So much to say

There is so much craziness going on in our home this week that I do not know where to begin...
We just returned from Michigan and we drove... that's right 10-12 hours in a car with a bunch of little kids! We are crazy. 

During this long long drive home, I would change diapers at every stop to prevent irritation. I noticed that Miss Mags had been "eaten up" my mosquitos. I figured it was from a cook- out we had been at a few days before. I had some massive bites myself! 



The next day still had these places on her legs and thighs. They did not seem to be bothering her, so I didn't worry about it. Then after her nap I changed her and holy crow, the little bumps on the backs of her legs have morphed into these huge red welts! Hmmmm.... we decided to get her an oatmeal bath and some cortisone cream during a Target trip that we were about to take. While in the store, I noticed welts      popping up on her arms and hands! 

The start of the worry

I start thinking she has poison ivy or something so I start googling and see images of poison ivy (nasty stuff that is) okay it's not that. I then google hives and yup, that's what it has to be. 
I do an oatmeal bath and the cortisone when we get home and after she ate I gave her 1 tsp of Benadryl. 
The next morning, they are still there but small and light pink. I tell her babysitter to call me if they get worse.  At this point they were only on the underside of her arms and all over her legs. 
I come home from work and the poor kids has huge "angry" red welts all over her arms, legs, now feet and hands (which look swollen to me) She also had a place on each ear and on each cheek. Off to the ER we go! 
Again she was acting fine really, a little cranky, but fine. However the "what ifs" of this situation were freaking      me out. I am getting panicky just thinking about her not being able to breath.                                             

We went to St. Mary's pediatric ER (my mom met me there for moral support and the hubs stayed with the other two kids) She was seen very promptly and they were great at getting her to do what they needed. Example of that, the tech blew bubbles while getting her vitals and encouraged her to pop them so she didn't mind the blood pressure cuff and pulse-ox.
Well the doctor came in and she of course was a shy flirt (which was a great sign, that she was not sick), we then got a lesson in hives. 
1. Hives are dilation of the blood vessel
2. If you push on them and they blanch or turn white that's good. That means the blood is contained in the vessel. 
3. If you were to touch it and it stays red that is not so good. That means the blood is outside of the vessel. 

These look good compared to last night

4. Hives are only dangerous when they are in your mouth. (Mag's had no hives in her mouth)
 5. Hives are know for fading and then coming back in a different place on the body and usually last about 3-7 days. 

ER selfie

They think these are part of a virus... ?? She received a dose of Benadryl and we went home. She looks better today, you can still see them all over her extremities but they are light pink and not super red. I gave her another dose this morning of Benadryl and she has been very quiet and sleepy all day but she is eating and drinking normally but, as always is a cheerful little girl even when she's not feeling so good.

The foot saga

I have not had much time to post due to life with three kids but I have been having on going foot issues so I thought I should share my story so other people with mysterious foot issues will have a place to share their pain. 

The beginning; about a week ago I was walking through the warm and inviting isles of Walmart, feeling the happy upbeat vibes that the big box retailer gets their decor and staff to convey. I was wearing flip flops, my usual summer foot wear, when all the sudden I couldn't step down without pain in my right foot. This continued for the rest of the night so I took some ibuprofen and thought tomorrow it would be better. I mean, I have pulled foot muscles before and it is always better within a day or two. However, within 30 minutes of being up and standing on it, it was hurting again. Mainly it hurt in the ball of my foot and radiated though my toes and the top of my foot. Well, I have a job as a retail manager and I spend at least 7 hours on my feet. Foot pain is really annoying.  Tuesday rolls around and as I'm walking down the steps of my son's school I get pain shooting into my leg! Okay it's time for an X-ray. Nothing is broken... Okay so what is it? I was given the prescription of resting it, icing it and ibuprofen every 6 to 8 hours. Resting.... Hmmm three kids under 4 and oh yeah my husband is leaving for annual training for two weeks, not going to happen! Icing it okay sure, now when do I find time to sit still and put ice on my foot? Pain meds.... There is always time for that! (Please follow all directions when taking medications) as the week has gone on it seems to be completely the same if not worse. Now pain goes along the side of my foot and in the ball of my foot. Oh yeah, and the top of the foot. So after a long day at work doing inventory a week after the symptoms begin, I call the doctor again and I am told to give it another week! Really!? I decided to call a podiatrist and got a recommendation from my mom. I called and... "Our next available is 3 weeks from now." Sheesh, really? So I made the appointment and got some orthotics for pain in the ball of your foot, which made the side of my foot hurt more so I also got a wrap to help support the rest of my foot. 

Apart from the pain the hardest thing about this for me is that I was told to not go barefoot, and not to wear flip flops. It's summertime! Shoes and socks are torture on a hot day! Did Adam and Eve wear shoes, I doubt it! God intended his children to walk in the garden of Eden with no shoes on their feet. 

