September Sweeties: The Rest of July {4-H, ER, Holiday World, and PINK!}

Saturday, July 31, 2021

The Rest of July {4-H, ER, Holiday World, and PINK!}

The rest of July flew by. We tried to savor the rest of summer as much as we could! We took the girls to the fairgrounds to check out all of the projects on Sunday evening, July 18th.

Brielle - Blue ribbon - Crafts

Brynna - Reserve Grand Champion & State Fair entry - Photography

Braylee - Blue ribbon - Photography

Brielle - Reserve Grand Champion - Create-with-a-Mix

Brynna - Reserve Grand Champion & State Fair entry - Child Development

July 19 - Volunteering in the food stand.

We've been gone so much that this was one of the few times we were able to set up their little pool.

They thought their floating snack was the best! 😄

July 20- Bria & BellaMei are so girly! They are always dressing up and putting on make-up.

July 22- Poor sugar. A couple of weeks ago, BellaMei fell in front of me and while trying to catch myself so that I didn't land right on top of her, I failed and her mouth hit the concrete. 😭 I was relieved at first that her teeth weren't knocked out, but the top gumline was bruised and as a result, her teeth are turning purplish-gray. 😢 The dentist checked her out but said there's nothing we can do for now. A cookie seemed to make her feel better though!

My view when she snuggles in my lap before naptime. 💜

July 26- Bria complained all day that her "heart was hurting." Despite the tricks I tried (treating possible heartburn in various ways, warm bath, rest, etc), her symptoms continued. As the evening progressed, she was crying with chest pain, holding her breath, and had developed a fever. She had had extensive dental work a few days prior so I became concerned about a possible infection like endocarditis (as well as the crazy things that can happen to kids with Covid). So I gave in and took her to the ER. Only two of my kids have ever been to the ER, but she has now been twice! 😆

After two hours of being there, I got a little smile from her.

She was so brave. 💗💪🏼 They tested her for all kinds of stuff- blood work twice, EKG, chest x-ray, strep & Covid tests, etc. They treated her with IV fluids and antibiotics because her WBC was elevated (sign of infection) and her heart rate was high, but otherwise, the tests all came back normal. They started her on an oral antibiotic as well just in case of something like endocarditis. After it was all said and done, I'm thinking maybe she had some food stuck in her esophagus because at one point, she cried and screamed that her back was hurting too. She was acting very panicky when it happened but after that episode, she slowly began to improve and relax.

After 4 hours of being poked and prodded, she asked for a white, icing donut. You better believe I found one for my girl, despite the fact that it was almost 1am when we left the hospital.

July 27- We had planned to go to Holiday World this day but then Bria ended up in the ER the night before. Alex had already taken off work & she woke up fever free and said her chest hurt only when she laughed or sneezed, so we went for it!

Finally!! She has been ~~patiently~~ waiting for the day when she would be tall enough to ride the Thunderbird! She was a smidge too short but the attendant said, "Stand up super straight and take a deep breath in." Her head barely touched the bar but they approved her to ride. That smile is a mix of gratefulness and uncertainty. 😄

Brielle & Braylee in the front. Brielle had already been upside down and was still smiling! She loved it and rode again!

Meanwhile, baby sister fell asleep. 😍

Bria was taking a much needed rest. She had told us in the morning that her feet hurt but they looked fine. As the day progressed, so did her foot pain, so much so that she couldn't bare weight on them by the end of the day. If we tried to stand her up, she would crumple onto the floor. 😢 I think it was a reaction to the antibiotic they had given her in the ER. So, we took turns carrying her & she was fine as long as her feet didn't touch the ground.