I have Ironman, Superman, and Spiderman at residence at my house this morning.  

Ironman spent quite a long time gazing at himself in the mirror, quite satisfied over his mask.  Spiderman keeps looking somewhat enviously at Ironman and his mask, and was recently overheard quizzing Ironman about his stool-jumping prowess.  I am trying to vacuum the hardwood floors, but keep having to stop and refasten the velcro on Superman’s cape, which, when loosened, causes a lot of distressed screaming.  

Personally, I wish that Superman would apply some of his super skills to the super messes he is so capable of making.

Seriously, child.  Shake of the head, roll of the eyes.

***********

Ever since yesterday, Gabe has been planning a puppet show for tonight, with a bag puppet he made at school.  He has been talking about it all day.  Tonight he organized the chairs,

set up the puppet stage, asked his daddy to pop some popcorn, asked for the lights to be adjusted like he wanted them, and happily crawled behind his stage to perform as we sat and watched.  

His brothers screamed with laughter at the appropriate parts.  Some of us could not even stay in our seats, we were so excited.  :)

It’s sort of contagious.

Eventually even Daddy joined the party.  Gabe received a hearty round of applause at the end, and he came through for some high fives.  :)  

**********

I had a friend, Lisa C., who picked up some groceries for us the other day since I was feeling so lousy AND brought me a little taste of spring to set on my table.  

I heart my tulips…wistful spring sigh.  

Thanks, friend.

We’ve had lots of friends do such friendly things during our “afflictions”.  Meals and groceries and calls and praying for us…  We love you all sooooo much!!!

is…pleurisy.  Ohhhhh yes, my friends, ohhhh yes.

“Pleurisy, or pleuritis, in an inflammation of the pleurae (thin, moist membranes that cover the lungs and line the chest cavity)…The pleurae normally reduce the friction between the chest structures as the lungs expand and contract. Inflammation of the plurae causes breathing to become painful and less effective….There are two types of pleurisy: dry and wet pleurisy. In dry pleurisy, the more common condition, the inflamed pleurae rub directly against each other…. Pleurisy may be a complication of underlying lung diseases, particularly of pneumonia, or sometimes of tuberculosis, lung abscesses, or influenza….The major symptom of dry pleurisy is a sharp, stabbing pain towards the side and lower part of the chest. The pain may also be felt along the shoulders, neck and abdomen. Any movement involving the chest, such as breathing or coughing, will aggravate the pain, which may be accompanied by shortness of breath, a dry cough, and fever.”

(from http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/567/main.html)

Basically, this is my leftover treat from the flu.  Splendid.  I needed a leftover treat.  It is STABBING PAIN in my right lung, that often goes from the front lower chest through my lung to the back, and up into my shoulder.  I had a brief flirtation with a milder form of it a few days ago, but it disappeared, until two nights ago, where it returned stronger and stabbier (good word, that.  Stabbier.  ;)) than ever.  I knew what it was, because Zion had a pleural rub in the hospital, and all my symptoms indicated I had the same.  I skittered very invalid-ly-like to a walk-in clinic in the morning, hoping to not be dramatic and go to the ER for the SIXTH time in a few weeks (suspected blood clot in my leg, Zion to ER, Gabe to ER, Israel to ER, me to ER for horrible horrible pink-eye in both eyes in the dead of night)…but they looked at my pregnant stomach nervously and sent me straight there.  :)  Ha.  

The ER doctor could hear a very distinctive pleural rub (the sound of the linings between my lung and chest cavity rubbing together scratchily) along my right lower rib cage.  The ideal treatment for pleuritic pain is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) such as Advil, so as to reduce the inflammation that is causing the layers to rub together, but I can’t take that since I am pregnant.  What is left to me is symptom control.  So I am taking one Percocet and one 325 mg Tylenol every 4 hours on the nose.  My pain is about a 7 out of 10 when it starts to wear off, but a tolerable 4-5 out of 10 when I’m on it.  Last night I slept through one dose and it was 7 hours in between and I hurt so badly when I got up at 5 AM that I almost couldn’t stand it.  It makes you feel sort of panicky, because you can’t take a deep breath without horrible stabbing pain, so you are breathing sort of shallowly and quickly.  

Sigh.  

