Flunking This Week As A Mom

That was how John put it (joking of course) after I called to tell him what happened to Zach this afternoon. Needless to say it has been a rough week for the two boys.

Start off on Tuesday (which was Zach's 1st birthday), while we were eating dinner, we decided that small pieces of bacon would be ok for him. So I proceeded to crumple it up into what I THOUGHT was small enough pieces. I was wrong of course...should have know with Zach it wouldn't work since he doesn't chew things very well. He ends up chocking on one of the pieces...I mean SERIOUSLY chocking! His cry was a high pitch very faint sounds...one I don't think I will ever forget. THANKFULLY he was able to still cry a little, which let us know it wasn't completely blocked, but darn near close. I grab him out of his chair, tip him forward to his head is a little lower and wack him on his back...isn't working, John quickly comes over and takes him and squats down with Zach face down over his arm and leg and pounds him on the back...STILL isn't working! By this time Drew is starting to cry because he could tell it was pretty serious. As I am quickly trying to think about what else to do he FINALLY begins gagging and gets the piece out. TOO close and TOO scary for me!!

Then you have Drew this morning. He had come into our bed and I was just too tired (from numerous nights of being up and down with Zach and his cold) to take him back to his bed. Plus I had JUST gotten Zach settled back down in his bed and didn't want Drew's crying and screaming about having to go back to his bed to wake Zach. I know, that isn't the best in the long run...but ya gotta do what ya gotta do to make it through. And last night, that was letting him crawl in bed with us at 2:30am. Everything is fine until about 5am when Drew starts rubbing his nose really hard and crying. John and I both try to get him to lay back down and just use a kleenx (although that doesn't usually help much since he won't blow his nose!!! HAVE to figure out a way to get the boy to start doing that!). So John moves him over to lay between us and he is still screaming ... I look a little closer and I can tell in the dim light that his face is dark between his nose and mouth. UGH!!! He had a MAJOR bloody nose!!! All over John's pillow, his clothes and even some on the bed. And of course he just doesn't understand that the more he screams and squirms while we are trying to stop the bleeding just causes it to bleed more. Not a fun way to get woke up. After about a half hour, a change of PJs for Drew and shirt for John as well as a new pillow case, we settle back in for an hour more sleep before getting up to start our day.

Skipping past Drew's first day of swimming lessons (more about that later after I get the pictures edited)....We are back home, the boys have had lunch and I am letting them play for awhile before a nap. Drew is watching his new Larry Boy DVD and I decide since they are both pretty quiet to make a quick call. BAD choice!! While I went into the kitchen to grab the phone and dial it (only a few seconds), I am just connected to the business I am calling and I heard a thud, thud, thud and then a scream from Zach. I immediately knew what happened - the stairs! We have taken down the gate that use to be there for putting in the wood floors and need to find a new one since that one was broke anyway. Thankfully there are just 3 steps and then a big landing. I quickly grab him and look him over...a small red area on his forhead....no bleeding...he calms down pretty quickly after he has his pacifier so I begin to fell around on his arms, legs, back, etc to see if he reacts in pain...he giggles a couple of times while I am doing this. Within a minute or two he begins to wiggle to get down... he is walking ok. My heart is still beating a mile a minute. I call the doctors office and relay what happened and ask if I should do anything else. They say just wake him up after 20 minutes into his first nap. By this time the red mark on his forehead has disappeared and his is playing with Drew. Another TOO close of a call!

You add to these things the fact that Drew is not obeying in school...And now you see why John says I am flunking this week as a Mom. *laugh* I must admit I think I might just agree with him! ;) I think I will just go crawl in bed now and pray things go better tomorrow :)