I'm Back | Happy New Year!

Wow…I had no intentions of leaving this space untouched for the last 2 weeks!  In my sheltered little mind, the kids were with gram & papa for the week, so Adam and I would work on the house until 6ish each night and then we would go out to dinner or maybe even catch a movie at the theatre before coming home and relaxing in front of the tv {him} & on the computer {me}. HA HA HA.  Joke is totally on me!  That is nothing like it really played out!  Here's a tiny glimpse of our life the past two weeks…

Jordyn got sick {got meds}
Cullyn got sick {got meds}
I got a sinus infection {got meds, but didn't fill my script b/c I felt like I could kick it without--haha!}
We celebrated Christmas with Adam's family
We celebrated Christmas Eve & Morning at home
We celebrated Christmas with my family
The kids stayed with Gram & Papa for a week
Adam & I {w/ a bunch of help} painted almost every inch of our new house & moved in
Adam's band played on NYE
Jordyn was puking all of NYE
My parents came and helped make some small upgrades to the house
My sister & BIL came to visit for the weekend
My other sister & BIL came & installed a new wall {w/ Adam} in Cullyn's room
I photographed a newborn
My BIL got the stomach flu
Adam got the stomach flu
I got a terrible sinus infection & the flu
My other BIL got the flu
My sister got the flu
We finally got internet {today} & have yet to call about getting a trash serviced lined up {we've been here for almost two weeks {insert wide-eyed emoji here} *Adam had the cable guy here on day 1 #priorities 

We ran to Menards approximately 23808903487 times!

We averaged about 5 hours of sleep a night!

Oh, and I showered like 2 times all week! {glorious, right?!}

And our 'meals' also consisted of….Arbys, Blimpie, KFC, Culvers, Pizza Hut, Chick Fil A, Wendy's, Jimmy Johns, Panera, McDonalds, Papa John's and more.

So the mini bottles of Champagne that I bought to toast to the new house or possibly use to pre-game before going out for New Year's Eve remain sealed on the wine cart, but at least we're in.  We aren't 100% settled, but we're happy to all be together in one place {and almost healthy enough to enjoy each other}

So there is a bit of a catch up from us.  I'll be back soon {hopefully} to catch up on Christmas/NYE/Resolutions {bear with me, I know you're all way past this!!} & photos of the house, the kids' new favorite activity, and more. I hope you're all healthier than we have been!

This & That {w.12}

Our new nanny started this morning, so I'm all sorts of anxious!  So far, all signs point to awesome.  Crossing my fingers!!!

Did this:
This week was pretty lame 
Monday night my in laws had the kids, so we went to my sister & bil's to grill & paint Jordyn & Cullyn's new bedframe
Took both kids for antibiotics on Tuesday
Adam & the lead guitarist, Mark, recorded a few songs 
I got hit with sickness from Tuesday night on {off work Wednesday-Friday}
Had 1 photoshoot
Stayed at the lake on Saturday night
Adam started getting sick
Edited & watched Iowa & UNI basketball games

Instagrammed that:

Edited this:

Shot that:

Scheduled this:

M: This & That

T: Learning to ski at 1 & 3 y/o

W: My Kids 12/52

T: 

F: A Photo {9 Months}

Life Update

No photos.  We're pretty much in survival mode over here.  The kids haven't been served veggies in almost two weeks, we don't even have milk in the house, and we're all pretty much surviving on delivery...

Murdock | Is in heaven this week!  He's never slept in our bed so much.  I'm learning what life like a dog is like--how can anyone sleep that much?!  Healthwise, he's doing really well again.  It's crazy that we're about ready to see his 7th Birthday {in June}!

Cullyn | He's definitely getting better, in fact, he's probably the healthiest of all of us, excluding Murdock.  He's taking his meds better than ever before.  We transitioned him from his crib to a trundle bed and it didn't phase him at all, in fact, he's sleeping {knock on wood!} better than before!  He's such a lover and definitely doesn't like seeing mama sick, he's giving me plenty of kisses! :)  Also, he'll be two, one month from yesterday {!!} so I've started planning his party! :)

Jordyn | She had a rough start to the week, matted eyes, {nasty} sinus infection, and infected ear.  She's feeling much better.  Happy to be taking Amoxicillin, but putting up a pretty good fight with every dose of cough medicine or eye drops.  We transitioned her from a toddler bed to a twin bed.  While she loves her new bedding, she still wants to sleep with mama. :)  So far, she's spent one night in her bed {until 2a when she came to ours}, another night I slept with her from 8p to 1a, and last night I didn't even fight it and let her come to bed with me.  So we aren't batting very well this week, but whatever.  I don't have the energy to get too worked up about it.  I know she'll eventually stop sleeping with her mama. She's finally feeling better, I know this because she finally less emotional {she gets it from her mama}

Adam | He's mostly trying to stay away from all of our sick germs, but I don't think he's going to escape.  He started getting some of my early symptoms {lots of drainage, sore throat, chest congestion, etc.} yesterday and there is no sign of it going away anytime soon.  I'm trying to get him to go to the doctor instead of waiting like I did, because it clearly did me no favors to wait it out!  He recorded a few {original} songs with the lead guitarist in the band on Tuesday night, so that was fun to experience.  I love seeing him in his element.  :)  Other than that, he's been pretty busy been working, which is a good thing.

