Home at Last

30 hours, and 2 hospitals later we are finally HOME!

And home never felt so good!

What a crazy couple of days.  We finally got a positive test yesterday morning. Rotavirus. One of the most common viruses in America. It spreads super fast, is crazy contagious, and no amount of cleaning, bleaching, lysoling can make it go away completely. It can live for up to 30 days on most surfaces... 

How do you get it? Do you want to know? It comes from human feces. Yes, I said poo.  So unwashed hands after bathrooms, touching toilets... which means it is on a lot of surfaces. You go to a grocery store and think of all the kids who go potty and come out unwashed. They touch carts, and food, and books and toys... And think of purses and diaper bags places on bathroom floors then put in carts, and held... pretty gross right? ya I agree.

Most children before the age of 5 have had it. Sometimes it can even come and go unnoticed to the infected.  In fact, all 3 of my older kids have had it. Some more than once (thanks to school and church).  The older you are, the less it affects you. The younger you are, the more it affects you and the more dangerous it can be...

That is where my tiny 6 week old came into play. His body is so tiny and little and not old enough yet to be able to fight off this kind of illness. So it took over and made him miserable.  It tore up his intestines so much that it made them pussy and made them bleed. Which he passed in his stools.  And not just a little, but a LOT.  It made him not want to nurse, and when he would he threw most of it back up. so he had an IV to prevent dehydration. (I won't give you the stats they told me on infant death related to rotavirus dehydration)  

But the good news is it seems to pass through my kids systems pretty quickly.

Today his stools seem to be almost blood free and should continue to do so until there is none. He kept most of his feedings down through the night.  And this morning he was more alert than he has been in 3 days.

So everything looks good and we are definitely on the mend.

I am EXTREMELY grateful to all our friends and family who showed us their love and supprt and gave us well wishes, and came to visit.  I was blown away by the love. Truly.

I am very grateful for family.

For my sisters and brothers(both immediate and extended) who always show me their love and ask what they can do. And when they can't they wish they could and let me know that.

For my sister in law who I truly consider my own flesh and blood sister.  She has been amazing to us and my kids. Who she loves and adores and I love that. She has helped us so much with last minute kid tending that I don't know that I could ever give her enough free picture sessions to pay her back :)

For a mother who is willing to drop everything to help me when things happen. Never asking or expecting anything in return. Never complaining. She always goes above and beyond anything I would even think of.  I asked her to watch the kids and I came home to a spotless house and clean laundry. Which was no small task with 3 crazy tornados at home.  She truly LOVES being a mom and being a grandma.  She sets the bar very high for me to try to be the mother she has been to me. She has been an amazing example to me. I love you mom and and am so grateful for you!

The craziness here seems to be almost over. I feel bad for my Mom and Christa who had to tend the 3 older kids, while Cherry and Damon went through their 24hours of the Rotavirus and Lillie was in the latter part of it. 

So we are quarantining ourselves through Monday.  And by then we should all be feeling good as new. Ok, maybe a little exhausted on mom and dads part :)

30 hours in hospitals leaves a lot of bored time, so I have some phone camera shots to share.....

Home at last and I think he was as happy about that as I was!

I just have to say, from his time inside my womb this little guy has been through so much. A couple of pregnancy scares that could have lost him, not breathing at birth, 30 hours in a nicu, and now 6 weeks later 30 hours in hospitals, being poked and prodded and having needles all the way to his spine...he amazes me how strong and tough he is.  He is one resilient little guy and I can not wait to see what personality he developes over time.  He is the sweetest, happiest thing ever and I love him with all my heart.