Weekend of Recovery

The weekend was as quiet as we could make it with two energetic boys. They're definitely showing signs of boredom and squirrel-iness having been out of school for a week and cooped up in the house with sick parents for most of that time. Saturday we did some painting and spent time outside. Sunday we got out the sand table, and despite a chilly morning, had fun playing in the sand with all of the shovels and trucks that have been put away since last summer. In the afternoon, it was "kids' choice" for their activity. Jacoby opted to finish his beloved "Land Before Time" movie with Daddy, and Morgan chose to go to the library with Mommy. I think Justin and I have nearly recovered from the germ fest, and the boys are looking and feeling happy and healthy. We're looking forward to a great week, a lot less commotion, and a fun visit next weekend with Grandmanette and Grandpa Michael.

Messy, messy, messy. I often find out about things that happen when I'm not home via new pictures on the camera. When I asked Morgan, he said this was recycling. (:

Making brownies together. Oddly, I found this allergy-free brownie mix at Target of all places.

One of the benefits of not cooking with eggs...

Jacoby was very intent on licking the bowl clean.

Two boys in the crib. I fear the crib will be seeing its final resting days very soon.

Painting

Hooray for the return of the sand table!

Busy digging away

What A Week!

Well, I think we were only mildly successful in keeping chaos at bay this week. There were still surprises and way too much going on. Thankfully, we've passed the major hurdles and will be resting easy this weekend.

The mild bug we thought Jacoby had over the weekend turned into full blown pneumonia by Monday morning. Justin took him in to see our pediatrician. He got a chest x-ray to confirm and two breathing treatments to control his cough and rapid breathing. We did round-the-clock breathing treatments with the nebulizer until Tuesday morning before the fever finally broke and he could breathe easier. I'm not a fan of pneumonia--it comes on way too fast and becomes serious too quickly for my liking.

Morgan and I did repeat allergy testing in Boulder on Monday. He was a great little sport throughout the whole thing. The skin test showed he is still allergic to eggs (but the measurement is decreasing, which is a good sign) and is also allergic to sunflower. The blood test showed that he's allergic to sunflower (nearly off the charts), sesame (as suspected), peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs (and this decreased as well). So, this wasn't a huge surprise but still unsettling.

By Tuesday, I had a nasty cold and Justin was feeling the stress of his upcoming exam. Despite what all of his classmates told him, his professor did not email him any hints about the exam whatsoever. I think that is the risk of being an exceptional PhD student in a small program: they hold you to much higher standards, which are not always the same standards your peers have. Neither Justin or I slept last night, but he was off early this morning in pretty good spirits about the whole thing. After being cooped up most of the week, the boys were needing a good outing, so we went to the zoo today even though Jacoby and I aren't 100% healthy. It was a fun morning. We saw our favorites along with a couple of new things, and we made sure to ride the train too. They were eager for nap time this afternoon, so the house has been quiet for awhile. Justin called to say that he thinks the exam went pretty well. He felt good about the Greek translation part, but had some questions about the 8 exegetical questions he had to answer. We'll be waiting in anticipation to hear the results. But I'm hugely relieved to have this over and done with. Only one more to go and then this phase will be over! And it sounds like my dad's knee surgery was a success as well--thank goodness!

So, I wouldn't mind spending the weekend in bed with a pan of brownies and a good book...but, I'll keep that as a daydream and instead be happy with a quiet weekend at home with a present husband and healthy kids. (: Thanks for keeping us in mind this week--we love you all!

Watching the lion

There are 7 members in this lemur family, and we learned today that they're all named after Muppets. They were very fun to watch.

Mimi and Dolly getting drinks

I dismantled the wagon so we could fit it in the car. This was a great way to transport the boys around the zoo, especially since we're still all trying to get healthy.

The tiger cubs were out and very energetic today. This one was particularly interested in pestering his mom...something I can sort of relate to. (:

And these two cubs were all over each other. I told Jacoby and Morgan that they reminded me of my two boys: playing, wrestling, getting in each other's space. They looked at me like "No, Mommy, not us!"

All is well...

Despite our crazy week, we've had a great weekend. It's been nice to stick close to home, do only essential chores, and hang out with the boys. Justin has been at the library studying for long days, so we're on our own until Thursday this week.

