Now that Henry is talking all the time, we've entered the realm of the unfiltered comments. You know, the ones where your face turns red and your neck hot as your toddler tells everyone on the street that "Mommy shower nakey!" or runs around the backyard while you are cleaning up doggie do-dos yelling "Mommy clean up poops! Yay!"--both true stories. Of course they're more funny than embarrassing, more adorable than shameful, and definitely more hilarious than aggravating. But I think more than the embarrassing moment, more than the funny words, is the realization of just how much Henry is taking in, observing, and remembering.
This Sunday, we had a semi-awkward but mostly wonderful unfiltered comment from Henry in the middle of Sacrament Meeting. Henry loves to watch the young men pass the sacrament. He's particularly interested in the deacons, it seems, and follows them with his eyes as he stands on the pew, leaning against his Daddy. This week, one of our newest deacons was standing in the very front of the chapel, hefting two trays of tiny cups of water, watching as the Bishop partook of the sacrament. Poor boy tipped one of the trays, and spilled just a tiny bit from one or two of the cups; I'm not sure he even noticed he did it. But Henry did.
In full voice, Henry pointed at him and said "That boy spill! That boy spill!" Of course Derek and I shushed him, asked him to whisper and said, "yeah, he spilled, but that's ok." "That boy spill!" Henry announced again, turning as the offending deacon walked down the aisle and pointing at him again. For the rest of the meeting, Henry kept reminding us that "that boy" (who also happened to sit directly in front of us) had spilled a little bit.
Of course I was embarrassed, not only because Henry was talking loudly during the sacrament, but because that poor deacon had done nothing wrong and might have been a little embarrassed by a two-year-old announcing his blunder in front of the whole ward (though really, it was probably only a couple people that heard Henry).
His observation kept coming back to me (whether I wanted it to or not) throughout the meeting, and I couldn't help but think about how Henry is watching and listening to all that goes on around him. From the names of flowers, to the kind of lotion I rub on my legs, to the boys that pass the sacrament each Sunday. I wonder if those deacons and teachers know that he watches them every week, his eyes scanning the room, pointing at their ties and white shirts. I wonder if they know that he whispers "yeah" when Derek asks him if he's going to pass the sacrament one day, then says "watch boys, one day."
Henry picks up on so much and I love watching him learn. And I do love the subsequent announcements of what he has learned, too. He is so clever and quick--sometimes frighteningly so. As he learns, I find myself watching what I say, what I do, and how I react to difficult situations. I want him to learn only the best of habits and become the best he can be. Hopefully, he can learn to whisper at church, too.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Two Words
I've always been amazed at the power words can have on a person. They can bring you to tears or make you feel incredible joy. Sometimes, it is the simple words that have the most impact.
With Henry in our house the last two years, I've seen the power VERY simple words can have on a person, particularly my little person. Even just "no" and "yes" can take move him to tears or giggles! But I think two of the most powerful words for Henry are "Mama's here."
My poor little guy has nightmares sometimes. He wakes up crying, calling out for Mama to come and help him feel better. And I am constantly amazing at how kneeling by his bedside and saying "Mama's here" can help him calm down and fall back to sleep. Sometimes, that's really all it takes.
I'm so grateful that Henry knows how much he is loved and that just knowing that Mama is there makes him feel safer. He is such a joy in my life and helps lighten even the darkest clouds that come.
With Henry in our house the last two years, I've seen the power VERY simple words can have on a person, particularly my little person. Even just "no" and "yes" can take move him to tears or giggles! But I think two of the most powerful words for Henry are "Mama's here."
My poor little guy has nightmares sometimes. He wakes up crying, calling out for Mama to come and help him feel better. And I am constantly amazing at how kneeling by his bedside and saying "Mama's here" can help him calm down and fall back to sleep. Sometimes, that's really all it takes.
I'm so grateful that Henry knows how much he is loved and that just knowing that Mama is there makes him feel safer. He is such a joy in my life and helps lighten even the darkest clouds that come.
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Henry-isms
Henry says some of the most hilarious things. He also makes connections from one thing to another that astound me. So, I thought I'd better write some of these things down before I forget. Some of them are things he's been saying for months (which is years in toddler time) and others he's just recently started saying.
Henry Words:
butt = blanket
boots = Buco (pronounced "Boot-so" the penguin)
choc = chocolate
choo choo choo = train. there must be 3 choo's for it to be right, though!
cri-cri-er = Little Critter
Helloooo = he always says it in the funniest voice
Mick = Mickey Mouse
Non = Shaun (the Sheep)
Vac = Vacuum
Meow = Kitty
nin = Again
Da-Ee = Daddy
Whack-Whack = Hammer
Dill = Drill
Funny Things/Connections
The other day I told him it looked like it was going to rain. He said "rain off, Mama," as it wasn't raining yet.
