ER

TT has been sick.  This is nothing new for him, it was a holiday weekend, and he is sick for every holiday.  Ever since he had pneumonia on his first Halloween during that terrible snow storm.

And because he's been sick he's been waking up between three and four in the morning to nurse.  Yawn.  Last night was no exception, but instead of waking and hemming and hawing in his crib until I went in he was wailing.  Goodness can that child cry.  To top if off he's had a coup-sounding cough when crying the last few days; so there he is laying in his crib coughing / barking and banging at his head.  We nurse some, but he is still holding the side of his neck and will not let go... even when we switch breasts and it's not as easy to hold that spot on his neck.  I am tired.  Drop down I need a nap tired, oh wait... it's the middle of the night I should be sleeping.  And TT is crying.  He nurses some, then pops off only to cry and cry and cry.  I bring him to the bedroom, hoping maybe we can lay down and nurse, but in my gut I know something is wrong.

Husband wakes and we decide to call the on-call doctor at the pediatrician's office.  I talk to them, Husband tries to calm the boy, but this only works for a few moments.  We review symptoms: Fever: slight for the last few days, I haven't checked it yet this morning, no he doesn't feel hot; Rashes: No I haven't looked yet this morning, should I?  No; Can he move his head, touch his chest: Yes; Can he stand his neck being touched: Negative.  OK she tells me you should bring him in.  I think, OK so I call back and make an appointment then?  Until she asks me which ER we plan on going to.  G'ah.  The last words any parent wants to hear.  We get the baby dressed; it must be going on 5 am now.  Husband holds TT in the living room and puts on his Mickey Mouse.  TT is obsessed with the Mickey and Friends cartoons from the 1940s.  I get my shoes on and send my boss a text.  TT calms down and goes limp in Husband's arm.  We ponder briefly about not taking TT to the ER.  Then the crying starts again.

TT cried all the way to the hospital.  Not even his Ghostbuster's music made him happy.  My only solace at this point is at least I am not bringing a non-symptomatic baby to the ER.  Sometimes I swear just calling the doctor's office cures kids.  A short 15 minutes later we are there.  Why couldn't we have delivered him at this hospital, it's so much closer.  Oh that's right it's a little country hospital with no maternity ward.

We get inside and the crying stops.  I give him the evil eye.  Really?  Now you are going to be fine.  He's acting fairly normal as I give the desk all of his info, until I have to put him down to get out his insurance card.  Then the wailing starts again.

Moments later the backdoor opens and a nurse steps out; and says in a deep voice with a thick eastern European accent "I am here for the little one."  Creepy factor is a 10 on that one.  Thankfully she turned out to be very nice.

We spend some time trying to get his vitals, clearly this place isn't used to such little patients.  Speaking of which, why does everyone need to comment on how big he is once they know his age?  Really, this gets old fast.  Anyhow....

The doctor comes in right away and checks all the right places and concludes it's a double inner ear infection.  Thank goodness.... that was  all that was wrong.

A male nurse comes back with "magic drops".  This guy, if I hasn't read his name badge I would have thought he was a grounds worker the way he was dressed.  He tells me how the drops are going to numb his ears and how his own sons swear by them.  Then a high dose of Motrin and we rest for a bit.  The doctor comes back and offers him a Popsicle, which is gladly eats and starting acting more normal with.  The male nurse comes back with antibiotics.  European nurse comes back and tells us we just need to stay for observation for a bit and we'll be all set.  She also tells me how her boys love the "magic ear drops".  I just want to know how I have been a mom for nearly 10 years and this is the first I am hearing of this.  The doctor comes back and wants to see TT walk around.  She lures him out to the nurse station with promises of chocolate.  I see a pattern here doctor.  He walks with a stagger and the doctor says it from the ear infection but otherwise looks  good.

Within 2 hours we are on our way home.  Within 3 hours I was crawling back into bed after getting RR off to school and TT down for a much needed rest.

What a way to start April.