Hospital Time...Again

Monday morning, Joshua had a follow-up appointment with our pediatrician to make sure the pneumonia was cleared and he was healthy again. He had started coughing and having a runny nose, and not breathing so well, so I was glad the appointment was already on the schedule. The doc listened to his lungs and checked him over and said he was fine.

Around lunch time, I called the doctor's office and said he seems to be getting worse and what to do. The nurse called back and said he's fine, it's just a virus and to give him some honey to help what must be a sore throat.

During the day, I gave Joshua two breathing treatments that didn't seem to be working or making a difference.

Bob got home from work, and I told him that Joshua seems to be struggling to breathe a little bit. He agreed, and he called the on-call number for our pediatrician. She said his lungs were fine, and that if the breathing treatments weren't helping then it must not be his lungs that are the problem.

Around 9 p.m., Joshua woke up screaming, working really hard to breathe, and would not calm down for about 30 minutes. I called the nurse line at a different hospital and talked to their nurses for a second opinion. She agreed with me that Joshua needed to be seen right away. Joshua had thrown up while I was on the phone with the nurse from being so worked up. I drove him straight to the ER and had Bob call and tell them we were on the way.

There were over 80 patients in the ER that night, and Joshua passed everyone and was seen immediately because of his age and difficulty breathing. His oxygen level was low, but not terrible. They gave him two breathing treatments in the ER and a dose of oral steroids. He was improving, but they went ahead and admitted him because of his age and not sure if he would go backwards over night. So, upstairs we went to the third floor in the pediatric wing for our stay. Joshua and I finally got to the room at 2 a.m. I slept for maybe an hour or two that night.

Bob drove Jacob to the hospital in the morning, and I took Jacob to school soon after. The nurse held Joshua the entire time I was gone (five minutes - you can see Jacob's school from Joshua's room at the hospital). My mom came down to stay with Joshua when I had to pick him up from school. Jacob was such a great sport the entire day despite having to leave for school and come back from school to a hospital room.

We weren't released from the hospital until 3 p.m., and Joshua is on medicine for the rest of the pneumonia that the doc thought was gone, but the x-ray showed it was still there, along with an oral steroid and breathing treatments. We have Joshua schedule to see a pediatric pulmonologist on Tuesday to figure out what is going on. The two times Josh has been in the hospital have been completely different, so I'm not even sure if they are related. I hope he can figure it out and get Joshua taken care of so we don't have to worry about his oxygen levels.

A scary start to the week, but glad it is over and Joshua is on the road to recovery.

Jam Packed Thursday

Thursday was Hat Day at school. Jacob has a ton of hats for some reason, but decided to wear his new Colts hat. This jersey is one my mom got for him from work, and it has his name on the back. Glad he enjoyed his hat day!

 This is what Joshua does when you ask him to "say cheese" for the camera. Love his little face!

 We had the Wiley's over on Thursday to play. Jenny was sweet enough to come while Jacob was in school and kept Joshua home while I ran to pick Jacob up from school. Jacob was thrilled to have his friends at his house when he got home. They had a nice picnic lunch, but trying to get a picture of five kids during lunch time and near nap time is just ridiculous!

 Miles had a great time riding Jacob's fire truck. For some reason, Miles is the only kid Jacob will let drive his truck for now. Miles tried driving with no hands for a while, little daredevil!

 This was the day Jacob came home with a cut on his chin, but apparently that didn't phase him one bit from jumping off of things.

Thursday evening was Jacob's first soccer practice of the season. After a brief meltdown, which was shocking since Jacob has never really had one in public, he had a great practice. He learned lots of new games and drills, and had a great time. He learned to play sharks and minnows, which he called "sharks and gnomes" for a while. He is such a fast runner, but funny because he'll stop and wait for other kids to catch up instead of winning a race down the field, haha.

Friday morning was my first meeting for a mom's group I joined this year. I wanted to take a picture of them that morning, but Joshua wasn't interested. Jacob didn't care about leaving left in a Sunday school type room since three other little boys he knows are there with him. But, Joshua was a nervous wreck, cried the entire time I was gone, and convinced some kind lady to rock him in a rocking chair until he fell asleep. He hasn't had a morning nap in 6 months, but was so worked up from me not being there that he fell asleep on a stranger's lap. Poor guy. I hope the next few times he does better.

More Catch Up

Jacob came home from school Wednesday with a DIY pony on a stick, or whatever they are called! He LOVED his pony, and we had to play horses all afternoon. I tried explaining the big race for horses is the Kentucky Derby, but he insisted we were in the World Grand Prix.

 He also made this party hat (H week at school). Love his silly poses!

 Proud of his painting in the lines at school - a view of both sides of his horse.

