A Slide, I-Spy Holes, a Giant Mountain and a Pirate Ship

Last year when we moved to our new house, I knew that one thing I really wanted to add to our backyard was a big wooden playset.  We discussed getting one last summer, which really ran into last fall...and by the time we decided to do it, the sets we wanted were all sold out.

So we just saved our money, knowing that as soon as the weather started to warm up we would purchase one.  And let's be honest, I'm glad we didn't have it all winter...because I know Elyse would have been begging to go out all the time and that just doesn't work with a newborn and frigid, cold temperatures.

With all of the chaos happening with Nora, our timeline actually got pushed back a little further than we had originally planned, but a couple weeks ago we finally made it to SAMs and purchased the set I had fallen in love with.  And we also splurged and purchased the install/delivery.  This was not optional for us.  Our time is way TOO valuable, and I love my husband enough to not put him through the torture of such a long and tedious process.

And so...while we were at work on Friday & while Elyse spent the day at my parents' house...something new & exciting showed up in our backyard!

I honestly couldn't be more thrilled with how it looks and Elyse absolutely LOVES it!  I can already tell that there will LOTS of imagination going on when we play outside this summer & so many memories made with our new playset.  

When Elyse talks about her new "playhouse" she always mentions the slide and the i-spy holes (the holes at the top of the second level) and the giant mountain (the rock wall) and the pirate ship (the yellow tandem swing).  I love that she has already created names for many of these things on her own!  

We're in the process of finding an infant swing for Nora as well...which means that lots of family evenings will consist of a quick dinner and spending the rest of the night outside in our backyard.  I tell you...it's just what this momma's dreams are made of!  

A Little Bit of Elyse...

With all the excitement surrounding Nora, I realized I hadn't posted an update on our little Toot very recently...and trust me, this girl deserves her own precious post!  

Elyse, Toot, Sweetie, Sugar, Baby Girl, You are amazing.  Seriously.  You have become this sweet little girl who I adore with my whole heart. You are no longer a baby, or even a toddler...but a little girl who loves all things girly.  

Starting towards the end of my pregnancy with your sister, you developed this crazy, amazing relationship with your Daddy & it has just followed us through those first newborn weeks and isn't slowing up anytime soon.  You LOVE me and we have a great time together...but it's your daddy who you absolutely adores & I melt every time I watch you interact.  I'm so thankful for a daddy who's as hands on as yours is, it certainly made me feel less guilty once Nora arrived!   

You are full of personality.  All the time.  Like overflowing!  You love to sing & dance & twirl around like a princess. You still reads and reads, and seems to become attached to 1-2 books at a time and we read those over and over.  Your big princess book is always nearby & you seem to have a specific fondness for Ariel & Cinderella.  

You have learned to play games, and will follow the rules for the first 1-2 rounds.  A favorite right now is CandyLand, where you love to hold the pink special cards and you also still enjoy the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game.  You also enjoy playing tag & hide-n-seek...although it's pretty easy to find you when you always hides in your playhouse.  You also love to play this crazy game that you & Daddy made up called Backwards on the Bed.  It's hilarious and I enjoy being on the sidelines just watching you play.   

You are still a fairly good eater, and while it might not always be the most well-rounded, healthiest meal...I'm thankful for a wide range of foods that you will eat right up.  Tacos, Spaghetti, Greek Yogurt with berries, Chicken Nuggets, Pizza, and Quesadillas with either sour cream or guacamole are probably at the top of your list...but you will eat lots of other things as well.  Berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries) are still #1 of any food on your list...and if you won't eat those, we know you really just aren't hungry at all!  Veggies are bottom of the barrel...but we can typically get you to eat green beans on a fairly regular basis.  We have started to make you try a few new things at meals, and I'm hoping you'll be open to trying new things in the months to come.  Needless to say, a few mealtimes have become a battle...so your daddy & I are trying to find a balance in having you try new things but also having nice family meals together.

But oh Lordy, you get Hangry...(angry from hunger)...I hate to tell you this, but you inherited that from your momma & your Papa!  

