Undone. 6-25-12

Boop's 4th of July artwork displayed at school

I had such good intentions this weekend. Mom came in; so I figured I could get something done. Fortunately, she made zucchini bread for Boop's teachers, or else that wouldn't have gotten done. I figured I'd do some weeding if my helper came. We could have gotten the job wiped out pretty quickly. Or, since she couldn't come, I was going to work on trim in my living room.


By the time we finished errands on Saturday, I was beat. It was a late work-related dinner on Friday, and then little sleep, and then we got Boop out for photos <which were adorable, by the way>. We had Mexican for lunch, and the shared margarita also left me feeling sleepy. So, nothing done on Saturday. 

I got up and got out on Sunday morning. I figured new hedge clippers would inspire me. Unfortunately, the set I bought were quite dull, and I had to rely on my old loppers. I also bought some more trim and a new miter box. The new trim was over $12 per piece; so I was anxious to reuse some of the old. Then, I was having trouble with the miter box. I managed enough to get it in the house. 

Maybe it will happen at Mom's next visit...

Different Thoughts. 6-24-12

I finally got Boop to bed. She’s been cranky all afternoon. She got a little nap but was awoken by Winnie’s sudden erratic bark, likely stoked by a dog that had the audacity to walk in front of our house. That sat Boop off again. She looked so frightened and started to wail. I nursed her and gave her some cereal. I need to give her antibiotics, but I’ll wait until she wakes up next.  When she calmed down, she fell right to sleep. I’m appreciating the quiet, and I know I should be sleeping. It’s hard to go to sleep when it’s light outside, though.

Winnie has been quiet so far. That will help Boop sleep. Winnie wanted to go outside, and she’s been sitting on the porch. I called her to come back in the house, and she didn’t budge. I looked off in the direction she was watching. It was a cute little groundhog in the neighbors’ yard, munching away at clover. The little groundhog looked so peaceful, and I enjoyed watching him for a little while.  I suspect Winnie has something very different on her mind while watching him.   

I’m debating about how much I want to do to get Winnie in the house. I’m letting Winnie and the little groundhog enjoy themselves for a little while. But, my sleep time is ticking away as Boop sleeps. I need to lock up for the night.

Taking Stock at Boop’s Week 23. 6-27-12

Here’s what’s happening at Week 23:

• Wow, the sleep situation has gone from bad to worse. I think she wanted to nurse about every half hour last night, if not more. Not sure what is going on. At 5am, I decided to cut her off for an hour. I was right beside her, but she cried for the whole hour, taking no more than a minute or two break to catch her breath. I kept thinking that she would fall asleep. So at 6am, I picked her up and nursed her again, and then she slept for nearly 2 hours! Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same luxury.
• Winnine got her hair cut this week. She always looks so tiny after it’s done. I had a heck of a time working it in. The place I take her is about 20min. away, which is pretty far by this town’s standards.
• Boop is sitting up pretty well on her own. She still topples over every now and then, but she does well for the most part. She’s able to tolerate tummy time a little better. And if Mommy does say so herself, she has an adorable smile J  My mom said that I couldn’t tolerate tummy time and that I really never did crawl. Hopefully, Boop will.
• I’m not sure if it’s just me, but one of the assistant teachers thought she was having a tad of separation anxiety from me, in particular. True, she doesn’t like to be alone and wants to be held, but she hasn’t been too discriminating in the past. As long as someone was there, she was fine. But on the diaper changing table this afternoon, she whimpered every time I was out of her sight.

Hoof and Mouth. 6-24-12

Stuff goes around daycares. Babies pick up everything under the sun. But I wasn’t prepared for Mom’s reaction to the disease that’s going around the daycare now. I’m going to have to tell on her. After they told me at daycare, I talked to Mom to let her know what we might be in for this weekend during her visit. She was going to babysit Boop on Friday night.

Not quite ready to sit up...

