Spring Break

Spring break has begun and the weather has started out wonderful. It reached like 78 degrees today. Cameron and I met his daddy for lunch. I was planning on taking the pacifier away during this break, but decided since he's so much more attached after being sick that it wouldn't be a good time. However, we only let him have it when he's in his crib going to bed. So, no more pacifier with therapy or in the car. So far, he has done great. He does just as well with therapy without a pacifier. I mean, he doesn't like it, so sometimes he can get through the whole thing without any fussing and other times he tries to push the mask away or the percussor. The car was the hard part. We let him pick out a new toy at the store. He tried lots, but kept coming back to one, so that's his car toy. After we met daddy for lunch, I knew he'd sleep, but didn't want to give him the pacifier in the car and he fussed for a minute, but then fell asleep on his own. So sweet! Tomorrow we are planning on going to the zoo in the morning. My ankle still hurts, but I'm going to try it because it looks like the only good weather will be tomorrow. So, I've gotta take it while I can get it! I think daddy might even take 2 hours off and meet us there for a little bit. Fun!
I've also included a short video. It's been hard to video lately because every time I try, Cameron wants the camera. I taped him doing ring around the rosy. I usually do this with him and he usually falls down right when you're supposed to. Today, he just wanted me to sing and he'd turn in circles and then fall down. So, I decided to video him, however, when it gets close to time to fall he stands and waits with his back to me (you can see he's smiling from the side of his cheek) and then he waits for me to tell him to sit down. Of course he had to be stubborn for the camera!

Cheese Puffs

Cameron had cheese puffs today and just loved them as you can see. He hasn't made a mess of himself like this in a long time. But, it was good to see him eating so well. He has been gradually doing better eating again. His favorite is still grilled cheese though. We received good news this week. The waiver went through for Cameron to see his CF doc, which is great. We will still have issues with the insurance, but this will help him to see this doctor tremendously. Now we just have to hope there's some kind of deal by the end of the year. It was very nice out today. Cameron went running around the front yard for a bit, I planted a bunch of seeds for my pots, we tried to get a little cleaning and organizing done and took a bunch of stuff to Good Will. Hopefully I can get some more done while I'm off on Spring break this week. That's all for now. Hope to update more this week since I'll be off.

Doing Better

Cameron has been on levaquin for 7 days and is finally sounding better. He has cough a couple times today, but not much and no wheezing. I think we have gotten him healthy this time without the hospital. Yeah! Hopefully he will continue to stay healthy. It seems like every time I write that he's doing better, he goes and gets sick again. Let's hope that doesn't happen this time. Zach is feeling much better. still have the never-ending cough. I also fell yesterday morning and sprained my ankle. I had to go to the doctor today, it hurt so much. They gave me crutches, but by the time I had to go, I refused to take them. I think I will just injure myself worse with them. So, I told them I will just hobble around and not put weight on it. I posted a pic of Cam and his grandpa on their last day together, last Wednesday. Cameron really loves grandpa and wanted to play with him all the time! The other picture is from this weekend. I made a tent for him in the living room and that was him crawling through it.

Easter Weekend

Cameron got some neat toys in his Easter basket from his Grandma and Grandpa Hoeptner. They have been here for a little over a week, but they leave tomorrow. Unfortunately, everyone has been sick. I just caught it and now Zach has too. We have a sore throat and I have a horrible cough. Cameron still has quite a cough and some wheezing. We have put him on a new antibiotic, but so far, we haven't seen much of a difference. This is only the third day of the new one, so we're hoping in the next couple days we'll notice a difference. He's had a hard time sleeping as well. Tomorrow he will go back to his babysitters. I'm a little worried about it. They'll have to do a therapy mid-day for him because he really needs a breathing treatment every 4 hours right now. It's been hard to update lately. We are still up to our ears in the insurance mess. We really hope Cam doesn't end up in the hospital. Gotta go help get him ready for bed and another treatment.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Here are some pics from St. Patty's day. Cameron is doing better sort of. His fever is gone. He ended up with a rash from being sick that itched him for a couple days. Yesterday evening he started a really wet cough. It has gotten much worse today, lots of coughing, however he acts like he's fine. We went to the cf clinic today and he got put on an antibiotic, Dr. Eid thought it didn't sound very good. He was happy with his growth though. He's still between the 10-20% for weight, but up to 60-70 for height. He has lost some weight being sick. The biggest upset today was finding out that the clinic does not take Humana anymore. I am sick to my stomach over it. We are going to get a continuation of care for 90 days, hopefully. But, we will either need to hope that the fight ends and the office starts our insurance again, or we will need to be taking him to Lexington for CF care. This would not be good! I'm very worried about this cough he has and I am very worried about having a doctor for him. I don't know what to do. I need to get Cam taken care of for the night and pick up his script, just wanted to do a quick update.

