{Stuck} On the Misery-Go-Round

My poor darling Kahlei has come down with whatever it was that had us in the ER with Ellie Belly on Sunday. She has the temperature, shakes and inability to keep her eyes open, however she is much more lucid than Ellie was which is a huge relief for me. The thing that worries me most with her is how her heart beating so hard makes it seem like it's going to burst out of her tiny chest. And I am fixated on her breathing. The last time she was really sick she ended up in hospital. 

Even know, I feel all choked up just remembering that time and I worry. How I worry that she will take ill again and end up in hospital, on drips and monitors.

We seem to be caught in an endless loop of bugs and illness, which is making it hard to settle in here. James and I are living in a room literally surrounded by boxes and I keep meaning to unpack but then somebody is sick and all my plans go out the window. 

I can't wait for us to jump off this ride and start figuring out how this new life is going to work.

A Hospital Visit

We have been here for a week and already we've all been crippled by a terrible stomach bug and taken a child to the ER. I am a worrier, as all mother's are but I am not a dash to the ER kind of Mum. I follow my gut on these things and only ever take them when I KNOW there's something wrong.

So, yesterday when Ellie woke from her nap grumpy, pale and hot I knew she was off. We had no food in the house and so James and I went shopping, leaving Ellie cuddled up with Nanna and on our return found she was burning up, barely able to keep her eyes open, lethargic, with her heart beating a million miles an hour. Seeing her I could have burst into tears, especially given we'd left her.We bundled her up and took her down to the hospital.

We didn't wait long and soon she'd been weighed, had her temp taken and was on a monitor for her bp/heart rate/saturation. She was highly unresponsive, clinging to James, shaking and NOT herself at all. We couldn't get her to eat or drink, even after hours of having not had anything.

The doctor kept saying "So, she's just woken up quiet." And, in hindsight he doesn't know my daughter and wouldn't know just how different the pale little girl in front of him was to my daughter but his interpretation of the situation was somewhat frustrating. If my child "just wakes up quiet" I do a happy dance, not rush them to hospital.

We sat in the Paed room and only got her drinking and eating a hydrolite by explaining we couldn't go home until she'd had something to drink and done a wee for them to test. After some panadol and more rest she started perking up.

By the time the doctor came back she was in high spirits and being completely charming:

I was starting to wonder if I could leave at this point and pretend she wasn't my child. We got the all clear to take her home, as long as we kept an eye on her as the Dr could only assume she was coming down with another virus.

As we left she noticed the play equipment in the waiting room and that she was out with no shoes - showing just how out of it she had been when we arrived. Given that she is still not herself, still clingy and lethargic, emotional and 'off' I do not feel silly for taking her in (even if she ended up burping and giggling).

What did you do over the weekend?
Playing along with Fat Mum Slim's Point and Shoot.

{52 Weeks} Week 34: Sick and Week 35: Post FDC Glow?

Week 34: Sick

Last week I ended up too sick to post my {52 Weeks} pic, though I did manage to take one just before slipping off to sleep. Grainy and gross but true and that's the whole point of this project (mostly), I guess.

Week 35: Post FDC Glow?

I took this yesterday, while I was still in a stupor over my most recent purchases and reveling in a post (Family) Day Care glow. Before the world went mad. WHY did nobody tell me the Day After my children would not be the little Angels I assumed they would be? How is it that no one mentioned that the Day After Day Care isn't a peaceful, loving, quiet and fun day as we all soaked in the awesomeness that was the day before.

Instead, my girls were screaming, fighting, crazy people who's ears had suddenly and mysteriously lost their batteries (all things work on batteries in this house). My post FCD glow did not last long. At. All.


Please tell me next Friday will be different?

Playing Catch Ups

It has been almost a week since I last blogged. I was starting to think I would never get back to it! Before I get into why I've been absent, I need to announce the winners of the Amelia Rose prints.

Congratulations to Kirsty for winning this Sunbound print  

And congratulations to Kym of Mumma's Mini Me's for winning this Vision print

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this, I will be in contact. If you didn't win, I highly suggest purchasing from Amelia Rose, the prints; while gorgeous online, are even more spectacular in real life. Go and check out her new 'I Love My Camera' prints while you're there, I am sure there are many of you who will want one of them!

So, life has been nuts. Last Friday, James and I were all ready to tackle packing everything we needed to bring but couldn't pack up due to needing it up until leaving and we both woke with a horrible tummy bug which had us both crippled. Neither of us could do a single thing, even though we knew there was so much to be done.

