RSV

Last Thursday, Kate came down with the sniffles. On Friday she began to cough like she'd been smoking for years, and that afternoon she was diagnosed with RSV. Then by Sunday her breathing was so rapid and erratic that I rushed her to the ER in the wee hours of Monday morning. RSV comes on fast and furious, and nothing is more terrifying than having a 3 week old who can't breathe. Nothing.

Kate was admitted to the Pediatric ICU, where specially trained nurses can monitor her at all times and where she's subjected to an IV, feeding tube, oxygen mask, and countless breathing treatments. Ryan and I have been blessed with an outpouring of friends and family offering support, meals, and child care. Strange, but no one has offered to clean our bathroom yet. Any takers? No? Well, I guess I can task that to my sister, who will be here tomorrow afternoon. (I can't wait!!)

Each night when I get home I resist the urge to break out the cleaning supplies. Sleep is more important than a mopped floor, I tell myself. But sleep doesn't come easily and a dirty house still irks me, despite the fact that my cleanliness standards have decreased significantly with the birth of each child. It's really not that I'm a clean freak. It's that I need something to distract me from the heartbreak of leaving Kate alone at the hospital, from coming home with empty arms.

Now we're just biding our time until she is strong enough to breathe on her own and all her"numbers" are at the right level. Then she'll be moved out to the floor, where Ryan or I will have to be with her 24 hours a day until she's well enough to come home.

Until then I am aching to hold her without the awkwardness of tubes and contraptions. I am angry at this virus that has robbed me of her newborn-ness, especially since she is my last baby and I intended to hold her non-stop as only a newborn will allow. But as the doctors and nurses keep reminding me, you can't rush RSV. There is no antibiotic or shot or drug that can speed up recovery. So for now we wait, and we pray, and when we can finally hold her again, we'll hold on tight.

Happy Birthday Sissy!

Marissa turned 4 on August 11.

• She wanted the same birthday party she had last year, except with My Little Pony decorations. And of course, "No boys, Mommy. Only girls can come to my party." Perhaps a particular older brother has indirectly taught her to be wary of boys?



• She's the best older sister a girl could ask for. Sophie is extremely lucky to have her.



• Nightgowns are the "it" pajamas right now. And she can't sleep without a ponytail, which I find very strange because I can't sleep with a ponytail.



• She can finally write the the letter S. For the longest time she spelled her name MARIZZA. It was cute though. I have a bunch of examples saved in a folder.



• When I told her I was pregnant, she didn't believe me. "You're just tricking me," she said over and over.
  



• She finally believed when she saw my belly pop out. Then she was super excited and tells me every day that she's happy to have another baby sister. Whom she wants to name Roger.



• I love her voice. It is so sweet and soft.



• She's obedient, helpful, silly, and loving. Plus, I really think she has it going for her in the looks department. Sweet and beautiful--the perfect combination.



• Right now we're in a "debate" about John the Baptist and Jesus. She insists that Jesus baptized John the Baptist, instead of the other way around. Nothing I say can convince her, which is kind of scary since she's only 4.



• I don't know what I would do without her. We love you, Sissy!

The Fourth and Final

What do these 3 kids have in common (besides being extraordinarily cute)? They are all excited to have a new Baby SISTER in a few months!

If truth be told, Riley was slightly disappointed. He'll get over it though, once he sees that being the oldest and the only boy has some serious perks.

I really thought I was having a boy and even dreamed in baby blue all night. But now that I know it's a girl, I'm thrilled. I already bought my first bag of candy corn to celebrate.

Respect the Van

I've been waiting for one of these babies for a long time. For 2 1/2 years I crammed my 3 kids in the back seat and had to listen to fighting, screaming, and "Sophie's pinching me!" arguments. Yes, Sophie. She sat in the middle and bugged both older kids to death. I also really wanted tinted windows. The sun beats down too hard in Dixie.

I may or may not have gotten pregnant just so I could finally get a van. Ironically, our van seats 8 so I still cram all 3 in the back seat. They're easier to buckle and get in and out.

The tint is proving to be better than I ever imagined.

I haven't been this excited about something since you-know-who started all-day kindergarten.

He loves it too, OK?

The Story of the Four Little Pigs

This is the story of the Four Little Pigs.

This (sometimes naughty) little piggy starts kindergarten in August. Three weeks and counting...

This little piggy insists on dressing herself and doing her own hair. I've learned to just let it sliiiiiide...

This little piggy is as wild as the hills. Maybe even more wild.

And this little piggy will be joining our family on or before January 30th.

Not my baby but you get the drift.


We're hoping for a calm piggy this time. So far we're 0 for 3.

Better Late than Never

This is Sophie.



She turned 2 on April 4. You can see why we call her Sophie the Party Girl. She's always in the mood to have fun. We also call her Hoggle.
Hoggie.
Gongoler.
Gongoloo.
Bunny.
Bun.
Sophster.

Anything, really. Two important things to know about Sophie:

1. She loves her paci. Even more than Marissa, I think. But then, it's so hard to remember what life was like a year ago. We're slowly regaining out sanity around here.

2. She hates being dressed. She squirms out of all her pants by lunch.

Then she tries (unsuccessfully) to take her shirt off too. I used to care, but now, not so much. We live in Alabama after all.

Other things of interest:

• Her favorite words are Mine and No.


• She's a great eater but a so-so sleeper.


• She gets into everything. Recently I found her on top of the counter sucking on a cough drop from the medicine cabinet. A few hours later I found her on the counter again with a big wad of gum in her mouth. I may seem negligent, but man, the girl is fast!


• Usually the older sister is the bossy one, but Sophie is by far the bossier one of the two. Sweet, mothering Marissa puts up with a lot of 'tude from her baby sis. Sophie rewards her by pulling her hair and laughing hysterically while doing so.


• She's a daddy's girl and waves and shouts, "Hi daddy!" over and over when he gets home.


• She is definitely more spice than sugar.

I can't get enough of her blond curls, boisterous laugh, and sweet baby smell. We love you Sophie!

Man Alive! Riley's 5

Riley turns 5 today and boy-oh-boy has he had a busy year.

1. He gets mixed up and says "cemetery" instead of "military". "Hey mom, look at that huge cemetery helicopter!" I love this and don't plan or correcting him any time soon.


2. He carved his own pumpkin this year. Ryan cut the top off, but Riley scooped out the guts, traced the pattern, and cut out the face himself. He also set up the Christmas tree himself.


3. He prefers non-fiction books to fiction. Lately he's into ones about space, dinosaurs, and volcanoes.


4. We took off his training wheels in May. I had him dressed in layers so when he fell he wouldn't get too many scrapes. But instead of falling he hopped on that bike and never looked back.


5. Every time I don't know the answer to one of his questions, he says, "It's OK mom. I'll just look it up online." Or sometimes he says, "It's OK mom. I'll ask daddy. He's smarter than you because he's older." (If only that were the reason!)


6. He hates being by himself and won't play by himself.


7. He takes a nap most days and is an excellent eater.


8. He can't wait to go to kindergarten and ride the bus.


9. A few months ago he was trying to decide who to marry: Lauren or Isabella (the cutie in the slide show). He loves girls and his best friends have always been girls.


10. He had a naughty year.

• He painted Marissa's toenails in her room and got red toenail polish all over her carpet.
• He poured dish soap all over Marissa's head and dumped sand on her head a dozen times at least.
• One day I couldn't find my wedding rings. I searched and searched and a few days later I was cleaning Riley's room and found them behind his bookshelf.
• Then there was the time he cut a hole in his screen and went outside when he was supposed to be napping.
• I could go on and on.

Happy Birthday Bruisey! We love you!