Category: Josiah

Opinions Take #2

First things first…..a big thanks to Jon for posting yesterday. I have a post that I’ve started twice and I just can’t find the words to fully express what I’m tryng to say and so I’ll keep working on it until it actually makes sense. Jon bailed me out yesterday because I was stuck on that stupid post and well….thanks, babe! You’re amazing!

Secondly…….I need your help again.

I took a bunch of pictures of Siah and I’d love to hear which one(s) you all like the best. You were all such a help with the picture of Geli. When the results were compiled…..It seems like the big winner for Geli was Number 5

5

So, here are the pics of Siah. It was interesting to try and get good pictures of him as he was not quite as co-operative as the older kids are. It’s more of a “run around behind him snapping a million pictures” and hoping for at least a few that turn out. Anyway, here is the link for the pics of Siah. Just click on the picture to see the whole set.

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Lemme know which one or ones are your favorite.

The Most Precious Moments

It’s these little kind of things that you want to just grab a hold of and never let go. These are the kinds of things that melt your heart.

Let me set the scene….

It’s after 8pm and all three of the older darlings are in their beds. In the time from after school until bedtime, we’ve had some minor squabbles, but nothing that couldn’t be solved with a hug and some extra love. Now the house is quiet, and Siah has been asking for “Rocky Bye Bye”. He’s just started this recently. He is asking for our night time routine of snuggling in his rocking chair and nursing him to sleep. He seems to really look forward to this special time and I do to.

He and I sit in the still darkness of his bedroom, and snuggle in peace. There is nothing that is pressing. No older children wanting things or making noise to distract from the business at hand. It’s a very special time that is just for he and I.

Typically I sing to him while we cuddle and nurse, and tonight is no different. I open my voice and the sweet gentle sound (all in good fun, people) of my voice fills the air. I start to sing “our song”.

“Rocky, Rocky Bye Bye
I want the Moon to Play with……”

Siah reaches his hand up in a loving gesture towards my face. I look forward to his gentle caress. I love it when he plays with my face or skin or hair. His skin is so soft and smells so sweet. He is still so babyish. His chubby little index finger touches my lips and he stops nursing and gazes lovingly up into my eyes and says,

“SHUSH!”

Still Holding My Breath

It had been so long since we’d had any “major issues” with allergies that I was beginning to wonder if we had totally made it all up or, if at the very least, that we had blown it out of proportion or if Siah was just growing out of it all – because I’d heard that it was possible for some “intolerances” to be grown out of.

It turns out that we are just amazing at being very careful and not letting Siah get “into” any of the things that he’s not supposed to have.

Not an issue with dairy as we are just typically a dairy free home. Soy doesn’t seem to have wicked reations with him. We’ve stopped buying cashews or ANYTHING that would have cashews in it and I didn’t really think that there was too much else.

BOY WAS I WRONG!

We made some crepes the other day and we made a batch with eggs and another one with egg replacer so that Siah could have some with us. I cracked the eggs into the bowl and then asked one of the kids to throw the shells away.

This didn’t happen, and the shells were left on the table. Somehow Siah manages to get up to the table and grabbed the shells. We saw him do it and quickly took them away from and then I asked one of the girls to wash his hands off as he had some of the raw egg white on his fingers. Again, this didn’t happen and I’m guessing that he rubbed his face and within………..5 minutes, he was scratching and clawing at his face. I started to wonder what was up and was panicing trying to figure out what could have happened and within 10 minutes he looked like this……

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I’m not sure if you can see the full extent of the mess, but it felt like within seconds he had gone from fine to brutal. His face was swollen and puffy and red and the hives were turning into blisters and it was horrible.

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We dosed him up with Benadryl and washed his face off and decided to throw him in the bath to see if it would help with washing the stuff off and possibly soothing the irritated skin.

Here he is about 15 minutes after we gave him the Benadryl.

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Despite the trauma of it all, I think that I was more upset about it all, than he was. After the initial attempts at clawing his face off, he seemed to calm down fairly quickly and returned to the happy, easy-going baby that we all know and love.

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Despite how we seemed to “sail” through this allergy attack, it sends me back to a state of feeling like I’m holding my breath. I know that I’ve still got to be careful of what he eats (or rubs on himself). It’s so frustrating and slightly scary. I’m thankful that it was a skin reaction and SOOOOO THANKFUL that we’ve not had to deal with anything more serious than that.

