Saturday, May 23, 2009
Brady Walks - May 16, 2009!
It was really awesome, Brady boy finally really walked last Saturday! Andy, myself, and Nana, got to witness those first few steps. He has been wanting to walk for weeks, but just didn't seem to have the courage. It was almost as if he stopped thinking about walking and just did it!
Fuss, fuss, fuss....why is the boy so cranky?
This past month has been rough for Brady. He seems to have perpetual cold symptoms....runny nose, congestion, and overall discomfort. He has been to the doctor at Kids First two times in the last month, and at each visit, the doctor has seen the onset of an ear infection - redness, inflammation, and fluid in the ear, but has asked that we wait it out and see if the ear will resolve on its own. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) together with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending that doctors not prescribe antibiotics to children for ear infections unless severe symptoms develop to help reduce antibiotic resistance. Poor guy has to tough it out.
Well, the crankiness continues and now a fever has developed, and so back to the doctor we go! I am almost embarrassed to be back to the pediatrician, especially when the receptionist pointed out the frequency of our visits. In all fairness, I do have three kids!
Anyway, the nurse checks Brady out first....asks mom the standard questions about symptoms, takes his temp, and gets his weight. Then Dr. Magargee comes in and examines Brady. She listens to his chest and then uses the otoscope to look in the boys ears. First, the right ear. I hate to say this, but I am really hoping he has an ear infection that warrants a prescription for amoxicillin! The boy obviously feels like crap! The doctor does a second look in Brady's right ear. I think to myself, "Whew! I have not brought the boy into the doctor for no reason. Our visit is justified." Now, the doctor says to me, "Can you hold him one more time, I need to get another look in that ear." Okay, now I am worried. What is growing in that ear?
The doctor looks at me with a puzzled look, and says, "I think it's a small, white bead in his ear." What???? Now I am really embarrassed. Calmly, and as if, a small, white bead lodged in the ear is normal, she asks me to hold him one more time so she can get a look in the left ear. She takes one quick look and nods, this ear is infected. I will fax in a prescription for amoxicillin to your pharmacy. Puzzled, I ask her, how does the bead get removed? It does get removed, right??
For obvious reasons, I am no longer worried about this pestering ear infection. Can we please just talk about the bead? Calmly and without judgment, the doctor tells me to make an appointment with the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctors down at CHOP sometime in the next two weeks. Isn't this an emergency? "No," she replies. Almost, as an afterthought, she states, "It doesn't seem to be bothering him and does not present any immediate danger. The prescription should clear up the ear and he should be feeling better in a few days." End of discussion. She is back in a flash with our papers and is off to the next patient.
How am I going to explain this one. Now I feel incredibly guilty. Bud, now I get why you have been all "fuss, fuss, fuss" the last few weeks. I'd be cranky too if I had a bead in my ear, not to mention, an ear infection as well.
Some days are just hard being a mom!
Well, the crankiness continues and now a fever has developed, and so back to the doctor we go! I am almost embarrassed to be back to the pediatrician, especially when the receptionist pointed out the frequency of our visits. In all fairness, I do have three kids!
Anyway, the nurse checks Brady out first....asks mom the standard questions about symptoms, takes his temp, and gets his weight. Then Dr. Magargee comes in and examines Brady. She listens to his chest and then uses the otoscope to look in the boys ears. First, the right ear. I hate to say this, but I am really hoping he has an ear infection that warrants a prescription for amoxicillin! The boy obviously feels like crap! The doctor does a second look in Brady's right ear. I think to myself, "Whew! I have not brought the boy into the doctor for no reason. Our visit is justified." Now, the doctor says to me, "Can you hold him one more time, I need to get another look in that ear." Okay, now I am worried. What is growing in that ear?
The doctor looks at me with a puzzled look, and says, "I think it's a small, white bead in his ear." What???? Now I am really embarrassed. Calmly, and as if, a small, white bead lodged in the ear is normal, she asks me to hold him one more time so she can get a look in the left ear. She takes one quick look and nods, this ear is infected. I will fax in a prescription for amoxicillin to your pharmacy. Puzzled, I ask her, how does the bead get removed? It does get removed, right??
