipes, afix the new diaper and then head up to the bathroom for the daily disinfecting of all your toddler's personal surfaces. Have you remembered to keep the hands busy through all of this?
Toddlers 102: Mission Impossible (Basic Bath Routine)
Indoor plumbing is highly over rated. A garden hose may be required to loosen any large debris from your toddler. (Note: Garden hoses should be used out of doors. If you have already ascended the stairs with your mudpacked tot, do not attempt to back track to the yard. If you do, be sure you have the number to a reputable carpet cleaner on speed dial.) Should you decide to avail yourself of your swelling's indoor plumbing facilities for the purpose of cleaning your toddler, plastic sheeting is recommended, as is a wet suit for you.
Do not bother to adjust the water temperature - this is no day at the Kiddie Spa. Your mission is clear: bathe the toddler with minimal fuss. Whatever you do, do not allow toys in the tub. Toys predispose your toddler to end-of-the-day meltdowns. Just place the toddler in the center of the tub and turn on the water. Do not plug the tub until the water runs clear when poured atop the head. Using the body wash (see above list of required supplies), completely cover your tot in suds. Do not panic if you cannot feel your toddler under the mud - this is normal. Rinse the brown sudded creature in the tub. If the creature still does not quite resemble your toddler, lather and rinse again. You may need to use the entire 12 oz bottle.
When it's time to remove your toddler from the tub, do not announce that bath time is over. Announcements of such magnitude are sure to cause Evening Meltdowns. Promises of watching Finding Nemo will do you no good. Just wisk the toddler out. Use one towel on the toddler by lifting from under the arms and quickly wrapping him as though he were a taquito. It is recommended that you watch nature shows about spiders silking their prey to perfect your technique. Use the second towel for yourself.
Toddlers 103: Cooking Dinner and Too Much Quiet Are Never Good
Pre Requisite: Toddlers 101 & 102
Your fully cleaned toddler is nearing the end of the day, and you are nearing the end of your patience. This is normal. Food will do much to lift your sagging spirits... so will a nice glass of wine. Be cautious at this point and do not be fooled into thinking that your little cherub will tolerate your preparation of a 7 course dinner. Think mac & cheese.
While stirring the butter into the noodles, take note of your living room's ambient sounds: too quiet? Remove the pot from the burner and run, do not walk, to the bathroom. If you should find your toddler swishing Thomas the Tank Engine in the toilet, do not panic. You still have one bath towel ready, a third diaper and a second set of pajamas. Because you are the efficient mother that you are, you know that you have cleaned the toilet sometime this year and that Junior is probably near perfectly disinfected from the blue water. (You also will remember that you haven't scrubbed the redecorated upstairs bathtub yet anyway, so there is no hope for another cleansing.) Deposit the repajamaed Wonder Child into his high chair and placate him with snacks. (Note: you can serve dinner at this point as long as you loudly proclaim it to be a snack.)
Immediately after you discover that your toddler is too full to eat "dinner" (aka, seconds of "snacks"), declare that it is bedtime. Bedtime will be discussed in another Mother's Guide class when an instructor becomes available.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Wonder Boy's Got Guts
What a loaded title. You could read that in so many ways. But today's post is about his literal guts. Folks who know us know what a time WB has had with GERD.
We went to his pediatric GI yesterday and had a great followup. He had a blood draw to screen for food allergies - what a little trooper. He bawled when he got stuck, but wouldn't you know he insisted on giving the lab tech a big hug and kiss when all was said and done? And he said thank you in his sweet little voice. We get results next week and I am eager to see what they are. Gluten intolerance and/or celiac runs in our family and all of our kids (so far) have had a mile reaction to peanut butter. It's going to be nice to have something more definitive to go by.
Once we get the results, we will probably try to take WB off his wonder drug, Prevacid. I love, love, love this stuff. It has made a world of difference with his reflux. He's been on it for just shy of 2 years. We are hopeful that this time, the symptoms won't come back and he'll have outgrown the reflux.
We went to his pediatric GI yesterday and had a great followup. He had a blood draw to screen for food allergies - what a little trooper. He bawled when he got stuck, but wouldn't you know he insisted on giving the lab tech a big hug and kiss when all was said and done? And he said thank you in his sweet little voice. We get results next week and I am eager to see what they are. Gluten intolerance and/or celiac runs in our family and all of our kids (so far) have had a mile reaction to peanut butter. It's going to be nice to have something more definitive to go by.
Once we get the results, we will probably try to take WB off his wonder drug, Prevacid. I love, love, love this stuff. It has made a world of difference with his reflux. He's been on it for just shy of 2 years. We are hopeful that this time, the symptoms won't come back and he'll have outgrown the reflux.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
My Worst Day at Home Is Still Better Than a Day at Work
I really do think that my worst days at home are better than the days I spent at work. Granted, it's taken a few years to grow into this, but for me it's true. I used to spend my days doing typesetting and graphics work. Now, baby bottoms, unintelligible toddler conversations, kindergarten homework and sixth grade science projects are all in a day's work for me.
