Let's not do THAT again, either.

The last post we created with a similar title was the story of Natalie's tear duct surgery. No fun.

As much as that day still holds my heart captive, yesterday was worse. Much worse.

Natalie's surgery was planned, under control, and held very little risk. Yesterday was random, out-of-control, and scared the *&%#^ out of us.

Natalie had been feverish and moody most of the day Sunday and developed a cough sometime in the evening/night. She fought sleep all night and was restless. Her moaning, groaning, and crying woke us several times. I finally turned off the monitor so David could get some sleep and I retreated to the couch at the base of the steps, so I could hear her if she needed me.

At about 6:30 AM I heard her cries (again) and I went up to rescue her. About 2 seconds after I entered her room, she started seizing. Let me tell you folks, there is NOTHING like seeing your child completely glazed over, shaking, and gurgling. It has been about 33 hours since this happened, and it nearly tears my heart out to think of those few moments. I screamed to David, who came running. He quickly scooped her upright and looked in her mouth to make sure she wasn't choking on something. I called 911 and literally 2 minutes later paramedics were in our living room, checking Nat's vital signs. She had long since stopped seizing (the actual seizure probably only lasted 45 seconds or so) and had started moaning. Moments later, Natalie and I were strapped to a gurney, en route to the hospital. David soon followed, after feeding, dressing, and securing childcare for Allyson.

We spent about three hours in the emergency room. Natalie was in and out of sleep, and when she was awake, she was crying or moaning. At one point a nurse offered a cracker and some juice. This was the first time we were able to see Natalie's sweet self re-emerge. She sat up (in my lap) and got to work on the cracker, finished the juice in just a few big gulps, then fell back asleep against my chest and protruding tummy. In the end, they had tested for RSV, Influenza, and strep, and had taken chest x-rays. All tests were negative and the chest x-ray was clean. The doc discovered two ear infections and an upper respiratory infection, which led to the fever, which led to the seizure; they are assuming the shaking was a febrile seizure (fairly common in babies under the age of 2). What the chiropractor told us later in the day was that the body creates the fever to fight infection, and a febrile seizure is seen as the body's way of saying - Nope, too hot. Apparently the seizure usually lowers the temp enough for the body to get back to work fighting infection. Kind of amazing the way God created our bodies, right? Amazing, but I truly don't ever need to see that again.

The rest of Natalie's day was spent dozing and cuddling, snacking and snuggling. By evening, she was mostly herself, with a hoarse voice and deep, barking cough. Poor thing.

This morning she woke, smiling and ready for the day. No fever and almost a normal voice. Phew.

Seriously, let's not do that again.

(Coming soon: pictures from Allyson's first "friend birthday party." You know, she'll be 5 tomorrow. 5. I'm still processing that bit, but 5 makes me miss 1. And 2. And 3. And I'll probably be missing 4 sometime soon. We asked her this morning if she could talk to God and ask Him to let her stay at 4. We were unsuccessful.)