Stock Market Gamble

Disclaimer: I am not a gambler nor do I intend to be. That said...

Five years ago I started buying shares of stock in the company where I worked. It was easy, the company I worked for deducted the allotted amount from my paycheck and bought the stock for me. At the time I was buying one share for anywhere from $40-$50. I quit working for that company nearly a year later and held on to the stock in a separate brokerage account.

In August 2007 I had to sell that stock because Joe and I are poor. I sold the stock at $105 per share. A really good return if you ask me.

Today the company that I used to work for has been absorbed by another company and stockholders were given approximately .94 shares of the new company stock for each 1 share of the old company stock, which makes the original stock (which I fortunately don't own) worth approximately $14.50 a share now.

With all the news of stock market woes, I'm having a hard time differentiating between gambling with dice, for example, and gambling in the stock market.

Why is it considered smart and reasonable to put all of your money in a market that may or may not give you decent returns but a sin to put your money down on cards?

Is it in the definition? I've been reading a bit online and a USA Today Columnist suggests that the definition is the key: that gambling is a game meant for entertainment. But, it's possible that people go to Vegas seeking a return on their "investment"? In fact they go in droves hoping to return home with more money.

Ultimately, the action remains the same. Risking money on a hunch or potential luck of the investor; knowing when to get in and knowing when to get out.

Everything that I have read explaining the sinful nature of gambling can also be easily attributed to investing in the stock market. Help me. What's the difference?

24 Hour Fitness

I work out at 24 Hour Fitness. If you are a stay at home mom and not a member of a gym, any gym, you're crazy (or a better mom than I am). Going to the gym during the day makes me feel good, but it does more that.

Going to the gym with Henry teaches him to interact with other kids his age, because he spends time in the Kids Care, which he likes very much.

Going to the gym levels my emotions. Ever had a bad day and been kind of mean to your kids as a result? Ever felt like you really need a break? Need to get out of the house? All of those emotions are easily leveled by a good cardio workout at the gym.

Too often I hear mothers complain that they just need a break. Or, that their house is too confining in the winter months. I hear mothers who are unhappy about the little things in life, but I think, too often it's because they don't take time to take care of themselves. It's too easy to neglect yourself when you have kids who need your attention.

Going to the gym gives me the opportunity, every day if I want, to do something for myself. Give yourself a treat, go to the gym!

That said... if you don't know where to start, I love 24 Hour Fitness. There are two very close to my house. I love going to the classes, they make my workout intense, fun and motivating (can those words actually fit well together in the same sentence?). I like that I know the sitters and some of the kids in the Kids Care and that Henry actually looks forward to playing with his friends in the Jungle Jim.

Costco has a great deal right now on memberships if you're thinking about joining a gym. I bought mine from Costco last year and have been tremendously pleased. The deal disappears sometime before Christmas - you won't find a better deal out there. It's two years for $289.99 (I called the 24 Hours Fitness at Trolley and they said they would honor this package for current members as well). That adds up to a little more than $12 a month. Upfront, I know it's hard to swallow. But I'm sure your sanity is worth $12 a month. Here's the link.

Some Clarification

I am nearly a month shy of my 5th anniversary with Type I diabetes. I think I should be proud to say that diabetes has hardly changed my life. Nevertheless, it remains a constant in my life.

Every day, as most of you know, I check my blood sugar levels by pricking my finger and squeezing a small amount of blood onto a test strip; I do this 5-10 times. At night, before I go to bed, I give myself a shot of Lantus. Every time I eat any food, I give myself a shot of Humalog. And, any time I mess up, I either eat to make up for too much insulin or I take more insulin.

The downside to this routine is not the shots anymore. The downside is the moments when my blood sugar levels are too low. The moments when I'm refusing sugar, telling Joe I hate him for forcing me to eat when I don't feel like it, even though I know I need it, all while laying on the floor crying uncontrolably. It's impossible to explain the feeling of knowing you need to do something, yet the inability to do anything; the fear of what might happen if no one notices.

Then there's the long term complications that aren't even worth talking about because I'm trying to avoid them altogether.

Am I happy? Yes.
Do I require a cure to diabetes in order to live a full and happy life? No.
Would it be convenient if I were cured? Yes.
Less scary to live without diabetes? Yes.

Nearly three years ago I wrote an opinion piece for the Deseret News about diabetes and stem cell research. It, amazingly, is still floating around on the web. I think it's appropriate that I link to it here, so you understand where I'm coming from when I say, More Hope.

