Home From the Hospital

This is the third time I have tried to type this post and I have accidentally erased it both times. The second time I was almost done and it was quite a detailed post. So, I am getting tired now, but still wanted to try and do this. Last time I blogged Ellie was very sick with a very high fever. To make a long story short, it only got worse. I called the doctor on Monday morning because she had coughed all night long and woke up complaining that her mouth/throat hurt and was crying (clearly in pain). The doctor wanted to see her again to make sure it hadn't developed into something more.

Praise the Lord we called when we did and he saw her when he did, because she ended up having what the radiologist described as "early, but relatively large pneumonia". I can't believe I am writing the word yesterday, because it feels like days and days ago, but yesterday was maybe one of the worst days of my life. We drug Ellie (in the cold and rain) from the doctor's office, to have blood drawn, to have chest x-rays, then had to wait awhile on the results, then back to the doctor's office. All the while, the Motrin/Tylenol isn't really touching it anymore. Every time we had to get her out, she would scream or moan that she didn't want to go in. I kept telling her we were trying to make her feel better and we were going home soon. I asked her pediatrician if he could give her a shot of antibiotics so that it could get in her system faster. There wasn't any at the office, so we drove to the pharmacy to get it, then back to the doctor's office. I'm not really sure what changed his mind, maybe seeing how sick Ellie was, but when we got back to the doctor, he said he wanted to admit her to the hospital. At that point, I lost it. Crying, not screaming, mainly because she was absolutely miserable and I had been telling her we were about to go home. But also from relief, because she was so sick and I knew they could make her better faster.

When we get to the hospital, she is completely beyond her breaking point, and we still have to do the whole IV thing. They tried her right hand first and dug around for what seemed like forever with no luck. Then they tried her left arm and thankfully that was successful. She was hysterical the entire time. I know there are much worse things for your child to have to go through, but that one is pretty bad. It was the most wonderful feeling when she was finally admitted to a room, had the antibiotic going into her, and was asleep. It was a rough night of sleep because Ellie and I were sharing a twin hospital bed and Steven was on a pull out couch. But I was just so thankful to be there-especially when her fever went up to 104.7 in the night. It was such a relief to have the nurses treating her and deciding what to do instead of me.

I was a little disappointed this morning when she didn't seem much better. But she made significant improvement as the day went on. The doctor wanted to see her oxygen level go up(which it did), and her breaths per minute go down(which happened as well). They also wanted to see her up and moving some and coughing well, so as to break up that stuff in her chest. She did both of these things. So, after one more dose of antibiotics this evening we were able to go! I am so thankful to be home I could almost cry. I am also thankful for so many other things, but here are some of the main ones:

1. That we were in the children's unit, not the PICU, and that Ellie was in the hospital for something very treatable.
2. That we have health insurance (not good), but that we have it.
3. This may sound awful-that it was Ellie and not Luke. Ellie is much better with doctors. (Last time she had a shot she flinched a little-Luke gets hysterical if a doctor listens to his heartbeat.)
4. That this baby is still in my tummy and I wasn't trying to also nurse a baby during all of this.

Also, if you knew about this and were praying for us, thank you so, so much!! I have to say that it has been so crazy these last two days I haven't prayed nearly as much as I should have. God has been gracious to us, far beyond what we deserve. Please say a prayer that Ellie will keep getting better and completely back to normal very soon.

Seriously Sick Little Girl

I went to Huntsville on Thurs. (yes, again) for my doctor's appt. and I got a call from Ellie's teacher at school that she was burning up and didn't seem to feel well at all. Steven went and got her and took her to mom's house until I could get home, because, well, let's face it, most dad's aren't too good at the sick/nurturing thing. She threw up shortly before I got there and she only started feeling worse the rest of the night. Her fever got up to 104 under her arm. To make a long story short, she is still sick, with a fever that today was up to 104.4!

We took her to the doctor yesterday and he checked out several things. It looks like it's just some kind of virus. He didn't seem too concerned about the fever being that high. But it certainly makes me nervous when I see those numbers. She has never been lethargic and is always willing to drink, so that is good. I hate to see her feeling so awful and I also hate feeling so helpless. I'm also praying no one else gets it. That would make for a really fun Thanksgiving! Luke has pretty much stayed away from her except for once when I told him Ellie was sick. He then wanted to play doctor and check her out (they pretend this a lot when Ellie is well). So, time will tell if anyone else is catching those germs. If there is anyone reading this who has had a similar experience with such a high fever, I'd love to hear about it!

Needless to say, it has put our Thanksgiving preparations on hold for a few days. I had wanted to be a little more prepared for company and do some things ahead of time, but oh well, life throws curve balls. There are worse things, for sure. We just want Ellie back to normal.

Successful Huntsville Trip!

So, yesterday I was in Huntsville running several errands with mom and Luke, while Ellie was at school. I wanted to peek in Toys 'R' Us and look at the tricycles. That is going to be Ellie and Luke's main Christmas gift. I have looked at Wal-Mart, but wanted to price them there as well. If Ellie had been with me, there is no way I could've gone in there. Too much! Almost too much for Luke. But Ellie's personality is this-she can't be happy for what she has, she is always worried about what she doesn't have or others who have more. (Ex. Steven brought Luke one gift from Greece (trucks) and Ellie got a couple of things. Yet she couldn't enjoy her toys, she wanted her toys and the trucks) I think we probably all have a little of that in us. Luke enjoyed it, because I let him try out a tricycle, which ended up being a good thing, because the one I was going to get him was just a little too small.