The boys and I did a few things yesterday, including spending a lovely afternoon at the park and library. Our weather has been so beautiful, and there are signs of spring everywhere. Jacoby and Morgan have very different interests at the park: Jacoby can spend hours digging in the sand box with all of the donated trucks and shovels, while Morgan prefers the smaller section of the playground that has a steering wheel so he can pretend he's a conductor. I spend my time wandering back and forth between the two of them. We also spent time playing a new game that the nurses gave Jacoby at the hospital called Hi Ho Cherry-O, which is a great counting game that both boys really like.

Jacoby spiked a fever last night, so I'm guessing he caught some sort of bug at the hospital. We declared it a video day today, so that's occupied much of our time. And Morgan has been my little helper with the laundry and taking care of Jacoby. I love 2-year olds--they're so sweet! I love 4-year olds too, but they're much more choosy about their helpfulness. (:

Please keep Justin and my dad in your thoughts and prayers on Thursday. Justin will be taking his second comprehensive exam in the morning. And my dad will be having surgery to remove a ping pong ball-sized cyst from his knee. Morgan has an allergy appointment tomorrow, and that will be the last of our 5 appointments this month. I'm definitely looking forward to staying clear of all medical offices for a few weeks. The boys are also on spring break this week, so I'll be working at home some to help give Justin study time before Thursday.

Hope you all have a great, uneventful week! (:

Busy filling a bucket in the backyard

Pushing his large dump truck full of sand

Morgan in the sandbox

Having a snack outside

What. The. Heck. ?!

Well, we clearly could have been contenders in any contest for "weekly drama or craziness" this week. And this isn't something we set out or aspire to win! I have no idea how this happens. We're typically a pretty calm, cool, collected family--but that's not what you would have seen this week at all!

Monday started it out with a phone call from preschool saying that Morgan had vomited multiple times after having hummus during snack time. Hummus is made with sesame paste, and since sesame is something Jacoby is highly allergic too, I asked them to give Morgan benadryl and keep an eye on him until I got there to pick him up. Insert big sigh here. I was so hoping that Morgan wouldn't develop any other allergies besides eggs, but I guess we'll be finding out more during his allergy appointment this coming Monday.

On Tuesday, we were at Children's Hospital bright and early for a feeding and development evaluation with the Occupation Therapy department. The boys were antsy and bored (the perfect recipe for trouble), the appointment was long and tedious, and we left with new concerns about Jacoby's development. The blessing is that the therapist saw no signs that Jacoby is having trouble eating, and she gave us significant praise for what we've done with his restricted diet--she said a few times she was surprised by how well he was maintaining weight for not being able to eat many things. However, Jacoby has fine motor delay and possibly some gross motor delay as well. He's back in the 2 - 3 year old range in some of the fine motor skills (like holding a pencil correctly, being able to draw simple shapes, and being able to cut down a line with scissors). So, we'll be going to see an OT this spring and summer to get him caught up so that he'll be able to start kindergarten next year and not be behind. We knew this is the news we'd hear, although I at least was surprised by how far back he's delayed. Many of his classmates are starting to write their names and draw things that you can actually recognize, and we're just not seeing that with Jacoby. And there's much resistance when we try and teach him anything, which is a sign that these things are probably difficult and hard for him.

Wednesday, I think, was a normal day.

On Thursday, Jacoby and I headed back to Denver for a routine follow-up appointment with the endocrinologist. He's been really pleased with how well Jacoby is growing with the help of his magic medicine. We discussed a few things and he encouragingly told me that research done on kids who are on growth hormone has shown that they develop very highly tuned motor skills, so hopefully this will work in Jacoby's favor during his OT sessions. Jacoby did have blood drawn for some routine tests to make sure treatment isn't affecting his thyroid and to see if his IGF-1 levels are back to normal. He handled this really well.