I can’t fathom how awful it must be for someone who sends their baby or child off to school or daycare or with friends or relatives and is unsure of what might or might not happen while their child is not with them. This whole “food allergy” thing is not a joke nor is it something to take or treat lightly.

If you’ve not had a food allergy touch your llife or your child than count yourself blessed and please, PLEASE support those who do have this issue as a part of thier lives. We know first hand how difficult altering your lifestyle is, and we are eternally grateful to all who support us by making the world around our children a safer place for them.

Un-Official Snow Day

I went to work yesterday in sandals and didn’t wear or even take a jacket. Now, I was wearing this scarf (in a dark red), but……as lovely as it is, it’s not quite the same as a coat.

So, as I was saying….I left the house dressed for spring. It was a raining just a little, but reallly not too bad. I didn’t even put a coat on Siah as I figured that we wouldn’t be outside (underground parking) and so, if I didn’t have to drag more stuff around……BONUS!

During the afternoon, it started snowing. By the time I was ready to leave work, it was FREEZING COLD! To walk across the breezeway was BRUTAL! It was SO COLD!

I headed home and it took me over an hour and half. One car had made it into the ditch, but mostly the delay was due to all the people TERRIFIED by the skiff of snow on the ground. Now, I will admit that by the time I made it out to Abbotsford, even I was slipping a little – but I did make it home safetly.

This morning, the kids were desperatly hoping for a snow day, and I was desperatly hopinig that there wouldn’t be one, and when the first child pulled up the district website and read the news….there was cheering from the mom and dad’s bedroom the disappointment was so think you could almost taste it.

The kids did manage to pull themselves together and get themselves ready for school, and at the last minute, Jon turns to me and whispers if we shouldn’t just keep them home today. I just about sucker punched him then and there because what it sounded like he was saying was,

“How about if I tell the kids they can stay home all day and get into everything that you are trying to do with your day at home? They will create more mess than a bunch of stay cats, and I will go down into my hole of an office and leave you to deal with all the hassle of everything, but I will look like the good guy and they will love me because I suggested that they get the day off? What do you think?”

I gave him the “one raised eyebrow look” that says more than words could say and he said that he would in fact help out with the kids and not just leave it all on me.

And so……..the kids got a snow day today!

They are so excited and it’s some exta special time that we are getting to spend with them which I think is awesome because we’ve been SOOOOO busy with my working and all the travel and with our Sunday’s being a work day instead of a family day and so……today is a nice bonus in the middle of everything. Not something planned, but something appreciated and treasured and just grabbed a hold of and enjoyed.

We even took some pictures, as it was Siah’s official first time out playing in the snow.

Just click on the picture to go through to Flickr to see the whole set.

AAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH

I’m not sure what’s up, but Siah had a allergic reaction last night and I was up with him barfing from 3:30am until 7am when Jon took him and let me “try” to get some sleep. I slept off and off for the last two hours, and now……I’m tired.

I had even gone to bed at 10pm to get extra sleep so I wouldn’t be tired. So Frustrating!

And on top of that, I’m not sure what happened.

I did make Shortbread Cookies (with Butter) yesterday for a cookie swap that I’m going to tonight, but I was very careful – or so I thought – that Siah didn’t get any of the butter or the cookie and so I’m not sure if the kids dropped a crumb or what the deal is.

I did eat a few, but typically butter has not been too much of an issue when I eat it (I’m still nursing) and so I’m really baffled on this one.

It was awful. I heard him at 3:30am gagging, and when I went into check on him, he was still sleeping, but when I felt around in the bed there was last night’s dinner….beans and salmon….nice mix to barf up, eh?

So he barfed and then just slept through it…..I tried to clean him up the best I could without waking him, and removed the barfed on blankets, and then I layed in bed waiting……waiting…..waiting….and at 4:30am iswhen he started into it for good.

It’s so awful. Not knowing what to do, or even what triggered it. Did he get some cookie or what?

There is no fever, and the barf has this “not regular barf” smell. I can’t explain it but it sucks….and now I’m tired and he is sleeping, so I might try to catch a half an hour if I can….UGH!

Do any of you deal with allergies for yourselves or for your kids?

I’m so thankful that he’s not having throat closing, breathing issues, because the barfing is enough for me…mind you, we’ve never given him straight dairy and so I don’t know how he’d react to that….I hope I never find out.

It’s a New Day

So, it seems that Siah has made a miraculous recovery.

