Before his recent dramatic escapades Jimmy reached 4 months!

Jimmy is 4 months old and Ben is 29 (that was a difficult calculation for me.) 

Ben is addicted to Kung Fu Panda and Hotel Transylvania and can recite Dr. Seuss's "The Tooth Book" pretty much by heart with a few key rhyming prompts.  He finally has all 20 of his teeth and brushing them is only a disaster three days a week now.  He is a kid who needs a routine and if that is disrupted we pay the price.  He likes to go to school and when you ask what he does there it is the same every day "Played with Friends"  He loves to go outside and has made friends with the neighbor kiddos and has been invited to pay with them sometimes too.  He LOVES to help cook, if I am in the kitchen he screams/whines for his stool so that he can reach the counter to help stir things, or pour things into bowls, or arrange on pans.  His eating is completely fickle, some days he clears his plate and asks for seconds and given the same exact meal a week later won't touch it.  We finally got him to stop using the pacifier except in his crib, and that is where it resides during the day.  If he is having a rough moment I sometimes find him hiding in his tent in his room sucking on his pacifier but he never brings it out into the living room.  He likes Legos and trains but more than anything dinosaurs.  His dinosaurs interact with his Batmans quite well usually all running from dragons.  He has less than zero interest in potty training, but he knows that if he does it he gets an M&M.  He is incredibly independent and wants to do stuff by himself - don't ever pour his cereal, the day WILL be ruined.  You have to read his mind to know if he wants his waffle whole or cut up and again, if you do not choose wisely, your day WILL be ruined.  He has memories!  It is funny, he will be doing something and he remembers that he got a snack in that particular spot or that he had fun and will tell you.  I just think it is amazing to see him be a real person and not just a little parrot, although that is fun too, especially today when I heard "dammit" echoing from the living room.

Jimmy has fully discovered his hands and feet. He always chewed on his hands and would grab at things but now it seems much more deliberate.  He is showing a very strong interest in food, he reaches for our plates and if you eat with him on your lap he opens his mouth as you bring your food to your mouth.  He is really close to rolling from back to front, he gets to his side then gives up attempting to whip that 18 lb 9 oz frame over.  He is 27 inches tall and his head is equally as huge.  he's a big boy.  He laughs frequently and just prior to our latest illness was sleeping solid 8-10 hour stretches.  He is a complete cuddle bug and a delight.

Jimmy is already trying to one up his brother

Poor little Ben has been an admittedly sickly child, he goes to daycare so we rather anticipated that. He has had croup, pneumonia, weird head shapes, broken teeth. . . . The list goes on and on and yet we have never once been recommended to go to the emergency room.  Lil Jimmy has three times now and is has a hospitalization to boot.

We went to Wisconsin to celebrate Doo-Doos birthday and see everyone and quickly everyone began to fall ill.  Ben had his usual perma cold cough to start, the second night Jimmy hardly slept - although I thought it was because he was in a new bed and because he was overstimulated from the adventure park we went to that day for Ben.  

By the third night uncle Aaron was brewing the cold and Sarah got it the fourth night.  All was well though, Jimmy started to cough but was still OK.  We headed back to MN and brought Nana with us.  We went to the outlets and the zoo and Trader Joes and were having loads of fun. 

 Except for the tantrum right before lunch. . .

Then Jimmy got a fever on Saturday night, Tylenol knocked it down but it wouldn't go away.  We brought him in on Tuesday and were told he had a double ear infection and chest congestion and left with a nebulizer and amoxicillin.  His fever spiked again that night and the next night he screamed - not cried but screamed - the entire night. He was not keeping food down either for several days so we returned to the doctor.  Long story short she sent us to be admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and persistent ear infection.

 To add to the drama that same morning my dear friends were boarding planes to fly in to visit for the weekend, so between navigating the road to Children's Hospital and filling family in we had to let them know what has happening.  I was not mentally capable of making a rational decision - luckily they were - and were able to cancel flights on time, although I do think that Caitlin may have already been en route to the hospital.  

We had to get triaged through the ER and poor guy got an IV and needed another urine catheter to check for kidney problems and a cannula for oxygen.  

 

He tested positive for RSV and we ended up there for three nights.  They said he didn't actually have pneumonia - that the fluids in his lungs were a result of the RSV.  He got IV antibiotics for his ear infection and some amazing green diarrhea.  It is so weird to have to be changing this many diapers for him, his usual cycle is a hefty dookie every 3-5 days so we are "enjoying" his more frequent deuces.  He started to feel better pretty quickly after the second round of antibiotics.

The goal he had to meet before going home was spending an entire night without needing oxygen to keep his oxygen saturation up. . 

 

And he did it!!

Through all of this Nana just happened to be here.  At first she was just coming through the previous weekend but with him being sick I asked her to stay and help, and then she was going home the morning after the scream fest and I asked her to wait until after his doctor appointment - thank goodness, and then she was going to go home Saturday but was able to stay because the hospital wouldn't let us go.  Whew is all I can say.  

I feel so happy that we live so close to such a great hospital, the entire facility is geared towards kiddos, the colors, the menus, the nurses outfits, it is really amazing.  Jimmy was never ever in any danger at all, he just needed more care than we could give him at home, but still, good to know they are there.

I got to have a little break from it all and see Ben as he wasn't allowed there.  From October - April kids under 5 are not allowed to visit.  Nana brought him to St. Paul and we went to the Minnesota Children's Museum which just happens to be having a dinosaur exhibit right now.  I can honestly say that I have NEVER seen Ben as excited as he was when he walked in and saw a nearly life size replica of "Daddy Dinosaur" and "Auntie Sarah Dinosaur."  He was running from dinosaur to dinosaur unable to focus on which one he wanted to touch first.  It was adorable and hilarious at the same time.

 They had a little face painting station set up which he rather enjoyed.

 A childs size kitchen that he could cook in.

 

Now poor Nana has the nasty bug - at least I know my little biological weapons work :)

We have been home now for a night and Jimmy seems to be better except for his voice.  If he wasn't pitiful enough with everything that happened, he now is hoarse and can't reach his previous levels of pterodactyl screams and may very well lose his voice all together.

Thank goodness for that and for insurance.  Whew.  We are going to meet our deductible this year for sho.