some adventures

Last Thursday, this little guy abruptly switched from a three-week stint with hayfever, to the first day of a bad cold, complete with wheezing and a temperature of 103.6 F.  His doctor, talking to me after hours, asked that I take Paul to urgent care.

On the way to urgent care, Paul vomited in the car, thankfully grabbing the bowl I brought along (just in time).  No-mess vomiting!  My favorite kind!

Urgent care said he was too sick for them to deal with, given that his fever was high even while taking fever reducing meds (Tylenol alternating with ibuprofen).

What?  Too sick?  What does that mean?  Isn't this urgent care, I thought to myself.  The worst-case scenario would be pneumonia, I surmised.

Now, Paul did look horrible and definitely seemed listless. Still, I knew things weren't as serious as they seemed to think.  Just the day before, my guy played football with brother!

But whatever.  I took him to a pediatric emergency room, at their suggestion.  On the way I kept looking at Paul in the rear view mirror, wondering if I had it all wrong.  Did he have meningitis, for Pete's sake?  My instinct told me no.  Weak from fever and vomiting?  Yes.  But nothing unusual, I convinced myself.   Probably a bad cold with wheezing, or the beginning of pneumonia.  He hadn't wheezed since his RSV infection at 4 months of age, so I was surprised at his condition.  The rapid onset was puzzling, to say the least.  No one here has ever had pneumonia.

The ER doctor asked me why the urgent care center hadn't treated Paul.

"Too high a fever while taking medication, is what they suggested."

"Isn't that what they do there?", he asked, chuckling sarcastically.  

"You would think", I answered, smiling.

He was very nice to us, even though he laughed at me when I said Paul nursed for 2.5 years, making him my healthiest child, notwithstanding his hayfever.

"Well, that isn't going to help him when he's six!  That wears off you know!", he said, laughing.

Feeling stupid, I laughed.  No, he wasn't being a jerk.  Just amused by my zeal, I guess.

But people, I really think nursing has lasting benefits.  No, the immediate antibodies don't last, but there are general health benefits, like disease prevention, which do last.

Long story short, Momma's instincts proved themselves correct.  Chest x-ray and blood work turned up normal.  No pneumonia or other bacterial infection, and Paul wasn't dehydrated.  They did gave him an anti-nausea drug and IV fluids, to see if he would perk up some.  They weren't comfortable sending him home while he still appeared listless.

My sweetheart was mad, but quietly so.  He wanted a drink so badly, as soon as the fever broke.  They wouldn't let him drink since he had vomited a couple hours before.

All through the IV ordeal, and each time they examined him, he was extremely quiet.  Such a contrast to his brother, who I'm sure would have screamed and cried about the new procedures--wondering if he was dying.

The hours I spent with Paul, alone, taught me more about his personality.  He holds things in.  As his mother, I have to draw him out and try not to let important issues go unspoken.  Those hours were a rare gift, given the size of my family.  Each child receives little one-on-one time.

Leaving my baby was so hard.  This was our longest separation, and my heart and body noticed the two missed nursing sessions.  Thankfully, she fell asleep in our swivel computer chair, while husband held and swayed her.

Finally, five hours after our ordeal began, Paul looked better and they sent him home with albuterol (for the wheezing).  I gave it to him twice only.

Eighteen hours later, my son seemed the picture of health.  I snapped the above football picture this afternoon.

Strange adventure.

We're all still coughing and some of us are weak, but no other wheezing incidents.  I wonder if Paul's condition deteriorated quickly due to the hayfever weakening his immune system before the cold hit?

This little lady runs me ragged.  Oh, the blessing she is!  But boy, she's a handful.  Now, at 16 months old, she climbs out of her booster seat, her playpen, the safety gate, and her crib.  She doesn't actually sleep in her crib, preferring the queen bed in her room instead, with Momma next to her.  We taught her early how to safely get out of the bed.  She looks so cute, coming down the hall after her naps, all by herself!

Anyhow, about the crib--I put her in it when I read to her at night.  I can get through more books that way, since she's so squirrelly.

My only concern about her Houdini ways is this:  How will I safely go to the bathroom and get a shower when husband is gone?  Yikes!  His Census training begins this week, and we'll barely see him as it mixes with his part-time jobs and schooling.

This little Sweetie uttered the dearest prayer at lunchtime.

"Dear Jesus,  I love you today.  I love going outside with Peter and Paul and Mommy and Beth.  I love the leaves.  I love quesadillas.  Amen."

My big guy spends his outside time looking for frogs and insects.  Here he is behind our air conditioning unit, which often hides a frog or two.  And sometimes a harmless snake!

We can't believe the size of this boy!  We're 5'3" and 5'8", and our pediatrician tells us this boy is working toward a height of 6'2"!

We finished our spring cookies today!  You can't tell, but pictured here are two tulips and an egg.