No Matter How You Say It

Glaedelig Jul --Danish (where I lived for a semester in college)

Froehliche Weihnachten --German (All of my heritage and half of Mr. GT's)

Mithag Crithagsigathmithags --Jibberish  (which my kids think they speak)

Shub Naya Varsh --Marathi  (the first language of Sunshine)

God Jul --Norwegian  (what Mr. GT says we are, now that we've lived in Southern WI for 20 years)

Puthuvalsara Aashamsakal  --Malayalam  (Banana Boy's first language and how my grandpa would have said it when he lived in India)

Feliz Navidad --Spanish (how Rose Bud will wish you)

djoyeus Noye --Walloon Belgian  (half of Mr. GT's heritage and one-fourth of the kids)

Hosa Varushada Subhasayagalu --Kannada  (the language of BB's birth place)

No matter how you say it, may you be blessed by the birth of the One who came to save the world.  He was born for You and for Me.

Merry Christmas!

Blast From the Past

Here is a little Christmas Greeting from Sunshine from 2008.  Wasn't he the cutest?  And, WOW, was his speech delayed!  I didn't realize how bad it was and how far he's come until I was watching old videos this morning.

Want a Free Kindle???

Donate to Erin at Precious in His Sight and you could win one!

Erin has been called in a powerful way to minister to the children at Sarah's Covenant Homes!  Her first trip coincided with our trip there in January 2010 when she stayed for a month.  She went back again for 3 months this past summer and now she is planning to volunteer long-term beginning in February.

She has done some interesting things in her lifetime--she adopted foster kids, she worked in international adoption and now she's devoting her life to helping out in India.  She does some administrative stuff for Sarah, organizing the kids' files and she also does medical trips up to Hyderabad with the kids.  And she just loves on them!

She's a super nice lady--I met her personally when we were there and we've kept in touch.

And now she needs financial supporters while she lives in India.  Did you ever wonder how missionaries do what they do?  They generally are volunteers!  They don't get paid for their "work."  They have supporters at home who cover their expenses.

I can vouch that Erin lives VERY frugally while she is in India and makes very good use of the money she has.  She has a crazy passion for these kids and God is most definitely in what she is doing.

So, if you'd like your very own Kindle, or if you'd just like to help Erin out, please hop over to her blog and make a donation for her expenses.  There is a tiny yellow donate button on the right hand side (it's a Paypal button, but you can use your credit card if you don't have a Paypal account).  She explains how many entries you'll get and the deadline to donate and be entered is Dec. 15.

If Jesus Was Born Today...

a Christmas greeting from the Livesays, Haiti mission family I follow.  They have an incredible ministry and an incredible blog.  Follow them Here.

The video doesn't quite fit in my blog.  You can click on the gray bar at the top (rather than on the play triangle) and it should open up on another page.

Heading Home Today

BB looks MUCH better today. He's sitting up. The Dr. had a stern talk with him about drinking enough. He had a blueberry pancake for breakfast and some yogurt. He is reading a Boxcar Children book now. That's more action than we've had out of him in 10 days!

Can't say enough good things about the staff here. They've been kind, friendly, helpful, responsive and great with kids--a nice feature in a children's hospital!

Mr. GT and the kids are decorating the tree, so we'll have that prettiness to come home to.

Banana Boy in the Hospital

Remember our pneumonia? Well, everyone has popped back quickly after beginning the Zithromax (except me--I got crushing headaches from it so after 3 days they switched me to something else. )

And except for BB. He has remained the same all week since getting the Z-Pack on Monday. The Dr. (love her!) called to check on him Mon. night and Tues. evening. Then she left for India for a month.

She had scheduled a follow-up for us for Fri. with the other pediatrician (who IS Indian!)so I was sort of holding out for that. Wed. BB was whiny but he didn't seem to have a fever and he said nothing hurt anywhere. I just assumed he was tired of being sick and tired of coughing and just generally feeling weak. Thurs. he seemed a teeny bit better. He got up off the couch twice on his own, he was sitting up, he ate a little. But in hindsight, really not where he should have been after 4 days on the antibiotic.

Ah, hindsight. They should make it available ahead of time.

So fast forward to Fri. morning. He woke up crying. Cried everytime I tried to move him. He did eat a bowl of cereal and drank some water, but his neck looked so thin! At 11:15 we left for our 12:00 appt. and he didn't even want to walk. In fact, he cried about having to leave the house for the appt.

At the Dr 's office I was surprised to find out he still was running a fever (do you see me not winning Mother of the Year here??). She listened to his chest and ordered another chest X-ray for comparison to Monday. Two arm sticks, one blown vein and a successful blood draw later, we were back in her office and she was talking admission. The X-ray looked somewhat worse and the CBC showed a mild white count elevation.

We hung out in the exam room for two hours while she communicated with the hospital and they got a room ready for a direct admit for us. That sounds awful, but he just laid on the exam table and rested. The alternative was to wait in the ER. No thanks!

