Croup in the Middle of Summer?

Seriously! Who catches croup in the middle of summer when "croup season" is October - April? Apparently my kiddo is so awesome that he did!

On Saturday the 18th Xander spiked a fever of 103.2 in the evening and started having febrile seizures (twitching & shaking then going stiff). I gave him tylenol and sat up all night keeping an eye on him. Sunday morning he seemed to be okay and his temp hung out around 100-101 all day so I figured he was on the mend. That evening he started having a dry sounding cough and was up all night fussing in his sleep.

Monday he didn't want to eat and if I set him down he would just sit on the floor and not play. I kept trying to get him to nurse and checked his temp regularly (still around 100-101). Monday night (at 10:30 of course) his temp shot up to 104.5, 45 minutes after I had given him tylenol.

I called the doctor's office and the on-call nurse told me to rush him to the ER since he wasn't eating, had a temp that high, and was acting lethargic and weak.

In the waiting room

(so sweaty)

So off Xander and I went. I don't even want to talk about how horrible of an experience we had in the waiting room (I was brutally honest about it in our post visit survey), lets just say that 4 hours in the waiting room with a very sick infant was not enjoyable for anyone waiting there.

We finally got back to a room and they got a pulse-ox monitor on him. His oxygen level was 96% but by then his cough had turned into that horrible seal bark that is obviously croup. They gave him some medicine to lower his temp and some steroids for the croup and respiratory infection (viral) that he had. They gave him the steroids to make sure that he didn't get any sicker since his tracheomalacia was flaring up and makes him more susceptible to it turning into pneumonia.

We got home at 5:15 am Tuesday morning. Matt took Gabriella to work with him and a friend met him there and watched her all day for my sake (praise, Jesus!).

At our follow-up appt on Tuesday afternoon with Xander's doctor, he got another dose of steroids (a shot this time) because his pulse-ox had dropped down to 88%.

Waiting for the doctor. 

Chewing on a bottle of Pedialyte while we wait to make sure he didn't have a reaction to his steroid shot. 

(he looks so pale in this shot, it makes me so sad)

Wednesday we went to my mom's house so Gabriella could play with cousin James and I could take a nap with Xander. (thank you, mom!)

Gabriella dove at the couch next to my dad and hit her face on the cushion. She insisted that she needed a band-aid on her nose. 

Still looking so pasty and sick :(

Wednesday afternoon his fever broke and he broke out in a rash. I called the doctor and they had me bring him in to make sure everything was okay (due to all his crazy medical stuff)

When you have a rash, you have to go to the back door of the doctor's office and you follow these funny colored footprints down the hall to the door. Gabriella was pointing at them. 

A shot of his rash (and umbilical hernia)

Gabriella had the hugest meltdown at the doctor's office. The nurse was so nice and picked her up and hugged her and then brought her some snacks that she found in the break-room. We are so blessed with our doctor and her nurse!

Gabriella also got to color. Here is a shot of the "letter J" she wrote all by herself. 

(not too shabby for 2 1/2)

More rash :(

His rash turned out to be roseola. So home we went, praying he would heal up quick. 

Gabriella and I stopped for a treat on the way home. Here she is drinking her peach smoothie. She was pretty excited!

Friday he still had a bit of rash but he was obviously feeling much better. Getting his color back, eating again,  but still very wheezy. 

And a week later. Back to his old self! Praise Jesus!!

Xander sure has given us quite the run around with medical stuff, but he is such a wonderful blessing to us! We love him SO much!!