Daniel's 1st Fracture

I received a call from Daniel's teacher a little before 1 today. She was calling to let me know that Daniel had fallen/jumped out of the swing when his class was coming in from playtime. He had landed on his left arm and knees. She said that he cried a little bit but she felt like he was not badly hurt but she wanted us to be aware of the accident just in case he complained of pain once he got home. My phone rang again about 20 minutes later and I noticed that the call was from Daniel's school. This time it was the nurse. Daniel's arm had started swelling right below the elbow and he was complaining that it hurt to bend or straighten his arm. I headed to the school to pick up Daniel and we immediately went to the ER at University Medical Center. The ER doctor looked at Daniel's elbow and arm and didn't see any visible signs of fractures. She ordered some x-rays just to be sure. The x-rays showed a fracture just below the elbow. The nurse splinted Daniel's arm and put his arm in a sling. We were sent home with simple instructions -
1.) keep the splint on
2.) keep the splint dry
3.) do not bear weight on the arm
4.) take Tylenol, etc as needed for pain
5.) follow up with orthopedic doctor in 2-3 days
We made a quick stop at Kroger for a few groceries and Wendy's for supper before heading home. Daniel spent the most of the night on the couch watching shows. We just got Daniel into bed with his arm elevated on a pillow. Our prayer is for him to have a pain-free night.

Isaac's 9 Month Check Up

-I took Isaac for his 9 month check up today. He is growing so fast! Dr. Amis said that Isaac was doing GREAT. His growth and development are right on track. He is "small for his age", he weighs 17.5 pounds and is 27 inches tall, putting him in the 5th percentile for both height and weight. He crawls/scoots around everywhere. He loves to be on the go. He just recently started pulling up to his knees. He loves to watch Daniel and Caden play and will get mad if they get out of his sight. He is a "mommy boy", he very much prefers Mommy to hold him and stay in his line of sight but when Mommy is holding him he loves to look at Daddy and loves for Daddy to talk to him. He loves to eat and is not picky about what he eats. He is starting to self-feed and has tried Gerber Puffs, Mum-Mums, mac and cheese and a little donut (curtosy of Caden). He has not gotten the hang of a sippy cup yet but we are working on it. He's a great sleeper, (7 pm - 7 am at night with 2 naps during the day) the problem is getting him to go to sleep - he's a fighter. He is teething - majorly - he got 4 teeth in a matter of days (current teeth count 7 with one coming through). He is always smiling and happy. We have been asked many times if he is always happy and he is but when he is mad he is very mad, it doesn't happen often though. It's hard to imagine that he will be soon be 1 (in less then 3 months). He's the baby of the family. I have already started packing up the baby gear to pass on to another baby (in another family). The baby gear (swings, bouncey seats) may be gone but it is being replaced with toddler gear (train tables, ride ons and too many toys). It's bittersweet to watch Isaac grow. We are so thankful for "our surprise", he has been the best "end" to our family.

Sleep Study Scheduled

Daniel's sleep study is scheduled for Tuesday, August the 10th. We are to check in at the Vanderbilt Sleep Center which is located on the 5th floor of the Vanderbilt Marriott hotel on Tuesday (8/10) between 7 and 8 p.m., if the night goes well we will be able to leave the next morning (8/11) no later then 7:30 a.m. Please pray with us that the sleep study will give us the answers we are looking for.

