Waiting Game!

UPDATE!!!!: Courtney is now scheduled for surgery on Friday Feb 1!!!!! Yeah!

I have a horrible headache today. No, it’s not from drinking too much last night. It’s from stress. I am so stressed and frustrated that I want to go to the top of Pikes Peak and scream until I feel better. What on earth could make me feel so stressed? Courtney’s ears! I have been waiting since Tuesday mid-day for her ENT’s office to call me back to schedule surgery. I called and left another message yesterday. Courtney finishes her last dose of antibiotics tonight. And then she is done. There is no more the pediatrician can do for her. Of course Courtney still has a runny nose, so if her ear isn’t still currently infected, it will be soon. And since there is no more the pediatrician can do for her, now we start to worry about damage. Ugh, it’s so frustrating. I want to take her to the hospital and sit there until they get her in for surgery. I feel very stuck at the moment, and helpless. Her pediatrician is not back in the office until tomorrow. So, I can’t even have her poke the ENT’s office with a stick on her side or refer us elsewhere.

I am still pretty sure her ear is still infected. She cried out a few times last night. And she has been super crabby this morning. So, I suspect it’s still there. Arrgg!!!

Poor Kid!

2007 was a rough year for just about every one, it sounds like. I have heard from several friends who were also very happy to see 2007 come to an end. We had several family members who gave us some scares medically. We are so happy to see that all so far has been going well this year.

We have once again gotten rid of our cleaning service. I found on Friday that we are missing a load of bath toys! Who knows if they were thrown out on accident, or taken or what, but I don’t want people I don’t know walking though the house anymore. So, I am going to devise a cleaning schedule and Hubby and I will be doing the cleaning.

I have spent the last few days organizing things too. I cleaned out under both our bathroom sinks as well as Courtney’s bathroom sink, and our kitchen sink, which was no easy feat let me tell you. But now they are all nice and organized. I am on a mission to get us organized. The next project I am planning is my closet. That may take a few days. I also need to collect some boxes first so I have somewhere to put the clothes I am getting rid of. That is my current obstacle, looking for boxes. We have lots at the office, but I can’t use them until after we move in early February. After that is my desk, which has become a catch all since Courtney was born. It’s stacked a little high.

It snowed all day today. We probably got 2-3 inches. In honor of the holiday today the college is closed, and to keep things even, they are closed tomorrow too, which means no class for me tomorrow. But, when the college is closed, so is the daycare. So, no daycare today or tomorrow. I stayed home with Courtney today. Tomorrow Hubby will stay home with her.

So, Saturday we went back to the Pediatrician’s office. Courtney finished her last round of antibiotics on Friday night (the night before) but she was still acting like her ears were bothering her. So, we took her in. Sure enough, her left ear was still infected. The pediatrician ended up having her get a shot of some super antibiotic that they give as a last effort. The problem is it is very thick, and has to be given in two doses to little ones. It does have a numbing agent in it, but I don’t think it really makes a difference. I excused myself from the room when the shots were being given. I waited out in the waiting room and I could still hear her crying. Then we had to wait 20 minutes to make sure she didn’t have a reaction to the shot. She didn’t so we were free to go with yet another round of antibiotics and a promise that our pediatrician would be calling the ENT to arrange tubes hopefully in the next two weeks.

Here’s a picture after I came back in the room she was miserable, and needed a snuggle with Mommy:

Other than that, it’s been pretty quiet. And for once in the last 5 days, I am not going to clean tonight, now that the kid is down. I think I will catch up on my shows and trim the dogs’ toenails. That’s about it. Hope all of you are well!

Cold Here!

Well, we visited the ENT. We started by seeing the Audiologist who tested Courtney’s hearing and fluid in her ears. She does have fluid behind the left ear drum. Her hearing on the left side isn’t as good either, probably due to the fluid. She is going to get tubes as well as her adenoids out. We have to wait for her sleep study in February to see if she will also need her tonsils out. So, we have a while yet to wait. Her pediatrician is going to put her on a low dose antibiotic until she gets the tubes in to ward off the current ear infections. I hate having to wait.

I started school this week. I tried to read some of the textbook yesterday. And that reminded me why I don’t like school. I am not good at learning from reading a textbook. I am a visual learner. I realize that is probably why I never did superb in school in the past. I have a good teacher, he is an interesting lecturer. This always makes things soooo much better. The parking is a different story. It’s always like vultures circling. All the spots are always full. But students are always leaving, so you have to just circle and wait. It’s kind of funny, but you have to plan for at least 10 minutes of parking lot cruising.

Hubby is off on his first trip of the year. And he has at least 2 more planned for sure for now. He took a trip at the right time. We are having one of our Artic weeks here. It got down to -8 last night. During the day we are lucky to get into the mid 20’s. We always have a few weeks like that every year.

Last night for fun, after using my vacuum, I steam cleaned the carpets. I know, I really know how to have fun.

This past weekend we went with our friends for their daughter’s first haircut. She is three and had very long hair! I think she got about 4 inches cut off. She did very well. We need to get Courtney her first haircut soon.

I started this Thursday. It’s now Friday. Hubby’s flight was delayed a few hours, so he will be home later than originally thought. L

Courtney refused to take a nap at day care today. So, we are running on no nap. Makes for a long evening. Can you say early bedtime?

Well, I need to try to get her to eat more, and then probably a bath to pass time. Hope everyone is well!

Tubes

So, we had yet another ear infection here. So, we started a round of antibiotics that were good for 10 days. After 12 days we went back to the doctor for a recheck. She saw that it had indeed cleared it up, but it was starting again! The doctor said, ‘Time for Tubes!” So, tomorrow we have an appointment at the ENT’s office to discus when and how the tubes get put in. I think if I didn’t KNOW this was so necessary I would be freaking out a little more, but there is no guessing with this one. She can’t keep having these ear infections right in a row, it will damage her ears. I really don’t want that to happen, so for now I am not freaking out about it. Yet.

She was also scheduled for another swallow study next week. But I cancelled that. Partly because I know she still has the issue and taking the test only exposes her to more radiation. It won’t fix anything so it’s kind of pointless if you ask me. Plus, all this stuff with her ears may also be linked to the swallow. So, I am kind of waiting to see what happens after tubes are put in, and possibly take her tonsils out at the same time (I am hoping).

She amazes us more and more everyday. Not only does she sing some words of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, now she sings some words of Row, Row, Row your boat. She is just too smart for her own good sometimes! Hubby and I sometimes are completely amazed at the things she can say, or do, or understand. She told me “no” for the first time the other day. She was in the tub and I asked her if she was ready to get out. Without looking at me she said “NO”! Wow, okay! She loves water!

Speaking of which, they have been transitioning her and 2 other girls into the Toddler 1 room this week. She has napped down there twice. They nap on little cots, not in cribs. She did it the first time they tried no problem! I couldn’t believe it. I thought for sure she would never nap on the cot. So, each day they have spent a few hours in their new room. Today she was spending time in her new room, with the 2 other girls, and one of them was getting her diaper changed by the teacher. Courtney was supposed to be washing her hands. What was she doing instead? Take a look:

The teacher turned around and there was Courtney sitting on the back of the toilet with her feet in the bowl! The teacher thought it was so funny she took pictures! I plan on holding on to them for embarrassment later in life on her part. So, they got her out, stripped her down to her diaper, washed her up, and dressed her in a different outfit. As we speak her dirty clothes from today are in the washer. And she had a nice LONG bath tonight and I soaped her up at least twice.

She has also been very into wrapping up her ‘babies’. A baby is anything that even closely resembles a doll or stuffed animal. Her favorite ‘baby’ to wrap up is actually her Elmo phone she got for Christmas. She also wraps up Radford and Hokie in her crib every night, because she has two small blankets in there as well. For the longest time Hubby and I couldn’t figure out where she had learned that. Then I remembered they are always swaddling kids at daycare! How cute is that?

So, we have had some pretty good snowstorms come through. We woke up this past Sunday morning to about 3-4 inches of snow. No one had predicted this snow storm, so it was kind of odd to wake up to a lot of unexpected snow! But there was enough snow that finally we could use the snow blower. So, I bundled up, and we all went outside and fired it up. I hit the lever to go forward, and wouldn’t you know the dang thing had a flat tire. And I am talking really really flat. We tried to fill it with air from our air compressor, but it wouldn’t hold any air we put in it. So, we have to take it to a tire shop to get repaired. AARG! So, I ended up shoveling all the snow by hand. And we had another snow storm Monday afternoon, and another one today. We need to get that tire fixed!

Recently I read in one of my magazines a suggestion to put 2 cups of vinegar in a bowl in the dishwasher (just that, no dirty dishes) and run it through a regular cycle, to clean the dishwasher. I was a little skeptical, I mean, how could a dishwasher be dirty? Water is always cleaning it, right? But, I tried it and I was truly amazed! You don’t realize how dirty your dishwasher is until you clean it! They recommend you do that every 6 months. I suggest you try it! Like I said, I was amazed.

I also have one of those electric teakettles since we have to boil so much water for the kid. We only ever have water in it, but it was looking a little dingy on the inside. So, I boiled some vinegar in there as well. WOW, it worked! The inside looked brand new again! And Vinegar is environmental friendly! I am telling you, try it!

My sister and Zak left for home today. I am always so sad to see them go. I always enjoy having them around, even if I don’t get to spend enough time with them.

I start school next week. Yikes! I hope I do okay. It’s been a while since I have taken a class. I really need to find a back pack.

After the class that Maggie is in, Agility, ends, she is going to take a break. For many many reasons, I have decided to take a hiatus with her. I will start her back up again sometime down the road.

Well, I am just finishing up a yummy dessert Hubby made and I must go and get some stuff done before bed! Night!

Lets start 2008 off right

2007 was a very tough year for our family. I know there were birthdays and anniversaries I missed. I know some of you are not happy with my choice in Christmas gifts. Please understand that there is more going on behind the scenes then I don't like to share, like medical costs, Hubby traveling, etc, that made me feel very overwhelmed. Please accept my apologies for those I have hurt or let down this year. I am doing my best to get everyone back on track for 2008.