Let it snow and spaghettios???

Oh boy....has Jacob learned the joys of eating junk food. Jonathan and I are having so much fun watching Jacob enjoy the comforts of grilled cheese and spaghetti. I try not to cringe when Jacob reaches for me covered in food goo....but I can't help myself. At least I am learning to relax a bit as I watch my kitchen table get smeared with all kinds of food debris and drool. But, never the less, Jacob is getting to experience the finer things in life....REAL FOOD!!!!

Not only has it been fun to watch Jacob enjoy the food on Mommy and Daddy's plate but it has also been fun to watch him crawling all over the house. I sit and wonder sometimes what he is thinking when he is off scurrying across the room. For the first time this weekend Jacob was able to pull himself up and play with the telephone. So if your phone happens to ring and all you here is some squealing, you know who it is...

And, an update on Jacob's health: Jacob is doing SO MUCH BETTER!!! He is still waking between 4-5 am with coughing spells but in general, he is doing remarkable well considering it has only been a week since our terrible asthma/pneumonia scare. I watched him PLAY HARD for hours today at TuTu and Pop's house and was just amazed at the joy this little guy has for simple things like little dogs and jingle bells. Jacob has such a fun-filled spirit and unfortuately, it has been dampered by illness for 2 months. But I'm so hopeful that we are getting on top of his health issues as he is really enjoying the art of play.

Well I'm sure most of you know the miracle that happened this week as it snowed more than an inch here in Texas. In fact, we had a record snowfall of 12.5 inches and needless to say, it brought out the kid in all of us. So of course we had to take Jacob out to play in the snow for a few minutes as Mommy was still freaked out that Jacob was recovering from pneumonia, but I think he enjoyed the few moments we gave him. And yes, Rebel and Ace loved playing in the winter weather as well. My carpet is ready for sunny days however!!!

We've learned that Jacob (like his Daddy), is very determined and somewhat stubborn because if he wants something he is going to try and try until he gets it. We are anxiously awaiting what fun adventures this determination will bring, but either way it should give us plenty to blog about...

Is there a Doctor in the House?

Well just like Suzette said below it has been one of those weeks and to top it off getting into an argument with the pediatrician did not help matters. Now I don't mind voicing my opinion as most of you all know, but I at least I stay on one side of the issue. As Suzette mentioned below Jacob's doctor did disagree with the specialist, but would later agree with the treatment regiment. Now I am not about to say that I have any medical background but to me that make absolutely no sense what so ever. Obviously he agreed with something and I think in the end he was trying to cover his backside in the event Jacob did get pneumonia.

I think though the nail in the coffin for us was when we went to the the doctor's office yesterday and were treated with a little bit of an attitude. I can understand being a little rattled at having to work people into a very busy schedule and that they office is only open for three hours on the weekend. However, that is no excuse for taking that frustration out on the patient and or the nervous parents. At the end of the day though Jacob got what he needed an antibiotic and is thankfully on his way to recovering from the infection.

I will be the first to stand in the "don't doubt the mothers instinct" line after this week. I know when Suzette first said that she did not agree with the Doctor and wanted a second opinion I felt she was over reacting. Thankfully SHE WAS RIGHT and I was wrong......
I was very glad that she trusted her instinct and took Jacob for a second opinion, if it weren't for that who knows what might have happened.

I may still not always agree but I will definitely listen more respectively when it comes to medical issues. You can take the nurse out of the hospital but you can't take the nurse out of the person!!!!!!

I also love the picture below of all the boys looking out the window. Its fun to just sit there and watch how the three of them will interact with one another. I love how Ace has just taken to Jacob and will let him just do whatever he wants to him with out a care in the world. Rebel on the other hand not so much but he is a spoiled brat so what can you say. I can't wait till Jacob is running and can chase after those two oh the messes they will make.... :-)

whew....WHAT A WEEK!

Well, to start this update....I'm exhausted. As everyone knows, Jacob has basically been sick since he started daycare on December 14th. And we had just about recovered from that horrible RSV episode when Jacob came down with yet another cold. After a very long Monday night of up and down...coughing attacks...screaming....off to the pediatrician we went. I was told, "babies just get colds Mom. hang in there. There is nothing we can really do. Just keep up with those respiratory treatments. And if he doesn't get better in a few days, come back." Are you kidding me? Something told me that this just wasn't right. I did not feel comfortable doing breathing treatments for over a month without being seen by a pulmonologist. So I asked the nurse practitioner, should I take Jacob to an allergist or a pulmonologist for a work-up? "No mom, babies just get colds." Thankfully I had already done my research and I knew who I wanted to take Jacob to and they were very accomodating and worked us in on Thursday. Jacob was wheezing like a freight train by that point and after getting a thorough history, Dr. Meiser said that it looked like Jacob has asthma. (THIS IS WHERE THE DEBATE BEGINS, BUT WE WILL GET TO THAT IN A SEC). So, Jacob and I came home, got started with a new medication regimine and hoped for the best. By Friday evening, we were worse. Jacob was vomiting, had fever, and was working so very hard to breathe. I was so scared!!! I probably should have taken him to the ER but I kept thinking that sitting in an ER would be terrible for Jacob right now. He just needs quiet rest and breathing treatments. So Jonathan and I worked and prayed and we made it back to the pediatrician on Saturday morning for the third doctor's visit of the week. Tada....now we have an ear infection and probable pneumonia. Now we are adding antibiotics to the medication regimine. BUT....WE ARE A LITTLE BETTER. Jacob's fever has broken and he is finally resting comfortably and I can't hear the wheezing through the monitor - THIS IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT!

So, back to the debate. Does Jacob have asthma or not? My pediatrician did not seem to think so. Actually, I think he was offended that I took Jacob for a second opinion. But my pediatrician said that he would never diagnose a baby with asthma until they were at least 5 years of age. Okay....that is all the information I needed. Basically - he was going to let my child struggle and repeatedly get sick without intervention for 5 years. I DON'T THINK SO!!! label or no label...asthma or no asthma... Someone please help my baby get well and stay well! I really don't care what the diagnosis is at this point. Dr. Meiser was willing to help us and was genuinely concerned about Jacob's well-being. My pediatrician was concerned over covering his backside. So now the hunt starts. I need to find a pediatrician that will work with Jacob's specialist.

okay, on to fun stuff....Jacob loves the boxers and he loves to look out the window with them. I love it!!! I love watching the three of them interact. How lucky am I that I get to watch my three boys and appreciate their different personalities and interactions? Now, let's pray that Jacob doesn't think he is a boxer! Enjoy the pics!