Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

The Story of Coleman’s Right Nostril

This is kind of a gross story.  It all started back in May.

Coleman started to have lots of clear snot coming out of JUST his right nostril.  It wasn’t infected looking but the constant dripping caused his nostril to be red and raw and painful looking.

Then it started to have a smell to it.  A yucky smell.  The thought didn’t even cross my mind until one of his teachers mentioned that maybe something was up there since it was just one side that was irritated.

So we took him to the doctor right before we left for our Florida trip in June.  His pcp said that he couldn’t see anything up there, but that it was infected and swollen and snotty which could all block his view.  The plan was to treat him with antibiotics and if the symptoms started up again, we would go to an ENT doctor.  The antibiotics seemed to take care of it and I started rinsing his nose with saline every night and using a nasal aspirator to suck out any snot and hopefully keep it cleaned out.  I hoped that was the end of the story.  Then in August we were camping and with the allergies and none of mommy’s doctoring for several days, it quickly flared up again and got infected and sore. 

So to the specialist we went!  Once again, since it was infected and swollen, the doctor couldn’t see if anything was up there.  We did a 2-week round of antibiotics then went back in yesterday so the doc could have a clear view up his nose.

I prayed and prayed that he would find something and be able to pull it out there in the office because the next step was putting him completely under for outpatient surgery!  I didn’t want his little body to have to go through a 3rd surgery in 3 years, and I didn’t want to have to PAY for it. :(  He was such a GREAT patient at the doctor yesterday.  As soon as the doc looked in his nose, he said, “Oh yeah there’s something up there.”  He let us look through his scope.  It was something that had kind of taken the shape of his nose (so it wasn’t something hard) and it was WAY up there according to Dr. Bryan.  He didn’t seem hopeful that he could get to it and get it all out in his office with Coleman awake.  He said with how it was formed to his nose it was probably stuck pretty good and there was a large chance of it bleeding once he pulled any of it off, and then with the blood he wouldn’t be able to tell if he got it all or not.  But knowing that Coleman is such a good patient (really it is exceptional knowing his wild self that he is calm and tolerant and just GOOD when with a doctor), I told him that I really wanted him to try to get it and prevent another surgery for him. 

The doctor was GREAT about telling Cole each thing he was doing and letting him hold the tools first to see that they weren’t sharp and nothing would hurt him.  He put a cotton ball drenched with 2 medicines up his nose and left it there for about 10 minutes or so.  The medicines were a local anesthetic to numb his nose up there, and something else to make the puffiness contract – something about dilating the veins???  I’m not sure :)  Then he put a big bright light in Cole’s face and Coleman lay completely still like such a big boy while the doctor used this tool and that tool positioned just right to be able to see it and get it out.  The first try caused Coleman lots of sneezing but he quickly got still again and let the doc try again.  On the second try, out came the object.  It was shocking to both Jeff and me- it was bigger than we had imagined, that was for sure!  The doctor looked at it under his scope and still said he could not tell what it was, but his best guess was some kind of paper.  I’m thinking a piece of a kleenex or something??  The doctor checked again and with NO bleeding whatsoever he was able to see that he had removed everything that was in view in one piece.  Now the last step is to take him off the antibiotics and watch.  If the symptoms return, it means that here is even more up there that the doctor couldn’t see, and if that is the case, there will be a surgery.  If not, we are home free with a NASTY picture (which I will spare you!) of something that Jeff says looks just like a smoked oyster and a great yucky story!

Family Funnies!

 

Yesterday as we were getting ready to take Coleman to the doctor, I asked him if he wanted spiky hair and he excitedly said yes.  So I started putting the goop in it and he asked me very worriedly, “But Mommy what if the doctor messes it up?!”

Then, I asked Shelby to brush her teeth.  She didn’t want to, and while trying to convince me that she didn’t need to, she said, “But I have not brushed my teeth lots of times before and lots of people still want to play with me!”

Finally I got some more Jeff funnies during the night.  I woke up to him saying something about how “Oh man this is some crazy stuff!” and then he reached down to the floor on the side of the bed, picked something imaginary up, and lifted it up high (I think it was a kid) all the way up to the ceiling fan saying, “Well hey there my little monkey man!” and then he sat down and just held the imaginary child in his lap for a minute before I turned on the light.  When he saw he was busted, he was still half asleep but came up with a quick story.  He looked at me and said, “I was trying to figure out this damage liability …” something about work blah blah.  I just looked at him smiling and he said, “I guess I’ll just do it at work tomorrow” and then he laid down and went back to sleep.

