HAPPY

Mason is much happier today. He seems to finally be feeling better. After a few more frequent flyer miles, with another trip do Dr. Whiting on Friday and a Rosefin shot, because his ears were still full of infection and his lungs still junky, that seemed to do the trick. He's still coughing, but it definitely sounds better. Now, no jinxing, knock on wood, let's keep him happy and healthy. The sleep thing is still an issue, but not as horrible when he's not so sick!

Ammon claims to be happy too! When Ammon throws a tantrum and won't stop we put him in our front room in the little love seat and call it the "happy chair". When he is ready to be happy he can get out. Usually (though, not always this easy) after 3-5 minutes he will come find me and say "I'm happy!" I love it. Well, yesterday we were all trying to take Sunday naps after church, and Ammon had only been napping for maybe 30 minutes when he decided he was done. Sadly, because of his newly acquired skill of jumping out of the crib, he did not stay in bed. He then came to my bedroom door, where I was in napping with Mason and had just barely dozed off, and began knocking on the door saying, "Mom I'm HAPPY!!" repeating again and again until I finally acknowledged him, At least he was happy, but my nap suffered!

Frequent Flyer Miles

If I could get frequent flyer miles for how often I go to the Pediatrician (usually for Mason, next Ammon, & occasionally our other kiddos), I could take our family on an amazing vacation!!!


Mason is sick again. He was really only feeling decent for 2 or 3 days from that last sickness and now he is miserable again w / yucky ears, runny nose, cough, junky lungs, and fever. Round 2!


Let's just say; more "all nighters" in the big red chair, and "middle of the night" walks out on the deck to help the cough, all tangled in O2 cords!!! He only needed the O2 for 3 days last time, but was needing it once again last night.


Poor little guy! These Fall colds are making me think that this means a really long Winter!!!


I greatly appreciate all your prayers and concern.


Time for a long nap w/ Miracle Mason!

The Big Red Chair & Midnight Walks

Mason is still feeling pretty sick. He has a very sad little cry. He has lost his voice from all the coughing. And he's still rubbing his little ears in pain and not eating very well. Although, this morning he seems to be a little better, but still needing O2's , and just not his happy self. We're still sleeping in the big red chair, and walking out on the deck in the middle of the night to help his cough, tangling and tripping over the O2 cords, but hey at least its not The Hotel!

And to top it off Kaitlin has invited 16 9 &10 year old neighborhood girls over for a Jonas Brothers' Birthday Party in our Basement tomorrow night. Hmmm.... could be an interesting party. Kaitlin has planned the whole thing, cuz I've been a bit consumed w/ Mason this week. We'll see how it all turns out I guess! She is so cute though. She has warned all her friends that no one can come with colds or sick at all and she promises she'll make everyone hand sanitize and stay in the basement. (She knows how worried I am about Mason and germs, and that this is a huge exception for her birthday...having that many kids in the house w/ Mason's delicate health.)

Thanks for all your prayers on Mason's behalf. I know each day is in Heavenly Father's hands and I know he hears our prayers

Oh No! Sick Again!

It had been going just too good to be true..... except for the little runny nose and eye infection 3 weeks ago (which only lasted a few days).....Mason had been so healthy since our last hospital visit. Well, I guess that was only 5 weeks ago, but it was a good stretch for him!! Anyways, Mason got really sick Sunday night. He has an awful bronchitis cough and double ear infections.(What's up with the ear infections? He had tubes placed in April to conquer that problem!!) He has been pretty miserable. Poor little guy, it's just not fair. We try to be so careful and he still gets sick. Though I think I may have been the culprit this time, because last week I was sick with an awful strep throat and flu. Mom's aren't supposed to get sick!!! I thought I was so careful not to spread anything around especially to Mason. Then yesterday Mark came home from work sick too. I guess this is just life at the Strickland's!!

Mason has been working really hard to breathe with all the congestion so I've had him back on O2's. ( And I had been meaning to call home health care to come pick it up, good thing I didn't) Mason coughs so hard right now it makes him gag and throw up, it is so sad. It is so hard when he is like this, because I worry about it causing heart failure. When he gets sick its bad, and so different than my other kids. I thought I worried about my other kids when they were sick, but this is a whole new level of stress.


Hopefully the antibiotics will help him start to feel better soon. And thus maybe Mason and I can sleep in our beds again (& all through the night too, okay that's asking too much), because I've been sitting up with him down in the family room in our comfy "chair & 1/2" all night, because he coughs too hard laying down. Really it's an awesome chair, but not all night and not tangled in the oxygen cord and the pulse ox monitor cord (to check his sats because of the labored breathing). This is all just for my journaling purposes, not for sympathy. Because I know there is much worse going on out there!!!


As for his 9 month check up last week, he weighed 13 lbs 10 oz, length is 25 1/2 in, basically he's in the 3rd percentile. Small, but at least there is growth, that's what counts with a heart baby!

Mason needs my full attention right now, but please say some extra prayers for him this day. We want him better and not back at The Hotel!!!