Saturday, February 16, 2008

Much better today

Wren seemed his usual self today. He spent the morning with Heather and enjoyed being outside. She told me a funny story about him in the garden. She noticed him standing very still making a strange clicking noise and pointing. He had been doing it a while and wondered what it was. When she went to where he was standing she realized he was watching a squirrel on the fence which was eating a nut (hence clicking which is his noise for eating).

He stood and watched the squirrel for a long time. For about ten minutes after it ran away he kept saying "bye bye" and waving at the place the squirrel was.

He is such a sweetie. At Value Village (thift store) his favorite area is the big bin of stuffed toys. He takes them out and hugs and pats them. Today he picked up a baby doll and stroked its head gently and patted it. I think we should buy him a baby doll to play with.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Sickie update

Wren no longer has a fever but has something viral. He couldn't sleep well last night and woke hourly after 10.30pm until 5am. He was awake from 12.30am-2am. This morning it took him a long time to stop crying.

However, today he has been a clingy but happy version of himself. He loves being outside and tries to run off up the street at the slightest opportunity. He rushes the front door, climbs down the porch steps AND the rocky steps to the street, looks back once to check I am following and heads up the sidewalk at a an almost run. It is clear that he is fed up after months of confinement.

I hope we can spend a lot of time outside next week or even on the weekend and I hope also that tonight gets me some rest.

Joshua has txted me saying: I am not going to let him cry for an hour tonight. I would rather be up all night with him.

He didn't cry for an hour solidly but it was close to that with us going in and out after midnight. Even nursing didn't put him to sleep.

I took Wren to the doctor today. She said he does not have any obvious signs of infection but it is good that the fever has gone down. Apparently it could even be the flu. She mentioned that if Wren got the flu they would give him Tamiflu (I always want to type Tamilflu..) to mitigate its course. She said they have not had a bad flu season so far this year but that the vaccine is not very effective because the A and B's have few matches. I have no idea what that means but it sounded bad.

In other news, my mother is due to join us in Seattle (from London) on Saturday but I am waiting to hear whether she will make her flight. She may have to stay on with my grandfather because he was overdosed with morphine from his morphine patch which the nursing home staff administered for back pain. The doctor has since pulled the prescription but it was touch and go for a while. We are very excited to see her but may have to wait a few more days.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Sick, Again

Wren has a low fever and is feeling miserable. He has a bit of a sniffle and and upset stomach. He is breathing a bit fast and grunts a bit although I think it is more from discomfit than difficulty breathing.

I hope it passes soon and no-one else succumbs to this latest virus.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Frost vs Wren

The boys have been fighting. Yes, a 13 month old can fight with a 6 year old. This morning he threw a huge rock at Frost's foot and bruised him. In retaliation, Frost taped Wren inside his lion playhut so that he couldn't escape.

Frost has learned that if he wants to get Wren out of a room he shuts him in the room. As soon as the door opens Wren rushes out of captivity and can then be locked out.

Wren grabs a pen and scribbles on Frost's robot drawing. Frost takes Wren's interlocking blocks away from him.

I tell Frost to go and play in his room and not bother Wren with his own toys. Frost cries... "But sometimes I want to play with his toys. I want to make something!"

I suggest he gives Wren something new to distract him then take the interlocking blocks to his own room and shut the door. Frost dumps a whole tub of toys at Wren's feet. Wren is not fooled and follows but is thwarted by the door. Minutes later Frost calls me to admire the smiley face he has made from interlocking blocks and lego. It is very happy and smiley.

Wren pulls it apart.

This time Frost doesn't mind because he was finished. Still, I empathize. I suffered the same invasions from my younger brother. I explain to Frost that sometimes it is hard to be a big brother because Wren wants to do everything he wants to do because he's his hero.

Frost says "I am a superhero and Wren is my side-kick. Or I am Batman and he is Robin."

Uh oh. I hear shouting and doors slamming and now Wren is crying. Oh, and the telltale rattle of bead curtain tells me that another battle has been waged.