Henry hates having the sun in his eyes, and he's convinced I can make it move or get rid of it without much effort. While we were driving in the car, we stopped at a stop light at the sun was right in his eyes. "Mama, sun off! Sun off!" he demanded. "Mama can't turn the sun off, baby, it doesn't work like that." "Yes, Mama sun off!"
We're trying to teach Henry about his little brother and that he will be joining the family soon. Along with that, we're trying to teach him not to crawl all over Mama's tummy. If you ask him where little brother is, he points at his own tummy. Then he lifts up his shirt to see if he's there and says "nope."
Running. When Henry runs he says "run, run, run!" When he's trying to run fast, he moves his arms back and forth, usually making his body twist.
Henry is always so excited when Daddy gets home from work. "Da-ee!!" He says, and then runs to give him a hug. But first, he says "Jack, off!" Telling Daddy to take his jacket off. It's the signal that Daddy won't be leaving again.
Things Henry Loves
He still loves sweeping. He quite often takes Nana by the hand and takes her over to where she keeps her broom and her swiffer. Henry always takes the swiffer. He wants to sweep every day, usually more than once. Nana is awesome and lets him help. But when it's time to use the dustpan, Henry frequently takes the swiffer right into the middle of the pile and spreads it around.
Henry loves to read. Lately, he's been asking to have the books we read before sleep right by his pillow. He has a stuffed animal Sully from Monsters, Inc. who "holds" the books for him while he's sleeping. After each book he says "nother, book?" or "more stories?" it's so hard for me to tell him no more stories, because I LOVE that he loves to read!
Speaking of stories: his current favorites are Little Critter, Go Dog Go, and There's an Alligator Under My Bed. He also really likes his Thomas the Tank Engine books and Each Peach, Pear Plum.
French fries. Oh how this boy loves fries. He is SUPER picky lately, but fries are something he will always eat. Whenever we go to a restaurant, he asks for fries and has started "fries, please" to whoever is at the window at the drive up or at the till inside the fast food restaurant. It's super cute and SO frustrating, all at the same time.
Cords. Henry has had this thing with power cords since the autumn, and wants to carry them around all the time. He likes extension cords with heavy multiple outlets on one end, and drives that end around like a car.
Henry likes to listen to the same song over and over. Usually each trip we have a new song. His favorites lately are: "Ob-La-Di" by The Beatles, Trashin' the Camp from Tarzan, Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida, Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, When Can I see You Again? by Owl City, Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble
Henry loves tools. He got some from Nana and Papa for Christmas and then some more from us for his birthday. He likes to bring them outside to help Nana work on projects all the time. He always wants to help in any way possible, like holding screws, placing the level.
Note--these are just a few I've thought of. I'll probably add to the list when I think of more. :)
Henry Words:
butt = blanket
boots = Buco (pronounced "Boot-so" the penguin)
choc = chocolate
choo choo choo = train. there must be 3 choo's for it to be right, though!
cri-cri-er = Little Critter
Helloooo = he always says it in the funniest voice
Mick = Mickey Mouse
Non = Shaun (the Sheep)
Vac = Vacuum
Meow = Kitty
nin = Again
Da-Ee = Daddy
Whack-Whack = Hammer
Dill = Drill
Funny Things/Connections
The other day I told him it looked like it was going to rain. He said "rain off, Mama," as it wasn't raining yet.
Henry hates having the sun in his eyes, and he's convinced I can make it move or get rid of it without much effort. While we were driving in the car, we stopped at a stop light at the sun was right in his eyes. "Mama, sun off! Sun off!" he demanded. "Mama can't turn the sun off, baby, it doesn't work like that." "Yes, Mama sun off!"
We're trying to teach Henry about his little brother and that he will be joining the family soon. Along with that, we're trying to teach him not to crawl all over Mama's tummy. If you ask him where little brother is, he points at his own tummy. Then he lifts up his shirt to see if he's there and says "nope."
Running. When Henry runs he says "run, run, run!" When he's trying to run fast, he moves his arms back and forth, usually making his body twist.
Henry is always so excited when Daddy gets home from work. "Da-ee!!" He says, and then runs to give him a hug. But first, he says "Jack, off!" Telling Daddy to take his jacket off. It's the signal that Daddy won't be leaving again.
Things Henry Loves
He still loves sweeping. He quite often takes Nana by the hand and takes her over to where she keeps her broom and her swiffer. Henry always takes the swiffer. He wants to sweep every day, usually more than once. Nana is awesome and lets him help. But when it's time to use the dustpan, Henry frequently takes the swiffer right into the middle of the pile and spreads it around.
Henry loves to read. Lately, he's been asking to have the books we read before sleep right by his pillow. He has a stuffed animal Sully from Monsters, Inc. who "holds" the books for him while he's sleeping. After each book he says "nother, book?" or "more stories?" it's so hard for me to tell him no more stories, because I LOVE that he loves to read!
