Sunday night was one of the worse parenting moments for me. We put Brendan to bed a little early since he was so fussy for the day, as I was in the kitchen I heard him cry a little and cough. So I went and stood outside Brendan’s door trying to listen, I didn’t want to go in his room and wake him up if he was sleeping. I didn’t hear anything so I went back to what I was doing. As Scott and I were crawling into bed a little later, I decided I would sleep better if I just went and checked on this boys. As I open Brendan’s door I am almost knocked out by the smell. He wakes up and looks at me, the poor kid had thrown up in his bed and then gone back to sleep in the filth because he was so tired. So here he was sleeping for an hour and a half in this gross bed!
I felt like the worse mother ever!
I hollored for Scott who jumped in right away and we were able to clean him up, change his sheets, start a load of laundry, change pajamas and get Brendan back to bed as quickly as possible. He was so miserable, all he wanted to do was to sleep.
I just knew Brendan had thrown-up, why didn’t I just check on him when I heard him fuss? This was one major parenting fail for me!
*******
I also want to add to this post Scott was a very supportive husband through the entire thing. He took time off work, stayed with Caleb in the hospital, held a sick baby for hours, was thrown up on, and did everything he could to help our sick kids, even while I was out of town. Of course having his mother there during it all was a huge blessing that I know Scott (and I) appreciated. I am lucky to have an amazing husband and father. He is now suffering his own stomach issues from being such a great dad and sharing germs with his kiddos!
Showing posts with label Doctor/Hospital. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doctor/Hospital. Show all posts
Friday, March 25
Thursday, March 24
Sickness Part 2
Did that last post feel like it just ended? It did to me, probably because I just got tired of typing and I figured you were tired of reading, but really my story didn’t end there.
After spending the night (awake most of the night) in the hospital with Caleb I could tell he was starting to feel better. He only threw up on my once but was eating more consistently. The doctor came by the next morning to check on Caleb’s progress and let us know that as long as he continued to eat/drink for the morning, and his diapers were normal, he would release him at lunch time (lunch time translates to 3:00 in my mind). Sure enough we were released from the hospital about 3:00-3:30 on Thursday afternoon.
As we were leaving the hospital, one pediatric nurse looked at me and said “You look familiar. Have you been here before with another boy?” I replied that we had been here in May of last year with Brendan’s hernia surgery. This is one place I do not really want to be recognized at!
When we got home all was quiet. Caleb went right down for a nap in his room, and being that I had been away from home for almost a full week from my conference and then the hospital stay, all I wanted was to shower in my own shower. So I took a nice long, hot shower hoping to relax the tensed muscles from stress and sleep in a hospital. As I got out nice and relaxed, I realized I had a voicemail on my cell phone. It was Marion (Day Care Provider), Brendan was sick, he had thrown up all over her house. Great, just great.
Luckily, my MIL had gotten the message from Scott and by the time I got out of the shower, they were already on their way to go pick Brendan up.
I didn’t go to work again on Friday, I stayed home with two sick kiddos.
After spending the night (awake most of the night) in the hospital with Caleb I could tell he was starting to feel better. He only threw up on my once but was eating more consistently. The doctor came by the next morning to check on Caleb’s progress and let us know that as long as he continued to eat/drink for the morning, and his diapers were normal, he would release him at lunch time (lunch time translates to 3:00 in my mind). Sure enough we were released from the hospital about 3:00-3:30 on Thursday afternoon.
As we were leaving the hospital, one pediatric nurse looked at me and said “You look familiar. Have you been here before with another boy?” I replied that we had been here in May of last year with Brendan’s hernia surgery. This is one place I do not really want to be recognized at!
When we got home all was quiet. Caleb went right down for a nap in his room, and being that I had been away from home for almost a full week from my conference and then the hospital stay, all I wanted was to shower in my own shower. So I took a nice long, hot shower hoping to relax the tensed muscles from stress and sleep in a hospital. As I got out nice and relaxed, I realized I had a voicemail on my cell phone. It was Marion (Day Care Provider), Brendan was sick, he had thrown up all over her house. Great, just great.
Luckily, my MIL had gotten the message from Scott and by the time I got out of the shower, they were already on their way to go pick Brendan up.
I didn’t go to work again on Friday, I stayed home with two sick kiddos.
Caleb was starting to feel better, but Brendan pretty much stayed on the couch all day.
All he ingested was Gatorade for 3 days. He would ask for food like crackers, cheerios, or a banana, but the poor thing would just sit there holding it, not taking a bite.
By Sunday we figured that both boys were on the mend but it was probably safer to just stay home from church. I had a really bad sore throat and Scott stomach was off. So we let Brendan crawl in bed Sunday morning and decided to just take it easy. Brendan actually laid there which was highly unusual. Suddenly, we figured out why he was so quiet as he threw up in our bed and all over us. Guess we are up for the day! So Sunday was a day of laundry, sick kids, and as much rest as possible.
By Monday, we were all on our way to recovery. I am happy to say that we are all just about back to normal! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this sickness, we are all much better!
By Sunday we figured that both boys were on the mend but it was probably safer to just stay home from church. I had a really bad sore throat and Scott stomach was off. So we let Brendan crawl in bed Sunday morning and decided to just take it easy. Brendan actually laid there which was highly unusual. Suddenly, we figured out why he was so quiet as he threw up in our bed and all over us. Guess we are up for the day! So Sunday was a day of laundry, sick kids, and as much rest as possible.
By Monday, we were all on our way to recovery. I am happy to say that we are all just about back to normal! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this sickness, we are all much better!
Tuesday, March 22
While the cats away the mice will....play?
Last week I was gone for a conference at work. We left early Saturday morning, and I left my two little boys home with Daddy (and Grandma & Grandpa) for the week. In preparation for my absence, I left them with easy meals to cook for the week, a daily schedule (3 ½ pages long) of instructions and the boys routine, enough frozen breastmilk and ice cubes of baby food to last the week and a few emergency numbers, just in case. Nothing I could have done would have prepared them for the week they had.
Scott told me on Sunday afternoon that the boys, especially Caleb had just been off since I left. I figured the boys were off their routine, nap-time was messed up and they were just missing their mom. But on Monday, it was obviously more than just missing mom. Caleb threw up a few times, Scott immediately called the doctor on call, which luckily was our own doctor. They were told that if he throws up again, they needed to go to ER/Urgent Care. Sure enough, not long after, Caleb throws up again. (You can imagine how this mama felt over 1,000 miles away in another state, this was the first time I had left Caleb and here they are in the Urgent Care.) The Urgent Care doctor diagnosis him with an ear infection and prescribes two medications.
The next day Scott knows something is not right another call to the doctor and they decide to bring him in for a visit on Tuesday morning. Our doctor takes one look at him and quickly checks his ears and tells us he does NOT have an ear infection (there was $30 wasted), Caleb has “gastroenteritis” (stomach virus, our doctor always uses technical terms that sound much worse than they are). It is very common, very contagious, and usually passes after a few days. However, a small percentage a babies get this and refuse to eat or drink. Hello, Caleb. He gave Grandma until 3:30 to try and get liquids down him. After struggling with a ten month old all day to try and eat in any way possible, including an eyedropper, a defeated Grandma calls the doctor back and they figure most likely Caleb will be admitted to the hospital.
I was holding it together pretty well all day Tuesday until I get the call that he is going to be admitted, I almost lose it. I know he was in good hands, we love our doctor and trust him, Scott was there and is a great dad, especially with the help and support of his parents…but as a mom far away, it was hard.
Caleb was finally admitted to the hospital late Tuesday night and after searching, pricking and holding down a screaming baby for almost 2 hours, he was hooked up to an IV and receiving fluids. Scott stayed the night at the hospital with Caleb on Tuesday night and most of Wednesday. Although exhausted, he makes it to his meeting at work Wednesday afternoon and my mother-in-law stays with Caleb at the hospital.
Although I know that Caleb is in good hands, I am very anxious to get home. Luckily we had an easy flight back to California. My boss’ parents kindly pick me up from the airport at 9:00 at night and take me straight to the hospital where I am finally able to hold my sick baby (and send my MIL home to get some sleep).
As I am in the hospital, I can tell Caleb is already feeling a bit better. I am told that after being tested, it was confirmed that he has Rotavirus, extremely contagious among children. After spending 5 days in Seattle away from my kids, this was the homecoming I received.
Scott told me on Sunday afternoon that the boys, especially Caleb had just been off since I left. I figured the boys were off their routine, nap-time was messed up and they were just missing their mom. But on Monday, it was obviously more than just missing mom. Caleb threw up a few times, Scott immediately called the doctor on call, which luckily was our own doctor. They were told that if he throws up again, they needed to go to ER/Urgent Care. Sure enough, not long after, Caleb throws up again. (You can imagine how this mama felt over 1,000 miles away in another state, this was the first time I had left Caleb and here they are in the Urgent Care.) The Urgent Care doctor diagnosis him with an ear infection and prescribes two medications.
