Wow! What a month!

 

[Pictures- 1) Lookin' tiny in her big carseat, 2) Found her thumb, 3) Just sweet, 4) Cute feet, 5) The most flexible ankles ever!, 6) Cute, flat, tiny ears, 7) Lookin' very red next to blondy Karina, 8) See no evil! -cute hands!, 9) Cross-eyed, LOL!!]

Calyssa turned a month old this week and what a month it has been!  Remember those surprises in life that I mentioned I don't like, in the last post?  Well, we had a few of those this month... nothing really serious but a lot to deal with when added together.  Luckily, we are very blessed with amazing family (including my husband and kids) and friends (and ward) who provided lots of support (someone to talk to, meals, help with the kids, help with Dr. appts, help with the house, etc.)

[Pictures- 1) Grant spoiled me, especially the first few days, 2) Aurora changing her baby, 3) One of the very yummy meals we received.]
So... continued from my previous post about her birth story (ended up with mild jaundice, slept too much, wouldn't eat, lost too much weight the first two days, etc.), Calyssa didn't want to eat much (I had to wake her every 3 hours during the day and her nights were unpredictable, either crying a lot or sleeping 8 hours in a row) and sometimes when she ate, she didn't get anything (possibly due to her mouth being too small or her muscles not being strong enough to suck it out) and I would have to pump it out afterwards anyway.  She was also having trouble going to the bathroom and really had to work at it.  One of those times, she bit me (with no teeth but it really hurt!)  Two days later, it was completely impossible to feed her on that side because the end was swollen so much and I realized that I had an infection or abscess.  It hurt so bad!  Pumping hurt a little less and I was very thankful for my friend, Julina, for loaning me her pump (I used it a lot in the first month due to various issues- don't think I could've made it without it.)  After a couple of days of antibiotics, things improved with that, thank goodness!  (The girls loved that I had to pump because that meant that they had the chance to feed her.)

   

 And then... Grant had some really stressful things happen at work and was completely stressed out.  His mind was preoccupied and he was having trouble sleeping.  That didn't help things. 

And then... I took Calyssa to her two week check-up (she wasn't back up to birth weight yet and in fact, was still 5 ounces under where she should be at 8' 7.)  Afterwards, I went to pick up my girls, who were at a friend's house.  Aurora was not in her carseat and I asked one of my older girls to please put her in her carseat (something they do all the time.)  So big sister went to put her in her carseat and Aurora started screaming (something she does quite frequently when she has to be put in her carseat.)  I told big sister not to worry about it, that I would come back and take care of it.  When I did, I noticed right away that Aurora's leg was caught under her carseat, and was quite twisted around.  Big sister was able to get the leg out however the damage had already been done.  Aurora screamed in terror, as we drove home, reaching out to me and crying for me... it broke my heart.  She then kept screaming for over an hour and ended up crying herself to sleep.  I took her in (with the help of my friend, Vanessa, who Aurora loves!) and we had it x-rayed but it didn't show up right away on the x-ray.  The doctor grabbed her leg and she barely even flinched.  It was crazy!  However, when she tried to have her walk to me, she melted into a heap.  It was the saddest thing ever and totally made me cry!  I can't even imagine going through something really serious with your child, or having a child who is handicap in some way.  That would be hard.  Anyway, the doctor believed it was a toddler fracture (which don't normally show up on x-ray until they are healing- 7-14 days after the break happens... I googled toddler fracture and it perfectly described what Aurora was going through and even said these breaks often happen from a twisting of the leg), which doesn't always have to be cast.  So for the next 2 weeks, we tried to let her heal without a cast.  However, Aurora, who is 2 1/2, continued to go 200 mph!!  (Aurora is a very independent child and wants to do everything herself... even wants to change her own diaper.)  And whenever she started getting better, she would reinjure herself-- jumping off beds, slipping in water, dancing and jumping, etc! and then crying for hours until she fell asleep, each time. Then we would be back to square one.  After 2 weeks of this, I took her back in.  They did an X-ray and again, the doctor still didn't see the break on the x-ray.  The whole time she was in the room, Aurora was acting all tough like her leg didn't hurt at all!  But as soon as the doctor left, she started crying and wouldn't even put her shoe on.  She said, "Ouchie, Mommy!  It hurts!", every time she tried to put her shoe on, even though she really wanted to push the stroller and I told her she had to wear her shoe to do that.  And then the Doctor walked back in to tell me that, thankfully, the radiologist saw the break on her leg!  The report stated that her "bone was healing from some sort of trauma."  I tried to explain what had happened when she left the room and as I was telling her, Aurora put her shoe on and walked over to the stroller and started pushing it.  I couldn't believe it!  However, the doctor did say that 2 year olds weren't smart enough to fake an injury like this.  I was just so glad that the radiologist saw the break!!  So, the doctor and I decided that she wasn't going to be able to heal properly without a cast.  So they cast her from toes to diaper.  (Sadly, not even this cast is completely stopping her. First, she figured out a way to crawl around and climb on tables.  Now she is totally walking around with a full leg cast!   I try to keep her sitting still but it is quite impossible!  I have to constantly watch her to keep her from breaking the other leg- silly girl!!  She does get tired very easily and wants to be carried, which is actually nice.  (Usually first thing in the morning and late at night, she especially wants to be carried.)  She should be able to get the cast removed in 2 weeks. I really hope we are able to keep her still long enough for her to heal. Her sisters, and Mom and Dad, are carrying her everywhere she needs to go, when she lets us, and waiting on her every need. On the bright side, I think the extra attention is actually really good for her right now.  Heavenly Father really knows what He is doing and I feel that everything happens for a reason.)