You are incredibly observant and soak up details all day, every day.  Even when we think you aren't listening or paying attention, we realize that you have been when you spout off something random that you saw a few days or weeks earlier!  This ability to take in details can make you seem a bit overwhelmed in new situations, simply because it's physically & mentally impossible for you to take in every single detail around you.

I'm thankful that for the most part we have skipped over the terrible twos and the trying threes...you even made the adjustment to having a new baby in the house an absolute breeze.  You still certainly have your moments when I have to pause and remind myself..."she's 3.  she's only 3."  But for the most part you are incredibly well-behaved and treat us and those around you with respect.  You can still throw a pretty decent fit, and I have to admit that you got your first official spanking a few weeks ago...but now it seems just the threat of that possibility makes you shape right up.  However, I must say...even those threats are few & far between.  

You have the sweetest spirit and always seem concerned when someone is crying or upset.  Just last week, I was crying about everything with Nora and you walked up to me with the sweetest voice and reassured me saying..."It'll be ok Momma, it's gonna be alright."  And you know what baby girl...you were exactly right.  You also are fairly good about using your manners...although thank you comes out a lot more than please does.  

Your vocabulary continues to blow our minds and while you aren't officially reading, you have lots of books memorized and can tell us lots of stories from Mickey to Sheriff Callie to Cinderella.  You are also getting better at telling us stories and telling us what happened when we ask questions about your day or about your time at church.  You have a pretty crazy obsession with movies & most recently your favorites are Cinderella, Mary Poppins, Lady & the Tramp, & 101 Dalmatians aka Pongo.  I hate to admit that you've watched a bit more tv than I would like, but with your new sister and some late winter snow storms...movies have been fabulous for cuddling & passing away these last few cold winter days.  I hate to break it to you...but your daily movie watching may be coming to an end and I honestly think you'll be happy to be spending more time outside, getting fresh air!  

You don't actually know it yet, but starting in August you will be going to preschool for 2 half days a week.  I know that you love your time at home with me & your time with Gigi, but I know you will love the social aspect of preschool and you will learn so fast.  We have tried to do a few "school" days at home...but you don't really seem to have much interest.  You learn things in about 2 seconds, so I know that anything they want to teach you will come very quickly to you.  As much as I hate to admit it, you are growing up so incredibly fast and I think you need just a little bit of structure in your life!  And maybe to learn to share your toys with others. And wait in line.  And listen quietly to stories while others are listening.  

You love Nora so incredibly much.  You help me take care of her and ask to hold her on a daily basis.  You frequently talk about how you & Nora are "best sisters" and I think that's one of the best descriptions I've ever heard.  I hope you are always "best sisters" and that you will always be there for each other.  Even if you don't share well all the time with other kids, you frequently bring your favorite toys to Nora for her to see or hold on to...I can imagine this will only last until she starts taking them from you to push your buttons!  

Sweet girl, I love you so.  You are the one who first made me a momma and it seems that every day we learn something new from each other.  While you are perfectly happy to play independently by yourself...you also at least want me to be in the room with you and most of the time I'm more than happy to oblige.  I love it when you hold my hand or snuggle up on the couch with me or ask me to hold you.  I know those days are numbered and so I cherish every one of them.  You make me smile daily & I'm so thankful for everything that you teach me.  You are certainly one of a kind and I pray that we will be best friends for years to come...

Love, Momma

Disney on Ice~Passport to Adventure

The week before we took Nora to the doctor for the first time, I had realized that Disney on Ice was going to be coming to Kansas City and would be bringing a TON of Elyse's favorite characters.  Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy & chartacters from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Lilo & Stich, & Peter Pan would all be part of the show!  

And so, kind of on a whim, we purchased tickets & decided we'd make it a short little family getaway with just the four of us.  

Well, then everything sort of fell apart with Nora being in the hospital...but we really weren't given any sort of limitations and we definitely needed some time away.  Plus, this was really all about Elyse and she definitely deserved something fun!  So...we loaded up on Friday, March 6 and drove to Kansas City.  The show was Saturday morning at 11, but we went up on Friday and enjoyed some quick shopping & dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.  We all got a good night's rest and we headed to the show.  

