Road Trip on Heavy Drugs

Road trip time! I am at home packing and cleaning the house (and obviously sneeking a post in there somewhere). We are heading East..to the Missouri state capital (which is....you can do it). On the agenda: visiting family, eating lots of good food and bringing a load of storage stuff. See we are trying to move out there for various reasons (none being the charm and mystic of the city)...so each time we visit we pack a trailer full of misc items we rarely use (so why keep them you may ask) most of which has come from the basement storage vault. Anyhoo...we are aiming to leave shortly after lunch. This way Grant can take his nice long nap while in transit (fingers crossed).

So yesterday I took Grant to see what I thought was a Pediatric ENT (ear nose and throat) Doctor for his double ear infection and ruptured ear drum which has not healed in over a month now. Turns out he is just a regular ENT who treat lots of kids (still irritates me that they did not clarify that when I asked if he was indeed a Pediatric ENT while making the appointment grrrrr). Now I know to ask specifically if the doctor sees only kids. Live and learn right.

I was impressed by the waiting room complete with a lesson on germ sharing and a sink in which to wash hands. Loved that! The patient room was also very clean. Another perk. The Doctor introduced himself(kudos!) and was very friendly. I was also intrigued because he basically agreed with me on everything from the negative consequences of the overuse of antibiotics, being skeptical of doctors in general, the possible connection between allergies and ear infections & not giving a lot of credibility to allergy tests especially in babies.




He asked me to hold Grant for the probing...but I said that Grant was a great patient so he had him hop on the big chair. Sure enough Grant just allowed him to look deep within his ears, nose and throat (duuhhhhh). From the sound of it that doc had never had a 19 month old behave in such a way. Such a proud mama I was! So...the diagnosis...severe sinus infection, double ear infection both with bulging puss filled ear drums and enlarged adenoids. I could have told him that..but I was here for solutions. He gave me 3 options...a)do nothing, although the infection could get into his inner ear and possibly cause deafness or get into his brain and cause meningitis, b)start a round of heavy and serious antibiotics to which he had one that Grant had not tried and was not related to those he is allergic to, with the hopes that it will leave grant free of infection or c)go right to ear tubes. If the antibiotics do not work, he will recommend the ear tubes at that point.

I decided to go ahead with the antibiotics. The name is Clindaymin. Its another very old drug that is not common anymore. It is only given for serious bacterial infections because it can cause colitis and other strange blood problems. GREAT! However I really feel that I must try it because Grant is not getting better on his own and he is V miserable. The Doc said that if you or I had what he has...we would be in bed moaning. Kids tolerate pain much better...especially when they are like Grant and have extremely high pain threshold due to the amount of pain he has had to deal with in only 19 months! So I said a prayer of thanks and gratitude and am having faith that Grant will handle the drug perfectly and heal quickly.

The med is giving 3 times a day for 14 days! Whew! Its no fun. Thank GOD Grant is taking it very sweetly thus far (even though the doc said it tasted as bad as it smells). Dad and I tasted it and didnt find it offensive...strange. Oh well at least its better than expected!

So say a prayer for little Grant and know that he is healing. We are definitely pushing the probiotics and breastmilk during this time. I will also take extra acidophilus with the hopes that it passes to him from my milk.

OK off to vacuum and change over the laundry. Have a wonderful weekend and tell me all about it.

Happy 19 Month Bday Granto!

"before shot"

My little bundle of baby turned 19 months old today! Blowing my mind. How could it be? In honor of this milestone here is a Grant Paul update.

