Adding it up

Three girls puking in one day
One girl blowing out her diaper twice
Three beds stripped and washed
Two re-made bed(thank goodness the Belle slept in our room and spared her own crib)
Two Baths
Six loads of puked on bedding and clothes
Two wonderful friends delivered Pedialite
At least 20 rounds of puke
Lots of tears

I am exhausted, my girls are exhausted and we all need relief.

Sick Round One

This is our first official sickness of the season. By the looks of the weather, it is appropriate. I don't count runny noses because having the twins in the babysitting room at the YMCA and Savannah at preschool is a guarantee that all girls will be congested from time to time.

Last night, Adeline started vomiting at 8:00 p.m. and didn't stop until 10:30. She most likely threw up 10 times during that time period. What was odd, is that she was in a spectacular mood and so happy to have her mommy and daddy all to herself. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this morning. She has continued to puke and is fussy and needy.

Alex left for TX this morning at 3:30 a.m. and Savannah was in my bathroom puking by 4:15. Not a great way to start the morning. She was pretty steady, every hour on the hour. The only positive I can find in this, is that she has graduated to independent puking. She has made it to the toilet every time except once. So much better than having to clean the bed, couch and carpet.

The timing of this really stinks. I guess there is never a good time to be sick but why can't the girls do it while daddy is around? Yes, he was elbow deep in puke last night and was bit cranky about it but I stepped back knowing that I would be doing it all on my own for the next few days. Weighting more heavily on me, is Adeline's developmental follow up appointment with Dr. Bernbaum on Friday. Last time she was seen she had a 102 fever and this appointment looks like it might be in the midst of a sickness too. I really want her to be 100% during this visit.

For now, I am going to assume the girls have Rotavirus. They have had it before and it is nasty. Without going into too much detail, Lila's diaper seals the deal for me. Looks like Rotavirus, smells like Rotavirus - must be Rotavirus. Although it is usually accompanied by just diarrhea, my girls like to violently puke when they have it. I am sure Lila will start puking at any minute. Hopefully, now that they older they will be able to power through and turn the corner much quicker than they did when they were one.

Just for the record, I give it up to single moms. I don't know how they deal with multiple sick kids and the fear that they themselves will get the illness and be out of commission.

Savannah tried hard to rally and play with her Fisher Price Nativity Scene. It didn't last long as she fell asleep on the office floor.

Braces at Night

Adeline has been fitted for her nighttime braces. She is expected to wear them each night. The idea is that they will hold her foot in a position that will stretch her calves during her sleep. Over time her calves have become tight and her heal cords have tightened as well. All are a sign of Cerebral Palsy but we are forging ahead in hopes of escaping the diagnosis.

For her first night wearing her braces we were expecting a fit, lots of crying and restless night of sleep. I even plugged in the monitor so that her soft cry would wake us should she wake up during the night. Surprisingly, she let me put them on her awake and went down without much of a fight. She was up pretty late that night which helped in her willingness to go down without fighting her braces. Even more surprising was that she slept through the night and even later than usual into the morning.

She still has some learning to do. She doesn't think she can walk in these or get up to a standing position. They aren't made to wear outside of the crib but at age two, there is a lot of activity that goes on in the crib. I felt a bit sorry for her when I went into get her. She usually greets me standing up and jumping and instead was laying flat on her back waiting for me to pick her up.

So for the only problem has been a blister that developed on the outside of her heel. These braces are meant to go over PJ's but I sleep her in a footed pair which makes it hard. We might have to play around a bit to find the right combination of warmth and comfort when it comes to pajamas.

Let's hope night number two goes as well as the first night did.

First Day of School for Miss Belle

I use the term "school" VERY loosely as I don't believe two year olds belong in a structured school setting. This certainly isn't a classroom but a playgroup with a few structured activities. When it comes to the Belle school seems appropriate. Why? Her therapists, along with myself have many question marks when it comes to Adeline. Does she really understand? Is processing and sensory issues getting in her way of carrying out a request? Does she process peer pressure (following along the other children)? Is she listening and not processing or does she just not listen?

In order to shake some of these issues out, we collectively decided to put her in a group setting one day week. When Savannah was asked by a neighbor why Adeline is going to school and not Lila, she responded, "We are trying to see if she will become a better listener? (Lila can listen just fine when she wants too.) We are hoping that Adeline will become familiar with the group and listen to her teacher's requests, follow the group and fit in nicely. It is a tall order but a great environment for her to either sink or swim. Let's pray she swims.