I have read that it can last for weeks.  Or more.  Please pray for me that it doesn’t.  I hate to be taking this medicine so often with my pregnancy, but I basically have no choice.  I called and talked to the nurse-midwife at my doctor’s office today, and she was like, “Don’t take Percocet unless you have too…try to wean yourself off soon”, but that is like telling someone that they need to wean themselves off of needing pain medication before a scheduled knife stabbing episode every 4 hours.  The pain hasn’t changed, so neither has my need for pain relief.  I’m already feeling a little freaked at the idea of nothing changing painwise and me running out of Percocets…because Percocets are a great great invention indeed.  :)  

I am just a basket full of cheery tales these days.  :)  Lol, shake of head…

Soon enough I’ll have a cheery tale…the weeks are speeding by towards her coming…  

Please pray for me that I can get well soon, because honestly this is pretty miserable.  Tolerable, but miserable.  

31 weeks  3 days

BP: 106/64

Baby’s HR: 125

Measurements: “right on”

Weight gain: 22 lbs

I am feeling like I am sort of ready to be done being pregnant.  When I’m laying down I feel like one of those bugs stranded on their back, waving their limbs feebly in the air trying to turn over.  The baby is moving good, but I think she seems to be quieter movement-wise than her brothers were.  Maybe in a few more weeks she will be more active.  I am needing naps again during the day, probably more due to being in my third trimester than flu recovery.  The doctor told me two weeks ago that she didn’t think she was going to be a very big baby.  She seems sort of big to me already.  :)  

I’ve been awfully hungry lately too.  Think I’m making up for the non-existent appetite I had in my first trimester.  Ahhh, what’s another cheese puff or seven/ dish of ice cream/ late night snack of choice??  helping of a well balanced meal??   

Can’t wait to meet this babe.  Her name has been picked out for quite a while, now, and we’re both quite happy with it.  The boys don’t know it, though.

********

In flu recovery news, we all still have some lingering tiredness; Tim still has a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes.  But the worst of it all is my MOM!!!  

She went home the Thursday we came home, a week and a half ago, and by Saturday was sick.  Fever, coughing, vomiting, very tired, all of it…and she is STILL sick, over a week later, and just got pink eye ALSO yesterday, I think it was.  She has had it as badly as Gabe, who had it the worst of all of us.  Maybe even worse than Gabe.  :(  

Nothing like sending that splendid little “thank you” gift home with her… 

********

Favorite pronunciations of late:

Israel pronounces cheese as “cheech”.  This has been kept alive by Tim, who thoroughly enjoys it.

Zion calls bagels “biegos”, as they sound like his other love, the show with “Diego”.  :)  

One nice thing about the cold is that when the dog asks to go out, she generally goes out, does her bidness, and then comes directly back in, bypassing her usual route of prolonged scratching out on the sidewalk, prolonged smelling of the grass over the entire front yard, more prolonged scratching, investigation of all sorts of things out of sight, and a gentle and slow mosey up to the front door.  

No, she saved that routine for me until 5:45 AM, when she woke me from a deep sonorous sleep by yipping at the front door.  Which was excellent, because I really need as little sleep as I can possibly get.  Then she disappeared for about ten minutes.  Whilst I checked on Israel, fixed his blankets, checked on Zion, checked on Zion again, went to the bathroom, had a nice drink of water…and finally whispered great threats loudly out into the freezing night air.

Sure enough, here she comes, scuttling guiltily across the road, fresh from the neighbors cat food dish.  We had a short conversation when she came back in, which involved lots of angry eyes and pointing from me, and lots of lip licking (her own) from her.  

Glad to know she knows who is boss around here.

Punk dog.

(*a post rediscovered from December…)

Pre-hospital.  All three boys laying around and sleeping.  Gabe’s bowl ready at hand for the next bout of vomit.  

Little Bear goes to the hospital on Thursday, and is admitted with pneumonia that is making him work too hard to breathe.

See how his armboard was right in the way of him holding his blanket in that hand?  This causes LOTS of distressed screaming until I furtively “adjusted” it.  ;)

Aaaannnnnddd it’s Saturday and here comes sick brother Gabe…

feverish and all.  Dehydration and pneumonia.  Did not feel well, obviously.  

Baby is glad to see him, though!

Bear needed lots of cuddles.  He really liked sleeping beside me on that cot.

Gabe off of oxygen.

Our friend Sydney dropped by on Tuesday with some toys and goodies for the boys from our church.  That made even Cranky Baby happy!

