Be Careful Little Ears What You...

Things at the Fillmore house have been crazy busy this last month.

We made a long over due trip to Dallas to visit Nanny and Papa. Had a great time. We got to see our big cousin, Alex, win his all star baseball tournament. Way to go, Alex! Got a cool new coupe to keep at our nanny's house and some new little people toys for when we spend a week there later this month. We even got to visit some friends that we don't get to see very often since they moved a couple years ago. It was a pretty great trip. We are super excited to go again for Camp Nanny and Papa when it starts on June 23. We will go to Six Flags (Sydney only) on the 24th for the very first time with our big cousins and we even bought some "magic shoes" to help give her the extra boost she needs to make it to 42" in order to ride on the one or two rides she might not make. She is beyond excited.

Camp Nanny and Papa will be extra special for mom and dad this year because we will be in sunny (read rainy) COSTA RICA! For a fabulous extended child free vaca. My parents have happily and graciously volunteered to keep the kiddos for eight fun filled days, and nights :), so we can have some much needed alone time. Thanks again you two! We love ya!

And boy do we need it after the month we have had. Braden and Brock have both had back to back ear infections and Braden had a ruptured eardrum, too. Not to mention the strep and scarlet fever and countless shots and oral antibiotics, ear drops, etc.

I took them back to the doctor on Tuesday because Braden was up all night screaming. Sure enough, another ear infection. Another shot. I just didn't feel comfortable with the course of treatment laid out by the pediatrician. SO I got a second opinion from an ENT on Wednesday. He took one look at Braden's ears and said, "this boy needs tubes." but in a lot more doctor talk than that. Complete with charts and stuff. He asked me how many ear infections he had had and I told him seven or eight that we know of, but that his brother had had way more and he said let's look at brother. After examining Brock, he said, "Brock is worse than Braden."

SO...Sydney had sleepover at her best friend Caroline's house last night and the boys' and I showed up for surgery this morning bright and early. Tony surprised us and rescheduled some things and was able to go with us. Which was super great. We got the VIP treatment from the moment we walked in the door. Tony even got to walk them back into the OR and hold them when the anesthesiologist put them under. Braden cried three times and he was out.

Brock did the cutest thing. He and Braden both like to zurburt when you come near them with a medicine they don't want in their mouths. He did this to the anesthesiologist when he came near him with the mask! Everyone in the OR just started laughing (not the anesthesiologist.)

I was able to be in the recovery room when they each woke up which was great. And when that stuff wears off, they wake up fast! Braden woke up great. Took his bottle right away (they weren't allowed to eat so they were starving by this time) and was his usual smiley self.

Brock, well, Brock didn't wake as well as Braden. He totally freaked out. You could tell his ears were really bothering him and he didn't understand. He wouldn't even accept his bottle or his beloved night night for about 10 minutes until he finally calmed down. Boy was I glad Tony was there at this point. They are both total Daddy boys.

We got home and Braden ate breakfast and watched Handy Manny. And then he took a nice long nap.

Brock just screamed. And screamed. And screamed. He was having none of nothing. Finally I just laid him in his bed and he settled down in about two minutes. And I had to wake him up 2 and 1/2 hours later when we had to go pick up Sydney from Science Camp where she had been from 9-12 this week (she loves it!)

Sydney has also been to the swimming pool every day this week and she just started lessons yesterday. She is already jumping off the diving board into the 10' deep end and swimming with her instructor to the side. She is loving every minute of it and asks to go every day.

She also has two soccer games each weekend and she is getting more and more aggressive in her playing. Which is good because there was no aggression when she started. Her team is called the African Killer Bees and they are yellow and black. She has pink shin guards and pink cleats. She wanted everyone to know that. And she just got a pink water bottle, too. We have not yet taken a camera to the games, but I will try to remember to bring one tomorrow.