Averi's Home!

Yesterday at the hospital, the doctor said that Averi was going to have to stay there until Tuesday. So, I started making plans for the family, and who was going where and who was going to watch the kids, because Steve has to go to work on Monday. However, the doctor checked on her today, and said she was doing so well, that she could go home tonight. Her blood test didn't show anymore signs of bacteria present. She had to have one more treatment of the iv antibiotics. So, at about six o'clock, we were able to come home. The hospital facilities were very nice, but Averi had about had it! She wanted to come home to her pink bed! When she saw the nurse this afternoon, she threw a fit and spilled her milk everywhere and was screaming. Here are a couple of pictures I took yesterday when Averi was a bit more happy.

Daddy brushing Averi's hair after her bath.

Averi's infected arm. It is hard to see all the redness in this picture, and this picture is about 50% better than it originally looked!

The inside of her infected arm where the cat actually bit her.

Averi was so happy to come home. She kept saying things like, "I love the dark, and I love this truck, and I love my pink bed." She still has to be on different antibiotics for the next ten days and a couple more visits with her pediatrician. (Can you imagine how shot her immune system is going to be after this!) I did some research on the iv antibiotic she was being given. It is called vancomycin, and it is considered 'the last resort medicine.'
We are so thankful for everyone who called and was concerned and also for all of the prayers that went out in our behalf. I have felt a lot of peace and comfort through this whole ordeal!Thank you everyone! It is funny how life is suddenly put in perspective when you have a sick child. We are truely so blessed to have the power of the priesthood and faith in prayers!
Well, even though I appreciate the hospital and staff, I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, without beeping machines, and nurses coming in to check vital signs! Oh yea...and real food! My new motto for 2009: 'no vending machines!'

More Averi Updates

Good news! The blood test shows that Averi is responding to the treatment and antibiotics. She still has a fever, but her white blood count had dropped fom 31 to 24. It needs to get down around 17. I am so grateful for her blessing, all the prayers, and modern medicine!

Averi Update

So, when we woke up on Friday, Averi's arm was worse and her fever was still high. We cancelled Disneyland, and instead decided to take Averi back to the E.R. The redness and swelling was just growing and not looking right.
Basically, at Mercy Southwest, they said we did the right thing by bringing her back. We were there from 8 a.m. til 2 p.m. They took blood from her, and found out her white cell count was extremely high, and then they took an x-ray, and found out that luckily the infection is not in her bones. However, she needed to be admitted, and Mercy Southwest does not have a pediatric ward. Therefore, we took a ride in an ambulance over to Memorial hospital. Averi has her own little room there, and the staff is so wonderful. The doctor came in last night, and diagnosed her with some weird name. Basically, it is a staff infection! He said it is very hard to treat, and her put her on a new antibiotic, that is so powerful, that after every third dose, they have to give her a blood test to make sure is isn't affecting her kidneys and liver to much. The good news is, there is a 90% chance she will respond to it, which is good since no one can give me an answer on what will happen if she doesn't respond.
Her poor arm is so swollen, red, and painful to touch. She seemed to be feeling better this morning, and actually ate some breakfast. I stayed the night with her last night, and Steve came and relieved me this morning, which was nice since vending machine food is getting old! So, I m going to take a shower and head back to the hospital to get the results of the blood test they took this morning.
thank you for all the prayers, and I will kept my blog updated as much as I am home :) Hopefully Averi will only have to be there for 48 hours, because she says she doesn't wanted anymore pokes, and she wants to go home!

Christmas morning brought upon our family much joy. It is fun to have small children and they are so excited for the arrival of Santa. Last night, they all slept in my bed with me. Low and behold it was a very restless night for me. Averi kept squirming and moaning and had me up about every hour last night. Finally, at six, I got up for good, and she was burning up. We took her temperature (102*) and immediately put her in the bathtub. She got a dose of Tylenol and then we set out to open our presents.

Christmas Morning

Averi got a princess dress! Santa also brought her her pink bed. She was so excited!


Wyatt was more interested in the wrapping paper than the actually presents. He is so mobile lately that we had to put him in Averi's old walker (yes, I know it is pink), so that he doesn't get into too much!

The boys got their Wii!

So much for a small Christmas. But, I do have to admit that it is nice not having small parts of toys everywhere!

Averi still wasn't feeling well and was still running a fever, even after taking a nap in her new pink bed. I noticed a scratch on her arm that looked pretty red. I asked her what happened, and she said the cat scratched her and bit her. During the early afternoon, we watched this scratch swell up her whole arm and turn really splotchy red. Therefore, I took her to Urgent care, not knowing what was wrong. After 1 1/2 hours there, Grandma came down and joined us. I so glad she was there, because I felt like the worst mom in the world when the doctor came in and said that Averi has a serious skin infection from the cat bite. (Should I have known this?) Then the doctor proceeded to give her a dose of Motrin and Tylenol with codeine. We went up to the pharmacy and picked up her antibiotics, with the strict instructions that if the swelling doesn't get any better within two days, she needs to go back to the hospital to be admitted! Pappa came down and he and Steve gave her a blessing. She seems to be feeling better despite throwing up all the medicine they gave her! So now, we are just praying that she gets better, considering twelve people are heading down to Anaheim tomorrow to go to Disneyland on Saturday. I really hope she responds to the medicine, considering she has really been looking forward to going to see all the princesses!

I hope all our family and fiends had a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

So, I spent most of the morning finishing up Averi's quilt. We are really hoping that Santa brings her a new bed. She asked for a pink bed in her letter to Santa, and so I made her this quilt in case he does bring her a bed. I am proud of this one! It is pink princesses and the backing is pink shaggy material. It was hard to sew with and so heavy that Steve had to move my sewing machine into the living room, and hold part of the quilt up while I sewed it together. But Averi loves it and wants to sleep with it, even if it isn't in her own bed!

On Christmas Eve, we went up to Pappa and Grandma's house for a nice steak dinner. When we came home, we let the kids open their present from dad and mom. We get them pajamas every year that they are allowed to open on Christmas Eve. They are so excited, and vow to stay up until Santa arrives!

Santa thinks I"ve Been Good!

Last week, I went to get the mail, and in there was a Christmas surprise for me. Tucked away in a Christmas card was a gift certificate for a massage! Santa must really think I have been a really good mom this year, because he sure knows what I love! Thank you Santa!

Averi's Holiday Dress

This is the dress that I made for Averi this year for Christmas. It was one of the more difficult dresses that I have attempted. I only cut the material wrong twice! Gotta love sewing with stripes! However, I love this patterns, and will probably use it in the future, like for her Easter dress!