I felt dead. All I could do was lay on the couch and beg the children to behave and I've never been so happy as when 3 o'clock came around and it was finally my turn to crawl into bed. I slept until 6 and then we were all in bed, as a family by 6.30 and asleep by 7pm.

Saturday we had a million things to do and, thankfully, Mum and the gorgeous Kirsty (yes, the winner of Sunbound, lucky duck!) were there to help us out as we both still felt drained and disgusting. I think both James and I spent a whole lot of time standing around not quite sure what to do, in a fog. By some miracle (aptly named Mum and Kirsty) we got everything we needed packed, the house clean enough for any inspections and traveled the 5 hours to our new home.

Moving Day

It's been a whirl-wind start to our new life here. Ellie ended up with the tummy bug and then it hit Mum, Dad, Caleb, Me (AGAIN) and Jasper. James has started his new job and being new, learning different ways of doing things and still feeling a little under the weather has made it a struggle.

I think we're all (finally) back in the land of the living - if you've contacted me and I've not yet replied, I am getting to it. And tomorrow my two baby girls are off to their first day of Day Care! We've been talking about it a lot today and Ellie is very excited. She does keep asking me if I am sad, though, so I will have to be extra careful about any tears.

So, what have you been up to?

{52 Weeks} Week 7: Glossing It Over

This morning I awoke with a horrid head cold, my eyes were heavy and felt full of sand, my throat burned, my ears and brain felt as if someone had spent the night stuffing me full of cotton wool. When I got the energy to get out of bed, I looked as bad as I felt. Dark bags under my eyes, pale and just yuck.

After breakfast, Ellie got out my lip gloss and said "Mummy, face me. Face me!" She explained that I needed some gloss and proceeded to fix me up. Once she was done she announced "All done! Now you're beautiful."

Over it!

Today I went to Emergency as I've had very bad pains in my timmy and back and I haven't felt Phoenix move for a few days. I just wanted to make sure bubs was okay. So, I waited an hour before seeing teh doctor and he tells me I had some blood in my urine, then he checks his paper work and corrects by saying "There was a lot of blood in your urine." then he told me I had a UTI and gave me some pills. He also told me to "rest as much as possible." I love that, with two toddlers 'rest' isn't a word a know too much about!!

Between this and my chest infection I am so over it all. Everything hurts. I am not with it, my brain just isn't functioning and I am so tired all the time.

16.5 weeks down, I kinda want it to go faster but at the same time it's already going to fast and the idea of having three children under 4 in five months is kind of freaking me out!

Why have I never been a 'glowing' pregnant woman, with energy in the second trimester and an enjoyment of the experience? Or is that a fable? It would just be awesome to be enjoying this right now!!

Life

I've been quite sick and miserable and feeling sorry for myself. It's horrid. I've just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep, sleep, sleep. But, with two little girls that's just impossible :(

Okay, so this whole week is really long and sucky. Both girls are unwell, which means they're grumpy and basically horrible. With both girls being very kissy and huggy I am starting to feel a little unwell myself.

I want to know why, when I try to get a nice picture of my girls together they act like they can't stand to be near each other, even resulting in hitting and screaming and the moment I put away the camera and turn my back they get all cute. Like today. I was trying desperatley to get a nice photo of them together for my ADSR Challenge #10 (see our ADSR Blog for more info) and I just couldn't get them to even go near each other without issues, so I gave up and started on some dishes only to turn around and see them dancing, hand-in-hand, to Pink. As quick as I could, I wiped my hands, grabbed the camera and turned it on only to find they'd decided that was old.

I tried and tried to get them to do it again, but they were defiant to the end.

I went back to the dishes, only to hear them having a great time singing and playing on Ellie's bed, so I tried to stealth to the door with the camera - lo and behold Ellie pops off the bed the moment I peek in.

ARGH!!!

This was the closest I got:

Not-so-happy-chappys

It's Been a Long Few Days!

On Saturday Kahlei had a bit of a runny nose. By Sunday morning she had a horrid cough, swollen eyes and was unbalanced - she couldn't sit up without falling over. I spent the day nursing her and trying to keep her fluids up.

Monday morning came around and she was breathing very fast, with the occasional struggle to get a breath in. We took her to the Dr who rang the Emergency Department so that we could get straight in. Once there she was put on a bed and just laid there, out of it while things went on around her. She was put on oxygen and when that didn't slow her breathing they decided to send her to Canberra Hospital (2 and a half hours away). They put a cannula in her arm, with me holding her body, James holding her head and Kahlei screaming. He tried one arm, but no one was holding her hand so she was able to get it out, so we had to switch sides. I was literally sobbing by the end of it.