He also liked hiding in the bag.

Grandma and Brother come to visit, and they all go to check out the horsey.  :)

Israel and Grandma head back home.

Time for a chest x-ray… (He screamed angrily the whole way through it, according to his daddy.:) 

We had great care at Nanticoke.

Cuties.  :)  (The tech that is getting their vitals gave them the bears that are in bed with them from the stash of gifts they have on the floor.  Zion thought that his was Pooh.)

Joe, a brave visitor after we were officially diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu.

They took us off of isolation pretty quickly though, since we had already been there past the point of contagion.  

Going on a walk with Daddy to see the fountain on our last night there.  Zion was feeling good enough that he ran round and round the fountain, declaring that he was “wunning”, which made him cough.  :)

SOMEONE had had ENOUGH of medications.  He clamped his hands firmly over his mouth the last few times.  :)

FINALLY HOME on Thursday afternoon, one week after Zion was admitted, five days after Gabe’s admission…and eating one of the yummy meals that people brought to us.  It was SUCH a relief to have those meals, since the boys really needed to have complete meals and I was still feeling so exhausted. 

Someone I found in the hall bathroom sink, playing with a toy from his great aunts Mollie and Betty who had mailed a nice little sick package for little boys.  :)  

Soooooo glad we are on the mend and feeling better every day!!!!  The boys are running around like normal, Gabe is acting like himself, which is such a relief after being so “not-Gabe” for so long.  Zion really loved the companionship he had at night in the hospital, so we are going ahead and moving him into the boys’ room, which we had previously planned to do at some point.  I am mostly better except for lingering exhaustion and a spasmodic cough that hits me sometimes.  All the boys need early bedtimes.  Tim is also healing from what appears to have been strep throat.  

Thank you Jesus that we’re on this end!!!!!  And thanks so much to everyone who has been so caring and generous to us, and to Mom who dropped everything and came out to be simply irreplaceable for a week!!!!  We love you!!!

The boys have done really well today.  I am seeing more and more of themselves coming back.  Both are off of oxygen and doing well.  Gabe’s nebulizer treatments have been changed to “if needed” and he didn’t need one this evening.  Gabe’s IV fluids have also been decreased to see if he will drink more.  The boys chirpily went on two walks today with their daddy.  In the evening they walked down to see the water fountain in the foyer of the hospital and Zion ran and ran around it, which made him cough.  He has been all over the room playing today.  Both took naps in the late afternoon.  I’m thinking we might get to go home tomorrow.  I really hope so.  This is the seventh night Zion has been here, and the fifth night for Gabe.  

Israel is doing well back at the ranch.  I sort of feel a little anxious about what he might be thinking/wondering in his little four year old mind, but am comforted to know that things are about as stable as they could possibly be for him; he’s in his home environment with a Grandma that he already loves very much there with him.  I’ve been soooooo grateful that Mom could be here for him.  And for us, allowing us to go back and forth and to both be here.  It’s so much nicer with Tim here too.

I talked to my friend Stephanie today, whose son Nevin is in Kindergarten with Gabe.  They are great buddies.  She said that he said, “I don’t think Gabe is going to remember who I am when he comes back!”  She reassured him that yes, Gabe would definitely remember him.  I’m trying not to mention school while he’s in the hospital, because it has already been hard for him to stay here.  He wants to go home.  But today he has been much more cheerful and normal.  He spent a while coloring tonight, after we read books for a while, and both of the boys played games on Daddy’s phone.  Good ol’ (new) phone.  :) 

Tim and I are both here tonight.  I am very tired of coughing, if anyone is interested.  Other than tired, and tired of coughing, I don’t feel too bad.  I will also be really glad to be able to smell and taste things again.  Eventually.  :)  Our eyes feel a lot better today.  I was thinking tonight…6 nights here…and I’m going to be back in 9-11 weeks to have a baby!!  Phew.  But I certainly am grateful to have the care that we have had here.  

Zion was very fussy again tonight, par for the course.  Actually, the day nurse said that the steroid they are getting can make them fussy, also.  Phew.  We have LOTS of “I want this I don’t want this I want that I don’t want that I want that I don’t want that I want this….” on and on and on.  He has been very mommy needy today.  I think that kids really need a place to safely freak out, and he seems to be comforted by me being there.  Tonight I was laying with him on our bed to help him go to sleep, and his hand tangled in my shirt while he was fussing and his eyes closed almost involuntarily several times as the sleepiness that was underneath escaped through.  Mommy = comfort.  Sweet.  I think there must be enough people praying for me that I have grace to have patience in most of these scenarios…because there seem to be a lot, especially in the evening.  :)  

Maybe tomorrow.  Now I’m going to go to sleep.  Goodnight.

