One Day

One of these days, we will figure out what is wrong with Clay.
Clay has been fighting something in his gut for over two years now. If I'm honest with myself, it's been over 3. When he was born he didn't gain weight and was admitted twice in his first week of life. We blamed it on me not making enough milk, but we know better now.
Sometimes I want to punch those doctors in the face for making me believe that I was a failure, unsuccessful at nourishing my child.
We saw a doctor in CA who ordered a myriad of tests and we thought we were on to something when Clay had to have his gallbladder removed, or when he was really anemic. These are specific diagnoses, they MUST point to something! After his endoscopy and his gallbladder removal in 2010 and everything came back inconclusive or negative, the doctor and surgeons shoved us to the side until me moved away.
When we moved to Florida, he was doing somewhat better and the new doctor seemed promising. He sat down with me for almost a whole hour and talked me through things.
But as many of you know I'm sure, conversations are different when the patient is well vs. sick. Of course, it all seemed to make sense and it was so wonderful and the doctor is so understanding and he must be a genius because things are GETTING BETTER! But none of that was thanks to him, but he sure got all the credit.
But when Clay's health started going downhill in December, all of the sudden I can't get an appointment, the nurses take days to call me back and even then, have no answers for me. The doctor orders one test or offers one idea to pacify me and then tells me to come back in 3 months. They don't call me back with results and I have to hound their office for 3 days to get an answer.
Good thing I called to ask if he was lactose intolerant 2 weeks after the test was performed.

"Oh, yep, it says right here he is lactose intolerant."

"Was anyone going to call me about this? Let me know to stop feeding him Mac N Cheese everyday maybe?"

"Oh, no one called you?"

This is the general run around I get with any calls to the office. When Clay got a hold of the Naddy stomach virus of 2012, he was hit so hard he was hospitalized. He took Zofran for 3 days, was asleep for 4 days* and threw up for 5 days. He is still having diarrhea when he eats solid food.

Before that, he had a 10% weight loss in the month of December, I can count on two hands the number of normal bowel movements he has had in 3 months. He hasn't slept through the night in probably 4 or 5 months screaming with abdominal pain. His belly looks like a starving child's. It's enormous, full of bloat. And his extremities are so skinny. (I have started weighing him and taking pictures of him on the first of the month but figured it was inappropriate to post them here. No matter how cute his underoos are)

It's okay, the GI doc can fit us in in March to talk about it.**

Finally, I think we have someone on our side. We have been working with a PA in the peds clinic. He is the one who saw Clay outpatient as well as admitted him when he got really sick. He even called the next week to check and see how he was doing. When I told him Clay wasn't a whole lot better, he ordered some more tests and gave me his direct office number. I talked to him today and he is going to help us navigate thought this as best he can.

All I can do is document everything; food, (I write down what he eats every day), toileting, weight and I take pictures. Maybe, ONE DAY a doctor will look at all of it and put it together....maybe one day.

*When Clay was sick, he slept for 4 days straight. He was responsive to harsh stimuli (putting the IV in - although it was just tears, not a fight) and could answer yes and no. But he could not wake up to drink, eat, pee or move. He literally laid perfectly still with his eyes closed for 4 days. Like he was conserving every ounce of energy his body could muster. It was very bizarre, and I've never seen anything like it.

**Luckily, I got a phone call this afternoon saying there was a cancellation and they could see me tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck. If this doesn't go well, we will probably going to Birmingham for a second opinion.

This is What a Five Year Old Does When He's Bored

Last week when Clay was sick, we ended up having to stay in the 'procedure' room of the peds clinic for awhile so Clay could get some IV fluids.
Carter had my phone and I thought he was just playing Angry Birds, but apparently he was taking pictures as well...

Clay Goes to School

Earlier this year, Clay started preschool! He goes to the same school Carter does and since it is  Montessori school, he is not in a separate class from his brother. They do different things in different parts of the teeny two roomed schoolhouse, but are never separated by big hallways and double doors.

We were very anxious and nervous for this development in Clay's little life. Most of you that know him personally know he has EXTREME SEPARATION ANXIETY. OH MY GOSH HE'S GOING TO LIVE HERE UNTIL HE'S 30! Sorry, just the voice imodulation syndrome kicking in.


