Scary Days

So last week my baby boy wasn't feeling well. Initially I thought he was getting a cold, since my older three weren't feeling 100% either but unfortunately it was not just a cold. He was cranky and crying and he was running a fever of 38.9 for hours. I had given Tylenol but as soon as the Tylenol wore off the fever would be back with a vengeance. 

I took him to our doctors office which also has a paediatric walk-in as well. As soon as the paediatrician saw him he told me to take him to the ER ASAP.  I was freaking out.  Being a mom of four and doing the ER thing with all of them, you would think I would be a pro but alas no. Each time is just as scary and disheartening. 

I got home and got my hubby to drop us off as the parking costs at the hospital are outrageous. I was immediately taken right away and by this time his fever had reached 39.  He was so tired but not sleeping well obviously. The doctor came in and started a work up right away. Urine and bloodwork and all his vitals. His temp reached 39.4 by the time they gave Tylenol. He was such a trooper get the IV line in. We waited what seemed like forever and then my hubby showed up. He had our friend watch the other 3 so he could come to the hospital with us. The doctor came in to tell us that his urine was clear and they were still waiting on blood. The next doctor we saw was the paediatrician who decided that my little man needed to have a spinal tap done as he was irritable and just not happy. That was honestly the hardest thing I have ever had to watch my kids go through to date. I just wanted to hold him and tell him it would be alright but I had to wait for the test to be over. We were admitted and he was started on a few rounds of IV antibiotics that deal with a few different things since they had no idea what was wrong with him yet. 

The next four days at the hospital were horrible. I wasn't sleeping and neither was he. Nurses coming in every 4 hours to check his IV or sooner if the stupid thing started beeping.  We had to wait for all the results to come back.  The first test to come back was the urine.  It was positive for a UTI, which is very common in little boys under 12 months I have come to find out.  So another change to the antibiotics and a trip to the ultrasound to make sure everything was okay with his kidneys, which thankfully they were fine.

Next we find out that the spinal tap they did came back positive for enterovirus which turned into viral meningitis for my little man.  Thank god it was viral and not bacterial.  It turns out that my older three had this virus which causes headache, fever and vomiting which explains every one of my older kids symptoms.  Unfortunately for little man, he got it worse than the older three as his immunity isn't quite as good as theirs.

This whole episode with little man has been an experience to say the least.  I am thankful for the best the husband a woman could ask for.  He stayed at home with my oldest son while he was throwing up and never complained once, he took care of the other two and made sure they got to school and fed them all.  He came to the hospital as soon as he could and he even made a trip back one night as his son was not happy and wouldn't sleep for me or any of the nurses.  He got him to sleep and then went back home to get some himself.  He helped get us through a really rough few days and for that I will always be thankful.

During all of this, I really found out what and who are important in my life.  My friend of many years came and stayed with my other 3 kids so my hubby could come and be with me and his son and believe it or not, my ex took the kids as much as he could as he was working, to help us out so that my hubby could be with us. 

I am glad the whole ordeal is over and that we are all happy and healthy again and all is well in my world once more.  It really does go to show you that when the going gets tough you know who you can count on.

My Newest Addition

I know that I am continually writing about the baby but hey I am currently living and breathing baby. He really is a happy baby. He's smiling all the time now and all it takes is one of his smiles to make it all worth it. I guess the truth be told a smile or giggle from any of my kidlets (which is the word I have been using to describe my kids lately) will make everything all worth it.

I have finally realized that like his father my youngest is a boob man. He won't take a pacifier or a bottle. I've tried every pacifier on the market (I mean every brand) and at least 4 different bottles. He will take the Gerber bottle but for only a few seconds and then won't take it again. It's hard. Hard on me and for hubby. He would love to give Ollie a bottle and bond with him but he just won't take it.

It has taken me 3 days to type this post and finally my little man sleeps.  Not on me but in his bassinet finally. I am able to do some things (how long it will last, who knows).  I have had a really rough go of it this time. He's the neediest baby ever and I feel like I can't breathe.  I would love to be able to go out in the car without it turning into a screaming match.  I have to travel everywhere with my hubby as I can not take the stress of going by myself (unless I have no choice).  He hates the car, he hates his crib and I am the go to guy for everything.  Not that I didn't expect a little of the neediness but this is claustrophobic. I am totally committed to the attachment parenting route that I have chosen for this baby, I just never realized how much work it is for me.  I think I did a little of the attachment parenting with my other three but I don't remember it being this hard.  I guess I never realized it before as I just had to do it, I had no choice as I had no real help. This time I have the help and baby won't let me take it.

I don't want to wish away his babyhood as this is the last baby I will ever have but I need to breathe and be able to get off of this couch.  All things eventually come to an end and hopefully this needy stage will too.

Where has the time gone?

Its all done. Halloween is done and over with and I have a massive pile of candy that my kids will never eat (not that I don't let them have it, they just don't eat it) and I now have 55 days until Christmas.

Oh my god did I just say the dreaded C word. I can't believe I'm talking about Christmas. I swear I've lost a year somewhere. I found out I was pregnant with my newest little babe just before Christmas last year and now here we are 55 days from the next one. Only this year I now have 4 kids to buy for. 

This last year seems like a blur. Big chunks of 2013 are missing. I don't like this fact. It means I'm getting older and my kids are growing up too fast. My oldest will be 10 in 55 days. How can she be 10 already?  

Our life has had so many changes in the past two years. I've gotten separated, divorced, remarried and had a new baby. Life has been good to me and for that I'm so glad. Glad that I've got what I am so grateful for. I'm relatively healthy, blessed to be married to the best man on the planet an I have 4 amazing kids. I hope that the next 10 years are just as amazing as the last 2.

Well off I go, gotta start shopping, only 55 days left...