Pictures

The other day I tried to be a photographer. I didn't do very good, the pictures are out of focus. Nothing spectacular or anything that would be good enough to hang on the wall, but my kids do look pretty cute. Dutch of course was not cooperating, but that isn't anything abnormal. But I got some cute shots of Maylee or at least I think so.

I think that I just might pull my hair out....

I am so ready to be done with sick kids. I think I might need to be locked up in a padded room, at least that is how I am feeling. Dutch is sick again... AHHHHHHHH. Not bad, thank goodness but still he isn't healthy. He has been sick since Wednesday. He got a fever between 102 and 103 and it hasn't gone away in almost 48 hours. We have been rotating the Tylenol and Motion every three hours but it will not knock the fever. He is grumpy and just plain doesn't feel good. His doctor says that it is most likely a viral infection that he got from the hospital, that is just now manifesting itself. She told me that it will probably last another 48 hours with the way he looks. I was not thrilled to hear that but hopefully once he gets rid of this he will be back to normal. I am so ready for him to feel good. We have been stuck in this house for way to long. Once he is better we are going to play and it is going to be somewhere besides here at home. We all need to get out.

Sick Again... Can you believe it?

Dutch was sick again. I know what you are all thinking... "holy cow, they are one sick family." And I would like to say that we aren't, but the way things have been going, no one, not even me would believe that. It all started on Wednesday. Dutch wasn't feeling good all day and that night he started throwing up. On Thursday he was still throwing up and he had really bad diarrhea. He slept all day, the only time he would wake up was to either go to the bathroom or throw up. He literally was only awake for a total of 3 or 4 hours on Thursday. That had me pretty concerned because he doesn't usually sleep like that, even when he was sick before he never slept all day. He had spiked a pretty high fever on Thursday and I started rotating Tylenol and Ibuprofen. When that kicked in and his fever dropped, he seemed to be feeling a little better. And he woke up and was awake for about an hour and half, so I started thinking he was on the mend and things were going to be fine. So I even left the kids with David so I could get out of the house for a little while. Tara was in town and she was going shopping so I went and spent a couple hours with her shopping and I had a great time. It was great to get away from the sick for a couple of hours and to relax. When I got home David had the kids in bed and Dutch didn't throw up at all while I was gone. Things seemed great. Dutch slept all night, no vomiting or diarrhea. But then Friday morning it started all over again. If he took one tiny sip of water he would puke and puke. One teaspoon of water in his system would cause him to puke like 2 cups. It was just awful. So I called his pediatrician just to see what I needed to watch for dehydration wise. Well they told me that they had a few openings and to just bring him in. I was a little reluctant just because I know there is nothing they can do for vomiting and diarrhea but I thought it can't hurt to take him in. And I am so grateful that I did. Like I said he slept all day Thursday and he'd been sleeping all Friday, he was just so lethargic. He couldn't even hold up his head. He was worst off then a rag doll. When I got to his doctor I had to carry him in and then while I was sitting in the waiting room he started puking, luckily he had nothing in his system so I made it to the bathroom before he got any on the floor. So they took me back right after that. The nurse wanted me to undress him so we could get him weighed. Now he is old enough that they usually weigh him on the big scale where he stands on it. Nope, he couldn't even stand up, he couldn't even sit up, so we laid him on the baby scale. He had lost two pounds. So I took him back in the room and laid him on the table and the nurse leaves to go get the doctor and I could hear her telling the doctor that he is in bad shape. So they send in another nurse to see what his blood oxygen levels are. He took them and they were low. So he went to report that to the doctor, she came in and looked at him and once she saw him, she immediately said, I am going to go call 911 and then I'll be right back. While she went to call 911, she had the nurses prick his toe to see what his blood sugar levels were at. Normal is between 80-100, his were at 30. So within the next 3 minutes the paramedics arrive. They looked him over and were assessing him and asking me questions while he is laying on the table. Then they wanted me to pick him up. So I picked him up and when I did his head was just rolling from front to back and side to side, he had no control. So they loaded him up on the gurney and took him out to the ambulance. Now I just have to say that I was an emotional wreck. I was not handling it very well, it scared me so bad and I couldn't quit crying. I guess I am not as brave as some moms are. So