Here We Go Again - Another Family Illness

Well the last half of February and well into March we were back to our winter usual . . . sick, sick, sick. Honestly, our winters here in Texas have been pretty miserable, especially these past 2. The whole thing started with the youngest three getting runny noses and congestion. Then came the cough. It was a horrible, horrible cough. The kind that generally comes when you're trying to sleep and yet totally prevents sleep from happening.

After a weekend of this cough, I'd had enough and headed to the doctor with the three youngest. At that point, only Declan was having problems - he was wheezing. Poor boy. The doctor's comment was that he seemed to be heading in the same direction as Taylor (she has asthma and gets sick CONSTANTLY). Ahhhhh!!! I hope not. At that point, Taylor and Payden hadn't developed anything serious, but I was put on watch to check their progress.

By Thursday, I was concerned about Payden (her cough was worse and she'd developed a fever) and took her back. She was diagnosed with bronchitis. Poor baby! I can only imagined how sick she would have gotten if I hadn't been watching her progress. Then over the weekend Declan started getting fussy and I was concerned about him again, so on Monday we headed back to the doctor (the third time in a week). Sure enough . . . he was still wheezing (even after finishing a round of steriods and breathing treatments) and now had developed a double ear infection. So now he ended up on antibiotics and 2 sets of breathing treatment medicines.

The person who I'm generally most worried about is Taylor because she always develops something and generally gets the sickest. I was so excited when she didn't develop anything. Amen to her surgery. I really believe her tonsils just gave a place for her germs to multiply and without them she was actually able to fight off the germs on her own. Of course, the tubes helped prevent the ear infection by draining the liquid in her ear before it produced into anything. I am so grateful for her surgery. By the end of this whole ordeal, she was the only person who got sick but didn't develop anything worse than the initial symptoms. Hallelujah!!!!

As the others were finally starting to get better, then Shelby started getting sick. Her cough didn't get as severe as the others, but she ended up getting a fever and an ear infection. By the time we got to the doctor though, her fever had subsided and she wasn't feeling any more pain.

Of course, I couldn't even escape this. After over a month and a half of allergies symptoms plus the many sleepless nights taking care of these kiddos, I ended up getting what they had, which turned into a sinus infection. Fortunately, I was able to continually clear out the sinus and I was able to get rid of the infection without medicine.

By the time we finished, a month had elapsed. We had TONS of bad nights. Fortunately I never had to deal with more than 2 at a time and generally it was just 1. I slept on the couch for all of that time because it allowed me to help the kids better. Whenever they would go into their HUGE coughing fits (lasting 1-2 hours), I would just pull them next to me on the couch where I was able to prop them up on pillows and help them stay propped up. The coughing would finally subside and then they'd finally be able to get some sleep.

These family illnesses just kill me, but I'm so used to it that I just pop into survival mode and we make it through alright. I think between February and March, we went to the doctor around 10 times, going every week except one. It definitely explains why my kids are so comfortable going to the doctor's office; we're there too often, but are grateful for them and for the wonderful medicines we get to help us through our misery. Now hopefully this will be our last family illness of the season. I'm also praying that we will agree with Washington much better and be able to avoid so much sickness . . . here's to hoping!!!


Declan decided to always fight taking his breathing treatments, so I would have to pin him. I'd place his right arm behind me and squeeze him next to me. I'd then hold his left hand and we'd have to sit there for almost 30 minutes as we'd do his 2 breathing treatments.


I'd feel bad for him and would relax a little . . .


He would sieze the opportunity, generally immediately, and would do what he'd been dying to do . . . grab the face mask and munch on it. We'd try giving him the bottom of the mask to munch on while taking his treatment, but he just wouldn't have it. He wanted one thing and one thing only. I felt bad having to pin him for so long, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. If only he had learned.