Speaking of stories: his current favorites are Little Critter, Go Dog Go, and There's an Alligator Under My Bed. He also really likes his Thomas the Tank Engine books and Each Peach, Pear Plum.
French fries. Oh how this boy loves fries. He is SUPER picky lately, but fries are something he will always eat. Whenever we go to a restaurant, he asks for fries and has started "fries, please" to whoever is at the window at the drive up or at the till inside the fast food restaurant. It's super cute and SO frustrating, all at the same time.
Cords. Henry has had this thing with power cords since the autumn, and wants to carry them around all the time. He likes extension cords with heavy multiple outlets on one end, and drives that end around like a car.
Henry likes to listen to the same song over and over. Usually each trip we have a new song. His favorites lately are: "Ob-La-Di" by The Beatles, Trashin' the Camp from Tarzan, Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida, Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, When Can I see You Again? by Owl City, Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble
Henry loves tools. He got some from Nana and Papa for Christmas and then some more from us for his birthday. He likes to bring them outside to help Nana work on projects all the time. He always wants to help in any way possible, like holding screws, placing the level.
Note--these are just a few I've thought of. I'll probably add to the list when I think of more. :)
Monday, 16 February 2015
Birthday Boy
The day before Henry's birthday (yes, Valentine's Day) we took a picnic up the canyon and took some birthday pictures of him. He kept telling me "all done Mama," and trying to get away from the Camera. But after I started acting like a crazy person he started laughing and we got some sweet pictures.
I just can't believe how much he has grown up in the last year. I looked back at the photos we took in the Botanic Gardens the week he turned one and man! I thought he was grown up then!
Henry loves to be with his family. He gets excited when any of his aunts or uncles are in town and asks every day to go up and visit Nana and Papa. When he climbs up the stairs he shouts "Hello!" and gets really excited again when Nana and Papa say hello back. When Daddy gets home, he immediately shouts "Da-ee!" and "off!" to get Daddy to take his coat off (that means he will be staying, I guess.) He loves to say my name, so I hear "Mama" about a million times every day. It's how he gets my attention when he's ready to get out of bed, and I've found he even says it in his sleep.
Henry loves juice, chocolate, fries, toast, Cheetos, fruit snacks, bread with oil/vinegar, peas, and corn. He really is a super picky eater, which drives me to distraction. He doesn't want to eat much besides what I just listed--here and there he'll eat whatever chicken we have for dinner, particularly if it is spicy (especially Chinese spices). He loves to help, and wants to sit up on the counter while I make anything. He likes to put the bread in the toaster, and says "POP!" when it is done. We have to cut the top crust off the toast, or he won't eat it.
Henry is definitely our little helper still. He wants to help Nana sweep and vacuum several times a day and LOVES to help me clean the house. Now that he has his own tools, he insists on helping Daddy, Papa, and Nana any time they are working on a project. His drill is already one of his favorite toys (which we bought for his birthday) and he wants to help Nana sew, too.
Reading is probably one of Henry's favorite activities. He's learned how to say "another book" and so getting him to bed can sometimes take a long time. He likes to have his books in his bed with him, and he often grabs one as we walk out of the room to look at it before he goes to sleep.
Oh, Henry's bed! He is still a great sleeper and goes down so easy, but his bed has become quite the crowded place. He insists on having all of his pillows (around 10 or so), his penguin, his hedgehog, Duxford, Shaun the Sheep, his Mickey, Sully (from Monsters, Inc.), his bus, a sippy cup of juice, plus whatever books we read right before going to sleep. One night he even asked if he could have his vacuum in the bed! All of this plus his two blankets. Sometimes, he adds one or two things to the mix--like one of his other stuffed animals or a car or his little London snowglobe. It cracks me up--I have no idea how he sleeps with all that in his bed!
Henry is incredibly verbal and loves to play pretend. I swear he learns a new word every two days and surprises me with how quickly he catches on when we teach him a new word. Nana recently taught him "Bomb diggity" and he loves to say "pretty cool," something I say all the time. He loves to play cars and "choo choo choo" and he makes up great little stories every time. He loves to take baths and showers, and likes to play in the water for a long time.
One of my favorite things about Henry is how loving he is. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He smiles all the time and says "hi" and "bye" to everyone and every thing (including the house every time we drive away). Henry isn't much of a cuddler, but he does want everyone to know how much he loves them by smiling and saying hello.
Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am to be Henry's Mama. Even as I write down things he likes to do, what he says, and some of his funny little quirks, I realize it is difficult to capture the essence of Henry in words. I feel like some of these pictures show how happy and sweet he really is. He wants to be happy all the time and tries to share that happiness with everyone around him.
Happy Birthday, Little Brute. You make me be so much more and I am so proud to be your Mama.
