This Christmas was one to remember. The memories started almost two weeks ago with Ashlynn getting "sick". On Sunday she said that she wasn't feeling well, but we told her that if she didn't go to church she couldn't go to grandma's house to do gingerbread houses. Of course, she changed her mind on how sick she was and ended up going to both. She woke up Monday not "feeling well" again so I let her stay home from school, but she just played with Carter all day and I told her she was going to have to go to school the next day. (Although it was nice to have Carter occupied all day.) Tuesday she woke up with a little fever and some coughing so I had her stay home again and she did sleep some of the day. She was better by night time though besides a runny nose. Carter kind of started coughing and boogers on Tuesday, but I mostly thought he was faking. (Nice mom, I know.)
Ash went to school on Wednesday and Tade started looking kind of funny, but he had a Christmas program and kept telling me that his teacher told him he had to come no matter what. :) He was fine though and the program was great. On Thursday, Ash was doing better. Carter was good, but Tade woke up looking like a dead man walking. He wanted to go to school so bad though because they were having an auction in the morning and then decorating gingerbread houses in the afternoon. I had to go to work so I just dosed him up with some Motrin and sent him out the door. My sister, who babysits, texts me at 3pm: Tade just got home and is crying cause he doesn't feel good. It was so sad! Poor kid. When Eric got home an hour later he Motrin'd him up again and had him take a shower. He stayed pretty yucky that night with fever, cough and congestion.
The next morning I had to work again. Eric's mom came over to watch the kids for a few hours before Eric got home from the half day of school. Tade stayed home even though his fever was gone and he was feeling somewhat better. I guess as soon as I left though, Easton started coughing so hard that he threw up all his breakfast. I didn't get home from work and last minute shopping until 8pm and by that time he had thrown up again for Eric and then wouldn't really eat anymore. He also started a slight fever and LOTS of congestion. Boogers, fever and coughing were starting to sound way to familiar. By the next day Ash, Carter and Tade were all seeming to be their old selves. Good thing too because we had Eric's dad and step mom, Grandpa and all siblings and nieces and nephews were coming over for a Christmas party. It was really fun, but you could tell Easton was not feeling well. He wouldn't eat and was feverish. Not a great day for him. We kept him home from church on Sunday, but took him to grandma's house for dinner. He did not feel well and was just lying around whining. He wasn't eating much and what he did eat usually came back up with his coughing.
The next day was Christmas Eve and we were able to just stay home and have a relaxing day. I started not feeling well, but I kind of chalked it up to no sleep. (Easton hadn't really slept at all the last three to four days.) I made a list of all the things I want to do that day. Things like: get neighborhood gifts out, play wii party (the new game Tade got the day before), wash whites, play operation, etc. There were 10-12 things on the list and we got most of them done. It was a great day. By 8:30pm the kids were in bed. By 9pm they were asleep. I really started not feeling well by around 7pm. I took some ibuprofen (my best friend when I;m sick) at 8pm and took a little nap from 9-10pm. We quickly set everything up and were in bed by 10:15pm. I was so tired, but could not fall asleep. I started feeling congested and tight in my chest. At 2:30am I hopped in the shower, hoping to get some relief. I got out around 3:30am and heard Ash and Tade out checking out the presents. I let them look for a bit then sent them back to bed. I went down stairs and tried to go to sleep in the recliner. I think I got a little rest from 4-6am, but not much. Ash had gotten back up by 6am and Tade not too long after her. Easton was up not long after that and then Carter was up by 7am.
We opened up presents and headed to Grandma and Grandpa Clement's house. Easton and I were barely hanging on and after breakfast and some presents, I was done and ready to get home and try to get some sleep. I took a shower when I got home. The only place where I felt like I could kind of breathe. I had so much mucus (I know gross, but that's how it was) and then tightness in the chest, fever, chills, body aches and just general yuckiness. My phlegm was so gross, I was gagging and choking on it. Now I knew what Easton was going through. By 3pm when we were supposed to be getting ready to go to Grandma Gappmayer's house, I was so out of it, I didn't know what was going on. I literally just wanted to die or at least get knocked out for 3 or 4 days til I know I could wake up feeling somewhat better. Eric got everything ready and took the three older kids to grandmas while I stayed home with Easton.
I didn't really feel like taking care of him, but he was still feeling yucky too so it wouldn't have been good to send him out. I got him fed (and by fed I mean like an ounce or two of pedialyte) and bathed and put him to bed and then was able to get some rest until Eric and the kids got home. Eric then took care of me (I had set up a little camp in the recliner downstairs and just planned on sleeping there) and got the rest of the kids in bed as well. I was supposed to be working the next two days, but I had called my boss and she said she would work everything out which was a huge relief.
Again I didn't sleep much, but the other kids had so Eric got good sleep which was good cause he was the only one who was thinking clearly at all. I did wake up feeling much better then I had (I at least didn't want to die anymore :)) but still not great. I spent most of the day napping and showering. I really have no idea what Eric and the other kids did. Apparently Easton was still not feeling well and not eating anything. By the end of the day I even called my boss and told her I would come in the next day (Thursday the 27th) if she needed me too, but she had gotten it covered and I still wasn't feeling great so I didn't push too hard.
I slept somewhat better that night, but apparently Easton didn't and was pretty lethargic so Eric decided that we should take him to the doctor. I was feeling okay so I made the appointment and we hung out until we had to head up to Orem to see his doctor. (Now why are we going all the may to Orem to see a doctor? Well, this doc has seen E since he was born and with Easton's history we feel like it is worth it to travel to keep seeing him.) Blessedly (is that a word?), my sister Bobbi lives close to the office so we dropped the other three off at her house so Eric and I and E could all got to the appointment together. I still wasn't feeling hot so I wanted Eric there to get all the info.
We had to wait a little while, but once the doc came in and took a look at him he decide to admit him to the hospital for dehydration and and upper respiratory infection. So off to the pediatric floor at UVRMC we were headed. I will do another post on Easton's blog with details in the next couple days, but luckily he only had to stay overnight and was home by Friday evening. Now it is Saturday and we are all kind of getting back to normal. Ash, Carter and Tade are for sure back to their old selves. Easton's much better after the hospital trip although he isn't quite 100% yet and I am almost there too. Like I said, lots of memories made, but overall I am able to count many blessings through the trials and be so grateful for the Savior and His Atonement and the real reason for Christmas.