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Halloween after being sick

Posted on October 31, 2009 2:56 pm by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL,

To say that you are going stir crazy would be an understatement. You have been home sick since after school Monday afternoon. It all started with a headache and fever. Then you added the cough, thanks to your asthma. You were so miserable and had a tough time keeping medicine down with all of the gagging from the cough.

Thursday you were starting to feel better. You were a huge helper when I asked you to get the door for the emergency crew coming to the house for your little brother. Here you are this morning with a mischievous twinkle in your eyes (much nicer than the feverish look).

I know it had to be a tough week for you. You were upset about missing first grade, especially your calendar job this week and the Pumpkin Picking trip. Thank goodness you are feeling better. Tonight you will probably put your costume on and go to see Nana and Papa and visit a few neighbors on our block. Hopefully next year will be a bit more fun, we just need to stay healthy.

Love,

Mommy

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Dear JSL,

Tonight is going to be hard for you. You remember going trick-or-treating last year and you can not go tonight. Thursday you gave me another big scare in my life. I held you in my arms when you were turning blue and barely breathing. You had your fourth febrile seizure while we were home alone with your big brother. The time after that as we made our way to the ER are all a blur.

Today you have gone without fever medicine since early this morning and so far so good. Thanks to this we left you go outside in front of the house for some fresh air this afternoon.

We still have no real answers about why you had such a high fever. My sweet little monkey, it just seems like we are going to have to be on top of fevers a little more since your poor little body does not know how to deal with extremes.

Love,

Mommy

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Categories:
Dear Kid Saturday holidays jsl looking back nhl photos sick kid weekend

Febrile seizure #4 and ER

Posted on October 29, 2009 5:10 pm by TheAngelForever

Frazzled – that would describe the way I feel right now (so remember that when reading this). I am just back from the ER with the little guy. Just thinking about the events has me scared, unsure and crying. Here is a quick bullet list of things:

Went to school this morning to pick up work for NHL (he’s been home all week with what we think is H1N1).
When I got home the boys were running around, screaming, yelling and playing nicely. I decided to pay bills because the companies are not sympathetic about flu. I was just about to pay the ER visit bill from September when JSL fell on concrete when he came to get me to change his diaper.
We went to the diaper changing station. I picked him up and he made a strange noise. He wold not let me put him down. Suddenly I noticed that his eyes were completely glazed over and he was looking right through me. My heart sank.
JSL’s body tensed up, his eyes fixed over and I knew he was seizing. I quickly felt his body and it was burning up.
I screamed to NHL to get a phone for me. Luckily I had my cell phone in the pocket. As I looked at my lifeless baby in front of me I called 911. This was the first time I was alone for a febrile seizure.
JSL stopped breathing and I started to turn blue/gray. I was about to do rescue breaths on him when he started to twitch a little. I told the 911 dispatcher that I had to go and call my father to come to watch my older son home with the flu.
Dad rushed over and was here right about when EMS arrived. I called TechyDad after I got off the phone with Dad. I guess he never heard that it was JSL and just knew we were likely heading to the hospital.
I carried JSL to the living room and waited for the EMS. They arrived and he was barely upright. We put him on the couch and he refused to open his eyes. He was not responding. Even my father said he has never seen JSL like this after a febrile seizure. It scared the heck out of me.
We went to the ER by ambulance and I listened as they tried to get an IV line into my baby. He screamed. They apparently got it in, but he pushed past three adults on top of him and it came out.
Once again we went back to the ER that I love to hate. We took his temperature there and it was 103.3 at that time. He got Tylenol and threw that up within 5 minutes. Motrin was given soon after and that stayed down.
The resident came after what seemed like forever. He did a thorough exam. The attending doctor came quite a while later, saw JSL gagging (after trying Tylenol again) and said to keep him longer for observation. He NEVER touched my child.
Our doctor’s office called and asked if they were doing blood tests. I told them no. I pretty much demanded it and was told nope, he’s fine. HELLO – my child has Motrin and Tylenol in him. He is not fine.
So we left with no answers. It may be the flu shot from Monday, could be a virus, or could be bacterial. No idea and just told to give him more fever reducers to keep his temperature down. I have flashbacks of April when we left the ER with no answers and he had another febrile seizure the following night (2 in 30 hours).

