Prayers for Emma

It has been an adventurous two days in the Hodges house. I will try to make a long story short...but I am not good at that. :)

On Thursday, July 29 I called the Dr. to ask about Emma's cough and rattling in her chest. I was hesitant about calling because we had just seen him last week for her heart check and Emma has not acted sick at all and has never run a fever. She was still smiling and talking and being her normal wonderful self, but after Bradley and I discussed it we decided that a phone call would not hurt. So after calling in, the nurse suggested that we come in for a check-up since the runny nose had been going on for over 2 weeks. So we went in at 4:30 and things just got crazy from there. The doctor asked us to describe her cough and we did the best that we could... of course she did not cough at all while we at the doctors office. He listened to her breathing, checked her oxygen levels, stuck her foot for a blood test and then suggested that he was trying to rule out Whooping Cough! (In the back of my mind - my thoughts were racing and the TV commercial about Whooping cough was playing through my mind. Immediate guilt sank in.) By this time is was 5:20 and he was sending us down the road to the Radiology Clinic for a Chest X-ray. We rushed to get there because we were told they closed at 5:30. We made it- had an eventful check-in because the Dr. sent us without any orders, but finally we got the X-ray. We then had to go back to the doctors office to meet with Dr. Farmer. (I would like to add that at this point it was after 6:00 and Dr. Farmer was now on his own time. He could have turned us over to the on-call doctor, but he chose to stay there for us.) We met with Dr. Farmer and he explained the next step. This involved us going to Big DCH, checking in through the ER, going upstairs to 3rd floor pediatrics, and torture for Emma. The whole time I am thinking- We only came in for a simple cough. What have I done to my child? But then again it is better to be safe than sorry and with the type of cough she has had and the fact that she is only 3 months old it was better to do this now than later. So we arrived on 3rd floor Ped. (after a visit with Aunt Tara in the ER) and were put in a room. We had 2 very wonderful nurses that did 3 nose "swabs" and took 1 blood draw in the arm. Thank goodness Bradley was there to help hold Emma, because I was quite teary eyed at this point. Before we left the hospital Dr. Farmer came to our room to let us know that the chest X-ray showed no signs of pneumonia and did not hint towards whooping cough. There was some inflammation, but nothing too terribly bad. So he said we could go home and he put Emma on an antibiotic for Whooping cough just to be on the safe side and said that he would see us Friday morning to discuss the test results.

So we came home Thursday night around 8:30 from our 4:30 "supposed to be simple" Doctors appointment. We were given instructions to begin her antibiotic that evening and to have Emma sleep in our room (something she has not done since 3 weeks old). We were to monitor her coughing spells and make sure that she did not stop breathing. We were do to all of this and get some sleep. HA! I tried to sleep, but how much sleep can one get when all you can do is think about the "what if's" and just pray that everything is okay. Overall, she had a pretty good night. Only a few coughing spells and she did not stop breathing.

We returned to the doctor Friday morning to receive okay news. The test results that he had gotten back so far indicated a rise in her platelets and something else )I don't remember what it was). This could indicate Whooping Cough, but it also could indicate a viral infection. We are hoping for the viral infection. He wanted to keep Emma on the antibiotic for Whooping cough since she is so young and see her in one week. Later this week we should receive the test results that will give us a better idea about what is causing this cough. If it is indeed whooping cough then Bradley and I will be treated. The doctor said that for now we must consider her contagious and keep her at home. Bradley and I are okay for now, but we will know more when the test results come back. If she does have whooping cough then we will be treated as well.

Please keep Emma in your prayers. I know that God is in control and has the power to heal her and take away this cough and whatever is causing it. Please also pray that God will keep Bradley and myself well and that He will guide our paths and give us clear direction. I will update in a few days after we know more.

Love,
Karla

3 Months Old

A Sweet Little Girl!


This past month has been an exciting month for Emma. We finally began to venture out of the house and do things. ( I decided to follow the doctors orders and not take Emma places until she was 8 weeks old.) It was so nice to see the outside world and travel and visit family and friends. Here are some pictures to show what we have been doing this past month!

Our first big adventure was to Church!!! This was such a special day for us because not only was it Emma's first day to go to church, but it was also Father's Day. She did so well and was very quiet during the service.


This picture was taken after church- We were no longer in our church clothes, but at least it is a First Father's Day picture.





Emma also went swimming for the first time! She LOVED it! The water was very warm (like bath water) and she just relaxed and floated in my arms. She also liked hanging out poolside with her cousin Parker.




We went to Destin, FL to visit Pop and Chickee (Bradley's Dad and Step-mom). Emma was an excellent traveler and did very well on the beach. We could only stay on the beach for about 2 hours and then we would have to come in because it was so hot. But the beach was beautiful!!!




Emma's First Trip to Grandma and Pawpaw's (Visiting Karla's parents in Cullman) She received her first Shampoo at the Beauty Shop on this trip. (For those of you that don't know- my mother is a hairdresser and we just happened to be at the beauty shop for haircuts and we just could not leave Emma out of the fun- so a hair wash it was.)




The family attending 80's Skate Night at Super Skate- First Wesleyan Church Function



Emma in her party dress at her cousin Spencer's 3 birthday party!!


Emma meeting her Great- Aunt Mattlyn for the very first time.

It was also during this month that God once again continued to bless our family. He has provided an opportunity for me to teach Elementary Music again and still stay at home some too. I am so excited to once again teach and share my love of music with Elementary students. I will be teaching part-time at a local Elementary School here in Tuscaloosa and teaching music 3 days a week. What a blessing- He always provides.

He also asked us to trust in Him in a big way. At Emma's 2 month check-up the Dr. thought he heard a heart murmur. He said it did not sound like the normal heart murmur - caused by a valve just not being completely closed. He thought it sounded like a blood flow problem. If you know me- then you probably know that in the past I have been a worry wart- but when I heard the doctor say she might have a heart defect- We immediately began to pray for healing and CLAIMED that HE would heal her! (This is something that He has taught us (me especially) to do over the past year. Thank you to our SS teacher Carol for being a great leader in this way of thinking and praying.)
Because I had turned it over to Him and claimed that His will was going to be done- I never worried about it again. And praise be to God- Dr. Farmer did NOT hear a heart murmur at the 3 month re-check. We serve an amazing God. Emma reminds me of that everyday. To know that this sweet little girl was formed by HIM and we were chosen to be her parents, just humbles me. I am so thankful for Him many blessings.

We are looking forward to what things will occur during this upcoming month. The big event so far seems to be Emma starting daycare when I go back to work in August. But, once again He is watching over us- and we are so lucky that Emma will go to work with her Daddy everyday and be in the church Daycare just down the hallway. It is so comforting to me that Bradley will be right there if Emma needs anything. It is such a blessing!! God is Good!