Gabbi the Christmas Tree

Or something like that. She started getting a little bit of a rash on her neck yesterday. Or I noticed it then anyway. I thought it was from milk dripping down her chin but she was scratching at it a lot. I know rashes can frequently come at the end of a virus. So I wasn't too surprised but watching it closely. Today she is covered in red dots. It started spreading outward from her neck all over her head and down her torso. Poor thing is rubbing her head a lot. I think it's how she scratches it. She doesn't use the fingernails. Still I took her into the doc for a follow up. They checked her ear, declared it was fine and not even sure it was ever infected. Nice hmm? I thought he looked at her ear really fast that day. Anyway they were concerned that the rash came right after starting the antibiotic and wanted to be sure it wasn't an allergic reaction. So they told me to stop giving it to her. She has been fine with no fever, but slightly more irritable than usual. It's been a fun week! Let me tell you. She's got some slightly yellow palms and feet. Now the doc said she wouldn't have even noticed if I didn't point it out. But it's there. I think it's from too many veggies. She's allergic to milk so it's hard to give her any of the family dinner. She tends to eat lots of peas, some carrots but honestly not a ton. Mostly tons of peas and I was giving her fruit loops. My 7 year old Angel turned orange from too much Vitamin A when she was about this age....but still it's nervewracking because I do worry. The doc said she wasn't too concerned. The eyes are still white as can be. She goes in for her 18 month check up in 2 weeks and we'll follow up with everything then. Oh the joys of having babies! They don't tell you about all the worrying until AFTER you have kids. haha

No Fever, Strawberries and Morels

Gabbi is feeling much better today. I wouldn't say she is 100% yet. She took a really long nap and she's been poking at her ear a bit but otherwise no fever and she does seem less cranky. This is good news!

Last night on the way home from the doc I was waiting for her prescription to filled so swung over by Kroger. I picked up a few grocery items including strawberries. I just loooove strawberries. Anybody with me on this one? I am eating them now and honestly I think they taste better than usual. It must be because they are in season. The strawberries over the winter I don't like as much. I think once they are refrigerated they lose flavor. That juicy sweetness becomes too firm..and cold. haha I am this way about tomatoes too. Do NOT refrigerate! They lose their flavor. They get a weird texture. I hate that I have to wait until July/August for fresh garden tomatoes. I get tons from my dad.

In other hmmm fungus news...have you heard of Morel mushrooms? I was going to call them a vegetable there and suddenly realized my error. haha Mushroom are a fungus right? I could be wrong. Regardless these mushrooms have a very very short season and are hard to find. Finding them is like gold around here. Seriously. I used to eat them all the time because my dad hunts them. Yes. Hunts. It's a hunt really! But they are tasty. I like them. I eat them fried. I realize this defeats the point of healthy but boy are they good. They just had a festival in the town 10 miles over that I believed they called a Morel Mushroom Festival. (seriously) They sold these things for $50 for a half a pound!! I told my dad I hoped he was enjoying his delicacy 5 nights a week! He found a bunch and the season appears to have ended. I can't even imagine. I never realized how much these things were worth! I grew up on them. I used to hunt them myself. I didn't get any this year. But now that I know how much they are worth I think I'd probably try to either enjoy them a little more, taking it a little slower while eating or just put them in a bag and sell them!

Sleepless Night and an Ear Infection

Gabbi has had a fever since Sunday. It has not been outrageously high. It peaked around 101. I gave her some Motrin to keep it down for two reasons. One, she felt terrible when the fever was up and two, my daughter Mikayla has a history of getting super high temps (104) that were hard to control. I always fear that happening with my other daughters though it never really has.

Regardless, when my kids are sick I tend to stay near them. I want to make sure if they need me I am close by. At least when they are babies. When they get older they can come get me. So last night I decided to sleep with Gabbi since she was feeling so miserable. Her fever hit it's peak. I had been waiting for it to get better on it's own but it just wasn't. So I decided if it came back today I would take her in to see the pediatrician. More on that in a moment.

