Sick little boy

Poor Holden has been hit with quite the nasty virus. Frolicking in the popcorn was the last time I had seen him smile until today. He woke up during the night on Tuesday screaming and burning up. I gave him Tylenol and put him in bed with me. New Year's Eve day was awful, with him crying anytime he was awake and just wanting to be held with his blankie, and falling asleep constantly. He didn't eat anything, and he threw up in the evening. We figured he had the flu. We were sad to miss our New Year's Eve at the Pollett's house. Holden was so excited to see Brady and kept crying, "Badee! Badee!" when he realized he wasn't going. Poor baby. Yesterday he got progressively worse. He was only awake 3 hours out of the day, during which he was inconsolable. I had called the nurse on Wed. and she advised me to keep pushing fluids and Tylenol, and if he wasn't better Friday they'd be open again. By last night I realized it had been a mistake to wait. He had not eaten in two days, he had stopped drinking, he'd only had two (barely wet) diapers, and he was so lethargic I couldn't get him to wake up. The times that he was awake, I noticed the he wouldn't/couldn't close his mouth, and drool was literally pooling out of it in puddles. He would try to talk and couldn't get it out around the saliva. I got pretty scared. Jay unfortunately got a late call and when he finally got home at 7 I was on the phone with a nurse who directed us to the ER. His temp. was 102.5 when we got there. They never did figure out exactly what had hit him, but his tonsils were so swollen that it had become almost impossible for him to swallow, which was the reason for the drool. The doctor told us eventually he could have had breathing difficulties, so I am very thankful that we took him in. My parents met us there, and my mom describes it perfectly once they gave him some good drugs: it was like a wind-up toy that suddenly gets wound! He went from looking like death warmed over to sitting up suddenly, smiling, and pointing at all of the cool medical equipment. I wish I had my camera there to get a picture of him running around the bed, playing peek-a-boo with the curtains, and delightedly eating the big red Pedialite popsicle the kind nurse brought him. He did crash before we left and slept through getting his coat on, driving home, and getting in bed. We arrived at 7pm and didn't get home until midnight...it was s-l-o-w due to a stabbing and a heart attack. Today he was much better although still weak and tiring very easily. He played this morning and then took a 4 hour nap, played this evening and then was ready for bed by 7:30. This is the first night in three nights that I put him in his own bed; it went much better than I thought it would, but I am praying that he stays put tonight as Mommy and Daddy REALLY need to catch up on sleep! I am sure he will wake up when it is time for his Motrin (we are alternating Tylenol, Motrin, and then he is on an antibiotic) and then he will want to come in bed with us. I am going to try to be firm; even one night of a change in routine and he gets really thrown off. It's hard when they are sick and you feel so bad for them. It is a helpless feeling. To top it off, we've had to continue prying his little eyes open and squirting the dreaded drops in them for the pink eye. He hates it as they sting, and it breaks my heart when he's yelling, "No Mommy! No eyes! Owwy!" :o( Thanks for everyone who has kept Holden in their prayers. We are seeing improvement, and were so happy to have our favorite little grin back today, and even a few giggles during tickle time with Daddy!
I need to catch up on the rest of our Christmas posts soon, but I am beat tonight. I did manage to go into school for a few hours today. We are so blessed to have such wonderful parents. Jay's mom came over during Holden's nap so that I could go in, and my parents picked me up (so I wouldn't have to open the garage door directly below Holden and risk waking him) and stayed with me the entire 2 and a half hours, taking Christmas things down, making tape balls, hanging new things up, and providing me with some company. Jay's Dad also came over on New Year's Eve and spent an hour fixing our dryer which suddenly stopped working right after Holden had thrown up and we needed to wash/dry things. Thanks to both sets of parents! We love you!