a good morning!

Another quick update:

Lily woke up with a normal temperature today!  This is the first time her temp has been normal (98.6 or below) since this all started last Monday.  And we didn't need to give her any medication during the night.  I'm really hoping her fever doesn't return this afternoon.

My awesome doctor's office called again and my Pediatrician consulted with the Immunologist and the Immunologist feels that Lily has Periodic Fever Syndrome, which my doctor has mentioned before also.  My nephew was also diagnosed with this syndrome, although the removal of his tonsils (which coincided with his 3rd birthday) significantly decreased his fevers. 

I'm still going to keep an eye on Lily's joints and will ask the Immunologist about it as well.  We will get to see him late next week now, instead of August.

Most of all, I was thrilled that she didn't have an elevated temperature this morning.  I feel like my other girls have been neglected a bit through all of this and I'm hoping for a couple of fun days with them all when I'm off the next two days.  We're gonna hit the beach!

the latest on Lily (calling all medical sleuths)

I wish I could say she was back to normal, or that we've figured out what's going on.

But she isn't, and we haven't.

My pediatricians office considers a temperature of 101 or higher a fever.  Lily's temperature seems to spike to a fever later in the afternoon.  Her temperature has not been below 99 since we came home from the hospital.  Monday it spiked to 102.6 and this afternoon it was 101.4.

I talk to the nurse at the doctor's office daily.  They are trying to get us an earlier appointment with the immunologist.  Our current appointment is at the end of August.

Lily has continued to complain about pain in her legs.  The antibiotic shots she received two days in a row last week are quite painful, but usually that pain dissipates after 72-hours, and that was the case when she had the shots last month.  It seems that her joints might be bothering her.  This morning she didn't want to step up a curb, saying that her legs hurt.

Joint pain and the fatigue she still has and the fevers could point to a juvenile arthritis.  I'm still trying to determine where the pain is from and how present it is.  Lily was very opposed to me touching and flexing her leg joints when I told her what I was doing.  I'm experimenting with manipulating her legs without warning to see her reaction.  A few times she has withdrawn from me but once she didn't have much of a reaction.

If you love a good medical mystery, feel free to Google my kid and give me suggestions of what to check for or consider!  Anything is game at this point.

While I'm not overly worried, I am concerned and very frustrated.  It's also challenging because Lily is very fussy at times and wakes up with an elevated temperature at least once a night.  I want my happy, playful baby back.

I am thankful serious things like leukemia have been ruled out, so I'm not letting my mind get away from me, but it has to be something.

this is the fever that never ends

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that it's been quite the week for us.  I shared this sad photo on Wednesday.  It was a rough week for our Lily-bug.

Monday (July 4) she woke up from her nap a little out of it and fussy.  By 4:30 we realized she had a fever.    After last month's episode, I knew she needed a doctor visit immediately.  We went for bloodwork first on Tuesday morning and then visited the doctor on Tuesday afternoon with the results.  Once again, her white count and CRP were elevated.  Poor munchkin had to get antibiotic shots again.  (click to read about my crazy Tuesday)

Wednesday afternoon, her fever was still raging, so we went back for more shots.  As soon as I tell Lily we are going to the doctor or when she recognizes the landmarks as we drive, she says "all better, no doctor" in the saddest, sickest voice.  And Thursday, fever still there.  We paid a lot of co-pays this week.  The doctor said if Lily's fever went up to 101 on Friday, he would admit her to the hospital.

So, guess where we ended up on Friday evening?

She actually looks happy here.  Which was obviously before the IV.  When a fever-reducer was in effect in her body, she was pleasant and would even play some.  But once her fever kicked up, she was one sick little girl.

It was an intense 24 hours.  I have such a new respect and understanding for parents of chronically ill children who spend a lot of time in the hospital.  At times I felt like I was in a different country. Everything was focused on Lily's health.

They did a pretty full work-up on her including an x-ray and ultrasound.  Thankfully, they didn't find anything serious going on, which was our biggest concern.  Lily was pretty dehydrated, so being on an IV for 24 hours was a very positive thing.  Her urine output had been very little and the IV increased it dramatically, which helped with the fever.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to identify the source of the fever and since it stayed low while we were there, they felt good discharging her.  Since she had improved and actual sleep and rest in a hospital is difficult, we were comfortable with that.  Her temperature has stayed 1-2 degrees above normal, but overall she is improving.

We will be seeing an immunologist to follow-up and hopefully figure out why Lily has these frequent fevers and if they are infections or viruses or another cause.  Right now I'm focusing on the fact that she is improving and even though this is the 7th day of her fever, it is very low and decreasing.  It is concerning to me that she has had 15 fevers in 13 months.

I am very happy that Lily is in her own bed tonight (and keeps calling us for silly things tonight) instead of in a hospital bed.  Although she actually was never in the hospital bed because it was a crib that she wanted nothing to do with.  She spent her time in the fold out bed if she wasn't in my lap.

More pictures tomorrow and things I learned being in the hospital with my daughter.

this day

I have been trying to live by the phrase "embrace this day."  I read it somewhere on the interwebs more than a year ago.  And it keeps coming back to me.

The idea being, I need to live the day, whatever it holds, the good and the bad.  There will be things about each day that I wish were different, there will be challenges and circumstances beyond my control.  But wallowing in self-pity and always looking at the "greener" grass in someone else's life will get me nowhere.

If I trust God, I trust what each day holds.  I need to be able to say, "this is the day the Lord made" even when I don't like what it's the day.  To embrace this day, as well as those days.

You'll be hearing more about this from me soon.

But...today, has been one of "those days".  A day that I struggle to embrace.  A day that threatens to swallow me.

I've had a cold for almost a week now.  Sunday it took my voice, which has been lovely.  I sound like a lifelong smoker today.  Monday I ran a 9.3 mile race.  I enjoyed it, but it was tough due to the cold, difficulty breathing and a very nasty raw piece of foot.  The house is a disaster, because we've been having too much fun this holiday weekend.

I was up at 5am on Monday for my race.  I arrived back home around 9:30am and we headed to Bean's moms condo to swim for a bit.  I tried to nap in the afternoon, but for some reason was only succesful in heavy dozing and daydreaming.

We headed to some friends for a 4th of July tradition of BBQ, sundaes and firework viewing from their front driveway.  Within 30 minutes of arrival, Lily was hit hard with illness.  Again.  Her fever quickly rose and I ran to get some Motrin.  She perked up for a few hours, but was down again later in the evening.

