Eight. Is Great!

Finley is 8 months old. What the wha???? Ha! During some reflection time the other night (i.e. "me-time" while I took a shower after the boys were in bed) I realized that Finn is 4 months shy of being a year old. And it made me cry. It really isn't fair that babies grow and change so rapidly, all the while the momma is losing sleep and has a tough time enjoying the baby stages. Maybe "tough" isn't the right word...but you know what I mean. I would love love love to have energy and not be so fatigued so I could even more enjoy these fleeting baby moments.

Finley is really such a joy. He is a very happy baby most of time and he loves to catch your eye and smile. It is special and heart-warming. The rest of the time the child is a bear. And it isn't his fault. He has lived with an ear infection since the first week of January. At the doctor yesterday we learned he still has infected ears (yep, two!) and the antibiotics are not doing the job. He is on his 5th round of antibiotics and we now have a consult with an ENT to discuss tubes. I am anxious to get this done because I know that Finn will finally have some relief. Like I said, he is a pretty happy baby, but when he is sad/mad I am certain our neighbors can hear it and there is NOTHING that makes him happy (not even a boob). And I am finally not in denial about it: he just plain hurts. I do find that I beat myself up over it, over letting this go on for so long. But then I know you don't just jump right into surgery at the sight of the first ear infection. But the child has had straight ear infections since he had RSV in January, with no break. See? I go back and forth. I am sad for him and I can do nothing for him at this point but love on him and try to remind myself to be sensitive to his cries because he likely hurts.

OK, so enough about that. Baby Finn is well-adored by his brother and the feeling is mutual. I stand in awe of this daily because it amazes me just how strong their bond is already. But just as strong as their bond is their desire to play with each other's toys. And this often causes screeches and screams from both. It's kinda funny, really. And the bickering also expands to the dinner table. Where they "argue" over food, napkins, silverware, etc...you see Finley is a grabby-Sam and has arms like his momma and can reach just about anything within a 3 foot radius. It's amazing really. And he grabs at his brother's stuff constantly. Speaking of food, Finley is eating just about everything now. We've started him on finger foods (puffs) but he hasn't figured them out just yet. Occasionally he will get one to his mouth on accident but it usually comes right back out, a soggy mess. The other night I did notice him chewing on one though. I haven't found a food he absolutely detests yet, once he gets used to it. The kid even likes the potted meats in baby food jars (I am making my own food again but I can't do the meats...makes me gag more than just opening the jar). And he absolutely adores ice cream. Yep, I am that momma. And I don't feel a bit bad.

From a motor development standpoint, I thought Finley was on the verge of crawling, but he isn't. And I am A-okay with this. Two mobile kids is worse than one. He'll get close to getting on all-4s but pretty much doesn't know what to do once there (and I can set him in this position but he freezes!). He's a great sitter and has awesome trunk strength and reaches way outside his base of support to grab at things (thus the brotherly fighting). He can nearly come to a sitting position from laying down by using his abs...it's hilarious. He is huge and chunky, but is more solid than roly-poly. Keagan had fat-rolls in the middle of his arms but Finley does not. He is long and solid.  He even kind of has a neck. Keagan didn't have a neck til he was two! At the doctor yesterday he was 20lbs 11oz. Finn now has two teeth, both on the bottom. They really are only visible when he is screaming. But I fear (yes, fear. this child is not a pleasant teether...but I guess it could be those darn ears?!) that we are getting some top ones soon. He is so drooly and chews on everything.

Favorite toys: anything that Keagan is playing with, his singing airplane from Grandma, his raz-berry chewy thingy (looks like a paci), his soccer ball that sings from Aunt Stacey, empty water bottles (his absolute fave)

Pictures and fun from the last month:

One of the most peaceful faces. I hope this image is in my memory forever!

 Big enough to sit in a high chair now!!

 

Snuggles with Daddy. Unfortunately any rare snuggly moments with mommy aren't documented. But they are extremely few and far between. Jealous, much? Yup.

 

Trying on hats and shoes from one of Keagan's bins...we've had to dig into the 12-month size clothes but they are all summer. Sooooo, we are bridging the season gap with whatever we can find right now! This child is massive. HA! 

