From Fabulous to Fearful-Five Months

Our little Super Cooper turned 5 months old on March 11th.  I'm squeezing in the 5 month update just in the nick of time as we're quickly reaching the 6 month milestone in just a few more days.  Cooper's 5th month started off great.  He was a happy little guy full of smiles, and this mama couldn't get enough of snapping pics of him!

 

 

 

At the beginning of five months old Cooper was enjoying his feet!  As you can see in both pics, he's reaching for those little piggies.  Now he really enjoys putting them in his mouth, too.  He'd begun rolling easily in both directions now too.  No more walking away from him lying on the bed!  He's such a drooler and is constantly putting his fists or fingers in his mouth.  No sign of any teeth though yet.  During the day, he's nursing every few hours and still waking 1-2 times at night to eat as well.  He recently got a Jumperoo, and he LOVES bouncing in it!  He really enjoys being talked to and tickled, and he has the best little belly laugh.  We also began trying a little whole grain oatmeal with him at the beginning of five months.  We only tried it a few days and weren't noticing much difference with his sleep, and it seemed to be bothering his tummy a bit, so we backed off for a couple weeks.  Since then we've tried a few basic solids like avocadoes, prunes, sweet potatoes, and bananas.  He's not overly interested yet, but some attempts are better than others. 

I just love the curiosity on his face in this picture!

The rest of this post will probably be long winded and overly lengthy.  Feel free to pass on by, but I wanted to recall much of the details to document...

 

 

It seemed like it came on out of nowhere, but looking back, I can kind of see the signs that Cooper was slowly getting sick.  But suddenly one day he was running a fever.  I gave him some Tylenol and didn't think too much of it at first.  He was still acting fine, and I figured maybe it was a sign that a tooth was coming, and just gave him some extra cuddles.  The fever kept getting higher though, he was quite sleepy, and both Mat and I separately noticed that his breathing was seeming really heavy.  Although he still seemed in good spirits, I decided to give the pediatrician's office a call just to be safe.  With him being so little still and having a high fever, I wanted to be a bit more cautious, and Mat encouraged me to call for their opinion as well.  They suggested we bring him in that evening to take a look at him.  Mat was due to leave town the next day for work, so I was happy to go ahead and take him in that evening without having to take the other kiddos with me.  

This was poor Cooper as we were waiting for the doctor, and by this time it was apparent that he was rapidly getting worse.  His fever was getting higher and higher (look at those poor red cheeks), and his smiles and coos had faded to whimpers and frowns.  Long story short, they tested him for RSV and influenza and both came back negative. The doctor was trying to avoid putting him through a chest xray, but with those all tests coming back negative, that's exactly where she sent us off to next.   Chest xrays with little ones are not fun.  We had to do one with MJ when he was a babe and had RSV.  Mat and I were both there at that time, and I had to step out of the room and let Mat be the one to stay with him.  This time though, I was flying solo and had to put my big girl pants on.  The first chest Xray didn't turn out well though, and so we had to repeat the whole procedure.  NOT FUN.   My first babe to have pneumonia..poor guy, but feeling so relieved that I brought him in.  It was off to pick up some antibiotics and then get my baby home for some much needed sleep by this time. He was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as we got in the car.   

 



The next day, he didn't seem much better, but we were trying to be patient and give the antibiotics some time to do their magic.  Mat and I quickly debated whether or not he should leave on his work trip, which involved a 7.5 hour drive to Ohio, and neither option seemed like a great one, so we went ahead with his trip as planned.  By late afternoon I was concerned that his fever was still staying high, and he was sounding much worse.  The doctor had called to check on him and give me some more test results from the previous night, and I mentioned my concerns to her.  She suggested bring him back in that night for a shot of another antibiotic that should help his lungs heal a bit faster.  I snapped this pic on the way.  He was certainly showing a few faint smiles, but his eyes just looked sooo tired and he looked so warm.  It was obvious the poor guy was uncomfortable.  I had to bring all 3 kids with me that evening, but they did quite well, and the office staff was great about helping distract them with lots of stickers.  Ha!!  We were there much longer than I'd anticipated though, and I could tell she was worried about him.  She decided to switch him to a different antibiotic and sent us home finally, but asked me to call her in 48 hours with an update. 