He was bad enough yesterday that I called the Dr.s office to ask what the “magic temperature” was. I didn’t want Siah’s fever to hit 105 or 106 in the middle of the night, and to not know what to do. It always seems to be the worst in the middle of the night when you can’t call anybody and your only option is a trip to the ER which is almost the WORST thing that can happen out here. It’s a zoo, and you will pretty much get better service if you just wait it out ’till the morning and check in with your family Dr or with a walk-in clinic.

Anyway, I called yesterdy around 4:30pm and they didn’t like the fact that his temp had been hovering around 104 all day and that even with Tylenol it was only coming down to 100.something.

I went in and they checked him out and couldn’t find anything right up front. Which I knew….I knew there wasn’t a ear infection, and he wasn’t coughing or barfing or didn’t have a runny nose…..NOTHING.

He was just listless, lethargic, and freaking hot.

He did a swab of his throat and took a urine sample, but I don’t think that it was either of those either.

Now that he seems to be on the up swing, it’s easy to see that it’s probably just a virus. Stupid Viruses!

Jon is gone all day today training people on how to do something “website-ish”. It’s nice to have the house to myself and it’s a little weird, too.

He’s always “just downstairs” and to have him not around…the house feels a bit empty.

Well as much as I’d love to stay and yab on and on and on….Siah is fussing. He’s not 100 percent his happy cheery self just yet, so I’m off to snuggle some more.

103.8 and Vision

That was Josiah’s temperature this morning when I finally was concerned enough at how hot he was and took it.

Not fun! NOT FUN AT ALL!

He slept peacefully until 3:45am and at that point I didn’t notice anything. He nursed and went straight back to sleep. Then when he woke up at 5 something…..Jon cuddled him and when he finally got him down he said that when he picked him up he was shivering badly.

He woke up again at 6ish and I went to go and get him and he was shivering terribly and I noticed that his head was quite hot. I brought him to bed and nursed him and he laid beside me and shivered. It was so sad.

Finally at about 6:45am was when I took his temp.

So, he’s been sleeping off and on since then. He is still trying to be happy and funny and chattering about things, but only for just a word or two and then he lays his head down like it’s way to heavy for him to hold up.

I gave him a bit of Tylenol because I figured that his temp was quite high enough and because he seemed to be really uncomfortable.

He perked up right around the time that the Tylenol would have kicked in and although his temp didn’t go down as low as I’d have liked, it’s still down some.

I have a feeling that I’ll be sitting, cuddling and nursing a fair bit today.

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I’m hoping that IMAGE OPTOMETRY calls me today. Last Wednesday, I was wearing my glasses…. (click here to see my lovely beauties. It’s a bad shot, but seeing as I’m the one ALWAYS behind the camera there aren’t so many of me.)….and they fell right off my face, hit the table and landed on the floor in two pieces.

The arm had fallen off.

They’d had a good life – I bought them 3.5 years ago and have worn them just about all the time.

See, I have really light sensitive eyes. It’s not so bad when I’m pregnant, but I noticed it back in between when I was pregnant with Geli and Xandra, and has pretty much been wearing sunglasses ALL THE TIME since then.

I’ve gone and had my eyes checked and all is good – I have a slight prescription, and my eyes tend to run on the dry side, but all of this completely unhelpful information is just to let you know that if you see me, I’m not “rock star-ring” out. My eyes are just bothered by the light. Outside is really bad, but I’ve also noticed that inside is bothering me too, and so I just wear my lightly tinted glasses all the time, now. I also get wicked migraines and light can be a trigger so…..yah, so. I don’t know whereall I’m going with all that so I’ll just stop….

Anyway, I popped off to Image Optometry which is where the BEST OPTOMETRIST in the world works.

A big shout out to Dr. Jesse Manhas – amazing AMAZING Doctor. We love him.

Anyhoooooooo, I got the coolest glasses….and when I actually pick them up (they’re calling me either today or tomorrow to come and get them) – I’ll take a picture and show you.

They have tinted the glass and then used the Transitions technology on top of that….so they will always be tinted but they will go dark outside. Sweet! I’ve wanted this for a while, but just never did it.

I’m so excited. I can’t wait.

I should take a pic and show you the cheap “in between” pair that I bought in the mean time…..maybe if I get around to it, because I’m sure you all want to see them, don’t you? You know you do….

Well, I’m off to finish getting ready for the day (makeup and hair and all that crap) and to call the kids school to let them know that I won’t be helping out at lunch today….stupid fever.

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I do have a bunch of new jewlery to add to the store, and if I have the time today…I’ll try to make it happen. I’ve got some really cool necklaces and bracelets and even some mens necklaces to add into the mix.

