New Hairdo and a New Ride

Yesterday, I finally got to take Andrea to get a haircut. I've been debating it for weeks . . . I really wanted to let her hair grow out, but at the same time, it was getting so messy-looking. It didn't help that when she went for her first haircut 7 months ago, the lady layered her hair and trimmed the edges oddly, so it grew out all uneven!


But this time, we got someone who knew what a little girl's haircut should look like! She gave Andrea an adorable little bob, with nice, rounded edges, so I should be able to let it grow out long from here.


Andrea was SO good! I was nervous, because 7 months ago, she screamed the whole time. This time, she just wanted to play with everything. And when she saw herself in the mirror, she said "Oohhh . . ." and had a great big grin on her face. So, I take it she approves of the new look. :))

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Today, Daddy cleaned up the little tricycle we got from a friend-of-a-friend, which Andrea has been anxious to play with all winter. She's a bit too little to pedal it all by herself yet, but Daddy figured out that the slope of the driveway, combined with our friend, gravity, makes for an entertaining ride for Andrea!

On your mark, get set . . .

Go!

Hold on tight!

Biker Girl :))

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Here's a little video of Andrea coasting down our driveway on her tricycle:

http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p220/luvthosebooks/?action=view&current=TricycleCoasting20070429.flv

Discovering Ketchup

It's odd; you know, Andrea has had ketchup several times already, but tonight, she really seemed to enjoy it . . .

Would you like some hot dogs with that ketchup, Andrea? :))

She was literally scooping up handfuls of ketchup, and shoving it in her mouth! When she was done that, she would squish her hands together, to enjoy the texture, as well.

Then, she held her hands out to me and said, "Ooohhh, messy!"

Um, no kidding, my little darling! ;))

Andrea's Doing Better

Well, Andrea was released from the hospital on Saturday morning, and she's getting a little better every day.

She still has an inhaler and antibiotics to take, and she needs a lot of rest. She gets tired SO easily. She has two naps a day, and even gets exhausted in between those. She is also not eating very much yet, although we saw a slight increase in her appetite today. She still prefers milk, and that's it.

Daddy and I absolutely have to go back to work tomorrow, and it breaks my heart. If I had my way, I'd stay at home with her at least another week, to be sure she's fully recovered, and has her energy back. It SUCKS that we have to send her to daycare tomorrow--I feel so guilty about that. :((

Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers. May I request that you continue to pray for Andrea's full recovery, with no relapses? I am SO worried about sending her back to daycare tomorrow. The thought makes me sick. :((

Still in the Hospital :((

Well, poor Andrea is stuck in the hospital for yet another night. :((

Overall, she is showing signs of improvement. But last night, they had to put her on supplemental oxygen again, because her saturation went a bit low. So, now, the major criterion for her to be released is if she can go a night without supplemental oxygen; or, to quote the doctor, "if she suddenly starts doing cartwheels down the hallway" (which I really don't see happening!).

Therefore, we've got to pray that she won't need supplemental oxygen tonight--or we'll have to stay tomorrow, night, too.

This morning, Andrea was doing really well. In fact, she was so restless that I talked the nurses into removing her oxygen tubes from last night, and also removing her monitor, so she could run around the room. Unfortunately, we couldn't leave the room; they gave her an RSV test, and we have to wait for the results from that, before we know if she can be let out of isolation.

So, besides being cranky that she couldn't leave the room, she was playing a lot this morning, and seemed almost normal, except for a very yucky cough. But even that was good; her cough is getting loose, which means she's getting all the junk out of her lungs.

This afternoon, however, she was pretty worn out. She had a three-hour nap, and even after she woke up, she was still pretty tired and cranky for the rest of the day. She was sound asleep by the time I left, at 8:30 tonight. We had given her a bath, for the first time since being in the hospital. I thought she'd like it, but she was so exhausted that she whined the whole time, and like I said, fell asleep as soon as she was in her clean pyjamas.