I made up a bed on the floor in our living room. I laid out blankets and pillows and popped in Gabbi's favorite movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks and we settled in. She had more problems with her reflux. That was most likely because I was giving her more fluids due to the fact that she was sick, and also when she runs a fever it seems like that does happen. I finally drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep around 3:30 a.m. and I was up with her at 6 a.m. She woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed. She was happy and ready to go. Then around 8 a.m. she crashed. She fell asleep and slept until 11 a.m. Her fever was still gone and she seemed ok. Then at noon it began to creep up again. She seemed to be feeling much worse and just grumpy and unhappy. I had seen her pull on her right ear a couple of times, but nothing major.

I decided to take her into to see the doc. He saw her right ear, said it was infected and prescribed us Zithromax (sp). I have no clue if that is how you spell it. I just know that's how I pronounce it. haha Anyway she'll be on that for 5 days. I realized something. She has NEVER been on antibiotic before. She is 18 months. This is her first infection. She has not used anything other than Zantac and some fever reducers. Her only problems really have been her milk allergy and reflux. I am glad to have an answer and even more glad that I took her in! She probably would have been in excruciating pain if I had waited. She seems content right now. And she also doesn't feel warm which is an added bonus.

Here's to hoping we all get a good nights sleep with NO fever!! Most importantly no pain for her. I hate seeing my baby girl hurt.

A Quiet Memorial Day

Yesterday the family went out for another walk. We've been doing that lately on nice days. We get out the stroller, get the kids and head out. I love walking with the hubby and the kids. It's such a family thing to do, plus it's good for all our health! We are trying to incorporate more exercise into our lives. I really do enjoy it too. We head up to the park and let the kids play. They have a great time. I noticed after we got there Gabbi seemed just a tad warm. I thought it could be just from being in her stroller and since I am always pretty much cold, I didn't know if she really was warm or not.

When we got back to the house I checked her temp and she did have a low grade fever. Today it's right around 100.1. Or it was when I checked. As of this point she has no other symptoms. Though a couple of weeks ago Angelina had a fever with no other symptoms that lasted about a day or two. Mikayla has had a cough that seems to be getting better too. Gabbi doesn't have any other symptoms at this point other than some slightly glassy looking eyes, she seems happy and playing as usual. Angelina was the same way though being 7 years old she was able to tell me her arms and legs hurt. Which I took for muscle aches, or body aches that isn't uncommon with a virus. So I am hoping maybe that's all this is and it passes soon. I am a hovering mama. I admit it. So Gabbi will be spoiled as usual while sick.

We took Mikayla in to get some tests done this past week too because of the stomach issues she has had? While on the Mira Lax (or however it's spelled) she had NO stomach aches, nausea, nothing. This lasted about 2 weeks. The prescription ran out and since we obviously don't want her on the meds forever, we decided to wait a couple of days before we refilled it. In 3 days she was vomiting again. She had a terrible stomach ache AGAIN. And diarrhea AGAIN. She has always had stomach aches. The nausea and vomiting are new. The constant diarrhea is also new. The vomiting is not excessive. It's mostly spit. But it's there. And some stomach acid in it too. We refilled the prescription after taking her to the doc and because it's been going on for awhile we did a blood test, an x-ray and urine test and she is scheduled for a sonogram too. She has been fine again on the medicine. It's supposed to regulate your digestive system. I have always thought something was wrong with hers. I don't know what, but this medicine makes her happy and content. It takes about one to two days to really kick in but right on the label it says to not take it for too long. Actually it says not to give it to children which freaks me out too. UUUGH. Mikayla was very brave with the blood draw. I am so proud of her! She's my most nervous child. So when I hear stories about how they used to call stomach aches in a child a "nervous stomach" it makes sense. Her stomach absolutely bothers her more when she is upset. NO doubt. She used to faint when upset as a child. Seriously. So I am hoping they can figure this out. I hope there is a solution to it because she can't live this way.