Good News, bad news, Great News, AWESOME NEWS!

Hello everyone, it has been a long time since I (Josh) have joined the Blogosphere, but I am here now to give everyone this SPECIAL update. It has been a trying week to say the least, and many of you already know much of the story. However, I am going to tell it from the beginning (so to speak). It started February 1st when Sandra began to spit up, at least some portion of, every meal. Teri and I tried everything from burping her every ounce to having her sleep in her bouncy seat to minimize her spit up. IT DID NOT WORK! We began to think that she developed an allergy to her formula, and we called her doctor for advice. She showed immediate concern, and scheduled Sandra for an appointment later that week. I was able to take Friday the 13th as a telecommute day, so Teri could get Sandra some relief. I kissed them both goodbye that morning, and I did not see them again until the following Thursday! Sandra was admitted to the hospital that day with the fear that she had malrotation of the intestines and severe acid reflux. The good news is she did not end up having malrotation of the intestines because the surgery to correct that would require her to be opened up. Unfortunately, the bad news was that her acid reflux was severe enough that they had to perform an operation to cure it. The great news is that the surgery ended up being a success, but the bad news is that Sandra's medical care was malicious (for lack of a better term). She was not tended to properly! The excellent memories we had with this hospital has been tainted forever. I don't want to go into great length will all the issues that Teri and Sandra faced during the stay, but I will list a few things that went wrong. First, the doctors were never on the same page. For instance, Sandra was due to be discharged and treated as an outpatient on Saturday; she had her surgery on Monday without being discharged. Sandra's stomach was extremely bloated, had blood in her stool, and could not keep food down by ten thirty in the morning the day after surgery, but she wasn't seen by a doctor for it until six thirty that same evening. Even then, the doctor was rude and unhelpful. Thank God, Sandra is so strong and that her mother would not and did not leave her side during her visit.



Sandra after her surgery with her little swollen belly. She is home now feisty, hungry, and lately she is has become comfortable.



Teri and Sandra back home exhausted from their week long stint at the hospital. I missed them both terribly, and I am so happy they are here to help me take care of their sisters.



So, what were the other three girls up to while up to while Teri and Sandra were at the hospital. Well, let me tell you! They were absolute angels (now that I look back)! Makaila, Hannah, and Samantha all must have gotten together and decided to go easy on me while Mommy and Sandra were in the hospital. I must tell you, that several times during the week I didn't think I was going to be able to handle it, but the girls always pulled me through. Did they fuss and cry? Oh yeah! Did they require 242 diaper changes? You bet! Did they consume 500 ounces of formula? Yes they did (well at least 450 the other 50 was on the bibs, burp cloths, and me)! However, let me tell you what else they did. Samantha always met me with a smile and a giggle. Also, we were having issues with her wanting to eat, but she started eating so much that we actually had to start feeding her five ounces a meal (up from four). As a result, she gained half a pound while Sandra was in the hospital. Makaila, helped me out by starting to drink from a medium flow nipple, and her acid reflux remained under control. Hannah was on her best behavior for me. Normally, she throws about four temper tantrums per day, but while Mom was guiding Sandra through her terrible ordeal Hannah kept her tantrums to a minimum. She must of known that Dad needed her help. Another huge help the girls provided was that while Dad was teaching his class via virtual teleconference they played nicely on their swings and bouncy seats. Thanks again to the wonderful volunteers that watched over them while my class was in session. Above all else, the girls were so helpful by going to bed every night after their midnight meal and sleeping until seven or seven thirty the next morning (a trend that they have graciously continued). Thanks again for all your help girls!

On Valentine's Day, we thought Sandra was going to be released from the hospital to be treated as an outpatient. We were shocked, but at the same time happy Mommy and Sandra would be coming home. I decided to surprise both of them by dressing the girls in their Valentine's Day Outfits.



As you can see by the picture below, we were upset when we got the news that Mommy and Sandra was not going to be coming home! As Sandra was being discharged, surgery called and informed them that not only was she staying, but she was scheduled for surgery on Monday.



It is always nice to play dress up, but we sure did miss them!



Last week was quite a test for our family! I am proud to say that we got through it the same way we started, as a FAMILY!