About her class:
Adeline is by far the youngest in her class. Her birthday of August (which is really November by skill levels and adjusted age) doesn't make the June cut off. There are many kids getting ready to turn three in a few months while she is just getting used to two. She is by far the smallest but she doesn't standout that way. I just did a quick scan of the room and noted it. I don't think anyone else would see it. She is not as physically able as the other kids. However, she is social with both the children and the teachers (we did a trial run a few weeks ago). There are six other children in the class and two teachers. A great ratio.

Today she dropped off nicely and told me goodbye. She went with the teacher happily. Upon pickup I was told she did great and that she likes to climb. I am not sure what that means but from my experience, she likes to climb up my legs and onto chairs. I was told she imitated the other kids at snack time by banging on the table and that she ate her goldfish but wouldn't drink out of a cup. I realized that she is probably the only kid in there still on a bottle. Adeline still won't take the cup. There are lots of things I will need to explain as time goes on.

The moment she saw me at pickup she said in very loud voice, "Bye Bye," and ran to me. She seemed happy. Let's just hope she swims!!

National Prematurity Awareness Day

I had hopes of writing something profound that would give a new found spin on prematurity so that others might see that it is widespread and serious. There seems to be a spotlight on various types of cancers but prematurity still sits in the shadows. It is real. I have lived it. My girls fought through it and one is still fighting. Prematurity is not a simple NICU stay. It doesn't necessarily go away. Some babies are lucky and leave it behind. Some have to factor their prematurity into their everyday lives. Some babies never even get the chance. Regardless of the outcome, the families are forever changed.

I revisited our NICU stay by watching our You Tube video. I am in awe that both of my girls lived. The odds were stacked against them. Two years later, I am still trying to digest the magnitude of this miracle. I am also trying to digest what I would be like today if the outcome had been less favorable. Too many parents are sitting at home grieving for their babies that didn't win the fight.

For more information about prematurity on a national level you can visit the March of Dimes website. They ask for you to sign their petition in support of their many efforts to save premature babies and prevent early births. Please take a moment and sign your name. I know my girls wouldn't be here had it not been for the efforts of the March of Dimes.

Naps No More

Of course that only applies to my oldest. I would be beside myself if the twins didn't take their 3 hours nap in the afternoon.

Instead of napping, Savannah tries hard to entertain herself during the our quiet afternoons. I am usally working on photography of sorts while she roams around in her make believe world. Today, she stolled into the office looking like this.



I must mention that there are days that she naps. They just must include a napping mommy as well. We call it our "Napping house, where everyone is sleeping." (a must have book for kids 4 and under)

A Couple of New Experiences

The girls wanted to have a sleepover this weekend. I guess I should say, the big girl did. She seems to think that the twins have a sleepover without her because they are in the same room. She has asked over and over again to join them in their room. Surprisingly, Daddy gave in on a night when I was working. He had put the girls down and after reading Savannah stories, gave in to her request of a sleepover. Out the blowup bed came down Savannah went on her sister's floor.

They slept fine and the twins didn't wake up to the commotion of getting Savannah settled. Unfortunately, I had someone at my bedside at 6:50 a.m. stating, "Lila's thirsty Mommy." No one in this house is awake at 6:50, let alone thirsty. I think Savannah woke up early and decided to have her sisters join her. She claims she didn't wake them though. We ended up pulling Savannah in our bed and told the girls to lay back down. Thankfully, we were able to squeak another hour of sleep out them. Not sure if any of the girls slept, but the parents did.

On a completely different note, I let the girls try a lollipop last night after dinner. Many of therapist have wanted to start this. It helps oral motor development and brings down the oversensitivity in their mouths. I am not a fan of giving small kids candy, chips, and soda etc. They have the rest of their lives to dive into the junk foods. I gave in last night in hopes that Adeline would start to move her mouth around in new ways.




The verdict, Lila loved her lollipop but tried to bite it. My biggest fear. Adeline didn't really like hers. She tried it out for awhile but than began touching it with her fingers etc. which completely grosses me out. Way too much stick for me. In the end, she decided eating the wrapper was better than the eating the lollipop anyway. I think I am going to stick with my gut and keep them off of candy until at least three.