Ears

Want to know what a double ear infection that looks the same after 2 weeks of antibiotics gets you?  A trip to the ENT that's what!  Woo Hoo!

When Bugger was just a few months old, we saw an ENT for an initial evaluation.  The result was, "Yes, like most children with Down Syndrome, she has tiny ear canals, and they are flatter due to the lower locatation of her ears which MAY result in poor drainage and ear infections down the line."  And was followed by "I don't need to see her regularly unless she has chronic ear infections". 

So, now at almost 3 years old, Bugger has not been back to the ENT.

Now she had an ear infection at the beginning of December which she got antibiotics for.

Then about 2 weeks ago when we were back at the pediatrician's office, she had ear infections in each ear.  More antibiotics.

Thought she was doing better until yesterday.  Yesterday brought a 6 hour nap, and barely any eating or drinking.  This morning she was very clingy and laying around, and wanted nothing to to do with her best playmate, Zilla.

Back to the peds ...

Tonsillitis - most likely viral, which is probably the cause for the minimal eating and drinking, and which in turn is probably leading to some mild dehydration (and her listlessness).  Need to get fluids (pedialyte) in to her however possible to avoid an ER trip for IV fluids ... stop at grocery stor on the way home.
Then the ped checks her ears .... "ummm, they still look horribly red and inflamed and painful".  And yes, she has been on antibiotics for 2 stinkin weeks already! Told to call the ENT when we get home, and if we need to wait longer than 6 weeks, call back to the peds office and they will see if they can help us get a sooner appointment.

Called the ENT once we got home and ate and filled up on fluids ... booked through March! The nice receptionist said she could leave a message for the nurse to call me if I wanted to talk to her about wha tis going on - Yes! Please!
Nurse calls, and she is sweet as pie!  Tell her the back story ... Bugger has had double ear infection for 2 weeks, and 1 ear possibly for over a month, not knowing if it ever cleared in the first place, add in she has Down Syndrome which adds to the complications, and add in that she is starting Preschool in Feb, so this is just swell timing ... then I tell her I would see any of the docs in the practice to get in sooner.
End result ... was able to get Bugger in for a consultation appointment next week!  I have to drive about 30 minutes further than I was expecting, but I figure that's a more than fair trade for not waiting 2 months to be seen.

And yes, this is while we are doing the EI to Preschool evaluation process.  Today's evaluation has been rescheduled, but now we have all 3 in the next 2 days - awesome!

Off to a fundraiser meeting tonight.  Did I mention Bugger is going to be a runway model in her first fashion show in April?  We are so excited! 

And so it begins

The transition process from Early Intervention to Preschool is in full swing.
We have evaluations scheduled for next week - 3 exactly!  And this is being scheduled in between two mornings of preschool, and 2 EI therapy sessions.  Fun times!
And I received the letter that our Eval Review and IEP planning meeting have been scheduled for the first week of February.
And I just got word that there is an opening at the school that Bugger goes to currently, in their 3 year old room.  We have been beyond happy with their program and how much Bugger has blossomed since she has been there.  They offer an inclusion program.  Our district is self-contained for 3 year olds.  We will have to wait and see how the evaluations go, and then what the best environment is for her to thrive to her fullest potential.
So, now I am off to read and study and learn everything I can to try to make this process as smooth as possible.
Fun times!

Holiday Blur

And just like that, the holidays are over.
We have survived ... but barely ... all 4 of us are now on antibiotics.
Hubs, sinus infection. Me, sinus infection. Zilla, ear infection. Bugger, sinus infection and double ear infection.
So, I have learned recently that colds that last 2 months can become nasty infections that then require 3 weeks of antibiotics to kick ... well, I will know for sure if it is kicked in another 2 weeks.  And that apparently we do not develop full and open sinuses until close to 2 years old, which is why Zilla at 13 months does not have a sinus infection despite having the same symptoms as the rest of us.  I have also learned that 3 days of holiday entertaining at home, and 2 days of running around and visiting all adds up to a sick momma.

Other than the sick germs, the holidays were great, a blur, but still great.

The girls were super spoiled.  Santa spoiled them.  Their grandparents spoiled them.  Their aunts and uncles spoiled them.  And all the rest of their extended family spoiled them.  And it was nice that most of that spoiling was able to be done right here in their house where they can be let loose and play freely.

This year was also magical to watch Bugger's face since she was so much more aware this year.  We ventured over to Macy's in Philly to see their cute little light show, and she watched in amazement ... mouth wide opened, eyes fixed on the lights, pointing and moving her hands like she was conducting the whole thing.  And then to see her face light up again on Christmas morning was just priceless - she pointed and gasped as we came down the steps and she saw the loot filling the living room, and proceed to go right over to all of the gifts to show us what she saw ... it was just so precious.

Hubby was home with us for 12 days (should have been 11, but there was a sick day added at the end unfortunately), and the girls and I were loving every minute of having him here.  And I am sure he was loving the attention of his 2 little adoring fans following him around like shadows. 
It was nice and relaxing to spend the time together.  We even managed to get in a viewing of our wedding video, and couldn't stop remarking over how young we were ... just 5 years ago.

I am working on reclaiming my house from Christmas, and am finally realizing that Christmas and clutter just seem to go hand in hand, and while I LOVE Christmas, I am not a fan of clutter, so it is bittersweet to put away all of the Christmas hoopla.

I am also gearing up for the next 6 weeks.  In just 6 weeks my little Bugger will be 3 years old, and will leaving Early Intervention and venturing in to our public school system for pre-school.  Before that day comes though, there are a number of evaluations to be done, and a meeting or two (or more) to take place. In all of this we, along with our school district need to decide on the best placement option for her as well, as in inclusion vs. self-contained.  Bugger has had the opportunity to be in an inclusion program for 2 year olds for a couple of months now and is blossoming and thriving in the environment.  I am hoping that with her evaluations and meetings, that the school district will see what I see as her parent, and we can all be on the same page as the best learning environment for her.

Circles

Ever feel like you just keep going in circles? 
That would be my daily life.

Bugger is still sick.  Thank you preschool classmates!  She's well over a month now with cold symptoms.  Add to it a confirmed ear infection and we finally score some antibiotics!  While I understand a cold is viral and not treatable with antibiotics, I still hope the meds will help at least a little to kill the germs.
Then this week, she just felt the need to keep her momma on her toes, and showed up with a full torso rash.
"Awesome!" I say Tuesday night as I undress her for her bath.
She looks like she has sunburn covering her back, chest and abdomen.
Call the ped.  Probably a reaction to the antibiotic, and it can wait til the morning to be checked since it is not affecting her breathing.
Morning comes, and off to the ped.  Nope not a reaction to the antibiotic.  Looks like contact irritation, but we can't pinpoint anything different that has rubbed her torso.
Second ped comes in to consult ... and they go out of the room to discuss.
The answer ... "we have no idea", but there is definitely petechiae, so ... off to the hospital to get bloodwork stat.  In the recent months I have learned how children with Downs have a higher risk of ALL and AML leukemias, so there went my worst-case-scenario thought process.
Thankfully, all of Bugger's bloodwork came back normal!  Woo Hoo!
Still don't know what caused the rash, but at least we know its not that worst-case-scenario.  Treating with Benadryl for now, which was quite interesting last night watching her cope with the woozy and sleepy feeling of the Benadryl.
On the plus, she is still up and wanting to walk EVERYwhere.  I love it.  It was especially fun on her first visit to the dentist and she wanted to walk in every single exam room and office on our way out.

Zilla is really looking up to her big sister and wanting to copy everything she does.  Yup, Zilla is sniffling away with her own cold symptoms that her big sis shared with her.  AND she is toddling around the house like she owns the place ... mostly to follow her big sis wherever she goes.  Just hoping and praying that she doesn't decide that a body rash is the new "cool thing to do"!

And you guessed it, the one who spends her day wiping noses, has caught it too.  At this point I have had a cold, then laryngitis, and I think now I am on to the sinus infection.  Antibiotics are at the drug store just waiting to be picked up.  Oh how I love me some antibiotics!

So the holiday hecticness is in full swing.  Lots of things to accomplish over the next couple of weeks, and all of the sick germs in this house are really cramping getting it all done.  Right now I am mostly worrying about the red noses and faces of the two littles for their Christmas pics this weekend, oh and the bruise on Bugger's face from falling on the playground. Oh the joys!

Take that!

Today was was one of those days that just makes a momma want to cry.

Zilla had a fabulous 1 year well visit.  Her pediatrician said she was doing great all around.  And I sat there beaming my proud momma smile.
She needs to work on gaining some more weight, which we will work on, but she is just so darn active that she burns everything off too fast.  We'll see what the next couple of months bring.
But good reports otherwise!

