Update On Everything

There's a lot going on around here, and I need to bring everybody up to speed:

1. Potty Training...is going awesome. I'm at about a 90% success rate. I told Mom yesterday that I am done potty training. And, I've also graduated to standing when I pee. Less mess.
2. Poison Oak...is getting better. As of today I am off all of my drugs, including the devil inducing ones. I only have to apply an antibiotic ointment (I love that word) twice a day.
3. Check out Brookie's blog today and see me and Palmer big strong men who hug.

Honest as the day is long,
HAJ

Devil Child

I interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement. Let's just call this my own personal bloggy "PSA". To all you moms and dads out there, grandmas and grandpas, caretakers, if at all possible, do not, I repeat do not give your child prednisolone. I am currently hopped up on this drug, and according to my parents, I've turned into the devil. I have turned red and grown horns. I have a tail with a pointy end and am holding a pitch fork. Hopefully this too shall pass, sooner than later. And remember its NOT ME, its the DRUGS....Mom.

My goose is cooked,
HAJ

First Entry For the Icky File

Well, its finally happened. I made it three years, 1 month, and 19 days before I had to be taken to Urgent Care. Apparently I got into some poison oak, and got myself some blister and some rash. They put me on tons of medicine to help take care of it, but looks like I'm going to be hopped up on the drugs for the next three weeks. WARNING: Prepare yourself before opening the next photo. It will be put in the Icky File.

An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure,
HAJ

Things Are Turning Around

Sorry for no post yesterday. I got my first ear infection over the weekend. In fact, I got my first DOUBLE ear infection. Boy, these are not fun. Besides my ears hurting, they make me throw up, (from both ends), have a high fever, not eat, not drink, and be VERY lethargic. Here's me yesterday. Today, (see above photo) I really am feeling better. I have a lot of my energy back, and I've actually eaten today. But I'll tell ya what, if Mom thinks she can trick me by putting my medicine in juice or apple sauce...she's got another thing comin'! Mom said I HAVE to take my medicine, and we'll either do it the easy way or the hard way...seems to be the hard way...ie. Daddy holds me down and Mommy shoots the meds in my mouth! Jeez! Don't tell her I secretly like my medicine though; its cherry flavored for goodness sake!

Stickler for the rules,
HAJ

I Haven't Pooked Since Yesterday

Feeling much better today! I haven't "pooked" in almost 24 hours. Thanks for the well wishes!
HAJ

I Just Wanna Lay Down

Its hard for everybody when we've gone 2 1/2 years without really being sick. Mom and Dad don't really look for it, and I just don't even know what's going on. It started out with me not wanting to get out of bed. Which for me is unusual. I'm definitely a morning person. Then all I wanted to do was lay down. Which for me is unusual. I'm definitely a walker/runner/tackler. Dad wanted me to get up and get dressed and I just didn't want to.

Finally, I did get up and get dressed, and Daddy and I headed out to Nini's. We almost got there, and then I threw up. Twice. All over me and my car seat and Daddy's car. So, we turned around, and on the way back home I threw up another 2 times. When we got home, Mom changed my clothes, threw everything in the wash, and then I threw up 3 more times. So far.

In the last half hour, my energy level has gone way up. I told Mom that my tummy feels better. She tried to sneak me that gross Pedialyte, but I know her tricks. I'm working on regular juice and water now. Hopefully the dark times are past. I'll let you know.

Suffer the agony of defeat,

HAJ

PS - Scratch that. Just threw up again. Dang!

Quite a Pleasant Experience

When Mom put my eye drops in, its a two man job. One to hold me down and one to pry my eyes open. But with Grandma....there's just somethin' about Grandma.

HAJ

Special Report

I interrupt this regularly scheduled recap of my weekend in South Dakota, to bring a you a special report. I have, what the kids call, pink eye. There's no pink yet, but there's goop. Oh yeah, is there goop. Mom had to use a crow bar to pry my eyes open this morning. The guilty little germ spreader is Ian (I call him E-nah) at school. He's the cutest, sweetest little baby, and I love to kiss and hug him. I think that's how I became infected. Must remember to practice safe hugging and kissing from now on. I went to the doc this morning and got drops, and I'm well on my way to recovery.