Pulmonary Visit

-Daniel had his first appointment in the Pulmonary Clinic today. (The first in 3 years.) This visit was a follow-up since Daniel saw the pulmonary specialist while he was in the hospital 2 weeks ago. We discussed long term preventive care for Daniel's asthma, allergies and reflux. There are 2 major concerns right now. Daniel's heart is enlarged, very specifically the right side of his heart is enlarged which is a sign of pulmonary hypertension. The swallow study that was done 2 weeks ago while Daniel was in the hospital showed an "abnormal swallow". He did not aspirate while in a normal, sitting, eating position but his swallow was not "normal" either. This could could mean that Daniel is aspirating some, especially at night when laying down. Dr. Droemer and Dr. Robinson both feel that the next step should be doing a sleep study on Daniel. The sleep study will hopefully give a lot of answers.....Is Daniel desatting while sleeping? If so how low is his oxygen saturation dropping and how long is it staying down? What is causing the desaturation? Aspiration? Obstructive apnea? Lung function? All 3? There are many things that could happen once we know the result of the sleep study. If Daniel is aspirating he will then see a GI and a feeding therapist and together the medical team will work to solve the aspiration issue (this could be some trial and era). If it is obstructive apnea, Daniel will see an ENT and possibly have his tonsils removed. If it is a combination of all 3 then we will "tackle" all 3 problems as quickly as possible. Daniel's medicines will stay the same for now - Flovent, Zantac, Prevacid, Singular and Zyrtec daily and Albuterol as needed. Daniel will see an allergy specialist on September 21 and will have allergy testing some time after that. We do not know when the sleep study will be scheduled for yet but should know by the end of the week. Dr. Droemer and Dr. Robinson would like Daniel to have the sleep study done before seeing the allergy specialist. While some of the things (enlarged heart) we heard today from the doctor scares us we are also thankful that we seem to be headed in the right direction to finding out the cause of Daniel's yucky lungs and finding the right preventive plan. Please pray with us for Daniel and the team of doctors involved in Daniel's care.

Too Much Party

-Daniel woke up last night with a runny nose, yucky breathing and fever of 102 - all symptoms that we hate that normally require a trip to the doctor and if we are "lucky" 10 days of antibotics, if we are "unlucky" we get to spend a few days at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. He did not have fever this morning and his breathing was better after a night of breathing treatments. He is spending that day at home with Mommy instead of going to school. We are hoping that this won't develop into anything major (pnuemonia) and that Daniel will be going to school tomorrow.

Becoming Healthy

-I am tired of being fat. Yes, I said it.....I AM FAT! The first step to solving the problem is admitting that you have a problem, right? Richard and I have talked the past couple of days about loosing weight and healthy eating - 1.) to actually loose weight and be able to shop in the "skinny section" of clothing departments/stores - 2.) our excessive weight is making us unhealthy and we need to be healthy - 3.) we have 3 boys to keep up with and need all the energy we can get to keep up with them. As of today I have entered "get healthy mode". I am not really going start a diet, I am just going to eat healthier. (This morning I had a Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks - 130 calories, instead of a Venti Caramel Macchiato - 300 calories.) I am going to add "formal exercises" into my daily routine and I am going to be more active (less computer time). I am really motivated to do this. My first goal is to need a new fall/winter wardrobe. I have decided that I will share my success and my failures on here so I can be held accountable and so I can look back and see what I am doing right or wrong. Time to get healthy.....

First Taste

-Isaac had his first taste of rice cereal today. Well, actually his second. He tried rice cereal last week and really didn't like it.
-I mixed in some pears this time.

-He LOVED it!

Scary to Scarier

-We let Daniel sleep in our room last as night we anticipated a night of coughing and breathing treatments, much to our surprise (a pleasant surprise) Daniel only required one breathing treatment (around 2 a.m.). Daniel slept late (until around 8:30 a.m.) and woke up coughing and and the cough continued with no break (a sign of an asthma flare up). We gave him a dose of Orapred (oral steriod), Flovent, Albuterol and Zantac and our poor little guy just could not stop coughing. I called Dr. Amis' office to schedule his follow-up appointment. My original plan was to schedule the appointment for tomorrow (Wednesday) but Dr. Amis was not going to be in the office and I was not comfortable with waiting until Thursday. Pop-Pop drove Daniel and I to his appointment and Richard stayed with Caden and Isaac. We stopped at Sonic for lunch. (Daniel did not want anything to eat or drink.). We arrived at Dr. Amis' office around 1 p.m. (Daniel's appointment was at 1:15 p.m.) The wonderful office workers noticed that Daniel was coughing and working hard to breath, they said something to Linda (Dr. Amis' wonderful nurse) and we were taken back to a room. Daniel's o2 saturation was in the low 80s (should be high 90s). Daniel was given a breathing treatment, warmed Pedialite (to break up secretions) and put on o2, his saturation came up to the high 80s. We rushed over to Vanderbilt Children's ER where things went from scary to scarier. In the 10 minutes it took to get to the ER, Daniel's oxygen saturation dropped to 76%. He was rushed into one of the 2 trauma rooms (found out you never want to be in the trauma room). There were 4 nurses, 2 respiratory therapist and 2 doctors that quickly began working on Daniel and asking in me LOTS of questions. Daniel was in respiratory distress (I think that is what it's called.) After about 4 hours of a continuous breathing treatment, a NG tube placement to suction air and other junk from his tummy, a chest x-ray, a dose of antibiotics and a dose of mag. Daniel was stable enough to move to a critical care room (right next door to the trauma room). Daniel continued to get breathing treatments and was put on oxygen via a mask and eventually a nasal cannula.
-The doctors are waiting to see how Daniel will do on the nasal cannula before making a decision on moving him to a room on the floor. If he can remain stable he will moved to a regular room, if he needs anything more then o2 through the nasal cannula he will be moved to ICU. Richard is currently at the hospital with Daniel and I am home with Caden and Isaac. Please keep Daniel (and all our family) in your prayers. This is a scary time for all of us.

