The Year That Needs to Die

So I have been away from blogging for a while. There have been several factors involved in my separation... many of which involve personal introspection that even journaling would not help with. But I must admit that I feel guilty that these last couple of years are completely now outside the scope of this blog and therefore they will be non-years in effect when I read back over my writing or when my children read back over it. The reason I've never felt that I'd abandon blogging forever, in truth, is my children.

This has been reinforced as I now troll through my mother's things and find lots and lots of junk with little tiny treasures sprinkled in. There is a picture of my grandmother while she was on vacation at a place that inspired one of the Disney resorts I have patronized. There is the furniture that my father made for my mother to display her shadowboxes in. And there is the typed up collection of letters that my grandmother sent to my grandfather daily when he was away during World War II and she was home with my mother and her infant brother. These remind me how important it will be for my children to have my writing in order to get to know me better and to learn more about themselves as well.

Most of the time I've been away from blogging has been simply due to writer's block brought on by several different factors. During that time, I was reexamining my life and my priorities. I still haven't quite got it figured out, but a path seems to be emerging for me to take.

But since November of 2009, when we took our 10th anniversary vacation, life has simply been too extreme to really keep up with it in writing. We had a one month battle with lice that we seem to have picked up on the cruise. That was followed by Christmas, which was then closely followed by my mother's diagnosis with cancer. She died a month later and I feel very fortunate that my job allowed me to spend so much time with her. Not just my job, really, but my immediate family too. Chris was exactly the support I needed through that time, and I had some very good friends who also propped me up and carried me through it.

One month after my mother's death, one of the members of my staff died suddenly of a stroke. One cannot really appreciate the loss this coworker's death brought to me and the people I work with. She was an extraordinary human being, and I don't say that lightly.

On the heels of that, Chris was furloughed indefinitely, slashing our income by more than half, just as we happened to begin receiving inheritance from my mother. To say that the timing was extremely important devalues how lucky we really are. As Chris looked for work, I learned that the libraries were restructuring. This restructure resulted in an intense interview process in which I was successful and earned a promotion of sorts. This promotion moved me to a new library, but one I am very happy to be a part of. Soon after I learned I got the job, Chris also got a job, and we began to look for a house. The market is good for buying and we figured we would see what was out there.

In July, we found a house in distress and made an offer. We had knowledge of a mold problem in the home, which is not unusual in foreclosures, so we made an offer that was contigent on the mold being remediated. Two months later (one month after the original close date) we have just learned that the mold is absolutely remediated and on top of that, we got a beautiful new bathroom out of the deal. The bank has been very generous in fixing this house to make it safe for my family and we are so grateful to be moving into a beautiful home within two miles of my work and significantly closer to Chris' job as well.

Over the summer, we also battled lice again and this time, the fight was drawn out because of policies at our day care that I was unaware of. Suffice it to say, the lice are gone and I don't expect them to be back. But we are checking regularly now. Not taking any chances.

We should be moving by mid-October, although the process will begin almost as soon as we close on the house. We then need to sell this house and although we have a buffer in place, I am very nervous about selling in this market.

Still, that said, I am giving myself until the end of the year to expect the stress level to be high, and then 2010 needs to go away and never be heard from again. I have no idea if anyone is even really reading blogs anymore with Facebook and so many other venues available to them, but for me, I hope to really return to saving our lives in writing for my children. I now know how much they will value it.

It's The Little Things

As I have been sitting by mom's hospital bed these last two weeks, I've been frustrated that while she is still living and breathing and here with me, the morphine has either had her knocked out or unable to work her mouth well enough to speak. My mother is a talker. And a listener. And she's funny. And she's smart.

And I miss that.

Or rather, I missed it. Today, out of the blue, she woke up from a good night's sleep and started talking. Really talking. Full sentences. The works. Of course, I wasn't here... it was my sister's night to be with her and I was at work. But they called me and Linda put Mom on the speaker phone.

I cannot describe the joy I felt in hearing her voice again. Really hearing it. I was truly afraid that I wouldn't get to have another real conversation with her. And although her facial expressions are very communicative, it's not the same.

She's asleep now. She had a really big day and has managed to stay off the PRN morphine all day. A very low dose of extended release morphine has kept her pain under control and her mind sharp. We are hoping it is a positive sign of what is to come.

