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Happy Friday, friends!!  What's on your agenda for the weekend?  I'm pretty excited for my line up...  A pig roast (vegetarians need not apply), some quality time with my mother for breakfast and shopping, then football and relaxing on Sunday.  It will be delightful indeed!  Good food, superb company, and a win for the Broncos!! (I'm being optimistic)

Little C is healthy and so stinking cute I can't even stand it, P-Nut is rockin' and rollin', and my lovable Hubs is... well.... lovable!  I'm a very lucky girl and I have a very happy heart.

I hope this finds you in a similar state of happiness and contentment and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  What are your plans?

The dream in my head vs. reality (and a laugh for good measure)

Dream: Because Little C has a doctors appointment this morning I don't have to set my alarm for my normal routine and I can let the sounds of my happy babbling baby wake me up instead of the annoying alarm.

Reality: My natural "body clock" knew it was my normal time to arise and instead of getting much needed time to sleep a little bit longer I was wide awake before my son made a peep.



Dream: Since I have two whole hours to be at home before leaving for C's appointment I will have a relaxing morning with plenty of time to get myself and baby ready, to spend playing with my son, to blissfully make him breakfast and even get to sip on some hot coffee while reading through my fav blogs.

Reality: Two hours allowed me time to barely pull myself together, make C scrambled eggs that he wanted nothing to do with, chased him around with a dropper full of his medication which he refused to take, two sips of coffee, zero play time, chased him around again as he refused to go with me for a diaper change, and left the house looking like a tornado blew through it. 

But I did get out the door on time!  Whoop!



Dream: Since it will be a rainy and chilly day I will wear one of my most stylish maternity dresses to work paired with my super cute knee high boots that I've been anxious to break out of the closet knowing I only have a month left where my pregnant body will allow me to rock heels.  I will look like a glowing, hip preggo as I casually waltz my son into his doctor appointment.

Reality: All the running around I did to get us out of the house had my hormones raging into a ball of furry.  I was sweating profusely and it my makeup started melting off my face.  I raced into the reception area of the pediatricians office red faced with beads of sweat collecting on my forehead and upper lip.  Additionally, the boots were one of the worst ideas I've ever had.  My back is angry and my sciatic nerve has wished death upon me.



Dream: Since I will have a late start into work my day will fly by and I will be out of there in no time!

Reality: I started playing the time game pretty early on, which isn't a good sign.  You know, where you just put your head down and tackle your action items in hopes to get lost in productivity making sure you don't look at the clock, assuming hours have whizzed by you.  But then, when you do let yourself peek at the clock only 15 minutes have past!!  Oi.

Completely off subject... the time game reminds me of a Chris Rock bit.  Hubby and I love stand-up comedy and Chris Rock is definitely one of our favs.  In case you've had a day like mine and you're in need of a good laugh I thought I'd share his explanation of the time game with you.

Disclaimer: If you aren't familiar with Chris Rock I will let you know he does curse a lot and he is your typical comedian.  Meaning, if he says something seemingly offensive, it probably is, but for the sake of a laugh. 

So here you go!  I hope you find it as hysterical as I do! :)

    

  

Karma

(photo credit)

One thing that I didn't write about in my weekend wrap-up was the fact that I lost my cell phone before we left for the Broncos game.  It was a total bummer!!  I had a major pregnant brain/mom brain/toddler mom brain/too many things going on at once brain, moment.  I was loading up Little C in the car to take him to his grandparents house and I had made sure I didn't put my cell phone in the diaper bag because I didn't want to leave at their house.  Soooo, since getting a toddler into a car seat is a two handed job I set my phone and the diaper bag on the trunk of my car.  After C was situated I grabbed the diaper bag and proceeded to get in the car and drive off with my phone still on the trunk!!  D'oh!!!

Grandparents house is only about one mile away and I drove the route twice before we had to leave for the game.  No sign of the phone.  We drove the route again after picking C up, no phone. 

Isn't it amazing and sad all at the same time how obsessed with are with our cell phones?  I don't even have a fancy iPhone, I have a lovable, modest Droid that I simply use for texting and as an actual phone.  My stupid camera has been broken on it forever so I don't even use it for pictures and I never really web browse on it.  But I depend on that phone regardless and not having it was't a good feeling. 

Of course I couldn't remember whether or not I have insurance on the dang thing and getting through to a person at customer service to find out took way too long and I gave up after two tries.  I was still determined to find it on the side of the road or in some one's yard so yesterday evening the fam and I walked the route as my final effort to find it.  No luck.

But alas... this morning Hubs had a message on his phone that someone turned mine in at a nearby Verizon store!!  Isn't that awesome!!  I wish I could thank that person and give them a giant hug for being so kind to take my lovable, modest phone into that store.  They seriously saved me money and my sanity.  Both of equal importance to me. ;)  They could have left the phone on the ground and walked right past it.  They could have picked up my phone and kept it for their own.  They probably had to go out of their way to make a stop into the Verizon location to drop it off.  Either way you slice it they did a very good thing as minor as it might seem. 

