So I helped with the packing and loading of boxes and trucks for a few hours that morning before heading over to the new house with Little Lady to meet the photographer.
We got over there and started taking some lovely pictures of the Little Lady. We went outside and took some under the trees and next to the white picket fence.
And we took some in the house in the beautiful tutu that my cousin made for Little Lady
For a newborn photo shoot, it seemed to go well. Little Lady was a little restless, it seemed and a little fussy, but she didn't cry too much. We did have to break often so I could nurse Little Lady. She was very awake that morning, so it was a little challenging for the photographer to get some of the shots. Not to mention that Little Lady isn't quite so bendy and smushy like other newborns, so we had to work around that as well.
Right about noon, people (husband, In Law's, brother in law, sister, friend) start showing up with trucks and trailers full of our belongings ready to be moved into the new house. I told the photographer that we'd probably better wrap it up so that I could help.
Just as she was packing up her equipment to leave, I picked up Little Lady...and she just wasn't right. She was totally stiff, back was arched, she didn't seem to be breathing and she seemed like she was choking or something. I called for my husband and he didn't know what to do either. I'm not one to jump the gun on panicking or calling 911. In all my years as a mom of boys I'd NEVER been to the emergency room. But this was scary and didn't seem to be getting better. I did a pinkie sweep of her mouth to see if there was an obstruction. Nothing. I laid her down to change her diaper, hoping it would make her cry. Because that would help her breath. Nothing. By this point she is still stiff, gasping for breath, red from head to toe, eyes are glazed over and rolling back in her head and she is kind of foaming at the mouth. We call 911.
While waiting for the emergency crews to arrive, I keep her in a reclined position with her head back so her airways stay clear. I go outside into the breeze and sun hoping that will get her breathing.
Nearly 5 minutes had passed (felt like an eternity), and she was still struggling for breath. She seemed less stiff, and was no longer totally red and foaming at the mouth. But she still wasn't quite herself either. The fire dept. arrived and I handed her off to them. She still wouldn't cry but did seem to be breathing normally again.
After that the paramedics arrived. We decided to take her to Loma Linda University (even though that is not our normal hospital. The paramedics recommended it because they specialize in pediatrics). They said she had an ALTE (apparent life threatening episode). We got her car seat and buckled her into it and then they strapped the car seat to the gurney. She still didn't cry, which was not typical for her. I rode in the front of the ambulance. Daddy followed behind in our vehicle.
We arrived at Loma Linda and met up in the emergency room. She was totally stable by then, and sound asleep from the ride over. The nurses hook her up to a heart monitor and also one that gauges her oxygen intake. All seemed well. She is finally seen by a Dr who basically says he will call our normal hospital/insurance to see if she can get transferred over there for admission so that they can run tests there. We got to Loma Linda around noon. And left about 4pm. And honestly, I was not impressed with the facility.
Even though Little Lady was back to normal at that point, they still wanted to transfer her to our hospital via ambulance to ensure that she remained under medical supervision. So again, I rode in the ambulance (this time in the back) while Daddy followed behind.
Once we get there, we just go straight to our hospital room. As it turned out, we had been pre-admitted so we weren't bothering with the ER or anything, just checking right in. The Dr's wanted us to stay over night to run some tests and such.
So we get checked in. Shortly after that Little Lady gets her initial consult from a very nice Dr. He says based on the description of what happened he believes she had a severe reaction to an episode of acid reflux. (You know, heartburn...) Of course, he couldn't be sure until all of the tests were done but he felt certain that was the case. So Little Lady and I settled in and Daddy stayed for a while. But we had left all of our friends and family behind with all of our moving AND our two boys!!! (Thank God for helpful grandparents there to watch our Little Men!!) So Daddy went to go be with our boys, and relieve all of our helpers while Little Lady and I settled in for a looooong night.
To be continued...
Oh my God, Jenn! You had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! Wow, what a terrible experience! How scary!
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