Odd Collections...

We're all guilty of it in some way...we collect (or used to) different things.  For some it is stickers, funky erasers, stamps...growing up I started a shot glass collection.  Each glass had a different image on it, kind of like the little spoons people collect, just in shot glass form.  As I travelled a lot in my younger years, I started a barf bag collection for a friend by writing letters to her on the (unused of course) barf bags during my travels.  But my latest collection isn't really one I want to continue to build on.  It just seems to keep happening...  I guess in all fairness it is more of Ethan's collection than mine...

If you're not sure what you're looking at, it is a hospital band.  We had to bring Ethan to the ER (by ambulance - no sirens/lights) again because he had another seizure.  This one was totally different from the first one and lasted about 13 minutes.  He stopped just as the EMS guys arrived.  Although his neurologist doesn't really know yet (I've left a message for him), the EMS/ER staff think (and so do we) that it was another febrile seizure.  Or to be technical another seizure during a febrile period.  It was a pretty short ER visit though as we were only there 3 hours this time.  It took Ethan a long time to settle again once we got him home, but he seems to be doing alright.  He has an infection at his g-tube site and they think that could have caused the fever this time.

Today is Lorelei's special day at school (they have one a month).  She is to bring in a picture or item which is a sign of fall.  I was thinking to myself in our case it would be a photo of an ambulance since that is the second time we've had to call them.  Of course she went with the more conventional dried leaves and sticks.

We were much calmer this time around, and I think in turn that kept Lorelei calmer.  She was interested to see the ambulance, the EMS guys check Ethan over and then (to my surprise) the fire truck that showed up at our house and their crew who hurried in - and out again quickly since EMS was already on site.  Too much excitement for me, I think Ethan knew I was hoping to go to sleep as soon as he did to try and catch up on some MUCH needed rest.  So much for that plan.  Lorelei did have an exciting night though as she had her first sleep over (a friend of mine kept her for the night).

Where a Child's Mind Goes

Sleep is a commodity at our house...if you're an adult anyway.  And it is even worst for daddy since mommy keeps sneaking in naps during the weekends.  Ethan has been sick with a cold for about 3 weeks now and he has awoken us at least once almost nightly.  He wakes up screaming because he is too congested to breathe.  Sometimes he then has coughing fits and throws up mucous.  It isn't his fault, but it sure makes it hard his parents to get a good night's rest. 

Last night, it was Lorelei who kept us up longer.  She has started to get a cold and is coughing a lot.  She has a sore throat and the coughing woke her up in a panic.  When we went to her she was shaking, crying and coughing.  We tried to help her calm down, give her some Tylenol and even an inhaler to see if that would help her cough.  I'd put eucalyptus in boiling water between the bedrooms earlier in the evening but nothing seemed to work.  She just kept working herself up more and forcing her coughs (eventually to the point of being sick).  She didn't have a temperature, so why the shaking?!  She made a comment last night but then today we talked about it a couple times.  She said she was shaking so much because she was scared.  She did not want to die.  :(  She's somehow gotten it into her head that if she has a fever that means she'll be poisoned and die.  I'm sure there is also some residual concern from Ethan's febrile seizure in September.  I had to explain to her that typically a fever is the body's way of fighting germs, it can be a good thing.  It certainly won't poison you, and if she was that sick we'd rush her to the doctor.  She seemed better about it this evening, but it is sad that this is where her mind goes when she gets sick herself.

Under Daddy's Watchful Eye...

What possible trouble could Ethan get into under daddy's watchful eye?  Here's a hint..

If you can't tell, he has the feeding tube going straight to his mouth.  Since he typically is not orally fed (and never fluids), this isn't the safest thing to do...but it is one of Ethan's favourite things to do.  This photo was taken in October and just this morning I heard Ethan giggling in the room so of course went to check on him.  What do I find, but him with his feeding tube wrapped around his arm and putting it to his mouth.  It was kind of like an I'm getting away with trouble giggle, quite cute to hear...but I did have to take it away from him.  And tonight we're constantly taking it away from him, every so often it becomes this major attraction for him - I wonder if a lot of it isn't the attention he gets when he picks at it.  He has such a great giggle!  It is so infectious.