More Random Summer Musings

I love that I live in a place that has seasons.  I love the changes of the season that allow for a variety of activities and a range of memories to create throughout the year. Jim's garden thrives in the summer.  While I don't do anything with the garden, I do enjoy picking the produce and cooking said produce.

(Jim's garden from left to right, top to bottom: Pumpkin; giant yellow squash, zucchini, green pepper, more zucchini, potatoes, more yellow squash)

In addition to Jim's produce I also love hot dogs (and corn dogs and pretzel dogs).  Summer seems to lend itself to hot dogs.  If you make hot dogs for dinner in December you get dirty looks.  In the summer, it's festive! It's also festive to wear jersey knit shorts and a t-shirt while you play in the street with your children.

(Photo by Lilly)

When I was pregnant with Jack I would secretly eat hot dogs against prenatal conventional wisdom and advice.  I ate them secretly until I confessed in a burst of tears to my OB that I was probably ruining my baby with my processed meat products.  She told me there was no conclusive evidence against hot dogs and pregnancy.  She might have just said that to calm a slightly psychotic pregnant lady, either way it worked and slightly eased my guilt, and Jack turned out just fine. 

I am doing my best to enjoy the summer and to help my children enjoy the summer.  However it doesn't really help when people (and by people I mean online articles, blogs, and pinterest quotes) keep telling me to slow down and savor every minute of summer.  I feel a little like Scrooge when he said "Let me keep Christmas in my own way..."  I echo his sentiment by saying "Let me keep Summer in my own way!"  (I hope I have no ghost visitations tonight).

My children and I are trying our best to pave our way through this summer in our own fashion.  To find our own paths of happiness. Some days that means we go-go-go, and other days we rest.

The occasional breakfast on the trampoline, walks, pool time, outings, books, library.  All fun and all enjoyable, hopefully creating memories.

I hope you are having a happy summer in whatever way you choose to keep it.

More Lake Placid

Sunday morning Jim, my father, and Lilly attended church that just so happened to be less than a mile from our hotel in Lake Placid.

Oddly enough it was also located next to the grave of John Brown.

Having visited Harper's Ferry many times and having learned much about John Brown in my youth, this was quite the coincidence.    

We had planned to visit the Olympic museums and the ice rink made famous by the 1980 Olympic hockey team, but that didn't happen.  Our weekend didn't go as planned, so we will have to visit those places another time.  I was very impressed with the massive ski jump that can be seen from the highway towering over the trees.  I can't imagine skiing off of that ramp.

This concludes my Lake Placid update.

Back up, rewind.

The weekend Jack was in the hospital we had planned a lot of sight seeing between my house and Lake Placid.  Most of that was put to the side, but we did stop at a few places on the way to Lake Placid before Jack became ill.

Our first stop was the highest peak in New Jersey. You can see the highest peak in the distance behind Lilly.

Some people in our party were disappointed that you could drive to the highest peak and that it took no effort or skill to ascend the highest peak in New Jersey.  Other people in our party were happy to not have to hike with small children in flip flops.  Okay, so maybe I was the only one in flip flops.

Even though we all drove to the highest peak in New Jersey, we still climbed a wall and stood as high as we could get. That will teach New Jersey to make their highest peak easily accessible.

At this point the children were done with standing on the wall for pictures.  You can start to see their expressions changing.

Lilly took the camera bag and moved on.

My dad informed us that there is always a marker at the highest peak in any state.  Luckily some man, who was having a phone conversation, unintentionally found the marker while on the phone.  He had just bent over to examine it while talking on the phone and we all ran over to him.  He informed us he didn't even know he had found something significant.  He clearly did not have much respect for New Jersey, highest peaks, OR geological markers.

Lilly has a sixth sense about these things.

She probably would have found it on her own.

After we ascended the highest peak in New Jersey we made our way through New York.  Our next stop was Albany, NY where Jim met up with his former co-worker who is now the Commissioner of Health for the state of New York.  We had lunch right next door to the former home of Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick.  We entertained the children through a long lunch by reading excerpts of Moby Dick.  At least that was my intention, somehow they ended up watching Toy Story on the iPad.

After Albany we drove the rest of the way to Lake Placid.  Right outside of Lake Placid is a small restaurant called "Noon Mark Diner."  Jim's friend, the Commissioner of Health, told him it was THE best place to get pie in the state of New York.  That is a serious statement coming from the Commissioner of Health.

Jim agreed that it was the best pie in the state of New York.  In fact, he claimed that it was the best pie he  had ever had, period.  With the exception of his own apple pie he made 2 years ago with apples from our neighbor's tree.  He and Lilly, along with my father, returned two additional times over the weekend to eat the pie.  I actually did not eat the pie because I was hungry for regular food.  Jack saw the sign for ice cream and would only have ice cream.

