Scary Moment

We had a few scary days last week!  On Monday, Alexis had a severe case of diarrhea.  Which didn't surprise me, since our babysitter's kid had had diarrhea the week before while Alexis was there.  His lasted only about a day and I fully expected Alexis's case to be about the same.  On Tuesday morning, she still had the issue, but not quite as bad.  She vomited once or twice as well, but by that afternoon, she seemed to feel better and both the diarrhea and vomiting had stopped.  Wednesday, she started vomiting again.  I wasn't worried about it though, she didn't have any fever and it wasn't very often.  We were pushing the fluids, so that she wouldn't get dehydrated.  Thursday, however, everything changed.  She had been throwing up throughout the night and it started happening more frequently.  By that morning she was throwing up every 15-20 minutes.  Everytime she'd take a drink of anything (still trying to push the fluids) she'd immediately throw it back up.  Still no fever, so I called the nurse and left a message so they'd call me back.  I didn't know how much to worry about things, and I wanted to know when I should start worrying about dehydration or other things.  An hour later, when she was lying on the floor of the bathroom because she didn't have the energy to go back to the couch after throwing up again, I called the doctor to make the appointment.  The nurse hadn't called me back yet, but at that point I didn't care.  As I was getting ourselves ready to go, the nurse did call back and I talked to her about Alexis's symptoms and everything.  She said that it sounded like it was the flu virus and to continue pushing the fluids and let it run it's course.  She didn't think I needed to worry and to give it another day before needing to come in to see the doctor.  Since I had already made the appointment, I told her we were coming in anyway, that I was very worried about dehydration.

We got to the doctor, miraculously without her throwing up in my car (the longest period of time that day without her vomiting).  When we got called back, the nurse had weighed her.  She had lost 4 pounds since we had weighed her a little over a week before.  She went from 40 pounds to 36 pounds; that's 10% of her body weight. :(  When the doctor walked in, he looked at her sleeping on the bench by my lap, and made the comment that it was an odd time of day for a kid her age to be sleeping (10:30 am).  He had to wake her up, took one look in her eyes, which were glassed over and totally lifeless, felt her hands and feet, which were ice cold, and told us he was sending her to the ER. He had been in the room a total of five minutes.  I drove her to the ER and we were immediately taken back to a room and she was immediately hooked up to an IV.  When the nurses came in to do her IV she didn't move, she didn't flinch at all when they poked her with the needle; and they aren't small needles either.  They said that they know the child was sick when they don't even whimper when they insert the needle.  As she was laying there, she looked so bad.  How could I have not noticed how bad she looked at home?  Her eyes were black and sunken in, her cheeks were hallow looking, I could notice that her wrists and fingers and toes were much skinnier.  Maybe it was because I knew she had lost weight at that point, or that I knew things were bad, or maybe it was her against the white sheets and walls, not against the colorful things at home, that made it stand out more.  But she looked so sick and it was so scary to see her that way.

We were in the ER for about five hours.  Peter who was driving home from Wenatchee that day, finally arrived after we were there about four hours.  Finally, we were moved upstairs to the Medical & Pediatric Care Unit and were told that they were admitting her for the night.  They had taken some blood when they inserted the IV and I was told then, that it was a very good thing I had brought her in that day and hadn't waited.  Her potassium and sodium levels were super low and she was VERY dehydrated, and if we had waited much longer, it might have been too late.  I about collapsed at that point. She was still vomiting even after having the IV drip in for a couple hours, so they had given her some anti-nausea medicine to stop that.  She slept and slept and slept after that.  Peter went home to help out with Natalie, who was worried about Alexis and wigging out at home and I stayed overnight with Alexis.