It was a difficult night for her.  Bean and I didn't get much sleep.

VBS started today for the older girls.  I was able to call the doctor office and get them to order bloodwork in light of last months illness episode.  This way I could go to an afternoon appointment with bloodwork results already in.

This was my morning.

Pick up my niece (on my way, so no big deal)
Drop three girls at church for VBS
Drive 20 minutes to lab...stopping off to get cash because I have to pay for parking
Call the DMV 800 number to reschedule an appointment I had this afternoon for my expired license because I needed to bring Lily to the doctor instead.
The lab doesn't have our bloodwork orders
While I'm calling the doctor's office, the DMV calls me back, and it takes FOREVER for her to reschedule my appointment.
Call the doctor office again.  Leave a message.  Call the emergency line, which I guess was for true life-threatening emergencies.  They call me back and I wait on hold again to talk to the nurse.
The doctor hasn't signed the orders, so he does.  grrrrrr
Finally get the bloodwork done.  This was our third visit, and she knows what's coming.  On our way there, in her lethargic voice she said "all better, no doctor."
Take Lily to my mother-in-law's
Race to work for a meeting, for which they are waiting for me
Almost to work and the nurse calls.  Bloodwork is already back and her counts show infection again.
Meeting, coordinating kids for the afternoon, speed through the must-do's for today at work (already a short week with the Monday holiday)
Pick up Lily and spend over an hour at the doctor waiting, talking, getting shots and waiting some more

It has been a difficult day to find gifts.  But I've tried.  I didn't get to eat lunch.  Which resulted in a headache, which I still have.  It's sticky today.  I've had a feverish baby laying on me much of the day.

Oh, did I mention I stunk?  And I was a sticky, sweaty mess myself?  I've been experimenting with wearing deodorant only (no antiperspirant).  Today the deodorant wasn't strong enough.  (thankfully I have back-up antiperspirant in my desk).  It was also the wrong day to wear a skirt.  I'm pretty sure I flashed a few people at the lab when I stood up with my hot, heavy toddler and my skirt was stuck to my skin and all bunched up.   Sorry folks.

A hard day to embrace.

But I have a flexible job that cares about my family and is supportive of my priorities as a mommy.  I was smart enough to request bloodwork first, instead of two visits to the doctor office in one day.  I was really hoping it wouldn't show anything.  But the pattern is the same, and deep down I knew.

I just wish I really knew what was going on.  I wish someone knew.  Toddlers shouldn't get strong bacterial infections 4 weeks apart.  They are doing a few cultures to try and identify the bacteria.  And waiting to see if the antibiotic shots knock down the fever.

Looking back, I see I never posted a true follow-up to last month's illness.  Her urine culture never grew anything.  So the doctor said there was no way of knowing exactly where the bacteria originated from and how long it had been around, since she's been having these monthly fevers almost all year.  Repeat bloodwork was normal, so we thought all was good.  Guess not, because this nasty thing is back.

I just want answers.

Those I can embrace.

when it doesn't pay to be a medical-info junkie

I've always been fascinated by all things related to the medical practice.  I didn't play house with my dolls, I played hospital.  When I was 9, I got a bad case of chicken pox and then I passed them on to my three younger siblings.  Since I had them first, I got better before they did.  My mom still has charts I made to keep track of their medicine dosage.

Some of my friends tease me about how much I know about illnesses, diseases, medical procedures etc. I love most medical shows.  My friends call or text me their medical questions.

When it comes to my kids, this fascination I have is usually a positive thing.  I typically know when my kids have an infection and need antibiotics or when it's just a virus.  I hate wasting the $15 co-pay to be told it's a virus and will have to work itself out.  So I learned and listened to the doctors explain things.

However, it also means I tend to overthink medical things.  Like right now.  Lily still had a 103 fever this morning and was downright miserable.  I was hoping to go to work and leave her with my mother-in-law to rest and watch movies.  But she needed so much attention this morning that I knew she needed mama.

The doctor told me yesterday that after the antibiotic shots I should see some improvement today.  Still having a 104 fever at 4am and then 103 at 9am was not on par with the improvement I was expecting.

I spoke with the nurse who told me some signs to look for of other serious medical issues that would necessitate an immediate appointment (none of which she has).  He also told me that so far, her urine culture wasn't growing anything.  If she does have a UTI, the culture will grow the infection.  (sorry if that just grossed you out.)  24 hours is the typical incubation period, and it had only been about half that when I talked to him.  Which is why our follow-up appointment is on Wednesday, when those results will be conclusive.

And now my mind races.  What if it isn't a UTI?  Where is the infection in her?  How did she go from perfectly fine on Saturday night, to an average fever on Sunday to a raging fever on Monday complete with a bad bacterial infection.

This is when it doesn't pay to be a medical info junkie.

I'm thankful I was able to stay home and care for her today and her fever is coming down, a degree at a time.  The antibiotic she received yesterday is effective for a wide range of infections so we are on the road to recovery.

We'll see what our follow-up appointment holds tomorrow.

"grossly abnormal" makes a mama nervous

In true Mama Bear fashion, I marched my feverish Lilybug to the doctor this morning, determined to leave with more than "it's a virus."  It may be a virus.  But then she's getting a virus every 3-4 weeks, which I don't feel is reasonably normal.

I love my pediatrician.  Most of the time.  We go to a practice with several ped's but we see one particular doctor the most (he's the "headlining ped" there).  He sounds like Ben Stein.  He's a middle-aged Jewish man who talks to me about how he prepares ribs and chastises me when I don't bring Miss Rose in soon enough when her allergies turn into a sinus infection.  Sometimes he's a little old fashioned in his thinking, but I can easily brush that off.

I wasn't sure today whether I'd love him or be annoyed with him.  No one is perfect.

Turns out I love him.

While Lily showed no symptoms beyond a fever and a red throat, he listened carefully to my concerns about the reoccurring fevers and he spent a lot of time looking at her records.  Since her latest illnesses didn't have any upper respiratory symptoms he wanted to investigate the possibility of a fever syndrome and refer her to Infectious Disease.  He ordered bloodwork, which was of course at a different location.  I debated getting it done today or waiting until tomorrow.

I decided to just get it done today.  They told me the basic work-up results would be available later in the day, but the main test he wanted would take a few days.

