Life's Little Frustrations

this morning was not unlike any other morning in the johnson house.  kris went to the fire station bright and early, so i was on momma duty.  it began with me sleepily stumbling up the stairs, arousing my little russky with a quick back rub and good morning musings.

"did you sleep well?  have good dreams?  what would you like for breakfast?  get up and go potty and wash your hands.  i'll meet you downstairs."

10 minutes later i'm downstairs, still waiting for nick to finish getting dressed and come down for breakfast.

"nick?  what are you doing?  hurry and come down to eat!"

"okaaayy!  i'm coming!"

{waiting...waiting...waiting...}

"nick?  come on!  your breakfast is getting cold!"

"okaaayy..."

he finally makes it downstairs and sloooooowly puts on his socks and shoes while chattering away to himself, as if reminding himself the steps to follow.  comes to the table...takes his meds {like. a. champ. - i should really start praising him more for that.}, and starts to eat.  i tell him i'm going to get dressed and to hurry and eat because he's going to be late since he spent so much time getting dressed.

15 minutes later i come back out of my room, expecting him to be finished eating, putting his dishes in the sink, and heading to brush his teeth.  nope.  still sitting at the kitchen table.  barely touched his food.  staring into space.  waving his fork around.  humming.

"nick!  what are you doing?!  you haven't even eaten yet?!  well there's no time now!  you're going to be late for school!  let's go!"  {breakfast thrown away}

"okaaayy..." {walks as slowly as possible to bathroom for the brushing of the teeth & hair}

"let's go dude!  walk faster!" {seriously!  is this opposite day?!  does "fast" really mean "slow as possible?!}

i brush his teeth & hair, and send him to put on his coat and grab his backpack as i grab my wallet and jacket.  does nick act with expediency?  nope.  meanders to the coat closet.  gets the items necessary. talks to the dog.  happy go lucky.  not a care in the world.

"nick!  come on! get your coat on!  let's go!"

"okaaayy..." {i swear the kid is eeoyre sometimes!}

i slow my pace.  take a deep breath.  put on my own jacket.  walk to the car.  nick...well...still moving at a snail's pace.  jacket dragging on the floor.  backpack slung {upside down} over one shoulder.

"nick!  hurry up!  get in the car!  move it!"

"okaaayy.  i'm coming."

{and the slower he moves, and the more calm he is, not even caring that my voice has raised, make me even more angry}

several hours minutes later, we're finally heading to school.  with me asking him "do you like being yelled at?  is that what you want?  our mornings to always start out like this?!"  do i really expect him to say "yes mom.  i looove to be yelled at and to make you angry and frustrated first thing in the morning.  i live for it!"

several hours later and i'm still rehashing the morning, as i do every morning that starts this way.  it should bring me some comfort that my ever-patient, laid-back, easy-going husband becomes just as frustrated at this morning routine.  but - it just makes me sad!  i know he really, truly can't help his daydreaming, and his lack of enthusiasm for being awake so early, however, some mornings i really find myself counting the seconds until his ADHD meds kick in!  they make such a difference, and even his teachers at school tell us that the mornings are especially rough and they can definitely tell the "aha" moment when they finally take hold of his wandering brain.

so what do i do?  wake him up an hour earlier and deprive us both of much needed sleep?  wake myself up earlier and down two cups of coffee immediately so i'm a little more bearable?  i wish the answer to all this could be as simple as "just slow down and enjoy this time with him...", which is great for the weekends when we have nothing going on, but during the week, i can't do that or he'll always be tardy for school!  {soo not a morning person to start with!}  i don't know the right answer, but what i do know is that we can't go on this way with the constant prodding for the next step in the morning routine...

the "get dressed...get your pants on!...get your socks on...ok...now put your shoes on...eat...take another bite...put your dishes away...dude...just put the dishes in the sink stop looking at the sink...brush your teeth...ok you're done now...wash your face...ok i'm sure your face is clean now...dry your face and hands now...dude...dry your face!...etc, etc, etc..."

all that's gotta stop.  it's driving us parents nuts & apparently he's so used to us yelling at him, that it doesn't even phase him anymore!  why can't parenting come with a magic guide book, with steps that actually work on every child?  i love that he's an individual...but... well... i guess that's really it... BUT... cuz what else is there to say?  we're at a loss... :(  any advice from the peanut gallery out there?

xoxo...liese :o)

Project: Nikita Miles Alexander Johnson

i'm a little behind on my posting, as usual, however i do want to introduce you all to a new tab i've created at the top of the blog called: "2012 photo journal".  i'm going to {attempt!} to take a picture a day of nick this year to see how he's grown, and better document what the crazy guy is up to!  i've already missed one day, but with all new year's resolutions, i think we're allowed a do-over or two early on in the game!  hope you enjoy watching the russky grow with us!

