If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words...

...then hopefully this one says, "I'm healthy, happy and so thankful for all of your prayers. I'm also all ready for Sunday's game! Can you guess which team I'll be cheering for????!"

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

Brian is doing even better, now. He has a nasty cough and low-grade fever, but is no longer wheezy, and he even gave a few little smiles this morning! His voice is weak and hoarse, which is just pathetic-sounding when he tries to cry. But he's greatly improved.

Now, we are realizing just how exhausted and sleep-deprived we really are. We took turns trying to get sleep for the last few days, but with 3 other not-so-healthy children in the house, it wasn't easy to do.

Two nights ago, when my "shift" ended at 2am, I handed Brian over to Dan, and fell into bed. About 30 minutes later, my deep sleep was interrupted by a small voice in my ear.

"Mommy?" whispered Amy. I reluctantly opened my eyes to see Amy's face about 3 inches from my own.

"I can't find my princess crown. You know, the one with the sparkles on it? I'm looking everywhere, but it's just so dark in my room. Can you come help me?"

I squinted at the clock. 2:28am.

I resisted the urge to scream, and tried to calmly send her back to her room.

I fell asleep. Deeply asleep.

Once again, the little voice whispered in my ear. "Mommy?"

Again, I glanced at the clock. 3:30am.

"Mommy, I was going to come and tell you that my throat hurts. But then, I gave a big yawn, and my throat felt better. I think that my throat only felt funny because a yawn got stuck in there. So now, I'm here to tell you that I actually feel fine right now".

I won't tell you how I responded this time. I'll leave it to your imagination. Needless to say, she didn't get out of bed again until morning.

Slow Improvement

Brian seems to have turned the corner.

I always knew that RSV was a scary infection. My niece and Godchild, Bridget, was in the hospital last month when she was struggling with RSV. But until we actually experienced it, I never would have understood just how awful this virus really is. All of Friday night, Brian was literally gasping for each breath. We made frantic calls to the pediatrician, who was very reassuring and calm. He reminded us that because it's a virus, there really isn't any effective treatment, short of administering oxygen or using a mist tent. Because Brian wasn't actually turning blue, he didn't need oxygen, and steam from our shower would be the exact same as using a mist tent. So, he urged us to keep him at home as long as possible, to prevent exposing him to any further germs from a hospital.

So, Dan and I spent that long, long night just trying to ease Brian's discomfort. We turned the shower on every hour or so, suctioned his nose and mouth, sang to him, and tried to reassure each other that everything would be okay. By Saturday morning we were exhausted, and by Saturday evening I was getting frantic. Brian wasn't gasping quite as much, but he wouldn't eat, and didn't seem to be aware of us or of his surroundings. But sometime Saturday night, he seemed to slowly improve. He was able to drink a bit, and seemed to be breathing just a tiny bit easier. Now, he has a horrible, hacking cough and a low-grade fever, but hopefully the worst is over. He is a ghastly, grayish-white color, and the cough is relentless...once he starts coughing, it continues for minutes at a time, with no break. He still can only sleep when he's held up over our shoulders, so we take turns sleeping. But, he definitely seems to be on the mend.

Thanks so much for all of your concern and prayers. I know many babies have this virus each year, but this was our first experience with it (and hopefully our last!!) We hope you are all staying healthy!!!

Brian

We just got back from the lab at the hospital, and found out that Brian has RSV. No wonder everyone is so sick. Right now we're going to try to take care of him at home, but he'll be admitted if he gets any worse. He's just so little to be dealing with this, and is fighting for every breath. Pray, please!!

Sick And Tired

Taking care of a sick child can be exhausting. Taking care of four feverish, congested, vomiting children can be downright overwhelming, especially when each child is quite sick for a full week. This has been a very trying seven days, to say the least. We are quite tired from endless nights bathing a very ill Amy and sitting up with a feverish Erin as she gasped for breath in between coughs. The girls are slowly improving, now that they are on antibiotics for bronchitis and double ear infections. Now, we are quite concerned about Brian, as he began coughing and spiking fevers last night. I assume that we will be back at the pediatrician's office again this week with him and with Beth.