Now I don't know if it was my karma that led my phone back to me or if it is a sign that I need to start spreading some kindness of my own.  Whatever it may be I hope that kind person gets a major karma payback that is due to them.  I also plan to use this as a reminder to think more about others and how I can help them instead of being so caught up in my own world.  Sometimes I think everyone could use that reminder and then maybe there would be more kindness going around. 

Thank you again, kind stranger!  Now I'm off to do at least one good deed for the day! :)

Have you done a good deed lately or been the product of one?

Guess who's feeling better???

THIS GUY!!!!

We had a great weekend which was in huge part due to Little C being back to his old self!  Saturday we went to a giant consignment sale in hopes to find some goods for P-Nut.  On the list of items were a double stroller, crib, changing table, and dresser.  Sadly, the strollers were in terrible condition, there were no cribs to be had, and one tiny little dresser that looked like it was about to fall apart.  But we did find an awesome changing table that I just love!  It is in perfect condition and has a built in hamper and sliding baskets.  We will be painting it and freshening it up a bit so I will post some before and after pics later.  

Sunday was football day for us.  The Hubs and I had tickets to the Broncos game and we had places to go and people to see!  But before the adults headed out we had to make sure Little C was representing accordingly.  Super cute kid in a super cute jersey...

CHECK!

We dropped C off at his grandparents then we headed off to meet up with some friends for a bit of tailgating. 

There was a lot of walking!  My poor sciatic nerve was not happy as I toted P-Nut all over creation!

Our first stop was this beautiful beast for some BBQ, beers (water for me) and catching up with friends.

Just chillin'

Then we were off to the game!  Just so you know, corralling four relatively UN-sober guys was quite a feat.  It's a good thing I love them to pieces! ;)

This is Hubs signature, "quit taking my dang photo" face. 

Our seats were directly in the sun the entire time.  Thankfully some clouds rolled in later for some relief. 

This is what you get when you say, "seriously Hubs, can you not do your 'quit taking my dang photo face'?" 

Hey Mr. Camera man!  Down in front!! 

I mean, what's more important, hundreds of thousands football watching people on ESPN or my view??



Unfortunately, the Broncos didn't win but we had a fun time regardless!  We were excited to pick up Little C and hear all about the fun he had with his grandparents.  He went to bed early as did we.  Being in the sun all day, walking as much as we did, and cheering and yelling as much as we did had us both wiped!  

Today I'm slightly draggin' my wagon on this dreary Monday morning but hoping for a great week!  Coffee mugs up...  cheers! ;)

Did you have a good weekend?

Lessons Learned

Disclaimer:  I'm on a streak of writing long posts lately.  I've got a lot to say, apparently.  If you are a super Type A kind of person please feel free to skip the mumbo jumbo providing the back story and jump right to the bullet points.  I know how you Type A's love your bullet points!  ;)

It is safe to say that the time period between September 6th - September 15th was the hardest "mommy time" for me to date.  We thought C's allergic reaction to amoxicillin was tough but this most recent sickness was much, much worse.... I think... Actually, now that I think about it, the allergic reaction was a doozy and may just be a tie for first place.  :: pausing to reflect ::   Yes, it is.  So allow me to start over...  a'hem...

The time Little C experienced the allergic reaction to amoxicillin AND this most recent sickness have gone down in history as the hardest "mommy times" for me to date. 
It is incredibly hard knowing you can't reason with a baby or toddler to make them understand that mommy pinning you down on the changing table while daddy cleans off your bottom which has open sores on it as you writhe around in pain and scream at the top of your lungs really isn't a form of torture, we are truly trying to help!

Then on top of the very sick baby we are two first-time parents with natural instincts that can only take us so far.  At some point we exhaust everything that common sense lends us to try and we confer with the so-called "experts" for guidance.  In this case the "experts" I refer to would be our Pediatricians.  As two first-time parents all we want to know is if our son is ok based on what he is experiencing, how can we help him, and whether or not it is normal!

We can admit that in the past there have been a few phone calls to the docs after hours that probably could have waited until the next day and probably wouldn't have been necessary at all if we'd just wait it out and let time run it's course.  But like I said, we are first timers and have nothing to compare circumstances to.  Then there are the other times, the moments when as a parent you know deep down in your gut that something is not right and you need help to deal with it.  Real, legit, immediate, "expert," help.  Not the kind that will just "work itself out."    That is the kind of help that we have discovered exists but needs to be made very clear when asking for it. (more on this in a minute)

Now that's all the medical type stuff but now throw "life" in on top of your extremely sick child and you have just compounded everything to the extreme.  Hubby and I both work full-time and work doesn't stop when you have a sick baby.  Also no matter how good of a relationship you have with your partner being a parent and dealing with all of the hurdles that come along with it can take its toll on the both of you.  Even simple communication can turn into an argument because both parties are stressed to the max and running on very little sleep.  That combination can be a detriment to even the best of intentions. 

