For all the days we spend with our family smiling, giggling and making happy memories.. we stay prepared for the downhill fall that is always promised. Unfortunately, we are heading back downhill again :(
Saturday was a wonderful day for Annabelle but soon after the cookout she started showing signs of losing energy, her balance was struggling and muscles were becoming so weak. You could tell she needed to go home and get rest immediately. I packed both girls and brought them home. Annabelle enjoyed a bath upstairs but couldn't last more than a few minutes in the tub.. she needed to be out of the water and to lay down. Her bath water was very warm despite the blazing hot temperatures outside, but she struggled to warm up during her tubby & after her bath.. she shivered so hard as I dried her off. I decided to put her in warmer, zip-up jammies and she laid down with a warm sippy cup and was immediately asleep. She slept all day. When she woke up, she was again shivering. We headed to a cookout with family and the girls played in the pool. Annabelle had a wonderful time. However, if she wasn't in the pool, she was laying on me.. and again, shivering. I've kinda ignored this behavior over the past couple weeks and tried not to think much of it - but after this weekend I have started to watch a little closer at her behaviors.
Annabelle (and the rest of my family) slept almost 12 hours Saturday night!! I was so grateful for the rest and I knew the girls needed it too. Annabelle did get up a couple times, but she continued to go back to sleep with little fight and a sippy cup of Elecare. Sunday she spent most the day again, extremely fussy, irritable and exhausted. She was cold again. While driving down the road I noticed in the rear-view mirror her squirming and sitting in awkward positions, I turned around and her little lips were blue. The car wasn't cold, the air wasn't blowing on her and Mady said she was hot. I keep the cars temperature about 68 degrees during the summertime.. it was odd but again, I tried to look past it.
The last couple nights have been nothing less than utterly miserable for Annabelle. She isn't sleeping well anymore. She is waking screaming hysterically and in so much pain. She is mad... I mean, MAD during the nights. In her defense, I think we are all over this idea of having to wake up at 2am and hear babies crying, including her. She no longer wants a cup of formula, she doesn't want anything to eat, she refuses medication, she doesn't want to be held but don't DARE put her down, she isn't running a fever and her diaper is dry... but again, don't dare leave her. AK was up a lot with her last night and while he was in the kitchen attempting strategy #13 to soothe her, Annabelle ran into my room and climbed onto my bed. I laid her on my chest and she just weeped with an exhale "Mamamamamama..." she cried so hard as I rubbed her back and asked, "Annabelle, are you alright baby?" .. she shook her head NO and cried harder. I almost wanted to laugh because I don't know if she actually knows what that means (when she shakes her head no) but it was innocent and sweet to see her trying to respond. She laid there on my chest and refused to move. I prayed she would just collapse and fall asleep but it didn't work. AK finally came into the room and swept her into his arms. I gave her a kiss goodnight and he put her back into bed, crying :( There comes a point where we have done absolutely everything we can to help her, we cannot do anymore but give her love and comfort, we know she is exhausted and the best thing for her little body is to sleep. We could literally spend the entire night walking around the house with her in this state of hysterical crying. AK and I both have full time jobs and also have to get sleep (a joke, I know!). Annabelle fell asleep rather quickly after a few minutes of crying in her bed and didn't wake again for several hours later. Repeat process. I have to give it to Madelynne, she is a trooper and could likely sleep through a plane landing on our roof. Annabelle has only woken Mady once since they began sharing a bedroom together. Im shocked, and so relieved!
On another note.
Apples seem to be going well. We are only using prepared, purely organic, nothing added, apple sauce. I have found apple chips and we offer apple juice sometimes during the day to spice things up.. especially if she gets dehydrated in any form. Annabelle is enjoying the apples very much, I hope it continues to be a successful trial for her!!
Her bowels have been up and down however. Even with a fairly consistent diet and no dramatic changes at all, she is having many days with extremely loose stools and spends the entire day peeing through every diaper (soaking her bed... ugh, the laundry!) and then days where she rarely pees and doesn't have a BM for several days. There isn't any consistency at all. She is either constipated or has diarrhea. Urinates all her body fluid, or retains everything. I hope the doctor next week can also shed some light on this.
In the meantime, we are keeping Annabelle as happy as we can at home. We won't be taking her out of the house at all this week.. and likely not until her appointment next Thursday. Saturday over did it for her and her little body needs to rest, but mostly it needs to find some sort of routine. I hope this bout of painful days and nights is over soon.. I hope her struggle with maintaining her body temperature and the shivering is also short lived, or at least doesn't escalate and present itself with another issue. I pray for a continued successful Food Trial w/ apples. I pray this week does not continue to decline for Annabelle. Our fears and worries are quickly rising in our home while watching her. Prayer Warriors, do what you do best, please! We're ready for you again!!
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