jeremiah is doing 110% better. thank you SO MUCH for all your prayers and wonderful thoughts.
we were admitted to the er at about 6am and he was almost immediately put on an iv drip. he WAS dehydrated, but it was not severe dehydration. that is good, but we were still glad we went.
after his blood test (which they drew AFTER his iv was in, so it wasn’t an accurate reading of pre-iv. kwim?) his bi-carb level was low. they said this is normal in kids who have severe vomiting and diarrhea. this was a second reason i was very glad we decided to take him in.
he was totally lethargic, only wanting to be held, the whole time. when he got stuck for iv or blood draws was the only times we saw his personality. and it was his angry, how dare you personality! he was actually angry at us for being near him when this happened. it was a miserable thing. i always cry when my son is in pain, and this was no exception.
he was not allowed liquids until about 6 pm or so, and he welcomed them gladly. we gave him a tiny bit each time, and everything seemed fine. then at 925 or so he vomited ALL over jerry. then he threw up a little after 10 all over the chair-bed. everything he’d drank for the whole time came out. my poor sweet boy. he was already not feeling great, tho he’d seemed to make a turn for the better, and we were hoping to get checked out before midnight. no way we were leaving now.
he went another 6 hours with nothing in his tummy. then we started trying a little at a time again. we were then allowed to offer him the BRAT diet (bananas rice applesauce toast). he had two and a half little tubs of applesauce and a few cheerios, a bite of banana.
my angriest ‘mama moment’ came when we went for a second blood draw today. this time i was alone, not with my mom. they pricked him not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES before getting a good vein. that is RIDICULOUS. in a toddler who is crying his eyes out saying OW OW you HAVE to get it right. if you’re unsure about the vein DON’T DO IT. i wanted to kick them right along with jeremiah. he kicked them several times, but not hard enough, imo!
we are now home and he seems to be doing ok. he is actually PLAYING and acting himself. i am so thankful and relieved.
he is not allowed to be around other kids until there is NO MORE diarrhea (if it is indeed rotavirus).
we are back home enjoying our mostly-better son, and our new dell computer.
thanks for your prayers, and please pray for his continued recovery. my fear is that he all the sudden goes downhill again!
love to everyone.
ETA: in my hurry to make sure no one was waiting on pins and needles, i neglected to mention something. we are waiting to get the results to see if it is FOR SURE rotavirus. they are all 99 percent sure, but we want to be totally sure, because for one thing, nate, the baby i watch, will need to be tested for it too. (he has been having vomiting/diarrhea, tho it hasn’t been green and he hasn’t had either for two days.) plus jeremiah will not be allowed to come into contact with any child until all diarrhea is gone.

he has not kept anything down as far as i can tell. since leaving home for the dr he has only had ONE tiny wet diaper. he just had diarrhea and vomited again, and i am just taking him over to the er. i am too concerned with his health to let him go on like this. he is miserable and looks horrible. please pray.

…as soon as the clock hits one i’m calling his dr!

we were at an appointment (not dr) this morning. he was weighed and measured. he was down to 22.2 lbs (10 %) and is 31 1/8 tall. i KNOW that he has lost at least 3 lbs over the past week. he looks so thin. very worried about this. he’s in the 75th-90th percentile in height tho. should make papa happy. he also got his poor little toe pricked. both of our iron is great. yay. but he threw the BIGGEST fit i have ever seen from the boy in his entire life. it was also the longest lasting one. nothing would calm him down. he was screaming, huge tears streaming down his face, snot dripping from his nose. i kept apologizing, assuring the lady that this was so out of character for him. but the poor guy was feeling awful (now i know) and was just plain mad at his toe being pricked. not to mention i’m sure it hurt - my finger prick did!!!
we finally left and all was dandy. it was such a gorgeous day, i decided we would go to mc.donald’s to play in the playland after we ate. i’d forgotten this mickey d’s doesn’t have one, but that’s beside the point. he was fine when we were in line. he was already sitting in his little high chair, flirting with the cashier. when i got our food, i wheeled him to a table. i turned to get napkins, and then is when IT happened. he vomited all over himself. not a little bit. a LOT. i was like, where did this COME from? he hadn’t even eaten much this morning. he started crying. i got a bunch of napkins and started wiping him off. threw up again. i went up front to tell them we’re leaving, could i have a bag and something wet because he just threw up. they brought a rag to me and i started mopping him. i got him out of the chair and a guy behind me said, ‘wow, he was really chowing down, huh?’ i said, no he just threw up. another guy he was with said, ‘oh he ate too much huh?’ i didn’t bother to answer. i got the stuff together, picked him up and left, letting the cashier know i was sorry about the mess we’d left. she assured me it was ok.
he was smiley and sweet when i put him back in his carseat.
when we got home, he threw up three more times.
i just put him down for nap and hope he sleeps well. the poor sweet guy. i just don’t know what to do for him!!! i hope the dr can do something. this is a long time to be vomiting and having very green poopy, isn’t it?!?!

please pray for him.

