Molly got sick

The day Molly turned 2 weeks I was at home with the kids. Steve had gone back to work for the first time since Molly was born. The kids and I caught a cold about a week earlier but so far Molly was only showing minor symptoms. Her nose was a little stuffy but she had no fever and wasn't having trouble eating. My friend Daphne was here and helped me give her her first bath now that the umbilical cord had come off and was healed up.

 First Bath

About 4:30 that afternoon Steve called and was on his way home. I picked Molly up because she was crying and started nursing her, she barely nursed and then fell asleep. When Steve got home about 30min later. She was sleeping in her baby chair. I had been watching her because she seemed pale and was not moving much. I decided to pick her up and she didn't wake up and seemed really relaxed. I asked Steve to hold her and we knew something wasn't right. I tried calling the pediatrician but no one called back. Steve started trying to wake her up but she wasn't responding. I started putting the kids shoes on and throwing stuff in the car while Steve continued trying to wake her up. She made a little noise but not much. We got in the car and headed to Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville. I called Daphne and asked her to meet us there incase we needed help with the kids. I sat next to Molly in the car and kept trying to wake her. By the time we pulled into the hospital her face was white and her lips were purple. Steve stayed with Anna and Colton while I raced in the the emergency room. It took a minute or 2 to get in but they were pretty fast. I took her out of her carseat and got her to wake up a little. They put her on oxygen which perked her up right away. Then they asked me a million questions. They tried starting an IV but were unable to get a line in because she was so tiny and dehydrated. Daphne arrived and took the kids to her house so Steve could be with Molly and I. They decided to send us to Bend on the Ambulance. They have a better pediatric unit there. Steve followed behind the Ambulance in our car. Molly seemed peaceful in the ambulance for the 40min drive. They strapped me to the gurney and let me hold her the whole time. She had a little oxygen mask on and that kept her going. When we got to Bend they tried again to start an IV.They tried her hands her arms her feet, nothing was working. Finally they were able to start one in her scalp. That freaked me out, I had never seen that before. They gave her antibiotics because the chest x-ray showed pneumonia. And they gave her IV fluids. They let me nurse her whenever she was awake and she started eating really well. Everyone was really great to us, telling us what they were doing and assuring us that we had done everything right.  I've never cried so much in my life. They finally told us that it was RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) It goes around every year and kids can get it over and over. The immunity only lasts 1-3 months. In most people it is pretty much a normal cold but in infants it can be very serious. It is a virus so it is not treatable all they can do is give oxygen and fluids and let it run its course.

Steve went back to see the kids and get me some clothes. He drove back and forth several times. Then he came down with RSV also and it hit him hard, he was already exhausted and trying to juggle me and Molly, Colton and Anna and work. Daphne kept the kids with her for most of the time. Steve brought them over to visit me but we didn't want them in the hospital so he would stay with Molly while I went out to eat with Colton and Anna. I felt terrible leaving Molly, I wanted to make sure I was there if she was hungry. But I really missed Anna and Colton too. For the first 5 days Molly was visibly not feeling well. They took the IV  out around that time and put her on oral antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection. Day 6 and 7 they tried hard to get her off the oxygen but every time they turned it off her oxygen levels dropped fast. Finally early in the morning on day 8 they turned it off and the levels didn't drop. I was so excited to finally be taking her home.  Steve picked us up and we headed to Daphne's to get Colton and Anna.
We will forever be grateful to our friends and family that got us through the month of February.

 The view out of Molly's hospital window.

First day in the hospital

Picture I took during the week

 Molly