Swing, Swang, Swuh-ohhhh

So it has taken me over a week to compose this post!  This picture is from right after Gus got his horse swing.  He LOVES this swing.  We swing on it everyday, but he loves it so much so, that every evening when Jake gets home they have to go swing on it, whether it be just for a minute or several minutes or in the case of last Friday.....1 entire hour!

Last Friday some friends were coming to town and we needed a few groceries so when Jake got home he and the kids headed out to the backyard for some swing time while I went up the road to the store.  I left and they had been swinging and I got home and they were wrapping up the session.  These are no mild swing sessions.  These are swinging high, high to the sky, in the trees, grabbing leaves, spinning, twisting, turning and making momma, who LOVES to swing, turn green watching swing sessions! 

I got home with the groceries, got in the house, Jake headed upstairs to change, Mabel was asleep in her cradle, Gus asked for Oreo's (his treat from the store) and I was getting him settled when I heard in a pathetic little voice, "Mom want hug you" and a loud gurgle in his belly.  Then it hit.  Baby bear was sick from all the swinging.  We managed to get to the bathroom, Mabel remained asleep and I did my best to stay calm and carry on caring for my sick little baby bear.  I know no one likes vomit, but I do believe some are more tolerable to it than others.  I have a serious phobia and I get all shaky and nervous and sweaty and clammy and I can just go on and on, but bottom line I just freak out when I hear the word vomit.  I must have kept my cool because Gus wanted me to hug and hold him after it was all said and done.  They, whoever they is, say it is different when it's your own.  I guess "they" are right!  Perhaps, the 5 weeks of projectile vomiting from Mabel conditioned me for this particular night. 

I immediately called Jake, yes, from downstairs to upstairs, and he came running down - he really knows my phobia!  We got Gus upstairs and I was able to jump in the tub for a quick bath (our friends were due to arrive within the hour, we had dinner plans with them, my parents were coming to watch the kids and I was full of spit-up and now vomit - the joys of motherhood, but I would not trade it for the world). 

Gus and I were sitting in his bed discussing what had happened and we decided that he must have swung too much and got a little motion sickness.  He got quiet and whimpered "Mommy, want hug you" again.  I asked him if he felt sick again and in the most lethargic, pathetic voice I got a really low "yes".  Off to the bathroom we went.  We made it and I have to say for a 3 year old he was an amazing patient.  No mess.  I think he could sense my uncertainty and nervousness because he was just so calm, cool and collected.  This time Jake was downstairs and we were upstairs.  Pinki and Pops had arrived so now we had a nurse in the house!  I was instructed by Gus that I was to be his nurse.  Mom knows my phobia as well, so in typical mother fashion she came up to lend a hand.  Thanks, Mom!

I debated leaving him and changed my mind several times, but mom and dad insisted we go to dinner with our friends and that Gus would be fine.  We headed out, ate and then I called to check on him.  He had gotten sick one more time, but again, was a wonderful patient and did not make any mess.  Mom said after that he was back to his old chatty self! He slept through the night, woke up in a fantastic mood and made his first canoe trip on Saturday!  Thankfully this was no tummy bug, but Mr. Safety Patrol has been monitoring his swing time, speed and duration since then! 

In a Pinch

These days Jake and I are real cute for a twenty-something year old couple. I have a bruised eye and last night he cracked his neck and as a result has a pinched nerve. He went to the doctor this morning and they examined him thoroughly, gave him a heavy duty anti-inflammatory shot and two Rx's and told him to get some rest today. We are all on rainy day schedule today and will more than likely have a movie marathon tonight!!

We have been exercising and watching what we eat, trying to set good examples for Gus and now Jake is walking like Frankenstein and I can't bend down without having a painful rush of pressure in my head. We are something else. I really hope we are not getting old before our time, but then again, it could be worse, way worse. So we will be thankful for all the things we CAN do!

Potential Doctor??

Between winter weather and having inherited my father's feet, my toes are pitiful. I will leave it at that. One of them has a crack that hurts pretty darn bad. Each night I nurse it back to life with lotions and potions (all after Gus is asleep). I mention this because he has never seen me fool with it or really heard me complain about it.