anyways they get him in the ambulance and try to start an IV but they are having no luck because he is so dehydrated. So they take off and I am following behind in my car because I had Maylee with me. Which was just awful for them to take him and not to be able to go with him. I followed them to the hospital but obviously they beat me since they had there lights and sirens on. Once I got to the hospital I ran in and told someone in the ER that my son was just brought in by ambulance and I needed to find him. Well they couldn't find him. He wasn't put into the computer yet so we had to walk around for like 8 minutes (which seemed like an eternity) until we finally found him. When I got to him they were trying to put in another IV, they finally got one in, in the ambulance but he pulled it out. Once they got an IV in him they just started putting fluids in him and he fell asleep. I figured they would just keep him there for a few hours and put fluids in him and then send him home. Nope, they told me that they were going to get him admitted and then sent up to a room. Once they got him to a room then it was just a matter of waiting for his body to get enough fluids in him so that he could finally start going to the bathroom again and they could get labs done. On Saturday they got the lab work back and the doctor informed us that he had Rotavirus. For those of you who don't know what that is (I had never heard of it) it is the second leading virus for children being put in the hospital. RSV is first and then Rotavirus. The virus is passed through the stool of the infected person and then not having good hand washing or putting hands in mouth and touching toys. Usually they say its most common in childcare. They told us that pretty much all children are infected with this virus before the age of 5, however most kids don't show any symptoms of it. So we have no idea how he got it, he very easily could have gotten it in nursery or at a friends house. We have no idea how he got it and not that it really matters, we just wanted him to be better. He had to get poked so much in his toes to test blood sugar levels that it didn't take him long at all to hate nurses. Any time a nurse would walk into his room he would start to cry and scream no. It was so heartbreaking. When we got the results back Saturday morning, the Doctor told us that they wanted to keep him for another day to keep fluids in him and for observation. So he had to stay until Sunday. Lucky for us we have family that lives close by and that are so willing to help out. When I was driving to the hospital I called my mom to have her come meet me there. David was at work and he really couldn't leave. So my mom met me there so she could help with Maylee. Then she took Maylee Friday afternoon to her house and kept her pretty much until Sunday. I went and spent Saturday morning with Maylee while David stayed at the hospital and then I was back at the hospital Saturday evening. Then David got to spend the night with him Saturday night while I went back to my parents to stay with Maylee. It is really hard to try and divide you time between two kids. I never wanted to leave Dutch but I had another baby, a nursing one at that, who needed me too. So it was a very draining weekend to say the least. But Dutch was able to be released this morning and we are all back home together. However they did tell us the the diarrhea could last for another week. Just as long as he doesn't have diarrhea and vomiting at the same time, we should be able to keep him hydrated. We were just given strict instruction to try and keep a lot of fluids in him. Easier said then done. Since we have been home he has already had six diaper fulls of diarrhea, with several of them being blowouts. I am so ready to be done cleaning up diarrhea and throw up, its pretty much all I have done since Wednesday. But I am very grateful that he is feeling better and starting to get back to normal. When my mom was at the hospital she had her camera with her (because she is a photographer, thats what she does) so she snapped a few pictures. The first picture is of Dutch laying there in his bed. They had to really wrap his hand so he wouldn't pull out his IV. The second picture I am rocking him, trying to calm him down, he was really upset from the nurses messing with him so much.

Random Photos

I know I am making lots of posts right in a row, but I don't usually get a lot of time to post. So when I do I have to play major catch up. These are just some random pictures of the kids that I have taken recently. Dutch is eating some lasagna. For some reason whenever he eats something with red sauce, he feels like he should not only eat the food, but paint it all over his body. In the mornings I lay Maylee under this little toy and Dutch always feels like he needs to sit with her. However in his opinion the closer the better, so we are usually having to pull him off of her. And Dutch will finally smile for the camera. He makes such a goofy smile. But I love it. She smiles so much now. But I especially love when I can capture it on camera. This is my favorite outfit of hers. I am going to be so sad when she grows out of it.