24 Hours @ VCH

-1 chest x-ray + 1 Flu test 1 RSV test + 1 - 3 hour continuous breathing treatment followed by a few spaced out treatments 1 dose of oral steroid + 1 prescription for oral steroids + 1 prescription for stronger Flovent all adds up to 24 hours in the ER at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.
-Rewind to Saturday night -Daniel started running fever Saturday night (103) and was coughing and wheezing (the signs that Daniel has pneumonia). Nanny and Granny2 were visiting and said they would stay with Daniel Sunday morning while we (Daddy, Mommy, Caden and Isaac) went to church. Daniel's fever was down to 101 and we gave him a breathing treatment and Tylenol before we left. We picked up a pizza after church for lunch and headed home. Daniel's fever was up to 104, we gave him Ibuprofen and another breathing treatment and called the Pediatrician. Dr. Keown (the doctor on-call) said to alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen and call her if he gets in worse. Daniel spent the day wanting to be held or laying on our bed. His fever never really got below 103 and at one time was at 106. We called the doctor back since his fever was not going down and he was coughing and wheezing. Dr. Keown said to head to VCH and she would call and let them know we were own our way. Richard and I had a strong feeling that Daniel had pneumonia.
-Fast Forward to tonight - Daniel (and Daddy) arrived home around 8 p.m. - Daniel has RSV - not Pneumonia. He will continue on his regular meds - Zantac, Singular, Albuterol as needed and he will be on an oral steroid for 4 days and we were given a prescription for an increased dose of Flovent. We are to follow up with our Pediatrician (Dr. Amis) in 3 to 4 days. Daniel is still coughing A LOT and Daddy fears he (Daniel) will be going back to the hospital SOON. I am trying to think positive.
-Please keep Daniel in your prayers - his lungs are yucky due to his premature birth and he has had a rough winter when it comes to respiratory issues - he needs a break.

Daniel's Follow Up

-I took Daniel to the doctor today for his follow up appointment. We were able to see Dr. Amis (our regular pediatrician) she said that Daniel's lungs sounded great (no more pneumonia), she actually said that Daniel's lungs sounded clearer then she has ever heard. (Wow!) We are to continue the antibotic until it is gone, we can stop the albuterol inhaler and we are to continue the Zantac, Flovent and Singulair. Daniel will remain on those 3 medications for awhile as a preventive measure. We have been cleared for holiday travel so we will be heading to Savannah to spend time with family on Wednesday. I better start packing.

Pneumonia, A Cold and Excema

-Daniel woke up from his nap yesterday with a fever of 102. He was pale and it was obvious that he felt horrible. He has had a runny nose and coughing off and on since Saturday. We have been treating him at home since his symptoms have been the "Daniel's asthma is flaring up" symptoms. Once I discovered he had fever I decided that it was time to go to the doctor. The last time he had a runny nose, cough and fever he ended up spending a few days at Vanderbilt Children's with pneumonia and I did not want that to happen. I also decided since we were making the 45 minute drive to the doctor I would take Caden too since he had also had a runny nose and coughing. Our regular pediatrician (Dr. Amis) was not in but we were able to get an appointment with one of her partners (Dr. Davidson). Dr. Davidson checked both boys over real good. The diagnosis - Daniel has pneumonia and is on an antibotic for 10 days, 2 inhalers, oral steriods for 3 days, a reflux medication and a sinus/allergy medication. Caden has a cold and an infection, he is on an oral antibotic and an antibotic cream for 10 days. Caden has eczema on his face and he scratches at it and rubs on it and we have tried EVERYTHING to clear it up. Dr. Davidson said that it looks to be more then just eczema (he used a name) and said that it was very infected. Daniel will go back to the doctor on Monday for a recheck and to discuss what more we can do for his asthma and allergies because there is a concern for the number of times that he has had to have an oral steroid over the past year, he will possibly be seeing an allergy specialist for intense allergy testing and possibly be returning to the lung specialist. Caden will go back to the doctor after finishing up the antibotic and will possibly be tested for allergies and will possibly see a dermatologist. We pray something can be done to improve Daniel's asthma and that something can be done to improve Caden's eczema and we ask that you pray with us.

