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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Gross

I am sitting here holding a now-calm, talking and giggling Turner.  However, about an hour ago he was not so  calm!

Normal thumb

Swollen thumb

This is a picture of his thumb - normally and then the infected one.  I vote myself mom of the year for the gangrene I almost gave my child.  I will rewind.
Last week when I went to get Turner out of bed, he had sliced his face open with his fingernails of death.  They grow freakishly fast - but so do mine.  Guess I passed that on.  Anyway, his face had a cut down the front for a matter of days.  Then, his daycare called (more on that in a minute) and asked if I had seen the scratches on his legs.  Oops, yes.  His also-freakishly grown toenails had scratched his legs up.  They wanted to make sure it had not happened there!  I assured them that he had done it at home, I just didn't realize his leg had bled!  Wow.
So, I decided to cut his fingernails the other night.  When he is awake this is a 2-person job.  Heath held him in the bathtub while I attacked the nails.  Looks like mom of the year clipped too far into his thumb.  Fast forward to last night when I noticed his thumb was swollen and red.  Who did I call?   You know it - Lindsey (and Brandon by default).  The final word was to keep neosporin on it, but not to worry until it turned green.  Ha - we thought - it won't turn green.
Well, later last night was wonderful.  Here was the rundown:
9:00 - Turner went to bed
10:30 - Heath and Kelly went to bed after watching The Hills - very much against Heath's will, but I love it.  Spencer is ridiculous, but I digress.
12:30 - SCREAMING from the nursery.  This child has been a blessing across the board, but especially in the sleep department.  I tried to calm him down, then Heath relieved me (since we are both at work).  I tried to give him a small bottle, and he wouldn't have it.  
1:00 - Heath takes Turner to the guest bedroom - holding him upright because he wouldn't lay down at all
2ish - 3:00 - Turner and Heath nap
3:00 - Screaming from guest bedroom - I go in and take the boy to feed him
3:30 - Turner back in crib, Heath and I are in the bed, but not for long
3:45 - Heath takes him to calm him again, walks around the house sitting upright - concludes something is wrong with his ear from the blood-curdling scream
4:00 - I go in because he is still crying.  I rock him to sleep and place him in his swing at about 4:30.
4:30 - I realize there is no way I can teach today!  Put in for a sub, email Leighton to help me with plans.
5-6 - Heath leaves for Bible Study, Turner and I nap
6 - Guess who is screaming at the top of his lungs again?  I feed him, and rock him until he naps with me until 7.  
Long story short Heath called the doctor and we went at 8:45, to realize Turner had some pressure on his ear, but not an infection.  Side note - I took him last week to a different doctor in the practice, and he told me that ear was clean.  Dr. Brandon had suspected differently.  Dr. Brandon proved right today.  Also, Turner got on antibiotics for his large green thumb.  You are welcome, son.  
A little while ago, when Turner was a whole different level of hysterical, I noticed his thumb was throbbing.  Like a cartoon.  I reached for the phone and tried to call guess who - Lindsey.  She didn't pick up.  Heath and I had to make a game-time decision - pop his gangrene thumb or not?  Heath sterilized a needle, and we did.  His blood and pus covered several kleenexes.  How could someone so tiny bleed so much??  This was after we tried to soak his hand in warm water, and he continuously knocked over our bowls of water.
Okay, so back to the daycare.  I went back to work last Wednesday.  Rip my heart out.  Turner is staying at "Mrs. Lee's".  Lee used to work at our school, and now graciously opens her home up as a daycare for several of the teachers' kids.  It is right across the street from the school, and a true blessing.  However, I have been spoiled spending so much time at home with Turner.  I got pretty used to it!  I cried all day Wednesday, again on Thursday, but Friday and yesterday I was okay.  In fact, I had adjusted by today and it was weird not to be there.  Staying home was not as fun when Precious was sick and Screaming!!!  
I told Heath the other morning (while crying) that I didn't want to go to work.  He said "Neither do I."  Good point.  Meanwhile, though, Turner is having a ball.  He has made several friends, and it is so neat that I remember most of them from when their moms were pregnant.  He has already been invited to a birthday party, and to spend the night with a little girl.  She is 3 and her mom told me that she came home the other day asking if they had baby food, blankets, diapers, etc.  She told her mom she needed them for when Turner spent the night.  That makes me laugh.  I think of him as a baby, but he is their friend.  Most of the kids are 2-3, and they make a point to speak to him and take care of him daily.  One kid told his mom, "Oh yeah, I like Turner, he is really nice."  That is so funny to me.
Well, that is a rundown with us.  Trying not to give my son any infectious diseases and balance working and mommying for the next month.  Then we will pray about me going back next year.  As much as I have LOVED my job, I would love to quit.  But Heath reminds me we would also love to live.  We will really be in prayer about next year.  When people said my life would change with a baby, I didn't realize my heart would grow this much!
I am sticking the following pictures on here to have something besides disgusting thumb pics in this post.

Turner willing to try rice cereal

He hates rice cereal.  Has hated it for weeks.  Hopefully that will change!!

