Still here

Yes, I'm still here. It's been quite eventful since the leaving the house episode with James. That night, I was a little nauseated (which we attribted to that incident, I jst lost the key for one of the vowels, so I'll have to elimate it) and my lower back was sore. Alex attributed the pain to back spasms so I just took some ibuprofen and went to bed. I rested on sunday so I wouldn't be in pain on Monday. Well......if I hit the u key hard enough, it works....Anyways, at 430 am on wednesday I woke up with severe chills. And I mean severe. The kind that go straight through you and make you shake and won't go away. That after a few hours lent its way to severe heat and a fever of 102. Thinking it was the flu I stayed in bed with the boys far away. Apparently the new flu this season isn't being caught by the vaccine shots because it's a different strand. Anyways, the dr's office was understaffed and overbooked and ER visits aren't high on our list, we did manage to wait to see the dr till about 5pm. Meanwhile, I'm shaking, can't walk well, feel totally nauseated and in the worst pain. My childbirthing wasn't this bad. This dr thought the flu but couldn't do the test, so he sent us 20 minutes north the urgent care place. I was the last one there so they were very nice and pleasant. It was determined that after 1 bag of IV fluid and high white blood count and negative flu test.... I had a kidney infection. So, they gave me an antibiotic and off I went. Meanwhile, Alex had both boys in the waiting room and it was close to 9 pm. Both did amazingly well. Did you know that to test for the flu, they stick a qtip up your nose really far??? Yea...it doesn't feel so good.

Anyways, 3 days I was in bed, 2 days I was sort of up but mostly down and day 6 and 7 were better. I'm still tired and recovering, but that was the worst. So, what did I do to get that? I don't know, but I know am on the lookout for bladder infections and UTI's. So that back pain was my kidneys but who wouldn't known??? Anyways, Alex did great with the boys and I was lucky to have him home to take care of them.

Wishin' he would talk....

Well, my almost 27 month old still won't use words. He communicates though and his comprehension is great. He can follow directions and makes sounds for things like helicopters, elephants, etc. Apparently, I didn't talk till 2 1/2 so maybe it's genetic. Anyways, Alex and I were headed out to the College of Charleston's basketball game on Thursday night, and it was nothing out of the ordinary. Rachel the babysitter arrived and when we left, James was standing at the door looking out. We get about 2-3 miles down the road when Rachel calls. "James went out the front door and I can't find him". So, I told her he might have gone over to my in-law's house since he knows the way. So, she runs outside and sees Bobby, my 12 year old brother-in-law who looks at Rachel funny because she's holding Ryan and he doesn't recognize her. He says "yeah, i've seen James. He's in our house" Well, we were at their house, but we weren't anymore. Kevin and Betsy were gone so Bobby was there with the sitter. anyways, some guy in a car drives by and asks if she's looking for a little boy who was up the street and some neighbor lady was sitting with him. So....James can open the front door, walk down the stairs and up the street. Needless to say, my stomach was nauseous all night even though he was fine. But now all the doors are locked to keep him in. We're not sure which neighbor lady had him, but thank goodness she did. So, I wonder what was in his head. Did he see us leave that way and went looking for us? There's a bulldozer down the street, did he go looking for that? I'm not sure, but I wish I knew...

And Brothers too...

It has been brought to my attention that I neglected to add brothers to my thankful list. It was not intentional, so here is my ode to brothers -

I am thankful for brothers, even though they're bossy. I am thankful for them because they are there when you need them, and sometimes more. I don't get to see my brothers often, but when I do, we have a great time. I'm thankful for my brother Scott because he brought Ela into our family and also 3 great little kids. I am also thankful that he didn't sue me when I backed into his Thunderbird. I'm thankful for Jimmy for naming his kitten after our dearly past Tigger and also for not knowing his cat was roaming the neighborhood getting pregnant and when she had her baby, Jimmy kept her or him.

So, there you have it. I am thankful for brothers.

Little Things

I am inspired to write this email from my friend Julia, who wrote a bunch of things she was thankful for on her blog:

Things I am thankful for -
1. Little boys
2. Little laughing boys
3. Poopy diapers (because that means he's not constipated)
4. Wipes - to get those diapers after one has eaten a bunch of cheese
5. Disney movies and DVD players - to keep the little ones content
6. Grandmas - to watch the children so I could do a few errands by myself
7. Husbands - who write me love letters
8. Sisters - for supporting me and sharing in my joys
9. For mothers - for always being there
10. For dads - for just being dads
11. For friends - for providing frienship, fun and support
12. For house cleaners and babysitter - Need I say more?!
13. For cats who run over keyboards and pop off the letter keys - because it makes us remember that "This too shall pass"


I am very thankful this Valentine's day for all these things and more. But typing on a keyboard with missing keys is very difficult, so this will end. Happy Valentine's Day!

Updates

Well, for those of you keeping up with our household, things appear to be turning around. Although writing this blog might change that :) Anyways, Ryan is doing well on this ProSobee soy formula. James is sleeping again till about 7 and Ryan is sleeping till about then also. It's a miracle!! However, Ryan got the 2nd half of his flu shot yesterday, so he's a bit warm and sleepy. But, he's eating and he's pleasant, so what else can I expect. Also, the nasty flu stomach bug is making its way around Charleston, so hopefully we won't have to deal with that. We've been blessed with the lack of stomach bugs in this house!!

So, we're making it day by day. We're still waiting on the permit to continue working on our new house but we're hoping to get it this week with no problems. Although Alex feels like we're not through with the permitting process yet. Keep praying that we'll be able to continue our work and get the house completed within the next few months!

Sheep in a Jeep

Just a fun picture.

Bath Time

Nothing too exciting, but the boys had their first bath together last night. I bought this baby seat that hooks to the side of the tub so the baby can sit in the tub and play. We have a pretty decent children's consignment shop that sells some cool stuff. Anyways, Ryan really liked splashing around without being held. James just ignored Ryan except when he was pouring water on his head and face. James also likes to drink the water. Anyways, it was a cute time and nobody was screaming. So, that made it extra special.

Thank Goodness for Tears

Sometimes, all it takes is some tears to get some attention. I finally took Ryan to the doctors, AGAIN, for the same problem. However, I was so worn down that as soon as the Dr asked what was going on, the tears came. The good news is, he is now a little more proactive in finding out what is making Ryan uncomfortable. He's guessing that he has subtle acid reflux and to switch to a soy based formula that is milk free and lactose free. If that doesn't work, then he will give him some medicine for acid reflux. There seems to be some improvement, but Ryan is still getting 1/2 regular formula mixed with 1/2 soy. So, we're hoping the next few days really improve and we don't have to get into any medicine.

First Injuries

Well, I must say that I've always been impressed with our lack of injuries. James doesn't have an eccentric side for adventure, so we never had too many scratches or bumps. Ryan on the other hand, prefers to throw himself at

things and doesn't let much stand in his way. At 7 months he is moving around pretty fast on his hands and knees and attempts to climp up and over everything. The other day I had some diaper boxes on the floor and James was pushing them around. While Ryan was chasing James, he decided to stand up while holding onto the boxes and start walking around. Well, me in my not so good wisdom, took James into the other room for a minute and then I heard a bump and cry. I go in the kitchen to find Ryan laying on his back crying. When I picked him up I realized he had a bloody mark with the markings of a blue bruise. Amazingly, this has turned into a little scap, thank goodness. But this in addition to the 3" bruise on his thigh that I gave him while pulling him out of the highchair is a little heart-wrenching for this mom. But he's fine. Just crawling around trying to eat electrical cords.