RSV and Thanksgiving

About a week ago Lukas' nose started running, but it was always clear so we really weren't worried about it. Then a few days ago he started coughing, and the cough medicine wasn't helping it. So, we took him to the doctor on Wednesday figuring he was just draining really bad and needed a new medicine. However, he was diagnosed with RSV (after the "oh so fun" nose swab...he was NOT happy about that). We are back on Albuterol breathing treatments every 4 hours, and as long as he's coughing he's contagious. This meant instead of going to Eric's family Thanksgiving we had to stay home so we didn't get everyone sick. I'm at the point where I just throw my hands in the air and give up. Not only is Lukas sick, but Eric and I sick with it too. Thankfully in adults it just basically a cold. Our whole family has been sick for the entire month of November. I'm SO ready for December. I don't know if December will be any better, but I'm hoping because I'm ready for our family to be healthy again.

I snapped a couple of pictures, so we'd have something from this Thanksgiving.





Even though I'm pretty fed up with our family's general health, I must say I'm extremely thankful for the pulmonologist. At that doctor visit his medications were changed up, and he's doing much better on a daily basis.

19 Months Old

At 19 Months Lukas:
- is 22 lbs 8 oz
- is 33 3/4 inches (these stats are technically from his 18 month well-visit, but that appointment was 2 days before his 19 month birthday)
- has discovered he can stand and walk on his tip toes
- has these new words to add: bath (ba - signs also), pumpkin pie (pumpi pie), giraffe (raffe), tv, "oh no", alright, okay, tiger (iger), book, school (cool), Lamby (yamby - this is his security blanket)
- knows several Sesame Street characters and if he sees them anywhere will loudly tell you until you acknowledge him
- is starting to play with his friends (the follow around and do the same thing style of play)
- has a best friend, Kaleb W.
- can figure out how to do things on your technology that you didn't even know it could do
- thinks bathtime is the best part of the day
- is beginning to pick out letters - He doesn't yet know what they are, but he sees them and wants to talk about them. It's always unfortunate when he does this in the parking lot or the street.
- has started to pretend play - He does it the most with a phone or a comb. He will make anything into a phone or a comb. Recently he has also started to pretend to be a lion. He will walk around the house roaring.
- can put his shirt on by himself once it's over his head
- is really getting into singing songs (especially ones with motions) - His current favorites are Itsy, Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and You Know It, Twinkle Twinkle.
- is getting really good at following commands - We can send him running back and forth between us by simply saying "go see _____"
- does throw fits when he doesn't get his way - these are so dramatic and usually only occur if Mommy or Daddy are watching, so we just ignore them and he usually settles down pretty quickly.
- loves his Mommy and Daddy more and more everyday!

Asthma update: We went to a pediatric pulmonologist last Wednesday (11-19). He changed some of Lukas medications to hopefully give him medicines that lasted longer during the day. Lukas is now on Advair (inhaler not nebulizer capsules!) instead of Pulmicort. He also now has an Albuterol inhaler, so we have a more portable system for his rescue medicine. We are thrilled to be off the breathing machine. Lukas has been doing breathing treatments for about a year (since he was about 6 months old). Now that he's used to the spacer (the thing the inhaler plugs into for kids) he likes it a lot better too. We have still been needing one albuterol treatment a day (usually at night), but we are hopeful that once the Advair gets completely in his system we will no longer need the Albuterol on a regular basis.

It's much easier to capture him in video these days. Enjoy!