So I was a little surprised to get a phone call this afternoon asking if I could bring Lily back in because the doctor was concerned she had a bacterial infection.  When I asked exactly when to come--she said come now, and she'd notify the front office we were coming.

That makes a mama bit nervous.  I was trying to figure out what infection she might have that required us returning and what it meant.

So I left work early, got Lily and went back to the doctor.  They wanted a urine sample from her.  She's potty-trained now, but miserable with fever and a little confused why mama is holding a cup in the toilet under her.  She just cried during my first two attempts.  If I couldn't get her to pee in the cup, they'd have to catheterize her--which is awful.  It's been done before.  I prayed out loud in the bathroom before attempt number three, and she PEED IN THE CUP!  It's the little things, that are the biggest, you know.

The doctor walks in and says " well, her bloodwork came back grossly abnormal."  REALLY?  Did you need to use that phrase?!  One of the tests should be at a 1, she was at 13!  Her urine test showed a lot of infection.  Enough that she needed two antibiotic shots in her legs.  It was A LOT of medicine in that syringe going into her legs.  Which are very sore tonight.

We go in on Wednesday for a follow-up.  I got the feeling the doctor wants to make sure the UTI is all that is going on since her bloodwork was so off.  He said she should be much better in the morning due to the antibiotic shots today.

I am blessed to have a otherwise healthy child though.  It gave me a new perspective on parents with children with terrible diseases and chronic illness.

I am blessed we have great insurance from Bean's job.  I am blessed I could leave my job early to get my baby cared for.

But please Dr. Sounds Like Ben Stein, let's not use the phrase "grossly abnormal" again.  Cause this mama is still anxious about the next few days!

mama bear

Lily woke up with a fever this morning.

It's been about a month since her last one, so I should have known it was coming.

I haven't kept exact records, but I'm fairly certain she's had a fever at least every four weeks since last November.  Serious.  True story.

So it's time for this mama bear to flex her muscles.

I brought up an ENT consult at a recent doctor appointment (I believe the LAST time she had a fever) but they weren't quite ready to hand it over.

This time, I'm insisting.  There may be nothing causing all these viruses and infections to fester in my sweet girl, but then again there may be.  My irl friend over at The Wonder Years shared with me how her insistence on an ENT consult revealed large adnoids in her constantly sick son and their removal drastically improved his health.

I'm certain it's a virus again.  And I think the third virus in a row to attack her throat.

But that doesn't make it right.

I don't want unnecessary intervention.  But I do want to know she's been thoroughly examined by a specialist and they've determined what is or isn't necessary.

Wish me luck tomorrow!!

put a fork in us and other things running through my head

Put a fork in us, we are done!

This morning, I left the house at 7:30am, as usual, with three kiddos in the car.  But we headed to the dentist for Gracie & Miss Rose to have check-ups.  Thanks to rain, there was traffic and it took me twice as long as normal to get there, but thankfully we were only 5 minutes late.

We were there about an hour...cleanings & check-ups.  Down-time too of course, waiting for this and that, keeping the kids off the dentist chair, keeping them from pushing buttons and grabbing dental tools.  Keeping Lily from banging on the chair while the big girls were in it.  Holding hands and calming nerves, all while keeping a two-year old out of trouble.

Thankfully, the girls had hardly any plaque.  A recently injured tooth of Miss Rose's (her mouth is a magnet for injury) checked out fine.  There does seem to be some damage to her permanent tooth that's coming in after an injured and abscessed tooth was pulled at age 2.  But nothing we can do about it so far.

Drive Miss Rose to school, unload everyone of course to sign her in, head home to meet the babysitter and finally make it to work around 10:30am.

Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe it!  Especially since solid sleep is rarely a part of our nights--thanks to teething, colds, daylight savings time and who knows what else!

To top off the day, Miss Rose had clearly developed a sinus infection that wasn't getting better and Gracie wasn't too far off.  So let's knock it all out in one day!  I came home from work, loaded kids in the van and head them ready the minute Bean got home so he could take them to the doctor.  Affirmative for the sinus infections.

Oh, did I mention we've been passing pink eye around?  Just lovely.  Thankfully the one prescription we got for the first case is lasting through everyone.  And we're catching it early, so only the first case was bad.  Eye drops for young children are just delightful.

Home for dinner...then Bean went out to get their antibiotics.  Which give them diarrhea, so he then went to Costco for Gogurts, which are supposed to help.  Oh, and might as well pick up milk because we go through about a gallon every two days.  And only two of the kids are avid milk drinkers!

Thankfully, Bean and I are a great team lately.  Keeping good attitudes, being patient with the kids, tag-teaming the nightly routines.  That makes all the difference.  Even on the craziest days, the kids are in bed before 8pm, which helps us too.  Now, if only they will sleep through the night!

Put a fork in us, we are done.  (and now I also sound like my dad.  but it fits.)

I've been extra tired lately.  Dragging through the day.  I'm sure it's a combination of things.

Have I mentioned that in 16 days, I'm leaving my family for 10 days?  I'm excited for the opportunity to do missions again, but right now I'm feeling very sad to be leaving them.  Since having children, at least one of them has always accompanied me on mission trips.

I actually started and almost completed a crafty project, and it's turning out cute!  The only reason it's not complete is because I ran out of supplies.  Hopefully I'll get more tomorrow and finish it and share here.  It's like crafting for dummies though.  Which is exactly the kind of crafting I need.



More gifts...

51*pages in my book marked by 4 year old marks, complete with coloring in some o's

52*California poppies starting to bloom along the highways

53*once barren rose bushes starting to bloom

54*superclean house, a glimpse of life beyond oodles of toys

55*Lucky jeans & a cute jacket at the thrift store

56*running 15 miles in one week

57*Dove chocolate

58*toddler who always wants to wear "slippers"

59*being encouraged and determining to be more purposefully encouraging

60*clean sheets

61*the heaviness of heartstrings

62*Lily joining in on my DVD workouts

running through my head

This no time/energy/creativity for blogging right now is bumming me out!  I love this little space.  But I love the three little people and the big man in my life more, and they've needed a lot of me lately.

The past week has been very challenging.  It was the first week back to school for Miss Rose and back to work for Bean and I after a week off after Christmas.  I found it pretty difficult to get back in the groove.  Even though I was waking up at the same time, and had the same morning tasks, we were almost late to school most of the week. 

I have been dealing with some pretty bad headaches this week.  Migraines, tension headaches that grip my neck and shoulders.  I have one right now.  This is a trouble area for me, but this week has been especially bad.  It's a combination of stress, anxiety, caffeine withdrawls and who knows what else.  I went to the chiropractor on Wednesday and have another appointment on Monday. 

