Nothing but spit

Well Hell-o
Not much has happened in my life since bringing that beautiful baby home. My mother-in-law has come to visit and make sure for herself that everyone is OK now. It's nice to have her. I have good in-laws. Not the traditional annoying in-laws. I guess that's a very fortunate thing considering the fact that I met my mother-in-law the day before Jason and I got married. Crazy huh? Now my father in-law...that's a different story. I didn't meet him for at least two months after the wedding. This was probably a good thing... He's a sailor. No, really. In every sense of the word. He has a big heart, which is often over shadowed by his bigger personality. I really do appreciate him. He loves his family. This is good...He licked me on the top of my head once. Enough said.
So life really has been quiet. Ellie is doing very well. Jason took her to the Doc on Friday. He said unless things get worse, he won't need to see her until her well child 4month check-up. Hooray! ...Hooray is a good word. It's one of my favorites right now. It can be used in so many venues, with so many different emphasis...esises (Sorry for the spit). ie. HooRay, hooRAY, HOOray, my favorite HOORAY, and the ever sarcastic hooray. That last one must be accompanied by the proper teenage rolling of the eyes. According to my mother, I was really good at that. I'm learning as a parent of an almost teenager that it comes with the territory. I think the art of eye rolling comes more naturally to some teenagers than others. I have known people that have had to practice in the mirror. You think I'm kidding. It wasn't just eye rolling. It was face making and hair flipping. (Sigh) those were the days. I didn't need to practice. I was a natural. I am grateful for all of those crazy things I remember about growing up. It really helps me relate to my kids. I can empathize not just sympathize.
Well I know things won't be quiet for long so I will be hitting the hay. More adventures to come...they always do...HOORAY!
Good day to ya!

Hospital

So Christmas came and went. It was fabulous. The following Thursday baby Ellie had a gurglie cough(apparently gurglie isn't a real word, but that's OK. How boring would our language be if we didn't get to make up our own words? I have also learned that nurses make up words too, like guncky and thingy when they chart). I wasn't terribly concerned at first having just gone through a cold with Caleb, Jacob and Joey. I have a nebulizer at home and I'm not afraid to use it. So on Friday and Saturday I spent a lot of time watching Ellie cough and sleep, a lot of sleeping. Saturday around noonish(again not a real word) I had Sariah, Caleb and Ellie at the store. Her cough just sounded icky. It wasn't happening very frequently, but when it did it was juicy gross. She didn't have a runny nose or a fever, just that cough. My 'mommy senses' kicked in and said that we ''needed to go home now." So we did. And I watched that baby breathe all through the night. I kept debating whether or not it was time to go to the hospital. It's not an easy task with 6 other kids and dad working offshore to just up and take someone to the ER. Luckily I have a 12-year-old who could handle things until the cavalry could arrive. I was still swishing this around in my head at 4:30am, when I actually got dressed to take her. I was still hesitant though. The coughing was so intermittent, and I hate the ER. So I gave her another breathing treatment and it worked for three hours. At 8am I called the Dr.'s answering services (it was Sunday) The Dr. on call said to bring her in. That's all I needed to hear. So Spencer held down the fort until my sister got to my house to lend a hand.

At the ER it wasn't a terrible rush rush thing like it has been before when I have taken in other kids with breathing problems. Then again there was only one other person in at that time. And the baby seemed to be fairly OK. So we got in the back and these were her symptoms: a gurglie cough, not eating well, sleeping tons, rib retractions(where the ribs suck in when she breathes) and grunting(making a vocal sound with every breath) these last two symptoms are, what we later learned , signs of respiratory distress. This also goes along with nostril flaring, which we saw a lot of later. The ER team did a breathing treatment, gave her a shot of steroids(I know the baseball players would be jealous, just kidding) and took a chest X-ray and sucked some snot to do an RSV test, which came back positive. A 2 1/2 month old with RSV is not a good thing. After all this and a second breathing treatment the retractions didn't subside enough to appease the ER doc. So he called the on-call pediatrician and they both agreed that baby Ellie should be admitted to the hospital. When I entered that building the last thing I expected was to not leave a hospital room for 58 straight hours. My only rest came when Jason came home from work early(he wasn't supposed to be home till Friday) and stayed the night with her Tuesday.

The first thing that had to happen was to get an IV in. They tried her poor little hand first and then actually got it in her foot. The whole time her little cry sounded like she was saying "Ow Ow" sad, isn't it. This followed with lots and lots of time in her cold mist oxygen tent, breathing treatments every four hours, and snot sucking which, at first, she didn't seem to have much of, snot that is, and of course the IV fluid to keep her hydrated because she wasn't eating.

