Our October Virus

This blog has been terribly neglected lately.  A virus haunted our home for almost the whole month of October, making it very difficult to do anything other than hold sick kiddos and clean the very dirty clothes of said sick kiddos.  The virus started with Owen and a little runny nose.  Within hours, he was wheezing, so we started nebulizer treatments.  He got progressively worse throughout the next day (wheezing, vomiting and fever) and was admitted to Children's Hospital for a two night stay.  

Here's our sick little man right after getting his IV.  

 He was needing nebs so frequently that they put him on a continuous neb, which is why he  has a nasal cannula.  We were told he would adjust quickly to the cannula, but 5 hours later he was still crying and fighting it.  After some nudging (harassment) from this mom, the doctor agreed to nebs every two hours, so Owen could get some rest overnight.  He decided losing the cannula wasn't quite enough and pulled out his IV, too.  Owen may not be the best patient. . . 

There was very little we could do distract him from the cannula but books helped for a bit. 

After a very long first night, Owen was looking much better and was excited to eat breakfast (after a full day on a clear liquid diet).

 

 As he started to feel better, it became difficult to keep him entertained in his room, so the hospital brought some toys.  Owen was thrilled!  

We also took walks in the hallway several times a day (sometimes at crazy times like 4:30 a.m.).  He fought the mask at first but gave in as soon as he realized the mask equaled freedom! This picture is Owen getting ready to take his victory lap just minutes before being discharged. 

He fit in some last minute playtime with his hospital toys while Josh and I talked to the nurse.

While Owen and I were in the hospital, Maren stayed with Grandma Colleen and Grandpa Dave, so Josh could easily get back and forth to the hospital.  I hated having to be away from her, but she had a blast.  She came home a few minutes after Owen got home from the hospital and was a very happy little girl. . . until her nose started running minutes later.  That same evening, Maren spent the majority of the night screaming.  She had a really rough next day, as well, so I brought her into Urgent Care to have her throat and ears checked.  

Here she is at urgent care, where we found out that she did not have strep or an ear infection.  Fast forward a week, and she did end up with a double ear infection. 

 So, for the month of October, we basically did a lot of this.  

Everyone is feeling better now, but I'm already nervous about the next virus lurking around the corner.  We have Owen on an asthma management plan this winter that includes two nebs per day to prevent his lungs from becoming inflamed if and when he catches another virus.  The hope is that by being more proactive we can avoid another hospital stay.  I really hope this is true.  I also hope we don't have to test its effectiveness anytime soon!

Sever's Corn Maze

Last weekend, we visited Sever's Corn Maze and had a blast!  There was so much to do, and we can't wait to go back again next year. 

There were big trucks and tractors, 

 

lots of animals, 

snacks,

a hay ride,

and pumpkins!

Oh, and there was also adorable dancing. 

This is unrelated to Sever's Corn Maze, but his little guy wants to say hello!
(The whining in the background is Maren, who really needed to use my phone.)

Toddler Fun

When people find out that our twins are 20 months old, the reaction is always the same.  "Two toddlers. You must be busy!"  And, yes, we certainly are busy, but having toddlers is so much more fun than expected and, so far, easier than caring for two newborns. Sure we have whining, occasional temper tantrums and the general chaos that comes along with two toddlers in one house.  But, every day these crazy kiddos do at least one thing (usually many more) to make us laugh. 

For example - this is what they were doing when I picked them up from Grandma's house last week.  

This picture isn't really about Owen being a toddler as much as it is about his dimples.  Seriously, look at those dimples!

The most fun thing happening in our household now, though, is talking.  Neither kiddo says a lot yet (beyond Mama, Dada, No, Go and a variety of animal noises), but they are starting to repeat more and trying to say new things daily. Maren says "Elmo" and "Hello," which we have captured on video. Owen has said numerous words perfectly. . . once.  He is not about to perform for anyone.  He leaves that to his sister. 

"Elmo!"  It's funny that this is a favorite word because she does not like to watch Elmo on TV.  She likes her Elmo book and Elmo bubble bath.  

