Mexico with Mike

I am going to Mexico with Mike. He and his whole sales team won an all expense paid trip to Playacar Riu Resort in Playa Del Carmen Mexico, from the company he works for. He invited me to go with him to celebrate his 50th. I am going from Feb 6-11. It was a hard decision b/c I feel really guilty and I am a little nervous about leaving the kids after all the ordeal. Cristy is coming down from DC for Tues-Thurs and then Jason is taking the rest of the time off work and keeping them. Jason says I should still go, but I am really struggling with this decision. Jason thinks the trip will help me rejuvenate....but I am really nervous about leaving them....I have never been away from them.

Hospital

Friday January 12, 2006-Spent tonight at Children's Hospital "After hours care". Now Karina has a 104 temp. They did chest x-rays and she is also close to having phenomena (sp) and has an ear infection..(my birthday celebration postponed)

Saturday-13th - Mike came over to fix me a birthday dinner since we had to cancel our trip over. Thought maybe we were over the hump a little.....

Sunday 14th- Cooper is really sick. He isn't moving at all and just lays in my arms. Fever has spiked to over 104. took Cooper to the doctor. Doctor did more x-rays and blood work. Sent us to Children's Emergency room. they did a spinal tap and we will get those results tomorrow. But also has pneumonia. They admitted him. Giving him IV fluids and antibiotics. He is soooo sick!!! Very scary prognosis they gave us! Jason went home to give Karina a bath (Mike has been with her today and she seems to really enjoy his attention. Mike was supposed to go home but has stayed to help) then came back up to the hospital. He and I both took turns holding cooper thru the night. I worry because Karina is home sick too!

Monday 15th- Jason left at 4:00 am to go home b/c Mike has to go to work (he was supposed to go home Sunday). They came and did more blood work a little after 4. Doctor came...they want to keep Cooper another night. Karina is still sick but had to stay with us in the hospital all day today since we have no one close to help with her. the nurse said I could take her temp. Lost the plastic cover in her rectum and spent two hours in the Emergency room with her. They had to call jason down because I was completely exhausted and not holding up well...plus she kept screaming for "daddy". Doctor could not find item in x-rays. While packing up for the night, we found plastic item on the table. It never stuck to thermometer. Jason stayed with him tonight and I just brought Karina home so I can get some sleep.... Needless to say..exhaustion has set in around here for both of us. Off to bed.

Tues 16th- Karina was up all night crying. She would only stop if I walked her around. No sleep! 6:00 am...called Alice to see if she could hold Karina so I could get dressed. Not sure if I am going to Emergency room or what...waiting for nurse to call me back. Alice called Cindy b/c she had to work and I was barely functioning. Cindy skipped work to help us out. We took her our reg. doctor first thing and they did more chest x-rays, blood work. Her ear infection has gotten worse over the last week (even on antibiotics) Said it was an 11 on a scale of 1-10 and her chest has a little wheezing. But the doctor said she didn't have pneumonia "yet". So they were very aggressive and gave her a shot of the antibiotics. Cooper was getting in his IV to try to keep her out of the hospital. They also changed her medicine. I hope today she will feel better. Her doctor suggested and wrote me a prescription because I appeared very sick. Jason is at the hospital with Cooper. They are letting him come home this afternoon!!! Jason got little sleep last night at the hospital. Doctor gave us strict orders with Cooper...pushing fluids, watching temp, etc. Karina only wants to be held and feels really crummy. so Jason and I take turns with her Cooper is very happy to be home and is taking a very long nap!!! Phillip and Alice Cooked us dinner. MB is fine with Jason missing work....Even Bill Taylor stopped by and offered help.

Wed 17th -- Tried to call my doctor, can't fit me in. Jason is going to take some of the day off. If I could just get well then I could probably handle both sick children. Cindy made us lunch and Stuart and Dana are bringing dinner. We take Cooper back to the doctor tomorrow. Cooper seems really good this morning!!! Still very congested. Said it would probably last another week on both and we just had to watch closely. Both are on strong antibiotics. Karina seems better too. Antibiotics are very strong. Both have had a tad of diaria from them. Trying to keep them both low key today so we don't have a relapse (which doctor warned us about)

Thurs 18th-Jason took off again and I went to the doctor. He said I needed to stay in bed or I will be in hospital. I have a lot of rattle in my chest, ear infection...gave me strong antibiotic shot and put me on a strong antibiotic. Insisted I spend some time in bed. It has been so hard to do because I have been so worried about Karina and Cooper. Cooper and Karina's doctor's apt. went pretty well. Her chest still sounds bad and his sounds better. His ear infection is still pretty bad hers is getting better. The doctor said it would be a slow recovery for both. Pretty soon we will all be well!!!!!