Saying that, the shoes do in fact make my foot feel better and when I go around too long without shoes it begins to hurt even more severely. 

I am hoping it will get back to normal, I don't exactly have a job or lifestyle of someone who can put their feet up for long periods of time nor do I want to. I am waiting for my appointment but hoping whatever I did will heal on its own and I can cancel the appointment. 

Sorry for the lack of photos but I doubt anyone wants to see foot photos or a picture of my cool shoes!

I did however find this little gem on my iPad. I love my sweet pea!  

The Nebulizer

My sweet boy is still sickly. 
By Monday night he sounded like he had croup so SFC Superdad took him to the Doctor. 
Throughout the appointment I was texting him and checking Facebook for updates since I was working. I saw a photo of the two of them and Peanut was getting a breathing treatment! Then I got a text that he was getting a chest x-ray! Holy Cow... does he have pneumonia!?? I waited anxiously for a call and got one shortly after, the Doctor thought he had a virus that turned into asthma. 
So he had, according to Dad, a traumatic breathing treatment. It really upsets him, sadly he has to do these every four hours that he is awake. It's quiet comical, as soon as he sees me setting up the machine he has to go to the bathroom, take a nap, throw up (he doesn't actually do this) or he's starving and he has to have food now! 
I try being sweet; "come on honey you can do this,"or "Come on buddy it's just breathing." Then is changes to; "You have to do this, Get over here!" Once the thing is on his face he is fine but coaxing him into it has been a challenge. 

He also is taking two mega medications to nip this in the bud. Overall he doing pretty good, he sounds much better and he's actually pretty good at knowing when he needs to calm down and rest. He was playing Wii and stopped and said "I think I need to west." 
He can't go back to school for the rest of the week because of needing the breathing treatments. 

Usually he is better within 24 hours or so of a sickness but man, this packs a punch. I will say that having a mellow child is pretty nice... but I have a feeling that will end soon with the mega dose of steroids he's on... a demon child may soon be awakened!!

Best dessert ever!

I am on a roll! 
I was making this and thought of what a great post this would be because this dessert is, to me, amazing!

I saw this made on Live with Kelly and Michael and thought I would give it a try for Thanksgiving last year. It was so much better than pie. 
It's called Pumpkin Pudding Crack.... I mean Crunch. 
Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter (melted)
1 large can of pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 large can evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 box of yellow cake mix
whipped topping

Directions:
In a large bowl mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, milk , sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
Pour into baking dish (13x9 works best)
Sprinkle evenly over mixture dry cake mix. Cover completely with cake mix!
Pour melted butter on top, do not mix in, butter should sit on top of cake mix. 
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Let cool, best served cold (I prefer it warm but that's me)
Top with whipped topping when serving. 

This is amazing stuff, I can eat it all! 
The love I have for this may be equal to a drug addiction and cause as  much damage to ones body. I do make half the recipe when I am really craving it and I take some things out so it's not as indulgent. I did not add the sugar (cake mix has enough) I also did not add eggs, I added an individual serving of apple sauce to help thicken it up.
Also use, 1/2 of the cake mix and 1 stick of butter. It tasted the same to me and made me feel a little better about being able to eat all of it in one weekend! 

Maybe I should really give blogging a try...

I am a horrible blogger but I think I will give it a whirl. 
Since I am married to an MP I am going to use alias' for my family. Firstly if this becomes something I truly do on a consistent bases this POS desk that is currently wobbling while I type has gots to get gone! 
Moving on.... 

This house is full of sickness!!! 

"Peanut" as he will be known is sick today and stayed home from pre-school. He is not sick too often but when he does get sick, he throws up (so gross). I am not sure what is wrong he may have a sore throat, I am not sure. He keeps telling me he has "coughs in his mouth." I am not sure what that means but he is been lying around ever since looking pitiful. He did melt my heart today, I gave him a hug and told him I didn't like when he was sick and he told me.. "it's okay, I will feel better soon." Awe he is such a sweetie. I think he is enjoying our day together laying on the couch and watching movies. 

I have my suspicions of where these germs came from though. My second child who I will call "Monkey" as had cold symptoms for a few days and she loves to share those germs through hugs and kisses!

Monkey is a very very late teether. She is 20 months, and she has.... 8 teeth! She just cut 2 more and she has been coughing and snotty for a few days. I never know if her stuff is from her teeth or something else. She rarely has to go to the doctor for anything but well visits and that is a good thing because she HATES the doctor. Even when they are doing something minor like listening to her heart she looks at the poor nurse with loathing and contempt. She has been this way since she was a tiny thing. Monkey is the sweetest little girl, she is quirky and funny and smart and she could totally deck someone if she was inclined. She is a tough girly girl. 



