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!

Finny is Seven Months Old

We interrupt our regularly scheduled postings (about sickness!) to bring you Finley's 7-month post!

 

This baby is a trip. I don't really know how else to describe him. He has so much personality and is already a little mischievous. I bet you can tell it from the pictures below. The last month has been such a blur that I might as well erase February from my year. In fact, this month has always been my least favorite month (and it's my birth month! go figure...). This February just put the nail in the coffin for all other Februaries. Does that make sense? Probably not...just nod your head and smile. I am ready for March. TOMORROW.

 

But over the past month we have seen a lot of changes in Finley. He started sitting up shortly after his 6 month mile-marker and there has been no going back. In fact, he will not lie down. The child has never (to my knowledge) rolled back-to-belly. But he is starting to try to get to quadruped positioning ("all 4s" for you non PT types) from sitting...the beginning of learning to crawl. Say What? I know why...he wants what his brother has (toys, hair, mobility...). And he tries to take what his brother has too. The boys have already begun a tug-of-war over certain toys and it's funny to watch Finn's little hands paddle as fast as they can at the toys Keagan has. It won't be funny for long, I fear. Finn is "grabby Sam" and will reach out with one or both hands for anything and everything. And his accuracy impresses me. There is no "batting" at things to get it, he aims and grabs all in one fell swoop. And then most everything goes directly into his mouth. I really think teeth are right around the corner.

 

Finley weighs 20lbs 1oz (he had a doctor appt yesterday - on his 7 month marker day - another double ear infection). He is a chunker. But he is long, too. He is starting to outgrow some of his 9-month outfits and jammies. He is a great nurser still...well, he is quick and efficient (say, 3-5 minutes a side)...but he is still ultra distracted. He has finally started to sleep through the night, but we are still working on this. It doesn't help that he has had 3 ear infections in the last month or so. He is eating "solids" twice a day. He really only likes yogurt, cereal, and sweet potatoes. He hates applesauce. He will tolerate green beans, pears, peas, and turkey...but I have to be the one to feed him and I have to catch him in a good mood. Even then, I generally have to trick him into eating it.

 

Likes: Singing to mommy, pulling hair, bouncing in the exersaucer, Keagan's trains, kissing on mommy, falling asleep in someone's arms (but not mine!), petting Oscar, playing in Keagan's room, bathtime, going for walks in his stroller, his Bubba (Keagan), balloons, mommy's left arm during diaper changes (he snuggles and kisses me...so cute), being held all.the.time., sweet potatoes, peek-a-boo 

 

Dislikes: being left alone, seeing mommy walk away (even if someone is holding him), being denied a toy/food/held, sitting in his carseat if the car isn't going, medicine, grocery shopping (this is not only unfortunate but inconvenient), Bumbo seat, tummy time, eye and nose drops, applesauce, putting his arms into sleeves

Here's a little video of Finn's favorite activity. Yes, my videography skills suck. Yes, I am jumping with camera in-hand to encourage Finn to bounce. No, the quality isn't great. But if you aren't dizzy by the half-way point and can watch the end, I realize what I am doing and stop jumping. And things improve...