Tidbits

I mentioned Ireland should start filling out her valentines. She said, "Let me count the kids in my class. There's me..." *holds up one finger* "...and everybody else..." *holds up second finger*

Our valentines were Lucky Charm rice crispy treats. One night I told the girls if they ate their dinner quickly they could have one for dessert. Liesel told me when she grows up she's going to buy them a lot for her kids so they'll leave her alone. Still not entirely sure what she was implying with that... but Brent thinks it's a hint she can be bought.

Usually I'm not able to watch the girls during dance much. Sydney needs to be soothed and Brigitta is always getting into some kind of mischief. I had a rare moment to look in on Liesel's class and was astonished to see Liesel completely ignoring the teacher and just goofing off. During the car ride home I launched into a lengthy tirade about how dance lessons cost money and I never had ballet and tap lesson as a kid but if I had, I would have worked SO hard because not everyone gets to go to dance and it's disrespectful to the teacher to disrupt the class not to mention irritating to the other students. When I finished, Liesel was quiet for a moment and then she said, "How did you have so many thoughts when you were a kid?"

I love my Pilot. Brent and I joke it is my most well-behaved child. During this harsh winter it has been equal to the task of ice, wind and snow. The other day I was shoveling the driveway around the Pilot and the thought came to mind, "That'll do Pilot. That'll do."

Liesel at 4:30am, "Mom, you need to go back to sleep. You're just playing on your phone." Liesel at 5:00am, "You're looking at A LOT of things on your phone!" I think she wanted to sneak out of her room (just across the hall from mine) and I was thwarting her efforts by being awake. 

One Sunday afternoon Ireland volunteered to take a nap with me. Somehow we ended up taking a load of selfies and playing around with filters instead. These are my favorites:

I had a very realistic dream that I was back in college and taking a quantum physics class. I was doing really well too but in the middle of class the professor announced MY grade would be entirely dependent on how well I could clog blindfolded. I frantically tried to call Logan to see if he'd be my partner and if he remembered our routine to Axel F. Double step, rock step is literally the only thing I remember from my very brief clogging career. I woke up with my heart racing and covered in sweat. WHAAAT?

During the girl's travel consult, the pediatrician noted it looked like Liesel was recovering from an ear infection (no surprise, she gets those often and seems to have a rather high pain tolerance). The doctor asked if she'd been swimming. Afterwards, I told Liesel she needs to stop laying down in the tub (she does this a lot). Little Miss Ireland who'd been given an in-office nebulizer treatment and had just taken her first round of corticosteroids for asthma said, "Yeah, do you wanna be sick like me?" When Liesel didn't respond, Ireland added firmly, "YES OR NO?!?!?!?" Liesel still didn't respond.

One night we had root beer with buffalo wings. I couldn't surpress a burp and the girls laughed and laughed over my momentary loss of decorum. I told them Daddy doesn't know how to burp and they needed to teach him. I wish I could describe the hilarity that ensued but words just won't do it justice. Try to imagine Ireland with her big blue eyes sternly saying, "No Daddy, like this" *low fake burp* Brigitta let out a belch that would make a Polynesian proud. It was SO FUNNY!!!

Liesel made herself a graham cracker with macaroni noodles and Cheetos sandwich. That's one I won't be trying. As you can see, she's rather proud of it!

Due to weather, Brent's usual bus was cancelled and after the looong week of fatigue and illness, I was on my own for another day. It had been (ahem) a couple of days since I'd been able to shower and I was feeling downright disgusting. With no respite on the horizon, I strapped Sydney in her car seat and put it in the bathroom. Liesel fed her a bottle and rocked her for me. I put Brigitta in the shower with me hoping the steam would help clear the mucous out of her nose. Naturally, Ireland wanted to join the party. I told the girls the shower is a great place to sing because you can hear yourself so easily. Then I belted out the chorus to Total Eclipse of the Heart. Liesel lit up at my display of the bathroom acoustics but Ireland grimaced and said, "Not DAT song!!!" Once I got out I asked her why she doesn't like that song. She said, "I like dat song. But you sing it too loud. Like, it shakes the whole earth."

