The Higgins Family: Everything Embry: September 6

Scare With Embry

This is out of order, but the biggest part of our week was Friday when Embry gave us a huge scare. She and I were at Costco when she changed demeanor and said in a tiny little voice- Mommy I need you. It seemed as if she was fainting so I held her and sat down in the middle of the aisle in the store. She never seemed to fully go out, but she was lethargic and limp and barely responsive to me. I called Jacob who told me to call the pediatrician. I did and they said they could see me as soon as I could get there, so I ditched our cart full of items and hit the road. She never seemed to really perk up on our way to the car and while I was putting her in her car seat, and that was scaring me. She was semi-responsive to me but still NOT herself. I called my mom on the way to the doctor and was trying to talk to her to keep calm. I noticed in the rear view mirror Embry was starting to hang her head and doze off. She would respond to me when I'd yell "Embry! Wake up! Stay with me!" and I hung up with my mom and called the doctor back (all while flying down the highway). They told me I should go straight to Children's Hospital so I did. It was about 30 min from where I had started so I called Jacob and he left work to meet me there. I called my mom back and had it on speaker phone as that was keeping me calm. About 5 min away from the hospital she perked up and started talking to my mom on the phone...acting totally normal. By the time we got there, she was her completely normal self.

We proceeded to wait in the ER at Children's for 2.5 hours. The place was a DISASTER. Their computer systems were down and it was PACKED....and it seemed to be packed with people who had coughs.... The whole thing was SO irritating. After 2.5 hours we asked where we were in line to even see a nurse and they couldn't even tell us. So I called and talked to her pediatrician and they agreed since she'd been acting normal for almost 3 hours, we could come be seen by a doctor there. So over to the pediatrician we went where we saw Dr. Watkins, who is the father of our normal pediatrician and the doctor who started the practice. He sat with us for 45 minutes and listened to every detail of her fainting in the past month.

So we really didn't get an "answer", but the good news is he's not too concerned. It may have been extended fainting and what I found out then is that when she faints, I need to lay her down to help the blood flow get to her head...so putting her in her car seat was probably the worst thing for her, making her doze off. He doesn't think it's seizures for a handful of reasons (no twitching, doesn't act tired afterwards, etc), but said we could see a neurologist if we wanted...which is exactly what we're doing!

We have an appointment on Tuesday morning with her neurologist (Dr. Kazi Majeed) who we saw when she was 7 weeks old. We really, really liked him...in fact he's the doctor who asked us why we were there and that Embry's brain scans looked normal to him. We followed up with him one other time and he gave her a clean bill of health, so since she's already an established patient with him, we're happy to go back there.

Friday night I think I was asleep by 8:20 pm after one of the most emotionally exhausting days ever...not to mention I'm 8 months pregnant. This girl sure has put us through the ringer these past 3 years!! We would and will do everything in our power to make sure she is healthy and safe and we know exactly what's going on with our girl. She is just the most precious thing in our lives...for the next two weeks at least, then she'll be tied! ;)

Coloring on the ER waiting room floor.....UGH!

Such a good daddy! I was SO emotionally and physically drained by this point.

36 Week Update

Tuesday I had a sonogram at the perinatologist office. Everything looked normal and baby looked healthy! My fluid levels continue to be normal, yay! The nurse had Todd measuring at 5 pounds 9 oz and the doctors measurements put him at 6 1/4 pounds! He's still in "an awkward position even for a c-section" but according to the doctor, there's still plenty of time and room (really???) for him to turn head down. For now, I can tell ya, he's still across my stomach, which is kind of uncomfortable....but not sure anyone at 36 weeks pregnant is comfortable. Both the nurse and doctor commented on how he was doing a lot of good "practice breathing" during the sono!

At my OBGYN on Wednesday we talked at length about the surgery and even though we had talked about doing the traditional bikini cut (horizontal) incision this time around, we have decided to do another vertical incision on my stomach and horizontal on the uterus...just like Embry's birth. The decision was made since I was on a much higher dose of Heparin in the hospital with Embry, that it was safest to do the vertical incision on my stomach (and still safest to do horizontal on my uterus) because it bleeds less. This week my doctor examined my scar and I healed really, really, well from it so she proposed using the same incision this time around. I told her I trusted whatever she thought was best for me medically and I am totally on board with it. Not that I'm wearing a bikini...well ever again...but I'm fine with sticking to one scar!

This upcoming Wednesday I see my OBGYN and perinatologist again along with my hematologist one last time for some blood work.

Visit from Kiki

Sunday afternoon Kiki came for an overnight visit and Embry was thrilled to say the least. It was extra nice having her here since Jacob worked a full day Sunday at his office. And Embry was content to let me get stuff done in the kitchen and actually sit down since she had Kiki to boss around! Hah! Monday morning Jacob had a mid-morning court appearance downtown, so we made it a family affair and all three took her to school! She said multiple times on our walk inside her school "this is SO much fun"!

She just loves having Athena chase her with her bone...luckily A is the sweetest dog ever and plays along happily

Reading her big sister book with Kiki before school!

Three generations (of long legs, hehe)

Arboretum and the Sailor Dress

Wednesday morning after my appointment we met some of our friends for a picnic at the Arboretum. I had dressed Embry in the sailor dress (more of a swing top on my tall girl) that I wore in my three year old portraits! (Love that my mom saved so much!!!) Embry loved telling everyone at the doctors office that it was Mommy's dress! I was thrilled to get some cute pictures of her in it and do a comparison pic of us. I got a few comments that she and I look alike, including Jacob...but I think she still totally favors her Daddy in looks.

While picnicking in our favorite little spot at the Arboretum, Embry got completely attacked by fire ants =( It was so sad. She started screaming and I noticed them ALL over her legs and arms...my two girlfriends helped me strip her down (which was SO hard with a delicate 30 year old button dress with a tie on it...) and they were even in her undies. Thank God I had brought her hair spray bottle full of water because her hair was crazy that day...so I was able to spray down her whole body with cool water and she calmed down really quickly and was off playing with her friends again. I managed two get 2 bites on my arms and told my girlfriends over and over how my two bites were stinging. Not sure how she was fine with 50 bites all over her body, but she was. Before nap that day I gave her a warm bath with Epsom salts and it worked wonders. Took down all the swelling and redness immediately.

The three musketeers! Caroline, William, and Embry

Silly faces!

Mommy and Embry each around age 3!

Pictures

Loves looking at baby pictures of herself

After months of not wearing any PJs to bed, she insisted on these long sleeved, long pants! Well our electricity happened to go our from 8:30pm-5:30 am due to a bad car accident at the end of our street taking out the whole pole. I was able to go in and strip her down, but she was unphased! Mommy on the other hand had a HORRIBLE nights sleep, ugh! Our house shockingly only got up to 80 degrees, but still it was miserable.

Story time with Sophie

E&E in Embry's rocket ship

Daddy brought E a special treat home one evening....a Twinkie!

The moment of truth......

And she hated it! Hahah what a weirdo!

Craft time with Daddy

Washing our new to us Joovy sit and stand stroller we bought from a neighbor and giving our Britax stroller a face lift. Amazing how dirty our strollers were, ick!

Swiffering buddy

Dolls with Daddy

Playing school with her babies

Football girlie tried her first Little Debbie treats this weekend...thanks to a grocery trip with Daddy and two boxes of "treats" later...... haha Good thing Daddy doesn't do our weekly grocery trips!