I LOVE YOU!!
I just can't believe how much he has grown up in the last year. I looked back at the photos we took in the Botanic Gardens the week he turned one and man! I thought he was grown up then!
Henry loves to be with his family. He gets excited when any of his aunts or uncles are in town and asks every day to go up and visit Nana and Papa. When he climbs up the stairs he shouts "Hello!" and gets really excited again when Nana and Papa say hello back. When Daddy gets home, he immediately shouts "Da-ee!" and "off!" to get Daddy to take his coat off (that means he will be staying, I guess.) He loves to say my name, so I hear "Mama" about a million times every day. It's how he gets my attention when he's ready to get out of bed, and I've found he even says it in his sleep.
Henry loves juice, chocolate, fries, toast, Cheetos, fruit snacks, bread with oil/vinegar, peas, and corn. He really is a super picky eater, which drives me to distraction. He doesn't want to eat much besides what I just listed--here and there he'll eat whatever chicken we have for dinner, particularly if it is spicy (especially Chinese spices). He loves to help, and wants to sit up on the counter while I make anything. He likes to put the bread in the toaster, and says "POP!" when it is done. We have to cut the top crust off the toast, or he won't eat it.
Henry is definitely our little helper still. He wants to help Nana sweep and vacuum several times a day and LOVES to help me clean the house. Now that he has his own tools, he insists on helping Daddy, Papa, and Nana any time they are working on a project. His drill is already one of his favorite toys (which we bought for his birthday) and he wants to help Nana sew, too.
Reading is probably one of Henry's favorite activities. He's learned how to say "another book" and so getting him to bed can sometimes take a long time. He likes to have his books in his bed with him, and he often grabs one as we walk out of the room to look at it before he goes to sleep.
Oh, Henry's bed! He is still a great sleeper and goes down so easy, but his bed has become quite the crowded place. He insists on having all of his pillows (around 10 or so), his penguin, his hedgehog, Duxford, Shaun the Sheep, his Mickey, Sully (from Monsters, Inc.), his bus, a sippy cup of juice, plus whatever books we read right before going to sleep. One night he even asked if he could have his vacuum in the bed! All of this plus his two blankets. Sometimes, he adds one or two things to the mix--like one of his other stuffed animals or a car or his little London snowglobe. It cracks me up--I have no idea how he sleeps with all that in his bed!
Henry is incredibly verbal and loves to play pretend. I swear he learns a new word every two days and surprises me with how quickly he catches on when we teach him a new word. Nana recently taught him "Bomb diggity" and he loves to say "pretty cool," something I say all the time. He loves to play cars and "choo choo choo" and he makes up great little stories every time. He loves to take baths and showers, and likes to play in the water for a long time.
One of my favorite things about Henry is how loving he is. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He smiles all the time and says "hi" and "bye" to everyone and every thing (including the house every time we drive away). Henry isn't much of a cuddler, but he does want everyone to know how much he loves them by smiling and saying hello.
Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am to be Henry's Mama. Even as I write down things he likes to do, what he says, and some of his funny little quirks, I realize it is difficult to capture the essence of Henry in words. I feel like some of these pictures show how happy and sweet he really is. He wants to be happy all the time and tries to share that happiness with everyone around him.
Happy Birthday, Little Brute. You make me be so much more and I am so proud to be your Mama.
I LOVE YOU!!
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Second Birthday!
Today, I turned two. Mama and Daddy woke me up by singing Happy Birthday and giving me lots of hugs and kisses. I wasn't too interested in that--I care a lot more about getting "Brek" (breakfast), so Mama helped me get my bowl and spoon, the milk, and my favorite cereal (Marshmellow Mateys) while Daddy finished getting ready for church.
I was so excited, because I got to wear my new vest and bowtie that Nana made me! Mama and I picked the fabric out, and Nana whipped it out in time for me to wear to church today. I was so excited that I got to wear "Mick" to church! I also went in to Nursery all by myself today! I almost made it all two hours by myself, too (I saw Mama and then Nana in the hallway, so Nana came in for a few minutes).
After church, I got to eat one of the cupcakes Mama took for her Primary class. She said since it was my birthday I could eat whatever I wanted--sounds good to me!
While I took a nap, Mama and Daddy got the house all ready for my birthday party. The very best part was when Daddy woke me up, he told me to go out in the living room to find Mama and a surprise. Oh, it was an awesome surprise! Daddy had blown up more than 50 balloons all by himself for me to run through. At first, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to, so I inched my way to Mama on the chair. But then she said I could hit them--and that was so fun! Daddy and I played in the balloons together for almost twenty minutes after that--they were so fun!
Mama had made me a special birthday banner last night. I got to help staple it this morning, but she was so excited for me to see it. We had Mickey plates (that I picked out!) and birthday hats, too. Mama put out a bunch of pictures of me for people to see from my birthday photo shoot yesterday. She even put one out of me when I was born and then one of me when I turned one. She says I'm growing way too fast.
I was so excited to have all of the Bruton family at my party and also Papa and Uncle Dallon (Nana wasn't feeling well). We ate tacos for dinner, then I got to open my presents. I was so spoiled!
I opened Uncle Dallon's present first. He got me the COOLEST toy ever--it's a dump truck, with a drill that I can use to take it apart! I am so excited. I wanted to open it right away and play with it, but Mama said I had to open my other presents.
Nana and Papa gave me a new book, but the best part was the card--it said I get to have a day at the zoo with Nana and Papa! I am so excited! They also got me a subscription for the zoo magazine. I'm excited to see the pictures of all the animals.
Grandpa and Grandma gave me a box of Duplos--I'm so glad! We had to leave my Duplos in Cambridge, so it was nice to get some more to play with.
Oh--and Aunt Corinne and her family sent me a Duplo train in the mail! I'm excited to play with the train and all the new blocks!
Aunt Chelsey also brought me a new book, a big doggie that I already like to play with, and some new silverware. She brought it to me yesterday because she couldn't come to my party.
Mama and Daddy got me some new tools. I got a drill, a whack-whack (hammer), another saw, and a tape measure. I was so excited to get them out. The drill spins around and makes the coolest noise! They also got me a new cup for my juice: a BYU one with a straw! I wanted to use it right away, so Mama put some juice in there for me.
After I opened my presents, everybody sang to me and we had cake. Mama bought me my favorite ice cream (Neapolitan) and made me a cake in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head! There was a Mickey, a Pluto, and a Chip and Dale were on the cake along with two candles. I blew the candles out all by myself! One at a time, just to make sure. Mama was so proud of me.
I had such a great birthday. Everybody left just before bed time, and I was so tired from all the birthday celebrations that I just fell right asleep after reading stories--even with my floating balloons in my bed with me.
--Little Brute
I was so excited, because I got to wear my new vest and bowtie that Nana made me! Mama and I picked the fabric out, and Nana whipped it out in time for me to wear to church today. I was so excited that I got to wear "Mick" to church! I also went in to Nursery all by myself today! I almost made it all two hours by myself, too (I saw Mama and then Nana in the hallway, so Nana came in for a few minutes).
After church, I got to eat one of the cupcakes Mama took for her Primary class. She said since it was my birthday I could eat whatever I wanted--sounds good to me!
While I took a nap, Mama and Daddy got the house all ready for my birthday party. The very best part was when Daddy woke me up, he told me to go out in the living room to find Mama and a surprise. Oh, it was an awesome surprise! Daddy had blown up more than 50 balloons all by himself for me to run through. At first, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to, so I inched my way to Mama on the chair. But then she said I could hit them--and that was so fun! Daddy and I played in the balloons together for almost twenty minutes after that--they were so fun!
Mama had made me a special birthday banner last night. I got to help staple it this morning, but she was so excited for me to see it. We had Mickey plates (that I picked out!) and birthday hats, too. Mama put out a bunch of pictures of me for people to see from my birthday photo shoot yesterday. She even put one out of me when I was born and then one of me when I turned one. She says I'm growing way too fast.
I was so excited to have all of the Bruton family at my party and also Papa and Uncle Dallon (Nana wasn't feeling well). We ate tacos for dinner, then I got to open my presents. I was so spoiled!
I opened Uncle Dallon's present first. He got me the COOLEST toy ever--it's a dump truck, with a drill that I can use to take it apart! I am so excited. I wanted to open it right away and play with it, but Mama said I had to open my other presents.
Nana and Papa gave me a new book, but the best part was the card--it said I get to have a day at the zoo with Nana and Papa! I am so excited! They also got me a subscription for the zoo magazine. I'm excited to see the pictures of all the animals.
Grandpa and Grandma gave me a box of Duplos--I'm so glad! We had to leave my Duplos in Cambridge, so it was nice to get some more to play with.
Oh--and Aunt Corinne and her family sent me a Duplo train in the mail! I'm excited to play with the train and all the new blocks!
Aunt Chelsey also brought me a new book, a big doggie that I already like to play with, and some new silverware. She brought it to me yesterday because she couldn't come to my party.
Mama and Daddy got me some new tools. I got a drill, a whack-whack (hammer), another saw, and a tape measure. I was so excited to get them out. The drill spins around and makes the coolest noise! They also got me a new cup for my juice: a BYU one with a straw! I wanted to use it right away, so Mama put some juice in there for me.
After I opened my presents, everybody sang to me and we had cake. Mama bought me my favorite ice cream (Neapolitan) and made me a cake in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head! There was a Mickey, a Pluto, and a Chip and Dale were on the cake along with two candles. I blew the candles out all by myself! One at a time, just to make sure. Mama was so proud of me.
