We are home!

She seems to be doing better and her shunt is draining, so we're home!!  PLEASE pray that things stay good so we get to stay home :).  Off to take a nap...

The new plan

After being NPO for about 6 hours, they decided to postpone the surgery.  Madi's shunt is now filling correctly and she hasn't thrown up since yesterday (though she also hasn't eaten, so I'm not sure what that means).  The new plan is to see how she does with throwing up.  If she is not throwing up and things look good, we will go home this afternoon.  If she continues throwing up they will re-schedule surgery for tomorrow.  For now we are playing the waiting game to see what happens and how she does.  I am praying that she just had a little bug, like every other baby on this planet gets, so that we can get home and (please, for the love of God) stay home for a very, very, very long time!

Back in the saddle, or is that hospital, again...

So here we are again.  Definitely not the place I wanted to be.  Madilynn's soft spot kept getting full and then empty, full an then empty again.  David and I were watching it closely and then today she started throwing up.  I brought her down to Phoenix Children's Hospital and though her car scan and x-rays look good, Dr. Moss tested the shunt externally and feels that it is not draining correctly and may be beginning to get clogged.  She has surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning to try and determine what the problem is and fix it.  She goes NPO (nothing by mouth) a 3 am this morning.  Right now it's 10:09 pm and they are trying (quite unsuccessfully) to start an IV for fluids and (starting tomorrow after the surgery) antibiotics.  We've been here since about 5 pm so it's been quite a day!  Please pray that they can quickly and efficiently solve her shunt problems and that they don't reintroduce infection.  Please be praying for Conner and his time away from mommy and for me as I am struggling with all of this a bit.  I know God has a reason for all of this, but I really wish I knew it!  The important thing is that Madi is happy, healthy, and safe, and sometimes it's hard to keep that in mind.  

I guess it's about time for an update!

Madi seems to be doing well.  She is a very happy little girl and is smiling all the time.  She's starting to learn to coo and makes the cutest little noises.  We took her in the the neurosurgeon for a check-up yesterday and he said everything looks great.  I am always afraid to say anything because I'm afraid I will jinx it.  It's hard because she could have an infection brewing and we may not know for a while.  I watch her very carefully (probably to carefully) but have not seen any indication of infection as of yet.  We go to the pediatrician today and will be able to check her weight and height to see how she is growing.  We met with DDD the other day and are getting her started with an early interventionist and a physical therapist.  We are also having her checked out by a speech therapist.  When we took her to the neurologist she also thought we could benefit from an occupational therapist and is getting us a referral for that.  I think it's awesome that Madi is going to be able to get so much help so quickly!  We are praying that we find great Christian people to work with.  

Madi was getting terrible diaper rashes that I was having a hard time getting rid of.  I put her back in disposable diapers while I tried to clear it and realized it was the diaper cream I was putting on her.  I made my own concoction with vitamin E and some other cream and it cleared right up!  She gets to go back in her cloth diapers now, which look so adorable on her.  None of her pants fit her though because her little butt is so fluffy!

Conner is a great big brother and is making sure his little sister is well taken care of.  He helps wash her in the bath, hugs her, and gives her lots of kisses!  

We love her, but she's not an easy baby!

Conner was not the easiest baby.  His reflux made him miserable until we got it under control.  I wore him in a sling most of the day, kept him upright, co-slept with him, and just did anything I could to make him comfortable.  No matter what we did, he was still in pain for quite a while.  We took him to a Gonstead Chiropractor who adjusted his little back, which helped immensely.  We also took him to a naturopathic doctor who desensitized him to foods he was allergic to and getting through my breastmilk.  Between the two, his reflux cleared up and he was a happy little guy but it took a while.  David and I were convinced that our next baby would be an easy baby.  It seems, though, that poor Madi also has reflux like her brother.  She doesn't nap well during the day, has "wet burps", is constantly choking on her spit-up, and is just having a hard time.  Even in my arms, on my chest, or in a carrier upright, she still does not nap well.  She wants to be asleep and is unhappy when she wakes.  I've tried Mylicon and have Gripe Water on the way.   I want her to be comfortable and it is really hard knowing that no matter what I do, she is still in pain.  We took her to the chiropractor once already and have plans to go again.  She's also seen the naturopathic doctor for NEAT (natural elimination of allergy treatment) testing twice.  I am praying that these two things will help her, just like they did Conner.  Madi's little life is hard enough without these added problems.  I am praying that God will take away her discomfort so she can get the rest she needs.  

We are going home!

We just talked to Dr. Shaffron and he is discharging us!  Yeah!  I cannot wait to get home to see Conner, shower, and eat some real food!  Being home again is always a bit tough.  Conner is not used to sharing time with Madi again, Madi is not used to Conner's noises, and everyone's routine is thrown out of whack.  It is very very worth it, though!  I am so thankful that it wasn't an infection and that our time here was brief.  God really took care of my little Madi!  She is feeling much better and did great with recovery.  Yeah!!

  

And it lit up my day

Today Madilynn smiled her first real smile...

and it lit up my day!

Being stuck in a hospital room for an extended period of time is hard.  Anyone who has been there knows that no matter what color they paint the walls, no matter how cheery the nurses are, and even having a window in the room cannot really make the hospital look any more cheery.  When Madi smiled, though, the whole room glowed!  Of course the second I grabbed the camera she stopped.  I am praying we get to go home today.  I'm getting quite homesick and because of RSV season I haven't seen Conner since Thursday, which is really hard.  I miss my favorite little man!  No matter what happens, though, I know God has a plan.  I'll have the memory of my little Madi's first smile to brighten my day regardless.