PSF | Hospitals, Carnivals, & Fireworks, Oh My!

I miss blogging on a regular basis. I can remember a time when I made several posts in one day. Now I am lucky to get a couple up a month. I could say that I'll get better and make an effort, but then something happens and the blog has to be on the back burner. So bare with me as I try to catch up "the somethings" that have left me busy and absent.

Let's start with the fact that my whole family, myself included, have been ill for many weeks. I'm guessing it's about 3 weeks now. A nasty strain of the cold came our way and left one heck of a mess. It's Summertime and we've been hit by more germs than I think we had all of last Winter.

The colds started out simple enough; coughing, sneezing, runny nose. Then came the fevers and the vomiting. Then came the Asthma attacks. Then came the Viral Pneumonia. Our last stop was the hospital, where Alexander stayed for a week. And even after that, a follow up left 3 of us with double ear infections and ruptured ear drums.



Izzy's strain came and went fairly quickly. I'm guessing she picked it up from school and brought it home to share. :) A first for us, having to deal with the germs that come along with a child in school. Father's Day was the last day everyone felt well. So, we are almost at 4 weeks now. :)



Emmy and Alexander were hit the hardest. Both ran fevers up towards 105 and both of them had their Asthma triggered by whatever virus hit. I was able to keep Emmy home and under constant care, but she was quite miserable. She stopped eating and barely drank anything. Laying on the couch, in and out of sleep, was how she spent many, many days.

Alexander was another story. Being that he's only 10 months old, he had less of a fighting chance from the get go. He sent us to the ER twice, in distress and having a really hard time breathing. Finally, on our second trip, he was taken via ambulance. He was transported to our amazing Children's Hospital where he stayed for a week, fighting to keep enough oxygen circulating through. Alexander was a whole different kind of baby. He was lethargic and sad. He barely smiled, moved or had any inclination to play. He wanted to snuggle.

Since it was a Viral Pneumonia, there was little that could be done to actually fight the illness. We had to keep him comfortable and in stable condition. For days he had to stay on oxygen because he couldn't keep his 02 readings above 80.

I'll tell you, it was one of the worst moments in mine and Hubby's life. To have a child so sick and in the hospital, plus two other children who were ill and needed us, was a very hard place to be. It's something I wouldn't wish any parent would have to experience.



We are still dealing with a few of the aftershocks of those weeks, but we are all on the mend, thankfully. And I really hope that's the last time we have to go through that. :)

We did manage to enjoy the holiday. It was time that we headed out of the house and back into the real world. :) Grandma insisted we hit the Fourth of July carnival in a nearby city. The kids loved it! The girls rode every ride they could and Alexander has his first taste of Cotton Candy. :)






And that evening, the girls did their Fireworks. Bags and bags of sparklers lit a dark corner of our yard. I'd have to say that it was a nice way to end a rough couple of weeks and begin our Summer of fun. :)

This post is part of PhotoStory Friday this week!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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