Squeezing our Charlotte Extra Tight Today

Yesterday was the scariest moment of my life so far. Nothing can prepare you for seeing your child turn purple or gasp for air and be totally helpless. Our sweet Charlotte had a febrile seizure after she woke up from her afternoon nap. As I write this, she is peacefully sleeping and she is back to her normal smiley self!

After her nap, she had quite the blowout, so Kyle gave her a quick dip in the bath to rinse her off and clean her up. I brought her back in her room to get her dressed. We were washing her diaper changer cover, so I laid her on the floor. She began to twitch, shake and her eyes were rolling back. Kyle was right next to me and picked her up immediately. I started screaming and called 911. Kyle actually had a febrile seizure when he was 1 year old. Kyle's parents are here visiting and so Kyle's dad grabbed Charlotte and opened the freezer door so she could cool off. Kyle talked to the 911 operator because I couldn't even speak, I was terrified. I ran to a friend's house who is a pediatrician but unfortunately she was not home. Since we live on Ford Island, it took quite a bit of time for the ambulance to arrive. The fire truck and EMTs were on site pretty quickly, but it felt like an hour waiting on the ambulance to arrive. They gave Charlotte some oxygen, but she was screaming because she was so scared. Finally the ambulance arrived and we were on our way to the ER. She calmed down in the ambulance, but still was twitching a little bit. Kyle rode in the front of the ambulance and so when they took us out of the back, Charlotte saw daddy and smiled. At that moment, I knew that our little angel was probably going to be ok (and that she loves her daddy so, so much).

We went to Kapiolani, the women and children's hospital, and they got Charlotte's weight and vitals. Her temperature was 101, weight 19 lbs. 2oz., pulse and blood pressure were normal. The ER doc explained that this is a very normal occurrence and it is one of the most common things children come to the ER for. In fact, 1 in 25 children will have a febrile seizure in their life.

Charlotte had a flu test and received a catheter to check her urine for a UTI. I must also say that she was our happy, smiley baby all day. We had gone out on the boat earlier that day and she showed no signs or symptoms of anything. She just cut her first tooth, so I attributed that to her feeling a little warm. She also wasn't as interested in her food, but once again, I attributed that to her tooth.

Back to her smiley self!

Stop poking me!! No more shots!

Once she got some meds, Charlotte began to perk up and was happy and laughing! Her urine came back with an elevated white blood cell count, so they gave her a shot of antibiotics and determined that she probably has a urinary tract infection. We will see our pediatrician tomorrow to get the full lab results and go from there.

Daddy made a schedule to keep Charlotte's meds on track!

Charlotte fell asleep before we were discharged since it was her bedtime and she looked so peaceful. I slept in her room last night and we set our alarms to wake her up to give her Motrin and Tylenol to keep her fever under control.

I realize that these febrile seizures are common, but I can't even begin to describe the feeling of watching Charlotte suffer like she did. We were told that if it happens again, we should turn her on her side and let the seizure take its course. So much easier said than done.

So, if you have a baby, hopefully this information will help you if your child ever experiences a febrile seizure.

Febrile seizures are convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. During a febrile seizure, a child often loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. Less commonly, the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body, such as an arm or a leg, or on the right or the left side only. Most febrile seizures last a minute or two, although some can be as brief as a few seconds while others last for more than 15 minutes.

The majority of children with febrile seizures have rectal temperatures greater than 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Most febrile seizures occur during the first day of a child's fever. Children prone to febrile seizures are not considered to have epilepsy, since epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that are not triggered by fever. A few factors appear to boost a child's risk of having recurrent febrile seizures, including young age (less than 15 months) during the first seizure, frequent fevers, and having immediate family members with a history of febrile seizures. If the seizure occurs soon after a fever has begun or when the temperature is relatively low, the risk of recurrence is higher. A long initial febrile seizure does not substantially boost the risk of recurrent febrile seizures, either brief or long.

So hug your babies and family extra tight today! Praise God our little Charlotte is just fine! 

Back to her happy self! Can you see that little tooth? 

Taking a Moment to Do Nothing

Life is crazy busy, especially when you add another human being into your family. I am a true busy body and it drives Kyle crazy. Our usual evening routine is walk or run around 5:30, feed Charlotte around 6:00, then I go up and do bath time and bed time routine while Kyle works on dinner! No, I don't force my husband to cook, he actually enjoys it and I am very grateful for that! I usually make the meal plan and then Kyle carries out the recipes! If he is lucky, sometimes I am his sous chef and will do all of the "not-so-fun" jobs like chopping and washing veggies! With a little one, you really have to divide and conquer! So, by the time Charlotte is down around 6:45/7:00, dinner is usually just about ready. So, we have dinner and then I tackle the million things that have been on my mind all day, to include emails, blogging, ordering things, surfing the web, sending thank you notes, doing bills, making photo books, ordering pictures, etc. There is always something to do!