Youthful folly,
HAJ

I Thought This Was Over

The Hershey squirts have taken over my body once again. Just when I thought I was in the clear. I was doing so well, that Mom and Dad let me go to school today. But for the first time ever, Lini called and needed them to come pick me up. I squirted through my outfit, and for a reason to remain nameless, I didn't have a back up outfit in my school bag. So, I'd like to send a big thank you to whoever let me borrow the clothes you see. I think its you Patrick, but I'm not sure. Jeez. I really hope I'm better tomorrow. I was having so much fun at school too. I don't feel bad, I just keep having bad diapers. Dang.

Hairy as an ape,
HAJ

PS - Apparently this blog thing is catching on like wildfire. Another one of Mom's pals started blogging. See the link to the right about Fabulous Over Forty. She talks fashion and make-up, nothing really for macho guys.

They're Trying Their Best

I'm not sure how you all have been spending your Sunday, but guess what I've been doing? Well, it all started at around 5am, when Mom heard me "coughing." She thought it was weird that I was coughing, since I didn't have a cough, but I was sick the day before with the 'rrhea. She didn't want to check on me just in case I was awake, then I'd never fall back asleep. Then she heard me cough again around 7:30, but thought the same thing. Instead of checking on me she went downstairs to make coffee and fiddled around. She finally came upstairs and dropped the coffee off in her room, and then went to get me up. There I was, sitting in the corner of my crib, with my back to the door. Throwing up all over myself. Sitting there, looking at her so sadly, still heaving.

Don't be too hard on Mama. She was only trying to stick with the schedule, and she felt so bad she's been trying to make it up to me all day. Daddy took me in the shower to clean me up and Mom started her first load of laundry for the day and called GmaE for help. See, this is the first time I've ever thrown up and no one here knew what to do about it. I just wanted to be tough, and try not to bother anyone with my discomfort. I hate to be such a burdon, just for little ol' me.

So Mom and I cuddled in bed. Yes cuddled. That's how sick I was. I even fell asleep briefly in her arms. Then I woke up and got down from bed, and went out in the hall and threw up again. But nothing came this time. I was empty. So went back to bed with Mom and snuggled and slept some more. Then I woke up and sat up and threw up again, but still empty. Mom kept trying to get me to drink Pedialite, but I hate it. I did like the milk she had brought me before she knew I was sick, so I drank that, and proceeded to fall asleep on Mama again. (By the way, Mom was secretly loving the snuggling and wanted it to last forever.) GmaE warned against giving me milk, but I was borderline dehydrated and Mom thought something was better than nothing.

Make a note, all you new or someday wanna be parents out there. Do not give your little one milk when they've been throwing up. I threw that milk up, all of it, a whole sippy cup full, all over Mom and her bed and her bedding and her pillows. White, chunky, cottage-cheesy, nastiness. So we hopped back into the shower, stripped the bed, remade the bed, and Mom started her next of 4 more loads of laundry. Then I started to feel better. My energy level went up, Daddy came home with more Pedialite, (I still don't really want it), and about an hour later I was starving and I ate two pieces of jelly toast. Its STILL in my tummy! Now I'm exhausted and napping. Throwing up all over your parents, and making them fell like lousy parents, takes a lot out of me.

HAJ

Another Kind Of Popsicle

Heavy doses of Pedialite juice and pops are in my future for the day. I have a bad case of the poops. One last night, three so far today (its not even noon) of ..... get this......grody, man smelling, but a pale yellow color of gross..... poop. Sorry to be so graphic, but Mom says that if she has to deal with it, so do you!

Here, there and everywhere,
HAJ

False Alarm

So Saturday morning I woke up at 5am crying. I know. I can't believe it myself. My ears kinda hurt, and there was dried boogers in my hair, and all of it was bugging me. Daddy got me all cleaned up, and I went back to bed. Later that day, Mom's worried I have an ear infection, (she doesn't want me to get on a plane on Thursday with an infection) so she hauls me off to the Minute Clinic. The doc at the Minute Clinic won't treat me because I'm not 18 months old (I will be on Friday, but don't get me started.). Mom talked her into looking into my ears anyway, and she said that I definitely did have an ear infection and I need to see my doctor. Crud.

This brings me to yesterday, which was the soonest I could get an appointment, so I trucked on down to the clinic and saw my A-#1 doctor. She looks in my ears and sees nothing. Whew! So, either my super hero power is super healing powers or the doc at the Minute Clinic is a wack-job. I'm pretty sure I have super healing powers though.

