Family

I had to take Tate to work with me today.  For the entire day (and probably tomorrow morning as well). 

Saturday morning he complained his ears were hurting as we drove off to pick up his birthday cake.  As we had his party happening 90 minutes later I told him he'd be ok and did anything else hurt.  Nope.  Ten minutes later I asked if his ears hurt and he 'nah.'

Saturday night around 6pm he complained his ears and tummy hurt.  Poor baby.  He was a basket case of exhaustion, overstimulation and really congested complete with a very unpleasant sounding cough.  He was sound asleep at 7:02pm.

Around 10pm he woke up in tears because he had thrown up.  It was pretty much just mucus though...poor baby.  I changed the sheets, threw them in the washing machine and got him changed.  By 10:30 we both in bed asleep.  Around 1:30 he woke up crying and so very hot, fever of 101.  I got some Ibuprofen in him and he tossed and turned for another 90 minutes.  Finally he fell asleep.  He was up by 6am.   Seemingly he was in a good mood, but obviously tired and not feeling well.  His cough persisted.

I opted to take him to the Redi Clinic at our HEB grocery store.  By then he was not feeling well and continuing to cough and complained his ears, tummy and front of his head hurt.  Sweet boy had a fever of 101.4.  They gave him some Tylenol and did a quick strep test.  Why?  Because Lindsey had been at the exact same clinic the previous Wednesday after taking care of Tate that Tuesday...she was diagnosed with strep throat!  Ack!  The quick test was negative, but they swabbed for the 3 day test. (Lindsey's quick test had been negative as well, but the 3 day one was very positive).  Tate however is extremely congested,with a very productive cough which sounds like it's trying to make its home in his chest.  The NP was worried he might be coming down with Bronchitis.  So she gave a prescription of Amoxicillin with instructions to use our Xoponex inhaler if he seemed to be having difficulty breathing or just prophylactically to keep those bronchioles open.  She also recommend Mucinex Cold to break up the congestion (this I'm loathe to use because I'm just not cool with loading my kid up with these OTC cold medicines that just treat symptoms, are loaded up with artificial sweeteners and dyes).  I opted to keep him on his Singulair which she told me to stop using cause it's an antihistamine, but my ENT has assured me it's not...it works against leukotrienes trying to help prevent asthma and working to manage allergies in tandem.  I do give him Benadryl because it really seems to help with his coughing as his cough responds well to it usually. 

We hung out at home all day Sunday, playing with his new birthday toys, watching Word World  and playing trains.

Hanging out in bed early Sunday morning.

Breakfast in bed!!  Mommy is so very cool!

The train Mommy and Tate made from his Playstix from
Grandmommy and Papa for his birthday!
GREAT GIFT!!!

So sick kid.  Stay home from work with him right?

Nope.

Usually I call my back up team, AKA my parents, to watch Tate when he's sick.  Unfortunately they flew off to Virginia Sunday morning at 6:15 for my uncle's (my dad's brother) funeral.  Uncle Wade died very unexpectedly last Wednesday at 6:30pm.  Very unexpectedly.  We are all reeling.  I am heartbroken.  Goodness, I loved my Uncle Wade.  Oh how he loved his family.  Loved his family.  Wherever, whenever there was a family gathering Wade was there...no matter how far he had to go he was there.  Laughing, loving, having a great time.  We are all just so shocked.  So my parents have flown up for the week;  I wasn't allowed to have the 3 days off I needed to get up there and back, so Tate and I are home.  Lindsey was still sick and the idea of flying was one she couldn't contemplate.  My middle sister, Kellie was unable to go as well.  So we're all here while the rest of our family is together across the country.   Uncle Wade will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon.

Aunt Jean, Uncle Wade and Aunt Janice in Atlanta!
Family Reunion 2008

The Remaining Cunningham Siblings
Family Reunion 2008 

Uncle Wade and my cousin Kellie!

Love you Uncle Wade!!

So Tate and I were without care for him.  I thought about my friends' nanny as they are out of the country for a couple of weeks...she's out of the country as well!  My other friend who is on bed rest needed her nanny today.  Tate's godmother's nanny is sick and thankfully his godmother's kids are away at camp.  Three strikes.  One of Lindsey's friends nannies, but she had to work her other job today.  Noone was available.

No other option but to take Tate with me to work.  

He did absolutely amazing!!!  A friend had brought me a huge box of trains her son no longer plays with.  I had yet to get it out of my car, so into my office it went this morning along with puzzles, crayons, coloring books, his new birthday Word World DVD, his History Channel Steam Train DVD and his new birthday Curious George DVD.  He had never seen that box of trains...he was thrilled.  He played with those trains for 90 minutes straight in my office by himself.  I let him watch a bit of Word World and Curious George and by then it was lunch time.  He did just as well after lunchtime, though there was a 30 minute period he came out of my office looking for me 3 different times.  Someone always saw him, showed him where I was and he toddled back off to my office.  After that he was golden.

 Our attempt at napping...

 The end of a long workday!

We came home and he's still afebrile.  He's still coughing quite a bit.  I made a follow-up appointment with his pediatrician for tomorrow, his birthday, just to be sure his lungs are clearing up.  I think I'll take him in to work with me, so he won't be running around outside tomorrow morning.  (I'd already taken the afternoon off to spend the afternoon with him for his birthday.  We were going to do cake and/or ice cream at daycare, but now we can't since we have an appointment with his beloved Dr. R.)

But I'm just so proud of my sweet boy for being so very well behaved.  Not one tear.  Not one meltdown.  Not one whine.  The entire 9 hours he was there.  I was able to check on him every hour or so as did others, and he was just awesome.  

I love this boy.

RIP Uncle Wade. We will love and miss you always.