Waiting

-We arrived at Sumner Regional Medical Center a little after 9 a.m. and were in the room by 9:30 a.m. Mommy is ready - IV started, blood work done , surgery prep done. Daddy is ready - snack has been eaten, phone calls have been made, coffee has been drank, scrubs have been put on. We will be headed into the OR soon - the C-section is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.

Date

-We have a date set for Isaac's arrival! If all goes as planned, I will be admitted into Sumner Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, October 6. I am to arriv at 9 a.m. and the surgery (C-section and tubal ligation) is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. We are so excited to have a "scheduled delivery" and not an "emergency delivery". Please pray with us for a safe delivery, a healthy baby and an easy recovery.
*I had my last NST today and everything was perfect. My blood pressure stayed in the 130s/70s and Isaac looked great.

37 Weeks

-I had my 37 week check up today and all I heard was good news. My blood pressure was slightly elevated but not too high, there was only a trace of protein (normal) and I was not sent to L&D. The most exciting part of the appointment is when Dr. B asked me if I was ready to have this baby (of course) and he said let's set a date. The plan is for me to go for one last NST on Thursday (10/1) and if all goes well Isaac Benjamin will arrive on Tuesday (10/6).

Daniel's 1st Day of Preschool

(talking about carrying his backpack to school)

-Daniel was up and ready to start his BIG day by 6:45. We were afraid that we would have to wake him up and he would not be a happy boy, he thankfully woke up on his own and we did not have any fussing or crying. He enjoyed a yummy breakfast of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and chocolate milk. He took his medicine, brushed his teeth and got dressed (all with help). He was ready to go. We had spent the morning talking about going to school and carrying a backpack and his teachers (the head teacher is part of our church family). Daniel was very excited about going to school and REALLY excited about carrying a backpack. I am currently on bed rest but I was not going to let bed rest keep me from missing my big boy's first day of school. I rode to Benny Bills with Richard, Daniel and Caden. I sat in the car with Caden while Richard walked Daniel to the door. Daniel looked around and was kind of puzzled about what was going on but he did not cry or seem upset when Richard said goodbye and left. (I would have been cried, infact I teared up setting in the van.) It was quieter in the house without Daniel. Caden seemed to miss having his big brother to play with and he stayed glued to Richard or I the whole day (except nap time). I spent the whole day wondering if Daniel was okay, wondering if he was missing us, worrying that he would not eat lunch, etc. ("the mommy wondering and worrying"). I again HAD to ride with Richard to pick Daniel up. Ms. Linda said that Daniel had a great first day. His daily report (a sheet that is sent home daily) stated that he ate very little lunch (not surprising), he did not use the potty (not surprising), he sat in his chair, did his work independently and followed instructions. He made a hat with an apple on it (Johnny Appleseed) and wore it proudly as he walked to the van. We celebrated Daniel's GREAT first day of school by going to the donut store and getting donut holes and chocolate milk.

(walking to his classroom)

36 Weeks

-I had my 36 week check up today. Wow, 36 weeks! (I am miserable and loving it!) My blood pressure was elevated (not surprising) and my protein was slightly elevated (+1). ""Baby Isaac's" heart rate was good. The doctor and I discussed a scheduled c-section. A "elective c-section" can not be scheduled before 38/39 weeks and the doctor is very doubtful that I will make it to 38/39 weeks. He did promise that if I was still pregnant at my next appointment (Tuesday 9/29) that we would set a date for the c-section. He said that he was not going to let me go past 39 weeks. After our brief chat I was sent to L&D for testing and monitoring, after an hour and a half of testing and monitoring and no signs of pre-eclampsia or stress I was sent home (weekly routine). I am to go back to L&D on Monday for a non-stress test (NST) and I will see the doctor on Tuesday (probably followed by another trip to L&D). I will be 37 weeks on Friday - full term and I am ready for ""Baby Isaac" to arrive.