Me | I'm sure you've seen me complaining all over social media.  I've been {really} sick since Tuesday.  {severe body aches, high fever/chills, terrible headache & sinus pressure, tons of drainage, ears, throat, etc.}  I skipped work on Wednesday and Thursday, I'm praying to go back on Monday.  I have wasted so much of my PTO on sickness this year, I swear I've been sick nonstop since Thanksgiving! :(  LONG story short..since Wednesday morning I've been to the doctor twice.  Two strep tests {negative}, two blood draws, one Influenza A test {negative}, one antibiotic {not working}, one pain med {causing vomiting}, and one shot {of antibiotic} later…I'm finally feeling good enough to get out of bed!  They're still running tests to see what I have.  I think my fever finally broke {for good} last night.  I had to skip my charity bowling event today {I just didn't have the energy and I think the noise would have absolutely killed me} but I'm hoping to be able to make it to my session that is scheduled for tomorrow morning--we'll see.  

Also, as much as it pains me to write this, but I have officially dropped out of the marathon.  :(  I hate even writing that, but I think it's the best choice right now.  There really were many factors in my decision, but a few of the main ones were the fact that I was starting to resent running, on Tuesdays I was lucky to see my kids for 1-2 hours all day, and the biggest factor of all, I feel like my body was failing me--telling me to slow down and get healthy first.  {Since Thanksgiving I've had severe strep, Influenza, bronchitis, sinus infection, ear infection, two colds, and now this}.  I'm so disappointed, but I'm hoping I can get myself together and run one next year around my 30th birthday!

Other than that, I have a huge project due at work in a few weeks that I am so far behind on!  {like would totally lose my job if I don't get it done--so say a little prayer for me there!}.  I've already booked 3 wedding for 2016 which is super exciting!  And my website is this close to going live!!!  And quite possibly our most exciting news of all…after hours and hours of interviewing…we've found our nanny!  She's been over a few days for shorter amounts of time, but she starts full time on Monday so please say a pray for all of that!

I feel like there is more going on {because it's absolutely crazy over here} but that's all I can think of right now, so there you have it.  Our life update in 5 minutes!  

Again, HUGE thanks to my parents for taking the kids all of last week, my MIL for watching the kids a few days this week, and my sister & husband for taking the kids yesterday -- we could NOT have do it without all of you!

Cullyn's 1st Hospital Stay {Ileus}

I haven't worked a full day since last Monday and have done at least 20 loads of laundry {blankets, rugs, towels, clothes, bedding, etc.}, & my kids have logged roughly 40 hours of TV time!  I earned a few new mom badges by catching puke in my hands and spending the night in the hospital with a kid for the first time…

Tuesday | I got a text from the sitter that Cullyn had been acting 'off' all morning and woke up from his nap with a {low} fever.  So I left work and grabbed them.

Wednesday | I had an appointment in the morning, so Adam stayed home with the kids.  At 8a, he text saying Cullyn just threw up on him.  So, after my meeting & photoshoot, I came home.  Adam went to work and I stayed with them that afternoon.  We restricted him to the BRAT {Bananas, rice, apples, & toast} diet with Pedialyte and lounged the rest of the day.  He acted pretty good.  Extra cuddles, and he would tire easily and rest often, but didn't seem too sick.

Thursday | Our sitter text again saying he wasn't himself and had diarrhea.  So, I left work early again and took Cullyn home.  He had diarrhea, but was acting pretty good.  Again, he would tire easily, but was playing fine.

Friday | Jordyn had preschool and then Art Class, so I dropped Cullyn with the sitter for a few hours.  I text her to see how he was doing and to see if J & I had time to grab lunch and she informed me he was okay, but still not himself.  So we grabbed lunch to go and headed to pick him up.  When we got there, he was acting a little lethargic and stopped drinking.  So, on the way home, I called Dr Metts {a pediatrician I work for} and he said as long as we could get 5-10mL of fluids in him every 10 mints, we could avoid getting fluids from the Emergency Room since he hadn't .  He fell asleep at 12:30 {while I was talking to Dr. Metts} and when Dr. Metts called back at 3p to see how he was doing, I told him he was still sleeping.  He had me wake him up and try to get him to drink.  He was still refusing, so he had me get him to the ER.  So I woke Jordyn up and took the kids to the ER, fully expecting to get a bag of fluid and be home by 6p or so.

We got in right away.  They applied numbing cream {to four areas} of his arms for an hour.  Adam had arrived by the time they started an IV & fluids, thankfully, so I didn't have to hold him down.  Luckily the nurse was great and got him on the first stick, despite his dehydration.  We spent the next couple of hours walking the halls, at Cullyn's request, waiting for the fluids to run their course.  Around 7p, they decided they wanted to do an x-ray because he still didn't seems settled.  I took him to radiology and they got 2 photos.  About a hour later they said they were doing to admit us because he had an obstruction in his bowels.  At this time, I told Adam to take Jordyn home {who hadn't even had dinner yet--she was SUCH a trooper at the hospital!} and I would stay with Cullyn overnight.