Brigitta was being particularly fussy when Brent told her, "You're chapping my hide!" She immediately responded, "I know."

Pokies

Today I took Ireland to the Pediatric Specialty Clinic for allergy testing. All told it was 10 needles and a scratch on the middle of her back. She sat on my lap while I held her hands and two nurses injected different extracts rapid fire into her arms. A woman with a bag of toys and books and bubbles distracted her while the nurses and I whispered about how it would all go down. Just before they started I told Ireland we would go get a cupcake afterward. Then it began. That familiar knot in my stomach tightened as Ireland went from happily playing and chatting to hysterically sobbing. She tried to pull her hands away from mine and I felt absolutely traitorous as I held them firm. I looked towards the ceiling because I knew I'd lose it if I watched my baby get stabbed over and over.

"What kind of cupcake do you want?" I honestly can't even remember if it was me or one of the nurses who asked the question. I don't think I took a breath the whole time.

Barely comprehensible, Ireland sobbed, "One with SPRINKLES!!!" And then it was over. Big crocodile tears continued to spill down Ireland's face as she insisted she needed a band-aid. Finally everyone packed up and left us alone to wait 15 minutes for the results.

Is this not the face of betrayal?

The nurse who did this side managed to draw more blood for some reason.

Ireland calmed considerably while I told her she'd been very brave. As doctors and nurses filtered back in, she burst into tears at the very sight of them. I tried to soothe her by letting her know she was done with "pokies" as she calls them. Nonetheless, her face would crumble whenever anyone with a badge on came into the room.

The results? She is allergic to molds, cats and dogs. Big time on the dogs. Brent and I are shelving our dreams of one day getting a blue-eyed Alaskan huskie and naming him Fenway. Knowing what can be triggers for her asthma will help us manage it SO much better! We get a standing order for a corticosteroid and lots of refills for her albuterol.

Just before we left, the woman with all the toys came back and let her choose between a blue bear and this adorable bunny. All offense was forgotten as Ireland clasped her new furry friend.

Ah me, children can teach us a thing or two about forgiveness, eh?

The Plague

Ok, this is one nasty little bug. After a week of a cough and runny nose, Brigitta developed diarrhea and a fever. Last night she couldn't sleep for more than 40 minutes and the rest of the time was spent weeping, wailing and swatting at her right ear. Plus she looks like this:

No filter!

Sydney's cough and runny nose was getting worse and she was feeling feverish too. Liesel was also coughing and mentioned it felt like she had a "tickle" in her right ear. Time to call in the big guns.

At the crack of dawn I piled the girls into the car and went to the instacare minutes after it opened at 7am. To my utter dismay and irritation, I was told they wouldn't see a baby under 6 months old. I piled the girls back into the car and headed to the nearest pediatric clinic. Even though we were there 15 minutes before it opened, the door was unlocked and there was someone at the desk. I told her I knew they weren't open and I didn't have an appointment but urgent care wouldn't take us. I really, really, really didn't want to take my baby into the ER where she could catch something worse. The appointment secretary coldly looked at the schedule and told me they were actually overbooked for the day but snidely offered to schedule me in for tomorrow. I again piled the girls into the car and called Brent in tears.

I haven't slept in days. I'm exhausted from my saga in the ER with Ireland over the weekend. If I could fix this on my own, I would. No one seems to have any compassion for the mom carrying a 3-month old, 18-month old and ushering two more tinies, all of whom are hacking like lifelong smokers with advanced cases of emphysema. As I numbly drove toward the ER, Brent tried calling the clinic across town and scored us an appointment at 8:15. We were there early.

Because of their coughing, the girls were told to wear masks. They really didn't like them so while we waited for the doctor, Liesel and I played a game. She made an expression and I had to guess what it was based on her eyes alone. Can you tell what kind of a face she is making?

