I Want my Baby Back!

I’ve found that I have a knack for cursing myself. When Sally was small (older than one, but not yet two), I made an observation that I had never been up all night with a crying child. A few days later, it happened. When Sally was barely two, I was talking to a friend about how lucky I was that Sally had never thrown up (spit up not included). A few days later, she threw up 3 times on the airplane and in the airport on the way to Utah. Recently a friend of mine was stuck inside for about a week with sick children. I though to myself how lucky I was that such a thing had never happened to me. I should have just not thought about it at all.

Last Sunday Austin wasn’t himself at church. Instead of squirming and trying to run away and play in the curtains in Sunday School, he was content to sit on my lap. For Austin, that is just weird. The story was the same in RS, except that by the end of the meeting, he was moaning and feeling kind of hot. I wasn’t too worried, just thought he was coming down with a cold or starting to get some new teeth. The next afternoon when I took him into the doctor for his 12 month well-baby appointment the doctor said that it looked like he had an ear infection, and prescribed him amoxicillin. After he got his three standard shots, we were on our way. I thought that the problem was solved, but it was all downhill from there.

When Neal went in to check on the kids before going to bed on Monday night, he discovered that Austin was drowning in a pool of his own vomit. He was sleeping soundly, but drowning in vomit nonetheless. Thus began 5 days (and counting?) of endless vomiting and diarrhea for the poor child. On Tuesday he had quite a high fever (perhaps due to the shots) and wanted nothing but to be held by mommy. I called my doctor because I thought he might be reacting poorly to the amoxicillin, but was told to keep giving it to him, despite the fact that he threw it up every time he was given a dose. On Wednesday the fever was gone, but he otherwise showed no improvement. Early Thursday morning, Sally threw up, and then the bug hit me on Thursday afternoon just as we were about to leave to see the doctor. Other than being told that there is a bug going around and to continue pushing fluids, the visit to the doctor was less than helpful, which I suspected would be the case.

While Sally seems to have made a full recovery (as early as Friday morning), Austin is still not keeping much of anything down. While I think that he does have some kind of bug, I also firmly believe that the amoxicillin has something to do with his vomiting. Even though there is a shot that can be given in place of the amoxicillin, for some reason that I can’t understand, I’ve been encouraged not to go that route.

I just want my baby back! He hasn’t walked in days, he barely talks, he isn’t very interested in toys, and he feels so limp and weak in my arms. I know that this will pass, but this has certainly been a hard week with lots of worry.

The washing machine has been doing overtime. Between Sally and Austin throwing up, I’ve washed: pillows, sheets, mattress pads, coats, cars seat covers, countless pajamas and onesies, socks, pants, towels, and shoes.

While it has been a hard week, there are some bright spots that I should not overlook.

*I have gotten to hold and snuggle Austin more that I have since he was a tiny baby. I have really enjoyed rocking him and just being close to him.
*Austin’s regular night sleep routine of 8 to 8 has been unaltered. No one around here can complain about a lack of sleep (except for Neal, but it is his own fault. That man doesn’t know how to go to bed). Austin has also been napping longer during the day than usual.
*While it appears to me that Austin is throwing everything up, apparently has he kept in enough fluids not to be classified as a dehydrated baby (according to the nurse practitioner), which keeps him out of the hospital, which I was afraid would be his fate. My sweet baby niece is in the hospital right now, and I feel so blessed that Austin isn’t in her position. We are praying for you, Abby, Scott, and baby Alice!
*Sally has been incredibly sweet and helpful. She is always very helpful, but she has been especially so this week.
*I’ve had more one-on-one time with Sally to read and do “art projects” (a.k.a. I catch up on making and writing thank you cards, and she stamps and glues) while Austin has slept.

I am hearted that Austin perked up somewhat today and kept a little bit of food down (I’m keeping my fingers crossed, it was just a few hours ago that I gave it to him). I’m confident that Austin will make a full recovery soon, and I’ll just keep telling myself that “this, too, shall pass!”