Update on Parker

Just realized....I'm almost in a new category..starting to outgrow the stay-at-home Mom of toddlers identity! I have myself a 5 year old after all, who can do all sorts of things! Vacuums the floor for me, helps his little brother and has even taken on the roll of all thing recycled in this house. While my kitchen counter is covered full of "trash" to be ran out to the recycling bin, I am most thankful for my environmentally aware and helpful firstborn. Kuddos to you, Parks for forcing this family to "go green.":)
I am enjoying my littlest man these days and relishing the last few times of "babyhood" with him, he's about to turn 2, but let's be honest, he's really still a baby! I do more clean up and assistance after him than I can even wrap my mind around, trying to recount doing all this work for Parker! I know I did, it just seems ions ago.
The next few days I will be washing up little boy school uniforms, no more of the 2T, 3T, 5T clothing, yup, real boy clothes now! I am equally excited for my Parkie bear to begin his school career. Now that we finally have an answer to what was making him so miserable, and treatment seems to be working, I am thankful that he will do well at school and everything else. Parks seems to suffer from a somewhat rare iron deficiency, a low ferritin level that went undiagnosed for over a year when we last had a blood draw. From what I understand, a person's level should be over 50 and if it is under, restless leg syndrome (in which you can't sleep well) results and extreme irritability. The poor guy's number was a mere 11. When I got the call from the lab almost immediately after the draw was done, I cried to the lab attendant who gave me the news. I was so thankful and relieved to have finally found something! I knew there was a missing puzzle piece, I knew something was wrong with my kiddo. I can't tell you how frustrating that is as a Mom! But to have confirmation and a treatment plan and that's it's not something serious was more than music to my ears. So far, his treatment of prescription iron twice a day seems to have some improvement, although Dr. says it will take months.
I owe Dr. Luitjohan a MASSIVE plate of cookies for suspecting this, even when the Pediatrician laughed and assured me he's only had 1 child in his 20 years that has ever tested positive for this...Dr. Luitjohan, you were right on! :)