Mom vs. Nurse

Thats bad enough when its actually two people. But when its one in the same, its even worse!
This all got started on a Monday. She had been very fussy and not sleeping so we went to the family practice clinic. No fever, but with a history of ear infections I thought we should just get it checked out. Nothing. By Friday she had 100, Sat 101 and Sun 103. So we went to the pediatrician who diagnosed strep throat for both her and her brother. Started antibiotics. By Wed. brother was fine but she wasn't getting better. Thursday was even worse but of course it was after hours and I really didn't want to go to the ER unless we had to, so I sat up and stared at her all night :) We were at the pediatrician's office early Friday morning. I knew she was sick, but when they drew lab and did a chest xray and she just laid there, I got scared. It was worse than I thought. Dr. came in with results, mild pneumonia. He said, lets admit to the hospital for the weekend to get fluids and IV meds & you'll be home by Sun. I wasn't thrilled, but thought I could handle it. After all the Great White Hunter was where else, but hunting! And he was with clients who had flown in from out of state and they were all in one vehicle, about 3.5 hours from home. The fevers kept up at a steady 102-103. By Sat I was beginning to fall apart. So I called the MIL and she went to pick up hubby and bring him home. (which I think she secretly loved that I had to call her) Sun. her temp hit 105 and a repeat chest xray was clear. Her pediatrician had ordered numerous lab tests all of which had come back normal. This was not good. My nurse brain was working way overtime and my sleep deprived mom brain was making it even worse. Doc called ACH for a consult and they didn't have any more insight. So off we went. At that point I had a complete, total melt down. At least we were lucky enough to get to take her ourselves instead of going by ambulance.
IV #4

We were admitted and they started running tests again. She was so tired and felt so bad. They came in all hours of the night and woke her up to poke and prod. The next morning she was like a different kid. She started drinking, eating, and playing. She had run fever through the night, but nothing after. Of course since it is a teaching hospital we saw lots of residents, a few med students, and the attending. I tried so hard not to tell them I was a nurse, and don't get me wrong, they were nice, but talked to me like I was dumb. So I had to mention it. Not that it really made a difference, but they either understood why I was a little nuts or didn't get it all & thought I should know better. Either way...she was tentatively diagnosed with Mono. By Tues night she was still fever free and we were just sitting there staring at each other. After 12 days of fever, 9 of which it was over 102, 3 days in the hospital here, and 2 days at Childrens, they discharged her and we see her pediatrician tomorrow to get the lab results.

They didn't know we were coming home. I was afraid they wouldn't go to bed for Nanaw.
ACH was great, so thankful for them. It breaks my heart to think of all the sick kids who are still there. Please pray for them and their families. It made me realize even more how very blessed we are to have a perfect little girl, who will be just fine.

Happy Birthday to me!

The BEST GIFT EVER...we are home and she has remained fever free for over 24 hours! Thank you so very much for all of the prayers, phone calls, texts, and help with big brothers. It was/is appreciated more than you know. I told the boys this is my last birthday, as I cannot afford anymore, their sister took too many years off my life this last week! She is napping & hubby thinks I need to catch up so I'm not so hard to live with ;) Who me?!

I can do better

Both boys are back at school and feeling fine. But my baby girl still has fever. 101. This is day 5 and I am beginning to get a little panicky. Being a mom and a nurse don't go well together. Especially a mom whose mind works overtime on a good day ;) I get to stay home every day, but this week has been different. They have NEEDED me. Not that they don't need me everyday, but I mean just sitting & holding them, loving on them, doing what they wanted, just spending time with them. Forget taking a shower, brushing my teeth, or even changing clothes (hubby asked last night if I had been wearing "that" all day & yes I had!) A little girl in my son's preschool class recently lost her mother. She is four, and I was just thinking...what is my first real memory? How old was I? What will my kids remember about being little? That the dishes were done? The laundry was put away? The house was clean? probably not. Talking. Playing together. Patience in teaching them. Just being there. hopefully. I am so guilty of "hurry up, lets go, do this, do that, in a minute". I know part of that is a necessity with 3 kids but I can to do better. We are not promised tomorrow and can't get yesterday back. Where has time gone? They are already 8, 5 & 1! I love them so very much it hurts. I think about so many stories I have read from moms who have lost a child or have a very sick child and what they would give to be at home with just strep throat or up all night rocking a baby. Sometimes I think I take my kids, our life, for granted. We are so very, very blessed. And for this I am grateful. So if you call and I don't answer, text and I don't reply, come by and my house is messy, I am not sorry, I have been spending time with my kids.