Kyle and I just finished up season 3 of House of Cards. By the time we sat down in the evening, we would usually catch 1 or 2 episodes. Of course, I was usually on my computer, multi-tasking, working on something. Kyle really just wanted me to sit there and watch the show and do nothing else. But, as much as I tried, I really couldn't!

A couple weeks ago our pastor gave a sermon titled "Don't Just Do Something, Sit There". Yes, you read that correct! The entire sermon Kyle kept tapping my foot or squeezing my hand and in my mind I was thinking, wow, this is totally me! The sermon focused on the story of Mary and her sister Martha. Jesus and his disciples were coming to visit and so Martha slaved over a hot stove to prepare a fabulous meal for Jesus, while Mary sat in the living room with Jesus.

Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he  came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Like many sermons at our church, this one spoke to me and I am trying to live this message out. It is not easy, but it is so important to have time where you "do nothing" and sit at the Lord's feet. This could mean many different things to many people. It could be meditation, prayer, exercise. A friend gave me a devotional book and journal last week and I am embarrassed to say that I finally made time this morning to start! I woke up early to journal and read my devotional. Baby steps!

Grab your morning coffee and breakfast and dive in!

Here is a link to the entire sermon if you are interested in watching!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2rahGPwN8&feature=youtu.be

Weekend Adventures: Hanauma Bay and Waimea Valley

As our time in Hawaii begins to wind down, we are trying to cross things off of our Hawaii bucket list. It will probably be a very long time until we find ourselves in the Aloha state again, so we want to make sure that we cherish this time and do all of the touristy things!! As Charlotte gets older, it is getting easier to take her around and more fun too as she really enjoys all of our adventures! She is most happy in the water or exploring in the ergo.

Last weekend we went to Hanauma Bay after a yummy lunch at Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii Kai. Hanauma Bay is famous for snorkeling, although we actually didn't make it into the water because it was a little chilly! If you aren't a Hawaii resident or military, the admission is $7 per person and $1 for parking. Before you can enter the park, you have to watch a 10 minute safety video. If you live here on the island, you can register your name and zip code so that you don't have to watch it every visit. After watching the video, you walk down the hill to the bay. You can also take a shuttle if you aren't keen on walking up and down. You can rent snorkel gear on site and there are bathrooms which is an added plus for Hawaii beaches! We enjoyed the view and sun for a few hours and Charlotte even took a nap.

Beer Sampling at Kona Brewing. We plan to visit the brewery on the Big Island in May

Hanauma Bay

Our Tommy Bahama Backpack Chairs have been one of our best purchases!

This weekend we went to Waimea Valley on the North Shore. We had planned to have lunch at one of our favorite places in Haleiwa at Opal Thai, but it was randomly closed for "restaurant renovations". So, we had lunch at Haleiwa Joe's instead! After that, we ventured to Waimea Valley to view the gardens and Waimea Falls. After a nice leisurely walk up to the falls, we got changed into our suits and went swimming in the 68 degree water! We took turns as someone had to stay back with Charlotte. Kyle went first and I followed after! You are required to wear lifejackets and as I was getting ready to walk in, the lifeguard told me to stay away from the left side as rocks commonly fall into the water. Wow, that sounded safe! The water was cold, but once I took the plunge it actually felt good! It was definitely an experience and totally worth it!

Sitting like a big girl in her stroller

Beautiful landscape 

Canna Lilly

In front of the falls 

Taking it all in with Elmo

If you look close, that is Kyle!

Family Pic!

Swimming out!

Charlotte: 8 Months

Waaahhh!!! My baby is growing up so, so quickly! As much as it makes me sad, I'm also happy because she is just so fun! She smiles, laughs, tries to talk to us and Macey Jane and she lets us know when she is happy and when she is not. She is still snuggly, but for maybe 5-10 seconds, then she pops her little head up and just smiles. She sometimes will fall asleep with me holding her, but she really prefers rolling around her crib and getting comfortable.

She loves to eat and has to have something too if we are eating. Mum Mum crackers have become our new best friend, especially when we go out to dinner. We get a good 5 minutes of peace when she has these. She loves being able to pick things up with her hands and she is getting quite coordinated with putting them in her mouth!

She loves bath time and anything that involves water! We just bought her plastic pool today and we spent almost 2 hours just splashing around. So fun!

Pulling up on everything!

Naptime at the beach!

My sweet angel!

Relaxing in her chair

Looking at her sissy, Macey Jane!

Weight:  I keep forgetting to weigh her! 

