Update

Well, it has been three months, I think it is about time for an update.
We started off January with lots of house guests. The first was my good friend Laurie Lough who used to live here. Her and the kids came down while Jeremy (Dad) had a rotation for his ENT residency away from home. Miles is five and a half and was a huge help in healing my heart after Ethan died. He was about 11 months old and was 'my little boy' for about a year until Nathan was born. Lily and Nathan wew born 27 days apart, and man is she a doll! These were taken on January 13, 2009.


Next are just some pictures of the boys hangin' out before bedtime. Jan. 20, 2009


We got the privilege of helping out our friends the Ben and Alisha Loveridge as they prepared to move. They used our house as a base of operations, and ended up staying the night their last night in town. Now they have moved on to bigger and better things in Colorado Springs, Colorado. And I can't wait to come for a visit!!! Jan. 24, 2009


At different intervals throughout the day this is what you will see at our house. Two boys sitting at the window watching cars go by. Seriously, this is one of their favorite past times. It is so funny. Feb. 16, 2009



So, I do have a good excuse for not being on top of my blog. This semester I have started back at college. I am just taking two classes, Psychology and British Literature I. I am really enjoying it. My Mom watches the boys for me. Thanks again Mom!!! Feb. 26, 2009

Here is Dad and the boys rough housing. I don't always like to watch. But Scott hasn't seriously injured them yet, knock on wood, and they love it. Mar. 1, 2009

Cade is saying, "Rawr!"

These next picture were taken of our bedtime routine. We line up the boys to change diapers and put on pull ups. They aren't always very cooperative. I can't believe how big Nathan is getting. He is such a kid now, his baby fat is all gone :( . Mar. 2, 2009





This is a picture of all of the preschool kids together. They have so much fun together now. Mar. 3, 2003

From left to right is: Haden Burstedt, Parker Clawson, Hannah Sears, Rebeccah Burr, Alex Spencer, and Nathan Nelson.

So, just a quick update, we have been so sick. I am going to try and give a list of all the things we have had the last month. Nathan had strep throat, a bacterial ear infection, and pink eye. Caden had a virus (probably just a cold, but I thought he might have been getting strep, but of course not, it had to be something completely different), he had a low grade fever for six days. Then a week later (no fever) we found he had a double ear infection. He also has had pink eye.
Now, let me describe a little incedent that happened on Feb. 20, 2009. Caden was in the midst of his low grade fever when he got mad at me for not giving him my cup of water. All my kids do this no breathing cry when they get hurt or are really upset. He proceeded to do this, but after I thought he should have started breathing again, I realized something was wrong. He looked at me terrified with his mouth wide open, head back, like he was in the midst of his crying, but couldn't take a breath. I thought he was having an allergic reaction and his throat was closing up. I started screaming at him to breath and his eyes rolled back into his head and he went blue. I had him in my arms and ran to the kitchen to get a phone when he started having what I thought was a siezure. His back was arched, I couldn't move him and his arms and hands were taut and curled into his body. I had been sitting next to a friend when her son had had a still siezure from hitting his head. It looked just like he had. Caden still wasn't breathing as I called 911 and I checked for a pulse, which he had, and laid him down on the floor. I put my hand on his chest and stomach to feel for breathing and there was none. I gave him a rescue breath and then had to tell the operator what was going on. After I gave her my address Caden started breathing again in short shallow gasps. I smacked his cheek and he opened his eyes, but just laid there. After a couple of minutes he started crying and it was one of the best sounds I have ever heard. The paramedics came and checked him out. His fever was 100.3, but they thought it was still probably a febrial siezure. About an hour later he was playing fine, still pale, but acting normal.
I took him to his pediatrician on monday and she said it sounded like a breath holding episode, but just to be safe we were sending him to a pediatric neurologist. I was really upset, no one seemed to believe me.
At the neurologists office they did an EEG, but nothing showed up on it. Then I spoke to the Neurologist. He had me describe exactly what happened in great detail. Then he said, "What you just described is a text book example of a breath holding episode." I was upset again, but he told me to just let him explain what a breath holding episode is.
A breath holding episode does not mean the child is holding their breath. 27% of children do some sort of breath holding when they cry. 4.6% have severe breath holding spells where they lose consciousness and sometimes exhibit siezure like activity. Children have no control over this, and it is believed to be genetic. Breath holding episodes are as controlable as a siezure is to someone with epilepsy. Breath holding episodes do not hurt the child, even the severe ones. If they start happening very often there are medications, but they have only a 50-50 chance of helping. Once a child has had one severe one he is more likely to have another. The neurologist just told me to be prepared for more. Most children out grow this by age three and at the latest age eight. There are different studies that are looking at the benefit of giving a rescue breath to a child who is having a severe episode.
So basically the Doc said this didn't hurt Caden, it will happen again, count to 20 and if he still isn't breathing call 911 and give him rescue breaths, but don't hurt him by doing so. I was so relieved to have an answer, but I am so scared of it happening again. I kept saying, "Oh my gosh, he looks just like Ethan." It was a horrible event, and one I am still trying to find meaning in. But at least Caden is okay.
Five days after that happened, Nathan woke up from a nap with blood coming out of his ear. He said it didn't hurt and he hadn't complained about his ear at all. I took him in to see the pediatrian. She couldn't see anything because of the amount of blood and wax. She took a sample and sent him home on antibiotics and ear drops that I had to administer twice a day along with the the eye drops for the kids pink eye, three times a day. They got the results back that it was a bacterial ear infection resistant to the antibiotics he was on. So we switched and have not seen any blood since, thank goodness.
Scott got pink eye as well, but thankfully nothing more serious than that. I think after all of my scares, my immune system was down, and I ended up with Laryngitis this week. I couldn't talk more than a whisper on Wednesday, and since Thursday have a really bad smoker/pubesent boys voice. On top of that I am coughing like crazy.
Anyway, we have been busy, but hope things will get better as we get into the warmer months. We'll see. Wish us luck!!!