Cash's Weird Sicky-ness

So, on Wednesday of this week I get a phone call from the daycare that Cash has a fever of 101.9 (WOW) and needs to be picked up.  (AGAIN?! - he had a fever of 100.3 {or something like that} last Thursday and had to be picked up - trip to the pediatrician on Friday of last weekend determined it was a mysterious "fever virus")  So I tell the worker that I think it's just allergies as Trey and I are both going through allergy attacks right now and Cash has been displaying the same symptoms.  She says if that's that case that I just need to get a note from the pediatrician stating so and that he's not contagious and he's welcome to come back.  *sigh*

Trey goes to pick him up.  As he's putting him in the car seat Cash starts SCREAMING.  This is totally abnormal.  *huh*  He gets him home and he's fine.  Just playing as usual.  Once I got home from work, after he woke from his nap, I was loving on him.  I happened to look at the back of his right hand and noticed a welp, which looked like a bee/wasp sting.  I asked Trey about it.  He said he noticed it after he got him home from daycare, but that he screamed when he put him in his carseat.  We tossed around the idea of whether there was an insect lying in wait in the carseat and it stung him once Trey put him in it?  Or if he got stung earlier and no one said anything to us (perhaps not knowing it?, but HOW??? note: this option is unlikely because they told us about a scratch on Cash's face that came from a little girl in his class.  And they were so nervous telling us about it.  This could easily have been blamed on Cash scratching himself.) and maybe Trey agitated it as he put him in the carseat??  We are still kinda questioning this.

first bee sting...right there on the knuckle :(

His fever gets as high as 102.3 Wednesday night.  I give him a half dose of children's Allegra before bed (which is non-drowsy), and he sleeps All NIGHT.  without changing positions.  at all.  We checked on him several times to make sure he was still ok.  Obviously the poor thing could BREATHE finally!  When he wakes up Thursday morning his fever is completely gone.  98.7.  *huh*  Trey takes him to the pediatrician anyway, just to make sure the sting isn't anything weird or infected.  They run tests and FINALLY determine that he has the FLU.  WHAT?!  They give him a shot and call in a rx for Tamiflu and want to see him again on Friday morning.  *urgh*  He gets home and STILL is not acting sick.

I think he had a little bit of a fever once he got to the doctor's office on Thursday, but by the time I got home on Thursday evening, there was no more.  And wasn't running one at all on Friday.  But, they wanted to see him anyway to follow up.  They did another blood test.  Determined that his white count was back to normal.  He had no fever.  No boogers.  Was acting fine.  The doctor was thoroughly perplexed.  He said "well, I saw the 'flu positive' result with my own eyes, I just don't understand."  So he still wanted to treat him as if he has it.  IMO - perhaps the bee sting and the allergies just made the test wacky.  Because he DOES have boogers.  But the Allegra clears them up.  Which tells me it's allergies.  But who knows.  ???

Ranch Weekend

Last weekend Cash and I rode up to Fairfield with my parents to meet Danielle, Matt, Aubrey, and Maci for their work weekend (along with several of Matt's family and their friends).  After Friday they got rained out, so it turned out to be more social than work, but that's okay.  We all need that sometimes.  Especially when my favorite sister has moved far, far away.  :(

We literally did nothing but relax and play with our babies.  Cash got to play with Aubrey and Maci and he loved it.  Danielle and I got to talk and we loved it.  Mom got to sleep and she loved it.  Dad got to sit out in the wilderness and he loved it.  It was just a weekend of greatness!

Here are a few pictures:

Oh, I've been introduced to a new software and I LOVE it.  It's like a ray of light beaming down on me. I can't stop playing with it!!

Happy half-birthday Cash man!!

The day we drove home from Amarillo was Cash's half birthday.  My little man is SIX months old already.  I can't believe how the time has flown.

sporting his 6 month tie; I remembered this month!!

his favorite new "trick": spitting :)

This month we had a little 6 month-day birthday gathering for him when we got home so that he could see Grammy, PaPaw and Oma after his long car trip.  Mostly because they all missed him.  Oma got him a gift of some new jammies.  They were all nice and wrapped up and HE opened them all by himself!  This makes me excited because that could mean that he will totally get into Christmas!!!

He's also finally started to REALLY grab hold of his feet when he's rolling around.  I haven't been able to get a picture of this.  Still don't have a picture of bathtime yet either.  :/  

Stay tuned for another exciting weekend!  :)))

Amarillo

We went to Amarillo this past weekend for one of my best friend's (Amanda) wedding.  It was a LONG drive, but Cash did so great.  When he wasn't sleeping, he was talking or playing with toys.

On Thursday, we went to The Big Texan restaurant.  Trey wanted to get a photo of Cash there.  We also got to witness a brave soul attempt to eat the big 72 oz steak dinner.  I don't know if he accomplished it, as we left before his hour was up.

We went to the mall to kill time on Friday before the rehearsal dinner.  We also ate Rosa's, my favorite taco place for lunch on Friday.  Then went to the Tri-State Fair on Saturday before the wedding (rodeo events were in the evening, so we missed out on those :( )

Amanda had a beautiful garden wedding.  At the rehearsal, we were able to capture some sweet photos of Cash throughout the garden setting, for his 6 month memories.  His newest "trick" at 6 months is sticking out his tongue and "spitting" in a pphhhhllltttt fashion.  It's so cute....until he does it with food in his mouth.  :/  He's so exploratory and I love it.  He has the longest attention span.

looking up at Daddy...

