Ears, ENT's & Endless Infections.

For the record I have not been toting around my sick little boy this week, possibly infecting hundreds with the swine flu virus. I was starting to wonder though.

Max is usually a pretty happy baby - but the last few months have been rough. We saw the ENT on Tuesday and he determined Max ears were still infected, that he did need tubes and that he needed to have his adenoids removed. He also said Max's tonsils were twice as large as they should be, but they can't be removed until he's two. But they only do surgery once a month at the facility on our insurance and we'd have to wait until June 3rd. At first I thought, well he's averaging one ear infection per month, he has one right now, so maybe we'll get lucky and he won't have another one before his surgery. (That's me ever the optimist.)

Thursday he still had a high fever, still not sleeping, cries anytime we are in the house and now has a really bad cough and runny nose. So I called the doctor and they wanted to see him again. Of course. I honestly think two weeks haven't went by this year that one of us hasn't been to the doctor. His ears have not improved, and probably had gotten worse. He'd been on antibiotics for 6 days, so that meant he has built up a resistance to Cedafil/Omnicef. (I'm sure I didn't spell those right.) Last month we found out he was allergic to Amoxicillian/Augmenten, and he just finished up Zithromax two weeks ago. They ended up giving him the maximum does of Zithromax, but told us that he needed tubes ASAP because then next thing would be shots/IV's and where it's a resistant infection now they may not even work.

As you can tell June 3rd was no longer an option, so next week I'm taking him up to Logan to see Dr. Wood. Sure he almost killed me- but that was years ago, and now he's operated on most of my nieces and nephews and they all came out just fine! Plus they can get him in for surgery on May 19th. A week and half. I can do anything for a week and a half.

Max woke up today with a smile on his face, after sleeping almost the whole night. Just maybe the drugs might be working!

Disgusting. Spicy. Sour. Thanks!

Where did the Tyler's go?

What a fun week we had... After the stress, and the anxiety attacks.... Grace was suppose to have some testing this week up at PC to check her kidney function because of a couple UTI's she's had. To keep it simple - I just didn't feel right about it. I knew about the appointment for a month, I talked with radiology up at the hospital twice, they even scheduled a life child specialist to be there because I was nervous. I did some research and the test is not pleasant, some mothers reported there children screaming while they had to hold them down, others said that their perfectly potty trained child resorted back to diapers. I know few people ever post the good stories - I prayed and prayed and finally decided the night before not to go through with the tests. I'm sure the hospital loves people who cancel the night before!

Mike had already taken 1/2 day off work so we went to Dinosaur Park up Ogden Canyon. It was such a nice day. Grace and Max loved it - the weather was perfect and there were hardly any other people there. Grace and Max could have swung in the swings all day.














We also went up to Hyrum a few times.... Grace and Max got to play with Adi and Tytan one day, Grace and Adi took a tubby together, and Max had as much fun as one little boy can have with an Oreo..... How it got inside his diaper I'm not sure I want to know!










I love how we spend money on toys for the kids when they would be perfectly content emptying my drawers and cupboards in the kitchen... over...and over.... and over...

Grace is still up to her creative self. One day last week she was perfectly dressed and had a nervous breakdown because she wanted to be Minnie. Not just the dress, she had to have the ears too.... Then she needed her jacket and her sandals... MY GIRL HAS STYLE! I'll also post the picture of Grace vs. Ink Pen... Guess who won. (You need to click on the picture to get the full effect.)

And finally, my little escape artist man. He wants to be outside so badly, his favorite things right now are to eat rocks, grass and dirt. I'm glad I walked in the kitchen when I did or he may be 1/2 way to somewhere by now. (Don't pay attention to the un-clean floor.)

We've also been to a graduation, Congrats Aunt Caya, been to the hospital in the middle of the night for Max's ears (AGAIN), been to a reception where Grace got to where the cutest outfit that I didn't get a picture of, and she matched the wedding party perfectly, which everything was beautiful, done yard work, started planting our first garden and welcomed some nice spring weather!

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Oh, I almost forgot... after church Mike and I made dinner. Grace had a bite of spaghetti squash, gagged and spit it out. "Disgusting." Well Grace will eat almost anything so I knew she truly didn't like it. I scraped it off her plate and gave it back to her. She had a bite of chicken. "It's spicy." I told her it was terriaki, sweet but not spicy. Then she had a bite of fruit and spit it out. "It's sour!" (By this time I'm wondering why I bothered cooking...) Then she had her corn on the cob. "It's so yummy, thanks for dinner mom!" (She might just be a bit McBride after all!) I'm thankful Grace is learning so many descriptive words....I just have to keep repeating this over and over!

Jinxed

Warning - this may be more than anyone EVER wanted to know....

A little over a week ago I told someone at work that I can't believe I haven't gotten sick. Pretty much everyone at work has had a series of colds, the flu and a couple have had pneumonia. And on the home front, well, you all know Grace and Max have been sick the WHOLE winter. I work with the public and the 3 year olds a church - I am a germ breeding ground!

Saturday on the way home from my mom's I started hurting... Thinking it was just girl stuff I took some medicine when I got home. Sunday morning I sent Mike to get some stronger drugs - which did nothing.

Plug - he did bring home some deep heating Well Patch's - basically a sticky heating pad that offered some relief.

I found some strong drugs in the cupboard from when I had Grace and they dulled the pain - but by Tuesday I wanted to die. I was in so much pain, and I was so natious - I even to a prego test, just to make sure...

