Kirk and KayLynn's Adoption Quest

For a long time we could not figure out why Kelby calls our little dog Kramer, kiye.  He calls our big dog (Comet) down. He started calling Comet down ever since my mom came to visit.  Mom is not a real dog lover and poor Comet being the big loving dog he is tries even harder to get affection from anyone that shy’s away from him. The only words mom says to Comet is “down”, “get away” so it is easy to figure out how Kelby thinks that is Comets name.  Kramer does not bark much but he is a cry baby (literally sounds like a baby crying really loud) whenever he is not allowed to be with us.  When we go to the store and Kramer has to stay in the car he starts crying really loud and people give us “a look” and we know they are thinking that we locked a baby in the car and are just going to leave him while we go into the store. Of course we tell (yell at) Kramer to be quiet. When we let Kramer out to go potty if we are not right at the door to let him back in when he is done he starts crying and of course we yell "quiet Kramer".  So I just figured out that Kelby isn’t calling Kramer kiye what he is calling him is quiet but is just not pronouncing the T sound at the end.  Kelby has started calling me Kirk. He says Kirk and I say I’m daddy and he laughs and says Kirk.  He is a funny little guy.

God Bless

Kirk

Entry by Kay Lynn

Ever since Kelby has been a baby we have had this big, huge inflatable duck that a baby can sit in to take a bath.  Kind of like a big duck that you would sit on in a pool.  You squeeze the beak and it goes "quack quack quack quack".  Anyway, it has always been in the guest bathroom shower and lately, every time we pass the bathroom or Kelby goes into the bathroom, he says "quack, quack".  Memorial Weekend we flew to Reno to visit Kirk's brother and girlfriend.  We arrive at Kirk's brother's place, the first thing Kelby does is run into the bathroom, pulls back the shower curtain and says "quack, quack" looking for the duck.  It's a given, every shower has a duck, right? 

Anyway, while in Reno, we took at day trip up to Lake Tahoe.  We parked the car to get out and take a little hike, when a couple on a two seater bicycle pull up right next to my car door ( I am in the back seat with Kelby).  They are sitting right outside my door so I can't open it, they are adjusting their seats, helmets, etc. taking their sweet old time…They are both dressed up in their spandex bike, yuppie gear, all matching in this bright (duck) yellow…yellow pants, yellow jackets, yellow helmets, yellow gloves etc. I am sitting there waiting patiently for them to get going so Kelby and I can get out.  The window is open a crack, Kelby looks over and sees them and says really loud "quack, quack"......more pictures from Reno and Lake Tahoe. 

I added some new pictures of mothers day and the slow going progress on the deck.  Grandma was visiting and spoiling Kelby like Grandmas do for two weeks while I got some work done on the deck.  As you can see I still have work to do.  You can also see Kelby's new hair cut.  I think it is cute.

God Bless

Kirk 

Kelby is back to his normal happy fun loving self.  He has not been sick for a full week now (I hope I didn’t just jinks it) and was not sick at all this weekend the first full weekend since January.  In the last week he gained back the 2 lbs that he lost plus some. He now weighs 27.5 lbs, last week he was down to 24 lbs.

On Saturday I gave Kelby his second haircut. Last time he sat pretty still while I cut his hair, but not this time. It was like trying to give a wild cat a haircut. It is just a good thing he does not have sharp claws or I would have bleed to death. KayLynn thinks I cut it too short. I think it looks cute. He looks just like a handsome little boy.

God Bless

Kirk  

 

 Kelby is finally feeling good again.  Last week was hell. He continued to be sick for the rest of the week and on Thursday I took him back to the clinic to see the Doctor this time he suggested I take Kelby to the hospital and have him admitted for dehydration therapy. I was so tired from lack of sleep I didn’t even feel safe driving Kelby to the clinic let alone to the hospital 35mls away.  I asked the doctor how long the procedure would take because I had not slept in 24hrs and had to go back to work in 5 hours. He told me that he would call ahead and they would be ready for us so that we would be in and out in @ 30min. Even with only taking 30 minutes with drive time it would be at least 2 hours so that only left me with 3 hours left to get a nap before going to work. Luckily for me I decided to drop Kelby off at KayLynn’s work and let her take him in to the hospital. The doctor said in and out in 30min what a bunch of crap! KayLynn was there for 5 hours and had to wait in the ER waiting room most of that time(with a lot of scary looking people) and Kelby crying the whole time, while I am at home too worried to sleep calling KayLynn’s cell phone every 15 min to see if they got in yet.

