It Can Only Go Up from Here!

So, here's why I haven't caught up yet ....

Jacob stopped throwing up on Sunday, and on Monday everyone seemed healthy. Phew! Jane had a dentist appointment that morning, so I decided to keep it. Why would I be taking a 19month old to the dentist, don't you usually take kids around 3 for their 1st visit? The answer is yes - unless you see brown patches on the back of their teeth.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Jane had chipped one of her little teeth on the side. I was sad, but didn't think much of it. Then one night when I was brushing them, I noticed discoloration in two of her back teeth. I made the appointment with the pediatric dentist. Five minutes in the chair and $95 later - she has EIGHT cavities. That "chip" is actually a cavity! I am horrified. I am religious about brushing my kids teeth at least twice a day - with a timer, I use fluoride toothpaste, I floss their teeth, I don't give them sippy cups, blah blah. Our best guess is it's from nursing her at night. I am devastated! I nursed my other kids at night, and nothing happened to them. The dentist said sometimes it's just luck of the draw. They have to take her to the hospital and put her under to do the work (since she's so little.) I have to wean her. I cried the whole way home. Actually, I cried all day, every time I thought about it.

So, hopefully she won't remember it or be traumatized. Hopefully her 2nd set of teeth will be fine (my brother in law the dentist called it "repentance for teeth.") Hopefully the weaning will go smoothly (for both of us.) Hopefully we won't miss the $2,054 (our portion to pay) too much. So sad. I feel super-guilty, but am trying to move on. So - that was Monday. The last day of the year. Boy, are we ready for a new year and starting fresh.

Monday night we geared up for Rick to go to Jane when she woke up (starting the weaning.) I can't do the cry-it-out thing. With the others, we just had Rick go to them when they woke up, and after about 4-7 days they stop waking up, if Mom isn't going to be there. Jane woke up at 11:50pm - so we rang in the New Year with Rebekah and I downstairs, and Rick up in the girls room with Jane crying. Nice. Later that night Jane woke up again. We had sent Emy to sleep in Bek's room, anticipating a disturbance. Jane is our most stubborn child, and cried for a while with Rick. He finally told me he was just going to sleep in Emily's bed with her - fine by me. He was back before long saying that Jane had thrown up all over him, herself and Emily's bed. She then threw up every 10 minutes or so until noon the next day. I tried everything; pedialyte, Gatorade, Popsicle's, breast milk, ice chips - she couldn't keep anything down. By noon she was lethargic, had had the same diaper on for 8 hours (dry) and wasn't making tears when she cried - so off we went to the ER for re-hydration. It's New Year's Day, where else would I expect to find myself, but in an ER!!

Actually, this visit wasn't too bad. I went to the better hospital, and they were really nice to us. We were put in a room right away, and although we waited about an hour to see the Dr. an hour isn't so bad, and they brought in a TV / DVD for her to watch, and set us up with pillows on the bed and were just nice about it. The only frustrating part, is that they wanted her to try oral liquids there before doing the IV. Do you think I'm lying about the "not tolerating ANY liquids?" They gave her a few sips of pedialyte, and she threw it up in about 3 minutes, right in front of them - so we didn't waste that long. The nurse got the IV in on the 1st try (love her for it), and then we lay on the bed and cuddled (she was so floppy) and got fluid and some Zofran for about 6 hours. They ran blood work, and other than a high white count (27,000 for my nurse friends) we just needed fluid. The nurses were all really sweet with her, and sat with her when I had to run to the bathroom. They even brought me a tray (bland and yucky food - but food nonetheless) for dinner. Once she was tanked up Jane started to perk up, and talk and play, so around 7pm they sent us home.

I think the high white count is from the stomach virus, AND that she still has a cold, and is fighting 2 things at once. We ran routine bloods at her 18 month visit, and it was fine then - so I touched base with our own pediatrician and she agrees. We're just going to wait until all of this is over and she how she is.

She still has diarrhea, and a sore bum because of it, but is keeping fluid down, so we're staying ahead of any more dehydration.

The "normal" routine started yesterday. The girls went to school, Rick went to work, and I bundled the kids and headed to sign Jacob up for story time at the library. Rebekah had said she felt nauseated when I picked her up from seminary, I just gave her a bottle of Gatorade, dropped her at school and told her to call me if it got worse. When I got home from the library - Rick was there. After 2 weeks off, he had lasted 3 hours at work, before the stomach virus hit him and he came home AGH! Will it never end???

That was yesterday. Today all of us seem fine. Jane is sill in recovery - but I think moving in the right direction. I am craving our usual routine, which a month ago, seemed so busy to me. I suppose this is part of the "opposition in all things" part of life. I wouldn't appreciate our health, or down time if we didn't occasionally have sick and crazy times. I've learned the lesson. I appreciate our blessings. I'm ready for some NORMAL.