Winter Stinks

So we all had a great time in upstate NY over President's weekend. The kids enjoyed being with their extended family as did JT and I. It was a rough ride up with LD tossing her cookies in the car. Thank goodness for Dunkin Donuts (not just because I am addicted to their iced coffee) because they were kind enough to let up clean up there and give us plastic bags to put the "haz-mat" in.

On Saturday LD, my MIL, SIL and I went shopping. LD had a blast being totally spoiled by Nana!! Sunday was spent relaxing and having a nice family dinner. We drove home in a nasty rain storm, which must have been an omen for what was to become of last week....

Tuesday the kids head back to daycare and all is well - besides the hard morning adjustment of back to school after a long weekend. Wednesday morning, RJ and I go off to the dentist and JT brings LD to school. All is well....at least I thought so.

I get to the school only to find out that LD has a fever. Not trusting the method with which the teacher took the temp (because she was fine when we left home) I had the asst. director take it with the proper covers. It read about 100. Figuring it is her ears again, I ask if I can bring LD back if the DR gives the OK - since ear infections are not contagious. They say OK as long as she does not need 1-on-1 attention. I say OK that sounds fair. Off we go to the DRs ----again!

By now LD's fever is up to 101.4 and no way she is going back to school. They give her Motrin and off we go to Walgreen's (again!!) to fill her 5th antibiotic since Dec. Next stop is Dunkin Donuts (mom really needs an iced coffee and breakfast and LD needs a bagel) - from there we are off to my office. I needed to check email and get some work to bring home.

All the girls at work love Lauren (who by the way is feeling much better after the Motrin kicked in). She runs all over the place and in fact I actually lost her at one point. No worries - we found her! Then back to Walgreen's to get the medicine and home for a nap. LD stays home with JT on Thursday because the fever has not broken despite Motrin and Tylenol treatments. She is not really eating or drinking and just not herself. She then wakes up early Friday morning (2:30am) with a 103.6 fever! What the heck - why can't it just go down!! She also hasn't wet her diaper in almost 24 hours.

That brings up to Friday and the big NE snow storm!! For sure the daycare will be closed. My girlfriend and I decided Friday morning that she will come over with her kids and watch RJ, S, and J until I get back from the DR's with Lauren (she needed to go again because still no wet diaper) and I would watch all 4 kids while she is at work. The DR says to keep and eye on LD and make sure she drinks, that she has sore throat, and to call back at 2:30 if no wet diaper. At 2:30 still no wet diaper - we call the DR again. She says, try getting her to drink for the next hour and then call back. Now 3:30 and no wet diaper - so my girlfriend (who bough LD all sorts of Elmo stuff to encourage her to drink) stays with RJ while we go to the emergency room because she is not getting dehyrdated and may need an IV.

Of course in the 3 hours that we were there, she drank, at a few snack, peed and pooped. I told the triage nurse that the wet her diaper and asked if we could leave - she said no that she was still dry. Long story short - the ER DR felt that Lauren was not great, but really didn't need and IV - it was our choice if we wanted to do it. We decided against it and went home. If it weren't for the snow storm I would have just taken her back to the DR's office instead of the ER - but I guess better to be safe than sorry.

Saturday LD was a little better, but still cranky and didn't really have an appetite. I went to work and JT stayed home. Sat into Sunday LD thought that being up from 10pm to 4am would be lots of fun (we didn't think so). JT stayed up with her most of the time and we finally put her in her room around 4 and let her pass out.

Sunday JT went to work and I took the kids sledding with S & J. We had a great time and then spent Sunday night at my in-laws celebrating my b-day (which is today!). Check out the pictures. We had a great time.

So, basically winter sucks except for the rare moments like the sledding. Winter went from ski trips on the weekends and playing in the snow to doctor's appts, antibiotics, fevers, school closures, etc. Thankfully my new job is VERY understanding about all this.