March Break Fun

Well it's been a busy fun-filled week with the kids thanks to @CityPASS. What a great value for the money spent. Trust me when I say planning things to do with a family of 6 was hard on a budget but CityPASS made it possible. Our entire march break staycation cost under $500 for the entire week that included eating downtown while visiting the CN tower, ROM and Casa Loma as well as parking at the Toronto Zoo and Ontario Science Centre.  This also included the cost of the GO train from Mississauga to Union station and a day pass for the TTC.

Both the zoo and the science centre allow outside food so I packed up a cooler full of snacks and sandwiches for us to enjoy while having fun. This saved us a bunch of money and was a really great part of the two trips. 

I think that the City PASS is a great way for families to get the most for their money. Although we never did make it to CasaLoma as we couldn't figure out a way to do it without the stroller for baby, I'm sure it would have been fun for the kids. 

All in all, I know my kids enjoyed their march break this year. Now all I have to do is plan next years. 

Hiatus

I know I haven't posted anything since December but let's just say life has been a little hectic.  Having four kids can sometimes just drain the life from me especially with the neediest baby on the planet.  I haven't done much in the last couple months, mostly since baby doesn't travel well.  Sleep well or well do anything but eat well.  He's definitely my last baby.

I am trying to put him down during the day just so I can get stuff done around the house and spend time with my other kids too. My hubby has been phenomenal with him and my other three so I am very grateful. 

With so much going on, I just never found the time to do a post. But I vow to do better. I'm going to start writing about products and things that just make my life easier.

Almost 3 years ago I met my hubby.  We have been going through the visa process since last year and finally it is almost done.  He received his open work permit a couple of weeks ago and he will be going out to get a job and I will be staying home with the kiddies again.  I have missed being home with them when I went back to work.

So here is to the new start for all of us.  2014 here we come!

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.