About 9 we finally made it to room 388 on the Pediatrics Inpatient floor of Mercy.  We got settled, met our nurses, etc and started to wind down for the night.  Cullyn got to bed around 10 and the Nurse Practitioner on shift came to talk to me.  She was recommending an NG {nasogastric} tube through his nose down to his intestines to relieve the gas/fluids.  Since he was passing gas & sleeping at that point, I  {talked it over the the NP, Dr Metts, another pediatrician I know, & Adam} made the call not to go through with the 'procedure'.  It seemed a little invasive and we were having a hard enough time keeping his mind off of this IV tube, I couldn't imagine trying to get him to leave the nasal tube in.  We were up every hour that night {for about 30 minutes each time by the time they checked his vitals and I rocked him back to sleep}.

Saturday | Around 5a he was up for the day, but we couldn't leave our room until 6a {they have 'quiet time' from 10p-6a & 2-4p}. Around 8, Adam, Jordyn, & Adam's parents came to visit.  The resident rounded and gave us the official diagnosis of ileus {a blockage of the intestines typical due to a virus}.  We were given the okay to start clear liquids around 10a {I think}.  My in laws took Jordyn home for lunch and a nap.  Since the liquids were staying down, we started a regular diet around 2p {again, I think--it's hard to keep track of time in the hospital!}  At this point he hadn't had a stool since 1a on Friday morning.  We were warned that we would probably have another night in the hospital since they wanted him eating & drinking {peeing & pooping} normally before we left.  Considering I logged at least 5 miles of hall walking by this point, I was pretty defeated with that news.  But, we wanted whatever was for Cullyn {obviously} and didn't want to go home to turn around and come back, so we embraced the news.  We tried so hard to get him to take a nap, but it just wasn't happening.  Every time we got him to sleep, someone came in to check on him and woke him up again.  Luckily, Dr. Eggbalackin understood how difficult it was keep a 2 year old corralled in a hospital room and approved our request to monitor him from home as long as we closely monitored his fluid intake.  So, around 7p {I think?} we came home.  He was happy to be home {he'd been asking all day!}

Sunday | We skipped church, opting for a relaxing day at home.  All was well, until 7p, when Jordyn threw up.  Ugh!  We put the kids to bed and made arrangements for me to be home {again!} with Jordyn today.  Is it summer yet?! :)

----------------------------------
Man alive, I have no idea now parents do it with terminally ill children.  We barely survived 24 hours with the help of friends and family.  It truly takes a village to raise children and we were reminded of that yet again this weekend.  So many thanks to my in laws for stepping in to help with Jordyn, and my sister & bil for the visit and offering to take Jordyn if we needed it, to our good friend J&J for offering many times to help with Jordyn, Murdock, or me! :) And to our sitter, for stopping up to check on our little Cully man!  Biggest thanks of all to the team of nurses, students, residents, & physicians that helped get Cully back on track.  Huge shout out to the Ronald McDonald House foundation who held a nightly meal at 6p and offered to launder our clothes {amongst other things} during our stay.  I think we've found our March Pay it Forward project! :)

This & That {w.8}

Did this:
cuddled with Cully {he had the stomach flu}
took 2 half days off work
took Jordyn to Art class
spent a night at the hospital {separate post coming}
had to reschedule 3 photoshoots
missed 3 events with friends
hosted a giveaway
lounged around all day Sunday

Instagrammed that:

Edited this:

Shot that:

Scheduled this:

M: AM|This & That   PM|Cullyn's Hospital Stay

T: Sports Class 

W: My Kids 8/52

T: February Dates & Deeds

F: A Photo {Everett 3 Months}

Valentine's Day 2014

This year Valentine's Day fell on a {SNOWY!} Friday, so I was able to be home with the kids.  

Treats for my Valentine's this year...

Jordyn {2}-socks, nail polish, chapstick, suckers, & snacks--all of her favorite things! | Adam {husband} - healthy snacks with little love notes. | Cullyn {10 Months} -LUVs diapers, I'm BANANAS about you, o'FISH'ally mine Goldfish, and you're my main SQUEEZE applesauce.  

Jordyn {except for the sticker and tie on the bag} made little treats for the daycare Valentine's Party.

We need 'smote' friends like you.  We included graham crackers, a mini chocolate bar, & a few heart shaped marshmallows.  Jordy approved of the marshmallows!  :)

Then we packed up and drove to the zoo for Jordyn's Zoo Tots class.  They talked about pink flamingos and made mini fruit pizzas.  

After the zoo we headed home for lunch.  

We had heart shaped everything on Valentine's! :)

Cullyn wasn't feeling great, so I made the decision to take him to the pediatrician {because what fun is a holiday without a sick kid} :(  

Sick boys = extra snuggles and group 'naps'

 After Cullyn's appointment {double ear infection} we came home and played

 Gram & Papa even sent a special Valentine's care package! :)

Adam & I celebrated our Valentine's with a hotel stay the weekend before, but he still surprised me with my favorite wine, chocolates, & wine gummies. :)

Previous Valentine's Posts::
Our 2014 Valentine's | Our 2013 Valentine's Day and Night | 2012 Valentine | 2012 Valentine's Day | 2011 | 2010 | 2009

Sick Little Boy

You guys, I am not one to ask for help, but I'm about at my breaking point.  At first I felt like I was treading water, now it's more like drowning.  Cullyn has been sick for 10 days.  Not eating. Nothing but diarrhea. Spitting up.  Not Sleeping,  HORRIBLE diaper rash.  Crying.  Oh, the crying.  Sometimes a whimper, often times a scream. Mostly at night {of course}.

