The terrible virus.....

RSV.

Three letters I never want to be around again.  Ever.  Never.  Seriously.

If you remember from a previous post, Colin had bronchiolitis a few weeks ago.  This past Sunday evening, Colin started coughing again.  I let his sitter know on Monday and asked her to keep an eye on him.  I called her Monday during the day to see how he was doing.  She said ok.  Smiling, breathing ok, it seemed ok.  When I went to pick Colin up from the sitter she said he was not sounding as good.  He had not eaten very well to - and his last bottle, he ate only about 1ounce of it.  I had a meeting at school so I Colin and I headed over to school.  I tried the bottle again, nothing.  He felt warm to me and I noticed he had started breathing hard, shallow and fast.  I called the ped's office but they couldn't get me in.  I decided to take Colin over to the ER. 

They got us in quickly, looked at his breathing, and the nurse got on the phone to say she needed respiratory to come to trauma 17.  TRAUMA?!?!  All of the sudden, I panicked, I started feeling flashbacks from taking Luke to the ER.  Immediately they got him on oxygen, his oxygen level was in the 80's but quickly came up to 100%.  They got a breathing treatment started, got an iv in, bloodwork, etc, etc.  Things were happening FAST and I was panicking.  They were asking me all sorts of questions.  The tears started to flow but they kept assuring me he was going to be ok, they just needed to get him breathing easier.They swabbed for RSV, took us to xray for another chest xray.  A little while later they said the good news is that his xray was clear although there was still some signs of bronchiolitis.  His RSV swab came back positive.  Eventually Steve got there to be with us.  I was able to relax a little now that I wasn't alone.  It was really scary - terrifying.  The ER doctor was fabulous, ironically, he was the same doctor that diagnosed Steve's pneumonia last June!  He made a decision fairly quickly that Colin needed to be somewhere else and we were given the choice of sending him to Riley or Univ. of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital.  We decided Univ of Chicago because of it's location to our house.  While they worked out the logistics of getting him ambulanced up here, the ER doctor would continue to come in to check on Colin's breathing.  I kept asking him, "is he ok?  Is he ok?"  He continued to reassure me he was going to be.  He just needed to be at another facility that had more resources in case things didn't go the way they should.

Steve rode up in the ambulance to Chicago with Colin.  I had to go home and get some stuff, knowing we would be up there at least 2 days.  I didn't get there too much later then they did.  They had Colin in the Intensive Care Unit.  This is where he was for the next day and a half.  He remained on oxygen, breathing treatments and monitored closely. 

Wednesday we were moved to a "regular" floor!  Woo Hoo!  We finally had our own room with a bathroom and didn't have to use a community shower, etc.  We have more space in here too.  We've seen a bazillion doctors and about as many nurses.  We've learned how to read his monitors and know when his alarm goes off it's really reading correctly, something is unplugged, or he's just moving around!  I've learned what high temps are in celcius, how much oxygen Colin is getting at any point in time. 

Colin's fevers keep going back and forth.  Today (Friday) they were around 100.  At one point, they've been as high as 103.  He gets very agitated when they get that high and his monitors go crazy cause everything gets out of whack! 

He doesn't want to eat.  This morning at 6, he ate about 2oz of breastmilk.  That was the last time he really took anything.  I gave him about 1/2 ounce by a syringe this afternoon.  They keep telling us he will eat when he feels better.  I am NOT going to want to put him on a scale when all of this is over.  All the positive gains we've made with his weight, and it's probably all gone downhill.  Boo.  Because he's not eating much, my freezer stash of breastmilk is growing quite nicely!  But, I'd rather it be going to Colin right now and not the freezer.

This morning they turned off his oxygen and had him on room oxygen.  That lasted about 2 hours.  He got slightly agitated and the doctor came back in and turned it up to 1litre.  Later, it was turned down to .5 litres.  That's where we still sit. 

Steve and I are both extremely discouraged right now.  Our hope was to head home tomorrow.  But now, who knows.  He has to be able to stay off oxygen, have no high fevers, and be eating.  Well, as of today the only one of those we have is no high fevers.

