We went to Indianapolis for Thanksgiving this year. Up until Saturday, it was a wonderful visit. Lil' Bit was amazingly well-behaved, food and family were great, and we all had fun. Saturday, just before noon, we packed up and headed back to Michigan. We weren't even 15 minutes around the beltway when Lil' Bit suddenly began projectile vomiting. Worse, we had just passed an exit and had to drive another few miles before we could pull off and check on her. By the time we were able to stop, it was a major issue. We turned around and headed back to my sister's house where we cleaned her up and cleaned the car seat and waited to see if she got better. She didn't. Around 2, we ended up taking her to the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. They did a good job. After some meds and IV fluid, 6 hours later, we were headed back to my sister's house to spend the night. We headed out bright and early this morning because we had no meds for Lil' Bit (I had only brought enough through yesterday). We got back and then we had problems getting meds. We had to force her to take them, which made her barf, which made her less likely to take them. And, thus began a vicious cycle. She fought the meds this evening, and there were plenty of tears on all sides, but we did finally get them all in.
Lessons learned:
1) Always carry anti-nausea meds for Lil' Bit.
2) Always bring a few more days' worth of meds than planned when traveling.
3) Make sure I know where the ERs are when traveling because I never know when I'll need one.
4) We're pretty good parents who have managed to keep our cool (relatively speaking) in some serious situations.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
11.25.2012
7.07.2012
Lessons from Tennessee
Having returned from another trip, it is time for another episode of "Lessons from..." Today's lessons come from lovely, but sweltering, Tennessee.
1. I should have believed everyone who said traveling with a baby is easier. Yes, it's hard to travel with a lump who needs all of your time. But, those lumps sleep most of the trip and have no concept of being in a car seat. In fact, they probably feel all snuggled up in the seat and don't care that it's not your lap. As long as you slap some food in when they are hungry and change a diaper here and there, you are good to go. Toddlers, on the other hand, need entertaining. They want out. They will scream at you when they don't get what they want. They will refuse to nap even though they are tired. Yup. Traveling with a baby was so much easier. Wish I had listened to "them."
2. Trips/vacations aren't nearly as much fun with a clingy, needy child who only wants me. Here we were, with literally dozens of people, adults and children alike, dying for the chance to hug and entertain my child, but all she would do is scream bloody murder whenever I put her down, let alone left eyesight. Even her daddy is chopped liver these days. Back before we had kids, when my sister-in-law told me having kids would mean I would never get to use the bathroom alone again, I never dreamed it would mean holding my child on my lap and reading her a story while I went about my business. I know that someday I will yearn for my child to want me as much as she does now, but that doesn't stop me from being frustrated that I can't get a single moment to myself or even get simple chores done.
3. iPads are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Between downloading episodes of Phineas & Ferb for my child to watch, cute Fisher Price Apps she can play with, books she can flip through, and the general ability to open mommy's apps and flip the screen around, it kept her occupied when nothing else would work. I know I said I would never be one of "those" parents who let their child under 2 watch television, let alone let said child play with my telephone or iPad, but that was before I knew how wonderful it was to have a way to stop my child from shrieking during an hour-long traffic back-up because part of I-75 has slid down the side of a mountain.
4. Never assume that I know what my child likes. My child loves to play in the tub. Loves it so much she will squeal if we take her from the tub before she is done. So, imagine my surprise that she does not like splashing in a pool, a river, or a water park. Nothing like dropping beaucoup bucks to go to Dollywood Splash Country only to spend most of the day sitting under the canopy waiting to see what other people had fun doing. At least we had the canopy!
5. My daughter is a flirt. On our third attempt to take Lil' Bit into the kiddie pool for a little dip, she spotted a chubby 9-month-old little boy. Suddenly, she was willing to not only stand in the water, but walk over to him and smile and grin and burble nonsense. She waved and blew kisses and was positively, disgustingly cute. All for a little boy. Once we left his range, however, it was time to leave. She was having no more of that water stuff, thank you very much. *sigh* It's going to be a long 18 years.