So, when my Dad called me and told me to watch this video about a potential cure for diabetes, I couldn't resist. When I watched it the first time, I cried. True, this is not the first potential cure, but it is yet another reason to hope that a cure is possible. If the most recent news doesn't produce a cure, there will be more research and more opportunity for cures.

There is still room for hope.

More Hope

Winner, winner and a funny side note

Thanks for entertaining me and playing my election contest. Missouri still has not declared a victor but regardless of Missouri's vote, Jamie won. Obama received 364 electoral votes and McCain received 162. Missouri's 11 electoral votes are still in limbo.

I was at Toys 'R Us this evening entertaining Henry when I was passed by some serious hoodlums (picture: baggy, sagging black pants. White oversized t-shirt. Skater shoes. Greasy hair.) probably 15 years old, running down the isles chanting O-bama, O-bama. I know that I'm stereotyping those kids, but I think that the interest from kids this young and niaeve, is a sign that Obama has really touched Americans in a way that no other politician in recent history has. That's invigorating!

Henry, to my dismay, was clearly not as interested in Obama as those kids at Toys 'R Us. Today we received the most recent copy of Newsweek, a magazine to which we subscribe. Here's the cover:


Henry looked at the cover and said, John McCain. Clearly he's been listening in on our conversations at home, but why did he pick up John McCain? Don't worry, all is well, now, he also says President Barack Obama.

Election Day Contest Anyone?

In the spirit of election day, I thought I would offer a contest.

If you want to play, pick your presidential winner, and then respond with a comment on how many electoral votes that candidate will receive. The person with the closest number of electoral votes will win homemade chocolate cookie sandwiches, which I will personally deliver to you.


If no one votes I reserve the right to eat all the chocolate cookie sandwiches all by myself while lying in bed tonight. :)

You have to vote before 8pm tonight, when Utah's polls close, which gives you almost three hours of watching results come in to make your decision.

NPR has an interactive map that allows you to predict the results of the 2008 presidential election. If that sounds useful, you can find it here: http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html#/president?view=predict.

Nostalgia of Food

For me the perfect cure for a cold, crappy, day like today is tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I realize that this is not gourmet food, but it's the only food I want when I'm cold or sick or otherwise unhappy. This type of food does not spark any vivid memories, it's more an ingrained sense of comfort. I guess you could say it is nostalgic; you know those songs that take you back to a different time in your life, this food has the same effect for me. My mom always made this for us when we were sick or otherwise unhappy. Now, when I need a cure, need to feel like it's still summer, I choose the grilled cheese and tomato soup to, mentally, take me to the beach. What cures your cold day blues?


Today, while it rained and kind of snowed, I made grilled cheese and tomato soup for Henry and I to eat for lunch. I made it on the homemade bread that I baked yesterday, which is delicious. It's soft, fluffy and has a mildly sweet taste. Here's the link to the recipe I used, it's delicious!! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fabulous-Homemade-Bread/Detail.aspx

Happy Halloween!

The Power of Stem Cells

Check out http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=boozers to read about how Carlos Boozers son was cured of Sickle Cell Anemia using stem cells from his brother.

This article replaces the video which was great, but is no longer available.

Trendy T's

I'm watching the news right now and I just saw a teaser that mentioned childhood obesity. Fortunately, that's a problem I'll never have. At two Henry weighs a whopping 25 pounds. His pediatrician recommended that I add extra butter to his veggies, cheese to his sandwich and syrup to his pancakes (a recommendation which I hesitate to follow). I never really think of him as exceptionally small, since he's all I know, and that must be why after buying him a few winter outfits I had to return everything in exchange for smaller sizes, he's small and I forgot. Oops.


Which brings me to the cutest winter appropriate t-shirt that I got for Henry, the only one that fit on the first try too. A Japanese inspired Koi t-shirt from a cute online t-shirt shop for kids; The Trendy Tadpole. The shirt is adorable and unique in it's design. I have considered also getting him the frog design because it says "Oh Snap." on it. Sometimes, Joe says "Oh Snap." and it makes me laugh because, who says that? Anyway, cute t-shirts from American Apparel with adorable designs printed on them. Love it. Love it.

Register to Vote TODAY!

www.maps.google.com/vote

No matter who you're voting for, this has got to make you laugh, right?