Her voice went up an octave in alarm, “Hoof and Mouth Disease?!? What can they do about that? Can’t they keep her from getting it?” I paused a minute. “Well, she probably won’t be getting Hoof and Mouth disease because that’s for horses. What we are watching for is Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. Okay so, they said if she got it, she would spike a fever, and then break out into blisters on her hands, feet, and/or mouth. They said that she would just have to ride it out if she got it. We could give her Tylenol.” Mom wasn’t very happy with this plan and was frustrated about not being able to do anything.

Boop’s had a lot of trouble sleeping at night lately. And they told me that she had a bit of diarrhea at daycare on Friday. Fortunately, those have been the only problems so far, and diarrhea is not really a symptom. I’ve had 3 cysts on my face, apparently unrelated, but I’m laying low on the prednisone just to be on the safe side. 

Vigil. 6-20-12

I remember my dad’s Aunt C. She was married to my Paw Paw’s oldest brother. They lived out in the country about an hour away from us on a big farm. They had a dog named Dobe that would pick the best watermelons from the field, to Aunt C’s and Uncle J’s amused consternation. They were the first of my Paw Paw’s brothers to move out of Appalachia, and my Paw Paw followed suit not long after. My dad was born at the hospital near there. When her diabetes started to get the best of her, she moved to a nursing home closer to our house. When I went home from college and had time between loads of laundry, I would make a trip over to see her.

Boop doin' the Freddie!

She was one of the most popular residents at the facility. She had an amazing memory, reminding me of things I had said and done but had long forgotten. People would always leave her room with a smile on their face, and I always felt a little better having seen her. Well, except one time. She had just returned from dialysis and was completely exhausted and seemed low. I could tell she didn’t have much energy, and it was too much of an effort for her to talk to me. She once told me that right before her daddy passed, that he was in some different place, hammering imaginary nails in the air. He had been a carpenter. And so it was with Aunt C. At the last, as she was fading in and out of sleep, she was crocheting imaginary quilts in the air. It had given her so much pleasure but had been limited by her lost eyesight.

I’m sorry Boop will never have a chance to know her, except through my stories. And I can’t help but think about how dialysis left Aunt C. And when the doctor told me that Boop would have to go on dialysis as a young adult if her kidneys were scarred from repeated UTIs, I thought of that day I saw Aunt C. And then finding UTIs without fever and in spite of antibiotic prophylaxis makes feel a bit helpless and on edge.

Zombie. 6-18-12

Loving her Bumbo from T

I'm a bit wiped out. Boop wanted to nurse all night long, and she cried every time I tried to move. It started yesterday afternoon. I'm not exactly sure what was going on with her; she cried even though I was holding her. A part of me wondered if it was my stress level. We had such a nice day at the farm on Saturday. But Sunday afternoon, things kept getting worse. 

I was worried about my grant being due on Monday. I made a few 'hail Mary' emails at the last minute on Friday, but folks were coming through for me over the weekend. That helped with my stress level, but grants are always stressful, no matter how much you think you're prepared. And then the obvious, it was Father's Day. Boop and I don't exactly have fathers (in different ways); so it was a little sad for us. The old cliche goes through my mind: is it really better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? I wasn't really angling for that social experiment. 

In spite of her challenges communicating, my aunt R told me that she thought I would meet someone soon. She's decided that it's going to be someone rebounding from a relationship "that's not so good." She cracks me up, always has. I wish I were as confident as her about my fate. I'm feeling very disconnected, but I have too much on my plate to keep my mind in this place. 

Mommy Instinct 6-18-12

Saturday was a bit of a break. I decided to go for it. A friend from baby yoga, S, invited me to her Summer Solstice party at their farm. I decided to go even though I had a fair bit of work on my plate. It was about an hour's drive deep into God's country. I'm sure there are more remote places, but this was pretty remote to be so nearby. Does that make sense? 

I parked in the vineyard as instructed and found the 1st round of S's friends from college. Boop and I went around to see the horses who came right up to my little one. Their heads were almost as big as Boop, and she was taking it all in. We got to see the hens and geese, too. When T and her little ones came, we all walked over to sample the blueberries on the bushes. I hadn't had enough lunch before coming; so it was a good snack. S showed us around the farmhouse and all of the work that they had done. She seemed so at peace with the place; everything was getting to where she wanted it. A, another yoga friend, came too with her little boy. There were lots of other folks whose names I have forgotten. My mind hangs around babies and baby things. 

