To The ER Nurse

I am joining Julie and the Foursons this week, as I discovered that the ER/Hospital gives great material for a fun Meme like this....

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Dear Distracted Mom at the ER,

Yes your little boy is sweet and cute - but he is also in the ER, I am assuming he is there for a reason.  Please pay attention when he walks up to my baby (who is already sick enough to be at the ER as well). In that moment, I don't care how sweet he is or that he wants to play, all I care about is keeping my boy from getting something he doesn't already have.  Your coughing sneezing 7-year olds little hands trying to pinch my baby's cheeks are not welcome!!!

Sincerely

The mother who paced around the waiting room while holding her son so that he wouldn't catch your son's germs

Dear rude ER Nurse,

It was all I could do to ask you the other night if you had kids, if you knew what it was like to fear for them, and make decisions that you thought were best, as you called me "Mom" and looked at me condescendingly.  Yes he had a fever, no fevers don't scare me...as I said many times, and as the other nurses (both before and after you noted) my son was NOT BREATHING RIGHT - maybe you thought I was being paranoid and over reacting - but I knew my son was in trouble - not breathing right is nothing I take lightly.  It was all I could do in my exhausted (and slightly smelly) state to bring my finally sleeping, slightly drugged up little boy up to you as you sauntered out on your way home and have you listen to his raspy breathing and yell in your face that this little guy you so willingly shrugged off has pneumonia, and his mother you dismissed is angry but I didn't, instead I held my sick little man as he slept.  I am sad for all the other mothers and children who you have also so quickly dismissed, I am sad for the tears that you have probably caused by your callousness.  FYI...you are an ER nurse at a children's hospital - if you don't like paranoid (caring, good) mothers find a new job!!!

Sincerely,
Pissed off mommy


Dear Hopsital Food Staff,

Why exactly do you send us a menu of choices for a little boy?  You obviously don't pay attention to them.  How exactly does apple juice, a banana and pancakes turn into ham and french toast?  As for the grilled cheese, while I did enjoy it, my son would have been more likely to eat the pasta and meatballs that I ordered for him.  I don't know...maybe its hard to do, maybe you ran out of food....maybe you shouldn't send out those menus and tease us like that....just saying....

Yours truly,
Confused Mommy of a Hungry Toddler

What a Weekend!!!

I would love to start this post with what we did Friday night - but to be honest with you that feels like weeks ago and I can hardly remember what happened!!

I do know that on Saturday morning the hubby let me sleep a bit.  And the boys and I had fun running errands together.

Saturday night was fantastic with a great gathering with some lovely ladies.  My friend Andrea invited a happy group of us over to enjoy some fantastic food and great conversation.  It was wonderful to get out and enjoy the company of other woman. {and let me add that Andrea is the perfect hostess - everything was wonderful - thank you so much for inviting me!!!}

At some point on either Friday or Saturday the boys also got to paint and color the little plaster monkeys that I had bought for them several weeks ago.  I absolutely loved watching them concentrate and color!!

 

 

{I think this is the point where Jack just started painting himself!!}

Sunday Poppy (my FIL) and Dan took Tommy to his first ever hockey game (the Providence Bruins - farm team for Boston) while Jack spent some quality time with his Bobo (my MIL).  For several hours I had quality time with my laundry pile, my sewing maching, and (unexpectedly) the lovely ladies at JoAnn's Fabric {that's a story in and of itself}

 {Tommy was a little overwhelmed}

{but had a wonderful time with his Poppy!!}

It really was an unremarkable weekend now that I look back - some family time, some fun, some cleaning...until of course Sunday night...

If you follow me on Twitter you are by now probably aware of the events....

Jack came home, shivering and miserable.  One look at him and we knew he was "off".  His breathing was not right, as if he had been running. Considering he had just had a breathing treatment less than 2 hours before hand we were concerned - so off we went to Hasbro Children's Hospital.

