Mason's first movie

Mason saw his first movie in the theater this weekend. Eric took Mason on a boy's afternoon to see "wall-e". He loved it and did a great job of just sitting still and watching the movie. He also received a watch at the movie. I guess kids got a give-away. I am so proud of how he behaved and excited to have a new activity to spend an afternoon with. I am sure it will be a long time until Miles is at the point that he can also go. But, maybe mommy and Mason can have a date soon! :)
Not much else to report from this weekend. Miles has a runny nose, so no gym today for mommy. Mason has a cough, but no other symptoms of any sickness (no fever, runny nose, etc). So, I am not sure if it is just allergies or what.
As I was typing this, Mason walked up next to me and looked at the computer and said "that's my name mommy". I am SO proud and excited that he recognized his name in the text. Yea!! Maybe all those "Letter Factory" videos and lessons we do a few times a week are sinking in after all!

Time to update

I realize I have not updated in over a week. It has been a difficult week. Miles had a low-grade fever on Monday and Tuesday, so we had to check him for fever every 3-4 hours, even at night. Wednesday night, he woke out of habit. We finally got some good, uninterrupted sleep Thursday night. I have also run quite a bit this past week.

Sun - 4.25 miles

Tue - 3.25 miles

Thur - 3 miles

Fri - 2 miles

Total - 12.5 miles

I would like to get it up to a consistent 15-20 miles a week. My knee hurt after most runs, but felt better after a little tylenol or aleve and some rest. Eric is doing great in his marathon training program. He will run Chicago on October 12. We'll hope for better (cooler) weather this year. Kim, Eric's sister, is training to run Chicago for the second time. Mason is, well, Mason. He is such a great helper, loves his brother, and loves to pester his little brother. Most days are great, but we do have tough moments each day. We enjoy going to the library, park, Y, sprayground and playing with the other kids in the neighborhood.

Yesterday was our niece Emilyn's first birthday. Happy Birthday, Em! We are so sad that we cannot be there to celebrate with you!

More later.......

Nothing to say

I have nothing to talk about today. Lately, that means really good news. No doctor trips, no infections, no fever -- thank God!! But, I feel like I am on the edge. I can't stop worrying that either Miles is going to spike another fever and I won't be around or awake to know that or that something else is going to happen. We already have 2 medical specialists that we see - the ENT and the GI doctor. I am so worried that a neurologist or someother doctor is going to be necessary. I know that moms worry. That is what we do. But, I also know that my worry is getting bigger than it should. I am afraid to sleep - at least in a deep sleep. I check Miles for a fever several dozen times a day.
So, I looked up "worry" at Biblegateway.com. Some of the verses that popped up include:

Do Not Worry
Matthew 6:25-34
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Two things struck me. Verse 27 says "who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" I guess that this goes for your children as well. I cannot add a single hour or minute or even a second to Miles' life by worrying. Instead, I will miss all the big and little things, all the time we have been given with him. I don't know if he will live one more day or a hundred more years. It is not mine to know. I would rather not know.
The other thing that I noticed is the verse right before this passage - verse 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. " So, I can submit to worry, fear, the unknown or I can submit to the giver of life. It sounds so easy and yet it is so very difficult. So difficult.....
But.
I realize that there have been a lot of "buts" in my life and posts lately. I hate uncertainty. I really do. I feel like I am in a holding pattern. I don't know about going back to work, even part time in real estate. I don't know if we are going to have another child. (No, not soon, no worries!) I don't feel like I even know my purpose in life lately. Being a mother is great. I love my time with the boys. I love being here to teach them, train them, love them, play with them. I am so tired of diapers, bottles and discipline. Maybe I just need to ensure that I spend a little time on me. I have not done a good job of that lately. It has been all about the boys in my life lately.
I know that this is a really random post, but I am just working through all my thoughts and feelings. I won't apologize. This is just life. My life. Reality as I know it.
OK, maybe I did have an awful lot to say after all.....