It started on Sunday night.  By Wednesday, my sister convinced me to take him in.  In an effort to night miss work, again, we took him to Urgent Care.  Long story short, we got a horrible doctor that told me he had a diaper rash from teething {although we all know you don't get diaper rashes from teething, but whatever}.  We got Monistat from the drugstore and went home.  {ears looked fine, which was my biggest concern}.  so his ears look good, I'm told he's teething and essentially 'suck it up' from the lovely doctor we saw.  fine.

Friday night we were at the lake house.  My {super amazing, what would I do without her?!} mom too the night shift {like she has every.single.night. since we've had kids}.  That night?  Cullyn didn't sleep. Like maybe a hour all put together.  Saturday morning we decided he should be seen, again.  I quickly called one of the doctors I worked for {just to be sure I wasn't overreacting} and he said to have him see at the Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic.  So we head back home to see another doctor.  This one was good.  He told me Cullyn was 'just teething' and took a blood sample. His ears still looked fine.  He thought it was viral and said our biggest battle would be keeping him hydrated until it runs its course.  The blood test {white blood cell count} came back good, ruling out any major, horrible issues.  so his ears still look good, not 'just teething', not overreacting  he needs 13 ounces of fluids a day to stay hydrated-if not go to the emergency room, give Tylenol and Motrin.

Sunday night he sleeps great.

Monday the sitter calls and says he isn't happy.  Adam leaves work and picks the kids up.  He does pretty good at home.  A little needy, but can be calmed.

Monday night he sleeps good

Tuesday the sitter texts at 9a.  I leave work and take Cullyn to our pediatrician.   His ears still look fine.  She gives us Cavilon {once a day}, burn cream {twice a day}, soy formula {to give his tummy a break}, and start his probiotic again.  Takes a stool sample to rule our Rotavirus and C-Diff. She thinks he has a virus because of the medications he was on for his {ongoing} ear infection.  He's acting quite a bit better.  He is pretty happy unless he has a dirty diaper.  {which is every 30-60 minutes}

Tuesday night he doesn't sleep well.

Wednesday my MIL {bless her soul!} watches both of the kids.  He's pretty happy all day.  Our pediatrician calls to confirm that he does have C-Diff {I was told not to google it}.  The medications he was on for his ears killed all of the bacteria {both good and bad}.  She prescribed Flagyl {a different antibiotic} and said we should start to see results in 3-5 days.

Wednesday night he sleeps horrible.  I don't mind being up with the kids when they're sick and they just wanted cuddled and rocked by their mam, but they are up all night and I can't do a dang thing to soothe them?  It fricking SUCKS!  Last night Cully would only calm down with Adam.  {breaks my heart even more}

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

And now you've been caught up.  If you read all of that you're amazing.

Basically?  If you want to test your marriage, have a sick boy that nobody thinks is really sick and you don't know what it is.  Of course every time we were at the doctor he was happy as a clam.  I swear I'm going to start recording what it's like at home and bringing it to the doctor!

To say we're all worn down is an understatement.  I left work Tuesday and just bawled in the elevator.  I'm sick of having a sick, sad little boy.  I am SUPER behind at work.  I have TONS of photoshoots and editing to do.  And to top it off?  I have some sort of bug now.  What I wouldn't do for a night at a hotel {haha!}

Before you feel too bad for us, my parents are coming down so we can go to a concert with friends on Saturday night.  And while I know this sucks, I know this too shall pass.  I'm just whining because this is my space and I can.  It sure does make me thankful to have healthy babies.  I don't know how parents do it with chronically ill children.  My heart goes out to you for doing this day in and day out.

This & That {2 weeks worth!}

Did this:
Had 5 photosessions
Celebrated Halloween...lots
Edit {lots!!}
Started siding the lakehouse
Sent Birthday Thank Yous {so we colored a lot}
Played in the leaves
Snuggled a sick boy....lots
Scheduled tons of photo sessions
Worked on potty training Jordyn {post to come}
Ordered photos & canvases of my family!
Went to the doctor/urgent care...3 times
Cullyn had C-Diff, the other 3 of us got colds
Went shopping
I worked on Saturday morning
Went to the Keith Urban concert with good friends
Hung out with my family

Instagrammed that:

Edited this: 

Shot that:

Scheduled this:
M::
T::
W::This and That {2 Weeks}
T:: My Sick Little Man
F:: My Family Photos!! :)

Murdock {5 Years}

This month Murdock celebrated his 5th Birthday!  It's hard to believe we've had him 4 1/2 years already {especially since we were told he wouldn't make it to his 4th Birthday}.

This pup was with us before we were engaged, married, or had any children.  Although we've had our ups and downs {medically speaking} he has been the best dog we could have ever asked for.  He 'trained' himself from the beginning, has been nothing but kind and gentle with his siblings {our kids}, and has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love.

I always joke that you're the most expense $100 dog I've ever known, but you've been worth every penny!  We love you so much Murd!

The Ugly Side [Pregnancy Pains]

I didn't want to post about this stuff, I kind of thought if I ignored it, it would just go away.  Well it hasn't, so for documentation purposes, here goes...  [but if you don't want to hear about all the aches and pains of pregnancy, you should probably skip this post!]

