"Not Me!" Monday . . . or Laughter Lives Tuesday?

Okay, so I didn't exactly get this one posted on Monday, so I was thinking I would just call it a Laughter Lives Tuesday post. Either way, it's still posted. =0)

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts. . . and remember to pray for Abby.

Let's see, the funny things that have happened over the past week . . . =0) Well, Isaiah's OT came by yesterday for Isaiah's Monday morning tutoring session. They were playing an intense game of Memory (Isaiah is really good at Memory), and both of them were somewhat concentrating on the game . . . okay, so Isaiah wasn't, he was bouncing off the walls yesterday. Anyway, the tutor said to Isaiah, "Isn't this a fun game?" In true Isaiah fashion, he stopped what he was doing, looked at her with the most sincere face (yes, he still gets that, "are you kidding me?" face), and said, "It's not a game, honey!" =0) Can we say competitive???? =0)

We also went to WalMart (no worries, we stayed away from the bakery), which is pretty much a common occurrence around here. Well, Isaiah loves the toy aisle. Of course he wants to buy everything in the toy aisle, but is satisfied just to play with the toys . . . sometimes. =0) Well, we were looking at the Power Wheels cars, trying to figure out why they were so stinkin' expensive when Isaiah sees the "most beaut-a-hul toy eh-ber!" 777 (sorry, Isaiah wanted to type with me . . . ) =0) He runs over, grabs the thing, and sits on it. What is it??? An airplane. A little blue airplane. Not a riding toy that was big enough for Isaiah - even if he were young enough to fit the recommended age, he still would have been too big for it. =0) He wouldn't leave the thing alone, even if his knees were hitting his chin as he tried to scoot along on the thing (just imagine Big Bird trying to ride on Elmo's tricycle). =0) He was absolutely convinced that this was the perfect toy for him. Finally, I got his mind off of it when I found a bicycle that looked like a motorcycle . . . yeah, not a good idea either, but at least it was big enough. =0)


That same night, we found a panda bear floaty at good ol' WalMart - something we can use when we go to All Children's (the hotel we stay in has a beautiful pool). Isaiah was interested right away - he had to have the panda. The thing was only a couple of dollars and would definitely get our money's worth out of it, so I bought it. Once we got home, he was persistent about me opening the bag and blowing up "da ba-woon." When I did, he stepped into it and started walking around like a duck!! He made my dad laugh so hard he was wiping his eyes! =0)

Today while I was fixing Isaiah's lunch, I heard him yelling, "Mommy! Come heeeee-rrrre! Mommy, come here!" So, I asked him what he wanted, to which he replied, "I haf-a show you somp-tin." At this point, I could hear him jumping on the step stool in the bathroom, which is usually his way of saying, "I have to go potty." So, I quickly ran to the bathroom and as soon as I came in the door, he yelled (with the most excited and cutest grin, I might add), "TA-DAH!" while using his hands to show me the toilet. Guess we have a new way of saying, "I have to go to the potty" without using the appropriate words. =0)

He also decided that his tricycle was a motorcycle, and I found him doing this . . .

Just in case you can't tell, he is sitting on the footrest and the drum is sitting on the seat =0)

Lastly, Mr. Isaiah can also be a little, well, sassy. One night last week, after he had finished dinner, I was cleaning his face as usual, when he decided to protest. Through all the babbling and grunts of disgust, Isaiah put his hands on his hips, gave me this frown, and said, "Stop, Mommy! You're really killing me!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also wanted to ask you to continue praying for Stellan and his family. Stellan is still in the hospital in the PICU. He is still in SVT, though he does have periods of NSR (normal sinus rhythm). However, he has only come out of SVT on his own a few times - I think only once or twice. The doctors have been giving him a med that stops his heart for a second or so, so that it can restart hopefully in NSR. That has been more successful since the change of meds, but it still slips back into SVT. To know more, hop on over to McMama's blog - she says it much better than I do, anyway. =0)

As far as Emerson, she could be back on the transplant list as soon as tomorrow if her cultures continue to show no infection. Please continue to pray for her, that she remains infection-free, that her vitamin D counts improve (she cannot even stand or do any kind of weigh-bearing therapy right now because she will break a bone), and that her transplant goes well. She really needs the transplant ASAP, because the part of her bowel that absorbs vitamin D has been removed or severely damaged.