On that note I best be off to wake the little guy. It is time for more Motrin.

Categories:
doctor jsl looking back losing my mind sick kid

Finally a flu shot and illness galore

Posted on October 26, 2009 8:43 pm by TheAngelForever

Last Wednesday, I finally received a phone call from our doctor’s office telling me that they had the pediatric preservative free seasonal flu shots in for JSL. The rest of us had our at the end of August and September. We opted to wait to have the shot today since the nurse that is the best at doing vaccines was in today. So bright and early this morning JSL and I went to the doctor’s office. The office was pretty quiet, although the phones were ringing off the hook.

When my father heard that I was heading there, he asked me to inquire about him getting a flu shot. So, I was the good daughter and asked. The receptionist nearly laughed at me. She told me that they have not had any in quite some time and have a list of about 700 people waiting for them! Was she exaggerating? Who knows. All I can say is, I really hope my father can secure one at another location and thank goodness the four of us are now immunized.

After JSL had his flu shot, I asked the nurse about the H1N1 vaccines. Our office still has not received any (family practice, not pediatricians office). Then she asked if I was on the list. I told her that I assumed we were since I have asked several times about them. WRONG! The words that I often use came and bit me in the butt! "Never assume anything!" Oy! We are now at the bottom of page four on the H1N1 vaccine list. When I asked if there was going to be a system as to how they would vaccinate people on the list, I was told they were not sure yet.

I’m not trying to push my kids to the front here, but a 30-60 year old person should not be getting this vaccine over children and pregnant women (I am NOT in that category). I know in August the doctor told me that they would be giving only pregnant woman and children the shot and she told me I would not qualify until a major surplus was around, even with my asthma.

Fast forward to this afternoon.

I went into NHL’s school to drop off some juice for the school Halloween party on Friday. While in the office, I stopped to collect the Box Tops For Education. The secretary stopped the principal from talking to tell her something. There were 66 children home sick today. Something to note, my son’s elementary school is pretty small. There are 271 children in grades PreK-6. Our area is really getting slammed with cases of H1N1 in the last week, especially kids. I cringed and went outside to wait for NHL.

NHL came out of school and something caught my eye. He looked horrible. His eyes had big rings around them and they were glassy looking. He immediately told me that he had a headache. As we walked to the car, he was coughing some. This was not a good sign since it was pretty much the same symptoms I had in what they are 99% sure was H1N1. I immediately sent a message to TechyDad that I was heading to the pharmacy to pick up Tamiflu for NHL. A prescription had been called in for him 2 weeks ago when JSL got the bug.

We went to the pharmacy to pick up the Tamiflu, new thermometer and some other items to give to a sick kiddo. On the way there, NHL almost fell asleep in the car. He was barely responsive and his head was really warm. When we were done getting everything, I put the boys into the car and opened up the thermometer to check NHL’s temperature. Sure enough, it was high for him. When we got home, I cooled him down and tried it again – even higher. I gave him Motrin and it got his temperature down. Tonight, TechyDad and I have noticed that he is coughing a little more. We are waiting to start the Tamiflu at this point, but have it in case we need it in the middle of the night.

NHL will definitely be home from school Tuesday, adding to the number of kids absent at school. It will be interesting to see how the school reacts to all of the sick kids. Now, we must just sit back and watch to see how NHL’s symptoms go. My biggest fear is his asthma and the fact that he did have a febrile seizure when he was almost one.

Categories:
bad news doctor looking back nhl school sick kid

1,001 Dalmatians -er I mean posts

Posted on October 19, 2009 8:45 pm by TheAngelForever

Today is a special blogging day for me. I officially broke my 1,000th post mark. It took me two years and eight months to get here, but I did it! Here,is a special cupcake just for you from Disney World. . . enjoy.

