Croup

Dear Katie,

After waking up a second morning in a row with a raspy voice, I decided it was time to call the doctor and get you in for an appointment. Thankfully, your primary pediatrician was available to see you (I love her) right away. When we arrived, she saw us coming down the hall and immediately had a look of "oh no" on her face - she knew you weren't due to come back in for a visit since you were just there for your 4-month check-up!

I took you into Room #6 (our standard room), and told the sweet nurse what had been going on with you over the past 3 days. She listened to your chest and heard quite a bit of congestion. This prompted her to take your pulse and measure your oxygen levels - something I have never seen them do before. While a little alarming, I knew that everything would be fine. Thankfully, your levels were at 97% (out of 100%)- PHEW! That was a very good sign!

When Dr. Wolfe came into the room, I re-explained what I had just told the nurse. She listened to your breathing and agreed that there was quite a bit of congestion. She asked me if there was any possibility that you had inhaled a "foreign object", and I said that I didn't think so. While I know everything you put into your mouth at home, I don't necessarily know what goes on at daycare! I asked her if she thought this is what the problem was, and thankfully she said no, but it was a standard question whenever there is this level of congestion.

As if you knew what was going on, you let out a very loud cough right on cue - immediately the congestion cleared up for a bit. While I know you didn't do this on purpose, I still want to say thank you! You immediately relieved the doctor's mind that anything was inhaled and she was able to diagnose the problem.

You have or had the croup! Many of my friends said a couple days ago they thought this was the problem after you had the "barking" cough, but I didn't think it would go away so quickly. It turns out the cough is just one symptom of this virus, and the raspy voice is what really gave it away to the doctor.

She told me she thought you were over the hump and now on the mend, although your cough will probably linger for a couple weeks. Luckily, because I waited to take you in, she did not want to put you on any form of medications. FYI: Your Daddy and I are not fans of you taking medications when they aren't necessary!!!

The doctor reassured me we are doing everything right in terms of taking care of you/treating this virus and to just be patient - it will go away soon!

It has been quite obvious you haven't felt well given your overall demeanor. You aren't your constant cheerful self, which I miss (especially on my one day off with you!), but I know it's only temporary. Hopefully by tomorrow, my happy baby will be back!

Your Daddy and I took you and the dog out for a nice walk on the Silver Comet Trail tonight and that seemed to cheer you up quite a bit...that and a nice dinner (milk) when we got home! :)

Please get some rest tonight and feel better.

We love you!

Love,
Mommy

1 Year Ago Today...

Dear Katie,

April 6th is a very special day for Mommy and Daddy, as one year ago today was the day we learned I was pregnant with you! I will never forget that day, as well as the couple days leading up to the moment I took the pregnancy test. The Friday night before (April 3rd), your Daddy and I had dinner with your Great Aunt Sandy and Great Uncle Don, as well as with Daddy's cousins. I had had a very long week at work and all I wanted to do was to have a nice cold glass of beer. I hadn't had but a couple of sips and remember practically falling asleep right there at the dinner table! I pushed the beer to the side, ate my dinner, and counted down the minutes until I could go home and crawl into bed.

The next day we hung around the house doing chores. We planned to meet up with everyone later in the afternoon, but couldn't leave until I took a little nap - something your Mommy rarely does. When I woke up two hours later, we both thought that maybe I was coming down with something because napping (especially that long) just isn't something I do, let alone for 2 hours! Once again, while at dinner, I thought I was going to fall asleep right in the middle of eating! Something wasn't right.

Sunday morning, your Daddy and I had to take his cousin up to the Appalachian Trail in the North Carolina mountains. During the drive, my back started to ache terribly and all I could think about was both eating (a lot) and sleeping! It suddenly occurred to me that maybe I was pregnant. NO...really? Could it be? I kept quiet until later that night. I had a small wave of nausea and decided that maybe I should tell your Dad that I was planning on taking a pregnancy test the next afternoon.

All day Monday, April 6th, I was sitting at work feeling extremely ancy. I was terrified to take the pregnancy test - only because I figured I had gotten my hopes up and it would be negative. After all this time of wanting to get pregnant, could it be that it had actually happened?

I raced home, but then decided I wasn't ready to take the test. I made dinner, ate, did the dishes and while your Dad was watching some TV, I snuck upstairs to take the test. The instructions say to wait a full 5 minutes before reviewing the results, but I didn't have to! Within 2 minutes, the test was showing the darkest two red lines and I knew it! I WAS PREGNANT!!!!!

I walked downstairs, shaking, held the test up in front of your Dad's face and said, "Look!" He asked me what it was and what it meant (I believe he was in denial) and I told him we were going to have a baby.

And, there you have it...that's where the journey officially began. 7 months later, you were born...and here it is one year to the date of when I took the test, and you are just shy of 5 months old. It's truly a miracle, and one that we are both SO thankful for.

Love,
Mommy

First Day of School: Take 2

Dear Katie,

Wow, honey, today you had a BIG day! Today was the first day at your new school! I'm not sure about you, but I am very happy that you are at this school/daycare as opposed to where you have been for the past few weeks. Daddy and I felt it made more sense to have you closer to home in the event that either a) I have plans after work or b) I am sick and am unable to take you/pick you up. Not to mention, I just like this place so much better than where you were!

