shelly's summary

Friday Update and Pictures....

2012-01-27T21:27:00.000-06:00

TGIF... Oh the difference a week came make!!!

Today has been another day with improvements and for that I am thankful!

She got to have ice chips and POPSICLES!!!!! She was so excited about that!
She has not thrown up today... she kept all her Popsicles, meds, and ice chips down... PRAISE THE LORD!!!!
She was in a great mood and enjoyed playing on the computer, getting her nails painted, reading a book on the kindle, and visiting with friends and family!
She was up from about 8:00am to 5:00pm
She only had morphine twice today... which is great... the stretches between each dosage is getting longer and longer.
I actually left the hospital today for about an hour... Katy came to pick me up and take me to lunch... it was nice to get out... felt weird to wear shoes for the first time in a week... but of course brylee called me after about an hour and wanted to know what was taking me so long! :) Sweet baby doesn't want mommy to be gone very long... and that is ok... because I don't want to be gone long!

Here are a few pictures from the last few days... i realized i have not posted pictures since Tuesday night and she has improved so much since then (that might go down in history as the absolute worst day of my life) and she looks 1000 times better! As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words...

right after the tube in her nose was taken out on thursday...

playing the ipad

(she irritated her left eye with a towel but that is fine now)

thursday night she got her hair washed and a sponge bath

(for the first time in a week)...

i know she felt so much better with clean hair and a clean body!~

(how about that hair washing contraption)

today eating her first bite of food in about 3 days...

a green Popsicle...

today her and kk were playing and they decided to tie all her balloons to each of her stuffed animals and put them in her bed... i said she looked like the movie up... like she was trying to get the balloons to lift her on out of the hospital...sweet avery came to visit...I am so thankful my sweet baby girl is feeling better... we are still have some heeling today but she is getting better every day! It is hard to believe we have been here a week. Honestly it has gone by fast! I hope the next week goes by fast too!

Please continue to pray for Brylee:

pray that her fever goes away and stays away... we are still fighting a fever anywhere from 100-103 a few times a day... usually first thing in the morning and in the evening
pray that she will not try and over do it... i know she feels better but she trys to be too active during the day and then she hits a wall and feels bad... i wish she would do a little and then rest a little... but they say that is the nature of the kids... that is why they heal so fast and they are so resilient.
pray that she continues to keep down her "food"
pray that she gets to have liquids soon.... she has a cute "tervis type" cup that she is DYING to drink out of... i hope she gets too soon!
pray that she continues to improve and that we don't have any set backs
pray that we get to go home when she is good and healed and ready!
pray for continued comfort and that we continue to get rest at night

To God be the Glory... my sweet girl is getting better!

All of our love and thanks for the prayers...

Keep them coming!!!

Praying for Brylee!

Thursday Update on Brylee...

2012-01-26T20:55:00.002-06:00

As we turn in for the night; we are praising the Father for answered prayers! We had another day with improvements being made in Brylee's condition. We are certainly not out of the woods just yet but we will celebrate the small victories.

she got the tube out of her nose today... HUGE!! HUGE!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
she woke up in the best little mood... ready to conquer the day
she walked down the hall to get weighted this morning... poor baby has already lost 5 pounds ;(
she has continued to walk to the bathroom and constantly using it... she is pooping and peeing (sorry TMI) but those are two qualifications for going home!
she was awake most of the day from about 5:00am until about 2:00pm... then she took about an 2 hour nap and was up for about another 2 hours this evening... we are glad she is feeling better and being awake and alert more often!
she was eager to "play" with things today... she played the iPad and used lots of her art stuff that all of our sweet friends and family have brought her!
she is talking again... that kind of goes along with getting the tube out
her white blood cells and CRP levels are down from Tuesday
her blood cells are replenishing themselves

We are so thankful for all these wonderful prayers God has answered and how He continues to heel our sweet baby! Please continue to pray for her... we still have a ways to go!

pray that her fever will stay down... she has been keeping a fever on and off since last night
pray that she will not throw up anymore... so they will not have to put the tube back in her nose... she threw up twice today... we do not want her to start throwing up again
pray that they will allow her to drink liquids again or at least have ice chips again... when they took the tube out she went to back to NPO :(
pray for restful nights and renewed energy every morning for us and for her
pray that her appendix will not abscess

We are so thankful for answered prayers, our baby girl who is starting to feel better, and some of the most amazing friends and family anyone could ask for... all of you who have came to visit us help the day go by fast, all the food you have brought us has been so yummy and thoughtful, all the presents, cards, balloons, and snacks you have so graciously sent us or brought us... you all simply DO NOT know how much that means to us! I go to sleep each night in awe of how thoughtful some of our friends and family have been!

