Good News FINALLY!

Well, today was the day we went to the ENT and I was almost 100% sure he would say TUBES! But he didn't!

He looked over Matt, which he looks the worst he has in a long time. His skin is cracked and bleeding and sore and I can't do anything about it other than cream him up more (that's the part that sucks). ANYWAY, looked him over and said that he thinks the ear infections are stemming from the nose problem. His nose and sinuses aren't draining properly and that is causing it to back up into the ears and cause the infections! They did a nose swab, which I have decided is the cruelest thing you could ever do to a kid by the way, and I get those results next week some time. They also did x-rays on him to see what his sinuses looked like and they had air in them (That's a good thing!) and his adnoids weren't blocking his nasal passage as he thought they might be. He said that the x-ray looked a lot better than he expected it to.

SO! This means we are on another antibiotic until Monday or Tuesday and then depending on the culture of the nose, where we go from there depends on that. It could mean antibiotics until allergy testing on Dec. 28! This means no tubes or removal of adnoids until after the allergy doctor IF we need to do it at all! (This makes me very happy!)

It basically just all sounds like it is all stemming back to the allergies. This gives me hope though that it is treatable once it is narrowed down and we get this all figured out. Now, my hope is for a SIMPLE allergy and not some complex thing!

So we see Dr. K in a few days and Dr. Murphy at the end of the month. Then I think I just might sleep for a couple weeks straight!

I've heard it all!

Andrew has fought us to go to bed for forever now. We end up putting him in bed 10 times before he finally goes to sleep!

Last night was no different. At one point he came out and asked if he could sleep on the couch. When we asked as to why his reply was...

"I don't know how to sleep!"

We reminded him and he was off to bed...again!

Stay tuned for the boys' first trip to Cabela's.

Cookie Monster

Andrew has been on this kick lately about getting different food items so his dad can take them with him to work. They range from cookies, to pizza, to processed cheese, to one little package of pop tarts.

So after thinking that they sounded good and getting the supplies ready we spent Monday night making chocolate chip cookies for dad...who got to come home on Monday! The boys helped me and fingers were in stuff constantly. I guess that is why they turned out so good! Needless to say dad got fresh cookies when he got home!

Andrewisms

I know that Andrew-isms is not a real word, but I just thought that it fit for everything that he comes up with.

On Monday the boys went to Norfolk with me and we were up at school and as we were pulling into the parking lot Andrew goes..."Mom, I can't go to school...I forgot my books!"

As I was logging on to my e-mail Andrew was doing something and he was trying to get my attention and do to exhaustion and trying to do the e-mail he goes..."Mom! Pay attention!"

Then if that wasn't good enough, tonight I was flipping through pictures of things and Tim and his deer came up. Andrew asked, "Mom, why did that deer get shot?" I said..."Because Tim shot it." His reply..."That's stupid!"

I can't forget to mention that he crawls up next to me tonight and asks..."Mom, what is Santa Claus bringing for me?" And when I answered with..."I don't know." He replied with a great big sigh...I guess that means I am a disappointment!

And as good as all those are, we were driving back from Mariclaire and Bob's tonight and he asked if Great Grandma stilled lived at her house (the assisted living). I told him no and that she now lived where mommy worked. HE asked if she would move back when she go better and I said..."No probably not." His reply..."Don't worry mommy...she'll get better!"

A 3-year-old doesn't miss much that's for sure.

Too funny not to share!

Last night I was working on a couple of nursing school projects when I hear Andrew come down the stairs, asking me if he can chew gum. Saying..."Mom, this is my favorite gum, can I have it, please mom it is my favorite gum." I kept typing until the "gum" was in my nose.

I look at the "gum" and it was a colorfully wrapped Trojan, back from when Matt was born and we didn't want to have child number three right away!

I about fell off my chair laughing and asked him where he found it and sure enough...right where I thought they weren't anymore. I thought that we had donated the rest of them to Luke and Michelle's cause.

So I walked him upstairs...still laughing hysterically and had him ask his father...who was also on the floor practically laughing. They had already discussed this topic.

