Another day at the park

Wisconsin Dells

I made a last minute decision to get out of town with the kids, packed up and headed to the Dells. One night with just the kids and I in waterpark chaos, indoor playgrounds and sleeping in a hotel room and we were thrilled for Dustin to arrive for night two. The kids were both fighting off sickness so it wasn't the best of times but we were away from the house and the dishes and the clutter. We had some good moments... and a lot of crabbiness.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Dolezalek for coming to help watch the kids so Dustin and I could spend a day getting some work done at the cabin! Dana, we're sorry to see you go :(

We've been told that the kids behaved while we were gone, had lots of fun and amazingly they both napped. Why Luca doesn't nap for THREE hours in his crib for us I don't know, but how nice for the grandparents.  

Ava practiced a little baseball this afternoon and made her first hit after about fourteen swings. 

Luca has got some sort of funky infection again, gross greenish stuff is coming out of his eyes and nose. Eww! Hopefully his body will take care of it, if not we'll be back to the doctor's office on Monday. 

It's been an exhausting weekend already and there is still another day of it.  Anyone want to come watch the kids so Dustin and I can take a three hour nap???

I'm happy for spring but now remembering that means that every night is bath night.  How is it that they can get so dirty in such a little amount of time?

Last day of antibiotics for Luca!  He looks totally normal and seems to be feeling fine. Yay!

It was a busy day. We went to the zoo in the morning, had a picnic lunch at the beach and played in the park after naps.  Both kids were filthy but had a blast. 

Ava told me today while out on a walk that she would like a dog named Clifford and a baby sister. Pretty sure neither of those are going to happen any time soon. 

All good

Everyone is doing fine this week. 

Luca had a follow up appointment with his regular doctor last Friday who didn't have any concerns. He had his blood drawn this morning to make sure that the antibiotic he is taking doesn't make his red and white blood cells go down too low.  We're waiting for those results. He has a little lump on his left temple but that's it. 

Ava is working on potty training, beating up her little brother and coming up with sassy come backs to whatever her mom and dad ask of her. Fun times. 

Home sweet home

We left the hospital around 11:00, picked up Ava and headed home where all four of us then took a nice long nap. Luca is going to be on an oral antibiotic for the next two weeks and we'll just follow up with his regular pediatrician to make sure the infection continues to improve. The docs still don't know why this happened but don't think there is a reason it should happen again. We for sure don't want to be back at the Children's Hospital anytime soon.

Bad night

At 12:30 in the morning Luca's IV came out. We were hoping that they would say to just leave it out and keep going with the oral antibiotics that he was started on yesterday but no such luck. Poor little guy did great but it sure sucked big time.

We're waiting for the doctors to all come by this morning to see if we finially get to go home.

Luca is happy this morning, eating grapes out of an emesis basin and babbling away.

The last night...we hope.

Nothing too exciting to report from this afternoon. We saw a magic show in the playroom that Luca was not at all interested in, did some cruising around the floor and took a bath (carfeul not to get the IV wet). Luca is now completely wired, up past his bedtime laughing and playing.

Bummer

Good news...Luca is looking better and his infection seems to be improving.

Bad news...he has to stay another night.

The doctors think everything is going well and that he is getting better but want to give him another 24 hours on the IV antibiotics before we go home on oral antibiotics. The primary site of infection is still swollen and hard to the touch but much less red and tender. Luca hardly makes a peep when someone comes to examine his face whereas on Friday he screamed and cried if the area was touched. His face is still swollen on the left side and his eye is a little puffy but things are slowly getting back to normal. Maybe by next week I'll be able to get his one year pictures finally taken.

We've had a pretty good day so far. Mema (my mom) and big sister Ava came to visit again as well as a visit from our friend Tim who works in the hospital. Luca has been busy walking the halls, riding in a car and wagon, playing with toys and making small talk with everyone he passes with his only vocabulary of, "what's that? what's that?". He is a happy boy and I am amazed at how well he is doing in spite of all of this.

Hoping to be discharged

Waiting for the doctors to round to see if Luca can go home today or if they think he needs another day of antibiotics. His face is looking better, no fevers and he woke up a happy little boy.