We have never been able to drop him off in the nursery at church, the CDC at the 3 bases we've lived at or any other school/daycare type setting. He seemed to be fine going to friends' houses, or having our sweet Grandma Lady Babysitter, Heide come over. He was fine with Grandma, or Nana too. But try to drop him off was like trying to cut his arms off. Every time, the CDC or nursery would have to call/page us to come pick him up. This is the typical conversation that ensued:

"Hello Mrs. Naddy?"

"Yes?"

"I'm _____ from the ____. Clayton has been crying for 2 hours straight now, we cannot get him to calm down and think you might need to come get him."

"Okay, as soon as I get down from the stirrups from my OBGYN appointment/check out at the grocery store/get out of the shower/ run back there to the nursery, I will come get him. Thanks!"

Then, I would pick him up, he'd fall apart even more when he spotted me and continue to have anxiety for the next half hour. Eventually we just stopped trying.
He went to "Big Church" with us, He went on every errand I did and he sat on the bath rug outside the tub while I showered.

So, as you can imagine, we were not expecting preschool to go very well. But he has got to learn to make friends/ do things/ learn that the world is not trying to eat him alive/etc.

We talked it up for months. I realize this could have had the opposite effect. (Give him lots of time to be anxious about it) but we have tried both methods of not talking about things at all and talking about things in advance and it seems to go slightly not at all better when we give him a heads up. He was also able to attend two field trips with Carter's school when I chaperoned last year.

A word for the wise: Do not volunteer to chaperon a preschool field trip with your own three kids in tow. You'll just end up looking like an incompetent idiot. Not that I would know.

He even knew the teachers from drop off and pickup and had interacted with them a few times.
We had talked to the teachers about his anxiety and they were willing to help and understood the issue.

And then, when the new year started, I dropped him off for school and he gave me a kiss and walked away. Just like that.
I was shocked! The whole 3 hours I held my phone close, waiting for the phone call that would let me know they couldn't handle the disruption. That we would need to try again later. But it never came! I picked him up at noon and his face was clear, his eyes were dry and he wasn't done playing with the 'snow' they were taking turns playing with. I finally corralled him out of there (still in shock!) and he's been going ever since. Holy crap. Who'd have thought?

I'm sure that some of the circumstances we set up and him being familiar with the place helped ease him into the transition. But I just can't believe it was so easy! God answered a prayer we had been praying for awhile, to ease his anxiety about school.

After school, he started going to 'kids church' on Sundays and Thursday mornings (during my Bible Study). He finally realized that we WE'RE COMING BACK! And it is so much more fun to play with toys and make friends and have a snack than sit still in big church or stay at home while mom does more laundry and dishes.

Clay is in preschool, and he loves it. Unbelievable!

Nothing Exciting Posted Here.

I don't have any super great excuses for my lack of posting for the last two months. But I'm going to give you my lame ones anyway. I've sat down several times recently, trying to catch everyone up, but as most of my bloggy friends know, the longer you go without posting, the more that you feel you need to write, which becomes overwhelming , so then you don't write anything. I was like that in high school. I didn't read for leisure because there was always some academia I should have been reading , but I sure didn't want to read that, so I just read none of it. Win, win!

In December, BOTH of our computers crashed. One of them crashed while my SD card was in there with all my Disney pictures and pictures of the day Vivi was born. Thank Goodness I had at least backed those up. So, we were without a computer for awhile, then, Cory was out of town for a lot of January, blah, blah, blah, same old story. Then, Vivi started the stomach virus heard round the world.
Vivi got it first, gave it to Clay, who gave it to me, who gave it to Carter who finally gave it to Cory. The heaps of laundry were enormous and the restless nights are still yet to be over. Clay ended up hospitalized last week for dehydration and is just now getting better. Hopefully he'll be well enough to go to school on Wednesday.
I think everyone is finally on the upswing and thank goodness my mom flew out to save the day.
That's what's been consuming our month, but I promise to be better soon!

National Lampoon's Disney Vacation

Our Christmas present from the in laws was a family trip to Disney. Cory's parents rented a house in Kissimee FL, and we spent 4 days at each of the Disney parks and one day at Universal Studios. It was pure insanity. With 6 kids ranging from 1 to 9 and 12 people total we visited the happiest place on Earth on the busiest week of the year. Really, it was a recipe for chaos from the get-go. There was lots of crying and whining. Lots of eating, lots of souvenirs, lots of standing around deciding what to do, lots of hours spent in the bathroom, lots of diaper changes, clothes changes and mind changes. Lots of sticky fingers, baby wipes and scraped knees. There was not a lot of: sleeping. I. am. still. tired.

