Sarah's Machine

Sarah started the new year with a cold and nasty nighttime cough.  The cold lasted a few days, and the cough subsided after a couple of weeks, but it never went away.  For weeks after, she would wake multiple times a night coughing and choking.  I'd give her honey, and a few times, I took her into the bathroom and ran the shower to soothe her throat.  After six weeks of interrupted sleep for all, I called the pediatrician's office.  The nurse said it was a common afliction this year and to give it some more time. 

Finally, in mid-March, when she was still having at least one spell a night, I took her in.  Her regular doctor was on vacation, so we saw a physician's assistant.  Her lungs and ears were clear, but he could see some irritation in her nose that looked like a sign of allergies. 

Two days later, we saw a pediatric allergist.  He couldn't see distinct signs of allergies and thought that the cough might be caused by some residual spasming in her upper respiratory tract.  He suggested testing for allergies, just to be sure.

Luckily, Sarah has conquered her fear of doctors, for the most part.  She's reached the point where she's more interested in the process of being examined than frightened of the caregivers.  When the technician arrived with a marker and a rack of tiny vials, she was intrigued.  She sat calmly as the woman marked the places on her arm then innoculated her with various allergens.  A few minutes later, she looked as though she'd been the victim of some S*tanic ritual.

The testing showed she is allergic to grasses, but that wouldn't be a problem during the winter.  The allergist said he could prescribe a short course of steroids to calm the cough but he thought it would go away in a couple of weeks.  I chose to wait.

A couple of weeks later, the cough was still around, so we tried Pr*dnisone for five days.  The house was quiet on the second night, for the first time in months.  Third and fourth nights, same story.  On the fifth night, however, it returned.  The next day, Sarah had a runny nose and a cough, and the following night, she awoke with a 103.5 degree fever.  She has had a fever only a couple times since she's come home.  Decreased immunity is a side effect of being on oral steroids, however, so perhaps they allowed a virus into her system.

I brought Sarah to her regular pediatrician, who said her lungs still sounded clear.  The doctor had seen a lot of high fevers in kids lately, however, so she wanted to check for flu, even though Sarah had a flu shot.  She said she'd like to do a nose swab to test for flu.  It sounded harmless to me, so I agreed. 

I became concerned when two somber nurses arrived.  One told me to lay Sarah on her back and hold her hands.  "She's not going to like this," she said.  The other held Sarah's head while the first stuck a tiny-but-way-too-long Q-tip up her nose.  It was quick, but obviously very uncomfortable.  Sarah winced and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears in.  I did my best to console her, while the nurse did the other nostril quickly.  Sarah lunged into my arms and melted into tears.  I felt like a traitor.  How I hate being a party to causing her pain.  (The test result was negative.)

As for the cough, the doctor suggested we try a nebulizer with Alb*terol and a corticost*roid for 30 days to try to calm down Sarah's upper respiratory tract.  She sent us home with a mini air compressor connected to a medicine cup by rubber tubing.  For the last two weeks, Sarah has had four 10-to-15-minute sessions a day on "her machine," as we call it.  Although she's pretty good about sitting and listening to me read books, and sometimes just looks at books by herself, it's a real pain.  My heart goes out to parents of small children with chronic health conditions who need frequent treatments.  Getting a three-year-old to sit still and cooperate is no picnic.

Fortunately, the regimen seems to be working.  The cough is gone, and we're all snoozing through the night.  I'm sleeping more soundly than I have in years, I swear.  I'd forgotten how it felt to wake out of a deep sleep in the morning.  But enough about me.  Sarah's got two more weeks of treatments, and I pray the cough doesn't return when she stops.  I'd hate to have her machine take up permanent residence in our house.

Eat, Laugh, Dance (AKA Rachel and Matt's Reception)

Last weekend, we traveled to the Tw*n Cities again for Rachel and Matt's wedding reception.  The nuptials took place Feb. 2, followed a couple of weeks later by the honeymoon cruise.  Now, it was time to party, and Sarah was ready.

The celebration was a potluck, with lots of yummy food provided by friends and family.  The entertainment was a local comedy improv group that Matt and Rachel have trained with, Karaoke, and board games provided on the tables.  If ever there was a wedding reception that reflected the tastes and values of the couple, this was it.  It was slightly unconventional and thoroughly enjoyable.