The next day Scott knows something is not right another call to the doctor and they decide to bring him in for a visit on Tuesday morning. Our doctor takes one look at him and quickly checks his ears and tells us he does NOT have an ear infection (there was $30 wasted), Caleb has “gastroenteritis” (stomach virus, our doctor always uses technical terms that sound much worse than they are). It is very common, very contagious, and usually passes after a few days. However, a small percentage a babies get this and refuse to eat or drink. Hello, Caleb. He gave Grandma until 3:30 to try and get liquids down him. After struggling with a ten month old all day to try and eat in any way possible, including an eyedropper, a defeated Grandma calls the doctor back and they figure most likely Caleb will be admitted to the hospital.
I was holding it together pretty well all day Tuesday until I get the call that he is going to be admitted, I almost lose it. I know he was in good hands, we love our doctor and trust him, Scott was there and is a great dad, especially with the help and support of his parents…but as a mom far away, it was hard.
Caleb was finally admitted to the hospital late Tuesday night and after searching, pricking and holding down a screaming baby for almost 2 hours, he was hooked up to an IV and receiving fluids. Scott stayed the night at the hospital with Caleb on Tuesday night and most of Wednesday. Although exhausted, he makes it to his meeting at work Wednesday afternoon and my mother-in-law stays with Caleb at the hospital.
Although I know that Caleb is in good hands, I am very anxious to get home. Luckily we had an easy flight back to California. My boss’ parents kindly pick me up from the airport at 9:00 at night and take me straight to the hospital where I am finally able to hold my sick baby (and send my MIL home to get some sleep).
As I am in the hospital, I can tell Caleb is already feeling a bit better. I am told that after being tested, it was confirmed that he has Rotavirus, extremely contagious among children. After spending 5 days in Seattle away from my kids, this was the homecoming I received.
Thursday, July 22
Brendan's Surgery
I know it was so long ago, but Brendan did have his surgery on May 12th, and Caleb cooperated nicely by staying in my belly at this point. It was a tough day for a 22-month old who didn't really understand what was going on.
Our morning started really early as we had to be at the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. Luckily for me, my mother was in town to help me through it all. We packed ourselves breakfast to eat during surgery, but Brendan was not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight.
When we got to the hospital, they weighed and measured Brendan, then gave him a gown to wear. The gown was purple, and with his curly hair grown out in the back and his pretty long eye lashes, everyone thought he was a girl. They let him play in a play-room with toys while waiting. His nurse brought him a stuffed bear with scrubs when they took his blood.
The hardest part of the morning was not getting anything to eat or drink. It was 9:00 before they finally took him to the operating room. He was very unhappy, screaming crying, all he wanted was his milk! Finally, the anesthesiologist came in to talk with Brendan; he saw how upset he was and ordered some medication to “calm” him down. Everyone was very caring; another nurse brought Brendan a Ty Beanie Baby Kangaroo for him to take into surgery with him.
Half an hour after ordering the medicine, it was finally brought in. Brendan, who usually takes medicine fairly well for me, spit out most of it. I was afraid it wasn’t going to work since I couldn’t tell how much he got, but sure enough not 5 minutes later he was not longer screaming. We were doing the itsy-bitsy-spider and he would sway on my lap and laugh when he would almost fall off. He would spin in circles and not be able to walk; my kid was giddy and drunk! When the anesthesiologist came back in to check on him, Brendan went to him easily, gave him hugs and had no problem leaving me, I’m not sure he even knew who I was at this point!
My mother and I went a bought a cup of coffee and waited in the waiting room for the surgery to be over. I was called back when they were done and I was able to hold him but he was still pretty out of it. Once he was stable enough to go back to recovery in pediatrics, they wheeled him off. Recovery took longer than expected; Brendan had a really hard time waking up. He only wanted me to hold him, Grammi would not do. Of course, I am very much pregnant at this time and have to pee almost every half-hour. I noticed a few hours into recovery that he was feeling warm and getting a fever.
Our pediatrician was so great and came to the hospital to check on him even though he was technically another doctor’s patient at this time. Turns out Brendan was sick going into surgery, we did not realize he had a viral infection. Luckily they sent us home and didn’t make us stay the night.
Brendan recovered well, after two days he was starting to be back to himself again. Although he didn’t feel up to running around, we could tell he was feeling better. Now his scar is healing well, the hernia is all gone and we have a two inch scar in its place.
Our morning started really early as we had to be at the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. Luckily for me, my mother was in town to help me through it all. We packed ourselves breakfast to eat during surgery, but Brendan was not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight.
When we got to the hospital, they weighed and measured Brendan, then gave him a gown to wear. The gown was purple, and with his curly hair grown out in the back and his pretty long eye lashes, everyone thought he was a girl. They let him play in a play-room with toys while waiting. His nurse brought him a stuffed bear with scrubs when they took his blood.
The hardest part of the morning was not getting anything to eat or drink. It was 9:00 before they finally took him to the operating room. He was very unhappy, screaming crying, all he wanted was his milk! Finally, the anesthesiologist came in to talk with Brendan; he saw how upset he was and ordered some medication to “calm” him down. Everyone was very caring; another nurse brought Brendan a Ty Beanie Baby Kangaroo for him to take into surgery with him.Half an hour after ordering the medicine, it was finally brought in. Brendan, who usually takes medicine fairly well for me, spit out most of it. I was afraid it wasn’t going to work since I couldn’t tell how much he got, but sure enough not 5 minutes later he was not longer screaming. We were doing the itsy-bitsy-spider and he would sway on my lap and laugh when he would almost fall off. He would spin in circles and not be able to walk; my kid was giddy and drunk! When the anesthesiologist came back in to check on him, Brendan went to him easily, gave him hugs and had no problem leaving me, I’m not sure he even knew who I was at this point!My mother and I went a bought a cup of coffee and waited in the waiting room for the surgery to be over. I was called back when they were done and I was able to hold him but he was still pretty out of it. Once he was stable enough to go back to recovery in pediatrics, they wheeled him off. Recovery took longer than expected; Brendan had a really hard time waking up. He only wanted me to hold him, Grammi would not do. Of course, I am very much pregnant at this time and have to pee almost every half-hour. I noticed a few hours into recovery that he was feeling warm and getting a fever.
Our pediatrician was so great and came to the hospital to check on him even though he was technically another doctor’s patient at this time. Turns out Brendan was sick going into surgery, we did not realize he had a viral infection. Luckily they sent us home and didn’t make us stay the night.Brendan recovered well, after two days he was starting to be back to himself again. Although he didn’t feel up to running around, we could tell he was feeling better. Now his scar is healing well, the hernia is all gone and we have a two inch scar in its place.
Thursday, April 29
Updates and a few pics
I know I said I would update you all on the happenings of the Keys’ Family. And then I disappeared. So instead of trying to type out a million posts to get caught up, you get bullet points, unfortunately, the post will still be very long, hold on, and feel free to skim. No, I did not have my baby, I know that being absent could leave some with that impression, but as of now, I am still very much pregnant. With that, we shall begin:
- Easter was a blast, with this being Brendan’s 2nd Easter, he enjoyed his Easter basket and packages from both Grandparents very much. As well as his very first egg hunt. I am going to post pictures although I am VERY late, we had a wonderful Easter at GG Pat & Poppy’s house.
- We had way too much drama with the van purchase. Oh, remember that van I posted pictures of? We do not have it anymore. Instead, we have a white Dodge Grand Caravan. It was a long story with the conditions of our original loan not being accepted as promised, a break recall, and too much time spent at dealerships.
o After driving the new van for one day, we get a message about the tire being low (brand new tires just put on the car the previous morning). So we took the car back the next weekend to have the bumpers fixed and asked them to make sure to look at the tire as we had to keep filling it with air. We were without the car for 4 days, but when we got it back, the bumpers were nice and fixed.
o But, the light telling us the tires were low was still on. The tire began to go flat. We took the car back in, this time, we sat at the dealership for 4 hours waiting to replace one tire. We finally got a new tire on our van.
o We also have a minivan to cart our family around, despite the drama that went into it.
- Brendan had a bad flu a few weeks ago, throwing everything that he ate up. Unfortunately, I did not really realize it was the flu as he never ran a fever. However, after my husband and mother-in-law both came down with the throwing-up flu, I realized my poor kid really was sick. I am so thankful I never caught it, I am not sure what I would have done to be sick on top of everything else!
