It's a good thing....

we are finished with visits from the social worker. No too sure how this method for securing Millie into her favorite "big girl" chair would go over.

But as you can plainly see, she's THRILLED to be using it.

So what's a mother to do when she just wants to make her baby girl smile a little bit???

You do what I do and get out all of your belts and strap the little monkey in. It was a delightful dinner with her at the table in her own chair and not the wheel chair. She even feed herself for the most part!

It was a banner day for Millie Moo!

Spicaville~Day 13

So here we are, 13 days in Spicaville and this is what I know:
1) Millie is losing weight. She weighs 30 pounds WITH the cast and she weighed 28 pounds at her 3 year appointment on 3/25/08. You can't tell this mother that cast only weighs 2 pounds~no sirree!
2) Can't get her outside in hot weather, which we have had in the 'Nati over the weekend. She gets way too hot and sweats way too much! I'm praying the weather cools off and we aren't struggling with the "I wanna go outside" tantrums.
3) Bathing and hair washing isn't so bad. We seem to have it down to a nice routine. Her cast is staying clean and dry~YOORAH!
4) Millies appetite is way off (see #1). We were warned that she would need to eat frequent, small meals. I could understand that if the cast was tight, but I can fit hand hands all the way through the cast now. So, I know it is not too tight. Looks like I'm going to have to start finding some high calorie things for her to ear~Lucky Girl!
5) She's sitting up straighter in the wheelchair which makes it easier to put her at the regular kitchen table. I have her strapped in with bright green luggage straps (thanks Joan!). She looks very colorful!
6) We are off the meds except for a little bit of Tylenol when she goes to bed at night. She's sleeping very well too~for that I am very thankful!
7) Millie's frustration level gets really bad when other kids are running around. This makes for difficult socializing with Elise and her friends. Still trying to sort that issue out.
8) Finally, I'd like to say we have a nice rhythm going here but the second I do that, it will all fall apart. So for now I will say we are doing pretty well.

Thanks to all my friends that are feeding us! It really does help~you just can't imagine how much I appreciate it.

Blowing bubbles with Baba

The Sweaty, Outdoor look

This girl LOVES water way too much!

Enjoying the deck with Mama

Enjoying a "tea party" at the kitchen table

Spicaville~Day 6

It's our second full day at home, out of the mother's womb, if you will. Coming home is a horse of a different color when it comes for caring for a child that is spica cast bound. Fortunately, we have a wheelchair that we can use and it has been awesome for moving her around the first floor. Second floor, if rather challenging. Adaptability will be the key over the next six weeks.

On Sunday, we made the trip to Ikea in search of an adjustable height table so Millie can sit at something and play. I've seen where other families have made tables and things like that. But I just wasn't off for that. I know you're thinking, yeah, you just wanted to go to Ikea. I can't deny that. I LOVE IKEA! So we found a marvelous table and then I spotted the cutest sets of play dishes for the girls and I snatched those up. They love playing tea party and serving each other so I couldn't pass them up. Ikea tends to rotate their children's items and you never know if something will be there the next time you come through.

The table works great and Elise even got a hot pink chair that will roll up to the table too. Roll is the operative word right now. Elise wants to push Amelia while she's in the wheel chair. That would be fine if Elise could see over the top of the chair, but she tends to drift to one side or the other and I don't believe that Amelia really appreciates the constant jarring and whiplash that her sister is unknowingly inflicting upon her. Elise's chauffeur license has been revoked until a little more healing is done. But, Millie has decided that "she can do it" herself and pushes herself around in the wheelchair. Yep, not kidding, check out the "Smilebox", last page is a video. She was killin' me.

Millie did get sick last night right at bedtime and she spit up her medicine. I was hesitant to give her more and she went to bed without any. Big mistake!!!! When she woke up this morning, she was a pain and it took about 2 hours to get her settled back down. It's no fun catching up on the pain meds. That won't happen again. I'm happy to say that she's resting more comfortably now.

