Post 3 of 4, Clavicle Refracture, Campmeeting, Meeting Tantrums, Tractor Obsession, & "I'm Gonna Get You"

20 Months & 1 Week

2 more weeks to go... 2 Fridays ago, Ty and I spent the whole day packing up for campmeeting. I had just finished unpacking from DC and then packed up again.  I don't remember anything earth-shattering that happened until Friday afternoon.  Heath had gotten home and was helping me carry groceries into the house.  Tyson had been hanging near the doorstep - where he always is - when we are bringing groceries in.  I opened the door for Heath (who had his arms full of bags) and I SHOULD have moved Tyson farther back... but I didn't.  After Heath came through the door, Tyson lurched forward, tripped over the doorstep and fell the one step onto our front porch.  He cried of course, but consoled... but then my heart stopped.  Tyson pointed to his collar bone.  After he had broken his collar bone, every time we would ask him, "where's your boo boo?" and he would point right to his collar bone.  So out of nowhere, he had pointed to his "boo boo" - something he hadn't done in weeks.  I pulled down his shirt and there was a huge bump over his collar bone again.  It had been healing perfectly, the bump had been gone and he was almost completely healed.  So we knew immediately that he had broken it again.  Unfortunately, our doctor had taken back the clavicle brace (they wash it and reuse it), so we didn't have it.  I called the on-call doctor (and ended up sobbing to him on the phone) and he told us to bring him in first thing in the AM.  I was just devastated.  My poor little angel was back to square one with his fracture.  He was going to have to deal with the pain again.  WHY??? WHY???

On Sabbath I worked and Heath took Tyson to the doctors.  They did another Xray, which confirmed the fracture... but they said that it looked worse than the first break.  Great.  I'm expecting social services anytime now to come knocking on our doors.  It was nearly completely healed, but was just still fragile enough to rebreak.  It wasn't even that big of a fall!  It is just really scary.  Could he go another 7 weeks - just to trip and fall and break it again?!!!  I mean, Tyson is a regular little boy and trips and falls all the time!  How am I supposed to prevent this from happening again?  Well, back in the brace he went.  After the doctors, Heath & Ty headed off for campmeeting.  Heath was nice enough to get everything set up for us in the tent while I was working!  Saturday night I had another night alone - and I spent most of the time thinking of Tyson hurting without me.  Terrible.

On Sunday, the boys had fun at campmeeting and went to Portland to breakfast and did some shopping.  I slaved away at work and then headed straight to campmeeting after work.  I made it at about 9:30 PM and Tyson was already asleep, unfortunately.  I missed my buddy!  He had been doing great with his brace, but Heath had been giving him Ibuprofen throughout the day because he would keep pointing to his collar bone.  Heath stayed the night with us and left at about 6:00 AM to go to work.

On Monday our campmeeting schedule began!  Unfortunately, the campmeeting schedule is different from Tyson's regular schedule... but we tried to make it work!  Ty would wake up at the crack of dawn at about 6:30 AM, since it would be so bright in our tent.  I got him to come to bed with me until a little after 7 AM, but that was it.  Well, that would put him due for a nap at about 10:30 AM... just in time for his meeting!!!  Not ideal.  For the youngest kids (0-3 years) there was 1 meeting a day from 10:40 AM to 12:15 PM.  Thank goodness it would actually only be about an hour of class and the last 30 minutes would consist of free play.  Let me tell you, to try to keep Tyson to sit still for an hour was HARD work.  The first day we did not make it the entire class... we had to walk the halls a bit because his screaming-out was a bit too disruptive for me.  In the afternoon, Shannon, Finley, Kelly, Mom, Ty & I went to Mardens and Goodwill.  Ty was able to fall asleep and stay asleep through a transfer to his stroller.  So that was great!  He got his 1 hour and 15 minute nap in!

Tyson proudly holding our purchase from Goodwill

He couldn't get enough of mowing the lawn!

