Got Jinxed!

James has been doing really well lately. He's enjoying daycare more and more everyday. He's also been feeling well, drinking his milk, eating lots of food, and playing non-stop! However a lot of people have been inquiring as to how he's feeling. The answer was that he's great. This was the case until I got the phone call from daycare late this morning. Of course getting jinxed is not the reason why James is sick, it's just a coincidence.

James has a fever of 102.7. :( As I wasn't available, they called Adit and he went to pick James up. First we suspected that it was teething so I called daycare to learn more. They advised that this high a temperature is unusual for teething. To learn more I googled it. Baby center advises that it could be possible to have a low grade fever, so temp under 100. Since James was higher, it must be something else.

When Adit picked him up his temp already started going down to 101. Adit took James home and I hear that he's already feeling better. I would have left work, but I had an important meeting that I couldn't miss.

Well I got home and James is ok. He's warm as he due some more Tylenol, but seeing that he didn't nap that's what he's doing now in my arms. This little guy will be just fine! He had a good rda with Dada and once he goes to sleep Adit and I can catch up on some work.

As I look at him cuddled up in my arms I can't help but think where did the time go. He use to be 2/3 this size and would fit on my lap, now he's legs hang over. James is 15 months today and the poor baby has a fever. Let's hope tomorrow is better.

Happy reading!

Rachel

PS: Don't forget to read yesterday's post called "Say Cheese to this Giveaway!"to win a year membership to Smilebox!

On the Mend!

James is feeling much better today, however mommy didn't have any breaks. He still had a fever when he woke up bur luckily the fever broke and he's been fever free since 11am! Otherwise he's been super cranky and clingy. Then when I'm holding him he's trying to jump out of my arms. I put him down and he wants up again, the poor baby is so confused. :( I felt a little bad when I put him down to cry for a second because it is also frustrating for me. After that I think he got it and stopped trying to flee my arms.

Daddy was home early so he played with James while I made some soup for James. It's a long process, but almost there! I believe in organic food, especially for James so this soup is about 95% organic. I just hope he likes it!

Auntie Alaya is here visiting today. James is always so excited to see her as are we! She's staying for dinner and we are having Thai food! Yum yum! I am starving so I can't wait until James is finished nursing so I can eat!

As long as there's no fever James will be at daycare tomorrow and I will return to work. Thank goodness I have 4 weeks of vacation, looks like I'll need the majority of them for James. Let's hope he'll be better once the warm weather rolls in!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Sick Again :(

When will my poor baba get a break? Just when I thought it was all behind him fever struck on Friday. James tried goat milk for the first time on Friday. This was our attempt to transition him to a milk that's not mine. I wanted him via webcam as he drank his first bottle at 10:30. I checked back in around 11 and saw that he wasn't changed, so he didn't vomit! I thought 'Yay, small victory for us!'.

However after the second bottle around 2:30, James vomited twice. He was only given less than an ounce with 3 oz of my milk which was what he digested in the morning. So I went to daycare to pick him up. Once there the teachers said that he hasn't been himself and that he's moping around, putting his head down, etc which is uncharacteristic for James. That worried me because the last time he was like that he had HFM!

I immediately called his doctor and advised them that we needed to see a doctor. Then I called Adit to pick us up and take us there. Once at the doctor we were seen by a nurse, then the doctor. James didn't have a fever while there, but at daycare his temp was 99.5. Then of course as I'm explaining that James was mopey and wasn't himself today, James was running around the office smiling, laughing, the picture of good health. Lol!

I'm sure the doctor thought I was nuts, but I knew something was wrong with my baby despite how he was acting. No matter the discomfort or pain James is in, he wants to play and be independent so he tries his best to be happy and active. In any case the doctor checked his ears for an infection, his breathing was normal and so was everything else. The doctor asked us to monitor it because perhaps it was the beginning of whatever it was he has.

Saturday was busy, we visited some friends in Scarborough and went for a walk before that. James was content and happy. The friends we visited had a kids so James played with the older boy, Jacob. James like following him around. After James went to bed I want to dinner and karaoke with a few friends. It was a lot of fun and something we'll have to try again soon! We celebrated two of my friend's birthdays which was fun!

So then it was Sunday. The day started out well. We went to get groceries at Costco then went home. Once home, we realized that James had a high fever of 103.9! So we dropped everything and rushed to the emergency. He had a fever earlier that morning, but not this high. The reason we need to go to the hospital is because of fear of seizures caused by high fevers.

We were seen almost right away and James was given some Tylenol to reduce the fever. The doctor said that there is a virus going around so maybe he has that. They took a swab of his nostrils to run some tests and we'll get the results tomorrow. Then as a precaution I asked the doctor to check for a UTI by taking a bladder sample. The doctor agreed, but I asked for the bag collection method, rather than the catheter. The nurse put the bag on and I began to nurse him waiting or some pee. We walked around the hospital for about an hour and still no pee. Since it was past his dinner and sleep time we decided to head home and take the sample to our doctor. Of course once I picked James out of the car seat, I felt a squishy bag full of pee! Since the pee is only good for a short window, Adit rushed it back to the hospital. They determined the results to be normal, so at least we knew it wasn't that.

James slept as normal and woke up at 6:30. I stayed home with him since he still had a high fever. The fever wains once he takes medicine and climbs back up once it starts to wear away. I'm nursing James to sleep now and hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Monday blues!

When we dropped James off at daycare this morning he was doing his normal crying. The teachers asked if he slept well and he did so I wasn't concerned. After getting to work I checked in on the classroom. I saw James playing, walking around so all was normal.

