Happy New Year...Sickness Stinks...So Does Snow

I would like to start by wishing everyone a very belated Happy New Year! We rang in the new year with a family game night at our house. We had lots of fun eating, talking and playing games. The kids had a blast. I was wiped out the next day and did not even get out of my pj's until nearly supper time. Below are a few pictures from the evening.

We have had quite a bit of sickness at our house this week. Ben was up very early Tuesday morning, (12:30 am until about 2:30 am) wheezing and coughing. It seemed like I had just got back to sleep when Noah came in and said "Mom. I need to show you something." A quick check of the clock showed that it was now 4:30. At least I got a couple hours of sleep. The something he wanted to show me was that he threw up in the sink in the bathroom. Hey, at least it was not his bed. That earned him a $1. It was a quick clean up, and so I got to go back to bed again. I feel asleep again about the time Randy's alarm went off. I let him know what had happened, and that I was really tired, and was volunteering to stay home. The rest of Tuesday was pretty uneventful. Noah seemed fine all day, and ate normally. Ben was still wheezy, but doing OK. He is still on antibiotic from his ear infection last week so I was not too worried about him.

Since they were predicting snow and Randy had something to do after work, we headed into Lincoln to do some errands and get some groceries in case we got snowed in. At HyVee they had a special for 99 cent pieces of pizza. Both boys were bugging me for pizza. I asked Noah if his tummy felt good enough for pizza and he said yes. So I let them each get a slice. Big mistake.

They called off school already before we went to bed because of the snow and bitter cold. Ben started running a fever, so I gave him some Tylenol.

About 12:30 am (again) Noah came in to my room and said "Mom, I think I am going to throw up!" I rushed him into the bathroom where he broke the bad news. "Mom, I already threw up on my bed and the floor. Nice. I am not liking the new carpet that much now, as it is really hard to pick out bitty pieces of mushy smelly pizza. I moved him to the couch and Ben to our bed and set to work cleaning it up. I don't even know when I got back to bed, but I was glad I did not have to get up in the morning.

Randy went to work the next morning (Wed) so I thought I would try to sign in to my work from home. Ben woke up and started crying (very unlike him). I picked him up an sat him on my lap while trying to type. He was still fussing and I could not figure out why. Then he coughed funny and I figured it out as he threw up in my hand. Poor baby with an ear infection, some nasty viral something, and now the stomach flu on top of it. How can one little baby have so many things going on at once. Needless to say I did not get much done that day other than rocking my sweet little boy. About mid morning he started signing eat, so we tried a little oatmeal, and a bit later some mac and cheese. By supper he was starving again, so at least I knew the flu stuff was gone.

Randy got home and reported that it was pretty bad out. By Thursday morning we were officially drifted in. Now I was starting to get worried. We only missed one of Ben's doses of antibiotics due to the stomach flu, but his breathing was getting worse. The wheezing was getting louder and his respiration rate was increasing. I could tell he was not in any immediate danger, but knew that it could turn for the worse at any point and here we are snowed in.

We tried warm liquids, and setting with him in the bathroom with the hot shower going to try to loosen him up but nothing seemed to work. This morning however, his fever seems to be much lower and his respiration rate is slower too. He still wheezes somewhat, but it is not as bad as it was. We are still completely snowed in, but I am not as worried now about having to call someone to dig us out so we can get Ben to a Dr. Randy and the boys ventured out despite the cold to see some of the drifts and even went over to check on the other house. Here are some pictures:

The drift by the other house

John and Noah laying on one of the many drifts in the road.

The road looking north. Don't let the foreground fool you. The drift at the top is shoulder deep.

The boys climbing some of the drifts.

Glad Last week is over

Last week was a very bad week for me.

It started off Monday when we had a light dusting of snow. Schedules changed and Andi needed to leave with Ben right when I got to day-care. When I pulled up I saw her car was running, and since I was just going to move Ben from one car to another, I left my van running too.

I never leave my van running. Turns out for good reason.

I went to step out on the snow and must have grabbed my door for support in case it was slick. I shut my door and went to open Ben's door, but it was locked. I went back to open my door, but it was now locked too. Great.

Now I remember why I always turn off my van, and pull the keys when I stop somewhere. When we got the van I had them program it so that all the doors automatically unlocked when I stop the van and open my door.

I ran inside and announced to Andi that she better make the call to say she would be late, as I just locked Ben in a running car that was now blocking her car in the driveway. At least the heat was on. I immediately called Randy to see if he could come from work to unlock the door. I was lucky he answered the phone, because I had forgotten he was at a class that day a good 45 minutes away. He suggested I call the police. Great!

So I called them and the said they would send someone out. Meanwhile, Ben is just hanging out in the car. I was playing peekaboo with him through the window. He thought this was a lot of fun.
About 20 minutes later a tow truck came and the very nice gentleman put what looked like 2 small blood pressure cuffs in my window, pumped them up until he could he could slide his tool that looked like a small dog catching leash and simply pulled up the lock. Wow that was easy.
Certainly an eye opener! Remind me to never leave anything valuable locked in my car (especially not my precious baby boy). I asked what I owed him and he said they don't charge when there is a child locked in the car. Wow! that was nice. Unfortunately he got away before I figured out who he worked for. I would definitely call his company again if I needed them, and would have liked to send them a tray of cookies or something. Thank you mystery tow truck man.

Then the nice police officer showed up to investigate what happened and to make sure it was not an abuse situation. I think he actually chuckled when I told him what happened. Thank you for doing your job and making sure my baby was safe.

I went to work, and actually made it pretty much on time. However I don't think I calmed down until about Thursday.

The rest of Monday way pretty uneventful. But that night it snowed some more. They called off school on Tuesday, so I volunteered to stay home with the boys and work from home. It was then that I figured out that some of my testing had to be done by Wednesday. With the forecast calling for yet more snow and high winds, I knew I would not be able to get to the office anytime soon, so I started at it from home. Luckily I was able to get quite a bit done, while serving as a referee between the big boys fighting over the play station, and trying to keep Ben out of all the drawers that don't have child locks on them yet. It is amazing how entertaining a big box of paper that needs to be shredded can be to a toddler.

We ended getting between 10 to 14 inches of snow with lots of drifting. School was canceled for 3 days so I was home with the boys. Randy had to stay home Wednesday too. Early Thursday morning Ben woke up about 3 am all stuffed up, wheezing horribly and barking like a dog. I turned the shower on to try to loosen him up with the steam, but it did not do much good. Ended up sleeping with him in the recliner. Randy got up and got ready to leave about the time Ben spiked a fever. I told Randy, I would try to get a late appointment at the Dr. but he would have to come back with the truck to get us if the plows did not come by.

The plows did not come by, so Randy did have to come get us. It turned out Ben has a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection. Then I made Randy take us out shopping and to dinner since we were finally out of the house. Overall being snowed in was not bad. I wished I would have gotten more things put away at the new house, but between work and a sick baby, not much got done. I have next week off, so hopefully I can more things moved and organized, because right now it seems everything that I need is at the wrong house.

Ben helped the moving effort by putting himself in this box. He had a lot of fun getting in and out of it.

So far yesterday was not bad. We got to enjoy the school Christmas concert last night and got to hear John play with his band for the first time. He really is a good drummer.

Lets hope the rest of this week goes much better than last week.