It has been a very difficult week and I'm not sure I can even articulate why. I guess there are probably several reasons - the biggest one being lack of sleep. I started feeling better over last weekend and then Karla got a bad cold. We had to cancel all of our plans this week until today. Daddy had commitments Tues-Thurs night so we didn't get to see much of him. Since Karla was not feeling her best she was not as pleasant as usual and she woke up many more times per night. Her night sweats are back too...so they've been going on for about 4 weeks now. I think I expend a lot of energy just being concerned over her health. During most days she seems fine except for earlier this week when she was coughing, sneezing and had a very runny nose. Then at night...things are awful. I kind of feel like I am in a fog. I had some pretty weak moments where I was really upset and frustrated (usually wee morning hours). Then I feel guilty feeling that way because I know Karla can't help it if she doesn't feel good - the cycle continues. Last night Jason told me to call the doctor today. I have almost called her everyday this week but again, Karla seems pretty good during the day. I called, explained the situation, reminded them that we were there 2 weeks ago for some of the same problems and that things weren't improving but getting worse. I asked if they would speak to the doctor and see if she thought i should bring Karla in. The doctor called me back this afternoon and talked with me for almost 10 minutes. I feel like the doctor is taking me seriously because Karla is adopted but I don't know that for a fact. It bothers me but is good in this situation at the same time. She had obviously reviewed all of Karla's medical information from her hospital stay when she first got home until 2 weeks ago. So, she said it sounds like Karla has a sinus infection and wanted me to start her on an antibiotic today. So I did. I am to call the doctor back Monday or Tuesday and if there isn't any improvement she is going to order a chest x-ray and another TB test -the TB test is the part that upsets me! That is because of the adoption. Karla is supposed to have one in June as a standard follow-up so the dr said we'd just do it early if we need to. The doctor also asked me to go in to Karla's room at various time intervals to see if I can determine when the night sweating starts. I will do it but I am not happy with having to do it because I don't want to wake her up! She wakes up enough as it is! Hopefully I won't disturb her.
Karla and I have not been out of the house much at all in over a week and I think that is stressful for me...maybe her too, I don't know. I was thankful for my in-laws help this week, especially in the evenings when Jason wasn't home. Grammy is going to start coming over every other Tuesday (opposite our playgroup) so that I can go to the Y. I went for the first time since before Guatemala this past Tuesday. It was great to go back! I only did a "light" workout and I am still sore...it is going to take a while to get back in shape. Plus, I need to figure out how to get to the Y more than 2 times a month! Maybe it'll work out on the weekends...
Wednesday Karla fell while running through the hallway and fell right on her face. I heard it and knew it wasn't good. She immediately started screaming and when I bent to pick her up I saw blood coming from her mouth! I was concerned about her teeth - since one is already chipped. I grabbed her and the roll of paper towels and discovered she had bit her lip really good. It bled for what seemed to me like forever. It is the first time Karla had a bloody boo-boo so I was quite stressed out by the situation. I tried not to let her know it though. I thought she'd have a fat lip for sure but it is just really red. I had to call MY mommy when the whole incident was over.
Tuesday I had to go to the doctor for myself. I have been having wrist/hand/thumb pain for a while but it has progressively gotten worse. At first I thought it was from lifting something but after the long, late nights I've had I'm pretty sure it is from the way I hold Karla. Anyway, now I'm taking an anti-inflammatory for a few days and wearing a splint at night.
This week I felt like I was physically and mentally falling apart. A new week will be starting though. It has to be better than the last one!
On to more interesting things...
*At 3:45 pm on Sunday, I suddenly realized I was supposed to teach a kids Sunday School class as a substitute....and we didn't go to church! Karla and I were still recuperating. I totally forgot about teaching! I had even looked at the material earlier last week. I gotta start thinking clearly again - if possible!!!
*Monday we missed our last day of swimming lessons (because Karla was sick). We have registered for a gym class that starts on March 9 and runs for 6 weeks. I'm looking forward to something different (other than swimming). Karla made progress though in her swimming classes. By the end of lessons she was kicking and scooping more in the water than she was initially. I think she had a lot of fun!
*Karla has started saying her name. It sounded like Ka-ka at first but now it is more like Ka-ga. We have worked with her a lot on this because I know she can say "L"s - she can say Lola, lion, etc. with no problem...but there is no changing Ka-ga. One day I told her her last name and wanted to see what she would say. Well, she's been saying Ka-ga No-nik ever since! It is hilarious! When I told her her last name I also told her Mommy ___ and Daddy ___. She looked at both of us, said Ka-ga No-nik and then looked at Oso and said "Oso No-nik?" - and of course I had to say yes. Jason and I started cracking up. He really is one of the family.
*Wednesday morning I had to get up and do some stretching because I was sore from my work-out the previous day. I had Karla sit on the floor with me to stretch too. She was doing the stretches with ease and looking at me like I was crazy for having trouble and making strange noises while doing them.
*We (of course) are pretty much convinced Karla is a genius. :) She is talking so much - seems like she took off with her language again this week. She's putting 2-4 words together in sentences. She uses the word "empty" appropriately, she uses the words "on, off, in, out, up, down, open, close" and is loving using her name. She labels everything lately (Mommy's chair/spoon/hair, Daddy's chair, Karla's chair). We also had worked on sharing and I would always say "Mommy's turn" or "Karla's turn" so she is over-using "Karla's turn" now - like when she really wants something, it is all of a sudden "Kaga's turn". It is funny though.
*Karla is also telling little stories. Earlier this week her Daddy had given her a bath. Later that night, when I was changing her diaper, she was telling me about the bath using words and gestures. I knew exactly what she was telling me about too. Speaking of which, she just ran in here and told me Daddy gave her a high-5.
*Karla lets me snuggle, hug and kiss her so much. In Guatemala I wanted to hug and kiss her all the time but I started by kissing her hand or her face when she let me because that seemed about what she could handle then. Now she lets me hold her hand and hug and kiss her pretty much whenever I want. Sometimes she'll come up to me and just spontaneously give me a hug and kiss. I love when that happens!
*I've been trying to write this all night, while playing, eating, reading, running, catching a little girl and cleaning up 4 spills (3 were milk and 1 was the carpet cleaner bottle)! I don't know if we'll have open cup drinking again in the family room for a while. I was feeling adventurous since it is Friday night.
Here are pictures from tonight. All 3 of us were home and got to play! Karla looks (and was) so pleasant...but you should hear her now while her Daddy is trying to put her to sleep. Oh my...... It is incredibly frustrating for us both. Now she will only let me put her to bed and comfort her during the night. I am frustrated because I have to do it all the time and Jason is frustrated because he wants to help and when he does she screams and cries the whole entire time. Hoping for better nights SOON...
