sick princess

As if a 17 hour drive isn't bad enough, getting sick in the first 5 hours makes it REALLY long.

I didn't even hear Pea get sick. I heard a cough, and Boo shouted "She threw up. Its all in her blankie! Ewww".

Yes, the girl caught all of it in her beloved blankie. Getting sick is traumatic enough, but to mess her blankie? Oh my.

Houston, we have a problem.

Both kids slept a lot, and were bouncy when we got out. However, Pea spiked a fever as we got closer to Chicago. She was up a lot more than usual last night. She was peeing constantly. (Not a big deal for most 3yr olds, but this is the same girl who was holding it last month because, get this, she didn't want to pee. Don't even get me started on THOSE conversations....)

Last night, she pointed to her left side, and said "my back hurwts." She then pointed to her belly button, and said "hewe, too". Warning bells went off in my head.

She woke up this morning hot enough to cook eggs on her forehead. I called the pediatrician, and then , bad mommy that I am, left her with her favorite babysitter so I could finally get my crowns seated. (I'd already cancelled the last two appointments, and I was fearing that I needed a root canal on top of it all.)

That painful task out of the way, and my face half numb, I drove Pea to her doctor. 15 minutes later we were headed to the emergency room; the good doc feared a kidney infection, and as Miz Stubborn won't pee in a potty, let alone a cup, and she spiked a fever as the doc was examining her, she needed immediate attention.

Now, through mommy blogs and Twitter, I have followed a number of absolutely heartbreaking tales of kids who are ill. Truly ill. And I've had so much respect for how their parents are handling the ordeal.

Today took it to a whole new level.

As I watched the nurses dig for a vein in my poor dehydrated girlie (she wouldn't drink, either), blow a vein and then opt to try the back of her hand, I had to dig deep for composure as my babydoll cried (no tears, she was dry.) Then, they had to use a catheter to get the smallest urine sample I've ever seen. She screamed, she cried. She begged to go home. I felt two foot tall for subjecting her to all of it. Never mind that she needed it. Never mind that if she had simply peed in the damn cup, we wouldn't have to subject her to any of it. (Did I say she is a stubborn cuss?)

It was a long, scary, terrifying day. Fortunately, after 6 hours, we were allowed to leave, with a prescription in hand that cost the same (with insurance) as my last pair of Ugg boots. Oh, and a Beanie Baby fish, coloring book, princess crayons, and stickers. She made out like a bandit for all her suffering!

Since she spiked another fever right before bedtime, and still looked listless and pale under her beach tan, (and as I'm a moron, and left her bedrail in a hotel in Batesville, Indiana), I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight.

So while I'm rocking her or rubbing her back, I'll be thinking of Stellan and MckMama tonight, praying for them both, and counting each and every one of MY blessings.