HAIR RAISING MORNING

Scot woke up around 3 A.M. feeling like he couldn't breathe. After about 45 minutes of sitting up & trying to regain normal breating unsuccessfully, I started making phone calls. I called the hospital (to check in with the nurses that had treated him), my brother Matt (sorry for the EARLY wake up call, but thanks for answering & for your advice), & Scot's Infectious Disease Dr., who was on call. All of them offered the same advice, which was that Scot should head into the ER if he felt like his breathing was not improving (for the record, Matt's advice was by far the most informative & helpful - no surprise there). I called Scot's parents around 4 A.M., and his dad headed over to pick up our patient. It was pretty scary, mainly because Scot was so nervous & emotional, which added to the stress of the day.

They ran a bunch of tests (yes, more tests...) and FINALLY found one piece to fit the puzzle. After a CT of his chest, they found a cloudy spot in the upper tip of his lung...which is a sign of pneumonia (something they'd ruled out before). They believe that even though they hadn't seen it in previous tests, it was certainly part of the problem this week. The other part of his illness is still a big mystery - but the Dr.'s still believe it is bacterial in nature because he's responding to the antibiotics. Steve and Scot returned home around noon - and aside from a few households of really sleepy people, Scot seems to be on the mend. He's had some side effects from the antibiotics, but other than that - we are relieved to know that aside from the pneumonia & random bacteria, his blood, organs, etc. are all completely healthy. The road to recovery will take a little time, but thankfully we've got plenty of that. Welcome Home Scot (for good this time).

At Ethan's 18 month check-up, Dr. Susie recommended that we start to give him a "time out" when he does not listen. (So basically, whenever he looks at me and smiles while he continues to do just what I've asked him not to do the minute before). Ethan's room (and therefore crib) is on the second floor, so she advised that we also set up a pack-n-play on the main floor somewhere closeby to use as well (she apparently did this with her own kids). The idea is to keep them isolated for a short time so that the discipline is immediate & can be connected to the poor behaviour. We thought the pack-n-play idea was worth a shot (since he's too young to stay on a chair), so I set one up in our dining room this week. So far, Ethan has been requesting opportunities to PLAY in the pack-n-play (which was not part of the plan). When he gets in trouble, it seems to be more of a reward for him to be stuck in there for a little while - he's even refused freedom when I've come to take him out. Why does this kid have to be so darn happy? (Just kidding, we wouldn't have it any other way). We have the same problem upstairs, he cries for a second - but then he remembers that he loves his crib, so after a short protest he lays down to rest until I return. He's always quick to offer a "Sorry" when I walk in the room & then reaches out for a big hug (which I must say is adorable). The punishment, however, is not as long lasting as we'd hoped - he typically ends up right back where he started.

Will we ever win? Maybe, but it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon.