Despite Kellen's "viral infection" and corresponding come-and-go fever, he's been in a relatively good mood for the past few days. As my last blog detailed, I got the phone call on Tuesday to come and pick him up from daycare, and we've been fighting this thing ever since. Matt took him to the doctor on Wednesday and the diagnosis - "viral infection" - which in my book translates to "we can do nothing for you...your life is turned upside down until his body can fight it on his own...tough it out."
Matt was able to stay home with him on Wednesday, as I still had a half day of work - and a schedule FULL of students needing to see me for registration advising, which would have been really tough to reschedule. Our original plan was to keep Kellen in daycare on Wednesday afternoon and for Matt and I to go and watch Walk the Line...a plan which obviously had been sidelined. Oh well! After work I ended up going out to eat with a professor and one of the students that had just defended their master's internship project, their final thing to complete their degree, as a celebratory lunch, then headed back home to relieve daddy from Kellen-duty so that he could go and run some errands. Kellen's fever came and went all day, apparently, with the highest spike being a little over 102, which ruled out the Rockdale Thanksgiving option for he and I on Thursday - there are too many kids there and I'm not taking chances around other kids with him running a fever.
So, Thursday morning Matt and I are up pretty early because he has to go to work, and lo and behold, Kellen wakes up around 5 AM as well, just as Daddy's walking out of the door for the day. He gets to see Daddy, but he's awake. I try, to no avail I might add, to get him to go back to sleep, so we end up watching the morning sequence on PBS, then Veggie Tales after Sesame Street is over at 8 AM. By 9, he had gathered all of the items from his bed and had carefully arranged them on his SpongeBob couch (which was salvageable, by the way), then he tells me, "Kellen go night, night."
"Ok buddy. You can go night night if you want to."
And within 5 minutes...he was fast asleep. He would have stayed that way for more than the hour that he slept if the dog hadn't started going nuts outside barking a who knows what. Much needed nap cut dreadfully short by Bailey. Big ARG on that one!
So we ended up driving to MawMaw and PawPaw Hapes house for Thanksgiving. It was relatively safe, as there were no small children there, so we hopefully lessened the chance of Kellen sharing his illness with anyone else. His fever had spiked to its highest Thursday morning - 102.4. When it's over 101, we actually give eiter Tylenol or Ibuprofen to bring it down. He slept the entire drive, and was a super cranky monster when we arrived...for about the first 30 minutes or so, at least. I couldn't leave his side...literally. PawPaw brought out the bed for him (a super cute, blow up, Winnie the Pooh, bed with attached covers and pillow-ish headboard) and he laid on it, but I had to be next to him so that he could hold my hand.
Now let me clarify some of my statements here...despite running the fever, Kellen has been acting JUST LIKE HIS NORMAL SELF. He's not telling me that his tummy hurts, his ears hurt, he's not throwing up, having trouble from the other end, nothing....The only things that we can tell that's a physical symptom of something being wrong is that he's running a fever and isn't eating as much. That's it. So I want him to rest, but neither Matt nor I think it's a big deal to take him somewhere since he's acting virtually normal.
Aunt Boo gives him a new Hermie video and stuffed Hermie doll, which to this current point in time I don't think has left his side. They proceed to watch this "New Hermie" for what will be the first of many times over the weekend. After waking up a little bit and getting used to all of the people that aren't normally at his MawMaw and PawPaw's house, Kellen overcame his clinginess and was fine. He didn't eat much, but then again, I didn't expect him to...other than rolls, of course. I think he had half a dozen of those!
I'll have to detail Friday's game day activities and Saturday's George Bush Museum visit and Basketball game later...Kellen wants me to come and watch the "New Hermie" with him...
But first...I have to share this...we were looking for his stuffed Hermie yesterday and he asked me where it was. I said, "I don't know. Kellen where is it?" His reply?
"I don't know either."
Gotta go!
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Coupons
Well, a while back at the departmental party, I bid on some kiddo coupons that I thought would come in handy...some GattiTown kids eat free coupons and Bush Library kid free with purchase of adult entry tickets. I had the brilliant idea of using the kid coupons so that my friend Jennifer, who is in from New York for the holidays, and I could go out tonight for dinner, and loe and behold...our kids aren't even old enough to have to pay yet. So it appears that I bid on that item at the auction for nothing...There were two families with kids that came in immediately after us, so I used 5 of the 6 coupons, paid for their kids and treated them for the night. I hope that they enjoyed themselves!