Additionally, it is important for you to know that when you are in your most stressful of parenting situations and dealing with life all around you, you can most definitely count on something else completely falling apart.  A few examples: a car will breakdown, your plumbing will burst, your dog will puke in the middle of the living room (but only after you've finished vacuuming or cleaning the carpet), you will lock your keys in the car or lock yourself out of the house, you will receive some sort of bad news that you don't have room for in your brain, and the list goes on.  I promise, something will happen.  Because when it rains...

Lastly I will share with you that during the period of September 6 - September 15 I completely lost my shit.  I was a wreck.  I was a walking, talking ball of stressed out goo that had no business interacting with anyone.  I was filled with doubt and I felt like a failure because there were no improvements for so long with C and as his mother I just wanted to make him better.  I blame 50% of this on pregnancy hormones, 30% on being a first time parent, 10% on the Pediatrician, and 10% on just simply me being me.  I didn't want to be this way and I did my best not to let the outside world know the truth.  When people would ask how I was doing I'd give the signature,"hanging in there" then fall apart at a moments notice behind closed doors.  Only beloved Hubby got to see my true colors.  Isn't he lucky?? 

All of this got me thinking about what I learned over those 10 days and how it can help me in the future.  I came up with 5 major lessons I learned and thought maybe they could also help another person out there.   

 :: drum roll please :: 

1) The world of medical practice is called "practice" for a reason - These doctors, although extremely intelligent in their specific fields, are often times giving you their educated guess on what is going on.  If you want straight up answers and you don't feel like you are getting them keep asking and don't stop until you get an answer you are comfortable with.

2) Follow your gut - As mentioned above, if you are not comfortable with an answer or a diagnosis you receive keep asking questions until you get somewhere you are comfortable with.  Once we picked up on the pattern that Little C was sick with a stomach bug every 3-4 weeks like clockwork we started to feel it was beyond the excuse of, "oh, he's just a full-time daycare kid, it's going to happen."  It didn't feel normal to us and we were done with that excuse!  As parents you are your child's advocate especially when they are at an age where they can't tell you what's wrong.  Don't be afraid to speak up.

3) Treat your partner well - There was a day toward the end of last week that both Hubby and I had pretty much hit our wall.  Both exhausted beyond belief and having had a string of days where we were short with one another.  He called me out of the blue while we were at work and he said, "I know this has been hard for us and I'm sorry we have been bickering but I wanted to let you know how happy I am that I get to do this with you."  "I feel so lucky that we have each other to get through these tough times with and I wanted you to know how much I love you."  :: welling up ::  It is very easy to lose your cool and take things out on the one you love, I don't understand why, but it is easy.  What's hard is to remember the other person is going through all the same stuff you are and instead of taking things out on them you need to be kind.  Practice makes perfect.

4) Give yourself a break - Figuratively and literally.  You really are doing the best that you can.  Being hard on yourself and allowing doubt and feelings of failure to creep in will only make things worse.  Take a deep breath and repeat after me, "you are a good mom."  Then, take a bubble bath, exercise, spend some time enjoying your favorite hobby, meet up with a friend, call your mom, call your sister, go on a date with your husband.  Just do something to step away from the stress briefly and will allow you to relax, reflect and recharge.

5) Life is hard.  Deal with it. - Things are not going to get easier so put your big girl panties on and roll with the freaking punches, sister!

There you have it.  My conclusion to a very trying 10 days.  I feel stronger for it and I intend to take the lessons I've learned and apply them to the next bump in the road.  Because Lord knows there will be one. If you find yourself in a trying stage of parenthood I hope you know you are in good company.  Whatever you are going through it is most likely a phase or a brief stint that will get better.  Hang in there and always revert back to lesson #4 and repeat after me... you are a good mom. :)

G.I. Joe

Disclaimer: This is a longie! I'm sure so many of you really don't want to hear about all of this stuff with Little C's bowels any more.  I promise it won't be the main topic of this blog for too much longer (I hope!).  I wanted to share this info in case someone out there finds their toddler in a similar circumstance.  Plus, I've learned so much from this experience outside of the diagnosis that I will share tomorrow.  Until then... here is the latest instalment from our journey.

Little C had his appointment with the Pediatric Gastroenterologist today but since that is waaaay to hard to say (and type for that matter) we will lovingly refer to the new doc as G.I. Joe.  Get it?!?  "G.I." stands for gastrointestinal and "Joe" because, well, new doc is a man.  :: snort ::  I crack myself up! 

Anywho, as I was saying... The Hubs took C to his appointment this morning and we now have a much clearer idea of what is going on with our little man.  Going into this appointment there were two main points we wanted answers to:

1. Was Little C's most recent sickness in fact Toddler's Diarrhea and if not, then what?
2. Was his recent sickness linked to the other stomach related virus' he's had once a month since June? 

G.I. Joe walked Hubby through a number of items and the main take-aways are as follows:

• Toddler's Diarrhea is what Pediatricians like to "call" things similar to what C had.  It gives a name to what is going on but it isn't always the most accurate diagnosis.
• Based on our descriptions of C's past stomach bugs and the frequency of them, G.I. Joe feels that the original bacteria from the very first virus C caught has never truly left his "gut."  So any time he is exposed to another virus his body isn't able to fight it off and instead the bacteria gets aggravated and we have a sick boy on our hands. (Does any of that make sense?)
• Little C may also not have the best bacteria fighting cells in his little body right now and tests need to be done to determine that.