here's the direct link in case you want to save it...
http://2texansandalittlerussky.blogspot.com/p/2012-photo-journal.html

xoxo...liese :o)

The Return of Dobby

last year we broke down and joined the ranks of all the other parents who are trying to keep the "Santa-ness" alive and brought the "elf on the shelf" into our home {aka "dobby"...nick named him...very cool because as you may or may not know, nick has a really hard time remembering names, much less giving inanimate objects names...& oh yes..."dobby" is the house elf from harry potter...that kid loves him some HP!}.  dobby was pretty boring last year...showed up in random spots all over the house, but nothing fun like all the ideas i'm reading this year on pinterest.  {i.e. making snow angels?!  turning the milk green?!  oh you crazy elves!...totally copy-catting those ideas this year!}.  anyhoo...dobby started off this year much the same...in fact, he didn't even show up for duty on day one!  musta gotten lost in traffic?  yeah...that's it.

more to the point...keep getting distracted by the flushing of the toilet up in nicky's room...over & over & over & over...and hearing him jump from his bed to the floor...over & over & over...  oh yeah... where was i?  oh...so we watched the elf on the shelf show the other night, and read the book, and dobby joined us on day 2.  boring spot, can't be creative cuz i still don't have all our trees decorated...yadda yadda yadda.  anyhoo...nicky's behavior has been less than stellar lately.  pretty much every november since we brought him home has been a challenge {it's the month his birth mother abandoned him, and he subsequently had a seizure and stayed in the hospital for a bit, then moved to the orphanage...quite a lot to take in for a 7 month old!}...feel sorry for him now?  good...we do too.  but...he takes a lot out on us this time of year, and it's hard to get into the "buying of presents" and the "joy of Christmas" and all that when he's just constantly fighting, arguing, whining, lying, tantrum-ing, etc!  i mean seriously - how many times can one say "i don't want to..." in a short period of time?  well...i lost count at 375...ok maybe not that many, but pretty dang close!

this past week has been so rough that at bedtime, nick exclaims "i don't want to go to bed!  i want to stay up all night and watch movies!", etc {basically says any & everything to avoid going to bed & to get our attention}.  once in his room, he plays in his bed, jumps up and down, peeks out of his room, etc, until he finally puts himself to bed and falls asleep.  last night he jumped up and down on the top few steps outside his room and tried to get our attention for over an hour before he finally went to bed...and that's only because we turned off the tv at 9:35pm and "went to bed" ourselves!  sheesh...stubborn much?!  i even told him he didn't have to go to bed if he didn't want to...he could play all night for all i cared, but...he had to stay in his room.

well..."dobby" must have finally had enough and told "santa" all about it.  and "santa" wrote a letter to nick telling him that all his crazy behaviors had better stop or there will be no presents in his sack for him...basically, nicky can stuff his sorries in a sack unless he shapes up!

we'll see how it goes...nick's been up for about 30 minutes now playing in his room...and it's 7:45am.  seriously...can't a momma enjoy a quiet cup of joe before reporting to "work"?  i have a feeling it's going to be a long day...your prayers are much welcomed!!!

xoxo...liese :o)

1st Rule of Fight Club...

...you don't talk about fight club!

lesson learned:  don't mess with a feisty 2-year-old red-head...she's liable to launch a sippy cup at you.  and ~ if you have less than stellar catching abilities, well, your face might get in the way!

figures too...poor kid always seems to have some random facial issue or another any time we have plans for a family gathering, photo session, trip planned.  i'm surprised child protective services hasn't placed a visit yet!  little dude tends to just fall on his face...it's like 'really?  can't you put your arms out to catch you or something?!'  oh well...i suppose it adds character...and he's still cuter than cute all the same!

#surehopeourphotographercaneditthatthingoutinourfamilypix!

Liesey...You've Got Some Splaining to Do!

ok...here's the situation...my parent's went away for a week's vacation...


wait...i think i got off on a song lyric tangent there for a sec!  sigh...that brings back a lot of 80's memories!  gotta love old school rap.


anyhoo...i've taken quite the break from this here blog.  as in, it's july & i just posted about last halloween.  i had actually written that post a while back, but, darn blogspot was giving me grief with the uploading of photos and i just gave up. not to mention, i was getting frustrated with the look of the blog and the formatting, all while learning to use my new macbook pro.  i could complain all day...really it just boils down to plain ol' laziness for the most part, but you get the point.