Hanging in there

Bad news...we're staying another night. Good news...Luca doesn't seem to care too much.

Looks like we're still going with the infected lymph node diagnosis but they still say there is a possibility that it's something else. Whatever it is we are trying to kill it with antibiotics. The doctors had hoped he would have been looking better today but no such luck. You can see from the pictures that Luca's face and especially his eye is still pretty swollen. The area that seems to be the source of it doesn't look any worse and maybe a little better but not a big change either way.

Luca has been pretty happy, except when a nurse or doctor wants to check him out. He was very excited to see big sister Ava for the first time since our admission Friday. Ava was initially concerned that his eye wouldn't open all the way but then kept saying, "it's ok, he'll get better". They played with the toys in the playroom, went on a wagon ride and had lunch together. Mema and Ava get to have sleepover #3 tonight...THANK YOU mom! Luca also got a visit from Great Aunt Debbie who brought he and Ava some toys and from Shalicia (AKA Sheesha), one of Luca's daycare teachers. Sheesha got several hugs from Luca, hopefully he'll be back to see her at daycare by the end of the week.

Thanks to everyone who has been checking in on us. Cross your fingers that Luca gets to go home tomorrow!

We were hopeful at being able to go home tomorrow...not so much any more. After Luca's nap this afternoon his left eye was very swollen and red. Some areas on the left side of his face looked better but the eye swelling concerned the doctors and he is going to be started on a new antibiotic. Luca did lots of walking in the halls and smiling at the nurses this evening and has been pretty happy with the exception of the last hour. Dustin is trying to rock him to sleep and we're hoping for a calm night without any more swelling, fevers or pain. Wish us luck.

Hospital update

Well, after a lot of doctor visits and a little confusion it seems that the infectious diease doctor has decided that Luca has an infected lymphnode on his face. He has ear infections but she's not so sure about the mastoiditis diagnosis that the ENT docs had been talking about. She decided to just keep him on the first IV antibiotic and wait and see what happens. Luca has been pretty happy. We got out of the room and explored the children's hospital in a cool red car. He played in the playroom and had lunch in the cafeteria, not really minding the arm board to keep his IV intact. His face is still really swollen but the redness has gone down. He can open his left eye much more than he could right away this morning. We're hoping that by tomorrow morning things will have improved enough that we can go home with oral antibiotics. Big sister Ava has been staying with "Mema" (Molly's mom) and having a blast. At least someone is enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

Luca takes a trip to the Children's Hospital

It’s been a long 24 hours. What I first thought was just a spider bite has lead to an admission to the UW Children’s Hospital. Luca had a strange and suspicious welt on his left temple starting yesterday morning. I got a call to come pick him up from daycare several hours later saying that he was crabby, had a fever and his face was becoming more swollen. We took him to see our pediatrician who agreed it was suspicious and sent us to UW Emergency Room to be evaluated. Several doctor evaluations, lots of questions, an IV, a CT scan and SIX hours later we were admitted to a room to start IV antibiotics. Despite having an IV and arm board to hold it in place, being bugged by doctors and nurses, having a fever and a face that continues to swell Luca is hanging in there. He has moments of crabbiness but is also playing a lot, smiling and using his favorite new words, “what’s that”? about everything he points to. He looks like he got beat up or maybe stung by 8 bumble bees. His left eye is now pretty much swollen shut and his face is very asymmetrical. We still think he’s adorable but admit he is a little funny looking. Our diagnosis so far are a double ear infection, mastoiditis and a facial cellulitis that they are still not quite sure about. The peds hospitalist, ENT team and not infectious disease are all working together to figure out what is going on and work out a plan. Right now he is on two IV antibiotics. My guess is that we’ll be here through the weekend and we’re crossing our fingers that he won’t need tubes in his ears or surgery. Right now Luca is taking a nap on his daddy.

Easter Eggs

Dustin and the kids went to Grandma and Grandpa's house over Easter weekend.  They had a blast dyeing easter eggs, finding their baskets and spending time with the family (and Abby). Ava was very proud to show off her dozen of colored eggs that she brought home and has been eating an egg every day...except the yolk.