RSVP or Cheeseburgers "not in" Paradise

RSVP has a new meaning at our house this holiday season and it's RSV is the PITS!

Last Tuesday, December 6th Maddie Kate was a little lethargic and had a little cough. I didn't think much of the lethargy and sort of attributed the cough to reflux since we thought we were battling a potential milk allergy. I had taken her to the pediatrician the day before and her cough wasn't a concern and RSV wasn't either since she didn't have any noticeable secretions (read snot). We changed her formula and that was that. So, Tuesday evening MK just wasn't herself and had spit up most of a bottle...still thinking reflux, I just sort of overlooked it but then started noticing that she was kind of having trouble breathing and was retracting a little. I called the after hours nurse and they told me to just keep an eye on her and go to the doctor the next day if she wasn't better. A little while later I thought she felt a little warm so I used a new quick read thermometer to take her temperature. The first read was 100.4 but the thermometer wasn't quite working right. I took her temperature with another thermometer we have and it was below 100 but MK just wasn't herself and I just had a strong sense that something was really wrong. I went ahead and called the after hours nurse again and she suggested that we go ahead and head to the ER...I was a step ahead of her and was packing a bag while we were talking. She said that she had to tell me to go to the closest hospital which for us is Baptist. I thought we should probably go to Children's but I was scared to death by this point and just wanted to get someplace fast! It was after 11pm so I left Jim home with Landon and MK and I headed to the hospital. It was snowing really, really hard at this point so I was having trouble seeing and missed the exit to Baptist. I'm certain our sweet Jesus had the wheel. So, we headed towards Children's and I had to pull over once because I thought MK had thrown up and I was afraid she had choked since she was so out of it. She hadn't thank goodness. I was terrified!! We got to Children's and rushed into the ER. They took her temperature (still under 100) and weighed her and then sent us to a room. The nurses came in and started their evaluation and that's when it got a little crazy. There were several people in and out and they had to draw blood, get a urine sample and a few other things. At that point they weren't positive what was wrong and told me they may have to test for several things including meningitis. I felt awful and helpless...and I hated seeing my baby laying there struggling to breathe. They took her to a bigger room and brought in the x-ray machine for a chest x-ray. At this point I was praying it was only RSV! Everyone was so nice but they had me scared to death! A short while later they confirmed that our girl had RSV and they sent us to the PICU. Talk about scary! We got settled in our room and I was able to rock her for a while...and I didn't sleep at all! Jim got there early the next morning and the doctor that saw us that morning told us not to be surprised if she got worse before better...but she was already doing better by then so we decided not to believe him. Our nurse, actually a girl that Jim knew but hadn't seen in years, really thought we would be sent to a regular room that day or the next and we were so relieved. Our relief was short lived...the doctor was right. Our girl started getting worse and by mid-morning on Friday she was so bad there was a little talk of putting her on the ventilator. At this point they had already put in a feeding tube that bypassed her tummy since having a full belly from a bottle put too much pressure on her lungs...and taking a bottle made her too tired anyway. We were able to avoid the ventilator and everyone there was very reassuring in telling us that she was going to be okay but that it was just going to take some time...seeing her look so pitiful and hooked up to lots of things was hard! Monsignor Malone came to visit us on Friday and since MK hadn't been baptized yet we decided to have him baptize her while he was there...and guess what he used!? Her daddy's bottle of aquafina!! We thought that was pretty funny and were happy to have our girl baptized. We will do a ceremonial baptism without the water later...after germ season. Ha! So, by Saturday she actually started improving and by Sunday we thought we were going to a regular room but she started breathing a little hard again so they sent us to intermediate care. We spent one night there and they weaned her oxygen way down and on Monday we went to a regular room! I can't remember exactly when they took her completely off the oxygen but her oxygen saturation stayed up without it and they continued the breathing treatments they had been doing since early on. By Tuesday they had her feeding tube out and by Wednesday she was ready to come home!! She has a runny nose, a cough and snores a little but is otherwise healthy and we had a good first night back home!

And I'm glad to be back home and away from the Children's hospital cafeteria! I found comfort in cheeseburgers, french fries, cookies and gallons of diet coke...I surely need to detox and stick to salads and fruit for a while...after the holidays of course.

Maddie Kate,
You gave us quite a scare. Don't do that again. Next time you need a break from your crazy brother let me know and we will go shopping instead, ok? We love you so much and we are so glad you're okay. You are a very lucky girl blessed with family and friends who love you and have said countless prayers for you to get better. We are lucky too! We couldn't have made it through the week without the love and support from everyone. This holiday season we will remember the families at Children's who won't be home for Christmas and we will pray that they will eventually go home healthy and happy.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy


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Yay! We are home!

MK is so happy we are home and I sure can't wait for her big brother to get home from school! I sure have missed him!!!


What's that you say? We are going home???



Yipppeeeee!!!



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Bottles and breathing...and Stella

Maddie Kate is off the oxygen, taking bottles and feels much better!!




Her pulse-ox monitor isn't turned on and we don't have any other scary monitors beeping! Woohooo! I think (but don't want to jinx it) that we are on our way out of this place! Our fingers are crossed that she does well tonight...I have a feeling I may never sleep again for watching her every breath and overanalyzing her tone, color and alertness! This has been such a scary experience but pales in comparison to what other families here are going through. I saw a guy I recognized from college in the cafeteria a few nights ago and long story short...their 2 1/2 year old daughter Stella is battling a brain tumor that has spread to her spine. They are dealing with this after having already lost a baby 4 years ago. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through and my heart breaks for them and the other families going through the same or similar situations. Our girl still needs prayers...and while you're at it please, please say a prayer...lots and lots of prayers for Stella!




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Moving on up!!!!

Yesterday after I had already posted the "poop blog" we moved over to intermediate care! Yay! Definitely a step in the right direction...and now I just got word that we are moving to "the floor"!!! "The floor" is our last stop before we bust on out of here and take our sweet baby girl back home! Yay! Woohooo! Our girl is doing so much better and we are so very grateful!!


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Well poop...we're still in the PICU

So, I can't say I normally use the word poop to express frustration in place of a more colorful 4 letter word but today I will just say it. Poop!!!!! Because our girl is still in the PICU...and because it presents a great opportunity to share a Landon poop story! As you've read we are potty training. And we've drug it out far too long...live and learn. I don't like messes and can't get motivated to nix the pull-ups. I don't think he is quite ready anyway. He poops in the potty every time. Apparently pee peeing in the potty is much more difficult for our guy. Either he can't be bothered to stop what he is doing to go or he hasn't quite figured out how to stop from going when the urge strikes. Or maybe its because he knows he can get away with going in his pull-up. Anyway, we will get there. I have complete confidence that he will be pee peeing in the potty before his freshman year of college. At least. Meanwhile, he likes to make "big" poops and one day I was "coaching" him and told him to make a "greeaaaat big giant GIgantic giiiiiiiiinormous" poop! He thought that was just hysterical and kept asking me to say it over and over. Then he started calling his big poops "inormous". Haha! Well, over Thanksgiving in Lavaca I went to Fort Smith to have lunch with the girls. When I got back Daddy informed me that I should probably stop making a fuss over poop size because during lunch Landon was bothered by the little potato chips he was given and asked for a ......... "inormous poop sized chip"!!! Fantastic!!!

Keep praying for our girl! She is starting to improve but we are still in ICU. This RSV stuff is really no fun at all.

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PICU and B-I-N-G-O

Our sweet baby girl has RSV and is in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children's hospital. I will write more about it later but if you read my blog we sure could use some extra prayers. She is going to be okay...it will just take some time for the virus to clear up.

Meanwhile, Landon is such a smarty! He picks up on things so fast and impresses us daily by doing something we didn't know he could do or by saying something we didn't know he could say! He loves nursery rhymes and children's songs and Bingo is one of his favorites...remember the video of him dancing to it? Well, now he can spell it!!

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Santa!

On Saturday we took the kids (it's weird to be able to say "the kids". Ha!) to Breakfast with Santa at Children's hospital. Landon got to call the North Pole while we were there and he also got a bag of reindeer food to scatter out on Christmas Eve! Maddie Kate slept the entire time! That's what she does best. She even slept on Santa's lap! Landon was all ready to tell Santa that he wants a Spiderman and "Rio with the monkeys" but didn't get a chance to actually tell him. He was a little disturbed by this and was even more disturbed that he didn't actually get his Spiderman right away! We told him that he has to wait for Christmas!

This is a picture of their picture with Santa. We didn't get digital files this year and I wasn't impressed with the quality but it was a fundraiser for a good cause.




We can't wait for Santa to come to our house!


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Humpty Dumpty and Tummy Time

Landon says his nursery rhymes even when he has an ear infection and cough! The kid cracks me up!

MK did some tummy time today and boy is she strong!! Look at her ornery brother on the background!! Ha!




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Thanksgiving in Lavaca

Aunt Judy taught Landon how to play cards. He can count the shapes like a pro now and will be playing in the World Series of Poker in no time!



Mimi's iPad is the latest obsession. One morning Landon woke up and came in the living room and asked, "Where is everybody? Where is Mimi, where is Papa, where's my daddy. Where is the iPad?". Im rethinking my Christmas list...I had asked for one but I fear I will never see it and/or that it will create an almost 3 year old monster! However, he sure was quiet a few times while playing Angry Birds. Hmmmmm....


Landon got to ride the "big fracor"!!




Miss Maddie Kate enjoyed her first trip to the farm and even turned a whole month old while we were there!


She also helped us cheer on the hogs. We are sad that this precious outfit and giant bow didn't bring the piggies more luck!




Of course Landon had to show Mimi how to play Angry Birds...she didn't already know how you know.


Luckily I tore him away from the iPad long enough to help set the table Saturday night!!

We had so much fun in Lavaca and now we are off to "Tansas" to see Great Mama, Papa, Pocky, Uncle Fwis, Aunt Lindy and Uncle Carl"!


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Thankful

There isn't really much to blog about today but I thought I'd post a few pictures that we've taken over the last couple of days.  We are looking forward to Thanksgiving in Lavaca this year and then we're off to Kansas to visit Great Mama and Papa!  I know a little boy who couldn't be more excited!  His Mommy and Daddy are pretty excited too!  We are very Thankful for our wonderful family and especially for our newest addition.

Not sure what they're looking at but I thought Landon's expression was cute...poor MK!

This picture cracks me up!  Her expression is so funny and she is so strong!  She's been holding her head up pretty much since birth and she can already roll over from her belly to her back!

Maddie Kate's 3 Week Photo Shoot

I can't believe that Maddie Kate is already 3 1/2 weeks old...and at the same time it seems like she should be older.  She just fits right into our little family and we are enjoying her so much...she has already changed so much!

Happy Halloween!

Landon had a great Halloween this year!  He dressed up as one of his current favorites...Sheriff Woody from Toy Story!  He and daddy went trick or treating with the neighbors and then came home and passed out candy!  Mimi was here visiting so she and I stayed home with Maddie Kate and passed out candy until the boys got home and took over the candy passing out duties - which may  have been one of Landon's favorite parts of the evening!

Sweet Little Punkin!

Ready to go!!

First treat of the night!  Almond Joy!  YUM!

The Johnsons came by and look at Miss Audrey!  Is this the cutest costume you've ever seen?!

Our New "Normal"

Who decides what normal is anyway?  My friend Andrea once gave me a book of little funnies called "Normal Is A Setting On The Dryer".  So true.  I dry my clothes on normal all the time.  Ha!

So, what does the new normal look like for the Battreals?  Well, let me tell you that if it weren't for Mimi who came to visit and cooked us yummy casseroles for the freezer, for Nana who is a tremendous help, for my friend Emily who set up a meal train for our friends to bring us dinner and for Jim (aka best daddy ever) our normal would be complete chaos instead of just a little chaotic.

Maddie Kate is 3 weeks old already and of course she's not sleeping through the night yet - and I sure don't expect her too...but I'm sleepy!  Aside from being nocturnally challenged, our girl is just about as perfect as they come.  She does what all babies do - she eats, she sleeps...and we change a lot of a diapers.  She's pretty much on a 3 hour schedule and after a few weeks of worrying about her weight gain - or lack thereof - we have pretty much totally switched to formula.  The same thing happened with Landon.  Nursing just doesn't work for me and no matter how many times I told myself and everyone else that I wouldn't be upset if it didn't work again I was upset...as in, I cried at the doctor's office when they told me she hadn't gained enough at her two week check-up.  I'm over it now though and she's getting what she needs just like her equally perfect (if not ornery) big brother who is adjusting pretty well for a kid who's life has been totally changed.  He hasn't really been phased by the whole baby sister thing. We've had a couple of minor threats of big brother breakdown but nothing major.  One morning Jim got up extra early to give me a break and he was holding the baby.  Landon got upset and said "NO Dada!  You give that baby to mommy and you hold me!".  He was serious!  A couple days later I was holding MK and she was fussy.  Landon said, " Her wants her mommy".  I told him that I was here mommy and he said, "NO!  You MY mommy, her wants her other mommy!"  He was over it quickly though - and most of the time he loves on her and wants to hold her.  It will be fun to watch them interact as they get older.

Here are a few pictures from our first few weeks at home.

Landon got a Big Brother present!

Precious tootsies.

First photo shoot!

Zoe's handling it okay too considering she's suffering from a whole new level of  neglect.

I sure wish Miss MK would sleep in this precious cradle - sadly, she much prefers her car seat.

Proud big brother!

Landon read his sister the book that Aunt Lindy and Uncle Carl sent!  She loved it.

Hi Pocky

Hi Pocky, this picture is for you! Haha! Don't worry, we don't put bows on Maddie Kate every day. Just sometimes.




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Happy Birthday Maddie Kate!

Miss Maddie Kate arrived at 9:34am on October 25, 2011.  She weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 20 inches long.  She is healthy and happy and her daddy and I are so happy she's here.

We got to the hospital at 7am after dropping Landon off at his Nana and Papa's.  When we got to the hospital we checked in and they took me to a labor and delivery room that she would have been born in had I not been scheduled for a c-section.  I had to sign a gazillion papers that freaked me out - something about all the risks associated with anesthesia and surgery - kinda gets to a momma!  I met the anesthesiologist and turns out we have a mutual friend and kids that are around the same age.  Small world!  She is super sweet and knowing her helped calm my nerves a smidge.  They monitored the baby and said that I was actually having contractions but I couldn't feel them.  Around 9am they wheeled me off to the operating room.  I was SOOOOOOOO nervous and the OR did nothing to make me any less nervous.  It was so sterile and cold and there were a lot of people in there doing various things and talking all around me...and the operating table was seriously way small...and I was way huge.  Getting from the bed to the table was not fun - neither was getting the spinal block.  However, once it was in and started working I started to relax - and then Jim got to come in and that made everything better.  UAMS is a teaching hospital so every time anyone did anything to me they were teaching someone how to do it - so, there was a lot of talking going on and it was kind of weird.  I don't know how long it took but it wasn't long after they got started that we heard our sweet, precious, beautiful baby girl cry.  And she was healthy and perfect and I cried right along with her.  Jim got to cut her umbilical cord and then they wrapped her up and brought her to my face so I could kiss her sweet cheeks.  It was one of the neatest moments of my life.  After they got me all sewn up they wheeled me off to recovery and I got to see Maddie Kate again.  Our families were able to come back to meet her too and I was so happy that everyone was there.  They had a hard time getting my temperature to come up so I had to stay in recovery a little longer than usual.  They also had a hard time getting the "gunk" (that's surely a medical term) out of MK's lungs and that was kind of scary - but she was fine.  We had several visitors come meet Maddie Kate and her big brother came to meet her the day after she was born.  I'm pretty sure he was just as taken with her as we were from the beginning.  He's really surprised us with how well he's handled becoming a big brother.  We came home from the hospital on Thursday the 27th and we've adjusted well so far.  More about our first days with Maddie Kate to come!

Waiting...waiting...waiting.  The waiting turned out to be the worst part in hind sight.  Thank goodness!

Spinal block in - oxygen mask on!  I didn't like that mask!

She's here!  Her daddy cut her cord - okay, so the doctors had to do the first cut but Dada got to do the second!

Pure happiness!!!

Meet Mary Madalyn Kathleen Battreal!

Proud Daddy!

Sweet girl.

Big brother meets his baby sister!

Headed home to start our life as a family of 4!