Not a fun March

Honestly, I am ready for March to be over and for April to begin.  This terrible virus hit us over 2 weeks ago and we are still feeling the effects of it.  We never had the boys tested for the flu but I think they had it as well.  Poor Austin was hit hard and has taken quite a long time to bounce back.  He has been tired, puny, whiny, and very needy.  You could tell he just didn't feel himself.  Miller was put on an antibiotic around a week ago because his turned into a secondary sinus infection so he started to perk up pretty soon after that.  The first signs of a possible sickness were on Monday, March 11.  Miller ran a fever but felt fine.  We were supposed to head to Nashville for the boys spring break and spend a few days with my sister in law and family.  We hung tight 2 more days until we knew Miller wasn't sick anymore.  He only ran a fever on Monday night and then never ran it again.  We headed to Nashville on Wednesday, March 13 and had a great day and a half.  All 6 cousins were having so much fun being together.  It was really a lot of fun!

On that Thursday night I was awoken by Austin yelling out for me.  I ran upstairs to find him coughing a seal, croupy cough.  I picked him up, ran into my mother in laws room and then ran outside with him.  I finally got him to stop coughing and calm down around 2:30, fell asleep around 3 and was awoken by Maggie at 4:30 with a wet sounding cough.  I tried nursing her and she did not eat well so I decided to just throw my kids in the car and drive back.  I was fearful of it being RSV and being stuck in Nashville without a doctor or Le Bonheur if we needed it.  We drove straight home (stopping every hour because Maggie wouldn't nurse more than 6-7 minutes at a time so we had to stop every hour) and went to the doctor that afternoon.  He diagnosed them all with the same virus and thought Maggie would bounce back the fastest since she is breastfed.  The boys were put on oral steroids and inhaled steroids to help with the asthma and cough.  We spent the weekend laying low and trying to get better.


By Monday I could tell that Maggie was getting worse and not better.  By late Monday evening I was very concerned about her.  We watched her like a hawk that night and decided that I would take her first thing Tuesday morning to the doctor.  At 7:00 when I tried to nurse her she wouldn't and was really struggling to breathe.  I quickly put her in the car seat and drove downtown to my doctors office.  He quickly assessed her and decided to admit her to Le Bonheur.  Thankfully our doctors office is connected to the hospital so we walked over to the ER where they ran tests, did a chest x-ray, and started her on oxygen.  Within 1 hour she had dropped her O2 SATS from 95 to 83.  
I am so thankful we brought her in when we did and that my doctor moved quickly to get her admitted.  The next 6 days were like being on a roller coaster and not one you like to ride.  It was emotionally and physically exhausting.  I was stressed, worried, and so tired.  My 2 boys back home were also sick and I couldn't be home to take care of them.  My newborn daughter was hooked up to machines at the same hospital I said goodbye to my first son.  The week was scary and a little surreal.  I am so thankful for Le Bonheur and what an amazing place it is but I truly hoped I would never have to be there again with my children.

She started to perk up to her old self by the 3rd day but unfortunately the RSV reared its ugly head again and she went back down on Friday morning. She needed oxygen and couldn't seem to keep her SATS up without it but finally on Sunday she started to show signs that she was improving and we would possibly get her off oxygen. David stayed with her that night because I knew he would be a little more aggressive with getting her off the oxygen and wouldn't be nervous when the machines started beeping.

She kept her SATS up all night without oxygen and continued to do great on Monday so they gave us the all clear to go home around 5:00 Monday evening.
It was such a great feeling to leave that hospital with my baby girl with me.
Monday night was tough because she still had a terrible cough but each day/night has gotten a little better. She will have a nasty sounding cough for a couple weeks but hopefully that is the only thing that will linger.  She is back to her happy self and even laughed for the first time last night at daddy being silly.

We are so thankful for her continued good health and are praying that this nasty RSV and flu are behind us and we have healthy days ahead of us.  Thank you for your prayers...we truly can't say thank you enough.

Home

Maggie is home from the hospital. She was discharged around 4:30. I have lots to write but honestly I have never been this tired. I'm running on pure adrenaline. Right now I have 2 big ones who need lots of love and attention, a tiny one who has to be monitored constantly because of her coughing fits, and a husband who also feels under the weather. We are thankful she is home. Thank you for your prayers!






