A Relaxing Saturday… Just What We Needed!

1 Comment

There isnt much to say about our relaxing Saturday, other then we needed it. After the time spent in the hospital and all of the worry that surrounded Ellie and of course how all of this would effect Abby, left us feeling a bit stressed and worn out. So when we felt it was ok to do so, we got out of the house and headed for the park. The day was perfect, in the high 70’s, sunny and a cool breeze coming in from the Pacific. Thanks to Erika and Harrison’s birthday party we now have a great new park to go to.

When we got there Abby wanted to head directly to the swings and there she stayed for nearly 45 minutes. Shaun was finally able to get her to move on, but it took some persuasion. From there she ran around the toddler sized play area, hit the slide a few times, and had herself a wonderful time. She even had a little friend to play with, until that child started pushing her and her parents where nowhere to be found to prevent it. Who leaves their child unattended at a busy park?!(I wont get myself started on that one) Abby had a wonderful time and Ellie slept peacefully in the stroller.








After a few hours at the park, Shaun thought that we should take off and head down to the beach. Of course, I agreed! It was a perfect day. We didnt stay long, but Abby enjoyed playing in the sand and chasing the seagulls. Ellie, of course, was asleep or hungry and fussy during her first trip to the beach. But thats ok… we still enjoyed our time. I love that I was able to snap some great pictures too.








Afternoon Movie Time A Complete Snooze

Leave a comment

Abby and I had afternoon movie time in our room while Ellie slept. Abby was tired and cranky and I am still trying to recover from the lack of sleep while at the hospital. So we snuggled up in our bed and watched Toy Story 2 together. As the movie ended I told Abby to stay right there while I took are of Ellie for a moment and then we would go lay down for a nap. By the time I turned around she was passed out, sleeping like an angel. I love afternoon movie time.


One Very Big Reason to Vaccinate…

1 Comment

Just after Harrison’s birthday party, Ellie started to get a little cough. It wasn’t much, more of a nuisance to Ellie then anything else. At first we thought it was a little cold or allergic reaction but over a day or two it progressed to something worse and that little voice started to work inside my head… This just doesn’t seem right. The Wednesday following his party, Ellie and I headed to the doctors office to get her checked out, just to be safe, and try to silence that voice. Our usual pediatrician was away on vacation, but we saw the other pediatrician in his practice. She listened to Ellie’s chest and it sounded clear as a bell. She felt it was just an irritation or slight reaction to something and it was nothing to be concerned about. I left feeling glad it wasn’t anything big to worry about.

By the time we reached the following Monday, Ellie was coughing hard and barely able to breath. That little voice wasnt so little anymore and it was now screaming at me… “Something is definitely wrong with our little girl!” After a call to our doctors service and a chat with his fabulous PA Susie, we were up bright and early the following morning for walk-in hours to see her and have Ellie checked out… AGAIN. Luckily this time Ellie went into a coughing fit right there in front of Susie and that’s when things changed.

Before we knew it she was calling the ER at Providence Tarzana to let them know we were on our way. From there we spoke with an ER doctor (who had a very, “Holy-er than Thou” attitude) who ran tests for RSV, Influenza, Pneumonia and Pertussis. Ellie also had chest x-rays done just to make sure that she didn’t have any fluid in her lungs. The results for Pertussis and RSV take several days to get back but he didn’t feel it was either. The chest x-rays showed a small spot of fluid but nothing to be concerned about. He felt it was either bacterial or viral pneumonia and from there he sent us home with the final words of “a cough has never done serious damage to anyone.”

Later that night, after we visited with Zoe and said goodbye before she left for a 10 day trip to Belgium, Ellie had another coughing episode. This time, however, she could not breath and after a few moments started turning blue. Just before panic turned into chaos, she was able to catch a breath. That was the point where I knew something was very wrong and that come hell or high water I would get some answers and I would not leave the ER or that hospital until I knew Ellie was ok. So from there we sped off to Patrick and Fiona’s house to drop Abby off and then went to the ER. This time someone listened.