Gram and Grandpa G. came up to visit again tonight. I had asked them to bring her a colouring book and some crayons, and in typical Grama and Grandpa style, they showed up with: 2 colouring books, crayons, a sticker book, a slinky, a whoopie cushion, a mini magna-doodle . . . LOL Andrea loved it. The new stuff definitely cheered her up a bit. :))

Well, that's it for today. Praying for NO supplemental oxygen tonight, and a negative RSV result, as well.

In the Hospital Again :((

Well, as some of you know, a lot has happened since the last post I put up. But here's the update for those of you who haven't heard.

Okay, so on Friday afternoon, Andrea didn't seem to be doing too badly, considering Rod had to bring her home from daycare at lunch time. This whole weekend, she had a runny nose and a cough, and the occasional bit of fever, but it didn't seem like anything too bad.

On Monday, she was okay at school, but within an hour of getting her home, she had a fever and was miserable all night long. Tuesday, same thing. Okay at school, and within an hour or so of getting home, she had a high fever and was miserable all night long. On Tuesday night, she vomited in her bed, too (a big, stinky mess).

Wednesday morning, she was coughing a lot, and coughed so much she kept making herself vomit. So, I kept her home from school, and stayed home with her. She spent most of the morning sleeping on me, on the couch. In the early afternoon, I had my re-re-scheduled OB appointment (didn't want to miss it again), so Rod took us; and Andrea seemed fine there. But after we got home, she went downhill again.

So, after Rod got home from work on Wednesday night, we took her to the walk-in clinic. She was coughing, feverish, and lethargic. She was working really hard to breathe again. They measured her oxygen levels there, and her saturation was borderline/low. She also had a high fever. They did another chest x-ray, and the doctor there said he suspected pneumonia. She also had some redness in her ears. Because she was labouring so hard to breathe, had such a high fever, and generally looked brutal, he called the hospital and got a direct admission for us (we got to bypass the ER wait, thank God!). He also decided to send us for an ambulance ride to the hospital, because he wanted her on supplemental oxygen, as her saturation was questionable.

Anyhow, it was past 8:00 p.m. by the time we got to the hospital, and Andrea was just exhausted. But, as per usual, she was so good about everything. They put us into a private room (woohoo!) in the paediatric ward pretty much right away, and Andrea was put on the supplemental oxygen (tubes that run over the ears, and under the nose). Then, came a series of doctors/nurses/paperwork etc., which meant Andrea would drift off to sleep, only to be woken up about 10 minutes later for some new, unpleasant thing: getting her vitals checked; getting a Ventolin mask; going down for an x-ray; seeing the doctor; getting hooked up to a pulse/oxygen saturation monitor; more Ventolin treatments; antibiotics; Tylenol; and so on.

Rod and I decided (although it broke my heart) that I should go home and sleep, and he would stay the night with her. I went back in the morning and spent the day with her, and he went to work.

The doctor (who didn't get into see Andrea until 11:30 p.m., because the ER was full of sick babies--thank God we got a direct admit!) said she has pneumonia, and also ears full of a fluid infection. He said that the virus she had last week, and this pneumonia, were two different things. He guesses her immune system was already weakened by the virus, so she was more susceptible to getting the pneumonia.

Anyway, all night and most of the day today were pretty much the same for Andrea. She would sleep for 5 minutes, wake up because of coughing (or be woken up by medical staff for various interventions) and scream for awhile, then drift off into a restless sleep. Talk about everyone being exhausted--especially poor Andrea!

The good news is, that her fever slowed down today, as the day progressed. She is not eating, but she is drinking some milk, so that's good. They were also able to take her off the supplemental oxygen tubes this afternoon, and that made her much more comfortable. She still has the pulse/oxygen monitor taped to her toe, but that doesn't seem to bother her. She also got an hour or two of GOOD sleep today (only a few wake-up cries). Later this afternoon, after that good sleep, she actually woke up and SMILED at me. I tell you, that was the best feeling ever, seeing that. She was also goofing around a bit tonight with Daddy, when he came to stay with her after work. Of course, that only lasted about an hour. She got worn out really fast, and was sleeping soundly when I left there at about 9:00 p.m. tonight.

