Tuesdays are FIRED!

Tatum Update:  We are at least home, right?  Tuesday is officially over and we are not in the hospital, so this is an improvement.  Let me start with yesterday.  Monday was a pretty good day.  I hardly suctioned Tates and she just was restful and pretty peaceful when she was awake.  I went and did hand molds on a little guy that went to heaven a few days ago.  He was adorable.  He had some health issues from birth and so his family only got to keep him for a few months.  When I went home I felt inspired to get hand molds of all of us with Tatum.  Halea had been asking, and I had just been dragging my feet.  Hand molds are a lot more lovely before someone dies, in my opinion.  So I knew that I just needed to do them, so it is one less thing to worry about during that hard time.  It was just a random burst of energy, I decided that we would do them for family night.  One at a time I did all of the kids, except for one.  Can you guess who?  Yep, Hilary.  She watched us and said, "I don't want to put my hand in that goo!"  I talked to her several times, but she refused. I didn't push it.  Today as I was finishing them she started seeing everyone's hands and I asked her again if she wanted to do one and she goes "Fine!".  I jumped into action and hurried and got it done before she changed her mind, as three year olds do.  They all turned out beautiful.  They aren't quite finished, but I took pictures so you could see what I was talking about.

I don't know which picture is easiest to see, because I am going blind, so here are both pictures.

On Tuesday morning I had been up and down all night.  I woke up at a little before six and realized that Tatum's feeding pump had not alerted when it ran out of food, so it was pumping air into her instead of food. Awesome.  Who knows how long it had been going.  I quickly changed the bag and started up another feeding.  At 8:30 the pump alarm went off saying that there was a block in the tube.  Great.  I started trying to unclog her feeding tube, to no avail.  After about an hour of pushing and pulling with a syringe, I was getting a little nervous.  The last time this happened they told us to try coke.  Makes ya feel pretty good about something you are drinking recreationally when the doctors use it as a tool to dissolve blockages!  I did not have any coke, so I called my neighbor who happened to be visiting with 2 of our other neighbors.  Between the three of them they came up with a coke.  My neighbor ran it over at a moments notice, all for sweet little Tater bug.  I got to work with the coke, again to no avail.  I called my doctor and he gave me a few more suggestions and told me to call if we couldn't get it unclogged.  I was freaking out, because the next solution would be to place another tube!  No way.  When it got to 11:30 I started panicking because Tatum had been without feeding for 3 hours.  She has no reserve and so I felt like I needed to act quick.  I made some arrangements for Hilary and packed up Tatum and off we went to the doctor.   On the way down I had the thought to grab another one of the nj tubes from the newborn ICU.  They come with a wire inside of them in order to push them down to place them.  I thought maybe we could use the wire to see if we could push the blockage through.  My NICU buddies grabbed a tube and met me  in the parking lot.  What do people do that have no hospital connections?  I am so lucky.  We worked on the blockage for a good 45 minutes at the doctors office, unsuccessful.  They called radiology so we could go get another tube placed or see if they could somehow unclog it.  This was at 1:30, now Tatum had been without food for 5 hours and I was feeling panicky.  Especially with the impending procedure the next day where she was going to have to fast for some hours.  Stress.   They said they could not see her until 3:00.  I was pretty furious, so i decided that I would go and check in and sit in their waiting room in case they had an opening before 3:00. I got there at about 1:45.  There was no one in the waiting area.  I checked in and told the receptionist that I knew my appointment wasn't until 3:00 but I thought I would come down in case they had time because i was nervous that my baby had not had feedings since 8:30 that morning.  I heard her call and tell the techs that I was there.  In the meantime one other man came and they took him back after about 10 minutes.  In the entire hour and fifteen minutes I was there he was the only patient they had!
Before they called me back a lady came in to pick up a lady who was back having a procedure.  She was standing in the waiting area holding a little guy who looked about Tatum's age.  She saw our stroller and said to her little boy, "Let's go see the baby".  I thought oh boy here it goes.  She came over and looked at Tatum and said how beautiful she was.  I said thank you.  I guess I should have told her that her baby was cute.   Whoops.   I was in no mood at this point.  Then she asked how old Tatum was.  I told her that she was turning a year in just a few days.  She said her little boy was turning a year the next week.  Then she said how little Tatum was.  Did she miss the feeding tube and the oxygen?  Out loud I just smiled and laughed a little.  Luckily my friend that I do my hospital work with was in the hospital.  She came and brought us lunch so that I didn't have to kill anyone and end up on the ten o clock news or something.
A young girl finally came and called Tatum's name right at 3:00.  As we were walking back she said "sorry it took so long we have just been crazy today".  Yeah right.  I have been sitting in your waiting area you dummy.  I responded with "Well, I am just a little worried because my baby hasn't had feedings  since 8:30 this morning", her response (I am not making this up)  "I am sure she is getting everything she needs".  Really?  Oh from the air?  I probably could have killed her with my bare hands.  Luckily Melanie had got a chicken sandwich and fries in me.  Lucky girl.
The good news is that the radiology guy was able to unclog the tube so we didn't have to place a new one!!! All was suddenly forgiven.  Then he took an xray and realized that the tube was in her tummy, not her intestine like it was supposed to be.  My heart sank.  I asked if he could just push her tube that was in already further down into her intestine.  He said he could.  He did it and we were on our way.  What a relief.

This entire time, Tatum was breathing so good.  I never had to suction her and her seizures were calm.  Apparently the girl has an aversion to food.  As soon as we started her feedings she started to get a little gurgly.  Darn it.   She did really good all the way home.  We got home and got her all settled.  After about an hour I noticed that her heart rate was pretty high.  I went and felt her and she felt a little warm.  I got her some Motrin right away.  After a few minutes I took her temp and it read at almost 103!  Good grief Charlie Brown.  We put a cool rag on her, which warranted a picture, of course.

Poor girl.  I don't think anyone hates Tuesdays as bad as Tatum.  This dumb fever came and went quickly because it was just from the trauma of the day, not an actual illness.  She really just can't take things like dehydration.
It is now 2:30 am.  We only have 5 1/2 hours left.  I feel like this has been the longest wait ever.  I pray that things will just go smooth for her and that she will be strong and comforted and that her body will cooperate and that those that will be working with her will be guided by the spirit in the things that they need to do for her. I will feel  so much more settled once this is done.

I took these pictures on Monday.  I just love the lighting at this time of day, and she is wearing my favorite outfit..

Love her sweet little pudgy hands.