 Wednesday afternoon we decided to pack a picnic dinner and head to a park. The boys didn't eat so well, but they had a blast and ran the entire time. I guess we've been doing a lot of parks this summer! I love seeing them play together, and they laughed hysterically together the entire time, but then they were ready for drinks, and you don't mess with Joshua when he's thirsty. Had to post this picture, because it just makes me laugh! Joshua wanted his juice!

 Here they are running and chasing each other. Bless Joshua's little heart, he just tries to keep up so much, and good thing he really is a fast little guy or he would feel terrible. But, he does really run super fast for his little legs, and keeps up pretty well. They ran up and down this little hill over and over.

 Don't know what Joshua is doing here, but glad I got it on camera!

That night, Bob gave the kids their baths and did bedtime so I could go out for coffee with a group of moms. I don't remember the last time I stayed out talking for hours and having a great time without the kids. I was actually nervous, because I thought I was only going to know one other lady going, but I ended up knowing two and meeting some wonderful women. I had a great time, and felt lucky that I stepped out of my comfort zone and met some new people. It was great having some adult conversation and not worrying about getting home at a certain time.It's amazing how refreshed you can feel after a few hours away!

Random Pics

We have enjoyed spending lots of time at home while Jacob begins the school year and we all get use to him being gone three mornings a week. The positive side is that the boys have always been early risers, and not once have I had to wake him up for school. The boys wake up at 6:30 or 6:45 EVERY morning, and with school not starting until 8:30, we have plenty of time for a nice breakfast, getting dressed, and play time before leaving. I actually love that they wake up early and we don't have rushed mornings. I'm sure we will have plenty of time to enjoy those when the boys are teenagers. But, for now, it is nice to be up early and spend some time with Jacob before he leaves for the morning. Since he still naps, the time with him seems to go by way to fast!

 

Joshua has finally given in and started eating a peanut butter sandwich. He will only eat it on the new Goldfish bread, and only if you spread a thin layer of peanut butter with none showing where he can actually see or feel the peanut butter. Once we have that figured out, he'll eat the entire thing.

 No worries on the GIANT stacks of library books you see above. We checked out well over 20 train/truck/car/motorcycle books and have read them ALL at least once, and most of them twice. Jacob loves to read. Joshua, not so much. But, we are trying!

We finally remembered to take my parents' bread machine and made our first loaf - cheese and herb. It was delicious and smelled wonderful.

 Last weekend we took the boys to two parks. Once we went to Jacob's school playground, and once we went to a larger park out in Greenwood where Jacob had us playing knights and dragons, jumping over logs and running like crazy. He has such a wonderful imagination, and I didn't mind when he told me I am the queen and he is the king. I can get use to the queen title, right?! He had Joshua be a dragon since Joshua wouldn't do anything but chase us around!

 The "fire truck" above, as the boys at school play with it, was also the wonderful thing that busted Jacob's chin open during recess Thursday. I picked him up with a giant scrape on his chin, and he said he didn't tell the teachers. Silly boy.

It was hat week at school this week, and this is the only picture you can get from a tired boy after school and lunch are over. But, I loved his little hat!

 His name on the inside.

 Tracing the letters for "HAT." I am very glad that we have asked the teacher to allow him to continue to write his name with the lowercase letters, but still pleased when I see him learning to write all of the letters - he is doing suhc a wonderful job at school!

Zoo Morning

Last week, the boys and I took off for the morning at the zoo. I wanted to enjoy the break in the heat, and finally hit the zoo, knowing it wouldn't be busy since school just started back up again. I am still so thankful Jacob isn't gone five days a week yet!

 

Jacob will ALWAYS pick Burger King if given the option, and taking them out for breakfast was no different. Jacob scarfed up some french toast, and Joshua actually enjoyed the sticks as well. I always order them a breakfast sandwich and pull it apart so they can have egg and sausage, two favorites with the boys.

 

I attempted a picture of breakfast, and despite the happy attitude at the table, I only managed to click when Joshua dropped his motorcycle on the ground and was quite upset with not getting it back immediately. But, it was a wonderful breakfast, and I love when we sit together and talk and play. They are so easy to take places just the three of us.

 Since the weather was cool, the animals were all over the place. This tiger behind the boys put on a nice show, and Joshua ROARED at this guy more than anyone could believe!

 What my boys do when Joshua is not in the stroller. Even though I get frustrated when they are chasing each other through aisles at a store, it does make me laugh that they just immediately start chasing each other everywhere. Glad they could stretch their legs at the zoo, and with it being a quiet day, I could let Joshua roam a little while still seeing him everywhere. He loves not riding in the stroller!

 Mr. Bear put on a good show as well, swimming and playing. Again, Joshua roared at this guy and had everyone laughing.

 We rode the train, which is a favorite for the boys, of course!

 And, stopped for a snack before leaving to meet my mom for lunch. The boys were tired, and hungry, and ready to leave. Glad we are members so we can do outings like this for a short time and still be out by lunch time.

