Focusing on Caroline

Today we will be meeting for our 4H Photography meeting (see other blog later in the day).  This made me think of Caroline...six-year-old...full of life and charitable acts...and she loved taking pictures.  It has been said that she carried a camera everywhere she went.  She also loved to draw and dance...she must have been a very artistic child.  She loved the color pink like most little girls but then showed her uniqueness with her love of the NY Yankees and soccer.  She will always be remembered for her friendly smile.

We chose to design her quilt as a camera...using her interests to create the camera design.  We hope to begin work...sewing her quilt pieces together early this week.  We learned a new method to sew quilts that will speed up the process.  I will try to show some of our finished quilts by the end of the week.

However, first we need to get home and be well.  We did finally get Michael back to my mother's house yesterday afternoon...so good to have all of us back together (not looking forward to the ride home in the full Expedition...LOL!).  We are so blessed to have him home safe.

However, Brendan refuses to give up this awful virus!  It has now been a week since he started feeling sick.  He tries so hard to be well...wanting to eat and play...but by 1am each night (morning) he makes his run to the toilet...not fun I assure you!  His last bout came after we were sure we were past the worst...he had not thrown up since Wednesday (Thursday morning) then Saturday morning he woke up and could not walk....very scary!...he was dehydrated and seemed to have inflammation in his hips...we started trying to get him to drink more fluids and giving him ibuprofen...he was doing better by mid-afternoon.  Then the troubles began again in the evening...full force!  This morning we woke everyone and found Brendan with a severe rash that looked like welts all over his body!   We called our doctor and were told to give him Benadryl and bring him as soon as we got back.  We rushed back and made the trek in record time.  The doctor confirmed what we believed...viral infection that spread to his hips...however he is convinced that the rash was a side effect (called 5th disease) that sometimes comes with severe case of virus...we thought it was possibly a reaction to the ibuprofen which he has never taken.  The Benadryl seemed to cause the rash to disappear quickly...I guess we just remain weary if ever he needs to take this in the future.  We had labs done and the results were...well...we don't know...we will find out tomorrow.

So after a full day in the car for most of the family.  We are home.  Hoping for a good night sleep in our own beds.  I ask you again to pray for him...sweet little guy...I hate to see the little ones sick (well any one but especially the little ones!).  He has not been able to keep food down for several days.  He ate today...we will see how the next 24 hours goes.

BTW, we did NOT make it to the photography meeting.  So sad but that is the way it goes.  So glad I had some one else to teach the class this month.  Hoping it all went well and the others learned a lot.