Christmastime

The kids got their own christmas tree this year to decorate since I decorate the big tree. 

They were so excited!!!

Carly telling Santa what she wants for Christmas. Pretty sure it's a Princess and the Pop star barbie.

Christmas day!

We went out in a plane a few days before Christmas to see the lights. I was a nervous wreck but the kids had a great time sitting in the back of the plane.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Pictures

Swimming lessons!

Hello doorknob.

Movie night in mom's bed!

Halloween hell

Halloween day Carly started wheezing. I got her an appointment with the doctor and she was diagnosed with bronchitis. She was given 2 breathing treatments at the doctors office and started feeling better. By halloween night she seemed to be feeling well enough to trick or treat so we went out for about an hour. Before bed I gave Carly another breathing treatment and let her go to sleep in my bed.

About 2 hours later I'm watching tv on the couch and hear wheezing. I went to my bedroom and Carly was struggling to breathe. Quickly I took Burke to his bed and grabbed the nebulizer. Her wheezing was bad...the worst I've heard. As soon as I turned on the machine and she woke up it went from bad to worst. She was hardly getting any oxygen in and her lips started turning blue. I didn't know what to do and called Thad in Florida. Of course he said to call the paramedics. I called 911 and told them my daughter can't breathe. Holding Carly against my chest I could feel her struggle to get air. She looked at me and I could see how scared she was. I continued to hold the albuterol up to her face just so she could get a little and hoping it would open up her airway. The 911 operator tried to keep me calm until the paramedics got to my house. Finally I heard the truck and ran to the door to let them in. It was firemen. They could hear her from the door and ran to my room. I had the albuterol by her face and she was sounding better but still really struggling to get air. Her blood ox was in the low 70's and her lips were still purple tinged. They said they needed to take her in to the hospital. Who was going to stay with my other two kids? I grabbed my cell phone and hit contacts. My finger went straight to my great friend Laura. At about 12:30 I called her and immediately broke down. Within 5 minutes she was walking in the door as the paramedics were getting Carly out and into the ambulance. I was adamant they take us to Thunderbird hospital so off we went.

In the hospital they gave her straight epinepherine into a breathing treatment. They diagnosed her with croup as well. They also started her on a steroid. Jack (my brother) came and met us at the hospital and stayed with us until they let us leave at 5am and then drove us home. My amazing friend slept while I was gone and stayed to talk for a while before going home. A few hours later she came and got Burke so Carly and I could sleep. Sleeping was not easy without Carly right up next to me. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight!

I've been through 2 brain surgeries, tonsils/adenoids/tubes surgery, bladder surgery and plenty of sedated procedures. 

Never have I been as scared as I was with this experience.

 I was alone to deal with it all. 

My mom is in Hawaii, Dad in Idaho and Thad in Florida. 

This was the first time I thought I could have lost her.

And if I didn't have the nebulizer....I don't even want to go there.

So thankful she is feeling better. So thankful I had the nebulizer and albuterol. So thankful for the fire station 3 minutes from my house. So thankful Carly is sleeping in my bed right now breathing normal.

We're still alive

I've been a horrible blogger lately. 

We had an extremely busy summer which started with surgery and ended with daddy moving to Florida to go to school for a year. But I miss blogging about my princess so let's get caught up!

May 29th Carly had her tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes placed in her ears.

She had moderate hearing loss due to fluid build up with was mostly likely made worse by her adenoids that nearly obstructed her nasal passage completely. She had kissing tonsils which means her tonsils were so large they were touching leaving her with about the size of a pinky as her airway. Her doctor was amazed that she did not suffer from severe sleep apnea due to her airway being so small and not being able to breathe through her nose. All of these things likely played a part in her poor eating habits and low weight. 

Carly went into surgery weighing 30 lbs. and in 3 months she has gained 3 lbs. 

Coincidence? I think not.

The volume no longer has to be turned up loud on everything and I don't have to yell for her to hear me. She isn't snoring at night and breathes through her nose.

Recovery was miserable but was very worth it!

June 2nd Carly had her dance recital. Yes, 4 days after surgery this little trooper danced in her recital and did AWESOME!!! She was so cute and made her Mommy and Daddy so proud!

We spent 6 weeks in Idaho this summer. Here is 12 of Carly's cousins which is about 1/4 of them.

 (who are my great nieces and nephews) -my three are on the right, except for the one on the end-

Carly loves riding quads!

Playing dress up with more cousins.

Yes that mouse is real. 

It's also dead.

Gross!

We scrubbed hands and arms very well after this.

I snapped this picture literally 15 seconds after she fell in the river up to her ears and that water was so cold! She just got up and kept on going!

My aspiring model after she dried off.

 Carly started preschool August 7th and really likes her teacher. She was very disappointed to find out her teacher from last year would not be her teacher this year so I am glad she likes her new teacher.

I can't believe this is her last year in preschool and that next year she will be in kindergarten. 

But let's not think about that right now. 

Sniff, sniff.

Water day

It's that time again, water day, which signals the end of the school year.

I can't believe Carly has finished her first full year of pre-school

 and her second end of year celebration at the pre-school. 

She has one year left at the Dysart Early Childhood Education Center before

dun, dun, dun...KINDERGARTEN!! (insert freakout here)

We are so pleased with her development and the education she has received.

On the outside she looks like the typical kid but deeper evaluations show she is pretty delayed with her coordination. She still can't run normally, her legs turn in and she struggles with her mid-line. 

We have goals for the next year and hope to meet them all.

Happy summer!