A friend of mine is dealing with some internal bleeding believed to be caused by taking too much Motrin.  I pop that stuff like candy.  Along with other meds for pain.  That scares me.  If I can't get the pain under control I will probably see a doctor and figure out what they can do to help me.

Bean had a very bad flu the past few days.  He doesn't often get sick and when he does, usually he powers through.  Not this time.  He spent much of two days in bed or on the couch and I got the kids out of the house when possible to give him some quiet.  He's on the mend, but is not 100%.  Then Gracie woke up today with a fever, which makes her vomit.  Luckily, it was mostly mucous and stomach bile.  But still, not fun.

I'm hoping and praying no one else gets it.  But Lily has a bit of a cough, which is how Bean started out.  And Miss Rose constantly fights a runny nose, usually from allergies, but it easily turns into an illness.  I need to get back into the working and thriving in life groove.

My floors all through the house are terribly dirty, we are always behind on laundry, and I have more organizing to do in the new parts of the kitchen.  Let's not talk about the constant state of messiness in the bedrooms.  Miss Rose desperately needs a chore chart and a behavior chart too.  Her attitude and how she speaks to us is a real challenge right now.

All in due time I suppose.

Bean and I just finished a week-long Daniel fast with our church.  It really felt like a lot of the difficulty we faced this week was due to our obedience to God and the enemy coming against us.  But in spite of it all, we stayed true to our course and are believing God for blessing and guidance as a result.  It's difficult to not have the "spiritual high" after what should be a spiritual experience.  But sometimes you just have to be obedient, even when you don't have the "high" to go along with it and trust that God will honor your committment.

I'll be working home from tomorrow with a sick Gracie.  I'm hoping she wakes up without a fever so she can go to Grammie's on Tuesday.  I need to get back in that groove!

dull?

I think I may change my blog name to Never A Dull Moment.  Because honestly, there isn't one.  Although I'd really like a dull moment, or a lot of dull moments.

I figure its this way for everyone with kids, young kids, many kids.  Please tell me it's true.  So often, when I recount whats going on in my life I feel like people look at me funny.  But honestly, I want a dull life.

So Lily was sick all last weekend.  Sunday morning was finally her last fever.  Which reminds me, I didn't give her the antibiotic before bed.  Sigh.  Should be real fun to give it to her while she's asleep.

Tuesday morning started out just lovely, when I couldn't find my house & work keys.  My car keys detach from them and I usually have to trade cars with my mother-in-law when she watches the kids.  I remembered Lily trying to use the keys on the door and being mad that she couldn't reach and I wouldn't lift her up.  I scoured the house in the usual spots, but no dice.  Luckily I live in an ok area, my parents are next door and Bean was coming home at lunch for an appointment.

While in my weekly Tuesday meetings I get texts that Gracie has a tummy ache and Bean has decided to get the girls when he comes home.  I offer to come home after my meetings so he can go back to work.  I spent the afternoon working while Gracie and Lily slept.  Gracie had some little stomach bug that caused some trips to the bathroom and one vomit.  And a night in mom and dad's bed.

My sister in law, who watches the kids on Wednesdays was sick--and we also didn't want to risk Gracie spreading any germs.  I got up and went to work from 7:30am-10:30am.  Came home and Bean went to work.  In between caring for kids, I worked another solid 3 hours.  It is nice that I can work from home often.  Although I always feel bad for my assistant when I do because she gets about eighty-thousand emails from me. 

There were a couple things I forgot at work.  Like email lists on my computer that I HAD to send emails to.  So when Bean got home at 5:30, I headed back to work for another hour+.  Got home, inhaled some dinner and finished helping Bean get kids in bed.

Did I mention that today is our 9th anniversary?  We didn't have any plans, especially since it's the middle of the week and we are broke anyways.  But still, it's been a long, stressful day.  Thankfully Gracie woke up and was pretty much back to normal.  She ate and played most of the day as always.  

Tomorrow Lily has a well-baby check.  I'm thrilled that they won't play Twenty Questions about her not walking, since she has been walking a few months now.  But she's supposed to get shots.  Which should make her super happy the rest of the day.  She's doing a lot of whining and complaining and demanding lately.  I pretty much want to put her on the street corner in a box by the end of most days.  Yet somehow, I love her so fiercely.

Once again, life has sucked the blog out of me!  I'd rather blog about fun stuff!

Someday it will be dull, and I'll look fondly back to these days.

Right?

on the merry-go-round

Do you ever feel like your life is a merry-go-round that seems to never stop so you can get off?  That's where I'm at right now.  I had a great week with the kids last week, but come Sunday night the "back to work" blues hit, and then a cold turned into a virus with the baby, complete with fever.  That merry-go-round kicked up and off we went.  It seems like it's coming to a stop, but I can't be sure.

I don't like weeks like this.  I don't like feeling this way.  This was not a good re-entry into the working mom life, after a calm, fun week of being a mom.

Due to a variety of things, I completely lost it on Tuesday.  I was intending to go to work, but the wheels flew off of everything and my only option was to stay home.  Not that I was upset to stay home.  When my children are sick, it rips my heart in two to leave them and go to work.  But after being gone for a week, and then my first day back was an off-site planning day, I had work piled up. 

And when I say I lost it, I mean I cried for over an hour.  I would stop, and then start again.  And for me, crying for an hour is the equivalent of the average woman crying for three days straight.  I never cry like that.  But I needed it.  Crying is cleansing and often I wish I could let myself cry more. 

But, in the midst of it all, God is good and when all the wheels fly off your life, he provides people to loan you their spare tires.  Bean has been amazing, staying home two days this week with Lily.  Family stepped in to help out with the older girls these last few days too--and they even brought us a pizza last night.  Someone even did some cleaning at my house.  We have awesome family.  We love being there for them too.

I am hoping, praying, expecting, believing that tomorrow I will get off this merry-go-round and resume normal life and normal emotions.  On Monday, the doctor said to expect three days of fever for Lily.  Tonight completes three days so hopefully tomorrow she will be fever free.

My thought tonight was that I want to find joy in the journey.  Life is a journey.  There are always going to be ups and downs.  But I'm asking God to restore my joy and give me peace in th storm.

I do plan to resume the fun of sharing life with our Three-Bean Circus.  I have so many photos from this summer.