The next morning, she was feeling better, but not great.  They wanted her to be able to eat something and not throw it up for a couple hours before they released her.  She did not want to eat anything.  I don't blame her.  She was drinking lots of fluids and keeping those down, thank goodness!  Around lunch time, I got her to eat a bite of banana.  They wanted her to eat a banana to bring up her potassium levels which were still low.  But she said it upset her tummy too much, and sure enough a few minutes later she threw it up.  Which made her even more scared to eat anything more.  The doctors and nurses started talking about the possibility of her staying over night again.  By this time, Alexis was aware enough of her IV and was complaining about it hurting and being uncomfortable.  She was also super bored and wanted to go home.  I told her that I understood, but she needed to get better and be able to eat.  Finally, around 4:00, I was able to get her to drink a cup of broth.  She was able to keep that down, and at 7:00 the doctor said he felt confident enough to send her home!  Alexis was so scared about them taking out the IV.  There was even one point that she said that nevermind, she didn't want it out and would stay in the hospital.  But out it came, with a lot of screaming and crying (mostly because of the tape coming off and jostling around the needle) and we, finally, got to go home!

She was still sickly and exhausted!  Saturday morning, she threw up a couple times, so we called the doctor again and he said that to keep pushing the liquids and he wouldn't have us come in again just yet, but if she threw up again, to call him back immediately.  Thankfully she didn't.  She slept a lot, but when she was awake, she was more herself.  Talking, playing a little, and she had life in her eyes again!

This was one of the most scary experiences of my life as a mother I've ever had.  The only experience that would match this one is when I was in the hospital giving birth to Natalie and her heartbeat dropped dramatically, and I was rushed in for an emergency c-section.  Now that I've come close to losing both of my girls, hopefully, that will be all I have to go through!  I wouldn't wish that experience on any child, or mother.  Scary, scary, scary!!!

Dresses, dresses, dresses!

 Here are some of the pictures from Christmas.  I'll upload more and make a slide show later.

Here are the girls in their skating dresses.  Natalie's we have to adjust the top so it's not so low.  When we measured her, she was a smaller size in the top than what was recommended around, but we didn't take into count her height and didn't adjust the pattern for her height.  So we're thinking about detaching the skirt and adding about two inches of fabric with some ribbon to it to make it a bit taller.  But otherwise they all fit perfectly!!!!

Alexis also got a pair of her own skates.

Not related to skating at all, but.... Natalie asked Santa for a dress.  My rule for the kids is when we go to visit Santa, they get to only ask him for one of their wishes. (That way I can see which one they really want). And the dress is the thing Natalie had asked him for.  And he delivered!  Isn't she beautiful?!?!?

My Project

The past week I've been working on a project.  Natalie's skating dress is falling apart so I was looking at new dresses to get her for Christmas.  My goodness, they are expensive!!!  The cheapest one I could find was $55 + tax.  A little too expensive for my blood.  So I did some research and found a pattern online for a new dress.  Then I went into the fabric store and the fabric was a little too expensive, so I did more research online and found (what I thought would be) some fabric for much cheaper, so I ordered both the fabric, enough to make two dresses, and the pattern and waited anxiously for it to arrive.  When the fabric arrived, I was so bummed because the fabric wasn't stretchy (even though it was stretchy satin) and wouldn't work at all for the dresses.  I thought about it for a couple days and then decided to bite the bullet and bought the expensive fabric, again, enough for two dresses (one for Natalie and one for Alexis).  And with Kathy's help, I made them a skating dress each for Christmas!  I'm super proud of them and excited to have the girls open them on Christmas morning!  And the best part is, I have plenty of fabric (apparently I went a little overboard when buying it) I can probably make two more for when they grow out of these, or two more to sell on Ebay, or whatever!  

I tuned a bunch of this....

...into two skating dresses!  I'm super proud of them!  With Kathy's help, they turned out GREAT!

Natalie's dress

Alexis's dress

My favorite part of them.  They both will have the little button, I just haven't sewn on Alexis's yet.

Funny How Things Change

Growing up, I never really enjoyed singing.  I wasn't good at it at all and I just didn't do it.  But lately, I've been finding myself singing at random times; while cooking, singing along with the radio, at work (teaching and at the club), while cleaning, etc.  I'm still not very good, but I'm not horrible (when I'm not trying to be horrible =))  It's funny how something that wasn't enjoyable at one time, does become enjoyable later on in life.

Thanksgivings

I meant to do this post this weekend but never did get to it.  One of our Thanksgiving traditions before we eat is to tell each other what we are thankful for.  Here is what each of the Boyds is thankful for:

Stephanie: Peter, Natalie, Alexis, Mom, Tom, Kathi, Kathy, Bill and the rest of our wonderful family!  Jobs that pay the bills.  A roof over our heads.  Family that actually cares enough about each other to go a little crazy (we all do it!).

