The night of my monkey's first steps!
Look at all my teeth! I'm still drooling & teething like crazy!
I'm loving my books!
And, I had to throw this one in! This was at grandmommy's house a few weeks back! :)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
you gotta put one foot in front of the other!
Yesterday, March 26, 2010...exactly 7 days before her first birthday...Hadley took her FIRST steps!! I was so excited that I was there to witness it. Unfortunately, I was the only one home at the time, but Jeremy got to see later on. :) She's been really stable & balanced for a long time, and I honestly think she could have walked earlier...but with all of her ear issues & everything I think it's taken her longer. Yeah, yeah, I know what all of you out there are thinking. Most babies don't walk until after they turn one! BUT...you don't know My Hadley! She was crawling at 6 1/2 months & pulling up at 8 months. I seriously think that all of the fluid on her ears made her dizzy & her balance was off. Anyway, I guess we'll never really know one way or the other, and that is just fine with me! :)
The night of my monkey's first steps!
Look at all my teeth! I'm still drooling & teething like crazy!
I'm loving my books!
And, I had to throw this one in! This was at grandmommy's house a few weeks back! :)
The night of my monkey's first steps!
Look at all my teeth! I'm still drooling & teething like crazy!
I'm loving my books!
And, I had to throw this one in! This was at grandmommy's house a few weeks back! :)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, & TUESDAY
2:00pm Friday
I headed back to the hospital. I picked up a grilled chicken sandwich and a water from Chick-Fil-A. It was a GORGEOUS day!! The sun was shining. All I could think about was…we were supposed to help Chrystal & Sydney Anne with their pictures at Jasmine Hills and we were supposed to go to the zoo today!! I decided that this beautiful day was too good to waste, so when I got back to the hospital I asked if we could take Hadley outside to enjoy a little sunshine. Our sweet nurse, Leanna, got “special permission” to take us!! Hadley was so excited. Leanna, mom, Hadley, and me headed out! On our way down the elevator, the hospital issued a “code pink!” They thought we were trying to steal Hadley! Ha! The nurse explained, and everything was ok, so we still got to go outside. After we got back up to the room, my mom went home for a break. She was coming back later that night to relive me…and she was spending the night with Hadley! WHAT A BLESSING!!!
Friday evening we had lots of visitors! Again, Hadley was thrilled to see everyone! She even got to see Baby Sam Dudley, and she was SO excited! She adores children! Jeremy & I took Hadley for another wagon ride around the hospital. Hadley has so much fun in that wagon, and she goes crazy every time she gets inside!
8:00pm
My mom & dad both came back up. Jeremy & I were there…Hadley was asleep, and we had just been praying & thanking God…for taking care of us…taking care of Hadley…and thanking him for continuing to show us HIS grace & mercy! Lord continue to draw us close to you!!
We left the hospital around 8:15 or so. It was a strange feeling for me…I had a lot of guilt. When I got home, I walked into Hadley’s nursery. I could still smell “her smell.” I almost broke down. SHE should be here. I SHOULD be with her! Lots & Lots of guilt…but, I think the Lord is teaching me to rely on him. He’s teaching me to put away my pride & to be humble…to allow other people to help me. I can’t stand not feeling like I’m in control (obviously I’m never in control…God is, but sometimes I like to think that I am). The Lord is teaching me lots of lessons, and I’m thankful & praising HIM!!
7:00am Saturday morning
I wake up feeling the most rested I have felt in WEEKS!! I could not believe I had slept so late. Jeremy had already gotten up, showered, and was almost ready to leave for Birmingham. I have no idea how I slept through the alarm clock & all of that. I jumped up & showered…make up on…hair dried & straightened…and I was ready in 30 minutes!!! I couldn’t believe I’d done it that quickly. I guess it’s a lot faster when you’re not taking care of a little munchkin & getting the munchkin ready too!
8:00am
I get to the hospital. My dad was already there with my mom. He brought us coffee & bagels from Panera. YummO!! I was so excited to see Hadley. Fortunately, she had slept a little better than she did the night before. Mom said that she was awake from about 1:00-2:30am. I’m just thrilled that she wasn’t awake all night long!!
8:30am
We take our first wagon ride of the day! All the sweet nurses and doctors just Oooo & Aww all over her, and of course, I love to hear it! J Mom & dad leave after the wagon ride & I put Hadley down for a little nap.