It’s official!  The results came back from the state lab today, and we have been the ohhhhh so lucky recipients of the H1N1 flu virus.  U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E. 

Zion did better last night – he brushed his oxygen out of his nose and only went down to 88%.  The doctor today said that was actually ok, and that he may go home soon.  Gabe will probably stay a little longer since he’s still so lethargic.  

What about it.  Who woulda thunk.  Shake of head.

Israel is doing better this morning.  He woke up hungry and is bouncing around at home.  I went home and got a full night of sleep.  It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO awesome!!!!!!!!  

I think we shalt be getting the flu vaccine next year.  :)

Yesterday was a pretty bad day.  The boys seemed to be doing marginally better; Gabe was off his oxygen, but his oxygen level would still drop when he would sleep if not propped up enough.  He was really cranky.  Zion’s lungs didn’t sound the greatest; still had crackles and he would desaturate while sleeping also, unless propped up.  Tim and I still weren’t feeling the greatest.  Mom came by during the afternoon with Israel and Tim went home to rest.  I took a shower so that I could give Zion a shower, and then handed the dripping wet cranky clean boy out to his Grandma.  Then I realized that my left eye was tender.  I instantly knew that I must have conjunctivitis, since Gabe had just had it.  Within a few seconds I noticed big chunks o’nasty floating around in my eye, making it hard to see.  I just laughed.  ’Cause why not?  Like I told Mom when I got out, it’s just par for the course.  Probably the next day i would have an ear infection and the next day who knows what??  Soon after Mom and Israel left, I suddenly realized that there were chunks o’nasty ALSO floating around in my RIGHT eye, which was feeling more tender.  I ran to the mirror and stared at my reflection in disbelief.  Pink eye in BOTH eyes?????  I called mom and related the news, then sat on the chair feeling more and more overwhelmed by the second, until I called Tim and told him and sobbed and sobbed.  It was just too much.  The boys still weren’t doing good, I was entering my fifth night in the hospital, and I could hardly keep my eyes open against all the nasty in them and the increasing swelling.  When was enough enough???!   

I cried for a good long while, just releasing emotion.  I have cried so much in the past couple of days!!!  Our nurse came in and I blubbered out my overwhelmedness to her and she started tearing up too.  :)  Plus I was feeling sicker and sicker by the second.  After Tim came in, I went down to the ER, which was packed, and sat on a chair with one eye encrusted and clamped shut against the light, and the other eye squinted and opened as little as possible, both eyes draining pus yellow nasty, and me feeling feverish and HORRIBLE, all hunched over.  I was pretty sure that the people around me were trying to figure out what in the world my deal was.  :)  

While I was down there, two friends from church who had come in to the hospital to pray for our boys, found me in the ER and prayed for me too.  About 15 minutes after they left I felt a big improvement in my symptoms, and could open both eyes and sit up and look around, and wasn’t in that fever mental fog anymore.  It carried me through the looongg wait to be seen.  When I finally got back to the room around 1 AM, my wonderful lovin’ husband, who was also running a temperature, went out and got my medicine from the 24 hour pharmacy.  After both receiving a good dose of Tylenol, we crept somewhat painfully to our respective beds; mine on the cot with Zion and his in a reclining chair.  And then I coughed and coughed and coughed.  I coughed so much I had to get up and drive to the pharmacy at 3:30 AM to get something to relieve my cough.  And then I fell blessedly asleep.  This night of sweet dreams sponsored by acetaminophen and Mucinex DM.  

It helped a lot to have Tim there during the night.  I have not been able to sleep very well in the hospital since Gabe also came in; there is too much to be alert for.  

Today was actually good.  The boys seem to be doing better and are showing more and more glimmers of their former selves.  The doctor said that Gabe might be able to go home tomorrow, but Zion will probably be here a few more days since he still drops his oxygen saturation while he is sleeping.  He is not really working hard to breathe anymore, but his lungs can still sound pretty coarse sometimes.  She ordered another chest xray on him, and he motored happily down the hall with Tim tonight.  We had a visit from Sydney, who came bearing wonderful bags of goodies for the boys and fruit and snacks for us; a gift from our church.   Thanks, church.  :)  Several other people from our church have dropped off meals and food items.  