 

How he typically hangs out with Mommy. The child must be held 24/7 and so this is how I hold him so I can have a couple arms free. He LOVES it. This is how I also tote Finn during Keagan's soccer games and practices...and he really will hang out for hours like this. My back, on the other hand, gives in quicker! 

 

Finally, actual 8-month photo shoot. Quickie-pics before work one morning. He was not a happy camper, but honestly this is how he has been the past several weeks (or months, really!).

 Classic: diggin' at the ol' ear.

 Another typical scene in our house these days...a face only a momma can love. And boy do I love it! 

 And finally, two teeth. One more visible than the other.

Here's hoping this next month is a pleasant one for you, sweet baby! One with less discomfort and more laughter than tears. And maybe more sleep. I still love you, though. :)

Yea...I'm a bit behind.

So I pretty much suck. I really just haven't had time to blog and am still barely keeping my head above water. But I think that if the weather would improve so would my mood, efficiency, and maybe even my extra-curriculars (like blogging). A quick update on my kids. Keagan has been much better. He is still on breathing treatments (inhaled steroid) and will be for the long-term for asthma like symptom prevention. But we are learning to make this part of our routine. He seems to be feeling better overall. Finn continues to battle ear infections and, although we just finished a fourth round of (different) antibiotics, he is still clawing at his ears so I am certain he still has one. Both boys have a follow-up appointment on Wednesday and I am anxious about it.

Anyways, since I have pretty much been a blogging loser, here are some pics over the last, ahem, month. I am gonna try and do better. But please don't hold me to this.

My little St. Patty's Day boys!

 

Opening a care package from Grandma and Grandpa in Texas. These boys were ultra excited!

Keagan has shown some interest in soccer over the past several months so we thought we would try that this Spring. He is, of course, the smallest and youngest on the team (by about a year and a half). Here are some pictures from his second soccer practice. He was actually participatory this day. This hasn't happened since. He had his first game on Saturday and I brought my camera but forgot to put the SD card back in my camera (classic). It didn't matter though because we were too busy redirecting Keagan (and that's putting it gently) to take pictures.

Another sweet video of Keagan playing with his brother. Their interactions are really so special to me. I am so thankful they have each other!



And finally, Keagan likes to watch Thomas videos (imagine that) and Finley has started getting pretty excited about them too. It's hilarious!

 My littlest boy turns 8 months tomorrow. If I can slow down long enough to take some pictures I might (MIGHT) have a blog for you at the end of the week! ;)

Sick Dayssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

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Did you get that? Yep, Not just one sick day. Not even two or three. Too many sick days to count! I do, think, however that our remaining sick days are numbered and hopefully next week we will all return to normal. Unfortunately for Keagan, he won't even get a chance to go back to school until Thursday of this week, and we don't even know if that will happen!

I don't know where to begin...for, our family has seriously been sick (from stomach bug to RSV to sinus infection to strep and all in between) since the first week of December. When I say we haven't had a healthy week since December, I am not trying to throw a pity party, I am serious (though I am pretty tired of it and have complained to anyone who would listen...). So, I guess I will start at last weekend because that's when the sh*t hit the fan, so to speak. We were all seeming to be on the road to health Friday, but then the kids were up several times through the night friday night. Josh had to work the weekend (24 hours in two days) and when Saturday morning rolled around all I wanted was to be locked in a hotel room, by myself, to sleep. I was exhausted. Keagan managed to knock a kitchen chair down upon himself, bruising his cheek and cutting the inside of his lip. (Could've been worse..) And then Finley face-planted into 4 inches of water when I had the bright idea to bathe the boys together. If you've ever had a slippery baby fall face first into water you know the sick feeling it elicits. And it was probably only a split-second. I couldn't handle it anymore. I was in tears. I was feeling like I was at the bottom of a very steep mountain, looking up. Josh works every third weekend, so it's not like this is my first time being alone with them. But I wasn't managing well. (Hindsight: I was getting pretty sick myself). I don't like to ask for help, I don't want people to think I cannot handle my own kids (especially since I do want more..). But reinforcements needed to be called in. And thank God they were.

