Up All Night....

There was a time when the words "up all night" translated to a another thing completely in my roaring twenties...perhaps a party where we stayed our welcome long after it had worn out, a nightclub visited until "the last call, or simply a pre-baby night of dinner, a bottle of wine, movies, and Wii games. Now, it simply translates to WE HAVE A SICK BABY!!! As any mother can attest, there is nothing quite as agonizing as watching your child in pain and misery. I should be an old pro at this bad cold thing by now considering this is the fourth cold/cough we have had in 8 months, but somehow a mother never quite gets use to her baby being sick. Experience has taught me not to freak out at the tinniest cough, or go into complete panic mode at the first sign of a sniffle. My husband has crowned me the Queen of Nose Suctioning...one royal title I have never aspired to attain!!! I have earned my "battle scars" from having a sick baby in the hospital not once but twice. The first time was at 9 weeks old when Baby Bubba came down with RSV which turned into a severe case of Broncholitis. This was at a time when Baby and Mommy still only ventured out into the winter weather for pediatrician appointments, and visitors were kept to a bare minimum. I went through a period of complete shock that my tiny "Bubble Baby" could have contracted this. I had taken every precaution and thought I had protected him from even the slightest sign of illness. When shock dissipated, like all mothers I immediately went into protective lioness mode and never left my child's side for the 5 days he spent in the hospital. I slept on the world's most uncomfortable mattress and watched with an eagle's eye while they poked, prodded and deep suctioned (I still get flashback nightmares of this one) my sweet and incredibly brave little boy. The days passed so slowly, but at the same time they seemed so very surreal. I don't think we even turned on the television once, instead I just watched my son. I quickly learned what the numbers on the monitor meant and would press that nurse's button the minute they dropped to a level I deemed insufficient (yes, I was aware that this was also being monitored at the nurse's station, but this was MY child and response couldn't be quick enough). As much of a nightmare as this week was, I also felt so secure being there. I was a new mother who was so ill prepared to care for such a sick little one, and the nurses, doctors, and patient care technicians were beyond wonderful. I knew we were exactly where we needed to be!!! Of course, this whole experience will stay emblazoned on my soul for the rest of my life, but  thankfully Baby B will never remember one moment of it. Only one picture was taken to document those days, and I still cannot look at it without tears filling my eyes. I will say that I have never seen a tinier and more precious hospital gown covered in koala bears and spaceships. On discharge, I had to double check our bags to make sure the hubby had not pilfered that tiny gown. Bubba was obsessed with it, and I had to keep reminding him this was not a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt or Mickey Mouse Ears. The only souvenir of this experience that we ever needed was a healthy child coming home with us!!!
I'll spare you the details of our next hospital stay. It was shorter, but no less traumatic for Mommy. Luckily, we were discharged with a diagnosis of silent GERD and immediately put on a daily medicine. Finally, my mother's intuition that had constantly been dismissed by my own pediatrician was confirmed and all those wheezy nights and other strange symptoms made sense now. Since then, we have had a healthy, happy and growing bundle of pure baby boy joy on our hands. While last night was ROUGH to say the least, I know Baby Bubba is strong and will be back to his exuberant little self in no time. All he needs is TLC, rest, plenty of liquids and with the Queen of Nose Suctioning for a mother, he'll be fine in no time!!!