We arrived about the time the doors open & Elyse was on sensory overload.  There were princess wands & character memorabilia everywhere and it was just a little chaotic!  In fact, once we got to our seats she didn't want to leave for fear of missing out on something.  We finally convinced her to use the bathroom before it started and we stocked up on too-expensive popcorn before settling in.  Oh, and we mustn't forget the Ariel Wand!   

The show started and just as expected, she LOVED it!  Nora dozed in and out for the majority of the show, but was happy for the most part.  As Mickey & his friends would leave the ice for another show to take over, Elyse was always wondering where they were & when were they coming back!  

The second act began with a twist on the Mary Poppin's song, Jolly Holiday.  Which was just icing on the cake as she LOVES Mary Poppins.  

After the show was over we headed to our car and it took us quite sometime to actually get out of the parking lot...even though it was past lunchtime, Elyse crashed before we made it anywhere to eat.  Poor girl was just worn out!  

It was a quick trip, but a fun one...and I was thankful for the quick getaway with how stressful the week had been.  And of course...Frozen on Ice is coming to Kansas City in August--looks like we might be making another road trip!  

Nora's Platelet Problem--Part 3 & The End?!?

Wednesday morning we got up fairly early as we were supposed to check in for paperwork at 8:15. I fed Nora at 7:00am and hoped she ate enough to fill her up because she wouldn't be able to eat again until after any procedure had been completed. We were actually running quite a bit ahead of schedule so we stopped in at the hospital cafeteria to try and eat at least something...but it honestly wasn't much.  Then we headed upstairs to the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic for our appointment.

Of course I was pretty sick to my stomach, but I kept trying to be optimistic about the day & the possibilities.  First up was checking Nora's height, weight, & vitals and when we were about finished my parents showed up as were led down the hallway to an exam room.  The next order of business was drawing more labs & placing an IV just in case the doctor went ahead with the bone marrow procedure.  I stepped out of the room for the IV/labwork only to return a few minutes later and them tell me that they hadn't been able to find a vein so we had to wait on the Vascular Team to arrive with the doppler machine.  Of course I knew this would make everything so much easier, but this was also causing more of a delay.  Thankfully we only had to wait about 10 minutes for the team and after probably less than 5 minutes, they were done and the labs were sent off.

But then it was time to wait.  All the labwork was going to take about an hour to process and thankfully Nora fell asleep in my arms as we recounted the last 10ish days to our nurse for Nora's records.  Around 9:45ish, the doctor came in we began a very LONG conversation (over an hour) about what COULD be causing her platelet problem and also ruling out a lot of the things at the same time.  Nora was obviously getting restless as she typically eats sometime between 9:30-10:00 and we were already moving past that rather quickly.  Thankfully my mom took her out into the hallway and walked the entire time we were talking...and sent out a few texts asking specifically for prayer that Nora wouldn't become hungry.

As we continued to talk with the doctor, it seemed that the list of what it could be was infinitely long and only blood tests & a bone marrow test would truly begin to rule out most of what he discussed.  I honestly expected to have a conversation and for the doctor to give us a plan of action for treatment.  And he did...sort of.  Except he gave us the choice...we could either try another round of IViG, which is the same treatment we had in Springfield and hope that it worked (but in his best guess only about 25% of patients respond to a second round of treatment if they didn't respond the first time).   Or...we could go ahead with the bone marrow test to rule out a HUGE amount of the more serious conditions on the "it could be" list.

The doctor truly gave us the choice and I (along with Hubby) felt a huge weight on our shoulders.  The IViG was truly the easiest choice, but honestly there weren't very good odds that it would work and we could end up back in KC next week for the bone marrow test anyway.  Or...we could CHOOSE this pretty serious, but quick (15 minutes or less) bone marrow extraction and have the ability to know for sure whether or not Nora's platelet factory was truly functioning properly.  It was pretty much at this point that the tears began to flow and I don't think they truly stopped for the next 3-4 hours.

Hubby & I weighed the options, but truly, we already knew what we needed to do.  We had driven the 3 hours to KC with the expectation that a bone marrow biopsy was a strong possibility & while our baby would be in some amount of pain, we also knew it was the best way to know for sure what was wrong with our baby girl...or at least to have some peace about what it wasn't.  And so...with tears streaming down my face I signed the release form for the procedure and also for the medication they would put in Nora's IV for "conscious" sedation.

