103.7 or so.

Wendell keeping "his" baby boy warm on the couch tonight. Spencer loved it so much and was so comforted by it, he let me leave the room more than once without crying hysterically.

Yesterday, Spencer woke up feeling warm, so I thought. I didn't think much of it, since he had a tooth pop through the night before. But, as the day went on, and he was tired and cranky, I was a little more concerned.

He went to spend a few hours with Tarah so I could have a break to get things done around the house easily, and have a little time for myself. He slept basically the entire time he was with her. When she brought him home, he was suddenly pretty cranky... and hot. I took his clothes off to give him a bath, but feeling how hot he was, I took his temp. It was 103.5. I decided immediately I would take him to acute care, since it was only 7:50 or so, and I knew if I didn't, I probably wouldn't sleep last night due to worry.

Ugh. Acute care. I generally have fairly good experiences there, but last night, I was a little more distraught.

The doctor there took his temp, which was quite high, and then scheduled him for lab work after checking his ears, throat, lungs, and pulse. The lab work went pretty smoothly, actually. Spencer whimpered a bit but didn't really cry.

As it would go, I got a text message saying I had an email from Sanford, and the lab results were available for me to read online 15 minutes before the doctor came in and told me that they were "normal" though on the higher end, and according to the blood smear, or whatever it was, they couldn't tell if it was viral or bacterial, so to alternate Tylenol and Motrin and bring him back in the morning.

Ugh. So I did. And of course, I slept like crud with worry.

I took him in this morning, and his fever was down quite a bit at the time due to some ibuprofen, but he was still warm. After talking with the doctor(s), they decided to test his blood and urine, and run a strep and RSV test.

Well, he SCREAMED when they took his blood today. Poor little guy. And then the urine... yeah, he didn't like that at all either, and wailed and screamed. Broke my heart.

And when it was all said and done, they decided he had "something viral, probably a stomach bug" that should pass in 5-7 days. They told me I should probably keep him home the rest of the day so as to not infect others since his fevers were still so high, and alternate the aforementioned medications, and bring him in or to the ER if it were to get worse instead of better.

*sigh*

So, I brought him home. He has been super cranky, and sleepy, of course. Much of the afternoon, it seemed like his fever was going down, but then tonight, two hours after giving him medication, it was back up over 100. And just an hour ago I took it and it was over 102 again. So, I gave him a cooler than normal bath, more Tylenol and put him to bed.

I feel so bad. I wish I could just make him feel better. He is so unhappy most of the time that he doesn't want to do anything but cling to me. He whimpers in his sleep. His cheeks are so super rosy. And his fever just doesn't seem to go away.

Though, I will admit, I feel almost most "motherly" when he's sick and needs me so much.

Ear Infected Carrots.

As you may have heard, last Sunday (Superbowl Sunday), Mister SJ was diagnosed with his very first ear infection! Idealistically (yet, unrealistically), I would hope it to be his last.

He's had a rough week. He'll be his happy, joyous, exuberant and laughing self one-minute, and then the next shrieking like someone was trying to break his bones (not that I really know what that sounds like). It's been hard on me too, and Jake, I'm sure. He was given amoxicillin, which has made him poop quite a bit, but I'm not certain it's helping with the ear, seeing as how it's almost a week later and he is acting about the same. Next Wednesday will tell, I guess.

Jake saw him roll over on Saturday or Sunday, I think. I added him as an author to this blog, so he might tell you about it.

One thing that's changed is that last weekend and early this week, SJ was not really into eating/drinking much. Today, he took Jillian, Brieanne (her sister), and I totally by surprise when it seemed he was having a bottle or nursing every hour. And then Jillian suggested we try a vegetable, and he devoured carrots. He'd get SO mad when I'd take the spoon away for too long because he wanted MORE, NOW! Wow. Talk about a boy growing up super fast.

Anyway, he's awake again, so I better go.

Days with Auntie Sam and Auntie Allie

On Tuesday, Spencer and I roadtripped to Minnesota, to visit his Grandma Anita, Uncles Dustin and Bryan, and Grandpa Richard (haha, that sounds funny)... er... Papa Web, and also to bring his Aunts, Samantha and Allison, back to Sioux Falls.

He did very well in the suburban, sleeping the whole way there and the whole way back.

He got some Christmas presents from the family as well, shoes, onesies, a sleep sack, and Papa Web gave him a Bumbo chair! Although, the Bumbo was purple, so Jake exchanged it for a blue one. It was a mistake on Papa Web's part. He thought the chair was green! Spencer does great in his Bumbo already. He can hold his head up pretty well for up to five minutes before his neck starts getting tired (though it's usually not that long at all). (In this photo, I was sitting in the chair, so he was looking up at me, whoops.)

On Tuesday night when we got home, the aunts gave Spencer a bath. Of course, he loved it. He loves his bathtub. He has a cold though, so he used the Vapor Bath, which really did calm him down, too!

Wednesday, Jake's best friend, Brian, came to spend the night. Spencer stayed awake with a couple very tiny naps, from 6pm until 1:30am. He drank 1.5 ounces at 1:00, and then he slept until 5:55am when he woke starving! I was very surprised. He seemed to have a good time with the pizza and cards party we had, smiling and playing in his bumbo chair, bouncy chair, and swing.

Thursday, Spencer, Sam, Allie, and I went to "the Land of Books and Coffee." (That's Barnes and Noble.) He slept basically the entire time there, too. He had kind of an off day on Thursday, a little fussier than usual. He got another bath, and then, go figure, as soon as his dad came home, he had a massive poop, and so daddy took him to the shower.

It was pretty funny. Spencer started out screaming and crying in the shower, but before long, was silent, and all you could hear were Jake's constant giggles. Apparently, Spencer likes to shower!

Samantha and Allison will be here until Sunday (unless the weather or MN roads are still horrible), so we still have two days and a few hours to spend together. Since it's snowing and icy, we'll most likely stick around the house today, maybe have a New Year's Eve pajama party. I can't believe it's almost 2011, and Spencer will have lived in two years! That's amazing!

Oh, but some Spencer related developmental joy: talking and laughing! He's making a lot of talking noises lately, random utterances we love hearing, (especially instead of his cough), and he is also laughing! Not very often, and it's very short lived when he does, but he has laughed at least twice a day now, all week! We're just not sure how to get him to do it consistently, so we're hoping he does, soon. He loves when you stick your tongue out at him, or make buzzing noises with your lips.

Anyway, off to play!

Sick.

Spencer is sick for the first time, today!

He slept quite a bit this morning, from 7 until nearly 11, before getting up and wanting to eat. When he did, he didn't eat much, and then... forcefully brought it all back up. It was a scary, scary mess as it kept spewing from his mouth and nose! After I got him calmed down (because it scared both of us), I gave him a little more, and rocked him until he slept. Then he slept another three hours before waking and wanting to eat just a little more. He hasn't had a messy diaper (just wet) since sometime yesterday.

I feel bad for the little guy. I've been periodically taking his temperature and that is staying normal with only decimals of variation, so that's assuring, but he's so sleepy and extra cuddly, and not eating nearly what he usually does. Makes his momma a little nervous!

On a happier note, he DID laugh at me again today when I was changing his diaper. I don't know what I said, but he had a cute little laugh for maybe a second, followed by super sleepy smiles.

Let's keep our fingers crossed (and pray if you do pray) that he doesn't get any sicker, and perks up by tomorrow!