I noticed toward evening that both boys had good oxygen saturations even while sleeping, Zion even while he was laying flat.  Their heart rates are much more normal tonight, in the 70′s vs. in the low 100′s like they were last night.  Gabe made several “Gabe jokes” and was giggling during a funny part in a movie he was watching – much better signs for him.  He did, however, turn over and go right to sleep at around 6:30 after the movie was over, and slept for a long time.  So he is doing better, but his body is still really catching up.  He also was hungrier and ate more today.   Both are still sort of fussy, especially Zion.  But I do feel like we’re on the upswing.  Finally.

Israel has had a decreased appetite and been tired at home, falling asleep early and sleeping in.  It’s just insane how long this virus lasts.  Dude.   

Tim went home and had a long nap today; I am going home soon and will stay there overnight.  I feel like I need to for the sake of my pregnant body; I’ve slept in the hospital five nights in a row with very limited naps, and I have very low reserves.  

And that’s all folks.  Goodnight.

***Edit: Oh yes, and one more thing; Tim also got pink eye today.  In both eyes.  We’re quite the pair.  :)

Saturday – Zion has a pretty good night overall.  I talk to Tim around 10, and he says that he and Mom are somewhat concerned about Gabe, who is still extremely lethargic.  They say that he slept a lot of the day yesterday, went to bed around 7 PM on Friday, and Mom had a difficult time waking him up around 10 AM.  I am very concerned and feels that he needs to be seen.  I call the doctor’s office, but they are closed.  The ER it is.  Tim gets him dressed and brings him up to Zion’s room.  He has to carry him in, because he is too weak to walk the whole way.  Gabe and I go down to the ER a little before lunch time.  He is very peaked looking and does walk the whole way, but slowly and with sort of a stumbling gait.  His voice is really weak and hard to hear, and his affect is really dulled.  We eventually are taken back, where by this time I have my speech honed, “I am bringing him in because he has been sick since last Saturday, and I am really concerned about his lethargy.  Yesterday he slept most of the day, went to bed early, slept all night, and my mom had a hard time waking him up around 10 AM.  Also he is really weak.  My husband had to carry him into our room here at the hospital; he was too weak to walk.  Also he is mentally zoned; just not himself.  ”   The PA does a great job listening, and orders a urine analysis, CBC (complete blood count to check his hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, etc.), BMP (basic metabolic panel, which tells them about things like potassium levels, etc.), RSV swab, chest x-ray, and a breathing treatment, even though his lungs have sounded clear all week.  I am totally satisfied.  This is exactly what I wanted for him.  

The nurse attempts an IV and is able to draw the blood from it, but the IV otherwise has to be removed.  It is very traumatic for Gabe; he cries and cries and cries and fights it.  Then he gets his nasal swab, which she really doesn’t warn him about, and jabs it up his nose.  He just sobs and sobs.  I feel terrible for him.  He goes for his chest x-ray.  I follow him, and am VASTLY amused when the male x-ray tech asks me in all seriousness if there is any chance I could be pregnant.  HA!!!  I involuntarily laugh and tell him that yes, there definitely is a chance.  I wait outside the room, and then Gabe goes back to his room for the breathing treatment.  The PA comes in and tells me that Gabe is dehydrated; his urine shows a lot of ketones; he is going to need an IV and fluids.  I am not surprised, and relieved that he will be getting fluids.  But first we have to get an IV.  :(  As soon as I tell Gabe, he bursts into noisy tears and starts fighting until we wrestle him down and get it in.  Phew.  He gets a bolus of fluid, during which…

the PA comes in and tells me that the chest x-ray shows that Gabe also has pneumonia.   !!!!!!!!!!!  WHAT???!!  My mouth falls open.  BOTH of them have pneumonia???  He tells me that Gabe will also be admitted to the hospital.  Can you believe this???  I am relieved though – there is something very not right going on with him.  

