Everything Eileen (almost...)

What, exactly, does "ASAP" mean?

nobody@vox.com(Eileen) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:25:37 -0400

(Yes, I know the acronym stands for As Soon As Possible. But this post is meant to poke fun at myself.)

So, I took The Boy to the doctor on Monday, which was when we received the diagnosis of Toddler Tummy. Just to be safe, though, Dr. W ordered three stool samples, to be taken to the lab ASAP.

At each diaper change, I checked for poop and dutifully collected the necessary samples and had them ready to take to the lab the very next morning (which I did, as I had absolutely no intention of keeping little vials of poop in the house or in my purse for longer than absolutely necessary).

In this instance, ASAP was followed to the letter.

Now, here's the funny part.

Back in October of 2007, I had a routine physical (I like to get one once a year or every 15 months). Dr. W told me everything was in order, except that I really ought to exercise more often (which I've been doing). And then he ordered some lab work for me, to be done ASAP.

I just had my blood drawn this morning.

So, to summarize... When the health of my child (or anyone other than me, for that matter) is involved, ASAP means immediately, right away, as soon as possible. When it's my own health, though, ASAP means whenever you get to it, not a rush, as soon as it's convenient.

I really ought to take better care of myself.

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It's all in the presentation

nobody@vox.com(Eileen) — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:32:48 -0400

I've been meaning to share a funny (to me) from our last visit to Dr W.

The Boy and I waited for a while in the examination room (long enough for me to vomit into the sink and clean it up), and when Dr W came in and sat facing us, The Boy reached out for the good doctor to pick him up and hold him.

Dr W was impressed. "Most kids this age scream in fear when they see me coming."

I wondered why, since he's a very nice man with a gentle smile and good demeanor. He told me that a lot of parents tell their kids to be good or they'll get a shot. Oftentimes, they'll do it right in front of the doctor. No wonder they're afraid of him! I'd be scared, too.

But not The Boy. "Oh, no, " I told Dr W. "When we're going to the doctor, I tell him we get to see Dr W and Nurse A, like it's a treat. After all, we don't see you every day!" Besides, the staff is awesome and still coo over The Boy. It's wonderful.

Dr W smiled and told me how much he appreciates that - it certainly makes his life a little easier. But it also begs the question: How long will I be able to pull this off before The Boy realizes that a trip to the doctor really isn't that much fun?

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Another call from school...

nobody@vox.com(Eileen) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:15:10 -0500

At least it's the first one of the year, and we're already halfway through the second month.

Baby C isn't feeling well. I think that goes without saying, considering that his school had to call me. Twice.

The first time, his teacher called to let me know that he had a bad cough (which I already knew), and his breathing was getting a bit more labored. I just bought the little PediaCare humidifier for his room, so I told her that we would use it tonight to see if will clear up his congestion, and tomorrow morning we'd see how he feels.

That was fine. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and that was it. I called the doctor's office to see if there was anything available for tomorrow in the late afternoon, and the receptionist said to call first thing in the morning. Mental note made - check.

Then, about two hours later, I got another call, this time from someone I don't normally see.

Baby C has an elevated temperature (more than 100 degrees), a bad cough, and, oh, he just threw up.

[sigh]

So, I get back on the phone with the doctor's office and try to schedule something first thing in the morning. Baby C is a wee one, after all, and vomiting at his age gets you to the front of the line. (I discovered that the first time he had a stomach bug. Not cool that he covered my hoodie with vomit, but it did get us an immediate visit with the doctor.) J, the office manager, will call me before she leaves tonight and let me know what she can do as far as getting him seen. In the meantime, I just have to wait it out.

* * * * *

Nurse A just returned my call, and as suspected, there's not a whole lot that can be done about the vomiting. (He's had stomach bugs before, so I kind of knew that.) The coughing combined with the labored breathing, on the other hand, is enough cause for concern that she recommended taking him to the ER this evening if it sounds (or looks) like he's gasping for air. I just called Chris to let him know what Nurse A said, and he told me that Baby C doesn't sound like he's having a whole lot of trouble breathing; he's just got a bad cough.

