Poor Babies

My poor boys just can't catch a break. We had a very, very, very busy weekend... it was supposed to be filled with family and fun. It was NOT supposed to be filled with fevers, trips to the doctor, and hours of screaming.

Greg and Amber got married this weekend. The wedding was perfect and beautiful. Greg was beaming... Amber was gorgeous I'll be posting all the details and pictures soon.

Friday night Brian and I went out to the beach for the Rehearsal Dinner. My parents stayed home with our kids to put everyone to bed on time. (We wanted them in prime condition for the big day... Ha!) Both boys had runny noses during the week and Danny was a little cranky on Friday but we were so busy that I didn't really have time to worry. When we got home at 11:30 my parents were on the couch with a SCREAMING Danny. He was beyond upset. We gave him some Motrin, took him outside, and calmed him down for a moment (by letting him sit in the sink playing with water at midnight... whatever it takes!). I sent Brian to bed a little after midnight because it seemed like there was no reason for us both to be up. It was the LONGEST night I've had since the boys were born... and I've had some LONG nights.

Danny slept from 4:15 am until a little before 7 am. He screamed for every other moment of the night. Nothing helped... I tried snacks, bottles, songs, Elmo, baths... it seemed like each attempt made him more upset. He really wanted to be with Matt so I made the mistake of taking him down to his room around 2 am thinking he might fall asleep with his brother. That decision had me juggling THREE cranky kids for almost an hour.

Our pediatrician has office hours from 9 until noon on Saturday. At 7:45 I called my mom (and woke her up... sorry) to have her bring Kirsten to church for the family First Communion Retreat. Brian stayed with Matt and I took Danny to the office at 8:30 and we waited outside for the nurses to arrive.

My poor boy was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease. This is a virus that is known for very high fevers (we were told to expect fevers of 103 - 104) along with blisters on the child's hands, feet, and in their mouths. So far poor Danny only has them in his mouth and on his wrist. Matt doesn't have any blisters (yet) but has had a fever since yesterday afternoon.

I don't think there is anything worse than seeing your child in pain. I would do anything to trade places with my sweet boy. Listening to him scream "Mama! Help Mama!" for hours was the most heartbreaking experience. Luckily he's doing better. Both boys are LOADED up on medicines... but it is helping.

My parents convinced me to go to the wedding for a little while. I felt terrible leaving my boys, but I didn't want to miss Greg's big moment either. Grammy and Grandpa were able to get the boys to sleep so (while we called every half hour) we were able to enjoy the wedding. We're praying that they continue to improve and that things don't get worse... I just don't know how much more any of us can handle. As always, we are so blessed to have so much help when we need it most. I know this post is way too long and way too detailed... but it's a bit cathartic and I'm very, very, very tired :)