Doctor, Doctor

We are a big family. I love it. I cherish it. I pay for it. When a bug goes around, it's times three, sometimes times four or five. Thankfully we haven't experienced a times 6 yet.... yet.

After Disney, Wells had a rough night. He slept for about an hour and woke up crying. It really isn't his nature, but I was exhausted so I wasn't being as sensitive as Dad. Jordan went in and got him, and our long night of ups and downs began. 

It was odd.. He isn't a big crier, and he loves his sleep {just like his mama}. The next morning I had an appointment to do a weight check since he dropped off his curve from the 2 month appointment. 

At the doctor's office, Wells melted. He cried, and he cried. He would be soothed for a minute or two, but then he started again. It was alarming to myself and the nurse so she had Dr. Jeannie come in to check Wells. His poor right ear drum was trying to rupture from pressure. He was in so much pain and completely miserable. Thank goodness the other 3 kiddos were at home with Ms. Renae so I could focus on Wells. 

She gave him a shot of rocephin {OUCH}, and she asked me to feed him to see if he could calm down. He wouldn't nurse or take a bottle. I went home with two handfuls of syringes to feed him if he wouldn't nurse. Crazy that we went in for weight and left with a shot and a new feeding regimen. His weight was great, by the way. 

I had to take Wells in the next morning for a follow up appointment. He was doing so much better that we decided to go with an oral antibiotic. That worked until nap time. He had slept in a baby bouncer the two nights prior and each nap, but he was in such good spirits I laid him flat for the afternoon nap. Mistake. He woke up screaming 45 minutes later. I gave him Tylenol, and he was still screaming 30 minutes after that. We went back in for our second shot, which committed us to a third shot the next day. Poor guy. 

He's doing much better this week! Sweet boy, I am so sorry you got so sick. 

This week.... Let me back up... Last week, when I was at the doctor with Wells, Paisley got into an ant hill. She got a yellow blister in the center of a red circle on her foot {we assume it was an ant bite}. I didn't pop it because I thought that made it more prone to infection... I've now learned my lesson. Fast forward to this week, and the yellow is gone, but there's a huge blister. Saturday we popped it, and it was looking meaner with each day this week. 

I measured so I would have a reference.

We went to the doctor again Monday and got a prescription for Bactrim {P has an allergy to penicillin and cephalosporin}. Read about her first reaction here. We also got a topical cream that's like an 'extra strength neosporin.' 

The skin is starting to peel so something is at work in her little foot. 

Monday night, Mac had yellow gunk in his eye. I wiped it and the stuff returned, again and again. I assumed allergies, but I was wrong. {If you're keeping track that list is mighty long.} The next day after swim practice and the museum, his eye started turning pink. I had pulled more crusted gunk from his eye that morning, but I really didn't think any more of it. Well.... trusting my intuition once that eye turned pink, his eyelid drooped, and a mama friend's opinion: Mac has pink eye. 

Thank goodness I have the drops for it so Mac joined in the lineup of meds at nap and bedtime. 

Yesterday Jordan was home sick. He has a sinus infection in his face and chest. He's back at work today so either he realized rest doesn't really happen at home, or he's made a serious recovery. 

My turn, although I wish I could be spared... Before Disney, I had a mysterious bump on my bum. My brain is in so many places so I don't pinpoint symptoms or put them together until they start screaming. A few nights before I noticed the bum bump {ha}, I felt like I was coming OUT of my skin. I scratched, no relief. I tossed and turned. I was so exhausted that I would start to fall asleep and then the 'bugs crawling in my skin' feeling returned. I started to think I was having a reaction, and the last thing I had consumed was Bud Light Lime. No!! Not my Bud Light Lime!!! 

I had an appointment with my OB a couple days later and showed him the bump. It had a vertical line running through it as well as blisters on it. Lovely. He immediately knew it was shingles. Shingles?! How in the world??? Apparently you don't have to be 86 to get shingles. Yay, me. 

So last night... I noticed a strange red spot on the inside of my forearm. You have got to be kidding me, I thought. I took note of it's size, and this morning the red streak is slowly but surely making its way to the spot. 