Most of all I thank you for your prayers! I know my baby girl is being prayed for by so many people. Those of you who have added her to your church or bible study prayer list we thank you! The more people we have praying the better! Keep up the praying!

Praying for Brylee!!!!

Wednesday Update on Brylee...

2012-01-25T22:38:00.005-06:00

Happy Hump Day! We definitely made it over some humps today and for that I am so thankful for! Today was a day full of improvements and we (I) needed that... I needed my baby girl to show me signs that she is getting better! Our improvements today were:

getting up and walking to the bathroom several times;
she was able to have 30 ice chips and you can bet we were counting and picked the biggest ones :);
she walked down the hall again today and it was actually her idea;
she talked a little bit today;
she enjoyed her visitors.

We did have a few sets backs today too:

she still has the tube in her nose
she ran a 103 fever this afternoon but it was down the last time they checked it.

Please continue to pray for Brylee! Please pray that she will get the tube out of her nose soon (like tomorrow); pray that her fever continues to stay down; pray that the meds continue to work and that she continues to go to the bathroom on a regular schedule, pray that when the tube comes out and they let her have liquids again that she is able to keep those down and we don't start throwing up again; pray that her appendix doesn't abscess and please pray for continued healing and strength for all of us!

Tuesady night I was at the foot of Christ mad, sad, and just plain exhausted... I am so glad He is ok with that. I know He may not change the situation in my timing and that is ok but He is walking through this with us and oh what a story we will have when we get to the other side! All for His Glory! He is my strength and I am holding on tight! Thank you so much for all your prayers! Keep them coming! Praying for Brylee!!!

Keeping it Real....

2012-01-24T22:23:00.004-06:00

Today has not been the very best day! I know that there will be ups and downs but today has certainly been the lowest day we have had since we have been here.
I have been trying to be very positive and optimistic about what I say on this whole situation and Brylee's condition on the blog. I guess I am just trying to make the best of it and looking at it in my glass half full eyes.
This whole situation SUCKS! My baby girl one of the most important people in my life... is sick... very sick! She has been put through more pain and treatment this week than I have had in my 33 years of life. She has not had a bite of food in her mouth in almost a week. She has not had anything to drink since 10:00 am today! NOTHING!!!!! Not even an ice chip! She has about 5 different tubes hooked up to her poor little hand. She has an IV in one hand, a PICC line in her arm which is a tube that runs inside her arm toward her heart, and she has a tube up her nose that goes into her stomach that is sucking out all this nasty infection that is inside her stomach and dumping it into a canister. It looks like nasty muddy water! She will not be able to have anything to drink until the tube in her nose to her stomach is removed. She want even talk because her throat hurts from throwing up all this nasty stuff about 4 times a day and because her tube runs up her nose, down her throat and into her stomach and she has a big piece of tape stuck to her face to hold it in place. Her tummy hurts but yet she continues to push through the pain and get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. It is rough!
I don't know when we are going to get to go home! Best case scenario is next Monday! I would love to say I believed that was going to be the magic day but that might be wishful thinking! I want my baby to feel better and be well before we even head out of these doors. She is absolutely the most pitiful thing I have ever seen... it is not fair no one should have to go through this especially a child! She just lays in bed dosing in and out of sleep and moans every few hours. This whole thing STINKS!!!!!
Everyone ask me how I am doing and I try and stay positive... if for no one else but for Brylee... I am doing as good as anyone else would be if their child was laying in a hospital bed in the condition my child is! She doesn't want me to leave her side and honestly that is fine I don't want to leave it... she is my main focus at this time! Richard is doing about as well as any daddy would be doing if their one and only baby girl was laying in a hospital bed hurting and being poked and prodded like Brylee is and yet he is to be the strong parent and can't stay with her all the time! He comes for short visits and then goes home with Jackson he is trying to keep his little world as normal as possible. He left with tears in his eyes tonight. I know it is hard for him to see her like this and he want see her until Thursday after school... b.c he has to be the strong daddy for both babies and a mommy! Life is just hard!
Here are some real pictures... I try and post the best ones but really that is not our days... this is what I see most of the day!!!
a clown picture... and no she is not smiling or talking to them... but i know she enjoyed them!
this is what she looks like....and here is the machine that has about 5 wires hooked to her... this is her food... doesn't it look yummy! There you have it.... life as we know it in room 688 at children's hospital! Please continue to pray for my precious baby girl!!! Here is how you can pray.... - pray that the antibiotics are working and healing her little body - pray that her CRP level goes down - pray that the tube in her nose sucks out all the "junk" in her stomach - pray that she gets that tube out tomorrow so she can have something to drink - pray that her appendix doesn't abscess - pray that she will be pain free soon - pray for our family as we are all apart yet trying to stay strong for each other I really do feel good about her progress. We are seeing improvements daily! She is healing but this is not going to be a short road... we have a long way to go! I am so thankful she is resting peacefully and so thankful for good moments each day even if it is only 15 or 20 minutes a day!