Gabe gets a bolus of fluid and another breathing treatment.  As we wait to find out whether we can move into Zion’s room with him, Gabe suddenly starts looking very NOT WELL.  He is laying on his stomach, his eyes half open, his mouth slack, drooling, and breathing very quickly.  I get nervous, and go ask if we can get the fluids started that the doctor had ordered.  The nurse comes in to check on him, and checks his temperature.  It is 104.7.  Nooooo wonder he’s not looking so hot.  She checks his oxygen saturation.  It is 90%.   She puts oxygen on him, I take his socks and shoes and pants off, and the nurse goes to get an order for Tylenol or Motrin.  

Mom calls.  She is in the hospital to bring Tim his phone charger, and Israel is complaining of bad ear pain.  ”My brain hurts”, and holding his head to the side like it hurts him.    But of course.  Whhhhhyyyy not??  I tell her to bring him down to the ER and we’ll have him checked for the ear infection that I am QUITE sure he has, since both of his other brothers do too.  

Mom and I switch back and forth when Israel comes into the ER.  He is diagnosed with a bad ear infection and prescribed antibiotics and given some Tylenol.  I start to leave him to go back to Gabe when I catch a lip quiver.  ”What’s wrong, dude?”  He starts to cry.  He says that he wants me to stay with him.  I sit down and hold him on my lap as he cries and cries.  I asked him if he missed mommy.  ”Yeeeeesssss….” he wails.  I told him I missed him too, and that I love him.  ”I love you too, Mom”, he cries.  ”And I miss Gabe.  And I really like Gabe, mom,” he weeps.  I reassure him that Gabe will be just fine, and that he just saw Gabe this morning, and Gabe is sick but he is going to get better and it’s all going to be ok.  He calms down after a bit, we get his discharge instructions, and he is done.  

Gabe still looks pretty bad.  He gets transferred upstairs, and looks slightly better as his fever drops a bit.  Zion is happy to see him.  :)

When we get upstairs around 7 PM, and I sit down, I am hit with a massive wave of sudden EXHAUSTION.  I AM EXHAUSTED, after being on high alert all day.  I pick half-heartedly at my supper and just lay on my pillows with my eyes closed.  

Tim goes to fill Israel’s prescription.  I have a “disagreement” with the night nurse about Zion’s IV site, which I feel needs to be removed since it’s not working and is already three days old.  I dissolve in tears after further “discussion” with her.  I am an exhausted emotional basket case.  (May I add, this was our first negative experience – everyone around here has been so compassionate and helpful.)

Tim gets back around 10 PM and I burst into tears all over again after seeing him.  I go back home to take a bath and get a change of clothes and give Israel his medicine.  

Sunday – I’m back around 12:30 AM, because I want to be with Gabe tonight since he is so sick (Tim was dubious about if this was a good idea for me, but I insist; I haven’t had any trouble sleeping before this.)  However, after being heavy with exhaustion, I am now slightly wired, and CANNOT sleep.  After about two hours of sleep, respiratory therapy comes in around 4 AM with breathing treatments for the boys.  After she leaves, Zion’s oxygen saturations are not very high – going from 86%-91%.  I am concerned about this.  I end up having another “disagreement” with the same nurse, and two hours later, after his sats finally come back up, I burst into tears all over again and cry and cry and cry and cry and can’t quite stop crying.  My blood pressure is SKY HIGH, and I do not feel like I am being healthy for my little baby, but I don’t have any outlet at 6:30 AM other than crying.  

Tim calls and we talk for a long time and I feel much better.  Zion wakes up and is a fusspot.  Tim comes to the hospital and gives me a break.  I. AM. EXHAUSTED.  I go back home, take a looooonnnnggg bath and fall asleep for a good restful 3-4 hours and feel much better emotionally and physically when I wake up.  Which was good, because both boys were kind of fussy all evening.  Poor kiddos.   

Healthwise, both boys are doing better today.  Zion may go home tomorrow…except for the fact that his oxygen saturations still drop when he is sleeping.  He was out of bed some today for the first time, and even grinny and giggly at times.  Except for the evening, when he was EXCESSIVELY FUSSY ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.    He gets these mantras that he repeats over a million times each – “I want my mommy I want my mommy I want my mommy I want my mommy” “I want to watch Thomas…ad infinitum” “I want to play Angry Birds…” (on daddy’s phone but daddy has gone home after a very long day) “I want daddy…” “I want my bottle I want my bottle I don’t want my bottle I don’t want my bottle I want my bottle I want my bottle…..”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Gabe definitely looked better than he did last night, but is still not at all himself, although he did make a few jokes today, which is him.  The doctor is more concerned about him than Zion at this point, and he will probably be in another couple of days.  She said he is just worn out, and needs his IV fluids.  His oxygen level is pretty good, except it does also drop when he is sleeping.  Both boys got started on oral steroids today, so hopefully that should help improve the nighttime saturations.  

