Um, wow

January didn’t quite start off as I had imagined.  The past 10 days have been very trying, and it makes me realize all the more how easily we take for granted having a healthy child.  It’s just one of those things that people just “have.”  Y’know what I mean?  I mean it’s not like Josie was even in the hospital or anything.  I can’t imagine those chronically ill children or those going through major illnesses.  My heart breaks for those families.  Josie was diagnosed with RSV January 3rd.  At that time, she wasn’t even running a fever, barely had a cough, and was congested.  Two days later we were at the ER for weird breathing patterns—she was doing a grunting type thing and was holding her breath for 5-10 seconds.  She kept doing it over and over and over.  FREAKED.ME.OUT!!!!!  We spent from 7:30pm until 3am at the ER.  Such a lovely facility, so quick and courteous.  OMG – NOT!  Worst experience ever.  She got a breathing treatment that night, and we were sent home with breathing treatments.  Then by Thursday night, she started coughing so severely she was throwing up.  By this point, my stress level was through the roof!  Back to the Dr. we went.  She got another breathing treatment, and we were sent home with Xopenex.  She was running high fevers that went away with Tylenol, but as soon as those 4 hours were up, the fever was back.  We had about 10 days worth of fevers—some were small 99ish and some were high 102.6.  Ick!  She wouldn’t go for longer than 2-3 hours at night without her coughing waking her up and choking her.  It was pure insanity to me! 

As of today, January 13, she hasn’t run a fever for a full day.  Her coughing is minimal, and it’s actually starting to sound different.  Not such a “smoker’s cough” anymore.  Her sleep is getting better.  She’s HAPPY again—smiling and talking to us.  There were a few days where I got zero smiles.  It was so sad.  I kept asking Josh, “She’s going to be our happy girl again after all this, right?”  I’m dramatic, I know.  But the days felt sooooo long!  Abby even said “Will Josie ever stop coughing?”  And now, I want to put her in a bubble until flu/rsv season is over :)

I haven’t even gotten to post on the blog about our Christmas.  We had a wonderful time, and I have a bazillion pictures to post! 

As far as Christmas dresses go, I went in the complete opposite direction of the “norm” for little girls.  Abby has a very casual (yet super cute!) dress on.  She reminds me of Punky Brewster a little.  And I, for one, loved that show!

Then I said, Abby smile big…

Praying like Mary and Joseph (or how Abby says it “Jofes”) Hysterical!

My sweet daughters!

Up close

Serious thinking about what to write for Santa’s letter

The official letter

Putting out the reindeer food.  It was raining, but those reindeer had to be fed!

Christmas morning Abby was so excited to see what Santa had eaten from her cookies that we laid out.  She laid out 3 cookies, and I thought it would be clever to leave one, but with a big bite out of it…to really show Santa was here.  Abby was so distraught that he didn’t eat ALL the cookies—so Josh said that Santa left a little bit of one for her to have.  Well, she loved the thought of that :)

Best shot I could get…she was too busy to stop and pose and smile!

Jo Mama’s (we call her this alllll the time!) first Christmas

  But before our own little Christmas, we had been in Louisiana to have Christmas with Josh’s side of the family and my own.  My mom took about 800 pictures, so I have a lot of sifting to do!  Hopefully I’ll be able to blog again soon!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and I hope the New Year is a happy and healthy one for all :)