Lastly, please pray for Isaiah. He has been having a rough time again. He has more rashes, more leg pain, and even had hives last night. He feels miserable, especially at night. He hasn't been sleeping well, as you can imagine, and his appetite is suffering (he has been spitting up quite a bit and complaining of tummy pain). This week is our last week of Gastrocrom as well - we will have at least 1 week without it. Please pray that taking him off Gastrocrom won't end up being a horrible thing. We are still anaphylaxis free since November!!!

Wordless Wednesday and a Prayer Request

Prayer request first . . . little Stellan is back in the hospital. Initially he went to the ER for a cold - he was having some trouble breathing. After two nebulizer treatments with albuterol (an asthma med also used to treat lung inflammation), and getting ready for discharge, he slipped into SVT - the very same form of tachycardia Stellan experienced in the womb. He was transported to the nearest children's hospital where he is receiving IV meds that still aren't helping. To read more on Stellan, and to receive updates, please visit McMama's blog (click on her name or Stellan's name to visit). You can also click on Stellan's button to go directly to her page to read the newest update on Stellan.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wordless Wednesday

I just wanted to write a little post to let you know . . .

. . . that Isaiah is doing better!!! Thanks so much for your prayers! He still seems to be having a rough day today, but it could be from the lack of sleep more than anything else. He doesn't seem to be in any pain, he's just irritable. =0( We have been getting quite a few smiles from him, so he can't feel all that bad! =0) He has even been his goofy-self a few times. =0)

I think his sinus infection has actually cleared up, but we will continue the antibiotic for a few more days just to make sure (we were using the mupirocin in his nose twice a day along with saline washes . . . the mupirocin is the stuff we use on his rashes when they are infected). He hates the saline washes and the mupirocin in his nose - loathes it. =0) But, I am thankful that the worst of the infection is over!! =0) Hopefully, that means he will start to sleep a bit better.

As for the hives, the increased doses of hydroxyzine is working (and I know your prayers are!!!). We have been sticking to 4 doses a day (2 during the day, one at bedtime, and one in the middle of the night . . . okay, so more like 4 or 5 in the morning). We haven't had any hives, and thankfully the weather has been cool when Isaiah wants to play outside. In fact, the weather has been perfect - not too cold, not too hot. He hasn't even flushed the last couple of days.

Thank you so much for your prayers!!!!

---------------------------------------------------------

My Dad

I also wanted to let you know how things are going with my dad. As long as he stays busy, he's doing okay. He gets frustrated very easily - very easily. He has also been forgetting a bit more. He even gets a little lost when he's driving around town, so it usually takes him a little longer to get where he's going. The forgetfulness is getting to him the most, I think. He still stays physically active, for the most part, but forgetting things just irritates him. He has even been leaving the lights on or the TV - if you know my dad, that's soooo not like him. I can still hear the lectures . . . =0)

Please continue to keep him in your prayers. I know this has been rough on him - and it's hard to watch him go through this. It has been especially hard on my mom since he likes to argue with her . . . eh-hem, but you didn't hear that from me. =0)

(by the way, my dad was talking in the picture . . . not griping) =0)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, yeah . . . I forgot to mention that last Sunday the space shuttle launched. I'm not sure if this was the last one of the orbiter launches, or if maybe there are a few more, but the shuttle is supposed to be replaced with a new kind of rocket - like the ones in the beginning of the whole space exploration thing. =0) Anyway, I did get some really interesting photos of it, and I actually got the rocket boosters separating from the shuttle! =0)

Oh, yeah, and the really bright star???? That's the space shuttle in orbit . . . with it's cargo bay doors stuck open. =0)

Quick Update and a Photo . . . for Wordless Wednesday =0)

I just love this photo . . . even with his fake smile =0)

Flushing in his sleep

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Isaiah Update:

Sorry for not posting in a bit - things have been a little crazy around here. =0) Isaiah's leg pain reached a new high for him this past week - Monday to be exact. He couldn't sleep very well at all and was screaming from the pain. Tylenol, the only pain medicine we can give him, didn't even touch it. In fact, neither could I - he wouldn't let you touch his legs because they hurt that badly. I ended up holding the blankets off his legs just so he could stay warm but not have anything touching his legs. So, on Monday, we went to see the local allergist. I couldn't bear to see Isaiah go through the hives, itching, congestion any longer - I felt so bad for him.