Thank you Jesus that Israel isn’t any sicker than he is.  His ear is feeling better today.  He has had a fine time be-bopping around with Mom.  He’s not used to playing by himself, though, so that has kept Mom busy.  :)  I miss him and keep kissing him and hugging him when I see him.  I have felt so grateful for my boys during this and so grateful that we have ready access to good healthcare.  That is a privilege that much of the world does not enjoy.  I remember reading “Monique and the Mango Rains” (GREAT book) about a Peace Corp worker that worked in Africa in the 1990′s with a midwife there, and where most mothers had seen at least one child die of dehydration after diarrhea or a similar cause.  It really blew my mind, because healthcare and antibiotics are just a given here.  I thought about this when I was downstairs with Gabe when he was looking so very very sick and his fever was so high, and thinking that in other parts of the world he wouldn’t be in a well stocked ER receiving fluids and capable care that can quickly address something that can turn so bad for kids.  

Last night as I was lying wide-eyed on the cot beside Zion trying to go to sleep, I thought, “I should pray for my boys,” and I was instantly picturing myself on my knees before God pleading, “Father, my babies, Father, my babies….”  (I know that sounds sort of dramatic because it’s not like my kids are dying or anything, but it was right where my heart went.) I had to stop praying because I was just too exhausted to cry the tears that were instantly there.  It’s so nice to know that other people have been praying for my babies.  It’s so nice too to know that the Lord’s heart is tender to me, and that I have such ready access to him, to feel his compassion.  I felt so welcomed into his presence.  

In terms of my health, I am officially sick.  My voice is largely gone.  I have a very sore throat that comes and goes.  I am very congested and coughing.  Thankfully, no fever or pneumonia, however.  :)  Or ear infection.  Tim is also experiencing the same things, without the losing his voice part.  

Thank you guys for caring about our little drama and praying for us.  We feel very cared for.  We also feel very grateful for Mom that she can be out here helping us.  

I will be glad when this is all over and behind us and the air is warm and the sun is shining and there are no beastly viruses at residence in our house.  :)  

Till later…

Tuesday – Gabe is sick and stays home from school.

Saturday – Gabe has a fever – 100.5-ish and is lethargic

Sunday – Gabe appears mostly better, but I keep him home from church just in case…also as to not infect anyone else!!

Monday – Gabe’s fever reappears to stay, and camps out around 101.5.  Also accompanied with excessive coughing, and vomiting, and tiredness.

Tuesday – All Gabe’s symptoms the same, with the appearance of a round of diarrhea.   Zion and Israel come down with fevers and start coughing and are very lethargic.

Wednesday – I am very concerned about Gabe, who hasn’t eaten hardly anything since Sunday, drinks water in sips but can’t keep anything else down, is extremely weak and lethargic, and keeps falling asleep after a short time awake.  I take him in to the doctor, who diagnoses with with bilateral ear infections and conjunctivitis.  She says that as long as he pees three times in a day, he doesn’t need to go to the ER for fluids.  He pees three times.  We decide to push fluids on him during the later part of the day and into the night.  He vomits up the Gatorade we give him.  We switch to Gatorade mixed with water.  I am still very concerned about him and worry if I should take him in anyways.

Israel projectile vomits.  Everyone is coughing up a storm and laying around lethargically.  Around evening time, my nose starts to run.

Thursday – Zion wakes up at about 4 AM with labored breathing and coughing.  We give him a nebulizer treatment, which seems to help, and he goes right back to sleep in our bed.  Tim wakes me up in the morning and asks me to listen to Zion’s lungs, because he is concerned about how he is breathing.  I can hear crackles in his right lung.  I call the doctor and report his fast breathing and crackles and they want me to come in right away.  The doctor diagnoses him also with bilateral ear infections and gives him a neb treatment and orders antibiotics.  She thinks he likely has pneumonia and sends him for a chest x-ray.  She tells me to take him to the ER if his respirations go above 60 or if they are 40-50 with retractions (where the skin on the chest is indented between the ribs on the sides with the effort of breathing.)  I give him a neb treatment at 2 PM, and count his respirations.  They are in the high 50′s, with retractions.  He is extremely lethargic and sleepy.  I call the doctor’s office for the results of the chest x-ray, which did show pneumonia.  I take him to the ER about about 4 PM.  His temperature is 101.7 and his oxygen saturation on exam is 87%, but it quickly rises to 94-95% after we go to an ER bed.  The doctor tells us that he will be admitted anyways, because he is laboring too hard to breathe.  