For obvious reasons, I am no longer worried about this pestering ear infection. Can we please just talk about the bead? Calmly and without judgment, the doctor tells me to make an appointment with the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctors down at CHOP sometime in the next two weeks. Isn't this an emergency? "No," she replies. Almost, as an afterthought, she states, "It doesn't seem to be bothering him and does not present any immediate danger. The prescription should clear up the ear and he should be feeling better in a few days." End of discussion. She is back in a flash with our papers and is off to the next patient.
How am I going to explain this one. Now I feel incredibly guilty. Bud, now I get why you have been all "fuss, fuss, fuss" the last few weeks. I'd be cranky too if I had a bead in my ear, not to mention, an ear infection as well.
Some days are just hard being a mom!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Remembering Brady's Birth.....Ready or Not here I come!!
Andy just finished finals and Brady Boy celebrated his first birthday, reminding me of his birth story! A little over a year ago, Andy was taking finals and finishing up his 3rd term at Wharton, Isabel was turning 4 and celebrating her birthday at Jumpers, and I was 38 weeks pregnant. It was a busy time in our lives. Having two previous births, both inductions 10 days past my due date, Andy and I were not even thinking the baby would come early. Needless to say we celebrated Isabel's birthday on Friday, May 2nd, and Andy completed his finals on Saturday, May 3rd. Andy came home from school that Saturday night exhausted. That night we would go to Fresco's for dinner and finally have a chance to discuss baby names. Dinner was great, but Andy asked if we could postpone the name discussion just one more day. He was tired and desperately needed a good nights sleep after a week of all nighters. My sister, Erin, was taking the girls to Backyardigan's Live, so Andy and I could prepare for baby number 3! Finally, by 11:45 pm, Andy and I crawled into bed and said goodnight.
WIthin 5 minutes, my legs felt wet, as if I had an accident in bed. Could it be? Surprised, I got up to go to the bathroom, and there was a gush of water between my legs. This is not happening! I am only 38 weeks pregnant, I have two more weeks. I was not feeling any contractions, but decided I should check in with my doctor. This was all new to me. Dr. Schatz called and told me to head down to Paoli. A little after midnight, I woke Andy up, and said, "It's time!" Half asleep, he asked, what time is it? How long have I been sleeping - 4 hours? No sweetie, you've been asleep for all of 15 minutes. No, I am soooo tired. This can't be happening!
I woke my sister and then it hit me, we were going to the hospital to have a baby. That is when the panic set in....no suitcase, no carseat, no baby clothes, and NO name for a girl. Ugh!!! I was googling what to pack for the hospital, up in the attic looking for baby things, and telling Andy we had no cassettes for the video camera. Finally, at 2 am we leave for Paoli, making a stop at CVS for cassette tapes, and frantically, trying to agree on a name for a little girl. Andy was really pushing, Sienna Clair, but I just wasn't sold on Sienna. Oh, I was hoping it would be a boy. The boy's name was done....Kellen Andrew or Brayden Andrew.
We arrived at the hospital, and the contractions had started, but were far apart and mild at this point. Andy stretched out on the hospital chair and fell fast asleep while I read and reread the top 1000 names on the Social Security list most of the night. Finally, by 5 am I decided to call it a night and fell asleep. On Sunday afternoon, May 4th, we were blessed with our little boy, Brayden Andrew. The girls were so excited to meet the little guy! Thank goodness he was a boy!
WIthin 5 minutes, my legs felt wet, as if I had an accident in bed. Could it be? Surprised, I got up to go to the bathroom, and there was a gush of water between my legs. This is not happening! I am only 38 weeks pregnant, I have two more weeks. I was not feeling any contractions, but decided I should check in with my doctor. This was all new to me. Dr. Schatz called and told me to head down to Paoli. A little after midnight, I woke Andy up, and said, "It's time!" Half asleep, he asked, what time is it? How long have I been sleeping - 4 hours? No sweetie, you've been asleep for all of 15 minutes. No, I am soooo tired. This can't be happening!