I took this picture of Jack because he was so cranky eating his ice cream that he drove away some other customers and I thought it was quite adorable.  Just a few hours later he started in with his allergic reaction.

 I might have to whisper it in the night that I am the luckiest mother because I got to bring my beautiful baby home from a hospital stay.  I can't say it out loud during the day light, it's much too painful. I hold him and Lilly a little tighter and kiss them a little more.  Sometimes at night I sneak into Jack's room and hold him while he is sleeping.  He doesn't fight me or wriggle away when he sleeps.  During the day I even ask him "Can't you please pretend to be a baby, please?? Just let me hold you."  He doesn't let me.  He kicks and screams and begs to grow up too quickly.  I hope I tell my children enough how we love them so.

Summer update

We have really been enjoying our summer, but I just have not had the mental energy to blog after Jack's hospital stay.  So I will try to catch up.

Wednesday was the second annual Pitcavage 4th of July reunion AT Knoebels.  This reunion has been going on well before I joined the family, but it was moved to Knoebels just last year.

Last year I was sick and pregnant and only stayed at the reunion for an hour or two.  I was all ready this year to ride the rides all day long and have a great time.  Unfortunately 2012 marks the year where I became too old to enjoy amusement parks for hours and hours on end in the miserable heat.

Jim volunteered to bring a fruit salad and John volunteered to bring a watermelon so the two brothers decided to combine their efforts.

The truth behind this creation is Jim searched watermelon carvings on pinterest and liked this one best.  However, it worked out because our sister in law, Jaime, just had a baby and Valerie is pregnant.

Going into the park I had a sense of adventure and health.  I wasn't sick, I was strong and had just completed a boot camp and a few races and was in great shape to keep up with my 6 year old.  Sad to say that none of those things have improved my ability to stand rides that go in circles.  I made the mistake of getting on a ride that spins as my first ride of the day and felt sick for the next 3 hours until I went home and took a nap with Jack.

Can you see me holding on for dear life, trying not to throw up?

Lilly on the other hand stayed at the park with Jim for 10 hours.  Jack and I came back around 7PM and stayed until 9:30 PM.  What will I do when my children are too old to leave the park for naps??

John and Valerie stayed at our house with their two girls and spent the day with us at Knoebels.    Valerie came home with Jack and I and her two little girls to take a nap with us.

My niece Becca stuck with us for the day and it was so much fun. She was the only cousin who wanted to hang with Aunt Liz and Uncle Jim, which of course makes her our favorite.  Although to be fair her older sister wanted to meet up to ride the roller coaster with Jim and I, but someone went home to take a nap, so....

 Becca riding the ferris wheel with us, Jim didn't make the ride, you can see him below.

Lilly and Jack loved all the rides, Jack really had a great time this year.  They both screamed and cried as we dragged them home.  Apparently 10 hours is not enough time at Knoebels.

 (That is John and I am sitting behind him. Valerie took pictures of us all on the kiddie roller coaster.)

Happy 4th of July!

2024 Olympics, no pressure

Video of Jack

Here is a little video of Jack after I told him we can go home from the hospital.  He was pretty annoyed that I had taken so many pictures of him and he was in no mood for video.

Poor Jack

Jack was in the hospital over the weekend.  I am so grateful that it was a short stay and that he is doing so much better.  I am so grateful for my beautiful baby.  I took a lot of pictures with my phone and a few with my camera.  I just felt this need to document everything as it happened.  I was able to show the doctor some of my phone pictures and that helped a bit.  Or at least she pretended it helped.

Tuesday: Finished his last dose of his 10 day course of antibiotics for his ear infection.

Thursday: Took Jack back to the doctor for extreme fussiness. They assured me his ears were fine and gave us good wishes for our trip.

(In the car Friday afternoon.)

Friday: Left for Lake Placid (7 hour drive north).  Friday evening arrived at the hotel and saw a few welts on Jack's thigh.  I assumed they were bug bites, so we went to the pool to swim.  After the pool I noticed that it was more of a rash than bug bites, so I consulted some medical friends and  bought benadryl at the drug store in town.

At this point Jim and my dad left to stay in a cabin in the woods to hike Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New York state (which was the purpose of this trip).  I told them to take the car because I was just going to take the kids swimming at the hotel pool and maybe rent some movies.  They promised to be back from their hiking expedition by 2PM the following day.

Jim called me at 10PM to tell me there was no cell service at all within a 5 mile drive of the cabin or anywhere on the hike.  I assured them we would be fine and not to worry about anything. Jim was worried and they both wanted to leave the car with me.

In the morning Jack woke up with a severe rash in many places on his body.