Since it was Sunday(December 30th) I had to wait until church got out for people to respond to my messages for help. But as soon as it was over we had an influx of help like no other. It was awesome to have felt very alone for one minute and in the next have five people crammed into our hospital room. And that was just for a blessing and to see what I needed. There were more people working on the outside to get some of my kids to one place to stay, and the rest to others. Everything was taken care of so that my focus could now be on taking care of that baby.
I had kept in contact with my husband that entire day. He works at night, and so to wake him as little as possible, I did my best to only call him when I had a complete picture of what was going on. This whole thing was difficult for him because he really wanted to be there for us and to give her a blessing and all the daddy love. The Captain and Tool Pusher on the rig told him that there was a spot on the helicopter the next morning if he needed to come home. After a very stressful night for both of us, we decided that it would be best for daddy to come home.

Later that day her regular Dr. came in and told me the results of the X-ray. Along with RSV she had pneumonia. Unhappy news. But it just meant that we would have antibiotics via the IV for the next 24-48 hours. And some blood would be drawn. My Relief Society President came in while they were attempting to get the blood and got to witness the vampire-ism. They were actually very nice and it was nice to have Sister Stephens there for support.

During the first 48 hours there was a lot of waiting and watching. I did fine during the days, it was at night around 8pm when everything was quiet that I would stand there and cry...just a little, I didn't want anyone to see... a mommy must be brave. I literally slept with one eye open and one ear tuned in. I kept watching the pulse oximeter constantly, making sure that every time the alarm went off it was just because she was moving her foot and not because her oxygen saturation went too low. This happened all night long, Sunday and Monday.
Monday night was New Years Eve. My celebration looked something like this:
















YUP that's it.










Ellie's sat.'s seemed to be maintaining well so the nurse an I decided that we could turn the monitor off for a little while so I could get some sleep. After she had a breathing treatment at 4:00am(which I napped through) I looked at her, she looked very pale and I got a little panicked. I reached up under the tent and picked up her very cold little hand to see if I could get a startle reaction out of her. I dropped her hand and it fell, there was no startle. I jumped up, sat her up and started rubbing her chest, she was fine, just in a very deep sleep... I guess. Needless to say I turned that monitor back on and didn't stop watching it until I left the hospital.

Jason came to relieve me Tuesday night. I was extremely grateful. I needed to get some 'normal' sleep which consisted of Jacob coming in to sleep with me and then waking up at 7am to "watch the dinosaurs. Jason had a good night with Ellie. I don't know if he has impeccable timing or if it's the fact that he has the daddy touch that makes things better but she had amazing improvement over night. Not to mention the other breathing treatment medication that was used to really get the crap in her lungs moving. Maybe it was all three. But things improved so much that after a trial off the O2 and keeping her saturation levels up, with four different prescriptions, Elizabeth got to come home Wednesday, January 2.


This is what mom looks like after not sleeping for 5 days

Thank you to all who helped. And thank you to all who prayed. Heavenly Father was listening.

Season's Greetings

It is a Tradition in our family to have Dad read "The Night Before Christmas" and Luke 2 (while the kids dress up act out the Christmas story, ) on Christmas Eve. Even though he was out at work this year we didn't let that stop us. He just did it over the speaker phone. It was great. And for your enjoyment (and my own) I have created my own version of this story.




'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, ALL the creatures were stirring, even the mouse(OK he's a hamster but you get the point)
The fever was running, the baby awoke(not just that one,^ the other one too )I was thinking to myself "this must be a joke."
"Santa's supposed to be here at a quarter past 12.
He may have to cancel and just send an elf."
Then what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the head of an eight year-old caught like a deer(in the headlights)
She was trying to see if Santa had come.
Thank goodness he hadn't, his work wasn't done.
"I'm trying to get Joey back into bed,
he's sick and he's got a fe-ver in his head.
Santa will be here, he's got a plan.
Now get back to sleep as fast as you can."
She ran away quickly, just like a good girl,
In hopes that dear Santa's plan, would not unfurl.
As for me, I sat rocking that boy like I should,
I felt so darn bad that he didn't feel good.
In spite of the fact that the craziness lasted,
Until I was certain that Santa had passed us,
I made it to bed at half past two,
And kept thinking to myself, that 6:am will not do.
I sure hoped those kids would keep on sleeping,
at least long enough so I didn't start weeping.
It turned out alright, they all slept through the night,
and we all awoke to a beautiful sight.
Santa had made it and brought all our gifts!