But tomorrow, once she is rested again, I sincerely hope she talks my ear off. I cannot wait.

Body Language

For the last few weeks, I've been having some pretty alarming symptoms. Alarming to me, anyway. And what's more alarming, they seem to just be worse versions of symptoms I've had two other times in the last six months. Nausea, bloating, cramping, and extreme fatigue.

Sound familiar? Women in the house who have never had children will say... sounds like your monthly friend. Women who HAVE had children will say... sounds like you are pregnant.

It's neither.

So I went to the doctor. They drew blood to see if it's anemia or a thyroid problem. They do also think the lady bits are just showing some signs of age, but the thyroid is a very likely culprit. I had blood drawn today. Should know something in a week or so.

Meanwhile, my body is really, really off. My training for the 5K has taken a sudden nosedive. I'm still running, but I can't run the workout I had been running successfully two weeks ago. My intestines are in knots and tonight, I can't sleep. It's either pass out tired or no sleep at all. No middle ground.

And all I can do is wait now to find out what the deal is. Ugh.

I Got the Fever

100.3 to be exact. I started feeling like crap at the end of the day yesterday, and by about 5am this morning, every time I swallowed it felt like a knife was jabbing me in the ear. Lovely. Then the chills started.

I laid out of work today, barely moving and shivering almost constantly. Chris went and got me some lozenges and he is making dinner downstairs now. I haven't eaten since this morning and I am ravenous. I'm also expecting that the hot food will sooth my throat. I'm off tomorrow anyway because I work Saturday, so that's a small blessing... except I have a million errands to run tomorrow. bleh. Hopefully the fever will break tonight and I'll feel better tomorrow.

Eye Eye Cap'n

Chris got the eye gout last week. It wasn't pink eye, exactly, but it behaved like pink eye... except for the pink part. Runny, swollen... almost looked like he'd... um... walked into a door. You know. Really hard. One of those doors with five fingers tightly crunched up in a ball-like shape.

And two of his co-workers had it as well. At almost exactly the same time. I said "Don't touch me, you infested-with-gout icky boy." But, you know... I didn't resort to sleeping on the couch or anything.

He's all better now... but since yesterday, my eye has been twitching. This morning, driving to work, I swear it started to swell shut. As I left my library to go to another library to cover their staff meeting, I felt it again... swelling.

So I did what any card-carrying real woman does. I called my husband to bitch at him.

His response?

"It was allergies, hun."

uh huh... well... then your allergies are catching, my man.

ALTHOUGH, it does always seem to get worse when I go outside. Stupid pollen. Stupid eye gout. Stupid twitchy eye.

Oh, Yeah. We're Having Fun Now.

So the nebulizer got an extended engagement through Sunday night. We were a little concerned that it still wouldn't be enough, but he was off it all day yesterday and today, and he seems okay. I returned the evil machine this morning and I'm damn glad to be rid of it. I really hope it was nothing. The doctor gave us some antibiotics on Marcus' follow up appointment last Thursday for a possible sinus infection and he loves to take that medicine.

While he's on the mend, we had some horrible times with Athena over the past week. Daycare called me late Thursday morning and suggested I get her to a doctor. She was basically in the bathroom non-stop, screaming her head off, yet had still managed to have four accidents. Long story short, she was constipated... in a major way. On Miralax since then, she is no longer backed up, but it took three full days for that to happen. Fortunately, her misery seemed to lessen after 24 hours... and now it's completely gone. She is once again our happy, tempestuous, giggly, goofy little girl. Actually, she even seems to have an improvement. Two days accident-free now. And there shall be much rejoicing... yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Speaking of Monty Python, we are going to see Spamalot! on Friday. Chris and I are going, that is. Grandma is watching the wee ones. I'm in the process of choosing a nice restaurant downtown for us to enjoy a little grown-up time. Raleigh's downtown is rejuvinating, but the area down near the theater still has a way to go. Most of the best restaurants are on the other side of downtown, and a bit far to stroll. I'll let you know where we end up. (And suggestions from folks in the area are welcome).

Stop the Madness!

Well, normally when I am away for a week or so, it's because I'm busy, or apathetic, or generally out of touch. Alas, this time, it is because I found the modern-day equivalent of opium... Facebook.

