Charlie : Big O Salesman of the Year!

  

A lot of people have been asking how Charlie has been doing lately: so here's the update:  We spent over 4 hours at a pediatric allergist (and my old pediatrician who is the most wonderful man alive!) yesterday trying to determine why Chuck sounds the way he does. He definitely has fluid in his ears from the ear infection he had this weekend which perforated.  The fluid should go away on its own... but if not he might have to get tubes (which most kids have).  But,  the extra drainage is caused by Charlie's "twitchy lungs" in which:

1. Airways become more narrow, making it hard for air to move in and out. Tightening of the muscles surrounding the airways (bronchoconstriction), extra mucus and swelling of the airway linings all add to the narrowing, which is called obstruction.
2. Airways become super-sensitive or hyper-reactive to things that do not bother people with normal lungs. The "twitchy" lungs over-react even to cold air, exercise and smoke. The airway narrowing or obstruction and "twitchiness" cause the asthma symptoms which usually come in new "waves" called flares or attacks.

    We are treating Charlie by giving him a nebulizer twice a day with steroids to help open up his airways.  He also will do nose spray once a day to help with his drainage.  His chest x-rays are perfectly fine! Great looking lungs!  Dr. Garcia called him a Big O Tire Salesman because he is so healthy and big!  The brochiolitis that he got in August triggered these asthmatic symptoms and every time he gets a cold or bug, we hit a set back in getting him to 100%. 

  Even though Matt and I love his daycare we have decided to pull Charlie out this year to lessen the occurrences of illness.  Caroline will continue to go as usual (she is so social and smart... we couldn't take her out:)  My mom and Cathy will help to watch him during the day and hopefully Matt's cousin Kaitlin.
   Charlie is such a wonderful baby; after 6 hours of doctors and x-rays yesterday he didn't cry once!  And we discovered that he has cut a tooth!  Such a big happy boy... and now we know who is perfectly healthy... just needs a little TLC!

Big enough to sit on lap? Not yet!!!!!!!

P.S> we did do allergy testing, and I am happy to know that he has a peanut and egg allergy (so I can be careful what to give him when he turns one).  Most kids grow out of these allergies... in fact Dr. Garcia called his peanut allergy a "placenta allergy" that babies get in the womb if their mom craves peanuts during pregnancy.  Maybe I should have laid off the PB&J's!
  On a sad note we found out that he is not allergic to Christmas trees (which I dumped on Monday), but dust mites.  So, technically it is better for us to get a live tree and spray it with pollen and mold killer than getting a fake tree because it collects dust.  So, today I will head to the big HD for our second tree of the season!

On a happier note:  Daddy and Caroline enjoyed the snow this weekend while Charlie and I stayed warm inside putting up decor.  Caroline made her first snow girl and had her first sled ride of the season:

Randy

Little Red Sled

Snow Daddy

Frosty the Armless Snow Girl