So Much To Celebrate - LIFE and Sophie Kate!

BrooklynnsMommy

DIS Veteran
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Welcome to the latest MeMom and BrooklynnsMommy trip report! For those of you joining us for the first time we are so glad you stopped by. We hope you will all make yourselves at home here and join in the conversation. To all our friends rejoining us from our last report, welcome back to the craziness! :hyper: We are so glad to have you all as a part of our lives. Now on to the report

This trip was actually about 2 years in the making. My best friend Rebecca and I had been talking about taking a Disney trip together since the beginning of 2011. We had determined fall break in October 2012 would be the time to do it. The plan then was for he, her husband, and her two little girls, MaryBeth and Claire, to join John, me, Brooklynn, and Bella for a fun week with friends in Disney. Then the plan got tweaked at the beginning of 2012 when we learned that we would be a family of 5 by the time the trip rolled around. Sophie Kate was set to join the family on September 11th and we were booked to arrive on my birthday October 5th. With 5 little girls, 6 and under with one of them being only weeks old, we called in the fantastic MeMom to join our crew. She had to be a part of Sophie Kate's first trip and that would put us at a one adult to one child ratio. She of course quickly agreed and even offered to watch the girls one night so the 4 grown ups could eat a nice meal together. (I told you she is fabulous!) So the trip was set and we spent the summer venturing Disney, getting ready for Brooklynn's 6th birthday and of course the arrival of Sophie Kate! Rebecca and I spent lots of time at work discussing our trip and getting excited. Then life got really crazy...

August 17th I went to the hospital with regular contractions. I was admitted and stayed until 1 in the morning. Then I went home it had been a serious false alarm and Brooklynn's birthday party was scheduled for the afternoon of the 18th. We partied and celebrated my eldest turning 6 (where has the time gone?) and started the first week of school. In the early morning hours of August 23rd I was readmitted to the hospital and at 10:08 am Sophie Kate entered our lives. I spent the normal 2 days in the hospital and went home around lunch time on Saturday the 25th. Everything was good and normal. I went to sleep that night with the alarm set to wake me up at 11:00 to nurse Sophie.

At 10:30 that night I woke up shaking uncontrollably. I woke John up and told him to get my mom from the living room. I was running fever and then started having serious trouble breathing. John had called the nurse at my doctor's office and she had told him to bring me in. By the time he got off the phone I was really panicking at not being able to breathe or stop shaking and told him to call 911. The ambulance came and I was loaded into the back and driven to the nearest hospital where it took 6 hours to stabalize me. At around 6 I was loaded back into an ambulance and transported to the ICU at the bigger hospital in town. I was in really bad shape and no one could figure out what was wrong.

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All day Sunday I had doctors in and out running this test and that test. Monday was the same thing. By Monday afternoon it had been determined that my gall bladder had been leaking bile. It had been poisoning my bloodstream and I was in septic shock. I do not recommend googling septic shock the results are pretty grim. I did it right after I got back at home and I immediately wished I hadn't. I am a VERY lucky girl! That Monday night I went into surgery and had my gall bladder removed. Wednesday I was moved out of ICU and Thursday I was back at home with my 3 sweet girls.

In the days that followed I took it really easy (definitely didn't have a choice) and realized that I have some AMAZING Dis friends (you know who you are!) and regular life friends. And as crazy as it sounded to everyone, yes the Disney trip was still on! I had almost died! What more reason for a celebration do you need than that! So my birthday & new baby celebration trip turned into...

SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE - LIFE AND SOPHIE KATE!
 
Now that we have all that emotional backstory stuff out of the way let's meet the cast.

The stars of all our reports-

Brooklynn, Bella, and in her first trip report, Sophie Kate!

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Brooklynn is my amazing 6 year old! She has a love for animals that is beyond understanding and currently wants to be a vet at Animal Kingdom when she grows up. She is a ride daredevil and if it goes fast she LOVES it! She conquered her last height restriction ride this trip - Rockin Roller Coaster and I think she rode it about 6 times during the week we were there. Her favorite ride is a tie between Expedition Everest and Rockin Roller COaster. Her favorite Disney character is Merida. She took her first trip to Disney when she was 11 months old and this was her 19th trip.

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Bella is my 3 year old pixie sized tornado! She is a total blur in almost all pictures because if she is awake she is on full speed! Her energy is contagious and you just can't help but smile when you're around her. She is super girly and loves all things sparkly. She loves to dance and dress up. Her favorite ride is Barnstormer followed closely by her beloved horsies on the Carousel. Her favorite Disney character is "all the princesses." She took her first trip at 3 and a half months old and this was her 11th trip.

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An our latest addition, Sophie Kate. She turned 6 weeks old the day before we left. Now at almost 6 months old she is a sweet smiley baby.

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The rest of the crew.

I'm Jill. The first day of this trip was my 31st birthday. In real life I am an assistant director at the preschool that Bella and Sophie attend. I love spending time in Disney with my family and was very excited to share the Disney fun with Rebecca and her family. I love Toy Story Mania and Space Mountain and my favorite Disney character is Mulan.

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John is my DH. He tolerates my Disney obsession. Sometimes he goes on trips and sometimes he doesn't. He was excited for the Food and Wine festival and had made a giant list of things he wanted to try. His favorite ride is Rockin Roller Coaster. His favorite Disney character is Tigger, but he is more like Grumpy when he gets hot, tired or hungry.

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MeMom is my mom. There are not words to express how much she means to me. While I was in the hospital she stepped in and took care of the girls so that John could be at the hospital during the few 1 hour visits I got a day. She is beyond amazing and I am so grateful for her. She is my Disney partner in crime and we just have a ton of fun when we are together being silly. Her favorite ride is Soarin. Her favorite Disney character Eeyore.

She doesn't do pictures and whined about the one I had picked. Look for her as a shadow or reflection in a window.

Also joining us this trip was my friend Rebecca, her husband, Jonathan, and their two little girls, Mary Beth who had just turned 4 and Claire who was 18 months.

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Okay so I think that has it all covered, now on to our adventures!
 


Made it!

Just wanted to edit to say, that we all love you so much, Jill and you are to never scare us like that again!!!
 


YAY!! Saw the "bat signal" on Facebook and am so glad to be joining in for another report!

Edited to add that I had to go back and read...I was tearing up reading the intro and remember all of it happening. I am so glad to be in for another report and cannot wait to read about it!
 
Count me in!! Can't wait to hear all about this most special trip.

You and your mom have two of the biggest hearts in DIS town. So happy to be part of this community. I agree with Anita, it was very scary when you were sick... please don't do that again. Let's stick to happy Disney news from now on, if you please. :goodvibes
 
I'm here!!!
Have to go back and read!! Hopefully I can keep up this time!!!
 
wigdoutdismom said:
Made it!

Just wanted to edit to say, that we all love you so much, Jill and you are to never scare us like that again!!!

Anita, that about sums it up...
 
Happy to have virtually met you and your family! :yay: I joined this happy group during your hospital drama, Add me to the cheering squad :cheer2: Deb
 
With 5 little girls, 6 and under with one of them being only weeks old, we called in the fantastic MeMom to join our crew. She had to be a part of Sophie Kate's first trip and that would put us at a one adult to one child ratio.

A true child care professional speaknig here!!! :lmao:



Yes Jill you gave all of us quite a scare and we all knew you are a fighter.

Always on board for more fun with the Memom clan!!!
 

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