The ER doctor felt Ellie’s situation was a bit of gray area. Her lungs sounded clear but the cough was a concern. He left the decision of what to do for us. Without hesitation we decided to have her admitted for 24 hour observation. The process began and it certainly was something I could have done without. I am proud of myself for being so strong but I was dying inside. Watching them take blood and start her on an IV was probably the hardest thing we have done as parents thus far. Ellie was scared and hurting and I couldn’t do anything to comfort her. She didn’t understand what was happening. Shaun and I felt helpless and honestly I think that is the worst feeling as a parent. After two hours of preparation, tests and paperwork we were finally admitted to Tarzana’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

By the time we were moved up to PICU, it was almost 1:30am on Wednesday August 18th. Shaun and I were already exhausted from several nights of interrupted sleep worrying about Ellie’s cough and breathing. Luckily the night nurse, Ed, was amazing and kept us focused but also took our mind off of things. He got Ellie settled in to her hospital crib and tried to make her as comfortable as possible, swaddling her tight and showing us what we needed to do and how they would help her during each coughing episode. From there we also learned that another baby with pertussis had been there 10 days already and showed no sign of heading home. I had a gut feeling that we wouldn’t be there for just a 24 hour observation anymore. And as for the ER doc that said “a cough has never done serious damage to anyone”, he should have been there when our nurse had to rush to the bedside of another infant to give her chest compressions to get her to start breathing again during a coughing episode.

Ellie with her IV board resting peacefully. At this point she had gone several hours without a coughing episode. Things were looking better for our precious little girl.

I stayed with Ellie around the clock, most of the time, because she relies on me to eat and trying to introduce formula wasn’t a good idea. We didn’t need to add anymore issues to the mix. Luckily I had some frozen milk at home, which allowed me to escape for a few hours to go home, shower, sleep and stop by Grandpa and Nana’s house to visit with Abby. This lasted for 8 days, but with a few visits and an amazing staff of nurses and doctors, the time spent in a dark PICU room was bearable. Ellie was the hit of the PICU though and most of the nurses had no problem holding her and watching her so that I could take a break. They were amazed at how much she smiled and giggled for a 7 week old baby. Ed, Jaimie, Rosie, Sandy, Val, Esmer, and more were smitten with Ellie. Even though they were happy to see her healthy enough to be discharged, I know they were sad to see her go. On Wednesday August 25th, Dr Lee the Pediatric Doctor, gave u the all clear to go home.

Ellie is going home! No more IV board, monitors, cannula, and hospital shirts!

Ellie is doing well thus far. She still has coughing episodes that last a bit but she can breathe and regain a normal breathing pattern on her own. Whooping cough can take up to a few months to get rid of, but we are over the worst. She went in for a follow up with Dr. Calig today and he says other then the nasty cough, she looks great. We go back next week for her 2 month check up, where she will have received her first DTaP vaccine.

While I am not generally a preachy person, I can say that I have a strong opinion about childhood vaccines. I know there are some concerns and I dont judge those people who have their opinions either, but the end result of people not vaccinating their children can be deadly. While we were in the PICU, 5 other cases of Pertussis came through. In the last few months there have been 5 confirmed deaths from Pertussis in Los Angeles County alone. Dr. Calig told me that up until this year he had only seen a handful of Pertussis cases during his 30+ years in practice. Shaun and I were both vaccinated and we kept Ellie away from most people while we were out. Its becoming an epidemic and I feel lucky that Ellie will come out of this just fine. Its something she will never remember but its also something we will never forget. The sad thing is that this infectious disease had basically been eradicated in the U.S. Now its yet another worry for parents of children under the age of 1.

Hau`oli Lā Hānau Emily!

Leave a comment

The Wharton’s were invited to another fun birthday party this weekend. Well, its more like Abby is the popular one. You know, come to think of it… She isnt even two yet and she has been invited to more parties then Shaun and I have. Not sure what to say about that. Today was Emily’s 2nd birthday and Abby was definitely ready to get her hula on.

From what I have been told, Emily is obsessed with Lilo and Stitch and after a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, where she saw hula dancers, she loves to hula as well. As if this isnt cute enough, Jackie and Emerson have taught her to dance and sing Don Ho’s “Tiny Bubbles”. What a crack up. Therefore it only seemed fitting for her birthday party to have a luau theme! Even better, her birthday cake looked exactly like the cake from Lilo and Stitch!

The party was a blast and despite the heat, Abby played until she couldnt play anymore. As I thought, the girls spent a lot of their time near the “refreshment pool” trying to eat the ice when mommy and daddy werent looking. They were inside and out, haveing a blast. The icing on the cake though, were the dancers that came to perform. They were great and really… it was the birthday girl that stole the show. Emily got right up there and danced with them! Abby somewhat followed suit, although she was very interested in showing everyone a deflated balloon she found too. Harrison came over as well and he had fun playing with one of their dolphin pool toys. He was so cute because to him, it looked like a shark and he kept calling him Bruce from Finding Nemo. As things calmed down, Emily, Abby and Harrison all played together. It was such a fun day!

Abby and Emily “chatting it up” as we first arrive. Love her little hula outfit!

Emily with the dancers who are dressed in their Tahitian costumes. She was ready to dance!

