No Shots

Well, I was mistaken. Lil' Cherub did NOT get the shots I thought she was scheduled to receive yesterday. She is not due to get them until next month, when she gets 6 vaccines all in one day - a combo shot with 3 vaccines, a combo shot with 2 vaccines and the last vaccine administered orally.

This really threw a monkey wrench in my plans because I was all set to launch full force into our normal activities. We had plans to return to our homeschool co-op, church services, playgroups and our regular visit to the library. However, the doctor told us to hold off on these things for another month since we are still in the middle of cold and flu season. This is really hard to do because I have two other children who cannot stay in the house all day for four more weeks and also because I really dislike staying in the house myself!

Sooo... I went out anyway! This morning we went to our homeschool co-op. I figured, all of the kids would be busy with their activities, it is a large space and I'd be wearing the baby anyway. It worked out just fine. I wore her the entire time and the kids had fun catching up with their friends. While I was there talking to one of the parents about the shot situation, I found out that some of the children in the co-op have never been vaccinated at all. Now I have heard of this, but never met anyone who actually followed through with not vaccinating their children. I had so many questions, How did you find a doctor who agreed to this? Do you worry about the kids getting sick from others? When did you first take them out? What do you do to keep them healthy? I feel like the extra month I have before Lil' Cherub gets her shots gives us a chance to really research this whole vaccinate or don't vaccinate debate. What do you think? I'd love to hear your input on this topic!

Little Things Make a Big Difference

Friday we sang Happy Birthday to our Lil' Cherub! She's getting so big and chubby and starting to interact with everyone more - well, as much as a 4 week old can interact! She makes eye contact and can stay awake for more than 20 minutes without crying!

Our days flip flop between crazy and out of control, to calm and relaxed. I haven't figured out the formula yet. Some days I can't seem to get it together, the kids are wild and full of energy and the baby is out of sorts all day. Those are the times I feel like we'd better just put everyone in daycare or school and go back to work full time! However, I think as we slowly reintroduce various bits of our schedule (homeschool lessons, playgroups, co-op meetings, library time) it helps everyone to settle back into the groove. I always knew it was important for children to have some structure to their days, but I never realized just how significant it really is. Just adding one small regularly scheduled activity makes a big difference in our lives!

Another thing that has really helped me to maintain some sanity is naptime. Little Guy has always taken a nap after lunch. Lil' Miss then practices violin with me and then either gets on the computer, reads books or plays until he wakes. This usually means she's asking me for help with something on the computer, asking me for help with the books or asking me to look at her doll's latest outfit or taste some imaginary meal she's cooked. A couple of weeks ago I decided that she too needs to take a nap so that I can have a moment to myself! After her violin practice, I have her quietly go upstairs and climb into bed (the two are in a bunk bed) without waking her brother. She thinks this is a fun challenge. She eventually falls asleep, at times for nearly two hours! This has been such a blessing because I can get work done, catch up on email, or take a short nap if the baby is sleeping! Now I truly appreciate how precious these little moments of quiet are!

Lil' Cherub gets her first set of shots on Thursday, so hopefully we'll get to attend our co-op meeting on Friday and go to church service on Sunday! Returning to church will really make things feel like normal. As much as it is a challenge getting two kids ready and out the door for church on a Sunday morning, and I can't imagine what it will be like with three - I always feel like something is off when we miss a couple of weeks of service and other church activities. I not only miss the worship and the education components, but the fellowship of our church family. I think this is important for the kids as well. Again, just a small piece of our time - a couple of hours on Sunday, Thursday (Bible Study) and random special events, but a huge impact on our lives!

Now, if I can just find a time to begin blogging regularly again!!!

A Baby Story

It's been a while since I've posted, but for good reason! Our newest family member arrived early Friday morning!!! This time around was almost as exciting as the last time. My water broke at 2:15 in the morning, and though I tried to climb back in the bed and pretend it wasn't happening, the contractions began right away and I had to face reality and wake Hubby up. We both hopped onto our laptops to send quick emails to work and and friends, then gathered the kids up and headed to the car. We tried to keep the kids asleep by not putting their coats on and wrapping them in blankets instead, but the cold woke them up. We drove to my parents, dropped the kids off and sped off to the hospital. By the time we checked in, it was 3:45am. I was 7cm dialated upon check in, and within half an hour was 10, pushed once for the head, a second time for the rest of the body and praise God, we had our second daughter!