Here's hoping all is well with you!

How to know when to take your child to the doctor

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional.  Beyond some biology classes and an Emergency Medical Technition course, I have NO medical training.  I'm just a medical sponge and have a great pediatrician.

Growing up and even into college, I wanted to be a doctor or a nurse.  I've always been fascinated by medicine and I love researching and learning medical things.  As a mom, I've found it beneficial to learn and understand more about viruses, infections and antibiotics.

I don't like wasting money, and I really don't have any to waste.  Paying $15 per doctor appointment (and $50 for Urgent Care), I don't like to take my children in for every sniffle, cough or even vomiting episode.  At the same time, I don't want to be a negligent parent and allow an infection to worsen because I was hesitant to pay a co-pay.  I also don't like to over-medicate my children, and while antibiotics are necessary at times, there are negative attributes as well.

I have a great pediatrician who loves to explain things and even test me in my knowledge and understanding of my kids illnesses.  I'm not sure if he's like that with everyone, or if he senses that I'm a medical sponge.

Last month I was 2 for 2 in one week, taking my children in and leaving with a prescription for antibiotics, I've been patting myself on the back for making good use of my doctor and co-pay.  While mommy instinct does play a part, I think it's more due to the mental checklist I've created over the past few years.

Here's Beana's guide to diagnosing your children...It's pretty basic.

Fevers
Fevers are good and normal; they fight infection.  They are common at the beginning of a virus, and usually don't require medical intervention.  Liquids, cool baths, wet cloths all help with fever.  For high fevers, I usually give Tylenol or Ibprofren.  As amazing as it sounds, fevers as high as 104 are within the "normal" range for kids.  If my kids have a low fever (below 101) I usually let it ride and do it's job without medicating.

Usually fevers lasting more than 3 days can indicate some sort of infection that may need treatment.  A lot of it depends on the other symptoms.  Recently, with the swine flu and other flues that went around, fevers lasting a week were part of the usual run of the illness.  Two of my kids went through this.

From my experience, a fever is a real issue is when a child has been sick with a cold or respiratory flu for a few days or a week, and gets a fever all of the sudden.  According to my pediatrician, this almost always indicates a secondary infection.  Which is exactly what happened recently with Lily.  She had a cold for a week or more--runny nose, coughing.  But no fever.  When she suddenly became feverish, and it climbed to 102, I knew there was something more going on.  And sure enough--ear infection.

I've also learned, a fever combined with a sore throat and no other symptoms can be strep throat.  This is what recently occurred with Miss Rose.  She actually didn't complain as much as I would have expected for how bad her throat looked.

Runny Noses
The bane of all mother's existance.  We should seriously buy stock in Kleenex.  Runny noses run so rampant in the winter.  And they can last a few weeks.  We've found (and this is my ped's rule of thumb) when a runny nose lasts more than two weeks, it's often turned into an infection.  This is especially true when the mucous is thick and it's acompanied by a cough caused by post-nasal drip.  My pediatrician doesn't go as much by color of mucous as he does duration.

I've heard it estimated that in their first few winters, children pick up a few viruses a month.  This is how the body builds immunity.  Runny noses, which come with colds, can be the cause of infections that do need treatment.  But on it's own, a runny nose is just a runny nose.

Ear Infections
These aren't too hard to pinpoint.  In my children, the primary indicator is usually when they've had a cold and suddenly get a fever.  We seem to catch them before they get too painful.  So far, it's usually the fever that tips me off, not the child complaining of pain.  My chiropractor told me once that he never used antibiotics when his children had ear infections.  He liked letting the infection run it's course and only once did it result in a ruptured ear drum.  I did let an ear infection run it's course in Lily when she was a newborn.  I just wasn't ready to put antibiotics in her system.  And she recovered just fine.

Vomiting
For the first two years of her life, every time Gracie got a fever, regardless the cause, she would vomit.  Usually multiple times.  Her little system was just very sensitive and that was it's response.  Quite the opposite of Miss Rose who has vomited less than a handful of times in her six years.

Dehydration is the biggest concern with vomiting.  After many conversations with triage nurses late at night, I've learned some tricks.  For small toddlers and children, they usually recommend trying 1 teaspoon of Gatorade every 20-30 minutes if there is concern for dehydration.  Have you ever actually tasted pedialyte?  It's awful.  Definitely go with Gatorade!  I think the last time Gracie went through a vomiting stint, they wanted her to urinate at least once in several hours.  She got very close to going beyond the threshold, but finally urinated.

Another trick I learned (from a friend, and also recommended by the on-call nurse) is making rice water to soothe a tummy.  You boil rice in water--just like you were making some to eat--but before all the water cooks in, pour the water off the rice.  It should look slightly milky and be a little thickened.  It's full of soothing starch.  You can feed it directly to the child or mix it with another liquid or food.  This helps tremendously with settling their tummy and even stopping up loose stool.

Bland foods are obviously the foods of choice when recovering from a sick tummy. 

So...bottom line...my rules for doctor visits:

--fever+pain (sore throat, ears etc)
--fever that comes several days after the initial illness set in
--runny, thick congested nose lasting more than two weeks
--fever lasting more than three days

There are plenty of times I take my children in to the doctor and they don't need antibiotics or other treatment.  Sometimes as a mom, you just need that peace of mind.  And as Bean always says "that's why we have insurance."

What do you look for before you take your child to the doctor?   What was your "shining mom moment" when you hit the nail on the head with your child's sickness?  (just like I did last month--2x in one week!)

This has been a very sickly season for us and many of our friends and family.  I'm looking forward to warmer weather and less germs!
 

2 for 2

It's become almost comedic.  Luckily I have a good sense of humor and am not easily overwhelmed.

I was tweeting, but didn't blog about the fact that I took Lily to the doctor in the pouring rain on Monday. Picture it, sheets of rain pouring from the sky, a sick feverish baby, a toddler with a nap cut short, and a mom trying to carry them BOTH into the dr. office, with a kindergartener trailing behind.  A glamorous life!  The verdict was ear infection, which I suspected.

And now...

Miss Rose has strep throat.  I didn't want it to be true.  I was hoping it was just a virus.  That the redness I saw in her throat yesterday was not as bad as I suspected.

This morning though, there was no denying it.  The redness had spread across the roof of her mouth and was peppered with small red dots.  It looked a lot like the images I googled yesterday of strep throat.  No, I don't believe everything I see or read on the internet.  I spoke with a nurse who agreed she needed to be evaluated.

