CJ's First Haircut

I took CJ to get his very first haircut today. We have been putting it off for awhile, but we finally decided to take him today. And I am so glad I did because he looks ADORABLE!!!! There were a few tears, but overall he was very brave. He got a special certificate afterwards and two lollipops for being such a good boy. :)

Our Trip to Smithfield

 
 
 

The Emblers and the Vogts, Old and New Friends :)

 
 
 
 

Molly Stubbs (now Embler) is one of my closest friends from my days at Oldfields. We had lost touch for a number of years and just recently got back in touch. We decided to stop in Smithfield and spend the day with them on our way to visit family in SC. We had the BEST day!!!! It was SO much fun!!!! Her husband Ross is so laid back and nice and Addie is just adorable!!! Addie and CJ had SO much fun together!!! :) And Molly is as always awesome, thoughtful, beautiful, incredible, etc. etc. I think they really liked our family too. :) It was so much fun and we were really sad to leave at the end of the day. We wanted to stay longer and longer. We are definitely making lots and lots of plans to get together. Sooner rather than later. CJ had SO much fun with Addie!!! They used up all their energy playing, swinging and CJ was asleep before we left Smithfield!! Phil had an awesome time as well and definitely wants to see the Emblers many more times. :) We got LOTS more cute pictures, especially of CJ and Addie playing together, and swinging on the porch swing together. I will try to post more of them when I get home. From work of course. :P Molly, I am SO glad we reconnected. We MUST stay in touch and see each other again soon. I think our families are going to have lots more fun get togethers. Baltimore in the spring and the mountains next fall. Let's do it!!! Love you so much!!! :)

He really is a monkey man!!!

So we were going to the store on Saturday and CJ decided he just had to have his two monkeys in the car with him. He started carrying the two of them everywhere and just held them on his lap in the car the whole way to the store. Now this obsession only lasted for that day and that trip actually, but still he is a monkey man indeed.

Living in the Woods...

Reasons Why Living in the Woods is Not All It's Cracked Up to Be...
1) No cable.
2) No high speed internet
3) No satellite
4) Mice nest in your cars.
5) Mice eat your cars.
6) Anything you put in the shed to store is sure to get ruined.
7) Squirrels are everywhere. They throw acorns at your car all the time and occasionally at you. They also like to nest in your car.
8) Moss grows like crazy on the roof.
9) The outside of your house is never totally clean, because stuff is always falling on your house. No matter how often you sweep, leaf blow your deck, roof, driveway and cars will always have leaves, moss, tree debris, dirt, acorns, branches, twigs on them.
10) You are always out of the way for everybody and out of the way for everything.
11) Sometimes there are weird smells outside.
12) Paint fades even faster.
13) It takes longer to get everywhere.
14) Only a couple of places deliver there.
15) Your carpet gets dirty quickly because you are always dragging leaves and stuff
from the outside in the house.
16) In the fall you are lucky to find your house the amount of leaves and leaf clean up there is.
17) Your mailbox is always a target.
18) NO CABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reasons why Living in the Woods Is a Good Thing.
1) It's beautiful!!
2) Lots of trees.
3) It stays quite a bit cooler back there.
4) You can do windows and fans more often.
5) You have more privacy.
6) More property
7) A nice safe place to play with your son. No fear of cars or busy streets.
8) Safety and security, unless you have a neighbor's daughter who steals from your house. ;P
9) Nice neighbors and not a lot of them.
10) The sight of trees out of every window.
11) Being close to civilization, but away from civilization all at the same time.
12) It is out of the way for everybody to get to. ;)
13) If the cat gets out, she is easier to catch.
14) It really is beautiful.

In Case You were Curious....

Just in case anybody was wondering there is a reason that I am not very good at keeping up my blog or posting new pics on facebook. Well actually there are a couple of reasons. One is that I am just plain lazy about it. And the other one is that we have dial up at home. Most of you know our sad story. We bought our house four years ago not knowing that we could not get cable or satellite or high speed internet. We tried to get satellite, too many trees. They came and wired our driveway for cable, but then another neighbor pissed them off and they wont come back!!! And since there are just 4 houses on our driveway, we do not rate too high on the importance scale. It is tough. Netflix and DVDs are lifesavers for sure!! We can watch network TV so we still get to see Lost, but even that is a fight with bunny ears. Anyways, we also do not have high speed internet. We have sad old dial up. And let me tell you how easy it is to upload pictures and stuff on dial up. Well not very easy at all actually. We have high speed internet at work so I have to do all my uploading there and sometimes well I have to work. Plus all my pictures are on my home computer. Sigh. It is tough being me. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I wish I could post blogs and put up pictures all the time. I have so many cute ones of CJ. It is any wonder I want a new house? ;P Maybe someday I will be able to do it more often....
In other news, we had a GREAT time for my birthday in the Dominican!!! It was so nice to get away for a few days to relax and get a break. We just sat by the pool, slept in, ate good food and were on our own adult schedule for a few days. It was just what I wanted for my birthday. A few days with just my Philly!! And CJ had a blast at my parents house. He ADORED Hayes and loves my Dad and now has a new name for my Mom, "Rocky!!" They all had a blast together and kept him busy and had lots of fun. I was SO excited to see him when we got back, but I have to say I would not have minded another day or two in paradise. Poor CJ has yet another cough keeping both him and me awake at night.
And most importantly, I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS to Dealey and Trevor!!!!!!! They are engaged!!! At last!!! Yay!!! I am SO excited for them both!! I guess the proposal involved a mountain and beef jerky!!! But yay indeed! They are so great together and I am so happy for them both!! This is the best news!!! Dealey is one of my closest friends and she deserves all the happiness in the world. Congrats and we can not wait to see you both in October!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

A Message to the Universe

UNCLE!!!!


Okay I am totally stealing this from Deals. But she totally stole it from one of her friends. So it's okay. I just thought it was too funny and I could just relate too much not to post it. Thanks Deals!! Love you much!!

