Mike-Lindsey-Madilyn: February 2010

So, today was a Good Day!!! The first thing that made it a good day, is that it was FINALLY Beautiful outside. Second, I didn't have to work. And the third of course, is that I got to spend all day with my little girl!! Which I always love. And have missed so much while I have been working full time - for the past 6 weeks. But now, the majority of my time is at home again - where I much rather be. Don't get me wrong, I actually do like my job. Just not as much now that I have Madilyn. I absolutely hated leaving her everyday while I went to work. Not that it had anything to do with her sitters. Cause her sitters were the best!!! (Thanks Mum & Carmen)

Today started with a bright ray of sunshine coming from Madilyn's crib - it was her!!! She always wakes up so happy & giggly. Which right then makes my day. We had our porridge, then took Marky into school. We then spent the majority of the day at home playing & reading stories. (We spent a little bit of the day getting into mommy's things as well - didn't we Madilyn!?!)

But today Madilyn discovered her brand new pair of gum boots. I had got them out, and they have just been in her room. She loves playing with them. But when I decided to put them on her feet, she got all weird. Like they weren't suppose to be on her feet!! haha. She got over that, and we went playing outside in them. She so loves her new gum boots. They are still a little big - but she did just fine in them!!! Madilyn loves to play outside. (Just don't get much opportunity with the good ol CANADIAN weather.) She could sit on our front porch and play with rocks all day.

When Mikey got home from work - we went into Lethbridge to Wendy's!! We have taken Madilyn on a date there a couple times. And she loves it!! She loves to get a balloon. Last time when I pulled up to Wendy's and went to get Madilyn out of her car seat, I said "Madilyn do you want to go to Wendy's?" She got all excited, flapping her arms and squealing. Then when I got her out and we were walking to the door, she saw a bunch of kids walking out with balloons, and she started squealing again. Needless to say, it is where we usually go now on our date nights!! Pretty classy eh!?!

Her new boots....

Well this past week was the hardest week of my life. It all started off good. Friday I had the day off work. So I decided it would be fun to go swimming. We invited Jasmine & Molly, Carmen, Bryce & Jaycie, and Jen & Olivia. We had a blast!!!

But then Friday night, is when everything changed. We woke up in the night to Madilyn crying really hard. And when we went in her room, she had thrown up everywhere. Poor little Madilyn was so sick. She had vomiting & diarrhea like crazy. And it all seemed to just spiral out of control from there. She wouldn't eat anything, or drink anything. I couldn't even syringe anything into her mouth. I tried watered down apple juice, Pedalyte with jello powder mixed in, Gatorade, Jello water. I tried pretty much anything - I was desperate. But she wouldn't take anything. And what she did take - CAME RIGHT BACK OUT!!!!

So by the next day at midnight, I took her in to Emerg. They just said she has a bug, and to go home and get liquids into her and she will be fine. So that's what I did. I went home & tried to do that. But she wouldn't take anything, and she was just getting worse. She still had diarrhea & vomiting and she was getting quite lethargic by this point. So then Sunday night I took her back to Emerg. I was so worried she was getting dehydrated. She had not peed since Fri. The doc's didn't seemed to bothered by this. At Emerg he made me try and give her a bottle while we were there. And he told me not to leave until she drank the whole thing. And then he wanted to wait until she peed. Well we were there for over 3 hours. She did end up drinking her milk. But never did pee. But, he sent us home anyways. (Who knows why!?!?)

So I get home with her, and half hour after we are home she starts throwing up again. By this point I am EXTREMELY stressed out, and don't have a clue what to do know. So Monday morning I call her doc, and he has us come right in. He wanted to see her. So back to town we go. He has a look at her and says that she is getting dehydrated but she should be ok at home. But to give her a gravol suppository. And that should help the vomiting. So home we go.

Monday she just went down hill. She became EXTREMELY lethargic. She sat on my lap all day and barely moved. She got to the point were she couldn't even hold up her own head. She had no tears by this point. And she still hadn't peed since Friday. Problem?? YES. She had her gravol. (Which didn't work.) I sent Mike to Lethbridge to get Kaopectate. (That didn't work either.) I was beyond frustrated. There is nothing harder in this world, than seeing your baby so sick.

My mom had come over on her way home from work, to try and help us out. (Which was the biggest life saver ever!!) Madilyn still wasn't drinking though.

Monday night I got Madilyn settled and into her bed. And a couple hours later, she woke up with another HUGE vomit. I had had it!! I called mum, and she said that I have to take her back in to Emerg and get them to do something. She also said that she would come with me. (As Mikey had to be at school, cause he was getting ready to write his provincial exam.) So as much as I wanted to go back in (NOT), I packed her stuff up and off we went. This time when we got to Emerg, I insisted that they do something. The doc agreed, and stated that Madilyn was extremely dehydrated. (No kidding!?!?) She said that she needs to be admitted and that they were going to start an I.V., and get blood work. AS much as I didn't want my little girl to get an I.V. I knew by this point, that she had to have it. All I have to say is THANK GOODNESS FOR MY MUM!!! I couldn't have done it without her. She stayed with Madilyn while she got her IV put in and blood taken. AS I (A sad little mommy), went strolling down the hall to get away from hearing my little girl screaming. It was so sad. It took 2 nurses, my mum, and 2 paramedics (dunno what they were doing) to get her IV put in. They seemed to struggle trying to find a vein, due to the dehydration. When I went back into the room, Madilyn was still hysterical. It took me quite awhile to get her settled down. We waited in Emerg for quite sometime as they were trying to get a room for Madilyn. My mum ended up going home at 5AM. Madilyn and I then finally got taken up to Peds, where we got settled into her new room. And this is where we stayed for the whole week!!!!! In isolation - on peds. Where people came in wearing gowns, masks, and gloves. I guess they thought we had some serious disease!! haha...jokes.

It took Madilyn quite some time, but she eventually peed on Tues evening. Which was a very happy day for me. Kinda lame - right? But it had been forever, and I was really worried.

Things started to improve slowing. Her vomiting slowly disappeared, and she started to act more like herself. Which I had missed for several days now. She became goofy again. Laughing, chattering, and pulling a new cheesy grin!!! (Love Her!!) You would have thought they were putting Morphine in her I.V. It was too funny!!!

So Friday at 3am Madilyn got her IV out & the Pediatrician came to see her again later this morning. (As he did every day.) He said that she is good to go home now!!! YIPEE - what a good day!!! It has been one long week locked up in one room. And we are both ready to go home!!!!

My only advice to you mums - is that if you know your kids are seriously sick & something needs to be done, INSIST that it gets done. Don't take no for an answer. Doctors are great but as you have all heard before, you know your own kids better than any one else. BE PERSISTENT - so things don't go to far.

Our room consisted of a crib (below), and a cot for myself. Which Madilyn slept on with me everynight.

Chillin' - poor little girl got so swollen from the I.V.

Some serious bedhead!!

New Cheeky Grin!! (ever time we told her to SMILE - this is what she came up with)

Getting her blood pressure done. She HATED ever time they did it.

So brave though.

Enough. (That face breaks my heart!)

Much happier.

So mum had a great idea - lets put her in that crib and let her play!! Haha.

...

"HELP - get me outta here!!!"

Being a goof.

LOVE HER...

Finally eating something - TOAST!!

Watching out the window.

...wishing she could go out!!

Loving the visit from Grandma!!

(Thanks mum for all the visits, and for the fun prizes you brought everyday!! We love you.)

First bath in a long time. She got her IV out after 5 days. However, she had to bath in the sink in the room, cause we were still in isolation. She didn't mind.