34 weeks

Last week was a very difficult one for our family. Ainsley came down with a bad cold on the 12th. She started out coughing and having a runny nose on the 11th, but acting fine. She became lethargic on the 12th in the afternoon and started running a fever. Monday, she seemed ok but had a bad cough and a fever. Tuesday- the same- bad cough and fever, but somewhat perky. Tuesday evening, her fever was 103.6 and I thought she was really lethargic. Wednesday, she continued to have a high fever- 103.8 in the morning and was really lethargic, flushed and clingy. I took her to the doctor Wednesday afternoon and she was tested for flu- neg, and strep throat- also neg. They thought it was viral.

We got home and watched a movie together. She was burning up and had already had ibuprofen recently. I took her temperature and it was 104.6 - YIKES! She was crying and said her chest/back hurt. I started freaking out a bit- she was flushed and her eyes were glazed. I gave her tylenol and wiped her with a cool cloth, but she only came down to 104. She slept terribly that night and so did I. She would wake up and seem mentally altered- not aware of things and confused. Thursday, she seemed to be a little better- her temperature seemed to actually respond to the ibuprofen/tylenol- in that it came down to 102 from 104. Thursday night was horrible. She was screaming and uncomfortable almost all night. She wanted me to hold her and sit up with her- I could not recline, she would wake up and scream. It was a long, awful night. Her temperature was 104.5.

I made an appointment with her doctor first thing in the morning- but of course, could not get in until 3. It was the longest day EVER! Ainsley was so uncomfortable and unhappy. She was screaming the entire morning and was totally attached to me. I had to carry her everywhere- even to the bathroom with me. She did not want me out of her site and wanted constant comfort. She started saying her left ear hurt and just screaming. She slept fitfully on me 3 different times in the morning- thank goodness for some rest for her. She stopped being a good patient on Thursday- she would not let us take her temperature and she would not take her medicine ( ibuprofen/tylenol). I tried several times to give her medicine Friday morning and finally forced it in. Amazingly- she felt better shortly after- ha! Her temperature came down and she stopped crying, her ear no longer hurt. Of course, she seemed better at the doctors too. The doctor did not find anything on her physical- her ears looked good- WHAT???, her chest sounded fine, her throat looked good, etc. With her fever having been so high for so long, the doctor wanted to do chest radiographs and labwork- so off to the hospital we went. Ainsley did amazing for her blood draw. She did not move at all as they stuck her with the needle and drew her blood. I was holding her, they had a second nurse hold her arm, and a 3rd person draw the blood. Thank goodness he was a good phlebotomist! The radiographs were worse. I could not stay in the room with her since I am pregnant and she was very upset that I had to leave. I had called Dan, but though he left work as soon as I called, he did not get to the hospital in time to be with her. Luckily, the x ray techs were also good and fast. The doctor called a few hours later and told me she has pneumonia in her right middle lung lobe. Awful, but at least they found something. We got some antibiotics and luckily she responded to them quickly. She slept a little better Friday night, but not great. Saturday, she seemed a bit more like herself and luckily had no fever after two doses of antibiotics.

She continued to be really fussy for the next several days, but was playing some and starting to sleep better. She did have some major tantrums- over the littlest things. It was a very trying time.

Also, I started to feel ill last Saturday- probably due to lack of sleep. I had been fighting off Ainsley's cold really well but I think those sleepless nights did me in. Now I have had a bad cold all week and can't really take any good medications. I got sudafed ( only ok decongestant) and I don't feel it is working for me at all. I have been sleeping poorly and just overall fairly miserable with congestion and sinus pressure.

It is a really good thing that I got so much Christmas stuff done early this year as it would not have gotten done otherwise!

Ainsley actually started eating 2 days ago and seemed to be back to her happy self- FINALLY! Hopefully she will stay healthy for a while now.