Things I Learned About Sick Kids

This is exactly how Miss Addison feels about being sick. And yes that is a stethoscope around her neck. She is pretending to be Doc McStuffins

So I am sure you've all missed us. And I promise things will be getting back to normal really soon. But for now, I have a few brief moments where the kiddos are asleep and I thought I'd share what I've learned throughout this experience.

For those who don't know, Friday we all started coming down with some kind of bug. The kids were cranky and extra clingy and I felt like I was barely alive. It was so bad I decided it was best to cancel the birthday festivities and by Saturday night I was in the ER with Miss Addison. Who then got admitted to the Ped's floor for 12 hours. Not how I wanted to spend my night, that is for sure. Long story short - she was wayyyyyyyyy dehydrated and her sodium levels were up and kidney function was down. She is fine now after several bags of fluids. Ok well "fine" is a relative term, she is hydrated and feeling a little better, but we are all still on the mend.

Sunday around the time we brought Addison home, Blake started getting sick. Let's just say just about every surface in the living room had been violated as well as the stairwell and the wall. And lets not forget the poor bathtub. Which meant I got to spend today sanitizing every surface now that it seems ::knocks on wood:: the worst is over. I am seriously hoping to have mostly normal babies tomorrow, but that might be too much to ask for.

However, all that being said. I have learned a lot through out this........

Just because your kid is drinking cup after cup after cup of liquid doesn't mean they aren't dehydrated. (Poor Addison just couldn't keep anything in.)

Even if she still had her G-tube, she still would have needed IV fluids. That one was a hard pill to swallow.

Nissin Fundo's can be a blessing and a curse. Try explaining to a crying 2 year old why she is dry heaving and cannot get anything to come up.

Gatorade is NOT a good idea for a toddler, especially when dehydrated. It can elevate sodium levels and actually make things worse. Pedialyte is a much better alternative.

Tummy virus + Hysterical Kid will likely equal a milk bath for mommy and not the relaxing kind... Even if it has been 24 hours since the last episode and you naively thought milk would be safe again.

I can fit four sofa cushion covers in the washer at once.

Hospitals are not any more fun with a 2 year old, and those chairs are still not comfy to sleep on.

I enjoy having them in our room more then I care to admit, probably more so because they actually mostly sleep thru the night even when they are sick. Compared to the newborn stage. I just like having them close.

I would give anything to trade places with them and keep them from getting sick like this, ever again.

And lastly I learned that the NICU has altered me in so many ways and still can effect me more then I sometimes admit. There I said it. I wish I didn't fear hospitals so much.



And now I leave you with an evening picture of my two sickies. They were starting to feel better and playing around a little tonight...