And so at about 11:30, we made the decision...and the waiting began again.  With her platelet count being so low (it was at 7000 that morning), the doctor wanted to give her a platelet transfusion to avoid any complication with clotting and that took at least 30 minutes.  We also had to wait for it to be nearly 6 hours after Nora had eaten before they could do the procedure...6 hours.  For a 3 month old who during the daytime eats every 3-3.5 hours.  Remember those prayers my mom was requesting about hunger?...they worked.  Because as tired and as fussy as Nora was, I truly don't think it was from hunger, she was just sick & tired of people messing with her.  We flooded our phones with group texts asking for specific prayer between 12:30 and 1 as that was the best guess of when the procedure would officially happen.

I cried more tears & we prayed more prayers.  I held Nora in my arms and Hubby & I prayed over her & told her that "God's got this" even though that was much easier said than truly & fully believed.  And at just a few minutes before 1:00 (exactly 6 hours since Nora had last eaten), I handed my baby girl off to one of the nurses and walked out of the room.  Hubby stayed with her for every moment and my parents convinced me to pass the time by making a quick walk down to the cafeteria.  Close to complete breakdown at every moment, I ate a few pretzels and prayed like I've never prayed before.

And then the text came...

Just as the nurses had promised, she was done almost just as quickly as it had begun.  And she was fine...exhausted, but completely fine and her vitals were all completely stable.  This time I cried happy tears, and tears of rejoicing over the mighty God we serve and how he protected my sweet angel during a procedure that sounded so scary.  

They left her alone for the next hour, allowing her to rest and simply just checking her vitals which remained stable the entire time.  And about 2:30 they decided to rouse her a little bit to see if she was interested in some real food from Momma...and she sure was!  I nursed her and they removed her IV and we gathered up our things to head home.  While the test results were still outstanding, the most invasive part of things was now in our past and we could come home.  

Nora of course slept soundly almost the entire way home & we stopped at my in-laws house for a quick dinner and to see Elyse.  My precious mother-in-law volunteered to keep Elyse over night so we could all get some much needed rest, and I was so thankful for that.  Hubby & I crashed in bed basically as soon as we could...and except for a quick feeding for Nora about 1am....we all slept soundly the entire night.

While I was nervous for test results to come in on Thursday, I was also incredibly at peace and just so thankful to have that procedure behind us.  I called our nurse about 3:00pm and there weren't results back yet...but within just a few minutes, she called back to tell me that preliminary bone marrow test results were NORMAL!!!  Nora's bone marrow is functioning properly and creating platelets like it should...but something is happening during the circulation process.

We expect many more test results to come in over the next few days & even weeks, but from what we understand, any other problem causing low platelets is completely treatable.  Honestly, the doctor admitted that we may never know exactly what's wrong...but that Nora could likely grow out of it and we simply treat for symptoms until then.

Thursday evening I made dinner for my family.  And we went for a walk.  And we played outside.  And I've never been so relieved to have a normal night at home.  God is so good, and he is so faithful.  We had hundreds of people storming the gates of heaven for us & with us on behalf of Nora and there will never be any way to repay them for lifting us up as they did and are continuing to do. If you were one of those people...thank you.  Two simple words don't seem like enough, but it's all I can say...and know that I will repay the favor one of these days if the need arises! Hubby & I were both flooded with peace that could only have come from above and we are eternally grateful for all the prayers.

And so...for now, we wait.  And watch.  And while an official diagnosis would be great...so would an un-diagnosis with our little angel remaining perfectly healthy and simply growing out of this low platelet issue.

Nora's Platelet Problem--Part 2

(Sorry for all the details, but this is the easiest way to remember them..., Part 1 is here)

As Nora napped on Wednesday morning, and Elyse played in her playroom, and I emptied the dishwasher...I was flooded with gratitude for the simple life that we live.  And I continued to pray that, as could be very likely, this was a one-time occurrence that hopefully was cured once and for all.