I don't have a primary care doctor so I phoned a few places I had been referred. Since when does a doctor have to 'accept' a patient before they can be seen? All the places wanted me to make an appointment 3+ weeks away. I only call the doctor when I'm sick so it's odd to have an appointment for a meet and greet. Honestly, that's bogus to me. Clearly, I don't have time for this.... 

Turns out I had another round of valtrex to be filled at the pharmacy so I started that today. Fingers crossed all these issues in our house will leave as quickly as they came. 

We ask for His healing hands to be laid on our family, Amen!

as always,

ashley

Life In the Cast Lane

Please note the title of this post. I am pretty proud of my genius ;o) In all seriousness, here is what our life has been like with the spica cast.

First off, here's what we are dealing with here. This is a picture of the x ray from Mac's last orthopedic appointment. The (spiral) fracture is behind the staples in the cast.

Let me back up a bit... Paisley hadn't seen Mac- other than a quick facetime conversation- since school that day. I took her with me when Mac was being discharged. The first thing she did when she walked in his hospital room was run to the bed and try to climb in as she yelled 'Mac!! Mac!!' In return, Mac said, 'Sissy! I missed you!' She crawled on the bed but stopped at the cast. He was (is) apprehensive anytime someone got near the cast so he puts up a stiff arm and yells to stop. Paisley listened. That was a sweet twin moment. She had her brother back. Those were the first nights they ever spent apart, and Paisley looked in his bed and asked for him every.single.nap and night.

The first night home Mac cried for several hours. We had all gone to bed, and Jordan was with him in the den. My mom stayed in my room to be near the monitor should Paisley wake. We had juggled beds and who to put where so that Mac would be catered to and comfortable. We decided that an air mattress would support him while also molding to his awkward cast position.

We have all adjusted to the cast and it's monstrosity. It's pretty overwhelming. I was overwhelmed by the diaper changes and care of the cast. We were warned it would smell really awful before too long. Fortunately Mac's internet research savvy Mimi hopped on the issue at hand and found us great tips for keeping it sanitary. For one, we sponge bathe him every night. We can't wet the cast, but it's bound to happen so we dry it with the hair dryer on cold. We dry every spot of that cast. Then we use a makeup brush to apply a corn starch and baking soda mix. This method must be working because we are 24 days in without a stench.

Mac and Wells get sponge baths together.

Next we were concerned about his well-being. That's not such an easy fix. We've purchased and borrowed special pillows to support him. He can't sit up all the way, and laying down all the time is terrible. We prop his legs up with pillows and blankets to support the position of the cast. There's also the issue of skin breakdown so we rotate or adjust him at least every 2 hours. Now that we are a few weeks into it he's becoming more secure with laying on other surfaces. We've even managed to sit him up while one of us completely supports him in a chair. He loves it, and even though my arms and hands are asleep, I will hold him so that he can enjoy playdoh with his sisters.

The reality of the cast stinks. Honestly. We are blessed that he has had amazing care. We are grateful, but we are also living this reality. He's temporarily limited. He doesn't understand it. He fights it several times a day. Just last night he had an episode over not being able to get in the bath. He's cried and begged to get in the bath for a week now. It breaks my heart.

For the most part nights are rough... brutal. Mac wakes up screaming several times a night. I think it's pain and insecurity. Plus the fact that he can't move. When I say he screams, he literally belts out a shrill sound that wakes anyone who isn't used to it. He flares his arms and slaps his legs. He screamed so hard (6 hours) one night that he had no voice the next day. Nothing comforts him. In the midst of this, he has huge tears streaming down his face. I can't let him see that I am also crying. I can't do anything for my baby, and he hurts too badly to let me hold him. When I get too close he slaps me or pulls my hair. Nothing can calm him. I can't even accurately describe what these episodes are like. He does them until he exhausts himself and basically passes out.

This is pretty much the only way he will sleep for any length of time. He wants to be held. Mac is such an affectionate person, and the cast is awkward and heavy to hold. He often raises his arms and says 'hold you' to get quality cuddle time

.

If you know Mac, you know this isn't him. He is the sweetest, softest boy I've ever met. Sure, I'm biased, but it's also truth. He is a gentle, cautious spirit. He is so laid back. This child didn't walk until he was 20 months old because of his laid back nature. It's who he is. Seeing this tantrum he has displayed turns my stomach and melts my insides.