**I know our God is Big! He can and will do a mighty work in my baby girls life! He is the GREAT Physician!!!! Thank you Lord for all you have done and will do to heal my precious baby! Will you pray for my baby girl???

Say a prayer...

2012-01-24T10:47:00.003-06:00

Her labs came back and her white blood cell count was better but her CRP level is high (I am not really sure what that is) basically her body is fighting the infection! Her intestines are a little sluggish and things are just not getting pulled out of her stomach as quickly as they would like! So they have put a tube in her nose to suck all that stuff out of her stomach! This will help her not throw up as much! My poor baby is such a trooper she only whined one time! ;( I have figured out that this is like riding a roller coaster! One minute we are great and the next we are "not"! Just pray for my baby! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday Update on Brylee

2012-01-24T08:31:00.002-06:00

Good Morning! The drs. came around this morning and slowly but surely I am learning all this medical lingo. I am learning that everyone is called a "doctor" whether they are a med student, resident, a fellow (they make a little bit of money) and then the attending (i think those are the ones that make the big bucks)... but they are all "DRS"! HA! :) We had some xrays taken this morning and some bloodwork done. I was glad to hear we were getting these things done since we have not had any done since we were in the ER! I hope and pray we hear that meds are doing what they should be. I am pretty sure we will since I can already tell she is feeling so much better! We had a good night and morning. Every day my baby is getting better and better! I am so thankful for answered prayers! Thank you all so much for praying for Brylee! We appreciate it so much! Thank you so much for all the calls, prayers, text, emails, cards, and gifts! We feel so very loved and blessed in so many way! If you have no seen the picture post from last night take a look. You can see my baby's smiling face! She loved the clowns are already asking when they are coming back! I will keep you updated as I know more! All our love! Praying for Brylee!

Monday Pictures...

2012-01-23T20:52:00.003-06:00

Today was a really good day! We had lots of first today and we are making baby steps!

This morning Brylee perked up and talked to us in complete sentences for about 30 minutes... which was so much better than the head nods and shakes or thumbs up which is what we having been getting. Then she ask to see some of her prizes that all our sweet friends and family have brought her. She even wrote her name and drew a picture on her paper and dry erase board. That was a nice surprise! Her IV is in her right arm and she is right handed so she had to write with her left hand which made it a little bit hard but she still enjoyed it!The nurses have been trying to talk her into getting up and walking the halls but she has not been interested... she normally walks to the bathroom about 2 or 3 times a day and that is it. So today they told her if she walked up the hall and back they would reward her with a special treat! And she did it!!! Such a brave little girl... I know she looks miserable in the picture b.c she is still in pain when she walks but she was such a trooper! As we were walking out the door Cousin Olivia and Uncle Donnie were there and she got to walk the halls and "talk" with Olivia!

And look at her reward she got...a Popsicle... this is the first "food item" she has had in 5 days!!!

Big Deal!!!!

Our last surprise of the day as a visit from the clowns... they were so sweet and funny. She enjoyed them so much! They gave her some fish stickers to put on her "aquarium" aka IV bag, some boo boo stickers and a pillow case. So sweet! And most of all just brought a smile on my baby's face! They will come visit daily and she is already talking about them coming tomorrow!

Brylee is making progress and each day gets better and better. I am loving these little 15 to 30 minute times when she is herself... but because she is so week and on so many meds it wears her out to do the least little things and then she sleeps the rest of the time.

I am rejoicing tonight in the small things and thanking God for answered prayers... my baby girl is getting better and that I am so grateful for!

Keep praying for her... God is hearing our prayers... He is the Great Physician!!!!

Monday Update

2012-01-23T08:27:00.001-06:00

The doctors came in this morning and the plan of action remains the same!

She will be getting a PIC line most likely today which is basically an iv inside her arm as opposed on the outside!

We are seeing small improvements each day! Her fever is under control so that is good news that the antibiotic is working!

She has been throwing up a few times a day which is the most pitiful thing... I pray that stops soon! Bless her heart it is no fun! They give her meds for nausea and that usually knocks her out!