My in-laws came in Saturday afternoon, cooked dinner for us, played with the boys, and I got out of the house for a bit to re-group. Sunday morning we awoke to Finley having red, goopy eyes, Keagan acting very pitiful, coughing and throwing up (b/c of coughing), and I was feeling a lot of sinus pressure. Everyone was pitiful. Keagan quit eating, wouldn't even eat ice cream. Upon inspection, his throat was really red and swollen. Gama and Poppy stuck around until after Finley was in bed. I assumed I would be taking Keagan to the doctor Monday (just so you know, we had just been at the doctor twice the week prior). Keagan woke up and seemed better, so to school he and Finn went...but Tuesday was a different story...

Poppy loves his Buddha-baby

 

 I snapped this pic of Keagan mid-meltdown. Poor kid hasn't felt good for so long!

Gama and drooly-Finn

Pitiful Pus...makes me sad to look back at these pictures. I had no idea just how sick he was.

 Keagan has biiiiig shoes to fill!

 After I nearly drowned him.

 

Saying good-bye to his Gama and Poppy. He was so sad to see them go! 

Monday night I decided to try to get him to eat ANYTHING...enter ol'fashioned orange push-pops! (Poppy reminded me of these...) Keagan loved it...and Finn got a small little taste, too!

 ...so Tuesday rolled around. I had to work, but Josh took Keagan to the doctor. It worked out that I was able to meet him after seeing a patient, and boy! am I glad I went. Keagan was first diagnosed with strep throat. But when the doctor listened to his lungs and heard him coughing she got concerned. She asked us about breathing treatments (we were occasionally doing them because of the RSV from the week before), then brought in a pulse-ox to check his oxygen levels. His blood-oxygen saturation level was only 90%. His lungs were not pushing air through his body effectively. The nurse scared us, said we weren't going home but would likely be admitted to the hospital. The doctor came back and we did a breathing treatment...brought it back up to 93%. He also had a chest x-ray which showed pneumonia in both lungs. She let us leave...by the skin of our teeth...said we were dependable and would do just what we needed to and she trusted us. We were sent home with two antibiotics and strict orders to monitor his oxygen-saturation and breathing treatments every 4 hours (around the clock)...

 Ice cream soothes the throat...and is one of the only things he had eaten in 48 hours

 

Blue tongue...not from oxygen deprivation but a blue sucker! Though the greyish skin tone and blue lips from the sucker made him look about dead. We have finally seen color come back in his little cheeks over the last week! 

Tuesday and Wednesday I had just about had enough of the sickness. Well, no "just about" about it. I had had enough. I completely disinfected and sanitized the house, toys, sheets and bedding.

Playing with Bubby during a breathing treatment. Finn really wants to play with his brother's mask!

Crafting...this never happens b/c my creativity level is zilch. But I drummed up some creative juice and copied a "tunnel" I saw on the internet for Keagan's cars and trains. He loved it.

So where are we now? Well, we are all still in our jammies. We have had two other doctor's appointments since Tuesday and Keagan has made improvements in his blood-oxygen saturation. He is playing better and is "pinking" up in his skin. He is starting to eat better, too. I was really hopeful at Friday's appointment that Keagan would be able to return to school on Monday. Unfortunately, he wasn't clearing the infection as quickly as the doctor had hoped and not only is he not allowed to return to school just yet but we are still on aggressive breathing treatments, even through the night. We are incredibly exhausted. Albuterol makes Keagan nuts...he was actually doing the hand motions for "the wheels on the bus" during the 4:00am treatment...but I think he was asleep! He is jittery and wild and I am feeling defeated and exhausted. Finley was diagnosed on Wednesday with a third double-ear infection and is on antibiotics again. He isn't sleeping well either. Not sure why, could just be him. We have a check-up next week on that and I am praying that he gets a full clean bill of health. Keagan goes back to the doctor this Wednesday for another lung check. I am praying he can go back to school Thursday. He has been asking to play with his friends. Tomorrow Poppy is coming to play with Keagan and Finn is going to school, I am dying to get out of the house and work a little bit. Josh and I are finally feeling better...both of us had sinus infections (or something) and are finishing up antibiotics and a steroid dose pack. Spring is just around the corner...I am hoping to see some light at the end of this sick-tunnel, maybe as early as this week! And maybe, just maybe, I can quit complaining to my friends and writing blog posts about how sick my family is!