Jordan nor I can leave him for any length of time. When I'm able to sneak away for a shower or a quick errand, he asks for me constantly. Sometimes he starts an episode while I'm gone. (I refer to this behavior as an 'episode' because I'm not really sure what else to call it...) He asks for one of us in his presence at all times.

In all the lows, Mac still loves his cars. We love that he still wants to play :)

 When my dad visited recently, he walked outside with Mac for TWO HOURS. He later said his biceps felt like they had run a marathon. What a champion Paw Paw is for Mac's happiness. Because that sweet boy wanted to be outside. Mac was on cloud nine. LOOK at that smile!

We have the wheelchair, but it scares Mac. He isn't a fan, but we want to get him out when possible. Jordan proposed using our Britax stroller, and it actually works pretty well. He can't sit all the way back, but we support his back with blankets and pillows so he can be comfortable.

With a newborn who has to be fed every 3 hours, Mac turned every 2, Paisley who is trying to find her place in this picture, and LS who also has needs, we are pulled a million directions. I can't do the daily stuff by myself. It isn't fair to me or any of the kids. Mac requires constant adjustments as well as his essential needs. One being the duty of making him eat and drink. Because he isn't active he doesn't have an appetite. We are giving him supplements to help with his weight loss. We can put our whole hand down the torso of his cast now, and his rib cage sticks out over it. My chunky monkey has taken a hiatus, but he WILL be back.

This week Uncle Jeff has come to visit. Mac loves his 'Jeff'.

My mom has been here every chance she could. She has taken loads of vacation to be here to help cook, clean and keep the kids. She never hesitates to change a diaper or scrub a toilet. I can't thank her enough. 

Mimi spent a week with us after the incident. She prepared dinners and stayed with the kids so I could run an errand or pick up and drop off Lilly Scott at school. My dad and Uncle Jeff were also huge help with school travel. 

Our friends and family have brought meals for us. We SO appreciate this blessing as eating is the last thing on my mind. It has been so helpful that the kids could be nourished when I am unable to complete a thought.

We go back to the orthopedist January 20.

Hopefully we will have the cast off sooner rather than later.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Most importantly, thank you for praying.

-ashley

Mac's Break :o(

This is the story of Mac's first broken bone. I'm writing it for our memory and so that Mac can read about what he went through at such a young age.

I took Mac and Paisley to Mother's Day Out about 9:30 on Thursday, December 12, 2013. I went home to grab our Angel Tree gift bag and left Wells with Mimi (Jordan's mom) to drop it off the bag and run other errands. As I drove passed the school, my phone rang. It was MDO. I tried to answer, but my phone wouldn't so it went to voicemail. It was odd to get a call from them so I decided to stop. As I pulled in I listened to the voicemail that Mac had hurt his leg in the classroom, and he was upset. I initially sent a friend in to check on him to prevent adding to his stress, but my gut told me to go in also.

As I walked down the hallway toward the gym I heard Mac crying. I knew this wasn't  'normal'. Mac's teacher handed him to me, and the teachers were brainstorming on what happened. I was told it was probably a twisted ankle and shown how Mac was found on the floor. I left
Paisley there to take Mac to the pediatrician because he was clearly in a lot of pain.

Mac squeezed my neck so hard for fear I would put him down. I carried him to the car and placed him in the car seat. I called the pediatrician to verify they would see us. We were on our way.

I watched him in the car to see if I could figure out the severity of his 'ankle' injury. I noticed his left (injured) foot wasn't propped on the seat like the right foot. He also screamed each time we went over a bump in the road. He sobbed the entire way to the doctor's office.

When I would pick up or carry Mac, I would protect his ankle- shielding it from bumps and any additional harm. When he sat in my lap and I stood, he would scream and squeeze my neck. Looking back I can see why.

The pediatrician did an overview of his leg.. feeling joints, his skin, looking for swelling, etc. By his lack of startled response when she touched his ankle, I assumed he was fine. She left the room for a bit, and Mac couldn't keep his eyes open. Of course now I know his body was in shock.

When she came back, she had me touch on his leg to see how he'd respond. He didn't react until she had me place my hand behind his thigh. From his snoring slumber, Mac sat straight up and screamed. My heart broke. What was wrong?!

