INTRODUCTION:
Nine. Nine months is the length of time we hoped and prayed for our baby number three! That nine months was followed by a nine-month pregnancy and now, nine months is also the amount of time this little ball of joy and light has been enhancing our home with her little smile, her beautiful, enchanting eyes, and her little body that exudes joy. Seems strange to think she’s been in our home longer than she was in the womb. I love this little bundle of snuggly goodness!
Month #9 brought a new set of challenges. Originally I wasn’t going to write about the struggle we experienced, it just seemed like a downer! But looking back I can’t help but smile to think that we made it through! Isn’t that what our lives are full of? Struggles, stories of triumph- which include moments of failure and success? Joy, discouragement, fatigue, laughter, and gratitude. That was us. So, just to remind you that our lives are just like yours, be prepared for a full disclosure post!
Miss CC (lovingly nicknamed for her ‘chubby cheeks’) has got some personality! She knows what she wants, she knows what she likes and she’s pretty vocal about her desires!
I know she had her first camping trip last month, but we decided to take a quick trip back up to Bear Lake for the weekend, AND as per the norm, she loved the trip. I’m pretty sure she likes these vacations because she’s held 24/7. Can you imagine what she would do if I sat her down in the dirt! Let’s name a few... Well, she’d eat all the rocks, pine cones, pine needles, ash, bugs, dirt- lots, and lots of dirt, and whatever else she could get her little fingers on. As fun as that sounds- honestly I could care less if she got dirty, it’s the EATING part that I can’t handle- she needs a little more time before she’s on the ground in the middle of a forest. ANYWAY back to the lake weekend, it was kind of nice being in the dry sand because every time she tried to scoop it and put it in her mouth, it drained through her fingers. Unless of course there was a rock in that handful too... We had an inflatable boat she sat in for a while, but her favorite was the water- as long as it didn’t reach her diaper line- can you blame her? Yeah, me neither...
Let’s back up for a minute though. In June we came home for a day to do some laundry and pack up for the next camping trip, while we were home Kenzie swallowed a hardback, velvety front type sticker about the size of a nickel. As a result, she started throwing up- including small amounts of blood. She was choking. This was a totally foreign situation for me. I felt absolutely and completely helpless when I attempted to help her in any way I could think of. We did get the help she needed and about 11 that night we finally crawled into bed. I didn’t dare sleep that night. I was happy to snuggle her but I was terrified something would happen to her during the night. My overactive mind ran through all the worse-case scenarios- I was terrified she would stop breathing at some point in the night and would be gone forever. I couldn’t relax. Thankfully morning came and none of those scenarios came to fruition but we were far from 100% healthy.
For the next two weeks, she sounded wheezy. My guess is when she swallowed that sticker, it cut the skin in her throat at some point- part of the reason she threw up small amounts of blood. At times when she would cry she would suck her breath in deep- like if she started to cry, and would make a honking noise. We did that for about two weeks. It was miserable. Trying to keep a baby from crying to lessen the strain on her throat was tough. I LOVE holding and snuggling her. But usually, during nap time I can get the household chores done, during this time Kenzie couldn’t be put down. The moment you laid her in the crib or on the floor she would snap awake and start crying all over again. It was exhausting. We finally reached a point- about two weeks later that she was sounding better. She let people hold her, she was ok to be put on the ground to play- she was like a normal baby. I started to give her small amounts of watermelon again- and tiny amounts of rice cereal, and other small bits of solid foods.
Within about a day we took a nose dive again. She got so upset one day- I’m pretty sure it was pure exhaustion she threw up she started crying so hard. This time came that tiny amount of watermelon. I found this weird because I’d given it to her the day before, and her bowel movements hadn’t changed- they were normal/regular, so where had that watermelon piece been hanging out? Around this time, even though we were home basically 24/7 I think she caught some kind of cold bug. (I’m sure her immune system strength was running on low while the body was trying to recoup from the choking damage). SO guess what? Yep, about another two weeks dealing with a cold!
Through all of it, nights were filled with interrupted sleep, a case or two of the grumpies, snuggles, impatient moments, and A LOT of prayers pleading for Kenzie to be healed. Then one day it happened. After about four weeks, she looked at me and coughed up a piece of tissue- I can only guess it came from her throat. It was small- about the size of a pencil eraser. From that moment on, it was like our lives were normal again. She was her happy self! Basically, 50% of the month was rough. The other 50% was SO MUCH BETTER! She started sleeping through the night again, still won’t sleep in her crib, but to get a full night's worth of sleep was good enough for me! It’s amazing what sleep can do for one's mental and physical state! I am so much happier when I get a good rest! Of course, I’ll never complain about a good shower too :). After all that we’ve experienced, our carpet gets vacuumed at least twice a day, the other two kids are constantly on high alert for ‘small things’ that Kenzie could eat. In the end, I think we all take the time to appreciate each other a little more.
This girl has been crawling around for a while but oh man, if you turn on the bathroom water- shower or tub, she is full speed ahead- a girl on a mission and I dare you to stop her. When someone gets in the shower or tub without her, she will sit outside the bathroom door and just cry! Likewise, when the two older kids go into their room to play with things like Legos and close the door, she again will sit outside their door and just cry. I get the feeling she doesn’t like to be left out! Lucky for her, she has two siblings who absolutely adore and love her so they usually give in to her cries.
We’ve also discovered a ‘cry cure,’ three actually.
#1- Of course would be nursing, but in the even that can’t happen, we go to number two.
#2- Head outside. This girl loves the great outdoors! We find her frequently sitting in front of our glass door just observing the going-ons outdoors. Of course, it’s Grace, and we are on a side road so there isn’t too much going on, BUT every now and then there’s a few catfights...
#3- If numbers one and two aren’t an option, or they’ve already been used up, start singing. The song Ana & Elsa’s mom sings at the beginning of Frozen II will do! She loves that lullaby! No idea why, but that is the key to her heart.
Thankfully Kenzie is still growing, she’s kept her cute cheeks, and her hair keeps getting longer and longer while mine just keeps falling out! Oh, how kids leave their mark :)... I am so grateful for this baby girl. I’m so grateful she is still in our home! Her presence has enhanced our lives in so many ways! On to another month of adventure!