Tonight, we were sitting on the sofa watching a show and he looked down at my toe and looked up at me and said, "Ouu!" I said to him, "that is mommy's boo-boo toe, and it really hurts." He got down and went to some of his toys. Next thing I know he is getting back in my lap with his play stethoscope and pretend band-aids. He puts his stethoscope around his neck and starts pretending to touch my toe with it. Then he gently placed the already rounded pretend band-aid over my toe. Once he was done he looked up at me with the proudest smile. How sweet, 2 years old and making sure his mommy is well taken care of!! We may have a doctor in the house one day! Only time will tell. Thank you, Gusley for taking such good care of Mommy. Now I know that all the care I have been giving to you during the last 2 years has been absorbed and you are putting it to very good use! I love you!

No just any old Wednesday.....

For the last 2 months (give or take a few days with the holidays) Jake's uncle has been undergoing head and neck radiation treatments for cancer on his tongue. 35 treatments to be exact. Today was his last treatment!!!!!!! We are so happy for him that the treatment is over. We are just hoping that the side effects start to simmer down for him as it has been rough.



I have been wanting to write a post about him, but thought that this would be the most appropriate day....HIS LAST DAY OF TREATMENT!!!! Jake and I went to bed last night saying that we are so happy for him that today is the last day of his treatment. He is a huge fan of the Saints so this is a huge week for him...SAINTS WIN THE SUPERBOWL and HIS LAST DAY OF TREATMENT. I just can't say it enough. DA, we are rootin' for you out here in middle Tennessee. I have to tell you that I have always admired your overzealous outlook on life. When you are around there never seems to be a dull moment and someone is wetting their pants at one of your hilarious jokes!!!! You have so much will power, a great attitude and the mind strength to overcome anything!! You are an inspiration to both Jake and I. We find ourselves in deep conversations about how mind over matter is the key in many situations in this game of life and we always seem to come to the same conclusion.......you are such a great example of mind over matter. We love you and hope that the side effects subside quickly so you can get some relief. We will continue rootin' for you (and the Saints!) here in TN and will be praying that you can take that big gulp of water you so deserve.



DA has a blog and is documenting each day how he is feeling and what he is going through in the hopes of helping others out there that are going through or may have to go through the same thing. If you have a minute check it out and send a well wish his way!


We love you, miss you and certainly can't wait to see you!!
xoxoxoxo,
l*j*g

Mommy's new must have

As I mentioned on Tuesday, Gus started with the snotty nose. In an effort to give him relief and get him on the road to recovery we decided to purchase a Vapor Plug In. The last time he had the stuffy, puffy nose we attempted to use the good ole fashion vaporizer. WHAT A JOKE that was. The directions said to put hot water add the solution and if in 10 minutes it did not start to 'vaporize' add 1/8 teaspoon of salt. I did it the first 4 times.....ALL TO NO AVAIL. As soon as the salt hit the water the damn thing would start spitting water out of the spout, making a huge mess. I tried less salt, same thing, even less salt, same thing, a pinch of salt...nothing happened. There seemed to be no in between with this thing. By the 4th time, I was ready to throw it out the window. Jake came in and I read the directions and he did EXACTLY what they said...it began spitting. After several attempts he thought he had the right combination and guess what as soon as he left the room...SPITTING HOT WATER. We had a garage sale a few weeks later and some poor lady bought it from us for $5.00. I did not have the heart to tell her about all the troubles that thing caused us, I was just glad to see it go.



So, as you can imagine, when Gus started with the runny nose I was not a happy camper because all the memories of the good ole vaporizer came flooding back. That is until I remembered reading on a friend's FB page that someone recommended the plug-in. WHAT A SUPER INVENTION! The night light on it is a little bright, but the vapors it emits is just right. We have used it every night and each day Gus wakes up with a little less snot. We will be keeping extra refills here in the house at all times and this little piece of magic will make the 'must pack' list for future travels. I highly recommend this item if you or your little one has a stuffy nose or cough!

Boogie Woogie Flu

Every time one of us gets sick I can help but think of Johnny River's "Rockin Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"! I mentioned last night that Gus started with a leaky nose. Well it has officially turned into a snotty nose. Poor baby, he carries around a Kleenex and wipes his little nose every chance he gets. Lucky for me he likes to take his medicine and he lets me put the saline nose drops in and he has mastered blowing his own nose! He does not have the flu. Simply a running nose and a cough...just enough to make you feel like crap. He has been in good spirits and has not lost his appetite!