Anyway...she and I had a good time during dinner catching up, but it wasn't really long enough. Kellen is sick, so he ended up falling asleep on my shoulder (really sick, huh...) and James hadn't really had his normal nap or normal sleep routine since being back in Texas on vacation and was tired as well, so we cut the evening a little short.
Speaking of Kellen, we aren't really sure what's going on with him. I got a phone call today a little before 4 PM from daycare and they indicated that he was running a fever (100.3 auxillary, so really 101.3), just wasn't acting like "our Kellen" and that I needed to come and pick him up...Yes sirree...I'm on my way.
I got to daycare and he informs me that, "Kellen no feel good. Kellen temperature." When asked what hurt and what was wrong, the response was, "Tummy hurt." Well all right. I've been hearing those words for a few days, they just haven't been accompanied with a fever.
He really was acting like a relatively normal Kellen, in my opinion anyway. I talked with Matt and, luckily enough, they had had to go to the Med Center and were in town, so we ran by to see daddy after leaving daycare. Kellen was so excited to see him as we drove up to the hospital! We were only able to stay there for a few minutes, and as we drove off I hear from the backseat, "Bye bye truck! Bye bye Daddy. Daddy loves Kellen." Doesn't that just make your heart melt? "Yes Kellen, Daddy loves you very much."
Fast forward to home from dinner...the dog is missing (Houdini dog, by the way...who can open the gate), so I drive around for a little while looking for him, but it's really too dark for me to see anything, so I give up. He's got a full dish of water and dog food outside, I'm leaving the gate open and praying that he makes his way home sometime tonight and that I hear him outside or see him on the swing in the morning.
Take Kellen's temp to compare with daycare's reading earlier today...the "right" way, and it's 101.5...so I gave him some meds and got him ready for bed, one book and he goes down without a fuss, surprisingly enough, considering that he had been asleep (GattiTown), been woken up (getting in the car), fallen back asleep (car), been woken up again (out of the car into the house), then was getting put in his bed. Normally, that wouldn't make Kellen-man a happy camper. Yeah for small miracles! We have an appointment with his pediatrician for tomorrow morning, so we'll see how that goes and how he's feeling then.
Anyway...she and I had a good time during dinner catching up, but it wasn't really long enough. Kellen is sick, so he ended up falling asleep on my shoulder (really sick, huh...) and James hadn't really had his normal nap or normal sleep routine since being back in Texas on vacation and was tired as well, so we cut the evening a little short.
Speaking of Kellen, we aren't really sure what's going on with him. I got a phone call today a little before 4 PM from daycare and they indicated that he was running a fever (100.3 auxillary, so really 101.3), just wasn't acting like "our Kellen" and that I needed to come and pick him up...Yes sirree...I'm on my way.
I got to daycare and he informs me that, "Kellen no feel good. Kellen temperature." When asked what hurt and what was wrong, the response was, "Tummy hurt." Well all right. I've been hearing those words for a few days, they just haven't been accompanied with a fever.
He really was acting like a relatively normal Kellen, in my opinion anyway. I talked with Matt and, luckily enough, they had had to go to the Med Center and were in town, so we ran by to see daddy after leaving daycare. Kellen was so excited to see him as we drove up to the hospital! We were only able to stay there for a few minutes, and as we drove off I hear from the backseat, "Bye bye truck! Bye bye Daddy. Daddy loves Kellen." Doesn't that just make your heart melt? "Yes Kellen, Daddy loves you very much."
Fast forward to home from dinner...the dog is missing (Houdini dog, by the way...who can open the gate), so I drive around for a little while looking for him, but it's really too dark for me to see anything, so I give up. He's got a full dish of water and dog food outside, I'm leaving the gate open and praying that he makes his way home sometime tonight and that I hear him outside or see him on the swing in the morning.
