Wednesday, January 30, 2008

In case of emergency, break glass


To add to our gloomy January filled with both illnesses and injuries, Elise took an emergency trip to the doctor's office yesterday (we had already been there in the morning for her Well Baby appointment, more on that later). What started as an innocent Gerber sweet potato puff eating experience turned into a coughing fit lasting an hour.

At first thought, I thought she was choking but she was able to cough, so the Heimlich and/or CPR was not required. About 30 minutes later, I realized that Elise hd been coughing for a VERY LONG TIME and she wasn't stopping. Poor baby had snot all over her face because did I mention it, she had the cold, too. A quick call into the doctor at 4:45 confirmed they wanted to see her because they thought she had aspirated the puff into her lungs.

Off to the doctor, we had 35 minutes to gather up two children, make a couple of quick phone calls, and race to the office in heavy traffic. We made it, barely. Of course, once I plugged her seat into the seat bse, she stopped coughing. I couldn't tell if she was breathing or what back there and kept reaching back and violently shaking her seat (remind me to check and make sure the base is still installed correctly). At one point I even asked Darsie if Elise was still breathing and Darsie cheerfully answered, ":No!" (Don't worry, she was).

Anyways, the doctor confirmed that her lungs were clear and her oxygen levels were at 100.

So, it ended well. It just scared the crap out of me.

Oh yes, Well Baby.

9 months old
13 pounds, 5 ounces
25 1/2 inches long
1 tooth

Healthy and cute as can be.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG! She is so stinkin' adorable! Her eyes are so pretty.

Also, nine months and 13 pounds? Tiny little thing. I think Maddie was 13 pounds five minutes after she was born. I joke... it more like 10 minutes.

Do premies ever catch up, size-wise, to their peers? Or will she always be a little smaller than the other kids her age?

Also: It stinks that you won't be able to turn her car seat around for quite a while after she turns one. I love being able to see Maddie now and not have to wonder what she's doing or if she's ok.

Hm. I'm pretty sure I didn't make you feel better about that.

Shannon said...

NO, don't worry about it! She is super tiny. I will have to look up what D was weighing in at 9 months. I don't remember.

"They" say that by around 2-3 that preemies will catch up. But my kids have a catch-22 because I'm only 5'1" myself and 105 pounds, so a small mama combined with preemies equals small kids. Darsie is doing pretty good though and actually bigger some than some of her "normal" peers.

The backwards seat thing sucks, SUCKS! I think Darsie was almost 2 before we could turn her around. I hated it and will admit we turned her around before we were really supposed to, but seriously, she is only 25 pounds now at 3.5. I wasn't going to wait until she was 20 so she could face forward.

Jennifer said...

Ugh, I HATE Seattle traffic! The worst! especially since there has been so much weather crap going on! (at least here in Puyallup. I haven't watched the news enough to see if there was any snow in Seattle)

I'm so glad Elise was alright! :)

Mommy Daisy said...

I'm glad Elise is OK. And 9 months? What? That can't be. I remember reading about her birth. How can she be 9 months already? It sounds like she's doing great though. So tiny. I can't imagine. My son was almost that big when he was born (9 lbs 11 oz, 22 in.). She's still adorable.

Laura said...

She is so beautiful! I know my niece, and also my good friend's children both caught up...to a point. James was almost 4 weeks early and his lungs have never caught up.

Isn't funny how they cure themselves while you are rushing them to the doctor? James had these horrific hives and I swear that they disappeared 1 per mile as we drove to the doctor. Sigh...

Swistle said...

So scary!

Oh, and SO CUTE.

Pickles and Dimes said...

She is so beautiful! Glad she's OK.

And isn't a baby coughing the most heartbreaking sound in the world?

Angel The Alien said...

She is DEFINITELY CUTE! Glad she was still breathing, and that she didn't suck the potato puff into her lungs!

Shannon said...

What a cute little stinker you have! She really is a doll but the whole getting you to the doctor for the fun of it thing stinks! My daughter is famous for it. All we have to do is walk through the office doors and she is all better. VERY glad that she was OK though!

Katy said...

Wow. Those puff things kind of scare me. I know they dissolve and all, but they seem just the right size to get stuck in a baby's airway.

You're lucky that your doctor could see her. I usually take mine to the emergency room, scare the crap out of everyone with our medical history, and then he's fine. Stinker.

If you get a chance, please come by and read my latest post. It's the kind of thing only a special needs mama can truly understand (I think).

Black Sheeped said...

That would scare me, too. Thank goodness she's okay. Also, cute baby! :)