I had such a great birthday. Everybody left just before bed time, and I was so tired from all the birthday celebrations that I just fell right asleep after reading stories--even with my floating balloons in my bed with me.
--Little Brute
Friday, 23 January 2015
Book #1 from our Cambridge Year
Finished our book for our first term while we were at Cambridge! I reread and reread, had Derek read and reread, but I'm sure there are a few typos somewhere (BUT DON'T TELL ME ABOUT THEM!)
Anyway--enjoy the preview. :) I can't wait for it to arrive on our door step in a few weeks!
Anyway--enjoy the preview. :) I can't wait for it to arrive on our door step in a few weeks!
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
Bumps, ER, Measles, Benadryl
Henry and I had quite the adventure this week.
Sunday, Derek brought him home early from church. He had been up much of the night coughing and was so tired. He almost immediately took an hour nap once they got home. When I got home, I tried (and failed) to get him to eat, then took him to the bath to try and help him relax a little. Well, I noticed a bunch of little hives all over his back and tummy. Not a ton, but enough to be noticeable. We figured it was probably the cough medicine that Derek had run to get that morning at 6am--all CVS had left was some random homeopathic recipe, something Henry hadn't ever had.
By the time Henry woke up from his second nap that afternoon, they were covering his trunk and moved on to his arms and legs. Before he went to bed, I called the on-call doctor to see what we should do. She said it sounded like a viral rash, which would accompany the coughing. However, she warned me that if it moved to his face and anywhere near his mouth I would need to take him to the emergency room.
So, at the request of Henry and to my relief, Derek slept next to Henry for most of the night. And by that, I mean Derek pulled the crib mattress out from under Henry's bed and slept on that with one of Henry's toddler size blankets. Of course I offered to get him a real blanket etc., but Daddy insisted that was enough. I was so grateful, though. It meant I got to get a little bit of sleep, knowing Henry was under the semi-sleepy but at least watchful eye of his Daddy.
Derek left for work around 7, telling me he couldn't see much of Henry's face and didn't want to wake him. I agreed, and fell back asleep.
Henry usually gets up around 8:30 or 9 these days, so when 9:30 rolled around I figured he was just tired from the rough night. At 10, I started getting a little worried and went in to check on him. I actually woke him up which surprised me. When he sat up and gave me his usual cheerful "hi! good!" I nearly wept--his entire face, ears, mouth, neck, hands, fingers, everything was covered in harsh red bumps.
"Well Little Brute," I said scooping him up. "Let's change your diaper and go to the dr."
I called our dr. just to make sure I HAD to take him to the ER and not to her office. I was hoping they'd say come on in--less wait time, he knows some of the nurses there, etc.--but they said they wouldn't even see him, just send us across the street to the ER. Might as well skip the step and go straight to the hospital.
I packed some fruit snacks, a full cup of water, diapers, and a bag full of chocolate covered raisins for me and headed over to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, calling Daddy on the way.
When we arrived, the triage nurse took one look at us and said, "he better get a mask on." Thus began the screaming.
Henry HATED the mask. We were allowed to take it off once we got through the initial check-in and were in the triage room. But then they started taking Henry's vitals and he started crying and "no, no, no, no" as he pushed the nurses' hands away from him. I had to hold him down while they took his temp, his blood pressure, and checked his heart rate. He cried and reached for me when they weighed him and then measured him.
When they told him he had to wear a mask back to the examination room, I put one on myself hoping to show him it wasn't scary. Didn't work. I ended up holding it to his face while the nurses helped me carry our coats, his blanket, and his stuffed penguin, Buco back to exam room 6 where I was told we would be for the next 3-5 hours. Say what?!
Luckily, the ER Dr. assigned to us only had one patient before us, so he saw us quickly. He was very kind and very nice to Henry--he actually got him to relax a little. A little. As soon as I mentioned that Henry had been taking amoxicillin he said "ah, I bet that's what he is." I guess his daughter had a very similar reaction--no problem until the last day of the medication, just like Henry. He checked the inside of Henry's mouth and said, "no sores inside, so we can probably discount measles. However, because of the recent outbreak, we have to treat it like that until we know for certain. Unfortunately, these spots look exactly like the spots a measles victim would experience display."
So, poor Henry had a little tag placed on his head (figuratively, of course) saying--measles!
For the next three and half hours, poor little guy had a slew of nurses come in and out poking and prodding him.
A very kind male nurse took a sample from Henry's nose. He was so nice, Henry was almost smiling, until he stuck something up Henry's nose. That was the end of that friendship. (at least until he brought both of us some juice, then Henry decided he was mostly all right, because he actually looked at him). But it was nowhere near as horrible as the nurse who took a throat culture--I could relate to that. I HATED those when I had strep throat so often as a kid.