Mad

Do you ever feel like everyone is mad at you and you are not quite sure what you did? Also, I really hate how expensive everything is these days. It is really hard. Also, CJ is still very good, sweet and happy. He still has a very sweet disposition and is the best little boy in the whole world. BUT......He is learning to throw temper tantrums when he does not get his way. And he seems to be doing this more and more. The terrible twos are looming.....Help!!!

Some more random thoughts..

Well, I see that I have not posted in awhile and everyone seemed to enjoy my random thoughts so I thought I would do some more.

-Ouch!! My toe hurts!!! It hurts a lot!!! I injured myself with a cutting board.
-I STILL really want to move. Like yesterday.
-I no longer have any motivation to keep my house looking nice. I need to get the motivation back.
-I hope CJ has a good day and is not coughing too much.
-I hope CJ sleeps well tonight and that his coughing does not keep him up and that we get to sleep too.
-I can not wait until tomorrow is over and it is the weekend!!!
-Thank god we have Friday off!!
-I am so excited about showing CJ the fireworks.
-I am excited about seeing the fireworks with the Goodwins!! Woot!! We should hang out more.
-I can't wait for all my trips!!!
-Only one month until Phil and I will be in the Dominican for my BIG birthday celebration!!! I want to go now!!
-I hope Sonny calls me back with that lawyer number. I want to get that will taken care of before we go.
-I am kind of jealous of Sam and Will's house. I want to move down south. Actually I would be okay with staying in MD. But I am SO ready for a new house.
-I wish we had more money.
-We really need to blow off our driveway and deck.
-Our deck really needs to be painted, but so expensive.
-Why does everything cost so much money?
-Phil has got to take care of that moss.
-We get to go to Dallas again after all. Yay!! We are not going until October, but I am already freaking out. I specifically gave us a whole hour to connect and then the stupid airline changed the flight so now we have a whooping 20 minutes to connect. I hope we make it!!
-I can't wait to see Molly and Dealey!!
-I am SO ready for my birthday trip!! Did I mention I wish I could go now?
-I wonder what we are having for dinner tonight. I am already hungry. Something yummy I hope.
-I am finally starting to lose weight. I hope it continues. I have a long way to go. 17 pounds down, like 30 to go!! :P
-I hope I can go to the gym with this injury.
-Did I mention I really wish I could move?
-My toe still hurts. A LOT. I wonder what it looks like now.

EXTREME close up!!!

Random Thoughts

Okay so it occurs to me that I promised I was going to blog more. But I don't have anything terribly interesting to say or any stories to tell right now. I had a great time with my mom and sister in Florida, we just sat by the pool, ate, drank and talked. While that was wonderful and relaxing I don't have much to report on that. So I thought I would just state all the random thoughts that are running through my head at this moment.

-My gum lost its flavor a LONG LONG time ago!!!
-We are definitely going to have to make a connecting flight to save money if we go back to Dallas, but I really want to go!!
-I WANT A NEW HOUSE LIKE YESTERDAY!!!
-I wish we could afford a new house.
-I wonder how CJ is doing.
-I hope he does not have a huge eruptive explosion in his pants at daycare like he did yesterday. They might not like him as much if that happens too much.
-I can't wait to hang out with Laura tonight.
-I wonder if Fran and her friends don't like me as much anymore.
-I want it to be my birthday in the Dominican right now.
-Only two hours and 10 minutes of work to go!!! Will I survive?!
-When should we have our summer cookout, who will we invite?
-I am a neurotic planner.
-Wow, I am definitely a thinker. Just not about work.
-I am bored.
-It is beautiful outside today!!
-There is a hot dog stand across the street now!!!
-I just had a vacation, but I think I need another.
-I am going to spit out my gum now.

Lazy Bones...

Okay so I know I have been really bad about keeping up with this blog. I start out with good intentions, write a lot and then stop. It's kind of like how I used to be when it came to keeping a journal. But I am going to try to be better. I started this effort by posting two new blogs as you can see below. Anyways, I am going to Florida this weekend with my mom and Hayes, but when I come back I will try to post more and post lots of pics of CJ!!! I just love looking at Molly's blog and seeing the pictures of Addie. She is so cute and it is so fun to watch her growing up even though they are so far away. And I love Dealey's blog, she always makes me laugh more than anyone and she is such a good writer. I too feel her humor and friendship in my life even though she too is so far away. :) If any of my other friends have a blog, let me know and I will link you to my blog. Anyways, since I enjoy these other blogs so much, I have decided to try to be better about keeping up my blog. That is when I get back from Amelia Island. ;) Have a great weekend everyone!! I LOVE you soooo much Phil and CJ!!! I will miss you soooo much!! Happy Fathers Day!!

Run to Me

The Pond Incident

We went to my parent's house for Memorial Day and well let's just say CJ took a dip. I know most of you have seen this pics, but I thougt I would share them anyways. I think they tell the story on their own.

PERFECT!!!

CJ had his follow up with the ENT ON Tuesday. Brace yourselves. Are you ready? Dr. Weiss said that both ears look PERFECT!!!!! Phil was the one to take him and said that they actually look perfect. Both of them!! Perfect!!!!! He said that he can discontinue the ear drops and that he has to follow up in 2 months, in July unless of course something happens before then. Please please hope for us that we wont have to take him before then and that things will continue to look good. Obviously we are so thrilled with this news!!! We will still continue to take everything day by day with his health and we can't assume that he will never get an ear infection again. He might still have problems down the road and I don't want to get too confident and comfortable. But for right now his ears look PERFECT and I think we are going to allow ourselves to be happy about that for awhile. :) Anyways, he has made it through 9 days of daycare in a row now and is working on day 10 right now with his perfect ears. ;) Thank you all for your all love, support, and understanding!! I would also like to extend a special thank you to both my boss and to Phil's boss for being so incredibly understanding about all the time off and all the appts. and all the calls from daycare. You guys are awesome and we are sooo lucky to have family friendly, understanding bosses and coworkers!! And thank you to all our family and friends, you are the best in the whole wide world and we feel so lucky to have you!!! Also, thank you to the best husband, father and "teammate" in the whole universe!!! We will of course keep you posted and keep your fingers crossed that there wont be an update for awhile. CJ really really deserves to have a happy summer with a break from illness and honestly we do too.