Still Sick

We were hoping Cam would be feeling better by now, but he seems worse. The doc tested him for the flu and strep and both were negative. They also did a throat culture. He was able to stand and walk around for a little bit when I got home yesterday, but he quickly got to feeling bad again. He couldn't sleep until about 9pm, which is so late for him. Then, he woke up every 15-30 minutes crying, I think he's just so uncomfortable. So, Zach layed with him, but then Cam woke screaming this high pitched scream. I took his temp and it was 104.9, so we called the doc. They said to get him more Tylenol and see if it goes down at least half a degree to one degree in the next 30-60 minutes, if not to go to the hospital. It went down, but never below 103. He had 103.8 when he got up this morning and then he threw up a few times after eating. Zach and I were so worried about him last night, we hardly got any sleep. Zach will stay home with him again today and got a sub for tomorrow.

Cameron woke up this morning with a runny nose. He had a little one yesterday and was also sounding a bit raspy for a while, but was better by bedtime. Today he has a little wheeze and raspy sound on his exhale and a very stuffy nose. He took a two hour morning nap, half of which I held him for because he was whining and crying in his crib. He was burning up and had a temp of 103. After some Tylenol, it's down to 101.4 and hopefully even lower now. He's playing and stuff for the moment, but he's extra whiny and his little cheeks are pretty red. This is the time of year he was hospitalized last year, so of course Zach and I are a little worried. He's been able to fight every cold so far since last May, but we haven't really heard this wheezing since then either. Hopefully it will all clear up and he will get healthy quickly with the extra therapy and loving.

I have a bunch of pictures to put on here from yesterday, he was so cute. He put my hat on when he was eating and then was wearing my sunglasses. So, I guess he needs his own pair for the summer! He popped the lens out of mine. I think it's been fixed though. He also loves getting on the rocking chair. He can rock himself. We took a short video, but it's sideways, so I'm not going to post that. He also enjoyed the snow for a brief period. He threw it a little and then we went inside.

Snow

Cameron did not like the snow as much yesterday. We put him in his snow boots, but he can't even stand in them and he screamed the whole time, so we put him in regular shoes that had the most plastic so his feet wouldn't be wet. The snow was too deep. It was about 4 inches when we went out. He wouldn't keep his mittens on so his hands got real red, real fast. Snow gear isn't that comfortable and Cam just doesn't get that yet. So, he didn't last too long. I had to give him a warm bath to warm his hands back up. Then after I put his diaper on, he insisted on having his hat back on. He's been doing this lately. He wants on what he wants, when he wants it. Lucky us! Aunt Erin had called, so to keep him quiet, I just put on the hat. Then he wanted is coat, then his socks, and then each shoe. So funny! Then, he just went to the basement door and cried because he wants to go down on the slide and swing. This is ALL he wants to do lately. He had already been down like six times before this. So, we're going to have to go down once or twice a day. He just remembers everything now, it's hard to get him distracted on something else when he wants something. Anyway, thought these pics were cute and funny. We got about 8 inches of snow here at our house. They are saying another 2-4" this morning. I shoveled the driveway yesterday and it's totally covered again. So, I will go out later and do it again. They're saying not to go on the roads. The salt trucks can't keep up and the highways are snow covered. So, I'm planning on being here all day. I'm not sure what the plans will be for that bachelorette party tonight, we'll have to see.

Fun with Mom

Another snow day! Boy, I am going to be teaching until July. We were supposed to get out June 3. Now, we are up to June 11th. Not fun considering we are going back earlier this year!

It is nice to be able to be home with Cameron though. I know I will regret saying this once he talks my ears off, but I really can't wait for Cameron to talk more. He is always pointing and grunting or whining at things to tell us he needs them. I've been trying to repeat words and to try to get him to say them before I give him things. He tries most of the time, but doesn't have the correct sounds, just making his own sounds. I guess that is the first step. He still wants to go outside all the time. He has also started going to the basement door and crying because he wants to go down there. We have been down there three times already and it is just after noon. He wants to go on his slide and swing. He can now climb up the little climbing wall thing to get to the top of the slide. Then, he gets himself up and sits on his bottom and then waits for me to hold my arms out and slides down the slide. He screams as he goes down and is smiling from ear to ear. It is so cute! He will get down and go right back up, over and over again. I'm glad he likes it though!.

Well, there was no snow on the ground when we got up this morning. It started around 7:45 this morning and came down fast. We have about 2-3 inches already. We are expected to get anywhere from 6-12". I haven't taken Cameron out yet. Zach doesn't get to see Cameron in the snow since he's always working on these days. So, I thought there would still be plenty coming down when he got home. We may post some pictures of that later when we get out to play in it. We all have snow gear to do it thanks to Zach's mom! Here we didn't know how much we'd use it, but I don't think winter is ever going to end. I must say, it's very pretty outside. Part of me doesn't want it to last long because we have a bachelorette party Saturday night that has been planned for a while. But, I have never seen this much snow since I've lived here, so if we really got 8-12", that would be crazy!