- While Brendan was throwing-up sick, we realized that something was not quite right as we changed his diaper. After taking him to the doctor it was confirmed, Brendan has a hernia on his genitals. So after a few doctor appointments, we finally have surgery scheduled to have it removed. May 12th. (Just in case you guys didn’t catch that, my due date is May 15th). Luckly, Brendan doens't seem to be in a lot of pain, but I am looking forward to getting this taken care of.
- I turned the big 2-7 on April 9th. Nope, I don’t feel any different. My birthday was spent with my son at the doctor’s office in the morning, but I had a nice breakfast at Mimi’s with my mom & sister. We then started preparing for my baby shower and running a few errands. Scott and I were supposed to have a nice evening together, but he was still sick, so we had dinner out, he went to bed and I went to my sisters.
- My sister threw a wonderful baby shower for my on April 10th. This one does deserve it’s own post to come.
- Work has been absolutely crazy the past couple of weeks. Especially with me missing a couple of days for “bed rest” and then not know from day to day if I will be able to come into work. This week is our busiest, hopefully by next week things will calm down a little more and I can prepare my desk for my absence. A week and a half left before I start Maternity Leave!
- Everything really seems to be going well for right now, there was about 2 weeks where I felt that I could not catch a break, it was seriously one thing after another. But things seem to have calmed down and I feel as though I am starting to feel ready for our new little one…not quite… but almost!
Thursday, April 22
Hospital visit - Week 34 & 35
My pregnancy complications began on the morning of April 6th, 3 days before my birthday. I knew it was a busy day at work and I needed to be there that day, however, I had a doctor’s appointment at 9:00 that morning. Scott was out of town, so I took Brendan to day care, went to my appointment anxious to get to work.
Our plans never go as planned. My blood pressure was higher than it had been at my previous appointments (probably due to the stress of the morning) and my doctor wanted me to go next door to the hospital’s Labor & Delivery ward (L&D) to be checked out. I knew it would make me that much later to work, but it had to be done. An hour later, I am still waiting in my doctor’s waiting room waiting for L&D to approve me to come over. Finally, I get approval, and wait in the Hospital’s waiting room for 45 minutes for them to process paperwork and send me down the hall. Once I get to L&D, they take my weight, have me pee in a cup and hook me up to machines. One monitor for the baby’s heart rate, one to monitor me, and one for my blood pressure. At this point I am just annoyed, I would like to go to work, I am all alone, and I hate being hooked up to machines. I am still thinking they need to hurry up so I can get out of here. I text my sister to let her know where I am, she immediately decides she is coming to the hospital to it with me. I tell her it is not necessary, I should be out of here soon, but she comes anyway. It was probably a good thing!
I text my husband to let him know what is going on. “I’m in the hospital hooked up to machines.” His response? “Liar.” Umm, no, pretty serious here. He tells me to let him know if he needs to come home or if I think I am okay. Of course I think I am okay, I am ready to go back to work people!
When my sister gets to the hospital, I confess to her, “just so you know, I’m having a few contractions, I haven’t told anyone yet because I don’t want anyone to worry.” Sure enough, the monitor is tracking my contractions at every 3 minutes. I realize, I am not going to work today, I will be lucky if I even get to go home. They continue to monitor me all day, I have ultrasounds taken to check on the baby, and eventually they hook me up to an IV to try to hydrate me enough and see if the contractions stop. Great, more for me to be hooked up to.
Around 2:00, my sister heads back to work and calls my husband in Vegas to let him know that he should probably start heading home; he is already on his way. The nurse tells me there is a chance I will have to stay overnight in the hospital, so we start arranging for someone to pick my son up from day care. They also give me a shot in the rear to help with the development of the baby’s lungs just in case he does come early.
Luckily, around 6:30 the contractions have pretty much ceased. They send me home, but tell me I am on Bed Rest for tomorrow, no work. I am also on “pelvic rest”, instructed to stay well hydrated, and have to come back to the hospital at 2:00 the next day to see where I am.
The next day I tried my best to sit with my feet up, my husband cleaned the house while I just sat around. I had no contractions while at the hospital for my check-up. I get another shot to finish the series for the lung development, and they tell me I can go back to work if I want to. YAY! (Still on pelvic rest).
I still have contractions every now and then, Monday at work they were coming pretty often, but I figure when my water breaks, I should probably head to the hospital! Otherwise, I am doing well. I try to drink LOTS of water to stay hydrated, and I didn’t realize, but a full bladder increases contractions! Interesting! So I take more trips down the hall instead of holding it for when it is convenient to go. I do take it a bit slower and I sit with my feel up more often, you can defiantly see the impact this has taken on my house. But I’m not ready for a baby yet, so anything I can do to prolong the birth!
Our plans never go as planned. My blood pressure was higher than it had been at my previous appointments (probably due to the stress of the morning) and my doctor wanted me to go next door to the hospital’s Labor & Delivery ward (L&D) to be checked out. I knew it would make me that much later to work, but it had to be done. An hour later, I am still waiting in my doctor’s waiting room waiting for L&D to approve me to come over. Finally, I get approval, and wait in the Hospital’s waiting room for 45 minutes for them to process paperwork and send me down the hall. Once I get to L&D, they take my weight, have me pee in a cup and hook me up to machines. One monitor for the baby’s heart rate, one to monitor me, and one for my blood pressure. At this point I am just annoyed, I would like to go to work, I am all alone, and I hate being hooked up to machines. I am still thinking they need to hurry up so I can get out of here. I text my sister to let her know where I am, she immediately decides she is coming to the hospital to it with me. I tell her it is not necessary, I should be out of here soon, but she comes anyway. It was probably a good thing!
I text my husband to let him know what is going on. “I’m in the hospital hooked up to machines.” His response? “Liar.” Umm, no, pretty serious here. He tells me to let him know if he needs to come home or if I think I am okay. Of course I think I am okay, I am ready to go back to work people!
When my sister gets to the hospital, I confess to her, “just so you know, I’m having a few contractions, I haven’t told anyone yet because I don’t want anyone to worry.” Sure enough, the monitor is tracking my contractions at every 3 minutes. I realize, I am not going to work today, I will be lucky if I even get to go home. They continue to monitor me all day, I have ultrasounds taken to check on the baby, and eventually they hook me up to an IV to try to hydrate me enough and see if the contractions stop. Great, more for me to be hooked up to.
Around 2:00, my sister heads back to work and calls my husband in Vegas to let him know that he should probably start heading home; he is already on his way. The nurse tells me there is a chance I will have to stay overnight in the hospital, so we start arranging for someone to pick my son up from day care. They also give me a shot in the rear to help with the development of the baby’s lungs just in case he does come early.
Luckily, around 6:30 the contractions have pretty much ceased. They send me home, but tell me I am on Bed Rest for tomorrow, no work. I am also on “pelvic rest”, instructed to stay well hydrated, and have to come back to the hospital at 2:00 the next day to see where I am.
The next day I tried my best to sit with my feet up, my husband cleaned the house while I just sat around. I had no contractions while at the hospital for my check-up. I get another shot to finish the series for the lung development, and they tell me I can go back to work if I want to. YAY! (Still on pelvic rest).
I still have contractions every now and then, Monday at work they were coming pretty often, but I figure when my water breaks, I should probably head to the hospital! Otherwise, I am doing well. I try to drink LOTS of water to stay hydrated, and I didn’t realize, but a full bladder increases contractions! Interesting! So I take more trips down the hall instead of holding it for when it is convenient to go. I do take it a bit slower and I sit with my feel up more often, you can defiantly see the impact this has taken on my house. But I’m not ready for a baby yet, so anything I can do to prolong the birth!
Friday, March 19
Root Canal
Well I did have a root canal yesterday afternoon. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I am sore today, my jaw hurts and of course the tooth is still sore, but I am hoping the pain will decrease over the next couple of days I will go back to feeling normal again. The actual procedure was not too bad, I was prepared for the worst, but it didn't take as long as I thought it would, and I felt fine for the most part when it was done. Scott took me home and I spent the afternoon laying on the couch.
I was given a prescription for the pain and an antibiotic. I'm not sure if it is the medication, but this morning I woke up feeling very nauseous, I wasn't sure if I would make it through the day. As the day has gone on, I am feeling better. I no longer feel sick, but am in more pain than this morning. For now, I am doing fine, trying to keep a good attitude. At least I was able to have the procedure done! And I am thankful I was able to get pain medication approved to take during pregnancy!
