Getting old babe

Today is my handsome hubbies birthday!

We had a low key celebration because Lil' Man is still sick.  Happy birthday Mr. Sexy!

Love ya

Still sick, and tired

Lil' Man has been pretty much sick the entire month of February. First he was wheezing, then he had croup, and then an ear infection.  Now he has a stomach virus and strep on top of that.  Sigh

I didn't think it was humanly possible to vomit and poop so much. It all started at 4am Friday morning.  My boss was less than thrilled when I called in sick considering  I just started back two weeks ago.

This morning he look awful, and was still not able to keep down liquids so I took him to the doctor.  Sure enough he was dehydrated.  They gave him some anti_ nausea medication and he was finally able to keep down liquids. 

The ped was little concerned because he had a fever which isnt typical of the stomach bugs that are going around.  So she decided to give him a strep test, which came back positive.  That explains the stinky breath.

He was so out of it that he slept almost the entire two hours we were at the Dr's office.  Too bad he wont sleep now cause I could really use a nap. 

Sick boy

My poor lil guy woke up at 4am this morning shouting "I just pooped my pants." So not what I wanted to hear at 4am.  Seems the  kiddo has caught the stomach virus that is going around.  We're on our 4th pair of Pjs, and our third bed sheet.

This morning I was rubbing his back while he was throwing up trying to do my motherly duties.  I can't stand puke so I threw up too.  Almost on the kids head.

I ran to the store before hubby left, and got Lil' Man Gatorade.  He is pissed because he wants to eat, but I told him he has to hold down some Gatorade before I feed him some dried toast.

I sure hope he's feeling better soon.  This may be his last weekend with us.

Manic

Things have been all out of whack here.  Lil' Man is driving me insane..Oh wait I think he's already drove me insane.  Is this his way of making the separation  easier?  Because its working. 

He has been defiant times 1,000. 

The kids at school found a frog, the teachers assistant had a little box for them to put it inside.  As she was walking toward the frog Lil' Man looked at her and laughed, and then squashed the frog with his foot.

He threw a chair at one of the teachers, spit on another, stabbed a kid with a pencil, stripped (again), and refused to wear his shoes (they sent him home in 35 degree weather barefoot)  He didnt learn a thing from that lesson, because he did the same thing the next day.

I hate it when he gets stuck in a manic cycle, life isnt fun for anyone.  He wakes up pissed off, and goes to bed pissed of.  What kind of life is that?  His eyes were open for 15 seconds this morning, before he found something to start moaning about. 

The food is too hot, or maybe its too cold.  Oh what his shirt has a pin sized stain, his shoes are ugly.  The other pair of shoes are too tight.  The brown jacket doesn't match, and neither does the spider man one.

His toast is too crunchie, and there is not enough milk in his cereal.  He wants to play outside, but wait its too cold out here.  He wants to watch Dora, but not that Dora the one that was on last night.

I hope, and pray (and I ain't even a prayer) that we get over this manic phase soon.  I want to have some enjoyment with him during his last month with us.

Thank you

On Sunday I got a sweet email from Lil' Man's adoptive Mom, thanking me for taking such good care of her son.  While it felt good to receive such a compliment, I really don't think I deserve it.  After all I am "giving him up."

If anyone deserves a compliment its her. She is committing herself to him FOREVER.  Something I am not willing/able to do.

My hat is off to all those  parents who adopt children with severe emotional/behavior issues. Sometimes the only thing that has kept me sane during Lil' Man's rage's is the fact that I know this isn't going to last forever. This is not how I am going to spend the rest of my days.  As harsh as it may sound its the truth. 

The unpredictability of his behaviors takes its toll.   I am emotionally spent. I am surprised I don't have high blood pressure (ha ha).

He has been defiant from the moment he opened his eyes today.

Please don't think that I don't love the kid, because I really do.  I just dont see how I can parenting him forever while staying sane. 

He needs/deserves so much more than we can give him. 

I wish there was some magic pill that could make his little brain better.

PLMD, what?

At night we can hear Lil' Man kicking his mattress while sleeping.  He often wakes up with a sore leg.  I've mentioned the kicking to his pediatrician as well as to his case worker.  The pediatrician just brushed it off.

Tonight while laying in bed I heard him kicking and decided to Google "kicking during sleep"

I came up with Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD).  Does anyone have any experience with this disorder?  Do you all think its worth mentioning to the doctor again? Should I request a sleep study?

Keep in mind Lil' Man takes respidol at night to help him sleep.

Most parents have little knowledge or awareness of one of the major pediatric sleep disorders that can cause their child extensive daytime behavior problems and nighttime sleep problems or behavior problems: Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). PLMD causes lots of bedtime resistance, difficulty falling asleep, or the child /teen refusing to go to sleep. Once the child / teen is asleep, then s/he exhibits lots of restless sleep, including frequent leg kicking or leg jerking movements, rolling around excessively, and moving arm or other body parts frequently that interrupts the child’s deep sleep. This interruption of deep sleep often results in the child feeling irritable, oppositional, tantrumming or expressing excessive frustration or anger in the daytime. Most of these children and adolescents with PLMD display many symptoms of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or may have a diagnosis of ADHD and are being treated for this disorder or other disorders like Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, or other mental health disorders. The good news is that if the Periodic Limb Movement Disorder can be corrected, and it is pretty easy to correct it, these other / adolescent exhibits any of these above-mentioned behavior problems or sleep behavior problems, please read the information below and find out how to screen your child and get treatment for PLMD:

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) is characterized by the periodic (every 20-40 seconds) and sustained (0.5-4.0 seconds in duration) contractions of one or both front leg muscles often causing unperceived arousals or awakenings from light or deep sleep. These contractions result in repetitive jerks for about 2 seconds of the toes, feet, legs, arms, and/or thighs, which often occur in stages 1 and 2 of NREM sleep and disrupt the quality of sleep. There appears to be a strong correlation between Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and ADHD based on initial research by sleep specialists. Sleep specialists and other experts in the field have not been able to determine if the Periodic Limb Movement Disorder causes some forms of ADHD, or whether they both exist simultaneously.

Many children and adolescents with Periodic Limb Movement Disorder display considerable amounts of oppositional behaviors and a very touchy, moody temperament due to not feeling rested when they awaken in the morning. This difficult temperament is caused by their frequent periodic limb movements in the night that prevent these children from getting into their deepest levels of sleep enough hours of the night so they do not feel rested the next morning. Many of these children also resist going to sleep or have difficulty falling asleep at night.

This sleep disorder is correctable or can usually be improved significantly with medication taken before bedtime that diminishes or stops the limb movements. Some sleep specialists are prescribing Neurontin, and some Clonadine or L-Dopa before bedtime. Neurontin and L-Dopa reduce or stop the periodic limb movements so that the student gets a restful night's sleep. The Clonadine helps the student fall asleep quicker so that s/he gets a longer night's sleep, although Clonadine does not stop the leg movements during sleep. Both Neurotin and Clonadine have been used successfully with children for several years, whereas L-Dopa use with children is newer with little known about long-term effects on children.

Band-Aid

Lil' Man and I were at the store this morning.  I was looking around, he was a little further down the isle checking stuff out.  He came running towards me with a giant pack of pads shouting "Hey Mom, we need band-aids" lol 

The lady standing next to me just about died from laughter. 

Out of the mouth of babies.