ETA: dr appt set for 3:15. will update when we return. please continue praying.
ETA: this is a pic of comparisons to show how much thinner he looks:

UPDATE: back from the dr. it IS rotovirus, according to the dr. you know, like 99 percent sure. rolls eyes. it can last up to ten days! wow. she prescribed some zantac to help with his tummy. she thinks the acid may have really upset his tummy, causing him to throw up even more. the thing is, it can take up to 3 days to work. sigh. he threw up again on the way home. i’m to give him SMALL drinks throughout the day and no foods for tonight. i’ve been giving him pedialyte all week, and water, but i think i was giving him too much at a time. tomorrow i am to reintroduce a tiny bit of banana and grains, wait and see how he takes it and if he keeps it down give him a little more.
also found out anyone can catch it. so mama might get it too.
continue to pray for the sweet guy. he is pretty miserable right now.

sorry i have been neglecting my reads lately. on the days i have time, it seems no one has posted. but you guys post on my busiest days. come on people, get with my schedule here! no, really. i will try to catch up soon. i really care about how everyone is doing!!!

i hope everyone had a blessed Easter. we didn’t get to church, but went to my parents’ for lunch. jeremiah wasn’t feeling well, but we were glad we went. he got an Easter basket of gifts from gramma; clothes, a new bowl, new cups. josiah got a cute little outift for him to wear in august (hopefully - it seems a it big!).

jeremiah seems to be feeling mostly better. he has had a diarrhea once already today, but it’s not as runny as it has been. it’s still the very odd green color tho. i hope today is the end. poor guy has been miserable and has also lost some weight! i came to the conclusion that he has this nasty seven day virus that’s going around. the symptoms seem to disappear, then come back full-force. in his case, they came back even worse than before. tuesday night was his first sick night, so let’s hope he’s better by tonight!!!

did i mention that i am pretty sure he said his name the other day? he has been saying a few words that i haven’t known what he meant by them. one is dumama or dumah and the other is dumba. well, i was calling him “jeremiah”, starting to get my firm voice, when he repeated exactly tone for tone “dumama”. so i am pretty sure he was saying his name!!! and yesterday, while at my mom and dad’s, he was saying dumba like crazy, so i think dumba means gramma AND grampa. he was calling them both dumba. cute huh?

i am feeling ok pregnancy-wise. josiah is moving around like a busy little fish! my brea.sts are REALLY bothering me. very sensitive and i can tell they are filling. hopefully this time the things will do what they are supposed to do and my milk supply will be ok for josiah. nausea is still the same without my zofran. even with it sometimes early morning i am bad. especially when i have vomit or diarrhea to smell! :/ let’s hope it leaves me alone soon. i am still hungry a lot, tho not as much lately. and my cravings have been calming down a bit as well! which is nice for our wallets. lol.

well now for the fun news: our tax check was direct deposited on saturday, so guess what we bought yesterday? guess who’s getting a DELL?! yep! and one with a dvd/cd burner no less! it’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow and we are very excited. this computer is nearly 5 years old and has gone out on us a few too many times. the monitor has been going in and out on us lately too. we will still be using this one, to have it hooked up to the net, in case jerry and i want to be on at the same time. fun times, huh?

today’s toddler tip: jeremiah just proved that a dried-up marker still has plenty of ink when put in a toddler’s mouth. the marker was red. what color do you think his poopy will be later? lol.

have a great day! God bless!!

jeremiah woke up crying this morning. not unusual. i went in and the room REEKED. vomit was all over him and his crib. i can’t believe he is sick again, after acting ok for a few days!! please pray for him. ETA: he is also having some pretty horrible diarrhea as well. ETA: found out that there is a nasty seven day virus going around that seems to get better with symptoms completely disappearing, then they return full-force. i’m assuming this is the nasty thing he has.
ETA: yet another new layout!

we have updated our life is precious site tonight. please check it out. (just the front page about terri, etc - please note that the rest of the site has been sorely neglected!!!!)

