Lately

Langley has been sick.  Started coughing last Wednesday, fever started Saturday and it got up to 104.2 in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  Thank the Lord for urgent care, she has a sinus infection and started antibiotics Sunday.  I've kept her home from school because she's been pretty puny but hasn't had fever since Sunday evening.

How pitiful does she look (eating a nutrigrain bar in our bed, in mismatched pjs?)

Last week we did a craft.  We made a necklace out of noodles and then decorated a shirt to go with it :-) 

Aubrey got in the bumbo for the first time.  She was kind of confused at first, but she likes it and sits in it every day!

Look at the eyes!  Aubrey is so pretty!  Josh and I often talk about how we still can't fathom how we produced the two most beautiful girls in the world :-)

Happy Girl!!

From the Chicken Dance to Paula D.

It's 6:15pm and Langley is in bed.  Yes, it's been one of those afternoons.  Yikes!

However, I finally downloaded some pictures and thought I could do a quick review of the last week. 

Langley learned the chicken dance...

We had some fun play time, of course it included several forms of singing and dancing...

I got to go on a quick getaway with my mom and nanny, here I was telling Langley bye...

This girl hasn't screamed since last Thursday or Friday.  Josh clearly has the Lord's favor since she started feeling better right before he had both girls alone for 2 nights...

All of her tests came back normal, but we still have no answers.  She is doing better - not screaming!  She does spit up a.lot.  More spit up than ever, but it's not hurting her.  I'll take it...

And, Aubrey turned 12 weeks old yesterday...

Here is a rare photo of Henry.  He was warming up the bed for our company the other night...

On our getaway, we ate here...

Yummy. Oh, so yummy!

Upper GI

On Tuesday (7/17) I took Aubrey to the doctor because I, yet again, was helpless and hopeless about helping her with whatever is going on in her little body.  The screaming.  Oh, the screaming.

I cried as I described the ongoing issues, how the medicine doesnt really help, how she winces and doubles over awake and asleep, how she gags awake or asleep, how she screams like she's being stabbed in the stomach, and how she spit up black stuff the day before.  Our APN ordered an upper GI "stat."

Her appointment was at 11, I left the office after 12 and the test was at 3.  They gave me no details, other than not to feed her, so I cried and cried.  I picked up Langley early from school and thankfully, Jake and Andrew were here to care for her before my mom could get here.

The test was far less traumatic than I expected.  They undressed her and strapped her to a board that had a rocker type bottom so they could turn her on her side.  She cried while they were strapping her in, but once done, she was actually warm and cozy and did not make a sound.  Josh and I were in the corner of the room the entire time and they two women doing the test were wonderful.  One comforted her and fed her the barium through a bottle, then her regular bottle while the other did the imaging.  It didn't take long.

The test revealed no anatomical problems with her esophagus or stomach.

While we are thankful for that, that still leaves us without answers.  I took her dirty diaper in for lab work on Wednesday.  They are looking for blood.  I don't know what else.

We are praying for miraculous healing.  With or without us understanding, with or without medications or treatments.  We just want her healed.

Until we know more, we are continuing with prevacid, nutramigen, gas drops, and now adding rice cereal to each bottle.  They told me to do 2 tablespoons, but I'm only doing 1/2 a table spoon for now.  I just feel like I know her better and I wanted to see how she would tolerate a tiny amount first.  Mother's intuition.

Anyway, she's had 4 bottles with the rice cereal added and has drained them all. In previous days, she would only eat 2 or 3 oz at a time, now she's finishing 4. She's pooped once, and nothing has seemed to hurt or upset her more than normal, so I guess she is handling it well.

Waiting before the upper GI.

A cozy moment.

Good Things

#1  Langley and I went to Jonesboro yesterday.  She was so good and we had fun!  We hit the bank, the mall, chick fil a, kroger, and sams.

Here we are the the kid's shoe section of dillards.  She's had a foot growth spurt, and needed some church shoes...good thing is summer shoes are on sale!

My lunch date.  She doesnt really care for the nuggets.  I find that very strange.

She is in charge of the list when we shop.  Taking her job seriously!

#2  My new favorite tv shows of the moment:  Dallas and Duck Dynasty.

#3  Baked Bacon.  I saw that BooMama had done it, so I tried it.  Do it. Do it now.  Line a cookie sheet with foil, put your bacon on it, put it in a cold oven, turn oven to 400, bake for 20 mins.