We spent 7.5 hrs there before James and Kahlei were flown to Canberra and I drove up with Ellie. By the time she and I got there James and Kahlei had been settled in Canberra Hospital's ED, but hadn't been there too long. She looked shocking.  And was just so flat.

Nurses came and went, checked her temperature and re-asked all the questions I had answered at home. We stayed in the ED until 2am before they moved us up to the ward. James practically hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and after being offered food and never getting it, he finally got some little sandwiches. We got settled and waited another hour before James's room at Ronald McDonald House was ready for him.

Finally, I was able to climb into the single  fold out bed next to Kahlei's cot. I thought I would sleep, but Kahlei had a tough night, often trying to roll over and sleep on her belly only to find she had tubes everywhere.

Tuesday morning came all too soon. James came around but couldn't stay long, as he had a Drs appointment he couldn't skip and had to return home. Kahlei was miserable. She wanted cuddles but not for long before she wanted to go back to bed. Every time she went back to sleep I tried to have a nap, too.

Mum, Caleb and Ellie came to see us  - did I mention Mum had left work and driven to Canberra when I called her about it? No? And that Ellie was staying with them at a friends house?

Anyway, they came and Ellie was completely freaked by the tubes hanging off Kahlei and her red, swollen, flat look. She didn't want to go near her, but at the same time she wanted to make sure she was okay.

Doctors, students and nurses came and went throughout the day. Asking the same questions over and over. Mum took Caleb and Ellie shopping at rest time as Ellie had stayed long enough and needed a break. I tried to get some rest but kept getting interrupted by more doctors and students.

By the afternoon Kahlei was feeling a tad better and had excess energy and decided to explore her cot, which was good for awhile until she just wanted to go and go and go for hours! The problem was that James and I had to keep unwrapping her and stop her tangling herself up in all her cords. She went until 9.30pm, by which time she, James and I were utterly exhausted.

Another nearly sleepless night followed. Thankfully, though, Kahlei's oxygen was turned off at 10pm and her saturation was good all night.  Wednesday morning Mum, Caleb and Ellie came back in to say goodbye as they were going home. As we didn't know how long Kahlei would stay in the hospital and with Ellie being so freaked we decided she would go with Nanna for a few extra days (she was going there Sunday).

After they were gone Kahlei had her nose prongs taken out and her foot monitor, so I sent Ellie a photo to show her she was going to be okay. Kahlei and I had a nap while we waited for Grandma to visit.

She got lost and eventually James went out to meet her and wouldn't you know it - doctor we'd seen most often and one of his students returned and said she could go home. He listened to her chest, said she was clear as and that she had recovered much faster than he had anticipated. I was a little nervous, as everyone I had seen before that had said that they would monitor her for 24 hours after having the oxygen turned off.

A nurse came in and took off all her bandages and removed the cannula and by the time Grandma came up she was looking nothing like she had!

It took a little while to get organised and out of there but before I knew it we were on our way home.

I can't believe the last few days. Seriously. James and I are exhausted. Kahlei is happy to be home and able to play. She's still not 100% and I am glad to have a few days to concentrate on her recovery while knowing Ellie is safe and happy.

James and I would like to thank the Staff at our local ED, the NSW Ambulance Service (Justin + Mark), the NSW Air Ambulance, the ACT Ambulance Service (Gav + Taz) and the staff of Canberra Hospital for their help and support throughout this ordeal.

We would also like to thank Ronald Mcdonald House, without which the last few days would have been harder to get through.

Here are a few photos from our time - I didn't take any from when she was really ill, I was too worried, but now I kinda wish I had... Just to have a record of it.

She's Two!!

Ellie turned two yesterday :) She's such a big girl!!! I will upload some pics tomorrow. She's had a wonderful time - Aunty Case was here from Wednesday to yesterday, Great Nan & Great Gramps visited Thursday and today we went out to lunch with Grandma and then went to her house for cake. All in all she's had a blast and it's not over yet - next weekend Nanna, Uncle Max, Uncle Joshy and Aunty Casey are coming for a celebration.

Poor little Kahlei is sick :( she woke up last night all sniffly and stuffed up. She's been a happy one today considering she's got watery eyes and her nose is constantly running!! James and I are feeling ordinary - how can we not when she spent alot of last night in our bed snotting all over us?? Hopefully, she will pick up soon and Ellie won't get it at all. :S

August Cyber Crop

Digiridoo Scraps is hosting another Cyber Crop this weekend. Check ou the kit for the PBC - doesn't it look awesome? Come along and join in the fun!