Grant....
eats great with a spoon and fork
drinks from a cup like an old pro (although if left with him to long it becomes a splash party)
walks up and downs short steps without holding on
jumps and gets air! (a big hit right now)
draws (although he STILL eats crayons grrrr)
climbs and climbs and climbs
likes to sit on big people chairs
likes to sit on little people chairs
loves to play with hit potty but refuses to go on it
still is a nudist
is still addicted to eating snow
is learning to peel his own bananas
favorite fruit is apples
favorite starch is rice
favorite vegetable is broccoli
I very much imitating all words now and giving them a shot
sits in time out on a regular basis and does it very cutely
love to go to "school"
does not talk to nana on the phone anymore...but still plays phone (hmmm)
wakes up in a great mood with lots of hugs and kisses
is still a hug monster
has been caught sharing with other children on his own accord
likes to use his big molars to chomp into food
kicks his heels on tires to "check" them
kicks his shoes on steps to bump the snow off (whether or not there is snow)
still loves music, plays his instruments and dances with zeal
is very much into helping around the house...dusts, vacuums, sweeps, loads the dishwasher and demands to clean his own highchair after every meal
signs i love you and it melts your heart!
tries to wash himself in the tub (including hair)
is still a fish...LOVES water and swimming and has not problem with it in his face etc
sings a lot!
still nurses like there is no tomorrow
giggles with bliss upon realizing he gets to nurse
usually will accept a "no" when he wants to nurse and i dont (like at the store etc)
pretends to count (although it sounds nothing like numbers)
likes to give the dogs treats..but usually he sneaks one for himself!
likes to wave goodbye to the toilet flushings hehe
has a best friend...T.J. and they have personal jokes!
addicted to babies and gives them kisses and hugs and pats
loves storytime at the library, sits still and listens to the readings and then parties hard to the music (and is teachers pet too...kinda cute at this age).
is a wonderful patient...allows me to clean his ears and look into them with an otoscope (he is this way with doctors too..they are always impressed)

Fresh words: apple, tickle, door, bite, nose, snow, broccoli, belly button, open, up, down, juice, water, poop, boo boo, bird, duck, yellow......

I know I am just touching the tip of his developmental iceberg...but it gives you a glimpse into his budding consciousness. It is wonderful to witness the growth and see him come into his own. We are in love with him and he with us. I am grateful and blessed.

Happy Birthday Grant Paul! Slow down would ya :).

"After shot"

Entrecard - Noobilicious card droppin

Hey guys, whats up? I have been having some fun with a new to me (its actually pretty new overall...just up 3 months or so) blogger tool called entrecard. If you blog...you gotta check it out.

So who do you think reads blogs? Well...bloggers are the #1 regular readers. We get it. We like to blog...we like to visit with other bloggers etc. Entrecard, in a nutshell is an easy way for bloggers to support each other by "dropping cards". The entrecard is basically your business card. You drop on others and get 1 credit. Others drop on you and you get 1 credit. Folks pay you to place their entrecard on your blog for 24 hours for a value credits I believe is based on the number of drops you gave and received in the last 24 hours divided by 2. And then of course you can use your entrecard credits to buy advertising space on other sites as well as buy any number of interesting services at the entrecard shop. Supposed these credits are even becoming worth currency in some situations.

Another bonus of the system is that its a great networking tool. I have already had more positive exhanges with other bloggers on it than any other community or social medium I have experienced. It is very much...you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. You drop a card on me and I will do the same for you etc. Together you can build a E credit fortune. Some complain that sure their unique clicks skyrocket but their bounce rate is also through the roof. Folks generally just come to drop their card and don't truly read the blog. That is certainly true....but just the same...some folks do read a headline each day they return...and actually read the posts that are relavent to them. Sometimes you even catch a new subscriber or with any luck a bloggie friend.


Entrecard is a sure fire way to increase your blog traffic. I am evidentally a Noob so I cannot spew forth a bunch of super dork blogger stats about ratings and stats...but I will say that I heart entrecard. Its a win win if you have about 5 minutes a day to drop cards. I think some folks must spend A LOT more time than that which is sort of sad..but I guess everybody has their "thing" they do a tad obsessively.

A few complaints about entrecard:
I purchased an entrecard design service with my first 100 points. I still have yet to hear from that blogger! I hope I have not been taken. Its starting to really piss me off though..and my card is still plain and boring. Photoshop is V helpful with making one evidentally.

I have yet to figure out a speedy way to drop cards. Say I go to my stats to see who has been dropping cards on me...so I can return the favor. Well I go to the first site...but cannot go back to entrecard without clicking on the little E on that page's entrecard ad..which takes me to my dashboard not my stats...so there is like 3 or 4 clicks to drop one card that way. To increase the speed...I have started linking through entrecards (going from ad to ad)..however they do not close on their own so after about 5 links I have to close them all out and start anew on my dashboard. Some bloggers are figuring out very fast ways to drop cards...and hopefully soon my noobishness will wear off I can join the troops. For now I just drop a few cards here...and then later drop a few cards. It is fun to see all the blogs and many of them are V interesting (although there are many spam blogs these days that just take up space and I detest them).

Check it out and see if it works for you...and don't forget to drop your card on ole Olive Juice.

1st Blogoversary!