I just love his sweet laugh!

just before the wedding..

And then of course some of the wedding:

walking with her Daddy

kissing the bride...

Mr. & Mrs. Garrett Allen

Even though we didn't get to stay that late because of the wee one, it was beautiful.  And I'm sooo glad we could make it.  Amanda, if you ever read this, you were beautiful!

Scrapping

Alright folks, I have picked up a new hobby.  I've decided to get into the whole scrapbooking craze and  scrap the funnier/sweeter moments I get of Cash/family making memories.  If Cash doesn't appreciate them one day, then I figure maybe his future wife or children might.  And I'll have fun playing in the meantime.  :)

I've been so excited to start receiving my kits and additional add-on supplies from Studio Calico and TwoPeasInABucket as well as shopping at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.  This new hobby will cost me a small fortune, I'm sure of it.  It has already, and I'm only going to insist that I NEED more stuff!  At least it will start tapering off once I have a good amount of stuff - I hope.  And of course, my monthly subscription will keep a good flow of new "stuff" coming in to play with.  

So, I started out practicing by making a few cards.  I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out considering I've never done any of this fancy scrapping stuff.  I guess I shouldn't be TOO surprised because I'm a pretty "crafty" person, but still.  I'm unsure of what half of the stuff in my new kit is for, so I'm a bit overwhelmed.  HA

I made a birthday card, a baby gift card and a lingerie shower gift card.  

I'm scrapping on our pool table.  Classy, huh?

I'm hoping I get more daring and creative and can learn to work my mom's sewing machine so that I can accent with that!  (until I can get my own, of course - but by then, I'll be so used to hers I won't want to learn another new one I'm afraid :/ )  But for now, I'll just be proud of the cards I've made!  

Another Milestone

Well, Cash is no longer a "supported sitter."  He sat all by himself tonight for the first time!!  He fell over after a bit, but he was able to do it for a while and actually play with some toys.  I'm so proud of him!

sitting and playing peacefully, all on his own!

Boom.  

Also, I've got Cash entered into the Gerber generation photo search.  You can vote for him once a day and *IF* he wins his milestone category (supported sitter - at the time of entry) then he would win a $10,000 college bond.  So PLEASE vote!  And ask your friends to vote.  :)  Thanks!
https://nestle.promotions.com/gerberps3/mobiledetail.do?entry_id=216467

Mommy Must Haves

Ok, now that I've got some friends having baby's asking for some tips and I'm experiencing more new things as a first time mommy, I've decided to share some of my "mommy must haves" that I can't live without and feel you shouldn't either.

1) Mylicon (or now known as gas relief drops).  I put ONE drop in every single bottle.  This helps reduce gas bubbles before they happen, therefore causing less spit-up and need for burps/intestinal gas.  And by doing this, I don't have to let the bottle sit and wait for the bubbles from shaking it up to go down.  I can feed right away because anti-gas drop is there to "eat" the bubbles.  

I just use off-brand, but this is one brand that's available.

2)  Video Monitors.  These are fantastic because we don't have to go INTO his room to check on him.  We just click on the screen to take a peek and then we can shut it back off and wait for sound.

This is the exact ones we have, by Summer.  The camera can mount on the wall or set on a table top and it can be remote controlled by the handset that you carry.  It also has a zoom function and "night vision."

3)  Gripe Water.  This is great for colic and hiccups.  We needed it initially to relieve Cash's constipation, but it turned out that his case needed prescription strength.  However, we still use(d) the gripe water for hiccups.  Works like a charm at the first sign every time.  I don't use it every time, but especially the violent cases.  It's a sweet, ginger flavor and he loves it.

Mommy's Bliss is the best brand and it's best found at WalGreens.

4) Dunstan Baby Language.  Ok, y'all, if you don't read/watch/listen to anything else, watch this.  It's a quick 30 minute 2-disc DVD that teaches you how to interpret your baby's cries.  It shows you examples of each type of cry and what they each mean.  When I was told about it, I put it off for 6 weeks and it was the worst thing I could have done, because that was 6 weeks worth of crying I missed out of understanding.  But I thought it was hoakie when I was told about it.  Finally, I broke down and watched it and it was the BEST thing we ever did.  I watched it THREE times.  It's incredible how right it is.

available at Amazon.com, like $16.  WATCH it!

5)  aden + anais blankets.  These are great because they are so versatile.  They are sweet, soft and just cuddly.  & they have adorable patterns on them!  We have about 8 of them and they all get used.  LOVE.

6)  NoseFrida.  People kept telling me "don't leave the hospital without getting a nose sucker!!  Their's are the best and you can't get them anywhere else!"  Lies.  Their's suck.  (not literally)  Those people have OBVIOUSLY never had a NoseFrida.  This puppy can suck. some. snot.  Well, you have to suck it, but it gives you some great tools to do so!  The idea behind it is kinda gross, but the concept is brilliant!

You literally put the blue part in baby's nose and put the red thing in your mouth and suck.  But boy, does it work.  And since it's clear, you get to SEE the fruits of your labor!  Then you wash it out and start anew.  (there is a filter in there to keep from sucking snot down your mouth).

I hope this is helpful for more of you new mommy's out there.  And anyone else, feel free to add!