Weekend in a Nutshell

Here We Go Again

A few days ago, Nicholas started having some really bad allergy symptoms that have become all too familiar for us.  It always starts out the same - sneezing, runny nose, congestion.  After a few days of that, it starts to move down south into his little lungs and sets up camp there.  By Wednesday night, he was starting to cry after each cough and kept telling us that how badly it hurt.  I woke up around 3:00 am and found that Greg hadn't made it to bed yet, which meant one thing.  Nicholas was having a rough night.  Things weren't much better the next morning and Greg and I both worried that his allergies were going to set off a full fledged asthma attack just like the ones in October and May.  By the time I got off work that afternoon, he was working really hard to breath and was wheezing quite a bit.  I tried to keep him calm but that's really hard to pull off when you have a three year old who's terrified because he can't catch his breath.  He was really exhausted and was trying hard to fall asleep, but it was only getting worse.  I was going back and forth in my head, just like you always do, trying to decide if I should call the doctor or not.  Is it really serious?  Is it as bad as I think it is in my head or am I just being a paranoid mommy?   Will it pass on it's own?  But, my dilemma came to a halt when I counted him take 87 breaths in one minute, and that was resting.  I jumped up and called his doctor's office.  At this point, I'm still maintaining my composure but when I told them his symptoms, they asked how far away we were (less than a mile) and quickly but firmly told me I needed to bring him straight there.  So, I scooped him up and booked it to their office.  (I think the urgency was a little overstated on their part because we sat in the waiting room a good 5 minutes before they came to get him.)  Daddy and Grammy met us there and as we sat waiting, any doubt I had about the seriousness of the situation faded away.  He was just awful.  He was beyond restless, he was crying, he was struggling to breathe, he was grunting as he tried to swallow up as much air as he could.  Imagine a three year old crying out for the doctor to come get him and help him. That was my boy at that moment and it broke my heart.  Once we got to the exam room, they checked his pulse/ox which was registering at 85.  That was bad.  So, they brought in the nebulizer and immediately got the medicine going.  After the first breathing treatment was over, the doctor came in to check him and let us know that he needed another breathing treatment because he was having such a severe attack.  So, they administered the second one and had us wait 20 minutes to see how he reacted.  After that, his pulse/ox came up to 94 which was better but by no means great.  The doctor just wasn't comfortable sending him home like that so he decided to give him a big 'ol steroid shot to top him off.  Nicholas had tolerated the entire event like a champ and took to the nebulizer in no time.  Once he realized he looked live a diver or an astronaut. he was more than happy to wear the mask on his face and let the medicine do it's thing.  So, here we are now.  We've all recovered a bit but Nicholas has more work to do to get back to normal. I'm sure he feels like he ran a marathon yesterday and has been really tired and just started eating again tonight.  The doctor upped his preventative care from a daily dose of Singulair to a twice daily nebulizer treatment of an inhaled steroid.  He also has liquid Albuterol at home for acute attacks like yesterday and an oral steroid to take the next few days to clear up his lungs and reduce the inflammation.  We're a little concerned about him taking such strong medications on a permanent basis but we realize if it's necessary, we have no choice.  The nebulizer they gave us at the doctor's office is shaped like a puppy dog and Nicholas just loves him.  He popped out of bed first thing this morning and said he wanted to give him a kiss, which he did.  Each time we go through this, we're getting better at recognizing the signs and knowing what to do.  I feel so much comfort knowing I can treat him at home now if I need to, which takes out so much of the worry and uncertainty.  So, we've survived this and we're moving on to making him well and ensuring this doesn't happen again.  I pray he doesn't have to deal with this for the rest of his life.  Watching him in such misery like that is almost more than a parent can stand. 

I also had some pictures of us playing in the backyard the other

day that I wanted to share.  He's just so cute in his police gear! 

 This one is classic.  Totally staged it himself.  He says, "Mama!  Take a picture of me like this,

like I'm shot!"  Absolutely gruesome but just goes to show that his imagination's in full swing.

 Here's to a brighter day tomorrow and every day thereafter.  Blue skies ahead, baby.

Mad Skillz

Daddy's Birthday, Aunt Julie, and a Mini Vacation

I'm going to wrap a couple of posts into one here for the sake of simplicity.  I'll try to keep it brief.

