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These last couple of months have been rough for us.  In December all the girls in our house were sick.  Mara had the flu.  Reese was sick, but tested negative for the flu and I had some crazy virus that eventually caused pink eye and an ear infection. 

We thought we were better by Christmas.

Then Reese got the flu at the beginning of January.  Mara wound up getting it AGAIN.  I managed to stay healthy the second time around.  Mara wound up with an ear infection and was on antibiotics for 10 days.  Just as she was getting better, Reese woke up in the middle of the night with a fever of 103.  We went to the doctor the next morning and found that she had an ear infection...so 10 days of antibiotics for her, too.

We thought we were better at the end of January.

Then Mara got sick again.  She went to sleep this past Monday night feeling fine.  She woke up at midnight with a horrible sounding cough.  She sounded like a seal.  We called the triage nurse who advised us to go to the ER.  We did and were told that she had the Croup.  They gave her some steroids and sent us home.  Tuesday she was a lot better and then the cough came back with a vengeance on Wednesday.  Thursday night she started wheezing.  By Friday morning I thought it was time to take her back to the pediatrician again.  I dropped Reese off at Dell to have lunch with Daddy...she was so excited to go to Daddy's work.  I thought the pediatrician would just tell us she needed fluids and rest.

I was wrong.

When Mara and I got to the pediatrician the receptionist heard her coughing and said we needed to be seen right away.  They called us back and immediately checked her oxygen levels and found that they were at 87%.  They should be between 95 and 100%.  Her doctor was in the room a moment later and said he couldn't hear anything in her chest through all the wheezing.  He gave her a breathing treatment in the room and told me that he wanted her to go by ambulance to the children's hospital.  Needless to say, it scared the heck out of me.  Less than 3 minutes later there was a stretcher and a few paramedics outside the room.  I called Karl to tell him what was going on.  He still had Reese at work and had no car seat for her since I had dropped her off.  The next thing I knew I was in an ambulance with Mara on the way to the children's hospital.  I barely remember being in the ambulance. 

Meanwhile, my parents drove up to Dell to pick up Reese so that Karl could come to the hospital.  Karl got down to the lobby to wait for my parents and Reese vomited.  He managed to get her cleaned up and my parents got her home.  My mom called me a while later to tell me that she checked her temperature and it was 104.4!!  I called the pediatrician's office and made Reese an appointment for my parents to take her in.

Mara had another breathing treatment at the hospital (her 3rd in an hour, she'd also had one in the ambulance).  They did a nose swab to check for RSV.  It was positive.  They took her in for a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia.  This was the most traumatic part of the day for me.  They put her in this contraption that restrained her (I find it very funny that the kids in the pictures are smiling).  She couldn't move and had her hands pinned above her head.  I started crying and she was screaming.  Thankfully, it was over soon and the x-ray looked fine...no pneumonia.  The doctor at the ER decided that she was good to go home.  She sent us home with a nebulizer machine and a prescription for Albuterol (which is what they give asthma patients). 

The doctor could not find anything wrong with Reese, so he thought she might have a stomach virus.  She only vomitted the one time.  Her fever came down last night and today she is feeling well.  Mara has had a few breathing treatments at home and is sounding much better.  I'm hoping they are on the mend, but I've said that before.

This whole experience has taught me 3 things:

1)  There is no point complaining about any of this.  They are my kids and it is my job to take care of them.  It doesn't matter how many times I get vomited on or pooped on...I signed up for this.

2)  My husband and my parents are SO helpful!  I could not have done all of this by myself.

3)  My kids have been sick multiple times, but when I was at the Children's hospital, I kept thinking, "There are other kids in this building who don't get to go home today.  There are other parents who are way more worried than I am."  I am counting my blessings that all of this illness is temporary. 

And to end on...a cute picture of Mara in her hospital gown.  I thought the diaper hanging out the back was adorable.