Take Kellen's temp to compare with daycare's reading earlier today...the "right" way, and it's 101.5...so I gave him some meds and got him ready for bed, one book and he goes down without a fuss, surprisingly enough, considering that he had been asleep (GattiTown), been woken up (getting in the car), fallen back asleep (car), been woken up again (out of the car into the house), then was getting put in his bed. Normally, that wouldn't make Kellen-man a happy camper. Yeah for small miracles! We have an appointment with his pediatrician for tomorrow morning, so we'll see how that goes and how he's feeling then.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Family NIght
Tonight was family night...and it was GREAT! We all got home right around the same time...later than we all had intended, but within about 5 minutes of each other. Matt asked me to run to the store and pick up a few things and in exchange, had virtually the entire dinner prepared by the time that I got back to the house. What a deal! We bent the rules and let Kellen stay up WAY too late, and finally put him to bed in the midst of a meltdown around 9 PM...ohhh...I'm going to pay for that tomorrow. But he and his daddy had a good time watching some TV...yet another rule bent tonight. That's ok. Matt's on a 24 tomorrow & again on Thursday, so we needed some quality family time.
Kellen was so sweet eating his dinner. He commented that he liked the pasta, so I suggested that he thank his daddy for making it for him. So when daddy came back into the room, he did just that.
"Thank you, Daddy"
Matt looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face, so I explained our exchange regarding the pasta and resulting thank you.
It's just so nice to have a night where we're all at the house! We need more of those...I'm submitting a formal request to the scheduling folks...whoever those people might be...more family nights, please!
Kellen was so sweet eating his dinner. He commented that he liked the pasta, so I suggested that he thank his daddy for making it for him. So when daddy came back into the room, he did just that.
"Thank you, Daddy"
Matt looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face, so I explained our exchange regarding the pasta and resulting thank you.
It's just so nice to have a night where we're all at the house! We need more of those...I'm submitting a formal request to the scheduling folks...whoever those people might be...more family nights, please!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Training Continues
This must be a two way street...one in which I am not in the right gear or something...Kellen did just spectacular during his potty training at daycare this past week, but at home...well, let's just say it was a different story entirely.
On Monday he had a grand total of three accidents all day long - which I thought was fabulous for his first "official" day of potty training; Tuesday it was two (and that included actually sitting on the potty for a BM - yes boys and girls, my little man who has SUCH a hard time going poo poo in general actually sat on the potty and went); Wednesday, well Wednesday doesn't count for the potty training week - if you have questions about that ask his daddy and MawMaw Hapes *grin* since he didn't go to daycare; Thursday we were still at two accidents; Friday we had gone down to one accident - ONE! - Oh my gosh!
I'm just not sure how to proceed on the home front...Tried the exact same training pants and vinyl covers that he wears at daycare on Saturday, tried to get him to sit on the potty every 30ish minutes or so, but by noon we already had three accidents, one of which required a major clean-up and overhaul of the beloved SpongeBob couch, rendering it unusable for at least the rest of the weekend, and if my clean-up job doesn't meet Matt's inspection standards (who knew he was such a germ-a-phobe?) - forever. I gave up and went to the diaper/pull-ups and just continually sat him on the potty as I remembered (hmmm...have we hit on something that might be the problem here???).
But seriously, his teachers tell me that he gives them no trouble at all about sitting on the potty at school, but when I take him to sit on the potty, he throws a fit about half of the time, saying that he doesn't want to sit on the potty. I know that there is a fine line here between consistency, readiness, and pushing too hard...but when I get him to finally sit down he is fine, normally actually doing some business 3/4 + of the time he sits down. We aren't making a big deal of the accidents, aren't requiring him to do some business before he gets off of the potty, just asking that he sit there...no punishments at all - only praises for when he pees - I can't imagine what we would do if something else came out of his body while he was out our house and sitting on the potty like he's demonstrated he's capable of at daycare. He still makes a spectacle of telling us, "Kellen go poo poo" and walking into a corner or something. When I ask him during those times if he would like to sit on the potty and poo poo, he tells me, "No" and I might ask him if he's sure, then I drop it and let him do his business. I'm trying not to push things here.
Wow. All-out potty training here we come! And I obviously need to get out those potty training books that I bought a while back in my attempt to get prepared when the time came - HAH!
