Worst Month Ever - Part I

I hope I'm not jinxing myself by posting about a month that's not done yet, but I think it's safe to say that 2010 has not been a banner year for the Keepers thus far.

FIRST WEEK
The first full week of January, Kyle went on the first of a series of business trips. It's hard on him to be away from the family, and even harder on us. Getting two kids fed, bathed, lunches made for the next day, put to bed, woken up, wrestled into clothes and off to school is tough with two adults. For one person it can be pretty daunting. Also, I felt like I could never give either Isabel or Zak enough attention; one needed to fed while the other one's bottom needed to be wiped; one wanted to be rocked and the other wanted to play games. On top of it all, there's the additional pressure of me being at new job. This sets the stage for...

WORST WEEK EVER
Monday: It's the second week of January and Kyle is gone on his second trip of the month. While out for lunch with a friend, I get a call from the day care: Zak has a fever. I go pick him up and he is burning up with a temperature of 102.5. On top of that, he seems to be breathing a little fast, although I assume that's just me being a paranoid mom. I call the pediatrician but the earliest appointment I can get is 5:15. Later that afternoon I pick up Isabel and head to the doc. I should be back home in time for the kids' usual 6pm dinner, right?

Wrong! The doc's office is full, tons of sick kids. We don't get into an exam room until 5:45. Zak has an ear infection, and the doctor doesn't like his wheezy breathing. They give him a breathing treatment with a device called a nebulizer. It doesn't hurt him but Zak screams and cries and a nurse has to help me hold him down. They also give Zak a shot for the ear infection and tell me he'll need tubes in his ears because this is his fifth ear infection in 5 months. Isabel is being a trooper but we've been there an hour and she's hungry. I hadn't planned on being there so long but luckily there's some food in the diaper bag. I'm sure it's stale, it's been in there for ages but she gobbles it up.

The pediatrician gives us a prescription for an inhaler so now we all have to go to the pharmacy. I walk outside to the car. Great - it snowed while we were inside so I have to scrape off the car windows. While I'm doing this, a little old couple drive next to me and ask if I need help. I must look pretty pathetic.

We get to the pharmacy and they tell me it will be a 20 minute wait. Isabel is hungry and wants a treat. Chocolate for dinner? Ok, she's earned it. Finally we get the inhaler and go back out to the car. Crap. It snowed again, gotta scrape the windows. We finally get home, I do the whole nighttime routine and try to give Zak his inhaler. Not surprisingly, he hates it.

Tuesday: Zak is clearly not doing well. He's always a smiley guy even when he's sick, but this time he seems really out of it. I take Isabel to school and then go to the doctor for Zak's recheck appointment. Breathing still sounds bad, he has to have a breathing treatment and once again it takes me and a nurse to hold him down. Ears still look bad, he has to have another shot.

Once the appointment is done, I bundle him up, take him to the car, and strap him into his seat. I go to open my door but... it's locked! What? I didn't lock the door! I frantically try all the doors but somehow they've locked and I can see my keys resting in the cupholder of Zak's car seat. It's 20 degrees outside. I panic. Thankfully, I still have my purse with the cellphone inside and call 911. A few minutes later the police show up, slim jims ready. But the cop takes one look at my car and says, "Nissans are tough". Damn. They try for a while but it doesn't look promising. So one of them stays with Zak while the other drives me to my house where I have a spare key. Zak sleeps through the whole drama. I ♥ the Westerville police.

Wednesday: Zak is still not doing well. I drop Isabel at school and we go back to the pediatrician again. His breathing has not improved much. At this point I really am worried and lose it in the exam room. The doctor calms me down but tells me that Zak should go the ER at Children's Hospital as a precaution. Actually I'm not too sure what she said, what I heard was "blah blah blah ER blah blah blah". I race home, throw some stuff in a bag because I might have to spend the night at the hospital, and then call Kyle to tell him the latest news. He is really worried and books an early flight home. He also calls his parents to ask if they will come down to help.

To be continued...