Poor, poor Sarah Palin. She's getting slammed by the media now. She is funny though.



Already Mrs. Palin is being compared to another of our favorite comedians. Maybe next time Palin should use another of her interview methods - find the answer and get back to us later.

Remaking the Great Outdoors

After a recent hike, Henry decided that he would make his own forest. Using rocks for the base and flowers and pine cones as "trees," he created his masterpiece. I'm surprised by his imagination - no one taught him this, or really event told him what a forest is.

Cake Wrecks

This evening Joe was laughing hysterically for quite a while. Finally, I gave up on what I was doing, because laughter is totally distracting if you're not participating, to find out what was so funny and hopefully join in on some of the fun. Someone suggested the blog: Cake Wrecks to Joe and some of it's posts are hilarious, check out the favorites link on the right hand side of the page for some funny ones - my favorites are The Cake That Started At All and Cupcake Cakes: Always Wrecktastic. Always.

The cake I made for Henry's 2nd Birthday

Feeding the Fire

Henry and I went to the air show in Wendover today. I almost didn't go but I'm SO glad we went. Not only did Henry have a great time but I surprisingly enjoyed myself as well. Some of the highlights of the show:

• Seeing the helicopters


• Going for a ride in the helicopter, Henry and I got a 20 minute ride around East Wendover. The view wasn't specacular, but the ride was phenomenal, especially for Henry. He didn't hold his breath, like he did at the Kids Fair when he saw the helicopter fly close by, or scream like he does when they fly over our house, instead, he seemed calm, relaxed, like he was just taking it all in. When he called his Dad afterwards and saw his grandma later that day he excitedly talked all about it. We both enjoyed the ride!


• Did I mention that there were helicopters?


• Seeing all the airplanes with propellers that look kind of like helicopters


• Getting a picture of a helicopter from Life Flight


• Getting a picture in the helicopter, there are many picture from our ride, but this is my favorite. He really does have the same cheesy smile that Joe has.


• Oh, and there was a cool air show (in all honesty, Henry loved the air show, even though it was airplanes and not helicopters). If you listen carefully in the video below you can hear him narrating (he even suggests that the airplane is "cooking"). He loved the show - ooo ing and ahhh ing through out the entire thing.

Even after all of the fantastic stunts by the airmen in the show, when Henry and I were leaving, a bit before the show was over because it was way past nap time and he was clearly not surviving well, Henry cried because he could see a helicopter on it's landing pad and didn't want to leave without seeing it up close.

We will definately go to another air show. This was a small air show and we had a blast!

Straddling the Border

This weekend, Joe's little brother Spencer got married. The wedding was fantastic and seemingly very mellow compared to many weddings Joe and I have been to. It was a nice change of pace. Here are a couple cute pics from the day.

Josef and Lasse, Aliza's boys; McKenzie and Austin, Dan's kids and Henry. This is the best picture I have ever seen with all five of them - it's impossible to get 5 toddlers to cooperate at the same time.

Joe's cute parents right before the Reception

Eww gross.

While at the gym this morning I encountered two disgusting men:

• First guy was a trainer who works at the gym. I was waiting to drop Henry it the Kids Care when I saw this trainer, probably 30 or so, go stand in front of the glass door that leads into the classroom where a large group of women were doing step aerobics. He stood there, just out of sight, watching them step from the back. He is gross.
• Second guy was probably 50 plus, he was resting on a weight machine watching the girl a few feet away who was bending over repeatedly. He was really gross.

Why do disgusting guys have to prey on innocent, unknowing females? I'm seriously disappointed in males today.

JoE

Joe started rotations the first week of July this year. This is an exciting time in his medical education because it's the first time he has really been able to step out of the classroom and into a patient oriented setting. Joe very much enjoys working with patients and the staff in the hospitals where he has done rotations so far. He has tons of exciting stories, things that would make you choose to steer clear from "learning hospitals," which is excitedly shares at every opportunity. He still has another year before he needs to decide what Residency programs he wants to apply to, but for right now he hopes to try and potentially choose from: radiology, radiation oncology, neurology, anesthesiology and emergency medicine.

Any patient who has Joe as a doctor should consider themselves quite lucky. Joe is an extraordinary person with a great deal of compassion for the people he currently serves and the people he hopes to serve in the future. Medicine was the perfect choice for Joes profession because of his awesome personality. I hope, we hope, that he continues to be served with many incredible opportunities throughout his life!