Matt made a comment to me on Saturday about Kellen having the ability to turn him into mush...I snickered, which caused him to ask ask if I already knew that, which just made me giggle even harder. Now, for those of you who know Matt, you know he isn't normally a mushy man...for those of you who don't know him...think Marine, then think Medic...then push those two imagines together & throw a Christian belief system in there (i.e. he's not a wimpy guy). If anyone has ever been around Matt being around Kellen they know that munkin turns him into mush...Which is, I'm sure, one of the ways that God intended a man and a woman to continue to be able to stay in love after having children. When the woman sees the man with their child, acting like a true father should act, it makes her fall in love with that man all over again, which is how I felt on Saturday. Those two were just so cute wrestling, playing and running through the house! I love watching them together! Then today they decided that they needed a nap...well, Kellen fell asleep watching a cartoon and Matt snuggled next to him long enough to do the same...It amazes me how much Kellen is like his father sometimes - It looked like Matt and mini-Matt while they were taking their nap.
Migraine update time...So far this month I've had 3...Arg...If this dosage doesn't help then we'll increase and try another month. However, I have noticed that I've been more functional during the migraines while on the higher dose of medicine, even before the Imitrex really has a chance to kick in, which is a plus - I guess. Unless the migraines are my body's way of telling me to slow down...then if the medicine allows me to continue to work during and through them, I'm just totally ignoring my body's signals. Hmmm...new twist on that...
Jaw update...still clicking and popping...I was supposed to call the doctor a month after my last visit. I can't remember when that was, which means it's probably been at least a month. Nothing new to report on that front.
So I was debating about whether or not to include this, but I guess I will. I found out on Tuesday that I was selected to receive of the 2005 President's Meritorious Service Award. Each year, twenty individuals and one team is selected out of the employees of Texas A&M University to receive this award, and I found out that I am one of those individuals. The award will actually be given by President Gates during the President's Holiday Coffee on the morning of December 5th. I feel so honored to be selected for this! I think that Mom & Dad will be coming in for it - Mom put in to take the day off and they'll drive in the night before, and I feel pretty sure that George & Judy will drive in as well. Dr. Heinz made it pretty clear that virtually the entire administrative staff would be there for support during the award presentation, too. It feels so nice to have such a supportive and appreciative work environment! I just love it!
I think that's all for now...I get the slacker award for the least amount of blogging activity, but will try to get back in my once-normal routine of nightly blogging. The nightly routine that replaced blogging this week was washing soiled clothing from daycare, but I'll see if I can somehow manage both *grin* I miss too many fun and cute details when I cram an entire week into one blog...
On Monday he had a grand total of three accidents all day long - which I thought was fabulous for his first "official" day of potty training; Tuesday it was two (and that included actually sitting on the potty for a BM - yes boys and girls, my little man who has SUCH a hard time going poo poo in general actually sat on the potty and went); Wednesday, well Wednesday doesn't count for the potty training week - if you have questions about that ask his daddy and MawMaw Hapes *grin* since he didn't go to daycare; Thursday we were still at two accidents; Friday we had gone down to one accident - ONE! - Oh my gosh!
I'm just not sure how to proceed on the home front...Tried the exact same training pants and vinyl covers that he wears at daycare on Saturday, tried to get him to sit on the potty every 30ish minutes or so, but by noon we already had three accidents, one of which required a major clean-up and overhaul of the beloved SpongeBob couch, rendering it unusable for at least the rest of the weekend, and if my clean-up job doesn't meet Matt's inspection standards (who knew he was such a germ-a-phobe?) - forever. I gave up and went to the diaper/pull-ups and just continually sat him on the potty as I remembered (hmmm...have we hit on something that might be the problem here???).
But seriously, his teachers tell me that he gives them no trouble at all about sitting on the potty at school, but when I take him to sit on the potty, he throws a fit about half of the time, saying that he doesn't want to sit on the potty. I know that there is a fine line here between consistency, readiness, and pushing too hard...but when I get him to finally sit down he is fine, normally actually doing some business 3/4 + of the time he sits down. We aren't making a big deal of the accidents, aren't requiring him to do some business before he gets off of the potty, just asking that he sit there...no punishments at all - only praises for when he pees - I can't imagine what we would do if something else came out of his body while he was out our house and sitting on the potty like he's demonstrated he's capable of at daycare. He still makes a spectacle of telling us, "Kellen go poo poo" and walking into a corner or something. When I ask him during those times if he would like to sit on the potty and poo poo, he tells me, "No" and I might ask him if he's sure, then I drop it and let him do his business. I'm trying not to push things here.