9:00
Dr. Simon comes in. I ask him a million questions…including…how do they know when the infection is better? Is there any way that we can leave sooner than 5 days? Obviously I don’t want to leave before my monkey is all better, but if she IS better, then we are BOTH ready to go!!! Dr. Knox, the ENT, said it was possible that we could be here for 7 days. I’m praying that this is not the case. Dr. Simon was honest with me and basically said there isn’t really any way that they know when the infection is gone. Any of you nurses or doctors out there have any light to shed on this? They cultured her ears when she had surgery on March 5th. I’m assuming they can’t do another culture of her ears unless the do surgery again, right?? I thought Dr. Simon was wonderful, and I appreciated him spending so much time trying to explain things for me.
11:45
Chrystal came to visit! She brought me Zoes’s for lunch! Delish!! I was excited to have some company. And, Mary came shortly after that! J TWO visitors! Mary brought us lots of fruit, snacks, and other goodies too. They were so helpful with Hadley. They helped feed her lunch and then after we went on another walk & wagon ride.
1:00
Hadley was ready for another nap, so our visitors had to leave. I can’t remember how long she slept. The afternoon was very long, but eventually we had more visitors. Yay! We are so happy to see people.
9:00pm
I leave the hospital. My amazing husband spent the night with Hadley, so I could try to get some rest at home.
Unfortunately, I didn’t rest well. I had been so anxious. I woke up Sunday morning with a very sick feeling. I was nauseated. I was anxious. I needed to put my trust in the Lord. I was driving to the hospital, and I was just wondering what the day would hold.
10:00am Sunday….
Nurse Amber comes in & tells us that we need to change Hadley’s IV out. I think this is why I had been so upset all morning. I knew this was coming. I don’t think I ever truly understood when parents said they wanted to trade places with their child, if they were hurting. This became reality for me today. I WANTED to be the one they were holding down. I wanted to be the one they would have to stick over & over again. I wanted my child to be able to run & play outside…not have to sit in this hospital.
10:30am
They take Hadley back for the IV. I can still hear her screams in my head. I was sitting in our dark hospital room with my sweet mom, and I could hear Hadley’s shrieks down the hall. I cried like a baby. Still, in my mind, I kept trying to tell myself…this COULD be worse. Other children have gone through so much worse. But, when it’s your child, it’s still hard. You still don’t want them to suffer any pain. It felt like they had her back there for hours. I was getting really worried. They had told me before that it was possible that they might have to put the IV in her foot. This means no more walking around the hospital. This would mean that she would have to get used to an entire new IV site. She hates to keep socks on her feet!! How was I going to keep an IV inside her foot?!!
11:15am
They finally bring Hadley back to me. Thanks be to God!!!! They were able to put the IV in her other hand. I didn’t know it at the time, but they had to stick her 4 times before they finally found this site. When we were discharged from the hospital, her little hand was just black & blue. This is not something you want to see on your almost one-year-old baby!!
The rest of this day was really rough. I think it had just been really emotional. I was tired. Hadley was tired.
Since we didn’t have Internet at the hospital, I tried to type most of what you read above in a word document so that I wouldn’t forget. I didn’t get to finish Monday & Tuesday, so these next few days won’t be quite so detailed.
Monday morning Dr. Glover was on call, and he came to check on Hadley. He told me that we would have to be in the hospital for 6 days. I was SO upset. On Thursday, Dr. Morrison told me that we would have to stay for five 24 hour periods…this would mean that we could leave on Tuesday, so when Dr. Glover said 6 days…I was thinking we would have to stay until Wednesday. I was devastated. I didn’t think that we could do it one more night. It was all so overwhelming to me. I was SO upset. Then I got to thinking…so many parents are probably begging God for one more night with their child…just one more night. And, here I was freaking out because I didn’t want to make Hadley stay one more night in the hospital. Throughout this entire experience, I’ve been trying to change my way of thinking. It’s been hard. It’s been challenging. I would most certainly say this has been one of my biggest trials. AND…it has most certainly changed my life.
The Lord tells us not to worry and to CAST our cares on him. I shouldn’t have worried. We were discharged from the hospital Tuesday morning at 9am! I wanted to run out of there as quickly as possible. Hadley was so happy!! I honestly think it was one of the happiest days of my life.TO ALL OF YOU who called, e-mailed, sent messages, visited, brought gifts, brought dinner, brought snacks…I am forever grateful to you. You will never know how much this has truly meant to both Jeremy & me. TO us…this was about Hadley. You were showing that you cared about OUR daughter. I honestly could never put in words how this has touched our lives. Thank you. A million times over…thank you! WE love you all!!
Just up from a nap! See my crazy hair!! :)
On top of everything...I'm teething like crazy! Hadley would just drool & drool all over everything!
On Friday, we got "special permission" to take Hadley outside! She LOVED it!!!