On Tuesday, it pretty much poured all day.  Miserable.  Heath had gotten these adorable firemen galoshes at Mardens for Ty on Sunday and Ty thought they were just great!  They definitely came in handy.  Tyson did a bit better at his meeting in the AM, but he became seriously obsessed with the John Deere tractor that was there in class.  (The campmeeting theme for the little kids was "The Farm.")  You could sit on the tractor and pedal it around and he thought it was the best thing ever.  They would let the kids play on it after class, but that was not good enough for him!  It was "hiding" in the kid barn - but Tyson knew it was in there!  He would go up to bring his "grass" to the feed the cow, or to bring his fake worms to feed the bird... all the fun little Sabbath School activities they have the young ones do... but then instead of coming back to sit in his chair with Mama... he would book it into the barn and sit on the tractor!  Of course I would chase him in there and tell him, "No. Not now."  And then a screaming fit would ensue.  Fun times.  Tuesday afternoon I attempted to get Tyson to take a nap in the tent, but we tried for 45 minutes without any success.  Tyson needs to sleep in darkness and our tent is the brightest thing ever during the day.  So I hoped to get him to nap while going for a drive, and then transferring to the stroller again during shopping... but that hope died.  He slept for the 20 minutes to Portland and as I was transferring him to the stroller in the parking lot of the mall, a ginormous RV pulled up right beside us with the loudest engine I have ever heard... and, you guessed it... woke him right up!  I tried everything to get him back to sleep, including taking a long walk and then attempting to rock him to sleep... but he was up!  How disappointing.  Amazingly, he was great in the mall despite his lack of sleep and we hung out with Shan, Fin, Mom, Dad, Mia, Leigh & Bode.  It was a nice shopping time together.  Leigh was teasing Ty, "I'm gonna get you" and then tickling him.  After a little bit, Leigh realized that Ty was saying it back to her.  Instead in his way, it was "emmjchennna.... getchoo."  He would kept saying it over and over and giggling at his Auntie Leigh.  It was so cute!

Having fun with his cousin Mia!

On Wednesday it rained off and on all day.  We had to leave the meeting towards the end again because Tyson just would not sit still.  I was able to freely admit that my child was the worst behaved child in the class.  It's so sad because I try so hard too, it's not like I don't care and just let my kid do whatever he wants.  He is just so strong-willed, that we are getting into major power struggles and he just throws terrible tantrums.  I'm hoping that it will get better, but all I can do is stay consistent with the discipline and pray!  In the afternoon, I decided that Ty really needed a good nap, so I took a drive with him.  I was literally on the road for 5 minutes when he was out like a light.  So I pulled into Shaw's parking lot and read my kindle for the next 1 1/2 hours!  Then we got some groceries, since I was responsible for the meal that night.  It was so funny.  I got back to campmeeting and I told Mom, "Noni.  It's Wednesday."  She laughed, she knew just what I meant.  I needed her to watch Tyson while I cooked for everyone!  It just happened to be on a Wednesday, which is always her day to watch Ty!  The meal was a success and Heath arrived just at the end of it.  He was coming back for a night because he missed his son so much.  He missed me too, but I know he missed Ty like mad.  Amanda got to campmeeting on Wednesday night too!  Her and Levi were here for their annual visit!  Tyson went right to her, like no time had passed at all.  He really knew her - he had no reservations - in fact, he would hold his arms out for her to pick him up.  Very sweet.

Noni trying to help Tyson behave

Trying to bribe him with food to get him to stay still

Thursday AM, Heath left bright and early to go back to work.  Tyson slept in until after 8 AM with me - so that was good.  He was much better behaved at his meeting, but it's only because I changed my approach.  I would let Tyson run into the barn and sit on the tractor... until it was time for him to do the next activity and then I would bring him back to his seat.  But he would have enough tractor time that he wouldn't scream and freak out when I would take him off of it.  I have to say that it was pretty amusing to see him run into the barn every time!  In the afternoon, Shannon, Fin, Mom, Ty & I went to Goodwill and Salvation Army.  Ty took a small nap, but not a good one again.  He did pretty well in the stores, though.  On Thursday night, while I was talking to Heath on the phone... I felt the baby move for the first time!  There is not a better feeling in the world - I swear!

Wearing his flower hat in his meeting (he would rip it off immediately but I was able to get this shot)