One year ago today..I took the bloggy plunge. Sure before that I had kept an online journal of my pregnancy...but never before had I blogged about anything else. Olive Juice...formerly known as Bearkemper Escapades....started out as a way to document my son's life for friends and family who live far away. However, soon I realized that very very few of them actually visit...so the evolution began.

Why do I blog? Why do you blog? My reasons have changed over the past year. As I said...at first it was a Grant shrine. Even though we have no family in town..I wanted them to be able to fall in love with Grant via stories and photos. After that failed miserably (well they do love him..but most are either not internet savvy or do not have the time or interest I guess..hard to say), I moved into a more self satisfying mode.

My posts varied from introspectionto the parenting and social issues I hold most dear such as breastfeedingand anti circumcision . My funniest post entitled Ode to Crotchfruit is a must read for anyone who is less than anal. Check out my labels for the plethora of interesting topics that fly from these fingertips.

I blog because it is FUN. There was a time I thought I wanted to move in the direction of blogging for income...but soon after I realized I did not have the time nor the energy. I blog because I like to write...I always have. If there were blogs when I was in high school...holy cats I would have been addicted. I blog because I love having a podium, I love to share my thoughts, I love having a hobby, I love to show off my son :), I love to meet other mamas and interesting folks, I love to learn new things and I love journaling our lives with this medium. It will be so much fun to look back in years to come...at the person I am today.

So happy blogoversary Olive Juice! I want to thank my cast, Dear Husband Dave, Dear Son Grant, Nana and Papa and all those I am failing to mention here. I want to thank my readers. I sincerely appreciate your friendship and support. Now get to commenting! You are driving me crazy here :).

Much love.

R.I.P. Blue Moon Rainbow

So I guess most of you do not know that I was married for 10 years to my first husband. I spent my 20s with him...and together we share 3 dogs...they were our kids. We ended up splitting up the kids because of the divorce. I kept the 2 girls and he kept the youngest, and only boy....Moon (he was the colors of the moon). Visitation rights were detailed within the divorce papers...but soon my ex was using Moon as a pawn and denied us the right to see him. I did not feel like taking legal action...so I let it go...figuring that maybe ex was right...and the process of leaving him over and over was indeed hard on him. Eventually the ex opened up visitation again..but by that time I had decided it was too hard on me...and stopped seeing Moon altogether. It was a VERY difficult decision...but my council encouraged me to cut the cord...by letting Moon go I could stop getting sucked back into the emotional drain that dealing with my ex always was. Our dogs were just another product of divorce...dystfunctional dogs I suppose.

Well this morning I heard the sad news that Moon had passed on. He was the baby! Just 12 years old and still he went first. Supposedly he had been sick for awhile and on medication. Ex called my husband's mother so she could let me know (the 3 of us were good friends for many yeasr back in the day). He doesnt have our contact information anymore. We decided to cut all contact with him because it was just such a drain every time. He always had some sad story...and honestly..I do not want to give him my energy anymore. I have a new life now...a much better one too...and it is healthier for me to stay focused on the now.



At first I was very detached from the news....as I have learned to protect myself from my ex this way. However as the day moves along...my grief has come to the surface and I am very sad. I went to his webpage at dogster.com and updated it. I know it sounds silly...but that page was my tribute to him and it did give me some closure to be able to visit "him" and keep his memory alive in that way. I wish we could have kept the "kids" together. They were a tight knit pack. He was the mischievious little boy who added spice to the old girl's lives. I have the CUTEST picture I will have to scan tomorrow of the 3 of them together right after his adoption. They had some wonderful times together. I always felt bad after the divorce that he was all alone...after knowing the joy of siblings. Breaks my heart. And then he died all alone..in his little bed while ex was at work. Poor sweet baby. We really let you down.

Rest in Peace sweet Moon. You were a great dog...and you will always have a place in my heart.

Ups and Downs & Sesame Street Live

So you may ask....Paula....what could be better than having a wicked head cold and being seriously sore from head to toe from starting a strenious work out plan? I have the answer....

Coming home exhausted on a Friday night to find your husband down in his back. Instead of laying on the couch all night you are both forced to clean at warp speed because your real estate agent has called with the "good" news that he is showing the house on Saturday. THEN and get this THEN...on Saturday when the house looks GREAT, no clutter to be seen and it is sparkling clean....and the whole family is at the park even though it is nap time because the showing is emminen...he calls just to say...um....buzz sucker here...the lady's loan turned out to not be approved enough for our house. WHAT? excuse me MR....but shouldnt you have known that before you sent me and my poor husband on a crusade to turn a wreck of a house into a shrine? Man was I pissed off. It wouldnt have been so god aweful if both of us were not so bad off. Oh well...at least the house is clean.