Cuddling with Nurse Leanna!
The sweet nurses gave Mr. Duck an IV too!! They didn't want Hadley to feel like she was all alone!
Cuddling with daddy
Nurse Michelle (on left) and Nurse Amber (on right)
With Nurse Amber
I wonder if I can make a break for it!!
I cannot say enough good things about ALL the staff at Baptist East...and I mean all of them!! This was the BEST bad experience of my life. The nurses were phenomenal! I loved each and every one of them, and hopefully we will get to visit soon!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Day One
Thursday Morning....
I wake up with the worst nightmare...two of the things I hate the most. I dreamed I was in the hospital, and they were drilling on my teeth!!!! Can we say stress dream or what?!
We woke up late. I was running around the house. Jeremy was running late for work. I was trying to get Hadley ready. Everything was a total wreck. :)
8:50
We arrive at Dr. Morrison's early. I thought I was going to stop by Chick-Fil-A & grab a chicken biscuit, but I was feeling nauseated, so I just decided to head over to the office. They call us back quickly. The nurse takes us back in the room and asks, "So why are y'all here?" I'm thinking...great question!!!!
9:10
We see Dr. M. He confirms that we need to go to the hospital right away. He said we had to go to his office because he had to admit Hadley & Dr. Knox could not.
9:30
We arrive at Baptist East. Erika is our admissions check-in lady, and she was FABULOUS!!! :) Super sweet lady. I really wish I had a picture of her. She gets all our our info, gives us our hospital bracelets, and tells us that our room will be ready shortly.
10:00
Still waiting...grandmommy bought Hadley the cutest Gund Puppy Dog. If you ask Hadley, What does a dog say...then she'll bark. So, grandmommy thought she really needed this puppy! :)
10:10
We see Kathy Gaston...the Quality Control Manager of Baptist East and a VERY close friend of our family. She gives us her work & cell numbers. I was very relieved to see her.
We get to the room & get settled in. At around 11:00 they take Hadley to put her IV in. I didn't want to watch. For 2 reasons...first, I didn't want to make Hadley more upset. Second, I didn't want to make the nurses nervous by hovering over them.
The nurses said that the room they were taking her to was close by, and I might be able to hear her screaming, so I went down to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I figured by the time I got back they'd be finished. And, sure enough, they were! :) They said Hadley was a trooper & didn't cry at all except when they were holding her down. BUT...when she saw me she starting crying & holding her little arm up...almost to say, "Mommy, look what they did to me!!!" Unfortunately, she has to be hooked up to her IV for 24 hours a day. This is a bit challenging with a VERY active almost one year old. I'm trying my hardest not to let her bite, chew, or pull it out. Hadley had a hard time napping yesterday. She only took 2 30 minute naps.
1:00pm Hadley finished her first dose of her medication. We noticed that her face started turning bright red and she was sweating. We called the nurse. They confirmed that this was "red man's disease." It's not really harmful (from what I understand), but they decided to give her the meds over a 2 hour period instead of a 1 hour period. Her red face is gone now. I wish I had taken a picture of it.
My mom was at the hospital most of the day with me yesterday. What a HUGE relief. I honestly don't know how I would have done it without her. She is amazing, and I'm grateful to the Lord for giving her to me. My dad left work early & came to the hospital too. This let me run home so I could do some last minute packing.
We had lots of visitors yesterday, and Hadley was SOOO excited to see everyone! She is such a people person, and it really makes her day to see a new face! :)
Of course, sweet Daddy came after he got off work, and he stayed until 9:00 last night. I honestly don't know what I would have done without him. He let me leave the room several times to have some breaks. That small hospital room gets even smaller the longer you are in there! Jeremy took care of our little Monkey while I got ready for bed...washed my face, brushed my teeth, etc. AND...he even gave me a foot rub. My feet and legs were so swollen last night. I'm not really sure why. It may be because I hardly sat down at all.
Anyway, I went to sleep right after Jeremy left around 9:00. Hadley gets her medicine in her IV every 8 hours. They came in at 10:00 to put the meds in her IV...of course waking me up, but Hadley slept. BUT...she woke up at 12:00 and would not go back to sleep. She wasn't fussing or crying, but she kept pulling up & walking around her crib. I was worried that she would mess with her IV, so after a while I put her in the bed with me. This was a horrible idea. We never sleep together so neither one of us is used to it. Finally, I put her back in her crib...well, I accidentally pulled her IV apart (not out of her arm though). I didn't realize it at the time, but blood was going everywhere. We called the nurse & she took care of putting the IV back together. This was at about 2:30am.
