fire season has arrived… This past week was filled with thunderstorms, smoky skies, and even a power outage following one of the storms. This weekend my husband is working as a resource advisor for some of the local wildfires that were started by the storms. Please keep him and all fire fighters in your prayers!
Update: It’s been almost a month since I started writing this post. Maybe this weekend I’ll finally be able to finish. It’s still fire season… The smoke has been awful (we celebrate every time we see blue skies, which hasn’t been very often lately) and my husband is on another assignment, this time at the Chetco Bar Fire.
I am thankful…
If you follow me over on Instagram, you might have read about our scare last month. Our little baby girl had an ALTE (Apparent Life Threatening Event) on August 4th/5th and we ended up spending most of the night in the Emergency Room.
She had fallen asleep and was in her basket out in the living room. It was around 11:30pm and we had just finished watching an episode of a show on Netflix and I left to go brush my teeth. She was sleeping very quietly, which isn’t very common for her, so I went out to check on her and bring her back to our room. I picked her up (in the dark) and she felt very limp, as I was carrying her down the hallway I couldn’t tell if she was breathing so I flipped the light on and could see that she wasn’t. I yelled for Sean as I brought her to our bed trying to get her to breathe. She was turning purple. Lifting her arms, patting her back, etc, nothing was working to help her stop choking. I grabbed the syringe and Sean started using it to suction out her throat. After about 4-5 attempts we finally got her breathing. It felt like forever, but was probably right around a minute. I lost a nephew of mine to SIDS and kept thinking that was what was happening… It was terrifying.
After talking to an on-call nurse, we took her to the hospital so they could check for aspiration. The ER doctor thought that this “ALTE” (I had never heard the term before this ER visit) was most likely due to her reflux. I’m still not 100% convinced that it was only the reflux, and I think it had more to do with sleep apnea and irregular breathing when she finally falls asleep, which I’ve noticed since she was born, mixed with the reflux… We had put her on reflux meds the week before last and I think they were making her sleep even deeper when she’d finally fall asleep. I took her off them following the ER. Her pediatrician agreed that it was best to take her off of them, since we didn’t notice much of a difference – she has bad days and good days with or without them. They all said it “shouldn’t” happen again. I really hope and pray it doesn’t.
I am thinking…
When she was discharged, I told them she’d be seeing her doctor that upcoming week so they didn’t schedule a follow up… I thought she had her two month checkup on the morning of the 10th, but when we got to the pediatrician’s I found out that it was scheduled for the 15th and her doctor wasn’t even in the office. I’ve been too exhausted to even read my planner correctly! I broke down in tears. His nurse had me bring her back anyway and checked weight, lungs, etc. she promised to call the doctor and see if he wanted to wait until next week to see her, or have us come back the next day, and then let me use the room to feed the baby before heading to our next appointment. Before we had a chance to leave the pediatrician walked in! The nurse had sent him a text message and he came right down. It was so reassuring to talk to him, go over everything, and get his opinion on what most likely happened. Had we seen him that previous Saturday, he would have admitted her for a couple days of observation and monitoring, mainly to make sure she wasn’t coming down with something that caused this to happen, but we’ve been doing that at home and so far she hasn’t had any repeats.
Learning all the time…
The little ones completed two weeks of swimming lessons from August 14th to 14th. It’s Myrna’s 60-something year of teaching! She has been such a blessing to our family. #MyrnasSwimmingStars
Celebrating the liturgical year…
on the feast of St. Clare: On my way home from work this evening I ran into the bakery at the local market and picked up some eclairs… We have a nameday to celebrate after our family rosary this evening! {I ran across a recipe for an AIP version that I could enjoy too, but I didn’t have the time or energy to bake them this week. Maybe for the feast of St. Therese!}
From the kitchen…
baking competitions inspired by The Great British Baking Show!
I am working…
Cinnamon & Raisin Porridge for breakfast, garnished with additional raisins and toasted coconut flakes! {I’ve been doing my best to keep up at work, despite the challenging baby, but things at home have been extra hard, especially trying to prep foods for my special Autoimmune Protocol diet… Thursday evening, before the baby and I left the office to come home, I was given a summer bonus: 8 HOURS of paid help at home on Friday! Grocery shopping, lots of food prep, and even organizing the girls’ rooms to finally make room for baby things all got done!}
I am creating…
plans for the new school year.
I am going…
August 3rd: I wasn’t the only one who had an appointment with my chiropractor this morning! She loved her first (very gentle) adjustment! I’m hoping it helps her feel a little better and she’ll start letting us lay her down occasionally.
that I continue to heal and won’t need to continue going to the chiropractor/physical therapist. My X-rays resulted in both good and bad news.