Thursday, March 18
Dentist, Tears & Unanswered Questions
Tuesday was quite an emotional day for me. My tooth had been bothering me for a couple days; originally, I thought that I just had something stuck in my gums so I tried flossing and brushing but nothing really helped. By Monday after lunch, it had gotten worse. By the time I got home for the evening, it was almost unbearable. I took Tylenol (being pregnant and without much options) but it was not doing anything. Monday night was one of my worst nights for sleep, I woke up almost every hour because of the pain, and it was a constant throbbing pain on my lower right side of my mouth.
Tuesday morning I tried calling the dentist for an appointment. My biggest fear was being 7 months pregnant, I had heard that they do not like to do dental work on pregnant women. I was able to get a dentist appointment at 3:00 in the afternoon. Since I am still without a car, I had to schedule it at a time that I could borrow my sister’s car. By the time I left work for my appointment, the entire right side of my face was in severe pain. It had spread to my jawbone, cheek, top molars, even under my eye and starting to cause a headache. This pain was so bad, I was not sure if I would be able to tolerate it much longer.
At my appointment, they did not want to do an x-ray due to the pregnancy, but the dentist came in to do a visual exam of my mouth, looking at my charts, she reminded me of my last appointment. Back in May, I had a filling completed; during the procedure, she told me it would most likely have to be a root canal at some point. That was exactly what I thought it was going to be. They did not bother with the x-ray but began the referral to a specialist to have an emergency root canal scheduled since I was in so much pain. Only one problem…I am seven months pregnant. I was told they usually prefer to do dental work during the 2nd trimester, and I was well into my 3rd.
My next step was to call my OB and request approval for a root canal to be sent to the specialist approving what medication could be used and everything else involved. The receptionist was for one, not very customer friendly, or supportive of my situation. She made it sound as though it was not likely to get approved since I am 7 months along. By the time I hung up with her, I was in tears. The pain was too much and now I did not even know if I would be able to get it fixed. For those of you that do not know me very well, I actually have a high tolerance for pain, but this pain was just too much for me, all I could do was cry. The dentist office went ahead and scheduled the Emergency Consultation with the specialist pending the approval from my OB for the work to be completed.
As I sat in the car outside the dentist office, tears streaming down my face, I am at a loss of what to do. I guess just go home and wait it out. Just then my best friend calls to ask if I want to go to the mall the evening. How did she know that I needed a distraction? She didn’t. She didn’t even know I was in pain, but God did, and knew that right then I needed a friend. She picked me up, we picked up Brendan from day care and we went to the mall. The distraction was perfect, I wasn’t thinking so much about my tooth, the pain, or the whole ordeal with not knowing if I would even have the procedure this week or not. We were just two girls (with two active toddlers) looking for a dress at the mall.
An hour after I originally spoke with the OB’s office, I still had not heard back. I tried calling again to find out the status. After waiting on hold for a good 5-10 minutes, the receptionist comes back and tells me the work is approved, but an approval letter will not be able to be issued until Thursday morning, and the office does not open until 9:00. She also agrees to call in a prescription for me to take for the pain. Finally, relief is in sight.
So here we are today. I took the day off from work to have the root canal done. My poor husband also has to take time off since I have to have someone drive me there and back. At this point, I don’t know if it will just be a consultation with an x-ray (if approved) or if they will actually do work on my mouth. At least we are headed in the right direction to getting it taken care of. My appointment is this morning, I'm not sure how long it should take, or how long it will take to where I feel back to normal, hopefully not too long! There are still many unknowns, I still haven't seen the approval from my OB, I am praying it come through in time.
It is times like these when I have to just trust that God will take care of us, it will all work out, and in the scheme of things, this will seem so minor compared to everything else in our lives.
Tuesday morning I tried calling the dentist for an appointment. My biggest fear was being 7 months pregnant, I had heard that they do not like to do dental work on pregnant women. I was able to get a dentist appointment at 3:00 in the afternoon. Since I am still without a car, I had to schedule it at a time that I could borrow my sister’s car. By the time I left work for my appointment, the entire right side of my face was in severe pain. It had spread to my jawbone, cheek, top molars, even under my eye and starting to cause a headache. This pain was so bad, I was not sure if I would be able to tolerate it much longer.
At my appointment, they did not want to do an x-ray due to the pregnancy, but the dentist came in to do a visual exam of my mouth, looking at my charts, she reminded me of my last appointment. Back in May, I had a filling completed; during the procedure, she told me it would most likely have to be a root canal at some point. That was exactly what I thought it was going to be. They did not bother with the x-ray but began the referral to a specialist to have an emergency root canal scheduled since I was in so much pain. Only one problem…I am seven months pregnant. I was told they usually prefer to do dental work during the 2nd trimester, and I was well into my 3rd.
My next step was to call my OB and request approval for a root canal to be sent to the specialist approving what medication could be used and everything else involved. The receptionist was for one, not very customer friendly, or supportive of my situation. She made it sound as though it was not likely to get approved since I am 7 months along. By the time I hung up with her, I was in tears. The pain was too much and now I did not even know if I would be able to get it fixed. For those of you that do not know me very well, I actually have a high tolerance for pain, but this pain was just too much for me, all I could do was cry. The dentist office went ahead and scheduled the Emergency Consultation with the specialist pending the approval from my OB for the work to be completed.
As I sat in the car outside the dentist office, tears streaming down my face, I am at a loss of what to do. I guess just go home and wait it out. Just then my best friend calls to ask if I want to go to the mall the evening. How did she know that I needed a distraction? She didn’t. She didn’t even know I was in pain, but God did, and knew that right then I needed a friend. She picked me up, we picked up Brendan from day care and we went to the mall. The distraction was perfect, I wasn’t thinking so much about my tooth, the pain, or the whole ordeal with not knowing if I would even have the procedure this week or not. We were just two girls (with two active toddlers) looking for a dress at the mall.
An hour after I originally spoke with the OB’s office, I still had not heard back. I tried calling again to find out the status. After waiting on hold for a good 5-10 minutes, the receptionist comes back and tells me the work is approved, but an approval letter will not be able to be issued until Thursday morning, and the office does not open until 9:00. She also agrees to call in a prescription for me to take for the pain. Finally, relief is in sight.
So here we are today. I took the day off from work to have the root canal done. My poor husband also has to take time off since I have to have someone drive me there and back. At this point, I don’t know if it will just be a consultation with an x-ray (if approved) or if they will actually do work on my mouth. At least we are headed in the right direction to getting it taken care of. My appointment is this morning, I'm not sure how long it should take, or how long it will take to where I feel back to normal, hopefully not too long! There are still many unknowns, I still haven't seen the approval from my OB, I am praying it come through in time.
It is times like these when I have to just trust that God will take care of us, it will all work out, and in the scheme of things, this will seem so minor compared to everything else in our lives.
Monday, March 8
Let's talk about Doctors....
Specifically OBGYN’s….
When I was pregnant with Brendan, I had one OB. Due to my insurance, (HMO) I have to be “referred” to an OB by my Family Practitioner. For the most part, I did not mind this doctor. His PA irked me a bit, I felt she was ditzy and a bit clueless, and less than helpful. However, they were little things that I was able to get over. That is until it actually came to my due date. My induction date was scheduled, finally, 2 weeks (okay, 12 days) after my due date. Since this was my first baby, I did not really know better, I had heard that being induced was painful (it was) and so I was willing to wait for my baby to come on his timing. I may not have waited gracefully, but I did wait.
When I finally began progressive labor on early Sunday morning, the day before my induction date, I was excited to finally deliver. I knew that my OB had been “off duty” but with my induction date being on Monday at 8:30 am, I was hoping he would be there to deliver the baby. Without going fully into my labor story, after a LONG day/night in the hospital I finally gave birth at 8:26 Monday, July 14, just minutes from my scheduled induction. Guess who never showed up?
Nope, not for the delivery.
Not for a check-up later in the day.
Not even to release me to go home.
The nurse finally had to call him at 6:00pm the next day to ask if I could be released. Without ever seeing me, talking to me, checking me out in any way, I was released to go home with my newborn.
Needless to say, I was not happy with this OB, and determined not to have the same one for this baby.
Once again, I received a “referral” for a new OB, this one was in the same office building, Great! I thought, close to home and easily accessible. Until I realized I could only schedule appointments on Monday afternoons (at 2:00) or every other Friday. Frustrated I was determined to make it work. The little things kept adding up. I was frustrated, but Scott had never met this OB or his PA so I had no one to talk to and see if I was just being crazy or if I should switch. On January 4, I was told that I was considered “High Risk” because of Blood work being done in the 19th week of pregnancy instead of the 18th. Nothing came back negative with the results; it was just done in the wrong week. Which I was not told specifically what week to have the test done. I was frustrated. A friend of mine was talking to me about it on January 6, without being pushy; she encouraged me to possibly find a new OB that I would be happy with.
