Rash Update

June 1st, I took Kaitlynn to the pediatrician for her rash / bumps - possible side effects to the Amoxicillin. When we pulled up to the pediatrician's office building, Kaitlynn said, "This is the right doctor. They have a fish tank. They give me a cookie and sticker." She saw a different pediatrician, since her regular one was on vacation. She did fine, just refused to talk to him. Since Kaitlynn wasn't used to him, he asked me to hold her on my lap while he examined her. He said that we should stop the Amoxicillin (therefore also stopping the Benadryl). He said that the rash could be from the Amoxicillin, but it could also be from a virus. This way we would know. He didn't feel she needed the Amoxicillin for the virus. He said that if the rash came back, wait it out a few days, but if the fever came back to call them. He said that in the future if she is put on Amoxicillin that I should remind them about her reaction and she should be watched closely the first several days while on it. Kaitlynn was so excited not to have to take any more medication. She screamed "Yeah" and was jumping all around. She was so happy and excited to get a cookie and sticker. She always asks so politely, but then never eats the cookie!

Memorial Day

Monday the redness and bumps on Kaitlynn's face were gone, until we gave her a dose of Amoxicillin, so we gave her some Benadryl. We met some friends at the Greek Festival for lunch. While standing in the food line, Dave and I noticed that both of Kaitlynn's arms had bumps on them (as well as redness and bumps on her cheeks). It dawned on us at that moment that she might be allergic to the Amoxicillin. Dave is allergic to Amoxicillin. We decided that there wasn't much we (or anyone) could do at that point, so we stayed for lunch (and dessert). Kaitlynn acted the same, fine most of the time but with moments of extreme irritability.

After lunch, we came home and I called the pediatrician's exchange. The nurse said that the redness and bumps was just a side effect. She said it was harmless. She told us to continue giving Benadryl if she was itching. She said the irritability was a side effect to taking Amoxicillin as well. She also told us that Kaitlynn could actually receive a higher dose of Benadryl than what we were giving her. She recommended calling the pediatrician in the morning to get Kaitlynn checked out.

I did read the prescription information that came with the Amoxicillin, but Kaitlynn had taken it before and not had a reaction or any side effects, so we definitely weren't expecting a reaction.

We decided to continue with the Amoxicillin but give it with the proper dose of Benadryl. That seemed to help Kaitlynn. She was able to rest and take a nap.
Monday was also Hanna's birthday. We met Hanna, Adam and MawMaw at Red Lobster for dinner to celebrate.

Doctors Appointments and ER

One day last month, we had a busy day of doctors appointments. We took MawMaw to an appointment, in which her doctor said she needed to go to the ER that evening and be admitted to the hospital. Kaitlynn had her pre-surgery appointment with her pediatrician. The pediatrician checked Kaitlynn's heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, eyes, ears, nose, throat, and listened to her lungs. She said she was confident Kaitlynn could go through the procedure / surgery without any problems. Between appointments, we had lunch and let Kaitlynn play in the play area at Burger King.

Hanna and Adam watched Kaitlynn so Dave and I could attend our last class at church. We met some really cool people that we hope to continue to stay in contact with. After getting home from class, I took MawMaw to the ER and she was admitted to the hospital.

3 Year Check Up

Thursday, I attended my Women's Group / Bible Study then Kaitlynn had a 3 year check up at the pediatrician's office. She proudly got on the scale and couldn't wait to get her height measured. They checked her temperature and then we went to a small room where they checked her blood pressure and hearing. Kaitlynn asked the nurse if she could use the kitty cat blood pressure cup. She did great getting her blood pressure taken. I thought it would freak her out when it tightened up, but it didn't. She did great with the hearing test and didn't mind the nurse putting the ear buds into her ears. She sat listening intently. I was so proud of her at being such a big girl. Her weight and height are in the 75th percentile. Her blood pressure was great as well as her hearing. The pediatrician talked to Kaitlynn about nutrition and her jobs around the house. Kaitlynn gladly answered her questions and told her about her birthday party. Kaitlynn's medical forms for preschool were filled out. When it was time to check out, Kaitlynn (as usual) had no problems asking for her cookie and sticker. She was not going to let them forget to give them to her! After the appointment we went over to Bread Co and treated ourselves to a special drink. Kaitlynn and MawMaw had a strawberry smoothie and I had an Iced Caramel. Yum!