Gabe and Israel are still having a cough fest at this Miller party.  I wake up with a very sore throat.  Gabe is finally eating and walking around on his own, but then his fever returns and is up to 101.7.  He goes to bed about the time I take Zion to the ER and is up only briefly before going to bed for good early in the evening.

Zion is MISERABLE in the ER.  He cries and cries when anyone comes toward him, because everyone carries needles or blood pressure cuffs or oxygen tubing to be crammed up his nose.  Can you blame the poor critter??  I can hardly get him off my lap, and carry him up to his hospital room.  

Gabe’s fever has returned and is up to 101.7.  He goes to bed around 4 PM and is up for only a little while before he goes back to bed again for the night.  

Our wonderful friends Doug and Ruth who live a street over from us come to park in our living room for about an hour as Tim comes to replace me and I run home for things so I can spend the night.  My head is pounding.  A pizza supper is delivered by our friend Brian.  Israel vomits on the living room rug.  

Zion has a HORRIBLE first part of the night.  His way of getting himself to sleep is to hold his bottle in his left hand, hold his blanket in his right hand, and rub the corner of his blanket under his nose as he drinks.  Then he goes to sleep.  However, his hand is taped down to an armboard, and his nose has tubing under it.  He is so tired and confused as he holds his bottle in his left hand and cries for his blanket, which is right next to his cheek, but which he cannot hold at the same time as his bottle.  His repeated mantras are “I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home…”  and “I need my mommy, I need my mommy, I need my mommy…” (who is right with him).  I wiggle and jiggle with Zion’s arm board and scoot it down so he can hold his blanket.  He is still so miserable and cries and cries and cries.  He falls asleep around 10 PM but wakes up around 12 AM and cries and cries again, then spends a loooong time swaying around exhaustedly with his eyes closed while seated.  He won’t lay down.  Eventually, he crashes to sleep and sleeps pretty much solid the rest of the night until almost 9 AM.  PHEW.  During the night he dislodges his oxygen, which they have turned down to a 1/2 liter (almost nothing), and his saturations drop back into the mid-80′s.  The nurse tells me that his flu test was negative.  

Friday – Zion is still working to breathe in the morning.  He coughs and coughs with his albuterol treatments all day long.  It looks exhausting.  The doctor visits and says that he is not going home today because of his labored breathing, but may get to go home Saturday or maybe Sunday.  She also says that because he has bilateral pneumonia, it is most likely viral, but he will continue his antibiotic treatments anyways, just to be safe.  We get a visit from our friend, Joe, who is an elder at our church, who prays for him and all of us.  Soon after that, Zion starts to perk up and talk, and his breathing is much less labored.  He dislodges his oxygen tube again, and his sats are good, but after another round of extended coughing, we put it back on, MUCH to his dismay.  He sleeps for a long time in the afternoon, and is lethargic again when he wakes up.  He has coughed all. day. long. while awake.  He has, however, done a great job drinking a mix of ginger ale, ice, and water.  

At home, Israel is bright eyed, chipper, and talkative.  Gabe is NOT feeling good.  He stumbles when he gets out of bed and says, “Dad, I get weaker every day.”  The poor kid was scrawny to start with and has definitely lost weight during this ordeal.  Tim keeps pushing fluid and bites of food on him.  His fever returns as the day goes on.  

GRANDMA EDITH ARRIVES A LITTLE AFTER LUNCH!!!!  YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!  Tim comes to the hospital to watch Zion while I take a BLISSFUL shower…it felt sooooooooo good.  Tim laughs when he says that our friend Shawn said that it sounded like we had been struck with the plague.  I agree with Shawn.  :)

Tim takes this picture of Zion before he goes back home.

Our friend Beth brings us supper and cough medicine…

Tim develops chills and the signs of an oncoming fever….

And the saga continues…