American Girl Doll Store

As we were dealing with Mary Claire's pneumonia, Nannie and I had planned to surprise Mary Claire and Molly with a trip to the American Girl Doll Store in Houston.  We didn't know if we'd be able to go with Mary Claire being so sick.  When we finally got the pneumonia diagnosis, I asked the NP if we could still go, as we had hotel reservations and lunch reservations at the American Girl Bistro.The NP gave us the okay as long at Mary Claire took her medicines.  Mary Claire agreed, and we went.

We surprised the girl with the American Girl Doll package at the hotel!  They got a doll bed, pillow, blanket and shirt!

They also got a coke, candy and popcorn delivered to them!

Mary Ellen and Molly in their new beds!

They each got a new doll!  Mary Claire got Lea Clark and Molly got Josefina Montoya.

Lunch in the Bistro!

The girls are at such a great age for travelling that I can't wait for the summer!

Pneumonia

Tuesday of this week, Mary Claire had a bad cough and was just feeling puny.  She was sitting on the couch and as I walked by her, she just looked like a ghost.  I asked Brian to go look at her and we decided to get her seen by the doctor.  I brought her to the NP at her pediatrician's office.  They stuck her finger for blood for a CBC.  Her WBC were normal, so the NP didn't think it was the flu and it obviously wasn't bacterial.  We got a prescription for some cough medicine.

Stick on Day 1.

Tuesday night, around midnight, Mary Claire woke me up asking for water.  I felt her and she was on fire.  We took her temperature; it was 103.4F!!!!  I had given her Motrin at bedtime, so I dug around and found some chewable Tylenol.  After an hour, her temp was only down to 102.5F, so I went ahead and gave her more Motrin, which seemed to help faster.

At 8am Wednesday morning, I was called the pedi's office.  We got an appointment at 9:30am with the same NP.  I think the NP was confused as to what to do, until Mary Claire coughed.  She stopped, listened to her chest again, said she needed more bloodwork and a chest x-ray.  They ran another CBC, tested for mono since I told them Anna had had mono recently, and sent us for a chest x-ray.

Stick on Day 2.

We got the results......pneumonia.  We were sent on our way with two antibiotics, an oral steroid and an Albuterol inhaler.  

Today is Friday and we went for a follow-up.  Her sats are much improved, but the spot in the lung where the pneumonia is still sounds "squeaky."  So we will follow up again next week!

Santa Pics 2016

Our first mall picture with Santa

Our free mall picture with Santa

Santa in Natchitoches

Target Santa

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016, Daddy worked all weekend again.  Day shift December 23, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Mary Claire was an angel at 4pm mass at Prompt Succor.

Here's a few pictures after mass (Daddy had to leave early, so we have none with him at the church.)

Some pictures at home:

The girls got into their Christmas pajamas to go over to Nannie and Poppa's to open gifts.

We then went home, made and put out reindeer food, put out Santa's milk and cookies and then Santa brought gifts!

Front Street, Natchitoches

We had been earlier in the Christmas season to Natchitoches to "see the lights" and watch the fireworks.  There were so many people there then that we really just watched the fireworks; we didn't get to walk the riverbank and see all the light displays.

So, the Thursday before Christmas, we drove up to Natchitoches with Nannie and Poppa.

We ate at Poppa's Bar and Grill

We walked the riverbank and saw the light displays

We walked down Santa Lane

To

Santa's house

And took another Santa picture!

We also had hot chocolate and ice cream!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

After the girls took their picture with Santa, the photo employees gave them each a sheet to color and return to the mall for a chance to win prizes. 

Well, lo and behold, we had a message on our answering machine that Mary Claire had won (it was a random drawing).  She won a free picture with Santa and a Chick-Fil-A gift card worth $25!

The mall was so kind to give Molly a stuffed reindeer, too!

Here's their free picture with Santa!

After the Santa picture, Mary Claire treated us to supper!

School parties

Mom got to attend her first school Christmas parties this year!