Soggy DooWop

This baby can fill a diaper, thus the title of this post. I'm telling you, when he wakes up during the night I know it's for the soggy, pee-loaded diapers that's doing it. If I had a scale to weigh them all I'm sure they'd come in at at least 5 pounds! He gets his last before bed bottle around 8pm and then it's bed time around 9pm. It's very rare that he makes it past 9pm unless he had an extra late afternoon nap. He bustles around 11 or 12 and gets himself back to sleep without our help. But depending on the night, it could be between 3am or 6am that he's up again screaming. We usually find him holding on to the railing and jumping up and down like he's on a trampoline, screaming and crying "MaMa..aaaaaa...MaMa.....babababa". I feel the butt and sure enough there's a load. I'm wondering if he remained dry if he'd sleep longer? I guess anyone would wake up from a sound sleep to a flood in their pants.

As far as health, Joshua's is doing well and has been cool tempered since the diarrhea resolved. Can't see anymore teeth coming through as of yet and the ones he has are lengthening. I'm sure another will pop through soon and then we'll have to deal with that. I better stock up on the Tylenol and Motrin. I found that alternating the two works really well and the Motrin is actually longer acting and reduces the inflammation.

Development -wise, he's more verbal and dances so much more than before. He'd always rock back and forth to a nice beat but now he has preferences...jazz, r&b and reggae. We live in a community that contains lots of caribbean brothers and sisters. So while we're relaxing on the porch, if a vehicle comes by rockin a dancehall or reggae tune and loud, Joshua is rockin' with them. Then he looks at Mama and grins wide. I have got to get this boy to Jamaica. Believe it or not I don't have a passport. The last time I was on the island was for my wedding in '03....a shame I know. And then, all you needed was a birth certificate and a drivers license. So the new rules of traveling internationally....passport. Gotta buckle down and do it. I'd feel good about getting one for the babe too. Cause if you think of it, babies don't have picture I.D. And it'd be nice to have a legal document with my baby's picture on it, so no mix up.....THIS IS MY KID!! What mother doesn't think any fool out there wouldn't want to try and take their beautiful baby? Call me ridiculous or outrageous, I don't care. With the high rise in infertility and child abduction, I'm getting my baby branded by the goverment as mine with a passport. It links him to me and hubby. So, hopefully I'll be getting that done soon.

Doing Better

The short and sweet of it, we are doing so much better. It's been a few days and I haven't had the time between work (been out of control, lots of deliveries) and playing home nurse to Joshua to get on the web.

I have about 1oo some odd emails waiting to be weeded out and/or read. It's amazing how things get away from you.

Well, to update, pediatrician got back to me that day and recommended Nystatin cream and to "keep doing what your doing, it'll resolve....if not bring him in". So I applied the cream and the butt rash went away. Continued the BRATY diet and the poop thickened...hahaha. Now, I'm about 20 minutes away from the peds doc. She suggested I run to her office for the cream. Can't do that, I'm beat tired, been running all week and up with the kiddo. So what do I do? I call my best friend, Josh's godmother who is a physician assistant and have her call in the cream to CVS which is two blocks down the street. Problem solved. In addition, she adds another cream to the order which also benefits in clearing the butt rawness.

As of today, he's a happier baby and has slept soundly through the night the last three nights. And on another note, I think I'll start calling him the copy cat kid. Lately, everything we do or say he makes his baby attempt and mimicking me and the hubby. From covering his mouth to cough, saying 'Uh oooh' and blowing a kiss. Too cute.

Nuff said. Good night all.....SIGH.

BRATY not working

So the BRATY diet hasn't helped and it seems my baby is feeling worst. I've sacrificed a morning of sleep (I worked last night until 7am this morning) to keep him home and nurse him back to health. I just don't feel as if the sitter will take the same care as I would. She has many kids and Joshua sitting in a poopy mess for any length of time would tear me apart. Now don't get me wrong, she changes him frequently and the proof is in the empty diaper bag and dry, fresh and clean bottom when I pick him up. This is just such a severe case that only one to one Mama care will do. Also I've rotated a few butt creams to see what's worked better. Everything from Desitin, Balmex, Beaudroux. I'm now using A&D ointment and he seems to be getting more relief from that. Placed a call to the peds doc. and I'm waiting to hear whether I should continue to manage at home or make an appointment with her for tomorrow. Next step is spreading out the sheets and towels on the floor and letting him go naked to help heal the broken skin. Only problem is that these episodes of diarrhea are explosive! Fortunately we have all wood and tile for easy clean ups. We'll keep trudging on and pray for speedy booty recovery.

Ohhh diarrhea

Okay now, it started on Thursday. I thought nothing of it because all of the mucous he swallowed being sick the last few weeks has to go somewhere right? Well, it hasn't let up and only got worst and stinkier. He has some skin breakdown on his butt and the 'taint' area (slang for 'taint the balls, taint the butt' area on boys). My husband craps up when I say taint. Anyhoo, I've been applying generous amounts of Beaudroux butt paste and Balmex and he's on the BRATY diet. If I get no improvement by tomorrow am then it's back to the pediatrician. It could be a yeast infection from his immune system being compromised. I always urge my hubby to use utmost cleanliness when changing him and washing his hands after coming in from outside/work etc. Guess this was bound to happen.