I convinced myself that it was not worth it to switch halfway through the pregnancy, it was not a big deal, I could get over my frustrations and lack of communication on my doctor’s office part.
Although the “High Risk” should have been my final straw, on February 8, I had an appointment. Once again, they had delayed my physical that should have been done in my 10th week. The lack of communication was too much for me. Was it so difficult for the office & doctor to read my chart to see what needed to go on? At dinner with my girl friends that night, I brought up my problem. I had just started my 3rd trimester, was it worth it to switch? The answer was “YES! Do what makes you feel comfortable!”
The next day, I made the call to request a new “referral” from my regular doctor. Feeling high maintenance, I had to call and verify that they would take on a new patient at this late point in my pregnancy. The new office said they would. I have now been to visit this office twice. I have seen the doctor both times, I do not know if there is even a PA in this office. The office is small, quiet, and very helpful. I am encouraged that maybe this one will work out.
Feeling confident in your OB is very important, and being comfortable should not be put on the back burner. I will keep you updated on how this doctor goes, because switching again would be a bit ridiculous!
When I was pregnant with Brendan, I had one OB. Due to my insurance, (HMO) I have to be “referred” to an OB by my Family Practitioner. For the most part, I did not mind this doctor. His PA irked me a bit, I felt she was ditzy and a bit clueless, and less than helpful. However, they were little things that I was able to get over. That is until it actually came to my due date. My induction date was scheduled, finally, 2 weeks (okay, 12 days) after my due date. Since this was my first baby, I did not really know better, I had heard that being induced was painful (it was) and so I was willing to wait for my baby to come on his timing. I may not have waited gracefully, but I did wait.
When I finally began progressive labor on early Sunday morning, the day before my induction date, I was excited to finally deliver. I knew that my OB had been “off duty” but with my induction date being on Monday at 8:30 am, I was hoping he would be there to deliver the baby. Without going fully into my labor story, after a LONG day/night in the hospital I finally gave birth at 8:26 Monday, July 14, just minutes from my scheduled induction. Guess who never showed up?
Nope, not for the delivery.
Not for a check-up later in the day.
Not even to release me to go home.
The nurse finally had to call him at 6:00pm the next day to ask if I could be released. Without ever seeing me, talking to me, checking me out in any way, I was released to go home with my newborn.
Needless to say, I was not happy with this OB, and determined not to have the same one for this baby.
Once again, I received a “referral” for a new OB, this one was in the same office building, Great! I thought, close to home and easily accessible. Until I realized I could only schedule appointments on Monday afternoons (at 2:00) or every other Friday. Frustrated I was determined to make it work. The little things kept adding up. I was frustrated, but Scott had never met this OB or his PA so I had no one to talk to and see if I was just being crazy or if I should switch. On January 4, I was told that I was considered “High Risk” because of Blood work being done in the 19th week of pregnancy instead of the 18th. Nothing came back negative with the results; it was just done in the wrong week. Which I was not told specifically what week to have the test done. I was frustrated. A friend of mine was talking to me about it on January 6, without being pushy; she encouraged me to possibly find a new OB that I would be happy with.
I convinced myself that it was not worth it to switch halfway through the pregnancy, it was not a big deal, I could get over my frustrations and lack of communication on my doctor’s office part.
Although the “High Risk” should have been my final straw, on February 8, I had an appointment. Once again, they had delayed my physical that should have been done in my 10th week. The lack of communication was too much for me. Was it so difficult for the office & doctor to read my chart to see what needed to go on? At dinner with my girl friends that night, I brought up my problem. I had just started my 3rd trimester, was it worth it to switch? The answer was “YES! Do what makes you feel comfortable!”
The next day, I made the call to request a new “referral” from my regular doctor. Feeling high maintenance, I had to call and verify that they would take on a new patient at this late point in my pregnancy. The new office said they would. I have now been to visit this office twice. I have seen the doctor both times, I do not know if there is even a PA in this office. The office is small, quiet, and very helpful. I am encouraged that maybe this one will work out.
Feeling confident in your OB is very important, and being comfortable should not be put on the back burner. I will keep you updated on how this doctor goes, because switching again would be a bit ridiculous!
Monday, January 25
Pregnancy, Ultrasounds & Updates
It has been a while since I have updated my blog on my pregnancy. So I thought I would catch you up on my "progress" and what has been going on lately since I am now 24 weeks pregnant.
- Although all the books say I should be "feeling good" at this point, I'm not sure if I am really there. Since I am in my second trimester, usually morning sickness goes away. Unfortunately for me, my morning sickness got worse after Christmas. After a couple weeks, it seemed to get better.
- The baby is moving like crazy! I can even see his movements when I just watch my tummy. It is actually one of the most enjoyable moments of my day, when I can sit back with my hands on my tummy, feeling his movements. My mom was able to feel a few of his movements when really concentrating at Christmas time. Scott of course has also felt the baby move and kick.
- I have had 3 doctor appointments since my last update. I feel like I have had a lot lately, and it gets a little frustrating to have to miss work for this many appointments.
- Scott was able to go with me to the Ultrasound a few days before Christmas. We were able to confirm that the baby is indeed a boy. No doubt about it!
- I then had an appointment with my normal doctor, who referred me back to the specialist for a few more tests.
- The specialist did another ultrasound. This time I didn't get to see as much of the baby as they were mostly doing measurements of the head and heart and such. Luckily, the appointment was quick and they said I shouldn't have to go back to the specialist again for this pregnancy.
- I am suppose to have another appointment today, but I think I am going to have to reschedule. I am sick today and not sure if they want me to come in.
- I didn't realize how much earlier I was showing with this pregnancy. I knew I began to show early, but I looked back on pictures of myself halfway through the pregnancy with Brendan and was shocked at how much bigger I am with this one. Unfortunately, with no scale at home, I am not sure how much weight I have gained. That is something I am going to ask the doctor at my next appointment. I don't want to gain too much weight!
- I have been experiencing a lot more braxton-hicks contractions lately. Some are even uncomfortable for me. They come on especailly after I do a lot of walking. Even walking in form the back of the parking lot at work carrying my laptop. I think I am going to talk to my doctor about these as well. I know that it is possible to get them at this point in the pregnancy, but it still feels too early for me.
- Scott and I started our baby registries this weekend. BabiesRus & Target. We haven't registered for a lot since there isn't too much that we need with this one. There are a few things that I didn't have with Brendan that I wish that I did. So we registered for them, and maybe we will see. We are still planning on keeping this pregnancy at a lower key since it is our second.
- Overall I think I am doing well. Completely in Maternity clothes at this point, feeling pretty good although I am still tired most of the time and i have to remind myself to slow down, take things easy and not try to do too much. I am excited for the weeks ahead as I get further into my pregnancy.
Thursday, January 14
Day Four....and counting
Today we are on day four of Brendan's sickness. It started Monday afternoon. Marion called me at work at 4:30 saying that Brendan had just gotten a high fever and I needed to come pick him up. Luckily, Brendan was the only one at day care that day, so hopefully we did not spread his germs to too many kids. When I picked him up, his fever was 101.7. I cancelled my plans and stayed home with him Monday night, not realizing I would be spending the next 72 hours (and counting) at home with a sick child wishing for a reason to go out into the world....
I keep trying to think of where he got this from. The doctor says these viruses are "a dime a dozen, almost every kid out there is contagious." I don't think he got it from Day Care. My guess is from a kid at church on Sunday morning. That is the most logical considering he started showing symptoms on Monday. I guess it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that he will be okay, if we could even just get this fever to go away!
This does make my 3rd day off from work, and although you would think I would be enjoying this break from my job, I am not. It is actually just stressing me out more. This is not a good time for my office to be off, and it is not like I am able to go places with Brendan (Disneyland, Aquarium, even the mall) instead, I am stuck here in this house with a very fussy, hot toddler who cannot express what he wants. Although, I am pretty sure even he doesn't really know what he wants.
Yesterday we had a fairly normal temperature for most of the day, I thought we were on the mend and I would be able to head back to work. But last night when Brendan woke up crying at 1:30 am, his temperature had gone back up to 103.2. Here we go again.
This morning at 8:30 it was 101 and I knew it would be another day in the house. We did make it outside the house for about half an hour as I pushed Brendan on the swing on our front porch. If I had more energy, I probably would have taken a walk with the stroller around the neighborhood.
I do feel bad for him. Having a fever for this long must be very uncomfortable. The doctor says there is not much we can do; Tylenol, and wait it out. The fever could last 3-7 days. I try to have patience with him, but the truth is I am going crazy. He doesn't want to eat, but he stands in the kitchen crying. I can't get any work done because he wants to be held all the time. I just wish he could express himself better than just standing there crying.