Isaiah's local allergist decided to increase the amount of hydroxyzine Isaiah was taking - he now gets it at least 3 times a day, and a dose or so in the middle of the night when needed. It's hard to imagine that the absence of nasonex could be doing all of this - so the added hydroxyzine might be here for a while. The allergist thinks the nasonex could have intensified the situation, but she isn't too sure that it's the only reason Isaiah is going through this. As she said, Isaiah is just one of those medical mysteries so it's hard to tell what's going on in his little body. We are also going to go to the pediatrician to see if maybe they will do an x-ray or something - maybe that will give us a few answers as to what is going on with the leg pain (which could be masto-related).

Anyway, the hydroxyzine during the day seems to help with some of the rashes and hives, but you can soooooo tell when it wears off - especially in the middle of the night. It is helping, though. As his allergist said, there's not much else they can put him on right now - he's on a good bit of anti-histamines already. We have even switched from liquid zyrtec to a pill so that we can avoid alcohol and preservatives in at least one med.

As far as the congestion, Isaiah has a sinus infection. However, since he was on an antibiotic not too long ago, the doctor wanted to try something else first. We are doing nasal washes twice a day with saline and then using the mupirocin (the topical antibiotic that we use on his rashes) in his nose. Hopefully, that will help.

I will do my best to keep you posted . . . and if I hear one more person make fun of Isaiah for moving his head around "like Stevie Wonder" I'm going to give them an earful! Talk about frustrating and so unfair to Isaiah! I wish I had a good comeback for people when they say that stuff. Unfortunately, my mind works a little slower - I think too much, and don't always say enough. Any good ideas???

Please pray that Isaiah continues to stay out of the ER and hospital - we are so thankful we haven't had an anaphylaxis episode!!! Also continue to pray that it stays that way - things weren't looking too promising this past week, but it's so encouraging to know that the God we serve can do ALL things and hears us.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Dad:

I know some of you are wondering how my dad is doing. Well, he's doing okay - not so good, but has been worse. He really hasn't felt all that well the past few days - he sleeps for a little bit at night, then has a rough time the rest of the night. He says he hasn't been getting much sleep at all. He is irritable, he's not himself, and he's just . . . not very happy right now. I miss his smile and laughter, too. He's just not feeling good. About the only one that gets him to crack a smile every now and then is Isaiah - that child really knows how to make a person laugh! =0)

My dad doesn't say much either. For anyone who knows my dad, he's such a social person - he can't stand not talking to people. He'll talk on the phone if someone calls, but he really doesn't make much of an effort to call anyone. He will also talk a little if one of his friends comes by, but again, he just doesn't make the effort to go and see them. He even falls asleep during conversations with at least one of his friends (one of a few that visit almost every day)! The poor guy ends up talking to whomever will listen! Kind of funny, but not. =0) Anyway, the one thing my dad said this past week during dinner was, "We should all just go ahead and die. Just get it over with - it's too painful." I was shocked! My dad never talks like that - he's always said the opposite, always saying to stay positive. I wish there was something I could do to make him feel better.


Anyway, please keep praying for him - that he finds peace, joy, and faith. That he just doesn't forget that God isn't punishing him and that God hasn't forgotten him. I know that deep down he knows that, but he really needs to remember that through the rough times.

Quick Update: Hives and the itchies

I think I wrote a little about how each of Isaiah's meds were prescribed to treat one thing, but still helped other problems a little bit ago . . . I think. Anyway, because Isaiah is going to have an endoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in about a month, the GI specialist wanted Isaiah off the steroids - at least the nasonex. Well, two days later, we started seeing the effects of being off nasonex. You wouldn't think of it being a big deal - it's just for your nose. However, Isaiah does ingest the steroid in nasonex (which just happens to be one that is also used in one of his topical meds - mometasone).

So, along with a stuffy nose (that won't allow him to sleep), he is getting hives on a daily basis. With these hives, Isaiah is getting a red rash. He even gets hives in the middle of the night - I am sooooo glad hives aren't listed on the Epi Pen protocol. Last night, he had hives at least twice, along with flushing. It stinks. The poor guy itches almost constantly, and strangely enough (or not so strangely), the leg cramps have returned (bone pain).

He's such a trooper, though. He still wakes up (at least when he finally decides to give up on trying to sleep) with a smile on his face, giggling, and singing (or chanting - he has some sounds he likes to make). It's still so hard to see him go through this, though. You can completely tell when it's time to take his next dose of meds - he starts getting rashy. The hives, well, they just come and go. When they appear, we give him benadryl or hydroxyzine (depending on if we are at home or out), and then watch him carefully. Generally, the hives go away and things improve, but you can tell it's starting to wear on him - he's irritable. He even has swollen eyes and a rash on his eyelids.