These were taken the night Payden developed her fever. We were sitting at dinner, and I was having problems getting her to eat. I looked closely at her and could tell she looked miserable. I felt her forehead and sure enough . . . she was burning hot. We gave her some ibuprofen and then Tom headed up to give her a bath to help the fever go down.


Poor baby. She just felt awful.




Since Payden kicks her covers off, I put an undershirt on her when she's wearing short sleeves to help her keep warm. I have never bought new undershirts and have just kept her in her 24m onesies. Well here is what Tom likes to do with them . . .


He thinks it is hilarious to put them on the outside.

Anyways, we are well into April now and I am still backed up because of this nasty illness. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up soon. The house, my blog, my e-mails, and so much more could sure use it.

Family Pictures

With Tom's graduation approaching, we need to get his graduation announcements made. We are copying the announcements that our good friend Jaime Blaisdell made for her husband when he graduated 2 years ago. We tried to come up with an idea that we liked better, but hers were just too perfect, so we decided to indulge in a little flattery and asked for permission to copy her idea. Anyways, we wanted some photos to put in the announcements.

Now I have this friend Beth. We go back a long ways as she was Tom's supervisor when he worked up in Utah one summer while I was pregnant with Shelby. She ended up going to dental school here in San Antonio where we arrived a few years later. Not only did we go to church together, but I ended up babysitting for her when she had her son after her second year of dental school and then when she had her daughter in the middle of her fourth year. Now Beth is an amazingly talented person. She does lots of things - from building to jewelry making to gardening to . . . you name it - and she always is amazing at what she does. When she had her kids, I guess she decided to take up photography. After looking at the pictures on her blog and seeing other families that she'd photographed, I asked her to take our pictures for Tom's graduation announcements. Now she wants to redo the family photo, but Tom and I just LOVED the results.

We chose to go to Mission San Jose here in San Antonio (yes there are other missions than the Alamo) for the photo shoot, and it was the perfect place. Now Beth and Brian no longer live close by, so we don't see them as often. It was fun talking and hanging out with them. I loved how the kids played so well together. I stopped babysitting her children about 3 years ago, but the kids just played together like they did all those years ago.

(I haven't seen all the photos, but these were Beth's favorites that I stole off her blog.)



You'd never believe it, but this next child was the most unwilling to get her photo taken. I'll have to say . . . she really is photogenic. Now if we could just get her to cooperate better . . .




Love Tom's pose? Same old silly Tom.








This next one is just fun to look at the kids' faces (oh and please ignore my hair; it was a bit windy).






Anyways, we're so grateful for them and that they took the time out to take these photos. Thanks Beth and Brian. We look forward to re-doing the family photo again.

They Make Me Smile

We love our kids and love the cute moments where they bring a smile to our faces. Here a few recently:

Tom came home from school about when Declan woke up from his 3rd nap. Tom went and got him and then sat down to tell me about his day. Declan just HAD to look at his dad and twisted around to stare up at Tom while he talked to me. It was too cute. He just stared and stared and stared at Tom. That boy sure does love his dad.


I pulled out the busy ball popper for Declan to play with. When I turned it on, he got sooooooo excited and did his normal thing - stiffened up, started shaking and rolling his ankles.


After the initial excitement, he then lunged in to attack. Well, when he pulled the toy towards him, it shot the balls out at his face where they bounced off and rolled all over the room. His eyes were blinking furiously as the balls came at him. Then after the balls finished bouncing off his face, he got a blast of the air that had shot them at him. He then sucked in as the air made it difficult for him to breathe. It was sooooo funny to watch. Of course all of that happened in a matter of seconds, but it was too cute.


One day in the car I was sitting next to Declan and started playing around with him. I playfully grabbed his face and shook it a little, he then closed his eyes and made this silly face. I started laughing, so the next time I grabbed his face again, he did it again. He know loves to do this to make me laugh. Sometimes he'll flail his arms and squawk as he's doing it, but everytime it cracks me up. Such a silly boy!