And I met the daddies of the babies, and it was kind of a foreign thing. I just knew them as mommies and babies. I had heard about the daddies, but it was strange seeing them there. I watched the way they held their babies and how they related to each other, and I felt a bit like I was on a different planet. And then I thought, hm, Boop is going to miss this. I wonder what she will miss the most?

After we did some artwork (what they did looked more like artwork, I was more of a spectator), T asked, 'Is that H crying? Is he alone?' I did a quick glance to look. It was him, and he was. S had to run to the house to finish prepping for dinner. With that, Boop and I headed at a pretty good clip up the hill for him. As we got to the top of the hill, S had doubled back. We couldn't help but laugh. Of all of the people that were there (and there were a good number), it was Boop with me, followed by T with her little girl, and then A with her little boy came from a different direction. It was all mommies with babies swarming in to help little H. Mommy instinct, I guess.

Back to the House. 6-17-12

If I was nervous about my trip to visit family, I was dreading the trip back. At least Mom and Aunt D were coming to my rescue on my way there, but on the way home, I had no one. I had to manage Winnie and Boop on my own. The first hour was tough.  Boop was fitful, and I nearly went hoarse from trying to sing to her. Then, she thankfully fell asleep. At that point, I hated to wake her up. I really needed to stop for a bathroom break, but I didn’t want to wake her, take her out, and put her back in her seat to have her start up again.

Finally, after about 3 hours on the road, I needed to stop for gas and a potty break. I got Boop and Winnie out to walk, which Winnie loved. I parked under the awning to keep Winnie cooler while Boop and I went in for a potty break. I decided it best to just put Boop in her car seat while pumping gas, which went okay. She could see me well and was all smiles.

Then, when I finished, I had to start out, and things fell apart again. She was fitful, but I think she realized that she could see the corner of me if she craned her neck. I’m sure she was thinking, ‘why doesn’t my mommy just pick me up?’ After a fitful half hour or so, she must have dozed off, but I couldn’t see her well because the mirror had moved. We made it in just over 5 hours to my relief. It was still early in the day; so we had time to decompress when we got back to the house.

We Are the Worms. 6-13-12

Mommy freak out session. We made it home from visiting family safely. It’s 2am; the best time to worry about the baby. I found a little something on my clothes a few days ago. It was a little mucous ball that was clinging to my clothes. Fortunately, it wasn’t moving. It reminds me of something I saw about 8 or 9 years ago. That one did move, and it was awful. Roundworm. We knocked it out pretty quickly, and it wasn’t bad, then. But I’m SUPER worried with a baby.

Of course, I had to check the Internet. Brain dead babies, eyes removed. Lots of awful things. There are raccoons and other woodland creatures around; so no telling what Winnie could have. She eats so many nasty things. Fortunately, Winnie and the baby don’t have much contact, but Winnie sat in my lap the whole trip back and forth. I also read that the roundworm could be transmitted via breast milk.

Urgh, I dread dealing with this. My first step, though, is to get a stool sample to the vet, meaning: I have to get a stool sample and then I have to take it to the vet. I wish I had time to deal with this, but I have a grant due on Friday. Grrrr. Then, if and when I find out, I will have to start treating Winnie. Then, I have to get the baby and I tested.  Awful. 

