Fever, Heels and Deciduous Trees

While munching on a plate of spaghetti tonight, Adria says, "Mom, DECIDUOUS means that trees lose their leaves."

Well aren't you little miss smartie-pants, I thought. And she pronounced it perfectly. Trees are the theme at her pre-school this week, and apparently she and Daddy were discussing what deciduous meant earlier today. She informed me that her class took a walk today to look at the colors of leaves on a deciduous tree. She really loves going to pre-school every weekday afternoon.

Adria sports the Harvest Crown that was a pre-school project we made together as she learns about trees this week. 

I'm so glad to hear her talk about this and be feeling better. She missed pre-school on Monday and Tuesday because she woke up both days with a FEVER over 100 degrees. She would cry and ask why her head and side hurt so much :(

I just hate seeing her this way, but unfortunately it seems to happen a few times a year. We figured that it was a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), and a trip to the pediatrician confirmed that. They give her an antibiotic to take for a week and it usually goes away.

Please don't think me a negligent mom for allowing this to happen. It's so difficult to keep the bacteria at bay when she is catheterized five times a day and still has issues keeping her diaper clean. It is often a lifelong challenge for people with spina bifida.

Seeing her so miserable reminded me of the worst UTI incident when she was only 20 months old. It was actually the same week that we were packing for our move from Delaware to Indiana. Poor baby was so miserable that her only solace was mommy holding her, almost constantly.

Then I look at her little sister Johanna, who is about that age, and think how very different their little lives have been. Johanna is an energetic, adventurous gal who equally loves making messes and playing dress-up with mommy's HEELS. She has been the epitome of a healthy baby and toddler, though do not mistake that to mean that she's been easier to raise!

I laugh as I see Johanna's big grin while she stomps around in my high heels (something big sissy has never been able to do) and then I cringe when I walk in my bedroom to find 15 pairs of shoes spread all over. It was finally clean and I was just about to vacuum it for the first time in...a month or so?  Sorry, I don't keep track of the lesser important things in life, like vacuuming.

But whether we're discussing deciduous trees, treating a fever, or picking up high heels; these are precious moments with my young children.