Respiratory Something Virus

That's what husband and I called it for a few days before we finally looked-up the pronuciation guide online.  Resiratory SIN-SI-SHUL (Syncytial) Virus put my sweet boy threw the ringer. After a week and a half in daycare, Liam got sick. I was prepared for runny noses, but I was NOT prepared for this.

 It started with a small cough on Tuesday morning.  When he got home from daycare, the cough had turned wet (that's the only way I can think to describe it).  When I was burping him that night, and I heard/felt a vibration in his chest.  Knowing better than to mess with the lungs (especially when those longs are 13 weeks old), we decided to take L to the pediatrician the next morning (by we, I mean Husband was on daddy duty that day).  That night he coughed and snotted, coughed and snotted.

Following directions, Husband turned-off his phone while he was with the pediatrician (most of us would have turned our phone to vibrate, I'm just saying). After an hour and a half at the Peds, and after getting a million panicked phone calls and texts from me, Husband finally calls me with the news.  RSV.  To which I said, "Whaaa?" 

The Peds sent us home with a nebulizer and instructions of what to watch-out for.  The next couple days of my life consisted of watching Liam breathe, listening to him breathe, and trying to watch him breathe through our video monitor (which is really hard, by the way).  More often than not, he was wheezing when he breathed.  If we weren't using the nebulizer (which was every four hours when he was awake), we were sucking snot out of his nose.  Liam was remarkably cooperative with the nebulizer.  Each treatment took about 11 minutes.  By minute 9, his attention span would wane and one of us would dangle a toy in front of him or dance around like an idiot to keep him from melting down.  A couple of times, he had a meltdown anyway.  It broke my heart to see him so upset, but I figured he was taking-in extra medicine with all the wailing. Worse than the nebulizer was the snot by day three.  He was SO snotty.  Half the time he couldn't breathe out of his nose unless we used the bulb (my super technical term for it).  After a few days, his nose was so raw that he'd scream when we used it.  It was awful.  If we didn't use it, he couldn't breathe.  If we did use it, he screamed. 



Grammy trying to distract him.

After two nebulizer treatments on Saturday, he was still wheezing (the treatments usually made the wheezing go away).  It also looked like he was working breathe. We called the on-call nurse, who had the on-call doctor call us.  After five minutes of conversation, the doctor said, "I hate to do this to you, but I think you should go to the emergency room."  My heart has never hurt so badly in my life.  We got ourselves pulled-together, and headed to St. Mary's.  I guess they don't mess-around with babies because we didn't have to wait (as in, we never even had a chance to sit down).  After three hours in Peds (they really did call it Peds. I felt like I was inside Grey's Anatomy.  Minus all the sex and drama), lots of smiling and talking to the nurses and doctors, lots of crying because he was super tired by couldn't call asleep, and lots of refusing to eat because he was too tired, Liam was discharged.  We were now doing the nebulizer every two to four hours AROUND THE CLOCK. 


FINALLY fell alseep

I don't know if you've ever heard a nebulizer, but it's loud.  The Peds doc said we could do the night treatments while he was sleeping (just hold it over him face).  Right.  We'd turn-on the machine and Liam would immediately startle awake.  Who needs sleep anyway.
RSV is very contagious, so we obviously had to keep him out of daycare.  I worked from home some, Husband stayed home some, and Liam's Grammy (my mom) watched him some.  Between the three of us, we were able to keep him out of daycare through to Christmas.  And Husband was off the entire week after Christmas. 

By the Thursday before Christmas we were finally noticing some positive changes.  By Sunday we were cutting back the nebulizer treatments.  By the next Thursday his appetite returned (and we actually think he was in a growth spurt - 7 to 8 ounce bottles every time he ate), we didn't need to use the bulb, we weren't using the nebulizer, and we got our amiable kid back.

Throughout this whole ordeal, Liam remained remarkably happy.  It was amazing. Through all the snot, he'd still smile.  After a coughing fit he would immediately start talking.  He'd COUGH, COUGH, COUUUUGH, and go "UUUURGH!!!" in the cutest little 14-week old voice.  I'm so proud of how he handled it.  And I'm proud of how Husband and I handled it.  We leaned on each other, and we survived. 

Let me leave you with this:  Being a parent is NO JOKE.  You start worrying the second you find-out you're pregnant, and it only gets worse after they're born.  But there is nothing like it. 