We were discharged with the understanding that we would head back to our pediatrician's office for a follow-up appointment and labs on Thursday morning.  We did as we were told and after the labs were drawn and we had a long conversation with our pediatrician...we got the bad news.  Nora's platelet count had dropped from 19,000 at discharge to 15,000 that very morning.  At that point, our pediatrician suggested that we most likely would need to visit a pediatric hematologist...as her case was just so incredibly rare.  We were reassured again as all of her other lab numbers were completely perfect, but those platelets at such a low point was certainly a problem.

I had another long conversation with our pediatrician and we talked about all the possibilities for treatment if and when we went to Kansas City.  Worst case scenario:  The dr. might decide to pull a sample of Nora's bone marrow in order to test it.  I was freaked out by this of course...but this was worst case scenario and I wanted to be as prepared as I could for all the possibilities.

We awaited a call from the dr's office at Children's Mercy on Friday & they decided to have us run labs one more time before making the trip to Kansas City.  Those labs were run Monday (March 9) morning so we lived our weekend as normal as possible.  We even took a pre-planned overnight trip to Kansas City for Disney on Ice (full recap to follow soon).   We went to church and to small group, all the while paying close attention for the appearance or arrival of any new bruising or spots.

Monday morning Hubby took Nora to the lab for another blood draw, and I just had a feeling things weren't going to come back well.  And as expected, her numbers were at 8,000...lower than they were just a week ago when we first started this whole process.  So the ball began rolling and we were making plans to visit Kansas City yet again.  I had a long conversation with a nurse and she did an excellent job of relieving a lot of my fears, but also being straightforward about what was possible.  One of the goals during our quick trip was to figure out what's causing Nora's strange numbers...but more importantly we need to further rule out what's NOT causing them.  Unfortunately, she also informed me that there was a strong possibility that she would have a bone marrow biopsy just to further confirm that this was simply a platelet issue and nothing else.  Again...ALL of her numbers have remained completely normal & perfect throughout the last 10 days, and so we were confident that we just have a little medical mystery on our hands.

However, having that confidence in your heart & believing it with your head can be two very different things...especially when your mind starts playing all the what-if games and starts to consider all of the awful possibilities.  Arrangements were made in Kansas City & we were blessed to be offered a place to stay at the Ronald McDonald House overnight on Tuesday night.  Our appointment was scheduled for first thing on Wednesday morning and according to the nurse, if things all went as planned we should be done by 10 am, 11 at the latest.  There was a chance they would want to keep us overnight for test results, but it was also extremely possible that we would be able to come home.

While I was certainly concerned about the test results...I was just as concerned about the test itself.  More lab work and a possible bone marrow biopsy are not tests to be taken lightly, and this momma was nervous.  From the start of this whole process, I had begun asking our family & close friends to pray for Nora...but on Monday night as Hubby & I were packing, I activated our prayer army.

 
I posted this picture on Instagram & Facebook and the prayers began to flood in.  Honestly, words can't describe how much love & encouragement we received from friends, family, and strangers.  We were placed on prayer chains all over Missouri and people from Michigan to Florida to Washington D.C. and beyond were praying for our precious girl. I've prayed for people I didn't know before, but I've certainly never been on the receiving end of things.  While the tears seemed to flow as if they were an autopilot, I also felt an overwhelming sense of peace...peace that passes understanding.  

Hubby & I worked until 2 pm on Tuesday and then headed out.  We made arrangements for Elyse to stay at home with Hubby's parents, and my parents left after work on Tuesday to come up for support.  We checked in to the Longfellow Ronald McDonald House after dinner and let me just say...what an amazing facility!  Nora was sleepy so she & I cuddled down while Hubby unloaded our car.  We quickly got Nora settled down for the night and then we tried to get some sleep ourselves.  Certainly easier said than done with the day that was to follow....but the prayers must have been working as we all managed to get just enough sleep to be functioning on all cylinders for the busy day that was to come...

A Scary Start to March...Nora's Platelet Problem

I consider myself a pretty level-headed momma.  I don't typically get worked up over small colds, or stuffy noses, or bumps or bruises...chalking most of it up to just being a part of childhood.  I'm also a pretty observant momma.  I notice when the poop changes color, or when there's extra boogers in their noses, or when a bump appears that I haven't seen before.

