Christmas Cheer

Today, our friend Misty came to visit us.  We were so excited to see her.  It keeps my spirits up, and Anna Claire got to meet her for the first time.  She was so sweet and brought us Christmas tree for our room.  I hadn't even thought about it, but it made me so happy when she brought it out.  I decorated it while we chatted.  I'm not the best tree decorator, but it makes me happy!

 

I don't know how long we will be able to keep it, the cleaning lady informed me that we aren't suppose to have trees.  I'm not going to worry about it until I get told I have to turn it off.  They don't want you to have lights.  I don't think we have to worry about Anna Claire chewing on them.  We will see.

Anna Claire is doing so well.  We get labs again in the morning.  But, she is acting more and more like herself.  She is still sleeping a lot, but I think that is good.  Let her body heal.  She is slowly eating a little better.  Hopefully that will get back to normal soon.  I got to video chat with Drew and Amelia today and yesterday.  I love modern technology!  She wasn't very chatty yesterday, but she talked a good bit today.  I miss her so much and can't wait to see her in a few more days!

Back to LeBonheur

This year we decided to have our families come to Greenville for Christmas.  It is just not so easy traveling with 2 babies.  So my family came Thursday, and left Friday.  We had a lot of fun.  It went by way too fast!  I hardly even saw Amelia because she was having too much fun with Madison and Brady.  I cooked dinner.  That was the deal, I said I would do all the cooking if they would come down, so I had to hold up to my bargain.  It was all yummy.  My mom helped some too.  Sharon was great and cleaned up the kitchen for me!  We had a fire and made smores and hot cocoa. 

It would have been perfect if my sweet Anna Claire had not started running a fever again.  We were all excited because she was fever free for most of Thursday, but it came back with a vengence.  So, I took back to the clinic Friday morning for more bloodwork.  Her liver enzymes had almost doubled and her bilirubin is going back up.  I knew that we have cholangitis and were going to Le Bonheur.  I called her doctor and told his nurse that we were on our way.

My family was still at our house so to keep Amelia out of the ER my sister took her home with her.  We were very lucky.  We didn't have to wait long at all.  We got there around 1 and had a room at 5.  Her fever was 103.1.  They finally started her IV antibiotics at 9 PM and she has been fever free since!!!  And, she is much less fussy and sleeping a lot.  She slept almost all night, which was wonderful.  I was exhausted.  I may have been averaging about 3-5 hours of sleep a night plus working and entertaining guests.  I am so glad my little girl is feeling better though.  Her liver enzymes have come back down almost to where they started, her bilirubin is still slowly creeping up, but hopefully that will change after a few days of antibiotics. 

My heart is sad though because my sweet Amelia has a bad cough.  With RSV going around, we can't let her get near AC.  So, she and Drew are going to his parent's house and will come back on Wednesday.  We will be here for at least 10 days of IV antibiotics.  It breaks my heart that we are all going to be seperated at Christmas.  I am just glad that they are so small that Santa can come whenever and they will never know the difference.  I just pray that this doesn't happen to us too many more times.  This mommy can't handle this too much more!

Good time with friends

Last night, we had a few of our local friends over for a Christmas dinner.  It's kind of our new tradition.  We had it at our house because I thought it would be easier with the girls.  We are the only ones with kids.  Well, I got home from work and Drew says Anna Claire feels like she has a fever.  He had checked it with the ear thermometer and it was 98.8, so I checked it with the rectal thermometer.  It was 101.6.  That of course threw me in to complete stress out mode.  Not what I needed right before having friends over.  I immediately call her doctor.  He tells me that since she isn't jaundiced to have her checked in the morning by her pediatrician and check labs and let him know.  I hardly slept all night.  All I could do was pray for my little girl that she is ok.  Her fever did drop a little over night, but was back at 101.3 that morning.  I got to the clinic as they opened the door.  We did lab work, were checked by the doctor.  Her lab work still looks very good, no obvious reason for the fever.  But, she is now at 99.8 without medicine.  So, we are watching and waiting right now.  If she still has fever on Friday we will repeat the lab work.  Praying no more fever!

We did have a good time at the dinner party though.  It took my mind off of stressing for a little while.  And, we got to make a new friend.  Our friend John Mark has met a girl, and he finally brought her to meet us!  Amelia loved entertaining our guests.  Anna Claire had to go to bed early for all of our sanity.  I wish I took pictures.  I truly didn't think about it.  Drew did everything.  He made duck gumbo, and everyone else brought a side.  He did a very good job with the dinner party.  I was impressed.