Oh yeah, I forgot that Liesel totally biffed it on the ice and hit her head on the bumper of Brent's car. We're sure a sorry looking lot these days! Well it turns out Brigitta and Liesel both have ear infections (Ha! I KNEW Liesel had an ear infection!!!). Brigitta and Sydney were tested for the flu. I asked the doctor if they are seeing a lot of these cases and she said, "Oh my gosh, YES!!!" It's just one of those nasty bugs making its rounds. Three hours and $50 in prescriptions later, I was able to finally take a brief nap while Liesel and Ireland were at school and the babies slept. Tonight as I put everyone to bed, Ireland looked at me sadly and said, "I made everyone sick." Oh baby girl, this isn't your fault!

Liesel's expressions are: sad, happy and silly. 

Brigitta's 18 Month Photos

In the past we haven't done 18 month photos for the girls. However, Brigitta turned 18 months just a few days after Sydney turned 3 months so I figured, why not? I can never have too many pictures of this blue-eyed beauty!

Her t-shirt says, 'Though she be but little she is fierce' William Shakespeare

Brigitta loved this rocking chair! It was just her size. She played in it so much while waiting for her turn we had to include a picture of her in it. 

The next couple of photos were an attempt to recreate this photo of my mom and I when I was a baby:

Brigitta has the most Nielsen in her of all my children and I think she looks the most like me as a baby. Rather than the Wuehler cowlick, she's got the Nielsen widow's peak. Not only is her eye color similar to mine, but the deep-set shape of them reflects her Scandinavian ancestors. Brigitta's canine teeth are slowly descending and once they do, she will have a full set. I'm going to miss the grin she gives me now with the gaps here and there.

ER

On Thursday we took the three older girls to their pediatrician's office in Schaumburg. Brigitta was due for her 18-month checkup while she, Liesel and Ireland also needed to have their travel consult for our upcoming trip abroad. I'd noticed Ireland struggling to breathe a bit the past few days so I'd been giving her regular treatments of albuterol. When it was her turn to be examined by the doctor, he listened to her lungs. Then he listened some more. And some more. After checking her oxygen levels he immediately ordered a nebulizer treatment. He also wrote a prescription for a corticosteroid which he gravely told me we needed to fill and administer before we left town. Ireland had been so much her normal, happy self, no one noticed how bad off she was. The good doctor added that if Ireland didn't improve within the next couple of days we'd have to take her to the hospital. 

When I picked Ireland up from school on Valentine's Day, her teachers told me they'd given her the albuterol but she had gotten worse as the afternoon progressed. On the way home Ireland was coughing even more and listless. She miserably cried that she wanted to go to the hospital. So for the second Valentine's Day in a row, Brent and I parted ways while I took Ireland into the ER. After telling the army of nurses, residents, and the supervising doctor how long she'd been sick, what she was on, taking chest x-rays and checking and rechecking oxygen levels, Ireland was admitted for an overnight stay. 

Its both touching and a bit funny to see so many professionals all tied up in my little 3-year old. Note how she is not the least bit phased as she intently draws. 

The hospital has cable and well, we don't at home. Here Ireland is enjoying fruit snacks and Spongebob Squarepants. The bun I gave her and tied up with a red ribbon speckled with hearts is smooshed beyond recognition. 

After a while, we were moved from the ER to the Pediatrics Unit. Ireland had fallen asleep but woke up during the move. In a hoarse voice she cried, "I wanna feel BETTER!"  We were put in isolation which sounds really dramatic but just means we were in the furthest corner room and anyone who came in had to wear a mask, gloves and gown. If I left the room I was to notify the nurse. Any food that came in our room could not be put into the fridge in the nutrition center. 

Ireland was borderline with her oxygen at 88 so they tried a nasal cane. She knocked that out again and again so they tried a mask. She also knocked that off her face. Finally they just propped the mask up next to her face as she slept and that seemed to do the trick. Her oxygen went from high 80's to low 90's. By morning she was solidly in the mid 90's. Initially she slept very fitfully, coughing and waking up often. Finally she was able to really sleep and when they came in for her routine albuterol treatment at 4am I told them to skip it and let her sleep. 