Out of Touch

Sorry I have not posted in SO long!! Things have just been a little chaotic!! To make a long story short, CJ had to have the tube in his right ear replaced. He finally does not have an infection in either ear, at least as of last week when he saw the ENT he didn't. He had a little stomach bug and fever and I missed yet more work. Now he is back to daycare, he has made it through two days and is there now working on day 3. For right now he is doing very well. Happy, healthy all that good stuff. We are just kind of waiting and taking everything day by day. Things can change so fast with him. Anyways, sorry I have not posted in so long. I will try to write more later and give more updates on everything.

Not Again!!!

Poor little CJ has ANOTHER ear infection!!! I thought after the tubes and the hospital that we were done with this. Poor little guy. Well in good news, at least he is not miserable this time. He is not unhappy or lethargic or acting sick or any of the things that he has been in the past. In fact, you would never even know he was sick at all. He has been playing and laughing and in a great mood, and learning new words every day. He has even been enjoying daycare more. But over the weekend he randomly spiked a fever. It went down right away and he has not really had one since, but he has been pulling at his right ear and I looked and there was some waxy stuff in there so I thought well better to be safe than sorry. I was hoping that I was being overcareful. Unfortunately I was not. So I took him to the ENT on Tuesday and sure enough the right ear is infected again. The left ear the one he had the surgery on looks great, but now the right one is infected. Sigh. Poor little guy. So the ENT did a culture which they are supposed to get the results for by the end of the week. He has a follow up with the ENT on Tuesday. The doctor kind of went back and forth and then decided that he does not want him to go back to daycare until he sees him in follow up. He said that he is not contagious, but he wants to get the culture results to make sure before he sends him back. He said this could be something he picked up again at daycare, from his cold or something. It might be totally unrelated to the problems he has had before or it might be completely related. I guess they will not know until they get the culture. Sooo....Phil took a bunch of work home with him and stayed home with him yesterday. And we have another babysitter through the same agency who will stay with him until Tuesday until we figure out what to do next. So no vacation time used yet. Sigh. So here we go again.....I am really tired and a little overwhelmed. As I said at least he is not miserable this time. He is in good spirits and seems to be feeling well otherwise. He is playing, laughing, eating, all that good stuff. But I have just had it with these ear infections. Enough is enough. This poor little guy. He is such a good boy and has been such a trooper. He does not deserve to have another ear infection. :( I am passing out early every night and I got to sleep in a little today, until 7:30, woot, but still I am exhausted all the time from worrying. I don't know what we are going to do, but I am seriously rethinking his daycare situation. Although it seems like this would probably happen at any center. It seems like kids in daycare get sick, especially when they are new to daycare and have not been exposed to anything. So I am wondering if I should look into a daycare at someone'e house or something. I don't really know if that would help. Germs are germs and kids have them and pass them on. Honestly, I just wish I could be home with him again. It seems like things were so much easier and happier when we were home together. I miss being with him at home. I am not sure either of us have really adjusted to being in daycare and work yet. I know it is good for him to socialize and meet other little kids and he was having fun at daycare, when he can actually go. But still...I wish we could have a little longer together at home. I would take him to playgroups. Oh well. We gotta do what we gotta do. We will just hang in there and take it one day at a time. I will let everyone know how the ENT appt. goes. Wish us luck and send me more comments!! I don't get very many. Wish us luck and hope that maybe we will actually have some vacation time to go on vacation. :P Oh and this kid better have a great immune system built up when all is said and done.

Cutie Pie

A few cute pics of CJ. We took him out to lunch on Sunday and I got a few cute pics so I could not resist posting them. He's a sweetie. :)Sorry there is a little bit of a sun glare there. ;P

Feeling Better...

Well Phil took CJ to the doctors office this afternoon and the news was good. Basically, the doctor said that his ears look great, always a plus, and that he sounds a little congested, but that it also sounds like whatever is in there is breaking up so he is on his way to becoming better. He also has had no fever which the doctor was very pleased about. So to make a long story short he has a cold. And that I can handle. Other than that, CJ is happy and playing and in a good mood. Phil, CJ and I went out to eat tonight and he ate like a piggie and danced. He also had a great day at daycare today which is a plus. :) He does not seem to feel bad, as I said just a little cough and a runny, congested nose. Basically the rest of that stuff just has to break up and hopefully he will be all better again. So he is a little sick, but not contagious and it could be so much worse. We certainly know that. Anyways, I am really glad that we took him to the doctor and that the doctor did not seem too concerned. I feel much better too. Phil, CJ and I had a nice time at dinner and discussed all the fun things we have coming up. I am so excited to see what Phil has planned for the BIG 3-0. Anyways, I do not want to completely let my guard down and get my hopes up yet, but I am glad that at least for right now CJ is better. I hope he continues to get better and better and gets even healthier. As I have said a million times before, he deserves it.

CJ at dinner tonight:

Babbling....

It occurs to me that I have not updated on here for awhile. CJ has been doing really well. Playing and talking and laughing and having a good old time. He had an ENT appt. on Tuesday. Phil took CJ to see Dr. Weiss, his ENT and the ENT who performed his surgery. Dr. Weiss said that CJ's ears look wonderful right now. He said they look awesome on the inside and the back where they did the surgery looks wonderful as well. He said that the only concern that they always have in a situation like this is that they did not get all the infection out. He says that with the tube surgery and the surgery for the mastoiditis that they drained out as much as they could and that hopefully they got everything, but that there is always that chance that they didn't. But he was very positive about things right now, he said that his ears look great and that there is no inflammation or infection right now so hopefully it will continue that way. He still has his tubes so everything should hopefully stay healthy and uninfected. He has another follow up in two months on May 20th at 9 am. Dr. Weiss said if we notice any drainage before then to call him and get him in right away. He said if we notice any puss or wet looking ear wax or anything like that to call right away and get him in, but as long as everything continues to go well than bring him in 2 months for a follow up. So let's all hope and wish and pray and all that good stuff that everything will continue the way it has been and everything will continue to go well and hopefully he will not have to go back to the ENT until May.

