Update on Olivia

I think we are finally nearly back to a healthy Olivia.  Things started going down hill on Dec 8 when she woke LIMP and with a low grade temp.  More teeth coming in did not help the situation any. By Dec 18 we were fully into a stomach bug.  More scary limpness and purplish hands and feet came our way.  Olivia spent Christmas wrapped in swaddling afghans and lying in our arms drinking pedialyte and vomiting.  Naps were all in our arms for weeks.  Night times were better, but once she started waking up with stomach pains and nausea the nights got sleepless for mommy.  An ear infection settled into the mix, and so then an upset stomach with gas and stomach pain settled in.  Eating was down to nothing and we had to start all over again with baby food. She lost 3 lbs.  Olivia is doing well at gaining  her weight back as she is now eating eating and eating!  She is especially into fortified Rice Chex with her milk.  She is still refusing her cups, but we are keeping her hydrated via extra liquid in food.  I think that she associates getting sick to her stomach with drinking.  Olivia will finish her antibiotic in a couple of days. She is sleeping better at both nap and night.  I was afraid she would never sleep solo again. But she is going solo, most of the time. Our motto is love and patience and prayer will get her well, in addition to great medical care!  We have seen the doctor multiple times and lost track of how many phone calls to the office.

I will get a photo of Olivia up soon. She looks tall and slender now. And is taking a few supported steps!  Good thing she had been packing a few extra pounds!  Her gross motor took a few steps back developmentally during her illness, but her cognitive and language development took off dramatically!  Perhaps due to all the time spent reading and playing with us,  as she was not keen on playing by herself while sick, probably due to the fact that she barely had the energy to hold her body up by herself.  My Mom says she has never seen a child so limp and exhausted while sick with common illnesses.  Now we know that when Olivia is sick, it may take a lot more time and a lot more nurturing for her to get better.  This was her first real illness in 20 months of life.

(With having Peter have his heart scare during this time frame, we were happy to bid adieu to Dec.)

Her nap is ending......  I will get a new photo posted soon.