As for me, I would like nothing more than to rush home and take care of the baby. Sadly, there's not a whole lot that I would be able to do at home that Chris can't do, and as today is Tuesday, I have to wait for Finance to hurry up and finish the report I desperately need. It doesn't look like it will be finished in the next few minutes, so it looks like I'll be here for a while before I can go home and see for myself how my little one is doing. This morning, he was still playful and cheery. I can only wonder what his disposition will be when I get home.

Tom Petty's right. The waiting is the hardest part.

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The Very Long Weekend (or, Adventures in Teething)

nobody@vox.com(Eileen) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:25:32 -0400

Baby C had been warm to the touch for several days, but he hadn't been overly fussy and was still willing to play. Besides, the thermometer didn't show an elevated temperature until Friday evening: 100.5, the magic number at which to give him some Tylenol and call the doctor. But since it was Friday night, I gave him the Tylenol and vowed to call the doctor Saturday if the fever persisted.

Come Saturday morning, my little boy is feeling fine. He's still a little warm, but no longer feverish, and he's certainly playful. So playful, in fact, that he patiently let me go through Costco coupons while Chris was in the shower. We read his dinosaur board book a few times, he chewed on the pages, and it started out as a great morning.

Then, as if someone flipped a switch, Baby C was suddenly inconsolable. His temperature was up again (100.8), so I called his doctor and reported his behavior. Dr W didn't seem overly concerned about the baby since Baby C was, after all, still playing in between his crying fits. But, oh, those crying fits were awful.

Once Chris came back from running errands, the baby was fine again. I got him dressed in one of the outfits our friends Doug and Bekki bought for him, and we headed over to their house for the afternoon. He was in good spirits and even let me put him down in his play pen with some toys for a while. (I created my Mii on their Nintendo Wii and "bowled". Loved it. I told Chris that I may need to get Baby C one for his first birthday.)

Then, as more people arrived and the day turned to night, Baby C got cranky. Really cranky. Much crankier than usual, in fact. Oddly, the only thing that seemed to calm him was a diaper change, but as soon as that was over, he went right back to his unusually cranky self. At first, I thought he was really sick, but his temperature wasn't elevated, so this behavior was just a mystery.

He fell asleep in the car and remained fairly calm for the rest of the evening. He fussed while I was in the shower but calmed down when Chris brought him into the bathroom to look at his reflection and listen to the bathroom fan and running shower. He would fuss a bit to let me know he was hungry, but as soon as I offered to nurse, he settled down immediately. In fact, he was even calm enough to watch UK beat Louisville for the first time in 4 years, and he and Chris even played a bit before Chris went to sleep.

Sunday morning, Baby C was in good spirits. He was playful, jovial, and his usual self. I was even able to go to the grocery store and cook breakfast - a small miracle in itself. He fussed a bit to let me know he was hungry, I fed him, he went to sleep, and I left him wth Chris so I could run another errand. All was well.

But by the afternoon, it became quite apparent all was really not well. No, his temperature didn't go up again, but he started fussing a whole lot more, and nothing - not even food - could console him. (And this is a boy who loves to eat.) I struggled a bit to get him dressed so that we could go to another friend's house for his birthday, and he settled down for a little while, but as soon as we got on the road, the crying started again.

[sigh]

Off and on this went. Baby C played with A, our friends' little boy (or, rather, stared at A while A played around him) and was perfectly fine for most of the visit. He would fuss a little, I would feed him, and things were well again. Or, he'd fuss, I'd change him, and he'd be happy. Until it was time for dinner, and my sleepy and slightly overheated (as our friends' house is a bit warmer than ours) little boy wanted nothing more than to be held, constantly moving, and under the ceiling fan.

Chris and I hurried through dinner, then rushed to thank our hosts and apologize for cutting our visit so abruptly. Baby C was sleeping before we got into the car and remained blissfully asleep for a few minutes after we got home. At this point, I already told Chris that I was going to take the day off from work and take Baby C to the doctor the next day. My little boy was inconsoleable, and nothing would cheer him. It was awful.

So, the next morning, I checked my work e-mail for any pressing issues, called my boss (who was home sick) to let her know I was out, called my teammate to ask her to handle the one Monday Must-Do I had on my plate, then called the doctor to see when Baby C could come in (we were able to get an 11:30 appointment).