I would finally get Henry calmed down and then another nurse would come in. They had to keep checking his vitals to see if anything had changed.
About 45 minutes before we were finally released, they told me they would have to take a blood sample. I must admit, I've never felt like such a horrible human being until then. I had to hold my sick, feverish baby tight--his arms, his head, as a nurse poked him with a needle. Unfortunately the blood wasn't coming quickly, so she had to wiggle the needle around in his arm. As Henry screamed "Mama, no" over and over again, I rubbed his hair and held his right arm down. The second nurse gripped his left arm steady as the first nurse was finally able to get enough blood.
Poor Little Brute didn't want the bandage on his arm either--so I got one too. He let them put it on after that.
I was so grateful when they finally brought some Motrin for Henry, some cold water, and told us we could go home. But not without a packet of instructions.
Henry and I were both under house arrest for the next 48 hours--at least. No visitors, no leaving the house. We couldn't even stop anywhere for a drink on the way home. The Center for Infectious Diseases would either be contacting us with bad news (measles and quarantine for 14 days) or our pediatrician would call us with good news (Henry's simply allergic to the antibiotic).
I'm not going to lie--the next two days were rather miserable. Henry was fine with staying home, but it meant two very long days for this mama, waiting for the verdict from the Dr. I kept thinking about what the measles would mean for us and the fact that Henry had held his 3 week old cousin just the day before the spots showed up.
Two anxious days and two horrible nights later, I called the Dr.'s office and asked when I would hear the results. They called me back about an hour later with HAPPY news! YAY! No measles and we can go out and be normal people again.
As horrible and draining as the whole experience was, I tried to look on the bright side. First, as I sat and let people poke and prod my poor baby, I kept thinking about the mothers of children with terminal illnesses. How do they do it? How do they watch their children suffer, crying out for them to make it stop? I've always been afraid that I would be called on to endure that, and today just confirmed that I'm not sure I would be able to do it. Henry and I said a prayer when we got in the car on the way home and said thank you to our Heavenly Father for all the doctors and nurses that helped him, and prayed that we wouldn't have to go back to the hospital again.
Second--every single nurse and doctor that we came in contact with asked me if Henry was up to date on his immunizations. When I replied in the affirmative, each time they said. "Oh good. Thank you." I'm not even going to enter the debate on vaccines, because my opinion is firm and will never change. But I couldn't help but be proud that I had taken every possible step I could to take care of my baby. Sometimes, things still happen. There is always a margin of error for each vaccine (heck, I had the mumps!), but I am still so grateful that Derek and I have done what we could to keep Henry safe.
And as Derek and I prayed together each morning and night the last few days, we have offered our gratitude for modern medicine, that even if it was the measles, Henry would have the best possible care.
While we did get good news today and started giving Henry Benadryl to combat the allergic reaction, his body is still quite covered in spots. I took these pictures yesterday, and he already looked SO much better than the day before (even without the Benadryl). Seriously--he looks good here, especially his face. But perhaps you can see why I was freaking out a bit...
By the time Henry woke up from his second nap that afternoon, they were covering his trunk and moved on to his arms and legs. Before he went to bed, I called the on-call doctor to see what we should do. She said it sounded like a viral rash, which would accompany the coughing. However, she warned me that if it moved to his face and anywhere near his mouth I would need to take him to the emergency room.
So, at the request of Henry and to my relief, Derek slept next to Henry for most of the night. And by that, I mean Derek pulled the crib mattress out from under Henry's bed and slept on that with one of Henry's toddler size blankets. Of course I offered to get him a real blanket etc., but Daddy insisted that was enough. I was so grateful, though. It meant I got to get a little bit of sleep, knowing Henry was under the semi-sleepy but at least watchful eye of his Daddy.
Derek left for work around 7, telling me he couldn't see much of Henry's face and didn't want to wake him. I agreed, and fell back asleep.
Henry usually gets up around 8:30 or 9 these days, so when 9:30 rolled around I figured he was just tired from the rough night. At 10, I started getting a little worried and went in to check on him. I actually woke him up which surprised me. When he sat up and gave me his usual cheerful "hi! good!" I nearly wept--his entire face, ears, mouth, neck, hands, fingers, everything was covered in harsh red bumps.
"Well Little Brute," I said scooping him up. "Let's change your diaper and go to the dr."
I called our dr. just to make sure I HAD to take him to the ER and not to her office. I was hoping they'd say come on in--less wait time, he knows some of the nurses there, etc.--but they said they wouldn't even see him, just send us across the street to the ER. Might as well skip the step and go straight to the hospital.
I packed some fruit snacks, a full cup of water, diapers, and a bag full of chocolate covered raisins for me and headed over to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, calling Daddy on the way.