Sarah was fascinated by the comedy show and kept asking why the comics were doing the silly things they were.  Part-way through, she decided she just had to give Grandma a kiss and made her way carefully around the dance floor where they were performing, over to Grandma, and back.  She made repeated trips, which delighted Grandma and entertained some in the audience as much as the show did.

Sarah has come a long way in the nearly six months since Uncle George and Auntie Chelsey's wedding, where she refused to get out of her chair (and did her best to keep Mom and Dad in theirs).  As soon as the Karaoke started, she was up dancing, and she didn't stop until the music did (Mom was so proud!).  She hit the dance floor in style, wearing forty-five-year-old cowboy boots that first belonged to Mom, then cousin Kelley.  They still make a fashion statement.

Of course, Emily, Omar, and Sophia were there, and Reid flew in from C*lifornia for the event.  It was wonderful to spend time with them all.  Sarah enjoyed seeing her big brother and warmed up to him quickly, even though we don't get together often.  We met him for breakfast the next day, and she colored a picture, signed it, and gave it to him.  It was sweet.

Sarah and Mom were in dessert heaven.

C*medysp*rtz

Sarah and Dad watching the comedy show

Precious little granddaughter Sophia

My two cuties

Sarah and Grandma

Reid showing some of his advertising projects to Don and Sarah

The bride and her niece on the dance floor

Omar and Emily

Sarah enjoying the music

Mom/Grandma with daughter and granddaughter

Reid and his dad

Sophia attracts attention with her iP*d (they're watching cooking videos!)

My Two Envelope Enthusiasts

One of Sarah's favorite activities is "doing envelopes."  She spends some time each day writing little notes, putting them in envelopes, and decorating the envelopes with crayons and stickers.  She then presents them to Don and me so we can open them.  When asked what the notes say, she usually responds with something like, "Dear God, Mommy loves Sarah. Love, Grammy."

She has her "desk" (a shoebox), where she keeps the paper, stickers, envelopes, and a few odds and ends.  I save the return envelopes we get in junk mail to feed her habit.  The other night at dinner, her prayer was  "Thank you for giving us food, and thank you for taking care of us, and thank you for giving us envelopes."

The interesting thing is that "doing envelopes" runs in the family.  Don is known for the pretty flowers and flourishes he adds to the addresses of greeting cards.  In fact, when he was in the Service almost forty years ago, his fellow Marines would ask him to embellish the envelopes they were sending to their girlfriends.  A Leatherneck with heart, he was -- Ooh Rah!

Y4K?

W*sconsin offers Kindergarten for four-year-olds (4K), and last Monday was the open house at Sarah's school.  All of sudden, it seems like just around the corner that she'll be getting on the bus and heading off to school.  A couple of months ago, I never could have pictured it, but she's gained a lot of confidence since Christmas, and I think she'll be ready when the time comes.

After staying with her in Sunday School since September, I'm finally able to leave after a few minutes and wait for her in the community room.  I tried it a couple of weeks ago, and afterwards, she proclaimed, "Let's do it again next week!"  Okay!  The irony is that, now I have to overcome my own discomfort with walking into the near-empty community room and sitting down to chat with people I don't know well (Don heads home after coffee time and comes back to get us after Sunday School).  So, we're both growing.

After talking excitedly about school for the last year or so, as we pulled into the parking lot Monday, Sarah asked doubtfully, "Mom, why I want to go to school?"  When we got to the classroom, she shyly said "Hello" to her teacher, gripping my finger.  I walked her around the room.  When we came to the carpet where the kids sit for story time, I pointed out the different colored shapes on the floor and asked her, "Which one do you think you'll like to sit on?"  Big mistake.  She plopped herself down on the purple oval and wouldn't budge. 

Pretty soon, she got Dad to sit beside her and wouldn't let him get up (I've played this game before and wouldn't get drawn in).  I explored the play stations scattered around the room and tried to entice her to check them out.  She refused for a while but finally could resist the hamster no longer.  She gradually moved on to other things, and it was tough to pull her away an hour later. 