So he has been doing really well. But since our lives are never boring, he now has a cough and a runny nose. He seems to be doing okay otherwise. He does not have a fever, and he is still playing and eating and laughing and stuff. I guess he was a little cranky yesterday at daycare, but alas. But Tuesday night he was up for awhile coughing so I called the doctor a few days ago and they called in a prescription for the cough and congestion. It seems to have helped in that he is coughing less and it is not keeping him up at night anymore. But this morning his nose was all congested and his coughs sounded a little more congested. So he is going to see the pediatrician this afternoon. I swear he never used to go to the doctor, but now it seems like we are always going. I am hoping that it is a just a little cold or something. This poor baby!!! I know that in the grand scheme of things a cough is not a big deal. But after all he has been through, this poor little boy deserves a break. He just does. It's just not fair that such a sweet little guy has to keep getting sick like this. It just makes me want to cry, which I do sometimes. It does not help that I have had no time to myself in a long time. I have not seen friends or done anything social in ages. I usually don't mind. I love spending time with my family and being with CJ. But I think it is only human to need a break now and then to keep myself sane if nothing else. Anyways, I really really hope that this is just something little that can be fixed easily. It seems that way, but I have been fooled before. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!

Anyways, other than that I am just trying to think of all I have to look forward to. Tim and Laura coming over this weekend, whatever Phil has planned for my 30th birthday, going to the Carolina's this summer with boys, getting to see Molly and meet her family in NC and taking CJ to the beach in SC and seeing the family. Hopefully, maybe a couple other little trips here and there or some other little mini-breaks. I have to figure out when to see Deals, she has no choice in the matter. ;) Anyways, I have a great life and a lot of wonderful things going for me. I guess I am just a little over tired right now. I just want my CJ to be 100 % healthy for awhile, why is that so much to ask? No coughs, no colds, no ear infections, just a healthy baby...Sigh....I tell you, I used to always say I wanted two kids, but now I am starting to think I might just one. I LOVE CJ more than anything in the whole world, but he is so sweet and perfect and I still spend all my time worrying about him, so I am not sure if I want another one. I probably will want another one someday. I am certainly not ready yet. I am just overwhelmed that's all.

Anyways, this is a big babbly mess that makes no sense at all. I will let you guys know how the doctors appt. goes. Have a good weekend!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter everyone!!! Hope you all had a wonderful, happy, healthy Easter weekend!!

Almost Daycare Time....

Well CJ has been doing great. He has been feeling well and playful. The babysitter was wonderful, she loved him and he loved her. He has a little bit of a runny nose, which of course makes me nervous, but other than that he is great. He has no fever, he is playful, he is happy, his appetite is great and we are having a great time. He had his 15 month check up last Wednesday. Everything went well. He is still tall and thin with a big head, hehehe. He is in the 93rd percentile for height, 90th percentile for head size and the 20th percentile for weight. He certainly eats like a pig that's for sure. I told the doctor that and he said he burns it off really fast with how active he is, plus he is really tall, plus he has been sick and also there is nothing wrong with being tall and thin. But CJ sure has a HUGE appetite. Anyways, he said his ears look good which was awesome to hear. I will still feel better to get the ENT report this week, but still good to hear. Basically he was healthy all around except he had a really bad diaper rash. The doctor said that was a side effect of the antibiotics and he gave us some medicine that has already cleared it up quite a bit. It is called Nystatin and Phil is very proud because his company makes it and we got it for free. Woot!!! So anyways, things are looking up. Today was CJ's last day of antibiotics and Monday he is supposed to go back to daycare. I would be lying if I said I was not a little nervous. I am actually really really nervous. I really want CJ to be healthy for awhile. This will be the true test, going back to school with all the other little kids not to mention their germs. It seems like every time he is doing better, and I start to relax, he gets sick again. And he has a runny nose, which so far seems to be just that, a runny nose. I also think he might be teething again because he is drooling again which could cause the runny nose. But still I can't help, but worry. I really want him to have fun at daycare when he goes back, playing with all his friends and teachers who I know miss him. And I want him to be healthy and happy for a long long time. I know he can't be healthy forever and that little kids get sick a lot. But I really want him to be healthy for awhile now. I think he deserves at least that. Anyways, he goes back to daycare on Monday and his follow up appt. with the ENT is on Tuesday. Wish us luck!!! I'll keep you all posted!!


My Two Handsome Men

Sleepy Friday

I am tired. Work is going by slowly and I am a little bored. And you know what?! I would not trade it for anything. I would much rather be at work with a healthy happy boy at home than at the hospital or at home with a sick baby. I would much rather be back to a regular routine and be a little bored than to have my little man feel yucky. All that matters is that CJ is healthy and happy and that we can all get back to our normal lives. Let's hope this continues. We could use the break. Keep your fingers crossed!!! Oh and on a random note LOST was awesome last night!!! I had been saying from the beginning that Michael was the spy!!!! And have a GREAT weekend everyone and please please be careful if you plan on doing any drinking or partying for St. Patty's Day, but have tons of fun too!! :)