{Daddy and Jack watch silly cat videos while using the nebulizer}

In short, it sucked.  There is nothing good about going to the ER - the scariest part is all the other sick kids that seem to want to come over and say "Hi" and the parents that let them!!  I always fear we will leave with more illnesses than when we came in!!!

After lots of waiting, and one very rude nurse {and some motrin for his 103 fever} it was confirmed that he had pneumonia.  It took them several breathing treatments to get him comfortable enough to fall asleep.  {up to that point he was crabby and restless} and the frequency that he was needing medication for his breathing led them to admit him.  It was exhausting and scary...

But how blessed we were - we caught it all so early and got the right meds into him right away.  After some sleep, steroids, antibiotics, and breathing treatments, little man was good enough to go home with us Monday evening!!  Tonight, other than all the meds he has to choke down, you would never know he had been so sick!!

{The little man just minutes after getting back home - so happy to home!!}

We are all now finally {mostly} rested and returning to normal{-ish}.  Mommy is feeling a little junky - but better after a nap, thinking its just the exhaution catching up to me.

Good night all - it is already late and I need to sleep (for days if I could!!)

Sound Off

In the last few months I feel like I have gained a lot of new followers...you have no idea how I am touched by the fact that you want to read what I want to write....

I know I am wordy and if you have been reading, you know so many of the goofy little details of my life...

But many days I feel a tinge of guilt...I feel dreadful that at times I just don't know who is following me anymore...sometimes I don't know who is new when I look at my follower list and who isn't.

So now I am asking (begging) you....pop out and say "Hello".  Leave me a link to your blog, tell me a little bit about yourself, whatever you would like to say...

One of my favorite aspects of blogging (especially in this past year) has been getting to know so many wonderful people...I feel like I have lost sight of that of late.

Over the next week or so I am making it a point to post less and visit more, reinsert myself into this community I so adore.  I would love to start with all of you :)

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And now a quick update on Jack.  After I posted the other day (I mean right after, within minutes of hitting post) I got a call from my hubby.  My poor little guy was having a hard time breathing - fortunately the Dr was able to get Jack in as soon as my hubby was able to drive him there (we LOVE our ped - they always make room for our sick little ones).

Official diagnosis - still just a bad cold, made a lot worse by asthma (causing bronchial spasms).  So now we are home with a nebulizer to use every 4 hours until we see significant improvment - AND flovent inhaler to use for the rest of the winter.   We are so happy it is nothing worse, but it was so scary for me to live all this out over the phone.  When I finally got to see my little guy he was his same bright goofy self.

And the real silver linings - first off, my trip that kept me out of work for several days, also kept me away from the coworkers who are all now home with H1N1.  Second, Jack's issues this past week (the fact that a simple cold hits him so hard because his asthma) bumped Jack into the high risk category and he is able to get the flu vaccine that we strongly feel he needs, next Tuesday by appointment!!  As frustrating and scary as this past week has been for me - looking back we are very fortunate and very blessed!!!

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Now...back to you...I really mean it, Sound off and say HI!!!!

(b/c I hate posting without pictures:)

Randomly Rambling from....

....(you guessed it...) Kansas City.

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So first let me tell you about my night....the short version....it sucked....now for the long version

Dan got in touch with me around 7:30 pm - Jack was sitting on the couch while Dan was doing dishes - all of a sudden Jack started screaming uncontrollably and putting his fingers in his mouth and grabbing at his face, he then threw up twice.  It took Dan 20 minutes to finally get him calmed down and settled.  At that point (as he was unable to get in touch with me) he called his mother, who came right over to help Dan and keep an eye on Tommy so Dan could focus on Jack.