did i not already post i was 18 weeks? yes, america, i did, because i am repeating my 18th week thanks to my ultrasound. SIGH!
anyway, things are going ok with the pregnancy. i had to get another order of zofran because the mail-in hasn’t come in yet. sigh. jerry actually picked it up for me on monday, so i only had monday morning to vomit and be miserable.
i was kind of out of the loop yesterday. it was a horrible day. jeremiah got sick - vomited about 8 times throughout the night. and i had choir practice. he threw up the first time 5 minutes before my ride came, and it ended up half on him and half on my mom. sigh. i really didn’t want to leave him, but my ride went way out of his way to get me so i felt really bad about it. so i went. jeremiah threw up more when i was gone. he also ran a low fever (about 100). poor sweetie.
thankfully he slept well last night, and has been feeling better today. still not himself, he ran a tiny fever, but he hasn’t vomited at all since last night. still gave him pedialyte throughout the day and kept his food bland. my poor guy. don’t you hate it when your kids are sick!?
well just wanted to check in and tell ya’ll what’s going on. God bless.
oh i made a new scrap layout, with another premade one. i know, i’m lazy. who has the time to sit for hours tho?! clicky.

how can this be happening?
i know, this is the SAME COUNTRY where abortion is legal. why should it be any surprise that an innocent woman is being murdered?
i am just disgusted and sickened beyond belief at the system. judges are not supposed to MAKE LAWS. they are supposed to uphold the law. UNBELIEVABLE.
i am praying like crazy that either something changes or the Lord takes the poor woman home QUICKLY. can you IMAGINE starving to death? i can’t.

on another note, jeremiah signed ‘more’ this morning. i asked him if he was all done, he shook his head ‘no’ then signed more. !!!! i said more drink? he shook his head no. more cheerios? he signed more again. YAY! what a big, smart boy.

i am going to forgoe the category idea for today. too tired and my thoughts are way too jumbled.

we got jeremiah’s easter/14 month photos taken last night at walmart. they turned out pretty good, especially considering the mood he was in! he had been a little tired when we got to walmart to do our shopping, but by the time he was photographed, he was about to lose it. he was so tired and grumpy, and we had to wait a major long time past our appointment. sigh. the poor girl was not to blame, it was her boss’s fault. anyway, you can see them in the gallery. please note that the digital versions did not come out entirely clear, but i’m praying the prints will be flawless. (if not, i want a refund, walmart!) he is SO CUTE! when you look at the pics, notice his adorable tie. the outfit he’s sporting was a birthday gift from my friends april and telina. ;D

josiah is moving a lot. i feel little kicks and pokes and head butts all the time. it’s such a thrill! amazingly, even though he is sitting very low (can tell from his movements), my bladder has still not been affected yet. this is great news. of course, still, when i sneeze or cough or laugh, i end up peeing on myself, so i have been wearing a pad all the time (SIGH). but that is because i’m pregnant, not because he’s on my bladder.

did i mention i’m babysitting my friend’s son for good now? it was a maternity leave deal, but she got a new job, so i’m going to be watching him for four hours a day, 5 days a week. this is a major answer to our financial prayers! thanks, God! i’m hoping by the time josiah comes, jeremiah and nate will truly be great pals, and the transition to add one more boy will go smoothly (hey, a girl can dream, right??).

we saw the incredibles today. bought it last night. i really liked it. jeremiah reminds me a lot of dash! lol. jack-jack is a trip.

i keep getting these horribly HUGE pregnancy headaches. they are really driving me nuts. i take jeremiah’s tylenol and it seems to help alleviate some of the pain. sigh. oh also, i took my last zofran this morning! i am still waiting for the mail-med to come…could be anytime now. what WILL i do tomorrow morning tho? the mornings are still pretty rough on me, especially when i first get up. pray for me in the morning, will ya?

well, i’ll sign off for now. i want to say WELCOME HOME, CHERYL! i have missed you so. still praying for you like crazy girlfriend!!!!!!!!!!

jeremiah just keeps growing and growing. is it wrong for me to want him to slow down sometimes?
he is so smart. i really think he is advanced and it’s not just a mama thinking it. he is a little sponge who soaks everything in. we talk to him all the time, read and sing to him all the time, and let him explore things on his own. i think because we offer him so many opportunities to flourish, and also introduce new things to him on a regular basis and challenge him, he is advanced compared to a lot of kids his age. of course it could be that he was born smart.