oh yeah...speaking of that halloween post...that crazy back injury of which i spoke...yeah, well, it flared up again in november and just kept giving me grief, so i finally went to my pain management doctor and he ordered an mri to see what was going on.  to make a long story short - i do have a lower back degenerative disk issue, however, what they found, which was even more annoying, was the fact that i had several complex (i.e. nasty, not so friendly fellas) in my ovaries and a pesky splotchy thingy (technical term) on my uterus.  oh yeah - throw in some awesome endometriosis, like all over the entire girly-part region, and seems like poor kris wasn't the only culprit in our not being able to get pregnant scenario.  so...i went to a specialist and the situation came to a head with my scheduling a total hysterectomy with a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.  huh?  basically, all my girly innards were removed.  so - at the age of 37 i am officially in surgical induced menopause.  awesome.


the good news is: my migraines appear to be a bit better, because my hormone levels are somewhat evened out.  the bad news is:  my hormone levels are only somewhat evened out and i have obnoxious side-effects which are just way too personal to discuss with the world wide web.  ladies - if you're ever bored, and sorta curious as to what you can expect when it comes to menopause...check out the website: www.hystersisters.com.  it's pretty fabulous and has been my best friend thru this process, especially in dealing with the random "WTF is going on?!" types of questions.


in summation...the end of last year, and the beginning of this year was a big blur.  there were many bouts of crying/freaking out/wondering when i would return to "normal".  i think i'm finally on the mend, but when the doctor's told me that it could take up to a year for my body to finally heal, well, they weren't joking!


and that, my friends, is yet another excuse as to why i haven't been feeling up to blogging much lately!

What's Red and White and Scratchy All Over?

Poor Nicky's throat! :o(  I got a call from Nicky's preschool on Wednesday late afternoon announcing that the little germ monger had a 103 degree fever, and would we please come and take his infectious booty outta there.  Ok, well it wasn't in those exact words, but I'm sure they think that when they make those kinds of calls.  Spending that much time around the little boogers, I'm sure the teachers and administrators get their fair share of unwanted illnesses - I know I did when I taught preschool.  I mean, seriously, what adult gets pink eye or ring worm?! 

Anyway, we picked him up and saw the tell-tale signs right away.  The eyes were dark and puffy, he was lethargic and hardly speaking (which is a huge indicator that something is wrong these days cuz that kid NEVER shuts up anymore!), and he said his teeth and mouth hurt.  First on the agenda when we got home was to re-take the fever, pump him full of ibuprofen, then check the damage in his throat.  Fever was down a bit; somehow just drinking the meds made him feel immediately better (gotta love the placebo effect in kids - just like putting a band aid on an owie - instant gratification); and sure enough - there were white spots and yucky redness in the back of the throat.

We drew straws, and I came up short, or long or whatever the case was, so I was the lucky one that got to take a "sicky" from work.  Ok, so we didn't really draw straws, we played rock, paper, scissors - or maybe it was really that we take turns and Kris had stayed home the last time.  Whatever the case, Nicky and I went to see his pediatrician yesterday morning and she confirmed what we already figured to be true - strep throat.  First thing Nicky told both the nurse and his doctor "no shots.  only medicine."  I'm guessing he's not a fan of being stuck by needles?  Apparently the last round he got for his 4 year shots were quite painful, and just the mention of Dr Gondol's name sends shivers down his spine. 

After receiving his script, we were on our way.  Of course, by this time, Nicky was miraculously feeling better, and after viewing the fountains with ducks, geese and turtles from the doctor's exam room's huge picture windows, he wanted to go down and feed them.  So with goldfish crackers from Momma's purse in hand, we moseyed around the fountains chasing some ducks that were less than thrilled to have little orange crackers thrown at them.  Whatever. Like they have better things to eat in the algae-infested retainage pond made to look like pretty fountains.

At least the geese were more cordial.  And, Nicky loved it, so I got to be the cool mom for a few minutes!

The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around on the couch and napping.  Needless to say, he's pretty wound up today.  But, he the fever is gone and we've conquered yet another bout of strep throat...ah, the marvel of modern medicine!

4 Year Check-Up

Nicky had his 4-year check up earlier this week.  Ok, I realize he's not 4 yet, but 6 weeks-ish off really isn't that far away (yikes - 4 already?!)!  We were a little anxious after hearing that he has a heart murmur, so we figured we would combine the two visits.  However, he will still have to go back just after he turns 4 to get his shots, as the school district is very particular about kids not having them before their birthdays. 

We love our pediatrician - she's got the best bed-side manner...important for a doctor who works with kids!  Nicky has really warmed up to her as well.  She's very patient and listens to us and seems genuinelly interested in Nicky's well-being.  That said, she listened to his heart and came to the conclusion that the murmur is an innocent one - one that we shouldn't need to worry much about.  She said it's very quiet and could become unnoticeable over the years.  She said that if we felt that we wanted a second opinion she would fully support our decision.  For now though, we're going to trust her judgment, especially since so many children have them at his age.