[Round Ligament Pain]
At the end of my first trimester or beginning of my second trimester I began having sharp pains in my right side [just above my hip bone].  Sometimes they last longer than others.  On bad days the pain shoots into the front [low, like pelvic bone area].  It seems to hurt the worst when I get into my car or when I hold Jordyn too much [is that even possible?!].  My OB diagnosed this as Round Ligament Pain.  She said stretching can help, but pretty much it's common in 2nd pregnancies [and on I suppose] and will stay until I deliver.  The scar tissue from my Appendectomy earlier this year is likely to increase this pain.  Rest is really the only thing that seems to help.   

But it kept going.  Getting worse.  More frequent and more intense.  Like quit talking mid sentence and hold my breathe.  And then, hold my breath and grab my side.  But now it was higher, like right under my rib cage.  So I called the OB Office again. 

[Gallbladder]
After much discussion, we're pretty sure it's my gallbladder.  Looking back it tends to happen more after I eat or drink.  This pain is higher up.  More cramp like than the ripping feeling I get with the round ligament stuff.  It goes into my back and right shoulder blade area.  I'm sure it was worse with the holidays because the junk I was eating.  [Foods that make it worse...meat, grains, fried foods, soda, water, chocolate -- insert pretty much every other food I ate this weekend!] :(  Other symptoms include low Thyroid, foggy brain* [haha--all this time I was blaming it on being pregnant!], nausea, constipation [did you want to know that?!], oh and weight gain [yes, just a little! :]

So obviously I'll talk to them more about it at my next OB appointment, but for now I'll try to watch what I eat and see if it helps at all.  Obviously, we'll do whatever we can to wait until after I deliver H2 to do surgery [if that's what's necessary].  I guess the people that told me [after my surgery of course!] they should have  removed my gallbladder when they removed my appendix were right.  [::sigh::]

And for the record...when my round ligament pain and gallbladder aren't acting up, my acid reflux flares...do I sound like a whiny, pregnant, wuss or what?!  Ya, so that's why I prefer to give everyone the 'I'm great!' [with a big smile] when they ask.  It's way quicker & nobody wants to hear about everyone's aches and pains...we all have them! :)

*Speaking of foggy brain, I'll post this with my Christmas post too, but after we were done opening presents on Christmas morning, when I started putting the Christmas decor away [because I'm a scrooge like that] I found SIX more presents that I forgot to wrap and put under the tree for Jordyn!  Mom FAIL!  :(

Why we layer crib sheets...& don't go to resturants!!

Note: this post talks about vomit & is a small novel....andplusalso you're welcome for no photos in this post!
-------------------------------------------------------
Last night we learned why so many people have told me to put two crib sheets.  Honestly?  I was ready to rip the top one off around her first birthday when we had never benefited from the double sheets.  It just seemed like more work to wash and put another one back on each time. 

But last night?  Last night made me very thankful that I still had both on.  By morning we had went through two sheets and a third one was on. 

Last night we had plans to go to dinner with friends.  So, I got off work, picked up J, came home and give her a bath [yes, early & before dinner, but at least this way she would get one since we would be coming him too late to bathe her].  I bribed her with some snacks [a bowl of Cheerios, puffs, raisins, & yogurt balls] to hold her over the extra 30 minutes. 

Jordyn is very good at a lot of things, but dining out...not so much.  At home she eats and as soon as she's done we clean her up and let her down to roam.  So at a restaurant...you can guess it...she wants to eat and then get out.  And I dont' mean out to sit it either of our laps...that's like pure torture for our almost 13 month old [unless it's bedtime of course].  She wants down to crawl everywhere and pull herself up to everything.  At a restaurant?  NOT an option! 

So we went prepared [or so I thought!].  I packed a few books [a couple that were in the back and she hadn't played with in a while so they would be 'new'], a banana [her absolute favorite thing on the earth], a fruit bar [for backup], peaches, and yogurt.  I would order her some peas or green beans from the restaurant so she had a warm veggie [a favorite of hers].  

Loooong story short...the restaurant only had asparagus which I thought would just be too tough.  Jordyn plowed through her banana, wanted nothing to do with her peaches, ate her yogurt, her fruit bar, a squeezable applesauce from deep down in the diaper bag.  Then our food came.  She played nicely with books for a bit, but about half way through... she decided she wanted what mama was having.  What was I eating?  A fried pork tenderloin and fried french fries.  So it wasn't an option.  My girl has only eaten fruits, veggies, rice a handful of times, and ravioli which did NOT go well.  So friend food?  No go. 

UNTIL...she took the whining to a cry.  Kids crying in restaurants...not something Adam or I handle well.  So?  I did what any good mom panicked person would do and gave her a few [3-5] bites of my sandwich.  All was well and fine.  We finish up.  Pay our bill.  Say goodbye.  Drive over to Lowes to get some Christmas lights [!!].  She falls asleep in the car on the way home.  We change carry her  up stairs, change her diaper, put her pjs on, and put her down for bed.  I give Adam a hair cut.  When I'm done I check on J and go to bed myself.

