So I went to CHOP today with Alex for 2 appointments today. We left the house at 1:00 p.m. and got home at 7:30 p.m. I am seldom home due to Alex's busy schedule and I think I should change the 'stay at home mom' title to something more appropriate...I don't know what though. So I pulled into the CHOP parking garage today like I always do and prayed for a parking spot like I always do. I spotted one at the last minute and almost drove by it. I had to back up a bit to pull in. There was a red SUV behind me; a middle age woman in the driver seat with a teenage boy wearing headphones in the passenger seat. She had been riding my trail since I pulled into the garage. She backed up a bit as I was backing up and I then as I started to pull into the parking spot she began to violently beep her horn over and over again and scream out her window as well as curse while she was at it. She would not stop! The teenage boy in the passenger seat just sat there like a manikin with his headphones on ignoring him mom and looking straight ahead. I put my car in park, blocking the insane woman, jumped out and ran up to her car window. She rolled her window up and kept beeping and screaming. I yelled out saying that his is a Children's Hospital and that her beeping, yelling and cursing in not appropriate and it's not going to make me park any faster. She would not stop. I proceeded to get into my car and wait for a security officer to come. I was fed up! The problem was that other cars started to come and I did not want to block them in...so I pulled into my parking spot and as the woman sped away (thank God she didn't hit anyone) into the lower level of the parking garage I somehow got all, except for the last letter, of her license plate number. In meantime, Alex was in the car throwing up all of her feed...She did to feel good this morning and was running a bit of a fever which will then at times make her vomit. I cleaned it up as best as I could, laid a blanket in the stroller and placed Alex, covered in vomit, there. I rushed to our appointment to which we were now late but not before stopping at a security desk to report what happened. They told me that I need to go to the first floor to report that. Way to busy for that...So I called them to report it after Alex's first appointment for which the security guy was very thankful. He said he was going to go to the lower level garage to see if he could find the car I was describing and if so announce on the loud speaker that the owner of that car is to report to the security office. He thanked me for handling the situation so well and said that most people would have lost it altogether...I didn't think I handled it as well as I should have though...And on our way home I prayed for that woman and her son. Anyway, we were 20 minutes late to Child Psychology which I was not happy about but it ended up fine. I told the Child Psychologist that Alex is doing terrible with her feeding exercises...as soon as she tastes the applesauce she refused to take another bite and looks very distraught for the rest of the exercise. The Child Psychologist decided to then tell me that she actually skipped a few steps that go between the empty spoon exercises and placing actual food on the spoon...She thought Alex was ready for that but as it turns out Alex, over the past 3 weeks, told that us she is not ready for it. So we tried something different today and Alex did excellent with it during the session! I was encouraged! We are doing 3 empty spoons followed by a spoon dipped in water then an empty spoon, so on so forth, the 10th and last spoon being the one with a bit of applesauce on the tip of it. We are to do that for 3 days and then use unsweetened apple juice instead of water to give Alex the taste of apples without the texture or food. Placing the applesauce on the last spoon made a huge difference in Alex not refusing to take the spoon in her mouth. I also found out from the allergist that I can give Alex plain apples with nothing added to them in any form. I spoke to the Child Psychologist about it today and we are going to give Alex a few different forms of apples to explore during our meal times - dried apples, fresh apple slices, applesauce, etc. Alex wants to eat when we are eating and not being able to give her something during meal times has been hard on all of us. A very helpful and encouraging appointment! From there we went to General Surgery to get Alex's Mic-Key button changed over to a new button - the valve has been leaking for a week or two now...Since we've been having to change the button over every 3 to 4 weeks instead of every 3 to 6 months next time we are going to try a different make button. It's a newer design and a different manufacturer. We will see if that works any better...I made a return on the way home and picked up dinner (Steve already ate). Got home, unloaded, unpacked all the soiled clothes, stripped and disinfected the car seat, repacked for tomorrow...Still doing laundry from the throw up earlier today...Gave Alex a bath, her meds, overnight formula, cuddled and put her to bed around 8:30 pm. Washed all the syringes, containers and bags from today...I'm pooped! Tomorrow we go to G.I. Nutrition and then to a store to run some errands. Hopefully tomorrow will be a less eventful day! Alex is definitely ready for a formula increase so this a much needed appointment. Steve and I both noticed that she looks like she got longer but dropped some weight. Her feeds have not been increased for 2 months...They typically get increased every 2 - 4 weeks...But between the vomiting from adding the DuoCal and waiting for Alex's tummy to heal from that and also hoping that Alex would take to the applesauce the Nutritionist decided to just wait till tomorrow to evaluate and make needed adjustments. Thursday we have P.T. after which I have a follow-up with my allergist then we Steve and I have a rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner to go to. Friday Alex and I go to Mommy and Me Swimming Lessons. Saturday we go to a wedding and Sunday my parents are coming over to watch Alex while we go to church. So that's our crazy life! At least a part of it...
Thank you all for your prayers!
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