REALLYmean mom

After he finally figured out I was serious about not going outside to play AT ALL if he didn't go to school, Speck grumbled all the way, but to school he went! And is absolutely fine :)

mean mom

Locked out while the boys played legos. She was beating on the door yelling "bubba, bubba"!!

Speck is home today. Went to bed complaining of a headache & woke up with a red, swollen sore throat. (but no fever or white spots) So when he crawled in & snuggled up and fell back asleep I turned off the alarm. Didn't take long for The Writer to make his way in there & he crawled in & snuggled up too. Top Knot stayed asleep just long enough for us to really get comfy :) So up we went to call the Dr.'s office & get meds for #3. Then the truth came out. Don't get me wrong, I think he really did wake up feeling not so good, but the kind of not so good that comes from being stuffy and sleeping with your mouth open. The kind that goes away when you have been up for a little while. Its a miracle, he is all better! Still not wanting to go to school, but "well enough to go outside" he says. Hmmm...mean mom disagrees. Conversation went something like this: me: "If you are well enough to go outside you are well enough to go to school". him: "That doesn't make any sense". me: "If you stay home you are staying in a bed or on the couch. If you go to school you can play outside when you get home". him: "Thats not fair, you're just being mean to me". & you know how an argument with an 8 year old goes... on & on & on. Needless to say he is in his room getting what I am sure is a freebie from school! The Writer is fine today but since he still had fever yesterday he got another day home. Top Knot still has a low grade temp but is beginning to eat again and slept better last night, we only got up 3 times. On the road to recovery, I think.

sunglasses anyone?

Seems walking on your toes can rub a blister when wearing a cast and FLOURESCENT orange was the new choice. Wish I would have had my camera when she got the saw to cut off the blue one!!

Today I got to eat lunch while listening to an amazing story. Play the Wii. Construct a building. Read a book. Snuggle with a very handsome guy, who was not my husband ;). Be the mom of a precious little boy. All of this while a baby took a nap. I am so sorry you are sick, but not at all sorry you are home.

I am thankful...

For a home in which to live and a bed in which to sleep. Although we haven't been in it much lately. A husband who helps without being asked. By cutting short his hunting trip, taking all 3 kids to church and keeping the nursery for me so I can sleep. The ability to take my children to the doctor whenever I think they need to go. And for a doctor who listens to a sleep deprived mother ramble and ramble and ramble. For the availability of medicine to treat my two babies who have strep throat and a temp of 103. For my oldest who doesn't have it (yet) For family and friends who have offered their "services". I am tired. But I AM THANKFUL.

Backtrack

Just to recap the start of our 2010...New Year's Eve my dear friend SW had to drive "The Writer" and I to the ER. He got his big toe hung in the belt of our treadmill and smashed it flat! Luckily no broken bones, but no skin left either. It is finally starting to heal and the scabs are itching like crazy. Poor guy, between the cast (luckily on the left foot) and the big toe on the right foot he really does feel like he has termites!! And he informed me yesterday that he was getting married. Unless she (MBG) finds someone else..."Speck" is getting the hang of eating with the expander but learned the hard way that rice is not a good choice. "Top Knot" and I picked him up from school yesterday and went to eat at Lin's Garden then returned him just in time for science. She is talking more everyday. "Bubba" is the first thing she says when she gets up and instantly starts looking for them & they kiss her to the point of aggrivation. When they are at school she looks at their pictures and blows them kisses. I am so thankful they love each other so much (for now at least!) Still not sleeping much, but the tooth finallly came through so maybe...And just a thought for anyone looking for a career change. Last week the pipes in our attic busted and froze (luckily nothing thawed out so there was no water damage) The plumber was here for 2 hours. He replaced a coupling and wrapped the pipes. We got a bill yesterday for, are you ready...$500.00! Hmmm...if I was ready to go back to work I might think about it.

