What I learned this week...

We were in the hospital for a few days this past week with Carrie who had/has pneumonia. It's hard having a baby in the hospital and babies at home. She got back on oxygen this past month and she started getting a cough, eating wasn't going so well because she would start coughing and coughing. I think in all of that coughing she aspirated some and then came the pneumonia. Can I mention that every one of us has been to the doctor in the last month... some of us twice. Katelynn had a double ear infection and strep-2 different visits! Anyway Sunday morning I had been up with Carrie, Trevor had been too. Overnight her cough and demeanor had changed. She was struggling a lot more with the coughing and crying and crying which is unusual for her. I took her to a neighbor who worked as a nurse more years than I have been alive. She listened to her and said that she could hear it a lot lower & to take her to a doctor that day, not to wait until Monday.

James and Katelynn still remember December when she was in for so long, James especially. He was having a bit of a hard time that he couldn't go with me to the doctor. We had a family prayer before I left and Trevor took them downstairs and I went out the door with my sick baby. At Redicare, they did an RSV test and chest X-rays. No RSV, but yes on the pneumonia. The doctor sent me out the door to the ER. They hooked her up to a pulse oximeter at the hospital and when she didn't have the oxygen, like if the cannula slipped out, her oxygen level was dropping into the 60's sometimes. Poor girl, I won't even talk about when they put the IV in. It was very sad. So Trevor & a friend came and gave her a priesthood blessing in the E.R. in which she was told she would recover. I was also given a blessing in which I was told that I would have the strength and energy to take care of my family and the peace to know that all would be well. 

She got admitted, we were told it would be a couple of days probably. They started her on antibiotics and fluids and she would eat some, sleep more. She was really feeling good by Tuesday. Monday they did an echo on her heart to see if the pulmonary hypertension had come back. No it hadn't but her PDA on her heart that had closed in December had reopened some so around her birthday they'll go in and fix it if it hasn't closed. It should be a simple 2 hour procedure. And it will either be in Boise or Salt Lake.

She came home Wednesday feeling much better! When the wind hit her face as we left the hospital, she just smiled and seemed to get to so excited!

So what did I learn this week?
I learned that the feelings I felt in December, the worried, stressed,a little scared, hopeful, grateful, watched over, loved feelings were/are still very raw and come back quickly.

I also learned my other children really still need their momma.

Even during hard times, Heavenly Father is still very aware of us and sends his tender mercies to comfort us.  And that He gives us strength to do things we could not do without His help.

We're all learning our family can do hard things.

Sometimes the hospital is the easy part-the getting back to life at home is harder.

Carrie gains weight faster at the hospital-like 6 or 7 ounces in 4 days, BUT it is just from the extra fluids and it doesn't all last.

I think I need a getaway because I semi-enjoyed being at the hospital with just Carrie.

We have a lot of really great people we live around, we had a lot of food brought in and a lot of people helped watch James and Katelynn.

Already knew this but Trevor is SO good for me.  Life is a bazillion times better with him by my side. 



The wrapped up tight pacifier sucking Carrie was our first day there-she felt pretty bad.  The other is close to the end of our stay...she feels much better.