 

The next day Kelby looked a lot better and was not throwing up anymore so getting his fluids replenished was worth the (unnecessary) trouble it took.  As of today the diarrhea is gone and he is eating lots. He has some making up to do as he lost two pounds last week. The doctors determined that he had the flu. When we called the daycare they said a lot of the other kids were out with the flu also. Humm, go figure.

 

We took Kramer to the groomers (Petsmart) today and when I told Kelby where we were going he went and got Kramer’s leash and tried to put it on him. I helped him and he walked Kramer out to the car. When we got to Petsmart Kelby held the leash with one hand and my hand with the other walking through the parking lot and into the store. It was absolutely the cutest thing ever. Everyone in the store was pointing and saying “look at that” “isn’t that cute”.  Then when it was time for Kelby to give Kramer to the groomer he hugged Kramer around the neck and kissed him on top of the head before he would let the groomer take him. That right there makes it all worth it.

 

Now the big dilemma. Friday is coming up again do we throw him back to the wolfs or keep him home in a sterile bubble?

 

God Bless

Kirk

 

I get home from work @ 7:00am and like usual so tired I can hardly stand up. I had to use the toilet, when I flushed it, it didn’t flush, it was plugged up, and came within a second of overflowing before I franticly get the valve shut off.  Kelby was awake so that meant no nap for me.  That was the start of my day and it went down hill from there.

Kelby was still sick but looked better then the day before so I figured that was a good thing.  After giving Kelby some milk he started crying and wanted to be held, shortly after I picked him up I felt wetness on my arm (not good) diarrhea was running down his leg and my arm.  I got us both all cleaned up and he was still crying and would go into meltdown if I set him down.  I tried giving him something to eat but he would not eat anything but was drinking milk and water so I figured at least he was getting liquids. Then while I was holding him he was looking right at me still crying and vomited like a fire hose right in my face.  He soaked the whole front side of both me and him head to toe with really bad sour milk smelling vomit.  At our house when there is vomit on the floor Kramer our dog freaks out and starts running around in circles which includes running thru the vomit making little vomit tracks all over the house. I dripping puke while holding Kelby who is screaming (and still a potential vomit bomb) catch and throw Kramer outside. I strip both of us down and hose Kelby off in the laundry room sink and throw all the cloths in the washing machine then move on to cleaning the floor. I clean the floor the best I can with Kelby crying trying to get me to hold him while I’m trying to keep him from stepping in the mess, by now Kramer is tired of being outside and is crying /screaming (Kramer sounds just like a screaming baby when he crys) wanting in. Dealing with all this in addition to having almost zero sleep was, to say the least, a bit mind frazzling.

Now the cloths are in the wash, most of the big chunks are cleaned up, we all have on fresh cloths, Kelby has stopped crying and things are calming down a bit. I call the Doctor and see if we can get an appointment to see him and there is an opening in an hour.  For the next hour Kelby is looking better and is even playing a little bit and drinking milk and water and not throwing it up.  We get to the Clinic and by now Kelby looks perfectly fine.  He is laughing and playing with the toys in the waiting room. When we see the doctor Kelby looks like a perfectly healthy little boy.  I was thinking that last weeks ear infection had flared up again but the doctor looked in his ears and said they look great no signs of infection they were all cleared up.  I guess that is good but what is wrong with him then if not the ears?  The doctor said he looks perfectly fine maybe he just had an upset stomach.  I explained that he has been sick for 4 months now with a whole list of different things and that he has been sick since Saturday night with whatever it is he has now.  He told me that kids get sick a lot especially after starting daycare or school and it just takes awhile for there immune system to build up. So there is nothing to worry about.  He did look perfectly fine right then, so I’m sure the doctor thinks I am a nut job or a very over worried first time parent.  Other then finding out that he does not have an ear infection the doctor visit was a complete waste and I was made to look like a fool.

