Momma’s Angel

Childhood Illnesses - UTI April 28, 2006

UTI is short for urinary tract infection, or simply, bladder infections. Anyone can get a bladder infection, not just infants, and it has various causes. Here is what the Sears doctors have to say about it. It can move up from the bladder, becoming more serious as it reaches the kidneys.

How Sara Ellen got it I don’t know. The only reason we knew anything was wrong was her reoccuring/persistant fever. At Dr. Schneider’s request I scheduled an ultrasound for Wednesday morning. He also prescribed an antibiotic. One of the side effects was vomiting, but she couldn’t keep anything down. Thank goodness she only gets breastmilk. Besides not liking the medicating process, we could barely get a drop in her before she gag and sometimes immediately vomit. No fun, for baby or parents. We tried it until Tuesday evening, calling Nighttime Pediatrics and the nurse said not to push it. The next day the doctor prescribed amoxicillian. She still doesn’t really like the medicating process but after she gets over that, we have our normal happy baby back, and her internal systems are getting back to normal (lots of diaper changing 8O).

Wednesday I took her in for the ultrasound. The appointment person said to push fluids and keep them in her, like I can control that. When we arrived, I asked if I should feed her more and was told she should not have eaten in the last two hours. Sheesh. I had to undress her (I think she’s getting wise to doctor’s and undressing meaning something unpleasant) so she was all bare in this cool room and had the ultrasound thingy with cold blue jelly pushing into her belly, sides, and back. The technician wanted her bladder empty so left and came back a few times to check but no luck. I think since her reaction to the original prescription, she’s been dehydrated. As I said, her systems are going back to normal, she’s starting to drool again.

It’s a good thing we got insurance this month, she and I have both been to a doctor a few times. (I’m still getting back to normal.)

I heard back from her doctor and there is nothing bad in her kidneys, yay :D, so the new prescription is killing off the bad bacteria.

Nightime Pediatrics April 24, 2006

I/we went to Nighttime Pediatrics for the first time yesterday and am happy to say I am very pleased with the care we received.

Sara Ellen had her first fever Tuesday afternoon after getting some vaccinations but it only lasted a few hours. It only was up to 100.3 so we let her body fight it instead of using Infant Tylenol.

Her second fever came on Friday night. While watching TV she napped and woke up around 9. She was a little shaky, warm, splotchy and seemed confused, though pretty happy. We took her temperature and she was 102.7 so we called 1-800-MD-Nurse recommended by her pediatrician’s phone recording. We were advised to give her a lukewarm bath and Tylenol if she got up to 104 and get checked out next day, that was about 10pm. We woke up around 2am and she was really warm so we gave her the Tylenol. At 10am she was 103.8 so she got some more and Tim made an afternoon appointment at Nighttime Pediatrics.

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Easter April 17, 2006

I really enjoyed Easter service yesterday. We were a little rushed in the morning and my snazzy shoes made it hard to walk but it was a good day. I was reading notes so I could sing songs properly and doing what was needed to keep Sara Ellen happy, sitting, standing, eating so my attention was in two but my heart was joyful when I listened to Rev. Brought’s sermon. Jesus is alive, we do not worship a dead being. We don’t have to wish for or wonder if there is peace from this world. We just get ready and wait for the new life.

I did a study called the True Woman. I learned an important thing from that which I am happy to carry with me. We are on the earth because God wants to share the love He has. Our purpose is to glorify Him. Each of us does that in a personal way. Mine is to care for my family and dance. It’s so fulfilling to have realized my purpose and actually be doing it. It’s just amazing.

Tim and I had a conversation on the way home from Lynchburg. Some of my friends who are immersed in spiritual studies speak all the time of what God is doing and how they see Him work, it makes me realize how I have lacked that immersion. I really want to do a study. As spoke, we mentioned the the God’s work in our own lives, how He fashioned our history and made an impression on the lives of others, and how we have a great marriage. Maybe we don’t “talk the talk,” but I think we are “walking the walk”.

Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have.

Dance Concert - There and Back Again

Our roadtrips are getting longer. Last month we drove 2 1/2 hours to Richmond. What turned into 6 hours down to Lynchburg and about 5 back was a bit more challenging and caused the need for some schedule recovery once we got home.