Taking Stock at Boop’s Week 22. 6-20-12

Dress from Aunt D, Photo by Aunt D

Here’s what’s happening at Week 22:

• Boop turned 5 months old on Monday.
• I'm struggling to keep up with her growing nails. She's able to get her thumb out enough to pinch when she's frustrated. Sharp little fingernails digging in make it feel that much worse. If only her hair grew as well as her nails.
• We're working on all of those physical developmental milestones. The social ones don't seem to be much of a problem. She's a big talker and giggles a fair bit. But the sitting up and rolling over are still a bit lost. I was delayed on those sorts of things, too; so I'm not very worried. She's close to being able to sit, but she topples over to her right. And she can roll over from belly to back, but only if one of her arms is tucked under. She's lifting her head while on her belly, too.
• I've lost some weight. It's coming off slowly, as it should. One of the oncology nurses in clinic saw me in the hallway and said, "You're really slimming down." I'm embarrassed that I feel so grateful to her for saying it, but my self-esteem needed a little boost. I still have 10-15 lbs to lose. That's not bad from 50 lbs, I guess. It's been 5 months. I think I will be able to lose more before the year is up.
• We seem to be having more trouble with sleeping this week. I just don't know what is going on. We've lowered her formula in daycare, which is great. She's not spitting up near as much, she's not a zombie, and she does seem to be doing better overall. I may not be producing enough milk at bed time, but she's getting a couple of ounces of formula or breastmilk with her antibiotics and her cereal before bed. 

Parade of Dresses 6-13-12

When Mom was at my house last, she packed things that she wanted Miss Boop to wear during her trip to see my aunts. As long as Boop is safe, clean, and clothed in reasonable attire, I just let Mom do her thing. In high school, a therapist once told me to just let Mom decide what I would leave the house in; that I would be able to wear anything my heart desired in a year or two when I went off to college. And so it was, and so it is with Boop. Boop played fashion model for the better part of the time that she was there. I picked out the little pink sailor outfit--so I have actually bought a few outfits for my little Boop. She did look absolutely precious, if her doting mother does say so herself!

Another photo from Aunt D

Aunt D and Uncle B had a nice cook-out while my other aunt and uncle were visiting from CA. It was a pretty good showing of folks, including Aunt S and cousin G and her kids. Aunt S was in the hospital having more complications secondary to diabetes; hopefully the infection will be cleared up soon. I did get a chance to Aunt S while in the hospital and gave her a photo of Boop, even if Boop couldn't be there in person. There will be time for Boop to visit when she gets older and her immune system gets stronger. 

A Stitch in Time, Part II. 6-13-12

And we waited. Somehow I managed to feed the baby and walk the dog. But, they had port-o-pots, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to maneuver them in there. My calls weren't going through to my Mom, and then they didn't go through to my aunt. I left a message on my aunt's phone. Baby, dog, and me were stuck, and it was taking too long. We were hot, and I was a bit hesitant about a biker gang that had stopped there. With that, I went ahead and put gas in the car and was leaving the gas station to find a bathroom when Mom and Aunt D were pulling in. Come to find out, Mom got pulled over by a cop for speeding, ahem. Lucky for her, she didn't get a ticket. 

Boop in her sailor suit, taken by Aunt D later that afternoon

After a potty break, Aunt D rode in the back seat with the baby for a while, but Boop began to wail. We stopped at the rest area, and Mom wound up driving my car. Then, we got livers and gizzards for lunch, which we managed to keep from Winnie for the most part. I was in the back with Boop, and I sang all the way to Aunt D's, a solid hour. She did okay from there.

Happy Father's Day. 6-17-12

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads out there! 
Boop is down for a little nap, "My Blue Heaven" is squawking on the Big Band music channel, and I'm becoming more convinced that my grant looks half-way decent. 

And for all of us Single Moms out there, this is a little reminder  :)

A Stitch in Time 6-13-12

I was pretty nervous about the trip. Having a rear-facing car seat makes life so difficult. With a mirror, I can see Boop, but she can't see me. It was so nice that a lady at daycare gave me a mirror that she wasn't using any more. It was much better than the one I had that suction-cupped onto the mirror that kept falling off. At least I could tell what Boop was doing.


I got up and got ready and got out the door by about 7am, which was an hour earlier than I planned. I just wanted to get the trip over with. For the first hour, Boop did great. She played with her toys and kept busy. About an hour later, she drifted off to sleep. Mom had said that she and my aunt would meet us after the 3rd hour of our trip. I made good time, and I called Mom. Unfortunately, she had been out running errands in a different town and wasn't near my aunt. At that point, she left to get Aunt D and meet us. I did make it an hour further than I thought without Boop getting too upset--a little over an hour from my aunt's. So Boop, Winnie, and I waited there at the gas station. 