I explained it was for mommy and daddy's and it wasn't gum and asked him if he was a mommy or daddy. He said..."No, but I like gum!"

Part of this story is almost too embarrassing to admit, but my good word it was worth a chuckle.

Wrap sheet...

I had to type up a summary of Matt's doctor's appointments and treatments since school started. No big deal right? I mean I kept pretty good track of them so I could regurgitate it from one doctor to the next...I have gotten very good at just asking for copies of records to take back and forth with me.

Anyway, 2 pages later, in 10 pt print, single spaced... I am done. I can't believe what this kid has been through the last THREE months! No wonder we never have extra money!

I guess that is what you have to do though to get him healthy!

"Deer" Siting

For the last couple of weeks, Andrew has been talking about going deer hunting because he got to go scouting with Uncle Tim and Papa Shoe one day. He pulled out his camo shorts and was already for deer season.

This morning he was upset to learn that Uncle Tim was out hunting without him. So instead he went deer hunting inside. He put the extensions of my vacuum together and walked around the house looking and waiting for his deer...gun in hand!

About 5 p.m. Tim showed up at my house with a gutted buck. Andrew went out side to check it out and I think was a little surprised to see all the blood and that the deer technically...wasn't petable! I tried to get him to take a picture with Uncle Tim and his deer. This is what I got instead...

Mean tatooed men!

Andrew has been telling us the last few days that he wants a tatoo just like dads...except he wants a DINOSAUR! So last night I went against all my mother's and most likely Jason's mother's teaching and was a "cool" mom for a couple of minutes.

We giggled through the whole thing and then went in and surprised Dad! You can't really see it, but it is supposed to look like dads! Now he wants two more to match the other two dad has.

He keeps telling us that he can have one when he turns 4. I correct him and tell him 18. Hopefully he will forget about it by then!

The other picture is of the artist and her victim...I don't think you can really call me an artist.

At their expense!

For some reason...which I am sure there is a logical one, the box elder bugs have been thicker than snot around here lately. Every once in awhile a couple get in the house.

Andrew was the first to discover them and went screaming like a little girl away from them...Matthew on the other hand took after them full boar and was grabbing at them and I believe might have eaten one as well. Matt picks them up and lets them crawl all over him and then throws them, it's kind of funny.

Last night Matt was being entertained by one. He was sitting on the floor minding his own business driving the bug up a wall when Andrew comes after the bug with a SHOE! Crazy kid...Andrew was freaking out trying to kill the bug and Matt was looking at him like..."What the heck are you doing!"

Another day...another dr. visit!

Once again I had to take Matthew to the doctor. It seems like we should just have a standing appointment by this time. He ran a fever all day yesterday and at its highest it was 103.4. So we just kept rotating the Tylenol and Motrin, which in all honesty, you shouldn't give your kids either! Not unless you want it to slowly eat away at your child's GI tract! That is what I learned in Pharm anyway! But with everything I have learned...I still use it!

Anyway...Dr. Pete confirmed what I knew was the cause...ear infection...4th since July! I looked at him and said... "this is getting a little excessive ya know!" As if I really had to tell him that! He agreed and I asked him about putting tubes in Matt's ears. Jason had to do it and so did my sister. Not that this is a must but a person has to start considering all the other side effects from too many ear infections.

So the date is Nov. 30 and luckily, Dr. Nabity comes to O'Neill! I am hoping this helps with his speech as well.

On that note...Matthew had my cell phone this morning and walks up to me, hands it to me and says..."Dad!" So I did as he asked and called Jason for him. He jabbered to his dad for 5 minutes before my cell phone started dying...damn thing! We are still trying to decipher what he was talking about!

Quick Learner

After a day of clinicals I came home real quick to take the boys trick or treating as Jason was in Minnesota working.

After each house Andrew would get back in the car and say..."Mom, I need more candy!" He was find with the candy he received, but thought he needed more.

Matt quickly learned that people were putting good stuff into his pumpkin and took a nose dive the floor of the car to retrieve the pumpkin with goodies. The picture is of him discovering that there was some good stuff in that pumpkin.

By the way...did you know kids get money these days? Well...thanks to Grandma Janice anyway!