Diaper Size:  graduated to 4s, tear!
Clothing Size: Still 9-12 months. She can't wear some things because the leg openings are too tight! Her little chunky thighs!
Eye Color: Blue Blue Blue
Hair: I added this in this month because she is finally getting some hair! It's definitely blonde and it has a little tiny curl to it in the back!!
Teeth: Her bottom tooth is about to pop! It's been right there for a while, but I think it is going to make its presence in the next couple of days.
Sleeping Habits: Rejoicing because we are finally getting sleep! It changes your life to go to sleep at night and not be up multiple times. I still get up once or twice to go to the bathroom and of course I check on her, but she is out! She also has been waking up in the morning and sitting up in her crib. I let her "play" and she just sits there and talks and plays with her multiple binkies. I think she is perplexed how she can have one in her hand and one in her mouth. If she wakes up around 5/5:30, I usually go in and feed her and then she goes back down until about 7:30/8:00. It is much easier to get ready for work with her still sleeping!
Adventures this Month:  We have been to the beach at least once a week. Charlotte loves being outside and loves the water! I had my big event the first week of March and Kyle had weekend duty last weekend, so our weekends have been a little limited.
Visitors: Kyle's parents come next week! 

Milestones: Crawling, pulling up, eating her puffs, avocado and banana pieces on her own
Favorite Toy: Anything that lights up, her ball that rolls and moves and the ottoman (pulling up on it)She loves when I sing to her. I usually put on Pandora during bath time and we have music time (Glee/Pitch Perfect type music) and she just smiles at me and laughs!
Looking forward to: her Grampy and Grammy coming to visit, Daddy's promotion and our trip to the Big Island over Memorial Day Weekend! 

Family Pics

I think pictures are probably in my top 10 favorite things. They are so special. They capture moments that we may never get back, or ones that we forget about as time goes on. Like the cheesy quote says, "A picture is worth a thousand words".

I love pictures, however I don't love the effort that goes in to taking them, (coordinating outfits, hair/makeup, getting the kids to smile and behave) but the outcome is really special.

I've been sending Christmas cards for a while now, actually I think the first year that Kyle and I started dating in 2008, I sent a "joint" Christmas card. I start thinking about my Christmas cards early, usually in July. What will my theme be? What will we wear? I know this is silly to some, but it is so important to me. Every year, I save one card. I have a card for the past 6 years and they contain such wonderful memories and they really tell the story of our life thus far! I should also note that I love receiving Christmas cards and I proudly display them on "Pinterest-inspired" ribbons on my kitchen cabinets. I meant to take a picture of them this year, but I forgot. It looks something like this.

Christmas Card Display Idea

This past week, we took photos with my family visiting from Florida. Last year, around March, we took a similar photo but we were minus two family members, Charlotte and Kate.

Oh what a difference a year makes! 

This year's photo at Ko'Olina 

A few of my favorites! 

Gaga and her angels!

Sister and our twin cousins!

The center of all our attention, Robby aka Boopy

Thornburg Family

This says it all! Kyle you actually got Robby to smile! 

I have to brag on Kyle and my awesome camera! We didn't have a photog this year, so these are straight from my Canon Rebel, unedited! As you will see, the pics of everyone else turned out really well! Kyle is an awesome photographer! Ok, enough bragging on him!

Charlotte: 7 Months

Charlotte is 7 months old and I am loving this age! She is so interactive and sweet and we are finally on a good schedule and she is actually predictable of when she might be hungry or sleepy! A schedule has been my goal since day 1! When I told this to my pediatrician at the pre-birth interview, she laughed. I think that is one of the hard parts about being a mom, especially when you are a type-A person like me! I thrive on routine, schedule, being organized and having everything, well, pretty perfect. Having a baby throws everything out of whack.

Like I said, right now things are pretty predictable and we are on a good schedule. But, I realize this is going to change any day now as Charlotte is now on the move! She doesn't make it far but she is scooting and rolling. Long story short, gone are the days of running outside to take the trash out or going into the bathroom while she is roaming free!

Pretty happy for being in a lifejacket!

My water baby in the lazy river!

My family just left after a 12 day visit and we had such a blast. We also discovered that Charlotte loves the water! We spent some time at the Aulani Disney Resort and she became quite the water baby!

I'm 7 months old! 

Starting to pull up on everything! 

Weight:  According to our scale at home, 17 lbs. 8 oz. 

Diaper Size:  graduated to 4s, tear!
Clothing Size: 9 months and some 12. I need to go through her closet, some of the sizes are definitely not accurate to the size listed! She has so many cute clothes that she is growing out of!
Eye Color: Blue and beautiful!
Sleeping Habits: Daddy was gone for 12 days and during that time we got into a really good routine and she started sleeping through the night!!
Adventures this Month:  Riding solo without dad for the longest time since she was born! We survived! :) Then, while my family was here, we did lots of adventuring! We went on a pontoon boat on Kaneohe Bay, a dairy farm in Waianae, the Dole Plantation and the Disney Resort! Charlotte loves going places. We went to Costco today and she is just in awe of everything around her!
Visitors: Gaga (my mom), Aunt Ashley, Uncle Bob and Cousins Robby and Kate! Kyle's parents come at the end of this month! 

Milestones: Rolling, scooting, going from sitting to all fours, planking, rocking back and forth on all fours and talking, talking, talking.
Favorite Toy: She loves anything that lights up and makes noise! She also loves her stuffed animals and giving them kisses!
Looking forward to: her Grampy and Grammy coming to visit!