The doctor went through the usual questions and initial evalution.  After one look in her mouth, he looked at me and said "have you seen this throat?"  I answered "yeah, that's why I'm here!"  He kept talking about how "hot" her throat was, which made me laugh.  A quick strep test and again "that's a hot throat."

Perhaps the harder part comes the next 24hrs--keeping Miss Rose semi-quarrantined.  The dr. says strep is very contagious and the impression I got was with the raging case she has, perhaps even more so.  Miss Rose is an oral child--lots of toys and her fingers are in her hands often.  And what 2yr old isn't oral?  So there is a lot of cross-contamination that goes on in our home, no matter how many reminders I give.  In fact, I'm quite concerned with with the exposure that's already occurred.  Can't change that now.

I must say, I'm rather impressed with my mommy instinct.  I try not to be a hypchondriac mother who takes her children to the doctor at every sniffle or cough.  It helps that I have to pay $15 every time we go in!  I hate to waste that $15.  Although Bean says it's never a waste, because better to know they are okay, instead of worrying.  But, 2 for 2 this week, knowing my children had some sort of infection going on and needed antibiotics.

I may open my own pre-screening clinic.  You can call or email me, tell me what's going on with your child, and I'll tell you (according to my very un-educated opinion) if you should take your child in.  For a small nominal fee.

Really though, I think I am going to work on a blog about what I've learned the past few years and what criteria I use to judge whether my kids need to go in or not.

bubbles

Am I the only one considering putting my children in a bubble for the rest of the cold and flu season?  We've NEVER been hit with so many things before.  Certainly some of it could be due to Miss Rose being in school now, but she went to school 5 mornings a week last year, starting in January. 

The only thing that doesn't make me feel like a complete failure of a mom is that many other families I know, around the States, are experiencing the same indidence of illness.  In fact, I heard later this morning that my niece was home from school with a fever as well.  I can't help but wonder though, if I got more vegetables in my children, if they took their vitamins every single day (we hit about 4 days a week), if they would wash their hands more, perhaps we wouldn't have so much illness.

Unfortunately, I think it just is what it is and there isn't much that can be done. 

Except put them in a bubble. I mean, I could get an extra large bubble they all three could be in together to keep each other company.  If I could just get them stay there for a few months, we'd be out of this season of sickness.

I thought we were on the upswing today, until Miss Rose woke from an afternoon nap with a full-blown fever again.  The only other symptom she complains of is a sore throat.  I suppose it could be Strep Throat, or it could just be a virus.  If her fever is high again tomorrow, I think we'll pay a visit to the doctor. 

I'm praying that whatever this is doesn't get passed around.  Because do you know how impossible it is to not get children to contaminate one another?  Gracie has been jumping all over Miss Rose all day, and I can't stop it.  Gracie lays on her pillow no matter how many times I tell her not to.  And when a sick child joins you in bed at night, how can you not come in contact with their germs?

Can anyone find out where to purchase a bubble for my children?  I'd really appreciate it.

rainysickpajamamovieday

It's been raining and storming for a few days now in America's Finest City here in Southern California.  While we do get rain several times a year, we don't usually get these big storms.  I hear that it's an El Nino year, which explains it.

I love it!  I was born in Seattle and lived in Washington state until I was almost 9, so I love weather.  Don't get me wrong, I love the sun and the beach and all the other perks.  But I love when some weather comes to town.  Especially when I get to be home in it--not at work.  Which when you live in a city that isn't used to weather, that's a good idea.  Drivers get crazy.  Trees fall because they aren't accustomed to the wind.  Lots of areas flood.

Miss Rose came down with a fever and a sore throat last night.  So she's home from school today.  Which is a great excuse to stay in our jammies, watch movies and watch it storm outside.  I am missing playgroup this morning, but I have my own little playgroup right here.  I'm hoping the fever is shortlived and it's not something that will be passed around the house.  Been there, done that, got the bumper sticker and the souvenir too many times already.

I'd love to be baking and sewing today.  But I'm out of white flour.  And I don't have a sewing machine.  My mom has an uber-old machine that was her grandma's.  I might break it out and see if it's working.  That's actually the machine I learned to sew on.  I have no idea what I will sew or what kind of fabric I have.  But it still sounds like fun.

In other nonrelated news...I'm getting close to caving and getting a gym membership. On the one hand, it's not something I really want to pay for.  On the other hand, it seems like it may be a few years before I'll be able to get out regularly and exercise.  It happens about once a week right now, maybe twice.  And it's just life.  Bean is more than happy to support my running habit, but life gets in the way.

I'm just not comfortable getting up early and running in the dark.  And I'm not exaggerating when I say that due to the size and layout of our house, doing DVD's aren't really an option any more.  The kids have an earlier wake time with the school schedule and the baby too--so when I'm jumping around in the living room (about 5 steps from the baby's room) everyone wakes up.

As I've said before, running, or any sort of cardio is my happy pill.  I crave those endorphins.

So maybe this will just be for a season.  I'm totally okay with waking early and running at the gym before Bean leaves for work.  And on days I work, I can work out on my lunch, or on my way home.   Costco has a deal right now for a few years membership that works out to be $12.50 a month.  Which isn't bad.  It's just so painful to pay it all up front!!

I'm going to enjoy our rainysickpajamamovieday and continue contemplating my exercise future.

And I will probably blog more today.  So stay tuned for more from the three bean circus!!

Bean's Anatomy

I love medical shows.  I remember watching some of the first episodes of ER with my dad and I was a pretty avid fan up until the last few seasons.  I enjoy Gray's Anatomy these days, although sometimes it's more Soap Opera than medical drama.

When watching a medical drama, it's easy to disect it and think "there is no way all that would happen in such a short amount of time, to the same people."

And usually, that's true.

But, may I present to you, a brief outline of an episode of a show I'm calling "Bean's Anatomy" and believe it or not, all of this DID happen in our house this week.

Tuesday night: Small Toddler, spends the wee hours of the morning vomiting in her bed, on the floor, the bathroom, on her father, in her parents bed, etc. 

Wednesday: Mother of said toddler spends the morning at home with the sick child, watching movies and having quiet time.  Also, caring for an infant, who is mellow and doesn't have a large appetite, who has a cold.  Father of said toddler comes home for the afternoon shift.  Toddler seems like she's getting better, until right before bed, when she projectile vomits all over Mother (Father isn't home at this time).  Everyone sleeps well that night, so there is hope that the flu is gone.


