Medical Mystery solved!

So I took Jacob in this weekend to his pediatrician for an earache. The doc asks me if there are any other symptoms and I mention a rash that both he and Parker have on their legs. They had been playing in the woods at a baseball game last week though, so I really didn't think anything of it. The doctor starts inspecting his legs and then his arms (he had it there also, I just didn't notice). So the doctor says "He has Fifths Disease". I asked what it was, he said it was no big deal, just a virus that almost all kids get and that it would go away. It usually doesn't even present any other symptoms besides the rash in children and red cheeks (which they both had also...but when it is 102 degrees everyday, you tend to attribute it to the heat). Then he says, "The only time it's a big deal is if Women get it. Most Women get it when they are kids, but if they didn't and they aren't immune to it, it can be really bad; causing severe arthritis."

Dum dum dum........It all started making sense!!! The horrible illness the day before I left for the beach that I thought was heat exhaustion from my boot camp (the virus, known as Parvovirus B19, starts with flu like symptoms). Then the terrible, crippling joint pain that I had at the beach. The swelling, muscle aches, headache....ALL SYMPTOMS OF PARVO....or Fifths, whatever you want to call it. So it wasn't my UC after all. I don't have Lyme's disease either. I don't need to be Quarantined.....woohoo!

Now it has come and gone and I feel fine. From what the doc said, after we put 2 and 2 together, I was really lucky. A lot of Women suffer with it for upwards of a month and can barely move at all. As much as it sucked at the time (and I never really let anyone know how bad I was hurting), I am sooo thankful it happened when it did. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to take care of my kids....namely Eden. I could barely hold her!

In other news, we had a great weekend. Went out Friday night with some friends and had way too much fun...and then followed it up with a Barbecue/Pool Party at the McCools on Saturday. The kids were nice enough to let us all stay (read: party) until 1 am. We're bad!! But the kids had a ball and so did we. It is so nice to let loose sometimes! Here's a pic from the night. I won't share the others! LOL!

Free Chick Fil A day!!!

Mooooooooo. So all you have to do is dress as a cow and get free food? OK!!! How fun.....

 

 

 

Even Eden was showing her Chick Fil A spirit....



And storing some sauce in her hiding spot!!!

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27/52, originally uploaded by jhdevenny.

OK, since I slacked the week of the beach, I have to make up for lost time! :)

The fam

(Minus Eden .....who was home asleep :))

Money saving

Well, the economy seems to have hit us all. I know it has over here! We are trying to cut spending and it is really tough. Once you get used to doing things a certain way, habits are very hard to break. In the past, we used to eat out whenever we felt like it. Maybe it was once a week, maybe it was 4 times a week. We decided based on our moods, not our checkbook! Now we are trying to be more conscious of things and trying to change things that we really wouldn't notice.

One thing we have done this year is trying to conserve energy. Gas and Electric in Texas is CRAZY expensive. This summer we have been closing up the shutters (which I HATE btw......I love it nice and bright!) and raising the air temp by one degree. We used to keep our air on 74 and now we raised it to 75. We got our most current electric bill and it was $272.34. Compared to the June bill last year which was $434.76. What a huge savings by only changing something so small!!

Also diapers. A smallish pack of Pampers diapers (which I have always used) is about $15.99. I recently switched to Luvs brand (not a generic, just a cheaper brand) and the same size pack is $8.69. WOW!! Almost half the price and they work great. No leaks!

Please feel free to leave comments as to how you are saving. I am looking for ways to save without feeling deprived of something! This economy sucks!!

The boys

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26/52, originally uploaded by jhdevenny.

Happy Independence Day America!! Hope everyone had a fun and safe July 4th. Eden listened to the fireworks in her dreams. :)