No tears... Cracked Lips... Yep, We're Dehydrated!!

So my previous post was calling out for advice on how to get more liquids into a kid that will drink NO OTHER liquids but rice milk. And when his tummy was sick, even rice milk was not going in.

We ended up in the hospital on Thursday morning. No tears, no saliva and lost 1/2 a pound in one day.. My poor bugger was so sick. His little bottom was so sore from constantly going to the bathroom. I knew immediately when he messed his diaper again because he would scream from pain. Its always so heart wrenching when your child is sick.

He has been in for two days now and I am expected discharge today.  He's got his spunk back, he's eating and drinking and quite frankly I AM TIRED OF WATCHING BLUE'S CLUES!!!   There are about 10 channels on the tv here with PBS being the most kid friendly channel, so we have been watching Blue's Clues videos non-stop for three days...UGH   A mama can only take so much of this stuff when I'm confined the the same room and have no other choice to to watch this over, and over and over and over... At least at home I can go about my business and clean or watch a different TV..  I'm just glad that Caleb is content to sit and  watch something repeatedly and still have a gigantic smile on his face with each show.  That is mostly what I watch and enjoy!!

I am looking forward to seeing the other kids today.  This was one of our shortest hospital stays on record but its during tax season when daddy has to work extra long hours and now mommy is away at the hospital with Caleb, we had four kids staying at three different houses.  (Thanks Aunt Cathy, Aunt Megan, Grandma, and no today Nana!!)

As always, its been a learning experience for me.  I got to sit and talk with a dietitian yesterday about his lack of desire to drink ANYTHING but rice milk.  She said that everything I am doing as far as "trying" to introduce different things on occasion is what I'm supposed to do, she gave me some extra ideas to try..  She also said that since I thicken their liquids with Thick It I actually need to get even more fluids in them because the Thick It sucks up some on the fluid converts it to a starch (or something like to that affect).  So I will be more aware of how much they are drinking now.  And we both agreed that there are sensory issues that we need to deal with as well with a speech therapist.

Also, I got a recipe to make my own rice milk.  My husband told me before that I could do this but I didn't think I had the time or patience to add another TO DO to my list, but I have been informed that its very easy and it would save us a ton of money.  We spend an average of $50 a month just on rice milk.  I guess I'll fold and give it a try.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!!  Again, God has been so good to us with the care we've received and Caleb being on his best behavior (despite immediately YELLING at all medical staff that enters the room and is about to touch him..lol)