The Holidays and Allergic Reactions!

Ok, so this is going to be a big, possibly boring update, but I'm hoping you'll try to stay with me...

Going into the lovely holiday season, the entire family has been sick.  Four doctors visits and two emergency room visits later, we've entered the new year, and are finally beginning to mend.

With everyone sick, it made it hard to do things that would put us in the Christmas spirit like crafts and baking.  I think we did one craft for Christmas and I did all of the baking pretty much on Christmas eve's eve.  I was super bummed that Ben couldn't really help me, but with him coughing and runny nosed, I really didn't want him anywhere near where the baking was happening.  Ben and I did manage to get the house decorated and to me, that was an accomplishment all in itself.

I wrapped all of the presents by myself, but Ben was so sick, he spent most of the time conked out on the couch.  It gave me plenty of time to get it all done.  We had to, at one point, take Ben to the emergency room because his fever was so high.  After an x-ray and some blood tests, we brought him home.  My poor little man.

Christmas Eve was spent at Shawn's parent's house.  They do a big Christmas Eve shindig every year and it's always so much fun!  This year we were joined by my sister, brother-in-law and nephew.  I was so excited they came.

My sweet nephew, CJ.

My brother-in-law, Chris, playing with Sydney.

Everyone talking and having a good time.

Shawn and Sydney.

My sister, Courtney, and brother-in-law, Chris.

My mother-in-law, Julie, with Ben and my nephew, CJ.

After the big party, we went to sleep at Shawn's parent's house.  Ben and Shawn were quite difficult to wake up, so Shawn's dad, Andy, finally took care of getting them out of bed.

We were excited to see what Santa brought.

Later, we opened presents, relaxed around the house and then went and saw Little Fockers in the movie theater.  For the second year in a row, Ben fell asleep in the movie theater, before the movie even started.  I was surprised at how well behaved Sydney was in the theater although I did have to take her down by the door briefly while I tried to get her to sleep.  I didn't want to risk her upsetting anyone in the theater while she tossed and turned to get comfortable.  The movie was really cute.  I enjoyed it and laughed a lot.

Shawn's birthday was fun and while there is normally fighting, this year, we broke the curse!  We ate a lovely  dinner at the Argosy Buffet (we took Ben Wendy's since their food is not safe for his allergy) and then had a delicious cake which I made with my new Kitchenaid mixer.

The night after Shawn's birthday, he took his dad, Andy, to his (Andy's) first ever KU basketball game.  They were both so excited and Shawn said they had a good time.  After the game, Shawn and I were doing work around the house and decided around 2 am to order pizza from Pizza Shuttle.  I've talked about them before on here and how they are "Ben safe."  Ben woke up hungry so we let him have some pizza.  After about his third piece of pizza, he started coughing.  He's been sick so we weren't too worried, but then he started getting hives on his neck and face and telling us his eyes burned.  We gave him Benadryl and called the after hours nurse hotline which sends your call to Children's Mercy.  They told us to watch him and that the window for anaphylaxis is 2 hours although it normally happens pretty soon around the initial reaction.  We suspected the food, but he's also allergic to penicillin and Sydney's been taking that.  It wouldn't be an issue, but she puts everything in her mouth and immediately after taking her medicine she had one of his books in her mouth.  We took the book and I tried to clean it up, but I did notice that he was reading the book while eating, so it is possible that the amoxicillin was the culprit.  After about 2 hours, he started crying and telling us his stomach hurt.  Shawn called the nurse hotline again and they told us to go to the ER.  A breathing treatment, Prednisone, and another large dose of Benadryl later and we were sent home.  There is nothing like worrying about your baby or taking him to the emergency room.  I still feel sick to my stomach thinking about him in that hospital bed.

A few days later, we took down our Christmas tree... our beautiful, real Christmas tree.  Ben cried for the first 2/3rds of undecorating the tree, and then helped with the rest.  Afterwards I looked at Ben, all hopped up on Prednisone and Benadryl, and noticed he was red with a few hives, and was coughing like crazy.  If he looked and sounded like this while medicated, what would he look and sound like if he weren't?  While I'm not planning on trusting Pizza Shuttle again, I'm now wondering if the allergic reaction was to the pizza, or the Christmas tree.  Needless to say, we will be fake tree people from now on.

The New Year brings new adventures.  I can't wait to see what is to come.  Right now, we're putting the kids on a new schedule.  It's difficult, but I know it will be so worth it, once this is achieved.  Also, Ben is now sleeping in his own bed.  He's still in our room, but has been sleeping in his own bed for almost 3 weeks.  It's exciting.  Now, after this schedule is under control, Sydney will be moving out of our bed as well.  I'm excited at the idea of a kid free bed.  I know that there will be times the kids come into our bed, but to have room in the bed, or to be able to snuggle Shawn.  We haven't just laid in bed and snuggled in over 3 years.  Not since Ben was born.

Oh 2011, please be a good year with no trips to the emergency room, no allergic reactions, no funerals, and lots of fun and family time.