Of course, no visit for one issue would be a normal visit if there wasn't a wrench thrown into play.  After telling her how easily fatigued he gets when running, etc, she decided to test him for anemia.  And, wouldn't you know it, he's iron deficient!  Boys his age typically have a level of 13; his is 11.5.  Although it's not terribly severe, she suggested we get him an iron supplement.  Poor little guy had to get stuck twice! :( 

Nicky handled it like a champ...two band-aids, a toy lizard, ball, sticker and lollipop later, he was on his way to school.  We are so thankful his little ticker is gonna be ok, but seriously, if it's not one thing, it's another!

What's Next?

As I left work Friday afternoon I received a call from Nicky's preschool, telling me that he had a 103 degree temp!  They told me it came on out of the blue (about 4:30pm-ish) and he started to cry uncontrollably...and asking for his Momma (yay me!)(he usually cries for Daddy...).  I arrived at his school, and found him laying on some bean-bags with a wet cloth on his head.  When I got him in the car I asked him if his belly hurt - no; I asked him if his head hurt - yes; throat? - no, but inside the mouth did (ok, so that's a check for throat).  He also told me his teeth hurt, which I read on the inter-web-nets that it's possible for one's teeth to hurt when a virus is involved.  Being that it was late on a Friday, I called our doctor's after-hours line, and the nurse told me to keep an eye on him, give him Motrin, and if the fever persists to take him to the doctor on Monday.

Saturday morning he still had a fever, so we cozied up on the couch and watched some movies.  He took a good nap, during which time his fever broke (he woke up nice and drenched...ew!)(and as evidenced by the cabin fever that set in shortly after - man kids get hyper when they're sick!).  Daddy was home by this time, and he helped me look in Nicky's throat, where we saw the tell-tale white patches on his tonsils, and super-red throat.  Well, I say "we", but it was actually me.  Daddy didn't think there was anything there, but I figured we better figure something out because not only is it bad for strep to go untreated for so long, but calling in sick the day after Super Bowl was probably a no-no.  Plus, given the fact I was a carrier for strep when I was a kid, I know how misreable it can be.  Maybe I should be a paramedic...they are doctors you know?  (said with much sarcasm...poor Kris and the heck he endures on shift!)

Sunday morning we took him to the doc-in-the-box to see the PA - just over an hour later, we left with a prescription for Penicillin, a strep throat diagnosis, with a bonus diagnosis - a soft-sounding Systolic Ejection Murmur.  Ok, so what's next?  Although murmurs are fairly common in children and typically disappear by the age of 5, there are those that are not so innocent.  Our plan of attack is to take him to his pediatrician (next week - he's due for his 4 year check up anyway...yikes!  4?!  already?!) and see what she thinks - possibly run a few tests - and go from there.  After the PA first told us, she asked about any childhood illnesses, which may have been a contributing factor.  Hmm...now that would be some good info to have, but sadly, we don't have much other than he's "flat-footed, had a seisure at 7 months, and had an upper respiratory infection" (things on his medical history report we received).

Sheesh!  Never a dull moment in the Johnson house!

ps...man - look at that hot chick in the picture with Nicky...not a line on her face...no way is that his mother!  thank you, Uncle Brent, for the awesome camera - it has a "facial re-touching feature on it...not that I need it...but maybe someday! :)

Another Sinus Infection She Says

Goodness this kid gets a lot of sinus infections!  They're very easy to spot, now that I know what to look for:  1. Wonky eye - puffy/swollen, red on the eye lid, dark circle underneath.  Yesterday's was even more fantastic, with the addition of a white-head pimple-thing...yuk!; 2. Runny, yet conjested nose - accompanied by some very lovely yellowish-greenish boogies...yummy; 3. Slight cough, but not productive, sometimes like a seal bark; 4. Difficulty breathing - kinda wheezy; 5. Occasionally accompanied by a hoarse voice.  Remind me why we have doctors again?!  I'm just as good at diagnosing these things as she is - I just lack the fancy degree...Nicky has a play stethoscope, so that's got to count for something!  Now, thanks to Alexander Fleming's initial, wonderful discovery that icky mold could actually be beneficial to your health, Nicky is soon to be on the mend.

She told us to try the saline spray up his little nostrils every day to hopefully ward off and flush out any grungy bacteria that might take up residence in his nose.  Let me assure you - Nicky is not going to be happy about that news... he's definitely not a fan of that stuff.  Let me also assure you, it's no fun to subject him to that trauma.  Sorry, buddy, but it's all for the good of your well-being.

On another note - as I've had some questions - our dear friend Jack Bunny has not been found.  He was a good, faithful companion for almost a year and will be missed dearly.  No worries though, Nicky has moved on to a new cohort - Lenny the Tiger (thank you, Aunt Marsha & Uncle Edward), and he will no doubt have many fun excursions with him in the future.