I had to go through the task of "petaling" the back of her cast. Petaling is lining the inside and the edges of the cast with waterproof tape for protection. It was impossible to get to certain areas while she was in the hospital because she was so very swollen. Needless to say, when I put her on her bell, I was able to put my hand almost the entire way into the cast~that's how swollen she was. Her skin was a little icky so I left her resting there for awhile to "air things out" and then I lined it with tape. The meds had kicked in so she rested comfortably for about an hour on her belly. I have to admit, the sucker bribe helped also.

Tucker has moved his PS3 to the family room while I was gone. He likes the picture better on the new TV~gee~ya think???? I see more of him now than I ever have. He is no longer a cellar dweller. His skin doesn't have the pale hue that I'm used to seeing. I guess it's from all the sunlight he's now getting. He has also claimed the bean bag chair that Steve and Elise got for Amelia~again, check out the Smilebox.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The real test....

As I enjoy a most beautiful glass of "Four Sisters" in the kitchen of my home, I gaze upon my two beautiful daughters as they compete for attention and realize the real test is now beginning. Gone is the safety and security of the hospital womb~where our only requirement was to be available for the doctors, therapists and nurses whenever they would call. Life has kicked back in and all that entails.

The ride home was uneventful except for the pit stop at the local Walgreen's to be sure we had pain meds for the 6 hour drive home. Pain management is the key right now and Amelia is scheduled for pain meds every 4 hours. She got a dose right before we left so I knew that I needed to give her another dose sometime during the drive home. The nurses told me that I could move it out to six hours, but I respectfully declined that offer and said I preferred the four hour interval. After standing around for about 45 minutes in St. Louis Walgreen's, we hit the road.

Millie was a champ and even slept for over two hours, a first for her in the car at anytime during any trip. I finally reached back to make sure she was still breathing. Upon our arrival, Elise glanced up from her bowl of ice cream and just glanced in my direction. She then proceeded to devour her before dinner treat. No hi, no nothing! Can you feel what I'm thinking!?!?

Then the competition began....grabbing of the toys and no sharing of new toys...blah blah blah. I bring in the wheelchair and Elise thinks she is going to push it around the house like she does Mamaw's wheelchair. Chaos reigns my friends. I was thankful the bottle had a screw on top and I didn't have to mess with a cork!

I finally got Millie settled in her new, red bean bag and she sat there for a bit. She eventually asked for the wheelchair and I think she prefers the height it puts her at. Giggsey was licking her toes and I don't think she cared for that. Again, chaos!

There were gifts from family and friends and lots of silliness going on. But we are finally settling down and thinking of heading to bed.

Please continue to pray for our adjustment at home. It will be so different and a challenge, for that I am sure. Millie continues to be very pleasant and amiable about her position or lack there of. I just pray that continues as her sister taunts her in that ever so passive aggressive way that she has mastered at the age of five.

Let the test begin.....I'm off to the wine cave!

Bustin' Out

WE'RE OUTTA HERE! That's right, we have officially been released. Millie slept like a champ. Wish I could say the same. All those stinkin' alarms on the probes that are attached to her kept going off all night. The nurse finally took pity and removed the IV~thank you God! Millie is ready to roll. She's had her hair washed and been bathed for as much as she can be. She's done her bathroom business, much to every one's delight and surprise and now she awaits her chariot. It should be arriving shortly.

Next Stop~the 'Nati. Where I hope and pray there is a lovely bottle of "Four Sisters" Chardonnay awaiting this happy mother of four!

Our God is awesome! I Praise His Name for allowing me the privilege of mothering these children. I Praise Him for the gift of knowledge that He has blessed the doctors at SLC. I Praise Him for the gift of compassion and caring He has blessed the nurses and caregivers at SLC. But mostly I Praise Him for you, my family and friends for your gifts of love, prayer and support during this time. The next six weeks will be interesting, but I'm more confident than every it will go fast and Millie will heal just fine.

C U soon!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Last night in St. Louie?????

It was positively GORGEOUS in St. Louis today. I was chompin' at the bit to get outside. So as soon as Millie had her breakfast and breathing treatment, we loaded up and moved 'em out.