The Asthma Blues

A couple of weeks ago Lukas was diagnosed with upper respiratory crud that was close to pneumonia (but thankfully not quite). Needless to say, his breathing was a mess because of that. This started us off on a round of antibiotics, baby prednisone, albuterol breathing treatment 3 times a day, and pulmicort twice a day. We did all of this, and two days later he was doing better. This past week we ended up back at the doctor on Monday because his symptoms seemed to come back. His breathing checked out fine, and so she said it was probably a virus that hadn't cleared yet. All week we watched the green snotty nose, and did at least one albuterol treatment (this is his rescue medicene) a day. Friday afternoon landed us back at the doctor's office, an appointment that started at 2:30 and ended at 5:10. During this appointment Lukas got a chest x-ray down the street at a local emerency clinic and a breathing treatment. The x-ray told us that he's been laboring to breath for a while, so while he's not wheezing all the time he's certainly having trouble. It also showed some spots that could be pneumonia, but she was unsure. So, he is now on another antibiotic, baby prednisone, pulmicort twice a day, albuterol when needed (which is twice a day right now), and singulair. These are in addition to the allegra and rhinocourt he's also on daily. I have to admit I'm not really looking forward to this week with him back on the prednisone because while it does make him feel better it also makes him extremely hyper and grumpy. So for the next few days he will alternate between bouncing off the walls and crashing all while being moody to the extreme. But even when I'm ready to give him away because he's been crying at me all day I can't help but feel sorry for him. He's only 18 months old and he's on so much medicene just to try and get his breathing back under control. My doctor keeps telling me we've done a really good job with controling his asthma because while he's having a lot of trouble right now, he's also not ever been in the hospital. This is what I remind myself when I see him huffing and puffing while he's just sitting doing nothing.

The not fun, but lately very common breathing treatment. He's a trooper though. :) I guess it helps that he's been getting these since he was about 6 months old.



Reading, a favorite past time.



I told him to say "cheese", and this is what I got. Is he cute or what?!!

18 Months Old!!

Lukas is now 18 months old and completely immersed in toddlerhood (as you will see below).

Lukas at 18 Months:
- is about 23 lbs (we'll be going to the doctor soon, so I can get the official height and weight then)
- has become a true toddler eater - He picks at his food most meals and then all of the sudden eats enough for the month. Also, the food that is yummy right now might not be in a few minutes and vice versa.
- LOVES Sesame Street! He sits and watches the entire hour, although his favorite part is "Elmo's World" at the end.
- has added these new words to his vocabulary: spoken: moon, star, ball, car, Elmo, pretzel, cracker, square, triangle, circle, no, 'shhh', hush, baby, bee, lizard, cheese; signed: flower, hot, eat, turtle; animal noises (which he uses instead of the word): dog (he pants), snake, gorilla (he beats his chest and says "ooh ooh"), lion and bear (growls through teeth), cow ( says 'mmmmmm')
- will soon win a Tony Award for the fits he throws - The are so fake and dramatic, and only occur if you're watching.
- still thinks school is the greatest invention ever!
- will soon figure out how to put his own shoes and socks on (he's almost there, but just can't quite get his foot in the openings)
- loves to sit in his 'new' rocking chair when in the living room (this was first my mom's chair, then mine, and now Lukas')
- can't wait until he's big enough to ride (without help) the 'new' rocking horse (this was my rocking horse made for me by my paternal grandfather when I was little)
- thinks he's seven already (no, he's already growing up fast enough)
- can now not only reach the door knobs, but open the doors too (I'm so glad he hasn't figured out the locks....yet)

New rocking chair!



Halloween 2008 (more pictures to come)



Looking outside on the first cold day1



New table with chairs for friends!



Saying "cheese" for the camera.

A Farm and a Zoo

Last Saturday (10-11) we went to Nash Farm in Grapevine with the Wages. Boy did we have fun!!

Kaleb and Lukas ready for the farm.



Petting a very tolerant sheep.



Lukas getting a lesson in combine engine mechanics.....'yawn'.



First pony ride!



He knew exactly what to do on the pony. When it stopped, he kicked his feet and shook the saddle horn. He wanted to RIDE!



I know, 3rd pony picture, but he so cute!



Mommy and Lukas just hanging out.



Kaleb pulling Lukas in the wagon. Yes, Kaleb is that buff, and Lukas is that light.