Update:  this post was originally supposed to be published on the 12th before I left town, but sadly, I'm a slacker and am just now getting the pictures uploaded.  That said - I'm happy to report Nicky has made it through this infection...fingers crossed, the next one is a long way off (I would wish for no more whatsoever, however, I don't want to tempt fate!)!

The Dreaded Stomach Bug

Last Saturday, Momma and Daddy were all geared up for "Parent's Night Out", hosted by Nicky's preschool.  It's a wonderful night, (which happens only once a month, and due to Kris' fireman schedule we hardly ever get to partake), that we can take Nicky to his school for the evening for a minimal cost, and we get to actually have a grown-up night.  We had the evening all planned - a movie date, then a few drinks with friends.  Unbeknownst to us, there were vastly different activities in store for our day.  That morning, Nicky was extrememly whiney, nothing held his interest for very long, and he just followed my every move, so naturally, I thought "Oh great, it's gonna be one of those days."  I finally got him to lay on the couch and watch some tv, when he popped his head up and said the dreaded words "momma.  i frow up."  Here's what followed:

me: What?!  You did?!  Where?! (rushing frantically to the den where he was laying on the baby blue couch, which is on an off-white rug...seriously...wtf were we thinking?!)

Nicky: not yet.  i gonna.  (while just sitting calmly on the couch.  um...GET UP!  GET UP!  GET UP!)

me:  Ok...let's get up and go to the bathroom.  (um...while we're still young!  let's move it...move it...move it!)

me:  Aw man.  It's ok buddy.  It was an accident.  Let's get you to the bathroom and clean you up.  NOOOO!  Blitzer!  Do. Not. Eat. That!!!  (all said while gagging and thanking God that none of the Frankenberries ended up on the couch or the rug...all over the hardwood floor, but not the couch or rug!)

So, I made Nicky a cozy pallet on his playroom floor (which he thought was great fun), accompanied by a trashcan lined with shopping bags, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, Lysol spray and wipes, and a sippie cup of water.  I had a whole process in place by the time Daddy came home from the office.  Those that know me well, know that vomit is my LEAST favorite thing in the world!  So, sitting with Nicky while he was throwing up (poor baby had nothing in his belly and couldn't keep even the simplest of things - water - down!) was a huge challenge for me.  There were several close calls where I thought I was going to join in on the puke-fest.  In fact, as I was cleaning up the Frankenberries, I was gagging so badly that I kept having to run to the other side of the house to escape the smell.  Nicky came up to me at one point, rubbed my back and said "aw.  you frow up too momma?".  So sweet!  He's the one that can't stop throwing up, yet he's concerned for my well-being!

Needless to say, we did not make it to Parent's Night Out; thankfully, Nicky stopped throwing up by 7pm.  Sunday morning I asked him if he wanted some breakfast.  He told me "i want cereal.  but i eat diffrent cereal!"  Good choice son - we will NEVER eat Frankenberries in this house again!

The House of Poo...

Warning: this post is not intended for those easily grossed out...and is possibly TMI...but, whatever...consider yourself warned!

As far back as I can remember (meaning back to the days when I was just a wee little tyke) I've had poo (aka "ocaccalo" in Russky-Nicky speak) issues, and like Nicky, was subjected to the random testing of said poo by military doctor after military doctor - all without ever finding any solid (LOL! love me a good pun!) medical diagnosis to explain my "issues". Either I go, or I don't go. This changes on a daily basis, and can be quite frustrating, not to mention uncomfortable at times! Now that I'm older, I've developed more of an obsession with poo. I find that I tend to talk pretty freely about it (hence this, and previous blogs), and have spoken to enough females to realize that most women understand where I'm coming from in this department. I mean seriously - why is it that a man can have his morning coffee and all is right with his GI system for the rest of the day?! Yet I take laxatives, stool softeners, enemas, fiber supplements, and colon cleansers and can still go weeks without being regular? So not fair - darn you Eve and your having to eat that silly forbidden apple! I'm so obsessed at this point that I regale poor Kris with stories and descriptions of the types of poo I experience - whether it was a successful trip to the potty; amount; shape; effort involved; etc...so NOT right! I'm telling you - I've got issues!!!

Well, it's no wonder that we've ended up with a child that has poo issues as well...he fits right in! We've been home 9 months now, and to this day, he's only had 2 semi-solid poo's. The good news is I've figured out his "timing" so instead of the morning clean-up shower, we put him on the potty (for no less than 15 minutes) and he does his thing. The bad news is, it's still chronic, explosive diarrhea (at times it even frightens the little guy during the process), and about every second day we're experiencing "2 a day's"! Blech!!! In fact, the night before we left for St Louis is when this new enjoyment began - and just so happened to occur in the bath tub - with Nicky "hiding" it under his floaty toys, and Momma freaking out over how to deal with the situation (sidebar...Daddy's always at the fire station when these fun things happen...grrrr!)! His GI Doctor, after all the invasive testing a few months back, told us we should re-examine the situation if (after a given period of time) we were still experiencing these issues, so I'm guessing with it getting more progressive we'll be revisiting the "Assman" (gotta love Seinfeld!) at some point in the future. Ah - the joys of parenthood...they just keep on comin'!

