Wednesday, November 17, 2010

3am

Well it's 3am. For some reason I continue getting roommates with issues. Last night I had a snorer, and tonight I have someone who requires the door to be open and someone has to sit with her. Thankfully, I slept all day.

I was admitted to the hospital yesterday because of a blood clot. I was put on Heparin and thankfully this was discovered before it travelled to my lungs.

Since the birth of Chloe I have been quite sick. Total exhaustion and just not feeling well. My hemoglobin dropped very low and I was admitted 2 months ago for a few days to receive IV meds. Since my release I have been seeing a hematologist who gives me IV venofer weekly. The clinic felt I would benefit from having a PICC line and it was inserted on Thursday. By Friday I was already showing signs of a clot, and I finally went to the doctor yesterday. This is my 3rd clot in 4 months, but my first deep vein.

When the previous clot was discovered they did an ultrasound and found that I have a large thyroid nodule. They did a biopsy which came back inconclusive. So, as long as I continue to recover well it will be removed on Thursday. They will check the nodule immediately and if it is malignant they will remove my entire thyroid.

The doctors suspect I may have an autoimmune disorderb which caused these issues to suddenly appear. I see a rheumotologist next week to confirm or deny those suspicions.

I don't feel as bad as I may sound. With a little patience it will all get better.

Tricia

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Chloe

It's hard to believe Chloe is already 4 months old. Having three little ones has been a challenge, but well worth it. Aubrey and Bailey love having Chloe in the house, and have adjusted well to the changes. Chloe loves her swing, and loves eating. Her doctor actually told us to cut back on how much she eats. This is such a change from when we had Bailey. It's difficult to know when enough is enough, especially when she wants to continue eating. She is now on solids and doing very well. She's had rice cereal, bananas, and sweet potatoes. Tomorrow she will try carrots or green beans.

Chloe looks so much like Keith. It's funny how different each of our children are. Bailey and I look alike, and Aubrey is a combination the two of us. Chloe spends most of her days at my parent's or Keith's moms house. She loves to smile and laugh, but she does not like being out of the house. She screams when we go to restaurants, parties, or shopping.







Sunday, October 31, 2010

Bailey

Bailey is doing very well. She is now 3 years old. She is walking very well, trying to talk, and is almost ready to start potty training. Bailey has been very healthy for the past year, which is good news for us. I think her last hospital stay was around December of last year.

Bailey is such a tough little girl. It is nothing for her to walk into a wall, fall down, or get a bad infection and keep going like nothing has happened. She can be very demanding when food is involved. But, is happy most of the time.

Bailey has started her 3rd year at The Achievement Academy. She moved up to another class and is doing very well. It was a difficult transition for us because we loved her past teacher and para's, but we had to understand that this is what was best. Bailey interacts well with her classmates, works hard to achieve her goals, and is exhausted when she gets home! We're really going to miss everyone when she turns 6 and graduates!

It's hard to believe where she started. First, we thought we were having a healthy baby. Then, after delivery we were told she has Down syndrome. Then, the following day we were told she had a heart defect. She came home, went into heart failure, had open heart surgery, had a feeding tube, had two eye surgeries, hospitalized many times for feeding issues, MRSA, and pneumonia. Now, she's like any other child. I love her so much!

Bailey has adjusted well to having a little sister. She only gets jealous when papa is holding Chloe. I can't wait to see my three little girls grow up together. Last year her teachers taught her how to hold a baby doll and be gentle. I owe them so much! That was a wonderful idea, and thanks to them Bailey hasn't thrown Chloe across the room.











Monday, September 6, 2010

Aubrey

I haven't updated in a while. Actually, it's been six months. So, I'll start with updates on the oldest child and work my way down to Miss Chloe.

Aubrey graduated from VPK in June. It was very exciting, and yes, I cried. I feel I cry at every event she has. It's so difficult to watch her grow up. Once VPK was over, Aubrey started Summer camp at the Y. I remember dropping her off the first day and... crying. Can I blame all the tears on pregnancy hormones? She was such a big girl. She wore her backpack and walked from the car to camp all alone. I was so proud of her, but also sad because my little girl was finally growing up.



The last week of camp was called Camp Idol. They had an awards ceremony and talent show. Aubrey's "talent" was dancing. She and a friend danced to Lady GaGa's Poker Face. I guess I should be thankful she didn't go with her initial plan of Single Ladies from Beyonce. I can only imagine the dance she would have done then. So, during the talent show they gave out awards. Aubrey's ability to talk to anyone about anything paid off. She was awarded "Most Likely to be a Talk Show Host", and "Most Unforgettable Camper". We were SO proud, and yes, I had a few tears, but I wouldn't really call it crying.

Now we start the kindergarten journey. Aubrey's school was a B rated school, which I was satisfied with, but just before school started the new D grade was released. I then questioned if this was the school for her. So far, I am happy with everything. Aubrey likes her teacher, and I'll begin volunteering there this week, so hopefully I'll get to know her better. Keith and I are also involved in SAC, and the school is working to improve their D grade.