Pizza and a Baby 6-6-12

The day had been plodding along when I went to get Boop at daycare to take her home at the end of the day. I walked into her room, and she was sobbing. The two adults were off doing other things. My heart sank a bit, and I felt overwhelmed again. I guess I was also thinking, 'Oh boy, she's going to be a handful again tonight. I don't know if I'll be able to manage her by myself.' Then, my mind started racing to figure out how I could change the situation, taking the baby and the dog and getting out of this place. Fortunately, I had a few distractions to get me off that course.

I had asked a few students to help me move some furniture out of my kitchen. And I was going to get them some pizza and pick it up before they came. What was I thinking? dragging a frazzled Boop out and schlepping her and pizzas? I should have just had it delivered. I was in such a habit of going and picking it up, I guess. It's only about 3-4 blocks from my house. Boop and I managed to get it, but it took some concentration to balance 16 lb Boop and 2 large pizzas. The students were there as I pulled in to the house, and they made quick work of the job. When they left, Boop was out of sorts, and so I cranked up the Big Band music and wiggled her around the den a few times with mixed success. Finally, she settled in for the evening, and all I wanted to do was to be still and quiet for a while. Mentally, I was in a different place from where I was a few hours before, certainly more exhausted.

Taking Stock at Boop’s Week 21. 6-14-12

She's my little sunshine!

Here’s what’s happening at Week 21:

• Boop will be 5 months old on Monday. We’ll start to see some big changes soon. She’s very close to being able to sit by herself, and she loves the Bumbo at daycare. She has a booster seat from Z that might work in the mean time until she can sit on her own. She’s getting better about holding things, and her thumbs are coming out more and more.
• She finished her 1^st big road trip with just Mommy and Winnie this week. 5+ hours on the road. We survived, but rear facing car seats are the pits for trying to soothe a screaming baby. She did better than I thought, but my nerves were still pretty frazzled. I’m glad she got to see family, though.
• She’s adjusting better to daycare. We’ve put her on a feeding schedule, and it seems to be working pretty well. She’s napping well and less cranky at home. I’m seeing more of her smiles, which is nice.
• My hair has stopped falling out in clumps. Work is happening; things are getting done. I’m starting to be able to get a few things done here and there around the house, and I can occasionally cook something other than a frozen dinner.  

Had a Dream. 6-3-12

I’m not sure what set it off. Maybe it was the storm and the threat of tornadoes in nearby counties. I had left the windows open to keep the air circulating, and we were getting some pretty good gusts of wind. It brought back memories. Back in the 90’s, my mom got me tickets to see Crowded House for my birthday and was taking me down to Nashville to see them.  We hit some rough weather, and there were calls for tornadoes around us. When we got to the venue, Sheryl Crowe opened. <It’s one of those awkward situations. Did she really mean to wear a vest with no bra? Was she really trying to flash us? If not, her friends were doing her a disservice as she wore it for a couple more concerts, as it turns out.>  We later learned that the drummer had left the band. At the time, Neil had said something about wishing that a tornado would come and take the whole situation away.

And so in the dream, there were storms all around, and the venue was in some backwoods place, way out in the boonies. One of the doors was even complete with rotten barn wood at the base. I couldn’t believe they were playing there, but I was glad it was near enough for me to go and not have to worry about Boop. Liam Finn was supposed to be opening, but he was late.

Although I knew some folks at the show, I found myself wondering around on my own. There was a security guard that barked at a couple of folks, but I guess I was already out of sight. I cracked open a door and peeped in. <I’ve been known to do that a fair bit, just go and open doors--more out of curiosity than compell-shun; I find lots of interesting things that way. One of these days it’s going to bite me in the rear, and a lion is going to jump out.> I could see their shoes and hear their voices. Oops it was Crowded House, and I quickly shut the door. I hurried away to wait for the show to start and woke up cold on the edge of my bed with Boop snuggled up next to me.