The Dreaded Incident Report

So there it was...waving in all its glory by the sign-in/out sheet as I approached Nicky's classroom this evening. The dreaded incident report. As I mentioned a few posts back, this is how the teachers at Nicky's school keep us parents informed about the little (and big) mishaps/accidents that go on while our little angel is away from us. We have received a few telling us that he's fallen down while at play; and two have spoken of a "friend" biting Nicky. When we've asked him who the biter was, he tells us it's the big bad "Darlet" - the name has been translated to "Nicky speak" to protect the so called innocent (I, of course, added the "big, bad" part). Funny thing is, the teachers completely leave off the "innocent child's" (aka antagonist) name from these reports, however, Nicky is all too willing to supply the name for us when asked! Today's report was no different. It read something as follows: "A "friend" pinched both of Nicky's cheeks while they were in the bathroom washing their hands and left scratch marks on both sides". Hmmmm...a friend? Really? I don't know about you, but my friends don't tend to do this type of activity with my face, nor do they practice random biting techniques on my person! (well...Kris might...but that's another story all together and this is a PG blog! LOL!) My point is, I never believed my mom when she would tell me that the boys that picked on me at the playground did so because they "liked me" and that was just their way of showing it! Nor do I believe that is why "Darlet" is doing so now. I have to mention, "Darlet" is a big girl for a 3 year old - and she totally looks like a "Darlet" too - big, mean, and burly! I probably should't say that about a little kid, but dude...she's picking on my baby! So - what do I do about it? Well, I suppose the grown-up thing to do is call Nicky's teacher and find out what part he has in this. Maybe "Darlet" isn't doing these things completely unprovoked - Nicky does have a way of pushing one's buttons...I've got some buttons...he's been known to push them. But...look at this face...maybe "Darlet" really does merely have a crush on him and he just won't go steady with her... Of course, if she doesn't knock it off, there won't be much of his cute face left!

The Migraine

So, here it is, the big excuse. Once again, it's been a while since I've last posted. "Why?", you might ask. Well, the answer is this...the non-stop migraine that will not leave my head. I've had this current bad-boy that will not leave for just over 3 weeks now. And I'm not talking about any old mild-mannered headache. I'm talking about a knock-down drag-out pounding, piercing, throbbing, makes me wanna scoop my brains out kind of pain. I'm busy enough to push through the work week, crashing as soon as we get Nicky to bed. However, when the weekend comes, and I finally have a minute to rest, it's like my body completely shuts down and the pain in my head consumes me and sleeping is the only thing I am capable of. It's horrible. I don't want that for me - and especially not for Nicky! How terrible is that for his first memories of his childhood to be "Momma sleeping?" Thank God for my wonderful, understanding husband who has been there to do the laundry, the dishes, take care of the screaming wild-man that can be our son, and to keep our household together. If it weren't for him I would probably look as bad as I feel.

I'm seeing a neurologist who has put me on a daily pill (topimax), which is supposed to help me have fewer migraines each month, but it's not working one bit!!! The pill is actually one that's prescribed for people with epilepsy, and they've found that it helps those that suffer from frequent migraines. All I've found that it helps with is giving me new ailments like: 1) food aversions - carbonated beverages taste flat (i.e. can't drink beer! and I LOVE beer!!!) and I can no longer eat scrambled eggs (I can take or leave those, but beer?!); 2) paresthesia - makes my fingers/toes/lips/tongue very tingly & if my foot ever dares to fall asleep, it takes forever to wake up & hurts like heck when doing so!; 3) memory loss - I kinda feel a little silly at times (I am a dumb blond, after all) - I'm not able to come up with the easiest of words or the names of people I see on a daily basis. The worst part is I'm getting absolutely no relief whatsoever and these side effects are only the mild ones...I could get kidney stones, cognitive/neuropsychiatric adverse events (huh?!), more fatigue (like I need that...I have a 3 year old to make me tired!), and further reduced cognitive capacity. Great. The only positive thing is this pill helps with weight loss...not that I need a lot of help in that department, but I am a girl and girls always want to lose 5 pounds or so! I go back to see him in July, and if I don't see any improvement by then, off this pill I go...I just can't take it. If any of you fellow migraine sufferers out there have any advice...I'll take it! In the meantime, I have been taking several other migraine drugs (Maxalt/Axert/Treximet/Zomig) that are supposed to get rid of them and I'm here to tell you that they don't work. At all. My head just laughs in their faces. Then there's the over-the-counter stuff. Tylenol? Yeah right. Aspirin...are you kidding me? Excedrin Migraine...well, at least I got some caffeine out of it! I feel like a walking pharmacy. I wish I could get a refund for every pill I've taken that hasn't helped me...I'd take Nicky to McDonald's! :)

Anyway...enough of my whining. Just had to get that all out...now back to blogging as usual!

ps...thank you so much to my husband who I appreciate and love more than he'll ever know!