It's heartbreaking to see Colin this way.  He's the happiest boy ever.  Full of smiles.  I haven't seen him smile in days.  I said to Steve today I'm worried he won't ever smile again.  I'm worried that he will have taken a huge step back with the milestones we have reached at this point.  I worried about everything about him right now.

I'm ready to bust out of the place and get back home.  Now.

My poor baby in the ICU

Getting a breathing treatment.  One of his LEAST favorite things to do!



Visiting with Daddy

"Like my new quilt?  They gave it to me!  It was made by some volunteers and they give it to the sick kids.  I have used it the whole time I've been here!"

"My new home!  I broke out of ICU and I'm now on a regular floor!  They're getting my oxygen set up!"

How sad is this face??  His fever had just spiked, they just gave him some tylenol, and we had cool washcloths on him to see if it would cool him down.

On Thursday evening, one of Colin's more awake times.  He found his thumb!

One of the nurses cut Colin's nurses cut his "club" down so Colin can get to his thumb.  He likes having his hand a little more mobile now.



Hoping to be out of here soon.....

Yummy Yum Yum!

Last Friday we tried rice cereal for the first time with Colin.  He took to it right away!  We had a speech therapy evaluation and decided to give it a shot.
I was so proud of my big boy!  He didn't react to the strange texture of the cereal, or the spoon in his mouth.  She showed us some things we can do with the spoon in his mouth (pushing down on his tongue, placing the spoon sideways and pushing down on his lower job).  None of these things phased him.
A few times she said that so much of what Colin is doing is "typical" for his age!  LOVE  LOVE LOVE hearing that my baby is "typical!"  hehe  She loved that he sucks his thumb, and even chews it.  She loved that he's started to show an interest in holding his bottle (ok, so it's a tiny interest, and we have to encourage it!  hehe).  It went really well.

Love his messy cereal face!  My boy is getting so big!

Strep, flu, bronchitis, bronchiolitis - OH MY!!!

Augh.  What. A. Week.

Monday when I woke up I just didn't feel 100%.  My chest had started feeling heavy on Sunday and Monday I just felt worn out.  Monday evening a low-grade fever set in.  Tuesday I stayed home and slept.  Wednesday, back to work, glad to have the fever gone!  I only worked a 1/2 day because Colin had an OT evaluation.  By Wednesday evening, my fever was creeping up again.  Early Thursday morning I woke up SHIVERING and knew the fever was back.  Took some tylenol around 2am.  By the time I woke up on Thursday at 5:15 my fever was up to 101.  BLECH! 
I BEGGED Steve to stay home because I knew that I needed to get to the dr and I couldn't drive myself with that kind of a fever. 
Around 7:30 I started trying to get Natalie ready for the day but she didn't want to get out of bed and she was full of fits, drama & tears.  GUESS WHAT?!?!  She had a fever of 101 too.  Grrr.  The day was shaping up to be bad.  So I sent her back to bed. 
Colin had been kinda congested and gunky for about 2wks.  Wouldn't you know - he wakes up Thursday morning and now a nasty cough has set it.  It sounded like a bark. 
I knew it was best if all 3 of us got to the dr.  The kiddos went at 1:30 with Steve.  Natalie was diagnosed with strep & the flu (HELLO!  She had a flu shot!!).  Colin was given a breathing treatment and sent over for a chest xray.  Steve came home, picked me up and dropped me off at my dr.  Then took Colin over for his chest xray and back to the pediatrician.  Meanwhile, I met with my dr who said it was definately bronchitis.  Steve talked to the pediatrician again who said that Colin had bronchiolitis.  He was given prednisone and was started on breathing treatments, 3x/day for the next 4 days. 
Friday we were still all home (except Steve, he had to go back to work).  Colin very quickly started to sound better.  Natalie finally had her fever break in the afternoon and decided to get out of the chair and play with her barbies.  DEFINATELY a good sign.
Colin has decided that he doesn't like his breathing treatments.  He cries during them.  It's hard to listen to him cry and know that I have to continue it, even though he HATES it.  I just remind myself that it's for the best.
Sooooooo...  Back to the dr tomorrow with Colin.  Hopefully the Dr will be pleased with his progress!  I think she should be.  He definately sounds better!
And me?  I'm slowly getting there.  Still very run-down and definately not 100% yet.  Getting there - slowly.