So today, we send up some prayers to ask for help to get us through this virus. I pray that I may remain patient, when Erin dissolves into yet another screaming meltdown, and spits her medicine out at us. I pray for the energy to bath another feverish and vomiting child at 2am. I pray for the ability to care for Brian without become too anxious about each cough and fever. And I pray that Dan and I will remain somewhat healthy as we slog through this endless week without sleep.

We hope you are all remaining somewhat healthy during this cold January!!

All-knowing Grandfather

AMY:(yelling at Beth in the middle of an argument)...You don't know everything, Beth! Only TWO people know everything...GOD and GRAMPY!

Potty Time

Erin is doing remarkably well with her potty training. She has been wearing "unna-wea" all week, with only one accident. (Of course, that occurred less than five minutes before Beth's bus was due to arrive down the street.) She loves being a big girl like her sisters. Even though it's going quite smoothly, it's still an adventure, requiring patience from both me and Brian.

She is far from independent. Each time she needs to go, I am required to drop whatever I'm doing and race to the bathroom with her. Today, I was in the middle of a diaper change with Brian, so I asked her to wait a minute.

She didn't wait. I was just finishing the diaper when I heard a blood-curdling scream coming from the bathroom.

"Get me out! Get me out of here!!!" I heard, in a hysterical voice.

I ran as quickly as possible, with Brian swinging from my left arm. When I arrived, I discovered a sobbing Erin. She had fallen completely into the toilet, and was unable to climb back out. She was so shaken by the experience that it took a full hour for her to work up her courage enough to "get back on the horse again". We now have a rule, requiring an adult supervising in the bathroom at all times, to prevent another frightening fall!

This afternoon she sat on the potty while I paced around the room with Brian. I wasn't watching too carefully, until her little voice piped up, letting me know that there was no toilet paper left. I grabbed another roll, but as I was putting it on, I noticed that the trash can under the toilet paper was completely filled with...toilet paper. It appeared that an entire roll was sitting in the wastebasket. So I asked Erin about this.

"Well, I pulled. And I pulled. But I couldn't break any off. I kept pulling until there wasn't anymore left."

Yet another rule. Mommy or Daddy breaks off the toilet paper. Toilet paper doesn't grow on trees, you know.

Yes, it truly is an adventure. But I couldn't be prouder of Erin's efforts. Way to go, big girl!!

Six Years Old!!

Six years ago today, I met my beautiful baby girl for the first time. The nurse handed my adorable (and quite large) newborn to me, and I held her close. For the first twenty-four hours, she slept calmly, nursed well, and was everything I had dreamed about.

And then the screaming started. She screamed. And screamed. And screamed. We brought her home to her adorable Pooh-bear bedroom, and she screamed some more. We paced the floors, and sat up at night trying desperately to calm her. Nothing worked.

After a few very long months of colicky days and sleepless nights, the screams gradually diminished. Now, she loves to hear stories about how Daddy had to strap her into the Baby Bjorn and walk on the treadmill with her for hours at a time, because that was the ONLY way to make the wailing stop. It was exhausting, and not at all what we had anticipated, but somehow we made it through.

And now? She's still a bit high-strung, but her love of life and enthusiasm for everything she does is incredible. Her boundless energy rejuvenates us all, and we are grateful for each and every day with her.

Happy Sixth Birthday, little Beth. All is forgiven.

A Few Random Observations From Today

My thoughts are scattered today, but here's a glimpse into my mind this afternoon...

1. Potty-training a two-year-old is not the smartest thing to attempt when you have a newborn in the house. The accidents come at the worst possible times.

2. When your daughter is turning six, it's best to ask her what kind of cake she would like BEFORE the eve of her birthday. That helps to avoid the meltdowns that occur when the only cake mix in the house is vanilla. Now I need to go shopping tonight.