Wow. All-out potty training here we come! And I obviously need to get out those potty training books that I bought a while back in my attempt to get prepared when the time came - HAH!
Matt made a comment to me on Saturday about Kellen having the ability to turn him into mush...I snickered, which caused him to ask ask if I already knew that, which just made me giggle even harder. Now, for those of you who know Matt, you know he isn't normally a mushy man...for those of you who don't know him...think Marine, then think Medic...then push those two imagines together & throw a Christian belief system in there (i.e. he's not a wimpy guy). If anyone has ever been around Matt being around Kellen they know that munkin turns him into mush...Which is, I'm sure, one of the ways that God intended a man and a woman to continue to be able to stay in love after having children. When the woman sees the man with their child, acting like a true father should act, it makes her fall in love with that man all over again, which is how I felt on Saturday. Those two were just so cute wrestling, playing and running through the house! I love watching them together! Then today they decided that they needed a nap...well, Kellen fell asleep watching a cartoon and Matt snuggled next to him long enough to do the same...It amazes me how much Kellen is like his father sometimes - It looked like Matt and mini-Matt while they were taking their nap.
Migraine update time...So far this month I've had 3...Arg...If this dosage doesn't help then we'll increase and try another month. However, I have noticed that I've been more functional during the migraines while on the higher dose of medicine, even before the Imitrex really has a chance to kick in, which is a plus - I guess. Unless the migraines are my body's way of telling me to slow down...then if the medicine allows me to continue to work during and through them, I'm just totally ignoring my body's signals. Hmmm...new twist on that...
Jaw update...still clicking and popping...I was supposed to call the doctor a month after my last visit. I can't remember when that was, which means it's probably been at least a month. Nothing new to report on that front.
So I was debating about whether or not to include this, but I guess I will. I found out on Tuesday that I was selected to receive of the 2005 President's Meritorious Service Award. Each year, twenty individuals and one team is selected out of the employees of Texas A&M University to receive this award, and I found out that I am one of those individuals. The award will actually be given by President Gates during the President's Holiday Coffee on the morning of December 5th. I feel so honored to be selected for this! I think that Mom & Dad will be coming in for it - Mom put in to take the day off and they'll drive in the night before, and I feel pretty sure that George & Judy will drive in as well. Dr. Heinz made it pretty clear that virtually the entire administrative staff would be there for support during the award presentation, too. It feels so nice to have such a supportive and appreciative work environment! I just love it!
I think that's all for now...I get the slacker award for the least amount of blogging activity, but will try to get back in my once-normal routine of nightly blogging. The nightly routine that replaced blogging this week was washing soiled clothing from daycare, but I'll see if I can somehow manage both *grin* I miss too many fun and cute details when I cram an entire week into one blog...
Monday, November 14, 2005
Potty training...
Went to a whole new level today. We went to day care in training pants today. Not diapers, not pull-ups. Training pants. The almost regular, I'm a big-boy undie kind with the vinyl undies over them in an attempt to stop leaks and complete messes on everything around him. I talked with his teachers at the end of last week about how he was doing after I saw all the "P" for potty on his chart - he was sitting on the potty virtually every diaper change. So they suggested that I bring him with the training pants this week just to see how he did.
And did he ever! Only three accidents today. And every time they put him on the potty - which based on the chart was almost every thirty to fourty-five minutes, he went for them. Wow!
Then I get him home...try to get him on the potty and I end up with a MONSTER-MAN! What is it about being a home that brings out that side of him? I just don't get it? Power struggle? Hmmm? But he was wet when I got him home and I don't remember on his chart what they had written about the last time that he had gone potty. But I'm still impressed...three accidents on the first "real" day that we've tried anything resembling hard-core potty training. I think that's wonderful!
I"ve just realized that it's been almost two weeks since my last post...horrible!