Austin and San Antonio

So much to write about. Miles is well, so no news on that front is GREAT! He has not had a fever since Tuesday, so I guess the viral infection he had that cause the fever and the seizure is over. I am still obsessively checking him often for fever.......
Wednesday, we drove down to Austin with my parents. We rented a house and stayed a couple of days. We saw the bats flying out for their evening meal (very cool!), walked around the Capitol, visited the Austin Children's Museum and spent some fun time as a family. Eric and I met up with an old friend, Summer for dinner. We met her husband, Chris, and their BEAUTIFUL daughter, Tatum. We had great food, a rude waiter (we were actually told that there were a lot of people waiting to get a table after we paid the check..... seriously????), and fabulous conversation. Tatum is such a doll and such beautiful big, blue eyes! Thanks Summer! We can't wait to see you all again very soon!
Friday we drove on down to San Antonio. We saw the Alamo, met up with one of my brothers and his family (Kevin, Donna, Kaleb and Hannah), had dinner at our favorite place - Casa Rio - then did the river boat tour. All very fun, but a long day for the boys! Later that night, my other brother and his family met up with us at the hotel (Kelley, Tara and Maddie). Saturday, we all went to Sea World. Yes, 13 people - 8 adults and 5 kids to keep up with in a very crowded place. But, no one was lost or even temporarily missing. Pretty impressive, I think! We had a great time despite the heat and enjoyed all the shows, animals and the swim area. Mason got overheated and did not sleep well last night. He had a low grade fever all night, but was better this morning. So, we left first thing and got back around 1:15 this afternoon. 5 days together as a family was really good for us. We really needed it. And, Eric just told me he is taking tomorrow off. Wow!! I don't even really know what to think! :)
I'll post pics soon from the trip. We should have some great ones. I think we tood about 500 pictures in those 5 days.
Happy Father's Day to all the daddies and daddies-to-be out there! :)
Special Happy Father's Day to Crazy Uncle Ben since it is his very first Father's Day!!

Big thank you

I just wanted to send a big thank you to all of our sweet friends that have called and e-mailed to send support to our family. We appreciate all the offers to help or hang with Mason more than you all can imagine!
The good part is that the seizures usually only occur at the onset of fever - not days/hours later. So, we should be in the clear for now. However, the next illness/fever will probably put me into a tailspin! I have to stay right on top of any fever he gets until he is 5 to 6 years old because he is more likely to have a repeat since he had the first one so young. No pressure!! :)
I have not really let myself process much of this yet. Everytime I think about it, I just start crying. It was so scary and something I would prefer to never have to see again. I think that I may never truly sleep well again......
I am looking forward to some quiet family time for the remainder of the week.

Processing -- Febrile Seizure

Febrile seizure. This is now at the top of a list of words I wish I didn't have to know the meaning of. Also on the list are GERD, Prevacid, chronic constipation and milk allergy. (And, yes, they are all related to Miles and his health.)
Miles had a low-grade fever all afternoon yesterday (100-101). I put him to bed around 7PM with a dose of Motrin and a bottle. I heard him crying around 12:30AM and his cry just didn't sound right to me. I went in and he was burning up (104). Eric went to get him more Motrin and a bottle while I sat on our bed with him. He kept making a funny growling/crying sounding noise and then started jerking. It took me a few seconds to register that he was having a seizure. Long story short, we called 911 and they sent an ambulance. The seizure lasted several minutes. After talking to our neighbor (a pediatric cardiologist) we drove to the ER. Long night, but the source of the fever was not found. They did blood work, urine sample and a chest x-ray and all came up fine. So, we were sent home with instructions to closely watch his fever and bring him back if he had another seizure or he had symptoms of something else going on.

Other than the seizure itself, one of the worst parts of the ordeal was he had to be stuck 4 times to get a successful blood draw (he has several bruises to show off as battle scars today). The catheter was also a pretty low point.

Please keep Miles in your prayers as we are not clear from all of this. He has a low grade fever this morning. He woke at 8:30 took a bottle, some Tylenol and went back to sleep. He is more likely to have febrile seizures now that he has had one (and since he is younger than 15 months, according to my quick research this morning). So, we are going to have to keep a close eye on his fevers from now on out. We did already, but when he has a fever at bedtime, the ER doctor advised me to check him every 3 hours in the night.

We will be seeing our pediatrician this afternoon to go over everything again and the blood work and everything from last night. I'll update if anything changes after that appointment.

Double happy birthday!

Happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday Daddy and Auntie Kim,
happy birthday to you!!!
Today is Eric's 32nd birthday and his sister, Auntie Kim (to Mason and Miles, the cutest, sweetest, bestest nephews in the world)'s 30th birthday! Hope you both have a wonderful, blessed day!

Wow Hits

Just entering a contest.... per the rules, I have to have a link to: www.WOWonline.com in my blog. So, here it is. Looks like a great new compilation CD and I would love to have it! Cross your fingers that I am one of the 20 winners! :)
More later!!

Fussy Fusserson

One of my many nicknames for Miles is Fussy Fusserson. He has lived this name to the fullest the last few days. But, has had no symptoms, other than teething. Long story short (and a long night last night), Miles spiked a 103.7 fever when he got up from his nap today. Visited the pediatrician and he has a viral throat infection. It is contagious, but rarely shows up in kids over 2. They tested for strep throat and the 5 minute test is negative. They are going to do a 48 hour test and expect it to also be negative.
So, no Mother's Day Out tomorrow (really, it's only once a week and we have to miss????). Here's praying he will sleep tonight. And, thankfully, the rest of us should not be able to catch it from him!

Mason's new 'do

To get ready for summer, we got Mason a short haircut this morning. He REALLY looks like a big boy now!!!