I think I have said on here that Amelia really loves the moon.  But, as I was picking her up from daycare yesterday, she was very excited to try to find the moon.  She talked about it the whole way home.  So, we went and said hi to the moon as soon as we got home and told it night night.  She is so silly!

Puppy love

For Amelia's birthday, my parent's gave her a furr real puppy.  (Which is the best kind of puppy there is!)  We can just turn it off when we are tired of it.  But, she loves her puppy.  She totes her (Anna Claire) with her everywhere she goes.  She was sitting in Drew's lap on Saturday and saw the puppy, we had forgotten about it, and she says, I want puppy.  Drew looked at me like, oh no.  She has him completely wrapped.  Can get anything she wants!  It was a huge relief when we realized it was the furr real puppy she was talking about!



The puppy isn't too fond of Drew.  Grawls and snaps at him anytime he gets near.  I wonder what that puppy senses in him!

Amelia with her "Anna Claire"

Giggles

Anna Claire is really starting to get quite a little personality.  She is giggling and laughing.  It is absolutely the sweetest thing.  As I was putting her to bed, we sat down in the glidder rocker.  I'm not sure what was so funny, but she got tickled.  And, she just couldn't quit laughing, which made me laugh, which made her laugh more.  It was so cute!

Amelia is getting to be so smart.  We read a story every night, I let her pick it out.  She is starting to recite the books along as we read them.  Such a smart girl!  Now if she could only tell the difference in blue, and all the other colors.  All things are blue now.  Every now and then we will get a pink out of her. 

reaching new milestones

Today, daddy is finally coming home.  It really hasn't been very bad with the girls.  I think I can hold my own with all of this traveling that he does.  Luckily though, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon.  Anna Claire is really starting to grow up.  She has gone the last 2 nights with only getting up to eat once!!!  She woke up this morning at 1:30 and I thought, oh no, she will be up again between 4 and 5.  I didn't hear from her until 6:40!  I was a little nervous, but I am hoping this is a sign of progress.  She is really starting to chunk up, so I think she has stored up calories to help her sleep longer. 

So, typically Amelia would be home with me on Fridays, but today is her school Christmas party, so I took her to daycare.  It was really sad though.  She did not want to go.  She said she wanted to stay home and play with daddy.  When I told her daddy isn't here, she said I want to stay with Anna Claire.  I took her anyway because I really need to get things done around the house.  Daddy got home around 1 then we went to the Christmas party.  It really wasn't very exciting.  I really should have just kept her home.

Enjoying some goodies at the party.  There are some wild kids in her class!

 

Afterwards, we tried to get the girls picture with Santa at the mall.  Well, Anna Claire finally fell asleep for a long overdue nap, and Amelia was just not having it.  She would not sit in Santa's lap for anything.  Santa just so happens to go to our church, so we are going to go see him on Sunday and talk to him and try to make her comfortable with seeing him.  We will see how it goes.

 

Anna Claire had a very exciting day.  We were doing some tummy time, and she finally rolled over from her belly to her back.  I was so proud of her.  I was just trying to get some pictures of how well she holds her head up, but instead I was able to video tape her first roll over.  Amelia rolled over in her sleep the first time, so I missed it.  It was a little shocking though when I went to check on her when she was crying. 

 

My baby is getting so big!  I would upload the video of her rolling, but it really isn't very exciting. 



Sisterly love

Today starts the first for 2 days that it will be just me and the girls.  I am a bit nervous, but we will make it through it.  Daddy is going hunting with some friends in Arkansas.  He was going to take us to Memphis, but traveling with the girls almost seems more stressful.  So, today we just hung out at the house all day.  I do enjoy a lazy day with my girls.  I had planned on trying to start potty training with Amelia today.  But, my friend, Heather and I talked about this, and we decided I should wait until after the new year.  There is just too much going on right now to start all of that.  We had a lot of fun playing.  Amelia really loves her sister.  I think Anna Claire feels the same way.  Amelia really never acts very jealous of Anna Claire.  I think daycare has taught her how to share attention.  But, Anna Claire, not so much.  We sat in Amelia's room and read books.  Anna Claire was fine as long as Amelia wasn't in my lap, but as soon as Amelia sat down, Anna Claire would start screaming.  She is going to be my jealous child.  She's going to have to get over it though.

My girls playing.  Amelia was loving making Anna Claire laugh.  They are so sweet together!

This picture is completely unrelated, but it was on my phone and I saw it when uploading the above pictures, and had to share.  This is Drew being silly at Amelia's birthday party.  Love the crazy eyes!