Mommy son date

Since Elizabeth came along Glen and Benjamin have been having a hard time getting enough attention from me.  Between having to feed her every two hours,  having her get RSV and spending a week at the hospital, and all the other time it takes to take care of every need a new born has I can't really blame them, so John and I decided it was time to start dates.
Sunday I asked Glen to go on a date with me.  He was so excited, it's all he talked about all week.  On Thursday John was home so we headed off for our date.  We went to this awesome place called Scheel's.  On the way there I asked Glen what he wanted to be when he grows up and he said a super hero and we talked a lot about super hero's and their super powers.  When we go there Glen ran around to open my door just as this huge truck was pulling through and I though he wouldn't see Glen and he was going to hit him so I opened my door really fast so he would see the door and I could pull Glen in onto my lap, but he ended up seeing Glen just in time and stopped.  My heart nearly stopped, and I had Glen on my lap and put his hand to my heart so he could feel how fast and hard it was pounding.  He asked why I was scared and I told him why and hugged him tight.  Then I put him back down and said "Let's try that again with out the big truck almost hitting you, and closed my door again.
At Scheel's we rode the Ferris Wheel.  I am very afraid of heights so the whole time Glen was saying it would be ok, don't look down mom, ok, now you can look down (when we were at the bottom) and I was trying hard not to clutch the bar too tight, gasp too often, or cry, but Glen had fun and I think he liked the idea of protecting me.
After the Ferris Wheel we headed over to the play area and we played indie, then ran around the store playing tag.  Glen ran too far and I couldn't find him, but I figured he had just gone to far and would find his way back so I waited for a minute before going to look.  Sure enough in less then a minute he ran up with a store employee and said "That's my mom, we are on a date, just the two of us!"  She thought it was very cute.  After that we played DDR a few times before he got bored and wanted to go play miniature golf.  Scheel's has this area where you can try out the different kind of golf clubs in an area that is about 6 square feet.
After he finished we headed to Wendy's to get frosties and a fry.  We talked about Primary, kindergarten next year, and a few other things.  I showed Glen how to dip fries in a frosty and he tried it, then he showed me how to dip fries in ketchup and then the frosty and I was brave and tried it.  It was not that bad, I kind of liked it.  :)  After he finished his frosty he asked why we were sharing a fry and I said that sharing is fun, so he asked "Mom, since sharing is fun, do you want to share your frosty?"  I laughed at that!  He is so smart.  I did want to share so while he dipped more fries, this time in my frosty, I told him why I thought it was so funny.
I am grateful for the opportunity I had to go on a date with Glen.  We both had so much fun and he got two hours all to himself.  I hope that starting early will help us both learn to take this time to talk to each other about what's important.  At 4 there isn't all that much I already know about him and he doesn't struggle with too much, but when he is older I know we will need not only that time, but that habit I am trying to form for us both.

RSV and the flue

Glen is comforting Elizabeth just before we take her to the hospital.

Elizabeth at the hospital on oxygen.

I just thought I'd give you all an update, I know I have been sadly neglecting my poor little blog.  As you can see Elizabeth took a trip to the hospital.  When she was 3 weeks old She started with this yucky sounding cough.  I took her in the next day for her check up and our Dr. said her lungs sounded ok and not to worry unless she started having a hard time breathing or eating.  That was in the afternoon.  By the end of the day I thought she might be having a hard time breathing, but I wasn't sure.  That night she didn't wake up often to eat, she had no wet diapers, and she needed to be held the whole time.  By the next morning I was worried.  She was coughing even more, but she didn't have the strength to cough or cry.  She ate hardly anything, and she was definitely struggling to breath.  A call to the Dr. sent us to the ER where we went from the back of a line of about 20 people to the very front and immediately got a room.  She was hooked up to oxygen, an IV, heart monitor, breathing monitor, O2 monitor, and swabbed for an RSV test.   After the Dr. came in he told us she had RSV and we were being admitted.  We had to wait for about 6 hours to get a room, the hospital was jam packed full of kids with RSV.  We were in the hospital for 5 days ( 3 of which John stayed home with puking boys) before being sent home with Elizabeth on oxygen.

It just broke my heart to see my little girl hooked up to all those machines, so weak and so pale, and me helpless to do anything.  She has been steadily improving while we have been home, we were almost sent back once, but it was a false alarm.  He nose had gotten really swollen from so much suctioning and when we gave her a break she started breathing easier.  Hopefully with in the next few days she will no longer need any oxygen.

I, needles to say, am exhausted.  Sleep has been in small amounts, and what sleep I do get is quickly interrupted by one child or another.  Elizabeth is eating well again, but that means more wake up calls, and she still wants to be held because she is uncomfortable.  I have been functioning on 2-5 hours of sleep for about 2 weeks or more now and it is really kicking my butt.  I sent my kids to bed with books at 6:45 tonight because I just couldn't handle it any more.  My husband is super helpful when he is here, but unfortunately with school and work that is not very often and I am left to bear the brunt of this on my own.  Thank goodness for such wonderful neighbors who are always willing to help.  Without them I think I may have been admitted myself...into a very comfy little padded room.  :)

Well, I think my little family has had plenty of sickness to last us quite a while and I am very ready for a break.  Here is to a few months without so much as a sniffle!