My father didn't raise any idiots,

HAJ

Sick Day

Well folks, I'm sure you noticed I was not here yesterday. I had my very first official sick day. I even missed school. I guess almost 18 months is a good run without being sick, but it finally happened. Just to ease your minds, I was really only sick on Sunday. No fever or puking thank goodness! I felt great yesterday, and today I'm a million bucks. But Mom didn't want to expose me to the other kids at school, so we played hookie.

I was weird being sick, and I didn't like it at all. I would walk over to Mommy and want to be picked up, and then when she did, I would do the "back arch" move, and want down. Then when she put me down, I wouldn't put weight on my legs, and I would lay on the floor and whine until she picked me up. Then I would do the "back arch" move......do you see the pattern? The whole day was filled with those kinds of actions. I just mostly was tired and had a bad cough and I think a sore throat.

But today I'm great! Don't you like how I'm learning to smile for the camera?

Colder than a Midwestern Minnesota Welldigger's gizzard,
HAJ

PS - Thank you all for your readership. If you notice my little ticker in the bottom right corner, we finally have 10,000 hits! What an amazing milestone!

Rally Time

Here's a picture of me and my favorite guitarist, Tom "Val" Valentine. He's Patrick's dad. He's also responsible for teaching me how to fake sneeze and how to make that "pop" sound when you pull your finger out of your mouth. I'm sure these are all skills that will get me through the teenage years.

Can you even believe I caught a cold? I know! If I had a dime for every time I sneezed yesterday, well I sure as heck would be stickin' around here. I'd be retired on a beach in Bermuda. I'm definitely feeling better today, the sneezing is less. Don't worry, I'll rally for vacation tomorrow.

Life is not all beer and skittles,
HAJ

Was It the Eggs?

So, I don't know. I think I might be sick today. Dad thought for sure felt like a had a fever first thing this morning. I was kinda cranky and whiny too. Dad gave me a bite of his eggs. I don't even like eggs, but I ate it anyway, and they made me gag. Then I threw up all over Mom and her work clothes. She was trying to decide if I threw up because of the eggs or because I was sick. Also, its been 12 days since my shots, and the Dr. said some kids get a fever 10 days after their shots, so maybe that's what happened. Anyway, I started getting more energetic, cooling down, and in a much better mood, so Mom went to work. She's on high alert today though, just in case Lini calls.

I've been better,
HAJ

Life Lessons

I've been meaning to write about my cousins that moved to Texas. I miss them so much already and its only been a couple weeks. Its just a bummer that I can't call them on the phone and see if they want to play. At least I got to hang out with them all day on the day they moved. We had one last hurrah!

Before they left, I wanted to give them something to remember me by. I worked with Jasper all afternoon trying to teach him how to sit up all by himself. He was doing awesome, but there were a few slip ups. All in all, I think it went well and these skills will definitely be something he'll use in the future.

Annie was a bit more complicated. If you remember back, I was taking some medical classes, and I thought if I taught Annie how to be a doctor, she would be able to find a good job and help support her family in Texas. I taught her how to check a baby's temperature and change a diaper. I think, if nothing else, she's going to be a great help to her mom and dad with taking care of her little brother.

I hope they are having a great time in their new town. And we'll be there soon enough for them to teach me the ways of the world at the Alamo.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder,
HAJ

Missing In Action

Good morning! I'm sorry I was MIA yesterday. My mom got really sick, and she wasn't able to help me get on the computer. She's feeling a little better today, but still not 100%. Its totally a bummer, because we didn't get to play together at all yesterday. Dad wouldn't let me anywhere near her. She was BAD though, so I didn't want to get close to her either. She keeps blaming me for these illnesses that she gets. Dad and her both say that the only time they were ever sick, before I came around, was when they'd have the 3.2 flu.

Today is my last day at school for almost 2 weeks now. I am really looking forward to going to stay with my G-ma & G-pa E for a whole week! I know they have lots of things planned and lots of playing to do. I promise to be on my best behavior. I will miss my parents, but sometimes I just need a break from them. This will be good for everyone.

How do you like them apples?
HAJ

PS - I wanna send a shout out to Gammy! Happy Birthday!! Can't wait to see you in a couple months, and thank you for the box of new clothes! I love them!!