Although it isn't a definite idea of what's going on it at least adds up and sheds more light on things.  It is more than our Pediatrician was ever willing to consider and we now have a plan of attack to continue getting answers.

G.I. Joe's plan of action:

1. 3 days of antibiotics to "cleanse" C's system of any bacteria.  This will not induce a "cleanse" that adults are familiar with and we won't be right back where we were last week with the 10+ per day BM's.  It is just antibiotics that will work their antibiotic magic to get C back on track!
2. After the "cleanse" we need to give him Probiotics on a regular basis.
3. We need to get some blood drawn from C so they can check his cells for proper bacteria fighting power.
4. We should NOT change his diet from what he normally eats but we do need to be very aware and even document anything that we suspect causes a loose stool.
5. We should NOT give him a fiber supplement which was recommended by our Pediatrician and was what I read when researching Toddler's Diarrhea.
6. We SHOULD eliminate all juice drinks.  Pedialyte is ok.  This won't be hard because he rarely drinks juice.
7. We will need to collect smear samples of a couple BM's.  Those need to be tested for blood in the stool which may not be visible to the naked eye.  If blood is found we start a different action plan all together.
8. We take C back for another visit in 3 weeks to go over all the items listed above.

It may seem like a lot but I promise it really isn't.  Plus, I don't care what we have to do in order to get resolution on all of this.  I am so relieved that we are finally getting answers and that the answers we are receiving are not too intense.  They aren't ideal but really if you think about it everything is treatable and, from what we are told, will improve as C gets older. 

The Hubs approved of G.I. Joe and felt comfortable with what he was telling him.  He also said we should call their practice any time of day or night the next time we have concerns related to C's stomach.  He confirmed what we already knew that our regular Pediatricians will most of the time say whatever is going on just needs to "work itself out" and there isn't anything we can do for it.  G.I. Joe said that is absolutely not always the case. 

We do really like our Pediatricians, I promise!  But when it came to getting answers on this I am so relieved that they referred us to a specialist.  They are great with wellness visits and for other things we've had to call them on but we were getting nowhere on this and I appreciate that they finally pointed us in the right direction.  I was getting to a point where if they didn't, I was going to release "Hormonal Pregnant Kendra" all up on their arses and it would NOT have been pretty! 

As far as Little C goes, he is back in fighting shape!  He is sleeping soundly at night and back to his rambunctious and playful ways.  We are geared up and ready to work on G.I. Joe's plan and crossing our fingers that in 3-4 weeks C isn't sick with a stomach bug again.  Wish us luck!

Mile High Mamas and Dinner Tantrum Tips

I'm over at Mile High Mamas today with a post about tantrums (click here to check it out).  I had written it about 4 months ago when Little C had really started in with them and how to handle the fits was pretty new to the Hubs and I.  We still don't have it mastered by any means, but I do feel like we are on the same page as far as handling them.  At least for the dinner table tantrums... 

Other bursts of fussing and whining and throwing one's self onto the floor we are still working on.  What causes the behavior?  Is he expressing his emotions or is he trying to get a rise out of us?  No matter the circumstance teaching a toddler the correct way to communicate is not an easy feat.  But as parents I think we are getting better at handling each situation as it arises and Little C is slowly but surely learning what is acceptable and what isn't.

(photo credit)

For any mamas out there currently dealing with the dinnertime meltdowns I will give you our humble advice.  It seems to be working so far.

1. Don't make your toddler multiple meals or items to eat until you find something they like.  What you put together the first time is what is for dinner and they need to understand that.
2. Try to offer them multiple items on their plate to chose from and try separating each item (they make handy dandy toddler plates for this).  Be sure to include various textures and colors of food.
3. Once they start throwing a fit, playing with their food instead of eating it, throwing their food, etc., dinner. is. over.  Period.  Take the child down from their seat and explain that they are done.
4. Give ample praise when it is due.  If they try something new, if they eat most of their meal, if they eat ALL of their meal, etc.  Make sure they know when they are doing something right.
5. Toddler's love to dip things!  They only need a dollop but I swear the food disappears faster if he can dip it in ketchup, BBQ sauce, marinara, etc. 
6. Don't get too hung up on them not eating enough.  At first I was always so concerned about him going to bed hungry.  I would try and try and try to give him multiple things until I found something he would eat but then he would only have a couple of bites and be done with it anyway.  Your toddler should be able to tell you if they are hungry. If they eat three bites of dinner and say, "all done!" then they are done.  Most kids eat more at certain times of the day.  Little C is a beast when it comes to breakfast and he will often eat well at lunch, but when it comes to dinner it is always hit or miss.  He also snacks efficiently throughout the day so I know he is getting enough to eat.  

I am not pretending to be an expert on this because it can still be a struggle at times.  But battling our toddler every time we sat down for dinner was getting old and by sticking to the things I mentioned above we have had less of an issue.