Around noon on the 8th we left and Sara Ellen was asleep. We took 95 to Frederickburg, VA. That should take about 1 1/2 hours but took almost three because after a while in the HOV lane, we caught up to all the other people using it as we merged the two lanes into one and then into the main highway. Naturally, Sara Ellen woke up and I went back to feed her (it does take some maneuvering ;)). I think she fell back to sleep before we stopped for sustenance. I entertained her for the next hour or more before she went to sleep again. She woke up around six when we arrived at the hotel and was awake for the next FIVE hours!! A normal day for her is awake 2 hours, nap up to 2 hours if I nap with her, otherwise it’s 30 minutes to 1 hour.

I wasn’t sure how loud it would be and it probably was too much for her but she wouldn’t fall asleep nursing in the auditorium or in the hallway, and walking didn’t put her to sleep. Tim and I traded on and off walking her while the other watched the concert. He let me watch the last two pieces and she was very unhappy when I came out. She needed Mommy as we recognized because she quieted down once I got her and bounced a little. In the car she actually fell almost instantly asleep but once back at the hotel it still took a lit bit to fall asleep.

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Lots More Pictures

We’re getting more pictures up. Some are new and right there on the first page, others I got from my mom and are a bit older.

The following links are photos from March. There are four new albums from April you can find on the front page.
An early day soon after coming home
Being cute

Videos coming soon.

Baby Laughs April 12, 2006

We have finally put up photos from the last month. There are more to come but now… we have videos!

Here you can see Sara Ellen playing horsey with Grandmommy a few weeks back eliciting her first laugh!

A Week in the Life of Mom and Baby April 5, 2006

Wonder what Sara Ellen and I do all day? It may not seem very eventful but it sure does take energy and can get exciting as my little one develops. As you read, please don’t ask how often I feed or change her. My answer will be “whenever she needs it”. Our day would also be a little different if I were making dinner every night. We also see Tim more as he works from home and we visit as he takes breaks.
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Baby Weight

A parent weighing themself and then adding the baby is not the most accurate. I weighed myself and added Sara Ellen and thought she’d added 20 pounds. My dad did the same thing and got 15 pounds.

Yesterday we took our daughter to Dr. Schneider, Tim’s old pediatrician and she weighed in at 16.5 lbs. She has doubled her weight in 4 months, not something like 2 months as I said back in February.

She is now 24 1/4 inches from 19 3/4 and her head has grown 7 centimeters.

Besides growing, she is also developing. We have lots of digital videos to put up… it will get done eventually and you’ll be able to see them in your browser instead of opening another program.

*Sara Ellen actually weighs 16 lbs and 15.5 oz. I didn’t know until now that there are 17 oz in a pound, I don’t think I’d ever see that many listed.
*Ok, so I am corrected again - there are 16 ounces in a pound. So, that makes more sense as Tim said she weighs almost 17 lbs.

Bouncing April 2, 2006

Sara Ellen LOVES to bounce, put her on a bed or couch and bounce, she laughs and giggles and smiles. However, bouncing may not love parents, she spit up so much today. We had just bathed and changed her (I suggest tightly closing diapers!), then bounced her and when I picked her up she spit up again. I like to call it spewing when it doesn’t just dribble out but seems to be squeezed out.

I love our little girl! Babies just require a little work.

Note to all those who are thinking about bottle/formula-feeding: that causes the smell everyone always talks about. For us, it’s rare.

Save money on hotels

Earlier today I used hotels.com to make a hotel reservation at the Econo Lodge in Lynchburg. Tim wondered if there were any discounts for AAA (which he had just signed us up for), I said there was and asked if I should cancel and remake the reservation, he said yes. Right before I got us a booking for $7 less, Tim asked about breakfast and the Comfort Inn which my family stayed in and said was nicer than the Econo Lodge where they had also stayed. I went on a search using AAA.com and the Select Inns website but couldn’t find a Comfort Inn in LBurg. Tim wasn’t really happy with what I was finding so he took over. He eventually found out that Comfort Inn had turned into Quality Inn but he couldn’t find a place to add a child. He ended up calling them and the receptionist asked what we would be doing in town. He said it was for the dance concert and we got something like $10 off! That made it just $2 more than with the AAA discount at Econo Lodge. It’s also a nicer hotel and we get a *deluxe* continental breakfast - belgian waffles baby!

My point - by calling the hotel directly, you might be able to get deals couldn’t find online.