I texted a picture to a dermatologist I know in Danville.  She asked some questions and then told me that this was for sure an allergic reaction to penicillin.  She said Jack would probably need a steroid if it got really bad and she also told me that the rash would spread even more.

I kept him in the hotel room all day, Jim and my dad returned as promised and we took it easy in the hotel room watching movies and resting with Jack.

Saturday night:

(I told him to put his arms up, and he did.)

(He is trying to figure out why his foot is starting to swell.)

Jack woke up early Sunday morning with a fever and swelling, that's when I started worrying I would need to take him to a doctor.

(In the hotel Sunday morning.)

There are no urgent care clinics in Lake Placid that are open on Sundays and I couldn't find an ER in the phone book or online.  I called the front desk and they told me the ER was just a mile away from the hotel we were staying at.

We took him to the ER and as you can imagine he was very traumatized by the entire experience. The nurse said to me "You know we are open 24 hours, right?"  As in, why didn't you come in sooner.  They immediately set about to get Jack hooked up to an IV.  Both Jim and I had to hold him down while he screamed and they put the IV in his arm.  He was so upset that when they were done he fell fast asleep on my lap, I worried he lost consciousness but he was just asleep.

(Asleep in the ER...apparently the ER (across the nation) is trying to make a switch to call themselves the ED (for department), but I am highly irritated by that notion and refuse to make the change.)  While at the ER they took a lot of blood from both his arms, did a urinalysis and took chest x-rays. He hated all of it, as he should.

This rash was really crazy and constantly changed and appeared in different places.  He continued to swell up and develop more of a rash throughout the day in different places on his body.

We were in the ER for about an hour and a half when they said they would need to transfer Jack to another hospital so they could keep him over night.  The doctor said "I don't want to upset you but he will need to go by ambulance and he will be admitted to the ICU, because that is where all pediatric patients go."

Meanwhile my dad had been tending to Lilly in the waiting room. He had gone to buy all of us lunch and prizes for Lilly and Jack, it was really great he was there to help.  Lilly was not afraid of Jack hooked up to the machines, she gave him a kiss before we left for the ambulance.

They tried to strap him down to the stretcher but he was so upset by that, so they let me hold him in my lap on the stretcher.  He was still screaming for Jim.  Remember how he calls Jim, Jim?  Well it is times like these that it is not helpful.  The EMT stopped the ambulance and went to find Jim to have him ride with us.  Jim then had to explain his relationship to Jack and that he was indeed his father and not my boyfriend.

Poor Jack fell asleep pretty quickly once we got to the hospital and in a room.  The ambulance was very scary for him.

Lilly had made Jack pictures and brought him presents.  As soon as she walked in the room she started arranging stuffed animals and artwork around him on the bed.  It was very sweet.  She even asked to stay with him and did not want to leave his side.  The very kind EMT gave Lilly and Jack bracelets and stuffed bears.

His poor hands and feet were so swollen. He could not walk or use his hands other than to put his left index finger in his mouth.  His face was swollen as well, just not to the extent of his extremities.

This is the filthy meal that showed up for me at dinner time.  Filthy boxed potatoes, filthy spinach, and some sort of unidentifiable piece of meat.  Jack had a plate of french fries and macaroni and cheese.  We were both highly offended by our food options and neither of us ate much.

Jack woke up at 6PM and stayed awake until 11PM.  It was just us in the hospital room so we watched about 4 hours of cartoons on the ipad before I pulled out the laptop to distract myself with some blogging.

 I slept on the bed with him to make sure he didn't roll off and so that he wasn't scared.  He rolled around a lot and a few times he slept on me.  I was just happy I could comfort him.

The steroids and IV fluids worked and Monday morning they said Jack would be able to go home.

Jack's happy face when I told him we could go home.  I didn't really mention that we had a 7 hour drive ahead of us.

 The doctor said Jack really needed to eat some food and drink before he left.  Luckily for us, it was a day Jack decided to eat.  He had a whole bowl of cheerios and rice krispies and a lot of milk.   He then started throwing the rice krispies at me and playing with the bed buttons. That's when I knew he was feeling better.

Here he is trying to shove as many cheerios in his mouth as he can with his fat little hand.

Finally, time to go home.

Everyone we encountered in Lake Placid was very helpful and kind. The nurses, doctors, and other professionals we met were great.  The hospital is located right next to a beautiful lake, which I did not notice until much later.

It wasn't my favorite weekend, but we were very blessed with the way everything turned out.  Great support from my father to look after Lilly and take care of all our needs.  No car trouble, no trouble with hotels, great health care, we all supported each other. I didn't have any fits or tantrums and we brought home a healthy Jack. Can't ask for more than that.