Holidays with children on the spectrum add a whole other level of stress, and sometimes disappointment. You know deep down that that they don't understand the concept of "Santa" or Christmas at all for that matter (especially at the ages our boys are currently at - 3.5 and 1.5 years). This does makes gift buying easy (and cheaper). Although they don't quite grasp Santa, as a parent, you still want them to wake up Christmas morning, excited with anticipation, dying to see all the cool new toys under the tree. However; it never seems to go that way, or at least it hasn't for us, so far. Aside from worrying how Chase would adjust away from home, out of his "normal routine", and with less structure, we have been dealing with sick kids for what seems like the whole year at this point!
So here comes our "Holiday Do-Over Wish":
This year both boys have been sick for the majority of the last 3 months. We started with colds/crud in early October. Miles had one ear infection that month, and then back to colds for both the boys (antibiotics for both). At Thanksgiving we drove home on a Wednesday morning and went straight to our old pediatrician with Chase because he was so sick. He was put on 20 days of antibiotics. Friday morning at 8am after Thanksgiving I was at Convenient Care with Miles - another ear infection for him. They were troopers at Thanksgiving, but daddy and I were POOPED!!!
December rolled around and I thought SURELY after both boys being on antibiotics, especially Chase, we would be well again, BUT NO, the stomach bug hit our house. Miles had it first, then 2 days later Chase. Luckily I only got a very mild version (this time). 2 weeks later, to the day, Miles got it again, on a Thursday around lunch. By that night it had hit me and I was up all night. Friday morning I was throwing up in the kitchen sink (TMI, I know) while fixing Chase's breakfast and lunch to try and get him to school and out of the germ infested house. Miles and I were laid up in bed all morning and when big Chase dropped little Chase off at home after school he walked in and immediately started throwing up (EVERYWHERE) too! My sister had come to help the day before with Miles and ended up with the stomach bug as well! We were a pitiful bunch...it's a NASTY thing! We were FINALLY all over that bug by late Saturday. BUT, the next week the boys were both snotty and coughing AGAIN! Sunday around 10:30pm Miles woke up HYSTERICALLY screaming for over and hour and I couldn't settle him down. I am not usually one to freak out, but Chase and I both agreed he needed to go to the ER...so off to Vanderbilt ER I went. Turns out it was just a severe upper respiratory infection (not a busted ear drum like I was convinced) and it was viral so no medications or prescriptions would help. I just had to wait it out! Nothing changed over the next few days. Miles still had a cough and green snotty nose (and was not sleeping longer than a few hours at a time at night because he couldn't breathe) so I decided to go back to the pediatrician Friday before Christmas madness began. I really didn't want to do any more antibiotics, if at all possible, because they had been on so many for so long. His ears were clear and Dr. Moss agreed that a Rx wouldn't help, it was viral. So home for Christmas we went. I ended up going home early (on Sunday) to get out of our house and have some help with the boys, as Big C was so busy working and not home to help much (which is probably why he's the only one who has been remotely well lately). Chase was coughing and snotty at this point too, but not NEAR as bad as Miles. Christmas was a blur...Miles woke up screaming Christmas Eve and Christmas night so we were back on the road to Nashville Thursday morning to see Dr. Moss again.
The viral cold has now turned to Bronchitis. Miles is on his 4th antibiotic in the last 3 months! I'm sure I will be back at the Dr. with Chase by next week, but for now we could REALLY use prayers for everyone to get well, and hopefully stay well for a little while! I have been pumping them full of probiotics for over a week also, trying to let this virus run its course and build back up their immune systems. Prayers are definitely needed.
I feel like we were so worried and focused on our sick babies that Christmas just came and went with a blink. I did manage to get a few pictures, but you will have to excuse the snotty noses in most of them! :)
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Morning
Left Pic: this just about sums everything up! :)
Christmas morning
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