Curious George

Henry loves curious George so we went to see him recently at the Kids' Fair. Henry excitedly waited his turn to see the monkey (Henry actually thinks that the Man in the Yellow Hat is named George and the monkey is just called Monkey). His excitement, however, quickly wavered when he approached the larger than life monkey and he couldn't wait until the picture was done and we could escape. We can't wait to meet Santa Claus in a couple months.

Helicopter

Henry with all the items he now requires prior to going to sleep:
at least one helicopter toy and at least one helicopter book.

I am not sure when Henry's obsession with helicopters began, sometime after his birthday, I suppose. Whenever it began, it only increases in intensity every day - Henry is addicted, obsessed, over-excited, whatever adjective you choose - Henry loves helicopters!

We live near the flight path for the University and Primary Childrens helicopter transportation for patients. Every day now he begs to go outside where we wait for a helicopter to fly by. The fly near our home frequently, but nevertheless, it's a frustrating thing for Henry to stand outside, excitedly waiting for the sound which you can always hear before you see the helicopter. The sound which he always recognizes far before me, the sound of the helicopter flying overhead.

At the end of the movie "Cars" Mader rides in the blue Dinoco helicopter, one like Henry is holding in the above picture. The scene is probably 30 seconds long and if you wait a minute or two you get another 10 second clip of Mader riding in the helicopter. When we watch "Cars," that is what we watch, over, and over, and over.

Henry has a white board on an easel that he loves to draw on. That white board is never without at least one helicopter drawing on it, usually three or four because Henry insists on having someone help him draw helicopters.

Before bed, day and night, we read at least one book about helicopters (or with an airplane that has a rotor). Henry sleeps with at least one helicopter toy and at least one helicopter book. When he wakes up, he panics until we have recovered his helicopters from the blankets.

Finally, Henry can name several helicopter parts: main rotor (the twirly blades on top), tail rotor (the twirly blades on the tail), tail boom (the tail), the landing skids and the cockpit.

Pundits Double Speak on Palin

I thought this was funny, not because it makes Palin look bad, for some strange reason, I kind of like her, but because it makes the pundits look ridiculous.

Testing

I've been trying to figure out how to post to my blog using my new iPhone, that's why some of you saw that silly picture of homemade card bags the other day. I think I've finally figured it out and it's SOOOO easy (no thanks to the iPhone, it's blogger, or should I say, Google's, innovation.) And, if it works, this will be the first time it wasn't because of my friend Joey's voluntary Google marketing skills that I started using a new Google product.

If you're interesting in blogging directly from your iPhone, or another mobile device or email account, and you're using Blogger, find out how here for email: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=41452 and here for phone: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=42448

Happy blogging!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I'll be honest, I don't remember where this recipe came from, I've been making it for a few years, and it's not my original recipe. If it's yours, by all means, take credit for it; it's always a winner!

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1/2 Cup mayonnaise

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7x11 inch baking dish

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Mix in the artichoke hearts, spinach and Parmesan cheese. Season with garlic and lemon juice. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.

3. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the cover, and let the dish bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.

I always serve it with sliced crusty bread.

Enjoy!

MY BOYS

Henry & Joe are so much alike it's ridiculous (and that's a good thing). When Henry was born and everyone thought he looked just like Joe I couldn't help but feel a little defeated, after all, I was the one who carried him for 9+ months and I was the one who would care for him every day, why does Joe get the "you look like him," award? Now, the looks have evened a bit and there doesn't seem to be a clear winner, but I'm SO glad that Henry has inherited his Dad's personality. Don't get me wrong, I like myself just fine, but I am so pleased that Joe and Henry share some extremely positive personality traits. I'm blessed to be eternally connected to my two favorite guys!

Some things I love:

• They're both cuddlers
• They're both people pleasers, I always get what I want :)
  
• They're both friendly, peaceful, and happy
  
• They both make friends with anyone and everyone
  
• They have the same, cheesy, irresistible, smile
  
• They're smart (who knew two year olds were only supposed to know 20 words?)
  
• They're energetic and cheerful (except at church where they're both grumpy)
• They both make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world

I love my boys!

Impressive

About six months ago we introduced Henry to his very own potty and he has loved it ever since, sitting on it occasionally to mimic mom and dad or watch a movie; however the potty has, for the most part, never been a practical addition to our home until tonight.

Tonight while I was out I got a text message from Joe that read: Henry just went potty in the toilet.