Tonight as Jake and I watched the State of the Union Address and Gus fell asleep in my arms. We found ourselves sitting on the sofa listening to him snore and just starring at him and smothering him with kisses. We smother him with kisses when he is awake, but for some reason a sleeping baby is just too tempting not to kiss. One day we are going to wake him up, but until then we will keep giving him sleeping kisses!!!

Every night Jake and I recap our day and the other night he asked if I thought he kissed Gus too much. I immediately said you can never kiss him too much and please keep kissing him and showering him with love! Though Gus is a mommy's boy, he is very much a daddy's boy as well! He just loves looking out the window in the evening for Jake to drive up! Too sweet!!

Cha-Ching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 24, 2010 - 31-28 the Saints beat the Vikings to become NFC Champions!!!!!!
Super Saints!!!!

This is a day that every Louisianian has longed for...the New Orleans Saints are going to the Superbowl!!!!!!!!!! We watched the game at Mom and Dad's and we had Gus saying 'touuuu dowwwn'!! He fell asleep during the last 2 minutes of the game, slept through the overtime and all of our celebratory yelling!!!! What a game, what a game!! I had a lump in my throat throughout the entire game and by the end of the game the lump was still there and my eyes were welled with tears!!! This is so exciting and we wish we could have been in the south to celebrate with family and friends, but we called as soon as the game was over and people were ecstatic!! NOLA needed this. It was time for something good to happen in the city and to unite everyone once again and the Saints have done just that! Thank you Drew Brees for acting on your calling to come to NOLA and thank you Hartley for kicking the winning field goal!!! These next 2 weeks waiting for the Superbowl are going to seem like the longest 2 weeks of my life, well except for the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy and the 2 weeks leading up to our wedding!!!!! Who Dat!!

Here is our little 'Breesus' with Dad's Saints yard sign from back in the early 90's! For the Superbowl I will be sure and get a picture of dad in his early 90's Cha-Ching hammer pants (his good luck charm of choice)!! Long live the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS!!!!!!

The Verdict.....its not Eczema

It is Atopic Dermatitis, which from doing a little research is in the eczema family, but is not considered full on eczema. Basically Gus is coming into contact with something that is causing an allergic reaction on his trunk area. We went to the dermatologist today and Gus was such a big boy. He sat on my lap while I filled out the mound of new patient papers, gave lots and lots of sweet eyes to the girls behind the counter and when we got into the room he gave the doctor two high fives!! He let me take his shirt off and undo his diaper a little to show the doctor the rash. Since he was so good the nurse gave him a sucker. His face lit up when she walked in with it :-)

He was prescribed a topical cream and if we see no improvement by next week we have to go back to the doctor. The doctor suggested going back to using Dreft on his cloths/towels, etc. and to bath him in Cetaphil. He suggested we could have a biopsy done to see what is causing the reaction, but we don't want to put Gus through that at this time. Not to mention the doctor said if it were his child he would not do it at this point. We will exhaust all other options before taking that route. I will let you know how the cream works and if we ever get to the bottom of the irritant.

All about timing

Gus has had a rash of some sort on his trunk area for a few weeks. When it started is was just a small dry patch. Over the last few days the patch has grown and he began to scratch at it. I have been doing oodles of research and have come to the conclusion that it is Eczema. I have not switched laundry detergent, fabric softener, etc. and he has no known food allergies so seems like all signs point to eczema. We have been bathing him in lukewarm water with Aveeno sensitive skin soap and take him out of the tub as soon as we are done (he has plenty of play time before we bath) so that he is not sitting in the soapy water and at every diaper change we apply hydro cortisone cream and Eucerin moisture lotion to help keep his skin moisturized. Through all the information that I have digested this weekend on this I have read that most children do out grow this. We plan to get him in to see a dermatologist this week so that we can be 100% sure it is in fact eczema.