Cooking, Cleaning and Crocodiles

Monday after Kaitlynn's doctor appointment, she wanted to go to MawMaw's house. Since she is not contagious and was up for the visit, I took her over there. After dinner, we went to Target. Kaitlynn found some great stuff in the $1 section. It's one of our favorite stores.

Tuesday, Kaitlynn helped make chili. We finally got our Christmas tree and decorations down.

Wednesday, Kaitlynn and daddy attended Motor Masters at the ECC. After class, she kept talking about a crocodile because they sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat". She loves the part "and if you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream." Later that afternoon, she helped me vacuum. She loves cleaning. Very domesticated girl! She doesn't take that after me!

Kaitlynn is still feeling pretty bad. She is still coughing and wheezing a lot. She isn't running fever. The steam from the bathroom doesn't seem to help, nor does the cold air. We are giving her steroids, tylenol and using the humidifier. I hope she starts feeling better soon.

FYI - she went to class because she was up to it. Even though she is really sick, she is still very active (accept when she is having a coughing attack).

Third Times A Charm

Late Sunday night / very early Monday morning, Kaitlynn woke up coughing. She could hardly sleep from coughing so bad. Monday, I tried waking her up to get her ready for our playgroup's playdate at Yummy & Co. She was crying and coughing and crying some more. The barking cough was back and the wheezy breathing began. She said her throat hurt and told me to call her doctor. She said she didn't want to meet her friends or get a cupcake. I tried calling the pediatrician's office for about 30 minutes before I could get through. I guess lots of kids must be sick. They were able to get her in later in the afternoon.

When we went to her appointment, the barking cough had stopped, but she was still coughing. I was concerned that the Croup was back. She had it in November, December and now again? 3 times in less than 3 months? What is going on? The pediatrician checked her out and confirmed that it was Croup (again). She gave some samples of steroids and said she may have to take them for 4 days (if she isn't better after 2 days). She said there are a few viruses going around that are causing Croup. She also said that if Kaitlynn gets it again, she will send us to a specialist to have things checked out. It is very concerning to me that my healthy daughter is getting sick so much now. Croup 3 times in less than 3 months! Maybe it never completely went away in December. I'm not sure, but I sure hope she gets better and stays better.

Morning at the ER

We were out pretty late for MawMaw's birthday. After we left MawMaw's to come home, Kaitlynn started swallowing hard, choking and gagging in the car. It lasted about a minute, then was fine. She fell asleep in the car shortly after that. We got home, put her to bed and she slept for about an hour. She woke up screaming and crying, swallowing hard, gagging, choking and seemed to be having a hard time breathing. We called the pediatrician's exchange and a nurse called us back immediately. She heard Kaitlynn over the phone and said she sounded like she was very uncomfortable and we needed to bring her in for a chest x-ray. Her concern was she might have swallowed something that she wasn't supposed to or that got stuck in her throat. We got to the ER and were put in a room pretty quickly. A nurse checked her out and she seemed to be doing better. She said they were very busy and it would take awhile for a doctor to come in. Thankfully they had movies to keep her busy. We watched "Cinderella". We waited a little over an hour before the doctor was able to see us. At that point, Kaitlynn was ready to go home. The doctor checked her out and ordered a chest x-ray. The doctor said the x-ray wasn't the most clear cut case of croup she'd ever seen, but all of Kaitlynn's symptoms really seemed to point to croup. They gave her a dose of steroids and Motrin and gave us information on croup and what to look for, etc. The doctor said she was concerned that it might be turning into pneumonia because every time we asked Kaitlynn where she hurt, she would point to her lower back and tell us her back hurt. We are thankful that it wasn't more serious.

Kaitlynn's pediatrician called that afternoon to check on her. It was reassuring to talk to the pediatrician. She said croup could last up to 5 days.

Great End to October

Sunday, October 25th we went to Stuckmeyer's with MawMaw. Hanna, Adam and Brandon met us there. Kaitlynn couldn't wait for them to get there.
Kaitlynn played in the sandbox, rode a pony, played at Fort Spooky, and ran around.

Tuesday, October 27th we attended a MomsLikeMe playdate costume party at the Zoo with MawMaw. Kay Quinn read a Halloween story to the kids and then we all went into Zoomagination Station. Kaitlynn had a good time, but was disappointed that she didn't get to see any animals due to the rain.