Emily is born to hula! Someone get this girl to the Big Island already!

Oh boy… two two year olds armed with wooden sticks. This could either be really funny or a tad bit scary. Maybe a little of both perhaps?

Keeping cool on a very hot August day with some popsicles… yummy!

Lost in balloons… This kept him happy for quite some time!

Abby is ready for candy combat. Let the sugar rush commence!

Happy Birthday Harrison!

Leave a comment
Happy 2nd Birthday Harrison!
Today was a gorgeous day to celebrate a birthday! Harrison’s 2nd Birthday. Abby was very excited to go because it meant she got to play at the park and the park means swings. She also had the chance to play with Emily and Harrison and let me tell ya its been a while since they have been able to do that! I had a feeling it was going to be a great day.

Boy was I right! Abby had a blast and let me tell you the nap that she took after this fun filled day was a good one. That party was fun and relaxed, which allowed the kids to play and do what they wanted. I love parties like this! Emily and Abby ran around like they were old friends, talking in a language no adult knows, spending a lot of time playing in the little pool where all the ice and drinks were and chasing bubbles produced by the coolest bubble machine ever. Abby, as usual, spent a lot of time on the swings and finally learned to let go of the sides of the slide. In all of this we were introduced to a new park that I know we will be spending a lot of time at in the future. Ellie enjoyed the day as well, sleeping and being fed in the shade of a beautiful tree. It was a glorious day and a wonderful birthday party!

Enjoying the party the only way she knows how… by sleeping

Abby loves the swings… not sure you can tell though.

The handsome birthday boy!

Marching around… these two were a riot!

Taking a much needed hydration break… She is such a character!

Finally… NO HANDS!

Best of Buds

1 Comment

Abby and Jack have become the most unlikely best of friends. I always thought Jack would spend most of his time hiding from Abby, but once again he has surprised me. Abby likes to chase him and he willingly plays. She will also steal his toys and he will chase her to get them back. He also plays tug of war with her, but is so gentle. They have a love and respect for each other and I know that he would protect Abby from anything and anyone.

One Month and Two Months Shy of Two…

Leave a comment

Ellie is now a month old and Abby is now one year and 10 months old, only two months away from from her second birthday. Both girls are changing so quickly… Is there any way to make time stop?

Today we celebrated those milestones with Grandma Zoe, who also celebrated a birthday as well. As I have sworn to live by the girl code, I will not reveal a ladies age. But we celebrated her 25th birthday… *wink*. The evening was relaxed. Shaun had planned to cook but because of the vaccine he received on Friday ( gotta keep Ellie protected from Pertussis, AKA Whooping Cough) he was not feeling all that great. Instead we ordered from Maria’s Kitchen, yummy and celebrated with an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins… even yummier! We had a very lovely evening.

Ellie has been growing stronger and bigger with each and every day that passes. She is smiling now too! No, its not gas. They are actual smiles which are a result of an action.. generally mommy or daddy acting super ridiculous. I have been trying to catch a picture of her for the last few days now, but haven’t been successful. Luckily she cooperated today and I was able to capture it! She is going to have a beautiful smile just like her sister.

Ellie went in for her doctors appointment on Friday and passed with flying colors. Susie, the PA, was amazed at how strong Ellie is. While testing her strength, Susie had Ellie grab her fingers and at this point she usually pulls the little up a bit. Instead, Ellie pulled herself up. We have a another strong one on our hands! Ellie has gained plenty of weight and grown in length. As a nursing mother, this is music to my ears. Just when it seems as though I am not providing enough for my child, I receive confirmation that I am doing well and she is getting what she needs. That certainly makes my day.

One Month Stats
Weight: 9 Pounds 5 Ounces
Length: 21 1/2 Inches
(Ellie has gained almost a pound and grown half an inch in two weeks)
Finally captured that adorable little smile. What a beautiful girl…. I am a bit biased.

Playing on her monkey mat, trying to figure out how she can get to the monkey swinging above her.

Still thinking about how to get that monkey…

Abby has grown so much too. I swear that in the 5 days I was in the hospital she changed into a whole new person. When Shaun wheeled her in to our room in her stroller the night before we were discharged, there was something different. She held on tightly to her new Woody toy and had a new sparkle in her eye. The sparkle of a little girl who was now a big sister and her mommies little helper. She has been a wonderful help to mommy and has learned her first chore, laundry! Ok so its not a lot, but its so sweet. Abby helps me put the clothes into the washing machine, making sure to separate each item before she puts them in and with a little guidance, presses the start button. Before I know it… she will be doing her own laundry. Until then I will relish in the little moments like this.