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Maggie update

We are still currently at Le Bonheur.  Maggie was doing really well on Thursday evening and Friday morning but unfortunately had some minor setbacks yesterday.  This is the beast of RSV and then you add in the flu and it makes things really hard for her to get past.  She still needs the support of the oxygen and deep suctioning.  We are hopeful that she will be ready to go home on Monday but we will make sure she gets all the time she needs to get better.  It may take longer than that.  We really covet your prayers at this time.  Please continue to pray:
1.  Maggie could get off oxygen and breathe well on her own
2.  She would only need to be suctioned with the small blue bulb instead of the deep suctioning that can only be done at the hospital
3.  She would rest and eat well
4.  For the boys to feel better.  We had to start them on new rounds of antibiotics/steroids because they aren't improving like we hoped
5.  For David and my health.  We too are starting to feel very worn down and are worried about getting sick.  We started on some Vitamin C and Eccinaccea today hoping we can fend ourselves from sickness
6.  For our mommy and daddy hearts.  We are struggling being a part from our boys especially when they don't feel good either.  Pray this is all over soon.

We truly can't say thank you enough for your prayers!  If you have time to leave a comment saying your praying it would really mean the world to me.

She has him wrapped around her fingers. =)

She loves the monkey on her mobile.  She smiles at him every time he goes around.
Getting a sponge bath.

A little smile.  Love those big blue eyes and chubby cheeks.

Sweet girl!

The view from the hospital family room.  That is the Memphis/Arkansas bridge in the background.

Her favorite place to be.

I finally saw the boys for the first time last night.  I had not seen them since Monday night before this.  I met them for dinner at Holiday Ham.  I couldn't kiss and hug them enough times!

She loves her paci.

A sleep in my arms.

Thank you again for your prayers!

Maggie update

We are still at Le Bonheur with Maggie but she is making a little improvement. She is on oxygen and receiving breathing treatments and suctioning around the clock. She did have a lumbar puncture yesterday morning because her blood culture came back positive for infection but the lumbar puncture culture proved that it is not a bacteria infection so we were able to stop the antibiotics.  She continues to need the support from the oxygen and the deep suctioning.  She is very tired and worn out from breathing so hard and the amount of poking and prodding they put you through at a hospital.  We are so thankful for Le Bonheur and our Pediatrician Dr. Frizzell who had the quick insight to get us admitted to the hospital when he saw how badly she was struggling on Tuesday morning.  It has brought back hard memories from our time there with Forrest but their 2 stories couldn't be more different.  She is doing well and only needing limited support to get better.  We are missing the boys like crazy as they are being passed from grandparent to grandparent but we know they are in good hands.  We are truly so thankful for our family and also our friends who are loving us during this time.  Almost immediately our precious friends sent emails, texts, FB messages asking how they could help.  Truly a blessing!  Please continue to pray:
1.  Maggie would make great improvements and not need the extra support from oxygen and deep suctioning
2.  She would receive the adquete rest she needs
3.  She would continue to eat well.  I am hopeful she will nurse again but right now she only prefers the breastmilk in the bottle because its easier to drink
4.  Rest and peace for David and I
5.  Improved health for the boys - they too are still fighting off this nasty virus
6.  Stamina for the grandparents to keep up with our wild boys
7.  Nothing new comes up for Maggie while we are there.  That we only need to fight/worry about the flu and RSV.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Prayers needed

Maggie was admitted to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital yesterday with RSV and the flu. She also had a blood culture come back positive so there is something bacterial going on as well. Please pray for healing for Maggie. Please pray for rest, peace, and comfort for David and I. Please pray for our boys as they are not with us. Thank you.









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Five for Friday

Five for Friday - real life

This Five for Friday will describe real life in the Spence household.  I don't ever want my blog to come across as I have it all together because trust me, I don't.  It's just a lot easier to take the pictures when things are going well and looking good.  I forget to grab the camera when life is melting down even though that happens often more than the good moments.

1.  I am so thankful for my husband and couldn't imagine life without him in it.  He is truly my better half.  But let's be honest, marriage is hard and takes work.  Marriage is even harder for me when we have a newborn in the house.  I don't do well on lack of sleep so its hard for me to pour into my husband when I am tired and worn out from the kids.  I am hoping over the next few weeks Maggie will get into a better rhythm which will help me get more rest and be able to pour more into David and our marriage.  We desperately need a date night but my sweet girl only wants me right now and wants to nurse every 2 hours from about 4:00 on.  It makes going out on a date a little difficult.