The good news is that he is currently down for a nap. Which means, I had time to shower, load & run the dishwasher, write this blog post, and now I need to fold a load of laundry before he wakes up. Pray for us! I hope it ends soon!
I keep trying to think of where he got this from. The doctor says these viruses are "a dime a dozen, almost every kid out there is contagious." I don't think he got it from Day Care. My guess is from a kid at church on Sunday morning. That is the most logical considering he started showing symptoms on Monday. I guess it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that he will be okay, if we could even just get this fever to go away!
This does make my 3rd day off from work, and although you would think I would be enjoying this break from my job, I am not. It is actually just stressing me out more. This is not a good time for my office to be off, and it is not like I am able to go places with Brendan (Disneyland, Aquarium, even the mall) instead, I am stuck here in this house with a very fussy, hot toddler who cannot express what he wants. Although, I am pretty sure even he doesn't really know what he wants.
Yesterday we had a fairly normal temperature for most of the day, I thought we were on the mend and I would be able to head back to work. But last night when Brendan woke up crying at 1:30 am, his temperature had gone back up to 103.2. Here we go again.
This morning at 8:30 it was 101 and I knew it would be another day in the house. We did make it outside the house for about half an hour as I pushed Brendan on the swing on our front porch. If I had more energy, I probably would have taken a walk with the stroller around the neighborhood.
I do feel bad for him. Having a fever for this long must be very uncomfortable. The doctor says there is not much we can do; Tylenol, and wait it out. The fever could last 3-7 days. I try to have patience with him, but the truth is I am going crazy. He doesn't want to eat, but he stands in the kitchen crying. I can't get any work done because he wants to be held all the time. I just wish he could express himself better than just standing there crying.
The good news is that he is currently down for a nap. Which means, I had time to shower, load & run the dishwasher, write this blog post, and now I need to fold a load of laundry before he wakes up. Pray for us! I hope it ends soon!
Tuesday, November 24
Congratulations! It's a.....
Well, we have told our family and closest friends the sex so I thought I would share it for the rest of the world to know. I am currently 15 weeks pregnant. Into my 2nd trimester and feeling pretty good. Except for still being tired. As you know, I went to my doctor's appointment for the California Pregnancy Screening. While I was getting the ultrasound done, we found out the sex! I was surprised to know so early, and it could still change since it was very early, we will confirm at my next appointment. But I am thinking they were right when they told us that...
We are very excited to have two boys so close in age! Scott loves the fact that I will be in a family of "Men". I think it is great, plus, we already have a bunch of boy clothes! Although our niece was very disappointed not to be getting a baby girl cousin, I'm sure she will survive with two boys. Now we just need to pick out a name...
It's a BOY!
We are very excited to have two boys so close in age! Scott loves the fact that I will be in a family of "Men". I think it is great, plus, we already have a bunch of boy clothes! Although our niece was very disappointed not to be getting a baby girl cousin, I'm sure she will survive with two boys. Now we just need to pick out a name...
Monday, November 23
Doctor Offices and Shots
Last week I had quite a hectic afternoon. It all started last Monday morning, well I guess you could say it started about a month ago (October 15th). I took Brendan to the doctor for his 15 month check-up. While they were doing all of his immunizations, I asked if he could get the Flu shot (just seasonal, not H1N1) as well, being in a day care, I know he is exposed to germs every day and the healthier he is, the better we all are. When they gave him the shot the nurse instructed me that I would need to come back in one month for his booster flu shot.
“Since the 15th will be a Sunday, just come in on Monday. No need to make an appointment, just call and make sure we still have it.”
So on Monday morning, as I am driving to the Doctor’s office, I remember to call and ask if they still have flu shots. The receptionist tells me. “We only do flu shots Tuesday through Thursday, just come back another day, no need to make an appointment.” Frustrated, I go to work, now late. I didn’t have another opportunity to take Brendan back for his flu shot until Thursday (Dentist appointments, work appointments and everything else). So Thursday, I drive to the Doctor’s office at 8:15, when I get to the parking lot I realize it is pretty empty, so I call inside before unloading my son to ask when I can get a flu shot. “We only do flu shots from 2:00 – 4:00.” Why couldn’t you tell me that on MONDAY when I called?? Okay, I didn’t really yell at her, instead I just got flustered and hung up on her. I don’t think I will have another opportunity to get him a flu shot next week, today is my last chance! So once again, I arrive late at work for no reason.
The night before I spoke with my Mother-in-law on the phone, we had a nice conversation and the topic of the H1N1 vaccine came up. Since I am pregnant, I am at high risk for the virus; she encouraged me to get the shot, which I had been avoiding before. I finally gave in and decided to get it done. I call my doctor and they set up an appointment at 2:00 to get the shot. A middle of the day appointment is always stressful with leaving work so early in the day, but I felt I needed to get all these things done before the Thanksgiving break. So I make the appointment, I figure I can also get my blood work done and pick-up my prescription form my OB all in the same office at the same time. I call my OB’s office on the way to ensure they will be open so I can finally come get my prescription. I tell them I am about to go get my blood-work then I will come upstairs to pick up the prescription (since they refuse to call it in and insist I have to pick it up myself). Last time I came by to pick it up, the office was closed. She tells me that someone was there; I probably didn’t wait long enough.
So I am shot in one arm, blood drawn for the next and run upstairs for my prescription. When I get to my OB’s office, it is dark and no one is at the front desk. Very frustrated, I call the office again telling them I am at the office and no one is here. The woman tells me “oh no, there is always someone there.” Again I tell her that it is empty and the computers are shut down. “Oh wait, what office are you at?” The one whose number I called, the one I always visit, the one at Raincross! “Oh their phone lines are transferred to us, we are at the other office, Raincross is only open part time; you will have to go across town to our other office.” Why are the hours not listed on the business card, why don’t they answer the phone with what office they are at if the phone is forwarded?? So leaving Raincross I went back to pick-up Brendan from daycare so I could take him to get his flu shot (seasonal).
Brendan was such a trooper, when the nurse came in he started o cling to me a bit. I'm not sure if it was because he remembered her (and the shots) from last month, or if he is just getting more sensitive around strangers. He was such a trooper! Brendan didn't even cry, he let out a whimper and held me close but was fine after 10 seconds. No big deal!
I had one more stop to make before going home; I had to pick-up my prescription that they won’t phone in for me. I go by my OB's other office, and wait for the PA to write me a prescription. After spending 10 minutes in the waiting room just to pick up a prescription, I am finally done with all my doctor visits!
So I started my doctor runs at 1:45 when I left work to quickly get to 2:00 appointment, and didn't get home until 4:15. Just in time to put Brendan down for a late nap, finish my Bible Study homework and take a quick half-hour nap. Poor Brendan didn’t do so hot with his shot unfortunately, he was “sick” when he got up from his nap, very fussy and I ended up missing Bible Study. Oh well. I have my H1N1 shot, Blood-work done and prescription, and Brendan has his Flu shot, I guess we are taken care of. Still...What a day!
P.S. Sorry this post was so much longer than I expected! I need to learn to write shorter stories!
“Since the 15th will be a Sunday, just come in on Monday. No need to make an appointment, just call and make sure we still have it.”
So on Monday morning, as I am driving to the Doctor’s office, I remember to call and ask if they still have flu shots. The receptionist tells me. “We only do flu shots Tuesday through Thursday, just come back another day, no need to make an appointment.” Frustrated, I go to work, now late. I didn’t have another opportunity to take Brendan back for his flu shot until Thursday (Dentist appointments, work appointments and everything else). So Thursday, I drive to the Doctor’s office at 8:15, when I get to the parking lot I realize it is pretty empty, so I call inside before unloading my son to ask when I can get a flu shot. “We only do flu shots from 2:00 – 4:00.” Why couldn’t you tell me that on MONDAY when I called?? Okay, I didn’t really yell at her, instead I just got flustered and hung up on her. I don’t think I will have another opportunity to get him a flu shot next week, today is my last chance! So once again, I arrive late at work for no reason.
The night before I spoke with my Mother-in-law on the phone, we had a nice conversation and the topic of the H1N1 vaccine came up. Since I am pregnant, I am at high risk for the virus; she encouraged me to get the shot, which I had been avoiding before. I finally gave in and decided to get it done. I call my doctor and they set up an appointment at 2:00 to get the shot. A middle of the day appointment is always stressful with leaving work so early in the day, but I felt I needed to get all these things done before the Thanksgiving break. So I make the appointment, I figure I can also get my blood work done and pick-up my prescription form my OB all in the same office at the same time. I call my OB’s office on the way to ensure they will be open so I can finally come get my prescription. I tell them I am about to go get my blood-work then I will come upstairs to pick up the prescription (since they refuse to call it in and insist I have to pick it up myself). Last time I came by to pick it up, the office was closed. She tells me that someone was there; I probably didn’t wait long enough.