3:00am The nurse comes in to say that they need to do a baseline on Hadley. The medication they are giving Hadley can cause hearing loss or kidney failure. If I understand correctly, the baselines are done so they can monitor that this isn't happening. They took her blood before her meds & then again after her meds. My poor baby screamed & screamed. I left the room, so I'm not really sure if they were having to squeeze the blood out or what.
4:00am More IV meds. Finally, Hadley & I are both asleep. We sleep until 6:00 when her IV starts beeping to let us know that the meds are finished, and we call the nurse.
6:30 they do blood work again.
It was a very long and tiresome night. :) BUT...it's over, AND they don't have to do these baselines every night! Praise the Lord!! Dr. Trumble was on call this morning and he came by to check on us. He said that her baselines looked good, so that is a HUGE blessing!!!
Now, I'm at my mom's house. I'm washing all the bloody clothes from last night...taking a shower...blogging...and I hope I'll be able to take a nap (I always have a very difficult time falling asleep...day or night!). My precious mom is taking care of Hadley until I get back AND she is spending the night with her tonight! What a tremendous blessing. I'm so grateful. Jeremy is taking the night shift tomorrow night when he gets back from Birmingham, and after that, we'll be on the home stretch! :)
Thank you to everyone who has called, sent messages, texts, voicemails, brought food, sent gifts...I can never thank you all enough. It is very humbling to know that we have so many people who love and care about not just us, but our precious Hadley. Thank you SO much! We love you ALL!!!
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for YOU are my praise!
Jeremiah 17:14
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
All of these pictures are out of order...so if you want to start from the bottom & look up...that would be the better order of things. :)
This morning granddaddy came to visit me!! We are playing with the keys and cell phone that Aunt Joy gave me!
Sweet Friend!
Napping
More sweet friends! Hadley was THRILLED to see Syndey Anne!!
YAY! This feels a little more "normal." (can you see Hadley's hand in this picture?)
Playing with my singing duck & balloon from Pike County Board of Education
I wake up with the worst nightmare...two of the things I hate the most. I dreamed I was in the hospital, and they were drilling on my teeth!!!! Can we say stress dream or what?!
We woke up late. I was running around the house. Jeremy was running late for work. I was trying to get Hadley ready. Everything was a total wreck. :)
8:50
We arrive at Dr. Morrison's early. I thought I was going to stop by Chick-Fil-A & grab a chicken biscuit, but I was feeling nauseated, so I just decided to head over to the office. They call us back quickly. The nurse takes us back in the room and asks, "So why are y'all here?" I'm thinking...great question!!!!
9:10
We see Dr. M. He confirms that we need to go to the hospital right away. He said we had to go to his office because he had to admit Hadley & Dr. Knox could not.
9:30
We arrive at Baptist East. Erika is our admissions check-in lady, and she was FABULOUS!!! :) Super sweet lady. I really wish I had a picture of her. She gets all our our info, gives us our hospital bracelets, and tells us that our room will be ready shortly.
10:00
Still waiting...grandmommy bought Hadley the cutest Gund Puppy Dog. If you ask Hadley, What does a dog say...then she'll bark. So, grandmommy thought she really needed this puppy! :)
10:10
We see Kathy Gaston...the Quality Control Manager of Baptist East and a VERY close friend of our family. She gives us her work & cell numbers. I was very relieved to see her.
We get to the room & get settled in. At around 11:00 they take Hadley to put her IV in. I didn't want to watch. For 2 reasons...first, I didn't want to make Hadley more upset. Second, I didn't want to make the nurses nervous by hovering over them.
The nurses said that the room they were taking her to was close by, and I might be able to hear her screaming, so I went down to the cafeteria to get some lunch. I figured by the time I got back they'd be finished. And, sure enough, they were! :) They said Hadley was a trooper & didn't cry at all except when they were holding her down. BUT...when she saw me she starting crying & holding her little arm up...almost to say, "Mommy, look what they did to me!!!" Unfortunately, she has to be hooked up to her IV for 24 hours a day. This is a bit challenging with a VERY active almost one year old. I'm trying my hardest not to let her bite, chew, or pull it out. Hadley had a hard time napping yesterday. She only took 2 30 minute naps.
1:00pm Hadley finished her first dose of her medication. We noticed that her face started turning bright red and she was sweating. We called the nurse. They confirmed that this was "red man's disease." It's not really harmful (from what I understand), but they decided to give her the meds over a 2 hour period instead of a 1 hour period. Her red face is gone now. I wish I had taken a picture of it.