I woke my sister and then it hit me, we were going to the hospital to have a baby. That is when the panic set in....no suitcase, no carseat, no baby clothes, and NO name for a girl. Ugh!!! I was googling what to pack for the hospital, up in the attic looking for baby things, and telling Andy we had no cassettes for the video camera. Finally, at 2 am we leave for Paoli, making a stop at CVS for cassette tapes, and frantically, trying to agree on a name for a little girl. Andy was really pushing, Sienna Clair, but I just wasn't sold on Sienna. Oh, I was hoping it would be a boy. The boy's name was done....Kellen Andrew or Brayden Andrew.
We arrived at the hospital, and the contractions had started, but were far apart and mild at this point. Andy stretched out on the hospital chair and fell fast asleep while I read and reread the top 1000 names on the Social Security list most of the night. Finally, by 5 am I decided to call it a night and fell asleep. On Sunday afternoon, May 4th, we were blessed with our little boy, Brayden Andrew. The girls were so excited to meet the little guy! Thank goodness he was a boy!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Brady's 1st Birthday - Grand Slam or Bust?
Oh, the feelings of guilt! The little guy turned one on May 4, 2009! I was determined to make his birthday special, despite him being the third child and having a birthday just six days after his big sister, Isabel. The plan was to celebrate his birthday at a baseball game down at Citizens Bank Park - Phillies vs. Mets on May 3, 2009. Andy got tickets for the suite and we would invite the O'Reilly clan to join us. I ordered the Birthday package which included his name on the scoreboard, singing by the Phillie Phansters, and a baseball hat! Andy was excited and took the whole family to get Phillies t-shirts! Finally, we ordered a huge Phillies baseball cake.
It was going to be the perfect day, until down came the rain! It rained, and rained, and rained, and is still raining 5 days later! Needless to say, the Phillies game was cancelled, leaving the family home with nothing to do and a cake to feed forty!
So the next day was Brady's actual birthday! I thought we could make it up to the little guy and head down to the zoo, if it ever stopped raining, and if not we could go to the Please Touch Museum. Unfortunately, Isabel had been having headaches on and off all weekend and they just wouldn't go away. On Monday morning, we decided to take her to the ER down at Children's Hospital. Andy and I were very concerned and worried. But on that day, out came the sun (at least figuratively), as we learned that Isabel's decompression looked great from the cat scan and her headaches resolved later that day (a definite grand slam).
Later that night, Andy's parents came over, to bring home Chloe and Brady, and celebrate the boy's birthday! We sang "Happy Birthday" and the boy was happy! Isabel made a very special birthday wish for her brother, Brady. She wished that he would be able to walk soon. A good wish! We all smiled and knew that we had many things to be grateful for in this wonderful life! Brady it was a very special birthday, one I will never forget! I love you little boy from the bottom of my heart.
Oh, and don't worry Brady, daddy got tickets for the Phillies game this weekend! Your first birthday will be a grand slam!
It was going to be the perfect day, until down came the rain! It rained, and rained, and rained, and is still raining 5 days later! Needless to say, the Phillies game was cancelled, leaving the family home with nothing to do and a cake to feed forty!
So the next day was Brady's actual birthday! I thought we could make it up to the little guy and head down to the zoo, if it ever stopped raining, and if not we could go to the Please Touch Museum. Unfortunately, Isabel had been having headaches on and off all weekend and they just wouldn't go away. On Monday morning, we decided to take her to the ER down at Children's Hospital. Andy and I were very concerned and worried. But on that day, out came the sun (at least figuratively), as we learned that Isabel's decompression looked great from the cat scan and her headaches resolved later that day (a definite grand slam).
Later that night, Andy's parents came over, to bring home Chloe and Brady, and celebrate the boy's birthday! We sang "Happy Birthday" and the boy was happy! Isabel made a very special birthday wish for her brother, Brady. She wished that he would be able to walk soon. A good wish! We all smiled and knew that we had many things to be grateful for in this wonderful life! Brady it was a very special birthday, one I will never forget! I love you little boy from the bottom of my heart.
Oh, and don't worry Brady, daddy got tickets for the Phillies game this weekend! Your first birthday will be a grand slam!
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