So...last Friday when I noticed a few spots (not bumps) on the back of Nora's head, I mentioned them to my mom.  There were several of them, they weren't raised, and they looked like tiny little, pin-point, bruises. We both agreed that just like with Elyse they would probably go away soon and I didn't think anything about it.  Saturday came and went, same spots, no change.  Sunday came, and as Hubby was holding her, he mentioned that he thought there were more spots than before.  And he was right.  And after her mid-day nap, I also noticed a small cluster of spots that were underneath her left eye.  Again, these were spots...not bumps.  Not a rash.

And so I did what I tell every single first-time mom to never do.  I Googled it.  I Googled "pin point spots on back of baby's head."  And to be right honest, the results were terrifying.  As they always are when you Google a medical condition for your child.  I have a firm belief that the majority of time when you Google something about a medical issue, it's almost always cancer...and you are almost always going to die.  I don't say that to be insensitive, but most of the time it's the really bad stuff that people actually talk about.

Anyway, hubby was outside shoveling the driveway from our most recent snowfall and as soon as he walked in the door I told him that he needed to talk me off the wall because I was literally about 5 minutes from taking Nora to the emergency room.  The term I had found for the spots was Petechiae.  Petechiae is normally a symptom of an underlying issue...and those issues are really even too frightening for me to type out.  But let's just remember...when you Google anything...cancer & dying.  I was freaking.  So, Hubby agreed that we would take Nora to our dr's office first thing on Monday morning to have the spots checked out.  And in the next few hours I had truly convinced myself they were nothing...but the nagging feeling remained.

Our dr's office has urgent care hours early in the morning so we didn't get to see Nora's pediatrician but one of the other dr's in the office.  She examined the spots and while she didn't seem extremely concerned, she wanted us to go downstairs to the lab for a CBC (complete blood count) just to be sure.  Of course labwork at a hospital is a LONG process, but we finally got the blood draw completed and I took time in the lobby to nurse Nora before we headed home.  Before we left, I got a call that the lab wanted to redo the draw because Nora's platelets were extremely LOW and they really didn't think they could be right.  So...back to the lab we went for another draw, another bandaid, and another needle stick for my precious baby girl.  The lab tech asked us to wait a few moments to make sure the numbers seemed accurate, and after getting the thumbs up we headed home.  We dropped Nora back off at our home (where my mother-in-law was watching both girls for the day) and we headed to work.  I think we walked in the office around 11:40, to be there for just a few moments before it was time for the office to close for lunch.  As we were walking out the door, my cell phone rang and I recognized it as a call from the dr's office.

And that's when my world fell apart.    Nora's pediatrician was on the other end of the line, and in the calmest way possible she informed me that Nora's platelet count was dangerously low and that it was low enough they wanted to admit her into the hospital.  My three month old baby girl.  Admitted into the PEDs ward of the hospital.  And we were to get her there as soon as possible.  Through freaking out & tears, we drove back home, packed a few things, made arrangements for Elyse, and loaded my innocent baby girl back up into her carseat for a journey we were certainly not expecting to make.  On the way Hubby & I either sat in silence, or we made phone calls and I texted to as many people as I could to pray for our baby girl. Because my mind was going a hundred miles an hour and I was only fearing the worst possible outcomes.

As our pediatrician had told us, they were waiting on us.  The nurse tried as best she could to get us settled, went through the process of admitting Nora into the hospital, and then we waited for the hospitalist.  (Our hospital has drs on-call that service the hospital only, and typically your specific dr defers to them for hospital treatment).  The hospitalist happened to be a doctor that had treated my grandma a few years ago and while he didn't remember her, my mom remembered him & he was amazing.  He sat down in front of Hubby, who was holding Nora, and went through a laundry list of questions & concerns.  He looked at her labs, looked at her Petechiae spots, and looked back again at this baby who appeared COMPLETELY healthy.  He was truly perplexed as to why this seemingly perfectly health child was in the hospital.  And I admitted to him that I might have Googled those spots and become terrified of the possibilities...