This was the next day though, and this mama's heart was breaking!  Something just didn't seem right, and I wasn't feeling too comfortable in waiting an additional day to see if he hopefully improved.  He was no longer able to eat.  He seemed to want to nurse, but every time he tried he was just so gurgly and would choke.  It was like he couldn't breathe and eat at the same time, yet his congestion seemed more like in his throat rather than his nose or chest.  It was hard to explain over the phone, but I called the nurse back and asked if she had any suggestions of how I could help him successfully eat.  I tried her couple ideas, but she was sure to tell me to bring him back in if I felt like he was really struggling. 

I shot this video of how Cooper was sounding by that point, and I shared it with my mom and a couple close friends, one of whom is a former PICU nurse.  She was so sweet to reply that she would come by and take a look at him.  She was even up in the air as to whether I should take him back in or not.  He was sleeping well and was in pretty good spirits, yet the not being able to eat was a growing concern.  I listened to my mama gut, and made the decision to take him back in. I wasn't exactly sure what they'd be able to do to help, but I knew there had to be some way to provide him with some relief.  MJ was at school, so I just had to take Charlotte with me. 

I set him in his swing quickly, so I could get Charlotte and I ready to leave.  He fell asleep looking like this and it was obvious my little guy was struggling.  I wasn't quite sure what the next few hours would bring, but my gut told me it might not be good news. 

I am not trying to be over dramatic, because I know kids are soooo much more sick than he was, and I can't even imagine all the things parents of really ill children have to see their child go through, and I pray that I never will, but those few hours were tough!!  I admit that I am a total softy.  Even when our kids have to get their regular immunizations, I prefer Mat be the one to hold them for that part.  I enjoy scooping them up and giving them lots of cuddles, but I really hate to see them hurt and I struggle to be strong and brave for them.  Well, having a 3rd child, I've had to suck it up.  Logistically, it's just not possible for us to always both go to our kid's appointments together anymore.  I've been the one to take Cooper for his shots, and I've surprised myself at doing just fine with it.  But this day was different.  Cooper was really struggling.  He was burning up, whimpering, and gurgling the entire time.  The retested him for RSV and influenza (neither are too pleasant for an already unhappy baby), did a nasal swab for other respiratory illnesses, then sent us off for blood work, then to xray where they had to do two rounds of chest xrays and two rounds of sinus and throat xrays.  I know the xrays don't physically hurt him, but the contraption they put him in for chest xrays is not pleasant.  He was screaming, and my job was to pin his arms above his head while also trying to hold his head steady.  We had been through this just two nights prior and now again, and he was over it! 

His blood work came back with an elevated white cell count, which was in line with an infection, but otherwise his levels were all good.  The chest xray did show some pneumonia but nothing drastic or any worse than the other night.  In the xray of this throat though, they did see what they thought was some inflammation.  It was possible this could be from something as simple as crying and coughing, which he had certainly been doing, or it could be something much more serious like an abscess, which would require surgery.  The only way to know for sure was with a head CT scan, so it was decided that Cooper would be admitted to the hospital. 

By this time Cooper was very fussy because he was so tired and just wanted to sleep.  Charlotte who had been an angel for hours was beginning to grow restless.  I was dying to pump.  Since Cooper hadn't been nursing all day I was quite uncomfortable by this point.  And I was panicking that MJ was at school, needing a ride home,  Charlotte was stuck at the hospital with me and in need of a ride home, and Mat was several hours away in Ohio.  It had been too busy to communicate much with him, but I'd managed to tell him enough to know that he needed to leave and head home.  I quickly started scrambling reaching out to a few friends to help me with the kids, and I was just amazed at every one's generosity in helping.  It was so humbling and heartwarming. 

We were admitted and shown to a room and then all of the registration questions took place and they began preparing Cooper's room.  By this time, my friend Angie (the former PICU nurse) had shown to pick up Charlotte for me.  I needed to run home quickly (thankfully we only live about a mile or two from the hospital) to pick up some clothes and a pack n play for her, and honestly I just needed a few minutes of a mental break.  I knew Cooper was in good hands with her and the nurses there, so I left for about 20 minutes, and took Charlotte home with me to pack up her stuff.  I knew they were about ready to put the IV in and honestly, I didn't think I could take watching another procedure that involved holding Cooper down crying and screaming.  Thank God for a sweet friend who is a highly skilled nurse to step in for me.  Seriously, she was a God send! 

When I got back to the hospital, this is what I saw.  Cooper was knocked out in Angie's arms and had the IV in his scalp,  It immediately brought me to tears, but I quickly pulled it together.  I remember MJ having one and thinking how awful they looked but yet knew that they really are often what's best and easiest for the baby.  Apparently he fought it hard though and it took three nurses to hold him still enough to get it in.  Think I'm glad I didn't witness that one. 