We were sent to the imaging center for an x ray. Jordan met me there so I could go pick up Paisley, put her down for a nap and feed Wells. While I was nursing Wells, Jordan called. He was crying hysterically and could hardly utter the words 'Ashley, he has a broken femur. He has to have emergency surgery.' I burst into tears and could not hold my composure. Mimi took the phone from me and listened to the details. Once I caught my breath I called the pediatrician (we were supposed to go back after the x ray to have them read it) to see what we should do.

Dr. Jeanie was on the phone with a colleague in the TC Thompson ER telling him we were on our way. They wanted to call an ambulance, but we were able to keep his leg stable in the car seat so Jordan took Mac to the children's hospital.

I packed a bag for Wells and me because I would be staying overnight with Mac. I couldn't gather my thoughts or wrap my head around what had happened. I couldn't even comprehend what I needed to throw in my bag. The sick feeling in my stomach when I heard the news about his femur still makes me cringe.

Wells and I walked into the ER, and they immediately let us back to see Mac. I found him surrounded by an x ray team to get more pictures of his leg. I felt like the world was spinning around me as I stood still trying to gather my thoughts.

The splint on his arm was holding his IV in place. They were administering pain medications through his IV.

They got pictures, we talked to several doctors and waited to find out when he would have surgery. We were escorted to see his x ray, and I couldn't believe my eyes. He had a spiral fracture down his femur.

We opted for surgery first thing the next morning so that Mac could eat and drink. He hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning. He was hurting, scared, hungry and thirsty- Absolutely miserable to watch.

We were transported to a room where we would spend the next few days. My poor baby couldn't understand, and I wanted to switch places with him every second.

Mac was in so much pain and hardly ate anything. Our friend brought him a smoothie, and he ate part of it. Once admitted and in the room he was on fluids until midnight. His procedure would take place at 7am Friday morning.

As soon as my mom heard the news, she dropped everything at work and came immediately. She lives 2 hours away so Mimi stayed until she could get there. My friend Tedra picked Lilly Scott up from school, and I had Wells with me. We are lucky to have such support that comes to help as soon as we need.

Jordan stayed the night with Mac. I went home but came back at 6am the next morning. Someone took all of us to the pre operation area where we met the orthopedist, anesthesiologist and nursing team. The world was still rapidly spinning around me, and my strength was fading quickly. I never let Mac see me cry, but I lost it when he wasn't around.

They wheeled my baby to the operating room, and he was crying and screaming for 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' until we couldn't hear him any longer.

The 'surgery' was not invasive as we were originally told. They had to put him to sleep, intubate him, set his bone and put on a SPICA cast.

We were called as soon as it was finished, and we met him in recovery.

Once we were taken back to our room, he started vomiting everything he had on his stomach.

The heart break continues.

We stood staring at this massive cast. It was overwhelming to read the pamphlet about how to care for him in the cast, his limitations and knowing he didn't understand any of it.

 Mac was given morphine around the clock, and about 20-30 minutes before it was due he would sob and scream from pain. This happened for 24 hours. He couldn't relax enough to sleep more than a few minutes at a time. He had nausea medication in the recovery room, but he still vomited. This is a picture of a 5 minute nap. He was utterly exhausted and in intense pain. God was with me because the strength required to hold it together in front of him was nothing but spiritually given.

Mac is such an affectionate child who loves to be held and cuddled. He kept asking to be held by saying 'hold you' and reaching his arms toward you. The picture below was after he was sick so I put a cold washcloth on his forehead while Jordan held him.

This picture has two amazing people in it.

Mac had congestion from the anesthesia and his throat was raw from the intubation. He was so weak he couldn't cough up the mucus so we had to suction him. Then he vomited afterward. This cycle was all day Friday. :o(

Friday evening we were interviewed by hospital personnel, police and child protective services. In this type of break, it is the law to follow through with the family. Repeating the pieces of the story I had was draining. Then I'd look over at Mac and crumble inside.

We rented a new car seat, started the search for a reclining wheel chair and learned diaper changing and bath routines.