Friday 19th-Alice is supposed to come help me some this morning....soon as she comes to help..I am back to bed. Jason is coming home from work at 11:00. He has somehow managed to stay well in all of this. Work is being very supportive with him. He just called and said Bill Taylor is bringing us some chili over tomorrow. Erica Gambrell is going to stop by on her way back from Atlanta for an hour to help some. We called Mike's friend to see if she could come help today..but she couldn't be here until this afternoon. She may come Sunday afternoon and just help for a few days.

Jogger

We have a double jogger and I take the kids running four days a week. they love to look for dogs and cats. Well, Cooper loves to look for garbage cans. It is my stress relief. Yesterday it was raining so I did "step" aerobics on our stairs and they loved watching. Karina started doing what I was doing on the stairs. I have to work out for my mental stability. I still go to weight watchers every weeks as well. I worked so hard to lose all my weight and I don't want to go thru feeling like that about myself again. For me....keeping in shape helps my self confidence.

After birthdays..

Karina loved her birthday gifts! She and I have worked on the sewing cards Grandma sent...of course she wants to do it all by herself. Grandma Hoff made her a book of buttons, zippers, etc and she LOVES to work on it. Cooper actually likes it too! She was working on the zipper page of the book with Jason and got so excited that she could zip it all by herself. Cooper has really begun to play with cars he was given for his birthday. He gets SO mad if he can't make it roll and throws a pure tantrum! He is better at tantrums than Karina every was! He has also gotten aggressive with Karina. He loves hitting her and pulling her hair. Of course she is becoming a typical girl and is so DRAMATIC when he does this. She boo-hoos like she never did it to him.

I took Cooper for his evaluation for his circumcision. They scheduled it for Oct. 5th but not sure what time. Jason isn't sure if he can take time off work that day, so my niece is going to make sure to be here by Wed. night. He could be the first surgery at 6:00 am so we will have to be there at 4:30. I really hate this for him. The doctor said he would be in a fair amount of pain afterwards.

Both have had really bad colds the past week which they gave to us. Cooper hasn't been sleeping well with his. We bought humidifiers for both rooms and rub them down with Vicks at night. I hope this isn't a sign for this winter.

Pre-school is going well for both. Cooper colored his first picture Tuesday! Karina's teacher said she was so well behaved. I took Cookies to her school for her birthday and she didn't like that the other children in her class wanted me to hold them.

Cooper still isn't walking. He is using any and everything to help him walk. I really hope he is walking prior to our beach trip. His new things are: giving kisses ...I see him crawling over to hoops and giving him kisses too! Saying "tractor", "oh-uh" and he is into throwing things.

where did the energy go?

Seems like I just don't seem to have the energy I used too (wonder why?) They have started pre-school. Karina was so excited about her Winnie the Poohbackpack. Karina seems to love going. Her teacher says she smiles and shares with all the children. Cooper has cried everyday. They said he did better Thursday. BUT...he cries here all the time now too. He wants to be held constantly. Jason and I just don't know what to do because nothing seems to make him happy. His teachers at school said he will get more comfortable at school each day he came. Cooper has been like this at home for about a month now! He is trying hard to start talking....he says "ah-oh" and ruf-ruf now. I swear he tries to say "tractor" in the car when Karina does. He still isn't walking..but wants too. He uses that little walker car thing to go everywhere in the house. He is so funny turning it! and boy does he get MAD if something gets in his way.Karina is doing good. she is also trying so hard to add vocabulary. We gave her an outfit for her American Girl Bitty Baby. She LOVES it. It is the little birthday dress, bloomer, hat and shoes. She has been pretty independent lately except in the evenings. They both go into a full force "I want to be held mode" right at 4:30! I got the invitations for the Baptism. I just havent'had the time to print and mail yet. Then I am going to start looking for outfits for them. So far the days they have been in school I have had doctor apt.etc.