On the Mend

Ugh I've had a house full of sickies this week! It really stresses me out when my babies feel so bad. We had a nice time last weekend in Dallas visiting Aunt Christine and Uncle Rob, and then Maddie promptly woke up with a really high fever on Monday morning. She was pretty pitiful. She's also had this terrible cough for almost 3 weeks now. A cough just like the one she had back in March for about the same amount of time. Poor kid.

I took her in to see the doctor and they spied a right ear infection, which can apparently happen with a lingering cough, so sweet girl finally got some antibiotics! They also prescribed a chewable tablet for her "chronic cough" which makes me cringe to hear from the doctor, but so glad we could actually treat it since most of the time there is nothing that works for kids this young. Took it straight to the pharmacy and they end up telling me it's really expensive and not covered by our plan. We were SO disappointed! Maddie woke up Tuesday and I felt like her cough was even worse than usual, so I went ahead and called our insurance company to ask why it wasn't covered. Turns out it was! Just a total mistake! They called the pharmacy for us and we had the medicine within a couple of hours. Sometimes I swear they just do this random stuff to test you. It really goes to show that you should follow up on things like this. Lord knows we pay enough for insurance, so double checking is always a good idea. Many of you know I used to have weekly fights with insurance companies about coverage for Avery. It had been a long time since I had called, geared up for a fight! A little shocked when they lady was just like oh yea it's covered and only $10 copay. Whew...

So Maddie was on the mend when Avery woke up Friday morning and proceeded to throw up all day! At school and at home. All over herself, the couch and the rug. Awesome! She also had a high fever. The really strange thing is she refused to nap, which is especially crazy considering she was sick. She woke up this morning still with a fever and totally lethargic, although able to keep some bread down. We snuggled and watched Mickey Mouse and she fell asleep around 11am and slept for 3 hours! Woke up acting like her old self again, makes mommy and daddy so happy! Talking and smiling on the couch again.

Whew! So glad. I don't know about you, but when my kids have mystery symptoms (all of the time), my mind tends to go to worst case scenarios. It's super annoying. I don't usually voice these concerns, they just stay in my crazy head. I'm not sure if a lot of Mom's do this, or if it's more intense for me because Avery can't tell me what she's feeling or what hurts. I need to chill.  

Being A Mom Is

Thrilling. Magical. Terrifying. Heartbreaking. Messy. Overwhelming. Beautiful. Fulfilling. Gut wrenching. Loud. Joyful. All of these things and so much more, changing constantly from one thing to the next. From wondering how I ever lived without these little people dancing around my feet to wondering how I was ever crazy enough to start a family. 

This Mother's Day has been even more special to me because of the "Happy Mom's Day" greetings I've been hearing from my little Maddie. It sounds like such a small thing, but hearing it come out of her mouth, and getting the hugs and sweet kisses really makes my day. Six years of being a mom and these little things still feel somewhat foreign... because my firstborn hasn't ever been able to express herself like her little sister can now. Of course, I parent these girls because I love them to the moon and back, not because I want or need constant affirmation. And it's not to say that Avery doesn't express herself in other ways, but it sure is different to hear the words. It does hit hard, when suddenly I hear exactly what I've been missing. 

There is not a day that goes by that I am not wondering what she is thinking and feeling and wants me to know. Her teachers at school are still working on communication devices and her speech therapist is still working on jaw strength. We all see that there is a lot going on in that pretty head and Avery grows more and more frustrated to get it out. We won't give up! 

I think a lot about the summer of 2009 when she was one and a half, and much to her daddy's and my delight, started mimicking "ma-ma" and "da-da." Hearing her make these kinds of sounds was something we thought would be a lot farther in the future. I can't even explain how exciting it was to hear. In the video below, you can see how proud I am, and how proud she is of herself! A couple of months later she stopped making these sounds, and we haven't heard them consistently, or been able to get back to mimicking since. We know she has the capacity because she proved it. We've just got to keep working. I'm looking forward to a Mother's Day in the future where both my girls can say "mom." It's something I won't ever take for granted.