Thursday: Oh no, the flu is back with a vengeance.  Toddler spends the morning vomiting any amount of liquid she consumes.  She's burning up with fever, so she's thirsty and can't understand why she can't drink.  A trip to the doctor confirms a bad flu, and although dehydration isn't yet an issue, it could be if things don't turn.  After dinner, you may not belive it, but the Father begins to show signs of the flu, which become full-fledged quickly.  Mother is banished to sleeping on the couch, while sick Toddler and Father are in the bed.  By 1am, everyone is soundly sleeping for the next few hours.

Friday, part 1: Father is weak, Toddler is mellow, Baby is even more mellow.  Kindergartener is also suffering a cold and quite reistant to school.  Mother doesn't have the energy to force the issue and concedes to a family sick day.  Because, you guessed it, Mother isn't feeling too hot herself.  Mother's flu isn't quite as severe as Father's was.  But the heartburn she begins to experience late that night certainly is severe.  Restless, fussy baby is in parents bed, but Mother is writhing in pain on the couch and poor, tired, weak Father is trying to tend her.  Fussy baby finally falls asleep for good.

Friday, part 2: What to do for Mother?  Mylanta isn't working, let's look up home remedies.  How about baking soda and water?  Not bad.  Works a bit.  Oh no, it's back.  Round 2 of baking soda water.  And yet it's back again.  Next up?  A tablespoon of brown sugar; worth a shot, right.  Well, not so much.  The combo, mixed with flu, causes major vomiting, all over the carpet of course.  And what's that mixed in the vomit?  Oh, it looks like blood.  That combined with the intense pain, calls for a trip to the ER, with a call to Super-Grammie to come stay with the sleeping children.

Friday, part 3: A few hours later and Mother is in a bed, with tests being run. The initial assumption is a broken blood vessel from vomiting, but better safe than sorry.  Father stays strong, even his flu-weakened state.  Many vials of blood, a very awful naso-gastric tube and other things not suited for television, the intial diagnosis is confirmed.  All is well and safe and IV meds have helped with the acid and heartburn.

Saturday: Father and Mother arrive back home, minutes before 5am, to Super-Grammie who hasn't slept, but has been cleaning and waiting.  Father sleeps 2 hours, then rises with the munchkins, Mother sleeps 3 hours and rises when the babe does.  Baby, is increasingly uphappy and not showing signs of improvement.  So, a sleep deprived Mother takes the Baby in, who is diagnosed with a double ear infection and eye infections on the side.  Mother feels terrible that she didn't identify this sooner, especially when she finds out Baby has lost almost a pound since her well-baby check 2 weeks prior.  Father dons his Superman cape and rents a Rug Doctor to clean the vomit up, fills prescriptions, runs errands, and cleans house.  He does get a 2hr nap while all the children nap too.  Mother takes a few short naps during the day herself.

Sunday: Things are returning to normal.  Toddler & Baby don't have much of an appetite and low energy.  Mother and Father are looking like they've been on a great diet plan.  Mother though, sounds quite gravely thanks to the damage done by the NG tube experience.  Toddler & Baby are feeling quite bony and need some fattening up!  Mother and Father don't mind this crash diet plan and hope to capitalize on the product.  Oh, and the Kindergartener?  Well, she's a trooper.  She probably does have a treatable infection, but Mother has learned that if she's not running a fever and just needing a lot of tissue, the infection will resolve itself without need of antibiotics, which Mother avoids when possible.  But we are going through a lot of tissue.

Think this would be a believable episode on a medical show?  Perhaps not, but it really happened.  More than you would believe, huh?

it's going to be a long one

I'm gearing up for a long night.  I'm praying that my prediction isn't correct, but I'm gearing up none the less.

It's been a rough day, and that is possibly an understatement.

Gracie's fever hit 103 and a dose of Motrin only dropped it one degree.  A little before 1pm things really got bad.  Lily was waking in her crib and crying off and on.  Gracie began to shake and shiver, which thanks to Twitter, I quickly found out meant her fever was on the rise.  Her lips started turning purple and the shaking was getting stronger.  I called Bean and asked him to come home right away.  Knowing Lily was safe, although not happy, I left her in the crib while I put Gracie in a lukewarm bath.  She didn't like that at all, but it seemed to help because the shivering stopped.

However, after the bath she proceeded to vomit twice.  I had just changed after the first episode when she vomited all over me again.  Bean arrived home and went on Gracie watch while I fed Lily, then he picked up Miss Rose.

I was able to take Gracie in to the doctor this afternoon.  They said they are seeing a lot of this flu and it can last several days with fever, vomit and diarrhea overlapping.   I learned what they are looking for specifically in keeping kids hydrated.  I was interested to learn that they recommend continuing to give fluids (Gatorade or Pedialyte) even when it's being vomited up, trusting that some hydration is occuring.

Gracie isn't dehydrated enough yet to need intervention.  She needs to turn a corner tomorrow though.  If today's pattern continues, we'll probably end up at the ER by the end of the day.

Oh no friends, that's not it though.  Bean is now sick.  At first we thought dinner didn't agree with him.  But when the violent vomiting began it was clear that this bug has hit him.  Which is pretty much the worst thing possible as he has an important thing on Saturday.  So we are rallying the prayers that he gets it out of his system and is on the mend.  Or that it rains on Saturday and the event is postponed.  (**yeah, I know I'm being vague.  I'll share more as I can)

Gracie was unhappy in her bed so she's in our bed.  And now after many trips to the bathroom (and the trashcan in our room), Bean is there too.  Gracie has some dry heaving going on, so who knows what the night will hold for her.

I guess I'm sleeping on the couch.  Lily has cried off and on during the last few hours, so I may be up with her too.  Her eyes are still gunky and she's running a low fever.  So far, Ella is healthy.  We need my mom to stay healthy, who lives in an attached granny flat, as she has an upcoming hip replacement and illness could affect that.  I'm wondering if I'll be next in a few days since Gracie vomited on Bean Tuesday night, and me today.

I am praying and believing that Bean will be better on Saturday, the rest of us will stay healthy and we can enjoy the holiday.

All I want for Christmas is a healthy family.

I thought it was 24 hours

Isn't the stomach flu typically 24 hours? 

Not in our house.  Not for the sickly one.  We're at 36 hours and going strong.  Yesterday I thought we were on the upswing, but it was not to be.

