oh sigh.

It has been a super rough week.  Are you getting tired of reading about my moaning and groaning?  I'm getting tired of writing about it.

So, apparently the more children you have, the more sickness you experience?  For example, Maeve will catch a cold, and we'll deal with a grumpy, cruddy feeling Maeve for a few days.  Maeve will be on the mend and then Henry will catch the same cold.... we'll deal with a grumpy, cruddy feeling Henry for a few days.  Henry will be on the mend, and then.... comes Stella.

Oh Stella, Stella.  She catches everything the older 2 get, but apparently because she's just a tiny babe, the colds that knock Maeve and Henry out for a day or two, knock Stella out for a week. 

Here's the rundown of our week:

Saturday:  Stella starts coughing/acting fussy/irritable
Sunday:  Stella's cough starts getting a bit worse... it pops up on my radar that she should probably be seen.
Monday:  Cough is still not sounding good... 1st doctors appointment.  Dr. Cline says she has croup and an ear infection.  We get put on amox. and are sent home
Tuesday:  Cough is horrible.  Irritibility is off the charts.  She's not eating.  Her breathing is scaring me.  Doctor appointment #2:  Dr. B says she's got bronchiolitis (basically the croup moved into her lungs), she's lost 7 ounces from not eating.  Breathing treatments emmence. 
Wednesday:  Cough is still bad.  But what is really bothersome is the chick isn't eating.  I am pumping everything out and she's literally NOT. EATING.  Doctor appointment #3:  Dr. Cline says she hears some pops, crackles and wheezing in her chest.  Orders lab work to rule a few things out.  (this included trying to get an IV in Stellas poor little arm... which took about an hour and a half)
Thursday:  Cough is still bad.  Still not eating.  Doctor appointment #4:  She's lost an entire pound.  But her lungs sound better and her ear is good.  Doc is perplexed as to why she isn't eating.
Friday:  Stells runs a low grade fever and still not eating great.  Doctor appointment #5:  She maintains her weight (still down a pound) but then proceeds to vomit all over the waiting room.  Doc says she has 12 hours to eat and hold it down otherwise we're on our way to Wolfson's (a children's hospital in Jacksonville).

By the grace of God, she started doing remarkably better Saturday.  Sunday she was eating great- and today (Monday) she's back to "normal."  (although I feel like I should knock on a thousand blocks of wood).

Part two of my (oh) sigh.

Last night after dinner, Henry was carrying an arm load of books, trucks, etc. while walking out of my parents house and into the car.  On the brief 15 foot walk, he some how managed to fall, twist his ankle (or something) and get hurt.  Like really hurt.  We debated all last night whether or not to bring him into the ER.  He wouldn't walk- he was whimpering like a puppy, and crawling.  I myself, sat down on the floor and cried.  I cried and cried.  And said out loud "ARE YOU FOR REAL GOD????"  We ended up giving Henry some lortab (from his broken arm back in September) and putting him to bed.

Henry woke up this morning with a 104 degree fever.  Yes.  You read that right.  He woke up with a swollen ankle and a 104 degree fever.  Throughout the day, its gone up and down- (on the low end 101, high end 104).  And the poor kid is still limping.  We can't figure out what is the real cause of his discomfort at this point- his foot/ankle or the fever?!?!?!  But he is using his foot more, so we've ruled out a break... (THANK YOU JESUS).

I am sitting here.  Alone.  In our room.  My head is pounding... I've got kidney pain (guaranteed UTI) I can't sleep.  I'm praying I can make it to a doctor before it gets to my kidneys or a kidney stone forms... eyeyeyeye. 

Sooooo... biggggg sighhhhhh.

And to slap a big dollop of icing on this piece of cake- on Jan. 1st we decided to go with the lower insurance plan.  Because, after all, the birth of Stella (our major medical expense) was last year- out of the way.  And there would be no need for such heavy coverage.  Within the first month, we've reached our deductible.  Between breathing machines, xrays, lab work and doctors visits.  Insane.

My prayer for my family tonight (and every night..every DAY) is that God gives us some health.  At least enough health that we can treat it with drugstore items, such as tylenol.  I can deal with teething, bumps and bruises.  But it feels like we've been put through the ringer... and I soooooo need out.

Thanks for reading my vent.

Here's to good health... (and dear Henry...my dear, dear son- please- no more injuries).