Now that I seem to be fully ensconced in that arena, I can return to life as normal, assuming normal means only checking Facebook every twenty minutes rather than every minute of every day. At least the addiction didn't last quite as long as my Sims Online addiction, which actually verged on rehab-worthy. I'm pleased to say that I have over 40 friends and feel pretty good about that number. I even found some old skool friends from way back in the day. Made me feel pretty old, actually.

Anyhoo... I'm laying out of work today with Chester McWheezy. I took him to the doctor thinking they'd tell me I was a good mom for worrying about him so, but really... it's just a cold... he'll be fine.

Instead, what I got was my favorite doctor in the practice studying him with a VERY concerned expression, listening to his labored breaths, and finally announcing that he feels we need to try Albuterol. Not that he's asthmatic, necessarily (it's too early to know that for sure), but we really need to get him, you know, breathing again.

They did this even though his blood oxygen level was still at around 98 percent, so I was a bit puzzled. Marcus trooped through it, a little bothered by the mask, but adjusting quickly and sitting still for the whole thing. He's breathing better, napping now, and the doctor wants to see him again in two days to see if the albuterol is still working and whether or not he may need something more long term. He sent me home with a loaner nebulizer and the medicine required. Bleh.

Regardless, they said I could take him back to daycare tomorrow, as he really does only seem to have a cold at this point, and that is probably (not definitely) what is causing his chest to tighten. So fortunately, I'm not missing tons of work. I am actually going in for my evening shift tonight, so I'm only out four sick hours for today. I got the bills paid as well, which is always a joy.

Come visit me on Facebook and friend me. I promise to only send you a few pieces of flair and I'll probably turn you into a vampire, but other than that, I'll leave you alone. Maybe.

Leaving On a Jet Plane

I'm off to the frozen north tomorrow. Minneapolis. Cold. Speaking of which, I have one. A cold that is. It kicked it around Friday night, and despite my best efforts to hold it off, it has managed to creep down from my sinuses (where it is still happily dwelling) into my throat. Sort of a Manifest Destiny situation. This would be fine except... well, did I mention I'm getting on a plane tomorrow? I did. Yes, well... it bears repeating...

I'm getting on a plane WITH a freaking head cold. (I have the cold, mind you... not the plane... which would be just silly, right? Although planes do have noses...)

Hmmmm... how many Benadryl did I take?

From The Answering Machine of...

Please note that the following message is based on an actual call. Some items have been embellished or paraphrased to offer the gentle reader some context and to enhance the humor, but all-in-all, it was a pretty damn funny message on its own.

Sunday, March 9, 5:30pm
Hi, uh... Elizabeth. This is Kathryn. First, thanks for having us over on Friday evening. As always, we had a great time, and it was fun to laugh over Megan's imaginary illness. Bummer that kept us from seeing The Other Boleyn Girl together, but what can you do?
So, um... about that imaginary illness... you know... those dots that daycare thought was a rash but the doctor said were just dots? Well, as it turns out, Megan does have Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. It's pretty contagious. So, uh... sorry. *click*

A Family Tradition

On my side of the family, we normally only go to the hospital when we are on vacation. Linda had her appendix out on Christmas day when she was 11. I had the worst UTI in my life while in Canada on tour with my theater group (socialized medicine is awesome) and Linda's husband spent a great deal of time in Moroccan hospitals when they took a long adventure holiday there.

So now Athena joins the fold. If you want all the details in a minute-by-minute account, you can read his blog (if you have the password). But the long and the short of it is this:

Took Athena to the hospital today (day after Thanksgiving) in Santa Rosa, California because of a fever and frequent vomiting. Expected them to give her some pain medicine for her headache, replenish her fluids, and provide an antibiotic for general purposes.

We did get all of the above eventually, but we also had blood drawn, a cat scan, and finally a spinal tap. We were there all day. This is not exactly how I planned our stay in Sonoma.

However, this experience was actually very good overall. Athena got to rest without being pestered by her brother. We discovered some of the best customer service I've ever seen in a hospital setting. And I was reminded of just how beautiful, smart, and wonderful my daughter is. She handled the whole ordeal amazingly well... and I'm not the only one saying that. The staff commented on it as well. She was so charming that the person who was charged with drawing her blood couldn't do it... she stalled until the IV person arrived and had her do it.

