I've had one heck of a week (and let's face it, year) juggling work, household chores, errands, trying to find time to run (only happened one time this week), etc. Sidekick was in his bed last night "sleeping" while I was in the laundry room. I heard a sweet voice yell:
"Momma, you can get a rice crispy treat because you are doing a great job doing the laundry. I am really impressed because you are doing so fantastic. Do you know what impressed means? It means you are doing a great job."
I seriously love this kid and appreciate the fact that he appreciates me and all the work I do. Regardless of the crappy week, he just turned it around for me. And he wouldn't give up asking me if I had a rice crispy treat until I finally did. Screw the calories that night. They were worth it!
It's just one of those amazing Mom moments that mean the world to us. It's the little things that make all the difference.
On another note... we are both healthy and back on track. My little "issue" involved an ER visit (after my OBGYN sent me there) and three appointments with a urologist, primary care, and surgeon the following days. I was in severe pain (pelvis) for two entire weeks. I barely ate and had to take pain meds (morphine in the ER) to control the pain. We knew from the scan in the ER that I have several kidney stones, one of which is 7 mm- yikes! I had an elevated white blood cell count and blood in my urine. Most people I saw were pretty sure that I had an appendicitis, but tests were inconclusive. And then 14 days later, I started feeling better. So... I could have had kidney stone shards that were passing or some funky virus. Whatever it was sucked so badly, and I was so sick.
I had kidney stones for the first time shortly after Sidekick was born (apparently this is common). I had to have one removed and three crushed a few weeks later. I guess I'm going to have to figure out what I'm going to do next about them. I certainly don't want to have them removed because that required a stent that caused me so much pain for five days. I'm hoping we can crush them. I can totally live with a bruised back from the electrodes/shocks (or whatever breaks them up). Unfortunately, right now, I am so swamped with work (my busy season), so I don't have time to deal with those damn kidney stones, but I know I have to.
Sidekick has a follow-up appointment with the Audiologist next week. I know since his surgery, his hearing is so much better, so I'm pretty sure we'll get the "all clear" with him. He's been so much better since his surgery and can hear so much better. Thank goodness!
We've had a pretty rough start to 2016, so I'm hoping we are due for some easy, happy, good times!
During one of my sleep deprived nights of Sidekick not sleeping well after his surgery, I decided to sign us up for a race. I signed up to run a 5K while pushing him in the Bob, and I signed him up for a one mile run. What was I thinking on both counts?? I used to run half marathons, but the last one I ran was literally the day before I had my eighth IUI and got pregnant. I haven't run a race since, and hadn't run in almost five months. So... we've been training. He's doing much better than I. He's a strong little dude, and can easily hike 3 miles, so surely he can walk/run one mile with the other kids, right? There is no way in hell I can run a 5K while pushing him when I can barely run two miles not pushing him. I am so out of shape, and it's killing me. Sidekick on the other hand has great form and a pretty strong runner. I can't wait to see if he can finish it. I am so glad I have an athletic and adventurous kid! He's perfect for me.
I was told that Sidekick's breath will smell during the healing process, but I had no idea what that meant. I quickly learned. It smells like road kill. I am not kidding. Sidekick liked to snuggle with me when he wasn't feeling well, and I wanted to vomit every time he came near me. Seriously... it was the worst smell ever!
He is back to school this week after a long two week hiatus. I have to say that was not a fun two weeks. For over a week, he woke up every four hours and needed his medicine. Then I fought him to take this nasty tasting medicine which resulted in screaming and crying on his part in the middle of the night. It was awful. He never, and I mean never, woke up that many times as a newborn! And then like clockwork, he'd climb into my bed between 3:00 and 3:30 AM. Again, this is something he has never done, but I knew if he was doing it, then he was definitely not feeling well. I have a king sized bed, and by morning, I'd find Sidekick on my pillow breathing on me with his road kill breath while I was hanging off the edge. This kid rarely moves in his bed, so I couldn't understand why he wanted to be so close to me when he has never slept with me before. But holy crap! I probably would have been more tolerant if he didn't have road kill breath.
At the beginning of week two, we were definitely sick of each other. I was juggling work and him, but he would just lay in my bed and watch TV, while I was two floors down working. I'd check on him every 1 1/2 hours or so, and he was totally content. I hated that he was watching so much TV, but I knew that's what he needed to do to heal. His normal one-show-a-day turned into hours and hours a day. Very quickly, he began asking for things from the Easter Bunny that he saw on commercials (so that's how that happens!).
We ended up having a knock down yelling fight one day because I wanted to meet a friend and go running with him in the jogging stroller, and he didn't want to go. I was so angry because I had been taking care of him for a week at that point with no break from him, and I felt like he was being such a little shit by not doing ONE thing for me! He was feeling better and it was a beautiful day, but he wanted to watch TV instead. I was frustrated and angry with him, and we both lost our shit. I felt like everything was spiraling out of control.
The next day, Grandma came to save us! I had to get out to see customers, so she came in town and took care of him Wednesday-Friday while I worked. Sidekick was so excited to see her and ran to her with a balloon for her and beads around his neck when she was walking out of the terminal to baggage claim. And at the point, he became a new person. A person who was happier, excited, and more entertained. A person who was so grateful to have someone in his life besides me.
He was out of school for two weeks total, and we (more so my mom) slowly started getting him back to real life by doing things with him and limiting TV. He was completely exhausted doing anything, but the slow transition helped him acclimate back to school.
He's done great in school this week, which I hadn't expected. He's been a little clingy when I drop him off, but overall, he's been a good listener and has behaved well at school. Phew! I was expecting a rough week.
And then there is me... with a recent trip to the ER and now an appointment with a general surgeon tomorrow. Good times! Grandma is still here and will be here until when we figure out what is wrong with me. Hoping for some answers tomorrow, but that'll be another post.