Adam wakes me at 12:30am.  He was on his way to bed and check on Jordyn.  He notices she had thrown up!  [I promise the monitor was on...she must not have made a noise! :(  And also?  I 'slept' in 5 minute increments the rest of the night in fear she would do it again, and choke!] So we made a plan of attack...he picked her up & I stripped the crib down to the extra sheet.  Goodnight all!  Until we realize she has vomit on her jammies.  so we change her jammies.  But then we notice she has [dried!] vomit in her hair.  So it was off to give her a bath at 1am!  And this morning...we were on our third sheet!  I now know why parents layer their sheets.  And keep lots of clean ones close by.  I was in a bad enough mood doing what I did last night.  I can't imagine if I were washing [& drying!] sheets in the middle of the night too! 

So note to new parents: Layer the sheets in your child's crib!  You're welcome in advance! :)

The Days Before

I'm an emotional basket case right now.  Pregnancy [1st day of my 2nd trimester, whoop whoop!] + baby girl turning 1 tomorrow = lots of emotions!!  So I apologize in advance if this post makes sense to nobody but myself! :)

-------------------------------------

This weekend was just the distraction I needed.  It was filled with lots of playing with my baby girl, catching up on errands, a couple of nights of fun with friends [& babies], and savoring the last of the fall/halloween activities.

Friday J and I hung out & ran errands [oil change, groceries, party shopping...].  That night we wen't over to a friends house [where we met new friends] and carved pumpkins with the kiddos.  So much fun!  Although Jordyn would disagree...getting stuffed into a cold, squishy pumpkin was not her thing!

We started Saturday off by sleeping in [almost 8:30am--holla!] but things quickly went downhill when we attempted take-2 of Jordyn's 1st Birthday Photos.  Why is it I can take photos of every kid but my own...not fair!  I'll attempt them for the 3rd time on her actual birthday, after that we'll just have to use what we got.  That afternoon we went to the zoo for Trick-or-Treating.  It was cute.  I imagine Jordyn will enjoy it much more when she's older.  Adam had a band gig out of town, so he took off just before dinner.  J and I snuggled and home and went to bed early.

Sunday we woke to Jordyn's eye being swollen [crusted?] shut.  So after a phone call to daddy & gram we were off to Urgent Care.  I just wanted to be sure it wasn't anything contagious.  Thankfully, it wasn't contagious, but we did get an ointment for her eye and an antibiotic for the lid.  She's already looking much better.  We came home after Urgent Care and daddy surprised us by being home early & with a Panera breakfast!  After a few more errands we went over to a friends house to watch the football games.  We left around 6pm to go to Living History Farms Trick-or-Treat event, but ended up going back to finish playing card games.  

Photos from the weekend will be added later

Extra snuggles for my baby girl

Jordyn has had a temp [99-100] for a couple of days. Yesterday she woke with a temp of 101, but it always went down with Tylenol, so we figured it was just teeth.  She also hasn’t eaten well since this weekend, but again we assumed it was related to her teeth.  About 1am this morning she woke with a temp up 102.9 and it wouldn’t go down [past 100] with Tylenol. I called Mercy Nurse to see if it was safe to let her fall back asleep [since she was tired]. She said yes, but to get her checked out today. She was up crying on and off from 1:30a-8:30a.  [This is only the 2nd time in 10 months she has been up through the night--except as a newborn of course]


At 9:15 this morning we went to the doctor, he [not our ped, but another ped.] checked her ears and said they looked fine. He saw what he thought could be one little white spot [puss pocket] on her tonsil and thought it could possibly be a viral infection since they are so common in the summer. But he said it wasn’t bad so he wasn’t 100% convinced that was it. He said it could also be a urine infection since it’s common in girls, but to test for that he would need to place a catheter.  He left the decision up to me.

Since a long weekend is coming up and he wasn’t confident it was just a viral infection, I had him test her. Can we say holy traumatizing holding your 10 month old daughter, feeling her clench while they insert a catheter!  :(  The quick test came back negative, signing no infection, but they'll send it out for a 2 day test too.  He didn’t give her an antibiotic, but we need to check back Friday.

Right now we’re running Tylenol every 4 hours, half strength formula, pushing Pedialyte, only fruits in water, no veggies/carbs, no whole milk.

----------------------

I took her to daycare after the appointment. Miss Courtney gave her a bath and she fell right asleep in her arms. We are so thankful for our kind, loving sitter that treats J like one of her own.  Days like today make me especially thankful for an in-home provider [& friend!]

Hopefully this will pass soon...until then it's lots of extra cuddles with my baby girl

Vaca & Sickness [OK|TX]

It's been 16 days since I posted so I just wanted to let you know we're home.
Alive and kicking...barely!

In the 3 days between Vacation 1 [Oklahoma] and Vacation 2 [Texas] I managed to get the flu which made working, unpacking, laundering, and repacking pretty interesting!

While on our second vacation [Texas] my husband no so conveniently got Shingles [ya know, that itchy, painful, have to go to urgent care kind?  ya that!]

On our way home 3 of the 4 adults experienced food poisoning.  So our car ride home was filled with many, many stops.  And vomiting in plastic bags in the car in between.

To top it off, since we got home Jordyn has developed red blotches around her diaper line and in other warm areas [armpits, thigh creases, etc.]  We're praying it's just heat rash or something with the chance in elements and not an allergic reaction to something or the chicken pox [since she is the only one at risk to get them from Adam].

While we wait to see if she gets better or worse, we're just unpacking and repacking for the lake house this weekend.  Yep, we'll be sleeping in our bed 4 of the last 18 nights.  No rest for the weary!

