Exorcism #2

It just happened again. Garrett had been sleeping in his pack-n-play for about two hours, the girls were asleep, and he woke in a panic again. This time, I went into his room and he was on his knees in the pack-n-play screaming for me. But when I got there he kept screaming in this horrible, scared tone for me, but I WAS THERE. I kept telling him I was there and when I would ask if he wanted me to pick him up, he would scream "NO, NO, MOMMY!!! Mommy!!" This time I swept him up into my arms and held him and told him to wake up. He kept panicing, fighting me, not wanting to be in my arms. I took him upstairs to my bed where I had a lamp on. I sat him on the bed and he kept going on and on asking for me, but then he wouldn't make eye contact, and if I touched him, he pushed me away or would swing an arm at me...ouch.

He calmed down in about 5 minutes and began to grind his teeth and breathe loudly. Now he is asleep in my bed, beside me very peacefully. I am thinking the teeth grinding is "thank you" in his language...maybe???

SO this is two out of the past three nights. I might have thought it was reflux, but I put him back on Prevacid last week as he was having some more burps than usual. So that's not it. I thought it might be dreams, but I think if it was a dream, I could wake him up and he could make some sense..... Could it be the Carnitor I added as instructed beginning last Friday? I haven't heard of this type thing as a side effect, but I will post on the mitochondrial board on Parent 2 Parent to ask tonight.

The day was great here. Nice weather!!! We started the day by having Garrett's blood drawn for an IgG test, or immune system function test at the local hospital's lab. It was botched or not done when we were in Houston, so Dr. K's nurse emailed to ask me to have it done. Next, we went to the park in Whitefish. Kids had a ball. After the park, each of the girls took a half hour piano lesson at the North Valley Music School. Then we had McDonalds for lunch, followed by about a three hour play time in two of the three pools at the fitness center we joined for the month. The girls made friends with some neat kids from Canada who are here with their families on vacation. I enjoyed talking to one set of parents. REALLY nice folks.....Yah!!! It was interesting to hear them talk to me about their healthcare system. These families think it's the greatest because they don't have to pay for anything, and it has benefitted them. They pity us because we have to pay insurance costs. While this is good to hear, I know too many parents online with horror stories about their kiddos and the Canadian system. So confusing. Depends on the situation.

From there we planned to head to Big Mountain to do the alpine slide and look around, but the farmer's market that opens from 5-7:30 pm Tuesdays was cranking up, so we went there instead. The girls flitted around, made jewelry, etc. I ejoyed some green chicken curry.....ga swas later...I followed Garrett who I was CERTAIN was going to ride in the stroller but not push it, or ELSE.....and OR ELSE was me realizing that for us to spend ANY time at the market, he had to be pushing the darn stroller. Again, I have to do a better job knowing how things are and realizing that following him and protecting others' shins from his stroller wrath when he is too focused on watching the wheels go around to watch where he is going is fine. It's fine, really. It has to be. Next was home for pizza, corn, cantoloupe and BED!!! The girls and I finished watching the movie "Holes."

Garrett is peaceful. Grouchy arrives tomorrow. I must remember to wear a bra when riding the gold cart with Garrett. Life is good.

Had a long talk with Ainslee about her relationship with Garrett today. She is very impatient...have NO IDEA where that came from. She can be Garrett's best playmate and big sis and advocate, but then lately, especially, he tends to do things to aggravate her, and she will swat at his hand, yell at him or do that nauseatingly ugly sound of whining she has perfected. Sends me over the edge!!! When we got back to our little house here in MT, I sat her down and once again reminded her how Garrett isn't like other kids his age. I somehow, quite eloquently shared that she is his big sister because God chose them to be in the same family. I explained again how he is learning from her. He learns patience and hitting and positiveness and negativity from us all the time. I tried to get her to buy into the team concept.....that Garrett is on our team and that her patience is crucial in him learning how to behave most appropriately. I think she got some of it. And I think that thinking it, but also saying it and hearing myself say it helped me also. It felt better afterward.

Oh, Garrett's b'day is a week from Saturday!!! Today, I bought tickets for all 5 of us to take the Amtrak train from Whitefish, about two miles away, through Glacier National Park, getting off at East Glacier, then coming back to Whitefish the same night....ON HIS BIRTHDAY!! Garrett LOVES trains and has ridden only one regular train, a real one, with my parents, and that train looked like THOMAS!!! He has worn out all the local trains at fairs, zoos, etc. This won't have the Thomas garb on, but it will be a great time. In East Glacier there is carpet golf, a lodge with pool, horseback riding......and most importantly, we will take the stroller so there is something Garrett can push to keep him occupied. The trip should be gorgeous, and we will even eat two meals on the train....fun!!!! Couldn't think of a better way for him to spend his birthday than to be ON A TRAIN!!!! He loved watching the trains come and go while we were at the station buying the tickets today!!

Love to each of you. Thank you for taking interest in our little piece of normal!!!!
Godspeed from Montana,
CL