12:00 Scare

    

So, last night kids went down after eating a new recipe of cabbage rolls cooked in the crock pot, a fun bath together, and cuddles and stories.  I was enjoying a little "Bachelor," Brent was turning in early because of his 6 am run, and basically, I was wasting time on the ipad and watching mindless TV (I'm a multitasker). : )  After I finally told myself that I HAD to go to bed, the Sloan alarm goes off at 7am sharp, and it was midnight, I went upstairs and thought I heard Sloan whimpering.  This is quite odd to be honest.  She goes down between 7-8 and sleeps until 7.  If she does wake, it's a brief fuss while she tries to get comfortable again.  We don't go in the room and she doesn't expect us to so it's a great routine.  Well, after watching her on the monitor for a while, I noticed that she sounded hoarse and she would make a face as if she was in pain after each random cough.  I then noticed that she was pulling the chest of her PJ's and I was worried she may have gotten sick in her crib.  Brent and I agreed that I should go to her.  I then noticed that she was trembling after I picked her up and wheezing for breath.
     So, she felt warm, was trembling, was struggling to breathe, and didn't seem to want to stop crying.  I brought her back to our room and watched as she flexed her legs as if each breath was truly a struggle.  We called our on-call pediatrician who asked if Sloan was looking blue, fortunately she was not but since we live maybe 10 minutes from the hospital she recommended we bring her in because it would not be good if she were to stop breathing at home....CLEARLY.  So, we swept Asher out of bed, put shoes on over his full zip up PJ's and were out the door.  Yes, I had on glasses, a zip up fleece, and flannel plaid pants and I couldn't have cared less.  In our anxiousness, Brent turns the wrong way and we take the long way to the hospital.  I could barely let myself release Sloan long enough to place her in her car carrier and I squeezed in between my 2 babies in the back.
     During the short trip, her breathing was slowly getting better.  Brent dropped me off at the ER entrance while he parked, and I got out cuddling my baby girl who now seemed to be breathing fine.  Yes, by the time we walked in the ER she was smiling and waving at nurses behind the counter and she had no fever.  Crazy, crazy night.  Long story short, it seems she had a croup attack.  I had been thinking allergic reaction, asthma, but croup?  They were glad we brought her in but did say that croup is very common and this is the time of year it is likely to hit.  They said she probably cleared up so quickly because the cool night air is what they recommend for croup anyway.  I just had no clue that it could come so quickly and violently even when there are no prior sinus issues.  I've talked to some of my friends today because I want them to be aware of croup.  It can be so scary and I'm sure when we receive the hospital bill we'll also realize it can be costly.  We were given a prescription for a liquid steroid to help with her inflamed airways and told to give her ibuprofen.  I am just so thankful that all is well and our baby girl is breathing much better with the occasional seal cough.  Croup seems to hit at night so now I'll be prepared.  Hopefully, this blog will have some of you prepared as well.  Better yet, I hope you don't have to experience anything like our 12:00 scare.  Just so thankful that baby girl isn't wheezing anymore.  Such a horrible and helpless feeling.