Our Saturday started off with photo shoot..Grant style. HE is 18 months old...and Im kinda on the every 6 month track. They definitely change a ton in just a month...so 6 months is like a complete metamorphis. Turns out that 18 month olds are not very good at photoshoots. It was hard work for ol mama. His father did not come to help because of his aforementioned back and he needed to use whatever energy he did have to work on the house. Anyway...single mama was having hot flashes it was so much work. We barely got a few good pics. He just would not smile. He had that deer in the headlights look...along with mouth open and toungue stickin out. It was super not cute hehe. Luckily we were able to pull off a couple nice ones of him and me and a few of just him that will pass. It truly is just best to blow up some pics you take at home...unless you can afford a real professional. Anyway...at least that chore is complete...and I bet in 10 years I will be super glad I did the deed.



Our fabulous..if not over scheduled Saturday finished up at ...get this...Sesame Street Live! A friend could not use the tickets and gifted them to us. I would have NEVER in a million years paid for them...but since they were free it was tempting. Grant has never been to a play..and has never been to a large venue like the new Spring Center in Kansas City...so it would be very exciting indeed. Forgive the poor picture quality. Unfortunatley I actually listened to the stiff on the phone who said cameras with video or audio were strictly forbidden. GRRR..everyone else was smart enough to either a)not ASK...or b)question authority. So my crappy phone camera had to do the job. Grant actually had a WONDERFUL fantabulous time! He was fixated and fascinated. We stayed for 45 minutes..and he did not squirm once. He clapped and danced and was just awe struck. He doesnt know who Elmo or Big Bird is...but he didnt care. They were huge and colorful and loud and it was WEIRD! Dad and I got a kick out of the whole scene. We passed on the $15 lighted spinning elmo contraptions (although I LOVE and always lust after any glow in the dark event gizmos) and we also passed on the $8 balloons and other extremely overpriced and silly souveniors. I was SHOCKED at how much the other parents were spending! If we had paid for our tickets that woudl have been $75 to start...plus $10 to park...add some snacks..prolly $20 easy and then toys! CRAZY SHIT. I was also shocked at how many 18 month olds were getting cotton candy and soda. To each their own. My kid ate french fries at dinner...and Im sure that would make a purist faint.


Can you see the overexposed outline of Big Bird? It was really him:)

After the show we had dinner at an Irish Pub. It was loud enough so that no one was annoyed with our high decible child. Perfect. On our way to the car a man was drumming hard core on the bongos...Grant was mesmerized. He had to stand close and stare for many minutes. He threw a couple bucks in the tip bucket (prompted by us of course) and said a sad goodbye. That boy loves music. After a long ride home we are now snug as a bug in a rug. Home feels so extra good when we venture out into the wild world. Whew...what a fun roller coaster of a Saturday! And to think it was Ground Hogs day...hehe. Wonder if he saw his shadow.


What an adorable face!...and those chocolate eyes!

Tomorrow...we stay in our underwear and play all day! Well until around Superbowl time...then we get to attend a party! I could care less about the game...but Im up for a party! Who is even playing anyway heheheh. Im so bad.

Peace out.

template from hell

OK...I hate this template. I thought it was all pretty like..but unfortunately it hides text! So until I have enough time to sit down and replace it...you will have to squint to read the first couple sentences. Thanks for your patience!

I hope to return later for a decent post.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I am START!ing - How about you?

Start!is an American Heart Association movement to promote physical activity through workplace walking programs. It calls on employers of all sizes to "create a culture of physical activity" to improve health...which is a win win for employees and the bottom line.

Many company's are offering their own incentive programs that compliments Start!
For instance one agency I know rewards walkers with time off from work for every 30hours of activity! Isnt that awesome? There are lots of ways to have fun with this program. Sometimes they will create friendly competitions...like between departments or floors...with the "winner" having documented the most active hours (at work). There are also agencies that offer a half hour for walking during the work day (beyond the lunch hour)! I think this is incredible.

So check it out and encourage your employer to adopt the program. The American Heart Association offers lots of program resource material to make participation easy and fun. Couldn't you use an extra push in the right direction?