Hangin' with the cousins

Update - a mom of one of my students just emailed and asked if Turner was okay.  The kids assumed that since he was sick that he had "the really bad flu"  - SWINE FLU????  Lord help us!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter!


We took this picture at the mall - I guess starting a tradition to continue over the next several years.  I laugh when I look at it because he was smiling!  Maybe that tradition will continue over the next years' pictures, but who knows?!  (Side note - I would not have picked the lovely ivy on the side of the picture, but it came with the package.)
We sent this picture to family in a card.  It was frustrating because I could not find cute, true meaning of Easter cards anywhere.  There were some precious bunny and egg cards, but none that spoke of the true meaning of the season.  In fact, I have never really thought how this has been "secularized."  I am not opposed to bunnies or eggs AT ALL (you will see further in the post), I just have to be careful to keep it in perspective.  I got an email from school the other day (not that I have gone back yet) that said to make sure during our Easter celebrations in the classroom that we do not make it religious, but that we can appreciate the "birth of Spring."  This got me fired up!  I understand I have to be CAREFUL of the religious line in a public school setting, but I DO NOT celebrate the birth of Spring, but the resurrection of my Savior!  That is the message I want to convey to the children (carefully) - it breaks my heart to think that they would think more about an Easter bunny than our Lord and Savior making the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross, and the miracle of His resurrection!  If you know me well, this doesn't surprise you - I don't respond greatly to authority!  Ha!
Anyway, the point is a balance.  Bunnies and egg hunts are not wrong - in fact I love them!  But, it was very refreshing today to be at church celebrating our Risen Lord!  Every year it is such a reminder of the miracle of God sending His only son.  I think I am thinking more about it this year on Turner's first Easter.  I have a whole new thought process about God sending His son for us, knowing He would die!  What a miracle - I adore my little son in a way I never knew I could!
Now, for the balance (almost negating my little rant from earlier)....I made these Easter desserts this weekend.  I have made the cake the last several years, and it took less than an hour start to finish.  I wasn't going to, but Derek asked for it, and I think it is funny!

Chocolate Bunny Cake


Easter Basket Cheesecake

The cheesecakes, however, took a little longer because I decided to get creative late into the night.  The recipe called for coconut.  I hate coconut, so on both recipes I used shaved white chocolate.  I melted the white chocolate down and mixed the green food coloring to look like grass.  Then shaved it with a carrot peeler.  The pleasant surprise was that it tasted pretty good!
Here were some pictures from our day - what a fabulous day to celebrate Jesus with family and friends.  

Turner's Easter outfit - made by my friend Jane Ann's mom

Family Easter picture - hard to get everyone looking :)

Turner took a 2 hour nap with Uncle D on the hammock!

We watched Kate hunt easter eggs and eat her candy - hilarious

Grandsons with GiGi - they both had duck outfits on...our original matching plan for all 3 grandkids got sidetracked with Lindsey and Brandon's move into their house this weekend!  Our seamstress was busy to say the least!

Random - Dad was cleaning the pool and we saw this little gem!  Brown recluse?  










Thursday, April 2, 2009

Almost 4 Months

Turner Bug will be 4 months on Sunday.  That is crazy!!  I have never seen time fly so fast!  We took him for his 4 month appointment last week.  He weighed 14 pounds, 5 ounces (oddly the same exact weight as cousin Blake at 4 months) and was 24 and a half inches long.  50th percentile for both.  At 2 months he was 12 and a half pounds (75th percentile) and also 24 1/2 inches long (90th percentile - we are thinking he was a little shorter, though, since he stayed the same this time).  His head is huge to me, but it was 50th percentile this time, and last.  She said he is a "waffler" in growing.  He started out pretty small, grew a bunch, now he is evening out.  I took these pictures of him in his swing, because Heath and I think he looks pretty old in these "big boy pajamas."  


Last Sunday, we had Turner baptized.  It was so special, because Reverend Hay baptized him, and he is the pastor that married us and he also baptized me as a baby.  I wish I could find a picture of that, but mom is not super sentimental, and probably doesn't have one!  :)  
She (my mom) made the gown that Turner wore, and Blake wore it last week for his baptism.  We thought it was beautiful ("we" being Lindsey and me) - Heath didn't share the same adoration for it.  Thought it was too sissy, but that is just what they wear!  And it wasn't even a super long one - could have been way "girlier."  I thought he was very handsome!!

Family pic before church

Close up

Laughing with cousin Ford

He also had a play date the other day with Caroline Ely.  Mary Beth brought Caroline (who is 2 days older than Turner) and Pete, their black pug, over to play with us.  (Side note - Heath keeps threatening that Gordon will be gone soon, but as of right now he is snoring in the kitchen, safe and sound).  Here is a picture.  Caroline is adorable, and her little head is so petite next to Turner.  When I turned around from grabbing my camera, Turner was trying to eat sweet Caroline's little face.  I like to say he was kissing her, but who knows?!  

Mary Beth and I agreed we will resurrect these in about 18 years when they are at Auburn together!

Sorry for the long space in blogging - he is keeping me busy!  I am going to do better in April!