Tales of Motherhood and Faith

Obviously I've been very busy since Amelie's birth.  I have a lot to catch up on from the past 2 months, but I feel that I need to start with the present.  This week has been one of those weeks where I feel like I've handled about the most that I possibly could (those have seemed to happen more frequently in the past year, so I guess I must be getting tougher).

This past May, Liam was diagnosed with Asthma after several pretty scary "episodes" while he was sick.  His trigger is illness, which is challenging, since 2-year-olds seem to be germ magnets (or maybe that's just mine).  Since he started a maintenance medication in May, he has only needed his rescue medicine once.

Until last weekend.

I could tell it was going to be a rough one since it hit his chest right away.  We were up visiting my parents and all poor little Liam wanted was to run around with Grandpa and play in the back yard.  He is so tough, but I knew his asthma hit when he stopped to sit down while playing soccer.  The rest of the day and night was a challenge.  The poor boy was struggling so much that we very nearly headed to the ER several times.  My wonderful mother and always devoted Spencer took turns holding Liam while he slept to make sure he was OK.

We thought it was just a cold.  It wasn't the first time Liam had such a reaction while sick, but I was disheartened that it happened while he was on his maintenance medicine.  Then Amelie started to get sick.

It started with a sad little cough.  It broke my heart, she sounded so pitiful.  But it kept getting worse.  On Wednesday night, Spencer noticed that she was breathing hard the way Liam did when he would have an asthma attack.  Still, she seemed OK, so we decided to wait until morning to call the Dr.

By morning, she did not seem like herself.  So I took her and Liam to the pediatrician's office (which is a feat, when they are both healthy!).  They decided to start her on a breathing treatment, which she tolerated, but after it was finished she started to get worse.  Her oxygen levels dropped and she had this horrible cry halted by her coughs and gasps for air.  At that point the pediatrician decided to send us to the ER-not in a panic, she said, but so we didn't have to go later in a panic.

I still had to swallow back tears.  "Be brave, Julia, you're the mom."




In a frenzy I dressed Amelie, packed up the crayons strewn about the exam room and frantically called Spencer to come home and take Liam.  The pediatrician mentioned RSV and so I knew I couldn't leave Liam with any friends.  I quickly drove to the hospital praying all the while that Amelie wouldn't stop breathing in the car.   She just seemed so sick.

At the hospital I packed Amelie in the Moby wrap so I could keep an eye on her better and pleaded with Liam to hold my hand and be obedient until Daddy showed up to take him home.  While we waited to check Amelie in, she drifted between crying and sleeping.  I'm honestly not sure if I was more worried about Amelie or trying to keep Liam from having a major meltdown in the hospital, with a sick baby.

Of course they got us to a room fast since the Dr. called ahead and told them we were coming.  My heart was torn between my sick crying baby on the bed and a curious 2 year old who was past due for a nap and tired of reading books.  Liam was amazing, but I know it was stressful for him.

They hooked Amelie up to the monitors and started an epinephrine breathing treatment.  Within seconds she started smiling at me, and I can't tell you what a tender mercy that was.

Spencer still hadn't arrived yet (at the mercy of the metro) when the nurse came to take Amelie for X-Rays.  "Do you want me to take her or do you want to come with."  Again, I was torn between my babies.  I wanted to hold little Amelie and comfort her, yet I also knew that this was probably more difficult for Liam than for Amelie.  The x-ray technician said I had to hold Amelie down and Liam couldn't be in the room due to the radiation, so the kindly nurse offered to take Liam back to the room.  Much to my surprise, when I explained to Liam that Jordan would take him back and Daddy would meet him there, he went willingly.

After Spencer took Liam, I nursed Amelie and she fell asleep.  While she slept in my arms, we waited and watched the monitors.  Miraculously, after the epinephrine treatment, her oxygen levels went back up.  RSV test came back positive and pneumonia came back negative.  After another hour of monitoring, they released Amelie.

By Friday, she was much improved.  Her pediatrician couldn't believe the turn around she made and wanted all the nurses to see the difference between a really sick baby (yesterday) and a still sick, but stable baby today.  I know the blessing Amelie had a few days before and the many prayers are the reason she is doing so well.

This instance was yet another lesson in motherhood and faith.  I know the priesthood blessingdoes work than motherhood.  Sometimes it is difficult for me to recognize the miracles in my own life, but through my children, I am witness to many miracles.  Amelie's sweet smiles at her weakest and sickest moments; Liam's complete cooperation and obedience; kindly ER nurses and a careful and sensitive pediatrician are all examples of miracles I witnessed.
*These pictures don't have anything to do with this story, they are just cute.