I hope you like the post at Mile High Mamas and please share here any tips or tricks that work well with your little one regarding dinner tantrums or tantrums in general.   

Weekend Wrap-up: On the mend

Little C is doing so much better!!!  Once we changed his diet he started improving right away.  The fever still had us a bit thrown but it was finally gone for good by Sunday.  Although there are huge improvements he is left very tired and not quite 100% yet, but it isn't too far off.  Phew!! 

The diaper rash is almost gone and his BM's are down to roughly 4 per day which is a HUGE improvement from the 10+ per day we were experiencing when this was at its worst.  He still hasn't slept straight through the night for some time but I think that will get back on track this week. 

He was well enough to go to daycare this morning but it was clear getting back to the grind may take a day or two for the little man.  He cried pretty hard when I dropped him off and he kept asking for his paci.  That darn paci.  It brought so much comfort and worked its paci magic when he was sick and screaming during diaper changes but now... it has. to. go.  He literally cannot go more than 15 minutes without it.  We try distracting him and it works for a bit but as soon as he realizes what we are up to he starts right in with, "paci? paci? pleeeze? paci?"  Then the crying starts and then the tantrum starts.  Since he is still not 100% we have been pretty flexible about good 'ole paci but soon, things will change. 

We have an appointment with a Pediatric GI specialist on Wednesday just to make extra sure that the diagnosis is correct and to address our concerns with his frequent bouts of sickness.  I'm hoping to get some more answers but mostly hoping Little C is just fine. 

I hope all of you had a great weekend and your week is off to a good start!

Day 8: A new development and more of the same

So yesterday marked day seven of one very sick baby.  Yesterday he for sure hit his wall.  He is sick and tired of being sick and tired and he is making it very clear.  Of course waking up from his afternoon nap with a 102 fever didn't help much either.  That's right!  He now has a fever on top of everything else.  Why not, right???

Thankfully we were able to reach our Pediatrician after hours to figure out how to treat him.  With his tummy problems are we safe to give him tylenol or ibuprofen?  What we've been told to feed him for the Toddler's Diarrhea isn't what you normally eat if you have a fever or virus.  So what should we do?  We were told it is fine to give him tylenol for the fever which is more gentle on his stomach than ibuprofen and to keep in line with the Toddler Diarrhea diet.

Great!  Now... why does he have a fever?!?!?!  When we asked the Doc this question we felt it was the first time we have ever really heard a sense of urgency on her part.  Finally she is agreeing with us that he is sick with a stomach problem way too often!  Finally she thinks we need to start taking some different steps.  Hallelujah!  Since it was after hours there was nothing that could be done except to comfort our Little C.  He would have moments of lethargy and tears followed by a major burst of energy after his dinner and tylenol and he was cracking us up with his goofy personality and he even started trying new words we've never heard him say before!  Then of course, he crashed like a ton of bricks and although he successfully made it through the night without a bowl movement, he still was up several times in discomfort and needed to be soothed.

So today we wait.  Wait for the Pediatrician to give us the next steps, which seems like it will include an appointment with a GI specialist, and we wait for the stupid lab to get our much needed results to us.  We wait for Little C's fever to break, his diarrhea to improve, and for him to show more glimmers of feeling better. (sigh)

Hubby and I are hanging on by a thread.  All I mean by that is we are extremely exhausted, stressed and concerned.  We are in this together and when the going gets tough that is a comfort.  The stress has gotten to us and we've taken it out on each other unnecessarily at times but goodness gracious does our love prevail!  It hasn't been an easy week but we've survived like we always do and will be stronger for it!

And speaking of love...  A HUGE THANK YOU to our family!  We can't say enough about how thankful we are and appreciative for everything they have done for us this week.  I can't do it justice here.  It has been too much.  We are so blessed...

And to all the tens of you that read this little slice of my life, thank you for your concern and for putting up with all of the complaining, worrying and poop talk.  Here's to hoping we get some answers today and start getting back to normal!  Whatever normal is anyway. ;)   

Diagnosis time!

If you are just joining this thrilling party, be sure to get yourself caught up (click here, here and here).  Consider yourself warned, there will be a lot of poop talk.  No way around it. :-/ 

Still no change with our little man.  I swear his stomach is concave at this point. :( The stupid lab hasn't provided our Pediatrician with any results from the stool samples so we still don't know for sure what we are dealing with.  I finally got our doctor on the phone yesterday evening and she is now leaning toward Toddler's Diarrhea.  

Here's what I've been able to find online:

Toddler’s diarrhea is also known as chronic nonspecific diarrhea of childhood, and it affects children from 6 months to 5 years of age. Children with toddler’s diarrhea will have 3-10 loose stools per day. These stools typically occur during the day when the child is awake and sometimes immediately after eating. The stool is frequently watery or loose and may have food particles in it although the stools should not contain blood. The child may have days when stools are more formed. Despite the diarrhea, the child continues to grow and gain weight appropriately as long as the diet contains enough calories. The child is active and has a normal appetite. Abdominal pain is atypical and could suggest other causes such as infection. Toddler’s diarrhea is not considered a disease, and children with this condition will get better on their own by school age.