I am so thankful that we have not had to use the Epi, but I am at the same time scared that it's coming. His body goes through these weird cycles, and it looks like it's going in one of those cycles . . . I hate that feeling.

Well, I think he's up again - I will post more in the morning (there's more to post). Please keep praying for the little guy.

Wordless Wednesday

Is it really Wednesday already??? =0) (you seriously didn't think I would let a post go by without writing something, did you?)

Isaiah is talking about an octopus and his "stinky pooty-poo." I just love how he says "pooty-poo!" =0)

Not Me! Monday

That's right, I actually remembered (again) to post a "Not Me! Monday" on Monday! =0)

Welcome to "Not Me!" Monday!
This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Okay, so here we go . . .

I did not totally spend Saturday vegging and that did not include staying my pajamas all day. I, like everybody else, always change out of my pajamas at least 30 minutes after I wake up. And, I most certainly did not allow Isaiah to wear his PJs all day either. Nope, not something I would ever do . . . at least not today. =0)

I did not go to bed last night without picking up after my son. No way, uh-uh. I mean he's always organized because I am sooooo organized and hate messes! Isaiah always picks up after himself, and whatever he might miss, I always pick up right then and there. Sheesh! =0) (Love, ya, Terry!!!) =0)

I did not purposefully purchase shoes for my son . . . shoes with holes I might add. Nope, even if these shoes were designed for breathability, I would not ever purchase a shoe with holes in it. (In case you're interested where I found these, go to http://zerogllc.com/store/) Oh, yeah, and I almost did not purchase the tutti fruity shoes for Isaiah, even though they were his first choice. =0) (By the way, if these shoes help his tootsies, I will let you know - it took me a while to find a shoe like this, so I hope it's worth it . . . and they do have discount shoes . . . ). I think I should also add that I did not purchase these a little bit ago and forgot to put this in a post . . . a little bit ago. =0)

Isaiah did not ask his Mr. Potato, "You want a one eye or a angry eyes?" He also did not shove several sets of eyes into Mr. Potato's compartment (the one in his tush) and say, "You just never know, you need them!" Isaiah does not watch Toy Story 2 waaaayyy too much! =0)


Isaiah was not singing "Old MacDonald" at the top of his lungs. He did not say, "Old MacDonald had a pig! E-I-E-I-Oooo! With a moo-moo *snort*! An-a moo-moo *snort*" . . . more snorting . . . then he started singing "Old MacDonald had a Mommy! E-I-E-I-Ooooooo! With a 'no, no, no!'" Of course he did not stop there, he kept going with the "no, no, no's." =0) Hmm, do I say that too often . . . . . no . . . uh, I mean, nah! =0)



I did not buy yet another movie for Isaiah. Nope - I mean, c'mon, Isaiah has a ton of movies already. Of course, I did not buy it at the SPCA either. Who could pass . . . er, not pass up a new movie for $1.00???? =0) (and The Brave Little Toaster at that!) =0)

Okay, so maybe the picture shows Isaiah is reading a book, not watching his new movie, but you have to admit, the picture is totally cute! =0)

Isaiah did not show everybody (including at church and at the grocery store) his "bad toot" (bad tooth). Nope, not my little man. He would never!!! =0) He is way too proper for that!! =0)

I did notbuy Isaiah a Wall-E sleeping bag for Isaiah, complete with flashlight and matching Wall-E pillow. Nope, I most certainly would not! I mean, after all, I wouldn't go out and buy a sleeping bag just so Isaiah could have one like the boys (my nephews) - you know, one that is more his size. Why would I ever do such a thing . . . and he most certainly does not love the thing!!! =0) (no, he does not sleep in the thing, in bed, either) =0)



Isaiah did not have more to say this week, and I simply will not write them all down to share with you next time . . . =0) Hmmmm, maybe something that matches with this one . . . .

=0)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, yeah . . . any guesses as to what this is????

=0)

Wordless Wednesday

And a video for you of Isaiah and his "cam-ra" =0)
"Hey, Mommy! It's a baby hedge-og!"

