Dehydrated.

We (Blake and myself) are in Iowa City.  We (Aaron and myself) decided he really needed to come down yesterday and after shuffling the three other kiddos and packing bags for five, we headed out.

Blake has had a cough and snotty nose for four days and Thursday and Friday things got worse as he started puking more and more.  The puke is a result of snot draining down his throat.  On Friday morning, no matter what he tried to drink or what I tried to get him to take via his g-tube, he puked right back up.

The plan was that we just cut him off from his formula and then start him on IV fluids and if he doesn't puke for 12-18 hrs., gradually add back in his formula feeds.  The trickiest part of this whole thing has been getting the poor kiddo an IV. Especially when you're dehydrated, getting a vein to work is a nightmare. 

Two nurses on the floor tried.  Two blown veins.  Two nurses from the NICU tried.  Two more blown veins.  An anesthesiologist tried.  Make that five blown veins.  Finally.  FINALLY.  He got it to work by putting an IV in Blake's foot. 

It took five adults holding Blake down to get him still enough to get the IV in.  And, the anesthesiologist kept telling Blake to hold still.  Like at least eight times.  Listen to me when I tell you that after all of those tries and the fact that it was 11:30 PM and I felt so incredibly terrible for my child, that did not sit well with me.  Dear Mr. Anesthesiologist: he is two!  A toddler!  I can't get him to sit still when people aren't poking needles into every possible appendage. I literally bit my lip as hard as I could to not say anything.  After he left I said something to the nurse and she knew I was upset.  If you ever wonder what it's like to go through something like this imagine this:  your heart being ripped out of your chest.  Again.  And again.  And again.  It's the worst. :(

Anyway, the positive - Blake has a working IV!!  That's the main thing.

I will try to keep you up-to-date as we go along.  Thank you all for the continued prayers and positive thoughts.  Keep those hydrated, puke-free thoughts coming our way. :) In the meantime, this mama is going to sneak down for the biggest coffee I can find while Blakers is still sleeping...