So THAT Explains It

Reading my prior post about how my crabby baby wasn't sleeping, I feel terrible. Since Matthew has been on antibiotics for his ear infection, he has:
Been sleeping
Been eating
Been happy
Not been a bad crabby apple baby

So THAT is what not being in semi-constant pain can do for a child's demeanor!

To our defence, we'd had him in to the doc the week before, suspecting something was wrong. But she sent us home saying some kids have coughs all winter, and his ears were clear, blah blah. What a difference a week makes - she spotted it as ear infection right away when he was in the following week. Mike said she almost got defensive, "this wasn't like this last week." Hey lady, I'm with you. It would kill me to think he suffered like that a whole week, so instead let's believve it just came on. Which I really think it DID, but, the precursors must have been there and made him, if not in pain, at least uncomfortable.

Anyway, three cheers to Pasteur or Newton or whoever it was - heck, it probably a mom - that came up with penicillian and it's babyfriendly cousin, amoxicilan. Within 2 days he was better, and for the first time in weeks, we sent him to bed without his copilot, baby Tylenol cold tonight. Though he still have his wingman, Humidifier, aka "Fier? Fier?"

My Little Man has a What?

A HERNIA! Yes.

A couple times in the last week, we felt a lump and noticed a bluish swelling in his you-know-whats (the beans, not the frank). After a pediatrician visit and surgical consult today (plus a couple frantic calls last night, including to the after hours line) we are scheduled to have our sweet little baby's privates operated on to fix his hydrocele hernia on Feb. 22.

Inguinal hernias form as a direct consequence of normal events in fetal development. At about 12 to 14 weeks of gestation, the gonads (testicles or ovaries) are formed near the kidneys. They gradually descend through the abdomen as the baby develops. If the baby is a boy, the testicles pass through an opening low in the abdomen and into the scrotum ... In about 5 % of children in the United States, this opening does not close properly. This happens more commonly in boys than in girls ... The failure of this opening to close potentially allows the contents of the abdomen to travel down into the scrotum (in a boy) or the labia (in a girl). The contents of the abdomen include the intestines, the ovaries, and the clear fluid in which the intestines normally float. If the scrotum or labia are found to contain intestines or an ovary, this is termed an inguinal hernia. If they contain only fluid, this is a hydrocele. The difference between the two is usually just the size of the opening; the basic anatomy is the same in both cases.

Lovely! I know!! Aren't you glad I shared?

This is not an emergency, but everything I'm reading backs up the doctors' advice to fix it now. Left untreated, it could be fine for years, but could eventually become a full inguinal hernia - where the intestines push through - and then eventually become strangulated, where the intestines actually get trapped, and the blood supply is cut off. Apparently in adults they take their chances sometimes and avoid surgery, but with kids, because their organs are small, there's a greater chance that strangulation occuring.

He's not in pain - thank goodness - but the lump sure does look painful.

I hate that I didn't get to meet the surgeon today (it's at St. John's) but Mike liked him. It's 45 minutes outpatient surgery, but full anesthesia, which unnerves me. The doctor's saying it's not risky, and that the trauma of holding kids down and using a local is far worse. Apparently this is like, the most common surgery for kids. Matthew's uncle Scott had one as a kid and so might his little son, Matthew's cousin Danny - literally might be having surgery for the same thing next month, we just learned.

So this is all reassuring. But also seems odd that they can cut into my little son, and put him down, and bring him out of it, all in forty-five minutes. I almost want to tell them to take their time.

The cherry on top: while at the doctor's, we had her recheck his nagging cough ... to learn he's got his first ear infection.

IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WEEK AND IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY, PEOPLE.

Two For Two ... Unfortunately

I don't know what vacation voodoo we're under. But this is now the second vacation in ONE MONTH tainted by baby sickness.

The night before we left for CO - the MIDDLE of the night - Matthew woke up and wouldn't stop crying. We usually ignore it but after a while of drifting in and out we realized, hmm, how long has this been going on? Mike ended up getting up and (I didn't even realize this, but) giving him a bottle, in an hour and half process. This hasn't happened since ... I don't know ... 4 or 5 months old?? (I was allowed reprieve due to the 5 a.m. wake up I had scheduled to finish up work before our trip.)

The next morning, I'm up working. Baby wakes up, Mike gets him. I greet them and think, whoo hoo, happy vacation day! And then realize, Matt's hot, really hot, and red.

He had 101 point something temp. Come to find out, "Oh yeah, he had 103.3 last night. I think that's why he was up."

!!!!!!!!!!!!

The doctor's office said, it's fine to travel, just give him Tylenol cold. He was probably in the one or two days preceding coming down with something. Greaaatttt. We are going to hang out with his nine month old cousin Danny. And supposed to be running around Colorado Springs having fun with the family, not be sick! But okay, so far, no biggee. Kids get weirdo fevers sometimes.

Several hours of traveling, and semi-crabby baby behavior later (is it sick? is it being stuff on your mom's lap on an airplane?) we get to the Muldrows. Then kinda realize, gee, he's REALLY red, really hot. And come to find out he now has 103.7 temp. Now, our doctor's office says, it's still not a problem. Just wait and see if the Tylenol (very frantically delivered after the temp taking) kicks in.

Well, it must have. Two hours and one (hard fought for) nap later, he's down to 101.3.

Grea... wait, another hour later, 103.8.

Now I don't know if this number strikes fear into other baby mommy hearts. But my son hasn't had temps at all much less "high" ones. I was a little worried. We promptly picked up Motrin because I know it's worked better for a few people for fevers.

But we still also logged another call to the doctor, looking for answers. She put the decision to take him in to urgent care in our hands. She wasn't saying worry and take him but she wasn't saying not to. Was he irritable? Um, well, YEAH! Was he vomiting? No, thank goodness. Lethargic? No, thank goodness. Heavy breathing? Well, his breathing does sound funny but a nose full of boogers tends to do that.

We decided to wait it out, a bit more. One semi-cold shower and lots of sobbing tears from said shower later, he was down to 100.5 and we decided we'd try to make it through the night.

The next morning, a 99 point something made us happy .... followed by a 101.8 two hours later! Ahhh, kid, are you sick or not?!??! Help a mother out.

The one - no two - savings graces have been:

Motrin. Has unbelievable (never before seen by me with Tylenol) effect to lower his temp within 1/2 hour of dosing. Then he feels great and runs around like nuts. Probably making himself feeling sick again but as long as he's happy ...

Which is the second saving grace. He's been in a relatively good mood most of the time, so I can't believe he's TOO sick.

That said, he's been more randomly crabby than I'm used to. He'll look tired, I'll take him to the other room to wind him down. And he throws a giant teary sobbing red faced FIT. It's hard to deal with and hard to watch, because I know he's not happy.

I assume it must be an illness, or the altitude. Either way, I feel bad for the kid. Because we're also having napping challenges. He never does well in a strange place but this week its compounded with things being noisy with three families, another baby, two dogs and one construction project on Grandma's bathroom.

And did I mention that every meal is turning into "Let's Make a Deal?" Please Matthew, one bit of banana. Or, I can trade you for TWO spoonfuls of yogurt? Okay, you can TAKE the graham cracker into the living room where you're not supposed to, but you have to drink the whole THINNNNGGG, come on DOWN. Mostly Matthew is making the deals, though, and the deal is, he's not eating much. Enough to know I shouldn't completely freak. But not enough to give Mom a little peace of mind. Or a restful relaxing vacation.

All I know is, I was wound a little tight when I left St. Louis. If all body temps don't stay below 100 for the rest of the trip, I just might squish myself inside out. Wish us luck!!!