Got Swine?

Ok...ok...so maybe it's not that funny, but with the current mass hysteria that is going on regarding the Swine Flu Pandemic, I couldn't resist! The unfortunate truth of the matter is, that the Johnson household has been a less than healthy one this week. Nicky has yet to recover from the residual effects of The Croup, although, I am happy that the seal bark has disappeared...that was just so sad to listen to! :( Thursday afternoon Nicky's lead preschool teacher called to inform us that he had a fever and that we should probably come and get him. This was after receiving several emails from his school letting us know how they were handling the flu from the pigs, and that they were taking every precaution to ensure the children's health and safety. That means that any sign of a cough/fever in any child and they are sent home and can't return without a clean bill of health from a doctor. I had already decided that the constant flow and amount of greenish snot coming out of Nicky's head was not normal and, given the duration of his cough, we should probably return to the doctor soon anyway...this just gave us more of a push. The doctor took a look up Nicky's irritated nose and listened to his chest and told us it was most-likely a sinus infection, prescribed the most foul-smelling antibiotic ever, and sent us on our way. Now if that flow of snot would cease...

In the meantime, Daddy Johnson announces that he "feels like crap". When asked what symptoms he was experiencing, he said "fever, achy, headache, congestion, cough..." - sounds like the flu to me! So - after much prodding from Momma - off to the doctor he went after taking Nicky to school. The doctor seemed to believe it was some type of viral infection, or the like, however, took the necessary precaution of swabbing Kris' nose (which he says is quite unpleasant and made him cry...poor baby!). Seeing as though the CDC has yet to call us to move us from a "possible" case of the swine flu to a "probable" or "definite" case, I suppose we're in the clear! Whew! That's all we need! I'm glad to say that both boys are doing better...let's just hope the little pigs (snicker!) didn't infect Momma with anything!

On a lighter note...our friend Gina came over to play this weekend, thus enabling Momma to visit the eye doctor on Saturday, as well as Momma and Daddy to have a date on Sunday! (Ok - so - it wasn't that HOT of a date...we did have a meal sans child, which is always pleasant, but it was lunch...but, hey, I'll take what I can get! We got to see a movie - always a nice treat...and so few and far between anymore! But - the highlight of the afternoon had to be the moment we purchased 2 new toilets at our local Home Depot! Parenthood is soo romantic!!!) Anyway - here's a picture of Gina and Nicky playing in the sink with those little capsules from which dinosaurs "grow". Nicky loved it...although, I think he was more excited about the fact that he got to play in the sink! What is it about little boys and playing in sinks?!

THE Croup

As if parenting weren't tough enough already, we're posed with the additional question "when do we take our kid to the doctor?" We know the obvious ones of high fever, constant vomiting, persistent ear aches, etc. But, what if you have a child that doesn't have any of those symptoms and isn't otherwise complaining? Nicky doesn't really know the words "I don't feel good", although we've tried to teach him variations of that phrase after his first bout of strep throat. Anyway, the past couple of days he has been coughing more than usual and we've figured that he's never experienced Spring in North Texas, so seeing as though our allergies are acting in accordance to the weather, his must be doing the same. Last night we decided to give it another day before rushing him to the doctor, after all, they can't do much for a cough. Bright and early as I was getting my first kiss of the day, I was greeted with an upper lip crusted with snot (ew, gross, sorry!) and the bark of a seal. Time to go to the doctor!!! I figured it was another case of strep, since that was the only symptom he had the last time (well, that and he had a crazy, wonky, swollen eye!). He didn't have a fever, but as soon as he coughed and I asked him if it hurt (with a frowny face and sad voice), the drama began "throat owie", "doctor candy!" (because, why else would one go to the doctor?), "juice please" - hey, at least he's using his words, asking for things and making connections!!! I don't doubt it hurts him, don't get me wrong, but just before he let out a big whopping cough, we asked him if his throat hurt and he told us, confidently, "no". Whatever the case was, Kris took him to the doctor and the doctor said, "no more monkeys jumping on the bed!" Oh - sorry - read that one one too many times! Seriously though, he doesn't have strep (whew), but he does have The Croup! (sidebar - when Dave Letterman had "The Shingles" he made a joke and said something to the effect that "did you ever notice that any time the word "the" is in front of an illness it becomes more ominous and serious?!" now I put "the" in front of everything for added drama!). The doctor gave us something to help soothe his poor little throat and said it's a virus and that it would just have to work itself out (in about a week). They told us it's not contagious, however, everything I've read, seems to state differently: "Croup is contagious, and it is usually spread by airborne infectious droplets sneezed or coughed into the air by infected children. " Hmmmm...I'm guessing it's safe to bet there are a few other kids in one of the schools he attends that have the same symptoms. And I just hope that they keep those little infectious droplets there at school and they don't make there way to Momma and Daddy! That's all we need...a whole house full of sick Johnsons!

