911

We had to call 911 at 2am this morning.

We woke up to Ryder choking on thick mucous. It was really scary. He couldn't breathe so Chad grabbed the bulb syringe and started suctioning. By that point goop was coming out his eyes and nose and he was starting to foam at the mouth.

We got him calmed down and breathing again...but then he did it again 5 minutes later. He's had a very dry cough for 2 weeks but inconsistent. Otherwise, no real warning.

We called 911, went by ambulance to the er, the doctor there released us since he is fine between episodes. He had another episode this morning at 8:30. We saw his pediatrician and she wanted him to be monitored at children's hospital. So I am here with Ryder and Chad is home with the other kids.

The doctors all think it's due to his reflux worse than we thought. We find out in the morning if they want to do special tests.

I have always put my babies in another room to sleep by 2 weeks. I have kept Ryder in his car seat next to my bed all along. I'm so grateful because I can honestly say I don't think we would have caught it in time had he not been right next to us.

Update: Ryder had another episode at 1am here at children's hospital. They were able to come in and hear the junk in his nose and mouth. Other doctors haven't been able to hear it because he sounds perfectly fine after an episode. They had to use the wall suction to clear him. The bulb string can't get it. He slept and woke up at 6am coughing not gagging yet. The bulb syringe didn't work again. Used wall syringe. A ton of thick yellow junk came out. He ate much more comfortably with being suctioned first. I'm glad they saw his episode because they saw I wasn't crazy and he is sick on top of an underlying reflux issue. We are both doing good. I'm grateful we can be here. He is going to have an upper GI test to see the extent of his reflux and an EKG for a mild heart murmur. We will for sure be here 1 more night since he's had more episodes here and still relies on the wall suction.

Dear Chad,

While editing our pictures of your sister's wedding...I came across this one:
Could this have anything to do with the fact that I frequently tell you I rarely spank the kids?

Even though you have this to blackmail me...I feel that spank was warranted. Those refection pools at the temple aren't for swimming.

Love,
Amber

See Mommy.

See Mommy. She is a good Mommy.
She is a patient Mommy. She is a happy Mommy.

(Just starting to take pictures at the temple for Chad's sister's wedding.)

Now, see Mommy. She is not a good Mommy.
She is not a patient Mommy. She is NOT a Happy Mommy.

(2 Hours Later)

Just be glad you didn't see the scene before this picture where I sprinted to retrieve Owen from running behind the Bride and Groom's picture. It didn't go as smooth as I pictured. I took Owen out and almost face planted in my dress. One of these days I'll realize I'm not as coordinated as I used to be when sprinting. For now, let's just blame it on the baby weight.

Notice anything?

Anything MISSING, that is?

Woo Hoo. Alexis lost her 2 front teeth.

Ok, fine...I pulled them out.

But the first one was really loose...and all snaggle tooth-y that I couldn't bear the sight of it any longer. And, the next one was loose...I'm sure it could have used another week or so...but loose enough for me to pull it out the night before Chad's sister's wedding...because it's a heck of a lot cuter to have both missing in pictures. I know...it's a sickness. But it's a sickness my kids don't mind I have. And I'm so good...she never felt a THING! Go ahead...ask her?

Health Issues: (Part 1- Alexis' Tummy Aches)

Back when Alexis started Kindergarten (almost 2 years ago) she started complaining of tummy aches when she went to bed. This occurred frequently. However, Alexis has always been that kid of ours that ALWAYS has an excuse as to why she can't go to sleep. From the time we put her in a big girl bed at 2 we've heard it all.

"I'm thirsty. I'm not tired. Can you sing me a song? I'm scared. I have to go potty. I hate my nose." (Remember, that one! I wrote about it here.)

I'm pretty sure she's thought of everything in the book. As I type this...she just got out of bed to tell me how she is scared her toenail will fall off under her covers...if she puts them over her. BUT..."she's COLD and really wants her covers." (Her toe and our front door had a little run in this weekend.) Don't worry, I assured her if it did fall off we would retrieve the toenail in her bed and wash her covers. I'm a good mom. I know.

Anyhow, I'm proving my point of Alexis' excuses at bedtime.

So, when she started complaining of tummy aches at bedtime 2 years ago Chad and I would get pretty frustrated with her. The tummy aches starting occurring more frequently and started popping up whenever she didn't want to eat her dinner. So, naturally, Chad and I got even more frustrated.

It wasn't until first grade when the tummy aches started occurring at school that I thought, "Maybe, her tummy really does hurt." She frequented the nurses office when school began and her teacher and I had a talk. She felt like her tummy aches were legit since she was a good student and social. When the nurse would call us we'd talk to Alexis and ask her to stay at school. Not sure if that nurse thought we were mean parents or not. But, tummy ache or not...it wasn't going away whether she came home or stayed. So, she stayed.

People asked me if she was constipated. Nope. But we put her on some stool softeners just to make sure nothing was plugging her up. No, relief from the tummy aches.

Her teacher thought it could be stress induced because Alexis is a perfectionist. If she got a math problem wrong...her eyes would well up with tears. Then one day the teacher announced it was library day. Alexis walked up and told her she needed to go to the nurses office because her tummy was hurting. Then she found out Alexis had forgotten her library books and was upset about it. So, the teacher stopped sending her to the nurses office and would distract Alexis by telling her she needed her to stay and read to the class since she was one of the strongest readers. That helped. But, as the teacher and I talked throughout the year...we both knew the tummy aches continued.

I was at the Doctor's office in January during an urgent care appointment for Owen (you'll be able to read about that in Part 3 of our Heath Issues...coming soon.) Alexis was with me and her bout with tummy aches had been pretty bad that week. So I mentioned it to the Doctor. That's when I got asked a few questions...and with each question I felt worse and worse!