What Causes Toddler's Diarrhea?

The cause isn’t exactly known but intestinal contents probably move more quickly through the colon of children with toddler’s diarrhea which decreases the amount of fluid that can be absorbed. Also, some toddlers drink excessive amounts of sweetened beverages, such as juice or sports drinks, which are likely to cause loose stools. Sweeteners such as sorbitol or high-fructose corn syrup can act as laxatives if enough is consumed.

How to Treat Toddler's Diarrhea

1) Avoid drinks with sorbitol or fructose. Your child should not receive more than 4-6 ounces a day.

2) Avoid other sweetened clear liquids. Give your child the recommended amount of milk for age, and water as requested.

3) Fiber supplements can sometimes add bulk to the stool.

4) Increased dietary fat can decrease diarrhea. For example, switching to whole milk may be the only dietary change necessary.

5) Other changes in the diet are usually unnecessary and can interfere with growth.

6) Medications are only rarely recommended and should be only used under a physician’s guidance.


We are beyond relieved to know this is something that can get better with a few simple dietary changes.  We're also relieved it isn't something overly "scary" we are dealing with here.  Of course, all of this could change if we ever get the darn results back from the lab and they indicate there is something else going on but based on the descriptions of Toddler's Diarrhea, I think we've found our culprit. 

The Pediatrician recommended we focus on feeding C more healthy fats (things like fish and avocados, for example) and to start all dairy back in this diet. Well, we didn't have fish on had last night and our picky eater will not even look at an avocado let alone try tasting one so we had to go the dairy route.  The Pediatrician also gave us the green light on his beloved blueberries!  So you can imagine how happy we were to give Little C some milk, some blueberries and a whole wheat quesadilla with a little bit of cheese (we didn't want to go too crazy, too fast), brown rice and chicken.  We made sure he ate slowly and he seriously LOVED every bite.  We didn't even have a diaper change right after he ate which was a good sign.

We are all still exhausted since he is waking up at least twice in the night for diaper changes and can take some time to get back to sleep.  But we are feeling better now that we have a plan of attack and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we start to see improvement quickly and hopefully we can start tackling that awful diaper rash as soon as possible.  

Throughout all of this I am so impressed with how resilient and wonderful our son is.  It has not been easy on him but even after screaming through multiple daily diaper changes, getting bathed almost daily, and eating nothing but saltines and applesauce, he is still able to smile, giggle and play.  He's not 100% by any means but he still manages to stay in such good spirits which really brightens our day!  Gotta love that kid! 

Updates: Part Deux (and a minor brain dump)

Disclaimer: There will be more poop talk in this post.  If you aren't up for it I completely understand.  I hope as much as you do that I don't have another post of this nature. :-/  Also, I needed to purge some emotional fodder, hence the "brain dump"

No change with C.  None.  Zip.  Zilch.  The only change so far came last night when the poor baby didn't make a single peep and slept straight through to the morning.  The only bummer about that was he woke up with a poopy diaper which he normally would have alerted us to and it just angered the diaper rash to the max.  That isn't great, but I am so very glad that he slept well and got some much needed rest. 

The Pediatrician had me collect stool samples and we are having them tested to see if he has giardia, salmonella, and one more similar to those but I can't remember the name of it.  :( 

Little C has been dealing with this since Thursday of last week with no improvement.  As his parents we have been dealing with this since Thursday of last week with no improvement.  It is very hard on us to have our son so miserable, with no answers as to why and to have exhausted every effort we can think of to make our baby better.  My husband handles all of this stuff much better than I do.  We are both upset by all of it but he can still stay calm and collected.  Me, on the other hand... I'm concerned, stressed, tired, pregnant, hormonal and seriously hanging on by a thread. 

Aaaand que brain dump:

Little C seems to have a stomach related "sickness" at least every 3-4 weeks.  Either its viral with a fever and vomiting, fever and diarrhea, and now this!!  I want to blame daycare for feeding him something bad or not being sanitary but I know that probably isn't rational.  I want to blame the zoo, the park, the grocery store, or some other public spot we take him but how would we ever know if he caught something from those places?!?  Plus... it isn't rational.  I want to blame something or someone even if it is something we did as his parents.  Or maybe he has a weak little stomach or intestines and we need to start testing that.  Or maybe it is food related.  I just want to figure it out!  Why is he always sick.  Is this normal?!?!?!  

As I collected my baby's stool into three separate viles I was feeling like we were getting one step closer to getting some answers.  I got in my car and started driving to the medical center lab to drop them off.  I got a little lost which didn't help my overall mood as I was already pretty down from leaving the house to the sounds of Little C screaming in agony and after an unnecessary dispute between hubby and I (hey, we're only human).  I pulled myself together emotionally and marched my weary self into the lab.  I asked the technician, "So what is the turn around time for something like this?  24 hours?"  She very sweetly and politely said, "no, it will take a few days and we should have results back to your Pediatrician by the end of the week."  I muttered a "thank you" walked out of the lab, got in my car, and... I cried.  Good and hard.  For no other reason than I just needed it.  It didn't help our situation, it wasn't necessary, I know full well that things could be worse and there are parents out there dealing with much, much worse than a stretch of poopy days (figurative and literal.)  But I cried and then I felt better.