words he says, or has said at least once (some are old):
dog-dog
da-da
ma-ma
duh-duh (duck)
ah duh / duh (all done/done) *
two
ba-ba
das (that’s)
my
tik-oo/tak-oo (thank you)
di-di (diaper)

words he knows by name:
jeremiah
kc
mama
papa
gramma
grampa
nose
mouth
eyes
hair
foot
shoe
book
ball
drink
water
juice
milky
bottle
nate
bye-bye/good-bye
dance
sing
clap
tv
music
eat
no
yes
phone
kiss
hug
yay (he’ll clap when we say this)
come here
nate
diapers
wipes
eat
breakfast
lunch
dinner
wash
hands

points to, when asked to:
mouth
nose
eyes
hair
teeth
ears (this one is shaky)
mama
papa

fun stuff:
he recently told us that he knows what a lion says. it says “GROWL” in case you didn’t know. a very deep growl that makes him cough afterwards every time. lol.
jeremiah loves to play ball. he will ‘throw’ the ball, try to catch it, and bring it to you when you ask him to throw it to you. LOL.
he runs around the house like a mad-man. he is very fast.
he follows simple commands well. ‘jeremiah, bring mama her drinky please.’ he can even find something that i can’t find. lol.
he also brings us his wipes or a diaper when he needs changed. and if i say, “are you stinky-pants?” he will run to the wipes. lol.
he LOVES brushing his teeth. first, mama does the top, then mama does the bottom, then mama says ‘ahhh’ for him to stick out his tongue so mama can do his tongue, then it’s HIS turn. and he LOVES it.
he likes to pick out his clothes. i hold him in front of his closet most mornings and ask him what he wants to wear. he usually picks the shirt or a pair of overalls. i pick something that matches. he is always very excited when we put on something HE picked out.
he likes to pretend to talk on a ‘phone’ - using anything from his hand to a remote control. he actually jabbers to the fake phone. however, when i hold the real phone up to his ear for him to speak to someone, he just pushes the phone away or wants to push the buttons. lol.
he still likes to eat, but has slowed down in that area. his favorite food is spaghetti, and he still loves his fruit. he also really enjoys green beans. he’s starting to like pizza, but i’ve found only certain kinds. he eats all on his own, with only help with the spoon with things like applesauce and yogurt. i am letting him try more and more on his own. i don’t mind the mess, but his papa doesn’t like it too much. LOL.
he is still taking a bottle before at least one nap a day and at night. he is liking his new sippy cups so i’m thinking of trying again to do the transition. no hurry really.
he still LOVES music. if i start singing, he will clap, he will sometimes dance, and he bobs his head from side to side. he hums along to many songs, and most of the time gets the tune right on. when a song comes on the tv or radio he dances, claps, bobs his head and hums to it. he also loves playing musical instruments still. he is going to be a music man!
his favorite lovey is his baby bear (his name is patch but we always call him baby bear). he loves to sleep with him at night and he likes to bring him out of bed sometimes, just to snuggle. it’s very cute.
he currently has 8 beautiful teeth. top four and bottom four. he is also getting four new ones - two on top and two on bottom. who knows how long they’ll take to come in.
he tries to pose for the camera, by cocking his head to one side, then the other. he smiles a very charming (tho cheesy) smile for it too.
he shakes his head ‘no’ and ‘yes’.
he still gets along with his dog, tho now he likes to torture him a bit by chasing him. LOL.
he LOVES his papa. he is still his mama’s boy, but when jerry is home and awake, he can’t get enough of him!
he climbs up the stairs like a pro, and we are working on the going back down part.
he likes to sit on the couch with us, and can get up with help (if he has something to stand on) and gets down with no help.
he points at things and expects you to look. he also points at things for you to tell him what the word for them is.
as for the potty teaching, it’s not going well. he only wants to play with his potty. lol. he will sit on it when it’s closed, but not when it’s open. oh well! at least it’s out, in the bathroom, for when he shows more of an interest.
he can get in and out of his rocking chair to sit. he likes to rock it.
he offers kisses without being asked.
he holds out his arms to get a hug or get picked up.
he comforts those who seem sad or down with a pat or an offered hug.
he enjoys making other people laugh. he is such a clown!!
he loves to ‘read’ books, both by himself and with us. he loves the ones about animals best, but has recently really enjoyed his “i’m a big brother” book. good sign, i think!
he just said his first sentence yesterday - “das my ba” (that’s my bottle). i was so surprised and proud!

dear jeremiah,
wow, son, you have changed so much this month. you are growing up so fast! i love it when you smile and laugh - you now have that really deep giggly laugh that makes me want to cry it is so sweet. i love how you seem to learn something new every day. i love that you are so sweet and so kind to your friend nate (most of the time). you are such a good helper with him! i know this means you will be an excellent big brother to josiah. i pray you will continue to be as fun-loving, excited about learning new things, and kind and loving for the rest of your life.
happy 14 months, big boy! i love you SOOOOOOO much!!!!!
love,
mama

ETA: just so ya’ll know, since julie wondered, i have been working on this list for the past month, adding to it as he learns new things. even today i was adding things i had forgotten to mention. LOL. i would NOT be able to remember with this preggo brain!