Category: Health/Doctor

Today Dave and I took Ajax to see the ear specialist.

As we feared the doctor recommended tubes.  He said that Ajax doesn’t have an ear infection and that this is actually a bad thing.  If it was an infection it could be treated with antibiotics, but as it is, he has drainage which gets trapped in his inner ear and that fluid stays there.  Sometimes getting infected, but otherwise building up causing pressure and pain.  That is why the successive rounds of antibiotics never really helped him.   We did several tests, one of which was a hearing test, and the results showed that Ajax is about 15-20% below average on his hearing.   We scheduled the surgery for Sept. 23, and will bring him back to the specialist a week before so that he can re-check the ear.

We were at the doctors office for an hour and a half and Ajax did great the entire time.  He made a friend with a woman sitting near us waiting for her test as well.  She had a smart phone and Ajax immediately wandered over to her and asked if she had angry birds?  She didn’t, so he asked if she could show him tractors.  She totally complied and the two sat there for about 10 minutes looking at pictures of tractors.  How cute.

This morning when I got Ajax up he was very warm.  So warm that I didn’t even need the thermometer to know he was running a fever.   Dave and I had a short and pointless conversation- was he ok to go to the babysitters?  We both knew the answer, but because we are both so insanely busy with work right now, we indulged nonetheless.   We finally agreed that he needed to stay home, so I called into work.   I’m glad that I was able to stay home with him, he definitely needed some babying and mommy time.  Maybe I did too.

Around 1 pm I decided to take him into the Doctor’s office.  He was congested with a deep cough and had a fever.  I knew that he probably just had a bad cold, but I was worried about his ear.  I’m paranoid about ear infections now.  So off to the doc we went, where it was confirmed that he just had an old fashion cold with a slight fever of 99.7 and no signs of an ear infection.   I’m glad I took him in, simply for the peace of mind.  I would have been very worried about it all weekend.

We got home around 4 pm and the weather was just lovely, hovering around 60 degrees.  We played outside a bit until Dave got home from work.  And then my mom and dad came over for dinner.   My dad is feeling better and Ajax was very excited to see his grandparents.   I made us a great crockpot dinner (lentil and sausage soup), a recipe I’ll share later for sure.

Let me tell you a story.

The other night Ajax woke at 3 am.  I laid in bed listening to him cry, his cries getting louder and louder to the near hysterical level.  I got out of bed, went downstairs, wiped his nose and laid him down again.   I then went back to bed.  Just as I was laying down, I hear more hysterical crying, this time Ajax saying- all done mommy… I’m all done.  He has been saying this lately, as in I’m done crying and ready for a proper tucking in.  I then got out of bed and went back downstairs to tuck him in again.  I again wiped his nose, laid him down, and covered him up.  He then held up his silkie, which I kissed, and then he held up his rabbit, which I kissed.  I then went back upstairs to bed.

No sooner had I laid down than I realized my mistake, and so too had Ajax- kiss mommy!  kiss mommy!  I had forgotten to give Ajax a kiss goodnight as well.  I laid in bed thinking, maybe he’ll just go to sleep.  Ajax continued to yell- one kiss mommy!  I realized I couldn’t lay there and ignore him, so I trudged down the stairs and into his room.  I gave him a kiss on the forehead, he said thank you, and went to sleep.

The point of this story.  Ajax is a smart kid.  He was certainly sick and in pain, and during that time I was not going to let him cry.  This however went on for almost three months and now Ajax knows how to push my buttons.   How can a mom ignore her child who is simply asking for a kiss goodnight?  She can’t!  It’s almost impossible!  Darn kid!  I haven’t figured out yet how to deal with this new development, but as I’ve been complaining… I’m mighty tired.

Finally some good news on the health front.

Dave and I were both able to take Ajax to his doctor’s appointment today.  Ajax weighed in at 29 lbs and did very well while the doctor checked both his ears.  We then got the official thumbs up, we’re finally all clear!  The doctor said there was a tiny bit of clear fluid in the ear, but that was completely normal and it usually takes a good 3-4 weeks for that to go away.   Since we were in, the doctor did a quick little check up, as Ajax has been congested lately.  The doctor had Ajax take a deep breath and then blow out the breath and Ajax did wonderful.   The doc said he had a bit of a cold, nothing serious, just that season.  We’re doing nose drops, vicks, and running the humidifier.

The only thing that was not wonderful during the visit was – mere minutes before the doctor walked into the exam room- Ajax proclaimed, Big poop mommy!  Big poop!  Dave and I looked at each other in horror, saying no Ajax no!  But it was too late.  He had a tiny blowout.  Honestly I thought we were well past this, but apparently not.  The doctor took it all in good humor, he is a pediatrician.

Today we also received Ajax’s new potty from Diapers.com.  The potty I had picked out ran $30 at Target, which just seemed so expensive.  Well I found the same thing online for $21.  So for what the darn thing would have cost at Target, I was able to order the same potty and an Elmo potty training book for the same price shipped right to my door (thank you Aunt Lynda!).   Ajax was very very excited about the book as it makes noises and the box it all came in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, everyone in our home is finally recovering from the stomach bug, or to be more precise- Type A Flu (per Dara).  Dave and I were actually just bragging how we had escaped this winter without being sick.  We were so proud.  Darn nino.

