This morning I took The Chief to a follow up check with the doctor. It was another intense visit where we had to examine how his lanced abscess is healing. The minute we entered "the room" my boy started screaming automatically--proving Pavlov's dogs. Except this time he actually fainted, as per his M.O when under duress.
You know, I've seen him faint a hundred times but I will never get over the way his eyes roll in the back of his head as he is about to lose consciousness. That is the part that just about shreds my sanity. His body flips to autopilot and I can't do a thing to get him back because it's also the part where my motherhood powers are useless. I am afraid I will spoil that child rotten his whole life just to avoid seeing those eyes roll. Everyone else can do hard things, just not my Chiefy.
When he came to, I whispered in his ear the best news I could think of to share.
"Ollie is coming to our house today!" I said, rocking him back and forth, his head on my shoulder.
Gosh dang, why do I write these posts? Reliving the moment=tears.
And with this news his horrified soul regained some peace.
"Owie! I want Owie!"
Because to my son, there is no hero better than his cousin Oliver. Not a toy, not a show, not even a popsicle on tap can compare. Ollie is salvation. It was made apparent to me when we had to drive from house to house the other night so the distraught (and feverish) Chief could just be in his beloved Ollie's presence and be healed. Ollie was being babysat with his siblings at another cousin's house and we couldn't find them anywhere.
I called Chup on the phone after another house search proved unsuccessful.
"I know if I can just find Ollie, The Chief will be ok."
After following up on a few tips we found the crew. Ollie was quick to give The Chief a hug and it wasn't long after my son's fever dropped and he was buzzing around the house again with a new lease on his little life.
So after time spent passing morning's hours, we walked down to the school where we were to pick up Ollie from kindergarten. I will never, ever forget watching The Chief anxiously watching for his Owie to come around the corner It was like witnessing the return of a Mormon missionary at the Salt Lake Airport. And when we finally saw him--oversized backpack in hand, floppy hair and toothless smile, I will also never forget the bear hug that ensued between them.
They played all day until it was time to put Ollie to bed for his very important kindergarten good night's sleep. At that point, The Chief insisted that we put him to bed too. What's the point in staying awake if Ollie is asleep?
So after ten minutes of jumping on the bed, we called it a night.
Now I am thinking, I guess there are two places I can't quite reach my son, in the rolling-eyes-fainting moment and that area in his heart reserved for Owie. There isn't any room left in that spot for me.
the account of my monte cristo:
Just one of the little reasons I love this town:
I am c jane and Ollie is my hero too.
contact me: cjanemail@gmail.com
or facebook.
or facebook.
46 Pieces of Opinion:
How Precious
My cousins are my closest friends (I am one of 18 all up) and I consider it such a privilege.
How sweet for little boy hearts to be bonded
Hooray for cousin power!
Awww...they look so sweet jumping together. I think my oldest and youngest have that kind of relationship too. I feel blessed just to be a witness to their love for one another. :)
I literally have 2 seconds and wanted to write that my daughter experiences the eye rolling fainting too with fevers and was then diagnosed with febrile seizures. IDK if you've explored that avenue but wanted to let you know to check that out. She is now 4 and (knock wood) seizure free since may 09. they started at 15 mo. many people (inc. myself who is trained with dev. disabled people and seizures) and a certain type causes the fainting, eye rolling...not all are the jerky seizures we think about when we hear that word.
I had a fainter too. She did grow out of it eventually and at 18 hasn't fainted under duress for years. It happened first when she was 3 months old and it was really weird. We got used to it though! I hope my grandkids love each other like your Mum's do.
Another brilliant post that brought me to tears during my morning ritual of reading you & NieNie while I drink my morning coffee. Great photos!
PS -> Love the new hair style!!
A lovely post.
I absolutely loved this post. My younger cousins are some of the most precious people in my life; my brother and I agree that we're all more like siblings than cousins. It's such a gift, and it's so sweet that the Chief gets to share that with Ollie. What a special relationship!
Oh my goodness that is the cutest post ever. I have been reading both yours and your sister Stephanie's blog for almost a year (since you were both on OPRAH!- yeah famous!) and it seems there is something oh so special about that Ollie boy.. I remember reading how he was the only one of her children that came right to her in the hospital after the accident. He definitely has a special healing quality about him, what an angel on earth to have around!! This post made me cry too.
Oh my goodness that is the cutest post ever. I have been reading both yours and your sister Stephanie's blog for almost a year (since you were both on OPRAH!- yeah famous!) and it seems there is something oh so special about that Ollie boy.. I remember reading how he was the only one of her children that came right to her in the hospital after the accident. He definitely has a special healing quality about him, what an angel on earth to have around!! This post made me cry too.
Will The Chief's fainting subside over time or will he be restricted from activities where stress might occur such as sports or driving someday?
oh holy moly now I am bawling
awww they're super sweet, my oldest cousin is my hero too and I really love her ... I've such a big family and tons of cousins just like your son does and it's the best thing ever happened to me... family is priceless
thank you for this post I thought my son was the only child that fainted under duress. I can't ever let go of the feeling that I am going to loose my child everytime this happens.
"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader" - Robert Frost
Thank you, cjane.
Go team love.
Your haircut looks great, btw! (first saw it at the rooftop concert series..delightful)
I too had an eyerolling, purple lipped, fainter. Every time her cry became too much for her little body to handle, she would check out for a moment. I would just about rather do anything in this world than witness that!
She's almost ten now and has long since outgrown it. Thank heavens!
