So, I haven't been back to update, because life has been busy, and we've been running around making new friends, seeing old friends and family and preparing for holidays. However, on Thursday, I was reminded just how lucky I am and how important it is to stop and just soak in this time that we get to spend with our little family rather than rushing around and preparing like crazy for the holidays.
We were planning on heading out of town on Friday late evening to go back home for the holidays, and we were planning to be gone about a week and a half; however, William (2.5 months) was just not acting like himself. He's typically a very laid back and relaxed baby, and he was just fussy and inconsolable. I just felt like something was off, so I decided to make him a doctor's appointment before we headed out of town.
We went to the appointment, and his pediatrician said he had some definite congestion and his chest sounded coarse, but he wasn't too concerned. He sent him for a chest x-ray just to be sure, and he wrote us a prescription for breathing treatments and an antibiotic. We did the chest x-ray, and we went home. I honestly thought nothing of it, and I just knew he was fine...then, I got the call. His pediatrician called, and he wanted us to check William into the hospital as soon as possible. He had pneumonia...I had a total breakdown. I was not at all prepared, because I thought he was fine, and it was nothing, so I just started crying. I called Grant, and I told him he needed to come home right away. I ran to pick up Weston, and I broke down at daycare picking him up. I think the director, and his teachers thought I had lost my mind. Anyways, Grant met us at the hospital, and I dropped Weston off with Grant. I went with William, and we checked into the hospital for three long days. I spent most of my time at the hospital from Thursday afternoon until we were released on Sunday morning. It was terrible...
I had to see my baby get breathing treatments every four hours, have an IV in his foot then pull it out and have to get it put in his arm, have multiple attempts at getting the IV in, because he's a chubby baby, and it didn't go in easily, sleeping and laying in a tent as much as possible, so he could get oxygen and more...it was a nightmare. Not only that, but by Friday, I knew that I was sick too. I was achy and feverish, as well as, congested and coughing. It was terrible! I also had a mild case of mastitis, because he wasn't nursing well. It was truly miserable. I thought that Grant and I would be fine to not have anyone come down and help, but after feeling so terrible, I called my mom, and she arrived at 1:00 AM on Saturday morning. Grant came to the hospital first thing on Saturday to relieve me, and I came home to shower and nap. Then, I went back to the hospital and Grant headed home to be with Weston. Grant spent the evening with Weston while my mom and I were at the hospital with William. Then, I went home, and my mom stayed the night with William. I was just exhausted and sick. I REALLY hated to leave him, but I knew that I needed to get some sleep and try to feel better.
William came home on Sunday morning, and we are now back together as a family under the same roof. He has a follow-up visit on Wednesday morning at our pediatrician's office, and we hope that he is well enough to travel for Christmas on Wednesday evening. We were planning lots of visits with friends this week, but we aren't going to be able to follow through, unfortunately; however, I'm just grateful that he's going to be okay, and he's going to be home for Christmas. We are truly blessed and this just reminded me that we need to slow down and just relax and spend this time celebrating our family and not rushing around trying to get things done and do too much.
It's easy to take your babies health for granted...I hope to never take my healthy, happy babies for granted again. There are SO many people who don't have healthy babies, and they'll be spending the holidays in the hospital. Life is good, and William is recovering. I'm getting lots of snuggles and spending more time just relaxing on the couch and playing with my babies instead of constantly running around and feeling stressed!