My personal commitment is a new lunch routine. Starting tomorrow (February 1) the plan is to walk 1/2 hour Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the gym (on bad weather days - walk at the park when it is pretty) and spend the other 1/2 hour with Grant at day care (to accomplish this all in 1 hour...I will change clothes at work and probably be taking more like 1 hour and 10 minute lunches until I get heckeled). On Tuesdays, and Thursdays I will spend the entire lunch hour with Grant and work out in the evening during my Women's Weight Loss Bootcamp here in town. I also intend to prepare rockn salads to bring for lunch. Im not talking rabbit food...I want beautiful artful salads with delicious fresh toppings and crumble cheese hehe. That way I wont feel cheated. So thats my physical activity and nutrition plan. Ready set......GOOOOOOO.

I challenge you to boost your physical activity...for yourself and your family.

Off to School Ritual

Go Red for Women - February 1 and beyond

Weeks ago I promised some more of the "lost ones"...pictures I had taken at work and had been forgotten about as they are mixed in with official work related photos. However...I wanted to post a bit about 2 amazing American Heart Association campaigns that I learned about at that conference I attended last week (was that really only last week? WEIRD). So to multitask and more importantly mix serious stuff with entertaining baby pics stuff....here we go.

Did you brush your teeth today? (hopefully) Did you exercise your heart today? This questions really hit a home run with me. It stuck. I had never thought about it that way before. And yes it is a hella a lot easier to replace your teeth than your heart! Exercising your heart should be as routine as teeth and hair brushing..and other "normal" hygiene practices we have. Boy was that a wake up call for me.



The Go RED for Women campaign is a nationwide movement to encourage women of all ages to improve their heart health to live longer and stronger. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of American women ages 20 and over! (and of men too)However...heart disease can largely be prevented. This campaign is a fun way to arm yourself with the knowledge and tools to take action to reduce your risks.

A few stats to get under your skin:
* In 40 year old nonsmokers, females loose 7.1 years off their life due to obesity!
* High blood pressure is 2-3 times more common in women taking oral contraceptives
* More than 28 million American women are obese (Holla)
* 60% of adults between the ages of 18 - 24 live inactive lifestyles
* 10,000 women between the ages of 29 -44 have a heart attack each year



So anyhoo...the point here ...once again...is to take charge of your health. You may feel young and invincible right now...but heart disease creeps up on you and can steal your youth from you. I just keep thinking that I want to be around for my son as long as possible. When I hear of women dropping dead at 41...YIKERS...I mean yes we are all gonna die from something...but heart disease is greatly preventable.



So I hope you will check out the website and makes some improvements in your heart health. The official wear red day is this Friday, February 1...but more than that...its about a reality check.



Well my time is up...must take my lunch...and run over to see my beautiful precious son. I will post about Start! tomorrow. It a great way to get your employer to adopt a wellness incentive program for their employees(which means more opportunities and rewards for you walking and improving your health!).

Tubbin at 18 months old

Bath time at our house.

blue delight

here we are having a wild saturday night!






listen for him to say "Sadi" and "Dog".

Cosleeping and Marriage

My husband has never been fully on board with the co sleeping issue, and it is really causing rifts in our marriage. Yes we are still going strong and are pretty darn healthy overall...but this subject...and parenting in general causes some heated discussions...and for about the past month...my dear husband has been sleeping in another room.

I am torn. I am completely comfortable sharing a bed with my son. Not only do I feel that it fulfills his nighttime needs, but also mine. Yes my sleep is interrupted many times a night, but overall I sleep more because I am not getting up to attend to him. I also enjoy the fact that we can snuggle and be together...especially because I work outside the home and miss those daytime hours. Co sleeping seems natural to me and it is right for me and grant. However...it is not so for my husband.

A loving and tight parental bond is a gift to the child. Everyone of us wants our parents to be madly in love. It is the best environment for raising children. I do understand that by nurturing my relationship with Grant's dad I am giving Grant a powerful foundation for learning, growing, evolving and essentially becoming an amazing human being. I sincerely want that for Grant. I want it for myself as well.

So here I am...in a way...in the middle of my two guys. This sucks. I have 3 people in the mix here...3 interests. I believe that the mother and child (especially when nursing) are a couple of their own sorts the first 2 years. Around that time the child starts separating on their own accord ...a natural development. Grant has the rest of his life to be going solo...I just do not feel the need to push him out of the nest. However, to nurture my husband ( I could so go on an anti man bashing crusade here but that would be stupid) I need to compromise so that our relationship does not suffer. This is tough stuff people.