As luck would have it, the supervising doctor in the Peds Unit is a member of our ward. After discussing Ireland's condition, he insisted I feel free to call him if she has problems in the future. He even told me to leave a message with his wife. There's no better advantage to the mom of an asthmatic than a doctor's home number! He'll never know how grateful I am for that offer (which I may have to take him up on)! He was truly fantastic. Not only was he respectful to my thoughts and opinions on Ireland's condition, he treated me like I had a brain. He even handed me the stethoscope so I could listen to Ireland's lungs myself.

In the morning she got chocolate milk and pancakes. Not bad, eh?

Getting her blood pressure taken. As you can see, Ireland was a little tired of being poked and prodded by then.

Remember the trouble I had getting an appointment with a pulmonologist? Turns out you get seen rather quickly when you go through the ER. Thankfully this doctor felt it was best to test for allergies so we can determine for sure what is triggering these acute attacks. I'd like to avoid putting Ireland on a daily medicine but I'd also like to avoid trips to the ER.

Our fashion bracelets. She's getting quite a collection of these! I'd brought some sewing projects to work on which is why I have the thimble.

There's nothing like going to the hospital for something like this that reminds you to be grateful for the health you do have-- especially in the Pediatric Unit. In the morning I went out to grab some crayons, stickers and coloring books for Ireland when I ran into another parent. He was carrying his little girl, about Ireland's age, in her hospital gown and pushing her IV along with them. Like me, he looked very tired but determined to soothe the darling who had her messy head resting on his shoulder. They looked like they'd been in the hospital a long time and I said a silent prayer for them. A few hours later Ireland skipped out of the hospital with me, excited to show Liesel her new sticker book and tell her all about Spongebob Squarepants and pancakes for breakfast. 

Sydney's 3 Month Photos

Time for the traditional blessing dress photos! When I was searching for a dress for Sydney I absolutely fell in love with this one. It's so unique with the champagne colored lace detail. Like Liesel's blessing dress, it's not full and fluffy so it feels like we've come full circle in a way. The fabric is divinely soft and of course Sydney looks like a little angel in it. I'm excited for her blessing day!

Nom nom nom, yummy fist. Sydney prefers her fist to any binkie.

I particularly love this last photo. We wanted to get a picture of her in the hat with Brent wearing his Red Sox tie. Somehow the photographer also managed to capture a bit of the weight and tenderness of fatherhood in Brent's expression. You can even see the bit of grey hair sneaking into his temple. Sydney's so tiny and trusting. It's just perfect.

Liesel Communiques

Found this one buried in the back of Liesel's "Leopard Book" from school:

I believe the most popular answer was "an iPad" which makes her answer all the more pure and creative. I adore the picture of Liesel and her friend Brinley playing in a hundred marshmallows. 

This one just melts my heart:

Keeping that one for the day they're in a horrible fight and refuse to forgive each other.

Look Closer

I love this picture! At a glance you can see it's Brigitta looking in on Liesel's dance class. They're wearing the same pink tutu and even though we can't see the expression on her face, we can imagine she is wondering when it will be her turn to take dance classes like her older sister.

What you may not have noticed is this tutu is WAY too small for Brigitta! The leggings are halfway up her calves. The tutu actually barely covers her belly instead of sitting on her hips like it should. As I dressed Ireland and Liesel for dance, I moved Brigitta's outift into Sydney's closet. Brigitta spied me and assumed I was getting it down for her. "Oh why not," I thought. "Couldn't hurt, right?" As soon as all the girls were dressed, Brigitta stomped her little feet excitedly and all 3 started dancing.

Dance was the usual routine (ha, PUN!). Ireland's class was first (ballet then tap) and then it was Liesel's turn in the same order. By the time I snapped this photo, Ireland had taken off her dance shoes and was running around with some other kids. Brigitta nabbed Ireland's tap shoes and managed to get one on. When it was time for Liesel to switch from ballet to tap, Brigitta wandered towards the door. Once all the girls were back in class with their tap shoes, the door was shut on her. Here is Brigitta on the outside of the door with that one tap shoe on. She's standing on tip toe as she watches Liesel in class. This time she had the right outfit, and she managed to get one of the right shoes on. I'm pretty sure she thinks if she can manage to do both they will finally, finally let her into the class.

Don't worry Brigitta, that door won't always be shut to you! Your turn will come, I promise.