Great BIG Thanks!

Thank you so much TH for stopping by to help me set this up. Still a work in progress but maybe I can muddle through!

Ouch

Ever tried to sleep snuggled up to a 5 year old wearing a cast? After another sleepless night the morning didn't go the way I had planned. I thought I had a hair appointment @ 8:30 so I dropped Top Knot off at her Nanaw's and away I went. Needless to say its next week. Went to pick up baby and back home to wash my own hair. Much better to have someone else do it :) Still working on details here. Sweet, sweet friend coming over after school to help with my lacking computer skills to fix up this blog!

Dr appointments & termites

A quick recap of the week so far...Speck had a visit with the orthodontist Monday and was just scheduled to replace a spacer that fell out. However, when we got there the sweet assistant says, "we have a surprise. Your expander arrived early so we are going to put it in today and save you a trip". Very thoughtful, but I had the two little ones in tow and was not planning on sitting in the waiting room for 45 min...anyway, I had nothing to fix him for lunch that he would be able to get down with a mouth full of metal (literally). Poor thing got cold soup in his lunchbox. So, after an eye appt yesterday we ran to Target to purchase a new lunchbox that would hold a thermos so he wouldn't have to eat cold soup again! Needless to say got home late, ate late, got baths late, and in bed late. About 9:30 The Writer comes in our room. "Mommy, I need you, my foot is itching". I scoop him up and sit him on our bed as he is kicking his leg frantically. "Hurry, hurry, there is a termite in there and he is biting me!" You see, he has a cast on his left leg because of a rare, but completely treatable disease that limits blood flow to the bones in his foot. A five year old with a cast that is not due to an injury, therefore no pain, is a very dangerous thing. Top Knot and I had a fun tea party this morning. She celebrated her first birthday last week and got a talking tea set that she loves! I think she is going to be a "girly girl". She is all about loving on her babies and feeding them, and her self of course. The girl likes her food. I am still working on this layout. Trying to figure out backgrounds, texts and pictures. Will probably be asking for help soon! However, she is napping so I am going to join her. She is teething and we are not sleeping at night.

A tale of two boys and a baby girl

After lunch with a few friends I decided to sit down and try it. Blogging, that is. (since I am apparently the only person who doesn't keep one) Actually, I have wanted to for a while, but limited computer skills and fear of us floating around in cyber-space has kept me on the reading end, until now. I don't like to scrapbook (even if I did I wouldn't have time) and I want something to keep for my kids. But I still have an issue or two with privacy stuff so please excuse the absence of names.
I have been happily married to a wonderful man, The Great White Hunter, for 11 years. I am a stay home mom of an 8 year old boy, his dad calls "Speck". Because his dad is an avid duck hunter, Speck is determined to be also. Last year he got to go to duck camp for the first time and he shot a speckled belly goose. Thanks to the other grown men who hunt rather than work during the winter, my son is now branded. A 5 year old little boy I will call "The Writer" because he comes up with some of the most amazing stories (some believeable, some not so much) without any thought what-so-ever. I call it lying but my MIL says its his creative side coming out, so to give him the benefit of the doubt, and maybe a career goal, we'll go with it for now. And a 1 year old little girl. Her dad calls "Top Knot" because she refuses to wear a bow and her hair is constantly in her eyes unless I pull it all up on top of her head like Pebbles & her dad can't stand it. Why its not just Pebbles, who knows? I hear her sweet voice calling now, so...will work on it again soon.