I am sure you are wondering why I titled this post 'all about timing'. When I logged in and looked at the new posts from the blogs that I follow there was this post front and center and the most recent post..... http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/2010/01/eco-tip-of-week-eczema-and-food.html Timing, perfect timing. It is a rather lengthy post, but the gist of it is that foods that we eat can trigger the outbreak of eczema. I knew that is was heat related, but now I will have to be more mindful of what we are eating when the outbreak is at its peak. I read all the comments and found some really helpful tips and I will be trying them. I will be sure to give an update on how this goes. For now I am super tired and I have the post in my favorites so I will read it again tomorrow and take notes of the suggestions. If any of you have any remedies, suggestions, etc. please share them with us as we are open to any and all!! Thanks!

Under the weather.....

Today is Friday the 13th....for the most part I am not superstitious, I just hope for the best on Friday the 13th's! That is what I did as this day approached.....at 12:50am Jake and I woke up to a very sick baby. I will leave it at that. Gus needed to sleep sitting up so I slept the remainder of the night holding him in the chair. Thankfully we were able to get an appointment with his doctor before the weekend. Gus was a little apprehensive, but we manage to survive the visit and get out with a diagnosis of an ear infection in his right ear, and a viral infection that is causing him to have a runny nose that is dripping into his chest causing the croupy cough. We feel so bad for him, but his little voice is raspy and cute at the same time.

Though you may not be able to tell by these pictures, but Gus was running fever, has an ear infection and a croupy cough.

Having breakfast in the big red chair like a bog boy!!! Biscuit and Fruit Loops seem to be his favorite this week!!



Sweet baby boy reading Hickory Dickory Dock in the laundry basket!!

Not feeling so hot, but still managed to muster up a smile for mommy!! I love this child!

Well we are hoping for a better night tonight!! Gusley, tomorrow you will be 21 months old.... I can't believe how loving and genuine you are these days!! I love you and the sweet little boy that you have become!!

Summertime Blues

Saturday night Gus started with a summertime cold....not fun for mommy and daddy, but we are making the best of it. For instance, Sunday for lunch we made a "baby tv tray" for Gus to eat with Jake on the sofa. It was a hit. He ate like a champ!

Although he is still not feeling up to par, he is doing better. I am beginning to think that he has a summertime cold and he is still trying to work 4 new teeth out. Poor baby, this is no good, but at least we are on the road to recovery! I have to say that the medicine must be working because there are no qualms when it is time to take it. Thankfully!

Gusley and daddy have lunch on the baby tv tray! How cute is this??!!

4 all at once...

TEETH I am speaking of! Yes, not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 teeth are coming through all at the same time....poor baby boy. He has been a good trooper through this round, however, supper consisted of an orange cool pop and a few homemade fries along with a yogurt smoothie. The last two nights he is ready for bed before 8pm and is out for the night by 8pm (nice for mommy and daddy) good, good rest he is getting not to mention his 2-2 1/2 hour naps! Almost 18 months old and 12 teeth! While at Walgreens I picked up some teething tablets, which he will be most excited about taking in the morning! Thankfully he LOVES to take his medicine so this round of teething hasn't been as bad as what it could be, but it is still painful.

Gusley, mommy feels your pain baby and at least the next set of teeth will not hurt like this. Love you, Dudie!

1st Skinned Knee

As the saying goes, "boys will be boys" held true at our house last Wednesday!! Gusley was have a great time outside pushing his lion down the sidewalk when the lion started going much faster than his little feet and he just could not bear to let go of his lion so he went down with him....which leads to the picture.........


He was such a good little trooper when it happened, I have to say I was proud of him. I have honestly been waiting for this day and it was not at all what I had been imagining, thank goodness!!! In the above picture it was like he was posing his bo-bo...he sort of popped his knee out for me to get this picture. What a big boy you are Gusley Norman! We are so proud of you and love you so much. Mommy wishes you would never have to skin your knee again, but unfortunately, this is the first of many! Love you!!

WOW...what a rollercoaster of a week we had....

Well.....just when I thought I would be able to catch up on my blogging, life as I knew it was about to change for a week. I will give the condensed version as I would need a totally separate blog for the entirety!



Saturday, January 10, 2009~Today started out to be a good day...Gusley woke up clapping. We have never really shown him how to clap and he woke up doing it so now the song of the day is "If Your Happy and You Know It"! Then the phone rang at 11:30-11:45am, it was my grandmother, my grandfather has passed away back home in Louisiana. Irvin, your accomplishments and stories will never be forgotten, I think you did a great job of etching those war stories into our brains! You will be sadly missed and I am ever so grateful that you were able to meet my son, Gusley Norman and we will never let him forget the nick name you gave him at a mere 5 weeks old, "No Fuss Gus"!! Mom and dad are out the door and on their way down by 12:20pm. I have to commend Jake for a moment. At this point he took over so that I could get my bearings and deal with the news. Thank you, Jake. You were such a huge help at that time. By 3pm we were pulling out of the driveway going drop Buttercup off at Nanny's Kennel. Thank you, Nanny for allowing Buttercup to stay with you on such short notice. We really appreciate your accommodations for her! 4:18pm it is freezing cold outside, raining and we are on I-65 headed south to Louisiana. The ride down was not bad at all. Since the weather was so dreary, it was darker than usual at that time and in turn Gus slept a little more that other trips. It is now 1:45am and we are pulling in to Gi-Gi and Paw's driveway.......ready for bed! Once we get Gus out of his seat, of course he wakes up and since it is new surroundings he has to check things out! I believe we were finally settled on our air mattress and fast asleep by 3am.



Sunday, January 11, 2009~Happy 1st Birthday Vivian!!!! Today was Vivian's first birthday and her party. Although we were in town for such a sad occasion, we were glad to be able to celebrate Vivian's birthday with the family. On our way to the party we stopped at Maw's to visit and reflect on Irvin (my grandfather) and all his witty remarks, proud moments, war stories and to just reminisce. It felt good....much needed after the car ride down there knowing what we were going for :-(. Vivian's party was so sweet, all princess themed, and she was the bell of the ball!! Gus really enjoyed himself at the party and was able to play with and make a few new friends!! Not to mention, he had his very first taste of Ice Cream and Cake! He loved it!! Lucas got an awesome Jeep from Santa so he took Gus for a wild ride in the neighborhood!! The Jeep is complete with seat belts and a real radio!! Gus really enjoyed the ride and was ready to drive by the time it was all said and done! Maybe next year! After the party we headed over to Gi-Gi and Paw's for Sunday night supper....Jambalaya and green beans...yummy! Another first for Gus...Jambalaya!! Not sure if I mentioned anywhere in this blog, but this week there were a lot of firsts for all of us!! After a long day, we all tucked in a little early....11:00pm! Not our usual bedtime, but we were up visiting and taking pictures and having fun!





Monday, January 12, 2009~Today we slept in a little...8:45am! I woke up with and an awful pain in my upper right abdomen and chest and I could not take a deep breath. I just passed it off as sleeping wrong and/or on an air mattress, but after taking Tylenol and getting no relief, I figured it must be something a little more serious, but I still went on about my day dealing with the pain. Jake was bound and determined to take a spin on the mini bikes so Gi-Gi and Gus came out on the deck and watched us ride around the yard....Gus loved it!! After a few rounds I pulled up and parked in front of Gus and sat him on the bike with me....he immediately grabbed the handlebars and his face lit up like a Christmas tree!! I decided I would take Gus for a spin on the super mini bike, but I would just push it myself with my feet (no throttle)! He LOVED it and so did I....hearing his little squeals of joy!! We took the morning rather easy since I wasn't feeling up to par. Had a nice lunch with Gi-Gi and Paw...Pizza Express...a local favorite of the Cenacs'! Our afternoon was spent visiting, then we headed back to Maw's...by this time the pain was almost unbearable so Mom suggested Jake take me to Urgent Care and they would watch Gus. Off we went, little did we know what kind of night this would turn out to be.



Upon arrival at Urgent Care we were seen rather quickly. The doctor had me lay down on my back and I thought I was going to die, suffocate, hyperventilate, etc...it was horrible. They did a chest x-ray and recommended I go to the ER. **For those of you reading this that live in Houma, if you do not already know this please DO NOT GO TO TERREBONNE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER EMERGENCY ROOM. I wish I had known that before. I truly believe Chabert would have been better (if you can imagine that). Anyway, after 8+ hours ( 2+ of which I was waiting to be seen), a filthy room, an ultrasound, a CT Scan and several doses of pain medication later, I was diagnosed with pleurisy and we were sent home at 2 am. Of course, they give me a prescription and the only two drugstores open are clean across town, so we head over there to be told that the computers were down and it would be about 10 more minutes..........3am we are home and Gus is still fast asleep. Thank you Sarah for making the trek across town to bring the breast pump, picking up Gus and waiting for the milk and taking him home with you and Gi-Gi. That really meant alot and I could rest knowing he was in good hands. Thank you Gi-Gi and Paw for keeping Gus nice and comfy and snuggly in bed with y'all until he woke! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!