It was so much fun even though dad was missed.
The Durrant family has been blessed with lots of great cheer And we're wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The best kind of sticky

YEA!! IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!!

I CAN'T WAIT TO OPEN ALL THESE PRESENTS...IT'S JUST THE HAND CONTROL THING
I'M REALLY WORKIN' THIS CHRISTMAS OUTFIT MY GRANDMA DENNY MADE FOR ME!
MY MOMMY IS FUNNY. So is this flashing thing
JUST THE GIRLS. AREN'T WE GORGEOUS?
So today is Sunday, that would make yesterday Saturday. Which is a special day... it's the day we get ready for Sunday...need I go on? We cleaned the house...and that's about it. I also had to figure out a way to get some of us to church, while someone stayed home with Joey, who was too sick to go. I had to sing and direct the choir, otherwise we all would have just stayed home. So Spencer graciously stayed with him and Jacob.
Back to yesterday which was Saturday ...is a special day it's the...sorry. It happens all the time. Primary songs pop out of my head at random. Anyway, we were cleaning. The kids had their various rooms to take care of. I was overseeing their progress and cleaning the front room. I moved the couches, (which admittedly hasn't been done in a few months, being pregnant and c-section recovery, blah blah. I know excuses, excuses) and I found where the Clothes Monster has been hiding more dang socks. It really wasn't that bad. I vacuumed(such a funny word)which is an accomplishment because after almost four years of heavy duty use, the vacuum has started smoking. I don't know if it's the stress of the job, maybe it was peer pressure, but it smells terrible. I feel bad, but I just kept pushing it, I was sort of waiting for flames. While I was testing the fireproof limit if the vacuum, Sariah was cleaning the kitchen. She put some bread in the hall pantry, which halfway serves as a coat/storage closet and its doorknob is holding a bag of 'To Donate' clothes. (What a great closet), I heard her have a little scuffle with Jacob. Something about "get out of there." It ended fairly peacefully. I kept cleaning. Then Gabe needed help with loading the dishwasher, so I went and did that. And then Spencer needed help with 'Pine needle Duty' so I and went and helped there. Then I went back to my job in the front room. At this point I have decided that the vacuum needs hypnosis therapy. While I tried to coerce the vacuum to "just finish this dang room" I heard Jacob having a grumpy fit up on the stairs. He had had a Christmas sucker and I figured he was mad that it was gone, or that he was angry with Caleb or whatever, so I ignored it. These tiffs usually play out on their own and need no intervention. This one, however, didn't. It just kept on going. I decided to see what the matter was. I turned off the @##^%& vacuum and went up the stairs to find him. Yeah, he wasn't there. I then followed the cries back downstairs to find him, yup, in the pantry. He apparently shut himself in when Sariah had told him to get out. He was fine until he had finished the sucker and realized he couldn't open the door because of the very large bag of clothes on the doorknob, that's when he panicked. He was fine overall. He was sticky, so was the doorknob and the bag of clothes. I got him out and hugged him tight, then I was sticky, but that's OK it was the 'Mommy to the rescue' kind of sticky, and that's the best kind of sticky.
Good day to ya!
Oh and in case I don't see ya, MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

Clean-up in isle Three

NEWS FLASH

New Pokemon spotted at Durrant house in Texas. It doesn't have a name yet, but its powers are:High Velocity Gas which takes 80 points away from an enemy, and Constant Noise Making that befuddles its enemies so much so that they get lost, that is worth 90 points. Its Health Points are 180, weakness is House Cleaning.


But seriously, who needs toys when you have bananas and plastic bags.
I know, I've read the warning labels, plastic bags are not toys.
And to be honest I asked the 4year-old to run and get the phone yesterday, while I was feeding the baby, and he had scissors. I guess my friend was right...There goes my 'Mother of the Year' award.


I had to run errands today. Including going to the post office, and grocery shopping. I might be brave enough to tackle grocery shopping with some little people, but not the post office. So the Pokemon babysat. I made it to the post office with ease then to Wal-Mart. I hate Wal-mart. By the time I ran my debit card at the checkout I wanted to puke. I tend to have adverse physical reactions to spending large amounts of money. Especially if it will all be eaten within a week. The one thing I cannot stand is when cows and chickens go on strike. I don't have the heart to pay $3.69 for a gallon of milk. So I don't buy milk at Wal-Mart. I left that place and proceeded Randalls(Safeway for you Westerners) in my post grocery bill shock, thinking all the while "Man there's a lot of traffic." There are days when there's not so much, today was not one of them.(There was no point to that comment, it's just what I was thinking) I got to Randalls, looked at a sale sign on the building and realized that the meanings of words change after you have had children. 'SEAFOOD BLOWOUT' does not mean the same thing to me as it does to the person who hung that sign. People looked at me strangely as I laughed all the way through the store.
Good day to ya!

