I got home today at 11:45, after being gone since 8:30 am. As I tossed my keys on the island, I looked at Adam and said, "Finding those has been the only good thing that has happened today."
***
Yesterday, I went to MOPS as per normal. Adam is home all this week and wanted some alone time to do manly things, like... I dunno. Play with power tools? Anyway, I promised that I would take Joseph to school, then take the other three to MOPS, Cami to preschool and then come home. I did as planned.
When I got to MOPS, I opened Georgie's side, got Camille out, used the power key fob to open Cole's door, put him in the ergo and, I definatly remember, threw the keys in the diaper bag. I got Georgie out, locked the car, and went inside.
After MOPS, I took the kids to the car and... no keys.
No problem, I thought. I probably left them in the baby nursery by mistake. I dragged the kids back inside and... no keys.
I ask the remaining MOPS members if they had seen a set of keys. No keys. I ask at the front desk. No keys. I leave the kids with a member of the staff and go outside to look in the car. I know if they fell out of the bag and in the car, I would be able to see them. No keys. I empty the diaper bag for the second time- I literally take EVERYTHING out- no keys.
At this point, I call it lost and call my friend to come get me. Why not call Adam? Because he had gone swimming and was unreachable!
My friend comes to get me and takes me home. Fourty five minutes later, Adam comes home. He takes Camille to preschool and goes to get another set of keys, plus picks up the van. We look in the diaper bag. No keys. We figure they must have fallen out of my diaper bag and been put in another mother's bag.
***
Today Georgie and Cole had WCC. I empty the diaper bag to refill and make sure I have snacks and diapers. No keys. I figure St. Anthony has his work cut out for him.
I take the babies to their appointment. When H looked in Georgie's ear, Georgie screamed like we were sticking him with red-hot needles and I had to put all my body weight on him to hold him down. Okay, not ALL but I did have to pin him!
(He's 31 pounds and bigger than Camille at 4 years old!)
Cole checked out super-bear-awesome. He's 16 pounds, 8 ounces? Anyway, sixtenn pounds.
When it came time for the vaccines, we went over my wishes. Most people know:
a) I don't care what the hell you shoot or don't shoot your kid up with;
b) Adam and I agree that as long as we have a little one in the house, we will do the flu shot. Until 2 years ago, I got the flu shot, as did the kids. Then Georgie was born and I gave him a massive guilt trip about how I always get the flu shot and DEAL WITH CRYING CHILDEN as they get the flu shot and he NEVER EVER gets it, and we HAVE A PREEMIE ... so he got it that year! HA!;
c) we are more concerned with the "sheer dumb luck" illnesses that you can't help but get, like whooping cough, not the ones that you have to have sex or change bodily fluids to get;
d) we have moral objections to fetal cells lines.
So, I declined two for Georgie (will revisit at school age) and agreed to the flu shot, Prevnar and HiB for Cole. He was supposed to get another but my dr said, "Well, I think four pokes is a bit much for today. Why don't we do the other when he comes in for his second flu shot in a month?" I thought that was really nice!
When the nurse came in, I had her do Cole first since Georgie was still crying from the torture of his physical exam. She gave him his shots and then said, "The flu shot has H1N1 in it so the area might get a little red." I expressed surprise at the H1N1 part (and, honestly I was a little annoyed that they told me this AFTER his shot!) and we chatted about the flu this year. Since Cole was dealing with the trauma of his shots by nursing and Georgie was dealing with the trauma of the physical exam by Being Two, she got another nurse to help with Georgie's shots.
When Georgie was done, she handed him to me, and looked down at Cole's bare leg. At the same moment, we both realized it was a BRIGHT, ANGRY, SCREAMING red. She said, "Is that from where you were holding him?" I said, "No, I don' think so," and moved him to look at his other thigh. It was also a bright, screaming red. We touched them and they were warm to the touch and the red area was getting bigger as we watched. She left to get the dr.
The dr came right in and ordered benadryl and told the nurse to keep us in the office for another half hour. He made a comment about splitting up the combined vaccines in the future and I thought, "Buddy, sure, IF I ever let anyone near my kid with a needle full of deadend diseases EVER AGAIN!"
(My other thought? "Don't have a panic attack. Don't demand a transport to the hospital. You trust Dr. You trust the dr. Cole is fine. Cole is fine. Cole is fine... DON'T CRY!" Damn PTSD.)
Another nurse came back in the room and helped us move to another area so they could use the exam room. Although Cole was happy as a clam, I kept checking his chest and back for marks. I noticed a small hive beginning on his mouth so we hurried the benadryl. I got the privledge of waiting another 20 minutes to monitor his reaction while Georgie kept up the Being Two Toddler Meltdown which was going on 60 minutes.
At their peak, 90 per cent of Cole's thighs were raised, read and swollen. He had the flu shot and Prevnar in his left and the HiB in his right. He reacted on BOTH sides, although it was slightly worse on the left.
I spoke to both the nurse and dr about the reaction. We all agree it is not a reaction to the rubbing alcohol or latex in the band-aides, as he has had both before. During Georgie's exam, I asked about giving vaccines to children who have had reactions to eggs. As recently as last week, Georgie ate eggs for dinner and had a bleeding diaper rash that day. He broke out in hives at 7 months when he ate egg white. Joseph got a rash aorund the mouth when he had eggs or egg white when he was less than a year old. Because they did not have an epi-pen worthy reaction, he felt fine going ahead with the vaccines.
Before we left, I made sure Cole was okay to be rear facing in the car, without an adult sitting with him. And yes, I made sure he was breathing when we were at stop lights.
***
I feel horrible. He had formula as an infant because I didn't pump enough milk, it was easier to use when out and about and those few bottles at the beginning (when he would cry and cry but not nurse and we didn't know about the tounge tie) kept us from severe dehydration a nd a hospital stay.Did the formula cause a "leaky gut"? Did it make him more prone to allergic reactions? I know all the pros and cons of vaccinating? Did we make all the wrong choices?
I have some more research to do about stopping vaccines in the middle of a seris. I doubt I will take him to get the flu shot, round two. I never liked the idea of combo vaccines but never had a reason to insist on single doses. Now, if we cont vaxing, you bet your butt I will be!
My chiropracter is well verse in vaccinating and side effects but is on maternity leave because she had her sweet baby girl yesterday! However, the OTHER chiropracter, who was also at Cole's birth, is very skilled and knowledgeable. Oh, yes, I called her so we can see about "detoxing" him and getting whatever does not agree with him out of his sytem.
***
Joseph had an eye appointment today so I picked him up from school early. Remember my conversation with the school nurse? I saw her again and we chatted and I told her about Cole's reaction. She made a comment about doing the vaccines half-doses at a time. Um, no. Nononono. And if she thinks I was a nut job THEN wait five years until Cole enters school!
Yikes! That must have been so scary!!!
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