Friday, February 19, 2010

thanks for thoughts and prayers...

I am so happy to say that after two nights and three days of worry, Sophia has stopped having seizures, the fevers are gone, and all the side effects have seemed to resolve.
She was till having problems Wednesday. Her depth perception was off on Wednesday she kept saying we looked far away. Wednesday night was another scary night, although not as bad as Tuesday.
Thursday she was still running a fever and the doctor put her on antibiotics. Thursday seemed to be a better day, but had lost the feeling that she needed to go potty. It was more upsetting for her than anything else. She would go in her pants, then run into the bathroom upset that she'd had an accident. She didn't understand why that was happening. This has happened before after seizures, but never lasting that long. Thank God everything has resolved and she is back to her sassy self today.
Her eyes are wider, her face looks brighter, she is taking antibiotics and still her seizure medication is raised, which it will stay at the currently dosage from here on out, until we are told otherwise. She seems to adjusted fine to the higher dose.
She is sitting on my bed watching 'cyber chase' putting lip gloss all over her face. ;)
I want to thank you guys for your prayers, thoughts, emails, calls, FB messages. I told Sophi about every one of them. She would say, "all those people love Sophi huh momma!" She is a blessed little girl to have so many people loving her and praying for her. Thanks you.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

glad last night it over

Long night last night.

Sophi continued to have fevers. Had lots of jerking and disoriented moments. The disoriented moments are the hardest for momma, trying to make sense of it and bring her comfort.
She used to just cry but now she talks and her crying that she can't see me or she can't stop her arm from jerking is heart breaking. She doesn't remember anything after though. Then she would sleep for a while... then call out and it would start again. I just kept a cold wash cloth there and put it on her neck and under her arms to keep her cool. Her fever stayed around 102 with the Tylenol/Motrin and cold wash cloths.
Tony decided not to go out of town this morning. I have to say I am pretty proud and relieved at his decision. I really didn't want to be home alone with all this going on.
I was up most of the night with her. She finally went to sleep about 6 this morning and slept sound until about 930. Got up ate breakfast and is happy. No fevers this morning, I am hopeful that we are through the hard part.
Troy slept all night, no problems there. My sweet boy. He got up this morning and came right into his sissy's room to check on her. He loves his sissy.
I went to Sophi's school today to pick up her work she is missing and the two classes there at the preschool had made her get well cards.



It meant so much to her, so much to me. She is a very blessed little girl to have so many people around her who care about her.

It is sunny today..

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

no cooking today, prayers please.

Not so much cooking going on. Tombstone pizza for dinner tonight.

Sophia is sick, she has been running a high fever and had more seizure activity than normal. I was doing school work last night and I thought she was awake in her room playing with a plastic toy, it was her grinding her teeth. Eww.. she did this during her 4 day EEG when the monitor would show seizure activity. I knew something was not right. Sure enough she woke up later in the night with a fever. She had a seizure. The medicine is controlling it quite a bit, it was not near as intense as they have been. I am happy for that.
She is on lots of medication to help control the fever, the coughing, the seizures. Her seizure medication has been upped. She is getting lots of tylenol and motrin round the clock and a prescription cough suppressant to help her sleep more sound... not much sleeping going on, until after the seizures, that wipes her out but I don't know how restful that is.
No antibiotics yet, the pediatrician thinks it is a viral respiratory infection for now. If she is still running a fever on Thursday we will start on antibiotics and then go for some blood work. She had had quite a few respiratory infections this year. She has never had breathing trouble, since December 27th, she has been on 3 separate rounds of nebulizer treatments and steroids. As far as I know they are wanting to check and see if she has any bacterial growth in her lungs... pending that the fever doesn't come down by Thursday. The fevers could be from the seizures so if we can get the seizures to stop, the fever reduced then go from there.
Troy is sick too, coughing and runny nose, no fever though. He is ok.
It is so different with the two kids.
Troy gets sick and I feel bad for him. I give him lots of fluids, he gets lots of rest, movies and playing with his Thomas the Train toys on the couch, lots of snuggles and hugs and kisses.
Not like Sophia though...
I worry so much more about her. She seems so fragile compared to Troy. I guess she is, maybe just my thoughts. She is strong too though. She is one tough cookie. She has been very lethargic and coughing a bit but other than that she doesn't complain.
It's not her being sick that is worrisome, it's the complications of her being sick.
Tony leaves tomorrow for Miami until Thursday night, so it will be me and my little sickies.
Please keep us in your prayers, pray the fever resolves and she stops having seizures. She cried tonight that she had a headache. She is having lots of 'aura' from the seizures, saying her stomach hurts. She is having some photo sensitivity as well. I hate that she hurts. Her eyes look tired. She has "bravery lights" (Christmas lights) in her room above her head board and she asked Tony to turn them off because they were hurting her head.
Pray that Tony has a safe trip down to Miami and a safe trip back on Thursday evening, lots of driving for him.