#4  Aubrey has had 2 good days!  I think the Prevacid is helping!  She's only been on it 3 days, but we have seen a difference!

2 month check up

At 2 months old, Aubrey weighs 10 lb, 11oz and is 22 inches long.  That is the 50th and 30th percentile respectively.  So little!!

Pictures as Promised

It's been another rough day with the reflux :-( 

I broke down crying (with Aubrey) and called the doctor.  They have called in Prevacid, so that will start ASAP.

My sweet girls on the 4th...

Aubrey before church.  It was her first time in the church nursery.  She did well.  I loved that I could leave her in there and relax during church and life group.  I realized when we got home that was the very first time she had been away from me - ever.  She wasn't too traumatized, but looked a little confused!

Again, pictures don't do Aubrey justice.  Today one of Josh's players saw her and said she looked like a real baby doll.  She is adorable!

 Langley still loves school!  She wanted me to "take her cheese" before school yesterday.  Today she peed in the potty and took a 25 minute nap at school - we were pumped!

Overwhelmed

Today is one of those days.  We've had a lot going on the past few days, Aubrey has NOT felt good, I've been so tired and defeated in some areas.

I am so ready for my baby to be well.  She had her two month appointment on Thursday and we switched her to Nutramigen formula.  If she is not better at the end of this week we are switching her medicine to prevacid.

She has had some issues as she adjusts to the new formula, I'm just so ready for this to be over.  On the bright side, she sleeps through the night.  Thank you Jesus.  I watch her struggle all day so I love that she can rest and be peaceful at night.

Next blog I'll have pictures and updates on the 4th, her appointment, Langley, and our basketball camps and Aubrey's first time in the church nursery.

2 Months Old

July 1, 2012

2 months, in some ways it has flown by, on the other hand I don't remember life without her.

She is wearing 0-3 months clothes.
Size 1 diapers.
Takes 1 ml of zantac twice a day.
Eats 4-5 oz 5am, 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm. 10pm(ish)
Takes most naps in a swing, but sleeps at night swaddled in her bed.
Loves her bath
Loves the playmat with the flashing,singing star.
Tolerates a little tummy time each day.
Is doing better in the carseat.
Smiles and coos.
Is getting a little more predictable, especially when the medicine is working.
Has lots of hair, a few balder spots, and a section of hair in the back that always sticks up.
Is a hit at preschool, every time we pick up Langley, Aubrey gets a warm welcome :-)

Oh, I love this girl!

June Wrap Up

I'm just going to start writing about some random stuff that has happened in June.  I've only sat down to blog a few times all month and just scheduled posts on seperate days, so here is a wrap up of the month...in no particular order.

Josh went on his annual 4 wheeler trip.  He got a horrible sunburn on his shoulders - like I would find chunks of his skin on his side of the bed.  Disgusting!  He also cut the sleeves off of every tshirt he own because it hurt his shoulders.  And now, Langley cries because she wants the "green lotion" (aloe) like Daddy used.

We spent the weekend of our 5th anniversary in Conway.  Langley stayed in Magnet and Josh, Aubrey and I were in our old stomping grounds.  We celebrated our actual anniversary eating Outback to go in our hotel room because Aubrey was having a miserable day. 

We have had to increase Aubrey's reflux meds twice.  It helps some, for a few days, then it's back to misery.  I'm guessing the APN will recommend Alimentum when I take her back Thursday.  We will be accepting donations to the formula fund :-)

Langley came home from school her second week and said "mommy, I need a change!"  and "mommy, it's hot outside!"  Her speech has been unreal since Aubrey was born and since she started school.  It's crazy how much her speech and vocubulary has improved.

My mom came and stayed with me and the girls  few days and it was soooo nice to have her here.

Aubrey has slept through the night.  She did it 3 times, not on consecutive nights, so we just thought it was a coincidence - that she had probably just worn herself out screaming.  But, it's been about 5 nights in a row now that she will go from 10-5:30 in the morning.  It. is. awesome.

We celebrated Father's day.  Really, we didn't do anything out of the ordinary.  Sorry, Josh! 

Langley's eyes turned brown.  They've always been grayish or hazel, now they are brown!  Aubrey's are very blue!

Langley has taken off her diaper  or pull up and peed in her bed several times.  Josh duck taped it on her last night.  True Story.  It worked, though.