Charley Turns 10!

Our little girl is growing every day. I sure wish she would stop! Charley turned 10 this year in the midst of our swine flu epidemic and she was not feeling well on her birthday. Althouh she recovered quickly she had to wait until everyone else to get better before we could celebrate. She took it all in stride and was happy to be able to celebrate last week with her cousins. Ronny and I decided she was old enough for her first i-pod and so for her birthday she received one filled with Hannah Montana music. She has enjoyed rocking out ever since. We love listening to her sing along to the music while doing the dishes each evening. It sure beats the complaining we used to listen to! We love you Charley!

Vacuum Cake

We have some good friends who live around the way from us who have an adorable little guy who just turned 3. He loves vacuums, maybe loves isn't strong enough, he's a little "0cd" about vacuums. Well for his birthday his parents asked if I would make him a vacuum cake. I had planned to do a 3-D cake but then the kids came down with the flu so we had to do something simpler. Ronny was a trooper and drew me a picture of a vacuum (my art skills are not up to par for what I need) and here is what we came up with. Thankfully he enjoyed the cake and actually let his parents cut it up and serve it.

Oink Update

Joseph was prescribed Tamiflu and was sick for 5 days. We think with the combination of 2 asthma medications and the Tamiflu he skirted the worst of it. Ben and Charley ran fevers this week and had coughs and sore throats but nothing more than that. Both Charley and Joseph are back at school. Sam on the other hand is another story. He has been sick since Friday night. We just got back from the doctor this morning. They finally did the official H1N1 test and prescribed 3 new drugs for Sam. Looks like things took a bad turn last night and now he is being treated for viral and bacterial infections. His doctor is trying to beat out the pneumonia before it starts. He's now on cortico steroids, zithromax, and albuterol treatments. If things aren't better tomorrow morning we have to go back. What else is there to do other than hospitalize him???? GRRRR.... I wanted that shot!

Oink Oink

Well, if you haven't heard yet, the swine flu has hit our family. After standing in lines, calling doctors offices and health departments, we were unable to get the vaccine for H1N1. This is extremely frustrating especially knowing that we are in the high risk group with asthma. However at the end of the day that frustration doesn't help anyone get any better so we are moving on and focusing on getting healthy and watching the kids really closely.

Joseph was able to get Tamiflu because he has asthma. Finding pharmacies who have it is another story altogether. Unfortunately no one has the children's form so they have to take the adult version and then the pharmacy has to break it down and mix it into a liquid and only compounding pharmacies are able to do that which means those pharmacies are being called on a lot! So its hit and miss who has some in stock. Thankfully after a few phone calls and referals we were able to track some down. (Not to mention its expensive!)

I don't know that its necessarily working. We started it within 30 hours of the first symptoms and he certainly has progressed with symptoms. His coughing is worse and the fever, chills, and body aches are still coming. His asthma is also worse but so far its not to the point of oral steroids, but that can always change at any time.

Sam also has the flu and Ben is heading that direction. Sam is certainly worse than Joseph so maybe the Tamiflu is helping some as Sam is not on it. We are going through Tylenol and Advil like crazy and know we are in this for the long haul.

Last night was tough on Sam and Joseph not being able to participate in Halloween festivities. Charley and Ben went out with Ronny but even they weren't totally into it. We were planning on dinner and fun with our cousins so I think the kids were really bummed not to be with them. Sam was sick with a stomach bug on his birthday earlier this week and Charley's birthday is on Wednesday. I think after everyone is healthy we will have to do something really fun with the kids to make up for all the junk around what normally is a happy time. Or maybe after all the make up work from school is done. Got any ideas on what to do?

We hear many of our friend in OR are getting hit hard as well. Our prayers go out to you and we hope you feel better soon. We love you and miss you very much and the kids ask to go back all the time!

On a happy note, Ronny's dissertation defense is scheduled for Dec. 1. Hooray! That light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter every day!