Girl's Slumber Party

We had a very interesting weekend. Lucy had gotten 2 of the colds that have been passed amongst our little family, but on Saturday it seemed to have moved to her throat. I took her into the urgent care that day, and the doctor said her lungs sounded clear, throat looked good and so did her ears. She wasn't running a fever, so it was suggested that I keep a humidifier on her and use a bulb thingy to suck out her nose.

At around 7 pm that night her cough seemed to be getting a little worse and she started to sound a little raspy. I had her alternate sleeping with me and Dave in our bed and sleeping in her swing (which was right next to my bed). At 5 am I went to move her from laying with me to her swing, when I noticed her cry was more like a high pitched wheeze. I watched her for about 2 minutes and realized she was having a very difficult time getting air. I took her into the ER and the nurse immediately started her on this vaporizer tube.(vaporizer and IV arm)After a shot in each leg, oral meds (I can't remember what it was), a tylenol enema (her temperature was now 102), chest x-rays, a heel prick for blood work, and an IV, it was determined that she had a really bad case of croup. Luckily the influenza and RSV test came back negative. I didn't realize how close we came to being in serious trouble, but later found out that the ER doctor almost had to give her a tracheotomy. Dave had stayed home with the boys, but my Mom met me at the ER and I am so thankful that I had her there to help.

The ER doctor and nurses (who were amazing by the way) got her stable and breathing much better and sent us to our hospital room where we stayed for the next 24 hours so they could monitor Lucy. The sweet baby ended up sleeping off and on in my arms for most of the day. She would get up to eat, poop and be back asleep within 10 minutes. When she was awake, she was giving everyone who was in the room big smiles and trying to coo. Talk about a trooper!

Besides having the IV in most of the day, she also had to have her oxygen levels monitored. The nurse couldn't get the oxygen monitor to stay on Lucy's toe, so she had to put it on her finger, thus wrapping up Lucy's other arm. She looked like she had a cast on each arm. It did give her this cool E.T. thing when it got dark though.

It was suggested to us that we stay the night in hospital because croup usual got worse at night. Lucy and I had been pretty much alone all day anyway (Dave had to go to SLC and left in the early afternoon and didn't get back until 11:30 pm and my parents had taken the boys for the day/night) and I didn't want to be home alone with her in case something did happen, so we stayed. Thankfully, not only did she not get worse, but she actually got a lot better through out the night. Her cough wasn't the loud "seal bark" anymore and her strider (wheezing sound when she breathes and coos) was gone completely.

It was a very long, emotional and stressful 24 hours, but we are so thankful and grateful that our little princess is feeling better again. Thank you everyone for your prayers and well wishes and thank you Mom and Dad for taking care of the boys.