Lots of changes and sickness!!

Well, lots has changed at the Mikels. I recently had to quit my job to stay with Noelle. To make a long story short, it just was in our families best interest for myself or Ross to stay home with Noelle. In the long run, it makes more sense for me to stay home with Noelle. I know her entire history and am always the one taking her to the doctors. So, now it is my job!! :) I'm incredibly sad and pretty crushed to leave a job that I love and a job that I helped build and a job that I'm good at...but in the long run....this is probably the best for our family. I'm going to miss everyone at Discovery Station and hope I can keep in touch with everyone.

Andon is having a hard time with the transition to being home all the time. He misses his teachers and friends a lot and I think he is going to get bored around the house eventually. I'm going to have to keep on my toes with ways to entertain him. We will probably arrange some play dates with some of his school friends. Other than that, most likely we'll stay inside for the winter and get out again when nice weather hits. Enter cabin fever... :) :)

Poor Noelle has been having a really hard time lately. She was "off" on Christmas day and I just thought she was really overwhelmed with all the gifts and change of routine. Nope...she was getting sick. We were in the Emergency room at Fairfax from about 10pm to 4am yesterday. She was desatting and working entirely too hard. The doctor on call said it was probably best to get her looked at. So, we went in. It was a joke. The resident was the one heading up her care and had no experience with a chronic lung kid. The attending came in and literally did not touch her. They released her with the diagnosis of a "cold." Gave her a huge dose of steroids and let us go home. I was happy they let us go home but was not happy with the visit. I have never said that about Fairfax before....I honestly think it has to do with the pulmonologist that was on call last night. We are not his biggest fans and he knows it. Anyways, we followed up with Dr. Fields (her main pulmonologist that we love) this morning and he said the poor girl has an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection. She'll be on high steroids for a week or so and an antibiotic for 10 days. Noelle is a trooper. She is still working really hard to breathe and wheezing a lot...but she is hanging in there at home and that is all that matters!!! :) :)

We had an amazing Christmas Day!! It was our first Christmas at home as a family and it could not have been better. We stayed in our pajamas all day, played and just had a relaxing fun day!! Something we totally missed out on last year. We were so happy to be home all together! I'll post pictures soon!! I wish everyone happy holidays and a very happy new year!!! Here comes 2010!!!

xoxo,


Stacie :)