After this, Angie left and took Charlotte home with her.  I'd found another friend, Anne, to take MJ for the night (her son and MJ are classmates and best buds), so I was feeling good knowing that both big kids were taken care of.  Now it was waiting time for Cooper's CT scan.  He had to be a certain number of hours without any food, so we just had to wait.  Luckily he slept most of the time, but the times he would wake, he was super fussy. 

The CT scan involved sedating Cooper, so I met with the anesthesiologist, who explained the procedure to me.  He was the one who also gave me a bit more detail on exactly what it was that they'd be looking for.  It was called a retropharyngeal abscess, and although I still didn't know much detail, I gathered that it could potentially be quite serious. 

Once it was time, they wheeled Cooper and I down to the floor where the CT would be done.  I stayed with him until they were ready to sedate him.  Then, I had to wait out in the hallway, but they let me back in as soon it was over (probably only 15 min), and I even saw him as he began to wake.  They handed him off to me and wheeled us off to recovery.  We were only in there a brief time while they monitored his vitals, and then the returned us to his room.  By the time we were arriving to his room, the pediatrician was already on the phone with the wonderful news that there was no abscess!  Hallelujah!  This meant no surgery, and that Cooper could finally eat, if he was able to.  He was able to take a little pumped milk in a bottle and nurse just a bit. 

He was suddenly looking much happier after a little milk in his belly.  The doctor had decided that we needed to stay overnight to monitor Cooper and repeat blood work in the morning, so it was time to get Cooper cozy and try to get some rest for the night.  We still had a few hours until Mat would arrive, and I thought Cooper was out and that I might get some sleep. 

Although he looked peaceful all propped up, it didn't last long, and the only way  Cooper would sleep that night was in my arms.  Mat arrived around 10:30PM and spent some time with us.  Cooper really perked up and seemed happy and alert then.  He even was able to nurse some.  Mat left around midnight to go home and get some rest, and Cooper and I settled into the recliner for some dozing off and on that night.  Between the nurses checking his vitals, changing his IV bags, his general discomfort or needing to eat, there wasn't a whole lot of sleeping going on, but we made it through the night and I think both definitely enjoyed all the snuggles.  I took this video of him snoring though.  Seriously, he sounded like an old man.  Can you believe a five month old can snore like this?!

Mat arrived early the next morning in hopes to be there for the doctor's rounds, and he brought some much needed relief for me.  Cooper was just as happy to sleep in Daddy's lap, too!  The doctor was pleased with Cooper's blood work and improvement in his vitals, but wanted to keep  Cooper the remainder of the day to watch him.  He said if he was able to eat and continue to keep his vitals good, he'd most likely be able to go home that night.  I headed home for a shower finally, since it had been two days (haha!) and a little power nap, grabbed some lunch, and headed back home to the hospital. 

Cooper was still snoozing on Daddy.  He was one tired boy!

 



By that afternoon though he was starting to perk up again, was doing a little better with eating, and vitals were staying promising.  He was even content to lay in the crib and play a little bit.  This was a first in days.  The doctor had checked in with the nurses and decided he was okay to go home that evening.  Mat had left to go pick up MJ from preschool and be home for Angie to return Charlotte home.  He was anxious to see the big kids, and we were excited knowing Cooper would be able to come home later that evening. 

I was dreading this though.  I knew that IV had to come out, and the nurses kept checking it and discussing it.  Their nervousness about it wasn't making me feel overly optimistic.  I would have preferred to step out for this part, but they'd asked me to help in holding his arms down.  All the tape that was on there to keep it in place was the worst.  They used some adhesive remover that seemed to really help, but it was quite the process.  Then, the catheter was stuck to the tape and came out quickly before they were ready, and it bled A LOT!  Not so fun to watch, but luckily it stopped within about five minutes, and he quickly calmed down. 

Back to napping and waiting for the final go-ahead to head home!  We got home that evening about 6:30.  It was such a good feeling to have everyone at home together again.  I know it was only one night, but it felt SO strange with us all being in separate places.  I felt like a happy mother hen having all my chicks back under one roof. 

The next day Cooper had a bath to try to remove all the sticky residue.  He really enjoys his baths, and that time was no exception.  Then it was cozy jammies, swaddled up and in his swing.  The next few days were spent just doing a lot of sleeping!! 

 

Within a couple of days, he was gaining more energy, becoming more playful, and giving lots of smiles.  So thankful we were to see our happy boy again!

 

 

Love seeing those smiles and hearing this belly laugh once again!