My heart feels overwhelmed and my eyes feel heavy.
Yesterday we had a scare.
Recently your days have been filled with lots of drooling, lots of tears and lots of sleepless nights.
You’re right smack dab in the middle of battling some pretty fierce teething…hence the baltic amber necklace on your neck— I’m willing to try anything at this point.
Yesterday, we woke like we always do. Started our day. Ate breakfast. Jumped in the car, and headed to the gym. I dropped you off and you spent the next hour playing in the gym daycare. About 11:00am it’s like a light switch went off and my little Eliana had checked out and someone else entered the room.
You were unconsolable, throwing your head back and almost growling at times. There was nothing I could do. You weren’t happy anywhere I placed you, or even in my arms. Your cry was like no sound I’ve ever heard come from your body. The tears streaming down your face, you stiffening your legs, tugging at your gums. In my heart I knew it was teething but there was something else. Something just didn’t feel right.
This continued for almost four straight hours.
I finally called the doctor and they set up an appointment. When we entered the room you were already crying hysterically. Nana and Papa also came to see if they could comfort you— sadly, nothing and no one could seem to calm you.
After the doctor checked everything he finally came to the conclusion that he felt you may have intussusception and wanted us to head to the ER for an ultrasound.
I felt silly, thinking what if this really is just teething? I don’t want to be that mother who runs to the ER for teething. The doctor assured me and got a second opinion that they felt like something more was happening and the problem with intussusception is that you can only tell via an ultrasound.
Once we arrived at the ER, they took us back, daddy showed up and they administered your ultrasound. Daddy holding your arms. Me holding your legs. You screaming like I’ve never heard before. The terror in your eyes. And that moment you looked at your father and screamed, “daddy”? I will never forget it. You had tears streaming down your face as you were becoming horse from all the screaming. At that moment I almost lost it. So many emotions ran through my mind.
You have always been so healthy.
What if there’s some sort of long-term health condition? What if there’s something more serious than intussusception? What if you have to have surgery? How do people with sick children deal with this?!!
Once they were finished and we found out that you do not have intussusception, to be safe, they wanted to do an Xray. Little did we know that they literally put you in something that looks straight out of a torture chamber.
It.was.the.worst.moment.of.my.life.period. I just can’t even go there. (Anyone who has seen these machines before knows exactly what I’m describing.)
Luckily, we found out exactly what we needed to know.
It’s simple. You were constipated.
That’s when I thought, oh my god, you are that mom.
I’m that mom. I’M THAT MOM!
In my defense, I had a total of three doctor’s tell me we needed this ultrasound and there was no reason for me to even consider constipation, because you just had a bowel movement the day before. How on earth you were that stopped up in a matter of hours is beyond me. When they showed us the Xray your entire stomach was full— it looked painful just looking at it.
Without going into further detail, because I think we all understand what happens next, you’re exhausted today, but can’t seem to soothe yourself without my care. You have almost completely lost your voice, drool is pouring out to the point where I can’t keep clothes on you and your tummy is still troublesome.
At the end of the day do I feel a wee bit embarrassed that we took you to the ER for what turned out to be constipation and teething?
<ahem> Nope.
I did what I knew best and that was to do everything in my power to make you feel better.
I love you stinky.
~mom.
