Random Reflections... : May 2007

5.29.2007

The Pancake Incident

I decided to make pancakes for breakfast yesterday. no easy task in our house. I keep trying different kinds of "safe" pancake mix for Colin and I. Todd and Ryan have deemed them all "nasty" thus far. Andy- mr. pickypants - has eaten them ALL w/o argument. while I wouldn't say any are nasty - most are best described as odd.. so I've just given up on the rest of them and make dairy-free pancakes for Todd, Andy, and Ryan and I am still experimenting with brands for Colin and I.

I made ours first yesterday so that Colin could feed himself while I made the rest (I've given up on a hot meal LONG ago!). I let it cool a bit broke it up into 1" squares and put them on his tray. he eagerly scooped them up and shoved them in! I gave Ryan another to give him while I was still cooking. By this point, I notice him rubbing his eyes and thought "must be nap time" and continued to cook.

I finished cooking around the time he finished his second pancake. I went to go wipe him down, and get him ready for his nap. then I notice it. the eye he is rubbign is red and puffy! red bumps all over his face! I washed him up and changed his diaper & clothes.. sure enough - head to toe rash!

Called the pedi on call. after he verrified that he was breathing OK and not having an anaphylactic reaction, he instructed us on what to do if/when he has one. then he said to give Benadryl for the rash and not to give it if he does have anaphylactic reaction - call 911. ok- got that! he also suggested we get an epi pen jr (his Dr called it in this morning!). the Benedryl worked. rash/itch gone. he is fine now.

I later looked at the package. the mix had almond meal and buttermilk in it. grr.. culd have been either or both, but my vote is milk b/c of his reaction to Nutramagen... the worst part? those were the best pancakes yet!

so - now we are in EpiPen territory... YIKES! this is new and scary for me. we have to keep both (it is a 2 pack) together and with him. sometimes the reaction will reoccur 15 -30 min later. so where do I keep them? how do I use them? I hope I never have to!

5.23.2007

the nose knows..

Todd took Colin back to the ENT for his follow up. it is his adenoids that are enlarged. his congestion did clear up, but appears to be comming back and they are getting enlarged again.. SO we can use the drops again if/when he has trouble eating, sleeping or breathing. We have to call her and let he know when we do. she doesn't want to remove them at this point. the risk of operating on a 9mo outweighs the benifits of surgury at this point. we will follow up in september and go from there. Hoping he will outgrow it, but accepting he may need them removed at some point. I really like this practice. they don't want to cut the kids open unless the have to. they listen and trust parents - they don't patronize. In turn, it is easier for us to trust and be open and honest with them. (also why I LOVE our pedi and my MW & the OBs she works with).

oh- and the picture.. I finished a new pair of shorties for Colin! they need elastic though.

5.22.2007

Get the Muck out of my Garden!

First of all.. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US! 8 years today!

The boys and I built a little flower bed around the mailbox & lamppost on Saturday. The Clematis ressurected itself from being weed wacked last summer and the impatients were from mothers day. eventually that whole triangle of lawn will be garden. I am just going to slowly make the garden bigger and add more perrenials as I get them (ie when mom divides them!)

I'm also working on a top secret knit/crochet item.. all will be revealed in due time

Sunday, after soccer, we were ROASTING so I set up the kiddie pool... the water must have been cold b/c they were pretending to be penguins.. I have a feeling that it isn't going to be exciting enough for the big guys this year.. we may look for something wiht a slide or sprinkler attached I also put C in his swim dipe and SPF shirt and let him splash.. WAY to cold to let him go in the "big" pool! I think I may sell this dipe. I made it before I bought the shirt and they clash SOOO bad! I have since made some blue ones...

and now for my regualrly scheduled rant:

We had Andy's PPT last week. I am not going to go into details here, BUT he did test out of ST! no suprise there - he's been asking if he can stop, which tells me he isn't getting anything out of it anymore... BUT he still went 2 days later! ??? he is being exited from SE. fine. what about the rest of the goals he had on his IEP? and what about his test results? it did show behavioral issues (I can't be specific b/c WE STILL DO NOT HAVE A COPY 1 WEEK LATER!) shouldn't he have an IEP to deal with the behavioral issues? their reasoning is "we'll deal with it in class" umm ok I asked HOW not WHERE! we are now trying to pry a copy of the test results away from teh school to go over them and make some suggestions. he needs consistancy between home and school. SO aggrevating! we are trying to get him into a "multiage" class which is 1st and 2nd graders combined. great place for a kid with great academics and not so great social skills. they are explicitly taught in the MA class! as well as having older peers in the room! we visited the class after the PPT. the teacher was SO excited to be teaching these kids (with only 1 moth left f the year!) and the kids were VERY excited to show off what they could do! the kids are taught at their own level and encouraged to work together! they like to put siblings togeher too, so there is a possibility that A&R can be in the same class in a couple years!

Colin goes back to the ENT for a follow up tomorrow. he has been eating and sleeping great! I am anxious to hear what she has to say!

I crocheted him a pair of shorties and neglected to photo them yet, so it'll have to wait. but I also knit a version of them in the same colorway for a client. it'll be neat to see them together! next time.

5.16.2007

just for fun!

You Are 84% A Child of the 80s

There's hardly a moment of the 80s that you missed out on.
Was there ever a better decade? As if!

Are You a Child of an 80s?

and here is a BIG I wish! I'd be at my goal weight!

You Should Weigh 135

If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight.
If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon!

How Much Do You Weigh?

5.15.2007

HAPPY RED BIRTHDAY ANDY!

Andy is 6. his favorite color is no longer orange - it is red. he changes his favorite color on his birhthday. he has done this since his 4th birthday. we have NO idea why! he knows it isn't normal and he know he doesn't have to - but he wants to. He had his party at the MA school on Saturday! He got to bow e/o in and out AND e/o (incl daddy!) had to bow to him! how cool is that? we also got him a punching bag to practice his moves on. He is also getting a copy of his book (see the sidebar!) tonight - as well as his very first chapter book!

Party Pics- click to enlarge! my camera battery died, but my FIL took plenty of pics. I'll have to scan them when I get copies though.

5.08.2007

Disturbing

I just read a post on the Vegan Doc's blog that made my stomach turn.
http://veganheartdoc.blogspot.com/2007/05/vegan-parents-starve-child.html

appearantly a uneducated and seriously misguided couple killed their infant by feeding him their take on a vegan diet. those of you who read this regularly know the ordeal I went through with Colin and getting his weight back on track. it was really hard, but we actually took him to the pedi.. and 2 specalists and did EVERYTHING in our power to help him get better. I could NOT imagine sitting back and watching him waste away and do NOTHING to help him. wasn it obvious that what they were doing wasnt' working??? the grandmother commented that he didnt cry more than any other baby... well do you think it could be b/c he was to friggin weak to cry??????

FWIW- although Todd and I are omnivores, Colin is still vegan. in fact all of my kids were vegan until 9-12mo...

Speaking of Colins health, he had to go to the pedi yesterday. his nose was running like a faucet (first time ever - now that his nasal passages are open...) and he was coughing and feverish. he had 2 breathing treatments and prednisone before he was OK to go home. he is now on prednisone, albuterol, and amoxil. Not sure WHY he is on antibiotics if ti is allergies and he is BF'd. not to mention that I am HIGHLY allergic to it and they were supposed to note the chart that although none of the kids have reacted to it, I have a severe contact reaction and it is NOT supposed to be in our house! yes, I did put a call into the dr. they are swamped right now and she is supposed to call me back.

Ryan is on Allegrea b/c he is having a tough time with spring, and Andy is still on his Singulair, but still coughing a bit. he coughed until he vomited 2x over the w/e :( Is the pollen done yet??? I think it is tree pollen getting all of us.