Have a blessed Memorial Weekend and hopefully I'll be back with lots of vacation details soon!

MM

The Night My Husband Saved My Life

No, literally!  Here's how it all started...

Last Friday [January 20th] I woke around 3am with terrible stomach pains.  I was supposed to watch my Godson all day, so I was really trying to shake off the pain.  Adam googled stomach pains and it said most of the time stomach pains is gas or flu related [both of which nothing is typically done for] so I waited it out a little longer.  Finally around 8am, after flailing around the floor for 5 hours, I decided I couldn't take it any longer and drove up the road [~ 1/2 mile] to Urgent Care.  Adam stayed home [by my demand] and fed Jordyn & got her ready for the day.

It really didn't feel like gas or a bowel issue, much more like contractions.  My stomach hurt from my rib cage to my pelvic bone and across my entire front.  I was vomiting, but not sure if it was from pain or sickness.  I checked into Urgent Care and they had me in a room within 5 minutes.  They took blood & urine samples.  After getting sick in the office, they gave me a shot for pain.  After getting sick in the office again, they gave me a shot for nausea.  15 minutes later, all was well.  I was ready to go home.  Dr. Colby had other ideas.  After 2 x-rays, a jug of yucky juice, a CT scan, & 5 hours, it was confirmed it wasn't a bladder or kidney issue, but rather my appendix.  I was sent directly [but I begged for 5 minutes at home to tell my baby goodbye] to the hospital.

[Oh yes, Adam met up with me.  And my sister watched my baby.  And my parents came down for the weekend to watch my baby more.]

After 3 or 4 hours sitting in the ER at the hospital, I finally made Adam go up and demand more pain meds or to admit me.  After all, this was EXTREMELY URGENT when I was begging for 5 minutes to stop at home.  So, after Adam worked his magic, I was taken directly into a room.  Within 30 minutes my 2nd IV was inserted, blood was drawn, and I was being wheeled into surgery.  Luckily [or maybe not so luckily] I knew my Surgeon, Resident Surgeon, and Student since I work with them everyday at the hospital.  I must admit it's a bit awkward having 'coworkers' insert your catheter and cut open your stretch marked belly! :)

For those of you who don't know, for a non ruptured appendix they perform surgery laparoscopically with three small incisions.  One right above your belly button, around your pelvic bone, and one larger incision off to your left side.  The whole procedure only takes about 15-20 minutes.  Mine went well.  I was in, out, & off to recovery.  I got sick, which is common, but was transported to my room where in no time.  There, Adam talked to the surgeons and waited for me to sleep off my anesthesia.  Then, according to Adam my breathing became shallow and I quit responding to him.  That's when he ran to the hall and called for a nurse.  She quickly came in, didn't feel my pulse, and called a code blue [which is cardiac arrest/non breathing patient].  Adam was escorted out of the room and they performed chest compressions on me.  I woke up fighting the oxygen mask with my gown open, and 20-30 physicians/residents/nurses [read again: coworkers] around my bed.

They said it was a good thing Adam was there to call for a nurse because I wasn't hooked up to a pulse oximeter which would notify them if I quit breathing & the nurse thought I looked alright.  To keep things light they laughed and said they're positive I don't use any recreational drugs, because people get this dosage of narcotics often after surgery with no issues.  But in all seriousness, they said to notify people that I'm allergic to Dilaudid in the future.

Working at a hospital, I hear code blues called often, but it's definitely something I never thought I would be a part of.  I'm so thankful I insisted on taking the 5 minutes to run home and kiss my baby goodbye.  At the time I was planning on coming home that night, but after this incident I stayed overnight [my first night away from my daughter].  I'm especially thankful I kissed my baby goodbye [even though she had no idea] when I look back and realize that could have been my final words to her.  Without going into details, this experience shook my husband up pretty bad.  I cannot imagine if the roles were reversed and I saw him unresponsive and being worked on.  I'm so thankful for every day I get with my little family, even when I get overwhelmed.  I cannot imagine my life without them.  Thank you God for not picking me yet!

[Maternity Leave]

Alternately titled: 10 weeks of sickness, stress, & appointments

I'm currently sitting in the waiting room while Adam is getting a procedure done.  It's giving me time to reflect on my maternity leave...or rather, how I feel like I got screwed out of my maternity leave!

Maternity Leave: an employee benefit that provides paid or unpaid time off work to care for a child.

[That italics part is where my anticipated maternity leave is far different than my actual maternity leave...]

When I was planning my maternity leave in my mind it was full of napping with my baby, snuggling on the couch, and dancing around the house until daddy came home.

My actual maternity leave has been filled with...
27 hours sitting at the vet
3 appointments for Adam's Upper GI/Scope procedure
5 other medical appointments for Adam & I [sickness, check ups, x-rays, etc.]
3 pediatric appointments for Jordyn [Expected]
1 post baby appointment for me [Expected]

and endless hours of stress and headaches!  Praise God I have a happy, healthy [read: easy!] baby who doesn't mind being schlepped around everywhere!  :)

I call a redo!

Update [Murdock is Sick]

Thank you so much for all of the sweet comments and emails regarding Murdock.  I haven't replied to anyone since it's been soo crazy around here, but please know that I really appreciate all of your love and support.  Thank you!