I cried Wednesday morning and got in to the doctor. I was 90% sure I knew what it was - and I was right. I had a cyst on my left ovary - and by the time I had an ultrasound it had ruptured. If you have never had a cyst - the pain was worse than child birth. (Now mind you I had some great drugs during child birth - so I'm not sure the two should be compared.) But the great part about a cyst rupturing is that the pain will be over soon - usually only a day or two more.

I'm sure this was way more than anyone wanted or needed to know... but although it wasn't a cold, or the flu - I most defiantly jinxed myself!

This is the first time since having Grace that I honestly didn't feel like being a mom. I've had headaches, but they never last very long. I've had colds in the past couple of years, but nothing major, nothing serious. But this time I just wanted to lay on the couch on a heating pad and not be touched. How grateful I am that I was not alone over the past couple of days!

I'm feeling much better today - still on some good drugs - but I think I want to play mommy again!

Happy Birthday Max

We had Max's birthday celebration Easter Weekend. I love letting them dive into their own cake, what a mess! It took Max a while to get into it. He just sat and stared at the cake, I took his finger and dipped it in the frosting and then put it in his mouth and he smiled, but still wouldn't dig in. He looked at me like you'll just get mad if I make a mess....

Finally he started into the cake, he was much less messy than Grace was last year and hardly got any on the floor.

Max got a little four wheeler from Mike's parents, he can make it go and loves it!

He also got a farm from Mike and I, he loves that too, it's so cute to watch him sit and play.

Grace has had a really hard time understanding that these are Max's toys for his birthday. She keeps saying "Gracie's birthday!" I was glad the Easter Bunny brought her a little car the next day - but she still wants to take his 4-wheeler, farm, and the other toy he got from Aunt Beth....

The kids also got a swing set this weekend, something that was greatly needed for my sanity this summer. Grandma Kate gave Max an infant swing, after the rain we will set it up and get some pictures!

Easter Weekend

What a fun weekend we had! We started out for Hyrum bright and early for the city Easter Egg hunt. I do realize there was a hunt at Barnes Park, only a few blocks from our home, but there wouldn't be any cousins to hunt with!

Grace and Adi hunted in the small children area, and to be very honest I'm surprised Grace went in and even got one egg. She usually shies away from other kids. She was most excited for the sucker!







Max thought they were balls - and had no interest in the treats inside. (Wait for next year and that will change I'm certain...)







After the hunt we went to Grandma Kates to dye some Eggs. Once again, they were just balls for Max, but Grace loved it.



She really got into Mixing the egg dye and made some fabulous shades of brown, mommies favorite! At least she didn't keep drinking the vinegar water! Wink, wink.




Then we rushed back to Kaysville and had Easter dinner with Mike's family and Max's birthday party.








Grace and Max got to do another Easter egg hunt and they were the cutest eggs I've ever seen, bugs and monkeys!







And of course Max and Grace had to have new church clothes - Max has really started to be a little ham!

Me, Max and Grace...
Daddy and Max.









It was my week to give the lesson in Primary, and I love how simple the sunbeam lessons are. Some times I think if we are suppose to have the faith of a little child, maybe short little sunbeam lessons are all we need. We talked about the birth of Christ, that he organized the church, told us to love each other, that some people were mean to him and put him on the cross and that the people who loved him were very sad and put him in a tomb. After three days Christ was resurrected and that was the 1st Easter. It was so pure and simple. I love that!

For Easter lunch we went back to Hyrum for some yummy ham and Max took his first steps! I'll have to get some pictures - I have a little walker boy! Yeah for Max! I'll post b-day pictures on his birthday! Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Keep on Smiling

Actual quotes from the Tyler home over the past 2 or 3 days.

"Grace why is there a pickle in the bathtub?"
"It's for tomorrow mom."

"Grace, do not drive that car on Max's head."
"He likes it!"
"Then why is he crying?"
"He's a baby."

"My mom has two boobs."
"Oh. Good to know." (The man who sprays our house for bugs every quarter. I'm sure he's going to remember us in 3 months.)

Stuffisess

The Tylers need to update.... (OK Kenz.. We'll update...)

1st - I have only been without a home computer for 10 days now, (the virus gods took it...) And it just amazes me how much I rely on it! (Jenn, I know you can understand!)

2nd - I feel like a broken record. My kids have been sick. Again. Same ole. Max has had double ear infections, and ended up being allergic to the medicine, that he has been on before - Grace has a UTI and they want her to undergo kidney testing at Primary Children's this week. Which her mommy doesn't want to do. My sister has watch her daughter go through this, and I've heard that it is horrible, and I believe her.

One day last week I noticed that the runny noses were controllable, and neither of my children had any bumps, bruises or scabs on their faces so I scheduled pictures at Penny's. I've been trying for 3 months - well, I got them all dressed up and Grace but a blanket over her head in the car. I fixed her hair as much as I could and then during the first picture Max grabbed her hair, pulled out the ponytail, broke the elastic and pulled out some hair. So her hair is crazy in all the pictures, but they did so good after that. The photographer kept telling Grace to smile like a princess, and look over her like a princess, Grace totally loved her! As soon as I get some pictures I'll post them!

Good news - I've lost 23lbs in 7 weeks! Max is almost walking! (I can't believe my baby is going to be one in 9 days!) Grace is still saying funny things... She is still hard, but at least she makes me laugh some times!

And now blogger won't let me upload pictures...... Sorry Kenz... nothing new to look at!