Allergy Results

Cameron did well at his allergy appointment. He tested negative for mold, dust mites, cats, and dogs. He had a positive test for peanuts, oats, cigarette smoke, ragweed, and tomato. None were that bad, they just said not to feed the food things all together and since the peanut one was the biggest, that we needed to wait until he is 3 to give him peanuts to try to prevent that allergy. I guess the more exposure, the more likely they are to develop it and he's already showing a response to it. So, no peanuts or tree nuts of any kind for Cameron for a couple years.

Cameron also had his Synagis injection this last week and did well. He hates the shot and screams as soon as a doctor comes in. But, he gained almost a pound since last month. He hasn't had weight gain in a while, so that was great news!

Today was supposed to be nice, but it rained until after lunchtime. So, we decided to cancel our frisbee-golf plans and stay inside. The weather turned sunny by afternoon, so we took Cameron biking in the trailer that attaches to Zach's bike. Unfortunately, Cam has been throwing up today. He woke up from his nap this afternoon throwing up. He's not acting sick, it's just like it was a couple weeks ago. Both days he had fish for lunch. So, we are thinking he shouldn't have that anymore. He didn't test allergic to fish though. He loves to eat it, but a few hours later, it doesn't settle well. At least, that's what we think it is. He has had fish many other times and not been sick though, so maybe it's the combination with something. We're not really sure. He did have tartar sauce today, maybe it's that? Anyway, I don't think he's sick, I think it's just the food, but the poor thing has been sick a lot today, gone through many outfits and so has mom and dad.

Cold Days

Oh, the days have been so cold for so long. Cameron has this new thing where he wants to go outside. This weekend he got his coat and started putting it on, then got his hat and wanted us to put it on. Once he had them on, he went to the door and started stepping up with his leg trying to get out. Funny! We took him out and he just walked around the yard over and over again. He was smiling and loving it. Any time he gets near a door, he seems to want to go out!

Cameron went to the doctor again this week for his Synagis shot. He was screaming his high pitched scream as soon as we got in the patient room. He knows he's going to get a shot and he hates it! He won't even let me lay him down to get undressed. So, I had to get creative and come up with some games. He finally gained some weight, he now 22 pounds. He loved playing peek-a-boo with the hole in the chair and he was so cute. I happened to have my camera because I brought it to work yesterday, so I took some pics. He also kept trying to get on the chair by himself. He can get on the kid sized chairs by himself, but not a regular one, so I helped him. He loved sitting there for some reason. After his shot, he got a sucker to calm him down and then he got to sit in the big boy chair again. He seemed pretty content there.

Cameron has started saying 'up' when he wants us to pick him up. He sounds like such a big boy when he says it, it actually sounds like a real word. He also says hi and bye, but they aren't perfect like he says up.

Well, that's all I can think of for now.

Doc Update

Cameron and I just got home. He has only gained a couple ounces. I guess that's not great, but at least it's something. He's still under the 20% for weight. He only had to get one shot today, which he hated, but his doctor was so nice and kid friendly for the exam. I had to fill out a development questionnaire. Cameron is doing very well, except for LANGUAGE. Now, any of you that have heard him probably have your mouths dropped right now. He babbles SO much. But, they said he should have 3-6 concrete words by 15 months and he doesn't. They said to work with him a lot and he needs around 6-9 by the time he's 18 months. If he isn't close, they say we should call this place that comes out and works with the kids. I just can't believe it! They also thought we should go ahead and get him allergy tested so we don't have to wonder if he's allergic to certain places or things and we will just know. So, we have an appointment for March 1st to get him allergy tested. We are meeting today with a lady from the CF Foundation, she wanted to talk with us about the walk this year. So, we'd better go get ready for her to come. Have a good week!

Fun with Grandma

This has been a nice weekend for all of us. We had some teachers volunteer at the concessions, so I only had to go work the first couple hours and get them set up. Then Grandma Herzog came to play with Cameron in the afternoon and Zach and I got to go out for the first time in a long time. We went to get lunch and watch the U of L game. Then, we went to a movie. It was really nice. This picture is from Cam's day with his grandma. Cam's been pretty fussy the last day or so and had a pretty runny nose. He goes in today for his 15 month appointment, he will scream right when we get there because he knows he is getting a shot. Hopefully he will have gained some weight, I'll try to get on and let you know how the appointment went.

Bath Fun

Cameron had a pretty long bath time today. He was just having so much fun. He just loves playing in the water. However, he is starting to come up with his own games that make it a bit messy for mommy. He started throwing his bath toys in the air and liked watching them splash in the water. He was making such big splashes, it was soaking my pants. Then, towards the end, he thought it was funny to throw all of his toys out of the bath. I took a picture and then decided bath time was over.

