Today is my 26th birthday and it was super low key, which was what I was hoping for this year. The kids and I jumped in the car and picked up lunch and treats so I didn't have to make anything. Nate had to work but he left work early to celebrate with me. He got me a yummy ice cream cake and brought home Noodles & Co. for dinner. His parents came over and ate with us then I opened gifts. It was great  :)

Now that our family is finally healthy (knock on wood), here's a look back at the last 2 months...
*It may be a little descriptive, beware :)

So remember this post back in July?

Now fast forward to a month later to August:

8/10 (Sunday) Cambria throws up 3 or 4 times.
8/11 (Monday) Landon starts having diarrhea.
8/12 (Tuesday) Landon diarrhea.
8/13 (Wednesday) Landon diarrhea.
8/14 (Thursday) Landon diarrhea.
8/15 (Friday) Landon diarrhea. Landon throws up 4 times.
8/16 (Saturday) Landon diarrhea. Cambria throws up 3 times.
8/17 (Sunday) Landon diarrhea. Landon throws up 1 time.
8/18 (Monday) Landon throws up 4 or 5 times.
8/19 (Tuesday) Sometime during the night/early morning, Landon throws up in bed.
8/20 (Wednesday) Sometime during the night/early morning, Landon throws up in bed.
                             *See Dr. Says just a bug, should be the end because no more diarrhea.
8/21 (Thursday)  Sometime during the night/early morning, Landon throws up in bed. Throws up 4 more times. Landon's diarrhea is back.
8/22 (Friday) Landon diarrhea.
8/23 (Saturday) 1:45am wakes up vomiting/dry heaving uncontrollably.
                          *3:00-5:30am Emergency Room. Stool sample. Blood tests. IV of fluids to rehydrate. Tests come back positive for C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile).
8/24 (Sunday)  Sometime during the night/early morning, Landon throws up in bed several times.
                         *Started antibiotics (Flagyl)
8/25 (Monday) Landon diarrhea in the morning.
8/26 (Tuesday) No vomit. No diarrhea.

8/26 - 9/2 No symptoms

9/3 (Wednesday) Landon throws up 4 times.
                         *See Dr. Says probably coincidentally got flu.

9/6 (Saturday) Landon diarrhea. Throws up 3 times.
                         *See Dr. Stool sample. Positive for C. Diff again.

9/8 (Monday) Started Flagyl antibiotics again.

9/13 (Saturday) Cambria throws up 3 times.
9/14 (Sunday) 8:30pm Landon starts grabbing his right knee/leg in pain, couldnt put weight on it. Lasts about an hour. Noticed Landons skin getting splottchy.
9/15 (Monday) *See Dr. for leg & rash. Leg undetermined, rash caused by allergy developed from antibiotics. Taken off Flagyl, put on Zyrtec/Benedryl
9/16 (Tuesday) Landon wakes up from nap grabbing his left knee/leg in pain, couldnt put weight on it.
9/17 (Wednesday) 730pm Landon starts grabbing his left knee/leg in pain, couldnt put weight on it.
                              *Rush to Primary Childrens Hosptial ER. Dr. say most likely Transient Synovitis (Toxic Synovitis) caused from his illnesses.
9/18 (Thursday) Landon wakes up congested, coughin, sneezing & congestion.
9/19 (Friday)  Sometime during the night/early morning, Cambria throws up in bed.
9/20 (Saturday) Cambria throws up 1 time. Cambria gets runny nose & cough.
9/21 (Sunday) Everyone has a cold.

9/24 (Wednesday)  7:15pm Landon starts grabbing his left knee/leg in pain, couldnt put weight on it.
9/25 (Thursday) Landon has fever of 102.

(He isn't really throwing up here, he saw the "barf bucket" and has learned thats what happens when it comes out.)

(Nate surprised me one night by bringing this car home from work when I was having a really really hard day. He was going to take me out to dinner but I felt bad that his parents had already helped me that day, I didn't want to make them watch the kids. Then I bawled because I ruined what Nate was trying to do for me. He is just the sweetest.)

(A much needed laugh at the end of a bad day. Love her.)

(Just a hint of how affected I was during this time. I had found this as I was getting ready for bed one night. My toothbrush that I got ready to use that morning but never had a chance to use.)

 

(Oh yeah, Cambria had an allergic reaction to peanut butter. Fun.)

 

(What my house looked like for 2 months.)

(Just some of the medicine that was taken over the past 2 months)

(This isn't even close to how much love and support I got from everyone...)

To say its been a rough couple of months is an understatement. I wish I could say that the quote "You never know how strong you are until its the only choice you have." described this unfortunate time, but that would be a lie. I have learned a lot about myself though, including the fact that I cannot keep myself together when my children are going through such a rough time. We all have things we are working on, and being strong during hard times is definitely something I need to improve on. But I can't be more grateful for everyone around my that helped me though it. I have an amazing husband, wonderful family and outstanding friends/visiting teachers that helped me get through each and every day.

Of course I know things could have been so much worse, trust me I told myself that every day, it was still probably the hardest 2 months I have ever gone through in my own life. I have been pretty blessed to not have had very many super hard trials yet in life so this was a big wake-up call. Anything can happen at any point, and I need to be prepared for hard things to come. They are going to come. It's part of life and we have to deal with the cards we are dealt. But how much joy comes after those trials are over? A ton. I am grateful to experience hard things so I understand how good life really is.

Thank you to all the thoughts and prayers for our family.

Hello 9 month old Cambria!

This month you:
-started drinking water from a bottle and sippy cup
-had your first tooth come through on 8/26
-have discovered your favorite food...peas!
-are doing a lot of copying people
-said your first thing "da-da" on 9/3
are suddenly terrified of hearing people talk on speakerphone
-started to scoot and are now army crawling