And then the even bigger proud momma moment came ...
Bugger played in the leaves and grass in our backyard and got up and started walking all over the place on her own!
To most parents of an almost-3-year old, this would be nothing, but in our house this is huge!
She tends to hate most things having to do with outside ... grass, leaves, sand, swings, slides, etc.
She also has had a huge struggle with gross-motor skills - I would say it has been her biggest challenge overall.  And as of late, she tends to like to walk around our living room in the evening hours mostly.  And will only walk in a different environment if it is to myself her father.
So for her to enjoy the grass and leaves was the first big smile I had.
Then to watch her get up and start walking all over the place on her own with her proud smile plastered across her face ... I could have just melted.

So I know I never share pics, and this one is blurry from my phone, but I just have to share my proud momma moment ...

So I say "Take That" to that Special Needs Monster that likes to get me down.  NOT Today!

Hey germs ... begone with you

We are generally a pretty healthy house.
Well, not this week.

All 4 of us are now suffereing from some form of a cold or sinus infection or throat infection or ... something gross.

Started with Bugger last week.  Took her to the docs and was told it was a run of the mil cold, and nothing to be done.  I know I am over-reactive parent to take her 1 day in to the sniffles and eye gunk, but I am super paranoid when it comes to her.  Children with Down Syndrome tend to have smaller sinus passages and flatter ear canals which makes drainage super hard, and also the low muscle tone effects EVERY muscle, including the lungs.  So with this knowledge, in my mind, every sniffle turns to pneumonia.  Bugger has 3 ear infections and 1 sinus infection ever, so she is not prone to the nasty ickus, but I still panic anyway.
Almost a week later, and still fighting it.  No fevers, and only irritable first thing in the morning generally or at bedtime, so we just keep up with the tylenol and wiping of the nose and hope these germs pass quickly.

Zilla started a few days later.  She has caught a far less severe version of this bug from what we can tell, but still some congestion and cough and irritability.  And did I mention the 4 molars she is cutting at the moment too?  Poor kid.  Thank the heavens for tylenol!

Hubby and I both have some forms of this as well.  His is in his sinuses and causing horrible sinus pressure headaches.  My version seems to have landed in my throat. Oh the joys of fire throat that is so swollen it hurts to swallow anything at all.

These germs can leave now.
Really.
Go!

And of course the best thing to get rid of these germs, rest, was little to be found in this house this weekend.  We had the final 2 of the 1st Birthday parties for Zilla this weekend.  I am so thankful and grateful for all that our families do for us and our kids and how much they want to spoil my kiddos.  We are truly blessed.  I just wish we had all been in better spirits and health to enjoy it all a little bit more.  Zilla chowed down on cake every chance she got, and loved every bit of it, but she also dipped out of every party a little early to seek out her comfy bed.

So today ... we rest!
Well three of us anyway.  Hubby needed to make the donuts this morning, so we sent him out of the germ infested house.  Us girls are staying in our pj's.  Bugger is staying home from school one more day, and therapy has been cancelled. Now if all of us could nap at the same time it would just be pure heaven!

Bring On the Steak (and the sleep)

I am constantly reminded how different my girls are from one another.
They are 21 months apart and best friends already, but they could not be more different.

Bugger is fair-skinned and light haired like her Irish momma.
Zilla is olive-skinned and dark haired like her Italian poppa.

Bugger is petite and generally on the small end of the growth charts.
Zilla, however generally hits the 80-90 percentiles on the same growth charts.
They are currently only 1 size apart in clothes (18m & 12m), and strangers mistake them for twins all the time.

Bugger is super cautious.
Zilla is a dare-devil.

Bugger is very laid-back.
Zilla is rowdy and rambunctious.

And now the latest ... their pain tolerance.
Bugger has most of her teeth now, and most have come with very little disturbance.
Zilla has made us aware of every moment that she is teething.  She has her 4 fronts on the top and bottom, and is now working on ALL 4 of her 1-year old molars at the same time.  Oh the joy.  Every 4 hours she lets us know its time for more tylenol.  I can not wait for them to finish coming through so we can all sleep through the night again.
She was a trooper through the first of her birthday parties this past weekend.  I hope she can muster through it this weekend again for parties # 2 & 3.

For now we all need to partake in naptime to make up for what we are missing at nigh.