So I am shot in one arm, blood drawn for the next and run upstairs for my prescription. When I get to my OB’s office, it is dark and no one is at the front desk. Very frustrated, I call the office again telling them I am at the office and no one is here. The woman tells me “oh no, there is always someone there.” Again I tell her that it is empty and the computers are shut down. “Oh wait, what office are you at?” The one whose number I called, the one I always visit, the one at Raincross! “Oh their phone lines are transferred to us, we are at the other office, Raincross is only open part time; you will have to go across town to our other office.” Why are the hours not listed on the business card, why don’t they answer the phone with what office they are at if the phone is forwarded?? So leaving Raincross I went back to pick-up Brendan from daycare so I could take him to get his flu shot (seasonal).
Brendan was such a trooper, when the nurse came in he started o cling to me a bit. I'm not sure if it was because he remembered her (and the shots) from last month, or if he is just getting more sensitive around strangers. He was such a trooper! Brendan didn't even cry, he let out a whimper and held me close but was fine after 10 seconds. No big deal!
I had one more stop to make before going home; I had to pick-up my prescription that they won’t phone in for me. I go by my OB's other office, and wait for the PA to write me a prescription. After spending 10 minutes in the waiting room just to pick up a prescription, I am finally done with all my doctor visits!
So I started my doctor runs at 1:45 when I left work to quickly get to 2:00 appointment, and didn't get home until 4:15. Just in time to put Brendan down for a late nap, finish my Bible Study homework and take a quick half-hour nap. Poor Brendan didn’t do so hot with his shot unfortunately, he was “sick” when he got up from his nap, very fussy and I ended up missing Bible Study. Oh well. I have my H1N1 shot, Blood-work done and prescription, and Brendan has his Flu shot, I guess we are taken care of. Still...What a day!
P.S. Sorry this post was so much longer than I expected! I need to learn to write shorter stories!
Monday, November 16
Dentist Follow-up
Today I took Brendan back to the dentist for his follow-up to his problem from two weeks ago. The dentist, once again, was wonderful! He looked at his mouth, where the "black" spot was earlier is now a tooth! Brendan has three of his four molars in, we are just waiting for the last one! Dr. Beam then brushed Brendan's teeth and walked us out to set up an appointment in 6 months. He questioned me on some of Brendan's habits, how often we brush his teeth, if he was still having a bottle before bed and so on. I told him we didn't have bottles anymore, just a sippy-cup of milk about an hour before bedtime. He was very impressed, "It is better for his teeth that way!" he was pleased with Brendan and his "habits".
Although Brendan was not happy at all with having his teeth examined, he still gave his dentist a high-five on the way out. Dr. Beam was also impressed at how advanced Brendan was, he said not many toddlers at 16-months are that capable at high fives, picking out toys and saying "thank you". Brendan got to pick out a toy from the drawer, today he picked up a foam baseball, Daddy would be proud! They also took him to the back room and let him pick a movie, I was thinking it was going to be a movie about visiting the dentist, or teeth care. But Brendan walked out with Horten Hears a Who. I couldn't believe how much they gave Brendan over the standard toothbrush and toothpaste (which we got again this visit). Brendan left happy and ready to go play with the other kids at daycare. I am a little sad that when our insurance changes in January, we will most likely need to find a new dentist for Brendan.
Although Brendan was not happy at all with having his teeth examined, he still gave his dentist a high-five on the way out. Dr. Beam was also impressed at how advanced Brendan was, he said not many toddlers at 16-months are that capable at high fives, picking out toys and saying "thank you". Brendan got to pick out a toy from the drawer, today he picked up a foam baseball, Daddy would be proud! They also took him to the back room and let him pick a movie, I was thinking it was going to be a movie about visiting the dentist, or teeth care. But Brendan walked out with Horten Hears a Who. I couldn't believe how much they gave Brendan over the standard toothbrush and toothpaste (which we got again this visit). Brendan left happy and ready to go play with the other kids at daycare. I am a little sad that when our insurance changes in January, we will most likely need to find a new dentist for Brendan.
Thursday, November 12
Pregnancy Screening Tests
Monday afternoon I went to the doctor for my 12 week appointment (a little late as it kept getting rescheduled). They told me that I needed to do my “Screening” before the end of the week while I was still in my first trimester. I was actually pretty upset about this. During the screening they check for birth defects and genetic disorders in each of my trimesters. That means I have to have extra blood work done each trimester, and extra doctor visits to a specialist. It probably isn’t a big deal, and most pregnant women probably get it done, but it was a bigger deal to me.
With Brendan, when this screening was offered, I signed the paperwork to deny the tests. But with this pregnancy, I switched doctors. Now I have a brand new set of policies to follow. The PA told me at my last visit that if I choose to deny the tests, they are going to send me to a specialist because they will consider me a “high-risk pregnancy”. With feeling like I didn’t really have a choice, I went ahead and did the test. Although, I haven’t yet done my blood work…I hate needles!
My appointment with the specialist was today at 1:30. When I went in, they gave me an ultrasound. I am in my 13th week of pregnancy and have already doubled the ultrasounds for this kid compared to the last! I wasn’t very excited going into it, but seeing your baby on a large screen really calms you down. She took the measurements, then showed me the arms, legs and head. Then she asked me if I wanted to find out the sex. I said “sure, why not”. She told me that we would confirm on my next appointment.
I am so excited, I didn’t expect to know so soon into the pregnancy, although I am 2 days away from being officially out of my 1st trimester, wow, time is going fast! Of course, she may be wrong with the sex, so we will find out for sure next time.
Aren't you all dying to know what it is??
With Brendan, when this screening was offered, I signed the paperwork to deny the tests. But with this pregnancy, I switched doctors. Now I have a brand new set of policies to follow. The PA told me at my last visit that if I choose to deny the tests, they are going to send me to a specialist because they will consider me a “high-risk pregnancy”. With feeling like I didn’t really have a choice, I went ahead and did the test. Although, I haven’t yet done my blood work…I hate needles!My appointment with the specialist was today at 1:30. When I went in, they gave me an ultrasound. I am in my 13th week of pregnancy and have already doubled the ultrasounds for this kid compared to the last! I wasn’t very excited going into it, but seeing your baby on a large screen really calms you down. She took the measurements, then showed me the arms, legs and head. Then she asked me if I wanted to find out the sex. I said “sure, why not”. She told me that we would confirm on my next appointment.
I am so excited, I didn’t expect to know so soon into the pregnancy, although I am 2 days away from being officially out of my 1st trimester, wow, time is going fast! Of course, she may be wrong with the sex, so we will find out for sure next time.
Aren't you all dying to know what it is??
Wednesday, November 4
Trip to the Dentist
Brendan had his first visit to the Dentist this week. Last Sunday, while sitting in the airport, I noticed that Brendan had a dark black spot on his upper left gum where his molar should be coming through. It was a black spot and really swollen. I called my doctor first thing Monday morning to ask what I should do. The nurse said that it was probably just a blood blister under the surface, to watch it and if it doesn’t get better in two weeks, to call the dentist. Being a first time mom, I was still a little worried. I checked the spot every day and the swelling seemed to get better, and then worse again.
By Monday morning, I wasn’t seeing any improvements. So I called my dentist. I explained that I had a 15 month with a swollen-black-spot on their gums. She told me to bring him in right away. So at 9:30, I left work, picked Brendan back up and went to the Dentist. My dentist was very nice, looked at his gum and said “I need to send him to a pediatric specialist” So we got up and she referred me to a dentist. I kept asking if they knew what it was, finally, the dentist looks at me and says, “I have no idea what is wrong with his mouth.”
I immediately call the Pediatric dentist from my car. I explain my situation and they say they have an appointment at 11:00, it is currently 10:15.
“Or as soon as you can get here.”
“I’m on my way!”
I arrive at Kid’s World Children’s Dentistry at 10:45. The receptionists were really sweet. I explained that I did not have dental insurance for him yet, so they give me some paperwork to fill out. Instead of a sign-in sheet, they take a picture of the patient with the parent, it was unusual, but they said it helps the Dr. to remember his patients. As we are waiting, the Dental Hygienists comes out to check on Brendan’s “boo boo” I show her his gums and as I am handing the paperwork back to the reception area, the dentist come out Dr. Roy Beam. He also takes a quick look at Brendan’s gum and says they will bring me back shortly.
