I raced into his room and took him immediately to the bathroom to sit in the steam shower. (We have had these problems before and I was raised with two brothers with asthma so I know what to do.) I turned on the shower and proceeded to try and calm him down. I screamed for April to bring me my phone. I called the on call pediatrician and waited for them to call me back. What was probably 5 minutes felt like a hour. I could not get him to calm down at all. He was not just crying and coughing he was gasping for air. His little head was jerking to the side every time he tried to breathe. He was jerking violently, gasping and crying when he could get a breathe.
I knew he was getting some air because his mouth wasn't blue but I wasn't going to let it get to that point. April agreed that he needed to go to the ER so they could give him something to help him breathe. Where did this come from? No time to think about that. I was in a panic. I was trying to be calm but my heart was racing, I was sweating and I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I had him stripped down to his diaper and wrapped in a blanket. I was on my way out the door to the hospital when Dallas walked in. Everything had happened so quickly he didn't know about any of it. April filled him in as I was taking him to the car. He grabbed the keys and joined me.
I strapped him in his car seat and jumped in the back. Dallas and I were arguing now about what to do. I wanted to drive him to the ER NOW and Dallas wanted to call 911. I said, "Just Go!" We started to pull out and Ethan was really freaking out at this point. I got him out of his car seat and he started throwing up. I tried to turn him and we flew back into the driveway. D was on the phone with 911 by this time. Ethan started throwing up again making it even more difficult for him to breathe. We were advised to take him back in the house and put him on his side so he didn't choke.
The paramedics were there within 4 minutes. I was sitting in the playroom rocking him in my lap when they walked in. They just kept coming! I looked up and one after the other piled in my house. Oh my goodness. They assessed him and assured us that he was getting enough air regardless of how he sounded. They said to take him to the ER so they could give him a shot to help but he would be okay. By this time I was sitting under 8 paramedics & firefighters, my neighbors, April and Dallas. After they said he was going to be okay I returned to the bathroom with him. I turned on the hot steam shower and sat in the floor with him.
By this time Ethan had been up for two hours and had finally wore himself out. He calmed down and finally started getting some better breathes. Dallas got the car ready and we decided to take him to Cooks. By the time we get him in the car and get around the corner I tell Dallas to pull over. We stop on the side of the road because now he is happy as can be and talking. Dallas turned around and he said, "Hi Dad!" We both burst into laughter! He was wheezing and breathing carefully but he was a happy boy.
April had been at our house with Paige until Whitney the neighbor could get over there to stay with her. Paige had slept through everything! That was a miracle in itself. All the sudden April pulls up beside us and looks confused. I told her to get in. She pulled her car over in front of ours and got in the front passenger side. She looked at Ethan and he said, "HI!" She started laughing and we collectively decided that he would be fine at home until tomorrow morning. I did not want to take him to the hospital unless absolutely necessary. The emergency room is so traumatic for a child and the parent.
It was a very long night but we made it to the next morning. I took him to the clinic and he was diagnosed with croup. Your kidding me, right! Apparently the time before when Paige got croup it was uncommon to come on slowly. Her started and built up to a horrible cough. Ethan's hit in an instance. The doctor said that is how it usually happens. Good to know. He gave him some steroids because croup always gets worse before it gets better. If it was that bad the first night he knew we would be back. It was a long few days but our little man was going to be fine. What a Friday evening! Poor April would have been more relaxed at home with a screaming newborn. Ha!
Once Ethan was feeling better it was Paige's turn to be sick. She had a runny nose and you could hear her swallowing it. It continued to get worse and eventually I knew she had to go to the doctor. I know they can't do anything for a cold but I wanted to make sure she didn't have an ear infection as well. Sure enough she had a cold, an ear infection and pink eye! Are you kidding me! I ended up having to stay with her a few days that week and we had to reschedule Easter with my family. She was put on antibiotics and eye drops. To say the least she was not thrilled with any of it. I don't think she ever really had pink eye. Her eyes never crusted over or even turned red. They were simply very, very watery and kind of itchy. I think the eyes were just part of the cold. I had to see a substitute doctor because ours was out of town so I didn't completely trust his diagnosis.
When Paige gets sick she really gets sick. It is almost every time whatever she gets last a good month. This was no different. I actually took her back to the doctor a few weeks later and she now had two ear infections. She was gagging and throwing up flem every time she laid down. It was such a long sick three or four weeks with Paige but we made it.
While she was at home with me I finally finished putting up her border. It was such a pain. You had to dip it in water and smooth it out. I had no idea she was paying attention to me as I worked on it. Then I turned around and she had a towel helping me.
Oh steal my heart, how adorable!
Our neighbors down the street gave us this car toddler bed. We decided to keep it in the playroom for friend's kids to sleep on. Our kids love to play on it but it just didn't match the rooms we have worked so hard on for weeks. Paige was so sick in these pictures. Daddy had just brought Ethan home from school and him and sick sister were trying it out.
They love this little bed!
Being a parent is such an emotional roller coaster!
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