 This little Surprise is my "Ladybug" she is 6 months old and for the past 4 months (6-4=2 months old) she has been coughing and congested. We have been to the PC several times, she has been on antibiotics three times will minimal results. She wakes herself up almost every night coughing. I have tried putting a hypoallergenic cover on her mattress. I have had her sleep upright. I have tried a humidifier, then I thought it might be growing mold and blowing it into the air so I stopped using a humidifier. I put saline in her nose, I suction her nose, I lay her on her tummy to sleep so nothing drains back into her throat. Finally I made an appointment with the ENT and he thinks her adenoids are enlarged. His plan is since she did respond somewhat to antibiotics we are doing one dose a day for 21 days of a stronger one. So far she has improved. Fingers crossed it will give her some relief because he won't take them out if needed until she is at least 1. 

So needless to say between three kids who are sick one after another and then I end up getting it (especially the tummy stuff!) I am SICK of sick!!! 
And of course since my darling husband is "SFC Superman" he rarely gets sick at all. He's been vaccinated for anthrax for crying out loud, germs don't stand a chance!! 

Going to the store.

It's 4:23am, I've been up for about an hour feeding my 5 week old daughter Maggie...from a bottle! Seriously should it take an hour for a bottle feed?? I decided today to try a different bottle, one that would flow a little faster but my wise sister-in law says to me, "just buy faster flow nipples." So here I am at 4:28am looking at Amazon.com for faster flow bottle nipples. My, how different life is now! You don't really think about how you won't be able to hop in the car and run to the store and run in a grab a gallon of milk. Now you have to encourage your two year old to get his shoes on (by encourage I mean yelling 'stop telling me no and get your shoes on!') now get the 5 week old into the infant seat without breaking her little arms as you pull them through the harness. Oh, make sure you grab the diaper bag incase someone has a blowout. Now "let's go!" oh wait, we need to look at the "punkims" on the front porch and we may need to take the small one along to the store. Next we look at the ants on the sidewalk. Then instead of getting into the car seat the toddler has a meltdown because he wants to DRIVE! So at this point you may be wondering "why don't you carry him out of the house and put him in the car?" oh, I would but he weighs 35lbs and I have an infant carrier in one hand. Remember this is all for a gallon of milk, I haven't even gotten to the store yet. So once everyone is in the car and now crying, off we go 3 miles to the store. Getting everyone out is no trouble because we are somewhere new and exciting. Once in the store, the 2 year old wants that stupid customer in training cart, let the battle begin. If I say no, not this time he will cause a scene, no big deal, I don't really care, he's 2 he shouldn't get his way all the time, but I only need a gallon of milk!!! it's easier to let him push it. Here we are mom, toddler, baby in the infant seat on my arm, pushing the stupid small cart and trying not to run into anyone with the stupid small cart. Grab the milk go to the check out and let the "I dont want to leave!" meltdown begin. After saying in my most stern, I'm trying not to kill you voice, "come here now we are leaving." I finially get mister terrible twos back in the car and ready to go home, at this point the baby is crying and since she's five weeks old, it is that level 10, I need something now cry. So we cruise home, me wishing I had gotten a bottle of wine and two kids screaming and crying. All this for one gallon of milk. :)

Painting 101

In all things you can learn lessons, painting is no exception. I decided to paint my second child's nursery on Monday. I am having a girl so I thought I would go with a split look, pink on the bottom and a cream on the top. We have a pretty small bedroom for her so it didn't take too long but I did learn a few things. 1. No matter how much you eye ball or use your level, your blue tape will be crooked. 2. Paint the top section first because it will drip onto the bottom. If you have painted the bottom first you will have to go back and touch up in a few places you had a little too much "gusto" with your roller. 3. If you are pregnant you should open a window, however if it is in the high 80's outside you will get hot! 4. Your arm and hand will be sore and oddly your rear-end may too be sore... strange. Finally number 5. If your husband has 50 pound weights sitting on the floor in this room, please have him move them before he leaves for California for the week! :) 


Once the room was "complete" my son Aiden, helped me peal the painters tape off and spent several minutes climbing the step ladder. He was very excited to see the room and seemed pleased with my color choice. 




 I can't wait to add the finial touches which includes converting our unfinished entertainment center into a wardrobe! I plan to paint it the same colors as the wall and hang some cute green checked curtains as the"doors".




  

The last time I painted a baby's room my husband was deployed in Iraq. It was odd painting this room with him out of town. I was a little blue remembering all the things I did alone to prepare for Aiden. I have not attempted to finish the room this week, I think I am waiting for my husband to be home. What's more special then working together to prepare for your new baby. Actually in our case it would be moments of bickering because we both have the flaw of always having to be right... a match made in heaven!