Getting Ear Tubes

Last Friday, Luke got tubes placed in his ears.  I was so glad he was able to have it done.  We have had 3 ear infections (4 if you count that the 3rd infection lasted a month!) each month since October.  That's an infection on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & mid-January (even during his ear-tube surgery!).  We've tried all kinds of treatments to get the ear infections to go away & stay away, but they never would.  Lots of antibiotics and one set of tubes later, we have hopefully had our last infection.  I felt so bad that Luke was constantly having to take meds & just wasn't his happy self on some days.  Some days he would just cry.  That was upsetting.

The surgery was last Friday, scheduled for 8 am.  We arrived at 6:45 am in our Sponge Bob pj's to the registration desk.  Luke hadn't had anything to eat since midnight (that in and of itself was traumatic!), but he did really good.  We got vitals & just hung out in the hour and fifteen minutes until surgery.  It was fun entertaining a very hungry child, let me just say ...

There was another young baby girl who was also in for ear tubes, but she was older than Luke, so Luke got to go first (I think due to fasting).  While in the waiting room, Luke & the little baby would peek at each other from below the privacy curtain ... it was so cute!  Luke would get down on his belly & stick his rump in the air & just smile at her.  She would giggle back.  Just adorable!  <3

We didn't go back to the OR with him.  A nurse took him back.  He didn't scream or cry when she took him back (odd, due to his "only mommy can touch me" phase he's been in for a few months now).  About 10 minutes later, we could hear him crying ... he was all done!  The nurses had told us before hand that babies don't take well to anesthesia wearing off.  Babies are usually unfamiliar with why they feel so "weird" that they cry and cry and cry.  And Luke did just that.  He was inconsolable for about 30-40 minutes.  It was frustrating & a little emotional to say the least.  For being the mom who can console Luke just by holding him, this time I couldn't do that.  Even with holding him & whispering to him & kissing him, I couldn't make it better.  Even a bottle wouldn't stop his cries.  He just didn't know what to do.  He would drink his bottle, then pull off & cry.  Then start drinking again, then pull off and cry.  The nurse who was monitoring him, I have to give credit to.  She must have seen how frustrated I was, as she kept reassuring me that this is normal ... he will be okay ... just do what you can.  I honestly can't imagine what mothers of children who endure major surgery feel like.  This was tough.

We left the outpatient surgical hospital by 10 am & went home.  Luke slept for about 4 hours, then was up about 2 pm.  He drank a bottle & was back to his rowdy self ... he smiled, posed for pictures & videos & then proceeded to climb all over the couch screeching & grinning.  I was so very glad to see him perk back up so quickly!

(Watching Dora on TV)

Now, a week later, we are back to being sick.  This time, not from ear infections (I hope), but from a virus from some of the day care kids (oh, the joy!).  It starts with a cough (which he presented on Thursday & for sure right after daycare on Friday) and then moves into a runny nose (all day today!) and a fever (we were up to 102.9 as of 1:30 am).  I like daycare for the sociability, but NOT for the communicable diseases that are spread like wildfire to all the kids!  I think everyone who has been at daycare has had this wonderful disease.  Ugh. Currently, Luke is down to 100.2 degrees, so hopefully the fever is going away, and the runny nose is too! 

In other news ... I believe I have finally finished Luke's room!  Yes ... only 9 months after Luke came home, I have put most of the finishing touches on his room (walls, mainly).  I will take some pictures & post them.  I realize I have yet to do this for my living room, which I painted a few months ago.  It is never "clean enough."  LOL

Cycle Symptoms

I'm writing a post for my youngest sister who is 22.  She has short 1-2 day or 2-3 day periods, a hard abdomen & painful cramps each month.  I know Endo may be a culprit due to her painful periods (and our family history), but I'm not sure what would cause the short periods or the hard abdomen.

My mom wants her to use homeopathy & have my sister see a homeopathic doctor to treat / prevent the Endo & growth, which may work.  But after my experience in high school with painful periods ... being asked a zillion questions ... trying a bunch of remedies that didn't work ... & getting frustrated with it all.  I ended up taking ibuprofin to give me relief from all the pain, as well as recommending my sister take it for pain relief.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a doctor in Central Nebraska that would be a NaPro doctor?  I have looked at the following website:  http://www.fertilitycare.org/nebraska-medical-consultants/ .  I know that Dr. Skoch is retired, but it also listed a Dr. James Craig in Red Cloud.  There are other doctors practicing in Lincoln & Omaha, but Central NE is where my sister is located.

My sister doesn't have the resources to go to PPVI right away, so I recommended that she start with a NaPro trained doctor first.  She would need to chart first anyway to keep a record of her cycle patterns.  My sister is seeing a general practitioner doctor right now, who is no help.  Even though they have done blood & hormone tests, they all come back "normal."  We all know what normal means.  (eyeroll)

If you have any ideas, input or suggestions, it would be great!

A Squirmy Little Worm

Luke turned 9 months old yesterday.  He is getting to be quite the active, energetic, willful little boy.  I've noticed his little personality grow at home, but in the last week or two, I've noticed it A LOT at Mass!

Luke wants to crawl around, which isn't good in a confined space, as I'm sure he would crawl up the aisle or under the pews.  During Mass, he will squirm, writhe, babble, try and stand in my arms, jump back & forth from me to the hubby ... you name it.  We've recently brought Cheerios to Mass and he will behave if we keep him chewing (or gummin', as he has b.a.r.e.l.y one tooth).  He is at the stage now where he only wants Mommy or will cry or get upset, so Mommy holds him during Mass, errands, home, playtime, etc.  It makes it a little hard to get him to have fun with Daddy, Grandparents or Aunts & Uncles if Mommy is in the room.  But in reality, I do love his "all-things-Mom" attitude.  I have waited so long for that!

When I was little, there was a Cry Room at our parish.  Lots of people used it, but our family didn't come to Mass to head to the Cry Room.  We got a "look" from dad & straightened up pretty quick.  I am sure there were times when we headed to the back of the church or the Cry Room, but it wasn't often enough that I remember them.  Most days, it seems that some families just head to the Cry Room when they come to Mass, instead of try to sit in the pews and then if their kids are being disruptive, they head to the Cry Room.  It is not a bad thing to head to the Cry Room, I just want to try and avoid doing so as a weekly routine. 

The last Mass on New Years Day, he was pretty onery.  We had one lady stop by after Mass & say that she liked seeing us in the Church instead of the Cry Room or leaving Luke at home.  And she liked to hear him babble (which is really good ... it is hard to get him to stop sometimes).  It wasn't a complaint about Luke, but I feel pretty ragged once Mass is over ... like I've just completed a marathon of Luke-wrangling.  I do offer it up for those who would give anything to have a little one ... that is NEVER lost on me.  I just want to have some better ideas or behavior modifications to start so that we can sit in the pews with everyone else & have a well-behaved baby most of the time.

What are some ways to get a 9 month old to behave in Mass?

 My angelic little Cherub is watching out the window for ... Santa Claus!  :-D  Just kidding.  I think he was watching the flags blow in the wind.  It really mesmerized him!

 Flipping a basket on his head makes him ... "Davy Crockett"  

Plus, I just like putting things on his head.  He seems to love it too!!!

Goofing off with Mom on New Years Eve.  No Daycare + Mom = a Great Way to end 2012!

(P.S.  The blanket just got pulled off of his head ... now how do you think it got there?  hehe)