Cameron has done great playing at home today, very content and talkative. It's been messy though. We have gone from one room to another, so each room of the house has been hit my Cameron today. At least he had fun on his day home with mommy.

Comfy Cameron

Cameron looks so comfortable in his outfit today. He's been pretty fussy all morning. He was up crying early this morning, so he went down for a nap at like 8:30, I hope he isn't getting sick. He will be home with me today though. It's another snow day. The ice is so think on top of the few inches of snow we got. The icicles are pretty, but it's so heavy it has taken down a couple of our trees :( It's raining, sleeting this morning, so not good weather to take Cameron sledding. Tomorrow Zach gets his eyes done, no more glasses! He's nervous, but I'm sure it will go fine.

Belly Button

Cameron has been doing well. I have been sick for two days with some virus, so we're hoping he doesn't catch that. He has yet another runny nose that started yesterday, but that's it, so hopefully it will be like the others this season and go away within the next week.
Let's see what I can tell you that is new with Cameron......Lately Cameron has been obsessed with showing everyone his belly button. He will walk into a room and lift up his shirt and his huge belly will be sticking out. It seems to be his new thing for now. We asked him to show us on video so you all could see. He's starting to try to figure out which shapes go in which places on his shape sorter toy instead of just dumping them out. He can also follow simple instructions sometimes. I have my lotion and his lotion downstairs and he knows which is which and will bring them to me when asked. He loves throwing balls and kicking them. He's become such a little boy since he started walking. He also babbles a lot more. He seems to be telling us the same thing over and over sometimes using his arms and everything and we just don't understand him. He will sometimes say mama if I ask him who I am or tell him to say it (he will repeat mama). He also says hi to about everyone. It sounds like a country 'hi.' Both days this weekend we were in the grocery store and each person we passed, Cameron would say 'Hi' and they'd smile or say how friendly he is. It's pretty cute!

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Hope you enjoy the video.

Peek-A-Boo

Cameron has been doing well. He has had a little wheezing and occasional cough the last couple days, ut we're hoping it's the change in weather or him getting over his runny nose thing or something. We hope it will go away soon! I've been sick so frequently that he's been lucky about just getting these little colds and then getting rid of them. I just got over another case of pink eye. Fun!

Cameron's been so cute lately. He can get around so quickly now, it amazes us every day. Fortunately we have not had any big injuries since he's started walking. His balance is pretty good! We have to have the gates up all the time because he loves going up and down the stairs. He loves playing peek-a-boo in the pantry closet in the kitchen. Most of the time when I ask him who I am, he will say "mama" which is SO cute! Sometimes I have to say it for him and he'll repeat it. If you ask Cameron a question, he always responds by shaking his head 'no.' So, I've been trying to ask him questions that he answer is 'yes' to and showing him how to move his head for yes and he has started immitating that now little. Cameron is doing much better about keeping his food and drink on the table now. He's completely off the bottle and using a sippy cup for all drinks, which is a huge accomplishment. I never thought we'd break him of the bottle. The next hard thing will be that pacifier!

I put a pic of Cam with the swiffer, he wanted to do that today after watching us. Funny.

Snow Day!!

We have no school today, SNOW DAY!! These are always fun, however, we have to make them up at the end of the year. I got Cameron all dressed up in his snow gear first thing this morning to make sure we got time in the snow before it was gone. He loves that sled. We just go in the front yard and there is plenty of snow. He screams with joy and laughs as I run down the side of the yard. It's pretty cute.

Dancing with Dad

We have had a great weekend so far. The three of us went to Cedar Grove to do the basketball concession stands to raise money for CF. Cameron did really great! He played and when we were busy, Zach put him in the hiking backpack. He rode around for about a hour and a half, all the way until he fell asleep. We brought the pack 'n play and he slept for a bit until it was time to go home. It was so pretty outside, I thought we could go on a walk....until I looked at the thermometer. It was 20 degrees yesterday and 10 degrees today. Freezing!!

Cameron is still doing good health-wise. He has sounded a little raspy today, hopefully that will go away before it gets worse! We finally put his big-boy car seat in the minivan. So, he now faces forward in the car. He seems to like it fine.

This morning, Zach was playing with Cameron and he would dance when he sang...so, I recorded it. It's pretty cute.

We have some friends coming over this afternoon to watch the Chargers game. We're making ribs....we'll see if Cameron likes them. I'm guessing he's not going to, but you never know. He's been really fussy eating lately, he hasn't been getting a lot down the last few days. We also cannot get him away from the bottle. We've thought about just eliminating it, but we're worried he won't drink enough. Well, time to get some cooking started. Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!