I'll tell ya...

When it rains it pours!!

Friday, as I was about to drop Ella off with Ali and Izabella while I ran with a friend to help her register for baby stuff, Ella, while standing in the Maines's driveway, threw-up the only food that I was able to get her to eat all day...3 french fries!! And that started a long night of dry heaving and a fever of 103-104! She looked awful!!! By Saturday morning she, we thought, was on the mend. We were even considering attending the Butler game...that thought didn't last long!! Ella, Cole and I enjoyed it from home! She was holding down small sips of pedialyte, still spending much of her day either being held or laying on an air mattress we had on the floor for her. Sunday we tried small bites of toast and that is when the diarrhea started! She looked pretty puny but I thought we were making progress. Monday I worked, Ella still had diarrhea and no appetite so Scott stayed home with her and Cole had started in with a nasty cough. Tuesday, I thought we were golden. Ella woke-up in a decent mood but I noticed that her morning diaper, that was usually soaking, was only mildly damp. We started in with the pedialyte again. And still no pee. By the afternoon her belly was starting to look big. About an hour later it looked like she was pregnant, or one of those emaciated kids on TV with the skinny little arms and big round bellies! Her lips were dry, skin was mottled and the belly...I decided it was time to see the doctor. The doctor took one look and said she was admitting us to Community North Peds unit overnight for a belly x-ray, labs, urine sample and fluid bolus and IV fluids overnight. The x-ray showed an ileus, slowing of the movement of the bowels, that caused an increase of gas in the stomach and bowels. They took a stool sample that ended up showing rotavirus (a virus that kids are vaccinated against as babies. it can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea that lasts from 3-9 days, and can range from mild to serious) Her labs were ok and urine was fine. They had to use a catheter to get urine, which was "ouchy" as Ella said and then they had to poke her 3 times for an IV! It was so sad! So she got her fluids and really started to perk-up! She peed a ton and even had a "normal" bowel movement, which the docs said was a good sign that her bowels were moving again.!! Judy came to the hospital to help with Cole, brought dinner and was major support!! Daddy got to visit for a while after work and before he had to work the Butler game. Nana, Ella, Cole and I watched the game from her room and then Nana took Cole home with her. Ella slept ok, mostly waking-up because of belly pain and trying to pass some gas! By the morning her belly looked back to normal. The doctors were pleased with her peeing and her belly and we were home by 1pm. She had an appetite this afternoon and has had no diarrhea!!! YEAH!!! Cole still has a nasty cough and Scott thinks he has strep throat, so we are not quite out of the woods yet...but hopefully on the mend!!

A big thanks to Alli for offering so much help, Judy for dinner, keeping Cole and keeping us company at the hospital, and to Jessie for bring over a fabulous lasagna, garlic bread, salad, cookies, muffins for breakfast, a card, balloon, and coloring/sticker fun for Ella!! I can't tell you how much all of that meant to us!! Thanks!!!

Sorry for no pictures from our hospital ordeal...I didn't pack for an overnighter!!