At first it was quite difficult for me to be a stay at home mom (SAHM). More accurately, I should say that I am a work at home mom (WAHM) because I have always either designed or kept the books for our business. But the majority of my days are spent running after the kids, delegating housework, changing diapers, remembering two out of four food groups for dinner, and attempting to conquer Mount Washsomemore. I often get lost in the shuffle, but always manage to reassess and come up for air every couple of days.
The tough part about being home is how long the hours are, yet the weeks seem to fly by. I now forget the "to do" lists. Well, I don't forget to make the lists, I just no longer count on actually crossing much off of them. Kids have a funny way of changing a parent's priorities. Sure, it's often thankless... but everyday I get some priceless gem of joy from each of my kids. Today, I spent a good hour on the floor with Mystery Baby, howling with laughter. She has this throaty little voice and coos and ahhs about everything. And sprinkled into the conversation were spontaneous bouts of laughter on her part. It just was an overwhelmingly happy time.
If you are reading this, maybe you can relate. Maybe you're glad you can't. Maybe you wish you could. All I can say is that my kids have changed my life in a way I just can't describe adequately... and God has blessed me immensely. I wish you the same joy, however God bestows it upon you.
At first it was quite difficult for me to be a stay at home mom (SAHM). More accurately, I should say that I am a work at home mom (WAHM) because I have always either designed or kept the books for our business. But the majority of my days are spent running after the kids, delegating housework, changing diapers, remembering two out of four food groups for dinner, and attempting to conquer Mount Washsomemore. I often get lost in the shuffle, but always manage to reassess and come up for air every couple of days.
The tough part about being home is how long the hours are, yet the weeks seem to fly by. I now forget the "to do" lists. Well, I don't forget to make the lists, I just no longer count on actually crossing much off of them. Kids have a funny way of changing a parent's priorities. Sure, it's often thankless... but everyday I get some priceless gem of joy from each of my kids. Today, I spent a good hour on the floor with Mystery Baby, howling with laughter. She has this throaty little voice and coos and ahhs about everything. And sprinkled into the conversation were spontaneous bouts of laughter on her part. It just was an overwhelmingly happy time.
If you are reading this, maybe you can relate. Maybe you're glad you can't. Maybe you wish you could. All I can say is that my kids have changed my life in a way I just can't describe adequately... and God has blessed me immensely. I wish you the same joy, however God bestows it upon you.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
How Did Those Women Do It?
Seriously... how did women 100 years ago manage to keep a home looking good, keep the kids fed, keep everyone in clean clothes, etc.? How??? Surely busy toddlers existed back then? Is that why the infant/small child mortality rate was so high back in the day - because of busy kiddos doing themselves in while mom slaved away?
Wonder Boy is a tornadic ball of energy, destroying most of what lies in his path. It is useless to clean or declutter with him nearby. And then there's the dog. These days she is consistently planting herself about 4" from my feet at all times. At least I am now remembering to look before moving my feet - she's going to be the death of me. But I really do wonder just how I am supposed to get my home in order and keep it decent these days.
Wonder Boy is a tornadic ball of energy, destroying most of what lies in his path. It is useless to clean or declutter with him nearby. And then there's the dog. These days she is consistently planting herself about 4" from my feet at all times. At least I am now remembering to look before moving my feet - she's going to be the death of me. But I really do wonder just how I am supposed to get my home in order and keep it decent these days.
Wonder Boy Meets Poison Control
It all started with the phone. I was on it. Mystery Baby was in her bouncy seat, bouncing away. Wonder Boy was busy in his cupboard (the one with all of the kiddie cups and bowls), and I was chatting while washing dishes. Mystery filled her pants and began to howl in indignation, so I dutifully dried my hands and went to pick her up. No sooner had I unbuckled her and Wonder Boy was suddenly shrieking in an unusual fashion.. I put the baby on the floor, ran into the kitchen and hung up on my friend - there stood Wonder Boy, with a Cascade dish packet in his hand and soap in his mouth.
After a thorough rinsing, a sippie cup of milk and a call to Poison Control, I am happy to say all was well. So lasting damage, not even a rash. You'd think by the fourth kid I would not have to call Poison Control... but no. I have their number on a giant yellow magnet on my freezer. Kid #2 taught me to keep that number handy... so I guess Wonder Boy comes by it honestly.
Yes, the soap is up high in the pantry now.
After a thorough rinsing, a sippie cup of milk and a call to Poison Control, I am happy to say all was well. So lasting damage, not even a rash. You'd think by the fourth kid I would not have to call Poison Control... but no. I have their number on a giant yellow magnet on my freezer. Kid #2 taught me to keep that number handy... so I guess Wonder Boy comes by it honestly.
Yes, the soap is up high in the pantry now.
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