She was 8lbs 8oz and 22 inches long. Beautiful and chubby with a nice loud cry. She got 9 and 10 on her agpar. The first 12 hours were fantastic, then things took a sudden turn. Her temperature, heartrate and respiratory rate went up, while her routine bloodwork came back with a shifted white blood cell count. I was GBS positive but did not arrive at the hospital in time to get a full dose of antibiotics. You need to be there for at least 4 hours. I only got one dose of penicillan. Because of this red flag in our chart and the sudden show of symptoms, the doctors became concerned that she might have possible infection. The medical team made the decision to discharge her from the nursery and admit her to the NICU. As upsetting as this was to Hubby and I, especially since it was almost an exact repeat of what happened with the Little Guy, I understood the logic of airing on the side of caution rather than the, "let's wait and see what happens" approach. I did not want to unknowingly take a sick baby home and end up in the ER a few days later under dire circumstances.

Once she was in the NICU, some of her vitals stabilized, but her blood cell count was still off. They put her on two antibiotics and monitored her. They performed a spinal tap and ran lots of tests, but everything came back negative. I was allowed to breastfeed, which was comforting for both of us. Hubby stayed two days until my official discharge, after which time he went home to take care of the kids. I took up residence in a rocking chair next to her bed in the NICU for the next five days. A couple of nights I was able to get a room on the NICU floor, and one night ended up sleeping in a meeting room/library. The final two nights the nursing staff agreed that she was healthy enough to room with me. After her last dose of antibiotics she was cleared to go home!

Now we are ALL recovering from the ordeal. The baby is getting used to her very loud and active surroundings. Lil' Miss is head over heals in love with her new sister. The Little Guy is trying to figure out his new role in the family. Hubby and I are learning to function with only a few hours of sleep at night! Soooo.... if my posts are infrequent for a while, it's because we are adjusting to life with three little ones.

Getting Ready

Well, it's getting down to the wire. At our appointment last Thursday the midwife gave a green light for the baby to arrive. Everything is apparently ready (I won't go into a reproductive lesson describing what that means) and it's just a matter of waiting. Her instructions were to "take it easy." I thought that was hilarious, as I have a 2yr old and a 4yr old with me all day, every day! Taking it easy is NOT an option. She then told me to pay attention to any pain I may have. For some reason I don't really feel strong contractions until the very end. I actually slept through the contractions last time and woke up having to push. The Little Guy was almost born in Hubby's car on the way to the hospital. This may seem like a dream come true, but I personally would rather have a bit of time to get prepared. So, I'm doing the next best thing and trying to get everything set well in advance. The kids' suitcases are already packed and at their grandparents' house. My bag is packed as well. Hubby... well, I'm sure he'll just throw something in the car as we rush off!
When the time does come, I'll try to put up a quick post before leaving. Stay tuned!


By the way, I wanted to mention a couple of Blog Candy/Giveaways I won recently!

This is my gift from Trudy at Bits of Wool. The box was FULL of goodies, so much that I couldn't fit them all on the table for the photo. Not in the picture is a huge box of Hickory Farms tea - 96 packets! There is also a beautiful hand stiched embroidery piece and the cutest apron. She made most of the stuff herself.

From Terri at Purple and Paisley I won a wood sign that says YOU SEW GIRL, which goes perfect in my craft room. It came with a flannel pillowcase with the sweetest little elephants on it.

A little anxiety?

Since we found out we were pregnant, we told our children about it. They both seemed very excited, though the Little Guy went through a short period of hitting my belly and saying, "I don't want the baby." That only lasted a few weeks. The older child has been so excited, coming up with names for the baby, preparing a place for the baby to sleep (some blankets and a shoebox - how cute), and kissing my belly. Recently however, she has been acting quite out of character. Lil' Miss has always been a moody one, but it has been off the charts lately. Today, every little thing set her off - either into a screaming fit or a ball of tears. I am thinking that even though she is excited about the new baby, she still has some anxiety about upcoming change. I wonder if she is unsure of what her place will be in the family. Maybe wondering if it will be another brother - she finds the one she has to be a bit overwhelming. Maybe wondering if it is another girl, where does that leave her? I am not sure what to do about this new behavior. Of course, we will still act in the firm way that we do and expect her to be respectful and obedient. However, I feel led to have a heart to heart with her and find out how she truly feels about the coming baby. I don't know how realistic it is to have such a conversation with a young child, but hopefully I can alleviate some of her anxiety. I also will make an extra effort to spend more one on one time with her. As I've posted before, time is hard to come by - I am still as exhausted as I was in the first trimester, but making sure my little girl is emotionally okay must take precedence over sleep for a little while.