Sunday, November 18, 2012

Under the Weather

Boy, it's been one thing after another at the Tolleson house lately.  The first one to go down was Trevor.

DSCN5574

While my parents were here we went to the lake, and pretty much right away Trevor got a fever.  He spent a good deal of time laying on the floor.  It was pitiful.  Probably as pitiful as finding him sitting in the canoe all alone.

DSCN5571

He was sick with a fever all weekend. Monday, he was still sick, and on Tuesday evening his fever got up to 105. That sure got my attention. The next day we went to our favorite doctor. She said Trevor had pneumonia(!) and sent us for chest x-rays. After 4 days of medicine, he still was pitiful, so we went back to the doctor again.

After 2 breathing treatments...
DSC00067

DSC00076

...we were ordered back for more x-rays. This time we brought Grandmother along.
DSC00083

DSC00087

DSC00096

Trevor said being sick was worth it since he got to see his x-rays. He absolutely loved that.

Well, no sooner had Trevor begun to mend and who should get sick? Zack. He was wheezing up a storm, so off to the doctor he went. He also had to have breathing treatments, but as I was too busy holding him down while he was screaming through the first one, and trying to keep him distracted during the second one, I have no pictures. Zack has Bronchiolitis. He had to use an inhaler for over a week. It had a breathing chamber on it, and a tiny little mask. After pinning him to the floor, I would hold his head down with one hand, and hold the mask with the other while he screamed and sucked in the medicine. After every couple puffs he would get a mini M&M. That helped a little, at least to get him to quit crying afterwards. It was a rough week.

Just as Zack was getting a little less wheezy, and we had quit doing the inhaler, I got sick. At first I was rattling in my chest, but within a day I was in the bed. Tim did Mommy and Daddy Duty for 2 whole days before I, too, got a 105 temp and decided to go to the doctor. Not really sure why we waited that long, but we did.

I'd been on my pneumonia medicine one day when William started it. I called our favorite doctor and got a prescription called in without an appointment, which was such a blessing. Unfortunately, that medicine made him barf, so we got another kind, which he took to better.

And now, can you believe, my story is not done?

After 6 days of his medicine, William woke up yesterday with red spots on his chest. I thought he was having a reaction to the antibiotics, and took him in to the doctor. But the doctor said, no, he has a virus. The pneumonia is cleared up, and now he has a virus that looks like the chicken pox. The spots have gotten worse. He is COVERED in nasty red bumps. They haven't filled with pus, like chicken pox do, and I'm praying that they won't. I wish he would let me take a picture to show you, but so far he won't. He spent at least 30 minutes in bed this morning with his blanket over his head before I could coax him out. I think he feels okay--maybe a little achy, and pretty itchy--but he looks terrible. TERRIBLE.

They boys have spent a ton of time like this:
DSC00066

...on the couch, watching movies and playing wii. Actually, Zack isn't ever sitting there like that. That was a fluke.
DSC00064

That there is the only minute I was able to get him sitting still...thankfully long enough for me to take a picture, however misleading it is. He is always, always running around getting into things. He usually has a pencil in his hand. I wish I could find his source for pencils, because I can never seem to find one when I want one.

So, there you have it. Our sad, sick story. I'm praying that this is the end of the story...that no one else gets the ugly red bumps, and that we won't be having Thanksgiving alone at home!




Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Sandbox

DSC09866

Zack is not cuddly, but he is affectionate. He loves this duck, and loves to kiss it. DSC09867

On a tangent: look at those curls!! DSC09862

They were so messy most of the time that I finally cut them off yesterday. Sad.

Zack kisses everything he loves: Me, Tim, the boys, the stairs, his sandbox. Somethings are better for kissing than others. :) Zack loves to play in the dirt. Here's some pictures of him playing on the patio from awhile back... DSC09682

DSC09691

DSC09693

Samuel kept him busy one soccer game playing in the gravel. DSC09771

DSC09778

We wanted to make Zack a sandbox for his birthday. But where to put it? Remember that big hole we had in the patio from the pipe leak? Well, we thought that would be the perfect spot! DSC09907

(We like to make sure the kids wear work-clothes. )DSC09913

Tim cleaned up the edges, trimmed it in with decking boards, laid a water permeable tarp to keep that red Alabama dirt from mixing in, and we filled it up with beach sand! DSC09929

DSC09932

DSC09936

Zack loves it. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn't play in it. DSC09944

Actually, all the kids love it. DSC00010

DSC00098

Yay Sandbox!  Yay Daddy!  And Yay Stroller Time--that gave me a chance to pump this post out!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Stroller Date

Zack can't talk, but sometimes he is very effective getting his point across.  The other day he brought me his stocking cap, and I put it on him, and he pulled it off.  We played that game for a little while, and he finally went and did something else.  Later he got my attention by yanking on Tim's hoodie that is hanging by the door.  Then he got me one of Tim's shoes.  It all finally made sense when I saw Tim getting Zack ready for a walk.  Zack was bringing me all the things he needed to go for a walk.  Tim takes him every day, no matter how chilly or dark, and Zack loves it.  Tonight when he was pointing at his coat, we knew what he wanted.  I got Zack ready and took him outside and set him by the stroller.  He climbed right up and plopped into position.

DSC00163

DSC00165

Isn't he hilarious?  He was actually doing some BIG grins, but of course the camera flash is too slow to catch them.

Samuel went along tonight.

DSC00168

Stroller Date Time may be the most peaceful part of our day :).