Antibiotics for Everyone!

Wow.  I’m suddenly aware of how long it’s been since I last posted (or since I’ve slept in on a Saturday morning).  Although I’m sure I could bore you with the specifics of what I’ve been up to in the past month - how many trips I’ve made to the pediatrician, the vet, the wine store, the pediatrician, Target, the vet -  I thought it would be more fun to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the highs and lows of the last four weeks.

And here they are in no particular order:

Low - Dispensing antibiotics to both kids and both dogs (more to come on that).  While I found myself thankful that modern medicine allowed me to act as a Florence Nightingale to my brood, I did find it somewhat obscene that all of them needed meds at once.

High - Going to see Twilight: Breaking Dawn by myself.  I snuck out and saw a 9:30 am showing on a Sunday at Southdale.  That’s right.  My mom argues that this is slightly odd behavior, but I’m not sure there’s anything more luxurious than seeing a movie by oneself (well, aside from a a week at a spa but since that’s not happening anytime soon...).  In fact, it is much preferable to ogle Robert Pattinson without my husband sitting next to me like he did for Eclipse (all I have to say is that I was pregnant and it was our anniversary).

Low - Finding out that one of the dogs had a UTI.  I was supposed to bring in Max for his annual exam, but Derek kept pestering me that he thought Izzy had a UTI and asked me to bring her in too.  His justification for this theory - she was peeing a lot in the morning.  I laughed out loud.  Who doesn’t have to pee (especially after having 2 kids) a few times when one first wakes up.  For crying out loud.  

Low - Finding out that Derek was right.  

Low - Finding out that Izzy’s UTI was cured after the antibiotics, but that she still had blood in her urine.  (High - Derek was the one who collected the urine sample at 6 am to confirm this.)

Low - Finding out that this could be due the few extra pounds she’s packed on post-pregnancy (my pregnancies).  Sigh.  

High - Figuring out how to sideload digital library books onto my Nook Color.  You are welcome to laugh.  I would certainly laugh at someone who said this was a high point.  Given what you’ve read so far of my last month, is it a surprise that this seemed exciting?

High - Surviving Black Friday at Target.  Sure it was 3 in the afternoon and I was only there to pick up Harry’s second round of antibiotics for his double ear infection after our 4th trip to the doctor in 16 days (Score: Harry 3, Auggie 1) but it felt like a win and I got a toy on sale.

Low - Staying home for Thanksgiving due to Auggie’s 104 fever.  In the midst of caring for Harry, Izzy, and Max (dental surgery) Auggie suddenly came down with a fever two days before Thanksgiving.  I thought for sure he had some sort of stomach bug and I braced myself for the diarrhea/vomit onslaught but it never came.  Instead, I found myself running him to urgent care on Thanksgiving Eve only to discover that he had a mild ear infection (dare I mention that Harry had no fever and barely complained during both bouts of bad double ear infections).

Low - Realizing (High - while watching the Fresh Beat Band perform during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade) that we would be stuck at home for the holiday with two sick kids and two recuperating dogs and no wine.

Low - Discovering (after a frenetic Google search) that stupid Minnesota blue laws mean that liquor stores are not open on Thanksgiving.

Low - Throwing Auggie into a cold tub late that afternoon when his fever hit 104 after having called the nurseline 3 times that day still knowing that there would be no post-kiddie bedtime glass of vino.

High - Answering the door to our good friend Melissa who had cooked her very first Thanksgiving meal and packed some delicious turkey and sides for Derek and I to share.  

Highest of Highs - Seeing that nestled alongside two amazing meringue-topped pumpkin pie slices was a bottle of red wine.

High - Going to a playdate this afternoon with some of my favorite mom friends with two healthy kids.

To Be Determined - Sitting at the dentist listening to my teeth being scraped.   On the bright side, I had an hour to myself and was told that my gums looked better (ummmm that’s what happens when you’re neither pregnant nor nursing).  On the other hand, I sat there the entire time feeling jealous of of the dog who had been given anesthesia in order to have his teeth cleaned.

So as you can tell, it’s been a long month.  Here’s hoping that we can make it through Christmas with no trips to the doctor (human or animal)!