Tuesday, January 13th, 2009~Today was my grandfather's funeral. I woke up feeling a little better, but I still could not hold Gus for long periods of time and my arms were sore because the nurse stuck me 3 times before she was able to get a vein......anyway, we made it to the funeral with about 2o minutes to spare. Gusley was a little exhausted and really wanted me, but Jake did a great job of keeping me out of his sight during the funeral. Thank you, honey. The most touching moment of the day was when we were at the cemetery, the priest was saying his blessings and I was holding Gus, we were right at the casket and Gus just put his little tiny hand on the casket just about the entire time...I lost it at that moment...what a sweet heart. We went to Maw's after and that went well, Gus and I took a small nap together then we were ready to eat! I was finally able to satisfy my Wingstop craving that night! It had been waaaaaay too long and I enjoyed every bit of it!!



Wednesday, January 14th, 2009~Today I was still not feeling much better so I made an appointment with our old family doctor. Jake could not leave town without satisfying his craving of CeAna's down in Dulac. Gi-Gi, Jake, Gus and I headed down the bayou for lunch and it was delicious as always. Gus had his first French Fry over there. He did not know what to do with it at first, but he soon learned that he sure liked the taste!!! Jake and dad had to get back home for work so they left about 2:30pm to head back to Tennessee and mom took me to the doctor. The doctor told me that I had been misdiagnosed and I did NOT have pleurisy, but that I had a sprain/strain in my chest cavity. There are several criteria one must meet to have pleurisy and I did not have any of them. WOW! He gave me a shot and I began to feel better by late afternoon. Gi-Gi kept Gus so that I could go to the doctor and after the doctor mom and I went to Maw's for a visit and we ended up staying over there until about 9:30pm, but we had a nice visit and lots of laughs....something we all needed.


Thursday, January 15th, 2009~Mom, Gus and I all slept in until 10am. We were exhausted to say the least!! We headed over to Maw's for some more visiting, which I am so thankful for, because Gus was just a doll. He developed a deep love for Maw and she was the only person he would give open mouth kisses to all week! We would all ask, but she was the only one! I guess he knows where his bread is buttered!! We had a pleasant afternoon visiting and did not want to leave, but at 4:00pm we drove out of town headed for the hills! Of course, there was just one more stop we had to make.....Cafe du Monde for beignets...Another First for Gus!!!!


Friday, January 16th, 2009~HOME SWEET HOME at 1:14am. I am so thankful that I work from home and Gusley and I were able to just stay in our pajamas all day and unpack at our own pace. Well he stayed in his all day, I had to get out to the grocery store for a few vittles as the cupboard was bare!!


Now that you know what kind of week we had, I'm sure you can see why we are so behind on the blog. That is my goal for the week....CATCH UP!

Earache or not Louisiana here we come!!!

Gus has not been the "No fuss Gus" that he usually is the last few days so we took him in to the doctor today and he weighs 21 pounds even and has an ear infection in his right ear. Doc said should be fine since it is his first one. He and daddy are tucked in as I type this (I am suppose to be packing, but have some cute pictures to post before I can pack). Hopefully he will have a good rest and be on the road to Louisiana and recovery by day break!!!

See y'all soon!! Very soon!

Bronchitis and Antibiotics

So, I have been having what I would describe as a "smoker's cough" every morning for a few weeks now. Well I went to the doctor yesterday and he told me it is bronchitis and put me on antibiotics. I started to feel better, then woke up today feeling like I had been hit by a freight train...no good. Not to mention the antibiotics are giving the baby tummy ache so there was no rest for the weary last night. We are doing a little better thanks to Jake...he took the day off to help me with the baby and let me get the rest that the doctor ordered. Hopefully I can kick this by the weekend!