Do I want to live this day again? Nope. But Athena is on her way to getting better, she already feels MUCH perkier, and I got to spend a whole day with my sister. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Still Sick

When I went to Urgent Care yesterday, it was the first step in admitting I had a problem. What had simply been inconvenient was now painful, and I began to worry about the state of my gall bladder. My mother had stones removed at age 38, and although I'm not there yet, I couldn't help but worry.

They gave me something for the pain and something else for nausea. When I discovered that I would really have to do the drug route in order to become functional again, I decided to not go in to work today. I hate taking sick time, but I do it when absolutely necessary. I "worked" all through last week while sick, and although I did accomplish a little, I decided that although my task list is long, if I can get better, I could do much more in much less time and under much more comfortable circumstances.

So, I'm sleeping, reading, and folding laundry. I'm about to go attempt to eat. Tonight is the start of Athena's third round of swim lessons and Chris is in Fayetteville for training all this week. He's coming home each night, but it's a solid hour of a commute, so I'll be doing the kid duty tonight.

Only fair, since I've been of no use to him or the kids for the last seven days...

On Illness

We are just completing medication for the third bout of pink eye this summer. Marcus has it this time. I think each of us has had it twice now... in basically three circuits.

And then there's the stomach issues that plagued most of us last night, and it plagued me well into today. And it's back tonight, just when I thought it was gone.

And we're opening a library on Saturday.

Just shoot me.

Here We Go Again!

Most of the bags are packed. Only toiletries and snacks remain (plus a few miscellaneous items of clothing for the kids). Marcus has developed a nasty cough, so I will try to get him a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning. Our flight leaves at 12:15. I am hoping that I don't have to ask Grandma to keep him at home here at the last minute. Part of the trip I'm most looking forward to is tomorrow at EPCOT... just him and me. And of course he'll be getting his first haircut this week too.

If it's only a cough, I'll Benadryl him up, then be sure he gets to bed early tomorrow night. We aren't planning to push the kids too terribly hard on this trip anyway, so hopefully he can push through it. He's a tough guy.

Of course, last time we went to Disney, he ended up in the hospital. Hmmmmmmmm...

Regardless, we'll be out of touch for a few days, since Disney charges $10 per day for internet connection. (Anything for a buck). However, hopefully you will be rewarded for your wait with several little movies... one for each day in the parks. We'll see how it turns out.

Conjunctivitus 4 - Carans 0

As of this morning, we all have The Evil Eye of Pink. Chris was the last to get it. We're hoping we didn't spread it to the Austins this weekend. Lesson Learned: I am stubborn as hell. Okay, well, I knew that... but anyway.

Marcus must have had it last week. I thought it was just an especially bad cold... and I won't go into explaining WHY I thought that... as it involves colors of various body fluids, and you may be eating your breakfast while you read this.

Anyway, we DID start giving him the drops on Friday, just to ensure that if he DID have it (and I didn't think he did), he wouldn't spread it to Elise. However, he must have had it at some point though, because Athena and I woke up with it yesterday, and Chris got it this morning.

Fortunately, we can all use the same medicine... although we need two bottles for the four of us. And since it's new (that is... not generic yet), it's a mere $50 a bottle after insurance. !!! Marcus' pediatrician was nice enough to give me a $40 rebate coupon for one of them, which I am preparing to send off as I type this. (I'm just that good).

The cute side of this... Athena came to work with me for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. She had a glorious time spinning on a chair in the conference room and getting "fizzy." (Dizzy). She also found a stash of stickers I had and decorated herself, me, and various items in the office. And she also ate a half a bag of Skittles (my attempt to ensure she remain quiet and well-behaved).

She actually did REALLY well all day. No one was more surprised than me. Four weeks ago, she was really tempermental, moody, and drastically unpredictable. But about a week ago, she turned into a docile-ish, polite, reasonable-er young lady. It's really wonderful. It gives me hope that Disney Part II will go MUCH better than Part I did.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

I haven't posted in a while because honestly, I'm not sure where to start. Once you fall out of the practice, it's hard to pick a new starting point. So... I sum up:

Work: My library is currently closed. We are renovating (carpet and paint, plus a few extra items for effect... commonly referred to as "bling"). This means several things...

