I am 27 years old. I used to think that people, once they reached 27, knew something about life and about themselves. I suppose I know SOMETHING, but not nearly as much as I would have expected by now. I keep saying and thinking, "I'm a real grownup now - I'm 27 and I have two kids. Weird."
The day started out low-key, which is always my favorite. Nick did end up staying home from work, so he made me some breakfast, and then I lazed around reading some while the girls played and Nick worked a little at the dining room table. After that I went and finished my dining room table painting project. It looks pretty good, I must say. Now I just need to find some cheap chairs. The green folding ones we've been using since we got married aren't working so well for me.
We then headed up to my parents' house to say hi and for Nick to work for 30 minutes or so on something that couldn't wait. Audrey started out the day feeling better, but as the day went on, she looked worse and worse. She wouldn't smile, her coloring was terrible, her eyes looked awful...and then she started fussing nonstop. My mom was concerned, which only furthered the concern I already had. My mom is not the interfering type, and she has rarely said anything like, "if that was my kid, I would have had them to the doctor by now." So, off to the doctor we went.
This was momentous for us. Audrey has never been to the doctor for a sick visit. Hannah has been once. Neither of my kids has ever been on antibiotics except for Hannah because I had a uterine infection at her birth. With the natural health stuff I love, there has been no need. However, this thing, whatever it was, was nasty. The doc checked Audrey out and found huge wax buildup in her ears, and once it was removed, found slight ear infections and a sinus infection. I'm fairly sure that the reason for the ear infection was the wax buildup, which runs in Nick's family - it just doesn't come out for some reason, but we are doing...dun, dun, duhhhh...antibiotics for the first time. And, it is a relief to me.
The longer I am a mom, the more I realize that I don't have all the answers, and there is no one right way to do things. I love doing things the natural way, but when it comes to a 9 month old who has been sick for more or less a week, there's a time and place for balance I believe. If I was really hardcore about this, the colloidal silver that I wrote about a couple weeks ago does knock out ear infections. And the sinus thing would be connected to her ears being blocked. And when her sinuses cleared, her pink eye would finally go away. But it was time to quit.
I guess it might sound like I'm making excuses here for something I don't need to excuse. It's possible, I suppose. Mostly I'm once again working through "there is no formula." I want there to be a formula to MAKE my kids be strong and healthy. In reality though, kids will get sick no matter what and God is the one who heals, not penicillin or colloidal silver. The natural medicine stuff is only wisdom, not magic.
At any rate, this was not the birthday I expected - two hours in the after hours clinic because the kids' ped was overbooked today. But, Hannah singing "hallelujah" along with the worship music in the car, dancing with Audrey while looking in the mirror, kisses from my husband, the obnoxiously huge happy birthday balloon and roses from my mom and sister...these things made me smile. I am blessed.
On our way home...Harvest Host
2 months ago
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeletePS-I have had to give into antibiotics and I can relate.
ReplyDeleteSera had a 105 fever and double ear infection and I had never been so happy to see a child begin a round of antibiotics. I guess it's a prime example of medicine being used for it's intended purpose, and it's in those times we can be thankful that it's available!
I am facing the 27-with-two-kids event in August. It is a strange phenomena. I can relate.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are right, there are no formulas, and sanity is a priority. We had to use anti-biotics when our whole family got walking pneumonia last October because of something in the house we were renting at the time. I didn't, because I was pregnant, but it was nice to know my son could have it and get better quickly while I was on the slow mending path.
Thanks for sharing your story on my blog...There is only one midwife in this area that will do VBAC's at home, and my husband was too tramatized by our last one ending in c-section to let us try again. But my current midwife also has to transfer my care to an OB after 42 weeks. I still feel like I have plenty of time. Thanks for the encouragement. We might try the acupuncture route, too, but I think this baby is just not ready to come quite yet.