Sunday, March 30, 2008

What a Blessing!


Ben blessed Shaelynn on March 23rd in Ajo. It was a beautiful blessing. It was a wonderful day. We enjoyed the company of both sides of the family.Shaelynn Marie in her dress that Grandma Parkes made


Grandma Parkes made the afghan too!

Dad, Mom, Allen, Charlie and our little angel


The 3 Musketeers

Mom and Dad giving Shaelynn a kissy!

Shaelynn's Showers

Shaelynn is so loved that she had 2 baby showers! The first one was March 1st in Ajo and was held without us because she was in the hospital. (Thank you Lisa and Candice!) Here's a picture of the Ajo girls! The other was on Saturday, March 22 in Mesa. (Thank you Mom, Kristen, and Kolette!) It was good times. Here's some pictures of the one in Mesa. Shaelynn meets Corker
Shaelynn and Grandma Parkes
Carma, Karla, Theresa, Kolette and Kristen working on quilt squares for Shaelynn's quilt
Karla and Keara making quilt squares
Grandma Parkes and Allen playing the candy bar game

Happy Easter Pageant!

Allen, Charlie, Shaelynn and I were able to attend the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant this year. Ben had to work :( We met my family there and had a pick nick on the grass before it started. It was fun to hang out with family. Charlie and Allen looking "kookie" Here are Allen, Charlie and cousin Kenyon with one of the actors.

Theresa and Shaelynn
Grandma Parkes, Levi and Charlie
Charlie while enjoying a cookie

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Shaelynn in the Hospital

On February 27 I took Shaelynn to the clinic here in town because she had been sounding congested for a few days and had been getting progressively worse. She also developed a cough that was getting worse. By the time they could get us in at the clinic she was have coughing spouts and then not breathing for about 5 -7 seconds. As soon as the doctor listened to her lungs she said they needed to test her oxygen saturation level. When they did they found that she was not getting enough oxygen, so the doctor ordered an ambulance ride to Phoenix Children's Hospital. That was a long stressful ride for mommy! When we got there they deep suctioned her by inserting a tube into her nostrils and going down the back of her throat. It helped her breath easier. They did an RSV test and it came back positive. So, we stayed the night in the emergency room. The next afternoon she was admitted. They put her on an apnea monitor, which has an alarm if she had stopped breathing. She was also hooked up to a machine that monitored her oxygen saturation, heart rate and breathing. She also had to be on oxygen and they gave her an IV as she wouldn't eat because she couldn't breath. Because RSV is a Virus the only thing that can be done is to wait it out, so the nurses continued to deep suction her and monitor her. They also gave her nose drops which helped a little.
We held and talked to Shaelynn while she was awake, but while she was asleep Ben and I watched a whole season and 1/2 of Prison Break on DVD to pass the time. Allen and Charlie stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Willis. That was sure a blessing for mom and dad!
I slept at the hospital with Shaelynn and Ben stayed with our very bestest friends at "Hotel Kolstad" (Thank you guys, you are life savers)! On the 4th day she was taken off the apnea monitor and her IV was removed because she started eating like a horse. Then on the 5th day they took her off oxygen. The tape on the sides of her face pulled some of her hair out and left big red marks. She did really well all night and on the morning of March 3rd the doctor released her with orders to have a 24 hour follow-up with her pediatrician and to keep her and her siblings out of public for a few more weeks. Tuesday, the 4th we took her to her doctor and he looked at her and advised us to take her to the emergency room, just to be sure. He said she was still working harder than normal to breath. Ughh!
In the emergency room they deep suctioned her again, gave her Neo-synephrine nose drops and told us to watch her closely. Then they released her. Thank goodness! We finally all got to come home Tuesday night, March 4th!
She is doing great now! She eats tons, sleeps tons and poops tons. Everything is back to normal. We are all looking forward to next weekend when we can go out in public and get out of this house! It's been like a prison. Her very first outing will be the Easter Pageant at the AZ Temple followed by a baby shower given by Grandma Parkes and then an Easter pick nick and egg hunt with her brothers and cousins!