35 weeks

-My 35 week check up included a trip to the hospital and some time spent in labor and delivery. My blood pressure at the doctor's office was 212/90 which had to be wrong because I felt great. (I think there BP monitor does not like me.) I asked the doctor (during my brief visit) if we could schedule a date for delivery (c-section). There is a part of me that would love to have a final "goal date". He said that we could but that he was very doubtful that I would make it to a scheduled c-section date. (Dr. Pessimistic). I completed (signed) the form that will allow the doctor to do a tubal when Isaac is delivered. (Isaac will be the baby of the family.) I scheduled my 36 week check up, ran by Hardee's for some breakfast and headed to the hospital. My blood pressure at the hospital was great and remained that way for 2 hours (was checked every 15 minutes). My lab work came back negative for any signs of preeclampsia and there was no protein in my urine. I was sent home to continue bedrest for another week. We are excited to be just 2 weeks away from "full term". I am miserable and loving it. We are praying and ask that you pray with us for a safe and healthy delivery and recovery.

250 Days

-I am 250 days pregnant today and I am celebrating. I have never been pregnant for this long. I was pregnant with Noah for 224 days (32 weeks), Daniel for 203 days (28 weeks) and Caden for 231 days (33 weeks). I will be 40 weeks pregnant in 30 days. Wow! I never imagined I would make it this far. One I first found out that I was pregnant (SURPRISE!), I decided that I would make "goals" with my first goal being 29 weeks. When I sailed through 29 weeks and wasn't even on bed rest, I celebrated. My next goal was 32 weeks and then 33 weeks. My goal now is just one more day. If you count by weeks and not days, I am 35 weeks and 5 days pregnant (2 days shy of 36 weeks). It is exciting to think about having a full term, healthy, "take home" baby (unless Isaac arrives within the next week). I know that there is not a 100% guarantee that Isaac will not require some time in the NICU, some full term, healthy newborns require some help getting their breathing going when delivered by c-section. I can handle a couple of hours in the NICU.....I lived with 14 days, 72 days and 21 day. My prayer is that Isaac is born healthy and requires no NICU time and I am able to carry my baby boy out of the hospital the day that I am discharged. I ask that you pray with us for a safe and healthy arrival and recovery.

34 Weeks

-I went in for my 34 week check-up today not feeling too good. I was feeling light headed and yucky. I was not surprised when the nurse said that my blood pressure was elevated. They had me lie on my left side for about 30 minutes and then rechecked my blood pressure and it was lower but still high. They had me set up for a few minutes and rechecked my blood pressure and it was elevated. The doctor and I agreed that it would be best to head to labor and delivery to be monitored and checked for pre-eclampsia. After a quick trip through Hardee's drive-thru for a milkshake, I arrived at the hospital, registered and headed up to labor and delivery. I was monitored for a couple of hours and my blood pressure was great, all the lab results came back negative for any signs of pre-eclampsia and I was sent home. I am to continue on bed rest and go back to the hospital on Friday (9/11) and Tuesday (9/15) for monitoring and I will see the doctor for my 35 week check-up on Thursday (9/17).

32 Weeks

-I went for my 32 week check up today thinking I would get a good report. I have been feeling great, my blood pressure has been great and I have had very little swelling. I was surprised to hear that my blood pressure was elevated (194/108) and that my protein level was slightly elevated. The doctor had me lay on my left side and relax (HA!) and the nurse check my blood pressure again (170/100). The doctor decided that it would be best for me to head over to labor and delivery for monitoring and testing (for preeclampsia). I was monitored for several hours, my blood pressure came down to the normal range (excellent for me) after laying on my left side for 15 minutes. My lab work all came back negative for preeclampsia. Baby Isaac's heart rate and movement were great. I was sent home on bed rest and a long list of "to-dos" and "not-to-dos". The plan is for me to go to the hospital twice a week for monitoring and NSTs and I will see the doctor (in the office) once a week. The goal is to do a scheduled c-section around 38 weeks (about 5/6 more weeks). The timing is not perfect as we are not completely unpacked and there are a lot of "projects" that we wanted to to do before we brought baby #3 home but boxes and "projects" will have to wait because we want to bring home a full-term, healthy baby and will do whatever it takes to reach that goal.