My sweet and beautiful little girl… She always makes me smile. How could a face like that not make you smile?

Our pretty, pretty princess… love those big baby blues!

Three Weeks Old….

Leave a comment
Ellie turns 3 Weeks Old today! Another week down and little changes are occurring. Ellie has been a very strong baby… even before birth, but now she is holding her head up on her own and starting to turn it from one side to the other. The news to report however, is that she is sleeping in nearly 4 hour periods! This gives mom and dad a little more time to rest and hopefully start to regain our sanity.

Over the last two days, Auntie Kenzi has spent time with Abby, Ellie and myself. Mackenzie has been a great help as well and of course I love spending time with her. Especially before heading off on an awesome vacation to Africa! Today Nancy, Mackenzie’s mom came over and did a mini photo shoot with Ellie. I cant wait to see those pictures. I am sure they will turn out great, especially with such an adorable subject! I took a few pictures myself, but I am sure they don’t look nearly as great as Nancy’s!

My sweet little peanut at exactly 3 weeks old. Love this girl!

Daddy giving Ellie kisses. I have to say that spiky hair could give Ellie the nickname of Sonic… If so, she is one adorable little hedgehog!

“Oh Grandpa… you’re silly!”

Happy bath time! Ellie loves the bath… No Joke! She cries when I undress her but the minute we started bathing her she is happy. Both of my girls love to take a bath… yay!

Settling Back Into Reality

Leave a comment

Jillian left to go home today… really if you know me well enough I don’t have to say much more. My sister and best friend was leaving and I was a wreck. I had such a wonderful time with Jillian and she had been so helpful during a good portion of my recovery process. She had also become a wonderful playmate to her niece and I truly feel she helped a great deal with the transition Abby was having to make from only child to sibling. It was a blast and something I have appreciated very much.

I held it together on the trip to the airport, talking and laughing as best I could. When we pulled up to the curb and said our goodbyes I still managed to hang on. But when Abby began to cry and scream as Auntie J said goodbye to her and closed the door, I lost it. Thank goodness for sunglasses! It was hard to see Jillian go, but even harder to see my little girl sad and upset that her Auntie and playmate for the past 3 weeks was leaving and she didn’t understand that we would see her again soon. Talk about ripping my heart out slowly. I think I cried quietly most of the way home and Shaun held my hand as best he could while driving. I did recover and so did Abby, but it was definitely a rough morning.

Now its back to reality and as they say “The Honeymoon is Over!”

Auntie J and Ellie strike a pose before we pack up and head to the airport. I definitely was not ready to say goodbye and I don’t think Jillian was either.

I tried to get a picture of Jillian, Abby and Ellie before we left but Abby didn’t want to. This was as close as I got to a picture together. What a memory… nothing but the back of Abby’s head. It is a cute head though, isn’t it?

Two Weeks Old….

Leave a comment

It is so hard to believe, but Ellie is now two weeks old and changing so fast. She is growing by leaps and bounds and I want it to stop already! Time is flying and I think because I am only 2 weeks post partum, I am actually having a hard time dealing with it.

May parents left to head back home this past weekend and that was a very difficult day for me. Having them here made me so very happy and because I was unable to do much because of my C-Section, I had the chance to spend some quality time with them. Something I don’t get to do much of anymore… mainly because they are over 1,000 miles away from here! They did have a safe trip home and on Sunday even decided to take a detour home through Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Needless to say, I was very jealous.

On a very bright note, Jillian stayed even longer to help out and she has done great job. Abby is loving having Auntie J around. I am honestly not sure what is going to happen when she has to leave next week. Poor Shaun might have two girls sobbing in the car on the way home from the airport.

Ellie has been doing great and hasn’t tortured her parents too much. She has given us a few long nights, but this is to be expected. We have had a few segments of sleep that have lasted more then 2 and a half hours, so things are looking up! With each waking I remind myself that things change quickly and soon we will have lots of rest. That could just be wishful thinking too! Here is hoping for the best!

This past weekend we also took our first trip out to the Topanga Mall and Target. The trip only lasted about two hours but it was needed. I was starting to go a bit stir crazy and being inside constantly was giving me a bit of the baby blues. My friend Morgan suggested I get out, even if only for an hour, and walk around somewhere. So I did… and it made a huge difference.

Ellie also had her 2 week check up and once again passed with flying colors. She has a slight issue with an obstructed tear duct but its something that just passes with time. Abby had the same issue as a baby too. Its common in C-Section babies, as they don’t undergo the immense pressure of traveling through the birth canal. A little medical information for those that might be interested 🙂 She is growing well and gaining plenty of weight like she should be.