My mom was at the hospital most of the day with me yesterday. What a HUGE relief. I honestly don't know how I would have done it without her. She is amazing, and I'm grateful to the Lord for giving her to me. My dad left work early & came to the hospital too. This let me run home so I could do some last minute packing.
We had lots of visitors yesterday, and Hadley was SOOO excited to see everyone! She is such a people person, and it really makes her day to see a new face! :)
Of course, sweet Daddy came after he got off work, and he stayed until 9:00 last night. I honestly don't know what I would have done without him. He let me leave the room several times to have some breaks. That small hospital room gets even smaller the longer you are in there! Jeremy took care of our little Monkey while I got ready for bed...washed my face, brushed my teeth, etc. AND...he even gave me a foot rub. My feet and legs were so swollen last night. I'm not really sure why. It may be because I hardly sat down at all.
Anyway, I went to sleep right after Jeremy left around 9:00. Hadley gets her medicine in her IV every 8 hours. They came in at 10:00 to put the meds in her IV...of course waking me up, but Hadley slept. BUT...she woke up at 12:00 and would not go back to sleep. She wasn't fussing or crying, but she kept pulling up & walking around her crib. I was worried that she would mess with her IV, so after a while I put her in the bed with me. This was a horrible idea. We never sleep together so neither one of us is used to it. Finally, I put her back in her crib...well, I accidentally pulled her IV apart (not out of her arm though). I didn't realize it at the time, but blood was going everywhere. We called the nurse & she took care of putting the IV back together. This was at about 2:30am.
3:00am The nurse comes in to say that they need to do a baseline on Hadley. The medication they are giving Hadley can cause hearing loss or kidney failure. If I understand correctly, the baselines are done so they can monitor that this isn't happening. They took her blood before her meds & then again after her meds. My poor baby screamed & screamed. I left the room, so I'm not really sure if they were having to squeeze the blood out or what.
4:00am More IV meds. Finally, Hadley & I are both asleep. We sleep until 6:00 when her IV starts beeping to let us know that the meds are finished, and we call the nurse.
6:30 they do blood work again.
It was a very long and tiresome night. :) BUT...it's over, AND they don't have to do these baselines every night! Praise the Lord!! Dr. Trumble was on call this morning and he came by to check on us. He said that her baselines looked good, so that is a HUGE blessing!!!
Now, I'm at my mom's house. I'm washing all the bloody clothes from last night...taking a shower...blogging...and I hope I'll be able to take a nap (I always have a very difficult time falling asleep...day or night!). My precious mom is taking care of Hadley until I get back AND she is spending the night with her tonight! What a tremendous blessing. I'm so grateful. Jeremy is taking the night shift tomorrow night when he gets back from Birmingham, and after that, we'll be on the home stretch! :)
Thank you to everyone who has called, sent messages, texts, voicemails, brought food, sent gifts...I can never thank you all enough. It is very humbling to know that we have so many people who love and care about not just us, but our precious Hadley. Thank you SO much! We love you ALL!!!
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for YOU are my praise!
Jeremiah 17:14
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
All of these pictures are out of order...so if you want to start from the bottom & look up...that would be the better order of things. :)
This morning granddaddy came to visit me!! We are playing with the keys and cell phone that Aunt Joy gave me!
Sweet Friend!
Napping
More sweet friends! Hadley was THRILLED to see Syndey Anne!!
YAY! This feels a little more "normal." (can you see Hadley's hand in this picture?)
Playing with my singing duck & balloon from Pike County Board of Education
We call this baby jail! She actually doesn't mind her crib too much.
This is where we'll be living.
Waiting for our room.
Last moments of walking freedom....
Waiting at Dr. Morrison's
At Dr. Morrison's
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Great Ending to a BAD day!!!
DiAnna Paulk Photography has done it again!!! She has captured my precious angel...my pride & joy!! Thank you so much for these amazing images, Mrs. DiAnna! This was the perfect ending to a not so wonderful day! I can't wait to see all of the others!! :)
Monday we went to see Dr. Knox. He said (at that time) one of her ears was clear. I was very hopeful, but even then, a part of me just knew this story wasn't going to have a good ending. Today, we went back to Dr. Knox. He looked at her for literally 5 seconds and said that her ears had gotten worse since Monday and that she needed to be put in the hospital so they could give her the IV medication. We have an appointment with Dr. Morrison (our pediatrician) in the morning at 9:00am (why?? great question! someone please tell me why this is necessary!). I must say that I'm a little frustrated that this whole process has been drawn out. I feel like some sort of decision should have been made a lot earlier! If we had done the hospital route last Thursday, my sweet baby would be well & out of the hospital by now!!!