We HOPE that she'll be released from hospital tomorrow, seeing as she improved this evening. She's still got a really bad cough, and is not eating/drinking much, but her oxygen saturation is better, and her little personality seemed to be returning to normal tonight.

Sigh.

Okay, Mommy needs to go get some rest now. Here's some pics I snapped of my poor baby when I went up to be with her this morning. I've got to say, I am so proud of her. As per usual, she's been so good, considering everything she's going through. The doctors and nurses think she's a sweetheart (which she is!). :))

Andrea Seems . . . Okay (?)

When Rod brought Andrea home from daycare, she was acting the same as this morning--active, hyper, and happy!

He said they gave her a dose of Tylenol at 11:30, and that seemed to help.

Her breathing is the same as this morning, too--a few coughs, but just like a usual cold.

I took her temperature a few minutes ago, and it was normal.

Hopefully I was right, and Andrea just overdid it a bit this morning. She's napping right now; hopefully, she'll get a good, long rest.

I guess we'll just keep her at home, and fuss over her a bit this weekend. It's so weird how kids have sudden ups and down in their health. (?)

Wishful Thinking!

I just got a call from daycare--Rod is going to pick up Andrea. Her temp. is 101, and she is just laying around crying.

I called my doctor and rebooked my appointment again, so I can be here to take care of her.

But really all I am worried about is that fever means infection, and maybe she IS getting really sick again. I hope she's just had a fever spike because she overdid it this morning, and needs to have a rest.

I'll keep you posted . . .

Another Hospital Visit :((

We have been having a rough week around here. Andrea and Mommy have had a cold all week; something Mommy ate on Tuesday made her so sick that she was up all Tuesday night, and had to leave work early on Wednesday; on Wednesday night, Andrea was up coughing all night with her cold, which meant we were awake all night too; and early Thursday morning, we had to take Andrea to emergency, because she was labouring so hard to breathe! Ack!

Yesterday morning was really scary. Andrea sounded like she did when she had RSV, about 6 months ago. She was crying and choking and wheezing, and her breathing was very rapid. This time, though, she didn't have a fever. Still, it seemed like she was having an asthma attack, so we brought her to the ER.

Thankfully, the ER was EMPTY. I think there was only one other person there, and he had already been assessed, so they took us right away. They put Andrea into a pediatric ER room, and gave her some supplemental oxygen to hold up to her face until the respirologist and doctor came to look at her. The oxygen wasn't in a mask this time; we just held a tube up to her face. Andrea discovered that if she stuck her finger in the tube, the air would whoosh out really hard, so that amused her for a while. She was also putting the tube in her mouth, ears, eyes, and hair, to feel the breeze!

We ended up having to stay there until about 11 a.m. (4 or 5 hours total), but they had been saying they might admit her, so we were glad they didn't have to do that. In the course of that time, Andrea had three Ventolin mask treatments, a dose of liquid Pedia-Pred, a fluid IV (which she HATED), some blood tests and a chest x-ray. They said there was nothing worrisome in her chest (no pneumonia or infection), but that it looked tight, and was probably due to her cold virus.

The nurses and respirologist were great. They kept bringing her stickers to keep her occupied, ever time she got mad about not being able to walk around (because of the IV). Besides that, Andrea was really cooperative--even they said she's the one baby out of ten who would tolerate everything they did to her! She's such a good girl. :))

Anyway, we brought her home, and I stayed home with her yesterday afternoon. She was still breathing really rapidly, but the wheezing was better. She would play around for a while, then wear herself out and get clingy, and cuddle with me on the couch for a bit. Then she would be up and at it again! I wanted to tell her to rest, but little ones just don't understand that.

I had a Ventolin puffer that I was giving her very two hours; she also has two more doses of Pedia-Pred to take (one a day), and the orange steroid inhaler again (twice a day), on top of the Infant Tylenol Cold. We also bought a cool mist humidifier (the nurses recommended it). We set it up in her bedroom. I think it really helped, because Andrea napped pretty well yesterday, and only woke up once last night.

