See you on Facebook

I have realized that it is really a lot easier to post to facebook. Most of you seem to be on facebook these days, so I think I'm going to just go on official hiatus with the blog. What do you think?

Retro Post: Henry goes to the hopsital

I've been getting very behind on my blogging, so I'm going to try to hit some highlights of the last month or so.

A couple weeks ago or so now, Henry ended up having to go to the hospital. Monday he seemed like he was getting a little cold. He started coughing in the evening, and during the night coughed a lot. We gave him his asthma inhaler periodically during the night, as often as was recommended, but even so he coughed just constantly. First thing in the morning I made an appointment to take him to the doctor, and by the time his appointment arrived, it seemed like he was really having a hard time breathing. The doctor gave him a nebulizer treatment with albuterol, a common asthma medication to open up the airways, and sent us home.

By the time I got him home, though, he seemed like he was having trouble breathing again. The doctor had prescribed an oral steroid, so I gave Henry that. It made him vomit (of course, it's Henry). This is what he looked like after I got his messy clothes off. I called the doctor, and they said to bring him in again when they got back from lunch. I decided we should not wait that long.

I took him to InstaCare, and they brought us back right away and gave him a steroid injection and another nebulizer treatment. And another. Each time, he did better for a while, but then got worse again. So by late afternoon, the doctor there decided she should admit him to the hospital so he could get oxygen.

It was scary that he had to go to the hospital, but by that point we were ready. He got oxygen constantly and nebulizer breathing treatments each hour until late that night. Here he is with Tim that evening. Whenever the oxygen would slip out of place (or be pulled out of place, which happened a lot), Henry's blood saturation levels would drop into the 80's. It should be in the 90's, and preferably high 90's.

Sarah was such a big help to us. She came right away when we went to the hospital and helped get us settled. She also ate dinner with Madi and Tim, then followed them to our house and helped get Madi down for the night while Tim packed a bag for Henry and me at the hospital, then brought it back to us in Logan. She was such a help. We were all so glad she was there.

During the night, Henry's oxygen saturation improved, and he was able to go longer between breathing treatments. Thankfully, Mike and Violet brought me some great breakfast and coffee the next morning, because I wasn't a patient and so wasn't being fed! By mid-morning, Henry was off oxygen and starting to get very active. Let me tell you, a healthy toddler in a hospital ward is not an easy thing to manage. They let us go around dinner time for fear he would tear the place up, I think.

We gave him breathing treatments with a home nebulizer every four hours for the first couple days, and then slowly decreased it from then. Today he didn't require any at all. He is taking an inhaled steroid to try to keep this all from happening again. We also have the nebulizer at home now so if he starts running into trouble hopefully we can nip it in the bud.

We're all happy things have settled down. It was not a nice introduction to Henry's asthma and how serious it can get! He had only ever shown any signs at all off and on for about a month before this happened, and then just mild wheezing and a bit of coughing. We have seen once again when things go south with Henry, they can go south fast. Hopefully we will be able to keep it all under control from here on out.

Here he is today, back to his old self, pestering his sister. He was intrigued by her pony tails.

Madi's first day of kindergarten

It's late summer now and time for school to start!

Here is Madi working at home on some coloring. She loves drawing, coloring, and writing her letters. We decided that even though she is only four and a half years old, it probably was best for her to start school.

So yesterday, she started kindergarten at Cache Valley Learning Center (CLVC). Here she is all ready to leave the first morning.

Walking in to school for the first time as a student there ...

In the hall. Her classroom is at the end, behind her.

Taking off her backpack to hang up in the hall outside her class.

With her teacher, Mrs. Smith (no, I'm not making that up).

She was so comfortable in the classroom. Henry and Tim and I all went to see her off. I asked for a hug, and she said "I'm hugging my family now because they are leaving." We took the hint. She had a great day! She loves it so far.

Here she is after her second day. Still loving it.

Henry is still around too, of course. The Roses say he is a lot more talkative and doing a lot more on his own now that Madi isn't there. Apparently she did a lot of the talking and led him around by the hand.

His asthma is now under control and we don't have to do the nebulizer every day any more. At least until he gets another cold probably.

It feels like it has been a busy year already, and we're just two days in to school!

Where to start?

Well, it's been a while since I posted. A lot has happened. I went to Toronto for a nice conference. I came back. Henry was hospitalized with asthma-related problems. He came home.

We are all pretty tired, but happy things are better.

More later!

Home again

Well, we're home now after going to Perry for Uncle Charlie's memorial service and then spending time at the beach with Grandmother and Granddaddy. Whew!

Tonight we went to a great birthday party for Finnegan, and Wednesday I leave for Toronto for a conference, so no big updates from here for a while ...

Headed to Florida

We've had a great time in West Virginia visiting with Tim's family. Tomorrow we are flying to Florida to see Grandmother and Granddaddy. We will also have a memorial for Uncle Charlie and visit with family.

Henry is doing a lot better now with his breathing. Of course he started teething though. Sigh.

Let's hope the Tylenol holds and we have a good trip.

We're in WV

We got into WV yesterday evening and it is good to see everyone. We are still pretty tired from the travel.

The hardest thing though has been that Henry has very rapidly developed asthma. He was wheezy on Saturday after playing outside in the dust, but was better Sunday. On Monday he had his 18-month check up and the doctor prescribed an inhaler, 'just in case'. The night in the hotel in Tampa he coughed all night. We're not sure if he has a cold or what, but that morning we tried out the inhaler and it helped. He coughed all night last night too, requiring the inhaler at several points. Today has not been much better.

I guess from what I've heard since we've been here, four out of five of Henry's first cousins had childhood asthma and outgrew it as teenagers. Let's hope it isn't going to be too bad.