Goodbye October...

...don't let the door hit you in the hiney!

What a month! I feel like I need a do over for October. Well, until I told my grandmother that and she said "so you can have 13 months in this year!" To that I say never mind we'll try for a better October next year!

The crazy month for us started on the 7th with Campbell visiting the ER. He managed to Houdini himself out of the cart at Wal-Mart, plummeted from the cart to the pavement and landed directly on his precious head. I was opening the car door so I could load the boys in...horrible mistake not to pick him up first. I saw what was about to happen but couldn't get to him before he hit. I think I screamed louder than I ever have in my life. I was terrified of what I was going to see when I picked him up. Usually there are people everywhere but of course not today when I desperately needed help. I started yelling for HELP and a sweet concerned lady ran over. She was so nice. She loaded my car with my things and loaded Spencer in his seat while I checked Campbell's eyes, head, bleeding and got him in his car seat. I heard her as she was getting Spen in the car say "come on grandma you can do this." I thought that was cute. Those car seat buckles are tough to do.

Once we were in the car I turned on my flashers and raced to the ER. Spencer was such a helper. I told him to help me keep Campbell awake and he did great talking and singing to him. Oh did I mention it was lunch time? We were all hungry and a muddy mess from our nature walk that morning! The people at Parker Adventist Hospital were wonderful. I told them what happened with tears in my eyes and they rushed us back to a room. Within seconds there were 15 people in our room checking over him. I could tell they don't take head injuries lightly. I was thankful for that. Head injuries scare the bageebies out of me.

Poor Campbell was put in a neck brace and HATED it. He wouldn't stop trying to get it off. In fact that's the only thing he managed to NOT tear off his body. He ripped the pulse monitor off his toe, blood pressure band off his arm and the oxygen off his nose more than once. Poor thing also had to endure two failed attempts at an IV and then a shot due to the IV not working. They had to give him a drug to try and calm him down. One nurse said "He doesn't give up does he?" Oh no nurse, not my child!!! He was waiting for them to give up!

The huge funny of the day was when the nurse commented on Spencer saying, "Your oldest is just so mellow." Hearing this made me do a double take and then realizing she was talking about my child, my Spencer, I died laughing! I assured her that mellow is never a word I would use to describe my oldest. Words such as drama king, high maintenance and inquisitive were more suiting. But, he is a smart cookie and knew the situation was serious, which meant he knew he better chill. I think he was enjoying watching all the goings on. He was very good. I never once had to tell him to behave. A nurse gave him a coloring book. He colored, chatted with her and watched the commotion. Now if this had happened to him I'd be cuddling him and rubbing that boo boo weeks later. He knows how to milk it for all it's worth.

Thankfully Jake got to the hospital before they took us back for a CT scan. They wrapped Campbell in a straight jacket for the scan or as they say swaddler...yeah right!! While we waited on the results one of the nurses brought the boys some grape juice. For the first time in 2 hours Campbell stopped crying, took a sip (never had juice before), looked up at me, smiled and said "jabber jabber jabber I like it jabber." I'm thinking the unintelligible part was likely something about why in the hell we hadn't given him that stuff before.

Praise the Lord above Campbell was and is just fine! It's amazing how in one split second your life can change forever. We all know that, but man was it so real for me that day.

I am still so thankful!!

My poor baby home from the hospital. We didn't realize he still had these on his skinny self till bath time!

The month continued with Jake getting a stomach bug that following Saturday. I was so bummed because it was suppose to be "my" day. But instead Jake was pathetically sick and the boys and I tried to stay far away. I knew that we were likely to be getting the guck.
During the night it hit me and unfortunately it stuck around a few days for me. Jake however was able to eat greasy pizza by the next day. He's got a stomach of steel.

After a long weekend of having to stay inside I was so ready to get out. We were excited and amazed the boys never got the stomach yuck. The weekend was coming and I was hoping to make up for the last weekend spent in doors. It was going to be a beautiful weekend with 70-80 degree weather. A great day for the pumpkin patch! I was so happy we wouldn't have to bundle up while picking our pumpkins. But oh no...no. such. luck. One second Campbell was fine the next second he wasn't. I'm not kidding either. It was just like someone snapped and he sounded horrible. Like a goose honking to be exact. He continued to cough and run a fever the rest of the weekend. Monday morning it was confirmed that he had croup! He was better by Thursday, thankfully! We were so tired of being in the house. The darn cough got much better after his steroid but the doc warned us he could have a wet cough for up to three weeks!!!! I. hate. croup.

Spencer giving love to the croupy Campbell

As much as mid October was a bummer for us we were blessed to have healthy kids for Halloween. I know many who didn't get to go trick or treating this year because of sickness.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can stay germ free the remainder of the winter.

At least flu free!!!!!