They started off by weighing her. She hadn't gained weight in a LONG time, over a year. That concerned the Doctor. Shouldn't I have known that!

Does she tell you she's starving and then take one bite of food and tell you she's not hungry anymore or her tummy hurts?

Yes...and it's frustrating.

Does she sometimes eat a ton of food and then tells you within minutes that she's starving?

Yes....also frustrating.

Has she stopped eating food she used to eat?

Yes...hamburgers and pizza...also frustrating when we want to eat out.

That's about when I caught on to the fact that all these things that frustrate us about Alexis...are ALL TIED TOGETHER!

He told us, "Well, I'm pretty sure she has Gastero-enteritis. But, we have to do some testing to rule out some other bacterial problems first."

What...there is a name for what she has? You can only guess how big I felt in that room. Mom of the year, huh? Or, I should say "Mom of the Year for the Last 2 Years" since I let it go on that long without doing a thing.

So, after 2 years of tummy aches, some testing and a stool sample...(Chad did tell me I deserved an award for that since he didn't think he could EVER do that)...we had a diagnosis for the "tummy aches." Gastero-enteritis. For now, we only give her meds if her tummy is acting up. She hates the medicine and it's not a daily occurrence...but when it hits, it hits hard for about a week or two.

I felt like a horrible Mom for a while. But, then I realized...how was I to ever know everything was tied together? I would have never guessed nor had I known anyone who had a child diagnosed with this problem. And, well, some of the problems just seemed so normal with kids. So, I'm just happy we have a way to control the tummy aches.

Now, I'm off to lay by Alexis in bed. Because she just came in to tell me how scared she is because there is a shadow by her door that's NOT moving. I rest my case!

Ryder's 1st Swim

I took the kids to swim team practice today. You're going to want to ask me some questions about it...so let me help you.

Ask me why I had to quickly find someone with a swim diaper and borrow it?

Because Owen decided to plunge himself into the pool for a swim in all of his clothes. Then he proceeded to throw a screaming fit because he didn't care that he didn't have a swim diaper on. There was no time to get one out of the car...it was urgent I borrow one right away. There were enough people watching me wrestle my child as it was.

Luckily, Alexis' practice didn't start yet so she played with him on the steps (5 feet from where I was.) Then she took him to the kiddie pool (15 feet from where I was sitting.) I was watching him like a hawk...even though Alexis was next to him.

Now...ask me why my clothes are all wet?

That's because Alexis decided to swim under the 2 feet of water in the kiddie pool to the other side leaving Owen alone. She's under water so I can't scream for her to stop. Owen looses his footing and can't figure out how to stand up...so instinctively I sprint the 15 feet to save him. Only...I slip as I run through the kiddie pool. Picture the classic "slip on a banana" type of fall...only in a kiddie pool. Remember I was in a full out sprint. So I fall on my back in the pool...but gain my footing quickly and grab Owen! Who was perfectly fine because I rescued him right when I saw the problem. Forget not wanting all the attention on me!

Now...you might be wondering "that stories great and all but why did you title this post Ryder's 1st swim?"

I will gladly answer that! Here is where this story really gets interesting.

I was actually nursing Ryder when it all went down:

-Alexis swims to the other side of the kiddie pool
-Owen looses his footing standing in the middle of the kiddie pool
-I sprint from my chair...while still nursing Ryder under a white muslin blanket
-I slip and eat it straight on my back in the kiddie pool while nursing Ryder under a blanket
-Ryder is forced to un-latch by the fall
-Ryder starts screaming under the muslin blanket
-All while I grab Owen from the pool and drag my drenched body, Owen and an un-happy Ryder out from the middle of the kiddie pool.

Are you laughing yet? Don't you wish you could have seen it in person? I'll help you change your mind!

Now, I was wearing a very loose cotton skirt. So you know what happens when a loose cotton skirt with no drawstring gets wet and you don't have any free hands to hold it up because you are holding your almost drowning son in one hand and a nursing infant in the other! Luckily, my sister said my shirt only flipped up in the back about 10 inches and the skirt when down a bit...but not all the way. The 40 adults I don't know at swim team were standing behind me and got that view! I'm just glad I wear the underwear I do because if I wore thong underwear...I'm sure I would have heard loud gasping, hyperventilating or maybe even some people puking. Phew! At least I found something positive to say about this span of events that occurred in 10 minutes! And the front side...luckily I was facing towards all the people I know. They claimed I didn't flash them. Ryder and the blanket somehow stayed put in the "general area."

I'm still not sure whether I should laugh or be embarrassed. But I can't help but wonder if some mom's thought to themselves... "And that's why we don't have as many children as those Mormons!"

I did stay for the remainder of practice which was another hour long. I had to finish feeding Ryder, Alexis was just starting practice...and luckily my clothes weren't see through...as long as they didn't fall down! At least I had a good story to tell Chad when I got home.

Sassy and Sweet

Oh...how I love my girl! Yes, at times she can be quite a sassy little thing. But those times are managable because they come between the times where she is the sweetest most thoughtful daughter I could ever ask for!

Today, Chad had left to take Carter to his T-ball game. We were joining them when the game started. I asked Alexis to watch Owen downstairs while I fed Ryder upstairs.

She's quite the little mommy and LOVES holding her brothers. I was the same way when I was her age...I always wanted to hold babies and I hated that I didn't have a younger brother or sister.)

I heard a bunch of moving of chairs and such but I knew Owen was in good hands. Just as I was finishing up feeding Ryder I heard the vacuum turn on. I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear when I heard that sound. I went downstairs to find she had cleaned all the toys in the family room, straightened the couch pillows, cleared the dinner table, wiped it down, vacuumed and was putting all the chairs back.

You better believe she got the biggest hug and kiss after a sweet act like that. It made my day.