2007 July - Aria MacDonald

We have had a nice few days at home. Aria is changing and growing and this homecoming has been quite different to the rest. She seems to be remembering things and people over longer periods of time. The cat got a warm reception although I don’t think the feeling was shared by him! She remembers her toys, her fave being her Carebears ball and her Jolly Jumper.

It is getting harder to entertain her in hospital, I think she gets quite bored. At home we are quite busy with different things, friends, playing, singing and appointments and other stuff. At hospital it is life in one room, not fun. A friend of Aria’s came to visit who is quite a clever walker. Aria sat bolt upright the whole time and watched her little buddy explore. It was great to break up the boredom for Aria and me too cause I got to chat to her mummy!

Aria is also now the proud owner of 12 teeth!! While they aren’t getting much use right now, they will one day!

Yup we made it home tonight.  Unfortunately Hamish and I are turning into rebels.  Well not really but they wanted Aria to stay another night for observation.  We declined the offer of another night at Hotel Starship and checked out tonight.

Aria has been well for 5 days now and we didn’t see the difference between observing her at home or at hospital, the risk of anything happening is very very low.  A decent night sleep for her and I is the difference though and something desperately needed.  Hopefully we won’t be back with our tail between our legs. 

I would love to know whose idea it was to put the childrens hospital next to the helipad?  Imagine trying to get your child to sleep and a helicopter lands right outside your window!!  And at 3am !!  Several times a night!! Several times a day!!

Anyway that is only one of the reasons sleeping in hospital is nearly impossible.  There is a long list but the point is we are home! Yay!!

Hey there,

Just thought I would update everyone on how things are going on the hospital front. Aria has been at a normal temperature since about Friday and her losses are slowly coming down. This is all great news, and they are stopping antibiotics today.

What this means for us is that we are going to start bugging our Drs to let us go home.

Best case scenario, we are home tonight. WOOHOO!!

Yay! Aria’s temp broke over night which is great news. Normally night time is the worst because the body naturally heats up, so her temp being normal during the night is a great sign.

Probably won’t be home for awhile yet because the antibiotics have to run the full course. But Aria is happy so that is the main thing.

Thanks for the comments and support.

Wednesday Update:

Just wanted to let you know that things are pretty similiar to what they have been, maybe a small improvement but still a way till we get the all clear and can come home. She cools down a bit during the day but the temperature creeps back up again at night. 

Aria has had a few bursts of energy through the day and when she does, she still manages to pour on the charm, waving and smiling at the nurses and anyone else who she can see. What a sweetie.

Thanks for checking in!!

Tuesday Update:

 We did end up in ‘That Place’ as you may have read already.

Aria now has a temp which was always on the cards. Thankfully we have started the antibiotics and are waiting and hoping they kick in really soon.

She just isn’t herself, too tired to sit up even. She just wants lots of cuddles and love which is nice for Hamish and I! At home she would never let me hold her like a little baby on her back, in hospital though it is ok.

Anyway I know tomorrow brings news of a normal temp and a happy Aria.

Thank you for all your comments and contact! They boost our spirits heaps.

Well I guess it might go to show that we know our little girl pretty well, or it might show how delicate our little darling is, but either way our nervousness was not misplaced and Aria is back in hospital.

Aria’s symptoms continued to get worse today and we decided to take preemptive action and get her looked at in Starship. They decided to keep her in to keep her hydrated and to try and get rid of whatever nasties may be lurking around. We suspect it is the same issue that has had us in there the last couple of times.

Little Aria isn’t her normal self, making Mum and Dad work extra hard to get the smiles that she is normally so generous with. Even when she is sick she is still the charmer waving to each new face that comes to see her, and then waving goodbye to them when they are going or when she wants them to leave (if they are doing things to her she isn’t so keen on). She has quite the little fan club building around the Ship, with Drs and nurses she charmed previous times she was in, popping in to say hello and to wonder at how well she is doing and how big she has got.

I will keep the website up-to-date, please pray for a quick resolution and homecoming and for Anita as she attempts to cope with the business of the hospital and the weariness of pregnancy.

Thanks for your love and support, Hamish

Miss Aria is not herself this past day.  Yesterday she was grizzly all day which is very unlike her.  I ended up taking her for a big walk in the pram for a couple of hours which she seemed to enjoy, until we stopped moving and then she would let me know.

When Aria is sick the amount of fluid she loses from her stomach increases and she gets a temp.  Both of these are a little up and combined with her strange mood we are nervous that we might end up in Hotel Starship sometime this week.  Still we have our clinic appointment with Aria’s doctor on Tuesday so it is great timing!

Hotel Starship is what me and Lara’s mum Sam call Starship.  Other names include The Ship or That Place or Back There (said with dread in your voice).  When you eat, sleep, shower and live your life there thinking of it as a Hotel, as in not a permanent residence, kinda lightens the mood. 

Anyway here is hoping and praying we don’t end up ‘back there’ this week!

We had an interview with the very nice Robert Rakete which aired today. Very exciting for us and that was just getting to meet him 🙂 Anyway thanks to all The Breeze listeners that are visiting us this morning.

Please check in at the About page to read more about Aria and also the Support page to see how you can help. Please come back and visit again and see how Aria is doing!

Aria is doing very well this week. Although I am a bit nervous she might catch my cold and that wouldn’t be good. It is pretty amazing she has only ever had one cold in the past year, what is the secret? 🙂

Check out our new photo of Aria! She has changed a lot since the last one, she is a big one year old now. Not so much of a baby anymore.

We have had a busy week out and about. I took Aria to meet up with some friends on Tuesday. Aria isn’t crawling or walking yet. She seems pretty happy to sit and play and watch her little buddies hoon around 🙂 She is making progress though which is nice. She has had 3 major surgeries on her tummy and lots of time lying down. Plus Hamish and I haven’t treated her like a normal baby in the way we carry and hold her. She has precious attachments on her body we need to protect. She will get there though – no rush.

She is learning lots every day. She knows where her head, tummy, ears and nose are. When you ask ‘Where’s your tummy Aria?’ She pats her tummy and grins. The new game is sharing. She passes her toys to you and back again. She thinks this is a great game, clapping madly when it is your turn to hold said toy.

In other not so great news Aria’s kidney tests have been put off for 6 weeks. So it will be a while before we know about possible transplant dates. Oh well, all in God’s timing!