Peter: Family!!  A job that picked me, but one that I love and is treating me well!  Family!!

Natalie: My skating teachers!  My family that loves me!  The troops that fight in the wars.  Good food!!

Alexis: Mom and dad because they helped me feel better when I was sick.  My Grandmas and Papa because they love me lots! Sister because she helps me too much.  And Skruffy and Ginger because they're our pets!

So that is what the Boyd Family is thankful for this year!  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

Happy Veterans Day

First of all I'd like to send out a huge thank you to the veterans (and their families) for all the sacrifices they've made so that I and my family can enjoy the freedoms we have today!

Yesterday, well this whole week actually, I've been subbing at Central Elementary School in 5th grade. Yesterday they had their Veterans Day celebrations.  They had the general assembly, where the Veteran family members of the students came and we honored them and all the other Veterans. We sang patriotic songs, had a patriotic book and poems read to us and talked about what today meant.  What was really cool, and such a wonderful experience for me, was they also put on a parade around downtown Sedro-Woolley.  There was a fire truck at the start, the high school marching band came all in uniform, and then the students all lines up by grade level; each with an American Flag in their hand. Here I should also mention that Mary Purcell Elementary School, the school just next door, was also there.  The Veterans that were there all joined their student and we all marched a good two miles around down town Sedro-Woolley,  There were Veterans who were on the side lines watching, the business owners and their patrons came out to honor the Veterans.  It was so cool to see the students, mostly the older ones who understood what today means, approach the Veterans on the side lines and thank them for their service.  It was an AWESOME experience and one that I was proud to have been able to be a part of this year!

I Have Two Smart, Caring Children!

I love that my children are loving, caring and SMART!

This week we had Alexis's four year check-up. (Yes, I realize we're only 5 months late in doing this, but I totally forgot about it when her birthday rolled around and we were so busy the months after that, I never did remember.... oops....) Anyway, the doctor was asking her questions like what color was Winnie-the-Pooh's shirt, or to sing the ABCs, etc. When she pointed to the stickers of honey pots on the right side of the room and asked Alexis how many there were over there, Alexis looked at them, then looked at the stickers of the honey pots on the left side of the room and then replied, "There are four pots on that wall, but if you count those and the ones on that wall, there are seven pots!" The doctor was just amazed. She was even more amazed when later, during the physical part of the appointment (where the doctor checks her motor skills) and Alexis is facing the back wall, Alexis says, "Oh I didn't see those pots earlier..." (thinks for a few seconds) "...now there's nine pots!" Totally blew her (and me for that matter) away!

So that was the SMART part of this blog. Now to move on the the loving and caring part.

This year, Natalie has become much more aware of the people and their behavior around her, especially at school. Earlier in the year, she was concerned because there was a fourth grader teaching a first grader how to "bully" his friends. Natalie asked us what she should do because she knew it wasn't right. So we told her the steps of what she should do; that she should try to friend that first grader and show him that the fourth grader wasn't right, and talk to a grown-up at her school that she trusted and felt comfortable talking to about her concerns. She decided to go talk to the teacher that she had last year and when I asked about it a week or so later, Natalie said that the school counselor had come around to all the classes and talked about bullying and how we should treat our friends and fellow classmates, and how hurtful bullying could be. And when I asked if that situation had gotten better, Natalie said it had. I was very proud to know that my daughter was an instrumental part in getting that problem resolved quickly and easily. I know that not every situation will be that easy, but she's learning how to stick up for herself and others which is one of the things I hope for her the most! Anyway, more recently, she said in the car that she felt sad for the kids that get teased at school. She was telling me how there was one of the girls in a different class that gets teased because of the clothes she wears, and how one day Natalie had told her that she liked the shirt she was wearing and that the girl was really happy that day. "Mom, the world would be a happier place if people would just be nice to everyone!"

Out of the mouths of babes! I love my girls! Moments like those make me proud of the people they're starting to grow up to be! LOVE MY GIRLS!!!!