Wednesday, October 28th Kaitlynn attended her Kids in the Kitchen class. The theme was Halloween Treats. They made mummies in a blanket, magic wands, witches hats, moonlight milkshake, monster mash and shaky pudding. She also made a cute pumpkin picture, in which she cut the eyebrows out all by herself.

Kaitlynn and I went to MawMaw's and baked a cake, cupcakes and an apple pie. MawMaw made Kaitlynn a special hot chocolate that she really enjoyed.

Thursday, October 29th we went to our playgroup's Costume Party at Kangaroo Kids. Emily and Ella met us there. We brought Halloween cupcakes and Emily brought goodies bags.

While at Kangaroo Kids, Kaitlynn started complaining about her vagina hurting (and she was telling everyone). We called her pediatrician and she was able to see her almost immediately. It was quite an experience getting Kaitlynn to pee in a cup, but she did it. I actually just told her that the doctor needed it so that she could figure out what was wrong. Once she knew that, she peed in the cup. The pediatrician said it's probably a bladder infection, but would send it to the lab.

That evening, we carved 2 of our 5 pumpkins and made caramel apples. Kaitlynn had fun putting sprinkles on her caramel apple. She was also a big help with scooping the "guts" out of the pumpkins.

Friday October 30th, we went to the ECC for a Halloween Fun Fair. Kaitlynn made a treat bag, trick or treated at different "houses", had a pony painted on her hand, listened to a Halloween story, ate dinner, played games, decorated a cookie (graham cracker), and had a great time.

On Halloween, we went to Michael's so Kaitlynn could make a craft with the kid's club. She made a super cute little spider. We headed home and got ready for our Halloween party. Dave and Kaitlynn made Halloween rice krispie treats, then Kaitlynn decorated her pumpkins. We went out trick or treating and had fun with our guests. Kaitlynn passed out and the adults continued to party until the wee hours of the morning. We had a fun Halloween!

What a great way to end October!

Again, you can see pictures from these events on my other blog. Email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com if you need the link.

Botanical Garden and Museum of Transportation

Tuesday May 26th Kaitlynn and I went to my mom's. Kaitlynn played with Auggie and Elliott. Dave met my mom, Kaitlynn and I at Applebee's for dinner.

Wednesday the 27th Kaitlynn, Olivia and I met the Mommy and Toddler Playgroup at the Botanical Garden. Emily, Ella, Trisha, Kylie, Tara, Bailey, Kathy, John Paul, and Tara's friend and her son were there.

After playing on the sheep, we fed the Koi fish, then went to the Children's Garden.

Before we left Kaitlynn and Kylie played in the water at the Children's Garden.

That evening my mom and I went to dinner and to get our hair cut. It was a nice relaxing evening.

Thursday the 28th Kaitlynn and I attended the Momslikeme.com Playdate at the Museum of Transportation.

Kaitlynn played bingo and won a coloring book.

Then she made bubbles with the bubble wands.
Kaitlynn climbed on the train, but said she was too scared to go through it.
She played with sidewalk chalk.

Then we did a craft and played with the bubbles again. Kaitlynn saw her friends Kylie, John David, Bailey and Ella.
We didn't stay too long because Kaitlynn said she was ready to go. She was complaining about her ears and had a runny nose. I called the pediatrician and was able to bring her in to get checked out. I thought for sure it was another ear infection, but thankfully it wasn't. Dr. Quinn said Kaitlynn's ears looked great. There wasn't even any wax build up. She said that she probably has allergies (seasonal) or she is getting her 2 year molars in. I think it is allergies. Kaitlynn was such a big girl during the visit. She just sat there and let Dr. Quinn exam her. She did throw a fit when we laid her back and she checked her diaper area, but she never likes when she has to lay on the table. She was also checked for strep.

We went to my mom's for lunch. Kaitlynn played with Auggie and Elliott.

Friday the 29th Kaitlynn and I were supposed to meet the CBW Playgroup, but I had a terrible sinus infection, so we didn't get to meet them.

Double Ear Infection

Saturday the 18th, we took Kaitlynn to the pediatrician because she woke up in the middle of the night complaining about her ear hurting. She had a double ear infection! It's weird because last year (in March she got her first ear infection) and now this year she has one. I hope she doesn't start getting them every year (to start the spring off). I guess having 2 ear infections at the age of 26 months isn't bad, though!