3. Six years ago today I was still pregnant with Beth. I had no idea what adventures were yet to come.

4. Sixty-five degree temperatures in mid-January are weird. Just plain weird.

5. Six years can go by incredibly quickly.

6. Who in the world is Hannah Montana, anyway? And how did Beth learn all her songs, if we don't even have cable?

7. Two-month-old babies are very, very cuddly.

8. I hope the next six years don't go by quite so fast.

9. I'd better enjoy baby Brian's cuddles now. Six-year-olds are too busy for many hugs.

10. Happy Birthday, Beth!

New Look

Thank you very much, cousin Tracey. I loved her suggestion for a new blog title, so now we have a whole new look! I wish I could tell Tracey that a prize package will arrive for her soon, to reward her creativity, but hopefully she will feel rewarded each time she logs on and sees her idea in print! There must be something in that humid, Florida air that brought out such a cute idea...

Brian is sleeping a bit more. Actually sleeping. During the night. In his own bed. We've actually been able to sleep for a few hours at a time for the last few nights! I know it could change anytime, but let's hope it's the start of something new!

But right now, he's crying. So off I go.

Name Game

Thanks to all of you that have emailed to remind me that the name "three for tea" is no longer an appropriate title for this blog, now that Brian has arrived. I'm working on it...really I am. But it's so hard to be creative on two hours of sleep.

I need to keep "Three for Tea" in the title, since that's the web address for the blog. I'm trying to think of something catchy to add on...something that would include little Brian. Suggestions are welcome! Those of you that are currently getting 8 hours of sleep may have more ideas than I do...

I'll come up with something soon. I promise. But right now, I think I'll take a nap.

Sleep Deprived

I spoke too soon. After I proudly boasted of Brian's sleeping achievements on New Year's Eve, he has reverted back to his previous sleeping pattern (translation: not sleeping at all during the night. Not. one. little. bit.)

I'd write more, but I'm feeling very...very....sleepy....

2007 - A Look Back

Happy New Year to all!

As we begin 2008, I like to look back to all of the many blessings we experienced during 2007. I spent the last 24 hours thinking about how grateful I am for the many events and experiences of the past year.

Of course, we are most grateful for the gift of baby Brian. We have been blessed with such a beautiful, healthy baby boy, and we are enjoying him so much. (He's even more enjoyable as he begins to sleep a bit more. He started the New Year off with a bang, sleeping straight through until 4am last night! Alleluia!)

We are so thankful for the amazing people that work at Children's Hospital, where we seemed to spend quite a bit of time during 2007. Their competence and caring helped us deal with some difficult moments.

On that note, we are incredibly grateful that Beth's ITP appears to be resolved. It's wonderful to watch her running and playing, without worrying about her platelet counts. It's nice to not worry about each and every bruise and bump. We're also so thankful for all of the family and friends that have helped us, throughout all the doctor's visits, and treks into the city for treatments. Thanks especially to Grampy for being there for us 24 hours a day during some rough patches! The girls love being with you!

We are thankful for the amazing people that Beth has come in contact with during her kindergarten year. Her teacher, Mrs. M, the staff, and especially the "big kids" (8th graders that help out the small children on a daily basis) have all contributed to a wonderful adjustment to an amazing school.

Amy also had a great 2007, and we are grateful to her teacher, Ms. Pat, for helping her to adjust to the school setting. We had some apprehension about her ability to transition to preschool, but she's surprised us all with her adjustment.

I'm very, very thankful for a two-year-old that doesn't really act like a two-year-old. Maybe those terrible two's will emerge in 2008, but so far, my laid-back baby has transitioned into a calm, fairly well-behaved toddler. Thanks, Erin!!

I'm grateful beyond description for the gift of a husband that changes diapers at 2am, gives baths every night, takes care of a gaggle of children while I'm at work on the weekends/evenings without any complaint, and plays with his children during every spare moment. As the years go by, the girls will come to realize just how remarkable their Dad really is.

I'm thankful for all of the family and friends that visit this blog on a daily or weekly basis. I'm amazed at how many visitors travel through this spot in cyberspace, and I wish you all a blessed New Year. Happy 2008!