Mystery Diagnosis

For the past week to ten days, I have been having some very strange medical symptoms.  When we were in Tampa, I noticed a swollen lymph node behind my ear.  Of course I immediately thought it was cancer related, even though lymph nodes can swell over practically anything.  The next week, I was itching all over my body.  I couldn't get relief.  I thought perhaps it was an allergic reaction to a new medicine I had been taking, so I stopped taking it (did not help the situation).  The next day, when I woke up, my hands were extremely swollen and red.  I could not get my wedding rings on for several days.  Then, not only were they swollen, but my fingers were numb and tingling, during the night mostly.  It was the most uncomfortable feeling.  I would wake up in the night and shake them for what seemed like hours to try and get feeling back.  I was also waking up with terrible pains in my wrists and forearms.  This pain continued during the day, as well as pain in my ankles and knees.  I was now convinced that my cancer was in fact bone cancer and that is why I had the pain.  I kept telling Mikey my bones hurt.  He said I don't stretch well enough after exercise.  (Such a man to make it my fault somehow).  I did get to thinking that maybe the pain was related to the push ups and jumping jacks I had been doing with my new exercise routine.  Maybe my wrists and ankles just couldn't support my body weight during all that jumping around (depressing thought)!  Then, I noticed one evening that my cheeks were beet red, but I just thought I was hot.  Finally, on Tuesday, I noticed a lump in my forearm and then I was certain- it had to be a tumor.  Maybe it was lymphoma... Hodgkin's Disease... maybe even Lipoma, another disease I had researched.  I decided I couldn't take it anymore and I made a doctor's appointment...again... I had already made one a few days prior, but then cancelled it shortly after when Mikey told me I was a hypochondriac and to quit worrying about it.

The next day at school, one of my students who had been absent the past two days said she was sick with something called Fifth Disease.  I said, what in the world is that and are you sure you should be back at school?  I googled it that morning at work because I was quite certain that she needed to go home since she had this "disease".  As I researched, I realized that I had many of these symptoms, but for some reason it didn't exactly click.  When I went to the doctor, I told her all these strange symptoms I'd been having over the course of the past several days.  She looked perplexed until I mentioned one of my students had this weird disease called "Fifth Disease".  She then looked as if the lightbulb had come on and said, do you have a rash?  I said, no.  She looked at my chest and said, YOU DON'T CALL THAT A RASH???  I looked down and my chest was covered in a red, lacey rash.  So finally, the mystery is solved.  The lymph node was swollen because of the virus, the lump in my forearm could possibly be another swollen lymph node (she wasn't exactly sure, but just said to watch it), all that joint pain was because of the virus, and the red cheeks were also a result of the virus. 

It is no big deal, it runs its course and there is nothing you can do for it.  It is unusual for an adult to contract this because a person can only get this disease one time and it usually happens as a child.  I guess I never got it as a child.  It's also highly contagious, which would explain why several students at school are out with it, and I sent one home today with it.  It's only contagious until the rash appears.  Once the rash appears, you can no longer spread the virus.  But the problem is that most people don't know what in the world is wrong with them, so they don't isolate themselves and they spread it!  Like me!  I'm going to watch Grady closely because of course I am always touching and loving on him and I have been contagious for the past several days... I just didn't know it.

So I am VERY happy and relieved to report that I am not dying (that I know of)... I am also happy to report that my joints no longer hurt.  That was the worst part of it all.  The doctor told me to STOP touching my lumps and STOP getting on the internet researching diseases.  I've cut back.  But I can't stop cold turkey.

Who Says White Men Can't Jump?

Back to the Grind...

We've had a busy past several days and I am finally finding some time to post pictures!  We left for Tampa on the 31st (New Year's Eve) to visit Mikey's sister and brother in law.  Grady was excited to see his Aunt Jenine and Uncle Phil and had fun exploring new territory. 

Sitting in the dog's bed....

He is walking up a storm now... just non-stop on the go. 

We did not go out anywhere for New Year's Eve.  We just hung out at the house and Jenine cooked some yummy appetizers for us.  Jenine and Phil got Grady lots of wonderful Christmas presents.  He enjoyed opening them and playing with them all!  Thanks guys!

Daddy loved that I put a Christmas bow in his hair.  He was just ecstatic about that. 

We really did pack clothes for the child, but he was so energetic and never sat down, so he worked up a sweat!  I took his clothes off since he was so warm!

On Friday (New Year's Day) we went to Ikea in search of a toy box for Grady.  His toys have taken over the house and we have virtually no fireplace now, so we have been looking everywhere for a toy box.  We would like to find a nice wooden one that matches with the rest of the living room furniture since that is where Grady plays.  We didn't find one at Ikea, but we still enjoyed walking around. 

On Saturday we ate at Crispers, went to Babies R Us and then came home and relaxed.  Sunday morning we left pretty early so we could get home and settled in.  I had to go back to work the next day.

It has been a long week back at work and Grady has been having some separation anxiety when I drop him off at Kaye's house in the mornings.  It is hard to leave him when he cries, but I know he stops as soon as she says the word "breakfast". 

Tuesday night, I got to see Macey and Rob while they were here for Christmas.  Veronica also came and it was so good to see all of them.  I miss our weekly girls' night dinners!  Almost everyone has moved away!

This weekend we have stayed indoors since it's been so cold outside.  It has been about 30-40 degrees during the day and even colder at night.  A few mornings when I've left for work it has been in the teens.  Sure makes it hard to get out of bed!  Even the pond has frozen and has been that way for days!