So what will the compromise be? I have already offered starting a transitional period where Grant learns what "his bed" is. We can start nights here for a while. Of course this whole process will be harder on me that the present arrangement. My sweet husband gets a full nights sleep nomatter the sleeping situation!GRRR. I would rather wait till Grant is 2 or even 3 to do this. I keep telling my husband that even the freaks hehe, who train their babies to sleep alone have many disruptions in sleep. Babies and children just do not sleep like we do. Plan to have your life turned upside down. Period.

Anyhoo this post was much less informational than I would like but I am rushed because my 18 month old wants to go to the park on this gorgeous 50 degree day in January! I wish my husband would just follow my lead and enjoy these very short years where Grant is a baby. The really confusing part is that he appears to enjoy sleeping with us...all grins and smiles upon waking and getting hugs. There is some primal/machismo stuff going down here...and its just way beyond me. I guess I would like to continue to talk about this. I know it is a common issue with co sleeping families...when one parent desires a different arrangement. Till then.....

this article is short and sweet and has the results of multiple studies on the long term effects of co sleeping

Friday night feeling allllright

This month has swooooooooooshed on by in mighty fashion. Sure 2 trips both about a week in duration will do that to a month it is true. For a frigid, stiff, usually boring month like January...this one has beat all.

Although I did not have to work in the office today...my day was super dooper ridiculously busy. I unpacked (again), started laundry, did the dishes, balanced the check books, drove to Lawrence to shop for my American Girl Doll Party tomorrow (yes don't laugh)and spent one hour at the Merc choosing immune boosters for the family (oh ya I had a sushi lunch too...so it was not all work). On my way home I did some much needed banking (the old fashioned in person type) and stopped by the office to play catch up so Monday won't be hellacious. By the time I arrived back home to enjoy my "day off" it was 4PM. I quickly popped in my netflix movie..." A long engagement" and 45 minutes later i picked up Grant from day care. After I finish this blog I will resume the viewing. Honestly...I love watching a flick in 2 or more parts...it suits my lifestyle remarkably well...and I enjoy pausing and reflecting on what I have seen. My husband HATES doing this..and it is another reason we watch very very very few movies together (but overwhelmingly it is because he has terrible taste in movies heheh)

Grant had a blast at day care. He missed his friends so so very much. He was chasing down strange children on the trip hoping to get a minute of interaction with his own kind. He definitely knows he is a kid.

Oh and a quick update on Grant's tender ears (A.K.A. ear infections)....after over 2 weeks of weeping ears and no vast improvement using natural remedies...I decided to discuss with our pediatrician another option. What other antibiotics are available...Bactrim was not going into my son...what else can we try (he is already intolerant of amoxicillan and cefadroxil..basically all generations of cephlosporin). Fortunately he offered up zythromycin. 29 hours into treatment he appears to be tolerating it perfectly! This is very exciting because my mother and a close friend both had terrible reactions to it...including excruciating cramps and explosive diarrhea (tmi). I was nervous giving it to him....but NOTHING LIKE WITH BACRTRIM!!!!! That stuff can kill you! It is on the insert. Straight up....Russian roulette...hope for the best. Now I realize anything can kill you...and everyone reacts differently to drugs...but Bactrim kills on a regular basis. Steven Johnsons syndrome is what it can cause...and that is the killer...the skin falls off..Oh lordy...Im sorry but I cannot take that risk or just the overall heavy side effects. So long story short.. he is on antibiotics...and please god please...let it kill the infection for good. I also have him on double probiotics, lots of yogurt and kefir to help keep his good buggies around. I am sooo very very tired of seeing him in pain with his ears. Gotta bring out the big guns.

So the elevator pic is the only pic we took this trip. It was that good of a trip hehe. He sure does love the elevator though...and this month it was like we lived in NYC. I just noticed that my mom and him are kinda dressed alike..too funny! He loves his nana no doubt.



The first pic..super smiley guy with apple...I took tonight. Notice the tear...the pic was taken not 15 seconds after a full on tantrum...I cant even remember over what. He sure is a pistol that child...but I am so glad he has an opinion, a voice and conviction!

Happy Friday!

Home at Last

I have a new appreciation (or sympathy) for those that travel regularly for work. It is not much fun in my opinion. The packing and unpacking and jet lag and overall needing to play catch up on everything from laundry to hubby huggin.