I can't believe how fast my girls are growing.  I know everyone says that, but it just amazes me.  It seems like yesterday that Reese was born.  Now Reese is about to turn 3 years old and Mara is officially weened.  I feel some relief that I can be a little more independent, but at the same time I am sad that she doesn't need me as much.  I know they will both always need me.  I still need my mom, but they will never need me in the same way again.  Never again will Mara have a need that only I can meet.  I know it's a good thing, but I can't help but be a little sad.  I guess it's time for another one.  :-)  Don't tell Karl. 

-1-

The last time I did this was in September.  I thought I'd give it another try.  Why can't I get my numbers centered?  They are centered when I write this, but once I publish it, they are all left-aligned.

-2-

My heart breaks for the people of Haiti.  We don't watch much television that isn't recorded on our DVR and we don't get a newspaper, so I'm not usually very up to date on current events.  I've been reading coverage of the disaster in Haiti, though, and I wish there was more we could do to help the families who have lost so many of their loved ones.  It sure makes my problems seem tiny and insignificant.

-3-

Reese and Mara are both sick again, but I think we see a light at the end of the tunnel this morning.  Reese has been running fevers of 102+ since Monday evening.  She tested positive for the flu on Tuesday morning - Category A, which includes H1N1.  It could be H1N1, but it could be a different strain.  Both girls are on Tamiflu.  Mara already had the flu just before Christmas, but they put her on it just in case this is a different strain.  She's developed a little cough, but she's no where near as sick as poor Reese is.  We went back and forth about whether to get the H1N1 vaccine.  When we finally decided to get it, the pediatrician's office was out of it.  I won't think twice next flu season.  We've been sick off and on here for a month.  It stinks.

-4-

We've been watching so many cartoons because of our illnesses.  Yo Gabba Gabba is the craziest show I have ever seen.  I don't understand it at all.  Lazy Town is also crazy.  Karl thinks it is like a train wreck...we can't turn it off when it is on.  It is so weird.

-5-

My friend Jenny and I took our big girls to see The Princess and the Frog last weekend.  It was super cute and Reese had a great time.

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My family is considering going on an Alaskan Cruise this summer.  I am so excited.  I really hope we can make it happen.

-7-

We had hoped to go to San Antonio today to witness the adoption finalization hearing for some friends and their beautiful little boy, Christian.  Fevers kept us from going, though.  We've known these friends for a long time and it seemed like they were waiting for a baby forever.  Now it seems like Christian has been here forever.  We're so sad we can't be there today. 

For more quick takes, check out Conversion Diary.

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  We drove to Colorado to visit Karl's family for a week.  We were nervous about how Mara would do in the car since she isn't a huge fan of her car seat, but she did great!  We had a fabulous time in Colorado.  We left Mara with Grandma and Aunt Andrea while Karl, Reese and I drove to Vail with Uncle Ross and Grandpa.  Karl, Ross and Grandpa went skiing while Reese and I shopped.  We met them afterward for snow tubing.  We had a blast!   Unfortunately, we don't have any tubing pictures because it was impossible to carry a camera around with all of our other gear.  The look on Reese's face the first time down the mountain was priceless.  I thought she surely wouldn't want to try again, but she did!  We went down 4 times.  The girls enjoyed playing in the snow at Aunt Andrea's house.  Karl and Ross helped Reese build a snow fort and she enjoyed making snow angels.  We went to mass at Our Lady of the Pines on Christmas Eve and then had dinner at Grandpa's house afterward.  We had Christmas Day lunch at Aunt Andrea's house and enjoyed a lot of time with family.  Check out our pictures .

From December 2009

From December 2009

We spent New Year's with my family in San Antonio and had a belated Christmas celebration with them.  The girls didn't last until midnight.  In fact, I fell asleep on the couch at 11:30.  I woke up at midnight for 5 minutes to say, "Happy New Year" to everyone.  Reese stayed with my parents for a few days by herself afterward and had a great time.  It was the longest we've ever been away from her.  We missed her, but it was nice to spend some alone time with Mara.  Pictures from the DeCock Christmas to come...

Now, we're back in the swing of things and trying to get back into a routine at home.  We're looking forward to a great 2010!