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Sleep for the sick and teething

Posted on October 12, 2007 4:45 pm by TheAngelForever

The last few days both boys have been fighting sleep. They don’t want to nap and are restless when they finally go to sleep. Yesterday was particularly bad for JSL. Thanks to teething (I can feel those suckers on the front bottom under the gums) he’s miserable. He wants to nurse often since he can’t nurse long thanks to the pressure and he wants to be held. He didn’t want to sleep. In order to help NHL with something I had to put him in his crib with heavy eyelids. So I put him in and he flipped to his back. I left him like that and put on the noise machine with waves. Here is the end result after a little while.

Tired JSL fell asleep listening to waves

Today NHL was a basket case. He’s been cooped up in the house since Saturday night, except for a quick trip to the doctor on Wednesday (same here except for 3 other mini-trips to get things at the store or NHL’s new school). He would not listen to me and refused to sleep. After much crying he fell asleep in his bed, had a nightmare and then I carried him to the couch in the living room. Here’s how he is right now:

NHL sleeps after a week home sick

Hopefully something will happen with JSL’s teeth to ease his pain. Mind you I am not looking forward to chompers when nursing, but he’s so miserable. And we’re hoping that NHL can get rid of this fever. The antibiotic seems to be helping his wheezing (along with the other medication he’s taking), but who knows about the ears since he still has a fever. I just know it’s doing a number on his GI system.

C’est Moi

Categories:
jsl losing my mind nhl photos sick kid teething

Sick NHL = Tired Mommy & Daddy

Posted on October 10, 2007 9:40 pm by TheAngelForever

Sick kids are NO fun! Especially when you have to sit and watch them as they are miserable. This is why I have not been able to blog for a while now.

NHL has not felt good since Sunday. Monday he was really congested and lethargic, but no fever. Monday night he woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. He stayed home with JSL and I Tuesday. This complicated matters since I was supposed to head to the school district for a meeting about NHL and his new school. Last night at 2:00 he woke up hysterical and burning up. He couldn’t stop coughing and ended up tossing his cookies from the ick he was hacking up.

JL and I freaked out since he was not responding to us. He looked like he did before he had the febrile seizure. I quickly called my parents and they were here within 15 minutes. While waiting for them I went to JSL and found him with a receiving blanket twisted around his head (can’t put that in there anymore since he rolls). I panicked and thank goodness he was fine.

My father helped to hold JSL who was hungry since he fell asleep at 6:40 (teething is wiping him out badly). Mom helped us to do a steam shower to open NHL’s airways. He was shivering and hysterical. We then took him to out bed to do a Fever All suppository since we didn’t think he would keep Motrin down. It took all three of us to hold him and get it done. About an hour later we gave him Motrin since the temperature was going up again.

He finally went to sleep close to 4:30 in our bed and was soaked from the fever breaking. At that point we fell asleep and the alarm went off at 6:00. JL opted to stay home since the boys have been up the last three nights and he was exhausted.

We took NHL to see the doctor at 11:30. She was great. She was able to look in his ears and immediately told us they were both infected and red. Then listened to his chest and told us the croup also had a wheeze and he had bronchitis. So he’s on an antibiotic and Muscinex since we don’t want to do albuterol now. She also suggested taking his temperature rectally – ummm. . . . I DON’T THINK SO!!!! He’s 4 and too darn strong to fight. So we sucked it up and got an ear thermometer per her suggestion.

Kudos to Target for understanding kids. We went there since it was by the doctor’s office and fell in love with the pharmacy. They not only flavor medications for free, they also have incentives for kids. They handed NHL a chart and stickers to mark off each time he takes his medicine (3 times a day for 10 days). Once it is filled up he can bring it in for a prize. You know a mom must have come up with this. Hey it works and he’s been great with it.

Now I am off to try to get JSL who is a miserable teething mess to bed. NHL will be home with me again tomorrow and we’re debating Friday since he starts his new nursery school Monday. He needs closure, but it may be worse since he hasn’t been to the school since last Thursday.

