Stevenson Family Blog: Busy Summer

Our summers tend to be really lazy. We don't generally go anywhere except for maybe a camping trip or a couple of fun day trips. But for the most part the days pass at home with the kids playing with their neighborhood friends. This year has been different though. We are SO busy. I'm not used to it. Isn't it interesting how life changes and phases come and go as children grow up? I've spent so long as a Mom of exclusively "littles" and learning the ropes of parenting and homemaking around that phase's challenges. But darn it if my kids keep growing on me! I somehow gradually moved into a phase that includes not just the littles but also some bigger kids simultaneously. I think that's part of what keeps us so busy - the overlapping challenges of more than one age range.

Anyway, we're having fun and looking forward to even more!

Kieran had an ear follow up and general one-year checkup today. I posted previously about how his ears had been hurting him and he'd been super grouchy for weeks. And he was put on amoxicillin after getting fevers and the blocked Eustachian tubes causing bulging ear drums. Within about a day and a half he was back to his old self, only better! Kieran just spent about 2 weeks so darned happy! It was so nice to have my sweet little guy back. And not only was he patient and happy again, but perhaps from being sick he'd become quite the Mama's boy. It was so funny - he'd play shy with everybody else. If Brian attempted to call Kieran to him, Kieran would play hard to get by smiling sheepishly and taking his time. If I called Kieran though he'd light up like a beacon and come running. In fact, Kieran frequently smiled so big at me that he'd fall down! (Like, he'd smile and tilt his head up in joy, which would cause him to lose his balance). He loved me so much in fact, it would kind of break my heart. I'd being going about my business, say, taking something to the garbage. We'd make eye contact. Kieran would immediately light up and look at me with these hopeful eyes. They'd be looking at me with a longing, hoping beyond hope that his Mother was going to be paying attention to him now. Would pick him up or play with him. And I'd of course have to keep going on my way to the garbage can. I mean, I can drop everything and play with him sometimes, but obviously not literally every.single.second of the day. It would kill me to have to reject that hopeful little face. I love that I finally have a Mama's boy though. ♥

Yesterday was his final dose of the medication. Today he was super grouchy again. * sigh*. He cried at the play ground and wouldn't let me put him down the entire time - at least until I put him in his stroller - but he did NOT want to wander around. He very much cried and fussed at the Dr's office, perhaps because he just generally isn't a fan of it there. I'd be surprised if he remembered past vaccinations, but he dislikes being checked out. Especially pinned down for ear checks, which he probably does remember. Anyway, he was super grouchy again.

It's just as well that it occurred on the day he happened to have a check up. The bulging is gone but the tubes are still blocked and filled with fluid. Which tends to be painful, apparently. Sooooo, Dr. Rampton thought about our options and gave me these two: Send him to an ENT - though he didn't love that idea as Kieran would most likely be recommended for ear tube surgery. Or, do a low dose antibiotic for an extended time - 60 days! Dr. Rampton said he would choose the latter for his own child. I guess the antibiotics are a lesser "evil" than ear tube surgery at this age, at least in his opinion. He feels the surgery should be an option reserved for when other attempts (like this one) fail. Aaaaaanyway, despite feeling like Brennan's two ear tube surgeries were pretty easy and painless, I decided to follow Dr. Rampton's advice. Besides, Brennan's tubes failed both times, so I guess it was a waste in a way.

Ugh. My kids and their ears!