"Hello!"  She insisted on recording herself and got a little frustrated when she dropped the phone. 

Individual Outings

Over the summer, I was able to take both kiddos on a individual date.  Owen and I went to Choo Choo Bob's to check out the trains, which was a huge hit.  Maren and I checked out Build-a Bear, and Rainbow Bear was born.  We'll definitely be finding time for more one-on-one outings.  

Owen loved the train set in the front window.  

Seriously, he LOVED it!

He eventually ventured away from the front window to check out some other trains. 

Maren and her newly stuffed buddy. 

After Build-a Bear, Maren took her first carousel ride.  She was a little nervous at first, but once the ride started, I had trouble convincing her to stop waving her arms around and actually hold on.  

Owen's Nebulizer

Owen was recovering quite nicely after our visit to the ER for Reactive Airway. . . until Monday.  He started having difficulty breathing again and his nebulizer was only giving him relief for about 30-40 minutes.  We went back to our pediatrician for more chest x-rays and found that he now has pneumonia.  So, we are giving him new nebulizer treatments and an oral steroid, and he is responding to both really well.  Our fingers are crossed that he really is on the mend this time.  In the meantime, we've all found ways to have some fun with the nebulizer.  

Owen and Daddy get to snuggle and watch Thomas the Train.

Maren gets to help take care of Owen, which is a job she takes very seriously. 

So seriously, in fact, that she found a way to practice.  Maren's "nebulizer" is a bottle top. She's a creative little thing!

Eighteen Months Old!

On Friday, Owen and Maren had their 18 month visit with our pediatrician.  They were actually 19 months at the appointment, but we'll still call these their 18 month stats.  I think we're going to have to have two tall kiddos.  At their 15 month appointment, Owen was in the 91st percentile for height and is now in the 94th. Maren was in the 64th percentile and is now in the 87th.

	Weight	Percentile	Height	Percentile	Head Circ	Percentile
Owen	25 lb 10 oz	65	34.5 in.	94	19.5 in.	93
Maren	23 lb 11 oz	59	33.5 in.	87	19 in.	90

  

Here are a couple videos of our happy and healthy 19 month olds.  

Maren chatting after dinner.  Please excuse her messy face.  

Owen playing peek-a-boo.

A Visit to the ER

We had to make our first trip to the ER on Sunday night.  Owen was a little congested Friday, which progressed to very congested and wheezing Sunday morning.  We took him to our regular clinic on Sunday morning and left with a nebulizer to use every three hours at home and an antibiotic for a surprise ear infection.  By Sunday evening, we noticed that with the nebulizer, Owen was only finding relief for about 30 minutes before starting to wheeze again.  We called our clinic's after-hours care line and were told to bring him into Minneapolis Children's Hospital.  Thankfully, Grandpa Dave and Grandma Colleen were able to come and pick up Maren for the night, so Josh and I could both be with Owen.  I figured it was going to take both of us to keep a sick and over-tired little boy happy in the ER, but it turns out Owen LOVED it!  He loved the art in the waiting room, his pulse oximeter, the hospital bed, his gown and especially the chest x-ray.  Josh and I were in awe watching our shy and sick little guy greet nurses with high fives and lay perfectly still with a smile on his face for his x-ray.  The one thing he hated (and continues to hate) was the nebulizer treatments.  He did not high five Josh, myself or any nurse associated with a nebulizer treatment.  Three hours, two nebulizer treatments and an oral steroid later, Owen was sent home breathing easier with a diagnosis of reactive airway.  The symptoms are similar to asthma, but they generally don't diagnose asthma in patients this young.  So, we'll have to wait and see if this continues to be a problem for Mr. O.  We're hoping not, but the odds are not in his favor having an asthmatic mom.

Here he is checking out and loving the hospital bed.

He got to watch "Planes," and he was very excited about it!

The very cool hospital gown.  It had spaceships and astronauts on it. 

A quiet moment with his monkey

Grandma and Grandpa brought Maren back home this evening, and we're all looking forward to a hopefully quiet night at home.