If you missed the beginning of this news, read here.  [Warning: Very Graphic Photos Below]

About 5:30 Friday night we finally got the okay to go home.  They biopsied several locations on his body. He has 5-8 sets of stitches that need taken out in 10-14 days.  When he was under anesthesia for the biopsies, they loaded him with fluids.  They sent us home with pain medication to give him every 6-8 hours.  Since he hadn't eaten since Wednesday, Dr. Foster recommended we try to give him meat baby food.  We started that Friday night, and it's gone pretty well since.  He's been eating 2-4 jars each day, which isn't nearly what he needs, but it's better than nothing.

Murdock 12/02/2011 After Surgery

This morning he seemed to be acting better.  I took him outside [downstairs since we live in a 2nd floor condo] to urinate.  On our way back upstairs he fell and couldn't get up [or down] the stairs.  Thankfully, Adam was still home so I could yell for him to come carry Murdock up the stairs.  I honestly don't know what would have happened if he was already gone.  We had already made arrangements to go weight Murdock at our local vet [Dr. Dotz] this morning.  After Murdocks fall, we spoke with our specialist [Dr. Foster] and she recommended we have his blood glucose tested.  Adam called into work and took him to the vet with me.  His glucose levels seemed fine, so we're assuming he fell because he's so weak.

Murdock Close Up 12/02/2011 After Surgery

We're hoping to have the bacterial portion of the biopsies back tomorrow, but the fungal portion will take 10-14 days for results.  He weighed 87 lbs. this morning [-1 since Friday].  So far, he's eaten 3 [small] jars of baby food today, which is progress.  Although, we just noticed he has a large [golf ball size] open wound on the inside of his left leg.  We're really starting to worry about his increased risk of infection with all of these open wounds.

Murdock 12/02/2011 - Back of Back Leg

Have I mentioned that Adam has an upper GI procedure tomorrow, so we're dealing with that too?  Since he's going to be put out, he'll need a driver so...I'm off to find a dog sitter for tomorrow since we still can't leave Murdock home alone yet.

Murdock 12/05/2011 - Inside left leg [thigh area]

Dear lord...please grant me strength!

Is the week over yet? [Murdock is SICK]

That moment this morning when my daughter [5 weeks & 5 days old] when tumbling off our ottoman hitting the chair and crashing to the ground [when I was supposed to be watching her]...that is when I knew I was officially over this week!

You see...it's just sucked!

Their is something big going on that I haven't blogged about.  Part because I've been busy, partly because I'm scared, but mostly because I've just been hoping that if I ignore it long enough it will go away.

It's Murdock.

He's sick.  Not just sick...he's been sick before.  But like sick, sick!

Before Jordyn was born we noticed a large bump under his right eye.  We let it go for a while, thinking it would heal on it's own.  Since then, we have been to Dr. Dotz three times.  Although unsure what it was, he was pretty convinced it would open, drain, and heal on it's own.  Now, almost two months later Murdock has probably a hundred bumps all over his body.  They are under the skin, but eventually break open.  He has lots of other symptoms too.  Increased temp, heart rate, sleep, urination, and thick drooling.  Decreased appetite [like none at all] and activity.  He's sleeping approximately 23 1/2 hours a day and struggles to get onto our bed or into the back of the SUV.  He's just plain sick and not himself.  This week he stopped opening his mouth altogether.  In the past two months, he's lost about 18 pounds; this morning he weighed 88lbs.  :(

So...our vet recommended we bring him to the Iowa State University where they specialize in Vet Med to have the specialists look at him.  Yesterday we spend 7 hours in the Dermatology Department where they tested blood and urine samples and took x-rays.  His x-rays looked great.  They heard a slight heart murmur and the blood work had some areas they wanted to pursue, but nothing that said what the specific problem is.

So...they had us come back to the hospital today.  I had to have Murdock in here at 7:30 am for an echogram to check out his heart and the valves around it.  The echo looked great, allowing them to put him under anesthesia for a few biopsies.  They placed his IV Catheter and Tracheal Tube, but they weren't able to open his mouth far enough for a biopsy.  We're all unsure why his mouth is unable to open and how it is related to the nodules at this point.  They did however get a biopsy from other areas.  The bacterial portion of the biopsy should be in Monday.  The fungal portion will take about two weeks.  Until then we're headed home with pain medication to hopefully take the edge off enough so he can eat.  If he hasn't eaten by tomorrow, Dr. Foster will call in a script for depression [to increase appetite...hopefully!].

At this point we have no answers.  We've set a financial limit and already went well over just to start finding the problem.  We haven't even discussed treatment options at this point.  Dr. Dotz wasn't kidding when he told us to plan for thousands.  We're really at a loss over what to do. He is practically our first child and we've had him for 3 years.  He is honestly the best dog I know; he's kind, loving, and gentle.  It makes me sad to think Jordyn may never know him.  One the other hand we've already spent more in testing than we did for all of our medical bills having Jordyn [and I thought that was a lot...ha!]  We're just not sure where to draw the line.  It's easy to say you would do anything for your pet, but when it comes down to it, how far can you really go?  This month is hitting us pretty hard with Murdocks many vet bills, Jordyn's hospital bills, Christmas, and me on maternity leave.   Let's just hope this isn't a glimpse of how 2012 is going to go...

We love you Murdock...feel better soon...we miss you!  Mama, Dad, & Little Sis