1. I am a nomad. I do have a temporary office in our administration building, which is on Poole Road... all the way across town for you non-Raleigh-ites. It's a long drive. Plus I'm sharing an office that wasn't intended to be shared, and therefore I am on the wrong side of the desk. This means that unless I want bruised on my knee caps, I have to sit like a gutter whore, with my legs basically straddling my chair. Very professional.
2. I am doing a lot of planning. This would normally be great, but unfortunately, the planning is preventing me from doing a lot of ... well ... doing.
3. I am the schedule goddess. I volunteered (for reasons too numerous to recount here) to do the master schedule for our staff while we are closed. I have assigned them to other branches in order to help cover and also to take some time to plan, etc. 24 people total. Covering at least ten branches. This has the potential for major disaster. Fortunately, it actually has gone quite well, and I believe the staff actually believes I am good at something, which is enough for me! But it is a big headache, as things shift and people get sick and people forget where they are supposed to be... etc. However, I'm not complaining... it could be a lot worse. We could be closed for a year. That would suck.
4. I get to do things I don't normally get to do. For instance, today I spent a great deal linking Russian and Chinese books into our catalog. It was really kind of fun. Of course, I speak nary a word of either language, but it was fun to look at the cover and try to guess the call number before peeking inside to see if I got it right. (And to think, I only got 20% on that Nerd test.)

Athena: She's big. She's bad. She's talking in complete sentences and is saying the best stuff. If you tell her she is beautiful, she blushes and says "Thank yeeeeeuw." And when she saw the crabs that Brian caught at the beach this weekend, she told me all about the "bad crabs." In fact, I was surprised that she was in no way disturbed by the fact that the crabs were clicking and snapping at her one minute, and were boiling in a pot of water the next. "We're going to EAT the mean crabs, Mommy!" Just between you and me... she scares me a little.

Marcus: He's sick. It's breaking my heart. I just want him to get better. He's so happy and fun. He is walking now, but only just. Kathryn described his gait thusly, "He walks like he's been riding a horse all day." Sadly, she speaks the truth. But it's totally cute.

Sister: She's in town. My cosmopolitan sister, an executive for a large international PR firm, is here all week to hang with the neice and nephew. Well, almost all week... she got called away to Chicago tonight, and won't be back until tomorrow after dinner. But I'll take what I can get. San Fran is a long way away, and we are lucky to see her once a year. I miss her terribly. This year, we will get to see her twice, though... as we are planning to go to the Sonoma Valley for Thanksgiving (her SF apartment is WAY too small for our little clan). I'm going to get sibling overdose. Hurrah!

Home: We were at Bald Head Island with the Austins this weekend. I love visiting with them. And Sophie is really inspiring. She is so organized and neat... and it's so natural to her that it makes me believe that I might also be that organized one day. I came home and immediately cleaned up the kitchen. And it has become my official sanctuary. It is the first room that will be kept neat and organized, and I will build upon that. Check back with me on that in two months. Well, maybe two weeks is better.

Travel: This summer is wacky crazy re: travel. We went to Disney three weeks ago (in case you forgot). This past weekend, Bald Head Island. Next weekend we're home since Linda is in town. Weekend after, we are visiting some of Chris' family in Roanoke, VA. Weekend after that, we are hoping to go to Richmond for Chris' neice's first birthday par-tay. Weekend after THAT, Disney, Part Two... the freebie edition. The weekend after that is my birthday, but we'll probably just stick around here to recover. Then Chris is fairly certain he will go to Ohio the weekend after that for Origins. Then the library reopens and Harry Potter (Book Seven) is released. (Just imagine, my kids will grow up knowing what happens to Harry... so weird). Then sometime in August or September, we will go to Hilton Head for a long weekend since Athena loved the beach so much this time.

I'm worn out just from typing all that up. Sheesh.

So there is the recap. Hope you all stuck with me. I really will make more of an effort (when I'm not organizing my house, that is).

Bummer

We had plans to go to the Hurricanes game tonight with the whole family. We haven't attempted this since last season. I was really looking forward to it. Marcus is at an age when he would probably sleep through it and Athena is starting to actually enjoy being part of a crowd... cheering, etc. We even had Marcus' Super-Crochet Fun-Time hat! He would have been toasty AND stylin'.

