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!