And now here's the part of the story where Justin and I probably should have our parental licenses temporarily suspended or something. Jacoby usually has his rest time in our room (and yes, we've child-proofed this the best we can), so that Morgan can get in a good nap. Yesterday, Jacoby found a small, obscure pill box buried in a box covered in papers on our dresser that Justin used to carry around 8 or 9 years ago. It's something we literally have not seen or thought about in years, until of course, our 4-year old found it. And despite any fine motor delay this child currently has, he was able to open this pill box which contained very old, expired pills. Needless to say, I came home to find my 4-year old completely doped up and out of it--trouble walking and maintaining balance, heavy eyelids, spaced out, etc. It didn't take long to find the evidence--whenever Jacoby gets into something he knows he's not supposed to, he hides it under our pillows. After a quick call to Poison Control, we headed off to the ER and thus proceeded a very long night in the hospital, answering questions about how he'd obtained the medicine, how much did we think he'd taken (with the only "reliable" source being the drugged up child in question), why did we have this medicine in the first place, etc., and with a kid who was zoned out but completely irritable and not happy about being hooked up to monitors. And, of course, our pediatrician happened to be on-call so her evening was disrupted by our drama. It was actually great to have her treating us, since she knows Jacoby and all of his other issues. She was wonderful about the whole thing and helped me put it in perspective with her humor and kindness. Jacoby had to have a second blood draw to check for toxicity and make sure kidneys and liver were ok. He fought hard (and I'm not kidding about this--I literally did not know what to do with him; it's not like you can reason with or put a drugged 4-year old in time out when he's hooked up to all sorts of stuff) until midnight to disconnect all of his wires before finally giving up, and then he slept until after 6 am this morning (wish I could say the same...yawn). He woke up in relatively better spirits this morning, and when I asked him if he knew why we were in the hospital (hoping for a teachable moment here) he hadn't the foggiest idea. So, we've learned a lot in the past 24 hours, and Jacoby has thankfully come through his first, and hopefully last, experimentation with old, expired prescription medication mostly unscathed.

No Drama. That's the motto and goal this weekend and into next week. I think we can do it. (:

A Weekend...

We had a very busy week, so we've been laying low this weekend. The boys and I have spent time at the park and in the yard enjoying our beautiful weather. We've been raking and talking about where we should put our mini square foot garden...even though I know it's going to dump snow on us at least one more time. Sigh. Justin is just over a week out from his second exam, so we're not seeing very much of him these days. We'll be glad when this is over! There was a science fair at school last week. Morgan's class made play dough, and Jacoby's class did something with smelling. All he told me is that he had to smell something icky. ? His class adopted the dinosaur birthday decorations since they're in the midst of a dinosaur unit. We were glad to share them. Work is busy for me as well. I'm in the midst of getting an agenda together for our May board meeting, so lots of speaker invitations, registration, and hotel stuff going on. I'm also just about set for a trip to Hawaii in mid-April to scope out our fall meeting location. I know you all feel badly that I have to go all the way over there, but I'll be by myself and it will be all business and very little play if that makes you feel any better. (:

The boys had their well-checks with our pediatrician on Thursday. They were deemed healthy and perfect, and she seemed to enjoy spending some time with them. And she of course had several helpful tips for us as we navigate some of the tough behavioral waters of preschool. Morgan received his last shot until 5 years old, and was generally not happy about it but recovered quickly. He also had to have blood drawn on Friday as a precursor to his upcoming allergy appointment. We were very proud of him--he only fussed during the initial stick, and then was fine during the actual draw. They had a machine do the draw this time, which was kind of interesting. Morgan received a small fox stuffed animal from the phlebotomist, and he proudly calls him "Ouchy Fox". (: We're crossing our fingers that Morgan will keep eggs as his only allergy. Here are the boys' stats:

Jacoby - 4 years old
height: 41.5 inches (70th percentile) -- a huge blessing considering he was way down at the 25th percentile just a year ago!
weight: 41.5 pounds (80th percentile)

Morgan - 2 years old
height: 36 inches (90th percentile)
weight: 30 pounds, 4 ounces (80th percentile)
head: 20 inches (94th percentile)

We've got lots going on this week with Jacoby: OT evaluation at Children's Hospital and an endocrinology appointment that will include lab work to check thyroid and some other stuff.

Notable quote from the week:
Jacoby on our way home from school after receiving a good report on his day: "Mommy are you proud of me?" M: "Of course I'm proud of you!" J: "I'm proud of you Mommy." M: "How come your proud of Mommy?" J: "Did you do a nice day at your work?" M: "Yes, I did." J: "Then I'm proud of you."