When we were taken to the back. I sat down with Brendan in my lap. Dr. Beam sits across from me and hold Brendan’s head in his lap as I hold his hands still. He was so gentle while checking out his teeth. As shows me a picture in a book that looks similar to Brendan’s gums. He explains that it is some sort of cyst that was caused when the tooth started to come in. Apparently it is not that common because no one in the office had seen it before, and Dr. Beam had to confirm with a book. He said once the molar finally comes through, the cysts will go down/away. They also said if I rub a warm wash cloth dipped in warm salt water, it should help the swelling.
I immediately call the Pediatric dentist from my car. I explain my situation and they say they have an appointment at 11:00, it is currently 10:15.
“Or as soon as you can get here.”
“I’m on my way!”
I arrive at Kid’s World Children’s Dentistry at 10:45. The receptionists were really sweet. I explained that I did not have dental insurance for him yet, so they give me some paperwork to fill out. Instead of a sign-in sheet, they take a picture of the patient with the parent, it was unusual, but they said it helps the Dr. to remember his patients. As we are waiting, the Dental Hygienists comes out to check on Brendan’s “boo boo” I show her his gums and as I am handing the paperwork back to the reception area, the dentist come out Dr. Roy Beam. He also takes a quick look at Brendan’s gum and says they will bring me back shortly.When we were taken to the back. I sat down with Brendan in my lap. Dr. Beam sits across from me and hold Brendan’s head in his lap as I hold his hands still. He was so gentle while checking out his teeth. As shows me a picture in a book that looks similar to Brendan’s gums. He explains that it is some sort of cyst that was caused when the tooth started to come in. Apparently it is not that common because no one in the office had seen it before, and Dr. Beam had to confirm with a book. He said once the molar finally comes through, the cysts will go down/away. They also said if I rub a warm wash cloth dipped in warm salt water, it should help the swelling.
I know it is blurry, but it is the best picture I could get, you can kind of see the black swelling on his upper left gum.
Ignore the Blue Mouth.
I have a follow-up appointment in two weeks for him to check on the gum and make sure everything looks okay. Since having his mouth examined was “traumatic” for Brendan, they gave him a blue sugar-free sucker. Brendan just loved that! They also sent him home with a new toothbrush, tooth paste, a children’s teething chart and Brendan got to pick two toys out of a bin to take home.
Brendan with his toy picks and his nice sticky blue mouth!
Tuesday, November 3
Absent last week
I know I have been absent to 13 days now, and actually, a lot has been going on! I will try to catch you all up to date, my posts will be in no particular order (other than the order than what is most prevalent on my mind). I thought I would start with where I was all last week.
Following my high school friend's wedding on Saturday, I flew up to Sacramento on Sunday, October 25th, my brother's 15th birthday. I tried to pack as light as I could because I was flying with friends who would take me from the airport to my parent's house. Apparently, I packed a little too light, sitting in the airport it suddenly dawned on me that I completely forgot about the car seat! I left it in Scott's car after he dropped us off. I called my husband, but we realized that by the time he got gas in his car and drove back to the airport, I wouldn't have time to get the car seat and get on the plane. I frantically call my mom and tell her what I did. Luckily, my other brother (21) was spending the day with my mom. He 
ran to target, bought and installed a car seat that we will now leave at Grandma's. Which means he also had to come pick me up from the airport. Disaster avoided! Luckily for me, Brendan did end up sleep on the airplane, he was really fussy in the beginning but I was able to calm him down, give him some juice and he fell asleep in my arms.
As I mentioned before, my mother broke her leg on October 10th. The doctor told her absolutely no weight on the lef for at least 6 weeks. Unfortunately, my father had a pre-scheduled trip starting on October 20th. So my sister and I decided to each take a trip up north to Sacramento to take care of my mom and high-school brother (without a drivers license). My sister took the first shift and I took the second week. The trip was nice, a few mishaps along the way, but it made me feel better knowing that I could go up, spend time with my mom, and help her out.
Following my high school friend's wedding on Saturday, I flew up to Sacramento on Sunday, October 25th, my brother's 15th birthday. I tried to pack as light as I could because I was flying with friends who would take me from the airport to my parent's house. Apparently, I packed a little too light, sitting in the airport it suddenly dawned on me that I completely forgot about the car seat! I left it in Scott's car after he dropped us off. I called my husband, but we realized that by the time he got gas in his car and drove back to the airport, I wouldn't have time to get the car seat and get on the plane. I frantically call my mom and tell her what I did. Luckily, my other brother (21) was spending the day with my mom. He 
ran to target, bought and installed a car seat that we will now leave at Grandma's. Which means he also had to come pick me up from the airport. Disaster avoided! Luckily for me, Brendan did end up sleep on the airplane, he was really fussy in the beginning but I was able to calm him down, give him some juice and he fell asleep in my arms.Other than the adventures flying, the rest of the trip was good. The worst part was carting my brother all over town; to & from school (at 6:00 in the morning), Piano lessons, Saxophone lessons and church. I also had to take Brendan with me since my mom wasn't really able to chase a toddler around the house. But the days were spent mostly in the house, spending time with my mom. Brendan playing with the dog (he would bend down enough to let the dog lick to top of his head), Brendan and Grandma playing pat-a-cake, and anything else we could think to do in the house. I am sorry to say I didn't get many pictures of our time there!
I am very thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my mom, for Grandma to see her grandbaby and for the opportunity to help my parents in this situation. My poor mother felt like such a burden, but she was no trouble at all, not the least bit high maintenance. And I know if I broke my leg, she would be down here in an instant!
Thursday, August 6
Aquarium visit and sick again!
During my 3 weeks of Family Bonding, our family spent some quality time together at home, our Staycation. During that week I got us tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Since Brendan was almost 1 year old, he was much more observant of things around him and basically walking, we thought he would enjoy seeing the fish. While we were there we decided to go ahead and upgrade to a year pass, so we can go back a few more times throughout the year. It turned out to be a good thing we did.
- We arrived in Long Beach a little before our entrance time, so we walked to Starbucks for Breakfast. Mommy and Daddy reved up with some coffee while Brendan ate his oatmeal.
- Our entrance time was 10:00, we get to enter through a "Member's only" side entrance and received our members information and members ID card.
- Almost immediately, we let Brendan out of his stroller to walk around some and see the fish with Daddy.
- Not long after, Scott was attacked by the giant jelly fish!! (A goofball I know, but I love him anyway!)
- We then found a seat in the lobby to watch the whale show (huge disappointment) and to calm Brendan down, he was getting a little fussy. Brendan felt a little warn so we gave him some Tylenol and a bottle and let him lay down in the stroller.
- The kid slept for the rest of the aquarium. So Scott and I enjoyed the rest of it while pushing around a sleeping baby.
- I'm not really sure what I am doing here...maybe yelling at Scott to take the picture?
- After petting the sharks and rays, and looking (not feeding or touching) the scary birds, we decided to call it a day.
- We had lunch out while Brendan seemed to get more and more fussy. It was defiantly time to go home.
By the time we got home, Brendan was burning up with a really high fever, we decided to go ahead and call the doctor (our poor baby is always sick). Our doctor wasn't in, but we were able to see the on call doctor, who was wonderful! Turns out our kid had Roseola. Although we were worried, apparently it is extremely common in babies where almost every baby has it at some point between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. So the next few days were not as planned since we had to stay home with a sick baby, but we enjoyed the time spent together anyway, and used the time to pack Scott for his trip to Europe.
We were so glad we did buy the year pass for the Aquarium so we can take Brendan back to experience it again!
Thursday, November 20
Well Baby Check-up - 4 months
On Monday afternoon we went to Brendan's 4 month Well Baby check-up with Dr. Mackey. He is now 18 weeks old! The check-up was pretty quick, we did have to wait for almost 1/2 an hour to see the doctor, I have never had to wait this long before. But luckily, the waiting room has a smaller room attached that is designated for "Well Babies" so Brendan didn't have to be infected by all the sick children in the waiting room. Brendan got pretty fussy in the waiting room, later to find out he had a surprise for me in his diaper!When we finally get to the room, I change Brendan and wait for the nurse. Brendan now weighs 15 pounds 2 ounces (he has now barely under his doubled birth weight). He is 26.5 inches long. The doctor didn't tell me what percentile he was in this month, but I looked it up online and the 90% is 25.5 inches, so we have a long baby with average weight, see below for his growth charts:
Other than checking his normal growth developments (weight, length, head control, supporting weight on legs, hip movement, eyesight, ect) the appointment went relatively quickly. I asked about starting solid foods and the doctor said to wait until 6 months which I am a little disappointed at. But he said we would talk about it at his 6 month appointment. I guess I can wait for January. Anyway, here are a couple 4 month pictures!
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