Nora melted him with her grins and giggles and then we developed a plan.  Nora's platelet count was at 10,000.  Critical Low is 30,000 & Normal is actually above 150,000.  Obviously our little girl had an issue.  But only that issue.  All of the other labs came back completely normal, which was a relief since that ruled out the really scary stuff that had showed up during my Google search.  Our doctor consulted with Children's Mercy in Kansas City & they decided to treat Nora for ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic pupura).  However, the problem is that Nora would be one of the youngest, if not THE youngest patient to be diagnosed with this disorder as it normally affects children from 2-6 or older.  The treatment plan was a 4 hour IV infusion of IViG which would hopefully boost Nora's body to start making platelets again.  Her infusion was started around 4:30 and ended approximately 4 hours later at 8:30.  I spent the night in the room with her while Hubby went home to get some sleep.  Nora & I actually slept pretty well as our night nurse only came in a few times to check Nora's temp.

Both our night nurse and our day nurse (who we had both Monday & Tuesday), seemed to think that we would be released fairly quickly & be home by noon.  Well...the doctor had other plans.  Because of Nora's age, and because platelets regenerate so slowly, he wanted to keep us until late in the afternoon to run one more set of labs.  If Nora's platelet count showed significant improvement we could go home..and if not, we had to stay.  And so the wait began...we prayed that Nora's counts would be high enough for a discharge and then we prayed even harder after we received a hospital roommate at around 2 pm.  They were nice & all, but we were tired and ready to go home, and those hospital rooms are not big enough for two families!

There were a lot of timing issues that came into play with this as well, which meant that at around 5:30 I met my in-laws in the hospital parking lot to take Elyse home to spend the evening with my aunt.  We were hoping & praying that all four of us would be able to spend the night at home, but if not, Hubby would come home and stay with Elyse while I stayed again at the hospital.  While I was at home with Elyse, Hubby called to say that her platelets had come back with enough improvement for discharge...we just needed one more test to come back negative.  Her platelets were at 19,000 which means they had almost doubled in less than 24 hours!

I stopped to pick up dinner and headed back to the hospital...and imagine my elation when I walked in to see them removing Nora's IV and our night nurse (who was our favorite) telling me..YOU GET TO GO HOME!  I've never been more excited and more relieved.  We quickly packed our bags, loaded up Nora, and we were home in time for Nora's evening feeding at 7:45.  As I nursed her before bed I cried tears of joy, tears of stress, and tears of gratitude to God who had answered all the prayers that had been asked on our behalf.

Those 36+ hours were exhausting and trying, and this momma learned that she had some inner strength that could only have come from God.  I know that so many momma's spend weeks, and months in the hospitals with their babies...and I can't even fathom how difficult that must be.  I spent one night in the hospital with my baby, hooked up to one IV for only 4 hours. And so to you momma's who spend weeks in the hospital, with your babies hooked up to wires too numerous to count...I pray for you.  I pray for continued strength.  I pray for peace and for wisdom.  And I pray for God's healing hand to fall on you & your baby.

To God be ALL the glory for answering our prayers & keeping Nora safe...but our journey isn't close to being over!  To be continued...

Nora Kay Love ~ 3 Months

Well...we're officially a week late in posting, but this little girl turned 3 months old last Monday.  Last Monday Nora also got to spend her first night in the hospital other than when she was born...but that is a much longer story that will wait for another day.  And honestly, we don't quite know the full ending to that story yet...so let's just talk about what a cute chunky baby my little Nora has turned into!

Weight: At the hospital on Monday, Nora now weighs 12 lbs 4 oz.  She's still sporting some serious chub and some serious rolls.  I can't believe how much bigger she seems than Elyse was at this age!  We should actually be putting her into size 2 diapers, but we still have some 1s left that we're going to be able to use for awhile longer!

Clothes: She is still working with a lot of her 0-3 month stuff...I don't think I've actually moved her into 3-6 month yet.  Elyse & Nora have both been fairly long for their age, so I still think Nora will be able to wear most of the clothes I had for Elyse.  She's just going to fill them out a little bit more and may outgrow them a little more quickly.  I have a box of 3-6 month stuff waiting to wash and unpack, but most of it is for the when the weather warms up a bit more...so we'll stick with what we've got for now.