I have to say, he has been sleeping better. I think if it weren't for the sickness he's been experiencing that he'd sleep better and possibly straight through the night. He slept until 4am this morning and woke up screeching, not screaming cause his diaper was filled with loose poop and urine. I felt so bad and all I could do is give many kisses and 'Mama so sorry'.

On another note, I just downloaded some great new music on Itunes. Of course Jill Scott was the top of my list and second the new Prince album. It's amazing how these two artists bring out the creativity in myself and always speaks to my heart and emotions. Jill and Prince have out done themselves AGAIN! Somehow they make the stress, the bills, the property taxes and mortgage, the diarrhea, the weight, all go away for a little while. I know it sounds silly, but the simple things in life make me happy sometimes. Another thing, the arrival of fall/autumn used to depress me cause I'm such a summer person. I thrive from the sun's warmth. But since the birth of Joshua, it reminds me of my last weeks of pregnancy. The smell of the crisp air, the changing leaves all in anticipation of my first baby. I welcome it now and it warms my heart like the summer sun does and sends tingles to my stomach. My baby is going to be one year old. WOW. Thank you for this Lord and I'm sorry I don't speak to you as often as I should.

Sleep wonderful sleep

He slept through the night last night! Ya heard it hear first. One waking at 11pm in which I refused to go in and see what's the matter. I laid down the law with hubby and told him don't even think about going in there. Josh cried for about 6 minutes and went back to sleep on his own. My dumb ass kept waking up checking on him to make sure the boy was still alive cause I couldn't believe he was still asleep in his crib. Finally after 1am it was sleep I haven't had in a long time. Woo Hoooooo! Now I know what it feels like again. I pray that he does the same thing tonight.

On another note, has anyone every watched children's television. You know, shows are just not what they used to be when I was growing up. Seriously, another blogster brought this subject up and it made me think about my childhood. I watched the classics, Sesame Street, Zoom, New Zoo Review, Mr. Rogers, Electric Co. (which always followed Sesame Street and where you know who got his start in TV) and these were great shows. Now....what do we have now...Sponge Bob...ick, Barney...never let Josh watch it, and everything is vulgar and rude, from boogers to farts. We tend to lean towards Backyardigans which was created by a sistah, love it! Also all of the shows on Noggin we like. Joshua will stop dead in his tracks when he hears certain theme songs, Dora, Diego, Blues Clues and the hip Backyardigans. I can see that TV is going to be a big issue in our house. Oh yeah and parental control, gotta figure out how to work it on the remote cause I haven't got a clue.

Jazz Baby

I posted these pics the other day in hopes of getting a chance to type an entry but it never happened. Well here I am days later finally doing it.

Joshua had his second jazz festival experience this past weekend at the cd101.9 Liberty Jazz Festival and it was hotter than Hades! I think the temp with the humidity reached at least 94. And of course I was post-12 hour shift and hadn't slept since the day before. But anyway, this child loves his music. If he wasn't cooing and humming to the music he was rocking and trying to snap those fat little fingers to the beat. We had a lovely two days in Jersey City State Park with a backside (literally) view of the the lovely green lady (Statue of Liberty). At sundown her torch lights and the back drop of the NYC skyline is gorgeous. I still miss the site of the twin towers overseeing the city. I get misty cause the skyline just doesn't seem right without it. I thank God all my family in New York that lives or works there survived 9/11 and I pray that the Lord gives the families who lost, the strength to go on.

Thank You Lord

I think we've finally gotten over this cold/respiratory thing. For the last week and a half, a mild summer cold had turned into an upper respiratory disaster. Josh became more and more miserable until finally the doc visit and then he hit the basement in health. Why the hell is that? Possibly his fragile immune system just picked up more nasty germs in the doctor's office. I don't know. But my child had a temp of 102 and was extremely lethargic. He wasn't himself at all! It was the scariest moment I've ever had with him yet. All he wanted to do was sit in my lap and put his little head on my chest. His breathing was labored and he just looked exhausted from trying.

So, of course I did everything in my power and training to make him feel better. At any point if his temp went up a half a degree I was taking him to the ER. But it never did. I know in my heart of hearts the first thing any parent would do is run to the ER. But, as a nurse I know the parameters of what is considered a pediatric emergency and what's not. Unfortunately after auscultating his lungs and taking his vital signs myself, Joshua's case would find us sitting in a germy ER, then getting sent home with nothing but pats on the back and "see your pediatrician in the morning 'shpiel' (sp?)" So, I sat in our small closet of a bathroom with the shower on hot, sitting on the 'john' with Joshua in my arms and telling him to "breathe baby, breathe in the steam, Lord God help my baby". Gave him the Albuterol medicine and a dose of tylenol and watched him, all night long. The next morning, no fever and he was in better spirits. Gradually as the day pressed on, the sick Joshua melted away and the smiley, playful baby reappeared. The day after that, himself again. At breakfast he vomited a wad of mucous. Wonder where all that phlegm they swallow goes? Now you know, loose stools and vomit. Oh, trust me, I'm not done watching him like a Mama hawk.

So two days of calling out from work and many nights of lost sleep, tossing and turning, coughing and gagging, here we are. I pray this is the end!