Ben & Joanna's Online Journal

Yesterday marked the last day of Elijah’s first week of 1st grade. I’m sure as with most schools the Elementary school he is attending has been going pretty easy on the children for the first week; the workload in class is very light and he hasn’t had homework so far. So Elijah is thinking 1st grade is a breeze. However, we parents know it will only get harder as the year progresses. Only slightly harder I think since it is still only 1st grade, but for a 6 year old it may get challenging at times.

He was very happy to have a few of his kindergarten classmates join him in his 1st grade class. And he really likes his teacher Mrs. Perry. He said she talks calmly like Mrs. Young. I give Elementary teachers a lot of credit. They sure have an abundance of patience!

Here are some pictures of Elijah on the first day of 1st grade.

I'm leaving, on a school bus, don't know when I'll be back again!

Raiding mothers gum......always!

Family

On Monday Elijah goes back to school. I am excited for him to start 1st grade and get back into a daily routine. Routines are good for all of us! His 1st grade teacher will be Mrs. Perry. I have heard really good things about her from my neighbor and from Elijah’s kindergarten teacher Mrs. Young. Although I wished at the end of the last school year Mrs. Young would have been his teacher again, I am happy he will get the opportunity to meet and get to know a new teacher.

The summer really flew by. Our summer started with a wonderful visit from Morgan – continuing with a family trip to San Diego (Sea World and beaches) and Arizona (visiting family and friends) – followed by a 10 day visit from Kenzie, Kaelyn, and Zack. We also spent a lot of late, late nights hanging out with our friends. You cannot beat the great Indiana summer nights of sitting around a fire-pit roasting marshmallows, eating smores, chatting, and occasionally spotting fireflies. The July fireworks (Indiana folk don’t just shoot off fireworks on the 4th; they last the whole month long) were great too.

As summer ends we have many new memories to reflect on and we look forward to the upcoming fall memories we will make.

Gen Talk

On Monday Kadie Day moved away. Kadie was Elijah’s fellow kindergarten, bus, and play buddy. For about a year Kadie, her Grandparents, and her cousins were our neighbors.. A few hours after they left on their road trip backed to Florida to reunite with their family, Elijah was so somber and sad. On a quiet drive to Target Monday afternoon Elijah broke his silence to tell me he really missed Kadie already. In the first picture Elijah and Kadie are trying to smile but you can see Kadie is sad about her last day here. The second picture is all the children enjoying their last jump together.

Goodbye Kadie Day. We will miss you.

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YAY, Morgan arrived today for a summer visit to Indiana. We are so excited to have her here with us for the next 2 1/2 weeks. We wish she could stay longer, but we will take what we can get! Elijah and Jonah are already following her around like love sick puppies…It’s so cute to see how much they love and missed their big sister.

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With a lot of help from my parents I finally got two 4 x 4 “square foot” gardens set up.  It was quite a sight to watch my dad carrying the heavy bags of soil, compost, and peet moss from my car to my backyard. Late Thursday night we mixed the soil, compost, and peet moss together and added the twine to separate the sections of the garden and yesterday afternoon Elijah and Jonah helped me plant all the seeds and pre-started plants.  I am so excited to start seeing our herbs and veggies grow, but I am even more excited to start harvesting our own produce.

(I think I owe my parents some of the first harvests.)

Here is a layout of what we are growing:

Here is a picture of the garden today:

You may have noticed in the bottom right square of one of the gardens there are crumbs of some kind.  I think Jonah thought dumping the tortilla chip crumbs in the garden will help the plants grow.

I will post some pictures later on when things start growing in.

Gen Talk

Friday May 22nd was Elijah’s last day of Kindergarten. Yay!!  Unfortunately, he was unable to go to school to celebrate.

On Tuesday night Elijah started complaining about a sore throat and on Wednesday morning he woke up with a high fever.  He continued to have a fever (low-grade and high) on and off, however he was getting a lot of rest on Wednesday and Thursday and we hoped that he would be able to go to school on Friday.  I am such a worrier, but I figured he probably had a cold (or flu) so of course I gave him Motrin and Tylenol every 3 to 6 hours, kept him sipping water, gave him lots of hugs, and applied the necessary cool wash clothes to comfort him and bring his temperature down.  By Thursday afternoon Elijah was acting like he felt SO much better and he told me his throat wasn’t hurting that much.  I had even called his teacher Thursday night and told her Elijah was feeling much better and we couldn’t wait for us all to attend his Kindergarten graduation celebration Friday morning.  Sadly his sore throat persisted and by Friday morning around 6 am he had a 103.2 temperature. 