While you're there check out my challenge! It's the first I have ever hosted and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! AND you get an awesome stamp alpha by Tiffany of  Inspired by Dominic Designs just for particippating!

***

I am not feeling too crash hot at the moment. Got a bit of a head cold/chesty thing going on. Yesterday we went to the Drs and he said he has seen some confirmed cases of Swine flu and to just keep an eye on things. Afterwards, I had to go for a blood test. I hate needles. They terrify me. So, I go into the waiting room and am quickly called by the guy who did my last blood test, which makes me even more nervous as he's very shaky. He left the room to get some vials, bringing back six and then proceeded to get out another 7 in front of me. As I looked at the 13 vials I began to panic. Just a little. He stood there for a moment, umming and ahhing, before he said he could probably cut it down. Phew!

So, he did. To 12.

He starts getting things ready and I turn away to intently read the sign on the wall about blood. It felt like it was taking literally forever and it was starting to hurt and he goes "Almost done," and I tentively turn towards him and my tingling right arm as he adds "Just six more to go."

Oh. Back to studying the sign!

Once it was all over I felt drained, my arm felt heavy and my head light. I still feel light headed, probably from the head cold rather than the blood test now though!

June Design Me This + P365

I have been a bad, bad blogger of late... but with two sick babies, a sick hubby and feeling under the weather myself I have found it too hard to wade through the fog that is my brain.

The girls are still sniffly and not sleeping great at night but they have improved. Ellie is well enough to run around all day like a nut and for the past three days has cut her day sleep down to an hour. Can't say I'm thrilled with that, especially as she was up during the night last night.

Okay, on to a catch up for P365!

Day 123: Backyard Safari

Day 124: Sisterly Love :)

Day 125: Beauty

Day 126: Tree View

Day 127: Tootsies

Day 128: Blue What?

We've had sooo much rain and cloudy weather it's a relief to finally have some sun!

Day 129: Flower

I have no idea what kind of flower this is (James?), I've taken it for the Digiridoo Scraps June Photo Challenge

Now, this month's Design Me This Challenge has really had me stumped. I've been playing with my papers since my birthday and nothing has really come up the way I wanted. Finally, I have come up with four papers I can live with

If you like them you can download them here (click image to view larger preview).

Well, I best be off - really need a nap!! Before I go; check out my picks for Twilight Character Sims 3 downloads. Do you have a completely different view of the characters from the books??

What a day..

Well... It's been a day and half here! Last night was a shocker with Kahlei barely sleeping and James and I both being sick, so it's safe to say I wasn't in the best of moods this morning. It all seemed to start well, Kahlei finally fell into a good sleep (much to my frustration, it was at a time when I couldn't be sleeping too) and Ellie seemed to be in high spirits, even though I am sure she must have been disturbed last night.

Everything went as normal, we ate breakfast and James went off to work and Ellie and I made the bed before I turned on the TV for Ellie to watch In The Night Garden. As the show started, it all fell apart. I don't even know why - all of a sudden Ellie was screaming, crying, carrying on and throwing her arms about in the air. No amount of Igglepiggle stopped the racket (and boy can that girl SCREAM - I mean piercing straight into my brain)! Somehow, we pulled ourselves together to go out as we were about to run out of nappies, which we seem to be doing a bit lately. Where once we had boxes and boxes we now seem to be living one bag to the next - it's a tad stressful.

So, we went out and the girls were perfect (thank goodness)!  I was thinking we'd come home, I'd pop both girls in bed and have a sleep myself and it seemed to be going that way. Both girls went to bed without a peep. 5 minutes later Kahlei was awake and playing with her mobile and being generally noisy, so I decided to get her up and put her in bed with me. I gave her a feed and thought she would sleep, but instead she started chatting to me. Now, I love to hear her gorgeous little chatterings, but I was seriously so tired, I just wished she would stop!!

By the time Ellie got up there'd been no sleep for me... For whatever reason Ellie got up in a terrible mood and Kahlei decided she was actually extremely tired and grumpy (*sigh* go figure). Arsenic hour in our house normally starts at about 4.30 pm and reaches it's peak at 5.30 pm if James hasn't come home by then. Today, it began at 1pm and didn't end until about 5.30.

Once things had calmed down I prepared dinner, James and Ellie fed Kahlei a bottle and all seemed right with the world. Until I got dinner on the table. I was just about to sit down when Kahlei started whinging, I figured she was ready for bed, as she should have been and picked her up as she projectile vomitted ALL over me! I have serisouly never seen a baby vomit that much. She was covered, I was covered, James was kind of laughing and somewhat frozen from shock. As was I. Then she started heaving again, so I did the only logical thing (in my shocked state) and turned her around. Now I am covered, she is covered, the rug is covered... Good move...