Transferring her to the wheelchair is a bit of a challenge but not too terribly difficult. She's still rather light~relatively speaking, so moving her isn't too bad. She's just very bulky! The biggest thing is the element of fear that crosses her face whenever I pick her up. I know this will pass as she heals more, but it still is something we have to be sensitive about.

As you can see the pictures, it was sunny on the 8th floor rooftop garden. But was it glorious, you betcha! The spring flowers were in full bloom and the air was so warm. I could have sat for hours in the swing, letting the sun warm my soul. I did pick Millie up and hold her for a bit in the swing. She was rather apprehensive, but she soon feel fast asleep as we gently swayed to and fro. It was so lovely.

The sun was so bright...

This is the swing....

After our little stroll, I headed over to Panera for a much craved sandwich and then we had ourselves a nice little nap. It's the first real nap either one of us have taken. I crawled into bed with her and we slept for almost two hours. It was bliss. I must have been tired because I don't normally sleep that close to anyone, let alone sleeping in a twin bed with a three year old in a spica cast. Millie clung to my arm the entire time.

As you can see from the photo, she's got her arms behind her head in total relaxation mode. She's back to her old self, chit chatting with everyone and singing her little songs. She even said she wanted to go home today.

Big, Cheesy Grin~A girl has to have her hairbow

We took an evening stroll around the hospital and visited the garden for another swing and headed to the ball roll machine by Dr. Dobbs office. It's just not a visit to SLC without a visit to the ball roll.

Pucker Up....



Evening in the Garden~Self-Portrait

The Ball Roll

Millie asked to go home today, so I know she's feeling better. We've stayed a bit longer than anticipated due to the fevers. But we've been 24 hours without one, so we are bustin' outta here in the morning. I'm not sure of our exact plans~travel could be precarious, so we could be slightly delayed. We'll determine that tomorrow. She is definitely feeling better, the swelling is down for the most part and only appears when she is in the wheelchair. I've had to ask for some manners because Miss Millie has gotten a little too used to being "served". I made her eat her own raisins today and she was mortified that I would even ask that of her. We shall see how long that attitude lasts once we're back in the 'Nati!

Thanks for all the healing prayers! Our Millie is a trooper! I can say "ours" because she belongs to all my prayer warriors out there too! Can't wait to get home. I've got the wheelchair, car seat , handicap permit and everything else that I think I'll need. Steve is gonna faint when he sees all this stuff.

Ruby slippers are on....{click, click}there's no place like home, there's no place like home

Oh where is my toothbrush????

Do you know the Veggie Tales song, "Where is my hairbrush?"? Well, Amelia has modified it to sing "toothbrush" instead of hairbrush. Yesterday was a day of searching for comfort and safety for Amelia. She clung to my finger almost constantly all afternoon. If someone walked into the room, she said, "hold my hand!!!". After awhile, I couldn't stand or stretch any longer for her to cling to my finger. She received a book yesterday afternoon and clung to that with one hand. After I brushed her teeth, she decided to cling to the toothbrush with the other. So she slept, all night I might add, holding a Diego book in one hand and a toothbrush in the other. Bizarro~that's all I can say.

As you can see, she's much perkier this morning. She had a great night, no fevers~Praise God! She's resting comfortably and for that I am thankful. The night nurses were amazing~didn't even hear them in the room. Maybe they read my blog~they knew my plans and decided to steer clear? Who knows! I don't care, it was bliss.

The doctors are still puzzled about the fevers since it is the only thing that keeps popping up. Her lungs are still clear, but she still gets the breathing treatments. We skipped the 4 a.m. treatment for obvious reasons. So we are due for another one very shortly. They may give her an antibiotic, but I hope not. Just praying the fever stays down.

Today's goal is to get her system moving...if you know what I mean. This will be problematic for Millie since she's potty trained and doesn't like going in her diaper. If she asked me once last night, she asked me 50 times if she could pee in her pants. Just imagine what's going through her mind to do the other. Poor little thing.

It's beautiful in St. Louie! We're heading to the 8th floor garden as soon as possible. I gotta get outside.