So I jinxed us by saying we were hoping all would wake up healthy on Monday because that didn't come true! Actually the exact opposite may have occurred. The following is a break down of Connor's Week from Hell!!! =(
Monday - Went to his 4 month Dr apt. He is doing great, weighs just over 15 lbs which has him around 50% for weight but he is almost 70% for height, big buddy. Dr Pat was happy with his development on all fronts and helped me think through how to transition buddy to formula seeing as my freezer supply is shrinking and pumping time is a challenge. We had her inspect him like crazy for this nasty cough. Ears, lungs etc all looked/sounded great. She thought it was just something he had to work through and to come back if a temp forms. This was the cautious Dr who caught RSV in Maci at 2 weeks so when she said it seemed fine, OK I thought all was fine. She even had him get his regular 4 month shots because she didn't think he was "sick."
Maci Painting at the Kick Off to Hell Week
Tuesday - Not much to note other than Daycare says the visiting nurse heard him and said "oh my what is going on with that baby?!" Daycare repeats that we just had him checked and they think a nasty cold. The nurse wasn't buying a cold but onward we march.
Painting Fun
Wednesday - I am co-facilitating a meeting from 8a-2p then off to the lake office for a 230p meeting. Finally at 4p I sit down to get caught up on email and a text comes through from Clint "Daycare says Connor isn't doing so great, he was wheezy after his last bottle." Having a child who had RSV at 2 weeks, I know wheezy and babies is not two words you ever want to hear together. I quickly called the Dr to see if I could get him in. They then heard the word wheezy and put me through to the triage nurse who wanted to know what he looked like. . . key MOM GUILT. . . I don't know what he looks like because he is at daycare right now with people who are not his parents. So I ran out of work around 415p to get my baby! I got to daycare and he wasn't alright. He was SCREAMING this painful cry, so not our chill Connor, and he sounded like a gargoyle with his breathing. I drove him right to the Dr and within seconds they were doing the "Maci routine" which entails : oxygen pulsomitor on foot, nebulizer breathing treatment with arbudorol. They then quickly gave him an oral steroid (in case of croup). His lungs definitely sounded wheezy and tight. Fortunately, his oxygen remained in safe levels or we were off to the hospital. After lots of tests we know it is NOT RSV, Flu (A or B), bacterial as white blood cells were in good levels. However, we also did a pertussis test and we won't know until Monday on that one. After lots of discussion and multiple Drs looking at him, the plan was to put him on a Z Pack (5 days of treatment) in case it was pertussis (or bacterial pneumonia) this is the treatment and then when we hear the results he would have already been treated for it (likely not the cause but still). In addition, we now have our very own nebulizer machine. He was to take breathing treatments every 4 hours round the clock.
Thursday - EXHAUSTED - I go to work and Clint stays home with Connor after canceling a 1 day trip to Chicago for work. . . he fortunately was already taking Friday off to burn vacation. Connor has a follow up Dr check at 830a that Clint takes him to and it was AWFUL. They couldn't get his oxygen for almost 30 mins, they were pondering sending to the hospital because he couldn't stop coughing - disaster. Clint calls to tell me at work and I decide I am so tired, stressed that I can't concentrate at work, I will work from home. I get home around lunch and after a call around 3p, Clint is obviously struggling with Connor. He won't eat, nebulizer isn't helping and he is sucking air HARD! Clint looks at me and says "stay calm and call 911" Now we had been told by the Drs over and over to be prepared and not to hesitate to do this as baby breathing is a scary thing but you are never prepared to have a 911 operator asking you questions about your baby's breathing. When paramedics got to us he had calmed down but was still quite grunty and we were distraught. We determined hospital was best for him and off I went with Connor in the ambulance. I guess each of our kids need to experience a trip in one of these before their 1st birthdays UGH!! The hospital was having the same trouble (i.e. vitals check out, lungs sound grunty/wheezy, not testing positive for anything). They ponder keeping us over night to watch oxygen but after he takes a 3 hour nap, they have seen enough and send us home at 10p.