When I got home, Joe was telling me all about Henry's first "pee pee in the potty" when Henry chimed in excitedly wanting to show Mommy and he immediately went potty in the toilet again.

Movies!

If you're not shy about signing up for trial offers, go to blockbuster.com and register for a free trial. In return you get:

$10 off the purchase of movies costing $10 or more
Free shipping on used movies

Today I got Shark Tale and Ice Age for $6.50 total. There are tons of movies for kids and adults. Use the promo code augappreciation when purchasing the movies.

I think Joe will probably have to sign up later so we can acquire some movies for Henry that aren't Cars, which by the way you could get for $1.99 using this promo.

Sleepy Pictures

Henry & Brooklyn in Midway (watching cartoons, not sleeping)

Henry & Easton napping on the floor in Henry's room

Henry the morning after Dad got him ready for bed; two legs in one hole, shirt on inside out.

Henry, yesterday when he insited on wearing his lifejacket and refused to take it off before his nap.

UPDATES

JOE

Started rotations the first week of July, he is now more than 1/2 way done with his first rotation - internal medicine at IMC Hospital in Murray. His next rotation is Pediatrics which begins in two weeks. He's been busy, extremely busy, but he seems to really enjoy working in the hospital, it is why he went to medical school after all.

HENRY

Has fallen in love with the movie "Cars". It's a blessing and a curse for his parents, a blessing because if we need a few minutes Cars provides that opportunity; a curse because it's nearly always on and getting really annoying.

In a couple weeks Henry will be 2, can you believe it?? He's beginning to act the part too, he's exerting some independence, talking tons, and generally just enjoying life.

If you remember my rants about his sleeping habits it's getting better, but still not fully resolved. Thanks to a return to "Ferber," the cry it out method which suddenly stopped working months ago, Henry is now putting himself to sleep at night again. He is now a much lighter sleeper in the morning, but that's pretty easily resolved too (since Joe leaves early Henry and I usually just sleep together for a couple hours in the morning). I can't be sure exactly what happened a few months ago but I'm glad it's waning.

HEIDI

Hm. Well, it seems like nothing really ever changes that much for me. I'm enjoying the gym again now that Henry's crazy streak has ended. Since returning my legs and arms feel like they're sore all the time, guess the muscles degenerated quickly during my hiatus.

I've spent some time in our garden trying to make it look nice. The patio that Joe created last summer is now encased in flowers (all except the ones that were destroyed during the wind storm last week). I think it looks beautiful - I love colorful flowers!

Lately I've had a lot of people mention that I "get to be a doctor's wife," as if that's some glorious thing. I often think to myself, yeah, that means sharing my husband with lots of sick people when he should be at home with me... which is selfish, I know, but still not glamorous like people seem to think it is. On the other hand, other wives of soon to be doctors, have made it clear to me that there is one important job a doctor's wife must take on - the ego deflater. Joe, I am sure, will need this service far less than most people, but nevertheless on the rare occasion it's necessary I'm here waiting with my proverbial screw driver... now that's glamorous. :)

We hope you're enjoying your summer. We've had a great streak of mini vacations which we (Henry and I) hope to continue over the next few weeks. We're also taking swimming lessons and then soccer lessons (sounds crazy for a 2 year old, but it'll be cute!) in the next couple months. If you have kids, you should join us for any or all of these events, we'd love to see you!

Pic's will follow shortly. I'd love for everyone to see how doctorly Joe looks when he heads out every day and how grown up Henry is. I have a beautiful family.

We are so lame

We got new phones last week and we've wasted away the past week of our lives playing with them. I'll be honest, they're great little contraptions. They make computers nearly useless for our purposes and they're super handy. Here's what Joe and I have been doing with ours:

• Surfing the web, checking email, reading news, etc.
• Joe downloaded epocrates Rx a program that allows him to look up drugs (he says that the phone saves him tons of time at the hospital because all the information he needs is already at his fingertips)
  
• I have a shopping list program that is awesome (I feel so organized about shopping now)
• Henry draws on the scribble program -- there are tons of games and other downloads, if that's what you're into
  
• GPS, not the awesome turn here go there type GPS, but it shows you where you are on a map and if you're looking up directions it shows you where you are in relation to the route you're taking
• Music, music, music
• Scriptures
• To do lists, calendars, and all that other boring stuff, the pics on the camera are actually decent quality too
  

Seriously, if you ever wanted to have an external brain, I recommend one.

