Hospital Day 2

We are still here. Mallorie is doing better, but we expect it will be a couple days till she will be discharged. Certainly not today or tomorrow.

I didn't sleep at all in the ER the first night (Monday night), and got just a few hours last night, and then went to work today, so I am beyond exhausted. I want to just make mention of my amazing Hannah (14), who is beyond wonderful as a daughter and as a sister. She is the one who decides whether or not Mallorie is dressed fashionably, and because she knows Mal loves a nice spa treatment, she will often give her a bath for us, "just because." Just because her baby sister enjoys the water so much, and because who doesn't love a baby who smells of the 1001 different brands of baby soaps that Hannah can find whenever she's out at her fave store, Target.

As a daughter, Hannah is extremely sensitive and compassionate, and such good company. She's who stayed with me in the ER, and also last night. The first night, there was only a chair to sit in next to the stretcher Mallorie was on, so I just stayed up, and Hannah curled up on the stretcher next to Mallorie, and was able to get in a little bit of sleep. Last night, Hannah insisted several times that I try to sleep, and she'd watch Mallorie until she went to sleep. But last night was like this night - the night the steroids kicked in. At least that's my theory. Mallorie spent from 8 pm till about 3 am just tossing her head back and forth frantically, and moaning, unable to calm down for more than a rare moment. I was so anxious about losing the IV, and the whining and moaning were loud enough, that I didn't even drop off till 11 pm, and I kept waking up. Once, I heard Hannah plead, very softly, please stop, please stop. Not with impatience; just the voice of sheer exhaustion and sadness. About 3 am, I felt able to take over, so Hannah curled up and I got the easier part of the night, because Mallorie would actually sleep for hour-long stretches, and was no longer really moaning. While I was at work today, and John and Jacob (8) stayed with Mallorie, Hannah took a nap at home to prepare her to help me again tonight. We're hoping the steroid business, or whatever it is, won't be such a deal tonight, so maybe both of us can sleep between feedings and such.

I think that along with the gift of every special baby, should be a daughter like Hannah. I don't mean to imply that all of our children aren't unbelievably helpful and smitten by their youngest sibling, but tonight I'm loving me a sweet girl named Hannah. Totally, you "special mommies" out there should ask about getting a Hannah.

Even if I had better than a cell phone camera with me, I don't have the ability to get it from the camera to the blog here at the hospital, but if I did, I'd put one right here.