However, Marcus had other plans. We joined Aiden and family for a pregame dinner at Olive Garden, and Marcus threw up twice. It wasn't a sick thing as much as a choking thing, but when it happened the third time, I decided he and I were going home. So Daddy and Athena are at the game, and he and I are home. He's sleeping happily.

I noticed when we got home that the water in his sippy cup was really cold, and I've noticed that ice water tends to make his tummy more sensitive... so maybe that's what did it. I thought I had told Chris that, but either I didn't, or he forgot.

Since Athena is old enough to require a seat/ticket, we may not get a chance to go as a family again this season. Very much a bummer.

A Pox on Your House!

Okay, two housekeeping items to get out of the way.

1) I will totally post pics of Aiden's third birthday. I don't have many... and none from Bullwinkles where we went for dinner. (I forgot the camera). But really, they just ooooooed and ahhhhhhhhed at the dancing fountains while the grownups choked down bad food. I just haven't had a chance to download the pics of Athena and me making the cake, and that's the bulk of the pics I have.

2) I will totally post pics of Marcus' brand new, hand crocheted hat that is on it's way here from Arizona as soon as I get it. Hurricane's colors and all. Cannot WAIT.

Now, on to the meat of the post.

There are three infants in Marcus' daycare class. All of them are about the same age and will be moving up to the Wobbler room next month (Wobblers are 12-18 month-olds). I'm hoping that they will all get along and be great friends, forming a rival gang to Athena's posse (split up temporarily as Aiden and Kaeley have already moved on the the threes, but Natalie and Athena don't go until May).

Of course, I wished for that lovely scenario until I realized today that good friends share. And one of the babies in Marcus' class has chicken pox. And Marcus gets his chicken pox immunization in ONE MONTH. And chicken pox is VERY contagious. And it is contagious 1-2 days BEFORE the bumps appear. And this kid just got his bumps today or yesterday (I didn't read the whole information sheet). So the only saving grace is 1-2 days ago was Saturday or Sunday, unless the bumps actually appeared over the weekend sometime, in which case, we're screwed. Here's the best news from the article I linked you to:

Children under one year of age whose mothers have had chickenpox are not very likely to catch it. If they do, they often have mild cases because they retain partial immunity from their mothers' blood.

I had a mad case when I was five. Which was great because I got out of kindergarten for a week. So I've had it and clearly remember the misery of the itching followed by the sheer boredom of those last days when you are waiting for the damn dots to disappear.

But the bad news is, he most certainly will have it. It's so contagious, and these three kids spend LOTS of time together... all up in each others' stuff. If he dodges this bullet, then I'm going to have to start calling him Callel.

I Love You So Much I Have to Poison You; or, Amoxycillan Is the Devil

Okay... I have to come clean here... I knew that the medicine was making Marcus even more miserable. I could tell. He was grouchy ALL the time, and he had been taking medicine for five days. He should have been getting better. But... it's medicine, and I have to get rid of the ear infection, right? So I kept giving it to him.

I was actually glad when daycare called yesterday and told us he had broken out in a rash that covered his whole body. This is the same reaction I get when I take any "-cillin" drug. Allergies. Gotta love 'em.

So Chris called and got him Zithromax instead. He put Marcus in his crib at 5pm last night with no dinner because the little guy was clearly tired. Chris also knew we'd be getting new medicine, so we'd have to wake him for that anyway, and we could feed him then.

When I got home from work, I read the bottle. "Can be taken with or without food," it said. (HOORAY! No tummy aches!) "1 tsp every day for three days," it said. (HOORAY! The evil stuff was 1 tsp. twice a day for ten days!) And finally it said, "Use enclosed dropper." (HOORAY! No more forcing Marcus to drink from a shot glass!) Makes me wonder why we can't just start with this stuff.

So... since he only needs it once a day, I decided not to wake him. Let him sleep. The poor guy needed it.

Did he ever!

14.5 hours later at 7:30 am, he woke up. He was whimpering a bit in his crib, and I'm glad he was, because I was about to go put a mirror under his nose. When I opened his door to say good morning, he popped one of those killer smiles. He had not smiled since Wednesday, I think. It was a glorious vision. Angels sang. And I don't even really believe in angels. It was that good.