Hope everyone is doing good. God Bless. Maybe I should post how I cook my tombstone pizza on 450 for 25 minutes. ;)

Well, I am going to get back to my school work and go check on my babies..

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Whirlwind Weeks...

February... March... AHHH....
The calendars are just about full through March. I would like to enjoy 2010 but up until now I am been flying through it. I can hardly remember a year that has begun flying by so quickly. Usually you look back and say, "wow, that flew by" but I'm looking forward and saying, "SLOW DOWN!"

Where to start?

Lots of Birthday Parties lately, the past three weeks we have been to 6 birthday parties... busy kids.

Tony and I are going camping for his birthday next weekend. His birthday isn't until March but things are so crazy in March so we are going in February.

We are going to my cousin's wedding in the keys in March. Sophia is a flower girl again!!

I am going back to school. I did just say that huh? With a two year old, a four year old, a job, a husband... what am I thinking!? I am still getting used to the idea. I am actually enrolling at a school in Iowa, they have an online program for my degree, so maybe I'll come visit Iowa in a couple years for my graduation. I start classes online on Tuesday! I am going to finish my bachelors in education, I only have about a year left. Then on to finish my masters in social science. I am hoping to teach at the college level, like a community college. I am excited and nervous. I am having to take out a student loan.. yicks! Should of, would of, could of.... finished my degree when I was on a full ride scholarship but I was madly in love and wanted a baby... live and learn and looking back I wouldn't have changed a thing. It's been fun. Stressful, but fun. I love waking up in the morning next to the man of my dreams, even if he is bald and snoring like a chainsaw. I still love him.

Sophi is starting VPK next year. In Florida, all kids can go to VPK if they are going to be 4 by September 1st, and entering Kindergarten the following year. Sophia will be 5 on September 8th, but because she will miss the cut off for kindergarten by 8 days (5 by Sept 1), she will be going to VPK.
She is currently going to a PreK 4 class near our house. It is a small school at a church, we love her teacher and her class... I wish she could just stay there until her senior year! All of her friends will be going on the kindergarten and because of her birthday she will have to wait and go the following year.
I am ok with that. I'd rather her be mature enough than starting too early. Even though I think she is a super genius and will be just fine. We will wait.
I have been struggling with elementary school options though. I hear lots and lots of parents struggle with this decision. Florida schools are not the greatest... I mean, I turned out ok, it's not so much the education as the other kids in the schools I'm worried about. There influence... there mouths... ugh! Gives me nightmares... I can't even think about it...
The short version... for the first time in my life I think homeschooling is a good idea. I'm not sold on it yet but it's about 40/20/40 (private school/public school/home school) right now in my mind. For now she is signed up to start VPK next August at a private preschool about 15 minutes from our house.
Elementary school makes me a nutcase...I just can't imagine Sophi carrying her lunch tray in a cafeteria with 10 and 11 year olds. It freaks me out! How my mother ever let me go to school is beyond me! :)

Valentines Day is coming up! Sunday! The kids and I will make our traditional heart cake for Daddy. I got the kids little baskets with heart chocolates and a stuffed animal 2 of $10 at Walmart, I love Walmart. I was at Walmart today in the 'Valentines Day section' remembering Valentines Day shopping two years ago, Valentines Day 2008 read this.
Tony and I may try and sneak away for a little to see a movie, if my mom will watch the kiddos for us.
This Valentines Day is going to have a new tradition as well. My sister in law, Anne-Marie, her father died on Valentines Day last year. In his memory, Sophi helped me decide, we are going to send a red balloon up to heaven for "Bumpa" (my nephew, Xavier, called him "Bumpa" because he couldn't say "Grandpa") we are going to do this every year to honor the memory that his family still carries with them. We are all connected and this is our way of remembering someone who meant so much to our family.

Well, the kids and I are off to take cookies to Tony's work for Valentines Day.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Cooking Tuesday

Another one for the crock pot. Trend maybe? Maybe I just love my crock pot. This is great for Sunday afternoon. With grilled chicken and broccoli. Yum...

Crock Pot Mac N Cheese

1 (1 lb.) box macaroni
1/2 to 3/4 lb. grated cheese
1 (12 oz.) can milk
1 c. regular milk
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in crock pot with milk. Add other ingredients and stir well. Cook in crock pot on low for 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

Maybe my crock pot can be my valentine this year. ;)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Super Bowl Sunday

Who Dat!?
Drew Dat!
Go Saints!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!
Hope you all had a great week and have a great week as well.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Cooking Tuesday

I love the crock pot and I've been asked to share the lasagna crock pot recipe...

Straight from the Recipe book, because I'm to lazy this week to cook it. Although it is simple, I'm just that lazy!

Crock Pot Lasanga
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 large jar spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu in the 1 lb. 10 ounce jar)
1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain off any grease.
Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese, so that all the cheeses are combined.

Grease the slow cooker/Crock Pot with some vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides. -It will stick!

Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that. Then repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese for another 2 layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until noodles are tender.

Enjoy!