Wham Re Bop Boom Bam. 6-3-12

Whodda thunk it? The Big Band/Swing station on TV did it. Boop has struggled to sleep. Nursing wasn’t putting her to sleep, and walking around singing has had some success, particularly when she was in the hospital with jaundice. Yet, lately her sleep has seemed more fitful, and it’s hard to get her settled in the first place. I just don’t think I could do the cry it out method; she has too many health problems to ignore her.

She looks so angelic, doesn't she?

I was flipping through the music channels and was enjoying the alternative selections. That didn’t do much for Boop. I flipped back to the Big Band/Swing station. Wait a minute. I walked her around a bit, and she calmed down and took the A Train to sleepytown J. I got her to take a nap for about a half hour until Winnie woke her up barking. Then, she settled in again as I trotted around to Wham Re Bop Boom Bam. “She’s a killah dealah!” Whatever that means, but it seems appropriate to my restless 4 month old.

Sad Floor No More. 6-3-12

They didn’t come back to give me references and insurance information as they said they would, but they were trying to accommodate me by finishing the floors a week earlier than planned. I had called a few hotels, as I didn’t think I’d be able to stay after the stain. I was so nervous about trying to manage Boop and Winnie. Winnie would want to go out, I knew, and she can move quickly and pull hard. I was worried that she’d dart out into traffic. I also had to manage Boop’s medicine which had to be refrigerated. I would have to pack, and I was concerned I would forget something. It was warm, and I couldn’t leave Winnie alone in the hotel or car.

On Friday, I woke up at 3am to try and get the house ready, the tarps up and such to keep the dust out of rooms as much as possible. Boop was still asleep, thankfully; so I was able to get things done a bit more quickly. I thought I would be able to lie back down, but Boop woke up at about 5am. They arrived at 8:30am, gave me the contract saying that I owed 50% before they started, which I wasn’t expecting, and showed me some stain samples. Fortunately, in spite of the morning, everything else went really well, and they finished the floors in 1 day. I came in the back door, and the smell wasn’t overwhelming. In fact, the water-base polyurethane wasn’t bad at all. My helper and I were going to work a bit until I got Boop at daycare, and then I was going to take the baby and the dog to the hotel.

The air was circulating, and neither of us thought the floors had much of a smell. So, I was relieved that we could manage the house. I went and got some plastic to tape up the folding doors, and the air conditioner hadn’t been running.  So, what little smell was kept from the back of the house. I kept most of the windows open, and we couldn’t tell anything in the back bedroom. It was such a relief, and my floors looked good. I had to climb into the kitchen to get Boop’s medicine, but we managed okay. 

Taking Stock at Boop's Week 20. 6-8-12

Here's what's happening at 20 Weeks Old:

• Goodness Boop will be 5 months old in just over a week. It doesn't seem possible; well until I hold her in my arms. And then I sense the 'weight' of the situation. 
• Speaking of weight, I think we are making some progress on a couple of fronts. One day, she had about 18 oz on top of me nursing her when I dropped her off and at lunch. The next morning, her lead teacher came to me with a schedule to figure out food. We cut her amount down and put her on a schedule. I won't say she's a perfect little angel, but it really has been a vast improvement.
• No more high dose antibiotics. I still need to put her on her prophylactic antibiotics in the evenings. Hopefully, her body will calm down, getting rid of the diaper rash. One thing about it, diaper rash won't have a chance with all of her aunties around to wait on her hand and foot. 
• I guess I never properly appreciated Count Basie, Ella, Rosemary, and the lot. A few jiggles around the floor, a few blaring horns, and Boop is out like a light. I'm loving Big Band and Swing music about now. 
• And me. I'm getting sleep where I can, perpetually trying to keep my drains unplugged of hair. Being able to move in my kitchen is a big boon, and I've been venturing outside of food from a carton. I am waging a fruitless battle on trying to keep Boop's clothes from taking over my den.