So glad to have this kid back to normal!

What I've Learned

Being a parent has taught me MANY things. Some sweet. Some funny. Some gross. All awesome.

1. This Halloween I noticed just how slutty 80% of the costumes are.

2. I'm more germ conscious, especially in public places. Gross!
          a. On a similar note, instant hand sanitizer WILL dry out your cuticles.

3. My hunger and need to pee can wait, as long as it needs to.

4. You'd be amazed how quickly you can adjust to far less sleep.

5. When you give you son a kiss and he opens his mouth and deposits a mouth-full of saliva in your mouth, it's okay.  You got a KISS. Come ON.  Open mouth kisses from babies are the BEST.

6. RELAX.

7. I am stronger than I've ever given myself credit for.

8. I would do anything, ANYTHING for my son.  Unspeakable ferocity.

9. Poo on your finger? Meh. Wipe it on your pajama pants in a pinch.

10. Poly-Vi-Sol STAINS EVERYTHING.

11. Who our real friends are.

12. Nothing cures a bad day like a laughing, smiling baby.

13. Waking-up a few times a night isn't hard when you have such a good reason for doing so.

14. Where I used to say never, I could TOTALLY be a SAHM.

15. Daycare is painful. 

16. Breastfed poo DOES stink. 
17. There's nothing like it!


And yes, I'm aware that I've ended a few of these in prepositions. Refer to #6.

Your (our) daily dose:

Bits + Pieces

1. My baby snores. We're talking SNORES. And he has since birth.  How awesome is that?!

2. This week Liam stuck to the same schedule for three days in a row.  And then he got sick and WHAM, we're scheduleless.

3. Even though it's over three weeks away, I am consumed by the fact that I will be separated from my favorite person in the world (Husband being a close second) on an almost daily basis.  Any idea how hard it's going to be to say goodbye to this face? I now know that I could totally be a SAHM.

4. Liam smiles all of the time, and it melts my heart each time.  He smiles the biggest when we sing pat-a-cake and clap his hands together.  I CANNOT wait for that first laugh.

5. I now realize how hard it is to make time/room for working out when there's a baby around.  Sure, I can take him in the jog stroller, but when do I shower?  Sure, I can put him in his swing while I shower, but he'll probably be screaming by the time I get out.

6. I still haven't been apart from him, and I'm not looking forward to the first time (whenever that is). 

7. I still have that sweet tooth that developed during pregnancy.  Much to my chagrin.

8. My dad and his family are coming to town Thanksgiving, and we are SO excited.  My step mom and half siblings haven't met Liam yet, so it's going to be a good time!

9. Liam has his two-month appointment next week and shots are on the schedule.  Not excited.  I'm hoping our Ped will start charting his growth and give us some percentiles.  Very excited.

10. Being a mom is so much better than I ever imagined.

Birth Story: Part III

Once I was hooked-up to the Pictocin, my contractions really started to pick-up.  By pick-up, we're talking every 30 to 90 seconds.  Thankfully, they didn't last more than 30 to 45 seconds.  Because they were short, they were manageable.  When the Pitocin was started, I was in the hospital bed.  And there I had to remain until Evil Night Nurse Katie was satisfied that I wouldn't react badly.  Every once and a while, Liam's heart rate would still drop.  I could tell this was really making Evil Night Nurse Katie nervous.  Her poker face sucked.

Laboring in the bed was horrible. There was no way to get comfortable, and I felt completely confined. Evil Night Nurse Katie had me laying on my side to help with Liam's heart rate.  My left side completely fell asleep.  I asked to switch to my right.  And then that side completely fell asleep.  She also had me wearing the oxygen mask.  I wore this mask for the rest of my labor, only taking it off a few times.  The mask made breathing through contractions more complicated.  And it smelled like plastic, which was awesome since my nose was buried in it. With each contraction, I would grip handles on the side of the bed and concentrate on breathing and relaxing the rest of my body.  During my third trimester, I created a "labor and delivery" mix on my iPod.  Thank goodness for that music.  Everything online said to make a mix of calm, soothing music, but I knew better.  I needed happy music. So I made a mix of John Mayer, Florence and the Machine, all three Twilight sound tracks, The Postal Service, Sara Barellias, Colbie Calait, and the like.  Best decision ever.  There were multiple times that I was singing in-between contractions. 

