Better Baby Your Baby...

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned Ty's "small allergy/cold issue." Well, it wasn't such a small issue as we opened the Watson ICU in our house last night. After his bath and small bottle, Tyler went to bed as usual. I asked Danny to set up the humidifier just to help Ty be more comfortable, but there were no apparent problems...

Until, about 10:30 p.m. when I heard Tyler making a few sounds. At first, it sounded like he was just repositioning himself in his bed, but the sounds became more intense. I ran into his room where he promptly began a coughing fit. No sooner had I scooped him up to be sure his airway was clear enough for him not to choke, he threw up all over his changing table. I guess my vomit initiation was a quick one (ask Joy about her response to that part of the story).

After that, we were in it for the long haul. Tyler's little nose was alternating between being stuffy and runny, so sometimes the suctioning thing helped and sometimes the saline solution helped. Regardless, he couldn't sleep flat on his back and breathe easily, so he and I had a Mommy/Tyler sleepover in the guest bedroom. I surrounded him with pillows and propped him up on one so that his nose would be higher than the rest of his body. He's been trained from very early on to sleep in his own bed, so it took him a while to settle down in an unfamiliar bed. After I had rubbed his almost-bald head and held his little hand and sang a few songs to him, he fell asleep. It was a fitful sleep, but it was sleep. I, on the other hand, spent the entire night watching his chest rise and fall and begging God to take care of my baby. I feel so vulnerable in circumstances like these; a humble reminder of who is really in charge.

At about 12:30 a.m. Tyler woke up with that hacking cough again. I looked over and started to pick him up, but as I was getting him in my hands, he started throwing up. Great...two for two. This time, it was on his pillow, all down the back of my shirt, on the floor, and all over Tyler's face. I paced the hall for a few minutes trying to figure out how I was going to clean up all the mess and take care of my baby all at the same time without waking Danny. I came to the quick realization that I needed reinforcements, no matter how dazed, confused, and grumpy they may be.

Danny helped me get the floor cleaned up, and I handled the rest. We sat in Ty's room for a while feeling totally hopeless and helpless holding such a sick little man. Danny eventually went back to bed, and Tyler and I resumed our positions in the guest room. The rest of the night is a blur. I drifted in and out of sleep depending on the noises Tyler was making and the terrible dreams I was having. I was almost relieved when morning came, even though I was totally exhausted.

My mission for the day was to love on Tyler and help him feel better. We got a little stir-crazy in the afternoon and needed to get out of the house. We decided a quick walk to the mailbox would give us just the right dose of fresh air and hot, Texas sunshine. Not wanting to load Ty in the carrier and unload the big stroller from the car, I decided to put him in the umbrella stroller. Clearly, he is not quite big enough to ride in this stroller yet, but we made it down the street and back without any problems.

Danny liked this picture because Ty looks like Gilligan!

We still have a really sick baby on our hands. His temperature has been fluctuating a lot over the course of the afternoon and evening. At one point I became concerned enough to consult the on-call pediatrician who told me to call in the morning for an appointment. So, off to the doctor we will go. I just pray he is not getting an ear infection; that was one of the possibilities I was told over the phone based on his symptoms and the late onset of fever. Fabulous.

As of now, Tyler is sound asleep in his bed. I peeked in on him before I sat down at the computer, and I don't think he's moved a centimeter since I put him down at 8 p.m. Let's hope he is able to rest through the night (and that Mommy can sleep, too, because she is tired!).