Lets get started

I decided to start and use this blog as a way to vent and possibly a way to help others who are having similar issues.

Our oldest daughter Ella was never "normal".  From day one, we knew something was different.  Not necessarily wrong, but definitely different.  She NEVER sat still, she would wiggle when we fed her a bottle and she would wake up at night every two hours. She threw up everything she ate.  It got so bad that we had to feed her a bottle with towels around us to catch all the vomit.  Seriously, this was exorcist child...all that was missing was the spinning head.  This led to a very sleepy and stressed mommy and daddy.  Luckily, we had a wonderful friend with a child that some of the same issues, and she steered us in the right direction.

We took Ella to an evaluation with a Speech Therapist, an Occupational Therapist, a developmental pediatrician and a nutritionist.  She was diagnosed with failure to thrive, having a severe milk allergy,  GERD and being a "sensory seeker".  What the HELL is that.....this was pretty much my reaction.  All I could think of was Harry Potter and him being a Seeker on Quidditch!!!!  HA....my life would be nothing if I didn't remain with a sense of humor.

Anyway, we got her on a formula called Elecare....This stuff is $50 a freaking can.  That is insane.  However, it seemed to help.  Her cheeks were no longer eczema red and she seemed to throw up a little less.  She started to see a feeding therapist and then she got into group feeding therapy.  It sounds funny, I know.  A bunch of kids under two sitting there learning to eat together.  We seemed to be on our way to some sense of normalcy.

We Ella was about 13 months old, I found out we were pregnant with Evelyn.  I was so excited, but at the same time, scare out of my wits.  I didn't know how I was going to go through the sleep deprivation again, the ear infections, the throwing up....etc.  Not to mention, I was a high risk pregnancy and how was I going to do bed rest with a one year old?!

Nevertheless, we did it...Jim took off  half days at work (thanks to a wonderful understanding Air Force Academy) and Ella went to day care the other half of the day.  However, she stopped really eating very much and her weight was abysmal.  At 18 months old, I think Ella weighed 18lbs.  I am not expert, but I don't think the two numbers are suppose to match.  We got through it, and Evelyn was born.

It seems the Mikes family can never do something normally.  I was on magnesium (to prevent seizures) while I was in labor with Evie.  This made her very lethargic when she was born....they called it "stunned".  I call it lifeless.  It was very scary and she spent a day in they nursery to make sure she was alright.  She came through beautifully and I tried to breast feed the best I could.  However, my milk was not coming in due to the magnesium...and I was induced.

Evelyn ended up going home with mommy...HOWEVER  she was ORANGE.  Seriously, the sweet baby looked like a pumpkin.  I noticed she wasn't pooping and would barely wake up to eat.  I took her to the doctor and her billirubin level was 19.  That is REALLY high for a three day old baby.  They sent us home with a billi bed and we were to return the next day to get her levels checked.  We got her blood drawn that morning at at 10 AM we received a call that they would be admitting Evelyn to the hospital to treat her billirubin which was now 23.  At 25 babies start to get brain damage.  I was freaking out, to say the lease.

Thankfully, Evie pulled through and her levels started to drop.  And I got to take my sweet baby home.

This experience was SOOOO different.  Evelyn is God's equalizer.  She sleeps, eats and is so freaking happy.

When Evelyn was about three weeks old I took Ella in for a routine GI appointment.  The GI said we were now in crisis mode with her weight and we needed place and NG (naso gastrointestinal tube) in her and admit her to the hospital for a while.  They also wanted to do an endoscopy.

Did I mention during all this that we found out we were going to move to Maui so we were trying to rent our house out and prepare to move across the ocean....very stressful time.

Ella had an endoscopy and we placed the NG tube in her.  She was a trooper and never tried to pull it out. She had that tube for about four months and we were able to remove it when we go to Maui.

That brings me to where we are now.  We LOVE Maui.  Jim loved his job here.  Evelyn is the happiest chubbiest baby you will ever meet. I am loving living here.

However, Ella is exhibiting signs of Sensory Processing disorder or Sensory Integration Dysfunction.  If you don't know what this is....here is a link to help you understand.

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/

She has a hard time with transistions, she has an unusually high energy level, she has a high tolerance for pain...the list goes on and on and on.......

Ella is exceptionally bright...her verbal skills are incredible.  I worry because I want her to live up to her ability.  I worry because I love her.  I worry because I never want her to feel different.  I worry because I don't want Evie to ever feel second to Ella's needs.  I worry for a myriad of reasons, but most of all, i worry that I won't be able to help her like she needs.

I have had the why me moments....and then I remind myself that she is healthy and happy. There are kids with MUCH MUCH MUCH worse problems.  Still, that doesn't negate how I am feeling and how difficult Ella can be to deal with sometimes...


There you have it, that is our story over the past few years.
This has tested the bond between Jim and I; however, I think because of all of it, we have come out stronger than before..

Hopefully I can use this as an avenue to help me on those days where I feel I may pull my hair out.  Hopefully this will remind me how great my kids are...as I plan to write the good and the bad....

Today Jim and I going to meet an OT that specializes in sensory issues....keep your fingers crossed that she can help us!!!!