Nato is hospitalized

We found out about Nathan's allergies to cats, dogs and dust a couple months ago. After staring a daily antihistamine and Singulair, and finding a new home for Tippy and adding an air purifier and mattress cover to his room, he hasn't needed an albuterol treatment once. This past Sunday, we were at Grandpa Walt's for his birthday party and Nathan went into the old basement with his cousins. After such a major dust exposure, he started coughing and wheezing. Aunt Sheila had an albuterol inhaler from Mexico but hard to dose without a spacer. We headed home and he had a neb about 7. He woke up at 9 asking for more steam, so after another half neb, he fell asleep. I went to tuck him in around 10 and he was really laboring to breath. We took him to the emergency room since the albuterol wasn't working. After starting an oral steroid, nebs and getting a chest xray, they admitted him since his pulse ox was still upper 80's. We ended up staying 2 nights so they could make sure his pulse ox didn't go too low. Matt had a cold so he stayed home with Whitney and mommy and Nathan made the most out of our time together. We played games, he played with his Christmas presents, we watched TV/movies and read. We didn't get a lot of rest unfortunately since he insisted I sleep in the hospital bed with him. He loved pushing the nurse call button when needed and he must have asked me a hundred times if he could push it more. He was sitting on the toilet and looked sick. I asked him what was wrong, he told me in a sad voice that he didn't feel good and needed to call the nurse. I knew he was fibbing and we both started laughing. What a goof. We really liked the night shift respiratory therapist. He was so nice. He asked Nathan what preschool he went to, Nathan responded, 'Mrs. Dobyn's class' so he said but where is that. Nathan responded 'right next to Mrs. Bradley's class'. So funny. He just finished his 5th and last dose of steroid and is doing albuterol twice daily. We saw Dr Kiley yesterday and his pulse ox was good but she still heard some wheezing. He has more coughing to do to get all that mucous out before he's 100 percent.
I let him shop at Target to spend a little Christmas money after we saw Dr Kiley yesterday. The steroid is making him a bit emotional. He couldn't decide what to get and when he finally did, he was crying because he wasn't sure but he knew he's be sad if he didn't get it. Well, then it was too expensive after all so we didn't get it but then he cried about that. Oh my goodness, what a wreck. Then we decided to look online to find something he really wanted for his $5. He was finally pleased until he went immediately to the mailbox and it wasn't there. Bad idea mommy!
Tonight is New Year's Eve. We went over to Keith and Amanda's to hang out with them, the Stevens and the Koons for a while after I got off work. Fun to be with friends as always.
What a long week but so thankful Nathan is better. It's so scary to see your baby struggle to breath. I hope he outgrows these allergies. But for now, no more old and dustly basements in Nato's near future.

A Really Fun Christmas!

We are wrapping up the Christmas season feeling tired but so full!!! I just mostly want to remember that this seemed to be a magical year for Nathan. He seemed to really feel the magic of this season, understanding our Lord's birth and feeling overwhelmed with excitement almost all month. He would run to open the Advent calendar door every morning and worked so hard at being patient.
The tree went up the day after Thanksgiving. I was fun to have Grammy and Poppy share in the joy of preparation. I really tried to decrease the stress the stress this year and I didn't feel a rushed as in past years. My favorite thing to do is turn off all the lights in the house other than the Christmas lights and sit in silence after the kids have gone to bed. So peaceful and beautiful.
We did things a little different this year. We decided to stay home on Christmas eve. I want my kids to start making memories of waking up Christmas morning in their own home (and it's a lot of work to haul everything out to my parents). I was so excited that my family was on board. They came in to our church that day for Christmas Eve Services and then we had dinner at our home. We headed to Kiowa mid morning on Christmas day.
Nathan was really excited about Santa this year (Whitney was terrified when she saw him but loved her gifts of course). I customized messages from Santa on the internet (portablenorthpole.tv), I think Nathan watched his at least 10 times. We went caroling at with the Coy Family, a first for the kids. Nathan loved Charlie Brown Christmas and they both liked playing with the 'What God Wants for Christmas' nativity. We made our annual sugar cookies and Nathan was elated to pick out special ones for the big guy in red. Santa brought Nathan 'Flo's cafe' from the movie Cars and Whitney got a 'baby bed' (cradle for her dolls).