One Long Weekend

I've had friends tell me that just when you think things are going really well with your baby, something happens and it all changes.  I think our weekend pretty much proves this to be true.

I made my last post Friday morning.  Carson was smiling and sweet and absolutely precious!  That very same night at about 8:00 pm, we were on our way to Texas Children's Hospital with a very sick baby.  He was running a fever, which for a 4 week old, was not good.  Our doctor told us to take him to the ER.  (I was surprised.  Did a fever of 101.3 really constitute a visit to the ER?  Apparently, it did.)  We did as we were told, I mean, we're first timers here and when your baby is sick, it's scary!!

At the ER, after 8 hours and after many, many questions about alternatives, the doctors pretty much insisted that we run several tests on my poor, sweet man.  He had blood, urine, and spinal fluid taken.  The cultures needed 48 hours to be complete, so we were admitted to NICU 2 for the next two days.

Carson then received some antibiotics via an IV to his head, and was hooked up to monitors which beeped incessantly.  Luckily, he made quick progress and his fever broke sometime on Saturday.  He was feeling much better by Monday morning, when the doctors said his cultures were negative and he was free to go home.  Apparently, when a very small baby runs a fever, it could be a simple cold (which is what Carson had) or it could be something very serious.  And since a four week old hasn't had any immunizations yet, and since they will take no chances with a precious new life, we spent the most gorgeous weather weekend we've had all year in an insolation room in the NICU. 

I don't know quite how I made it through the experience.  I definitely cried my eyes out all Friday night and all Saturday.  Sean was calmer and held it together for the both of us.  When our family was able to come visit, it made it much easier.  I think Carson had more visitors than any other baby in the NICU!  Our parents came to relieve us which allowed us to nap and to take showers.  Nursing him throughout the hospital stay was a little tricky, but it worked out OK.

Now, we're home and so thankful.  There were so many tiny babies in the hospital who were there for so long, and whose parents couldn't be there all the time.  Our son shared a nurse with several babies, and so sometimes those babies were left to cry all alone.  It absolutely broke my heart.  I am so thankful that Carson was born healthy, that I am able to stay home with him, and that he has a big, loving family that made sure he was never far away from a warm pair of arms during his stay at the NICU.  He is so loved.  I am so, so thankful for that.

I sure hope this was our only hospital stay with Carson... or at least that we don't make another ER trip for a long, long time!!  I'm sure there will be stiches, or broken bones at some point with my little boy, but I pray he gives us a little break!  My heart needs it!

Carson with his Mamo