Milestone.

Spent from 12-4 am at the emergency room with Jake last night.

My poor dude went to bed at 7 pm 100% fine. No fever, no cough, no stigmata, no nothing. Nate heard coughing from someones room and assumed it was Julia. Brought her some honey but she was sound asleep. We later figured out that it had been Jake coughing (perhaps this is why some parents use monitors?). He awoke at 10PM, coughing and with this awful raspy wheeze. Nate was worried and kept asking me what we could give him. Um, nothing. He is 4 months old. No fever, and he didn't seem uncomfortable, other than his wheezy breath and barking cough. I told Nate the only thing that I could think of was Croup, and I had read a while back that cold air was good for croup. Nate stood on the front porch (it was raining) with Jake and it did seem to help. By that time it was 11 and we were exhausted, and afraid to put him back in his crib. He came up to bed with us, but laying down next to me nursing he seemed to immediately get much worse again. At 12 we made the call to take him to the ER. Obvs, it was me going. Someone had to stay home with our sleeping babies, and logically the food source was the one who should take Jake. So, off we trotted. I made my way into the ER through the cold rain. The Dr was concerned with his level of throat constriction, so immediately tested for RSV and ordered chest X-Rays. I got to (again, ugh) experience the baby burrito as I had to see Jake strapped down, tie on my lead sundress, and hold my babies arms up next to his head as they took the X-rays. Fun. Once I wiped my tears off of my pencil dress, we went back to our room. Jake had had it by this point, so we basically danced around our teeny tiny room to the beat of his belabored breathing for the next 2 hours.

X-rays came back okay (no fluid in his lungs) and positive for croup. RSV was very thankfully negative. He got a breathing treatment and a steroid (orally) which seemed to immediately help. No fever, and 100% zero other symptoms throughout the ordeal. I got into bed around 4 and slept till 6, when Jake woke to nurse again. Of course, with Jake's baptism this weekend I had three bazillion things to do this morning. Nate is gone most of the rest of the week. And lest this seem like complaining, it isn't. This is just me, being weary. And grumpy. And tired. And very jealous of people who are good at taking naps. So okay, perhaps I am complaining, a little.

Reminder to everyone: when you go to the ER, bring something to do. Or, to those of you with non ghetto phones like me, at least bring your iPhone or something to keep you busy. It can be very lonely and long in there. Also, don't wear UGGS, you will feel like you are being burned at the stake as you waltz in sweaty circles with a 20something lb baby in your arms. Oh, and don't ever, ever think that just because you got to spend the better part of an evening at the ER, you will get one iota of extra sleep the next day. Remember, if you are the Mother, there is no-sleep-for-YOU!

I know I'm complaining, and I know it is crappy of me. I was there, with beeping and the cold antiseptic hospital thing going on, and knew that we were so lucky that in our almost 4 years of parenthood this was our first ER trip, and luckier yet that it was for something scary, but really very minor. Jake seems 100% normal today. Strangest thing ever. I am so relieved, and so happy that this was hardly a blip on his radar. Another milestone of Motherhood met. ER trip at midnight with a sick baby?

Check.

Editing this to add that Jake has not been 100% normal. He has been totally and inconsolably miserable all afternoon. Not wheezing or coughing, just crying. UGH.