Making Progress!

This picture has nothing to do with this post.  This was taken at Hammock Beach.  Since I barely have any pictures this time, I figured I'd finally scan it in and post it.  This is the kind of picture you get at 9:30 at night!

Yay!  The cough is actually getting better.  It's about time.   Brady started the antibiotics and treatments on Tuesday evening and things started improving very quickly.  By Wednesday night, he was no longer waking up during the night and coughing.  In fact, each night he's slept longer and longer.  My usual routine had been that he would sleep until about 5:00 although before that time he would wake up now and then and cough.  At 5:00, I would bring him downstairs to the swing and that's where he would sleep until about 7:30.  Now I've got him staying asleep until 6:15 and there hasn't been any waking up coughing previous to that.  I feel like we're making real progress.  At the 6:15 wake up, I've just been bringing him into my bed and he goes back to sleep until around 7:15.  I HATE having kids in my bed but I'm making an exception in this case.

We had our follow up appointment on Friday morning (right during yard sales!) to assess how things were going.  She listened to his chest and although she still heard things going on in  there (not that she expected him to be cured in three days anyway) she said that she definitely thought we were on the right path.  She said we needed to continue with the Albuterol via the nebulizer which meant that we had to purchase our own machine. They try running it through insurance and if that doesn't work (I'm pretty skeptical) we'll be out $195 but I'll consider it money well spent if it comes to that.  She stopped the original steriod and now he's on another one called Budesonide for all you medical people.  Unfortunately this one is given through the nebulizer too.  I say unfortunately because it is not a pleasant operation having him do the nebulizer.  The Albuterol is given three times a day and Budesonide is twice a day so two times they are one right after the other and that is a VERY long 25 minutes to say the least.  If this cures him, then it's all worth it but the journey is not a pleasant one.  Anyway, as I said, it seems to be working so far.  We'll go back in about a week and a half for another assessment.

So, just as Brady seems to be on the mend, another one falls by the way side.  This time it's Aubree.  We noticed yesterday afternoon that her eyes were getting a little red, puffy, and watery.  It reminded me of when my eyes bother me from allergies at my parents.  Calleigh had one red eye on Thursday and we had briefly considered it was pink eye but it didn't bother her at all so we just let it go.  By Friday afternoon, it was fine.  When we were at the doctor's on Friday, I had asked the doc about the flu mist that the girls an I had gotten on Tuesday.  The flu mist, as opposed to the flu shot, has a partially live virus in it and it can give you mild symptoms like a runny nose.  So I figured that was what Calleigh had and now maybe now Aubree.  Well, by last night, Aubree was getting worse and worse and she woke up about 4 times during the night saying she wasn't feeling good.  This morning when she got up, her eyes looked really, really horrible.  We still weren't sure what it was but decided to take her to Centra Care.  The doc there quickly determined it was, in fact, pink eye.  As my friend Jennifer says (I sent her a picture), it's the worst case of pink eye she's ever seen because it's not just Aubree's eyes themselves that are bad but underneath them too.  I think it may be because she's so fair skinned.  He prescribed her some drops to put in her eyes which, as you might suspect, Aubree absolutely hates.  But her eyes are already looking better.  Gee, I should have a really fun day tomorrow between Brady's treatments and having to battle Aubree to get those drops in (every four hours).

Poor Aubs!

Other than all this, we're doing great!  We're all still in happy spirits so that's the important thing, right?

Let's get to some non-sick news.  Calleigh had her second week of Swim & Gym on Thursday.  This time she didn't bat an eyelash when we dropped her off.  It was really cute when we came to pick her up though. She saw us waiting for her as she came down the hall and her eyes lit up when she saw us.  I know it was only two hours that we were gone but we missed her too!  She did have a good time though.  I forget to mention this funny part from last week.  That first week I had gone down with her to the pool so she would feel comfortable and as I was waiting there, one of the teachers went over the pool rules.  These were the rules: "No running.  No jumping in.  No splashing.  No yelling.  No wild play.  No fun."  Of course, I just made that last one up but I could see Calleigh's face all bewildered like "What is there left to do?"

Friday I did manage to get in a couple of yard sales around the doctor visit.  One place had a deal where I could stuff a Walmart bag of baby boy clothes for $3.  Those are the times that I try to do all I can to keep the Cheshire grin off my face less they realize what a steal that is!