That is how my sister is to my little girl. Everything is better with Liz. It is nice to have a family member that can make it all better. I also feel that while my Little Miss loves me with all her heart, I can't touch the love she has for her aunt. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Oh the sweet cousin connection! I am lucky to have cousins who were/are my best friends. You are so blessed to live near your siblings so that can happen.
You totally made me cry. Awesome post. There is nothing better than a special cousin and how wonderful that your son could be with him when he needed him most! Magic!
Yay for Ollie and his magical powers!!!
I have many cousins that are my heros as well. Yay for cousins.
Oh my, you are so lucky. We have never lived in the same part of the country as any of our relatives, so my children were not blessed with this sort of close relationship with their cousins. I live vicariously through your big family get-togethers and close bonds. The 'reach out and touch you' daily support you give each other is invaluable.
Nancy
i know how you feel about the fainting. my two-year-old does the exact same thing and it takes me at least a couple days to get the eye-rolling image out of my head. it's happened probably four or five times, but it is always scary and i absolutely hate it because i feel so helpless.
anyway, i know how you feel!
Wow, what a sweet post. I, too, live far away from my family and I love to imagine that someday we can all live close together like you and yours. So yes, I live vicariously through your posts as well. :) Keep up the great work!!
My baby brother did that passing-out thing when he was young too. I'm twelve years older than him, and I used to panic every time I needed to babysit him. We all hated it, actually, but eventually he grew out of it.
He's completely fine now. In fact, he's married with two kids of his own, and will graduate from dental school in the spring.
I think you wrote one time that you have a brother that did it as well, so you probably know all this, but sometimes it's nice to hear a hopeful situation.
How cute! My cousin and I are six months apart and have been like that our entire lives, it's so fun!
Oh, and I think it's awesome Libbie is going to be in your Rooftop Concert! She's my cousin and I LOVE her music!
That is so sweet! I love that a little kindergartener has the power to bring so much joy. So precious!
Oh cjane, that was perfectly described and oh so precious!
My cousins are my best freinds too! I completely get it. Love the jammies, super cute!
How wonderful that your sweet Chief can find such comfort and strength in Ollie so that the Chief can find smiles in the midst of pain, fear or stress. Not at all unlike what you, Nie and all your siblings have and thus very fitting that the "magic" would flow from generation to generation! What a sweet post, Courtney, ty for sharing! Hugs, Lori
How precious. I read your blog and Stephanie's, so I feel a special connection here! My children are growing up near their cousins, too, and it is a wonderful bond. I know you all will enjoy his visit.
And good gracious - fainting?! I don't know how any mother could handle that. The lanced abscess was bad enough. I had to hold my boy down for stitches on his forehead a few months ago and that was torture. Here's to no more rip-mama's-heart-out moments, and a fun Ollie weekend!
It cracks me up how your readers love to solve your problems in the comment section. It is almost worth scrolling through them for the entertainment value:) Thank heavens for cousins is what I say!!
My brother was a breath-holder although I don't remember that. On my son's first birthday, he cried until he held his breath and passed out when I had to set him down to get him ready for a bath. Talk about separation anxiety! He did that for six months and, as quickly as he started, he quickly stopped. However to this day, I will do anything to prevent my son from crying.
Courtney, I used to faint at will when I was a child. I could just close my eyes, hold my breath and then wake up on the floor. I did it in school, in the supermarket, you name it. I remember my mom would try to ignore me but everyone (who didn't know me) would make such a fuss. P.S. I grew up fine! LOL Ollie is such a sweetheart, I love how much the Chief adores him.
So sweet, cousins are the BEST.
your son is so lucky that he has so many cousins nearby. most of mine are in colorado and california. i rarely get to see them, but it's always such a joy when i do.
Well, you've finally done it C. This post made me teary. And I DO NOT CRY. This is not a point of pride with me. Do I like sitting in Time Out for Women, or church, or an emotional relief society room and trying my freaking hardest to muster up one stubborn little tear so I can be a crier like my more righteous sisters (just kidding here) No way! I wish, i wish I could cry. I WANT TO BE A CRIER! And tonight, you made me one. : )
Melanie Segalla
I love this post. Just love it.
Regarding cousins, my aunt-who-is-my-age-so-she's-more-like-a-cousin is one of my favorite people in the world and we're getting together in Vegas for my birthday, I can't wait! We both said that planning the trip was like planning a sleep over when we were kids.
Regarding fainting, I didn't have any fainters, but my first child, my oldest son, was a vomiter. Under any kind of stress, he'd vomit. And since toddlers can get worked up over anything, it happened 1-2 times per day. Needless to say, we were quick to satisfy his wants and needs, but he outgrew it, and it didn't spoil him. At least I don't think so.
Glad to know my 3 year old isn't the only person who passes out! She has done it since she was 9 months old and to this day she still does. Darn it! I am waiting for her to "grow out of it" until then I guess I will love her anyway! Good luck with it! It is terrible to watch isn't it??
girl, your posts are simply perfect, you are a great, great, great writer ... thanks ...
Belen from Spain
This is probably my favorite post ever. Coming from a family of many, many cousins this post rings deep in my heart. There really isn't anything quite like cousins.
I'm so glad the Chief is feeling better!!!!
Oh my, you made me cry...or the Chief made me cry. Well, I am not sure who made me cry but that was the MOST precious story I have heard in a long time. What a special bond those two have!
how sweet :)...it's the best to have a family member who is also your best friend.
I have a cousin like that! Its always been one of my favorite things in life!
that is so sweet. I wish I could recount the beaty of childhood as you do.
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