Merry Merry Merry Merry Merry

Feeling Better

Week in Review (12/07 - 12/12)

7 atomic diapers
3 projectile vomits
5 calls to the pediatrician
2 visits to the pediatrician
3 loads of laundry
2 sheet changes
2 new prescriptions
80 viewings of Baby Einstein's World Animal Adventure

1 baby finally feeling better

On and On

Grandma Moonpie letting me reach for something I am probably not supposed to have.



















Cruising the hallway at Pat and Peter's on Thanksgiving














Checking out my auntie's boyfriend













Making myself at home with the hors d'oeuvres



















Getting into the one kitchen cabinet that mom doesn't want me to get into.



















Now I can rock a ponytail, sort of.


Well I wish I could say that we've been too busy to update the blog because we've been having too much fun, but the fact is it has been a rough around here lately.

It didn't start out that way. Mom was here the weekend before Thanksgiving, and Susannah recovered from her UTI went shopping and had lots of fun with Grandma Moonpie. Thanksgiving Day we had a fabulous dinner with Pat and Peter on the Upper West Side. Susannah was a total rockstar and stayed up til nearly 10pm. We snoozed and played and enjoyed a completely stress free weekend.

that Sunday though, S came down with a runny nose and by Monday morning her chest just didn't sound right. One doctor thinks she has asthma while the other thinks it is too early to tell. At any rate, now we have a nebulizer at home and Susannah was on all kinds of medicine for several days. A week later she seemed much better but her appetite was still down. Then she started having some diarrhea, which I thought was just her body expelling the mucus, but then she threw up last night and this morning and so I was back on the phone with the doctor.

She seemed better by the end of the day and hasn't thrown or had anymore diarrhea, and she was able to eat some breads and fruits. So I think whatever this is is on its way out, at least that is my fervent prayer.

People, I don't know what to tell you. I really miss the fun, robust, eating everything Susannah. My nerves can't take much more of this.

Ups and Downs

This week Susannah is recovering from a urinary tract infection. She started a new medication Wednesday and has been feeling better every day since. Sunday through Wednesday were not so fun and her fever was making me very very nervous. But she's on the mend now and we're back to enjoying her.

These pictures are from last week when Grandpa Jim and Jill were here. S was a walking machine and even took about a dozen steps in the hallway all by herself! (Though during a repeat mission she butted her head on the wall and wasn't too happy.) Every day could be the day that she lets go of our hands and walks off, so we are watching and waiting.

So Much Fun

Playing, babbling, laughing, climbing, cruising, crashing (then sometimes crying), troublemaking and almost walking, Susannah is very much the toddler these days. We are having the best time with her.

Lately our favorite thing to do is get our coats on and walk outside. She can almost walk all the way to the playground just by holding my finger. It takes forever because she wants to stop and stare at every person we pass, pet every doggie that walks by, or touch every piece of trash on the sidewalk. But it is still a lot of fun and she charms a lot of people. She likes to walk up to our favorite bodega and knock on the door. It's pretty cute.

Hard to capture all that with a camera, but her she is mugging it up.



Cheering for the Yankees



Hearing that it is bedtime.




Out for a spin at the playground


Dad put her in a pile of New York City leaves.....



Some snack for me



And some for the baby.



Baby yoga!

Lil' Punkin as a Punkin

Thanks to Anna, S didn't have to wear the crappy spider costume that her parents tried to make her at noon today. She ended up being a very cute little pumpkin instead of an ugly cat with six tails or big dread locks hanging off her back.





































During a trip to the parade in Park Slope, all she wanted to do was push the stroller. There was nothing we could do to pull her away from that thing.



































It soon became evident that the little pumpkin was out past her bedtime.

















The recovery.












The meltdown. She didn't want to be carried home so she had a punkin tantrum.


















So we let her push the stroller home while we ate all her candy (she's allergic to it anyway).

Then and Now

This is what life was like the day before we went to the hospital.













































And this is what life was like in the hospital.



































And this is a little of what we've been doing since we left.

Going Home!

We finally got a good report from the docs at 6am and we are supposed to get out of here as soon as they get back here to check her oxygen one last time. Docs are taking. for. ever.

In the meantime, an energetic S is keeping us busy, as usual.

Susannah's Medical Drama: Chapter 237

Saturday she had a runny nose, Sunday night she started wheezing, Monday morning we had to go to the ER.

It seems she has pneumonia.

WTF.

She is at Brooklyn Hospital getting round the clock care, breathing treatments, antibiotics and steroids. She is getting better but the progress is slow. Her oxygen levels (when she is off the oxygen machine) are not yet as high as they need to be. Not sure when we are going home; it is a day to day thing.

She can't move around much or even go that far from the crib because she's hooked up to the oxygen almost all the time. We've been watching A LOT of Baby Einstein. Mom and AL are here which has been so awesome and so necessary. Poor Ben is working and not feeling well himself. I am almost used to sleeping in pleather recliners that don't recline while the machines beep and the florescent lights go on and off and people constantly come in to do something (but when you actually need something no one seems to be around).

When we get out of this, I would like to have a magic bubble to seal her in for the next, like, 25 years. Because I can't do hospitals any more! No mo. no mo.

FINALLY!!

Today's sonograms showed that Susannah's kidneys are finally starting to come down to size! The doctor thinks that we are on the right path. She has been without any stents or tubing for about a month now, and she's been off the bladder medication for about the same amount. For her kidneys to decrease in size -- on their own without any intervention -- is a huge step forward for us. It seems that she just has this baggy, stretched system that will take time to get to normal. We'll go back to Columbia in two months for a follow-up visit.

Hard to believe that a year ago today she had her first surgery. What a long strange trip it's been ... and we are so grateful that we are finally starting to see the end.

Time to celebrate! Susannah's asleep and we are drinking cava and eating take-out.

A Sunny Sunday at the Playground

After a few days of cranky-pants (teething, maybe?) Susannah was all smiles this weekend. We had rain Saturday but a perfect weather today. She's been doing great -- eating lots, trying to go down stairs with the push toys, playing peekaboo, practicing the hand motions for itsy-bitsy spider, and flirting with anyone and everyone. She's also becoming a bit, uh, demanding. We are trying to teach her to say "please" and "thank you" without much success. Her newest nickname is POTU -- Princess of the Universe.

We are back at the urologist for a dreaded sonogram and office visit on Tuesday. Let's hope that Susannah's insides are looking as good as her outsides.

Happy Birthday Moonpie!

Some photos from Susan's birthday party in Chattanooga. Beth, Susannah, Auntie A-Lo made the trip from NYC. Rob and Denise graciously hosted.









Susannah pushing her cart around asking for handouts.