Strep Throat

Yuck! Not that I have a “favorite” illness, but I have to say, of all the illnesses I have experienced in my life, strep is probably the worst. It seemed that the mere utterance of the words “strep throat” would send my immune system into a frenzy. Every time it went around, I would end up in the doctor’s office with my mom, with a stick down my throat. And just about every time, the doctor would say “well, she doesn’t have a fever, I don’t think it’s strep.” Thank goodness my mom knew better. She would almost always keep me home so as not to worsen my condition and to try and contain the virus for the sake of the other kids at school. Back in the day, it would take about 2-3 days before we would receive the results of the strep culture, therefore 2-3 days without antibiotics, and 2-3 days more of the wonderful throat pain that is associated with strep. Now-a-days, one can visit the doctor, and before leaving the office have a test result and a prescription in hand.

Now, you may be wondering why I’m bothering with this post. Well, last Saturday, Nicky developed a bit of a cough. No big deal at the time, the weather had changed yet again, and Nicky’s allergies were bothering him. So I broke out the Benadryl to try and tame the runny nose, etc. By Tuesday, the cough had become a little more persistent, but so had the allergy situation in the “Big D” and several other kids at school were experiencing the same symptoms, so we figured he might have a bit of a cold. We didn’t want to be those parents; the ones that rush their kid to the doctor at the first sign of the sniffles, so we just kept an eye on him. Well, that line of thought quickly changed when Wednesday morning presented itself with quite the symptom – Nicky’s left eye was almost completely swollen shut & puffy, it was bright red and after pulling his shirt over his head he said “eye owie!” and began to cry uncontrollably. I realized that this situation was a bit more serious that at first glance and Kris took him to the “sick clinic” at our doctor’s office that morning. Sure enough, upon inspection of Nicky’s throat, the doctor announced that Nicky had strep. Imagine our surprise! He didn’t have a fever and he never said “throat owie!” of course, he may not know that word yet, but he definitely knows neck and he knows how to “show me” (that’s what I ask of him when I don’t understand what he’s trying to tell me). Having a “funky” eye is usually not a good thing, however, in this scenario, we’re thankful for the outward symptom, especially with a deadly strain of strep lurking around.

I’m happy to announce that Nicky is doing much better. Of course, he acted normal throughout the whole ordeal. Crazy – I have a fever of 100 degrees and I’m out for the count. A 2 ½ year old has strep and it’s business as usual! Man, I’d love to have that stamina again! I’d also like to point out the fact that like his momma, Nicky didn’t run a fever the whole time. It’s funny how many similarities there are between the three of us – both health and personality speaking. He’s more and more our son every day!

Nicky's Test Results

We went to see Nicky's GI doctor this past Monday and I'm happy to report that everything seems to be good to go as far as his guts are concerned! We are definitely very happy about that and thankful that he doesn't need any major procedure to straighten him out. So - what's with all the explosions? The doctor seems to think it's a combination of "Toddler's Diarrhea" and "withholding". He said to continue with the probiotics, as this is know to help with issues regarding Irritable Bowel Syndrome & malabsorption. The thing that gets me (other than the actual explosions themselves!) is the fact that most doctors think that "toddlers diarrhea" is caused by an excessive intake of juices (especially apple & pear). Well, those of you that know me, know that I am not a fan of giving Nicky juice & the only juice he does get is the V8 Fusion (because it claims to have a full serving of fruit & veggies per serving). So, we're going to water down the juice we do give him & push the water. I guess I'll have to talk to his teachers again about not giving him as much juice. The doctor also said that the explosions could be a residual effect caused by the parasite he had when we first returned from Russia - it could have done a bit of damage to his guts & it will just work itself out eventually. As for the withholding, well, unfortunately we'll have to wait that one out too. He said not to push "ocaccalo on the potty", but to just reward him excessively (gotta love cheering for poo!) when he does happen to go on the potty.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what's with the picture of the pink dinosaur?! Well, that was the "prize" Nicky picked after visiting with the doctor. I just had to post a picture of it because Kris' oh so favorite color is pink!!! Well, not exactly, it's actually the complete opposite! He can't stand it, so when Nicky chose the pink one I just had to rub it in! :)

Happy New Year!