Super Why

This past Thursday, Super Why made an appearance at the Lewis home.

 Joshua really thought it was Super Why, and would not stop hugging his big brother. He followed him around the house laughing and reaching for a hug.

 Wearing one of Jacob's old capes.

 His fireman costume from last Halloween. He wanted nothing to do with it since it was not Super Why.

 Another hug!

 The super brothers back as regular boys, having a snack. I love when they are sitting on the couch together - they just seem so old when I walk in the room and they have moved to be next to each other, now that Joshua understands how to position himself and his snack and cup all by himself.

More Handwriting Excitement

Just when I was super proud of Jacob, he impressed me even more. In his bag today was a little book about feelings they made in class this week. On the back of one of the sheets he wrote his name, again without his teacher's help, and this time, perfectly done. They aren't even working on writing names yet, and he has the sticks for the "a" and "b" in the correct place. I make sure I keep telling him how proud I am of him to be doing this already. Especially with a boy, I want him to know how amazing it is to be doing such great handwriting at the age of four, especially since he just turned four May 31!

And, then he confused me with the picture on the left. I don't know if he made two, but it's the same sheet as yesterday. He told me someone took his home on accident and they brought it back today. But, both sheets he brought home have his name on the them. But, he never mentioned the one yesterday that was in green, and talked forever about this one, so I'm thinking the teacher accidentally put his name on the green one - Jacob told me the green one is Joey's and this one is his. He painted the boy completely, and he told me that the boy and girl are giants and the little blue and green area on the bottom is where he painted a rocket ship in outer space with the giants, haha. The picture on the right is just another picture he drew during free time in school.

 We stopped and picked up some McDonald's and were going to have a picnic outside, but Jacob wanted to come in and watch a show while he ate for his picnic instead. Love these boys to pieces!

 Hoping the rain holds out tonight so Jacob can have his first soccer practice that he's been looking forward to. Because of the pneumonia with Joshua, we have had to cancel a lot this week and he has been really looking forward to doing his thing tonight!

School and Sickness

Seems like school and sick kids goes together, and our family had to follow along. First, Jacob's school is off to a great start. I love hearing all about his days and what he comes home with. They had their first "homework" of the year. Jacob had to decorate a circle to be all about him. All the circles will form a caterpillar in the class, and we'll get to take the circle home at the end of the year. He did this all by himself - the glue, which pictures, what he wanted on it, and everything.

 Here are the two things that came home today. On the left is their painting for the day, and on the right is what Jacob did during his free time. He told me he just wanted to write his name. I thought he did a fantastic job for writing his name without anyone next to him helping him out. The lines for the a and the b are hard for even bigger kids to remember which side lines go on, so I was so proud of him for writing this all by himself! Normally, I am right next to him and he asks me about which side the lines go on, and for him to sit down and do this all by himself is amazing.

 Jacob was thrilled to find Lizzie and "Miss" Isabella on the playground. They are two of his favorites from his class last year, but they are in the older 4's class this year, so he only sees them on the playground. This year they have music class, which is new for him, and he loves it.

In other news, Joshua has come down with pneumonia. Poor guy just can't escape sickness when Jacob brings home germs from preschool. He has been such a trooper, though. He is such a sweet little guy, and he just can't help himself but run around all day even though he is so uncomfortable.

Luckily, his breathing treatments and medicine seem to be working very quickly. He is still getting use to Jacob being back in school, and misses him in the mornings. Even though it is only three hours, it seems like he is gone for so long and we are so excited to go pick him up.

I'm hoping Joshua can stay healthy this fall and winter.

 The boys enjoyed a popsicle after dinner. Joshua LOVES popsicles more than anything, and can say the word pretty well. As soon as you mention a popsicle, he runs to the freezer saying, "popsicle. door!" wanting you to open the freezer. I think he looks so big in this picture.

The one benefit from our new schedule is that I'm letting Jacob stay up a little longer before he takes a nap so we get some one on one time while Joshua takes a nap. Even though it's only about 30 minutes, I have been loving that time together. Plus, Jacob's naps are getting short enough that he wakes up before Joshua and we can have some extra time together. Joshua is getting tons of alone time this year while Jacob is at school, and I really hope Jacob can enjoy some special time, too. I love to hear what he has to say about friends, school, life and whatever he wants to tell me.

Tonight we were looking at our wedding pictures. Jacob has been asking about marriage lately, and has said he wants to marry me. I tell him he has to grow up, find a girl that is nice to him, and marry her. But he has to be 30. While looking at pictures he was asking about marriage again and asked when he gets married. I told him he has to be older and find a girl he loves. He was too sweet when he said, "But, how do I get her to love me?" Sweet boy is going to make a great husband one day with his huge heart.

