July 28, 2011

Letters to Joycie - How to Handle an Exhausting week

Dear Joycie,

 

As you grow older, you will experience days and possibly weeks where it appears that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Those are the weeks that will test your patience, your strength, and your faith.  Daddy and I, and I suppose you as well, are in the midst of one of those weeks right now.  So I thought it wise to document this time in our life - and how we are handling things. Perhaps, someday far into the future, you can read this letter and it will encourage you thru your own difficult time.

 

Last Friday, you woke up with a flushed cheeks, a warm torso, and an insistent cry for juice.  My Mama instincts went into overdrive and I immediately checked you for a fever.  The thermometer read 99.1 – a low grade fever but enough to keep you home from daycare. Without any vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, or copious amounts of snot, your Daddy and I deduced that you were likely teething.  A quick check of your mouth revealed two new teeth trying to break thru your gums.  Feeling secure in our diagnosis, we gave you some medicine and sent you to your Nana's for the day.

 

By Friday night, the fever has disappeared, and you were once again our happy, playful girl.  I was certain that the worst was behind us. I couldn't have been more wrong.  Saturday afternoon saw your fever increase to 102. Nana Becki, who happens to be a nurse, made a house call and told us to start alternating Tylenol and Motrin every two hours to control the fever.  As the afternoon gave way to evening, your fever kept climbing, and by 1:00 a.m. the thermometer was reading 104.  Daddy and I were bathing you with cool cloths, giving lots of fluids, and praying over you.  At 3:30, exhaustion overtook you and Daddy, and I sat up watching the two of you sleep. I continued to pray over you – as my heart was fearful and I felt utterly helpless. 

 

With the first streaks of sunlight pouring thru the window, I felt your cheek and was so relieved to feel it cool.  It appeared the fever had broken.  You woke up smiling, ate a great breakfast, and played all day long.  But as Sunday evening came, the fever returned. It was another night full of alternating meds, cool baths, and prayers. 

 

Daddy stayed home with you Monday. And you remained nearly fever free. Tuesday came and Nana Becki took you to the doctor, where you were diagnosed with a sinus infection.  The doctor gave you some medicine and said you should be on the mend soon. Yesterday, we sent you to school, and you were so excited to see your teachers and friends. When I came to pick you up, you didn't want to leave.  I was relieved to see that you were feeling better.  However, I noticed that you had the beginnings of a rash on your neck. I began to check you out and quickly realized that the rash was covering you from head to toe.  On top of everything else, Joycie, you've now developed an allergy to penicillin.  We are waiting on a new antibiotic and hopefully we can put a close to this long, exhausting week.

 

Daddy and I are tired.  This week has been full of trials. However, we have managed to make it thru them relatively unscathed.  So what did we do?  

 

1. We prayed - I can not stress enough that pray needs to be a vital part of your life.  This week we've prayed for your healing, strenghth of us, peace, and admittedly - that we could get more sleep.

 

2.  We played - On Monday, Daddy stayed home with you. He spent his time encouraging you to play with your toys. And he says that it helped you to feel better.

 

3.  We sought stress relievers - For Mama, that meant having a good cry in the shower on Sunday morning. For Daddy that meant a long nap with you. And for all of us, a nice long walk on Monday afternoon.  

 

Joycie - I would love nothing more than to spare you all pain, heartache, and the storms of life. However, just as I was unable to lower your fever, I can not keep trouble from your life. Instead, Daddy and I will work to teach you how to handle the difficult times.  And above all else, please know that we are always here if you need us.
 

Love,

 

Mama and Daddy

July 18, 2011

16 Months

 

Dear Joycie,

Another month, another letter – one more attempt for Daddy and I to capture all the memories that we want to cherish for years to come.

Let’s start out with your monthly stats:

  • You are wearing 18 months tops and 12 month bottoms. The 12 month bottoms are still big in the waist, but it is mostly because you are so long.
  • You are holding steady in size 3 diapers.
  • You now have 10 teeth – cutting 6 in the last month and ALL at the same time.

DSC_0205

Your vocabulary continues to expand. In the last month, you have learned to say “No, no, no”, “Shh”, “Amy”, cup, and juice.  You are also learning the various sounds that the animals make.

You absolutely love music. At VBS last week, you climbed on stage every night to dance with Mama as we led the worship music. In the car, you point at the radio and insist that I turn it on….and then happily clap your hands and kick you feet in time with the music.

DSC_0225

You are quite the little ham…..you love to make silly expressions and funny noises so that you can be the center of attention.  You are also growing more and more inquisitive – exploring the world around you.  You especially love to be outdoors – where you can play with rocks, sticks, and anything else you find in the yard.

DSC_0224

As bittersweet as it  may be, Joycie, we have to say that you are growing into an amazing little girl!

Love,

Mama and Daddy