Our weekend was pretty much the same as usual. We ran some errands, went to the pool, folded laundry and just hung around the house. The only difference was in Bubba's nose. He awoke Friday with a funky nose. If you have children, you know what I mean! I knew what was ahead but I tried to blow it off. After all, I had just been to the pediatrician 5 days earlier and the pediatric ENT the day before.
On Saturday, the whole family ventured out to Target for a few forgotten items. While in the store, Bubba began hitting Baby in the cart. Baby sweetly said "Be nice, Bubba. Don't hit me!" But that didn't stop him. When Evander and I spoke to him, it didn't stop. So...I decided to remove him from the buggy and make him walk and hold my hand. Seconds after grabbing onto his tiny brown hand, he went limp and began screaming "DADDY!! DADDY!!" Evander was literally right beside us, but Bubba didn't care. He was screaming so loudly, I knew we had to leave the store.
So... 7 months pregnant me (if you haven't seen me lately, I'm much bigger than I was with Baby) proceeds to drag screaming-limp Bubba through the isles of Target and out the glass doors. All the while Bubba is screaming "Daddy! HELP! DADDY!! NNNOOO!!" Strangers are glancing in my direction, probably wondering if he is being abducted or just terrible! I rush him to the car, where he refuses to get in. Still screaming, I lift him into the car and hold him down with my elbow, so I can buckle the seat. I quickly slam and lock the door and hop into the passenger seat.
After throwing my head back into the seat rest, taking a gulp of water, and sighing deeply, I began to talk to him (more of a scream since he was still screaming). Soon I saw Evander and Baby bopping out of the store and silently thanked God. "What is HIS deal? One of these days someone is going to stop us or call the police!" Evander said as he slid into the car. I knew exactly what the problem was. Gauging from the recent outburst, I immediately diagnosed his funky nose as ear and sinus infection. These days, the only time Bubba acts like that anymore is when he is sick, and when he is sick, he usually has an ear and/or sinus infection.
As the pediatrician entered the room this morning, she said "What's going on with Bubba today?" and I said "He has a sinus infection and maybe an ear infection." After confirming our diagnosis, we left the doctor's office with an antibiotic prescription, 2 suckers, and countless germs that haven't popped up yet! Now we are trying to get Bubba feeling well before we fly on Wednesday morning. Keep your fingers crossed!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Little Swimmer
In the past, Bubba has had many issues with the beginning of "pool season". He doesn't like to get his hair or face wet. He doesn't like water to get in his ears. The water is usually too cold or too hot. With this in mind, I decided to sign him up for swimming lessons at Emler Swim School (http://www.iswimemler.com/).
So...for two weeks (every single day) at the first of June Bubba had a 30 minute swimming lesson. I know it sounds intense, but he does better when you totally immerse (no pun intended) in it. Now, this same little hesitant boy is running and jumping in the pool with no one to catch him. He often looks like a duck bobbing in the water and suddenly throwing his face under the water. Thanks to swimming lessons, he has 8 second breath control (meaning he can hold his breath under water for 8 seconds) and is beginning to swim like a fish. He is so comfortable in the pool, he has begun to ask for his swimmies to be removed.
Since we had such success, we have signed Bubba up for advanced swimming lessons (at his level...nothing crazy), which will be once a week for the rest of the summer. We don't want him to lose his enthusiasm and comfortability (is that even a word?) with the water. YEAH BUBBA!!
Lilly is also taking swimming lessons once a week, but she has never been uncomfortable with the water. If anything, she is now OVER confident, which is scary!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Rain, Rain, Go Away
We awoke this morning to cloudy skies, and the questioning immediately began. "Is it still dark?" "Is it cloudy?" "Is it going to rain?" Bubba has a terrible fear of the rain, and I don't mean severe weather. I mean rain... tiny water droplets that fall from the sky. He doesn't have to hear the low rumblings of thunder or see lightning streak across the sky. He is afraid of rain! Now... the anxiety worsens with thunder and lightning, but it begins with the water falling.
Our day was a little rocky, but it wasn't so bad. And, other than the constant questioning about the cloudy skies, I had put the possibility of rain out of my mind. It wasn't until we were eating dinner with Mama Bird and Mela-mela that I began to notice a change in the skies. Bubba, on the other hand, had been watching the skies from the windows and immediately sensed the change. "It's going to rain!" he said.