Two Week Stats
Weight: 8 Pounds 8 Ounces
Length: 21 Inches
(In 2 Weeks Ellie has gained nearly 1 pound 3 ounces in weight and grown half and inch in length! This includes the weight she regained after the typical drop in the first few days after birth.)

Baby Ellie feet… so tiny, skinny and long! She likes to curl and then spread out her toes, like a cat does when its stretching.

Ellie relaxing in her bouncer, sporting her cute outfit from Baby Gap. The shorts barely stay on, but I had to put her in this outfit! I am sure she will eventually grow into it.

Daddy and Ellie snuggle at the Red Robin in Glendale. It was Ellie’s first and last trip for a while to a sit down restaurant.

One Week… Time is Flying!

Leave a comment

Time is flying by so quickly… its unbelievable. Ellie is 1 week old today and she is growing and changing so fast. Its not fair that they don’t stay this little just a tad bit longer. Its ok, I have loved watching every stage of Abby’s growth, so I know I will feel the same way about Ellie too. On that note, let me catch you up to speed…

We have been home from the hospital 3 whole days and resting comfortably. As a parent, you always wish and hope that your baby will sleep through the night the minute you bring them home, but alas, that was not the case! Ellie would have the typical 2 hour spurts of sleep and then would wake up to nurse. Her days and nights are still pretty mixed up but as I tell myself… this too shall pass, just enjoy all the wonderful moments and remember that you will look back on the difficult ones with fondness one day.

We also took Ellie in for her first official check-up! I have to say its nice having a newborn at the doctors office. We didn’t have to wait in the waiting room with other screaming children and sick ones at that. The minute I signed us in and updated our file we were taken right to an exam room. Ellie was a great little patient and survived all of her exams. The doctor said she looked perfect, which of course was music to our ears!

One Week Stats
Weight: 7 Pounds 14 Ounces
Length: Not Measured at this appointment
(When we left the hospital Ellie was 7 Pounds 5 ounces, she lost 10% of her birth weight)

Got Milk?

Gotta love the milk mouth while in her milk coma!

Abby checking up in her little sister. Its such a precious moment to capture, a blurry one but a precious one.

Abby got into the bottom drawer where all of her disposable cups and bibs are. She got caught and like many kids shows them off and gives mommy a cute face. How can I get mad at that point? 🙂

Sleepy little Ellie… she does that a lot, except at night when mommy and daddy want to sleep!

Only 5 days old and so alert! Love that adorable face.

Abby seems to be adjusting well to sisterhood. She still doesn’t quite understand everything that is going on and that this baby is here to stay but she will learn as she grows. For now she calls her “baby sissy”. We shall see if we can get her to say Ellie soon, not going to push it though. 🙂

Now on for another week and more adventures. Here’s hoping we can get some decent sleep. HA HA! Now I just have to hold it together when my parents leave and I will be ok!

Lots of Visitors

Leave a comment

During our stay in the hospital, Ellie and I had a few visitors. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Taylor, Grandma Zoe and Grandpa Pat and Nana Fiona came to visit… they are grandparents! And of course Auntie Jillian came to visit too… just not as often due to the fact that she was helping us out by watching Abby. I don’t have many pictures of these visitors, so I apologize. When they came to visit I was distracted talking and spending time with them and even my dad, who was taking pictures for me, would get distracted too. Hmmmm, I wonder why?

Grandma Taylor and Ellie steal a moment to snuggle.

Auntie Jillian meets Ellie for the very first time. I think she is in love!

I also had a few other people visit, one of which being my dear friend Mackenzie or Auntie Kenzi to the girls. Kenzi came to visit the night Ellie was born but also came on Saturday to spend time with us as well. She was beyond sweet and brought us a fantastic homemade dinner. She made us homemade Mac N Cheese (which was amazing), caesar salad, garlic bread and a yummy 4th of July cake! I know Shaun enjoyed her dinner very much, which was a wonderful change from the hospital food he had been eating. We talked and enjoyed each others company, which was very special to me. Before we knew it, it was 10:30pm and visiting hours had ended nearly two hours beforehand. Luckily the nurses that night were very cool and didn’t seem to care!

A very proud Auntie Kenzi snuggling and spoiling Ellie with lots of love!

Barbara and Mike visiting with Ellie

Another dear friend and someone I called Aunt growing up came to visit as well. On Saturday afternoon, Barbara and Mike stopped by to meet our cute little girl and we had the chance to visit with them and catch up. They had a great time visiting and I so very much enjoyed having them there. As always I am more then happy to share the love and excitement of a new baby with family and friends.