Jib Jab

THANKS TO ZAC FOR SENDING ME THIS VIDEO!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Picture of the Day

@ Dinosaur Land in Vernal, Utah

The Gateway is Surprisingly Fun

Henry loves the water at the Gateway. Usually he'll sit by the edge of any of the pools or waterfalls and throw rocks and sticks and things into the water. Today, there were TONS of kids running around in the fountain enjoying the warm summer evening. Henry was a bit timid at first, interested in the fountain, but only from a distance, instead he was content in the usual rock and stick throwing. After some time alone with his inanimate objects, Henry built up enough courage to try the more interactive fountain and he loved it! It was really fun to watch him run in and out of the fountain swatting at the water, splashing it on himself and enjoying the water that surprisingly fell on his head from above.

For my part - I've always looked at those kids running through the fountain fully clothed and thought that it was white trash, irresponsible and annoying for parents to just let their kids go wild in a public place that was not designed for swimming... guess it's fun to be white trash.


After getting soaked by the fountain, Henry got new clothes from one of the stores at The Gateway, since we hadn't planned on getting wet, and a scoop of ice cream.

Sleep

At some point last week I decided that Henry's sleep troubles may be caused by a hatred for his crib. In an attempt to rectify his horrible sleeping habits I removed the front of the crib and got him a better blanket and pillow - making a toddler bed.

For the most part, my theory was a failure, but he sure looks cute in his bed.



Sometimes when Henry's having a hard time sleeping, I'll lay on the floor next to his bed. Tonight after I left his room, I heard him say "Mommy," a couple times so I went back in his room and found him asleep where I would have been laying had I been in there. He really is cute!

Joe is definately going crazy

Joe is currently studying to take step one of his medical board exam, which is scheduled for next Thursday, June 19. This test is one of the major factors that determines what residency programs he will be competitive for and thus what type of doctor he will ultimately become. Passing this test is necessary to continue with his medical training and doing really well is equally important to Joe. To prepare for the test, Joe studies nearly 12-14 hours every day, which, it seems, is beginning to take a toll on him. Every day after studying he comes home with an Einstein hairdo- he clearly takes his stress out on his hair- eats dinner and resumes studying. I think he needs a break!

Here are some of his latest chat and email comments and their corresponding pics sent to me (yes he sends me pic's of himself all the time):

"I am just studying too hard."

"This is tough."

"Serious, my brain is melting"

"Look out!"

Siiiiiiiiiiick!

I know you all love reading sick blog posts, so here's mine.

Henry is sick; he's really sick.

We went camping in Goblin Valley with some folks from the ward- on the way down he thew up. It's gross, but no big deal, he usually throws up on long car rides.

On Saturday, as we left Green River I noticed Henry had a fever so we gave him some Motrin. Just as we got off I-15 in Salt Lake, Henry threw up again. We thought it was another dose of car sickness, until he threw up again and again and again.

Sunday was on and off with the fever and the vomit and the coughing. So finally, I called the on call pediatrician who said it sounded like pneumonia, so off to the Kids Care we went for a chest x-ray and check up.

The diagnosis: adenovirus which casued Henry to have a high fever, weezing and pneumonia. The treatment: rest, albuterol and ibuprofin.

Monday was also on and off with a ridiculously high uncontrollable fever, minimal vomit and a TON of coughing. By 7pm on Monday night Henry was coughing so much I was nervous that he couldn't breathe so I took him back to the Kids Care.

The diagnosis: adenovirus which casued Henry to have a high uncontrollable fever, pneumonia, and the worst tonsilitis seen in a long time along with the high volume unstoppable coughing.

The treatment: Tylenol combined with a steroid to bring down the fever. Alternating tylenol and ibuprofen every 3 hours to maintain a lower body temperature. Albuterol for less weezing. Codene to relieve the coughing and put him to sleep.

Tuesday was awful. Henry's fever was nearly gone. The coughing remained and the whining was never ending. His whining was so bad that it nearly brought me to tears. On Tuesday, late morning, Henry was whining that he wanted a bike ride. I couldn't take him for various logistical reasons, so I offered a walk in the jogging stroller instead. I, unknowingly, didn't put the stroller together properly and after I put him in it he fell straight back onto the pavement. It was so sad and so awful, I dropped him right on his head! After he calmed down and the coughing and gagging ended we went on a short walk and came home and fell right asleep. I got nervous that I gave him a concussion so I called the doctor and made yet another appointment.