So here I am today trying to stay positive but finding it very hard when there is no improvement.  I know he will get better I just hope it happens soon.  Like, now.  (sigh)

On a much, much, more positive note... Baby Girl P-Nut is healthy and doing great!  I know I've told you she moves quite a bit and much more than Little C ever did, but even the ultrasound technician mention how she rarely sees babies as tiny as she is with such strong movement at this stage!  All of her organs look great and we saw some amazing images in 3D of her little mouth and very clearly saw her pouty little lips.  It was a nice moment for the Hubs and I.

So that's it.  That's what I've been up to, how I've been feeling, and now I either need a nap or a shot of whiskey.  But seeing that I have a full work day ahead, the nap is out and the fact that I'm pregnant means the whiskey is out too.

Oi.   

Updates

Little C is still not 100%.  The weekend was spent trying every way imaginable to heal his diaper rash which is really, really bad.  The hardest part was that everything we tried ended up being futile because he was going #2 every hour, give or take. 

Our Pediatrician's office has put together the most comprehensive "handbook" of every ailment your child could have including detailed lists of remedies and things to try before calling the doctor. We have exhausted all of them...

• Augmented his diet: the poor kid has only had bananas, applesauce, cooked carrots and pedialyte pretty much all weekend.
• Kept him hydrated
• Administered Probiotics: we mixed a powder into his pedialyte.  Did not see any results from this.
• Gave him Imodium AD:  this was listed as a "last result" and to use cautiously.  We gave him the recommended dosage before bed but we still had to wake up with him once in the middle of the night for a diaper change.  We are going to see how he does after his bananas this morning and then  :: this post has been interrupted for yet ANOTHER diaper change!!  He's still going. ::  Hubby and I just gave him a second dose of Immodium.  Fingers crossed.

Diaper Rash methods consisted of:

• Every spray, powder, and paste that was mentioned in the handbook, we heard from other moms and that we've had good experiences with in the past.  Nothing has helped.
• We did let him run around naked to let air get to it and we even had him nap naked at one point but because of the frequency of which he was going it didn't work out too well.
• The handbook as recommended poking holes in his diaper to let air in so we gave this a go as well. 

Next step is to call the doctor.

In other news, remember how I told you the Hubs and I wanted to work on managing our time more constructively?  Well we kicked our activity list in the arse this weekend despite having a sick toddler!!  It was nice to sit down yesterday evening to relax knowing how much we had accomplished.  Woot!

Lastly, it most certainly takes a village when it comes to having a sick baby.  Neither Hubby or I can take any days off as we are stock piling our PTO for when P-Nut arrives.  So the "sick baby shuffle" is in full swing.  On top of it all we have our 22 week ultrasound this morning and we don't want to miss it because rescheduling can be tricky.  So we've called in the troops!  My father-in-law is on duty the first half of the day and then my Aunt who is a nanny and a doula is free this afternoon.  I am so thankful to have family so willing to help when they can.  We could not do it without them!

Whew!  What a weekend!  We are tired from it all, sore from the chores, excited to see P-Nut but mostly hoping we turn a corner very soon with Little C.

I hope your weekend was more fun and glamorous than ours.  Here's to a great week for us all!

Burning Baby Buns

Little C has a tummy ache.  :(  Not the kind that is accompanied by fever and vomiting so we are VERY happy about that!  Just the kind that has him.. a'hem... going #2 pretty frequently.  And not the normal healthy #2 we all know and love... more like the loosey goosey kind that you get when you have a stomach ache.  Know what I mean?

:: crickets ::

Hello?  You still there???  Did my #2 talk send you running for the hills?  C'mon, stick with me.  Besides... everybody poops! 

So poor Little C has developed quite a severe diaper rash that has him walking like he's been riding a horse for hours on end and sleeping on his stomach and knees with his tushy up in the air.  He's had diaper rashes before but this one is a doozey!  The frequency of which his little body is producing said #2 is causing his poor baby buns to be beet red and chapped.  We were up every two hours throughout the night and each diaper change was a wrestling match as our son writhed and screamed in pain as we attempted to clean him up. 

We took the necessary measures that we have done in the past.  Soaked him in a warm bath before bed to clean the rash area, let him air out before putting the diaper back on, when we do have to change him we rinsed the wipes under water to get as much of the alcohol off of them as possible, and applied super strength diaper rash cream.  We gave him drinks of water in between to prevent dehydration and then attempted to calm him down by rocking and soothed him back to sleep.  It was a long night for all of us. 