Later on that afternoon I stopped by Elijah’s school to pick up his things and drop off a present for Elijah’s teacher (an apron we made that says # 1 Teacher with an apple logo made in vinyl). After briefly speaking with a school administrator I found out strep throat was going around the school.  Of course I immediately called his Pediatrician’s office and managed to get him in right away.  Surprisingly he protested and insisted he was fine.  He really did not want to go to see Dr. Hodson.  He was so apprehensive. —I am not sure where this started from, but Elijah gets so worried when he has to go to see a Doctor.  For some reason he is afraid we will have to leave him there.  (It may be related to Jonah’s stay in the hospital).—

SURE ENOUGH he has strep.  AND we found out Saturday morning after discovering hives and a red rash on his hands and feet – Elijah is allergic to Amoxicillin.  He is now on another antibiotic and he is doing so much better.

I feel so bad he had to miss the last few days of Kindergarten.  Thankfully his WONDERFUL teacher Mrs. Young provided him with a Kindergarten Memory book chalked full of pictures and special memories from the school year.  She even gave him a CD full of pictures of his classmates. There is no wonder why she was name TEACHER OF THE YEAR.  I only wish she could be his 1st grade teacher too!

Here’s to a fun and HEALTHY summer!!!

Family

Today is our big boy’s 6th birthday.  All week we have been teasing Elijah that we worked it out with the “big guy above” to keep him 5 forever.  To which Elijah replies, “NO, I want to be 6, sorry I can’t help getting big!” —- I don’t know if I am READY for him to be 6.  Time flies by too fast.  It felt like just the other day we were holding him in the hospital as he looked up at us with his big eyes, scared of his new surroundings – but feeling comforted and safe in our arms.

Now I am off to make a big BIRTHDAY breakfast and then on to preparing the cake, food, and set up the party…

Just a side note…the other day a big box arrived from FedEx for Elijah.  He was so excited to get mail addressed to him only.  When he opened the box he realized it was filled with a bunch of individually wrapped birthday presents (in Spiderman wrapping paper)  His excitement could not be contained as he jumped up and down and all around the room.  Initially we told him to wait until his birthday to open them…but that didn’t last.  So over the last few days we have allowed him to open one present per day (which somehow he ends up opening more).  Today he has a few more left to open and he can’t wait!  Thank you Aunt Darcie and Uncle Brian for making our 6 year old smile from ear to ear over and over again!!!

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Elijah has been enjoying his time off from school this week.  Today marks the last day of his spring break…tomorrow we are back to early rising, 8 pm bedtime, and working on homework. On Thursday and Friday I took time off from work and planned some “getting out of the house” fun.

Thursday afternoon Jill, Caleb, My parents, Ben, Elijah, Jonah, and I all went to the Indianapolis Zoo.  We arrived at the Zoo around 2:15 pm which gave us about 2 hours to walk around and take in the Zoo sights before it closed and before Ben had to leave to get to work on time.  I think I was more excited than the kids!

This Zoo visit was special for many reasons:  1. It was one of the first nice days this year (70 degrees and sunny).  2.  I am normally working and Elijah is normally in school, so we cannot go during the week.  3.  My Dad had never been to the Indianapolis Zoo, this was his first time experience.  4. We usually don’t have this large of a group going to and enjoying the zoo together.

When we pulled into the parking lot we were amazed at how many cars were there.  True to Indiana life, the first nice days draws the Indiana residents out in droves. From the looks of how full the parking lot was, we thought the Zoo would be crammed full of people.  Much to our surprise it was not bad at all.  There is a lot of spread-out space once you get in there.  There were a few occasions when we had to squeeze by people to see an animal or two, but for the most part we did not have trouble viewing and enjoying the animals and beautiful surroundings.

We walked our normal route. First seeing the sea lions, seals, penguins, and petting the sharks.

Next we checked out the polar bear and walruses.  Then, we went into the “Desert Pavilion” to look at the lizards, meerkats, turtles, and snakes.

We took a small break at the playground area so the boys could run off some energy and enjoy a snack. After which we entered the “Plains” exhibits to see the giraffes, lions, rhinoceroses, baboons (with a cute little baby baboon showing off for the crowd), and elephants.

As always the visit felt rushed. Every time we go to the Zoo we wish we had more time to check out all the exhibits.  There is always next TIME!  We had a very enjoyable time.  Good exercise, great sights, and GREAT company!

Later on that evening Elijah, Jonah, My parents and I enjoyed a delectable pizza/pasta/salad bar/desert buffet at Cici’s Pizza. I was surprised at how good the food was and how reasonably priced it is. The Manager was very nice and said he would make any pizza upon request. We will definitely go back and enjoy some family outings there in the near future. Next time I am going to think up a crazy concoction for the pizza chef to make!

Friday Elijah and I met up with Taryn (my neighbor and good friend) and her 3 year old daughter Kendyl to go see “Monsters vs. Aliens”. Before heading to the theater we stopped at Walmart to pick up some candy to sneak into the theater. I can’t bare to pay $4-plus at the movie theater for the same box of candy you can get at Walmart for $1-$2. Taryn and I spent about $20 dollars between the two of us in candy, gum, wheat/cheese crackers, and bottled water. We stashed all our goodies in Taryn’s tote and laughed at how heavy it was. We arrived in time to see the 2 pm showing, but due to distractions from our children we both mistakenly purchased tickets for the 2:30 pm showing. I guess we were too busy enjoying a good conversation and shoving candy and popcorn into our mouths to notice we purchased the wrong tickets only right when the previews/trailers started.

