Jillian's Journal

We found Martin dead! After breakfast around 8:45, as we went into the living room to play, Mommy sat in the computer chair and called Daddy into the room saying, “Martin’s sick. Something’s wrong with Martin. He’s not breathing. I think he’s dead”! Mommy picked me up and took me out of the room as Daddy went to check on Martin. I asked to “see Martin”, “see Martin”, but Mommy explained to me, “no, we wouldn’t see Martin anymore, he went to Heaven to be with God”. Mommy said God would take good care of Martin. That sounded good to me. Mommy and me pray to God every night. God is good and I know Martin will be just fine. Here is my favorite picture of Martin. I will miss him.

Martin, April 4, 1999 - February 26, 2006

Just when I thought the virus was gone, I threw up again around 7PM! Mommy and Daddy are hopeful; it was just the last of the virus clearing out of my system. I otherwise feel good and almost have all my energy back. I hope they don’t worry too much. I am almost completely well now.

Daddy and I were home alone. Mommy had gone to Babies R Us to buy some new sheets since I was messing them up faster than she could wash them. We were in the middle of a web video visit with Grandma and Grandpa Moore, when the doorbell rung. We said goodbye on the video and answered the door. The neighbor across the street was at the door and told Daddy he thought the man that lived in the house on the corner had stopped breathing and was dead. Daddy called 911, because the boy didn’t know if anyone had called. The operator told Daddy someone had already called in. Next thing I knew, we heard sirens blaring and then two EMS, two fire trucks, and two police trucks showed up with more flashing lights than I’ve ever seen. Mommy got home and went across the street to comfort our neighbors. We hope and pray our neighbor will survive.

Daddy stayed home this morning since he didn’t get much sleep last night and he wanted to make sure I was feeling better. When I woke up, he picked me up and held me really tight, it was at that time, we both noticed that all the liquid they gave me last night, came out as diarrhea overnight and it was all over the inside of my yellow PJs, and now it was all over Daddy too. What a way to start the day! He just took me into the bathroom and we took a shower together. He cleaned me up and handed me to Mommy and she dried me and put me in fresh clothes. I was feeling better already. I could tell by Mommy and Daddy’s mood that we had turned the corner on this virus and I was on my way to recovery.

Daddy stays home this morning to take care of me because I’m sick and Mommy has her own Doctor’s appointment this morning. I’m so weak and limp today that Mommy and Daddy are starting to worry about me getting dehydrated. Daddy gives me a pancake and I drink about 6 oz. of ‘special drink’. Shortly afterward, and while Daddy’s holding me talking on the phone to the nurse, I throw up all over him and the floor. The nurse says it sounds like I have rotavirus and it just has to run it’s course, about 7 to 10 days! She suggests to keep giving me small amounts of ‘special drink’ frequently. I do nothing but lay in Mommy’s arms all day today. All I want to do is sleep. I’ve never been so weak in my life. Around 9PM, Mommy and Daddy start to worry that I’m becoming severely dehydrated and are concerned about me making it through the night so they call my Doctor. My Doctor tells Daddy to take me to Children’s Medical Center hospital in downtown Dallas. Once we got to the hospital, the nice Doctor checked me out and suggested we try to orally hydrate me first to avoid poking me with an IV. This option almost worked but after an hour, I threw up. So next thing I know, Mommy lays me on a strange table and a man with an unusual accent, and another nurse start manipulating my hand. They wrapped and taped a tiny pillow under my hand and wrist. I was so tired, weak and confused I just watched them as they prepared to poke a needle into the top of my hand. Mommy and Daddy made me turn my head and look at them instead of the man poking my hand. It hurt, but I didn’t cry at all. When I turned around to look, I noticed I was attached by tubing to what looked to me like a coat rack on wheels. Except instead of a coat hanging from the hooks at the top, it was a bag of clear liquid that was attached by tubing to the top of my hand. How strange! Mommy and Daddy rolled me out of the room and went into the waiting room to wait for liquid to go into my body. This took about 45 minutes or so. I was still very tired but I could tell this was helping. Mommy and Daddy even seemed a little relieved. Then they took the needle out of my hand and unwrapped my hand and they let us go home. I fell asleep on the way home. We got home around 1PM. What a night!

I’m still sick but I’ve only thrown up twice today, once around noon, and again around 5PM. Mom’s been giving me my ‘special drink’ as she calls it. I’m not sure why we started calling it that; the label says pedialyte, not ‘special drink’. It tastes like apple juice and it seems to help, so why not. I’m just so weak. I have a fever of 101.4 but Tylenol helps. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

In honor of President’s Day, I threw up all over the living room rug this evening. Started around 8 PM, then again at 9PM, again at 10PM, and again at 11PM. Not fun…by that time I was empty. My stomach was just in knots. Since I was so worn out, I managed to sleep through the night. Hope I feel better tomorrow.

Happy birthday Michaella!

Freezing drizzle today, so it’s too cold to play outside. Mommy and me took Daddy with us to play at the Tubes inside the IBC church. I could tell Daddy was having almost as much fun as me. We crawled all over every inch of the place. I went down the big steep twisting slide twice, once with Mommy and again with Daddy. This has quickly become my favorite place to play.

Mommy and me went to Kindermusik today.

I had my first Dentist appointment today. Daddy left work early this afternoon and met us at the office. I was playing with the toys in the waiting room when he walked up. It was a nice surprise. The Dentist talked to me a lot. She was really nice. She told me what she was going to do, showed me all the decorations in the room, pointed out the TV hanging from the ceiling and told me I could watch “Finding Nemo” while she was checking out my teeth. Sounded like a good deal to me. I just lay there and watched Nemo swimming around while she cleaned and polished my teeth. The Dentist, Mommy and Daddy made a big deal about how ‘good’ I was, and how I acted like a ‘big girl’. Whatever…I’ll certainly take the compliments. I had good time, I got to lie down and watch TV and after all that…they gave me a present, a little yellow fish! I’m ready for my next appointment Mommy, whenever you are!

Today Mommy and me painted a ceramic potholder at Art from the Heart. I got paint all over me just like grownup artists. I had a blast. I like paint better than crayons already. Maybe Mommy will let me paint the walls in our house. Or better yet, I’ll just surprise her someday with my wall mural artistic abilities! It’ll be a nice surprise. I’ve just got to figure out how to get some paint and brushes.

Mommy took me to the Tubes today! This is a dedicated play area for kids my age at the Irving Bible Church. It’s like the play area in a McDonalds restaurant times 100!!

Happy birthday Tanner!