So, check back soon to see the new stuff.

One Last Reminder and….Buttons.

Hey, so I’ve been asked a few times about shipping in regards to the giveaway.

If you win – I will ship it to you. It doesn’t matter if you live near or far. If you win – YOU WIN!

So, you still have about 8 hours until the comments will be closed, and then tomorrow morning is the draw – so check in tomorrow to find out who is our lucky winner.

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There is not a lot new to report about the downstairs people.

They were rocking out the music this afternoon, but have been fairly quiet except that their phone rings 24/7. I kid you not. 1, 2, 3, 4am – the phone is ringing. You’d think that if they were up that late then they’d want to sleep in, but it starts ringing again at 7am and goes ALL DAY. I don’t know what is going on. Their door still hasn’t been fixed, and I feel so incredibly uncomfortable. It sucks!

In other news, Siah is chatting up a storm, and the kid LOVES buttons.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a keyboard or a cell phone or the remote or my calculator….He is obsessed with buttons.

You can hear me “whoop” at 00:36 when he almost falls off the chair. Great Mothering…encouraging the child to perform circus tricks up on the furniture.

But, isn’t he cute?

More with the WICKED FUN-NESS!

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGH!

So, have I ever told you about how I thought that allergies were (rolls eyes) “ALL IN YOUR HEAD”!

I mean, there are just so freakin’ many of them out there now and it feels like every time you turn around another kid is showing up at a school with some weird freaky allergy, and making life all sorts of difficult for everyone else. I mean, SERIOUSLY, the nerve of that child….come on people….don’t be so stupid and inconvenient. I have a life, and I want to live it free from your allergies…..

Oh, I imagine that it might not be a picinic for you either, but come on…don’t make my life more difficult. I want to be able to enjoy life and have a peanut butter sandwich wherever I please.

What was that?

Oh….I guess you just want to be able to “just enjoy life”. I guess I can understand that.

See, when Siah was 6 weeks old he started getting eczema on his head. I had it checked out because it seemed different to me than normal cradle cap. It oozed and he would lay beside me in bed at night and scratch ALL! NIGHT! LONG!

What tiny infant scratches and scratches and scratches…especially at cradle cap. Hmph! Seriously!

So anyway, we dealt with ever spreading, oozing eczema, and vomiting and bloody mucus-y poop (that was my favorite). Once we identified that it was dairy and soy and eggs and all sorts of other various things, and I cut them all out………VOILA! Healthy Baby! It was AWESOME!

So, now I have spent the last year stressing about protecting my baby from other “stupid” people who don’t belive that allergies are “real”! Yah, that’s a lot of fun!

Payback, eh?

But, Saturday night/Sunday morning with the vomiting, and Sunday night with the bloody poo, and then today……OH TODAY!

Well, more realistically we are talking about tonight.

I gave Siah some chewed up cashews. I’ve given him cashews before with no problems – that I knew of. I gave him one mouthful. and then a second mouthful and then a third…which he spit on the floor. I chided him for being a cheeky monkey and cleaned it up.

About 5 minutes later I noticed that he had a reaction around his mouth. It was red and rashy and SUCKS! So, I got a rag and tried to wash it all off – all the while stressing about what it was doing to his insides – if this was the reaction on the outside, and praying that beause his system was already just recently compromised from the recent reaction, that we wouldn’t have an even bigger reaction.

I noticed that he was rubbing his eye, but didn’t think too much of it.

5 minutes later, there was noticibly WAY MORE eye rubbing and the eye was redder and puffier and nothing could disuade him from rubbing. It was obviously a reaction . I think that he must of had some of the cashew got on his hands and he rubbed it into his eye.

Here it is, and understand that the pictures does it absolutely no justice. It looked worse than it did here……and the mouth was WAY better than it was originally.

Eye & Lip

I sent Jon out to get some Benadryl. We gave him some and the eye has started to settle down some and he’s not scratching like he’s trying to eradicate it from his head – That was fun, let me tell you.

I’m stressed about more bloody poop and vomiting. I’m also freaking about what else is “out there” that he might react to. That part of life is fun.

So, Here I am stressing about Siah……Stressing about Allergies…..Stressing about not knowing……Stressing about what to expect….Stressing about what to do….

I HATE STRESSING!

And, in the middle of all the drama….he’s still just so darn cute and happy.

Still Happy

And…in other news…..I had sucessfully avoided that stores today until tonight…..when we added $8.40 on Bendaryl to our monthly spending bringing the total up to…..$102.35….stupid allergies!