I know that it's been a while since I have posted anything, but really it would have been depressing if I had. It has just been one thing after another. My kids have been sick, then sick again, and now sick again. It is a never ending cycle and it is so draining and frustrating. I don't know where we get all these weird things from. I mean really...I make Kai and Cic wash their hands all the time and we are constantly using hand sanitizer. We don't really go out a lot (in the winter). So where could we have gotten the
coxsackie virus (a.k.a. Hand/Foot/Mouth Disease) and now the
impetigo that Kai has? I asked the doctor and she gave me the, "they could have gotten it anywhere b/c it is everywhere" answer. Well, that does NOTHING but discourage me. I try to protect them from being sick and I feel like it's pointless if it really is everywhere. I was really lucky that Kai was so healthy when he was younger. We never really had to go to the doctor for any issues (other than his low weight). We have been the doctor a lot lately. As soon as we recover from something then BAM we get hit with something else. It has been quite educational though. I had never heard of any of the things that we have gotten this winter.
I've also learned to listen to my "Mother's Intuition." I didn't know what a mother's intuition was. But I have since learned that it is that nagging feeling that something just isn't right. I had never really felt such strong urges about things until my kids got sick. I had the internal debate about each kid...
"Should I take them in? They don't act like they are in any pain. What if I am overreacting? It's $25...I would rather pay $25 just to ease my mind though."
Each time I have taken them in I have been so grateful that I did. I have also felt so guilty that I didn't take them in sooner. I know. I second guess myself all the time.
Anyway, the week of Easter Cic started waking up in the middle of the night SCREAMING...and I mean screaming. I didn't get it. I didn't know what was going on. It wasn't the "come hold me," or "I want out of my crib" cry. It was a sobbing scream. When I would go get her she wasn't standing up in her crib watching for the door to open, each time she was face down in her crib just sobbing. It was heartbreaking b/c she looked so...pathetic. Just miserable and I didn't understand. (It's hard to understand a lot at 2:30am.) I would hold her and she would just lay there staring at me with the "I LOVE YOU" look. When I went to put her back down she would scream again...tears and all. This non-sleep (which soon included nap times) went on for a couple of days. She then stopped taking her bottle. So, she had NO fluids...which really scared me. The day she wouldn't take her bottle at all I noticed that she had a fever. I took her underarm temp and it read 102. AWESOME. So after taking her the the doctor we discovered that she had HORRIBLE blisters on the back of her throat and was diagnosed with the coxsackie virus. Highly contagious. She did develop the blisters on her hands and feet. It was crazy. Kai even got the fever and told me his throat hurt. It was not fun. We quarantined ourselves in the house for a week and a half until both kids were healthy again. Easter weekend was a really low key one and we spent the entire holiday indoors. It was so sad b/c it was B-E-A-utiful outside. We even had the Easter Egg Hunt indoors. Kai didn't seem to mind though.
After Easter, I noticed that Kai had some blisters around his mouth. I assumed that it was from the coxsackie virus he had just gotten over. I didn't think anything of them and they went away shortly after. The only thing that lingered was a patch of dry skin on the corner of his mouth that the doctor had assured me was "just dry skin." "He just needs to keep his tongue in his mouth." Easier said than done. All day long I found myself saying, "Kai put your tongue back in your mouth." "Don't lick your lips."
I mean really. If you tell a two year old not to do something he is totally going to do it.
Kai's "dry skin" got worse and worse and then he started scratching it. It developed into an open sore on his face and then started weeping. It was horrible. The doctor had told me to put aquaphor on his face but that didn't make any sense...it's an open wound. So, I tried everything I could think of and it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. This little dry spot grew to be bigger than my thumbprint. It just looked like it was eating away at his face. Finally on Monday he woke up from his nap with a rash all over face and neck. That was the final straw. This wasn't just "dry skin." After going to the doctor we discovered Kai had impetigo. He is now on antibiotics and I am praying that Cici doesn't get this bacteria. It is awful. I haven't taken any pictures of Kai with it just b/c it is so gross. I will spare you. It looks like flesh eating bacteria. His entire mouth is covered with sores.
Though everyone was sick, we did have a great Easter. Here are some of the shots I got from the weekend.
Dying Easter EggsKai had a blast this year (even if he was sick). I love holidays with kids!
Cic was making faces at Ben while we dyed eggs. She was kinda out of it really. Didn't feel well and we couldn't get the "Dimple Smile" out of her all weekend.
Kai loves any sort of craft or cooking project that he can help with. He is the best helper and just loves to see how things work.
Easter Morning
You can kinda see Cici's top teeth coming in on this one. They have now already broken through the gums and are working their way down.
Since we did the hunt indoors we hid the baskets the night before. Kai was so excited to see all the fun things the Easter Bunny had left. He sure has a great Easter Bunny (AKA Grandma Lundeen). Holidays would not exist without my Mom. She is always so thoughtful and sending little things for every holiday (and even holidays she makes up.) I want to be a grandmother just like her one day. I love you Mom!
Cici didn't have the same enthusiasm as Kai, but she did love her basket.
Oh to have the complexion of a child...
Kai after the egg hunt. (I know there are a TON of eggs.) We went a bit overboard. Kai had a blast though.
This picture is so sad. Cic wanted Ben to hold her but I wanted a picture. (I won.)
This is the "Puppy Dog" face she makes when she is sad and wants to be held. How can we resist that face???
SPRING IS HERE!!!
Some pictures from the yard. It makes me so happy to see things coming up. I go out everyday just to see how things have changed.
I will try to be better about posting but honestly when the kids are sick...we don't do a lot. Pray that nothing else hits us. (I say that knowing that something will.) I know I need to be more optimistic.
Vitamin D
Kai is in his element when he is outside. He is always finding reasons to be outside. Can't wait till summer!
Love this shot.
I really need to get this kid a bike. hmmm....maybe in a few weeks I can talk Ben into it.
Another favorite...the monkeys. Kai could sit and watch them for hours.
Cic...eating goldfish...the. entire. time.
"Happy Face"
Kai wants to be just like Ben. Whatever he is looking at or doing, Kai will mimic him.
The gorillas...
This picture isn't in focus really, but the zoo is beautiful this time of year. So many trees are in bloom.
I don't know where Cicilee gets all her facial expressions from. They are hilarious and she is always making some sort of 'face'.
There are few days that Kai and Cicilee play well together and no one ends up in tears. This was one of those days. They loved each other all day...it was a miracle.
Love these shots of the kids.
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