(Can you tell what his favorite shirt is right now?) =0)

"Not Me!" Monday

Yes, it's that time, again! It's time for that wonderful blog carnival started by McMama (in fact, for some more "Not Me's", hop on over to McMama's blog. =0) I know the use of "not" has confused some people, so I wanted to briefly explain that the "not's" in italics are sarcastic - meaning this stuff really happened . . . =0)

Okay, so here goes . . .

We did not go to Orlando for yet another doctor's appointment. When that doctor (that did not exist) did not walk into the room and did not sit down only to have my son not pull my shirts (yes, I had 2 shirts on . . . to prevent this) down to flash the non-existent doctor. Nope. Never happened. The doctor did not get embarrassed, and I most certainly did not get embarrassed. Obviously, 'cuz it just did not happen. =0) (I've been scarred for life! I'm not so sure that I can look the guy in the face the next time I see him!!!) =0)

Speaking of my son who most certainly did not pull my shirt down, he also did not lift up his own shirt and say, "Wook! It's a bad toot!" ("look! it's a bad tooth!) while pointing to his nipple. He did not just discover that he has one . . . he still hasn't discovered that he has another (seriously - he thinks he only has one) . . . and he did not ask me to put a band-aid on it to make it go away. The non-existent doctor did not have to cover his face to keep from showing us that he was laughing so hard tears were starting to form. Nope, never happened. Right???

We did not find out today that Isaiah will be having an endoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy in just a few weeks. We also did not find out that he will have to be sedated with gas and intubated for the procedures . . . and that the recovery will take longer because they will have to use gas instead of the usual propofol. Nope, he most certainly is not at risk with the propofol because 1) it is a known masto trigger (as in, it is known to cause anaphylaxis in masto patients) and 2) propofol has soy in it . . . one of many things Isaiah is allergic to. He will also not have to have an IV and will not have to be given prednisone, benadryl, and IV zantac to make sure he will not have a reaction during the procedures - Isaiah is most certainly not at high risk for anaphylaxis. =0( (Please pray for Isaiah and this procedure - he'll have this done in April and needs to be steroid-free for at least 8 weeks).

Our pharmacist does not know who we are. She not only does not know us, but she also does not know us by name - first and last - and does not know Isaiah's birth date by heart. She does not go get his meds as soon as we walk in the door and have them ready for us to just walk out with them. That would be absurd! They are also not in one of those large brown paper bags (you know, the ones you get at the grocery store), and some of the pharmacy techs do not try to shove them into the little drawer only to tell us that we have to come inside . . . and we most certainly have not completely given up on going through the drive through when we pick up Isaiah's prescriptions . . . and this is totally not funny. =0) (C'mon, you have to see the humor in this . . . big brown paper bag, the tech trying to shove the thing into that little drawer and then trying to push that little stick to make the drawer deliver the meds - I'm laughing at the thought of it - seriously . . . or not so seriously) =0) (another side note . . . it would be kind of fun to mess with the new techs, though - tee-hee!) =0)

My son did not decide to show the Schwan's delivery man his new "Buzz Lightyear" underwear and proceed not to tell him that he just went potty . . . and yell, "To ifibidy an be-yon!" ("To infinity and beyond!"). Nope, not my little man - he's too proper for that! (e-hem) Of course, I did not laugh when he said that either. I mean, why would I positively reinforce such talk??? =0)

I did not totally forget to write a post this past week about my in-laws being here and we did not completely have a wonderful time with them being here. It was not a relaxing time and not fun taking them on a tour of our town . . . and the beach . . . and to see the space shuttle. I so did not want them to stay longer. (miss you guys - it was good to see you!!!)

I did not totally trip over my own feet while in the store in front of a whole bunch of people. I was not laughed at, and did not turn red and laugh at myself . . . nope, I'm too graceful for such a thing to ever happen to me. ;0)

I do not have a week off from classes and do not have only 2 classes left until I graduate with a Master's degree in TESOL (teaching English to Speakers of other languages). Nope, and I most certainly do not have a 4.0 with 100% in my classes . . . and I'm not completely in shock about that, either! =0) (Hey, c'mon - I'm shocked and completely excited!!!!) I'm also not a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor's society either . . . eeek!!! =0)

Isaiah did not make a new friend at the non-existent doctor's office today. This non-existent friend in the non-existent doctor's office was not 5 years old and smaller than Isaiah . . . my son also does not weigh 41 pounds (he lost 5 pounds) and is not 46 inches tall. Nope, and he's not 3 1/2 either. =0)