"Oh, it's fine! Now turn around and eat." I said.
"It's going to rain!" he insisted.
"It might rain but we will be ok!" I reassured. I tried to entice Bubba to eat his dinner, but I knew it was useless. Once he saw that rain was on the horizon, all else was out the window. On the way out to the car, I noticed how dark it had gotten and how gloomy the clouds looked but I was still reassuring Bubba that we would be fine. We hopped into the car and headed home. I was just hoping we would make it home in time for me to take the dogs out before it started raining. Bubba, on the other hand, was hoping for no rain ever!
That is when I heard it, and he did too. The tornado sirens began going off as we headed for home. Oh crap!! "What IS that, Mommy?" he asked.
"Just a siren baby!" I said.
"What IS that siren for, Mommy?" he continued.
"It's just a bad weather siren... no big deal." I insisted.
"NO, Mommy...it's a tornado siren. A tornado is here!!" he urged.
"First of all... how do you know that is a tornado siren? Second... how do you know the word tornado?"
"A tornado is bad, bad weather, Mommy" he said.
"It's ok, Bubba! We will be ok. Mommy will keep you safe. That's what I'm here for" I reassured.
When we entered the garage, I explained that we were having bad weather, so the dogs needed to stay in their crates, and we needed to sit in the bathroom for a little while. I rushed them out of the car and into the hall bathroom. Then I ran out of the bathroom for pillows and the portable DVD player. When I returned, only seconds later, Bubba had used the potty all over himself.
"What happened baby? You are standing right next to the potty!" I asked.
"You left" he whispered.
"Ok... no big deal. Let's get you cleaned up!"
After cleaning him up, I quickly threw the pee clothes into the laundry room and checked the news for a weather update. It was headed right over us, so I ran back to the bathroom and pulled up the radar on my iPhone (thank heaven and Evander for this phone). We managed to ride out the severe weather with my children camped out in the bathtub watching a movie, dogs in their crates (amazingly quiet) and me sitting on the tile floor watching a 2 inch version of radar.
During all of this my mother and Evander called to check on us (thank you for calling). I also called Mama Bird to make sure she made it home ok. I knew Mela-mela would have made it because she lives very close and I followed her almost all the way (until turning into our neighborhood). Bubba's fears continue to amaze me. In so many instances, he is fearless. He hasn't a care in the world and throws caution into the wind. However, when it comes to rain and social situations, he becomes a different child and experiences anxiety and fear so intense it alarms me. I suppose it is just like everything else with him. It is all or nothing! There is no middle ground, no moderate response.
*It just hit me, too, where he learned about the tornado siren and a tornado... ppcd. I'm sure they had a severe weather drill at some point when he was at school.*
Our day was a little rocky, but it wasn't so bad. And, other than the constant questioning about the cloudy skies, I had put the possibility of rain out of my mind. It wasn't until we were eating dinner with Mama Bird and Mela-mela that I began to notice a change in the skies. Bubba, on the other hand, had been watching the skies from the windows and immediately sensed the change. "It's going to rain!" he said.
"Oh, it's fine! Now turn around and eat." I said.
"It's going to rain!" he insisted.
"It might rain but we will be ok!" I reassured. I tried to entice Bubba to eat his dinner, but I knew it was useless. Once he saw that rain was on the horizon, all else was out the window. On the way out to the car, I noticed how dark it had gotten and how gloomy the clouds looked but I was still reassuring Bubba that we would be fine. We hopped into the car and headed home. I was just hoping we would make it home in time for me to take the dogs out before it started raining. Bubba, on the other hand, was hoping for no rain ever!
That is when I heard it, and he did too. The tornado sirens began going off as we headed for home. Oh crap!! "What IS that, Mommy?" he asked.
"Just a siren baby!" I said.
"What IS that siren for, Mommy?" he continued.
"It's just a bad weather siren... no big deal." I insisted.
"NO, Mommy...it's a tornado siren. A tornado is here!!" he urged.
"First of all... how do you know that is a tornado siren? Second... how do you know the word tornado?"
"A tornado is bad, bad weather, Mommy" he said.