At 6:22 am, I was allowed to move to the birthing ball.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Before I sat on it, Evil Night Nurse Katie put a puppy pad under it and draped puppy pads over it.  I don't know if you knew this, but you leak a lot during (and after) labor.  Each internal exam produces bloody gloves. And don't even get my started on the fluids. 

When I got on the birthing ball, the Pitocin was also turned down.  My contractions were on-top of each other, and it was obvious that my body was taking over.  Josh's notes in the notebook say, "Contractions are more frequent and more painful."  True, but the birthing ball made them SO much easier to manage.  It was positioned right next to the bed.  Close enough for me to rest my arms and head on the bed.  In between contractions, I was upright and rocking back and forth.  During contractions I either put my head down on the bed and rocked or rolled my head back and rocked.  All the while, Josh was standing behind me so I could lean back if needed.  I didn't want my shoulders or feet massaged during each contraction.  I only wanted my head rubbed/scratched.  It really helped to relax me. 

In our birth class, the teacher told us about how contractions come on like a wave, peak, and then fade to nothing.  It's SO true.  They really did come on like a wave, starting small and growing.  And when it was done, it was done.  No pain.  Nothing.  Maybe some pressure if you were farther along in labor and the baby was dropped.  The worst part about the contractions was that they were ON TOP of each other.  The pain was manageable.  But the frequency was wearing on me.

Since me and Liam needed to be monitored at all times, I couldn't leave the bed to use the bathroom. Josh's note in the notebook says, "6:40 am: First attempt at the bed pan: FAIL."  There was never a second attempt. Major stage fright.  Peeing in a bed pan in front of my husband and a nurse - no dice. Eventually, a catheter was used to drain my urine.  And then a Foley bag a while later when my doctor realized that I produce A LOT of urine.

At 7:00 am there was a nurse change and Awesome Nurse Pam came back, as promised.  Man was I glad to see her smiling face.  She changed our "plan for today" on the white board to "Welcome Liam!"  That's when it hit me that this was really happening.

Funny Story: One

Liam's birth story is in draft form. While I'm working on that, I want to share a funny story with you.  The title of this post is Funyn Story: One, which implies that there are more funny stories to come.  If you infered as much, you were correct!  I don't know if you knew this, but babies are FUNNY. Sometimes, the funny really isn't so funny, but your only option is to laugh.  And let me tell you, we've laughed, A LOT. Which for a period of time really sucked for me (I bet you have no idea just how many muscles you flex when you laugh. And sneeze, cough, blow your nose, yell, etc.), but more on that later.  Anyway, here's that story:

Liam and I were released from the hospital on a Thursday.  Our pediatrician wanted us to come in for a weight-check on Saturday.  Our first time venturing out of the house with Booger (by far our favorite nickname for L). How exciting!  Before leaving, Husband and I discussed how awesome it would be if Liam didn't have a blow out on our first trip out.  So we had a quick chat with our new son, politely asking him to be nice and not need a change, and we headed-out.

It was our first trip to the pediatrician, so I had some paperwork to fill-out.  We were sitting in the waiting room filling out the paperwork when we heard Liam let one blow.  Every time (EVERY TIME) my son poops, I hear it loud and clear.  Sometimes the walls shake, for real.  Husband and I both laugh, but all I'm really thinking is, "Thank GOODNESS I'm filling-out this paperwork."  So Husband takes him back to the bathroom for a change.  Of course one minute later the nurse calls Liam's name.  I tell her that my husband took Liam back to change him.  She goes to wait for Husband after she takes me to the exam room.  I settle-in the and finish the paperwork.  Five minutes later, Husband is still gone, and I'm starting to worry.

I head to the bathroom where I think Husband took Liam, and there are two nurses waiting outside the door.  I knock on the door saying, "Josh?"   I hear, "Yeeees."  "Do you need help?" "Yeees."  Mommy to the rescue!  I open the door and immediately start laughing (and holding my lady bits).  It looks like a tornado touched-down in the bathroom.  Liam is naked.  There are baby clothes and wipes EVERYWHERE.  And Husband looks a little panicked.  I say, "What happened?!?!"  Liam pooped, a lot.  And then Husband was changing him, he pooped more and everywhere.  And then he peed all over himself, the changing pad, changing table, and Josh. .  Josh has ONE wipe left (We had packed at least 20), and he had gone-through a few diapers.  All the while, Liam has this look of, "Did I do that?" on his face.  Again, laughing is all you can really do. 