Girls Night

Friday night my friends and I had a girls night over at Shauna's house. I love girls night. I have only been to two so far, but they are so for me. It is so nice to get out of the house, without kids and hang out with other girls. I love it. We all got together over at Shauna's house and watched her wedding video, which turned out adorable. And then until 3 o'clock in the morning we just chatted and had a blast. I haven't stayed out that late since before I was married. I was exhausted but it was so worth it. I only got one picture of us girls. Shauna wanted to take an oreo cookie picture. But sadly enough I don't eat chocolate, so that is why my teeth aren't black.

Wedding

Saturday was my brother in law, Darren's, wedding. He married Allison and I just love her to pieces, I am so glad to have her as part of the family. Their wedding day went really well. They got married in the Mesa temple. I always love going to sealings, sadly enough I don't remember my own sealing very well. It's such a overwhelming day and it is so hard to concentrate and take everything in. That is why I love going to other sealing where I am reminded of the covenants that David and I made to each other. David was one of Darren's groomsmen and I just love seeing him in a tux. Overall it was a good day and I am very glad that Allison is now a sister in law. Here is the happy couple. Sorry I don't have a better picture of them. I had my mom take a family photo of the four of us. Dutch was just smiling so big, it was so cute. Here is my beautiful Maylee. Here is Dutch. He is laying on the ground because he just got done throwing a fit. Stormy, Maylee and I I had to post another one of her because she is so cute.

Picture update

It's been a while since I posted pictures of Maylee. So here are some recent ones of her. She is getting so big and she is so much fun. She smiles and coos all the time now. We love having her in our family.

Swing Set

David was able to find an old swing set that was being given away for free. It wasn't in very good condition but it was able to be salvaged. It was from an old hotel park. The swings weren't savable but the frame was. So David brought it home and fixed it up and bought a little swing to attach to it and ta da, Dutch now has his own little swing set. And he loves it. He whines at the back door all day long to be swung. So we spend a lot of time out there. He use to be able to play in the yard by himself and stay entertained but now he demands that I stay out there and swing him all day long. But I am very excited that he has a swing set. It's not completely finished yet, we only have one swing on it and David hasn't finished painting it. I told him I at least wanted him to paint it and make it look nice, since it looked pretty dumpy and it is looking a lot better. Eventually in time we want to get a big kid swing for it and maybe a slide. We'll see what happens. David and Dutch are filling the holes back in. Well, David is filling in the holes and Dutch is eating the dirt. He's so weird. Putting it up. Dutch enjoying his new swing.

He sleeps anywhere!

Dutch has always been a terrible sleeper. He didn't start sleeping through the night until he was ten months old. And then he slept with David and I for a long time. Finally David and I were sick and tired of being kicked, scratched, laid on and choked all night long so we pulled out the tough love and made him cry himself to sleep in his own crib and we finally reclaimed our bed. He was sleeping through the night like a pro and life was great. Then we had Maylee. And guess what, her crying at night was waking up Dutch and again he was ending up in bed with us. So again we had to pull out the tough love and when he woke up in the middle of the night to Maylee's crying we just had to let him cry it out. And he started sleeping through her crying and all through the night again. However Dutch has never taken good naps. Even before Maylee was born and we made him sleep in his own bed, he still wouldn't nap very well. But I figured out the problem. He was such a light sleeper that day time noise would wake him up. Well when we made him start sleeping through Maylee's crying at night, it changed our whole world with Dutch and naps. He can now sleep anywhere and through anything, its amazing. Even as a little baby he wouldn't take naps and if he did actually fall asleep it would be for like 20-40 minutes. Now he will fall asleep all by himself and sleep from 2-4 hours. Its wonderful. But the funny thing is, he falls asleep in some of the funniest ways now. Before it he would only take a nap in our bed. Look where he falls asleep all by himself now.... Here he fell asleep on the living room floor while I was doing yoga. Notice he is all curled up with my yoga block. Here he fell asleep on the couch with his hand clutching a cookie in the cookie jar. He fell asleep while David and I were working out, with one of my old stuffed animals. Snoozing on the couch. Curled up in the recliner....

• But todays was the best. I was doing yoga and he had a wet diaper, so I told him to go get me a diaper and wipes. Well he never came back. I figured he was getting into trouble somewhere but I only had 4 minutes left, so I decided to finish and then go find him. I found him curled up in the corner of his room, by his changing table, fast asleep. It just melts my heart, its so cute. Although I picked him up before I thought to take a picture. Sorry.