"It's ok, Bubba! We will be ok. Mommy will keep you safe. That's what I'm here for" I reassured.
When we entered the garage, I explained that we were having bad weather, so the dogs needed to stay in their crates, and we needed to sit in the bathroom for a little while. I rushed them out of the car and into the hall bathroom. Then I ran out of the bathroom for pillows and the portable DVD player. When I returned, only seconds later, Bubba had used the potty all over himself.
"What happened baby? You are standing right next to the potty!" I asked.
"You left" he whispered.
"Ok... no big deal. Let's get you cleaned up!"
After cleaning him up, I quickly threw the pee clothes into the laundry room and checked the news for a weather update. It was headed right over us, so I ran back to the bathroom and pulled up the radar on my iPhone (thank heaven and Evander for this phone). We managed to ride out the severe weather with my children camped out in the bathtub watching a movie, dogs in their crates (amazingly quiet) and me sitting on the tile floor watching a 2 inch version of radar.
During all of this my mother and Evander called to check on us (thank you for calling). I also called Mama Bird to make sure she made it home ok. I knew Mela-mela would have made it because she lives very close and I followed her almost all the way (until turning into our neighborhood). Bubba's fears continue to amaze me. In so many instances, he is fearless. He hasn't a care in the world and throws caution into the wind. However, when it comes to rain and social situations, he becomes a different child and experiences anxiety and fear so intense it alarms me. I suppose it is just like everything else with him. It is all or nothing! There is no middle ground, no moderate response.
*It just hit me, too, where he learned about the tornado siren and a tornado... ppcd. I'm sure they had a severe weather drill at some point when he was at school.*
Thursday, June 4, 2009
School's Out for Summer
"Am I going to kindergarten now?" was one of the first questions I heard this morning. "Did you say kindergarten?" I asked. "Yeah," Bubba replied. "Well...not right now. You have to be five to go," I answered. "And I'm three now?" he wondered. "Yes" And that was it. We started this year not wanting to go to school at all, and, now that he is done for the year, he is ready to continue on (and skip a few years).
Wednesday was Bubba's last day of PPCD, and I am relieved. We finally have that and those teachers behind us. I was told that he would be spending the day outside and having a Popsicle for snack, but when I asked Bubba what they did he said that he didn't know. When I asked if he had a Popsicle he said "No! I want a Popsicle!" UUGGHH!! Why would his teachers have told me Popsicles if there were no Popsicles?
Next year, Bubba will be going to PPCD at the new Early Childhood Center very close to our house. It is a very nice building with lots of tiny playgrounds, just perfect for their ages. I have asked his teachers to provide some specifics for the new year and new school, but they can't seem to come up with any, so I suppose we will wait and see what happens. Bubba will, I believe, be riding the bus one way (either home from school if he is in the morning session or to school if he is in the afternoon session). I thought this would provide him a little independence, and it would help me out with the new baby. We will have to wait and see, though, how it actually works out.
With summer ahead, Bubba is off on new adventures. He will begin swimming lessons next week and has a trip to Flagstaff, Arizona in the near future. He is currently doing very well, sleeping through the night and talking more. I just hope we keep it up!
Wednesday was Bubba's last day of PPCD, and I am relieved. We finally have that and those teachers behind us. I was told that he would be spending the day outside and having a Popsicle for snack, but when I asked Bubba what they did he said that he didn't know. When I asked if he had a Popsicle he said "No! I want a Popsicle!" UUGGHH!! Why would his teachers have told me Popsicles if there were no Popsicles?
Next year, Bubba will be going to PPCD at the new Early Childhood Center very close to our house. It is a very nice building with lots of tiny playgrounds, just perfect for their ages. I have asked his teachers to provide some specifics for the new year and new school, but they can't seem to come up with any, so I suppose we will wait and see what happens. Bubba will, I believe, be riding the bus one way (either home from school if he is in the morning session or to school if he is in the afternoon session). I thought this would provide him a little independence, and it would help me out with the new baby. We will have to wait and see, though, how it actually works out.
With summer ahead, Bubba is off on new adventures. He will begin swimming lessons next week and has a trip to Flagstaff, Arizona in the near future. He is currently doing very well, sleeping through the night and talking more. I just hope we keep it up!
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