I'm not really sure what is going to happen tomorrow. I don't know if we'll be admitted to the hospital tomorrow or if there will be more waiting. I've been getting ready though...been to Target...doing laundry...trying to pack...making sure that I have the laptop...camera...video camera...and hoping I'm not forgetting something! Anyway, when we are admitted, we will be there for FIVE days!!! It should be a very interesting experience. I feel so blessed that we don't have to do this all the time. Thank you LORD for this trial. Through this all...I'm resting in the LORD. HE is the healer of all. I'm trusting & resting in HIM. I'm continuing to COUNT IT ALL JOY!!!!!!
Monday we went to see Dr. Knox. He said (at that time) one of her ears was clear. I was very hopeful, but even then, a part of me just knew this story wasn't going to have a good ending. Today, we went back to Dr. Knox. He looked at her for literally 5 seconds and said that her ears had gotten worse since Monday and that she needed to be put in the hospital so they could give her the IV medication. We have an appointment with Dr. Morrison (our pediatrician) in the morning at 9:00am (why?? great question! someone please tell me why this is necessary!). I must say that I'm a little frustrated that this whole process has been drawn out. I feel like some sort of decision should have been made a lot earlier! If we had done the hospital route last Thursday, my sweet baby would be well & out of the hospital by now!!!
I'm not really sure what is going to happen tomorrow. I don't know if we'll be admitted to the hospital tomorrow or if there will be more waiting. I've been getting ready though...been to Target...doing laundry...trying to pack...making sure that I have the laptop...camera...video camera...and hoping I'm not forgetting something! Anyway, when we are admitted, we will be there for FIVE days!!! It should be a very interesting experience. I feel so blessed that we don't have to do this all the time. Thank you LORD for this trial. Through this all...I'm resting in the LORD. HE is the healer of all. I'm trusting & resting in HIM. I'm continuing to COUNT IT ALL JOY!!!!!!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
ENT check-up
We went back to the ENT today for a check up. I had such high hopes. When we got there, Dr. Knox said, "Her ears are still draining?" Well...from what I had heard from other moms, I thought this would be "normal." Tomorrow will be her 1 week surgery anniversary. Apparently, Hadley has some sort of strange strep bacteria growing in her ears. They did a culture on the "stuff" they pulled out of her ears during surgery to determine what kind of antibiotics they could use to treat it. They put us on some drops. The problem is that her ears are draining so much that these drops aren't even reaching her ears. Dr. K cleaned out her ears today...it took 4 people to hold down my 11 month old child! I felt so sorry for her.
The only other antibiotics that will work are:
1. an antibiotic that they can't give to babies because it will harm the growth of their joints & bones.
2. the antibiotic that she is already on. We go back to the ENT on Monday. He is going to clean out her ears again with his "special" machine. Then we'll go back one more time. If her ears are still infected with this yucky strep stuff then we will have to do...
3. an antibiotic that can cause kidney failure. If we have to go this route, then Hadley will have to be placed in the hospital for 5 days with an IV & monitored 24 hours a day.
My question to all you nurses, doctors, mommys, or anyone else out there....how does this work? Does anyone know anyone who has ever had this done before? How do you keep an 11 month old confined to a hospital crib for 5 days? I don't know much about any of this so I feel like I don't even know what questions to ask. Are we waiting too long to treat this problem? Will this infection begin to cause hearing loss? At what point should I take Hadley to a speech pathologist? I feel like all the ear infections have already caused speech problems.
Again...I want to be clear. I trust our Almighty Father. I know He is taking care of Hadley. I'm so grateful that is this "only" an ear problem. It could be so much worse. Thank you Lord for covering my precious Hadley with your wings!!
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The only other antibiotics that will work are:
1. an antibiotic that they can't give to babies because it will harm the growth of their joints & bones.
2. the antibiotic that she is already on. We go back to the ENT on Monday. He is going to clean out her ears again with his "special" machine. Then we'll go back one more time. If her ears are still infected with this yucky strep stuff then we will have to do...
3. an antibiotic that can cause kidney failure. If we have to go this route, then Hadley will have to be placed in the hospital for 5 days with an IV & monitored 24 hours a day.
My question to all you nurses, doctors, mommys, or anyone else out there....how does this work? Does anyone know anyone who has ever had this done before? How do you keep an 11 month old confined to a hospital crib for 5 days? I don't know much about any of this so I feel like I don't even know what questions to ask. Are we waiting too long to treat this problem? Will this infection begin to cause hearing loss? At what point should I take Hadley to a speech pathologist? I feel like all the ear infections have already caused speech problems.