Now if only we can get more than 3-4 hours of combined sleep tonight we may be able to semi-function tomorrow. *YAWN*

C’est Moi

Categories:
customer service doctor nhl sick kid sleep

Who’s who in the ark outfit?

Posted on October 1, 2007 11:42 pm by TheAngelForever

Today I had JSL in one of NHL’s old outfits. This evening I decided to prop him on the couch to get a photo similar to one that I had of NHL in the same outfit. Here’s the comparison.

So do you know which is which?

Here are the stats about the photos.

–> NHL’s was taken 12-14-2003 when he was almost 4 months old.

–> JSL’s was taken today (10-1-2007) when he was about 4 1/2 months old.

Let me know if you can tell the difference.

C’est Moi

Categories:
jsl my boys nhl

Class Observation Friday

Posted on September 29, 2007 8:11 am by TheAngelForever

Thursday morning when JL and I took NHL to school we chatted with the principal. Apparently they didn’t think that I was serious when I said we were going to remove NHL from the school soon. I explained my reasoning to her and told her that there was NO way I would keep my child in a room where he could not be successful and get positive feedback. His behavior in and out of the classroom has changed drastically since he started there and it’s frightening I told her that his providers have told me about things and I am not happy. I asked if I could observe the class, possibly Friday. She said she would talk to NHL’s teacher to find out there schedule and call me back ASAP with a time. She basically did not want me to go during gym or any other special. Fine with me. She called back and told me 9-10 on Friday would be good.

**Please note there were other parts of the conversation that I will spare you with, but suffice to say I lost a lot of respect for the principal Thursday morning.

So, you may ask why I wanted to observe the classroom. I mean we all know it won’t be exactly the same as it is when I am not there. True, but still it would give me a sense of how things worked within this Montessori school. I basically knew NHL would act different and assumed (this is NEVER a good thing to do) the teacher would be really sweet and supportive.

Friday morning I brought NHL to school and then went home. I got milk ready for JSL to have at temple for Sukkot. JL took the little guy and went without me. I went to the school and signed in. When I got there all four of the PreK/K classes (80+ kids) were in one of the rooms for music together. I waited and the teacher came and told me it was fine to go into her room and wait by the computers. I mentioned to her that Noah knew I was coming since I thought he’d be less distracted then if I just showed up.

About 5 minutes later the kids come back into the room. The minute Noah seems me he comes casually walking over and says the following to me: "Mommy let’s go home now!" These are words I NEVER heard at daycare. This child has been away from us for the last 3 years and nothing, now his attitude is completely different.

I told him to go and work I was there to watch and see how he does things. He was clearly distracted by me, but tried. Along with this the poor kid couldn’t stop sneezing. He worked with T, one of his providers, and then wanted to do a few of the Montessori based activities. This is where my eyes widened. As NHL went to try things his teacher was on his butt all the time. She did not do this with other children in the room. Imagine this – 20 kids doing 20 different things all at once. When he took something she told him to do it a different way, or do this, or that, and his name was used so many times my head was spinning. By this point I was up and over talking with T about things that she had previously seen. NHL was working with his teacher on something. I am not kidding here, but she NEVER told him anything positive. She never said good job or nice try with anything, just kept reminding him no feet here, no that way . . . . and on and on.

I told T that I was floored with this in front of me. She agreed and told me that I had to see it to believe it. I mean if this is how he’s treated with me in the room and with one of his providers, then how is it when none of us are there? I shudder to think about it honestly.

After observing for about 30 minutes I left when T was heading out. Rather than attempt to leave NHL there I took him with me (basically my plan anyway). The teacher got all sweet and asked if I was sure that he was welcome to stay. I told her it was better for everyone and I would take him home to get ready to meet JL at temple for the holiday. NHL basically skipped out of there.

So at this point we have an appointment to visit another school on Tuesday morning for about 20-30 minutes and we have the meeting with NHL’s providers on Thursday to get a game plan. We hope to get things switched over ASAP, but paper work will no doubt delay things.

C’est Moi