The Culture. 6-3-12

Such an ordeal. So the nurse gave us a collection kit to take home. The kit looked more appropriate for boys than girls, and I just expected that it would be ill-fated. I asked for a back-up collection kit <Good heavens, it’s just a glorified plastic bag with some tape on it. Surely it can’t cost that much!>. The nurse would not give us an extra. With that, we left the doctor’s office, and Mom headed back home. I stuck the plastic collection kit on Boop so that we could get a sample to evaluate the UTI. The sample had to be collected before we picked up the antibiotic.

Sleepy baby--a few days ago

A few hours later, she had a pretty good amount. I debated about taking it to the pediatrician’s office the next morning or taking it on to the hospital. The weather was sweltering, but I knew a million things could happen in the morning. I figured I should just take it on over, and I got Boop out in that heat. We went to the hospital first, and as usual, I asked, “Is there anything else that you need?” The person didn’t think so, and we headed to our next stop, the pharmacy for the antibiotic. We came home, and I gave her the antibiotic. Then, I got a call from the hospital. They had to throw out her sample because the sample itself did not have her name, etc. on it. I was furious. Let’s recap: 2 failed catheterizations, 1 failed collection bag that I got my daughter out in 90 degree heat to deliver, AND she had already started antibiotics. Antibiotics can give a false negative urinalysis result (she may have a UTI, but the urinalysis will say she doesn't).

I called Tuesday morning. They said she still needed a sample even though she’s been on antibiotics. So, I went by after work and got another collection kit. Unfortunately, the collection kit didn’t do its job well, and we didn’t get much. So I dumped that into the container and put the collection kit back on. Of course, she had diarrhea then; so the collection bag was toast. I delivered the sample for culture the next day. I was afraid it wouldn’t be enough. A few days later I get a call. “We have the results of her urine test, and it’s negative. So no UTI.” To which, I responded, “You know that sample was taken 2 days after she started antibiotics. So, it’s pretty much uninformative, right? Well, she has a ear infection, too; so I guess we need to continue with the antibiotics, anyway.” She said okay and that was it.

Cry Baby. 5-28-12

Mom agreed something was wrong. We had pretty much hung around the house most of the weekend; so Mom had plenty of chance to observe some of the behavior that I had seen. Granted, Boop had been in daycare a lot; so I didn’t have the full effect until we watched her all weekend. I was still hung up on a urinary tract infection. Mom thought it might be an ear infection. The ‘teething’ explanation seemed possible but not very satisfying. So, who do you think was right, if either of us?

I remembered seeing a sign that the pediatrician’s office would be open on Memorial Day; so I decided that we would give it a shot. We were there before they were officially open at 9am. The pediatrician didn’t get in until about 10am, due to some problem at the hospital. She wasn’t our regular pediatrician, but I thought that could be good—a second opinion. So, she checked Boop’s ears. Check. Ear infection in one ear. With that, she figured she had it, but I asked about the UTI anyway. She said she could check. If for no other reason, I thought, than to document that she was having UTI’s in spite of the prophylaxis. So, she started to do a catheter, but Boop went all over the table. The pediatrician basically dipped the table to see if she should try to do another catheter. At this point, I was wishing it was her regular pediatrician who did a good job of getting the catheter in. Did it look like she had a UTI? Yes again. Unfortunately, we were both right.

Next, we tried to get Boop’s bladder full to get urine to send out. I drank a lot of liquids and nursed. Then, the pediatrician came back to cath her again. This time, the catheter didn’t work too well, and she wet around it. She didn’t get enough urine to send out. With that, she called in a prescription for antibiotics and asked me to get urine for another screen and take to the local hospital.

Ms. Fixit. 5-27-12

I used to have lots of house projects. I created many projects for myself. I blame HGTV; it gives me too many ideas and makes me actually believe that I can do things quickly and easily. This being my 3^rd place, I’m getting pretty familiar with home improvements. My current place, I chose for its location, size, and 1^st floor master bedroom and bath. I certainly didn’t choose it for its kitchen. I could hold out my arms and touch three of the walls: 9x9 ft. Insane. So, I expanded the kitchen into the integral garage. I still need to add the finishing touches and may find time to add a backsplash.