Food: Nora is still my eating champ.  She's now eating 5-6x per day (depending on if she wants an overnight feeding) and is typically taking 4-4.5 oz when she takes a bottle of expressed milk with my mom.  She literally only eats for about 7-8 minutes total and we're good.  For the most part she only nurses on one side each feeding and seems to get enough...and then the next time we start with the other side.  It is working well for us so far and my body seems to have finally figured out what Nora needs.  Combine a super-efficient nurser with a momma who produces milk like a cow...and it doesn't take long for mealtime around here!

Sleep:  Sleep for her entire 3rd month was pretty awesome.  We still struggle a bit with waking during naps occasionally, but our nighttime sleep is amazing so I'm certainly not complaining.  Currently she takes 2 long naps (one late morning and one during the afternoon) and has two shorter naps (one early in the morning and one in the evening)...she's starting to stay asleep for the long naps more consistently and I think that will continue to improve once she gives up her other short naps for the day.  For nighttime, she typically goes down somewhere between 7:45-8:15 and will sleep until 3:30-4:00.  At the end of February she started sleeping until 4:45 so I had her Daddy help us fight through those next couple of hours so she would actually start the day off on the right schedule.  However...then her hospital stay happened and she's started nursing again overnight.  Not a huge deal, but I'd love to get her sleeping through the night soon...she was oh so close!

Activity: This little girl enjoys her downtime.  I try to just leave her be on her activity mat for fairly extended periods of time when she's awake and happy.  She has started to grab at the toys hanging down and is starting to latch onto momma's hair--which is why I have an appointment tomorrow to cut it off! She loves to suck on her hands, and I'm afraid no matter how hard we try we may not be able to force her into the pacifier...but I'm still crossing my fingers.  She's also getting better at holding her head up and tolerates tummy time for longer periods of time.  I'm still not sure how close we are to rolling over, but she'll do it when she's ready!

Personality: Oh she melts my heart.  She is quite the talker and will engage in extensive conversations of coos and laughs and giggles which I absolutely adore.  She also seems to smile more than Elyse did at this age and also will smile on command if I click my tongue or blow raspberries or play peek-a-boo.  She still really only fusses when she's hungry or tired...but even then she doesn't get really worked up about much at all.  I do think she has a pretty consistent witching hour which happens if she doesn't get her catnap in the evening.  This can make for some long evenings trying to keep her happy before it's time for her last feeding & bedtime.

Likes:

Elyse--Nora watches her every move & Elyse is always wondering where Nora is.  It truly makes this momma's heart explode!

Her Momma--She seems to be much more of a momma's girl than I remember Elyse being...which I'm perfectly ok with!  She loves for me to cuddle her close and rock in the rocking chair.  While sometimes these moments become tiresome, I'm also soaking them in because I know they won't last forever.

Floor Time--She loves to be in the floor just kicking her legs and stretching out.  I think she gets tired of being cooped up in the carseat or being held all the time so she enjoys just chilling out!

Dislikes:

Nose-Picking:  I have a slight obsession with picking her nose (yes, I know...it's gross) and she truly does not enjoy this.  I've had to cut back on this since her hospital stay and I know she's pretty excited about me not messing with her so much!

Clothing changes:  This girl much prefers wearing zip-up or button-up jammies instead of anything that goes over her head.  I definitely have to catch her in a good mood if I'm going to dress her in anything too fancy.  What can I say?  I feel the same way and would rather be in comfy clothes all the time too!

Being Alone:  She goes to bed for naps and bedtime by herself in her crib, but when she's awake she does not like to be left out!  She wants to be in the same room and wants to be able to see everything that's going on...I don't blame her, I'd wouldn't to be left out either!

Elyse & Nora:
As I mentioned above Nora LOVES her big sister!  She follows her every move and I know these two are going to be best friends, or Best Sisters as Elyse calls them.  Elyse loves to hold her hand or pat her on the head or help out in almost any way imaginable.  It warms my heart to see their love for each other grow each day!

3 Month Milestones:

First Day At the Babysitter's aka Gigi's house:  2/2/15