On the Eve of Christmas Eve

Today was my last day of work before the holidays, and it was actually a pretty good day. I only had 6 babies to test (I was right about there being no pregnant women left within 50 miles), and I'm pretty much caught up on my paperwork, so I got to leave at 3. I picked up my eldest and we went to the local mega-toy-store to exchange a Barbie my in-laws had given my middle child. She HATES Barbies. She's almost 10, and a tom-boy. They should know this, yet year after year they insist on sending her something she'll hate. And so once again I went to the store to exchange it. I got her some Magnetix, which she has been dying for. All the in-laws will know is that she loved the gift they gave her, and she'll think they're wonderful grandparents for knowing JUST what she wanted. And two hours of my life have been wasted standing in line behind a hundred soccer moms fighting over animatronic dogs.

After I got home my mom told me that said middle child was "still asleep". She had gotten up for breakfast then gone back to bed. I check on her, found her feverish and breathing fast. I gave her some ibuprofen and called the pediatrician. He told me to give her an albuterol treatment and if she was still breathing fast after that go straight to the E.R. So guess where we went? After several more hours of my life wasted we were sent home with the "it's probably only a virus" line. Her temp was higher when we left the ER than when we got there, even after a dose of acetaminophen. I am now alternating Tylenol and Motrin every four hours. At least she's breathing a little slower. Since she has chronic asthma, I generally freak out when she has issues with breathing.

Got a few more inches finished on her sweater while we were waiting for the x-rays to come back. Blood work came back OK too. She did get the thrill of going to the drug store in her PJs and slippers, and got to tell everyone she just got out of the hospital. It earned her several free candy canes from the Wal-Green's staff. At least we're not going to be stuck in the hospital for Christmas. Her x-rays were good, and since her blood and urine cultures are going to take time to grow, they went ahead and let us come home and will call us if anything turns up. Until then it's just OTC meds and her nursing-school mom keeping an eye on her. God Help us All.