So, on the way in the store, there was a sales guy from the Huntsville Times. He asked if we wanted to register for a shopping spree at Toys 'R' Us. Why not? So, then he asks me if I read the paper. I was like, you are just the person I would love to talk to! Actually... I began to tell him the whole ordeal about not getting the coupons and how frustrated I have been. He set me up for around $6 a mo. to get the paper delivered each week to my door and guaranteed to have all coupons in it!!! I have his name and #, if there are no coupons, I can just give him a call. How great is that! And...I got a $5 gift card to Toys 'R' Us for signing up, and Luke was able to ride home with a little Lightning McQueen and Mater! He is obsessed with those guys right now.

Also...LB sent me a blog that matches great deals with coupons that you can print off of her blog. So, I went to Publix and took advantage of several buy one get one free (BOGO-I am having to learn all this money saving lingo). So, this is what I got-someone tell me if it is a good deal:

2 bottles of Crisco EVOO
2 (64 oz) Juicy Juice
2 Coffeemate creamers

And my total was $9.77. I needed the olive oil, and creamer immediately, and always, of course, need juice. If this grocery game works and I can drive to Publix once a week and shop (with gas so low right now) and if it saves me as much as it says it can, I would be one happy mama! Publix is so, so much nicer than Wal-Mart. And just maybe, I could go by myself and have about an hour in the car with just me and my thoughts!

Just Another Barber Monday

My last post keeps reminding me of how long it has been since I blogged. Or at least, it seems like a long time. Mainly because Steven has been to Greece and back since then. So, I was a single mom for about 10 days. That may sound worse than it was, because we actually went to visit my aunt and some of my mom's family for over half of it. However, the last few days were pretty long and I honestly don't know how single moms do it.

But God is good and brought Steven home safely, quite tired and suffering from jet lag, but nevertheless, he is home and we are all very thankful...Luke especially! He has been like a little crab hanging onto to Steven.

Things are getting back to normal and today we spent our usual Monday at home. Steven takes Mondays off because he spends most of the weekend studying. I really look forward to Mondays because typically we don't have anywhere to go, and Steven plays with Ellie and Luke, and we get stuff done around the house, and I don't really have to "get ready". But because Mondays seem like such "free days" to me, I sometimes get overwhelmed. Where do I start? And my expectations are often too high for what I can get accomplished in a day.

Today it was rapidly approaching mid-morning and really nothing had been done and Ellie and Luke were soaking in a little too much morning TV. I decided I would give some Christmas card pictures a shot. I thought I would get them ready and take them outside, rake some leaves, let them play and get some exercise, killing several birds with one stone, and somewhere in the midst of all that capture the perfect Christmas card picture. Not so much! I had them fixed and ready to go and realized the battery in the camera was dead. So I would charge it a little, take a few pictures, then have to charge it some more. I got maybe one that could possibly be used. Ellie would cheese for the camera, or pout because she had to put down her hot pink bucket (didn't think that would go so well with red and green) and Luke was so busy with his "BIG truck" or looking for big trucks. Most of the pictures ended up something like this

Another thing I was frustrated about today- our newspaper (for like the last 6 weeks) has decided not to put all the coupon booklets in. One of my friends here in town called about it and they said if they run out they were instructed to leave the coupons out of the outlying areas. I, like several other blog friends, am trying to be very wise with our grocery budget and clip coupons and save, save, save. How in the world am I supposed to do that with no coupons? They must think we country folk don't want to save money.

Anyway, I did run to CVS today to take advantage of a few sales. While I did get a lot for my $, I can't seem to make the total ring up to practically nothing, like I keep reading about. Very frustrating! LB keeps talking about the Grocery Game. I'm going to have to give it a shot.

Tonight Steven had a meeting right after dinner, which left just me and the kiddos to fend for ourselves once again. Things went well, but Ellie is having a rough time these days and my belly is getting bigger and heavier, which unfortunately, at the end of the day, leaves me with not much patience for her fits. She is having so much trouble taking instruction. It has worn me out the last few days. Sometimes I want to scream, and I think I actually have, why can't she just "get it"? Just obey me. Just do what I say the first time. Hmmm...good thing the Lord doesn't treat me like that. I so desperately need just an ounce of His patience and wisdom to teach her!

So, was today a "successful" day? In spite of my agenda to get things accomplished, and in spite of my lack of patience, compassion, and kindess-did my family see Jesus in me? Yikes! I pray that God used me today on this mission field that He has called me to.

Prayer for Our New President

I have already had God very strongly convict my heart on the subject of praying for our new President-elect and the other leaders of our country. I am sorry to say in the past it is not something I have thought much of or remembered to do. So I am going to steal something directly from my sister's blog (thanks, LB) and ask you to please click here and read how we, as Christians, should respond to the new leadership that will soon be in power.