And finally, Shelby is still a drawing machine. 

She called me into the kitchen yesterday where she had spilled some water in the floor.  Instead of cleaning it up, she just made a “Caution” sign for it!  Makes sense, right?  haha!

Busy week

This week seems pretty eventful, mostly because of yesterday’s visit to the doctor for Coleman (more on that later!)  But first, we had a Get Acquainted picnic at Coleman’s school on Tuesday evening.

It threatened rain but the dark clouds flew right past us, leaving only a rainbow to remind us they had been there!

Yesterday after Cole’s successful dr. appt, we were able to take Shelby lunch at school as a celebration!

 

Shelby had no idea we were coming and the surprise was great.

 

 

Saturday / Sunday Fundays

We had a busy weekend!

On Saturday morning we were out shopping for new living room tables- didn’t find any!

Shelby had a birthday party to be at so we rushed home and got all pretty for that.  Her first KINDERGARTEN birthday party! 

The party was for Natalie, a little girl in her class. 

After they bounced and got all sweaty, they went into the “girl room” for a dress-up and fashion show.

Shelby picked a white dress and insisted that she only wear WHITE (purse, lace shawl, gloves, etc) :)  and that she was a “wedding girl.”  She kept singing “Going to the chapel”

I didn’t have my camera but Natalie’s mom sent me some pictures:

There were 2 boys from Shelby’s class out in the hallway, and she kept going out there and chasing them trying to “Kiss” them.  Heaven help me!  None of the other girls paid a second of attention to the boys, I don’t know where she got that!!!

And here is the group of girls- only the birthday girl (sitting) and one other girl in this picture are actually IN Shelby’s class.  I think most of them go to her school though.

Saturday night we went to a yummy pizza dinner where we dined outside with my whole big family and BYOWine to celebrate Aunt Millie's 27th birthday.  If you’re in the mid-cities, Palio’s in Colleyville is VERY good- thin WHEAT crust and BYOB :)

Afterward we all headed back to our house for cake and to watch Tech LOSE  but at least we were surrounded by family :)

I finally remembered to take the camera out and dust off its cobwebs for our Sunday.

The day started out at 10:00 for me, because my awesome lovely sweet and handsome husband let me sleep in.  I really really love sleep!

But I did hit the ground running as we decided to go to the dog park for a while before our 2 birthday parties.

 

 

Both sides of the park were FULL of dogs.  I guess Sunday mornings are a popular park time for dogs!

    

Next, we ran home and got cleaned up and were off to separate parties.  Jeff took Coleman to a BOY birthday party with his best buddy Jackson. 

We girls got to our old neighborhood for baby Aiyla’s FIRST birthday.

The cake had her first year in pictures collage that I made for her invitation :)

 

Shelby, of course, found a friend to swim and play with

 

And this girl just cracks me up.  The towel goes straight onto her hair (all on her own!) as she shivers and drips from the pool.

Aiyla is still just the happiest and sweetest girl ever.  Just look at her smile!

 

She put her cheeto in her cake, then looked up at her daddy like, “Now what am I supposed to do?”

 

She figured it out pretty quickly :)

 

Shelby learned a new trick from her friend- climbing up on the pole and sliding down it. 

 

Jeff met us at that party and we headed up 35 to Lake Ray Roberts. 

We have the state park passes and Jeff really wanted to get use out of them and swim at the lake before it gets too cold.

 

The kids absolutely love it.

 

 

    

The beach here at the Johnson Branch part of Lake RR is very nice- sandy and shallow for a LONG way out.  There is plenty of room to safely play out in the water for the kids…see how far the boys are out there? :)  Right there was about waist-level for them.

 

That is Matthew out there with Cole!  We were so happy and lucky that on our short notice to have a cookout dinner there Sunday night, Jeff’s mom and sister/brother-in-law and Matthew could come!

There is also a big playground

 

where I watched the kids play while the hot dogs cooked.

 

 

   

 

My little Love Bugs:

 

 

 

 

It was a wonderful evening…and when the sun went down the mosquitoes QUICKLY chased us away but we will be doing this again!  I am so glad to have kids that love the outdoors!