Busy finger painting

Busy with a project that involved dinosaur foam stickers

Practicing on the trike

Practicing on his bike

Justin's Birthday and Family Visit

Our time with family over the weekend was wonderful. We love having our loved ones visit and spend time together. Grandpa Bill, Justin, and Mark went skiing on Justin's birthday while Grandma Pam, Megan, and I stayed home with the boys and got Justin's birthday dinner and cake ready. The big boys had a great time skiing and came back in one piece. We celebrated Daddy's birthday with a delicious dinner and chocolate cake. On Sunday, Megan, Mark, Justin, and I went skiing up at Winter Park together. It was a great day and we had tons of fun. I'm still working on resurrecting my skiing abilities after a 4+ year hiatus, so there were plenty of moments when I was not upright on my skis, but we skied challenging terrain most of the day and by the end of the day I was doing ok. The boys had a great day with Grandpa Bill and Grandma Pam. They spent time outside and lots of time playing with their new treasures.

Justin was offered a very exciting position teaching three Greek courses at his school next year. He'll be teaching Greek I, Greek II, and an exegetical course over 3 quarters. He was offered the position before it was announced and came highly recommended by two of his professors. We're really excited about the opportunity. He will also be teaching at the Augustine Institute again in the fall. They rearranged their course schedule to accommodate his new teaching gig. The teaching should fit nicely with dissertation writing, which is his main objective for next year.

Another exciting part of the visit was our surprise to Mom for her upcoming 60th birthday in July. Megan, Kenz, and I are taking her to Washington, DC in June. The sisters and I have been working on this over the past couple of weeks. Meg requested Mom's time off from work on her behalf, so we presented her with a present this weekend that included a book on DC, the email from her supervisor saying she could have the time off, and our tickets. I think it's safe to say that we definitely caught her by surprise. (: We spent a lot of time this weekend plotting our DC adventure. We'll be there 3 days, and plan to pack in as much as we can. We're super excited for the trip!

Being dinosaurs with Grandma Pam

Jacoby's big boy bike

Mom opening her surprise gift with Kenzie on the phone

Daddy getting lots of assistance with his gift

Reading with Uncle Mark and Aunt Megan

Uncle Mark and Jacoby comparing notes about the Winter Park terrain.
Jacoby told Mark that he skiis fast and rides the chair lift. (:

Morgan is 2!

We had a great birthday celebration for Morgan last weekend. The festivities started with a little party at preschool with the Toddler class. We brought school bus cookies and applesauce cups. They sang Happy Birthday to Morgan, and he got lots of loves from his teachers.

We welcomed Grandpa Bill and Grandma Pam on Thursday, and they surprised the boys with a new bike for Jacoby and a new riding toy for Morgan. Jacoby is getting the hang of riding a big boy bike, and I think Morgan is happy to have the tricycle all to himself. Uncle Mark and Aunt Megan arrived Friday morning, so after early naps we jumped on the bus and headed to Denver. Our destination was the 16th Street Mall and Tattered Cover bookstore. We stopped to read books (and drink coffee) in the cozy children's section. The boys loved the bus ride and Morgan was in the front seat on the way to Denver, so he got to watch the bus driver. We came home and had a yummy spaghetti feast, opened presents, and enjoyed more cookie cake and homemade ice cream. It was a great celebration for our big 2 year old!

Interesting Info About Morgan:

Favorite activities: eating (always first to the table and the last to leave), Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, climbing, jumping, running, playing with Jacoby, playing outside, reading, helping Mommy, being tucked in, saying prayers, looking for trucks, going to school, music with Miss Amy.

Some dislikes: wearing socks, shoes, and mittens, time-outs, eye drops, not being included, getting in trouble.

Nickname: Momo. When his classmates started talking, "Morgan" came out as "Momo" in toddler-ese. So, he is proudly known as Momo by everyone at school (including the director), and this is what he calls himself too.

Things we love about Morgan: his fearlessness, his friendliness, his physical capabilities, his ability to hold conversations with us, his helpfulness, his big blue eyes, his laugh and smile, the ways he plays with Jacoby and learns how to be a big kid.

Special skills: can eat adult-size portions at most meals, talks extremely well and uses sentences, can make "pretzel" fingers, counts past 10, knows many songs, and is instant friends with most people he meets.

Our special 2-year old

Waiting for the bus

Riding in the front seat with Daddy and Grandpa Bill

Enjoying books at Tattered Cover

Morgan's birthday decorations

Morgan's sugar cookie cake

Enjoying a family dinner

Opening presents. Morgan received many special things like a new tractor blanket, a puppy of his own, a color learning kit, new clothes, a riding toy, and a school bus.

Hanging out with his new blanket

Enjoying cookie and ice cream

His new riding toy

School bus treats for his class