Doctors Appt. & Babysitter

So CJ had his follow up appt. with the ENT yesterday. The ENT said that basically the type of infection he had called streptococcus pneumonia was a very very resistant strep. He said that this type of strep is very resistant to antibiotics which explains why he has been so resistant to the antibiotics with all his ear infections. He said that this type of resistant strep used to be very rare, but has become very common in the past year or so. He says they are seeing it pop up everywhere. But the good news is that he said that CJ's ears both look really good. He examined both ears and the scar behind his left ear and he said that everything looks really good and like it is healing very well. He said that he wants to see him for follow up in 2 weeks after he finishes the antibiotics to make sure all the inflammation is gone. So he has an appt. on Tuesday March 25th for a follow up. He said that if we have any problems beforehand to call of course, but I certainly hope that is not the case. He said that the medication he is on should really help him and that draining the infection will be the biggest help of all. He said that is what he really needed and that should make him feel much better and that all should be good now. He said that he is not really at risk of infecting others or others infecting him, but to keep him out of daycare until Monday. He is home with a babysitter, a home health aide that we found through an agency. Even though, the doctor said that he could return to daycare on Monday, we are going to keep him home for another week just to let him recover and heal and have some more rest time at home. He has been through an awful lot for a 15 month old. Phil went back to work on Monday and I went back to work Tuesday after his doctors appt. and meeting with Sharon Hart his babysitter for the next two weeks. She was very very nice and gave off a warm, motherly, grandmotherly vibe right away. She was very sweet and he seemed to like her. He went into her arms right away and she seemed to have lots of experience. Apparently she has been doing this for the past 18 years, so this should be a good thing. Then, when I got home from work yesterday, he was sitting in her lap while they read a book. She said and I quote "He is a dream, an absolute dream. He is just the sweetest little boy in the whole world." Of course we think that, but we are a little bias. So it was nice to hear from an objective outsider. It seems that they had a really great day together!!! He was really happy and in a great mood when I got home. They had a lot of fun and he was excited to see her this morning. She was very very nice and they seemed to have fun reading, playing and dancing together. She was also very impressed by his massive appetite, lol. So hopefully today will be another good day. So she will watch him this week and next week and then he will go back to daycare on Monday March 24th as long as everything goes well. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!! CJ has been through way too much already and so have his parents. We are really hoping that he will have a happy, fun spring and summer and that we can get back to a regular routine soon.

Crib or Cage?

I am not sure what cribs look like in all hospitals. I don't know if they are all the same industrial looking scary cribs. All I do know is at GBMC, they look like big cages. The first time I saw it I almost had a heart attack!!! It was pretty scary looking. Luckily, CJ seemed to like it just fine and slept just fine in there. But still it was weird looking.



Does it not kind of look like a cage or jail?

Quite an Ordeal

Hello everyone!!! As you know, CJ had the tube surgery and then we headed to St. Louis to visit some family. Well, a few days before CJ had the ear tube surgery done we noticed that there was some swelling behind his left ear. The ENT too was concerned about it when he did the surgery. He told us to see if the tubes helped it go down and helped it to drain out and see him 3 weeks later for follow up. He did say that if it seemed to be swelling, red or tender to call him sooner. Well, we went to St. Louis, had a great time visiting family and CJ was in great spirits!! The lump behind his ear never seemed to bother him at all, we would touch it and he would not respond. However, it made us a little nervous because it was not going down at all. If anything, it was bigger. So we called the ENT as soon as we got back and made an appt. for him to be seen on Tuesday. Phil took him to his appt. on Tuesday afternoon. The ENT advised him to take CJ to the ER at GBMC to get a cat scan and to make sure that the lump was indeed an infection, not something more serious. So Phil took CJ to the ER at about 4 pm and I met them about an hour later after I got off work. Then we waited and waited and waited. Then finally, we got called back. CJ had a cat scan, blood work and an IV put in. And the doctor informed us that he had a buildup of infection and puss in the bone behind his left ear. Poor little guy. So we were admitted to the hospital, given a room about midnight and CJ got put on IV antibiotics and surgery was scheduled for the next day. CJ had surgery on Wednesday at about 1 pm. Basically, they had to cut into the bone and drain the infection out. It was about an hour and a half surgery and of course CJ was under anesthesia for the whole thing. Phil and I waited nervously through the whole thing. The doctor came out as soon as it was over and told us that surgery had gone very well. Everything looked good he told us and CJ did very well. About 10 minutes later, we got to go see CJ and wait with him until he woke up. Once he woke up, we were led back to our room and thus started the rest of our very long week. Poor little CJ was pretty angry at us at this point. You see on Tuesday he could not have anything to eat or drink before the cat scan and then on Wednesday he could not have anything to eat or drink before the surgery. So he had nothing from noon Tuesday until late Wednesday afternoon. He was pretty furious and of course there was no way of explaining to him why he could not eat or drink. Couldn't blame the poor little guy. He had already been through so much. Then he was on IV antibiotics for another 48 hours and had to wear a nifty gauze headband and he had another drain in his ear to help drain everything else out. Poor little guy. It was tough. He could not really walk around the room or play because he was tethered to the IV and every time a doctor or nurse came in he would freak out because he would think they were going to do something mean to him. But we made it through. Visits from grandparents helped. Phil and I made a good team. We held it together really well and stayed with him the whole time, despite one quick trip home by me to get some clothes for all of us and toys for the little man. Phil was calm and patient and I was pretty good too, lol. Anyways, Friday morning, they removed the headband and CJ was instantly a much happier guy. He was in a much better mood all around. Then they removed the line to his IV. Though he still had the IV in his hand it was not attached to anything anymore and he could finally walk around the room. This made him SO much happier!! And then last night, they finally took the IV out and he was like himself again. Such a brave little man. Then, they were going to send us home last night, but there was a glitch. Seems the medication that he needed could not be found at any pharmacy anywhere in the area. They all said they could get it ordered for Monday, but not before. So, it was looking like we were going to be stuck at the hospital until Monday because obviously he needs his meds. The hospital even tried to get permission for us to take some of their supply home, but no dice. Then today the most wonderful nurse in the world called around to about a billion pharmacies and finally found the medication at Johns Hopkins!! So we got to go home today!!! Hooray!!! We were so ready. So now we are all home safe and sound. CJ is doing well and in good spirits. His ear does not look too bad, he just has a little bloody scar and some stitches which they say should heal well and leave almost no scar in the end. He is still on medicine and ear drops. He has to be on a special diet because of the type of medication he is on, but luckily it should not be too hard. A lot of the things he can not eat or drink he is too young to eat or drink yet anyways. He has to take it easy for awhile as well, but hopefully we are out of the woods now. He has a follow up with the ENT on Tuesday in the office. He says he will give us a better timeline of his recovery and when he can return to daycare, etc. at the appt. on Tuesday. In the meantime, my mom is helping us find a babysitter so that we can return to work since CJ will not be able to go back to daycare for a little while. Anyways, it has been a long week for all 3 of us and quite the ordeal!!! We are all pretty exhausted and glad to be home. I think that we came together really well as a family and got through the crisis really well together. CJ was very brave and handled everything remarkably well for a 15 month old. I was very proud of him. It is a lot for a 15 month old to go through. Phil was a rock as always. He is my rock. He is the best husband and father in the world and I am so lucky to have him. And I have learned something about myself. When it comes to little, silly things I sometimes get upset or emotional easily. But when it comes to really big, important things and being there for people I love, I am calm and keep it together really well. I am really good at being strong when it is important. And I am proud of my strong family. So anyways, that is our week. I will write another blog soon talking more in detail about our trip to STL with some pictures too. And I will update you guys on CJ's progress. The tubes were supposed to nip this thing in the bud. No such luck. Let's just hope, this trip to the hospital is the last thing that poor little boy and his parents have to endure for awhile. Thanks to our wonderful family and friends for your love, support and understanding!! Thanks to the amazing doctors, nurses and staff at GBMC!! And thanks to our coworkers and bosses for your incredible patience and understanding!! Love you all!!