Taylor and Payden were watching some cartoons one morning and decided that their dinosaurs were gonna come and nap beside them. If you can't tell, under every little blanket is a dinosaur. They laid the dinosaurs out and then neatly tucked them in. I just love how it's not their dolls that they do this to, but their dinosaurs. They are definitely dinosaur lovers!!


Tom and I were talking in another room. I heard Declan fussing, but it stopped and was replaced with TONS of giggles as I came to check on him. This is what I found. Shelby had gone to him to help him out decided to play peek-a-boo with him. Now I've played this with him before, which is where she got the idea to do it, but as usual there's always a special love between siblings. When she played him, he just giggled and giggled and LOVED it. It was sweet to watch.


The other day, Taylor and Shelby spilled on their shirts. We were needed to go run an errand, so we had them go grab a new shirt. Now in the mornings, I just pick out their clothes for them as the play in the tub. I think I;ll have to start working with them on picking out their own clothes. Anyways, here are the shirts they picked. Tom and I just laughed when we saw them.


Yeah, this shirt is supposed to be worn with an undershirt underneath . . . I guess she forgot that part.


Anyways, I love these little moments. They are the joys of being a parent.

Random Moments in February

This is something Tom has always done with our kids. He puts his head right in front of them and they attack it, sometimes munch on it, and just have a blast. They really enjoy this little moment together.


I thought this was a cute one of Payden. Declan was sitting across from her, and she just loved it. She's also eating one of her favorite cereals, "cocoas" or rather Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cereal.


My friend Krista had to go to a postpartum check-up, so we watched her son Caleb. He and Payden get along so well. It's fun listening to their little conversations. I often wonder if they fully understand each other. After chucking toys at each other (and having a blast), they headed outside with all the cars. I found them under here giggling their little heads off.


Caleb would say "shush" so they'd both get really quiet. Then Payden would bust out with a LOUD noise and they would both burst into giggles. Then Caleb would say "shush" and they'd do it all again. It was too cute to watch. I also love Caleb's little feet sticking out from underneath the slide.


Generaly I don't post many shot of Tom and I, but someone, probably Shelby or Taylor, shot a few of us, so I thought I'd share them. Here's Tom being a goof for the camera as always.


I swear I look tired in every picture that's taken of me. That's probably because I am. What with horrible cedar allergies, family illnesses, and kids who always disturb my sleep, I am one tired momma . . . and it shows.


After Halloween, I sort through the candy and set aside the candy that will be good for making gingerbread houses. This past year I set the candy aside and then forgot about it as we got busy with a family illness right up to Christmas and so we never made our gingerbread house. Well, I have continued to forget about it until Payden found the candy the other day. With it being a FEW months old, I wasn't too excited about her eating it. This picture was probably taken right after I told her the candy was a little old and might not be the best. I let her and her sisters enjoy some and then I immediately threw it out after they went to bed that night.


These shots were taken as they watched tv together. First a sweet kiss from Shelby.


Then here are Payden and Taylor enjoying one of our favorite drinks . . . Izze. We LOVE that stuff.



With as short as February is, it turned into a long month as we ended with everyone sick, which I'll write more about later. Anyways, we did have a few good moments here and there admist our sicknesses and our amazed that we are one more month closer to Tom's graduation.

Our Eyes

I thought it would be fun to take pictures of our eyes. What's funny is that we kind of think of Tom and the kids as being blue-eyed, but looking at them, they're not so blue. In fact, Tom's look pretty grey.


I've always thought the random brown speckles in my eyes were interesting, especially the huge spot on my left eye.


Shelby definitely has lost most of her blue as well and looks grey.


Of the girls, I'd say Taylor's are the most blue.


It might be hard to see in this picture, but Payden actually looks like she has yellow in her eye. Weird huh?


Declan has the eyes that all our babies have had . . . pretty blue eyes. It'll be interesting to see what happens to his as he get bigger.