After throwing up several times the night before, Gracie went all day yesterday without vomiting.  She ate very, very little and had some liquids.  I guess right before bed, she must have emptied her sippy cup of diluted juice.  Because as I was brushing her teeth, it all came back up in two lovely vomit sessions, all over me and her.  And the bathroom of course. 

Gracie slept solid last night.  Well mostly.  Bean says he got up with her twice for a drink and because she was cold, but I didn't hear a thing.  Guess I was sleeping solidly to recover from the lack of sleep the night before.  I was hoping the solid sleep meant we were turning a corner. 

Nope.  After her request of juice (I still dilute it 50/50) Gracie proceeded to vomit and vomit and vomit.  This morning, she's done well vomiting into a bowl, which means a lot less clean up.  It's so sad though.  She keeps asking "is it done yet?"  And she can't understand that the liquids are coming back up, so she vomits and then says she's thirsty.  She's very teary today, which is totally understandable.  Currently she's watching Monsters, Inc. and it's kind of distracting her from wanting a drink.

We just had this conversation:

"Mommy I want some milky."
"The milky will make your tummy sick and you'll throw up again."
"But I need some milky."
"Maybe after the movie you can have a little bit of juice."
"No, I need big milky, a big sippy of milky, not juice."

 Yes, she's old enough to teach her to say milk instead of milky (she switches back and forth) but I think it's the cutest thing, so I keep calling it milky for her.  It was really cute when she called it "molka" and then "milka milka."  I love baby talk, from babies!

Speaking of babies, Lily has a tad of this gastrointestinal bug too.  Not eating much, blow-out diapers (which never happen with my always-constipated, rabbit pellet pooping baby) and vomit-smelling spit up.  Oh, and she woke from her nap yesterday afternoon with a goopy eye.  It's a bit better today, after a few squirts of liquid gold; hopefully it continues to improve.

And maybe Gracie just caught a cold virus right after her sinus infection, because the antibiotics don't seem to be making much of a dent in her sinuses.  Then again, it's hard for the antibiotics to do much when she ends up vomiting.

I'm thankful though that it's Thursday, and I'm off for the next few days so I get to be with my sick babes without worrying about work. I'm thankful that Lily isn't vomiting and is nursing well.

Would you say a prayer for Bean this weekend?  He has some career-oriented stuff coming up and we are praying for the Lord's will in everything!

the sickly one

It seems to me, that in most families, especially once you reach three kids or more, there is a sickly one.

A child that gets every illness that passes through the home and gets it worse than anyone else.  There are several families in which I can easily identify their "sickly one." 

If there is going to be a complication, a secondary illness, this kid is going to have it.

In our house, this is Gracie.  From the time she was a baby it was clear that her system was more sensitive to illness.  From 6 months on, it seemed that she was sick at least once a month.  Anytime she got a fever, she would vomit.  Several times usually. Often the vomiting was just her body's reaction to illness and wasn't related to gastrointestinal issues.  One the fever was controlled, the vomiting ceased.

We even had our former home tested for mold to see if there was anything environmental causing her illnesses because they were so frequent.

Miss Rose has yet to have a true vomiting episode.  She's sturdy!  Allergies and sinus infections do plague her, but she holds up pretty well.  So far Lily seems to be following in her biggest sister's footsteps.  At 10 months, she's had a few colds and fevers, but doesn't react that violently.

Early in November, it was Miss Rose who came down ill first, and Gracie followed a few days later.  After a week of what I liked to call the plague (which probably was H1N1) Miss Rose was pretty illness free.

For Gracie though, that plague turned into a sinus infection.  Which returned 3 days after completing antibiotics.  So we are now on round 2 of antibiotics.  Hives or a rash showed up on her abdomen Friday night.  Since it was still there yesterday, the doctor wanted to see her. It was determined that it's probably viral and related to all the illness she is dealing with.

Oh, and the fever has been back on and off the past few days.  Enter last night.  Before Bean and I could even drift off to Never Neverland, Gracie was coughing, and vomiting.  I'm not sure if the vomiting was related to all the phlegm she has or if it was a stomach thing.  She seemed to vomit until her stomach was empty last night, and was dry heaving a bit this morning.

Back to last night.  Just when we would clean things up and get her settled and return to bed, we'd hear it again.  The amounts weren't copious, as she didn't eat much dinner.  Although I was disappointed that after getting her to eat some of her green beans last night, there they were once again.  At one point, Bean had her and she vomited all down his bare chest.  He was real happy about taking a midnight shower.

Gracie spent several hours in our bed, which she wasn't too happy about.  But it was much easier to sit her up before she choked more and deal with the small amounts of vomit and phlegm.  Yeah, Bean and I didn't sleep much.

So here I am, home this morning. Bean is at work and will relieve me around noon so I can head in to work.  So far, no vomit this morning.  She's been drinking juice and water, but hasn't had interest in food.

I want my girl to get better once and for all! 

Relief is on the way (I hope)

I was so excited to finally hear back from my doctor's office today.  Based on my symptoms, they called a prescription in for me--the suspect being a sinus infection.  I don't remember the last time I had to take an antibiotic, and I do avoid them when possible with my kids, but frankly I'm excited to be taking it.  Hoping for some relief.  I'd like to be able to taste food and thus have an appetite for it. 

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts!

On another note....my almost 6yr old is so incredibly obstinate.  We're having some attitude issues with her--lots of backtalk and lack of obedience.  She likes to think that she doesn't have to obey if she thinks her way or her idea is better.  And let me tell you, the backtalk from this child, I thought only teenagers were capable of.

After several incidences the real humdinger occured at dinner.  I can't even recall the exact incident.  All I know is that it resulted in a huge snot bubble on Miss Rose's face.  I wasn't done discussing the incident with her, so I asked her to blow her nose into my paper towel.  (a bit rough I know, but she'll often choose this herself thanks to her father's influence).  She started walking away.  After raising my voice, she finally returned to me.

Me: "You need to ask permission to go blow your nose in the bathroom."

Her: "No."

Me: "Well then, you need to blow it right here."

Her: "No."

(repeat x2)

Me: "Then go to your room."

Really?  She's so stubborn she won't simply ask for permission? 

Yes, these are the battles we are fighting.  I'm really hoping by being firm, this won't be a rough holiday break.

Any suggestions on books to read on discipline or character formation for a 6-year old?  (And yes, I've read "The Strong-Willed Child."