Again...I want to be clear. I trust our Almighty Father. I know He is taking care of Hadley. I'm so grateful that is this "only" an ear problem. It could be so much worse. Thank you Lord for covering my precious Hadley with your wings!!
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Surgery Day...March 5, 2010
SOME OF YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS....I'M JUST GIVING YOU FAIR WARNING.
I woke up this morning at 4:30. I guess I was just anxious about how everything would go. I had a hard time going to sleep last night too, but the Lord was gracious, and I didn't feel overly tired. I laid in bed until 5:00. The entire time I was getting ready I just prayed. I prayed that God would be glorified in today's circumstances, and I prayed for Hadley. I prayed that she wouldn't wake up until I had to get her out of her crib.
6:10 I woke Hadley up to put her straight in her car seat. She fussed just a tiny bit, but then she was smiley & happy! We listed to Praise Baby in the car on the way to the surgical center.
6:30 We arrived at the surgical center & signed in. They're very efficient there, and I cannot say enough good things about all of their staff! Every single person was warm & friendly...and this was at 6:30 in the morning people!!
6:35 They call us back to do insurance & paperwork. The lady was very nice & helpful. They had called me yesterday, and I had done most of this stuff over the phone, so they really just needed my signature on lots of things.
6:45 We went back into the main waiting room to wait for Hadley to be called to be prepped for surgery.
6:50 They call us back & ask us a million health questions about Hadley. They put her into a little hospital gown. It kinda broke my heart to see her in it. The entire time I just thought...some parents really have to deal with these horrible things ALL the time. All I could think was that, I was so grateful to our Almighty Father that we were only here for tubes. Count it ALL joy!!
7:30 Dr. Knox arrives. Yay! That means it was almost GO time! By the way...Hadley was happy and smiley the ENTIRE time!! I was so scared that she was going to be fussy & really upset because she wanted to nurse. Lord, thank you for answering my prayer!!
7:35 We go back into the main waiting room to wait for the surgery to finish. Jeremy & I drank some coffee. Again, as I looked around at all the people I was just so grateful that this was not a "normal" thing for us.
At this point...I kinda lose track of the times of things. They called us back into a small room with 3 chairs. We were supposed to have a briefing with Dr. Knox here. We waited. Finally, a nurse came to get us, and asked us to come back to the back. They had told me that Hadley might be a little fussy when she woke up. When I got back to where she was, she was screaming like I have never heard her scream before. She was jolting her body back & forth, and it was at this point that I started crying like a crazy person. I guess everything has just been so emotional...mixed with lack of sleep....equals one very crazy mommy! They told me that I needed to go ahead & nurse her, so they took us into this little room with a rocking chair & a bed. Hadley was still going nuts...screaming & jolting her body. I could barely contain her. I'm still crying. Hadley wouldn't nurse at this point.
Dr. Knox finally comes in. He says that her ears were so bad & there was so much puss. He said that her ears wouldn't stop bleeding & they had to do something special to them. They put some extra kind of drops in her ears to make the bleeding quit. He said this was painful & that she would probably be miserable for at least 2 hours. Dr. Knox also put her on more antibiotics because her current ear infections were so terrible. He asked me, "Has she been sleeping? Because the way that her ears were, it seems like it would be impossible." I just felt so bad. I felt bad that my precious child had to endure pain like that for so long, and I had no idea. Sure, Hadley is fussy every now & then, but overall, she is a very easy going baby. Most of you who really know her would agree with me...I think. :)
Finally, Hadley nurses, but she stops every few seconds with loud shrieking screams. I honestly wasn't prepared for any of this. We decide to go ahead & pack up everything & take Hadley home. She screamed the whole way. Once we were home, she settled down a little bit. She ate some breakfast, and then she fell asleep in my arms. I guess she slept for about 30 minutes. She played for a little bit, but she has mostly wanted to be held. Her ears have started draining puss & blood now. They told me that this would happen. They said I would need to come in on Monday morning if it was really bad, so I guess we'll see.
I'm so grateful to have had an overall good experience. Most of all, the nurses, doctors, and staff were amazing. When you're sick or you have a sick child, the last thing you want is someone who is rude. You know what I mean?
I'm so grateful to my heavenly Father for giving me a healthy child. I'm thankful that he's given us the ability to discover procedures like this to make our children better. Thank you Lord for all your blessings!! COUNT IT ALL JOY!!!
Hadley playing with Daddy in the waiting room.
Hadley waiting. Doesn't she look exhausted here?!
I woke up this morning at 4:30. I guess I was just anxious about how everything would go. I had a hard time going to sleep last night too, but the Lord was gracious, and I didn't feel overly tired. I laid in bed until 5:00. The entire time I was getting ready I just prayed. I prayed that God would be glorified in today's circumstances, and I prayed for Hadley. I prayed that she wouldn't wake up until I had to get her out of her crib.
6:10 I woke Hadley up to put her straight in her car seat. She fussed just a tiny bit, but then she was smiley & happy! We listed to Praise Baby in the car on the way to the surgical center.
6:30 We arrived at the surgical center & signed in. They're very efficient there, and I cannot say enough good things about all of their staff! Every single person was warm & friendly...and this was at 6:30 in the morning people!!
6:35 They call us back to do insurance & paperwork. The lady was very nice & helpful. They had called me yesterday, and I had done most of this stuff over the phone, so they really just needed my signature on lots of things.
6:45 We went back into the main waiting room to wait for Hadley to be called to be prepped for surgery.
6:50 They call us back & ask us a million health questions about Hadley. They put her into a little hospital gown. It kinda broke my heart to see her in it. The entire time I just thought...some parents really have to deal with these horrible things ALL the time. All I could think was that, I was so grateful to our Almighty Father that we were only here for tubes. Count it ALL joy!!
7:30 Dr. Knox arrives. Yay! That means it was almost GO time! By the way...Hadley was happy and smiley the ENTIRE time!! I was so scared that she was going to be fussy & really upset because she wanted to nurse. Lord, thank you for answering my prayer!!
7:35 We go back into the main waiting room to wait for the surgery to finish. Jeremy & I drank some coffee. Again, as I looked around at all the people I was just so grateful that this was not a "normal" thing for us.
At this point...I kinda lose track of the times of things. They called us back into a small room with 3 chairs. We were supposed to have a briefing with Dr. Knox here. We waited. Finally, a nurse came to get us, and asked us to come back to the back. They had told me that Hadley might be a little fussy when she woke up. When I got back to where she was, she was screaming like I have never heard her scream before. She was jolting her body back & forth, and it was at this point that I started crying like a crazy person. I guess everything has just been so emotional...mixed with lack of sleep....equals one very crazy mommy! They told me that I needed to go ahead & nurse her, so they took us into this little room with a rocking chair & a bed. Hadley was still going nuts...screaming & jolting her body. I could barely contain her. I'm still crying. Hadley wouldn't nurse at this point.
Dr. Knox finally comes in. He says that her ears were so bad & there was so much puss. He said that her ears wouldn't stop bleeding & they had to do something special to them. They put some extra kind of drops in her ears to make the bleeding quit. He said this was painful & that she would probably be miserable for at least 2 hours. Dr. Knox also put her on more antibiotics because her current ear infections were so terrible. He asked me, "Has she been sleeping? Because the way that her ears were, it seems like it would be impossible." I just felt so bad. I felt bad that my precious child had to endure pain like that for so long, and I had no idea. Sure, Hadley is fussy every now & then, but overall, she is a very easy going baby. Most of you who really know her would agree with me...I think. :)
Finally, Hadley nurses, but she stops every few seconds with loud shrieking screams. I honestly wasn't prepared for any of this. We decide to go ahead & pack up everything & take Hadley home. She screamed the whole way. Once we were home, she settled down a little bit. She ate some breakfast, and then she fell asleep in my arms. I guess she slept for about 30 minutes. She played for a little bit, but she has mostly wanted to be held. Her ears have started draining puss & blood now. They told me that this would happen. They said I would need to come in on Monday morning if it was really bad, so I guess we'll see.
I'm so grateful to have had an overall good experience. Most of all, the nurses, doctors, and staff were amazing. When you're sick or you have a sick child, the last thing you want is someone who is rude. You know what I mean?
I'm so grateful to my heavenly Father for giving me a healthy child. I'm thankful that he's given us the ability to discover procedures like this to make our children better. Thank you Lord for all your blessings!! COUNT IT ALL JOY!!!
Hadley playing with Daddy in the waiting room.
Hadley waiting. Doesn't she look exhausted here?!
Humm...this isn't like my crib!
My two loves!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
11 Months Old
11 Months Old Today!!!
Doesn't her face look so grown up? I feel like it's getting longer & thinner.
Hi Mommy! Look how tall I am & how long my legs are!
Hadley LOVES to play hide & go seek and peek a boo, so I decided to try to capture one of our little games. :)
I love this face!
When Hadley wears bishop dresses that are a little longer, I have to tuck them into her diaper cover like this so she doesn't get all tangled up in them while she's crawling!
We go to the ENT on Thursday at 9:15. Prayers are appreciated!! I really do think that Hadley needs tubes. We will see!
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