In this horrible event, we had incredible care at TC Thompson. We are blessed to live near this hospital. Mac received the best care we could imagine. We thank everyone on his treatment team.

Saturday afternoon we were on our way home to begin a new journey.

We have been surrounded by God's grace, friends and family and prayers. Thank you so much for lifting him up to the Creator.

It is my hope to continue to update Mac's condition here. I am already 2 weeks behind. Imagine that.

-Ashley

Our Bubble Has a Leak

We battled a yucky virus a couple weeks ago. All three kiddos had it. I kept seeing red bumps on Paisley that looked like ant bites. I turned her room upside down looking for ants, but I couldn't find anything. Then the 'bites' became blisters... I called our pest control service several times about this, and they were trying to work us in for a spray. 

Meanwhile, LS complained of a stomach ache that morning before school. She crawled in my bed, and I decided to take her temperature. Surely enough, it was 101.4. That was a winning ticket to stay home.

Later that morning, while Lilly Scott was sleeping in my room, I found fresh bumps on Paisley... on her hand! I was almost a wild woman looking for ants... Then I decided to call the doctor. Mother's intuition, perhaps..? 

Well, well, well, there's a thing called 'hand, foot and mouth,' and it got to my dumplings-- ALL THREE of them. I woke up LS and we headed to the doctor for confirmation of this virus. LS was tested for strep because her throat was so red. Fortunately she was strep free and was diagnosed with an older version of the virus. 

We stayed home for the next day. LS returned to school two days after the appointment because she was fever free for over 24 hours, whew. 

M and P didn't act bothered by their temperament, but they refused to eat and drink. That was scary, especially with our history of weight checks. One night Paisley had a throw up marathon, but she was able to rest most of the night in our room. 

She was on the mend by the end of the week..

 ... and Lilly was back to her camera friendly self

 We made cupcakes to celebrate good health! 

I've learned that what looks like a bite doesn't always have to be that... and this virus is rough and way too contagious. I've read that it can be contagious for a few weeks because it can show up in stool. Good thing we have sewage. Now, sadly, two of Lilly Scott's friends have this virus... She was contagious the day before the fever spiked. Like I said, our bubble has a leak. 

as always,

ashley

Random Ramblings & GIVEAWAY!

Hey, y'all! Good afternoon! 

Before the one year photo shoot with Studio D, we went to get balloons for a prop. Lilly Scott was kind of trapped.

Mac got his first bite last night. It wasn't Paisley. I know it happens, but it doesn't make it any easier on either set of parents :o(

 We had our one year check up today- They're doing great! This time last year we were taking them in for weight checks, crazy!

Two week olds at Dr. Steph's

Today- healthy and growing! 

Mac weighs 22#8 and is 29.5" long. 

Paisley weighs 19#2 and is 29" long.

{Click here for yesterday's post on their first year}

Now for the GIVEAWAY... I would love to know who reads and follows us so I wanted to do this for you! 

I am so excited to partner with my friend, April, at Cuddle Bug Gifts. 

We want to give you an appliqué shirt/onesie for your little one!

We will use rafflecopter to give us a winner.

How to enter:

- comment with your name and email address {and anything else you want to share with us} at the bottom of this post

- 'like' April's page on Facebook 

- share this post! 

Once the giveaway has ended {Thursday, September 6}, the winner will be announced. The lucky winner can choose an appliqué from one of these precious designs: 

And last but certainly not least, can I tell you how much I love seeing these magnets on my fridge? Even though M and P are a year old now, I still can't believe I have kids!

Happy trails!! What are you doing for Labor Day weekend??

-ashley

As Promised

A couple of weeks ago Carsen and Bailey came to spend the week with us. It was in the middle of Paisley's penicillin reaction, and I was so thankful to have them here to help! They jump right in and love on Lilly Scott, Mac and Paisley. Thank you for loving them, C and B!

I shared about P's initial penicillin reaction here, and it actually got worse! We were putting the nuggets in the car, and I noticed Paisley had no wrists and barely any ankles. I remembered Dr. Stephanie saying swollen joints was a possibility, and I called her immediately. Before I could take her to their office {as opposed to the ER}, I was told to monitor Paisley's breathing and look for signs of airway struggle. {WHAT?! How unnerving this was?!!!} Fortunately she was breathing well so we headed to the pediatrician's office. 

Her skin was actually healing pretty well, as you can see in this picture. She and Bailey were blowing raspberries.

 Carsen and Mac were being silly... it makes the time go much faster.

 Paisley was seen and given a prescription for oral steroids. Poor girl. Thankfully the steroids worked quickly, and she was getting back to her norm before our weekend of traveling. 

{Click here to read about it.}

Earlier that day, I went to see Amy at Hair Junkie Salon. I was in desperate need of something. Drying my hair was tedious {even if my hair wasn't washed daily and wearing it in a ponytail 24/7 gets old}. I've always said that if I have long hair, I need to actually wear it down occasionally. I wasn't holding true to that mindset so it was time for a change!

I love it! Thanks, Amy!

I had to share a funny... I asked Jordan to take this picture of a dress to see if it worked for a wedding, and look what else he captured :o)

 Have I posted this pic before?? I need some ginseng or something because my memory is about kaput these days. I ask the same question or tell the same story back to back-- and I have no recollection of doing it the first time. Does pregnancy brain ever go away? Or does it automatically become mommy brain once the baby (or babies) is born..? Whatever it is, I have it. 

Random note- Paisley's top tooth is through the gums! There's another one right behind it!

Back to the birthday crafts!! I am SO SO SO excited to put all of this planning, shopping and crafting to fruition! I promise you lots {and lots} of pictures!

Will I really have one year olds in 5 days???? 

If there's one word to sum my emotions up, it's bittersweet.

as always,

ashley

Performance, Family and Penicillin

Lilly Scott had her weekly camp performance last week. All of the campers perform dances and acrobatics they've worked on during the week. It's stinking cute, I tell ya!

 Paisley and Mac always love watching the kids. Paisley was admiring Lilly Scott's trophy.

After the show, our friend Emory came to play.

 On Friday, Mimi and Geep brought Aunt Lynn to visit us! We went to the Public House, which was absolutely delicious! Afterward, Mimi, Aunt Lynn and I walked around Warehouse Row while Jordan and Geep took the kids home for naps. Lucky kids, they napped and got clothes... :o)

 

We started out with fried green tomatoes topped with a special shrimp salad. For my meal, I got an amazing bacon and pimento cheese burger with home made shoestring fries. So. good...too good to splurge like that often :o)

 

Saturday our favorite cousins came! Carsen and Bailey are here to spend a few days with us, and we are so excited! So far we've worked on birthday party crafts, watched the Olympics, and ventured to Moe's for $6 burrito night! {Pictures to come!}

 Sunday Uncle Jeff came to visit!! He took LS to see Ice Age 4. We took Paisley and Mac to the doctor. P has run a fever in spite of the antibiotic she's taking, and Mac has been pulling at his ear. We learned that both have active ear infections. We switched P to a different antibiotic and were told the bumps that had appeared were likely a viral rash. The fever could have been either. Mac started an initial dose of antibiotic.

 After the first dose of the new antibiotic and a nap, Paisley started sprouting new red bumps...

 ...face... arms... legs...

 We gave her benadryl at bedtime and took turns checking on her. At first the benadryl seemed to work, but as the night went on, the bumps got worse... and worse. 

This morning, she woke up like this:

 WHAT?! 

Poor girl!! I planned to take her to the doctor this morning anyway, but this was awful! We were at the pediatrician at 9 am and were immediately put in a room. Paisley looks pitiful, but her temperament really is pleasant. 

Even as we were at the doctor, the spots started down her neck. We are relieved to have an answer: Paisley is allergic to penicillin and probably cefdinir {the antibiotic she was put on yesterday}. So we are taking her off all medicines to give her sweet skin a chance to heal. Fortunately, her ear infection is improving also. Weighing our options, we need to let her heal without any medicines going into her little body. 
Here's a picture of her tonight-

Please pray for our Paisley Grace. She does well during the day, but at night she's pretty fussy. I can't imagine how itchy or burning this may be, and I wish she could tell me how to make her feel better. Until then, I'll continue to hold her and appreciate that being in my arms is such a comfort to my sweet PGA. :o)

Let's also hope that Mac doesn't have a reaction...

as always,

ashley