The diagnosis: his head is fine, no concussion. Severe ear infections in both ears.

The treatment: Antibiotics for 10 days.

I hope the worst is over and that Henry will be well again soon. I'm annoyed that doctors are so afraid to give antibiotics that it took three appointments for someone to say, hey maybe we should try them afterall. I'm sad that Henry has been feeling awful for so long. I'm upset with myself for being so impatient with him today, but don't really know how to be more patient with him in the future. I am hopeful that tomorrow will be a better day!

Calling all Nap Tips

Henry, sleeping in the hiking backpack in Moab.

Photo by: Jenny Spilker

Saturday marked the beginning of a ridiculous downward spiral for Henry's sleeping habits. For quite some time now Henry has been a happy sleeper- easily laying down and falling asleep when placed in his crib. Now, I'm having flashbacks to the days when he was an infant and wouldn't fall asleep anywhere except my arms.

Now, when I lay him in his crib at nap time, he screams and reaches for me, acting like I'm about to commit some heinous crime by placing him in his crib. In the past, if Henry cried when we put him in his crib, he would console himself and fall asleep within minutes. Now, even an hour later, he's still screaming, SCREAMING!!

Inevitably, I give up and go pick him up. And nearly as soon as he's in my arms, he falls asleep. And, even asleep, if I put him in his crib he wakes up and begins crying again. If I put him in my bed and lay next to him for 10 minutes he'll remain asleep.

In the evening the routine is the same, except after some time, even as short as 10 minutes, of screaming, he falls asleep on his own.

I can't decide, was it the vacation that caused this horrible melodrama or is it the separation anxiety which I've learned is normal at his age?

I've chatted with a couple people and done some research online and came up with a few ideas. Joe and I have tried creating a better sleep time routine, which is fun, but it doesn't remove the crib hatred. Today, at nap time, I placed a couple books and a couple toys and a picture of him and I in his crib, to see if that would placate him while he fell asleep and to potentially avert the separation anxiety (if that's what it is). After 45 minutes of screaming I went up to get him (so he could fall asleep in my arms of course) and he was standing at the rail, covered in tears, holding the picture, with all other toys tossed aside.

What should I do?

Hawaii

Joe's sister Aliza lives in Laie, Hawaii (on Oahu) with her family, so last week we went with Joe's Brother Dan and his Wife Becky, to visit Aliza.



Our week went something like this:



Day One - Pearl Harbor and the Sea Life Park
Day Two - Swimming at Turtle Bay and the Polynesian Cultural Center
Day Three - Hiking ManuaWili falls, Swimming at Lanikai, Learning to Surf in Waikiki
Day Four - Snorkelling at Hanuamu Bay, hanging out at Chinatown and Temple Beach
Day Five - Boogie Boarding at some random East Coast beach, Swimming at Turtle Bay, Waimea Valley Audobon Center and night swimming
Day Six - Snorkelling at Sunset beach, Eating delcious shaved ice in Haleweia, Hiking Diamond Head, Visitng the Iolani Palace Grounds




We saw as much as possible during our stay. Henry loved the beach and the ocean, as did Joe and I. Henry was so excited about throwing rocks and sand into the water and running in and our of the waves. At Hanuamu Bay he could sit on the rocks and watch the fish swimming in the water below. Even when we were in the car and Henry could see the ocean and he begged (and sometimes cried) to get in the water.


Honolulu is honestly an ugly city just like every other city, but we stayed at Turtle Bay on the North Shore which is more green and lush than the other side of the island.

My favorite thing about Hawaii was the sunshine. Even when it was raining it was fun to be outside because it's always warm. We could, and mostly did, spend the whole day outside without worrying about the weather. I also really enjoyed learning to surf. I was surprised how easy surfing is. Granted I didn't ride any awesome waves, but it was so easy to stand up and ride into shore on the wave. The hardest part about surfing is the strength endurance necessary to paddle the board out far enough to catch a wave.


The Polynesian Cultural Center was also awesome. We spent the entire day there. Joe particiapted in a drum show, which was hilarious. We watched the rivier pagent, the night show, went to the Luau, got tatoo'ed, and enjoyed the sunshine. I was disappointed we missed making the coconut bread, so I guess we'll have to go back some other time!



Hawaii is great.