Right now would be a great time to say that is the end of the story and all is well. Not so. We got home and Kelby was asleep so I put him in his bed for a nap and I had time to finish the clean up and unclog the toilet and get a few things done outside. When Kelby woke up from his nap he was cranky again. I figured that he must be hungry so I fed him some yogurt figuring that would be good for his stomach. He ate some but not a lot and he drank some Pedialyte.  Now the crying started again and in half an hour he was vomiting again and a whole new mess and another load of cloths to wash. The holding, crying, vomiting, and clean up cycle continued until he went to bed.  Luckily for me KayLynn took off work a little early and got home a little after 5:00pm and I was able to get to bed @ 5:30pm.  When I got up at 9:30pm to go back to work Kelby was sleeping soundly and KayLynn was already in bed. Maybe I’m just jealous but that just does not seem fair.  I can’t wait to see what tomorrow (or today or whatever it is) will bring.

 When working this weird shift I start work one day and go home the next and tomorrow is already today and I never know if I’m coming or going.

 

God Bless

Kirk

I think I am starting to sound like a broken record, Kelby is sick again, Kelby is sick, Kelby is sick, Kelby is sick. Kelby has been basically sick for over 4 months now.  From the day he started going to daycare he has had one thing after the other.  He gets sick for about 5 days he is well for two days and then sick again.  He goes to daycare on Friday and by Saturday night he is sick and then starts feeling better around Thursday and on Friday the cycle starts all over again. I can not remember a weekend that he has not been sick. I think we are going to go completely and absolutely crazy.

Last week it was an Ear Infection along with Oral Thrush the Doctor put him on antibiotics and some other medication for the thrush.  He started getting better after about the third day of taking the meds. Now this Saturday night he got sick again this time vomiting all over the place that lasted thru Sunday.  I think the ear infection has come back along with the oral thrush. Yesterday/Monday he was not throwing up any more but has Diarrhea really bad.  I can’t wait to see what today will bring.  It is so frustrating. We were so proud that he was never sick. He went his whole first year without being sick at all and from his first birthday on he has been nothing but sick. Sick sick sick. I just want to scream. I know it won’t help but I nothing else seems to help either.

I think we are going to wear out our washing machine. We may have to get another large garbage can just for all the dirty diapers. Are kids all this sick all the time or are we just lucky?

God Bless

Kirk

 

 We decided that the time had come to replace the deck.  Every spring I have to pound down hundreds of nails that work their way up. The surface is full of splinters just waiting to happen.  We paint it and two weeks later it looks like it needs to be painted again. We also always wanted to have a small deck off of the master bedroom and the front porch is looking pretty battered also.  We wanted to get it all done at once and be done with it.  We started out thinking that I just don’t have the time to do it myself.  I called three different contractors to give me estimates.  For the back deck alone the estimates all came in at @ $32,000!!!!!  Granted it is a big deck and I want it done in composite decking so I don’t have to continue to be a slave to it, but, come on 35K.  The grand total after adding the small deck and front porch, get this 45,000 dollars!!!  I am obviously in the wrong line of work.

So I will now have to find the time to do it myself. Since the local schools had spring break last week we was able to have our good friends daughter come over to baby-sit while I tore the old deck down. 

What a long week it was. I got home from work (job) at 7am luckily on a couple of days Kelby was still sleeping so I got @ a hour rest before the baby sitter got there at 9am. Then I worked on the deck until 4 or 4:30pm.  Then I stumbled off to bed so I could wake up at 9:30pm and get ready for work (job) again. It has been a very long busy week.

Now I have the deck completely torn down and discarded boards laying all over the place. I have no idea when I’ll get another chance to work on it.

 

Kelby spent a lot of time watching me work from the patio door.  Now when he walks up to the door and looks out at the mess that used to be a deck he says, “Uh ohw”. I have to say that about sums’ it up.

 

God Bless

Kirk

I added a few pictures from Easter day.  Need to write more but I have no time.

God Bless

Kirk

 

Kelby had a 102 temp on Saturday and then on Sunday went up to105. We gave him sponge baths every three hours all through the night to keep his temp down. On Monday morning and afternoon we thought that the fever had broken, his temp was back to normal. Then that night he had a temp of 102 again. The doctor say’s he has pneumonia in one lung.  He has now been sick for 43 days straight starting with a stomach flu that turned into diarrhea that turned into a cold that almost went away then came back and now has turned into pneumonia.  The doctor has prescribed antibiotics. I hate to use them with all the over use of them causing all these new super bugs but at this point what can we do.  This is getting so tiring for us, I can only imagine how sick of being sick Kelby is feeling. It is a good thing that I work this sleepless shift so that at least one of us can always be at home with him without taking time off work.  If it wasn’t for that we would both already be completely out of vacation and sick leave for the rest of the year.