4K is half-day, Monday through Thursday.  We'll find out in June whether Sarah will be in the morning or afternoon session.  While I had thought morning would work better for us, I'm now hoping for afternoon.  I knew that one bus comes into our neighborhood for all the kids from 4K through high school in the morning, then the 4K kids have their own little bus bring them home before lunch.  I thought the situation was reversed in the afternoon, but we learned that the 4Kers have their own bus both ways then.  I don't like the idea of Sarah getting on the bus with teenagers.  That just seems too intimidating.  I think she (and I) would do better with a little bus.

Either way, morning or afternoon, I think Sarah will be ready to spread her wings and go off to do her own thing for a few hours a day by the end of summer.  I think she's somewhat outgrown staying home with Mom and Dad all day.  In the past month, she has blossomed, sharing more complex thoughts (and sentences) and becoming much more physical -- dancing, jumping, kicking, etc.  She's quite a character and actually talks with other adults when we're out.

I will be ready for her to fly, also.  Having a few hours a day to focus on getting things done will be a welcome change.  Right now, even though I'm fortunate to have Don home all the time and I get a mostly uninterrupted hour of quiet time after lunch, I feel as though I'm always trying to squeeze in a few more to-dos while Sarah wants my attention.  I look forward to focusing more on her while she's home and hearing about all the things she's learning when she gets back from school.  Half a day seems perfect.

I'm not expecting the transition to be easy, however.  I know there will be tears.  I hope they will be only mine, but I'm prepared for them to be hers, too.  I asked the teacher if I'd be allowed to sit in the back of the classroom for a few days if necessary, and she assured me I would, although she's never had a child who needed it.  I'm sure she thinks I'm a helicopter mom, but I know Sarah, and new situations are tough for her.  I don't want to push her and have to spend weeks working our way back to her comfort zone.  Been there; done that; don't care to repeat it.

There's a case in the school lobby with adorable little live finches.

Glued to the purple oval

Sarah and her teacher

Checking out the hamster with her teacher

Dad finally pursuaded Sarah to let him sit in a (tiny) chair instead of on the carpet.

Making a chain

Relaxing some (just when it's time to leave)

Fun Photos

Not much more than that...just some cute shots to brighten your day.



Sarah and her sleeping companions stuffed into her rocking chair while I strip the bed to wash the sheets



Some crafty fun at a local art museum

A bunch of little kids armed with paint brushes -- the mural wasn't the only thing decorated

Another Family Wedding

Last Wednesday, we made the trek to the Tw*n Cities for Don's oldest daughter Rachel's wedding to Matt.  They were married by a judge at the family justice center downtown, with only immediate family present.  We all celebrated at the restaurant where they had their first date.  They're taking a cruise for their honeymoon later this month, then having a reception in March, so we'll celebrate some more then!

On the way to dinner, obviously drawing upon her experience when my brother was married in October, Sarah asked, "Is Rachel Auntie Rachel now?"  Oh, what a confusing family tree she has!

Sarah loved the adventure of it all.  She was especially excited to stay in a hotel.  The next morning, we met Don's good friend Jim, who happened to be in town from M*ntana visiting his parents, for breakfast.  He hadn't met Sarah before, and I think he was suitably charmed. 

We then headed to the C*mo Park Zoo and were treated to some wonderful wildlife watching.  It seemed as though many of the animals were being treated to extra stimulation.  The orangutans had a chid's pool filled with bubbles, and the baby was just a riot.  We also got to watch the polar bear wrestle in the pool with a plastic barrel for a long time.  There's nothing like seeing one of the world's largest predators open its mouth within a foot of your daughter!

The happy couple!

Grandma (doesn't she look great, given her recent health issues?), Sarah, and Rachel before the ceremony

The beautiful bride and proud dad

The ceremony

Rachel saying her vows

The new combined family

Rachel at her favorite restaurant

Sarah playing after dinner...

...and then posing.

Sarah and her rainbow breakfast, complete with whipped cream and sprinkles

The giant cookie that came with her breakfast (!!!)

The orangutan couple

The baby pushing his luck

The busy family

Close encounters of the Arctic kind