My baby Gracie and I have had an unexpected, prolonged "Mommy date" this weekend--for unfortunate circumstances, as we had to take her to the Children's Hospital on Saturday evening. We checked off a whole list of symptoms that matched bacterial pneumonia. She was x-rayed and tested. They decided to treat it as pneumonia based on the symptoms and her rapid difficult breathing. She was put on oxygen, fluids, and antibiotics and is now doing much better. It was never life threatening, and the verdict of it being actual pneumonia is still out, but she was definitely a sick girl.
So Mommy and Gracie made the best of our 'camping out' in the pediatric ward. They really have taken wonderful care of both of us here. I was blessed to be able to spend this time with her. As she has improved, we have passed the time making pretty pictures, laughing, tickling, watching CareBears and Dora, and reading together. I told her it was a "Mommy date" because I got to spend all this time with just her. And it makes this mommy's heart happy to see her come off the oxygen successfully, begin eating & drinking again, and gradually perk up and come back to life. She had stopped smiling for a whole day, and her first smile today melted my heart. I don't ever want to stop seeing that adorable smile again! Richard, too: when he had to leave the hospital last night, during our bedtime prayer, you could tears in his voice, he was so sad to see her like that, so sick.
Daddy and the other kids came by to spend the afternoon. They came in with a bouquet of balloons ('baboons', as James calls them-"I dropped my baboon!" :D) and a great big blue teddy bear for Gracie from all of us. And I got a romantic heart "I love you" balloon from Richard. Aaw! :)
Richard and I have called a week-long 'sabbatical' from all activities to rest and get better, except he has no option but to continue going to work, of course. No preschool, no choir, no church Wednesday night for the kids, no chiropractor.....just stay home, rest, and get better. And disinfect! And, maybe, tie garlic onto our feet.....my mom was quite serious when she told me to do this! I laughed and said it sounded like "Ooh! I should tie garlic around my neck to keep evil spirits away!" But I knew there was proven validity in putting garlic on the insoles of the feet to get that natural antibiotic into the body and up to the lungs to clear everybody up. If I can stand the smell....I might do it! :D
Well, as I am almost as sick as Gracie at this point, I need to go to bed. Especially since I feel a sneeze coming on....Bless me!