Our brave little patient!!



My two strong men!!



No more headband!! Yay!! :)

Quick Summary

So things have been kind of crazy lately...CJ and I had a great day on Friday, he finially seemed to be doing better then BAM!! 4 o'clock in the morning rolled around and CJ was sick. He then had a stomach bug off and on all weekend, but was in surprisingly good spirits. Phil and I woke up Monday with the same stomach bug and had to miss work on Monday and also got to fight over the upstairs bathroom. Luckily we both were pretty much over it by Monday night. Then yesterday CJ had his ear tube surgery. Everything went well with the surgery. He was a trooper. He was an angel all day yesterday and seemed to be feeling great. I am trying not to get my hopes up or to get too excited yet. I am trying to wait and take it one day at a time with him cuz whenever I get excited and think he is better than he gets sick again. So keep your fingers crossed for us that this ear tube surgery will be the solution and the help he needs. He is doing great so far. We will see how it continues. Phil, CJ and I will be going to St. Louis on Thursday the 28th to visit Phil's relatives. We will get to stay with his brother Pat and my FAVORITE sister-in-law Liz for a couple of days and then go see a whole bunch of relatives the rest of the weekend including them. :) I know Phil is really excited for all of his relatives to meet little CJ, especially his grandmother Alice. His grandfather (her husband) was Charles and now we have Charles so it is a big moment for everyone. I am excited too for everyone. I am just a little nervous. I hope CJ stays relatively happy and healthy throughout the weekend and has fun. It is weird. It used to be he was NEVER sick. I don't think we ever had to go to the doctor for sickness his first year of life. We just made plans and ran with them. Now it seems like we are always missing work and daycare and I am always nervous about making plans. Pretty much ever since I went back to work and he started daycare it has been a crazy, stressful life for the Vogts. Hopefully this ear tube surgery will help with that. CJ has been such a sweetie pie through this whole thing. He has been such a good sport and such a trooper. What a wonderful little treasure he is!! We are so lucky. He has really been in good spirits through a lot of this, besides being tired and lethargic and unhappy here and there with some of the really bad ear infections. But lately he has been in a great mood, a dream. Anyways, I really hope this works for him. Keep your fingers crossed!! So to make a long story short or a short story long I am excited about the trip, but apprehensive too. I really hope that CJ is feeling well and has fun and so do we. Anyways, that is a brief summary of my life right now. We will be in St. Louis until Monday and getting back into Baltimore late Monday morning. If you need me or Phil, you can reach us on our cell phones or we will try to check our e-mail occasionally while we are there. Think good thoughts for us!!! Bring on the spring!!! :)

I know it is a bit late for New Years pics, but this pic was so cute and I just felt the need to post it. :)

Back to Normal

Today, CJ FINALLY seems like his adorable little self again!!! He had no fever all day. He was happy and talking and playing. We had a great day together. He got a good report at daycare yesterday. They said that he had a much better day and was definitely feeling better and happier. And today I was home cuz of the weather and CJ and I had one of our perfect days together!!! He was my sweet, adorable, happy little monkey man again!!!! I can not even tell you how happy it makes me to see him so happy!!! It puts me in a great mood and it is such a huge relief. I guess the oral antibiotics and steroids are helping him feel better finally, for now anyways. I am still glad we are doing the ear tubes on Tuesday because I think in the long run this will make him the happiest and us the happiest too. I think that the medicines are just a good short term solution. But hopefully, my little man will stay happy and sweet and feeling well all the way until his appt. on Tuesday. And if he doesn't, Tuesday is not too far away!! I just wanted to share how great it was to have my little boy back to his old self again today. He is such a sweetheart and he deserves to be happy all the time!! :)

Ear Tubes

As you all know, we have been having a tough couple of months with CJ and his ear infections. He has been miserable off and on for the past few weeks now. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I talked to the ENT this morning to see if there is any way that we could move him up on the list to have the ear tubes done because the oral medications don't seem to be working. Well, the nurse called me back and I have great news!!! They were able to get him into the Owings Mills surgicenter on Tuesday the 26th at 6:30 am. He will continue on the steroids and oral antibiotics until then and then he will have the surgery on Tuesday. She said that he has to be there an hour before the procedure and then the actual procedure only takes about 15 minutes and then he will have to lie down for about another hour and then he can go home. I asked how long the recovery time was and she said oh he will be fine by that afternoon. I told her we had plans to travel that Thursday and she was like oh yeah he will be fine by then. He can go back to daycare on Wednesday. So I feel a lot better now. Apparently, at Carroll Hospital Center they are booking out until April so I was definitely not up for waiting until then after everything he has been through. There is always a small chance that the ear tubes will not help, but after talking to all the doctors and friends who have been through similar experiences it sounds like the ear tubes are the best option and that they should help pretty much immediately. They should hopefully take care of the problem. I of course will be a little nervous about the surgery, but I am so relieved too. I am so ready for the little man to feel better. As my wise friend Dealey said, CJ deserves to feel better!! Anyways, thank you all for all of your support and for caring so much about the sweet little guy!!! We will keep you posted on how everything goes and talk to you soon!! :)