I am so proud of the little girl Aubrey has become. She loves her little sisters, and shows concern for others. She is beautiful inside and out, and she'll be the first to tell you! She's confident, smart, and strong willed. She is very much Keith's girl. They are more alike than either will admit.






Saturday, February 27, 2010

Another Month has Passed

I think every time I update it's because someone is sick, or has been sick. So, I'll start off with pregnancy news, then end with my germ infested family!

As most of you know, this little one will be another GIRL! Poor Keith. I think we'll have to buy a boy dog, just to give him a little sanity. So, far this little one seems healthy. They did a thorough look at her heart, and everything looks fine. What a relief that was. The final odd from the NT scan are 1:300 for a child with DS. Bailey was 1:5000+ (can't remember the exact number), so I know odds really don't mean much. Of course, terminating wouldn't be an option, so we elected not to do additional testing.

Bailey is doing great! We have been using a gait trainer (walker) with her, and she is taking a few independent steps. She will, when prompted, say I love you. We are getting her new set of DAFO's next week, and hopefully a new walker and kid cart. It's nice to see the process of getting these items only took a short 4 months! Hmph! I've heard you shouldn't complain about things that are free; however, these items are for my child, so I think I have every right to complain. The DS clinic is in a few weeks, and I hope we're able to take Bailey. We've had a few medical issues with her, and I'd like to get a second opinion, and this clinic would be the perfect opportunity. Just last week we found ourselves in the ER again. This time with a double ear infection, tonsillitis, MRSA (AGAIN!), and pink eye. It's just so frustrating that she is sick almost every month. It's to the point that we're missing out on several events because she always seems to be sick. Plus she is missing school, and I hate for her to miss even a day, because she has accomplished so much since starting.

Aubrey is growing up. It's hard to imagine she'll be starting kindergarten soon. She's already talking about dating boys! That's scary! We received her pre-k graduation pics this week. She is writing sentences independently, and knows most of her sight words. Yesterday, we took her to the doctor and she has strep throat! So, she is now in her room "sleeping" (playing with Barbie).

My dad has also been sick, and this illness is causing me to ask you all to pray. He spent a few weeks in the hospital receiving antibiotic treatment and was on a pump for pain. He has since been released. He has a picc line and is receiving IV antibiotics at home to treat the infection. Once the infection has been treated, and his body is stronger he will have surgery. First, he will have surgery on his stomach. The infection in his stomach has caused erosion, which will require surgery. The doctor is hoping all goes well, however he has been honest with his concerns. Then they will treat a mass which is on his pancreas. We are not sure if it is benign or malignant, but we will find out as soon as possible. The primary concern is treating his stomach issues.

Keith is doing very well. He is now a VP! Congrats to him! He has been working long hours, then coming home to help with the girls. He's been great. Especially since I spent a lot of time away from home while dad was in the hospital.

It's COLD in FLORIDA! We're looking forward to Summer. I can't wait to spend time with the girls at some of the parks, aquarium, and zoo before this little one comes around. We'll have a lot to celebrate during the Summer. Keith, Aubrey, and Bailey all have birthdays, and in July the little one will be joining us. Then, the national DS conference is at Disney, which I hope we'll be able to attend. I guess it'll all be about timing.

I hope you all are doing well.

Tricia

Friday, January 15, 2010

Two Months... Really?

Two months later and I update. Facebook is going to be the death of this blog!

We had an amazing Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. We spent time with family and friends. Thanksgiving was celebrated twice. We spent that day at my parents house, and that weekend we visited Keith's family in Orlando. We had a great time.

Christmas was crazy as usual. We attended several Christmas parties, however we did miss our Down syndrome party because Bailey was terribly ill. She spent several days in the hospital leading up to Christmas, and was almost re-admitted on Christmas Eve. It started as a cold, which led to dehydration, which ended with low O2 Sats. It took a couple of weeks, but she finally recovered. Christmas morning was spent at our house with Keith's mom and my parents joining us for brunch, and that evening we went to Keith's dads house for Christmas dinner. The girls enjoyed this Christmas.

We celebrated New Year's eve with Aubrey at Sea World. She and I napped in the afternoon, then we drove to Orlando to celebrate the New Year at Sea World. She was amazing. She was so good, and survived to midnight. She had her first lesson in waiting in line for the women's restroom at an event. She saw confetti fall from the sky, and counted down to the new year.

The pregnancy is going okay. I am exhausted, crampy, and still vomiting. Poor Keith is having to deal with this. I'm in bed at 8pm every night, and I am thankful for his patience. Please don't take this as complaining, this little one is worth everything. We did have a bit of unsettling news this week. I'm hoping it means nothing, and the odds are that it means nothing. I received a call earlier in the week that the preliminary results of the NT scan were normal, and they gave me an appointment for the beginning of February. However, yesterday, I received a call from the nurse stating that the final results were in and Dr. G wants to see me on Tuesday.

At first I was fine, but after talking to Keith I felt the need to know... now! I called the office, but I was sent to voicemail, and I have yet to receive a return call. I've had my share of teary moments since yesterday. I know if this little one has any complications we will face it like we always do. I'll update when we know more.

Tricia