We made it home without further incident... Other than the little man meltdown on the way home.  Someone was hungry, and someone wanted to eat RIGHT NOW.  It was the first time we really heard him wail.  My heart broke.  And of course we hit EVERY red light.

For Funny Story: Two, I'll explain this picture:

It's the little things

Sometimes (okay, almost every night) when I’m falling (trying to) asleep at night I try to imagine what our lives will be like in two short months. I imagine all of the ups and downs we’ll endure. I try to imagine what it’ll be like to be a mom. And I picture all of the things that I’ve been dreaming about since I was little, since I met my husband, and since I first peed on that stick.

Here are some of the things I’m most excited about in the first couple months.

1. Baby smell. I can’t wait for that first deep breath where I just take-in L Bean’s smell. Have you ever smelled a newborn? It’s amazing. And I can’t fathom how amazing it will be to smell MY newborn.

2. The first picture of Josh and L Bean napping together. You’ve seen the picture – Dad is asleep on the couch with baby lying across his chest. Heart meltage.

3. Changing my cell phone background picture to the latest L Bean picture. I can’t wait to have baby featured on that screen. I have a phone upgrade coming in October, and I plan to load-up on L Bean pictures to get me through my days when I’m back at work.

4. Seeing my husband hold his son for the first time. I don’t even need to explain this one. My heart flutters just thinking about it.

5. Baby pictures. Not fancy baby pictures, just pictures of our baby. I can’t wait to fill-up our external hard drives with hundreds of baby pictures (many of which will get posted to the blog, of course!).

6. The 2010 holidays. The main holiday season this year is going to be a doozy. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and our birthdays all fall with in less than three months of each other. I can’t wait for cute outfits, our Christmas card this year, and birthday celebrations as a family of three.

7. Seeing my dad hold L Bean for the first. I’m not sure why, but I’m the most excited to see my dad with L Bean. He’s so ready and so excited to be a grandpa. I predict tears. And I know he and L Bean are going to be best buddies.

8. Late night feedings. Say WHAT?!?!  Notice that this is something that I look forward to in the first couple months. Meaning, at this point I’ll be home all day every day (read: not waking-up for work each morning). I know I’ll be tired, and I know it’ll be tough. But I’m willing to bet that there is something really special about those middle-of-the-night feedings, when the rest of the world is turned-off and it’s literally just the two of us.

9. Watching my husband become a father. He has the biggest heart of any man that I know, and he’s going to be the best dad. I can’t wait to watch it happen.

10. Picking L Bean’s outfits every day. He’ll be like a doll, only better.

11. Packing/organizing for the first few trips out of the house. I can’t wait for that chaos! Oh, the planning that is to come. I can’t wait to pack the diaper for the first time. And to pull-out the stroller at our very first destination. I can’t wait to walk around (wherever we are) next to my husband pushing a baby stroller that has OUR kid in it. I’m sure we’ll pack WAY too much and over think EVERYTHING those first few trips, but it’ll be so much fun to learn together.

12. Baby wearing. I can’t wait to strap L Bean to me with a Moby wrap. And too see Josh with L Bean strapped to his chest – SWOON.

13. Watching our pets adjust to L Bean’s presence. I can’t wait to see how our pets react to L Bean. We have a few predictions. Fiona will be curious and enamored from day one. She’ll want to lick him and have constant access to him. Henrik will be cautious and unsure for a few days, and then he’ll gradually come around. Eventually, he’ll love L Bean more than any of the other pets, being his protector and best bud. Both dogs will be jealous at first. Rooney won’t give a rip. She’ll sniff him a few times and go about her business. But who knows – she could surprise us and be his biggest fan. Beasley will be curious, curious, curious. He’ll hide from the noise at first, and then he’ll venture out for sniff sessions. Eventually, he’ll want to curl-up where ever L Bean is sleeping.

14. The first time in the hospital when there are no nurses or family around, it’s totally quiet, and it’s just the three of us. We’ll both be thinking, “This is our life now,” and “Is this really happening?”