night time with Seamus

We're slowly working on potty training with Seamus.  One of the most frustrating things is that he poops in his diaper every single night about 30 seconds after we put him in bed and close the door.  He used to poop on the potty (by accident and by trying), but now he refuses.  I think it's a delay tactic, and it drives me insane.  I don't want to make it into too big of a deal because I don't want to cause problems.  We tried bribing him with sticker charts and prizes, but he won't do it.  He will pee no problem.  Tonight I completely gave up and just bought super cheap diapers.  So, now he can poo in the cheap diaper and then we can change him and put the expensive night diaper on for the rest of the night.

Speaking of the rest of the night, he wakes up one or two times during the night.  This happens about 4 nights during the week.  I'm always the one that gets up because Jim is usually comatose.  While it sucks to get out of bed and deal with a crying kid, it's not that bad.  Last night he woke up at 4am.  I get up, go into his room, sit on his bed and hug him for about 30 seconds.  I kiss his head and put him back into bed.  And that's it.  So, at 4:03am I was back in my bed and thinking about how this is actually a very special time.  He wraps his arms and legs around me like a little monkey and it is such a sweet experience of total love.  He is also so different from his sister.  She went through a few phases of waking up several times a night when she was his age and older.  However, she would cry and cry.  The second you started to leave the room she would start to wail.  We often needed to let her cry it out a bit.  With him, he's instantly comforted and happy to go back to bed.  I'm not sure what wakes him up or why he cries, and I wish he didn't need me to come in.  At the same time, I am treasuring these times while I still have them.  I know that he won't be my little boy for much longer. 

February break

The kids had school vacation the same week, so my mom came out to help.  Thank goodness for her.  We had lots of fun and it was a busy week.  We got a new dishwasher, Jim was diagnosed with pneumonia, and the kids had a dentist appointment.  Jim was doing great by the end of the week and is totally fine now.  The kids were fantastic at the dentist.  It was Seamus' first time and he was a total champ.  He wasn't shy at all and opened wide when asked.  He let the hygienist and doctor poke around in his mouth, and stick the mirror in there.  He was happy as a clam sitting in the chair and watching the cartoons they had on.  Eve was much more guarded (but still good).  She made a face when the dentist painted on the fluoride and he said, "I know.  It doesn't taste good."  Then he told Seamus to open up and painted the fluoride on him.  Seamus rubbed his tummy and said, "Mmmm.....good!!"  He did so well that next time he gets to go "upstairs" for a longer and more technical appointment.  The hygienist said he was "amazing." 

Ignore the mess in the background, but focus on how Seamus is perched ON TOP of Jim. What a nut.

Snuggle time

More pain for Eve

For the past several weeks Eve has been showing signs of discomfort in increasing frequency and intensity.  In the mornings or late afternoon (around 5pm) she sometimes just looks super uncomfortable.  One knee will be drawn into her chest and her elbows will be bent with her arms rigid.  If you move her leg or arms, her arms will tremor.  I may have mentioned she no longer is able to cry.  Instead, she laughs when she is in pain.  It's a different sounding laugh than her funny laugh.  There is a sharpness, or an edge to the pain laugh.  She sometimes does this during these episodes. 

Around Christmas, I mentioned to her neuro that we've been having to give her more booster doses of Valium for break-through pain.  So, he increased her dose.  Even after the increase, she's still been having these episodes.  We've even had to give her morphine twice.  So, Jim and I decided to switch up her med schedule.  She's allowed the Valium every 4 hours with booster doses every 2 in between.  We were giving the schedule doses at 8am, 12:30pm, and then not again until before bedtime at 6:30pm.  We've started giving her the Valium at 5pm now (and not again at bedtime).  That seems to help a bit in the afternoon.  However, it doesn't help in the morning.  This past week, the nurse had to give her a booster dose at school.  Then, on Wednesday at lunchtime, Eve had a bad episode.  Not only what she showing signs of pain, but she was moaning and had both knees drawn into her chest.  This is what used to happen a year ago (and is why the morphine was prescribed), and she had never done this at school before.  I thought we had gotten past these intense episodes.  We see the neuro in a week and half, and I'll talk to him about our options and what we can do to ensure she is comfortable.

One other thing I need to talk to the neuro about is that she might have had two quick seizures yesterday at school.  Eve had a substitute one-on-one, and she brought Eve to the nurse's office.  She said that Eve's arms had started to tremor and that Eve rolled her eyes back into her head for about three seconds.  Then it happened again for another few seconds.  I've never seen this at home, but I suppose it is possible.  I thought the nurse gave the one-on-one excellent advice:  if it happens again, stroke Eve's cheek - if she snaps out of it, it wasn't a seizure.  Whatever happened, it was strange enough that the one-on-one brought Eve to the nurse.  So, I'll mention this to the doctor. 

Me eat my oatmeal!

Seamus

Seamus is a total riot.  The other day, I asked him: "Did you just fart?"  He replied, "No.  Noise from my butt crack." 
Truth. 

Just now I told him I needed his help - we need to go to the store to get food.  He said, "No.  No store.  You big girl."  I asked him, "Oh, Mommy is a big girl, so she doesn't need your help?"  "Yeah."

*sigh* 

winter fun

Winter is for cuddles with best buddies.

...and kisses. 

Yesterday, the kids had a snow day from school.  I couldn't get both kids outside to play by myself, so we had to play inside all day.  Instead of a snow fort, I decided we should build a blanket fort. 

The kids loved it. 

Seamus wanted to add even more blankets. 

Xmas pt 3

Grammie and PaPa and Uncle Scott came for a visit the weekend after Christmas. Uncle Scott left after the weekend, but Grammie and PaPa stayed another week to help while I was at a conference in Florida.

The kids were so thrilled.  Seamus was amazed and kept saying, "More presents??? MORE presents???"

Uncle Scott bought Eve a fish tank for Christmas.  We took a family trip to the pet store the next day and got all the supplies and two fish.  They live in Eve's room and they are still swimming two weeks later, so that's a good thing.

PaPa made Seamus a bank.  He did a wonderful job and Seamus loves it.  Now he goes hunting for coins to put in it.

Guest Reader

Snuggle time

We are so grateful for their help.  Especially because the weather turned nasty and we had two snow days while I was away.  So the grandparents got lots and lots of kid time.  I think they're still sleeping it off.
I had hoped to enjoy my conference (and time away from mommy duty), but I managed to get a stomach virus the second day there.  Fun times.  Oh, well.  I still managed to learn some great things that I will be implementing this semester.