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Blessing and Wheezing::

I realize that both my boys are as different as night and day. Both have very different qualities about them. This makes them treasures. I cannot imagine life without them, really. For example, take Jared. I don't mean to sound like a biased mom but heck, he's unbelievably cute and cheerful all the time - unless he's pissed off about something, that is. But that's normal. I would be worried if he is unable to feel anger! But I am amazed at his pleasant disposition because Jed has this ability to find things to be happy about, while Josh is at the opposite end of the spectrum - he finds things to be angry about! Josh sounds like a total grouch, doesn't he?

I have to admit that sometimes he's just so hard about everything but he's also very sensitive to the feelings of the people he loves and would come to my aid if someone (anyone) dares to lift a finger against me. Including his own brother.

There was one time Jed was playing with me and Josh was watching his TV and doodling on his Magna Doodle. Jed accidentally stepped on my fingers and I pretended to cry. Jed couldn't care less if his actions amputated my fingers cause he continued to prance around and laugh about me 'pretending to cry'. Josh's sensed picked up my mock distress and he came over and shoved his brother aside.

"Don't make my mama cry, ok?" I was shocked but touched. I took him into my arms and explained that I was only pretending to cry. I was hurt but not REALLY hurt. "But I don't want mama to cry", he told me and cast accusing looks at Jed. Jed was still nonchalant about the whole thing. His attitude was like "Who cares 2 hoots, bro?" My guardian angel, my Josh!

Jed's inability to feel for me doesn't mean he doesn't love me, of course. But I think he has this ability to know whether I am pretending or it's for real. He's a true smartypants. Josh believes everything I tell him even when I tell him that the sky is red. Jed would shake his head 'no' vehemently, telling me that I am wrong. In mock disappointment, I would ask him, "Wrong? You mean the sky is not red?"

"No"
"Then what color is it, Jed?"
"GREEN!". Everything is green at the moment, applies, sky, paper, toys, crayons…they're all green.

Go figure.

We had a scare with Josh recently because he was suddenly wheezing uncontrollably. The house is undergoing some revonation and the place is a complete mess and dusty. One evening, he started developing a cough and looked quite beat. He was given some cough mixture and then sent to bed cause his nose looked wet too. He fell asleep earlier than usual that night because he missed his afternoon nap and his eyes were red with eye bags the size of Africa.

Then he woke up at about 2.00 in the morning while I was working. He was fussing in bed and kicking around like a dog with its tail on fire. I scolded him and asked him, "What in the world is wrong with you?". He couldn't answer me because he was breathing so heavily and his eyes could barely But I guess I was too busy rushing something out that I didn't listen well enough - he was wheezing quite badly.

Throughout the night, he continued to fuss and fight everything I was giving him, water, medicine, pillow, blanket…etc. I thought he was being unreasonable and he wouldn't (or couldn't) tell me what was bothering him.

None of us slept much cause he was fussing around so much. When I woke up at around 8 in the morning, he was wide-awake and crying. I asked him again what was wrong and he said that his stomach hurt. I put some ointment on his tummy and he protested, "No, mama. Not like that".

He refused to drink his milk and I was quite shocked because normally he loves his milk - especially in the morning! He was lying down on the couch lifelessly, crying and fussing. Without hesitating, I took him to the doc. The doctor was shocked to see him wheezing so badly. He was fighting for every single breath he took. He was put on the nebulizer for a while - the first time in my life, my son has to use a nebulizer.

There's no history of asthma in the family (not mine, not my husband's) although there's a history of eczema which goes hand in hand with asthma most times. Apparently, something triggered off this bout of wheezing. The doc pointed her accusing finger at the renovation activities at home! Makes perfect sense. After that one time of using the nebulizer, he had to go back to use it another 2 times. The effect after the treatment is almost immediate. I won't hesitate to bring him in to use the nebulizer again because it's like this magical potion that gives breath to kids like him! Just 5 - 10 minutes breathing in the vapor and he could sing again.

During one of those visits, he was wheezing and fighting to answer every question I posed to him, I was trying to appear calm. I beat some traffic lights while asking him silly questions about how his day went. The ride there was panicky. Then after the treatment, everything was OK again and he couldn't stop singing all the way back home. Gee, I think he sang every single song he knew in the car ride back! I was just so happy that he's OK again.

Today, he's ok. Thank goodness although when I asked him earlier whether there's pain in his tummy, he nodded his head but he was still able to run around and frolic with his cousins. I told him not to jump and run around, warned him about being breathless again and thankfully, the notion is frightful enough for him to listen to my advice.

I asked him, "Do you want to be breathless again - and (heave in, heave out) like a donkey again?"

And we just broke into a very warm and loving bout of laughter.

:: Marsha ::