Back when I started blogging in February 2007, it was just an outlet to vent some about being pregnant with baby number two,as well as a place to write down memories. Now it is that and so much more. The Angel Forever has become a part of my life. I look forward to writing about my life, our family, places we go, and products we use. Thanks to opportunities over time, I also adore reviewing products and giving readers a chance with some fun giveaways (like this one).

Whether you have been with me through this 1,000+ post journey, or have just joined the adventure, I hope you enjoy your time here and continue to read. You never know what will pop up next, but I promise you there is never a dull moment in my little part of the world.

I love hearing feedback and getting comments, so please do not be shy.

Categories:
looking back me moments milestone photos

Game time with Rummino – Giveaway

Posted on October 18, 2009 9:15 pm by TheAngelForever

When TechyDad and I were newlyweds, we went out to the store and bought a bunch of board games. We both loved word games, trivia, and things that would challenge our brains. We used to play the games on Shabbat or when we had friends over. It was a great time without television and computers.

Flash forward to life as the parents of two little boys. When we play board games, they tend to be for the kids. The games that we have for us from before are still packed away in an undisclosed location within the house.

When I was recently asked by Family Review Network to try out a game called Rummino by Marina Games, I was excited. This was the perfect opportunity for TechyDad and I to test out the new game together. You know, actually pry ourselves away from the computers/blogging and play a game just the two of us.

About Rummino:

Rummino is a whole new way to play Rummy! Combining the game play of Rummy with the strategy of word tile games, Rummino is a one of a kind master strategy game for the whole family. The object is to get the highest score at the end of the game. Each player draws 7 tiles and plays them off the sets and runs already on the table. Earn points for every tile you ‘add-on’ to a run or set. Get a two way run and earn extra points. Finish off a run or set and double or triple your points for that play.

The perfect game for family game night, Rummino is easy to learn and fun for the whole family to play! With its ease of learning combined with the strategy involved, this game keeps everyone entertained from the 8 year old learning to play games to the skilled adults desiring a challenge. Watch your opponents moan and groan as you use one tile to score 36 points!

What we thought:

TechyDad read the directions for Rummino and then we sat down to try it out. After we started our first game, we quickly realized we were not playing right. Of course, that was the "Ah-ha" moment! Suddenly everything clicked and we realized that we were making too much of the directions. We put all of the tiles back and started again. This time, we were a bit more competitive. We knew what we were doing and sat there trying to use major strategy to rack up our points. The game lasted for quite some time, but it was a lot of fun. Both TechyDad and I commented today that if we do indeed get rid of our cable television we will have more time to play Rummino and our other cleverly hidden games from the past.

We both really enjoyed Rummino and can not wait for a chance to play again. As we played, we wished that Rummino had come with something to put the tiles on (like in Scrabble). It would have been a lot easier to hide from each other while still being able to see them to strategize. As I mentioned, we had to regroup after an "ooops" with the directions. TechyDad and I were talking about it and we think they may have been a bit too lengthy, thus complicating them. Of course, once we had our "Ah-ha" moment we were good to go and ready to compete. Both of us also agree that we are going to try to have our six year old son try to play next time. We think that with a little coaching/modeling of play he will catch on quickly and enjoy this. Of course, we will still have our adult mind tournaments where we battle for supremacy!

A game of Rummino

1. Time to take 7 tiles, 2. Just starting our Rummino game, 3. TechyDad makes a move

Giveaway:

Thanks to Marina Games, one lucky reader will be able to win their own Rummino to play with family and friends.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What other game from Marina Games would you love to try? Head over to their website here to check out their other games.
1 Bonus Entry – Follow me on Twitter @TheAngelForever and Tweet about the giveaway. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Rummino Game Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Have you played Rummino with your family/friends? Chance to win your own from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/3zddYE
1 Bonus Entry – Let me know who you would love to play Rummino with.
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – This is my 1000th blog post. Look around and leave me a comment on another post. Be sure to let me know here where you were.
3 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the Rummino giveaway. Be sure to leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today October 18th and ends at 10:59 EST on November 1, 2009. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Marina Games. I received a free copy of the game to facilitate my candid review. The opinions expressed are my own.