Awesome Boss

I just wanted to say that I have the most awesome manager in the whole wide world!! She has been so incredibly understanding and flexible about everything going on with CJ. She totally understands when I have to miss work or leave early. She always says "Babies come first." She is the bestest!!! I am sooo lucky to have such an amazing boss!!! She is the tops!!! I just want to send a BIG thank you out to the best and most awesome manager and friend ever!!! Things have been so crazy and stressful and having her be so understanding and awesome about everything really really helps. And Phil's work has been wonderful about all of this as well. Having him be able to take turns being off with me has been a big help too. Thanks SO much to all those bosses who understand how important family is, especially mine. :)

A Good Team

So I was just thinking how lucky I am to have Phil for a husband. We make a really good team I think and balance each other out well. He is laid back, logical and relaxed about things. I am more nervous, and hyper, but I tend to plan more and take steps toward fixing things if they need to be fixed. For example, with everything that has been going on with poor little CJ and his ears, I have been the more stressed out, nervous, unhappy one. Phil has been good at calming me down and discussing everything rationally and logically. But I have been the one that is more aggressive about calling the doctors and I am the one who usually knows when something is wrong with CJ. Phil is more likely to wait and see what happens, whereas I am more likely to call the doctor right away and I have been pretty right lately. So it is good, we balance each other out. I get nervous and he calms me down. I call the doctor and he helps me take care of little CJ and make sure both CJ and I stay calm and as happy as possible. Phil says I have good instincts about CJ and when he is not feeling well. I suppose I do. But I think after spending 24/7 together for a year, you start developing some instincts about the other person. ;) Anyways, CJ is doing great this morning. No fever, happy, playing, took all his meds happily. He is back at daycare this morning. Keep your fingers crossed for us that he makes it through the day!!! :) I just wanted to comment on how cool it is that Phil and I are such a great pair and make for such a great partnership. I am the luckiest person in the world to have two such wonderful boys in my life who I love more than anything. It doesn't get any better than them. :)

ENT appt.

Well as luck would have it when I called the ENT, they had a cancellation this afternoon and I was able to get CJ in today. Well basically the ENT said that he has a lot of puss in both ears. We have two options, try steroids with the meds he is already on and see if that works and if it does not work, then consider putting tubes in his ears or just going straight ahead with the tube option. She wrote him a prescription for the steroids and he is going to take those for a week with his other antibiotic. Then we go back next Monday to see if his ears look clear and if he will be able to fly cuz we are supposed to go to St. Louis on the 28th. And they are supposed to call us to schedule the surgery for the tubes. The doctor who would be performing the surgery looked at his ears too and said that we can try the steroids, but that he really recommends the tubes. He said that it will make for a happier little man and a happier us too. It is apparently a very simple surgery with little to no complications. We get to stay with him until they put him to sleep and then we wait for him until he is done. And the tubes last from 2-12 months and he gets a check up every 3 months to see how they are doing and if he still needs them. I think we are probably going to go ahead with the surgery. We are doing the steroids and the antibiotics in the meantime to try to keep him happy and to clear him up as much as we can for our trip. Maybe they will work and we wont need the surgery, who knows? They are supposed to call us to schedule, but they said it prolly wont be scheduled for a few weeks so we shall see. But in the meantime, he is still doing great today. He has been playing and dancing and talking and he was awesome at the doctor and at Target when we went to get his prescription filled. Hopefully that will continue. We are probably going to take him to daycare tomorrow unless something changes before then. Keep your fingers crossed for us!! Poor little guy, what an ordeal this has been for him and for us too...but mostly for him

Poor little CJ :(

As you all know, things with CJ have been kind of crazy. Last week he was home most of the week, not feeling well at all. Phil and I took turns taking work off and taking care of him. He finally seemed to be better Thursday afternoon and then was yucky again Friday morning. Anyways, Phil took him to the doctor again on Friday and the poor little guy had yet another ear infection in his right ear, and the doctor said it looked really painful. So they gave him a shot of a really strong antibiotic and then I took him again on Saturday morning where he had another shot of the strong antibiotic and gave me another prescription for an oral antibiotic to follow up with. He has a follow up with the doctor on Thursday, but they assure me that this medication should take care of it and knock it all out. They also want me to call an ENT and get him an appt. within the next few weeks just to make sure that he does not need tubes or anything since he has had so many ear infections. He said that it is not an emergency thing or anything, he just wants him to be seen in the next few weeks just in case. But they assure me over and over again that this time it should work so we shall see. The poor little guy was so miserable last week and not sleeping well at all, so we were not either. He was just lying around for a couple of days there. Then Friday night he passed out at about 8 pm and slept until 6:30 am which was AWESOME!!! The shot helped him sleep better right away. Phil and I were so tired, we were in bed at about 8:45 that night. And then Saturday after having the second shot, he felt much better. It was evident right away. He was playing and talking and acting much more like himself again. And then last night we all went to bed early again and he slept until almost 7 today, good stuff!! And today was even better than yesterday. He was really acting like the sweet little happy guy we know and love!!! He was playing and talking and babbling and being his little crazy self. And besides a very low grade fever this morning, he has had no fever all day long. So I am trying not to get my hopes up, because it seems like every time we think he is better we get another call from daycare or he gets another fever. But I really really hope that this medication will do the trick. The doctors assured me that it will and he certainly seems to be feeling much much better already so keep your fingers crossed. Apparently, sickness has been really bad this year. When Phil went to pick up CJ from daycare on Friday, there were only 2 other little kids there out of 9 kids. All the other kids were home sick, with various things, including one kid who has pneumonia. His teacher Erin said that this year has been particularly bad with sickness and the kids not feeling well so it has been rough. She said that one little girl got sent home with a 102 fever and her mom tried to bring her in the next day and they had to send her home again. But she also said that they were going to bleach everything over the weekend. They can't do it while the kids are there of course, so they were planning to bleach everything over the weekend which is a good thing. As for tomorrow, I have the day off, but Phil has to work. And CJ's daycare is actually open. Originally I was going to have Phil take CJ to daycare and have a day to myself. But since he has been so sick and feeling so yucky, I am going to keep him home with me. Honestly, I think he could probably go tomorrow. He has no fever and seems to be feeling great. But I figured one more day of R & R and being with Mommy couldn't hurt. Since I have the day off already, I might as well keep him home with me one more day. And then if he keeps doing so well, he will go back on Tuesday. Again, keep your fingers crossed for us!!! The only plus of all this stress is that I have lost about 8 pounds, but I would much rather have my little man healthy than lose weight. It is hard on us too cuz you just feel so bad for the poor little guy and he doesn't understand. Poor little sweetheart. I hope he is really better now.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!! Amazingly, both CJ and I seem to be feeling much better this afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed that this Valentines miracle continues. Hope you all have fun Valentines plans with your loved ones or with friends or on your own. Personally, I will be watching Lost with my hubby. Yep, we live the wild life!!! Happy Valentines Day!!!

