Emma, Mia, and Their Parents: September 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

Pneumonia in the hizzouse

What sucks?
A child with pneumonia.
What's suckier than suck?
2 children with pneumonia.

On Thursday, we spent the day at our local urgent care center and filling prescriptions for Emma. Ends up she had croup and pneumonia. She had to get 2 shots but she didn't cry even one tear! Brave girl.
On Friday we met the girls' new off-base pediatrician for Emma's follow-up visit. Her pneumonia was already improving and we spent the weekend watching movies and doing low-key crafts.

Just when I thought we were on the mend, Mia woke up sick. She had eaten dinner just fine and went to bed, only to wake up at 9pm with a 104.5 fever and significant trouble breathing. I loaded Mia into the car while I called my neighbors to see if anyone could stay with Emma. Thank goodness my next door neighbor was home and ran right over so I could get Mia to the emergency room.

Sweet Mia did everything the doctors and nurses asked. She took medicines and sat still for the chest x ray. She looked very little in that big hospital bed. The breathing treatments were NOT her favorite but she just cried through them and did not fight to rip the mask off. We made it home at 1:45 am... safely with a breathing Mia. How very scary to have a child that can't breathe. Spending several hours in the emergency room left me feeling very grateful and humble.

So here are a couple of pictures of Mia. She is upstairs asleep this morning after our excitement last night. I hope her body is healing even as I type this.

Here's Mia getting her chest x ray.

Mia's little wrist band.

Looks like we forgot Fingernail Friday.

She had 2 breathing treatments.
While the 1st did not seem to make a huge difference, the 2nd one certainly did.
After a couple of hours, the steroids she received helped her breathe easier and made her thirsty.
She INSISTED on drinking from this enormous cup all by herself.

Around 1:30 am she began to come alive. She wanted to stand and even jump on her hospital bed.
Quite a change from the little girl I brought into the emergency room at 9:00pm.

"I wanna go HOME."

And home we went.
I love you, Mia. So glad you are okay.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

For Sara

"It was Sara's goal in life, it seemed, to make other people feel important and special."
Bradley Sulivan of his wife.

Sara accomplished that goal many times over, and in doing so she became immensely important and special to all of us.

One year after losing Sara, we miss her and still feel the impact her life had on us. We are humbled by Bradley's incredible ability to raise Chloe, continue Sara's fight against breast cancer, and inspire us all.

Please click on the link below to see Sara's story
and give if you can.
THANK YOU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDGX11VmCsU&feature=player_embedded

*Help Bradley reach his goal! Click here and choose Bradley Sullivan as the person you wish to sponsor for the Susan G. Komen Dallas 2010 Race for the Cure.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What are rules for?

All you fall-loving, summer-haters cheering on the cooling weather have really been bringing me down.
I may be one of a small minority, but I love the summer and miss having Emma around the house!

Fall means back to school, and back to the rules. It means being places on time and wearing clothes all the time instead of swimsuits.

So tonight, when Mia wanted to water the flowers, I said, "YES". Did I know that she would be completely covered in water and mud when it was all over? Yup. Did I know that Emma would join in? Uh huh.

It was beautiful and we loved breaking the rules. Rules are for breaking, and life is for living!