Strength

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength." -Oprah Winfrey


My little firecracker gave me quite a scare a couple weeks ago. Isabella had been running a low fever over the weekend. I assumed it was because she was teething. I gave her some Tylenol to reduce the fever and we continued with our wonderful weekend of playing and spending every moment together. She was not fussy or acting different. On Monday morning, I was getting ready for work and Isabela was still asleep on the bed but she was trembling. I picked her up and tried to wake her. She opened her eyes but her whole body was still shaking and she was limp. She would not lift her head and was unresponsive. I quickly ran her to my mom. She tried the same and didn't get a response either. Because of my medical training, I instantly thought she was having a seizure. I began to panic but my mom, who never loses her cool, told me to calm down. Her mere presence and composure helped to calm me down. Although I work in a hospital and usually know how to respond calmly during emergencies, it was a whole different experience when it was the person who I love the most in the world who was having the emergency. Once Isabella stopped trembling and was fully awake I quickly took her temperature. As I saw the numbers on the digital thermometer rise higher and higher, I already knew what my next step was. The numbers got as high as 105.7, I didnt even get a final read before I was throwing my clothes on to take her to the emergency room.

At the ER, her temperature was 105.2. She was given two doeses of Motrin and  her fever was steadily decreasing. Other than her extremly high temperature, she was acting normal. That is, until they began running all the usual tests. She had to have blood drawn for labs, have a chest xray, be suctioned to test for RSV and had to be catheterized  for a urine analysis. Shortly after, the doctor informed me she had another urinary tract infection. She was given intravenous antibiotics and admitted soon after. We spent two and a half days cooped up in our dark, cool hospital room. Her doctor informed me that her chances of having another febrile seizure are higher now since she has already had one. But she was optimistic that if I keep her temperature from rising again, she may not have another one. Once Isabella's urine analysis was clear of infection, we were able to go home. Then, she still had seven days of oral antibiotics to take and an exam in radiology to try and find out why she got two urinary tract infections in such a short time. I know with Isabella getting sick twice in one month, the past few weeks have been pretty exhausting for me, I can only imagine how my poor baby has been feeling. If it would take away any pain or discomfort she was feeling, I would gladly take her place. I would much rather it be me who is sick than to have her feel bad for even a second. I am taking extra precautions to monitor her temperature now and prayed that there was no serious problem causing these UTIs.

The exam she had to have is called a voiding cystrourethrogram (VCUG). During this procedure radiographic contrast is injected into the bladder, through a catheter, until it is completely full. Then, the patient must void, or urinate, and the ureters are watched closely for any reflux of urine from the bladder up to the kidneys. Isabella did great. She is a very strong little girl. The exam was negative for any reflux. Now, I just have to be sure that anyone, especially at her daycare, that changes her diaper is sure to do it properly.

Other than our hassels with her being sick, Isabella is still the happiest baby ever! She has learned to clap her hands and she talks all the time. Her talking was once just coos but now, she says a combination of ga, da, ta, ba, and oooh. At the moment, I am trying to teach her how to say "uh-oh" and "mama" of course. When she is trying to go to sleep, she talks and squeals until she drifts off to dream land. My mom says I used to do the same thing. When she wakes up before I do, she likes to slap at my cheeks, grab my nose, sqeeze my lips and tug at my ears. She also loves to pull my hair. Her first two little teeth have broken their way through! Once I noticed they would soon be out, I tried to take as many pictures of her beautiful, toothless smile as I could. Her little chompers are coming quick!

She doesn't care for baby food at all. She is definetly her mother's daughter with that stubborn personality she has! When I try to feed her she clamps her lips closed, turns her head from side to side, and simply refuses to open up. When I finally can get a small amount of food in, she gags and instantly tries to spit it out. Any time I have tried giving her any juice she reacts the same. Unfortunetly, her stubborness usually beats mine. She does love to drink water though. I just give her some agua in her vasito and she is happy. And she loves her chupis (pacifier). As a matter of fact, she loves it a little too much. If she drops it, she searches it out, pops the little sucker back in her mouth and continues right where she left off. She also pulls it to play with it. She like the clicking sound the plastic handle makes. She has learned to talk, squeal, and laugh with it in her mouth but will occassionally take it out to talk and puts it right back in once she has said what she needs to say. I had decided to try and do away with it about a month and a half ago but she suddenly discovered her thumb and I didnt want her to get into that bad habit. So, I decided to hold off on getting rid of the chupis. But it is getting to be time to try and get rid of it again...

She celebrated her first Father's Day a few weekends ago. She picked out a BlueRay DVD player for her grandpa. He is really enjoying it. I must say, I am very grateful that she has such a good father figure in her life.  Both her and I are beyond blessed to have my mom and dad. I am fortunate to have their help raising my daughter the way they raised my brother and I. My parents are such astounding people. These two have and continue to support my brother, myself, and now Isabella in every way. May it be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or financial and I know we can always count on my parents to be there to help us.

So, Isabella, my love, although the past few weeks have not been the easiest for either one of us, I haven't wanted to be anywhere but right here with you through it all. Each and every struggle we go through only makes us stronger as a whole. I wouldn't change a single moment of my life because I know that every sadness was leading me to you. In this world full of tradgedy and heartbreak, you are my portrait of love and happiness. You are all I have ever wanted.


Love, Mama