Colin receiving his breathing treatment.  Here is he actually calm and tolerating it.  

Wordless Wednesday

Back to the {DAILY} grind.....

And it SUCKS!!!!!
Monday I started back at work. Sunday was hard and that night I had a major meltdown. I felt like I wasn't doing what's best for Colin. It breaks my heart. Steve, as always, was my rock. He calmed me down and reminded me that I am doing what's best for him. I'm not one of those mom's who feels that her baby shouldn't be around other kids or in daycare. I strongly believe that Natalie one of the reasons why Natalie is as well-rounded as she is has to do with her being in daycare! But let's face it..... Colin is a special needs baby and I feel like he needs "more" then Natalie did. More encouragement, more stimulation, more support, etc. I just want him to have the best chance at life. I know all mom's feel this way. I know he is in good hands, but they're not MY hands and that is what hurts.
Today, I was cuddling him during Natalie's piano lesson. He had a different "smell." It wasn't my "smell" and that made me sad.
I know that being around older children will be good for him! And let's face it.... Spring break can't be that far away, right????
So, until then I was give him hugs and kisses each evening when we're home. I will continue to remind myself that I am doing what's best for him.

"HELLO LADIES!"

Colin wanted to say hello to his biggest fans!  The ladies!  Since he gets so much attention wherever he goes!  It must be the hair.  :-)

I mean seriously, can you even resist this adorable face??!!??!!

See!  He's ready for kisses!!

My boy has a silly personality!  One of the things he loves to do is put things in his mouth and suck on them!  He loves his thumb.  And his shirt - if it's close enough to his mouth.  Well, the other day he was playing on his mat and he managed to get the hanging toy in his mouth.  So, I went to grab my camera and by the time I came back in it was out and he was he was trying to get it in his mouth again!

He's trying........

Still trying.....

And....  HE GOT IT!

And he managed to suck on it for a few minutes!

That's my ladies man!





The Blizzard of 2011

......and what a Blizzard it was!  I headed to the gym on Tuesday around noonish, pretty sure that I wouldn't make it to my 7pm session with my trainer because of the incoming snow.  Around 1ish the snow started, and it was coming down hard and fast!  Natalie's school let out an hour early.  We were all in, and ready for most of it to begin!  We watched Toy Story 2 last night.  Love family movie nights!  ......Even if they give me a hard time because I always fall asleep!

This morning, this is what I woke up to:

Steve had said last night, "Unless my car is hidden by snow, I won't consider this a major storm."  Yea, well hang on there Mr!  It was only 8:30am!!  We had a lot of snow ahead of us.

So, Natalie sat in the front window for awhile and watched the snow falling:

And Colin hung out on his playmat!  He loves this thing!

He had no idea what was going on outside!  But, little did he know, he would find out later today when we took him out for a brief while!  hehe

At one point, I looked outside and couldn't see across the street!  The snow was coming down hard and fast!!  (do you see the fire hydrant at the edge of our side yard?)

Delicious breakfast followed!!  I love making pancakes and sausage for the family on days like today.  Delicious!

Colin didn't get to eat the good breakfast, but he did keep us company!

We spent the day relaxing.  At one point I was curled up in the recliner with Colin, Natalie, and my cat!  Steve had fallen asleep on the couch.  I dozed for a few minutes until......  SURPRISE!  My sister calls.  Woke me up.

Once the snow stopped, around 3pm, we finally headed outside to explore a bit, see how deep it was, and begin the digging-out process!

This is what we found when we opened the garage door:

Steve almost got his wish to have his car buried in snow.....  Almost!

Colin decided to see how he compared to the drift!

Natalie starts digging!

So, how much did we get??

The ruler says 17.5" Give or take an inch or so!

FINALLY!!  Driveway is plowed out!

......And one last picture of my little guy!

Tomorrow, everyone's home again.  Snow day!  But I told everyone it's a workday!  LOTS to do that we didn't do today....  :-)  And I hope to not see this type of snow for a LONG time!