A makeshift fascinator, too... Boop gives me plenty of projects. 

So, today, we took on a very minor project, changing out some locks. Mom got the door handle changed out fast enough, but she got stuck with the deadbolt. The old hole for the deadbolt was too deep for the current deadbolt. I knew that this job called for power tools. I got out my oscillating tool that Mom gave me for Christmas, and dug into the door. Amazingly enough, I made quick work of it. Now, I can move in and out of the house while they’re working on my floors and can keep things locked up. Mom held Boop as they both watched me. I can’t wait until Boop is old enough to be my good helper. Hopefully, I can teach her a few things, too. 

We Should Have A… 5-27-12

We should have a fire drill. We should be prepared!” We got in a bit late due to our trip to the pediatrician. As we drove up, there was a bit of commotion. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. There were more children than usual in the fenced-in play areas. I saw some of her teachers, and my first thought was that she was missing her outside play time. Then, it dawned on me: a fire drill. And there was a dad who was from an ethnicity that I will not mention that was enjoying the whole ordeal unfolding and was excitedly taking photos J. Maybe he was thinking, ‘I’ll post this on my blog.’ Okay, I doubt it, but I let him take enough photos for both of us. <I’m leery of taking photos of other children I don’t know well, and I’m hesitant of putting photos of other folks on my blog--don’t want to make others uncomfortable. If you’re around and don’t mind a snap with Boop in the blog, I will try to accommodate!>

So, I just stood around waiting for the ‘all clear’. Boop was doing okay in her car seat; I decided to just leave her there for a bit. I looked around at Boop’s teachers, and I saw the children in a rolling buggy all together. As we entered, I saw that little J was lying on his belly over top of a few other seated children. My guess is that he made this adjustment on his own, as the rest were sitting up and as he generally tends to be a bit more gregarious. I won’t lament that Boop missed out, as she had a fire drill the first week that she was there. As if starting daycare wasn’t enough, she was freaked out by the noise and blinking lights, but they said she did fine. Today, she got a pass. She had enough to deal with, having to manage after the vaccine shots. 

Bit the Bullet. 5-27-12

Well, things didn’t finish well with my floor refinisher. I had decided that my floor was toast. Perhaps I should have just gotten out the yellow police tape, as a friend commented that it looked like there had been a murder on one section of the floor. Well, the only murder was the murder of my hopes and dreams for my floor! Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but I was seriously sweating it, got some legal advice and such.

Fortunately, as I was despairing the fate of my floors, I miraculously found another hardwood floor refinisher that I never saw before on the Internet. I called them, and they agreed to come out and have a look. Yep, he agreed it was bad and went through and explained several of the main problems with the floor. The best part is that he said he would attempt a repair. Fingers crossed! I can’t wait to be set free of my cramped rooms. Now, if I could just knock this sinus issue from the last sanding. 

Taking Stock at Boop’s Week 19. 6-2-12

Future Boop: “Mommy, why does this week look so different?”

Grandma holding Boop while Mommy shoveled it in!

Me: “Oh mercy, Boop, that was the week you had an ear infection and a UTI at the same time. You were taking antibiotics, and you did not like them AT ALL. Then, you got diarrhea and a nasty diaper rash and were just generally miserable and fussy. You weren’t sleeping, and neither was Mommy. And she was fighting a flare up of some health issues of her own. Mommy was also struggling to get the floor refinished after some contractor almost ruined them. We had furniture and boxes crammed everywhere. Mommy was too nervous to try and manage you and Winnie at a hotel; so she had a fair bit of maneuvering to try to stay at home. She was also a bit short on help, as the timing of everything was out of whack. It was a heck of a week! But more importantly, you got your first rice cereal, which you loved, loved, loved, and Mommy taught you the Freddie—‘I’m telling you now...’”

From YouTube... Is that Annette Funicello with Frankie Avalon?