I am praying…
I am reading…
We’ve been continuing Primary Arts of Language over the summer and they were excited when they realized they could read Faith and Freedom’s Here We Come.
July 31st: She was so excited to spend some time reading aloud to the baby and I this afternoon while the inflatable kiddie pool filled with water 💙
Pondering these words…
from St. Rose of Lima:
it is impossible to reach the height of Grace.
The gift of Grace increases as the struggle increases.”
I am listening…
to my little ones reading aloud!
Around the house…
One of my favorite things…
seeing the older boys holding their new baby sister. They love her so much! We all do!
A little peek at my day…
Prayers for continued health for all of you. Your little is such a cutie.
2017-09-06 19:38:46
Isn't it amazing how babies can fix our bodies? My SI joint was fusing together in my back and my first baby was posterior. Hard birth but my SI joint never bothered me again!
2017-09-06 21:03:48
Thank you for your inspiring stories. Sometimes we feel the hardships of life and reading yourr stories and your prayers have given me a moment of peace!
2017-09-06 22:12:44
So thankful that you got to her in time. How scary!!!
2017-09-06 23:21:43
Oh you've been through a lot! Reading your last two months takes us from amazing highs (That baby! Those EYES! Those DOTING siblings!) to heartstopping lows (ALTE) and makes me wonder what you will one day be the Patron Saint of… You are remarkable. God bless you all!
2017-09-07 04:34:45
Hi Jessica, Have you ever thought of getting her a sleep apnea monitor. I'm a occupational therapist and some of my babies need them when they sleep, especially because she already had a SIDS type event. Prayers for you and the fires. We were camping in Oregon in August for 2 weeks by crater lake, my asthma did not enjoy that :/
2017-09-07 16:11:38
What a scare for you all! Prayers for health for you all! What a darling baby she is.
2017-09-07 17:58:08
Prayers for the baby's complete healing. Hope your instability problem clears up soon. Praying for the end of the wildfires. God Bless you and your family. Marilyn
2017-09-07 22:01:53
So happy that the baby is doing okay. You and the family will be in my thoughts and prayers. I love how your children love their baby sister,. It is so nice to see. The baby is so cute and very alert. God Bless Marion
2017-09-08 00:14:21
WOW she's grown and changed so much already. PRECIOUS. THANK YOU JESUS her "episode" ended positively. All of your pictures are wonderful. Glad the kids are getting swimming lessons. I didn't learn to swim until I was 48 years old. LONG overdue. Y'all have such a beautiful family. One of my favorite pictures is when our youngest was a baby and our oldest was a toddler. A RARE moment they had both fallen asleep while I was holding them in a recliner. Hubby got home from work and I asked him quietly to take a picture. I LOVE that picture. God Bless y'all and hope the little one's health stay well and no more "episodes".
2017-09-08 01:48:22
So precious baby! My first time to hear about ALTE. Thank heavens she's breathing after the suction! Oh… Thank you Saint Therese for that. Your blog has been a blessing to me. Been a silent reader for 5 years now (I think). I remember I had infertility and before it got treated, I stumbled in your blog and been reading it ever since for inspiration and healing. I also loved your history resources in homeschooling (I'm homeschooling my 2 older boys, 3rd and 1st grades at the moment). My second just had his first communion last Sunday and I remember I bought in Amazon, a chocolate mold where you shared a link in your post with one of your kids who had first communion.
2017-09-08 22:34:08
We'll be in Latin mass tomorrow. Will keep you in my prayers for your hraling and recovery from instability. And please say a prayer for my husband who has a knee hurting right now and causing him not to stand long time and discomfort in walking. He has a speaking engagement for the 1st time next Thursday. I'm hoping he can heal fast as the place is a long drive (6/7 hours) from home. I'm nervous to drive that far and we'll have 3 kids with us.
2017-09-09 15:13:45
I second the monitor suggestion! I used to be a pediatric nurse in my former life, we oftwn had newborns for observation after events like these. And I hope everyone has had a CPR class. <3 She is precious, such a pretty girl!
2017-09-10 14:34:12
Wow! You are such a strong woman. My second daughter also had irregular breathing as an infant. It was super scary. I remember taking her to ER frantic that she was gasping for air. She slept near me (I had an attached co-sleeper) and I was able to breastfeed on demand and have her next to me. The closer she was to me at night, the more her breathing regulated. Prayers for Sept. to be uneventful and you get some much needed rest. Saint Rose of Lima (a name-day that we like to celebrate in our household!) watch over you and Baby Girl.
2017-09-11 03:33:08
Gorgeous baby and so happy things turned out alright for her-and I know for you it will be more anxious than ever but I hope some peace settles in as she grows (so quickly!)
2017-09-12 21:04:19