Friday evening we went over to David and Yully's new place.  Their lease was up at their apartment over by the RDV so they decided to move into a townhouse very similar in size to our place here.  Even better is that it's much closer...only about 4 miles away on the Winter Park/Oviedo border.  We're very excited to have them so close.  It has a pool so we did a little swimming first and then on to their house for a tour and supper.  It's a really pretty place (I loved their upgraded stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.  Seriously, I watch too much House Hunters!).  Nobody else was at the pool until we were almost ready to leave when two parents (we assumed) came with their three boys who I would say ranged in ages from about four to seven.  I had taken Calleigh and Aubree into the bathroom to change and when I came out, Duncan was like "Let's get out of here right away."  He said the mother was yelling and swearing at the boys because they wouldn't swim across the pool and Duncan was just so uncomfortable he couldn't take it any more.  How very sad.

Sabbath was a typical day as far as church went.  The one big thing was that Aubree actually did things on her own during Sabbath School.  As I've mentioned in here before, she becomes so reticent when she isn't around Calleigh that I have to do every little thing with her during Sabbath School.  But this week she was fine.  She did it all on her own.  I have no idea what changed since the last time but I'm happy.

Saturday night we went over to the Isidros for "Roll Your Own Sushi Night."  Yes, I actually ate sushi.  I had no idea they had "veggie" sushi but it turns out there is such a thing.  I had it with cucumbers, cream cheese, and strawberries and I have to say dipping that in soy sauce was quite delightful.  Hmm, now I'm feeling hungry.  I wish I was still pregnant so I would have an excuse to eat right now.  Anyway, we had a great time as usual there although we had to cut our stay a little shorter than we typically do since we all had things to do later in the evening (mine was to get registered for my on-line personal trainer but it didn't happen because of Aubree).

The men rolling sushi.

Five Star Dining! And no, I did not use chopsticks.  I'm messy enough with a fork.

This morning we were supposed to join a big group down at Green Meadow Petting Farm but that obviously got sidetracked by the trip to Centra Care.  We have a Groupon for it that expires on September 28 that we will now not be able to use.  If anyone reading this would like to go, let me know.  I have three tickets I'll give you!  Anyway, I felt bad that it didn't work out as the girls were excited to go.  We had been talking about it yesterday and asked the girls if they were going to milk the cow.  As we were walking to the Sabbath School classroom, I have no idea why Aubree was thinking of it at that time, she says to me "Mommy, do we milk the cow with our mouths?"  I think she's somehow getting the whole milking thing mixed up with a baby nursing or something like that!

Since we already had our picnic lunch in the van, when we left the Centra Care late morning, we decided to drive up to Wekiva Springs Park.  It's funny how you can live somewhere for years and yet never go to things that are right near you.  This was our first time in the park.  We didn't exactly pick the right time to make our park debut since the love bugs are out right now in full force.  As Calleigh says, "I don't love 'em, I hate 'em."  They don't bite but they sure are annoying as all get out.  Anyway, we decided to walk down this big hill to the springs. Since I hadn't brought sunblock we tried to maneuver ourselves to a spot that was well shaded but the only place available was covered with dirt and roots.  I had miraculously packed bathing suits for the girls (although Aubree just sat with me because of her eyes) so Calleigh was able to go into the spring with Duncan.  We didn't have any towels so we used a few little baby blankets to sit on.  Needless to say, it wasn't the most comfortable or cleanest picnic lunch we ever had.  We had been there for probably 20 minutes tops when Duncan noticed ominous black clouds moving in.  Just after we had lugged everything back up the hill the torrential rain started.  Duncan chauffeured us home in his underwear which he had the foresight to remove before swimming in his shorts.  That went off without a hitch until we got home and as he was walking in a couple of people drove by in a car and Duncan tried to hide behind the cooler he was carrying.  Hey, at least they weren't whitey tighties!

Before I close off I wanted to mention one thing I observed about the girls.  I've found it interesting over the last week or two to notice that Calleigh has learned how to delay gratification.  A trait of children, at least to up to a certain age, is instant gratification.  They want it NOW!  Well, little Calleigh is growing up because she doesn't give in to the instant gratification any more.  I noticed this with the Buddy Fruit snacks that they love.  When I give them both a little bag, Aubree gets hers and eats it as fast as she possibly can which is usually about 60 seconds.  Calleigh, meanwhile, savors them very slowly and will save some of them for a later time.  Same thing with cheese.  Sometimes I'll give them a cheese stick with their meal.  Aubree eats it first before anything else on her plate.  Calleigh used to do the same thing but now she'll save it for the last thing she eats as if she's saving the best for last.  Just an interesting observation...

I think I'll end here.  It's promising to be another long night, again, with Aubree as she's cried out a couple of times already since she went to sleep and I've had to go up there.

One other thing...I (okay, Duncan) finally ordered a new battery charger for my camera so I should be back to more and better pictures very soon.