This morning, Andrea seemed to be her usual self. After I gave her all her meds, she only coughed every now and then, and her breathing seemed normal. She still has the runny nose, but that's just from the cold. We decided to send her to daycare, because she was running all over the place and seemed fine, plus I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon that I had rescheduled from Wednesday, when I was sick. So here I am, getting caught up on a few chores (and maybe a little sleep, later) while I have the chance. Today is a PD day, which I should be attending, but I would have had to leave early to go to my appointment anyway, and I want to be available in case the daycare calls . . . sigh.

Please let next week be much better!

Easter Sunday

Andrea woke up to find the Easter Bunny had left a trail of chocolate eggs outside her bedroom door, leading to her basket in the living room. He left a bag hanging on her doorknob so she could collect them. http://media.putfile.com/Egg-Trail

When she spotted her basket and her presents, she was so happy! The Easter Bunny had brought her an Alphabet Pal, very similar to the one she likes to play with at Izzy's house. She had fun with that right away, doing actions to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (which we didn't know she could do!) and repeating letter sounds the toy made. http://media.putfile.com/Alphabet-Pal

She also got lots of bracelets, necklaces, and hair accessories. Andrea loves her "Bling!"

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After attending Mass and having a nap, we got ready to go to Great Gama Market's for dinner. Andrea looked beautiful in the dress and hat Grama Marty had altered for her when we visited Montana in August.

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Andrea wasn't the least bit shy at Great Gram's. She happily made the rounds, visiting with one person, and then another, and toddling around as she pleased. She and Aunt Cindy played peek-a-boo together on the floor for a bit.

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Overall, she was quite the little charmer, and went from one person to the next, spreading smiles. I think Andrea really enjoyed Easter this year. :))

Easter 2007: Thursday and Good Friday

We are having a fun-filled Easter weekend so far, with lots going on, so I'll tell the story in pictures. :))

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On Thursday, at daycare, the kids did a Hop for Muscular Dystrophy. Each of them got a pair of bunny ears, and a colouring book for participating. They also made Easter baskets, and got lots of goodies from their teachers and friends. Andrea's basket had some bubbles in it, that she and Daddy played with before bed.

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Today (Good Friday) we went to Uncle Marc and Aunt Kathy's house for an Easter party! First, Gram and Grampa G. stopped by to pick us up, and give Andrea her Easter present.

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Then, we went to Uncle Marc and Aunt Kathy's. When we got there, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Tony had an Easter present for Andrea, too. They got matching shirts for Andrea and Izzy!

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Next, Andrea and Gram did a craft together. They painted a wooden Easter basket scene, that we can keep, and hang up as a decoration. They did a great job!

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After a BBQ lunch and some dessert, there was a draw for a squares game we played. Andrea won second prize! She got some money for her piggy bank.

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Next, it was time for the Easter Egg Hunt! We went out into Aunt Kathy and Uncle Marc's yard, and Grampa helped Andrea find the eggs. It was a lot of fun! Andrea got lots of great treats, and she loved the multi-coloured eggs.

Thanks Aunt Kathy and Uncle Marc, that was a great party! We had so much fun!

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Oh, and one last thing . . . Andrea discovered the magic of the Whoopie Cushion.

Everyone said she was "making Daddy proud."

This video says it all.

http://media.putfile.com/Andreas-Whoopie-Cushion

Miscellaneous Pictures

This first picture was one Gram G. took of Andrea, after her bath, when they were babysitting her a week or so ago. Andrea has recently become fascinated with the little girl in the mirror!

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Andrea also LOVES her cowgirl boots. She carries them out and declares, "Boots--on!" and Mama has to put them on Andrea's feet. She will wear them for as much as an hour at a time! I think they are fun for her to walk in, because they feel different on her feet than regular shoes. (Oh, and another favourite thing--making a mess!)

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Andrea also loves stickers! The other day, she got into our entertainment unit, and took the stickers for the blank VHS tapes, and pasted them all over her face. (Of course, Daddy aided and abetted her in this!) The picture below shows how Andrea looked after we got home from the restaurant the other night. She and Daddy broke into the sticker package before we left the restaurant, with amusing results. :))