She is also still on the morphine but is making it longer between times she needs it. Yesterday she made it 6 hours in between dosages! Which is good news because that also mean the antibiotic is doing its job to heal the appendix!

She pretty much sleeps 23 of the 24 hours.... She wakes up a few minutes here and there but that is it!

Yesterday when she was all perky brylee and I posted the picture of her smiling was the best 30 minutes we have had since Wednesday! I hope and pray we get one of those everyday! Her good time was right after church let out yesterday... We know it was all those people praying for Brylee!

Her tummy is pretty swollen and hopefully that will start to subside soon. They said walking would help that but sister wants no part of that! Walking to the bathroom two times a day is about all she will do! ;-)

We spent a little time in the hall last night (on code T) due to the storms so sleep for daddy and I was not that great but thankfully brylee slept right through it!

I think that is about it! She is such a little trooper! She has been so brave and has not cried one time! That is more than her mommy can say! ;-) Apparently she has a high pain tolerance... I never would have thought that from my little drama queen but all the nurses brag about it!

We are just continuing to pray she shows improvement daily and that her meds do the job and that her little body will be healed soon!

Thank you again for all your prayers, text, fb messages, calls, and visits! I can not tell you how much all of your concern for our baby girl means to us!

We love you all dearly!

Praying for Brylee!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

God is So So Good!!!!

2012-01-22T11:51:00.001-06:00

We have a smile on our face and are even talking in sentences!!! Thank you Lord for answered prayers!!!! We are rejoicing in the small things this morning!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday Update on Brylee

2012-01-22T08:57:00.002-06:00

OGood Sunday Morning! When the doctor came in this morning I all but tackled him and duct taped him to the chair and pelted him with my list of question I had written down! :-) Brylee is really about the same this morning. They have her comfortable by giving her tylenol, Motrin, and morphine. She actually made it five hrs 2 times yesterday between the morphine which is great! She has begun having some nausea so they are giving her meds for that too! Due to all the meds, she pretty much sleeps on and off all day! Poor baby! She spikes a fever throughout the day... Yesterday it got as high as 103 but they got that under control and she was fever free for about 12 to 18 hrs yesterday but she is back running a fever this morning of 101. So hopefully we can get that under control again today! Since we are on the weekend we have "second string" doctors coming in! So with that said we are still on the same plan as yesterday. The nurse we had last night was fantastic! He gave us lots of answers and told us what he thought the next few days and weeks looked like for us! He told us how normal this is... Seriously?!? They have had about 50 kids since January in here with appendicitis and about half of them are perforated like Brylee's! He said she is right "on track" with how this all goes down so that made me feel better! We will be here on the antibiotic iv until the infection has cleared up enough to where she is pain free. She will also needs to be able to eat, pee and poop (yes that is the exact words the dr. used :)) Once all those things are done then we can go home! **** if I had to pick my number 1 prayer request that is what I would ask all of you to pray for!**** This is what takes around 7 to 10 days! We are also looking at getting a pic line in soon; which is how she will "eat"! and we will go home with that! I love all things that come from their mouth that indicate home and pain free! I think that is about it! Pray that my baby girls will become pain free off her meds, that the antibiotics will clear up her infection, and that she will be responsive to the pic line and begin to eat and use the bathroom regularly! I simply CAN NOT thank each of you enough! Your prayers are all we need!!! We have the absolute best church family, community, family and friends anyone could ask for! Thank you so much for everything you have done for us! We appreciate it more than you know! Praying for Brylee!!!! (sorry if these post are all over the place I am writing them on phone) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brylee