1. Happy Birthday, Daddy!  Friday was Daddy's day, even though Nicholas wasn't all that thrilled about it.  He was a little jealous that it wasn't his birthday and couldn't understand why we couldn't make it so.  Every time we mentioned it, he gave us a growl of disapproval even after Greg offered to share the day with him.  But by the time we got around to the cake and candles that night, he had softened up and happily assisted with blowing out the candles.  Ah, the world of a three year old.

2.  It was another stinkin' hot weekend but we kept cool with hours and hours of swimming at the lake. We  even got to spend a few more days than usual and I am forever spoiled now.  A normal weekend will never, ever be long enough again.  Not by a long shot.  The big boat, as Nicholas calls it, has turned out to be quite the party boat this summer.  We load up every morning with drinks, snacks, and gobs of sunscreen and cruise out to a good swimming spot.  I wish you could see Papa and Nicholas standing on the back of the boat dancing to the tunes blaring on the radio.  They're quite the entertainers, let me tell you!

3.  As if all of this wasn't fun enough on it's own, we quadrupled it by dragging Aunt Julie along with us on our little mini vacation.  Big thanks to Mimi for importing her there from Missouri!  There just aren't words to describe how much Nicholas loves his Aunt Julie.  He can't ever get enough of playing with her and even though I'm sure she's totally exhausted by his persistence and unwavering energy, you'd never know it for a second.  Not even one complaint out of this woman, from the moment he flung her bedroom door open every morning demanding they play "Space" (two chairs turned over to simulate a rocket ship blast off, making moon footprints a la Neil Armstrong, and chasing down and shooting aliens only to turn around and carry them to the space hospital to save them) all the way to tucking his sleepy head into bed at night with a story and a kiss.  And that's just one reason I love her so much - she loves my boy with her whole heart.  I can say that I enjoyed every single second of having her there with us.  I wish it had never ended.

On a side note, anyone who can identify for me just exactly what a "Pookrit" is will be handsomely rewarded.  Nicholas uses this term constantly but becomes very evasive when we ask what it is.  He either gives us a different answer each time or just flashes us a very devilish smile.  Is my child cursing at me and I don't know it??!! 

Proof positive that saying "It feels like 134 degrees outside!" isn't just a dramatic exaggeration! ☺

Birthday candles - round 2.  Because once is never enough.

Train robber! We laughed so much over this because he kept yelling "Give me my money back!" 

Playing Space with Daddy while using a bowl and a bucket to provide them with oxygen.  I am

amazed at  how much Nicholas uses his imagination now.  Over the last few months, he has really

gotten into play acting and can sit and entertain himself for long periods.  It's so fun to sit back and

watch all the hilarious things he comes up with!

Backing the boat in the water.  This game is an all time favorite.

I love this picture so much because it's almost the exact same shot we took last year when

Julie first visited the lake with us.  I hope there will be many more just like it!



Show Me Your Pearly Whites!

Today was Nicholas' first visit to the dentist.  When I made the appointment a few weeks ago they warned me that a lot of kids are a little scared or intimidated the first time so to be prepared that it might just be an introduction without any actual cleaning.  So, we went into it not expecting a whole lot but Nicholas was prepared and ready to get it done!  He loved getting to sit in the chair and see all the cool little tools the hygienist was going to use on his teeth.  She let him squirt the water and he especially loved the suction tube.  He patiently laid there while she polished and flossed his teeth and followed all of her directions so well.  I was amazed at how well he tolerated it all!  He even got to wear some cool sunglasses to keep the bright spotlight out of his eyes.  Unfortunately, he didn't get his x-rays taken this time around.  He was trying really hard to understand what he was supposed to do but it just didn't quite sink in.  But, there's always next time.  After the cleaning was over, the dentist came in to meet him and check for cavities.  After he got the all clear, he got to have his picture taken as a member of the no-cavity club.  He also got to practice his brushing skills on the stuffed snake and then got to pick a prize out of the treasure chest.  He handled the whole visit like he'd done it a hundred times and it was clearly no sweat off his back.  I was so happy that he had such a fun time visiting the dentist.