Out of Commission

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything new. Ben cut a top tooth on the night of Wednesday the 20th of February. Along with this came the usual fever, crabbyness, refusing to drink a bottle or eat, etc. We figured it simply had to do with the new pearly white so we, being the stellar parents we are, let it go and went about our business of preparing to go down to DC for Rick's wedding. We left on Thursday afternoon. By that time Ben was completely lethargic. He had hardly moved in a day and had maybe 1 bottle and no food. So, again, we thought "Maybe he's getting a little sick" (he also had a slight cough)... we were actually putting on the reception for Rick and Janin and I was playing photographer so we really didn't have much choice. Our kids had been sick (really sick) before, so Ben may be for a day or two, we'd give him some medicine and then he'd probably perk up a bit. No such luck. He was out the entire time we were in DC. Needed held constantly - not helpful when you are trying to decorate for a wedding and take quality pictures... wouldn't eat/drink... slept a TON! It was not fun. I'll do a whole separate post with some actual wedding pics, but here are a few of baby Ben over the weekend.

The car ride down to DC on Thursday.

Setting up the ceremony room Saturday. Ben is so super sick at this point.

During the reception... I did mention that we are stellar parents, right? :)

Couldn't resist...

Upset at having to be put down while we cleaned up.

Back at the house with the newlyweds... Poor miserable Ben.

Okay, so, with all of that explained, we left earlier than we planned on Sunday to come back home to Cleveland because Ben was so sick. When we got back to Westlake James took us straight to the hospital and dropped me off with Ben while he took the kids home to unload the car, etc.

This is Ben getting his chest x-rays... I know it's a horrible quality - it was with my cell phone, but I just had to get a picture... as sad (and wierd) as it was, I was dying laughing at this strange contraption. He is sitting on a very mini bicycle seat with his legs dangling below the table... then, with arms raised, he is sandwiched in tight by two plastic pieces so he can't move... I guess it was good that he was so weak - he didn't throw much of a fit... how's that for a silver lining!? :)

Ben in the E.R. Turns out he had Pnumonia in both lungs and RSV and some bronchial problem... Fun... Suppose it wasn't the tooth that was bothering him... hrmmmm... good to know.

We finally got a room... at this point I had no idea how long we'd be here (ended up being 4 days). He was very cuddly... wanting held a ton. It was a little nice since so often now he wants to always be playing and crawiling around being a monkey. His breathing was (without the oxygen on) hanging around 90 - they wanted it around 96 to let him go home with a nebulizer... should be around 100 normally.

We got released in the late afternoon on Wednesday. Ben's oxygen levels actually hit 100 on his own right before we left.

While in the hospital I got a call to come and get Kate from school because she was coughing and nearly falling asleep at her table. James ended up taking Kate and Josh in to see the Doc and, though he never did a test, he said it was likely they had RSV too... he said they need to share in the glory of the nebulizer we got for Ben. Here they are doing their treatments.

Clearly, just being home has made Benjamin feel better. He stole Joshua's pizza and seemed to like it.

Kate was exhausted.

Caleb was a trooper through all of this... he stayed free of any bugs... until the next week, that is, after everyone else felt better... then I got the call from school to get him... ugh... can a girl get a break?! :)

Kate was coughing so hard one night that she woke up with a broken blood vessel in her eye. A week has passed and it is just about back to normal.

Just liked this one - such pretty eyes... home from school sick this day.

For how much sleep all the kids got you'd think they be wired for a month, but they seem to still enjoy bedtime.

Another one I liked.

All better... at last, it seems like we are, for the most part, healed up.

So there you have it... a million pics later, the reason why we've been out of commission. Expect more pics soon of the wedding, Rick and Janin's infant shoot I did, and other happenings. :) In the mean time, stay healthy!!! :)