I enjoyed meeting your new teachers - Miss Laura and Miss Lucita! I called the school a couple of times today to check in on you and each time I received rave reviews! Both teachers were so impressed by how alert you are and LOVED that you are such a cuddler! When I picked you up, I had a note stating how they spent the day getting to know you and gave you lots of hugs! That made Mommy very, very happy to hear.

Last night you had a rough night...it seems as though this cold (or allergies?) is causing you some issues again at night. You woke us up around 2:30 with the most horrendous "barking" cough. Once I picked you up and suctioned out your nose, you were ALL smiles! We were up with you for approximately an hour before you settled back down and I rocked you to sleep. Thankfully, you woke up this morning with just a standard cough, so I ruled out the possibility that you have the croup. Let's just see what happens tonight!

I'm looking forward to your second day at your new school and hope you are too!

Love,
Mommy

Happy 1st Easter!

Dear Katie,

Happy 1st Easter, baby girl!! I hope you had a fun day with Mommy and Daddy, despite the fact that you were very overtired. It seems as though you may have a touch of another cold, and you were up from roughly midnight-3 am this morning, and didn't nap as long this morning as we had hoped you would. But, regardless, I think you had a very nice Easter.

We took you and Tungsten to the Silver Comet Trail for roughly a 4 mile walk. You seemed to really enjoy yourself...just snoozing away in the fresh, cool air. Tungsten had a blast looking at all of the bikers passing us by and even running through a stream that ran alongside the trail. He was a complete mess by the time we made it back to the car.

The Easter Bunny visited you, but said that because it's your first Easter and you are only 4.5 months old, he wanted to go light on the goodies. Next year, however, I think you will be in for a real treat! He plans to hide all sorts of eggs for you and something tells me he may put some extra candy in your basket...but, you will just have to wait until next year.

Tomorrow you have a big day - you start at your new school/daycare. Mommy and Daddy are very excited about this new place, and hope that you enjoy meeting a new teacher and new friends! On that note, I hope that you sleep through the night and sleep as peacefully as you are right now.

Sweet dreams, sweet baby girl...and, again, Happy Easter!

Love,
Mommy

Saturday Mornings and an Easter Egg Hunt

Dear Katie,

One of my most favorite moments is when you are waking up for the final time in the morning - typically around 9:00 or 9:30 am. Usually around 8:45, I will start to really watch you on the monitor, waiting for you to come out of a deep sleep. Out of nowhere, you will begin to stir, do a couple stretches and slowly start to open your eyes. I wait for a couple minutes just so I know you are actually awake before I go rushing upstairs to see that bright shining smile of yours. It never fails that as soon as you focus on either me or your daddy, you light up. You literally start to smile from ear-to-ear.

This morning, you did exactly that, and it is the best way I could ask to start my weekend! After you woke up, I fed you and then took you upstairs to get you dressed. Being a nerd that I am, I already had your little outfit picked out - a cute pair of jeans and a onesie that says, "Somebunny loves me!". Why this outfit, you ask? Well, because today you were attending your first Easter egg hunt and I thought a bunny outfit was appropriate!

Some neighbors coordinated this for the toddlers and older kids in the neighborhood, and I decided to take you along so you could get a taste of what you will experience next year. I put you in the Baby Bjorn and showed you off to all of the neighbors - many of which had never seen you before. Everyone thought you were just the cutest thing ever, and you kept showing off your gummy smile to anyone that would come up to you and say hello!

This afternoon, I bought you your Easter basket. I hope you like it...it's white with a purple/white polka dotted ribbon around it. It will match your Easter dress that you will wear tomorrow just perfect!

Daddy and I had a great time with you today. As always, you were in the best mood, giving us smiles and laughs. We're looking forward to celebrating your first Easter tomorrow.

Love,
Mommy

"Dear Katie..." posts

Tonight while feeding Katie her last meal before bedtime, I had an idea...it's called "Dear Katie". Moving forward, instead of the blog being written by me to you (the readers), it is going to be in more of a letter format to Katie. The posts will still be about our days, new things that Katie is learning and experiencing, but in just a slightly different format.

I hope my idea works, and I hope you enjoy it.

Sleep Sack: Day 3

I haven't had much to report on the past few nights, hence the lack of blogging. I will say, however, that I am keeping at it with this whole arms-out-of-the-swaddle/use the sleep sack thing and will say the past 2 nights were MUCH better. A friend emailed me and reminded me babies like consistency (thanks Jenn!), so I decided to just keep the same routine up and see what happens.

Just before bed, I put her in the sleep sack, nurse her one last time (her top-off feeding) and then put her in the crib. I have then been swaddling just her legs, but keeping both arms out. Tuesday night she slept until 3:30 before waking up with her arms flying all around (I went in, gave her a paci, and then ended up having to hold her and rock with her for 5 minutes to calm her back down...she then slept until 5:00). Last night she slept until 4:30. I woke up to her crying...went in, gave her the paci and that was all I needed to do to calm her down. She went right back to sleep and slept until 5:45.

If anything, during all of this, I have at least learned to keep my patience level in tact and remember this isn't something that HAS to happen overnight. If I keep swaddling her legs for the next couple months, so be it. Our biggest concern is making sure her arms are out in the event she rolls onto her belly.

I hope I didn't just jinx myself by writing all of this and end up being up all night!