Lukas barely pulling the wagon himself. Since Kaleb did it though, he had to do it as well.



Lukas wanted to take this goat for a walk.



While we were there we also rode a tractor (it was a hayless hayride), petted animals in the petting zoo, decorated a pumpkin, watched a blacksmith, and listened to a bluegrass band. Like I said, we had a ton of fun!!

Then on Monday (10-13) we went to the Dallas Zoo for some family fun since Eric had the day off. Yay, Columbus Day!

Watching the penguins swim.



Lukas' favorite part...the gorillas. This one got up close and personal.



Eric is laughing because Lukas was pounding he chest and saying "oooh, oooh"...in other words, gorilla. He did this over and over all day.



Eric and Lukas viewing the gorillas from another angle.



Lukas viewing yet more gorillas...and he was very excited that these two were moving around right in front of him.



Lukas - Alligator Conqueror!



He sat here for 2 seconds...long enough for the picture.



Sliding!



Cute in the tunnel!



He got mad at this horse because it didn't go anywhere.



Yay for "fishies"! Every time he sees fish he says "fishies" over and over again.



We also rode the monorail around part of the zoo, and saw animals from Africa. In the children's area they had a guinea pig and rabbit out to pet. Lukas LOVED this part. He bounced back and forth between the two until more kids showed up and we had to take him away.

Can't believe he's almost 18 months old! That post will be coming up soon.

Future Musician

17 Months Old!

Lukas at 17 months:
- is about 23 lbs
- is about 32 inches tall
- still eats very well, but certainly has the "picky toddler-mode" times
- is beginning to really push some boundaries....He will do something, get told "no", and then proceed to do the exact same thing but slower while watching to see if I'm going to discipline him.
- can add the following words to his repertoire: juice, ices (good thing grammar doesn't count yet), fishes (no matter how many fish, it's "fishes"), uh-oh, cat, doggie, teethies (teeth), Elmo, Kaleb, and Bible. I'm pretty sure he says something for cars because he points at them as we're driving (while saying something), but since I'm in the front and he's in back I've yet to decipher it.
- can match his puzzle pieces to their picture slot (he's actually been doing this for a few months now, but I've never put it down on a monthly post)
- loves to freestyle color. He will color on coloring book style paper, but he prefers the blank sheet with no lines. He is also very picky about what colors he uses. If he has a choice he will choose, and use that color until he is ready to pick a new one.
- loves school! Now that he's used to school, he absolutely loves it. He has no problem saying bye to me when he sees me, and always wants to talk to his teachers when he sees them outside of class.
- will watch the entire hour of Sesame Street, and most of it will be done sitting down.
- is able to find even the most hidden technelogical device, and wants to use it. He will find a remote (no matter what it's to) and point it at the tv. He will "talk" on the phone for quite a while.
- will be able to open his own library soon. He has so many books, and will continue to aquire them because he absolutely loves to read.
- wants to do everything the big kids are doing. He goes to the park and watches what the older kids are doing and then proceeds to try to do it himself. Nevermind the fact that most of it he physically can't do.
- has a temper that rears it's ugly head when he's tired or not feeling good
- loves to "help"....unfortunately at this stage his helping skills are a bit more on the unhelpful side
- listens to Mommy and Daddy's requests and commands most of the time
- will put something back where he got it when he's done....if you remind him anyway
- is very independent....this is a good and a bad thing.
- loves music. He turns on the cd player and dances (see previous post), and is starting to do the motions to Itsy Bitsy Spider. He also really likes "adult" music....classical, jazz, and acapella being his favorites right now.
- loves Mommy and Daddy more and more every day!

Things we've been doing lately....

Getting ready to move.



Watching Sesame Street.



Helping Mommy clean.



Drawing.



Loving Melody.



Eating lunch with Daddy during the "Picnic with Daddy" at school.



Getting tickled by Daddy.



Drawing on the bathtub with new bath crayons (very, very cool).