Merry Christmas

My first Christmas. Wow. What an amazing time. I mean, just look at all those presents. I was swimming in a sea of presents! It took two days just to get through it all. I'm a very lucky little boy, and I can't wait for next year! I'd like to thank everyone for all of their presents, they really mean a lot to me and I had so much fun!

Well, we just got home from our world tour. We started out heading to IA to see Great Grandpa and Grandma W - but Grandma was in the hospital. (I love you Grandma and I hope you're feeling better soon. I can't wait to see you when you're better.) Then we were off to Brookings and we spent some time with Great G&G J, Great Great Auntie Kay, Great Auntie Jody and Uncle Butch. They were nice enough to let us stay at their house a few nights. Daddy was still sick with the flu, so he didn't do too much while we were there. On Saturday we spent the day in Volga at Great Uncle Severt and Auntie Peggy's farm! I love the farm, the outdoors, and the cows! We were able to spend time with Great G-ma Nelson, Great Auntie Shally and Uncle Dick, my second cousins Alex, Andrew, and Heidi. Auntie Gina, uncle Addison, and my cousin's Annie and Jasper were there too! We had such a great meal, but we had to leave early again because Daddy was just not feeling well.

On Sunday we hopped back in the car and headed to G&G E for Christmas! We went to church - a first for me - I did OK, but there's room for improvement. Everyone had a great meal of smoked turkey, oyster stew, and who knows what else - nothing else on the table matters at that point. My poor auntie Chris had the flu that day, so she couldn't join us for dinner but was a trooper and made it down to open presents. On Christmas day I came down the stairs and it seems Santa had left me quite a load. I wasn't sure if he was going to come or not - Mom said my first three months were a little "touch and go" but I've really been pouring on the charm for the last three months. I guess it was enough! WOW! This Santa guy is one heck of a guy. I think we're going to be fast friends. I spent the next few days at G&G's, then Grandma came down with the flu on Wednesday. I mean this thing has really run through my family! Literally - run through. Ick. G-ma wanted us to leave so we didn't get sick, but we just banished her to her room and stayed another day. We ended up leaving on Thursday because of some bad weather moving in.

I was able to stop up at G-ma's new office and maternity unit at the hospital and meet all of her friends there. She seemed excited to show me off - and I was happy to oblige.

Today we're getting ready for our New Year's eve party tomorrow night. We have to go to the butcher shop, grocery store, party store, and most importantly - liquor store! Mom is planning quite the spread!

HAJ

What To Do?

I love these shorts from my Gammy! They have my name embroidered on them with cool fish too. I had to wear that outfit in TX cuz its just too cold to wear around here.

Well, we're supposed to be off on our second world tour in two weeks today, but Daddy is still sick. So, I'm not sure if we're leaving or not today. Mom and I feel really bad for him. If worse comes to worse, we'll just leave tomorrow. The weather isn't the best here yet anyway. We're supposed to be off to Spirit Lake, IA to see my Great G&G Wingen, then to SD to see the gang in the Brookings area, and then on Sunday we're off to Aber to see G&G E. We have a truck full of presents to haul too. I'm kind of interested in the presents. I love the shiney paper and the bows. I might try diggin' into one here one of these days.

Not much else going on - oh, the mouse count is holding steady at 5. Are we done?

HAJ

Four Blind Mice???

First of all - let me apologize for not blogging the last few days. My mom has come down with the flu bug that I had last weekend, and she just hasn't been in the mood to help me turn the computer on. But, we're both feeling much better today now finally! Whew!

OK - so when we got home fron TX, Mom noticed her bowl of apples that were sitting on the counter had been chewed on! EWWWW! We all deducted that we must have had a mouse! OMG!!! We're all so grossed out - we can hardly stand it! So, Daddy, being the protector that he is, went out and bought some traps and set them out with bait. Well, the next morning we had two mice. GRODY! So, Dad set the traps again last night and we had two more mice this morning. We can't hardly step into the kitchen these days. We'll set them again tonight, but hopefully its over. I just can't believe it.

Check out this little video clip if you want to see real man devour some lefsa- don't tell Mom or Great Grandma E how much I enjoyed it - well, not quite as much as I enjoy suckin' on my toes. Can you believe I can even reach them in all of my chubbiness? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CXwm_gV3hg

HAJ