Kids

The day has come.  One gets sick and sure enough the 2nd is soon to follow.   It will keep happening over and over I’m sure.

Of course we were at the dr last thurs and recognized the signs but it didn’t kick into full effect until a couple days ago.  Now we have coughs, sneezes, and runny noses.  It’s only a matter of time until we throw an ear ache or two in there along with whatever other disease it manifests into.

I tried robotussin for the cough and the bottle is now in the trash.  The amount of hyperactivity that resulted from just the smallest dose was way more than I could handle.  I’ll just deal with the coughing.  Never again will they get that before nap time.

And since when did medicines start to taste good.  Who’s idea was that?  Bubblegum flavored pepto???  Sure, it helps to get it down when it’s needed, but what about the desire for it when it isn’t?  I can vividly remember medicines that tasted so bad it made me gag.

I guess it’s time to schedule another dr appt.  If they aren’t any better today we’ll be there tomorrow 4 sure.

And then …

I still keep thinking … is this for real?  Is this all for real?  It’s all so UNREAL!

And then …

I knew it would happen.   I don’t know how many people told me they would do anything for me.  I also don’t know how many times I asked someone to do something and they couldn’t do it.  Why even bother saying that.  And of the who-knows-how-many-people I spoke to at some point or another, where are they now?  They have moved on. I’m back to our close group of friends and family.  I expected it.  Sure there are some others that are still around, but 95% have disappeared back into their own ‘world’

Today was C’s 8 month appointment.  I brought E in too because she’s had a cough & stomach ache for a few days.  So might as well knock out 2 at the same time.

C seemed long but it appears he’s pretty much average, except for his big head which I actually though wasn’t that big.  It’s more long than round whereas Ellie was always up in the 90th percentile with her big ole head.

Length – 27.5 in ~ 50%
Weight – 17.4 lbs ~ 25%
Head – 18 cm ~ 75%

He was smiling away until she started to listen to his breathing.  He didn’t start to cry but you could tell it was only a matter of time.  Then came the shots.  He’s not a big fan, but what kid would be.  Poor guy.  They’re for his own good, right?  Cari hated seeing them in pain.  She felt so sorry for the little one.  I don’t let it bother me so much.  All the crying kind of just blends together anyways.

E is at 29 lbs but since it wasn’t her official appointment we didn’t get a percentage for her.  Probably somewhere in the middle I would guess.  And they also said there’s nothing we can give her because it doesn’t seem like much of an issue.  Maybe some yogurt will push it out of her system.  Good luck getting anything into her mouth except for the usual.  I have to start giving her more vitamins though.  I try to do it every day but it doesn’t always happen.

She wasn’t a big fan of leaving for the dr today.  It wasn’t the dr’s office so much, it was just a matter of getting into the car.  So she cried most of the way.  Thankfully the office is only a few miles down the road.  When we got there she was asking if she could get a shot.  I highly doubt she knew exactly what that involved.  She didn’t get one of course but it was crazy to hear her ask for one.

Earlier in the week I reached out to one of Cari’s former students.  One of the handful of girls (and boys) she taught maybe 6 years ago that she still kept in touch with.  One of the students she touched in such a way that they still communicated years later.  Why she didn’t continue on at that school is beyond me … but not beyond the politics of Chicago Public Schools.

Nevertheless, these girls looked up to Cari.  I randomly decided to reach out to them to let them know we created some wristbands in Cari’s memory.  They jumped on the opportunity to get some.  I told them to let me know that if any of their friends wanted some to let me know.  They came back with a request for a dozen+.  A dozen+ people who cared for Cari.  A dozen+ people from the 1 year she spent with them.

So I met the girls this evening at the in-laws when I picked up the kids.  Besides giving them the wristbands it gave them the chance to interact with our kids.  It took E her usual time to warm up but as soon as she did they became best friends.  C smiled up a storm as soon as he saw them.  E is pretty funny.  She was talking to me before they appeared from around a car.  As soon as she saw them she zippered up.  I think the chalk finally got her going but I was initially unsuccessful with things like bubbles and her dolls.  I guess you never know what it’s going to take to get her to open up.  I told the girls they should have brought some french fries.  French fries almost always do the trick.