We had a wonderful weekend this past weekend...My aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary was this weekend, so their kids threw then a party and my two aunts and an uncle drove in from Ohio for what was supposed to be a surprise...unfortunately, the surprise was ruined when my cousin from Ohio called looking for his grandfather, my uncle, the night they were scheduled to make it in...the night prior to the party, but all-in-all the party was still a great success.
And did he ever! Only three accidents today. And every time they put him on the potty - which based on the chart was almost every thirty to fourty-five minutes, he went for them. Wow!
Then I get him home...try to get him on the potty and I end up with a MONSTER-MAN! What is it about being a home that brings out that side of him? I just don't get it? Power struggle? Hmmm? But he was wet when I got him home and I don't remember on his chart what they had written about the last time that he had gone potty. But I'm still impressed...three accidents on the first "real" day that we've tried anything resembling hard-core potty training. I think that's wonderful!
I"ve just realized that it's been almost two weeks since my last post...horrible!
We had a wonderful weekend this past weekend...My aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary was this weekend, so their kids threw then a party and my two aunts and an uncle drove in from Ohio for what was supposed to be a surprise...unfortunately, the surprise was ruined when my cousin from Ohio called looking for his grandfather, my uncle, the night they were scheduled to make it in...the night prior to the party, but all-in-all the party was still a great success.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Tackle
Matt has taught Kellen how to tackle, and so far this has been a Daddy & Kellen thing. However, today he decided that he wanted to tackle Mommy. Down, set, hut, and he runs to me, arms spread wide with a huge grin on his race, and bowls me over. I was ready for it, because he had asked, "Ready?" before he started, but it was so cute! He backs up as far away from you as he can get and still be in the same room to prepare for the run..it's so funny! Then he wanted to play airplane, and horsie...all fun activities that he realized he would need to play once it sunk in that Mommy really wasn't going to bend on the no TV during the week rule...his options were to play (with his toys or without, didn't matter) or read. Period.
He's also on a yogurt kick right now...ate one in the grocery store yesterday (thank goodness the lady behind the counter at the deli told me where to find some available plastic spoons - since he had opened one without me catching him - he's too quick for me sometimes!), then another one for breakfast this morning, then asked for another one on the way home from school today. I like it when he's on a roll with foods that are really good for him! And hurray for the kind that doesn't come off of the spoon - whoever thought up that one MUST have had kids...
He did his "Bless Daddy work" quite a bit tonight while getting ready for bed...he misses him, but he normally does when Matt's on shift, so we just roll with it and deal...He's getting more and more pack-rat-ish at bedtime and wanting more and more things to sleep with...Clifford, Shrek, Larry the Veggie Tale, various books, blankets, etc. I've put my foot down on the 4 foot alligator...if he wets the bed too bad, that thing can't really go in the washing machine and would be virtually ruined, so I've upset him by telling him, "No" on that one a few times. He's going to get to the point where he can barely fit on the bed with all of the other things in there! Do we need to set a limit? I remember seeing pictures of me when I was little with tons of things in my bed, though...so I know that I did it, too. Hmmm...
He's also on a yogurt kick right now...ate one in the grocery store yesterday (thank goodness the lady behind the counter at the deli told me where to find some available plastic spoons - since he had opened one without me catching him - he's too quick for me sometimes!), then another one for breakfast this morning, then asked for another one on the way home from school today. I like it when he's on a roll with foods that are really good for him! And hurray for the kind that doesn't come off of the spoon - whoever thought up that one MUST have had kids...
He did his "Bless Daddy work" quite a bit tonight while getting ready for bed...he misses him, but he normally does when Matt's on shift, so we just roll with it and deal...He's getting more and more pack-rat-ish at bedtime and wanting more and more things to sleep with...Clifford, Shrek, Larry the Veggie Tale, various books, blankets, etc. I've put my foot down on the 4 foot alligator...if he wets the bed too bad, that thing can't really go in the washing machine and would be virtually ruined, so I've upset him by telling him, "No" on that one a few times. He's going to get to the point where he can barely fit on the bed with all of the other things in there! Do we need to set a limit? I remember seeing pictures of me when I was little with tons of things in my bed, though...so I know that I did it, too. Hmmm...
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