Coming Out of the Fog

Can it really be April already? I’d swear we just got back from our Christmas trip to NE. I’ve struggled with fatigue, illness and a few challenges with the girls in the last few months and simply put – life here in our little house has been all-consuming. January provided exhaustion from our 2-week trip home, on top of pretty bad colds for a few weeks. Then we learned there was a new baby on the way and had an explanation for my previously unexplainable fatigue. February was full of challenges with Molly who was barely sleeping at all and having feeding issues as well. After many sleepless nights, consultations with a doula, a lactation consultant, our pediatrician & our OB, we added solid food and formula to Molly’s diet and things seemed to settle down a bit. We also did a lot of work with potty training in February and there were plenty of opportunities to grow in patience & humility there. Then March came and we were saddled with the worst flu I’ve ever had.  I kept thinking it was a cold, but it wouldn’t go away. It started out with high fevers at night then went into weeks of upper respiratory infection and ended with sinusitis. My drug options were limited (being pregnant) and it was just miserable. The girls ended up getting a milder version and were only sick a week and a half but I have learned that being sick while your children are sick is no picnic at all. Thankfully, I think we are all finally getting close to being well.

Amidst all our suffering, we did enjoy three visits from family that perked up our Spring (which is over, of course, since we live in TX and are in the 80s now). First Great Aunt Jo came for a long weekend and we enjoyed a leisurely visit full of giggling and sunshine and strong coffee. A couple weeks later, Grandma Kane was in San Antonio for a conference so we went down to spend a few nights with her. Olivia enjoyed the hotel experience and I decided I wasn’t a fan of sharing a bed with a 2-year old! Lastly, Uncle Dan, Aunt Michelle, and cousins Elizabeth & David came over Spring Break. We joined them in San Antonio for a night on the Riverwalk and then a day at Sea World. A great time was had by all until the very end. We were going through one last exhibit and somehow Livy fell getting out of the stroller and cut her mouth. We took her to the First Aid station and they recommended taking her to the Urgent Care clinic to see about stitches. The doctor there said that it would heal on its own and it has done just that. So we marked another milestone as parents and thankfully, it was for a very minor accident. Thanks to our visitors for coming all this way – we enjoyed all of you!

I am hopeful and prayerful that very, very soon we can resume our life as usual. The girls & I are definitely suffering from cabin fever (well I am anyway). Our 20-week ultrasound is April 18th so we’ll probably find out then if the girls are getting a little sister or brother. I can’t decide what I want so that’s probably good. I also can’t believe we’re almost half way through this pregnancy. With all that we’ve been through in the last few months, I have hardly had time to think about a new baby. And yet this wonderful miracle is progressing without my even having to think about it. When I recall those difficult moments wondering whether we were going to be able to have children, I am amazed at how quickly and immensely life has changed in just 3 years. We are truly blessed (and busy!).

I promise an update on the girls soon, but here is a little peak at what the newest Andrews Baby is up to at 18 weeks gestation:

“Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper), and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She’s busy flexing her arms and legs – movements that you’ll likely start noticing more and more. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she’s born. If you’re having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.”