The movie was really cute. Elijah enjoyed it a lot. Kendyl seemed to like the movie up to about 15 minutes before it ended, to which she loudly yells, “Mom, is the movie over yet? Can we go home?” Perhaps the movie was a little too long for a 3 year old.

I am very grateful to have this special time with Elijah and enjoy the special time on Thursday at the Zoo with all the family!!!

Family

In an effort to rule out food and environmental allergies as possible triggers for Jonah’s seizures, his Doctor ordered allergy testing via blood tests.

Last Monday I took Jonah to a nearby lab to get his blood drawn. The lab techs were very kind and gentle. They tried their hardest to find a vein on Jonah’s arms and hands to draw blood from. After one unsuccessful try his vein rolled. The ladies asked me to bring him back the next day.

On Tuesday, soon after finishing work, I brought Jonah back to the lab and let the ladies try again. This time they searched and searched for a vein, all the while Jonah was helping them by squeezing his fists and poking his arm (the inside bends) with his index fingers extended; mimicking what the lab techs were doing. The ladies were smitten by him and did not want to poke him with the needle unless they were absolutely sure they would be successful. After 20 minutes or so, they apologized profusely and told me they could not find a good enough vein. They suggested I take him over to a sister lab at the Community South hospital where they were equipped with smaller needles, and if necessary a Pediatric nurse could help draw his blood.

Later on that evening I headed over to the hospital lab with Jonah, Elijah, and my mother in tow. We got called back and two older women (their name tags read Beth and Shirley) surrounded Jonah and I, and they started surveying his arms and hands. After finding a slight indication of a vein, they too pricked him with a needle and again his vein moved. DANG!

The lab tech said she did not want to try anymore and told me to come back on Wednesday. After a quick call, the Pediatrics department said they were too busy to help and she was giving up. Though I did not want my baby to have to endure any more of this, I explained to her my insurance coverage dictations, and asked that they try again. Reluctantly Beth left the room and after 5 minutes time she returned with a not so happy Shirley.

Beth held Jonah’s arm and Shirley poked around until she found a semi-suitable vein. With one fell swoop she DID IT, she found the vein and started to draw blood. The relief I felt was quickly squashed when Beth and Shirley start tsking. The blood flow had slowed to a drip and they were making comments quietly to each other that this vial would not be enough. As Shirley removed the needle she directs her comment to me. In a pessimistic inflection she said, “Well, I guess we will submit this and see if this will be enough”. The skepticism in her voice said otherwise.

While I was consoling my sobbing baby, I was taken aback by her tone and disgruntled look on her face. All I could muster was a thank you to the women for trying. Sympathetically Beth replies by saying something like “You’re welcome” and “I hope it will be enough”. Bluntly Shirley replies, “Mom – I am not going to poke him again, you really need to let him have a break”. WOW! I really did not know what to make of her comments. She was NOT treating me with the kindness and understanding normally shown by medical professionals.

My mind was screaming out, “I REALLY do not want my baby to go through this. REALLY! I was shocked, and instead I could not mutter anything in my defense. I just stood up, grabbed my things and ushered my crew out the door.

My mother wouldn’t let it go and immediately started asking me over and over again, “Do you think it will be enough?” Almost in tears, I replied with frustration, “I don’t know”. I was not going to have them try again and would rather scrap having the allergy tests done than make Jonah go through this all over again. As we headed out the door, my mother went back to confirm if they got a successful draw. In a far off voice I hear Beth say in a reassuring tone that they did get enough, not to worry.

As I breathe out I feel relief and I released my hurt caused just moments before from the unkind technician. She may have had a bad day and didn’t realize she was being uncaring. Or she wanted the last draw for the day to be simple, not for an unsuspecting, smiling, 2 year old boy with elusive veins.

I hope these tests do what they are intended for and rule out more things that would and could cause Jonah’s seizures.

On the way home we stopped and picked up four shiny Mylar balloons. (Jonah’s most FAVORITE things.) Balloons and some candy from Grandma returned his smile!

Look I'm Smiling Mom

Family

Quaid, Caleb, Ben, and Elijah are having a Daddies/Sons day at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum today.  Being that they are all big Star Wars fans, they had to go check out the new Star Wars Clone Wars exhibit that just opened up at the museum.  I know they are having so much fun and I cannot wait to hear Elijah tell me all about it and see the pictures I am sure Ben is taking (which I will post later).  This leaves me home enjoying some alone time with Jonah.  Since he is currently taking his afternoon nap, I thought I would take advantage of this quiet time to read my friends’ blogs and update our blog.

This following week Elijah is out of school on Spring break.  We are all looking forward to having some special family time together!   For sure we are going to take the boys to the  Zoo one of the days and maybe a movie outting to see “Monsters vs Aliens” another day.  Future posts with pictures will follow ; )

Family, Uncategorized