By the time Dan was able to get in touch with me his mother was already there.  Jack was still uncomfortable, but calm and playing.  We just weren't sure what to do - and the fact that I couldn't see him was killing me!!!    Jack was so stuffed up at this point, I was really afraid that he had found and swallowed something!!  Dan was sure he didn't.   He called our ped, fortunately the on-call was a doc that we know and like (usually its one from another office who I don't really care for).  He was very kind and gave Dan some good suggestions to help clear him up and make him comfy.  Dan ended up spending the night on the recliner with the little guy so that he could sleep on Dan's chest.  This morning he is diong much  better.  He is with my mother now, still really stuffed up, but better (and currently sleeping ;)  At the moment we are opting out of the Drs or ER as we fear what he could pick up there!!

Talk about feeling guilty and horrible and terrified.  I already feel so bad that I have to go away - to not be there when my baby needs me is awful.  to know he feels so ill and may be sick or hurt and I'm not there.  To not be able to see him, to see what he looks like while he is going through this is terrifying - the worst scenarios circle through your mind.  

What scares us more?  2 children in our area have died in the past few weeks from swine flu....one fell ill on Friday and passed away on Saturday.  We are trying hard to not buy into the mass hysteria and the hype, but these facts scare us - and this flu scares us.

Being a parent is basically, in a word, scary!!!

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Now on to happier things....what can be more random than this?

Yes that is a GIANT badmitton shuttle cock.  There are three of them plopped down in the Kansas City Sculpture Park, like some giant with a temper got mad during a game and slammed them into the earth.

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And this makes me so happy....

Those are old beautiful bail and wire canning jars - my friends were cleaning out their basement (of their house where her Grandparents used to live) they had boxes and boxes which they gladly passed on to me!!  I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am by these!!

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Know what I am doing this weekend?   Going out....with girls!!!  Our friend has invited a bunch of us over to celebrate her new gorgeous couch, have some yummy drinks, and just generally be girls together...I CAN"T WAIT.  I go out without the fam so infrequently and suddenly to have the Aiming Low even and then this.  I almost feel like a human with my own identity again!!!

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Well I started this in Kansas....am finishing it in Ohio (Cincinati if you must know).  Almost time to board the plane and finally go home....you have no idea how ready I am to go home, see my babies and eat something that was cooked by someone I know and love!!!

Because You Asked pt2

Michelle said...

How do you juggle working and motherhood??

This is such a hard one for me to answer, because mostly I don't feel like I do juggle it all successfully.  I am out of the house 60+  hours a week, I miss my boys all 60+ of them.   I am trying hard to find a balance, and juggle things successfully...I just don't know how well it is working this time.

Kelly Deneen said...

If you could live one day over again (either to re-experience it or to do it over), what day would it be and for what reason?

So I feel kind of guilty...I am not going to say the birth of either boys....I mean really, the pain, the fear....I would relive that exact moment that we said hello, but definitnely not the entire day....

On the other hand my wedding day was perfect.  Every last detail of it!!  From the morning with my friends and family, having brunch, laughing, enjoying every moment.  To the actual wedding, walking up to my best beloved and saying "I Do", the horses, the fireworks, the ice luge, sleeping in tents with friends that night, I would love to do it yearly!!!

Grace said...

1. What type of work do you do that had you get laid off a while a go and now has you travel quite a lot?

I was a scientist of sorts in Biotech until a couple years ago, when I switched over to laboratory robotics (robotics engineer - install, program, repair, etc).  Lost my job in May and now I am back to the engineering/repair end of things - this time I work on ALL lab equipment, not just the robotics.  I actually really enjoy fixing things and working on equipment (I used to like to fix cars with my dad) - the problem lies in having equipment spread across the US (like in Kansas) and needing to travel to it to fix it, instead of having it sent to me (which is what we do with most smaller instruments)

2. When are they sending you to FL?

Considering the list of fabulous friends I need to meet....not soon enough, but the moment they do you know I will be tweeting all about it ;)

3. You won't be spending time in hotel room... you'll be out shopping for some kick butt thing to send me... right?

Sadly - I will be (have been) making myself comfortable in my little room (even brought some hand sewing to do to be comfy) we are still recovering from my unemployment so shopping is out of the question (as much as I would love to though)




Michele asked

Favorite food?


On the healthy side I absolutely adore steamed broccoli (really...when home alone that often makes up a major parts of my dinner)


On the absolutely unhealthy, but I would live off of it if I could....chocolate, anything and everything chocolate - especially European Cadbury's (very different from American Cadbury's) and m&ms....oh and of course chocolate ice cream with hot fudge!!!  Ok....now I want ice cream!!

Next concert you'd like to attend?


Unfortunately I just missed the Ben Fold's concert - other than that I always love to see G Love.  I'm sure there are others, I just can't think of them right now :(


Furthest you've traveled? Fave place you've traveled?


I think the furthest was the trip to Greece when I was a Senior in high school.  We went to Athens, then took a cruise through the Agean sea (stopped at 3 amazing islands and in Kusadasi in Turkey).  My favorite place however has been Ireland.  Hubby and I went in 2003 for St Patrick's day, and then with friends in 2004 (again for St Patrick's day).  We always talk about how we can't wait to be able to take the boys there some day!!

Most embarrassing moment ever?


One of those awful accidents (of the feminine nature) at a party when I was 16 - I was stranded, with a lot of people I didn't know, and basically ended up hiding until I could find a ride home...it was awful!!!

What is something you have always wanted to do but never have?


sky dive - now that I have kids I am pretty sure I never will either.  I just can't justify the risk now that I have kids.

Most annoying thing your husband does?


Most annoying?  Its his amazing ability to completely block out the rest of the world when watching TV or playing on the computer - including the sweet little rug rats pulling at his pant legs (one of the reasons I was ready to turn off the cable)

Favorite childhood memory?


Playing with my older brother in our yard or at the creek.  Making leaf and stick boats and racing them, running around all summer without a care.  


Worst trouble you ever go into before the age of 20?


(well I did say anything)  When I was a junior I got suspended for stealing.  A friend and I did it, but I took the fall for both of us. (I knew at home me getting in trouble would be a lot less than her getting in trouble)  I was suspended for a couple days and had a week or detentions.  I am happy to say that I never got in trouble with the police (we ran too fast for them to catch us...ha ha ha....)



How many tattoos do you have and do you want more? What will you do when your boys ask to get tattoos?


I have 4 tattoos and yes I want more. I actually had one planned, it was all drawn out and beautiful.  Dan had helped me plan it and Joel from Babmu Tattoo had drawn it.  And then I got pregnant....I did not feel right getting a new tattoo while pregnant :)  maybe someday I will go back and finally finish it.


As for when my boys ask - I know it will be a tough one.  I will insist that they not get one before they are 18...but beyond that I don't know.  



What would a dream evening out with girl friends entail?



An evening out with girls is in and of itself a dream!!!  I love the idea of a nice meal (nothing overly fancy but yummy) with of course good desert!!  Coffee, drinks, chatting, and then....maybe even some dancing!!  I love to go dancing, but never get a chance to (the hubby is less than excited by the idea of  going dancing).  Although even just some drinks deserts and good company sounds wonderful too!!

Because You Asked pt1

Granted, I asked that you ask, but still you did ask.....oh and if you didn't ask...you still can...go here...and ask...

King J's Queen:

What do you like to look for in a hotel when you are traveling? Is it the spa, having a pool, Cable TV, or what?

Well unfortunately all my travel these days are for work and they don't let me pick the hotel.  The last few times I did get the option to pick a hotel (for a fun get away) I took a look at local amenities.  Usually when I go away I am looking to spend very little time in the room and want to know that there is loads to do around me.  I also really like trying to find suites or apartments - I like having the option of keeping breakfast and lunch foods on hand so that I can pack up for a day out, and it is nice to have a comfortable place to stay if for any reason I do need to stay in for a day or two (last time traveling I got pretty ill and was happy for a comfy room).

Rachel said...

How'd you meet your husband? 

We first met while we were both students at URI.  He was roommates with someone I knew in high school.  I actually don't remember our first meeting - apparently I didn't make too good of an impression that day either...We met again a few years later when I was in a better mood and he was dating someone else.  It worked out quite well, as we were friends for several years before we actually started seeing each other.  I love the fact that he knew all my secrets long before I ever had to worry about him finding out all my secrets :)

How'd you decide on your kids' names (because I'm especially in love with the name "Jack"!).

First, the rules:

rule #1  Dan and I each come from very large very close extended families.... , no names of any first cousins, aunts, or uncles

rule #2  nothing that begins with a "K" or hard "C" (same sound as our last name)

rule number 3 no junior

Thomas Michael - as soon as we knew we were having a boy, I knew I wanted his middle name to be in tribute to my brother who passed away several months prior.  As for Thomas....that just happened.  We both just liked it.  (I won't go in to how many we disagreed on first)

Jackson David - Again the middle name came first - David after Dan's grandfather.  We were torn with his first name - we both really like the name "Jack" but didn't like the way "Jack David" sounded and we didn't want to name him Jonathan.  We toyed around with some other names (started getting very very Irish at one point) when finally (after watching Steel Magnolias for the millionth time) I had a stroke of genius :)  if you know the movie, you know where Jack got his name

 Is all your stuff listed on Etsy yet?

Actually....almost.  I spent one evening just photographing everything and now it has just been a matter of editting and posting.  I have plans to post more tonight - I brought the photos with me so I could get "work" done in my hotel room..

Are you enjoying your "new" job? 

I have to be very very careful answering this question (and any questions about work for that matter) as I don't know who reads my blog and I am not anonymous....right now I'll just say...its a job....{feel free to infer what you'd like from this answer ;)}

How do you balance work and kids?

This is a hard one...I am still trying to figure it all out right now - my current working day has me out of the house around 7am and not home until a little after 6pm so I am still working on finding that balance....this could (and probably will) be a post of its own.

Beth E. said...

*Are you planning to have anymore children?

Yes - we are currently in the logistical planning phases. (in other words I want to be pregnant now he wants to wait a few more months - the negotiations are currently underway)

*Does your hubby have any quirks that drive you crazy?

1.  He can drive (at times) a little madman like and it scares me

2.  He can't seem to figure out how exactly to wash a pot or pan

3.  His amazing ability to tune out the 3 year old standing right next to him when watching TV or on the computer

I know I had more...but as right now I am missing him, all his little quirks seem almost endearing....(almost)

*Do you have any quirks that drive your hubby crazy?

Yes.....many..... (maybe someday he can sneak on here and tell you all about them ;)

*What would be your idea be for a perfect day of pampering?

Start off with a nice yoga class, followed by a long steamy shower.  Then all the fabulous spa treatments....manicure, pedicure, massage, you get the idea.  With loads of fresh fresh fresh fruit, champagne, cold water, and a good friend or two to share in it all with me.

Well I think that's enough for now.....There are still more to come...either later today or tomorrow as I have time.

Some BOOOOtiful Family Time

{So how freakin' creative am I with that title :)}

Don't forget to go here and Ask Me Anything!!!

We have been going all weekend (well since Thursday actually) really do you expect any less from us?!

Saturday morning, however, I woke up feeling horrible and cruddy.  Spent much of the morning sleeping on the couch - until my amazing hubby woke me up with a warm breakfast and steaming cup of coffee {isn't he the best}.  Fortunately the food and some medicine did the trick!!!

I could go on and on and on about exactly what we did {you KNOW I could!!}  Instead, as I am still on the recovering end of things...and don't feel overly wordful...I will spare you my typical tomes and just share the photographic highlights...


Enjoy!!!

Yard work is fun!!

Jack O' Laterns!!!!!

TRICK OR TREAT!!!