Tourist Season?

I have sorted and folded 44 pairs of socks today. The sad thing about it is that I'm not finished yet. There is still a load of whites in the dryer. That's 88 individual socks so far not counting the few that don't have their partners(dang clothes monster). All white. Well that's not true. Two pair were Spiderman socks, and glory be I found all four individuals. Gabe(the 6 year-old) has actually gone to school wearing one sock from each Spiderman pair, no they don't match, and it wasn't even 'Crazy Sock' day. Sometimes I swear everyday is 'Crazy Sock' day in our house. I guess it doesn't matter as much that your socks don't match if you live someplace cold, where you wear pants that cover your socks so no one knows. And, frankly, when you grow up wearing bread sacks over your 3 pairs of socks inside your "moon boots" (because your feet will get wet, freeze and fall off if you don't,) matching socks isn't such a big deal. But here...here in Texas it's different because we wear shorts. Even now in December. No big thing except Gabe doesn't wear just any shorts. He is very particular about his shorts. Not jean shorts. Rarely khaki's. For Gabe it's the athletic silky shorts all the way. Again, not a big deal, if worn with an athletic T-shirt or something similar, but Gabe's favorite shirts are Hawaiian shirts, cotton or silky mesh, doesn't matter. So if he could he would wear a Hawaiian shirt with a pair or silky athletic shorts and a Spiderman sock or two, everyday. It seems I have a 6 year-old that is really a 60 year-old tourist at heart. I give him credit for Sunday. He wears his gray suit with his shiny penny loafers every Sunday. Occasionally, when he can find them, he'll wear his black socks too. Two Sundays ago at church I looked at his ankles. One black one bare, bless his heart. I made him take the black one off. At least there wasn't a Spiderman sock involved.
Good day to ya.

Cookie shampoo and Toast

What are the 'child labor' laws?
I found these three dishwasher's/juice makers/chefs. They speak English (mostly) and they work for cookies. That 4 year-old makes a mean piece of toast. He should by now, he's been making toast since he was 2.

I was pregnant(surprise I'm always pregnant) with Joey(the shortest one) and we were all resting in the family room. I heard Caleb playing around in the kitchen. I thought nothing of it until I heard the toaster pop. I sat bolt upright and looked in the kitchen and there was this 2 1/2 year-old getting toast out of the toaster using pot holders. I asked him what he was doing and he said "It's hot and I'm hungry."
'Smart monkey,' I thought.
I knew then that he was different. He seems to be more mechanically inclined than most of the other children. Around this same time he figured out how to unlock our interior doors. They have a little hole in the door knob that you can push a little strait metal key into, to unlock it. We kept the key on the top of our master bedroom door jam.
I was in the bathroom with the door locked (I needed thirty seconds to pee in private) when I heard Caleb fidgeting with the door knob. I knew, from the day before he had already figured out that if you stuck something small enough in that little hole and turned the knob, the door would open. A small stick was his first key. Sitting in the bathroom, I told him that I would be out in a second and that he didn't need to unlock the door. And then (as he continued to fiddle) I desperately tried to think of what he could be using to try to open the door. All the little things had been picked up from his reach. As the door flew open, there stood little 2 1/2 year-old Caleb, with the actual brass key. I looked at him, with it clenched in his sticky little fist, in amazement. "How did you...???"And then I looked in my bedroom doorway and there lay the broom. He had gotten the broom out of the pantry and used it to sweep the key off the top of our door jam. I knew we were in trouble then.
He didn't start talking until he was 2, but the first thing he said to me was "Where's the 'mote(remote)?"
Caleb's current favorite saying is "My plan worked." I think he's been thinking that since before he was born.

So today has been fairly calm. For a snack I gave Jacob an Oreo(my favorite cookie). He walked off and I thought nothing of it until I went to feed the baby. She had been on the floor for some tummy time, I picked her up and sat with her in the recliner. I looked at her. There were these big, white flake looking things all over her hair. I had no idea what they were. So like a mother, I pulled one out and mushed it around in my fingers and smelled it. Yup, Oreo cookie cream. It brushed out easily. No harm done, and for the rest of the day baby Ellie's hair smelled like a cookie. They should make a shampoo. I want a percentage.

I had to throw in this sweet picture of baby Joey giving baby Ellie a kiss. It's too cute.
Good day to ya.