After seeing Dr W, I got good new and bad news. The good news? Baby C's lungs are clear (no fluids), his throat looks good (despite the cough caused by post-nasal drip), his ears are healthy (yay!), his tummy is soft (no abdominal problems), and he's doing very well sitting up and standing (with support), too. He also gained a pound in four weeks, which is good because it means he's still eating well. In short, he's healthy and doing just fine developmentally.

The bad news? He's teething, and there's really not a whole lot I can do to help him out on that end. I can cuddle him and hug him and try to keep him distracted. I can nurse him as much as he'd like to nurse and keep him well-hydrated. I can also surround him with teething toys and give him an occasional dose of Tylenol or Motrin as needed. It may take several weeks for his first teeth to appear, but no doubt about it, Baby C is teething, and this will only get worse before it gets better. And the most awful news of all: I can look forward to many months of this as more teeth start to come in.

Oh, Joy, thy name is Motherhood.

I know teething is a part of childhood, and I'm well aware that every mom has to go through this. The toughest part is knowing how uncomfortable he is and knowing there's not much I can do to help him through this process, either. And then to know that it will get worse as the teeth come close to erupting?

I would give anything to suffer whatever pain he's going through and is about to face so that he doesn't need to.

Oh, my poor baby. My poor, poor Baby C.

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The dreaded call from school

nobody@vox.com(Eileen) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 04:03:46 -0400

Yes, they've already started: those dreaded calls from day care saying, "Baby C is sick. Can you come get him?"

Thursday afternoon, I got a call from his school saying that he had 3 runny stools right after another and that he's really fussy, so can I please come get him? I immediately drop everything I'm doing, run into my boss's office to let her know Baby C is sick, and dash out of work. I call the doctor's office to set up a quick appointment for that afternoon (I love Dr. W, by the way - they saw him at 4:15, the last patient of the day), then my husband to tell him to get the baby and bring him to the hospital (where Dr. W's office is located).

I am, after all, a new mother. I was actually ashamed I didn't have the pediatrician's number programmed into my phone (but it is now!).

When my husband got to Baby C's school, Baby C was eating. And the 3 stools right after another? The first started at 11:45, followed by one at 12:55, and then one at 3:10. And he was fussy because he was hungry.

[sigh]

Then the teacher explained to my husband that the last stool was very runny, too.

But they're all runny! He's three months old!

So, when Chris brought Baby C to the doctor's office, the nurse was laughing at how "fussy" he was... only because he wasn't fussing at all! He was smiling and chatty and his usual self. (His nurse loves him, too. But I think she loves all the babies.)

Anyway, we got a note from the doctor saying it's okay for Baby C to return to school. Dr. W looked at Baby C's "report card" (which is just a log of when he ate and got changed at school) and found nothing odd. And, as Baby C had also just finished pooping, Dr. was able to see a stool sample in the diaper (which was fluorescent yellow, an acceptable color). He also let us know what his definition of baby diarrhea is (which is actually quite good to know; I never thought to ask him before), and explained that, for as long as Baby C is solely on breastmilk (as he is now), his bowel movements are not going to be standard. He may have some days when he has none, and there may be some days when he has one after every feeding. There's no telling. But unless it meets his criteria for infant diarrhea, Baby C is fine.

Daddy, on the other hand, was so upset with the school. Mommy was just relieved it was a false alarm.

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Baby C at 2 Months

nobody@vox.com(Eileen) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:08:53 -0400

Baby C just had his two-month check-up today... which also meant he got his shots today, too. Truthfully, he fared far better than I did. My brave little boy let out two very healthy screams, then proceeded to sob quietly into my shirt for a little while before he was settled enough for me to put him in his carrier.

My poor little baby. So, for the next few days, Dr. W told me to hold Baby C as much as he wants to be held. After all, getting shots are never much fun for anyone. It seems his legs are sore, but aside from that, he appears to be fine. I left him with Chris this afternoon so I could go to work, and I felt so incredibly guilty for leaving. I don't like getting a flu shot, and that's only one needle. Baby C got stuck with three needles today!

At any rate, he is growing so fast. When he was born, he was 6 pounds 13 ounces and 19-1/2 inches long. Now, he weighs 12 pounds and is 23-1/2 inches long! Dr. W said Baby C is catching up with the rest of the crowd (Baby C's statistics have moved up into higher percentiles).

So, we don't go back to the doctor now until August for the next round of shots. After seeing how much they hurt him today, I'm really not looking forward to them.

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