Sick.....And Tired

Well for all those inquiring minds who want to know I still feel awful. I am congested, coughing, etc. And CJ is also still sick. I took him to the doctors yesterday and now his OTHER ear is infected. She basically said that she thinks that he can not get over his congestion so infections keep building up. So she gave him two new antibiotics, one for his ear and one for the congestion so hopefully this will work. He is also still taking Motrin and Tylenol for his fever. I just feel so bad for the little guy. He feels bad, but he does not understand why. I just wish he would get better already. I told the doctor that it was very frustrating because it seems like ever since he started daycare he has been sick. She told me to hang in there, that it will get better.She said it is really normal when kids start daycare for them to catch everything because they are being exposed to all new germs. She also said that this time of year is particularly tough because everyone is sick with colds and flus, etc. In the warm weather, she said that kids do not get sick nearly as often. So I am really hoping that this will do the trick. He is home with Phil today since I stayed home yesterday. We take turns, we are cool like that. Anyways, he was a little fussy and still running a low grade fever. Sigh. I feel so bad and I wish he would get better. It would also be easier if I felt healthy. But since I feel shitty, that makes it even harder. And Phil has a little bug too. AHHHH!!! It's big fun around the Vogt house. Plus I am exhausted because I was up with CJ at 4 am and I am not sleeping that well anwyays cuz I am worrying all the time. And tomorrow is supposed to be the Valentines party at CJ's daycare, but I am afraid he is probably going to miss it which I feel really sad about. Of course, CJ has no idea he has a V day party tomorrow so he will not miss it or anything. But he would have so much fun if he got to go. Blah. Just yuck all around. :(

Seaquest Captain Died

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20177335,00.html

Looks like Jonathan Brandis will have some company from his "Seaquest" captain. Too sad. :(

Grumpy

I am grumpy today. I feel icky. I have a cough and a congested nose and I do not want to be at work at all. It is definitely a Monday. And poor little CJ still does not seem to feel perfect. He is basically okay. But just a little grumpy and he has a runny nose and a little cough still. He is going to the doctors on Wednesday just to make sure that his ear is finally all better after trying this other med. Sometimes I wish it was still just me and him at home against the world. I know that daycare is good for him. He is charming the teachers and having fun playing with his little friends. And Thursday they have a Valentines day party!!! But sometimes I just miss when he was healthy and happy and it was just me and him all day long. Now my weekends go by in a flash because I spend the whole time worrying and taking care of CJ. Phil has all these friends nearby so he often gets to go out and get a break. I am not complaining. I love CJ and I would take care of him all the time if I could. I just wish he was feeling like his normal adorable, perfect self. Anyways, I am at work and he is at daycare and life goes on.....I just had to complain for a minute. :P

I Still Live With My Parents....

Seriously, is anything cuter than this?

Getting Back in Touch

So yesterday, I got a little bit of a surprise. An old friend that I have not talked to in forever found me on myspace!!! I am going to call her M for privacy's sake. Anyways, M was one of my very best friends my junior year of high school and sadly as often happens we fell out of touch. It's kind of a long story. I still remember the night we first became friends. We went to boarding school together and I had to hold the door open for her in our dorm so that she could sneak a cigarette. I am such a rebel. ;) I remember feeling so cool that she wanted to hang out with me and that I got to be the one to help her sneak around. Hehehe!!! Anyways, turns out not only was she really cool and pretty, but a great friend. So for most of the rest of that year, we were pretty much inseparable. She came home with me a few weekends and we even discussed me going down to visit her, which never happened. Anyways, things got kind of crazy at the end of the year, we lost our friendship for awhile, got it back just in time to say goodbye, stayed in touch for a little while and then unfortunately lost touch again. M was one of those friends I always wondered about and thought about over the years. I always wished we could have stayed friends and thought about her whenever I drove past the exits to her town. Anyways, to my great surprise yesterday I got a message and a friend request from her on myspace!! How awesome!!! And even better than that, she is doing GREAT!!! She has a wonderful life. Seems like she and I have in some ways headed down the same path. We both got married and have beautiful children. I have a boy and she has a girl and in fact CJ is only about 6 months older than her little girl. A future friendship for them perhaps? We were even both pregnant at the same time for a little while. Anyways, she still lives down south so it is not like we will be able to hang all the time. But it is just so nice to be back in touch again. I am hoping we will stay in touch this time, through e-mail, myspace, the phone, maybe even get to visit each other sometime and introduce our kids to each other. And with wanting to move to the south someday, we would have a friend not too far away perhaps? M, thanks for getting back in touch with me!!! It really made me so happy to hear from you and I am thrilled to hear how well your life is going. I hope to hear from you soon. It is just so cool when life throws you these little surprises. :)

Happy 14 Months!!!

Today CJ turns 14 months old!!! Happy 14 Months to the sweetest, cutest, bestest boy in the WHOLE world!!! We love you more than anything!!