Austin's sick ...again.

Last year the boys were sick from January through March.  They had Fifths Disease, the flu, and several infections (ears, respiratory, sinus, etc.).  They just seemed to spread each illness back and forth.  It was rough.  This year has been sooo much better!  But we have the never-ending stomach bug.  First, Jackson got it and then almost a week later Austin caught it.  Jackson was a little easier because he knows how to use the "throw-up bucket" (for lack of a better, more polite term), but Austin's still a little scared of vomiting so he pushes the bucket (or bag or whatever) away so the "sick" just goes everywhere.  Lovely, I know.  I'm just trying to paint the picture of what we deal with when our toddler is sick.  And why do children always seem to get sick in the middle of the night when we're peacefully sleeping.  Thankfully, both boys woke up screaming after being sick in bed in the middle of the night, but the well child just slept through the crying, screaming, cleaning, and changing the bedding- HUGE blessing!

Anyway, poor Austin, it hit him hard.  He hurt his back somehow the night he started vomiting and wouldn't let Jim or me touch his back, he kept crying his back hurt, and he couldn't get comfortable, all the while being very sick- vomiting every 5 minutes, literally, begging us to make the vomiting stop (totally heartbreaking as a parent to watch).  I called the on-call nurse at 12:30am Sunday morning because I was worried about his back pain, and she said the back pain could be serious to take him to the ER.  Jim took him because, to put it nicely, I was sick too and couldn't go- this was very very difficult to do as a mom.  Watching her very sick baby go to the ER and not be the one to take him.  Needless to say, I cried, a lot, but Jim kept me updated frequently and sent me pictures.  Turns out, he pulled a back muscle with all the violent heaving, so no big deal really, but it's a good thing we took him in because his vomiting/heaving got very bad and they gave him a miracle drug that completely calmed him his body down.  It's Zofran for all you pregnant ladies (current and past) that are familiar- it never worked for my morning sickness, but it's almost instant relief for Austin.  I'm so so grateful for liquid Zofran for my little guy.  Anyway, he's beginning to get over this bout of an awful virus- I think today things are turning around.  Phew!  Let's hope I'm right and things go quietly and smoothly tonight.

Here's some sad pictures of my Little Tiny in the ER.  He looks so sad.

And the total 180, after they gave him a little Zofran.  He was chipper and loving his green popsicle (which he kept down).  He and daddy even took a little time to calm mommy's nerves with a little facetime chat.  I can't believe the difference Zofran made in just 15 minutes.