Mr. GT had come by to switch his car for my van, I talked to Daisy and Pepper at home and explained to Mr. GT about getting Rosebud and Sunshine off the bus.

At 3 we left for the hospital and checking in couldn't have been smoother. I put him in a wheelchair at the parking ramp (he's too heavy to carry all the way up, even with the elevator, even having lost 2 lbs.)

So by 3:40 we were in our room answering 5 million personal questions from the nurse to help them personalize our stay. The pharmacist came in to hear about every medication he's ever had, the nurse and the student nurse AND the nursing assistant were here. We had the plebotomist for another CBC (didn't we just have one 3 hours ago?) The Dr., The resident. The IV inserter person (she didn't give her title). It sounds annoying but, really, they were all super!

The blood draw was not a popular activity, the IV even less so. Still he was very brave. The saline solution went charging through his veins and the antibiotics were begun. By this time Mr. GT was here with the bag we'd ordered from home. BB complained that his leg itched so we suggested he scratch. 5 more minutes passed and I glanced at his IV arm. Bumpy and red. I buzzed the nurse and within minutes she was here and we discovered the itch on his leg was hives too! She was going to let the Dr know, but I convinced her to turn the antibiotic off first.

Resident came in and everyone decided BB was reacting to the antibiotic. Note to future self: BB is allergic to Cephalosporin.

He got a shot of Benadryl and within minutes was asleep. Within an hour the hives were gone. The Dr.s will reevaluate tomorrow for a new antibiotic. He got most of this one before they shut it off.

Overall, everyone here has been terrific and VERY nice. This is a lovely hospital and he's getting great care. They're suggesting we'll go home Monday.

Grandchildren!!!

The girls and I spent the whole morning playing Life (you know, the Game).  We have a 1960's non-politically correct version that I got at a thrift store for $1.99.  There's lots of gambling, catching a whale and something about selling shrunken heads to a museum.

The girls, who have never been baby-crazy--they like them and all, but they don't sit around dreaming about being housewives (I mean, they all want kids and they're all willing to have large families if that's how they're blessed, and stay home and some would homeschool, but they still want to go to college and have careers--you know, balanced)

So the girls, who have never been baby-crazy were SCREAMING like girls every time they landed on a baby!  Rose Bud was the worst!  She was clapping her hands!  They even changed the rules so that the revenge space sent you back 20+ spaces to a baby space.

Rose Bud needed 2 cars.  I made them name their children and she had:
August
April
June
January
Summer
and then she adopted Julian and Autumn  (that's 7, in case you're having trouble counting)

Daisy had Samuel, Sarah and Seth

 Pepper had Sapphire, Lotus, and her twins Jonathon and Joseph.

Oh, and I adopted Phoebe and Caleb from SCH.

Fortunately, I made it to the Millionaire Mansion first, so they all had a place to gather for dinner once the game was over.

I made Little Cheesey Meatloaves for dinner.  50 of them.

Randomness in the House of Pneumonia

Pneumonia Checklist:
Sunshine--Check
Banana Boy--Check
Me--Check
Daisy--Check
Rose Bud--Check

Happy Thanksgiving, Daisy!

Cost of a Chest x-ray at our clinic: $134
Multiplied by 5= $670

Rose Bud, regarding Halls Breezers Pectin Throat Drops: "They're sweet and creamy with only a little air-conditioning." (the menthol)

Most consecutive days with a fever: 7 (tie between Daisy and Banana Boy)

The counter is so nice and cool

Most consecutive days missing school: 5 (Sunshine)

Pepper conveniently spiked a fever at the Dr.'s office while along with Sunshine for his appointment.

Curled up like a cat

Rose Bud conveniently complained of chest pain ("like a brick on my chest--only wider than a regular brick") while along with Daisy for her appointment.

Happy to have ONLY viral-induced asthma:  Pepper (when will *I* get pneumonia, Mom????)

Root cause of all this sickness:  Probably influenza, but possibly para-influenza

Enjoying??? putting together his new birthday robot

Number of days SOMEONE in this house has been sick with this:  30

The REAL hero:  Mr. GT who has taken the puppy out in the evening, late at night, in the middle of the night and early in the morning in rain, wind, cold, bitter cold and generally yucky November weather

Number of nights I can sleep on Banana Boy's floor before my back gives out: 1

Smile, girls!! (We ARE smiling!)

The thing I regret taking for granted:  Our previous HMO.  Walk in, be served, be treated, be happy.  No bills.

Banana Boy:  "cough cough cough, moan."

Will she need a chest x-ray after a nebulizer treatment (she didn't)

Winner of the Never-Whines Award:  Daisy

The thing I am most grateful for:  antibiotics (and alternative antibiotics for when the first one gives me crushing headaches)

There's a boy with pneumonia in there somewhere!

Projected date of being sick-free:  Sunday, Dec. 5.  We're invited to Nonny's for Chinese and St. Nick and stockings