Ajax is doing well, running circles around us.  He’s very happy to be back at the babysitters this week and threw the biggest temper tantrum when we picked him up today.   His ear still seems to be bothering him and he keeps hitting it.  He is also not sleeping at night, which makes for a slow recovery for everyone.  I’ve been doing some research on my own and am getting increasingly paranoid about the possibility of ear tubes.  Ajax has a follow up appointment with the doctor on March 9th, which Dave is planning on taking him to, so we shall see.

I don’t have any pics, but I just wanted to post a quick update.

As I mentioned previously, because Ajax was ill on Tuesday, Rod, was nice enough to come down on Wednesday to babysit for us on Thursday and Friday.  He also brought down their four month old puppy, Eli, who was just so cute and friendly.   Thursday and Friday passed without incident, Ajax had a ton of fun with his papa, and though the stomach bug passed he is still hitting his right ear which concerns me greatly.  He’s on the new antibiotic along with a probiotic supplement to help his tummy and his appetite is slowly coming back.  At the doctor’s office Ajax only weighed 28.4 pounds.  On Thursday night I went grocery shopping and had to do another run to Target as the deals were just too good to pass (I only spent $1.12 out of pocket and walked out of the store with another $5 gift card).

Anywho, on Friday my stomach began rolling and continued all day.  I thought I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me and for some reason the fact that my son was home sick with a stomach bug never entered my mind.  By the time I got home from work I barely made it to the couch before crashing and ended up being sick all night.  Dave and Ajax therefore made dinner (pizza) and Ajax was in bed by 7 pm before Rod and Eli took off for home.

Around midnight Ajax decided that he was done sleeping.  He then proceeded to get up every hour and then every half-hour.  I have no idea why.  Dave and I took turns getting up with him, but to be fair, Dave was up all night with him.  At 4 am Dave just got up and the two started their day.  Around noon I dragged myself out of bed and plopped on the living room chair, while Dave laid on the couch and there we basically stayed all day.  Ajax took two naps on Saturday totaling five hours.  The rest of his day was spent entertaining himself, which was a blessing.  He was content reading his books, playing with his legos, and pushing his trucks.  For being such a pain the night before he was so good during the day.

By Saturday night I was feeling better, when Dave took a turn and came down with the stomach bug.  I therefore got up with Ajax this morning at 6 am to lay on the couch and watch Sesame Street – thank you TV.  Dara also just called and apparently Rod is now sick with the stomach bug too.   I’m so sorry!   These darn ninos.

Where to start?

Well, yesterday Dave had to pick up Ajax from the sitter early as he threw up his breakfast all over the kitchen table.  What a mess.  He also began to run a slight fever and was generally uncomfortable by the time Dave got to him.  Today I stayed home with Ajax and ended up taking him to the doctor’s office.  Two things I addressed with the Doc- 1) the obvious throwing up and 2) his ear.  The Doc said that Ajax probably did have a minor stomach bug, not too concerning; it just needed to run it’s course, and his right ear was still infected.

We had a very long conversation regarding the next course of action and consequences and the Doc opted to place him on another round of antibiotics.  The Doc said that he wanted to hold off on the topic of tubes until after Ajax was two.  He said that at age two a toddlers ear canal begins to slope downward making it easier for fluid to drain, instead of building up behind the ear drum causing an infection.   How unbelievably frustrating.

Besides seeing the Doctor, my aunt Lynda also stopped by to say hello and visit for a while.  Ajax and I played outside for a bit, and we then spent some time at Rite Aid while the pharmacist filled his prescription.

At the drug store, I couldn’t keep Ajax near me and had to try and herd him to the back of the store, well he wanted nothing to do with me and kept sprinting away.  One of the cashiers noticed my difficulty and came up to us, offering to show Ajax the drinking fountain (which is located in the back of the store) and Ajax gladly walked with her all the way to the fountain and then stood there talking with her as she got him a small cup of water.  Darn kids.  Goes with a complete stranger but runs from his mother.

Dave’s dad is on his way down from Mikado to babysit Ajax tomorrow and Friday, as he is not well enough to go to the sitters.

This morning Dave and I took Ajax to the doctor’s office for his last shot of antibiotic (rocephin). The Doc checked his ear and said his ear drum looked excellent and that the infection was already significantly improved. This made Dave and I very relieved. To say that Ajax was unhappy to be getting a third shot would be understating it, however, after the shot he rebounded well and the three of us sat in the waiting room eating veggie sticks. Ajax spotted a tiny nino, probably about two months old, and chatted away at him. We had to wait twenty minutes before leaving so that a nurse could check the injection site to be sure there were no signs of an adverse reaction and then we were cleared to leave.

When we got home Ajax took a nap, we had lunch, and then we all headed outside to shovel the driveway. What a great family activity. Well, it was a great family activity as far as Ajax was concerned. For some reason he finds this truly exciting and loves to help outside. He held his little blue shovel and trailed after Dave and I up and down the driveway. He was very serious in his chore. We even explored the back yard a bit, but the snow was a bit deep for him and he didn’t fight to much when it was time to go in.

After our hard work Dave treated everyone to hot chocolate and donuts. Now as a mom, I would not give a toddler crumbly donuts on the couch, but dads are a different story. While Dave was setting Ajax up on the couch I was trying to zip through the house with the vacuum. No sooner had I completed the living room and moved into the kitchen than I heard Dave say, oh no… umm… we may need to hit the living room again with the vacuum. Yes, powdery white donut sugar over the couch and floor. Dads and toddlers.

Also I would like to report that Ajax has a new Zu Zu pet, courtesy of his aunt Theresa and uncle Tim. Thank you very much!