Jacob has been using big words on a regular basis lately. Sometimes I forget and his words shock me. He kept saying "sophisticated" today. He talks about materials and just likes to use the bigger words to describe simple things. His vocabulary amazes me, and I'm so proud of him and how much he absorbs when people explain things to him. I told him he starts soccer this week, and he put his hand on his head. I asked him if he didn't want to start soccer, and he told me, "No, I really like soccer. I'm just shocked." So funny, little man.

Joshua is speaking so well, and getting new words every day. He is starting to say longer words, and follows directions extremely well. I'm proud of the boys, and hope we can keep them healthy this year without having to lock us in the house!

Play Room for $6

We have been drowning in toys. We were sick of sitting around the living room looking at primary colors, trucks spilling over the bins, random toys stuffed under the couches, and not having a grown up area anymore. Since Joshua sleeps so well, and Jacob said he would love to sleep in the same room as Joshua (for now, haha), we decided to move Jacob into Joshua's room and convert Jacob's room (the larger of the two bedrooms) into a full play room. It was a HUGE project, but a project we actually only spent about $6 on! Amazing, and we are THRILLED with the results.

I took these pictures before the sun was up (but the kids were up to see the room for the first time), so they are dark, but I wanted to get pictures before it was covered in toys!

Here is the view walking int he door. We took the closet doors off so I didn't have to worry about the boys pinching their fingers, and so it didn't take up any room they could have for playing!

 The wall on the far side of the room. We had one of the bookcases in the living room holding DVDs, one bookcase in our room with the boys' books, and the third bookcase had been purchased a few years ago, but never put together and was sitting in the garage. The cube organizer was in the living room with toys. We didn't have fabric cubes for all the holes, or for the organizer we left in the living room. But, we got rid of some baby toys and took them to a resale shop, received just under $50 for them, took that money to Target and only paid about $6 of our own money!

 Another view of the wall across from the doorway. There is nothing on the wall with the door, so there is a ton of floor space. The pictures don't do the space justice since there is no great angle to take the picture, but the boys have a TON of room to play without anything in their way. I didn't want to clutter the space all over the room, which is why we tried for almost all of the toys to be in the closet or on the wall with the bookcases.

 A view into the closet. The only thing that was there before was the wooden shelf up top. We really would have liked to pull it out and have a whole wire closet storage system put in, but we didn't have the money to spend on that right now. So, we took the shelving that was in the garage from a previous owner. Bob had to cut a shelf in half, but it worked and is perfect to get things up off the floor. Even though he hated to do it, I made him put a hook in for the Little People roads to get them off the ground as well. The stuffed animals will not be there anymore once we get a little hammock thing to hang them in to get them out of the way. The white baskets were holding baby toys, but now they are holding our Geo Trax collection. And, the shoe rack turned truck parking was in Jacob's closet for the same purpose already. I love the perfect size of this shoe rack and wanted to keep that in the play room. It is just so perfect for the trucks and makes it easy for the boys to find their favorites.

 The right side of the closet. Another shelf that Bob took from the garage. The wood shelves were just pieces of wood we had in the garage that Bob cut down to size. The plastic drawers wer had before, but were holding extra sheets. Now, they hold our entire Little People collection.

 The left side of the closet are things the boys will need my help getting out because they are heavy. Their Thomas collection, Play Doh, dinosaurs.

 And, here is the view going into the shared bedroom. This bookcase was in the living room holding random toys, but now holds the boys' book collection. It is packed to the max, so we will need more book storage soon, but it looks nice in the room for now!

 Jacob's bed.

 Joshua's crib had to go here instead of in the corner because of where the outlet was.

 Not much room in between the beds, but just the right amount for the boys to pull out the puzzles that are stored underneath Jacob's bed. Really, all they ever did in their own rooms before was sleep, so that's all we needed this room to do for us.

We haven't switched wall decals or decorated either room, but for now, it is perfect. Our living room is SPOTLESS for the first time in four years, and we are in heaven. We did leave one cube organizer in the living room to hold DVDs, their musical instruments, and Legos. I only wanted to leave blocks and things in the living room that were great for everyone to have out together and more of a family time together. But, everything is concealed and nothing spills out, so it looks fantastic. We moved our glider into the living room and bought a storage ottoman because we had extra space! We are beyond thrilled to have a great looking living room again. Next step will be to actually decorate, but I just cannot explain the relief we feel at the end of the night not having all the clutter in the living room. I love the boys having a great place to play, a place where they can keep their toys together, and a nice room to share until they are a little older and want their own space back. But, by then, they won't have as many toys and we will be able to store them in their own rooms. I hope Jacob and Joshua have a lot of great memories from sharing a room and from playing in their play room together. Jacob LOVES seeing all his toys so organized - he is very OCD about where his toys are kept and keeping things together that are meant to be together.