Later on I saw there was a new kid with his mom and dad there since he was transitioning. I was thinking to myself, glad that part is over! However I noticed that James was being carried around or on someone's lap. At one point I saw him balling while a teacher was holding him. This is what James will do to Adit or I when we take something away that he wants. So maybe that was the case I thought.

Soon after I got the call from daycare. They said that James has been clingy and cranky so they checked his temperature and it was 99.9 so slight fever. This was around 10:00 am so I asked if I should get him. They said that we don't have to but they were just letting me know. She also said she'll give him a bottle and see how he feels. So I saw them give James some milk, then I didn't see him anymore. It was a long time, so I called to see how he was doing. As I suspected he was asleep. They said he fell asleep right after the bottle, he missed lunch but they will feed him when he wakes up.

James woke up after 2.5 hrs an then I saw him in this chair getting ready to eat! Today's menu looked really yummy. It was lasagna with meat sauce, garlic bread, and veggies. Since the school uses a soy based cheese I figured it was ok for him to try. Well soon after lunch I received another call from daycare. They said that he woke up and ate 2 servings of pasta, had bread, and veggies, then refuse the orange. But then he vomited up all the food. They checked his temp again and it was still 99.9. So James just easing feeling well.

Next I called Adit and told him that we needed to get James. I left work and went straight to daycare where I nursed him. Whenever James vomits I like to nurse him before he eats another meal. Then I called Adit and he picked us up and drove us home. I didn't want to walk as it was raining.

Once home James was playing around. We gave him some Tempra (Tylenol) to help with the fever, which worked. Then I heated up some baked sweet potato and he ate all of it. A little later I gave him some waffles and Cheerios. He ate that too without a problem. At this point I wasn't worried that he'd vomit again, so I decided to make his dinner and offer it early. I am glad I did that, because he ate all of it, my little boy was hungry. I also baked an apple which came out so sweet, but he didn't want it. Hopefully he'll eat it for breakfast tomorrow morning with his waffle. The waffle is dry so I'll use this as a jam for him.

After his sponge bath and change into PJ's I nursed James for over an hour. He just didn't want to let go of me. I felt bad putting him in his crib, but once he went in, he turned and started snoring. I was starving so I had my dinner. After dinner, I logged into the office and did some work! I am actually excited that I'm set up from home now, I will definitely use it to keep myself ahead. Now I'm a early person at work, but before James I'd be there much later and stay late to finish up. Now that I pick up James I can't really stay late, so at least I can finish up what I was doing from home.

Ok, enough talk from me tonight, I'm off to bed in case James decides he needs me again.

Happy reading!

Rachel

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Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease :(

I am sure most of you are wondering what this is so here's a definition from babycenter before I go on:

"Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually a mild illness caused by one of a group of coxsackie viruses. It gets its name from the little sores that develop on the hands and feet, and in the mouth. It’s common in children under 10, although adults can get a milder form of the virus. "

Now here's why it's important. James developed a high fever overnight so I gave him Tempra (infant tylenol) and it started to go down. James was really clingy and didn't want to sleep in his crib so I brought him to bed with me. After hours of nonstop nursing he finally gave me 2.5hrs of sleep. This meant that I had a terrible migraine in the morning. I can never properly function with a migraine so I didn't go to work today.

As for James his fever was decreasing, but still there. I called his daycare to let them know about his absence. While discussing the administrator advised me that there were 2 cases of HMF and 1 of chicken pox. So I asked if that was at the center or his classroom and she said his classroom! I was mortified as I didn't want either for James.

I remember a friend of mine's daughter had HFM soon after starting daycare so I was wondering how kids get it and what the symptoms were so here they are:

How can my baby catch HFM:
"Hand, foot and mouth disease is contagious and easily passed on from person to person. Your baby can catch it if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes near him, or from contact with stool, saliva or fluid from the sores. If your baby catches it he will be most contagious a few days before symptoms appear, so it can be hard to anticipate or prevent.

Not surprisingly, outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease are common in daycares and nursery schools. Hygiene is very important to prevent it spreading, so wash your hands and your baby’s hands frequently with soap and water." - Baby Center

What are the Symptoms:
"The telltale signs of the virus are small, blister-like sores in your baby's mouth, and on his hands and feet. The sores may spread up the backs of his legs and onto his bottom and genitals. The blisters can be extremely sore, and your baby may not want to drink or eat because of the blisters in his mouth. Your baby may also feel unwell, and have a sore throat and mild fever for a day or two, and go off his food.

It usually takes between three and five days for symptoms to appear once your baby is infected. Hand, foot and mouth disease will be uncomfortable for your baby, but rest assured that it's not a serious illness. " - Baby Center

So this afternoon I saw a little bump on his chin then a little later saw a bump on his palm. This is when we went to the doctor. We didn't have an appointment so we had to wait until almost closing time. The doctor advised us that the bumps we saw could just be from the fever but the ones he found on his knee looked like more cause for concern. He said that it's probably not chicken pox as sores start on the belly of which James had none.

He was more concerned with James' fever so he asked us to monitor it and come back if he worsened in 2 days.

So all we know right now is that he doesn't have chicken pox, has a fever, and may or may not have HFM. So on the way home from the doctor I stopped by daycare to collect my milk for James. Once there I heard that there are 2 cases if chicken pox and 4 cases of HFM. The odds don't look promising for James.

I'll continue to monitor him and keep him comfy in my arms. For pain relief the doctor recommended infant tylenol of which he is taking. Also I need to continuously nurse him since he's not eating much food.

Has your child ever had HFM? What did you do to comfort them? How long did it last? Please share your experience with us on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel