Small Hiatus on the Weaning

So we have taken a small hiatus on the weaning process. Kathryn got her second dose of the flu shot on Monday and has been sick ever since. What do I mean by sick? Try fevers up to 104.3. But don't worry, at 3 am in the morning, the nurse keeps telling us that we are ok to keep her at home as long as she is under 105. Excuse me? I think that children were not meant to have fevers that high. Her only other symptom is that she has a very congested nose - poor thing. She frequently blows large snot bubbles during the middle of the night and sounds like a grizzly bear. But her sats are just fine!! Anyway, after 4 days of this, I am taking her to the pediatrician today (again). We went on Tuesday and they thought that everything looked fine, she was just having a flu shot reaction. Well, after 4 days of high fevers, I would like some answers! Stay tuned on this note.

On other news, we have had a nice week (if you can overlook a cranky little one!) We have had my aunt and uncle in from St Louis and my brother, sister-in-law and baby Reed in from Montgomery for the Thanksgiving holidays! We have enjoyed some wonderful family time, excellent food (including Dreamland ribs - yummy!!), and sleepless nights!! Maddie has actually spent three nights with Nini and Pawpaw because she wanted to be around all the "fun". (Guess that means that me, Greg, and Kathryn aren't fun.) We are decorated in the house for Christmas with the exception of the tree, which we had planned to get this weekend, but it hasn't stopped raining since yesterday around lunchtime. Greg also plans to decorate the outside of the house once it stops raining! We are also headed to Lowe's this weekend to get a new grill. Our gas grill called it quits last week and Greg has since found out that the company who made it is now out of business. We thought we were out of luck, but Lowe's (where we bought it) has offered to give us a store credit for the value that we purchased it for almost three years ago, which means that we will get a new (free) replacement. I love free replacements!!

Better run to get ready for the doctor's office!

Kelly

Happy Thanksgiving - Please Don't get the Flu Shot

When Maddie was one, she got a flu shot and stayed sick for several months. I swore I would never do that again. Kathryn got hers on Monday, at the doctor's instruction, and now . . . sickness. I HATE the Flu Shot.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Kelly

we did it!!

8 hours today!!

We'll try again!

We didn't quite make it to 8 hours today - will try again, but she made it 5 1/2! She fell asleep for a nap around that time and her sats dropped to low 90's and upper 80's. She couldn't bring herself back up so we put her back on the oxygen. Next go around, we will hook her back up at nap time and then take her off when she is awake. (that was our instructions anyway - guess that's what we get for disobeying!!)

Kelly

Up to 4 hours - trying for 8

We have been doing just fine with 4 hours off of oxygen! Today will be the first try for an 8 hour day!! Pray for Kathryn - she's just beautiful without her cannula!!

Kelly

I passed!!

That's right, I am now Kelly Ellis, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist!! That and $1.29 will get you a 20 oz coke at Walgreens, but I still feel special!! It was pretty tough!

Up to 2 hours

Tomorrow we are up to 2 hours without oxygen - we kinda did it today too, but not officially. She is doing so well without it!! I took some pictures yesterday of Kathryn unplugged at Nini's house. She was so thrilled to have free reign. I will post them soon.

I am busy studying for my certification exam which is this Tuesday - please pray for a passing grade! I'm nervous and anxious and VERY ready to get it over with!

Kelly

Good so far

Kathryn has had 2 days now of 30 minutes without her oxygen and she is doing just great. Her O2 saturation is exactly where they want it to be - in the upper 90's! One more day of 30 minutes and tomorrow we double it to one hour!! Keep praying that her little lungs are ready for this!! She is one tough fighter! We all knew that in the hospital, but now that we can see her personality, she truly is strong willed!! She is definitely going to be our tough one to raise - you can see the rebellious streak already.

Keeping on the weaning process . . .

What we've been up to!

My time is so limited lately, so the thing that suffers . . . . my blogging time. I know, I know, I created this thing so that I could keep family and friends in touch with us and now I am becoming out of touch. I honestly even debated on continuing with the blog and here I am again. Who am I kidding, it's my outlet and I get to pretend that I am an author occassionally. It's some great ME time - which all you moms know is pretty rare and VERY precious!! So, here is what we have been up to lately. . .

Kathryn is now on Periactin for her appetite and it seems to be working well. She received her second injection of Synagis today (they come to our home - FABULOUS!) and she has gone from 13 pounds, 10 ounces last month to 14 pounds, 11 ounces in just 28 days!! Half way to porker! She is a fantastic crawler and will be walking any day now - can you believe that? I think that she will be one of the tiniest and shortest walkers I have ever seen. She still wears size 1 shoes which is very difficult to find in anything other than a crib shoe - because, HELLO?? , kids with size 1 feet aren't expected to be walking!! We officially discontinued the diuretics last week and as of today will be starting to wean her oxygen. Today will be just 30 minutes, but by next Monday we should be up to two hours a day. She continues to impress us and prove that she is God's little miracle!

Since I last posted, we had a wonderful end of year soccer game and party afterwards, a fun trick or treating experience at Greg's office, and a nice Halloween night at Nini and Pawpaw's! Maddie and Kathryn enjoyed trick or treating and Kathryn officially said Mama for the first time that night!! Go ahead and scold me though because I have no pictures. That day, my camera battery died and I was unable to take any pictures. Pawpaw took some wonderful ones so when I get them, I will be sure to post a few!

I have been studying a little the past week or so for my certification next Tuesday the 18th. At this point I am ready to get it over with, but I certainly pray that I pass!! This past week, Maddie and I also fought a cold, mine a little more significant than hers. It resulted in a trip to the doctor for me complete with a steroid shot in the backside and now I am finally feeling better almost a week later. Kathryn showed a few signs of catching it, mainly just a stuffy nose, so she is on a five day steroid treatment too, but she is just fine now. Greg and I also had the March of Dimes Blue Jeans for Babies kickoff last Thursday morning and were on the early morning news again. You can watch a clip here .

I also visited Christmas Village last weekend - one of my favorite pre Holiday events. It's a huge craft show and I was able to get a few wonderful Christmas presents!

Well, that's about it for us right now!

Hope all is well with your families!

Faithfully, Kelly

String of Posts coming

Stay Tuned!!!

My days are crazy lately!