May 9, 2008
Well, the first part of April was pretty normal; happy, healthy, fairly low-key and stress free. Nathan had a business trip to Los Angeles scheduled for the last weekend in April, and so I made plans to go down to my parents' house in SC to visit while he was gone. I'll tell you right now: his trip happened, mine didn't. At least not as planned.
Daniel got yet another ear infection around the 14th, this time in both ears. Since the doctors had given him amoxicillin for his previous two infections, they decided to try erythromycin this time. Awful stuff, that, not only for the patient, but also for the parent administering it. Four doses a day for 10 days? I was having a hard time getting them all in without waking him up in the night, which they told me not to do. I was missing quite a few doses. Anyway, we got him diagnosed on Monday, by Wednesday he was perkier, and then Friday he seemed to be having some kind of trouble again. I took him back into the doctor on Saturday to make sure the antibiotic was working. The doc checking him said one ear had completely cleared; the other still had lingering fluid but no more inflammation, indicating that the infection was resolving. She said his fussiness was probably gas or teething and sent me on my way. I was not satisfied that that was the problem, but didn't know what else to say.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, David had thrown up Wednesday night, sat in a pathetic and heart-wrenching stupor all day Thursday without eating (at least no more vomit). He perked up enough that evening that I took him to Little Gym the next morning. Sunday, however, we decided halfway through Sacrament Meeting that he really wasn't feeling well still. He was acting tired and ornery. Daniel was still not himself either, so we took them both home after Sacrament Meeting and put them to bed.
While they were napping I got an email with the news that my paternal grandfather was not well. He had been admitted to the hospital with irregular heartbeat, contracted pneumonia, was not responding to antibiotics, was not breathing well on his own, and was resisting using oxygen. He did not want to be kept alive through artificial means, so the family was anticipating his death. My parents were flying out to Utah to be with him and do funeral stuff; they would not be back in time for my planned visit in Aiken. I was bummed not to go down there, and even more bummed because I really wanted to be at Grandpa's funeral. I have really regretted missing Grandma's three years ago. Then we got this crazy idea for me to pack up the boys and go with my parents the very next morning! I bought my tickets, and Grandpa passed away within half an hour.
We arrived in Salt Lake City in one piece and in fairly good spirits, especially considering how tired the boys were. Tuesday afternoon I went down to Nephi to stay with my sister DeeAnn and enjoy my other sisters' company as well when they came into town on Wednesday and Friday nights. All four sisters under one roof. I don't think we've had that occasion often. (I was 4 when my eldest sister got married). Daniel wasn't sleeping well and Wednesday he had another really rough day, so DeeAnn got me an appointment with her pediatrician Thursday morning. I sure liked him! Daniel had both ears infected again, even though he was still on erythromycin. Dr Behrmann said to forget that and prescribed what has become my favorite drug—azithromycin—1 dose daily for 5 days. David was still acting a little under the weather, too, and although I wasn't feeling overly concerned about him, Dr B went ahead and checked him while we were there. An acute ear infection! Poor guy. He doesn't give me textbook signs of ear infections, so I can only imagine how many times he's gone untreated. Doc whipped out a Rx for azithromycin for him, too. Then I went out and bought Motrin to complement the Tylenol I'd brought with, plus some Benadryl Sinus to relieve pressure and help both boys (and me) get some much-needed rest. They were sooo drugged up. We all slept very well that night.
Grandpa's funeral was Saturday morning. It was a beautiful day, but quite cool with a very cold wind. The service was lovely. Grandpa had the distinction of singing at his own funeral, by way of a recording of him singing some Tahitian songs from his mission. He was well honored, and I'm so glad I went. We went to the interment, but that wind was so darn cold, I don't think many, if any, stayed longer than the grave dedication. That night my Mom, my sisters, my sister-in-law and I enjoyed a Girls Night Out. We had dinner together and went shopping. It was a blast. I don't think we got back to Nephi until after midnight.
Wednesday the 30th I had the grand adventure of flying home by myself with the boys. To say I was a little nervous would be a gross understatement. I had major anxiety, as did my parents, aunts, sisters, and husband. I had a lot of prayers uttered on my behalf, and I felt them. Thank you so much everyone for your concern. Our prayers were answered. The boys were absolutely golden (and well drugged) on the trip home, and I had lots of very nice people offer to assist me on and off the planes and in the airports. We were very glad to set foot on NC soil again and give Nathan big hugs and kisses.
I had both boys scheduled to get their ears checked the day after we got home. All the infections were cleared up. However, Friday night David had a fever, and he started really complaining that his tummy hurt. He'd been complaining about it pretty much since he vomited at the beginning of my adventures two weeks previously. His appetite was down considerably, to the point that I didn't care what he ate as long as he ate something. I didn't know if his tummy hurt because he wasn't eating or he wasn't eating because his tummy hurt. That complaint just got rolled up into everything else I was juggling at the time. More on that in a moment.
Last Saturday we headed out to the coast to go to the NC Aquarium and Fort Fisher at Kure Beach. We got the aquarium in, but when we went out to play on the beach for a little while, David felt so miserable he just sat in the stroller and asked to go back to the car. We decided to cut the day trip short and came home early.
With the onset of David's fever, and complaints that his tummy and just about every other body part hurt, I started to get concerned, and back to the doctor we went. They tested him for Strep, Flu, and another ear infection, but all were negative. The doctor said he obviously was fighting some kind of infection, but the source of the infection was not obvious. We just needed to keep an eye on him for the next 48 hours and see how things went. She thought the tummy hurting was mostly constipation, based on the fact that she could feel stool in his intestines. I didn't really buy it. So he's got some on hold. Big deal. He'd been having bowel movements the whole time he was complaining. But I did buy the laxative she told me to get, and I must admit the tummy complaints have stopped. His fever and congestion cleared about the same time, too, so I don't know how to credit his pains. I'm just glad to finally have happy, healthy children again after three weeks of clingy crabbiness.
Ok, I've written way to much once again, and I'm falling asleep at the computer. Time to say goodbye!
As always, visit us at www.other2nashes.blogspot.com for pictures and videos of our latest doings.
We love everyone!
The (Other) Other Nashes
Nathan, Natalie, David, Daniel
P.S. milestone: Daniel started crawling on all fours right before we left for Utah. He's all over the place now!
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Natalie
"No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?"
- Elbert Hubbard
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