I was standing there saying to James "Help?" and he had no idea what to do! I quickly sat down with her on my lap to try and calm her and she brought up another litre of projectile yellow vomit (okay, maybe not literally that much but it was heaps). After which she started chatting and smiling, obviously that did the trick.

Since she was obviously feeling better we got in the shower, which caused a tantrum from Ellie who also wanted to be in the shower - not eating dinner with Daddy.

After the three of us had a nice warm shower things finally settled down. Both girls had a story and went to bed and they're still sleeping now. I just hope we have a good night tonight!

Before I go off to bed: Digiridoo Scraps is having a CT call. If you love digiscrapping, being a part of a fun community and the chance to work with kits from awesome designers then I suggest you apply!!

Look at my Girls!

They're on the mend :) Unfortunately, James and I have caught it (what a surprise) and neither of us is feeling very good at all! As the day has gone on I have felt worse and worse. Just sitting here now I am starting to get itchy eyes and a stuffier head. I must be feeling ill - I am finding Rove much funnier than I normally do...

Poor Bubbas

Both my girls are sick, poor little darlings :( Someone always gets sick after we go to the doctors!! Ellie was worse the last two nights but seems to be picking up tonight (she was running around like a crazy thing when james got home). Kahlei was okay the first night but has been worse since. She slept most of the morning and I am hoping a good sleep tonight will put her on the road to recovery, I don't like her not being her happy, content self.

Needless to say I am tired and on my way to being sick, too. Cuddling sick babies for much of the day and night will do that to you!

Now, I have some Project 365 to catch up!

Day 114: Rambo

Day 115: Birthday Girl (+ Hubs)

Day 116: Park Lunch Date

Day 117: Josh Wears Shoes!

And, yes, it's a big deal! Seriously, the boy is ALWAYS barefoot!

Day 118: *Shudders*

These freaky cows watched me as we drove home for AGES.

Day 119: Baby Mush - Yummo

Day 120: The Sims 3 fan page

Don't forget, if you want to be in the running to win your very own copy of The Sims 3 (or if you just want to help me win) support  my fan page. Thanks :)

Day 121: Lashes

Kahlei has really long lashes, surely didn't get them from me!

122: Sick Bubba

Mother of the Year, here I come!

I have had an upset tummy this week, between that and Kahlei sleeping badly thru the night I am utterly exhausted. So, Tuesday morning I get Kahlei settled for a nap, Ellie settled on her couch to watch In the Night Garden and decide to lie down while she watches it. As soon as my head hits the cushion I'm out - I don't see a single moment of In the Night Garden, even though the TV only went on a moment before it begun. Quite sometime later I awoke to a strange rustling. The first thing I notice is that Ellie is quiet and has had the television for much longer than her normal half hour. But, mainly, Ellie is quiet. I glance at her couch at the same time that I feel a weight on my feet and hear another ominous rustling.

I look and find my Angel sitting happily with an empty packet of Tim Tams on her lap, which she must have gotten off the wall which is behind the couch dividing the kitchen from the lounge. At first I wasn't sure that she had eaten them as she was much too clean but then I remembered James and I had only had one each the night before and there had been at least two left... Probably more. Still, she was awfully clean... I checked around her for any remains, finding none. She was very pleased with herself, which left no doubt in my mind that she had enjoyed a lovely morning tea!

Project 365 Catch-up

Day 104: The Wheels

Day 105: Tree Tied

Day 106: Discarded

Day 107: Bloom

Tuesday Again

I actually had in my mind that today was Thursday, I was thinking about how I only have to get through a day and a half before I can have the sleep in I so desperately need and then something triggered in my brain, reminding me that it is only Tuesday.

And I was so looking forward to a restful weekend.

*sigh*

I am feeling so run-down, sick, exhausted. To top it off, dear Aunt Flo has arrived and is gracing me with her cramp-inducing presence.  I thought I was over whatever was plaguing me last week, instead I feel even worse.

I have had lots of topics I have wanted to blog about over the past few days, unfortunately, my brain simply isn't up to the task. So, I will file them away for another day and update my Project 365 today.

Day 83: Bless

This is my cousin, Lauren with Kahlei. So cute.

Day 84: Blurry Man - May

One day I will get a nice shot...
I will!

Day 85: Missing You

Scraps obviously misses his daddy

Day 86: In The Field

Day 87: Following in Daddy's Footsteps

Ellie trying to garden in Daddy's boots