Well into January... I apologize!

Apparantly Joe is getting some heat at work that I am not keeping up with this blog. Between the radio contests they win on a daily basis and the obvious obsession with this blog, it's a wonder anyone in the city of Milwaukee gets a proper MRI done by these people ! ! !

Anyway, we've been surrounded by the sickies since I last posted. I ended up taking Ava to the doctor on Monday, January 8th, because her fever did not let up. She also began wheezing on day four w/ the fever. She had a right ear infection and the left ear was not too far behind. Her doctor also said that she had bronchiolitis (RSV). She was put on an albuterol and Flovent (steroid) inhaler until the wheezing subsided. He also put her on amoxicillin for the ear infection.

By the time she started feeling better, both Joe and I came down with a cold. Joe's is still lingering... I was fortunate to get rid of it early last week.

Unfortunately, Ava had a SEVERE reaction to the antibiotics (penicillin). This past Wednesday, the 9th day of the medication, I noticed a few small welts on her legs. Nothing serious... I thought for sure they'd disappear by morning. When she woke up on Thursday, the welts had not only increased in size, but also by number. I called the doctor because I didn't want to take her to daycare if she had something contagious. I had absolutey no idea what it was! By the time we left for her appointment the welts covered most of her legs and arms and she was itching like crazy. After the doctor did a thorough exam, he stated that it was a "classic allergic reaction to penicillin". He said that it is common for it to show up 7-9 days after the medicine has been started. He said the only thing to help it was to stop taking the amoxicillin and to give her Benadryl.

We obeyed although I didn't see much hope the first 48 hours. We were all miserable. Joe and I could hardly stand looking at her, thinking she must be feeling so bad... and she was. I ended up taking her to daycare on Friday and by the time she got home that afternoon, it looked like she had the mask of Zorro on her face. It took until Sunday morning for the welts to disappear on her arms and legs. She still has a few small red areas on her chin and neck but overall she looks 10 times better than Friday.

Aside from the sickies, Ava has been growing up so fast. She's now putting two words together, mainly to the tune of "no mommy" and "no daddy". She also says "thank you welcome" when you give her something. She can sing almost the entire Twinkle Twinkle song and is just starting to dig the Pat-a-Cake tune. (Daddy seems really bothered that I say Patty Cake instead of Pat-a-Cake. What's the difference, right?) She has inherited a few of our traits lately. She is just as stubborn as daddy (!) and is as obsessed with chapstick as me. That's my girl!

I can't complete this blog without mentioning the coolest shirt Ava got two weeks ago from Uncle Jim and Aunt Dineen. Although it did not bring them luck when it most counted, there is enough room to grow into to it for next year's championship game!!!