Health Report

On Monday, while going to pick up Kyle and Owen from school, Meera fell and smashed her face badly. We were standing in the school parking lot, just about to get into the car to go home. I was chatting with another mom and the boys were playing chase with one of their friends. Meera was trying to join in the chase game too -- sort of toddling around after the big boys like she tends to do. The boys' friend brushed by her, by accident, which caused Meera to lose her balance and she slammed down, face first. She was right near me but I couldn't block her fall in time. She screamed hard for a few minutes, and then was fine. The boys got in big trouble for playing chase in the parking lot and for not looking out better for their little sister. They felt terrible. I felt terrible. The whole thing was a mess. We got home and Owen made Meera a bottle right away. Kyle got the hydrogen peroxide and I cleaned out all the cuts. It was a big drama. A drama which seemed to traumatize all of us except Meera. The photo above was taken right after we got home. She woke up the next morning with the left side of her face very swollen, and a black-and-blue left eye. She takes it all in stride. It is healing nicely and doesn't seem to bother her. But it sure does bother the rest of us. On top of it, our poor baby is on another round of antibiotics-- her third in the past month-- for bilateral ear infections that just won't seem to quit (and causing all sort of other problems like hard-time-sleeping/up too much in the night and hard-time-eating/she's lost over 2 pounds in the past 4 weeks... that's almost 10% of her body weight). We'll go back to our pediatrician in a few days to see if this antibiotic is working. If not, we will have to see the ENT specialist. Which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world--- the ENT doctor/surgeon we have is amazing, and did really well by us when Kyle was Meera's age and had to have ear tubes put in and his adenoids taken out. I'd hate to have to see Meera go into surgery, but if she does have to, then it is this ENT who I want doing it. So, if it will be, it will be. In the meantime we're not worrying too much about it. And Meera is about as easy as it gets for a sick baby. Her worst days are probably like most babies' best days. We're not complaining.

In other news, Owen had his appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday. The doctor says that his collar bone is healing well and seems to be fusing nicely, etc. It looks like we're in the clear with no need for surgery, re-setting, etc. We will go back in three weeks for a follow-up to check on it. For now, he's favoring it a lot still, and we're trying to keep him from doing anything crazy. He's very good about knowing his limits. But his limits are way above and beyond what anyone would imagine of a kid with a broken collar bone. Trying to keep Owen from being active is like trying to keep a fish from swimming.

Lastly, Mama has a bad cold. And Kyle and Braydon are healthy as can be. So, we've got two standing out of five. Not all that bad. ;)

after-school-snack Friday. as you can see, they are all just fine!