We missed the ECC On the Go activity due to going to the pediatrician. Kaitlynn said she felt well enough and acted fine, so we went to Bailey's birthday party. It was at Gymboree. Kaitlynn got Bailey a chest with dress up clothing.
Maraca time!

Kaitlynn and Bailey dancing.

Kaitlynn and Mackenzie popping bubbles.

Kaitlynn and Gabe catching bubbles.

Yes, Kaitlynn is sitting on the parachute! I am so glad that she likes it now. In her class last year, she hated the parachute.

Doctor's Appointments

Monday morning Kaitlynn woke up coughing and then vomiting at 2AM. After getting cleaned up and finally falling back to sleep, she woke up with diarrhea. I called her doctor's office and they suggested I bring her in. So Kaitlynn, Olivia and I headed to the pediatrician's office. We didn't get to see her pediatrician, but saw one of the partners. Kaitlynn had lost a little weight since her February visit, but not much. He checked her stomach, ears and lungs, but wasn't able to find anything wrong. He said she may have a stomach bug. He gave us some Dr. Smith's diaper cream to prevent a sore bottom from the diarrhea. I asked if she was contagious and he said that it was hard to say. He said that as long as she didn't get into Olivia's face and we practiced good handwashing that Olivia should be OK. I took the girls to Bread Co. to get Kaitlynn a smoothie as a special treat.

Kaitlynn fell asleep on the drive home. I fed Olivia and then she fell asleep. I packed a lunch while the girls were sleeping, then dropped off the study products. I had my hands full walking into that building - Olivia in the car seat, Kaitlynn in my arms (because she was still tired), paperwork, and the bag of research products.

We went to my mom's preschool to pick her up. We got there early, so Kaitlynn could play with the kids. She likes going to preschool. The preschool gave us a few things for our yard, so I called my niece to haul them to our house. My mom and I had doctor's appointments. They drew blood to check my thyroid level and ended up requesting other stuff, since I have not been feeling well for awhile. I hope I get the results on Friday. I would love to find out what's wrong with me (I hope it's nothing bad). Kaitlynn was really ornery at the doctor's office. Olivia was an angel. She did start to get fussy at the end because she wanted to eat and was tired of being in the car seat.

When we got to my house, Meghan was waiting there to pick Olivia up. My niece was also waiting for us. My mom took Hanna, Kaitlynn and me out to dinner. Elliott and Auggie came over my mom's. Kaitlynn had fun hanging out with them. She loves those boys.

Tuesday, Kaitlynn woke up vomiting at 7AM and had a few episodes of diarrhea. I was also feeling sick, so Dave stayed home from work. Kaitlynn and I slept until 2PM. We were definitely not feeling well, sleeping that long. Kaitlynn seemed to be feeling better after sleeping. Dave went to the store to get some juice boxes and rented an Elmo DVD for her.

Wednesday, Kaitlynn and I were supposed to meet with a group at Purina Farms, but I wasn't feeling well and I wasn't sure about taking her out. Dave was going to stay home again, but then decided it wouldn't be a good idea. He was going to take Kaitlynn to work with him, but he had so much to get caught up on, that he decided against it. Thankfully Kaitlynn let me lay around until I started feeling a little better. I felt guilty that she was stuck in the house Tuesday and most of Wednesday, so I took her to my mom's. My mom had a few errands to run. I got really sick at the last store and had to sit in the snack bar and wait for them. I wish I would start feeling better soon.

Warm Weather in March

Friday it was in the 70s! I couldn't believe how warm it was. Kaitlynn and I actually got a little bit of a sunburn. We went to the Zoo with the Yahoo and Mommy and Toddler Playgroups. We met Emily, Ella, Julie, Kaylee, Tara and Bailey there.
We went to the Children's Zoo first

then to River's Edge. Kaitlynn and I mainly walked around with Julie and Kaylee.

After River's Edge we went to see the zebras.

Posing for a picture after seeing the big cats and on the way to see the giraffes.

Then we went to the cafe to eat lunch.

After lunch, Kaitlynn and I saw the polar bears, penguins and apes by ourselves. We met up with Emily, Ella, Tara and Bailey after they finished lunch. We left shortly afterwards.

While driving to my mom's, Kaitlynn started vomiting in the car. I made it to the next exit and pulled into a parking lot. I figured she was overheated. I got her out of her clothes, cleaned her and the car seat and we got back on the highway. Shortly afterwards, Kaitlynn started vomiting again. I was too far from an exit so I just pulled over on the side of the highway. I cleaned Kaitlynn up, cleaned the car seat up and we headed to my mom's. Thankfully we made it without another vomiting incident. I gave Kaitlynn a bath as soon as we got to my mom's. She seemed to feel better. After my mom got home from work and Kaitlynn felt better, we picked up Steak n Shake and went to our house. My mom spent the night. Kaitlynn started vomiting again that evening while I was trying to get her to bed. After getting her, myself and the bed cleaned up, I called the pediatrician's exchange. While we waited for the nurse to call back, I gave Kaitlynn a bath. After the bath, the nurse called back. She said that Kaitlynn probably had a virus and gave me things to look for. She said that Kaitlynn would probably get diarrhea and would have to be on a special diet for a few days. Kaitlynn didn't get to bed until after midnight.

Happy Birthday Love Bug

Monday was Kaitlynn's 2nd birthday. Dave met Kaitlynn and me at Dr. Ayers' office for her 2 year check up. Kaitlynn was a little upset at the appointment. The nurse and Dr. Ayers said it was due to getting the staple in her head last Wednesday. She was just anxious or nervous about it. She is in the 75th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight. She is 2 1/2 feet tall (I think) and about 27 or 28lbs. I don't have the sheet from the doctor in front of me and my memory is not so great right now. Kaitlynn had a hearing test done. Dr. Ayers was impressed when she asked about Kaitlynn's vocabulary. I told her Kaitlynn's longest sentence is "I'll be right back." She got a kick out of that. We talked about weaning, vitamins, time outs, tummy aches and staple removal. She said that I may want to just wean Kaitlynn cold turkey. She said some kids don't understand why they can nurse some times, but not all the time and they will start testing to see when it's OK to nurse. Regarding vitamins, we can either keep giving Kaitlynn the Poly Vi Sol drops or give her gummi bear vitamins. Time outs are appropriate for Kaitlynn, but no longer than 2 minutes. The key to time outs is to catch her right when she calms down and then time out is over. Dr. Ayers said she didn't think Kaitlynn's tummy aches were due to dairy or other food. She said to continue giving her the Children's Mylanta unless it starts becoming a daily need. She looked at Kaitlynn's scalp and said the staple was ready to come out. The laceration was healed up enough to remove the staple. It didn't take long to remove it and wasn't too bad. Kaitlynn screamed her head off because I told her the doctor wouldn't touch her head. I just love lying to my child! I hate when I tell her something like that and then it ends up not being true. I guess I could have not let them take it out, but if the staple didn't need to be in, then it should come out. I also didn't want to risk Kaitlynn taking it completely out herself. So I opted to be a liar. I apologized to Kaitlynn for telling her they wouldn't touch her head. She also received 1 shot - Hep A. I went to nurse her after the appointment, like I usually do, but she wasn't interested. I think she is starting to take steps toward weaning.

We went to my mom's after the appointment. Kaitlynn opened the rest of her birthday gift from my mom. She got her a purse, books, clothes, shoes and a pair of sunglasses.

My mom took us out to dinner for Kaitlynn's birthday. We went to Pasta House, which is where Kaitlynn chose to go.

Kaitlynn got a little scared when the waitress and others came out singing "Happy Birthday" to her. She enjoyed smashing the piece of cake with the forks, but wouldn't eat any of it. My mom and I enjoyed eating the smashed up cake.

Kaitlynn enjoyed the soft mints at the door. She kept running over and getting them.

No More Ear Infection

On Monday, I took Kaitlynn to Dr. Ayers' for a check up because of her ear infection. She said the ear infection is gone. I'm glad that Kaitlynn only needed one round of the antibiotic.

Car Seat

I forgot to post what Kaitlynn's pediatrician said about the car seat. She said that we do not have to worry about getting a different one. She said that Kaitlynn has great head control and is safe in the front-facing seat. I was so happy to hear that. Kaitlynn just loves being able to see me while I am driving and being able to look out the window. She is such a big girl!