Anyway, those are all the not me's for this week. . . I think. =0) Hopefully, I will remember to post some next week. Now that I let you in on my "Secret" (it wasn't really, I just didn't say much about it until now . . . no idea why either) . . . well, now you know why I was slacking on all my posts. Hey, the last 2 classes were doozies - English Grammar???? YIKES! You'd think I'd be better with my grammar after that class! HA! ;0) In all honesty, it's actually been a lot of fun! =0)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, to discuss the upcoming "surgery" for Isaiah, the doctor just wants to have a look around in Isaiah's esophagus and stomach as well as his lower intestine. He has a sneaky suspicion that Isaiah's severe constipation is being caused by an overly sensitive bowel (sensitive because of the masto and allergies). He also wants to make sure that Isaiah's tummy is doing okay on the dose of ranitadine (compounded zantac) and that he doesn't have anything else going on in there. Isaiah is on a lot of meds that he did sort-of want Isaiah to be off of for the procedures, but he really doesn't want to mess with the meds - it's strange how each one works with the other to keep Isaiah alive . . . seriously. Off the meds, Isaiah's reactions would be worse and more frequent . . . which would also mean that they would have more potential for being fatal. Masto and allergies stink!

The doctor we saw today was so nice and relaxing. He was doing his best to make a serious procedure (simple procedure, yet serious because of the anesthesia and Isaiah's anaphylaxis issues) seem very easy and normal. He was trying to make the situation sound less intimidating. It worked, but I can't say that I didn't get teary-eyed at the thought of Isaiah being intubated. The procedure itself (a camera being inserted through the mouth to look into the throat, stomach, and upper portion of the intestines; and a camera being inserted into a very small portion of his lower intestine) doesn't sound all that bad - I have even had an endoscopy. The procedure is really no big deal. It's the anesthesia and the intubation. Even IVs don't phase me anymore - even with it being Isaiah (he's so brave and calm when he gets them). I guess it's just strange to think that a machine will be making sure my son is breathing during the procedure and that they will have access to his airway for the "just in case." Ugh. I don't think I even want to think about this anymore . . .

I was also thinking a lot about the amount of meds Isaiah is on. It's an insane amount - 12 meds. Each one given to try and help a particular symptom (whether topical or ingested/inhaled), and each one working together to try and "control" all the other symptoms as well. Even still, it's a lot of meds. Yet without them - even without one or two of them - Isaiah's symptoms would not be managed and he would end up in the ER yet again. Yes, that still happens, but it could be much, much worse. It could be happening more frequently and the episodes could be more severe. Six Epi Pens (epinephrine injectors) sound so unnecessary, yet when one, two, or three just don't seem to cut it, then you have four, five, and six as backups - life saving, yet scary backups. It's horrifying to give one Epi, but even worse when you realize that you need to give another, and another . . . I don't ever want to go beyond that. I don't ever want to see that.

Also be praying for Isaiah's health right now. Last Wednesday, we had a birthday party for my nephew. My nephew had his cake and ice cream, and I baked a cake for Isaiah to have and had his special ice cream on hand, but still Isaiah ended up having a slight reaction that night. I really have no idea why, but I have noticed that we just can't go anywhere near the bakery section in Wal-Mart - he gets itchy, splotchy, rashy, and sometimes flushes. It only took a couple of times to figure out what was going on. Anyway, I gave Isaiah hydroxyzine and the more immediate matter was resolved, but Isaiah hasn't been the same since. He hasn't been sleeping well (last night he itched the entire night - he couldn't even fall asleep until he was absolutely exhausted . . . which ended up being around 3 in the morning). He has also been complaining of pain and hasn't been eating . . . except for popcorn . . . and a special hot dog today. Of course, he has also been irritable, but that's to be expected. I wish I could make it all go away for him - the itchies, the ickies, all of the stuff that goes along with this masto and allergies.

Anyway, I'm really in a good mood . . . I know, you can't tell, can you? =0) I am so not sleep-deprived and not at all slap-happy. ;0) I have shed a few tears today, but really, I'm not surprised that the doctor wanted to do the tests - I knew that he would. It's more of the other stuff that got to me. But, really, I'm in a good mood. =0) Well, I can't let a post go without posting a few pictures . . . and I can't end without posting a good one that will make you smile, too! =0)

He's pretending to be the "halo-docter" (halo-detector, from Wall-E) =0)

Goodnight!