driving me crazy

It's been awhile since the last post. But honestly, I've been so tired. So down in the dumps, just so damned exhausted. Taryn's been pushing every button she can. Wilfully defiant behaviour. I've just got to find something positive about this stage, and soon, 'cos she's driving me crazy.

Does it never end?

Day before yesterday Jess began antibiotics for her double ear infection and tonsillitis. She got a fine rash, which she's had before, and often gets with any virus she picks up. Her cheeks were red, but we put that down to the fever and ear infections. That night she snored whilst sleeping, which she doesn't normally do. The next day her red cheeks had progressed to bright red stripes across her face and her face was swollen.

Hmmm, off to check the side affects of the antibiotics. "...if patient is swollen, has trouble breathing, rash...see doctor immediately" Well damn! It's sunday, there isn't any after hours care in our area, so off to the Childrens' Hospital ER dept Jo and Jess went. 5hrs later they returned home. Yes, Jess is allergic to penicillin. Damn, damn, damn!

Oh, and they checked her ears and throat. You'll never believe this, but her ears are fine and her throat is fine! Turns out the high fever caused it all. So, not only is she allergic to penicillin, she didn't even need it in the first place. ARGHH!

She Can't Talk Well, But She Sure Can Draw

Having mentioned Jess's numerous health problems and language delays, I thought I'd better show off something that Jess is amazing at. She can draw amazingly well for a 3yr old. She drew her first recognisable face at 2, and has since been adding more and more body parts. She's now up to eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, eyebrows, pupils in the eyes, nostrils, hands and feet!

These were done this morning - all unprompted.

A Rainbow
Balloons
Don't you just love the reflection mark in the top right of the biggest balloon?
A Clown
Jess has very carefully drawn eyes with pupils and eyebrows. She's added ears, and those two dots are cheeks. The two sticks coming off the bottom are feet, the two sticks coming from the ears are hands. Look carefully and you'll see the clown holding three balloons from his left hand. There's hair and she added a hat above it to complete the picture.

It's work like this that convinces me that there is a very bright kid in there. She may be delayed and can't talk very well - but I truly think it's the seizures that are delaying her. We are still trying to get them completely under control. I pray that the brain damage that each and every seizure causes her is minimal and that she can overcome it.

We try not to dwell on it, but it is a sobering thought that seizures cause brain damage. Jess is still having up to 20 absence seizures a day. She hasn't had any partial-complex seizures or apnea-causing seizures for a few weeks now. Those are the ones that have the potential to wipe out her speech, motor control, comprehension and more.

But aren't those pictures amazing! She just loves to draw. :D

Fast Update

Taryn and Jess are moving daycare. The last one point-blank refused to even consider the possibility that Jess was delayed. GRRR The girls love the new one, and we were very lucky to squeeze in.

Jess has tonsilitus, sinusitus, and a double ear infection. Temp up to 39.5 C (about 103 F I think) She was so hot this morning she was shivering and had goosebumps. Poor baby :( She's on antibiotics and we're alternating pain meds.

Jen forgot her adhd meds this morning and as a result she's been rude and obnoxious most of the day. What's worse is that she can't recognise that's how she's behaving. Bedtime couldn't come soon enough as far as I was concerned.

I caught up on some much needed sleep this afternoon. I feel almost human again. Though my mood is still quite down. Not sure what's up with that though.

The prinicipal of the school I worked at pre-Taryn approached me yesterday and asked if I was looking for more than relief work with them. He'll talk more after the holiday break. It would be wonderful if I picked up a fixed term position there.

Where: Travelling in the car this morning.
Who: Jess and Taryn in their carseats in the back seats, with Jo and I up front.
When: Morning teatime, with both kids hungry.
Jess's latest food obsession: potato chips that come in a blue packet that she calls 'blue chippies'.

Jess - "I want blue chippies."
Jo - "No, we're having fruit for morning tea."
Jess - "I want blue chippies!"
Jo - "No, we're having fruit."
Jess - "Blue Chippies!" (can you just hear the volume increasing? LOL)
Jo - "We're having fruit."
Jess - "BLUE CHIPPIES"
Jo - "Would you like rockmelon or watermelon?"
Jess - "BLUE CHIPPIES!"
Jo - "No blue chippies - fruit."
Jess - "BLUE!... (insert absence seizure here)
Jess - "......."
Taryn - "She'll be back in a minute!"
Jess - "......"
Jess - "CHIPPIES!!"

We just dissolved into laughter at Taryn's comment. Jess often stops talking or doing something partway through whilst having an absence seizure. But this was the first time Taryn had thought to comment about it.

Not politically correct, but geez it was funny!

Quiz night and Fashion Freakout

Last night Jo and I went out to a quiz night. Had such a great time! Our table actually did ok, but the best part about it was the company of other parents of kids with special needs. The theme was 'pyjama party', so we'd bought some new pj's for the night. Of course, when we arrive at the venue we both sat in the car saying, "if no-one else is in pyjamas, we're not going in!" It looked a bit iffy for a moment there when several people walked inside the hall dressed normally, but then a couple of pyjama-clad people arrived all was saved. Phew! It was a fun night. :D

It could have been an unqualified disaster from before the night even began. Jen (12) was supposed to go to a bat mitzvah party whilst we were at the quiz night. She'd chosen her clothes and got them ok'd from Jo. Trouble was, she'd grown from when she last wore this outfit. What was originally a mini-skirt on her was now a mini-mini-mini skirt. OMG, when she walked past it was so short her undies showed! She was told she'd have to find another skirt, that she wasn't wearing that one. She threw a tantrum - saying it'd been ok'd and how dare we change our minds and not let her wear it. We said that it was tough, she wasn't wearing the skirt. She cried, she yelled, she was furious. She said she was competing against other girls who had a $60 a week clothing allowance and nothing else she had was worth wearing. That may be, but she still wasn't wearing the skirt. She announced, 'well I just won't go then!' We said that was her choice, but that she'd better make up her mind quickly 'cos the babysitter was coming, and once they did we were going to the the quiz night. Meanwhile I quietly found an alternative skirt from the clean washing pile. Said she could wear this one if she couldn't find anything else. Of course, it wouldn't do either - but at least I'd tried.

Cue doorbell ringing. Settled Taryn and Jess. Made the babysitter a cuppa. Last minute chance for Jen to get dressed in a suitable skirt. No, she was still not going and it was all our fault! We said oh well, shame you've chosen not to go, see you later. Her parting shot was she hoped we had fun embarrassing ourselves in our pyjamas. Sigh, it's hard being 12.

She was asleep by the time we got back. The babysitter said she'd emerged at one point to make her a coffee. We'll see what sort of mood she's in when she gets up. We're probably still the enemy who ruined her party completely and was totally unreasonable for not letting her wear her mini-skirt.