2012-01-21T08:54:00.002-06:00

Greeting from Children's Hospital! This is not exactly how we had planned on spending our weekend but we are thankful our baby girl is getting the care she needs! Wednesday afternoon Brylee came home from school complaining of her stomach hurting! But she said it was not bad enough to miss church. She continued to complain during the middle of the night and she began to vomit. On Thursday we went to see her ped. She was not running a fever! They checked her stomach and several labs were ran; her white blood count was only up to 17 and 15 is normal. Her strep was negative. Her sinus xray showed some cloudiness so she was diagnosed with a sinus infection. She still complained if her stomach hurting but she was sleeping lots. I have total faith in my ped and honestly did not feel it was anything more than a sinus infection and that the mucus drainage was making her feel sick! She was able to get on and off the table at the drs. office and was walking fine! She stayed home Friday and continued to complain of her stomach hurting. Then she began to run a fever! My children NEVER run a fever!!! When they do i know they are bad sick!!! She was having difficulty walking and would not eat at all! I started suspecting that we may be dealing with appendicitis and after talking with the ped again we decided to take her to Children's to see what was going on and why a sinus infection was making her stomach hurt this bad! After a few hours in the ER and after running more labs; finding that her white blood count was up to 22 and that her fever had not and was not breaking with meds they ordered her to have a CT scan! At this time they also gave her some morphine for the pain... Boy did that lighten the mood and bring on some laughs! Low and behold the CT scan showed that she had appendicitis! So they came in and said we will be taking it out! Then a few minutes later they came back in and said well it is perforated (aka ruptured) and we will not be doing surgery tonight! Instead you will be going upstairs and staying a while! The doctor said we would probably be here 7 to 10 days and could possibly be here 6 weeks! Let's hope and pray that is not the case! This is when I lost it and still have a hard time typing it now without tearing up! I think the hard part for me is I know how long 7 to 10 days is in a hospital and she really doesn't! But we ate just taking it one day at a time and praying she gets well soon! She is on iv antibiotics and morphine every 3 hrs for pain! The overall goal is for the antibiotics to heal the perforated appendix enough so that they can then remove it! But they can not do surgery at this time b/c of the perforation! At this time (i think) We are looking at staying here on iv antibiotics, then going home on antibiotics, and then having surgery! But I have found out that you don't get a whole lot of info, info changes quickly, and The dr was in here this morning for about 37 secs! She can't have any food or drinks; however the dr did say she could have sprite!!! That was music to her little ears! Since her last real meal was wed night and she has only had ice chips since then sprite was a BIG deal! I think that is pretty much it! I will keep this updated with what is going on! I can not thank you all enough for the emails, calls, text, Facebook messages and most of all Prayers!!!! We greatly appreciate it!!! You all are so sweet to offer to help and bring things and at this time we are good... We don't need one thing except your PRAYERS! It is no fun for your baby girl to be in pain and have to go through all this! I know it could have been so much worse and I am so thankful we have a wonderful hospital like children's to take good care of her! And most of all I am thankful for the Great Physician.... HE is taking good care of my baby! Praying for Brylee!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T19:42:00.002-06:00

{another fun family night at CFA}

January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T21:00:00.003-06:00

{a fun day with my favorite dude and diva}

we enjoyed a day out to lunch, a movie,

and a snack at Cindy's Cinny Roll...

and no trip to the mall is complete without

a ride in these little toys...

I guess you are never to old....

i enjoyed my day with my favorite two!

January 15, 2012

2012-01-15T20:56:00.000-06:00

{these boots are made for walking}

while i was away at market...

sister spent some QT with GoGo...

and scored her some super cute cowboys boots

I love my little mini me!!!

January 14, 2012

2012-01-14T20:54:00.000-06:00

a weekend away for mommy...

a trip to the atlanta market for work...

fun times!!!!

January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T20:51:00.001-06:00

jackson had his first sleep over!!!

January 12, 2012

2012-01-12T20:47:00.000-06:00

{where's brylee???}

she sleeps with these pillow pets over her head every night...

she has always covered her head up when she slept...

silly girl!!!!

January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T21:08:00.002-06:00

My GA girls...

I get to spend every Wednesday night with these sweet girls... They are an energetic group of girls but they love the Lord! I am so thankful for these sweet girls! We have a lot of fun!

January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T18:07:00.002-06:00

Happy Feet!!!

Yay for girls day out

with my BFF!

January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T22:20:00.002-06:00

It's National Championship Day!!!!

Alabama's biggest fan...

Roll Tide!!!!!

January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T22:17:00.000-06:00

Brylee's room renovation!!!

Sisters New Room....

2012-01-08T22:10:00.000-06:00

This weekend we made some renovations to Brylee's room! She is really enjoying playing babies and playing school and wanted all other things out of her room! She wanted us to make her a teachers desk that she could sit at and see all her kids in her class sitting on the rug. So that is what GoGo and I did... we also made her a reading corner too! She loved it! We still need a small bookshelf and a few more peace sign wall decorations and a few photographs framed and it will be all big girled up!

January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T22:07:00.001-06:00

first basketball game

Are you ready for some... BASKETBALL!!!!

2012-01-07T22:00:00.000-06:00

Jackson started his third year of basketball and they had their first game on Saturday! He has only won 1 basketball game in the two years! He is not a big fan of loosing!

Looks like this year will be different because they WON their first game!!!!!

He was SO EXCITED!!!!!

i know this is a terrible picture but he was so excited that they won...

i love his little face and the excitement on his face!!!

Good Luck Chelsea Heat!!!

January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T21:54:00.000-06:00

brylee and her friends ella and mattie started cheernastics today...

she loved it and can't wait to do a backhand spring... :)