When we arrived, the triage nurse took one look at us and said, "he better get a mask on." Thus began the screaming.
Henry HATED the mask. We were allowed to take it off once we got through the initial check-in and were in the triage room. But then they started taking Henry's vitals and he started crying and "no, no, no, no" as he pushed the nurses' hands away from him. I had to hold him down while they took his temp, his blood pressure, and checked his heart rate. He cried and reached for me when they weighed him and then measured him.
When they told him he had to wear a mask back to the examination room, I put one on myself hoping to show him it wasn't scary. Didn't work. I ended up holding it to his face while the nurses helped me carry our coats, his blanket, and his stuffed penguin, Buco back to exam room 6 where I was told we would be for the next 3-5 hours. Say what?!
Luckily, the ER Dr. assigned to us only had one patient before us, so he saw us quickly. He was very kind and very nice to Henry--he actually got him to relax a little. A little. As soon as I mentioned that Henry had been taking amoxicillin he said "ah, I bet that's what he is." I guess his daughter had a very similar reaction--no problem until the last day of the medication, just like Henry. He checked the inside of Henry's mouth and said, "no sores inside, so we can probably discount measles. However, because of the recent outbreak, we have to treat it like that until we know for certain. Unfortunately, these spots look exactly like the spots a measles victim would experience display."
So, poor Henry had a little tag placed on his head (figuratively, of course) saying--measles!
For the next three and half hours, poor little guy had a slew of nurses come in and out poking and prodding him.
A very kind male nurse took a sample from Henry's nose. He was so nice, Henry was almost smiling, until he stuck something up Henry's nose. That was the end of that friendship. (at least until he brought both of us some juice, then Henry decided he was mostly all right, because he actually looked at him). But it was nowhere near as horrible as the nurse who took a throat culture--I could relate to that. I HATED those when I had strep throat so often as a kid.
I would finally get Henry calmed down and then another nurse would come in. They had to keep checking his vitals to see if anything had changed.
About 45 minutes before we were finally released, they told me they would have to take a blood sample. I must admit, I've never felt like such a horrible human being until then. I had to hold my sick, feverish baby tight--his arms, his head, as a nurse poked him with a needle. Unfortunately the blood wasn't coming quickly, so she had to wiggle the needle around in his arm. As Henry screamed "Mama, no" over and over again, I rubbed his hair and held his right arm down. The second nurse gripped his left arm steady as the first nurse was finally able to get enough blood.
Poor Little Brute didn't want the bandage on his arm either--so I got one too. He let them put it on after that.
I was so grateful when they finally brought some Motrin for Henry, some cold water, and told us we could go home. But not without a packet of instructions.
Henry and I were both under house arrest for the next 48 hours--at least. No visitors, no leaving the house. We couldn't even stop anywhere for a drink on the way home. The Center for Infectious Diseases would either be contacting us with bad news (measles and quarantine for 14 days) or our pediatrician would call us with good news (Henry's simply allergic to the antibiotic).
I'm not going to lie--the next two days were rather miserable. Henry was fine with staying home, but it meant two very long days for this mama, waiting for the verdict from the Dr. I kept thinking about what the measles would mean for us and the fact that Henry had held his 3 week old cousin just the day before the spots showed up.
Two anxious days and two horrible nights later, I called the Dr.'s office and asked when I would hear the results. They called me back about an hour later with HAPPY news! YAY! No measles and we can go out and be normal people again.
As horrible and draining as the whole experience was, I tried to look on the bright side. First, as I sat and let people poke and prod my poor baby, I kept thinking about the mothers of children with terminal illnesses. How do they do it? How do they watch their children suffer, crying out for them to make it stop? I've always been afraid that I would be called on to endure that, and today just confirmed that I'm not sure I would be able to do it. Henry and I said a prayer when we got in the car on the way home and said thank you to our Heavenly Father for all the doctors and nurses that helped him, and prayed that we wouldn't have to go back to the hospital again.
Second--every single nurse and doctor that we came in contact with asked me if Henry was up to date on his immunizations. When I replied in the affirmative, each time they said. "Oh good. Thank you." I'm not even going to enter the debate on vaccines, because my opinion is firm and will never change. But I couldn't help but be proud that I had taken every possible step I could to take care of my baby. Sometimes, things still happen. There is always a margin of error for each vaccine (heck, I had the mumps!), but I am still so grateful that Derek and I have done what we could to keep Henry safe.
And as Derek and I prayed together each morning and night the last few days, we have offered our gratitude for modern medicine, that even if it was the measles, Henry would have the best possible care.
While we did get good news today and started giving Henry Benadryl to combat the allergic reaction, his body is still quite covered in spots. I took these pictures yesterday, and he already looked SO much better than the day before (even without the Benadryl). Seriously--he looks good here, especially his face. But perhaps you can see why I was freaking out a bit...
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