Who Looks This Good In a Hospital Gown?!
We get home exhausted both physically and emotionally. Maci is not in bed because Karoline was so kind to watch her at her house next-door while Clint came to meet me. I lay in bed with Maci and at least she can cheer me up. I am cuddling with her when she says "umm mom, how about you lay over there and I lay over here. . . . what you are doing is hurting me" HAHA that is so Clint's child. . .not much for cuddling, ever!
Friday - Clint and I both stayed home from work due to utter exhaustion and worry. Connor had another follow up appointment and this time the Dr is thinking potential asthma. Reasoning for this thought is that he has eczema on his chest and they tend to go hand in hand, he isn't testing positive for anything but the cold is getting his lungs bad. . . worse case, he would just have 1 steroid breathing treatment every day and then if he is asthmatic we would know as a cold comes on to get the arbudurol to help with coughing/wheezing. We aren't fully sold yet as we don't have this in the family history and Maci also sounded like hell and then never had a problem again. Time will tell and we go back in 2 weeks when he is hopefully 100% so they can hear the lungs healthy. In the meantime, we have added a 2x per day steroid to his breathing treatment routine. SO MANY MEDS! However, we were so happy to see that he is really turning the bend as of Friday. That night we decided to take a family trip to swim class and give him the indoor pool humidity. We didn't do pizza with the Cassem's though as we all needed sleep!! Clint was so kind as to let me go to bed at 8p since I could barely hold my eyes open any longer.
So Sweet!
Taking Care of Sick Brother & Offering Her Blanket
We Will Miss You Miss Casey
Love - The Little Rascals
Saturday - Connor is doing so much better!!! The breathing treatments are hated by him, darn oxygen mask and so that makes for long days and an inconvenience of needing an outlet every few hours. Clint and Maci went to gym while he and I rested, did treatments and ate. After gym, Maci and Connor went to the Cassem's for breakfast and to help with their new patio project. We got some things done around the house and then went to the outlets to get Maci some new Crocs for summer. We closed out the night with some online shopping and Baptism announcement ordering - whew!
My Big Boy Snuggling His Momma
#ThisOneCuddles!!!
Loving on Bunny Again - Thanks Jim!
Sunday - Still exhausted - how is this possible?! Got up though to get productive. This morning I was able to finish laundry, do the grocery trip, clean up the house, pack away Connor too small clothes and get ready for fun with Maci girl. It was finally the day for Princess Palooza with Jacey and Natalie. We ordered tickets weeks ago and this came at a perfect time since Maci didn't get too much attention this week and she rarely gets time with just mom anymore. This was the cutest little outing and we had such a fun time from start to finish (1200-230) :) There was singing, a DJ, Candy Bar, Photo Booth and Make Your Own Picture Frame. We did it all!! Enjoy our little princess & her pal Natalie!
Pre Party Pictures
HAHA Car Ride with Headphones & Movie
Geeking Out Excited!!
Patiently Waiting for Elsa
#CrownsDidntLastLong
Princess Overload
Alice in Wonderland
#NOTAPRINCESS?
Sleeping Beauty
Her Face Looks Like This In All Pictures
#Dazed&Confused
Her "Twin" Belle
Ariel!
Snow White on the Move
Chatting with Anna
The Beloved Cinderella
Rapunzel
Dance Party
All 10 Princesses Singing at the End
After getting home, Maci crashed in the car and I started on the usual Sunday to do's. Clint and Maci are now planting some flowers outside, so cute hearing them talk to each other. Connor is napping with only a touch of a cough remaining and I am ready to snooze :) But alas, no snoozing and instead we will take a family walk before Sunday night bath/bed routines, prepping for the week ahead and catching up on some work thanks to what was a crazy week of being in and out! However, I will take that crazy week all over again since it brought our little Connor man to a much healthier place and we thank God for the amazing Doctors and Nurses we encountered over the last week. Please say some prayers for continued health and positive trajectory.
Enjoy your week ahead!
Lots of Love,
C, K, M & C
