For the Record
Last Wednesday I took Chalupa back in to the doctor to test some more of his poopie. It came back fine (no blood in it) and his ears were fine too.
But Sunday he started acting like a beast again. Just really agitated and won't let me put him down and won't sleep and waking up and screaming and not going back to bed until he's had medicine.
So I brought him back in today, just to check the ears again. His father had chronic ear infections as a kid and remembers them, and he thinks they are very painful so we should not mess around with them.
So I call the office and go back in and his ears are clear but I tell the doctor I'm concerned because he seems to sleep so much better with pain meds and won't lay down without it. I'm only giving them at night and after he's inconsolable but what else can I do?
He says try the placebo effect.
I don't really buy into it (I believe in the placebo effect just not in this instance, I do think Chalupa is in pain, either ears, head, congestion or teeth). But I came home and made a simple syrup and mixed it with pedialyte and apple juice to make a sort of really sugary thick kind of ... syrup. Put it in a bottle and put it next to his changing table. I gave him some in a syringe before nap just now. We'll see how it goes. Nap won't be a very good test but bedtime we shall see.
It's sort of fun to not have to measure it since there's nothing in it that can hurt him. It's mostly pedialyte anyway, not even that much of the simple syrup (which would be a high dose of sugar on it's own).
Anyway I'm very tired of feeling like a crazy person and taking him to the doc all the time. I really need to just put them on a monthly retainer so I can go in whenever I want. The insurance is going to drop me for misuse. Though I have noticed that after they start talking and blowing their own nose I go in a lot less. So maybe it will improve. But just on balance I know that Chalupa will be the kid that always has an ear infection or strep throat. I can't see in his throat to see if his tonsils are large like mine. G's are not. One blessing that he did not inherit from me.
Since we're updating.
G still does not eat great. It's sort of ridiculous. He really only eats yogurt and cereal well. He will eat a peanut butter sandwich when pressed. But he's given up chicken almost entirely and won't touch carrots. I have gotten him to eat a handful of peas and corn. Only by pushing him and telling him we don't always get to eat what we want.
He is finally catching up on the weight. I don't think I realized how much throwing up every day for the better part of two years had set him back. Pediasure is helping him a lot and he's growing. For the first time in a loooong time I am having to buy new socks and pants. And he is finally, finally, finally in pants that somewhat match his age group. The 3T's are a bit long because he is on the lower end of the growth chart for height, but they fit. And it makes me happy.
Some lovely child in his school called him short. While this is true, it makes me want to push that kid in the dirt. Which is completely irrational because that child is merely pointing out an undisputable fact; G is shorter than him. I have G in soccer because one it helps with his balance and coordination and because he needs to learn to plant his feet and stand his ground against the bigger kids. He gets pushed around a lot.
Again, it makes me irrationally angry. But even at this small age, he appears to understand it's because they are bigger, and he just gets up and tries again. He will be the most beloved student in his class (he appears to be a popular kid again this year) because he wont be the biggest and will have to find a way to deal with the bigger kids.
I see very aggressive kids, even at this age. On the soccer field there is a kid who just randomly goes up to kids and pushes them down. I don't understand that. My kid is so sweet natured and cares about everyone. I can't imagine him just running up and pushing someone, out of malice. The kid really seemed to enjoy seeing G fall over. And G, bless his heart, sits there a minute and thinks about getting upset, but just stands up and goes after the ball and gives the kid a wide berth. It wasn't just G that that child picked on. And there's a girl that aggressively goes after the ball and knocks him over. But there's just a big size difference (she's 4).
And no, I don't say anything. Because he has to fight his own battles. And he knows the coach is right there. He could tell on him if he wanted to. Mostly I think he just doesn't understand what he did to make the kid do that. I think it hurts his feelings more than anything else.
But it's still not as bad as that awful summer camp, where G came home and said all his "friends yelled at me." And then two weeks later said, "mommy! My friends were nice today!" I wanted to slug someone. But again, I didn't. We just finished our time and we won't ever go back.
I know some truly mean kids. They aren't bad kids and there parents are just as good as me probably better in some areas. But their kids have mean streaks, especially in temper. G can get mad as anyone else can, and acts out in frustration. And he'll hit the wall or the table and he pushes kids who try to take toys from him. But he is sweet natured. And cares about people. His teacher tells me he is always so concerned about his classmates and enjoys saying hello and goodbye to everyone single one of them. When his classmate Luke fell off the playground at school, G was pretty upset. I heard about it for two weeks. I was beginning to think Luke fell all the time or - worse - that G had been involved in him falling off "the high part" of the playground. The teacher was emailing me about something else so I asked about it and she told me what happened. It was one incident, but she said that G was very concerned about him and asks about Luke and asks Luke about it all the time. Not sure if that's good empathy or being nosey... but the teacher seems to think it's sweet.
My kids both mind, fairly well, for their age groups. Chalupa is learning. G has always cared about what I think and what I want him to do. I have thought for a long time that because I am his (their) whole world they don't like making me angry because it upsets their apple cart a lot. If they were at school more or their days were more affected by others, they would care about what other people think more and less about me. But because I rule their roost, they have to pay more attention to my demands.
And I am demanding.
I feel ridiculous disciplining a one year old. But I do it. It didn't pay off much earlier, but I see him tuning in and listening more now.
Daddy? Yeah neither one listen much to daddy. Daddy is a push over. Daddy will let you have jelly beans for dinner and apple juice with no water. Daddy said I could have oreos for dinner. Did he know?