And then... we decided to go to a lodge up in the mountains with some friends (I'll post more later), I thought it would be relaxing actually, but it proved to be a little too much too soon for my healing body.  Friday morning, my throat had a little tickle in it (I spent Friday night sucking on ice chips because my tonsils were so swollen that I kept gagging and almost throwing up.  The ice kept the swelling down a bit) and by Saturday afternoon (when we were leaving early due to my sickness), my 800 mg of Ibuprofen was wearing off in a short 3 hours and I spent the ride home crying due to the pain.  (We stopped on the way home to pick up some prescriptions that my incredibly wonderful doctor, Dr. Jensen, called in for me- antibiotics and steroids.)  By the last hour, the pain was in my ears, in addition to the high fever that wouldn't go away and the unbearable aches and pains throughout my entire body.  I kept almost hyperventilating and Grant had to calm me down and kept handing me cold water to drink.  I was literally counting down the minutes to when we would be home because I knew that I had some oxycodon left from the birth of Calyssa.  When we finally made it home, I took the oxycodon and then a half hour later took 800 mg more of Ibuprofen, and then I slept!  Luckily, it only took about 5-6 days for me to be completely back to normal, with my energy back and everything.  (I feel extremely blessed that I know Dr. Jensen personally and he didn't even make me come in, leading to a quicker recovery.  When I was in my early 20's, I had strep several times and was told I needed my tonsils out.  At the time, I didn't want to do it.  Then 4 1/2 years ago, I had my first abscess and was told that if I got another, I would have to have my tonsils out.  After Aurora was born, I had 2 abscesses and pnemonia, within the first 3 months, and Dr. Jensen thought I would need them out then.  I told him that I really wanted to wait until I was done breastfeeding.  When I was done, I asked him if we should do it now and he said he didn't think it was absolutely necessary.  My poor tonsils are so beat up now that they just need to go but I still do want to wait until after I am done breastfeeding Calyssa.)   

[Pictures- 1-2) I took this same picture with each of my girls as babies, with this teddy bear, 3) Looking really small next to Mommy's giant bear, 4) Cute matching outfit and hat- perfect for snowy weather!]

Well, I have been feeling good since about Wednesday or Thursday, and the amazing YW in my ward came and cleaned my entire house on Thursday night (and two of my awesome friends cleaned it twice before that, in addition to many meals and babysitting that others did.) Tuesday, when I was still sick and had a hard night with Calyssa the night before, Grant's boss let him take a personal day to help me with getting the girls to school and Aurora to her x-ray appt. Friday, my Mom took my older 4 girls to a play we had tickets to, then to a fun toy store downtown, and out to lunch. Thanks to all the help and support, I didn't go crazy!!

The night before she turned a month old, Calyssa smiled at me for the first time and I fell even more madly in love with her. I thought, all this IS worth it. We sure love her and are so happy to have her in our family.  

In other good news, I have lost 25 pounds since she was born and even fit into a pair of my jeans!!  Exciting stuff!!  :)

[Lastly, pictures from her first bath- I had lots of helpers!  Her sisters' loved giving her a bath!  :)  Fun!  PS- I love the picture with all the hands... such is Calyssa's life story.  :) ]