After Ben’s first round of antibiotics (Amoxicillin), he was doing much better. No more chesty cough. He was back to his usual giggly self. However, the rash which first tipped us off to Strep persisted.

We had given him Amoxicillin in the past and it didn’t work, but it was to clear a bacterial infection. We were told by the doctor’s office that for Strep, Amoxicillin was quite effective.

So, last weekend Adam asked me to bring Ben back to get another Strep test. They looked in all the cavities in his head and they looked fine. Then she looked at the rash. She said it wasn’t the normal look of a Strep rash. However, his bumpy, goose pimple-like skin was. She gave him the test again.

It came back positive.

I was surprised, so was she. She said she almost never sees it after a dose of Amoxicillin, but perhaps he caught it again or maybe he’s a carrier.

At this point we looked at Ben. He was laying on his stomach licking the floor of the doctor’s office.

We are now finished with another round of antibiotic (Azithromycin). At first it didn’t clear the rash, but we were also given a topical steroid cream (Hyrdrocortisone) and it seemed to work. I’m not even sure the two were related (the rash and Strep) but I’m just glad that we live in an age where these things are easily rectified.

Finally Ben is sleeping well again at night. I’m not getting woken up until somewhere between 4 and 6am. Given the past month, it’s considered a windfall.

Of course, as soon as that situation was solved, another one surfaced.

Last night just as Adam and I were going to bed, Jack woke up and threw up all over his bed. Nothing like having a sensitive nose from pregnancy and be bombarded with the stench of puke.

Unfortunately it didn’t stop. I sat upright on the couch while Jack slept on me, waking up every hour or two to puke. (Jack felt better in the upright position.) Adam got up and cleaned the various puke filled blankets each time. At 4am Adam and I switched. Just in time for Ben to wake me up, but I settled him until 7am. Adam didn’t get so lucky and was basically up all night.

We never send them out, but we love it when we receive each and every one of them…

2011 Holiday Cards

Yes, it's a Zhu Zhu Pet

Jack goes to an amazing pre-school. He is learning so much. I know if he stayed at home with me there is no way he would know things like his alphabet and how to use scissors.

One thing I am surprised about is that they occasionally have home work. Homework in pre-school? And it’s not easy things like watching them trace letters. It’s stuff like science experiments. Recently we were asked to make a diorama. A diorama! I’m not sure how long it took all the other families but it was an insane amount of time and effort. Adam was working with him for over an hour to produce this. And I spent a ton of time researching and shopping beforehand. I can’t imagine how much more effort it would have been if I didn’t basically buy everything ready for assembly.

It’s really freaking me out about the future. How will I cover four kids homework assignments every night?

Ask and you shall receive. Or should I say complain and the universe will turn around and bite you in the butt?

Huge snow storm started today. It’s finally winter!

I think my friend Joseph said it best when he wrote on facebook, “I think you can accurately gauge a person’s age by their reaction to an approaching snowstorm.”

Ben and I picked Jack up after school in the sled…

Ben had his mouth open like a dog trying to catch snow.

We played in the park…

Ben can't smile, his mouth is full of snow.

Then met some friends along the way…

Jack sledding with Lillian and Grant

Marriage is so great. I love that you can just go to sleep with whatever crazy contraption on and your spouse doesn’t blink an eye.

We watched Bridesmaids the movie the other day. All my pregnancy hormones had me crying at her want for a stable relationship. One where she didn’t have to scurry to the bathroom to put lipstick on before her bed buddy woke up.

I’m so glad I never have to go back to those awkward days, though I did have my share.

Like the guy who surprised me by taking his teeth out and put them next to the bed. I learned later it’s common for Rugby players to get their teeth knocked out. But it was very awkward at the time.

Lately I’ve been congested at night. Not fully, just a bit of blockage that pools in which ever nostril is on the bottom. Pregnancy has confined me to two sleeping positions – right side or left.

Anytime I turn over, the pool moves to the other nostril slowly, waking me up until it drains. Like I don’t wake up enough during the night with the kids and bathroom breaks!

So these strips are sooo amazing. If you have this problem you must try them. I sleep so much better! Whoever thought of them is a genius. Now if only they could solve my problem of an easy way to tie a water ballon my life would be perfect…