This morning we soaked in the tub again and today we plan to pick up some more essentials from the store.  Our research states that a butt cream with aloe is very helpful and I will also get a box of Aveeno Oatmeal Bath which has been helpful in the past.  Most of all we read that letting their little buns out in the open is the best way to heal.  I'm trying to figure out the best way for us to do this...  do we lay a bunch of towels down and let him play around?  He doesn't stay in one spot very long so I picture my nehked little toddler running amok in our house and pee flying all about!!  This will be tough for the control freak in me but I'm willing to give it a go.

Daycare was willing to augment his diet a bit today giving him only water instead of milk or juice, no citrus fruits, and instead of pizza and salad which he was going to have for lunch, they will be giving him bread with soy nut butter.  Their flexibility and attention has been really, really great.  It was hard to leave my little man this morning as he didn't want to leave my side and he was making his signature sad face as I left the room.

He has had a rough week at daycare, which I plan to elaborate on more in another post, and now having him go through this to end it is breaking my heart.  I just called daycare to see how he's doing and the director said they are changing his diaper for the first time since he was dropped of at 7:40am (it is 9:20am now) and it is a loosey goosey #2.  She also stated that he is hysterical because it hurts him and he is uncomfortable.  I know they have what it takes to calm him down and provide him with comfort but man, oh man, it's days like this that make being a working mom tough.

I'm hoping for a fast day and I'm hoping for the Poop Fairy to vacate the premises as quickly as possible and leave my baby alone!! 

Ok.  I'm done with the poop talk now... sorry 'bout that. 

The shirt off my back

No, really...  Get this shirt off my back!  Do you ever have those days where the outfit you chose isn't cutting it?  It could be an outfit that is only in your rotation as a last resort.  Or maybe you forgot to get your suit ready the night before so this morning you were scrambling around to pull something together.  Maybe your outfit is ill-fitting, or just doesn't sit right on your body but it looks good enough to get by.  Maybe the shoes are all wrong.  Your underwear line is visible through your pants.  It's hotter than Hades and you had to wear a white tank under your white button down because you have giant boobs and if you don't, you get that little gaping window right at your bra and for whatever reason the tank underneath ensures there is no peep show at work. 

Or maybe your name is Kendra and ALL OF THE ABOVE apply!!!  I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that I have to wear suits to work Monday - Friday.  The Big Cheese doesn't believe in casual Fridays and feels that our image as a company is paramount.  I get it, I really do.  For our line of work it makes sense but for a pregnant woman, it can be a challenge.

I'm still getting away with the bella band and wearing my regular suit pants but I know those days are numbered.  My suit jackets are fine as I never really button them even when I'm not pregnant.  But my shirts are starting to become the problem.  Case in point... today's shirt.  Just last week it was a non-issue.  The shirt still fit and I was comfortable.  As for today... not so much!  Let's examine, shall we.

Upon first glance things appear quite normal.  It is a pretty sharp suit and the shirt seems fine.

But upon further inspection... oh dear.  Those bottom buttons are hanging on for dear life! 

Aside from the shirt I've got my tank tucked into my pants which are unbuttoned and practically unzipped the entire way with the bella band secured around it all.  However, every time I go to sit down my pants come out from under the band, the tank bunches, and things become a jumbled up mess back there!  Oi.  I can't wait to get out of this suit!

Do you ever have these days, pregnant or not???  

How many weeks 'til Thanksgiving?

It is soooo hard to get back to reality after a lovely three-day weekend!  Even my PAC (pregnancy allotted coffee) isn't providing the boost I need to get going this morning.  Labor Day weekend is such a bonus and a bummer all at the same time! 

The reason Labor Day exists in the first place = BONUS

The end to summer = BUMMER

A three-day weekend and shortened work week on the other side = BONUS

Ok, so maybe I'm just being a tad melodramatic.  Other than the end of summer there really isn't much else bummer-ish about Labor Day weekend.  I think I'm just bummed that it went so fast and our next official day off isn't until Thanksgiving. (sigh)

We did have a great weekend!  And it went a little something like this:

Saturday:

• Morning trip to the Zoo
• Afternoon football watching of the biggest college rivalry in Colorado, CU vs. CSU.  As a CSU alum I was thrilled by the outcome and it was a great game to watch!
• Hubby made his world-famous green chili.  It is perfection.  Period.

Sunday:

• High school cheerleader reunion at a park with all of our kids.  I can't even express how much fun it was to see some old friends and to meet their adorable kiddos!  I met all of these girls for the first time as a freshman in high school so we were all about 14 years old... we are all about 31 now... you do the math.  That's a long time!  I'm glad we've managed to stay somewhat in touch through the wonders of Facebook and I hope we can connect again soon!
• Brief visit with my folks so they could get their Little C fix.
• Chores (boo!)
• Dinner a la Kendra = Chicken w/ a white wine, mushroom and tomato sauce

Monday:

• Ventured over to our favorite park in Denver, Washington Park, for some fun in the sun.  Hubby, Little C and I relaxed under a shade tree, ran around the park, played on the playground, ate breakfast burritos and C had "eggies" as he calls them. :)

Fun, relaxing, and overall very enjoyable!  I hope you had a great weekend too.  What did you do?  Good luck getting back to the grind. 

Coffee mugs up... Cheers!