We decided to come back one day early from the conference due to my poor mother being worn out, bedraggled and a bit ill. Grant was a handful to say the least. I believe he was sick of travlin, missed his daddy and just wanted to be at home in his own bed and play with his own friends. Yes, he did have fun showing off for the entire Marriott, conference and anyone who would pay him mind, but he was overtly annoyed with the situation. He was...a HELLION. Oh my and how. The child was loud and assertive and angry at times.

I was fortunate enough to get 8 classes in (counting those ceu credits!) and networked a tad. It was a good quality conference...but NEVER AGAIN will I take my child (well unless of course it is a baby). It should be more of a retreat and more of a networking event...with him there I was always running back to check on him and worryign about him in general.

Grant is SUPER SUPER SUPER excited to be home. He is ecstatic! He is joyful. He is celebrating! He is in love with his daddy and doggies. We are all happy to be here in the warmth of our blue lagoon...in love with each other.

On the Road Again

Oh glorious Wichita..here we come. We have never met before...but I just know you will supercede your less than less attractive reputation. Hopefully at least.

I am exhausted...so so very tired. Grant's ear is still weeping..although much less (but it is still alot). I am stressed over it. Not sure what I should do now...just keeping on with massage, onion juice drops and probiotics. Will change varialbes if nothing improves in a couple days.

My Mom is here and we are all packed...just waiting for my boss so we can caravan.

Have a great week...and thank Dr. King. You rock.

Breastfeeding may give kids lasting protection from stress

More evidence that breast is best!

My poor hubby caught the flu last night as the clock struck midnight. Poor fella. Ive been taking care of him all day and bleaching the house while trying to pack (again so soon is just bizarre and annoying). I also had to run to the store for dog food. Fortunately Grant is still hanging tough and doesnt appear to have the flu...although he has taken 2 long naps today.

take care

Mother sings as she labors

This video made me cry...with awe and admiration. Enjoy

Less than Human

Grant and I spent all of last night and today sicker than sick. Fortunately he is much less sick than I...and I give all the credit to breastmilk. It is the flu. I am miserable. I just feel terrible for baby bear....teething, ear infections and now this!

Like the makeover? Its very feminine.

I will be out of town next week...going to a conference. I will be able to post a bit from the business center within the Marriott. Grant is coming with me and my mother is coming too....she is going to play nanny...which is such a blessing!

Have a great weekend! Hope you are feeling more human than i!

Love Paula

Natural Remedy for Ear Infection

How are you today? Hopefully very well. But if you are not don't dispare...change is indefininitely in the air. So don't get too comfortable even if you are on top of the world.

It snowed last night! We probably were blessed with about 3 inches of the white fluffy. This morning the ground glittered like a million diamonds in the full sun. It was quite spectacular! Grant is happily consuming mass amounts of the manna. He sure is lucky it is a heavy snow winter.

Regarding his double ear infections.....last night I threw away the bottle of Bactrim. Good riddence! That stuff is really just wrong. I mean if you are dying from a serious infection and they need to pull out all the stops...then by all means help yourself to a phat portion. However...for everyday bacterial infections...Im sorry but that stuff is just too iffy and too strong.

So I simmered some fresh garlic in olive oil and made some of Grandma's medicine. A few warm drops in each ear later...and we were off to bed. He did still squirm about in discomfort last night. I also brought out the heating pad and was very careful not to burn him but the warmth was also helpful. This morning.........his ruptured drum side was not caked with dried discharge! First time in over a week! Very exciting stuff. It did still have some "honey" in it, but much less. I went ahead and gave him the last dose of the antibiotic drops just to make sure and complete the cycle. However starting tonight...we are going with garlic oil drops & warm onion compress. As soon as I can get to the Merc we will also try our hand with Belladonna and vitamin C. I am truly excited about this turn of events! Hopefully within a few days Grant will be infection free! I will let you know our progress. By the way...it is a bit controversial to put anything in a suspected ruptered ear drum. However, from my research I feel confident going ahead with it. It absorbs through the membrane nomatter if its ruptured or not...and many parents have had great success using garlic oil for ruptures. Why is parenting always such a gamble? Nothing in this life is black or white...even if it appears so at first glance.

I must go....my boss is waiting to join me at the Historical Society's Chili Feed hehe. Beans here I come. Thanks for stopping by. Later today I hope to post some more of the "Lost Ones" that I just found.