The Tree of Life  at Animal Kingdom

Carter was fascinated by his cousin's iTouch

At the beginning of each day as the alarm went off, I could only hope that all the children had accidentally been eaten by sharks. Alas, we were not this lucky.  

Carter and Trey driving at Epcot

The whole crew. (Minus my BIL who is taking the picture)

We took the kids to Jurassic Park in hopes maybe a dinosaur would eat them...no such luck.

In other news, Vivian is still very bald.

In other, other news: Rice Krispy treats are dairy free.

Carter came home with three different hats.

The first day we were at Magic Kingdom, it was at capacity. That's like...eleventy billion people in case you were wondering.

We did a lot of this: Standing around trying to figure out what to do next.

The 'big kids' in line for Thunder Railroad.

Clay = Eeyore

Viv loved Kali

I'm hoping in 10 years we can come back and re create this picture. Perfect, huh?

**I had more pictures, but BOTH of our computers have had  awful viruses and they totally wiped my SD card. My camera can't even read it now. Uggh. Lucky for me these are my BIL's pictures that he let me steal. Thanks Chuck!

Fantastic 5

Carter,

It is amazing to me that you are 5. Although, if we were going by pure energy, you'd be 30 by now.
You are still full steam ahead, and I'm convinced that the reason I am so fatigued is that you literally suck the energy out of me and use it for yourself.

You go to school 3 days a week here in Crestview and love it. You are at the point where school is immediate gratification. You hear things and then, they're in your brain and you remember them and apply them! You are starting to read, tell time and do more and more things for yourself. We have discussed you making your own breakfast but that doesn't really solve our getting up early problem since you can't very well get Vivi out of her bed for us. Ha. You are incredibly smart Carter and I can't wait to see where school is going to take you.

You are taking on more responsibility including feeding the dog, taking out your bathroom trash and turning out lights and shutting the bedroom doors before we leave the house. You take things in from the car for me, help me carry things, corral your siblings and help me find things. Your school backpack is your responsibility and we let you brush your own teeth now and then too. You know how to lock doors, make your bed, let the dog in and out, get toilet paper, take things to the outside fridge and sort laundry.

You are so good and quick at everything you do, so it is easy for us to add on responsibility and expectations. Your daddy and I try very hard to be fair and not expect more from you than we should but I'll be honest, it is hard sometimes. When we see how capable you are, it is easy for us to pile more and more on your plate. But, remember if you want 'big kid' privileges you get 'big kid' responsibilities. I'm sure I will wear this saying out more and more as you near adolescence.

You were on your first soccer game this year and had a good time. You really liked the games but weren't too fond of regular practice. You spent a lot of time high-fiving instead of watching the ball. You aren't quite fast enough for offense but you're a pretty good defender and goalie!

You LOVE dinosaurs, especially the T-rex. But, you're pretty knowledgeable about all of them and correct anyone who might guess the wrong name. "No mom, that's not a dromaeosaurus! Good grief!"

You love Star Wars and got all 6 movies for your birthday. Speaking of movies, You LOVE them too. This can be a good thing, or bad thing. It's very good, because if I come down with a migraine, or the flu or a hangover  or it's rained all day and we ran out of glue and Popsicle sticks,  I can put a movie on for you and you're all set. The bad part is that you'll be so entranced I will forget that you've been watching a movie for eleventy hours and your brain has turned to mashed potatoes long before Luke knows who his father is.
Screen time is a constant battle (not too dramatic of one, but one we have to revisit often nonetheless).
Luckily, your brother and sister do not share your same love affair with the TV. 

You have such a knack for making friends. You are able to go to any playground or beach and make an instant friend. Sometimes they're little boys your age. Sometimes they're 2 year old girls. Sometimes it's a group of 8 or 9 year old boys, doesn't matter. You somehow convince them that they definitely want to play with you or they're missing out.

This year for your party, you invited your best friend, Ollie for a sleepover. Y'all made pizza, ate rice krispies, played pirates and spy jungle animals and watched Star Wars until you both passed out on the couch. I didn't even make you brush your teeth, I just carried both of y'all to bed! You and Ollie had a great time.

Carter, I love you more than words can say. You made me a mother 5 years ago, and YOU. ARE. AWESOME.

Vivi Hitches a Ride