I like it though. Daddy has to work so much and is gone so much it's nice that their time with him is special. Even if I do have to spend an entire day undoing it. Haha.
But Sunday he started acting like a beast again. Just really agitated and won't let me put him down and won't sleep and waking up and screaming and not going back to bed until he's had medicine.
So I brought him back in today, just to check the ears again. His father had chronic ear infections as a kid and remembers them, and he thinks they are very painful so we should not mess around with them.
So I call the office and go back in and his ears are clear but I tell the doctor I'm concerned because he seems to sleep so much better with pain meds and won't lay down without it. I'm only giving them at night and after he's inconsolable but what else can I do?
He says try the placebo effect.
I don't really buy into it (I believe in the placebo effect just not in this instance, I do think Chalupa is in pain, either ears, head, congestion or teeth). But I came home and made a simple syrup and mixed it with pedialyte and apple juice to make a sort of really sugary thick kind of ... syrup. Put it in a bottle and put it next to his changing table. I gave him some in a syringe before nap just now. We'll see how it goes. Nap won't be a very good test but bedtime we shall see.
It's sort of fun to not have to measure it since there's nothing in it that can hurt him. It's mostly pedialyte anyway, not even that much of the simple syrup (which would be a high dose of sugar on it's own).
Anyway I'm very tired of feeling like a crazy person and taking him to the doc all the time. I really need to just put them on a monthly retainer so I can go in whenever I want. The insurance is going to drop me for misuse. Though I have noticed that after they start talking and blowing their own nose I go in a lot less. So maybe it will improve. But just on balance I know that Chalupa will be the kid that always has an ear infection or strep throat. I can't see in his throat to see if his tonsils are large like mine. G's are not. One blessing that he did not inherit from me.
Since we're updating.
G still does not eat great. It's sort of ridiculous. He really only eats yogurt and cereal well. He will eat a peanut butter sandwich when pressed. But he's given up chicken almost entirely and won't touch carrots. I have gotten him to eat a handful of peas and corn. Only by pushing him and telling him we don't always get to eat what we want.
He is finally catching up on the weight. I don't think I realized how much throwing up every day for the better part of two years had set him back. Pediasure is helping him a lot and he's growing. For the first time in a loooong time I am having to buy new socks and pants. And he is finally, finally, finally in pants that somewhat match his age group. The 3T's are a bit long because he is on the lower end of the growth chart for height, but they fit. And it makes me happy.
Some lovely child in his school called him short. While this is true, it makes me want to push that kid in the dirt. Which is completely irrational because that child is merely pointing out an undisputable fact; G is shorter than him. I have G in soccer because one it helps with his balance and coordination and because he needs to learn to plant his feet and stand his ground against the bigger kids. He gets pushed around a lot.
Again, it makes me irrationally angry. But even at this small age, he appears to understand it's because they are bigger, and he just gets up and tries again. He will be the most beloved student in his class (he appears to be a popular kid again this year) because he wont be the biggest and will have to find a way to deal with the bigger kids.
I see very aggressive kids, even at this age. On the soccer field there is a kid who just randomly goes up to kids and pushes them down. I don't understand that. My kid is so sweet natured and cares about everyone. I can't imagine him just running up and pushing someone, out of malice. The kid really seemed to enjoy seeing G fall over. And G, bless his heart, sits there a minute and thinks about getting upset, but just stands up and goes after the ball and gives the kid a wide berth. It wasn't just G that that child picked on. And there's a girl that aggressively goes after the ball and knocks him over. But there's just a big size difference (she's 4).
And no, I don't say anything. Because he has to fight his own battles. And he knows the coach is right there. He could tell on him if he wanted to. Mostly I think he just doesn't understand what he did to make the kid do that. I think it hurts his feelings more than anything else.
But it's still not as bad as that awful summer camp, where G came home and said all his "friends yelled at me." And then two weeks later said, "mommy! My friends were nice today!" I wanted to slug someone. But again, I didn't. We just finished our time and we won't ever go back.
I know some truly mean kids. They aren't bad kids and there parents are just as good as me probably better in some areas. But their kids have mean streaks, especially in temper. G can get mad as anyone else can, and acts out in frustration. And he'll hit the wall or the table and he pushes kids who try to take toys from him. But he is sweet natured. And cares about people. His teacher tells me he is always so concerned about his classmates and enjoys saying hello and goodbye to everyone single one of them. When his classmate Luke fell off the playground at school, G was pretty upset. I heard about it for two weeks. I was beginning to think Luke fell all the time or - worse - that G had been involved in him falling off "the high part" of the playground. The teacher was emailing me about something else so I asked about it and she told me what happened. It was one incident, but she said that G was very concerned about him and asks about Luke and asks Luke about it all the time. Not sure if that's good empathy or being nosey... but the teacher seems to think it's sweet.
My kids both mind, fairly well, for their age groups. Chalupa is learning. G has always cared about what I think and what I want him to do. I have thought for a long time that because I am his (their) whole world they don't like making me angry because it upsets their apple cart a lot. If they were at school more or their days were more affected by others, they would care about what other people think more and less about me. But because I rule their roost, they have to pay more attention to my demands.
And I am demanding.
I feel ridiculous disciplining a one year old. But I do it. It didn't pay off much earlier, but I see him tuning in and listening more now.
Daddy? Yeah neither one listen much to daddy. Daddy is a push over. Daddy will let you have jelly beans for dinner and apple juice with no water. Daddy said I could have oreos for dinner. Did he know?
I like it though. Daddy has to work so much and is gone so much it's nice that their time with him is special. Even if I do have to spend an entire day undoing it. Haha.
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