Daycare reported that he slept for a total of five hours today. Then, when we got him home, he couldn't keep his eyes open past 5:30. We gave him a bottle, but he only took half. My biggest concern at the moment is hydration. His diapers have been pretty dry, and I'm having trouble getting fluids in him. But overall, he is quite a bit better than yesterday. I'm so glad to finally be seeing improvement.

Waiting to Zonk

Ah, illness. Such a fantastic blog topic. But when it happens, it's really all you can talk about, isn't it?

Athena gave Marcus and me her cold. Marcus has decided that a cold isn't good enough for him, so he has the nasty infection of the ear. Athena waited until after she turned one to get her first (and only... knock wood) ear infection. Marcus is such an over-achiever!

But considering his constitution, I wasn't surprised at how well he handled his doctor visit today. And actually all the subsequent activities. The little guy is gasping for breath because he is in such pain. But he barely cried the whole time we were out. He only whimpered here and there... most particularly when I would wake him from the sleep he had managed to achieve... first on my shoulder in the exam room (had to wake him when the doctor came in), in the car seat during the 30 second ride to the drug store (had to wake him to go in), when they called our name that his medicine was ready (it wasn't... they just wanted me to pay before they mixed it), when they called our name because his medicine was REALLY ready, and then finally when we got home... twice. Once to get him out of the car, and once to give him his medicine. In the two minutes it took me to pour out the medicine (he now gets the same dose a two year old child would get!!!!), he had taken off his socks and zonked belly down on the carpet in the den right in front of the TV, which was blasting Dora at the time.

I put him down at 5:30 and there has been narry a snuffle from him. I have the Motrin upstairs at the ready in case he awakes in the middle of the night. But I have taken a Sudafed (the REAL kind that they have to keep behind the counter now in case I wanted to buy a case and make Crystal Meth in my kitchen) so I may not hear him if he does. I was trying to avoid medicating myself for precisely this reason, but when I tried to lie down about an hour ago, the pressure in my head was too much.

So here I sit... waiting for it to hit me. Waiting... waiting... *sigh*

Farewell, Old Friend

I had minor oral surgery today. I had some sort of cyst or tumor (they are giving it the old biopsy to be sure -- but they are 99% sure it's benign) that has been under my gum tissue, on top of the bone for at least 15 years now. I've been living with it since college. It didn't hurt. Never really bothered me. I just knew it as "the lump in my gum."

It was below "number 19" for those of you who minored in dentistry. For the rest of us, that's on the lower left set of teeth, around the middle. I went to the dentist last week, and they noticed it had changed a bit (which it has not done in the past 15 years, really) so they sent me to the oral surgeon. He extracted it, leaving me with a hole in my gum, some gauze, and a little bottle of Hydrocodone. I came home, took four Advil, took a nap, and woke up with a bit of pain, but nothing serious. I decided to wait until Chris's mom got here for dinner before I took the good stuff. I prefer not to take the really powerful stuff as I am kind of anti-drugs in general (although trust me... I do take them when I need to).

So I've taken the good stuff, I've put the kids to bed. And now I'm hanging out waiting for the drowsy to kick in. I don't think it's going to. But I'm waiting anyway. At least the pain is gone.

I'm supposed to keep gauze on it for 24 hours. But I've discovered that the gauze just makes it hurt. So Chris called a friend who is an EMT. Here was our conversation:

Mommy Librarian: So I took the gauze out so I could eat.

EMT: Uh huh

ML: And it felt fine

EMT: Yeah

ML: So then I put the gauze back in and it started to hurt. Bad.

EMT: Then take it out.

ML: What?

EMT: If it hurts, stop doing it!

ML: Oh

The man is brilliant, I'm telling you.

He went on to explain that if the gauze was irritating it, then there was no point in using it. It would just stay inflamed and angry. So, I'm gauzeless and loving it.

It's going to be weird not to have that lump in my gum anymore. They told me what the thing looked like. I almost asked to see it, but then I thought it might just gross me out. Still, it all felt a bit weird... I've lived with it for so long.

What a way to spend my holiday, eh? Back to the grind tomorrow... all puns intended.