Sunday, November 22, 2009

When Daddy's away, bad luck comes out to play.

Ugggggh. What a night! Grant had a sudden asthma attack at about 1 this morning. I tried to gain control over the problem in the same progression I always do. We start off with a breathing treatment and wait ten minutes... If no luck, we do another breathing treatment and wait another ten minutes... This is when I would pretty much bet my bottom dollar the attack will be over. But Daddy is away, and that means that all things that would normally take a familiar progression decide to take a vacation. After doing two breathing treatments with Xopenex and a steroid, a dose of Singular and Mucinex and still not having any luck, I decided to try something that Cook's Children Hospital did when Grant was there two years ago with asthma. They switched back and forth between Xopenex and Albuterol. I figured this was our last shot before the E.R., so I crossed my fingers and emptied an Albuterol vial into the machine. Fifteen minutes later, I dare say he was actually getting worse. This is when I picked up the phone and called my mother and father-in-law b/c I needed someone to come stay with Rhett so I could take Grant to the hospital. If I felt the situation was bad enough, I would've called an ambulance or perhaps even ripped Rhett out of his pleasant slumber and drug him with us. But Grant was not turning blue/purple, and he was not using other muscles to help him breathe, so I really felt like we had time. While we waited for Dude-Dad to arrive to watch Rhett, I quickly packed an E.R. bag and got myself dressed while Grant did two more Albuterol treatments and cried from exhaustion, tired tummy muscles and the fear of shots that may occur once at the hospital. I tried to calm him b/c crying does NOT help asthma. I succeeded a tad. By then it was about 3 a.m., and I was starting to feel drowsy and really bummed that our night would spent in an E.R. and we would emerge sometime later that day with Grant being exhausted, poked and prodded, and I would be left with a nice hospital bill. Just when the feeling of "This stinks! Wake me up when it's over!" began to really set in........... Grant stopped coughing. Just like that. He went from coughing at least 50 times a minute (which I also know is bad for the heart and that's another reason I wanted to get him to the E.R.) to not coughing at all! FINALLY, the medicines had kicked in. After five breathing treatments (two Xopenex and three Albuterol) in 2.5 hours, an oral steroid, and a dose of Singulair and Mucinex, the episode had ended. Whew! Dude-Dad stayed a while as I put Grant back to bed to make sure everything really was okay and his babysitting services weren't needed after all. When all was clear, he went back home, bless his heart, and I was able to finally snuggle down into my warm bed next to Grant and close my eyes knowing that Grant's lungs were finally at rest.

I don't think he's coughed once today.

Now the big question is, why can't these things happen when Daddy is in town? Lest we forget the time when Grant was two and I was prego with Rhett and he stuck a pea up his nose which landed us in the E.R. Daddy was gone then.Lest we forget Spring Break two years ago when Grant's asthma got so bad that we had an ambulance ride and E.R. visits to two different hospitals. Daddy was gone then.

Lest we forget last year's Spring Break when Rhett was admitted into Cook's in Fort Worth with dangerously low blood sugar caused by a stomach bug. Daddy was gone then, too. \


I'm telling you people, Kerry leaves, and I cross my fingers that bad luck will keep its distance. Maybe the next time he leaves I should also throw salt over my shoulder.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

It's okay that this week...

... I told Grant that Rhett and I would eat lunch with him at school on Wednesday and that I'd bring McDonalds with me and ended up showing up with donuts and chocolate milk instead. Hmmmm, it seems that McDonlads doesn't sell lunch food until 10.30, and I needed to order my food at 10.15. Grant sure didn't mind the change of the day's menu. Not sure what I can say about what his teacher thought. I was feeling guilty about it until I realized I could possibly win a Nobel *prize for it since it seems those things are being handed out like hot cakes to just about anyone.

...The loud thunder kept us up last night which meant that Rhett was crying b/c he was scared so Grant couldn't sleep and then Grant needed a breathing treatment at 3.30 a.m. due to coughing that was keeping ALL of us up. Why do these things happen when Daddy is out of town?

...I left the sunroof partially opened in my car overnight. Not a big deal, but since it rained outside, it rained a bit inside my car as well and we, along with the a little neighbor girl, Ashlyn, had to drive to school in a wet car on a cool morning. That's a great way to start the day, huh?

...I left my favorite dessert (chocolate brownies with chocolate icing and colored sprinkles) out within Madalyn's reach while picking up Grant and Ashlyn from school. I came home to find this.

But despite all the "fun", there were some high points. My favorite being that Grant got to go to the Treasure Chest today at school and pick out a prize for once again earning all of his positive reward stickers. Instead of getting something for HIM, he got something for ME. He said he knew I would like it b/c it had flowers and lots of pink. HOW SWEET!!!!!!! I think it may be the sweetest thing he's ever done for me.

Grant drew a picture of Thanksgiving at school this week. What are the black arrows pointing to, you ask? That would be the big white wind-powered windmills that are between Texas and New Mexico. I know that when I think of Thanksgiving, I often associate windmills with the holiday as well as pie and turkey.

Oh, and who can forget another high point of the week?! My little brother, Garrett, got engaged to his high school sweetheart, Danielle. She is beautiful, sweet, smart, gentle, quiet and just about the skinniest thing with perfect naturally curly hair you've laid eyes on. They are looking forward to a summer wedding. I am looking forward to getting another perfect sister!

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Scoodle Doots

So... I have this little business called Scoodle Doots where I sell all things monogrammed = shirts for fun, shirts for holidays, shirts for special events, sippy cups, travel mugs, sports bottles, burp cloths, hooded towels for babies/kids, diaper covers for baby girls, mouse pads, and so on.

Recently I have been wanting to get my own website or a spot on "Etsy", but Christmas orders are coming in from many sweet friends and I just don't have time to do both a website and get Christmas shirts mailed out. Thus, my little business has a blog until I catch up with time. Only Christmas items are posted now, but soon I hope to add all the other spunky crafts I have to offer as well.

So, stop by and check out how Scoodle Doots can help your little ones celebrate Christmas in their own unique way. I have several designs to choose from, or I am more than happy to work with you to create a specific design for you.


Hope to see you at Scoodle Doots soon!
*Although only Christmas items are seen on my Scoodle Doot blog at the moment, I make a lot of other personalized items that make great Christmas gifts... Let me know if you are interested.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Trick or Treat

Eating dinner on the way to Treat in a Trunk at church. (those are supposed to be sideburns...)

This has got to be the cutest (and skinniest) Elvis EVER!


Does Grant's costume look familiar to you? It should. It was the same one he wore last year. He loved it and wanted to wear it again this year. I had NO complaints! He thought he was pretty cool. Rhett just liked the suckers.


I spy an Elvis. (and a Gabby Cat behind him)
Grant and his gals. (from left to right - Grace, Reese, Devin)
Funny side note - Grace wanted to be a firefighter for Halloween. Her costume had muscles built into it. ha ha


We found some friends!
Grace, Devin, Avery, Pearson, Grant and Rhett, and in the very bottom right corner is Brady's giraffe costume.
Grace and Grant helped to pass out candy, and they were really excited about it. They were so excited, Ms. Lisa had to remind them to give one piece of candy to each trick-or-treater instead of the handfulls they had been giving. (Did you notice Grace's six pack?)

Gramma had her usual Halloween treats for the boys. Doesn't she make a sweet scarecrow?

It's only been two days since Halloween, and between the candy the boys have eaten and the candy I've taken (I mean "borrowed") from them, there's almost nothing left. No worries though, Pops. We are brushing our teeth.

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