Grady has a new girlfriend by the way.  Her name is Little Debbie and he is IN LOVE.  Particularly with Swiss Cake Roll...

Happy New Year! See you 2010!

Tomorrow morning we are leaving for Tampa to go visit Mikey's sister, Jenine and her husband, Phil.  We will ring in the new year with them!  (I don't think I've seen midnight since this summer, so who knows if I will actually be awake!)

I'm dreading another long drive, since we just drove to Memphis and then to Austin, but hopefully Grady will be on his best behavior and relax.  I've packed the goldfish crackers, vanilla wafers, bananas, toys, and of course the dvd player.  I read somewhere that when you are traveling with a baby to pack lots of snacks they can graze on.  Good thing Grady likes to eat!

Speaking of eating, today we met Mikey and a couple of his coworkers for lunch at a local restaraunt.  I ordered a typical meal for Grady, grilled cheese... but instead of french fries (which he doesn't really care for), I got baked apples.  This boy LOVES fruit and would live off of it if I would let him, so I knew he'd love the apples.  He was shoveling them in by the handfulls, getting cinnamon and sauce all over his face, especially his cheeks.  Then I noticed his face was beet red and looked like it had broken out into a rash.  I said to Mikey, I think he is having an allergic reaction!  Now, I know I can be a bit dramatic when it comes to health related issues.  I will admit that.  Afterall, Grady had been to the doctor, including the ER, about 4 times before he was a month old.  Call me paranoid, but this time, it was apparent.  His cheeks were splotchy and his face was warm.  But his demeanor hadn't changed and he wasn't having any difficulty breathing, so I knew it was nothing to rush to ER over.  (See, I have improved a little!).  We cleaned him up and I called the doctor as soon as we left.  Of course they were closed for lunch, so I called the next best hypochondriac I know, Katie.  She conveniently googled it for me as I drove home, and as it turns out, cinnamon is a spice that many babies are either allergic to, or it just irritates their skin (contact dermititis). He did not have any other symptoms, so I think it may just irritate his skin.  Needless to say, we will not be eating anymore cinnamon!  I would have been a mean mommy and taken a picture, but I did not have my camera. 

I really don't have any good pictures to post, but everyone loves a blog with pictures, so here are two from yesterday... just playing around.

Of course if Grady can find a way to use something the wrong way, he will!  He is definitely ALL BOY!

Getting closer to grab the camera....

I'll post when we get home on Sunday (or it might have to wait until Monday).  I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and an even better start to the new year! 

Happy Boy

Here are a few pics I took today (with my new camera!).  I took over 200 pictures today, but I'll spare you all that jazz.  It's really not my fault, this camera takes a gazillion pictures in a row, unlike my old canon that missed every good shot because it was too slow.  For example, we took these pictures outside today and in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes, we already had 70 shots.  So in my defense, I am not that obsessed with my kid, it's just a good camera.

He loves watching planes and birds...

Merry Christmas from the Whites!

I am wiped out!  We had a great Christmas and I hope you all did, too.  Mikey gave me my gift last night (it's really a family gift)... check it out!

I love it!  Apparently Mikey does not listen when I set price limits on gifts, but this is a perfect gift for our family since we take so many pictures. 

When we woke up this morning, we went in Grady's room to find this:

Apparently we did not respond to him soon enough when he woke up, so he had to resort to stripping his clothes off!

Have I mentioned he's learning to walk?  He just started a few days ago, but is really doing great!  He can walk clear across this room and has gained so much confidence!  Here are some pics of him in action...

We are so excited!  He's really moving now!

After he woke up, we went straight to gifts.  He's not really interested in the unwrapping part.  I thought he would enjoy the paper and the noise, but not really.  He got just a few gifts from us since he's still so little... two pairs of shoes, a puzzle, a popper toy, pj's, and some sort of car toy...

After gifts, we enjoyed the Hatcher family tradition of breakfast casserole.  Grady and Mikey ate it up!  Then the boys took a nap while I started preparing Christmas dinner.  When Grady woke up, I went in his room to find (you guessed it!)...

(He must really not like those PJs!  He's also jumping up and down in his crib!)

Then Grandma came over with loads of gifts... clothes, a shape sorter, miniature cars, a book, and this WONDERFUL chair!

He just loves it!  He can sit independently and just relax.  Thanks Grandma!

Gazing at the tree...

We had some friends over for Christmas dinner.... Mike, Woody, and Roger, plus Elaine and the three of us.  I cooked sweet potato casserole, crock pot mac and cheese, corn casserole, watergate salad, green bean casserole, and Mikey fried his first turkey that was mouth watering.  For dessert we had another Hatcher family favorite, Hummingbird Cake.  We also had sausage balls, cookies, peppermint bark, fudge, and homeade chex mix for appetizers.  I made everyone take a plate home so we wouldn't have so many leftovers!  I'll have to really work it at the gym next week!  I forgot to take pictures during dinner, but we all enjoyed ourselves and the company. 

Here's another picture of Grady relaxing in his chair, drinking his milk before bed time.

I missed my family today and I hope we can all be together for Christmas next year!  I hope you all had a great day! 

Love you all!

Grady's 1st Birthday

The party was a success and lots of fun. Several of our friends came to help us celebrate Grady's big day. Best of all, Leslie Roark , a friend of ours and a VERY talented photographer, came and graciously took pictures for us. Follow the link above, click online viewing, Grady White's 1st Birthday, and the password is white.  Enjoy!

THANK YOU LESLIE!!!!!!!  YOU ARE AWESOME!!!