Source: desiringgod.org via Brittany on Pinterest

2.  I LOVE being a mother...really love it and feel like its my calling but it is hard!  Parenting a 4 year old who has an attitude, talks back, and has a hard time focusing and obeying is H.A.R.D.  He is trying every bit of patience I have.  I find myself losing it with him far more than I would like to admit.  Thankfully he has sweet moments where he will randomly tell me he loves me and that I am the best mother.  Not sure I would survive without the little glimpses of sweetness he shows me.  Parenting a 2 year old is hard because you just never know what your going to get.  It's like the saying, Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get.  That is very true with Miller.  You never know what he is going to get into next.  He keeps me on my toes for sure.  And parenting a newborn is hard because she just wants her mommy right now.  I love how much she loves me but a little break every once in a while would be helpful.  We are working on taking a bottle and being ok with others.  Its just going to take some time.  This quote is definitely how I feel.

Source: pinvolve.apphb.com via Brittany on Pinterest

3.  Losing weight after 4 babies is hard (I put this in bold this one because that is how strong I feel about it being hard).  I gained a lot with my sweet girl and its going to take time to get it off but it is hard.  I am trying really hard to change how I eat because I know that is the most important thing because working out right now doesn't happen often enough with 3 kids 4 and under.

Source: sweetthinspiration.tumblr.com via Brittany on Pinterest

4.  Life has thrown some hard knock blows lately and literally taken my breath away.  A friend from church tragically lost her husband from a freak tree accident almost 2 weeks ago.  She is 35 with 3 kids and now a widow.  It truly breaks my heart.  I don't know what she is going through but I do understand deep grief and sadness.  I am on my knees praying for her daily and would love for you to join me.  Her name is Ashley.  I can only imagine that she is at rock bottom and thankfully she has a solid foundation of the Lord in her life to rebuild her life.  It is not the life she imagined but one that she has been given.  Her husbands funeral was very similar to Forrest's with the same songs and the same preacher so it brought back a lot of hard memories of loss and grief.  I was at rock bottom and had to rebuild my life in a way I had not planned but I can see the way He carried me through just like He will carry Ashley.  

Source: alkemydesignstudio.blogspot.com.ar via Brittany on Pinterest

5.  This last quote had me laughing out loud.  Now that I have a daughter and I have seen how young teenage girls (and even adults sometimes) dress, it made me laugh even harder.  Happy Friday friends!  Enjoy the weekend!

Source: wanelo.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Life lately...

Just a few things going around the Spence household...

We bought a van and I am in love!  I wish I hadn't waited so long to get one.  It is the best!  I know my high school girls are dying but I couldn't be happier.  It truly is the best family car.  Everything is at your fingertips and makes life with 3 so much easier.  The car salesman told me getting a black one made me cool but I reminded him that I lost my cool factor 4 kids and a lot of weight ago. =)

Austin started private swim lessons at the Dive Shop.  We decided with his highly distractable attention span that private lessons would be for the best.  He has gone twice and has done great.  I have Miller and Maggie with me for each lesson so I shouldn't be tempted to throw Austin in after this one. =)
I've spent a lot of time kissing on these cheeks and getting my girl to smile. Truly melts my heart.
I made my wreaths the other day. Not quite as cute as the ones on the blog but I like them. I'm ready for Spring.

This little one makes me laugh constantly.  I asked him to put his clothes on and he pulled his pants up as high as they could go and walked around the house singing.
The last few are videos of Austin singing "This is the Day".  Miller tried to join in on one of the videos but he doesn't know the words.  Sweet Maggie was just content as can be listening to them sing.
This is the day the Lord has made...I will rejoice and be glad in it!  Enjoy the day the Lord has made!

Some fun activities

Since the weather has not been that great lately we have been creative with our inside activities.  We did a little science activity the other day and it was a big hit with Austin.  You drop vinegar tinted with food coloring onto a pan filled with baking soda. It bubbles up with colorful fizziness.  He loved the activity and played with it for a while.   Miller on the other hand didn't last very long.  He just started to make a mess of everything.

On a rainy afternoon we brought out Austin's Pre-K ready books for him to practice his skills and made a little project for Miller.  He really enjoyed putting the cheerios on his name.  I wrote his name and put the glue down and he placed the cheerios on it.  He did a couple different words like daddy and Maggie.

Austin's Pre-K class had Dinosaurs with Dads at school the other morning. The students were to collect recycle goods and bring them to school to build a dinosaur with their dad. We counted down this special day for weeks. Austin was so excited. He is a little obsessed with dinosaurs right now so it was combining two of his very favorite things...dinosaurs and his daddy.