6. Cousins are great. The few times Lil' Bit deigned to leave me, she was playing with her older cousins, aged 6, 8 and 9. They managed to help her learn to walk up and down stairs using the handrail. Although she's not perfect, she's way closer to being able to navigate stairs on her own in the upright position, not just crawling. When did she get so big?! *sniffle* But, my point is, these were things I had tried to do with her, but she was unwilling to learn. However, when it was her cousins, it was different, and she was more than willing to do it for them. More proof, if I need it, that I need a village to raise my child.
7. Don't get attached to clothing. For the short period that I did manage to get Lil' Bit into the river for some play time, she managed to lose a flip-flop which was quickly caught by the current and rushed away long before I even realized it was gone. Bye-bye ladybug flip-flop. Now I must find a way to remove the other beloved shoe from my daughter's foot and make it disappear so that she forgets she ever owned them.
8. I have to relinquish control of some of Lil' Bit's clothing choices. We inherited a cute little Dora the Explorer sundress (size 3T which currently FITS, but that's for another post). The moment Lil' Bit saw it, she was over the moon. Apparently they watch Dora at daycare. Whenever she sees the dress, picks it up and holds it out and pulls at the clothes she is wearing to let me know she wants to be changed into the dress. If it is in the laundry bin, she will pull it out. She doesn't care that it's dirty. Dirty has no meaning to her. She just wants Dora. Other times, she'll see what I have selected and fight me or yell "no" when I try to dress her. She wants something else. Most days, she still goes with the flow, but I can see the writing on the wall. I may get to buy the clothes, but she's going to be picking what she wears from here on out.
9. Clean up on aisle 5. My daughter will not let me hold the cereal bowl for her. She will shriek at me because she can do it herself. But, when she dumps it all in her lap, she will just as quickly shriek at me to clean it up because it is cold and wet. Thank goodness my parents have a dog that will Hoover the carpet of things like corn and hamburger.
10. I can do this. Ever since Lil' Bit got placed on her meds, we haven't done much traveling. We did some at Christmas and we went to Chicago for the wedding, but otherwise we have been homebodies. I have recognized that part of it is that I hate having to try and pack everything we'll need and worry about being gone over med-time. However, I have taken more outings during the weekends and have been getting more comfortable with figuring out how to do things with Lil' Bit's needs. This trip, we traveled from Michigan to Indiana, to Tennessee, to another place in Tennessee, back to Indiana, and back to Michigan over the course of a week. We got Lil' Bit properly and timely medicated every day, got her to eat fairly well, sometimes even nutritiously, didn't break her sleep schedule too much, and even had some enjoyable moments with both our families. Although there were some rough patches, we returned home with 30 fingers and 30 toes still attached. That's a win in this house.
As always, it will take several weeks to recover from our "vacation," but it was great to see so much of the family and get to introduce Lil' Bit to many of them for the first time. It's great to be home, but this trip certainly helped me be less anxious about our next week-long trip--a trip which will likely require me to pack meds of my own :) But that's also for another time.
6.10.2012
Lessons From Chicago
We just returned from a quick trip to Chicago for Phil to do a wedding for a lovely couple. I attended the rehearsal, dinner, wedding, and reception. It was one of the loveliest events I have ever attended and the outdoor settings in Chicago were amazing. I can only imagine what wonderful pictures they are going to have. Just as the trip to Alaska taught me a few things, this trip also brought new epiphanies. So, here are a few of my lessons from Chicago:
1) If you are in a different locale where one of you has to be somewhere at a certain time, don't do anything stupid that might require a trip to the ER. This leads me to #2.
2) Always use a high chair. No matter how good your 18-month-old is at sitting in a chair, she will inevitably fall out. This is not necessarily a horrible thing, but if she falls off and hits her head on a radiator sitting roughly 3 inches off the floor, it's a problem. (When the people at the next table who work in sports medicine say you might want to get your kid checked out for a concussion, it's probably not a good sign).
3) When you need a trip to the ER in a strange city, make certain the cabbie knows that the children's hospital has moved. There's nothing like an hour long cab ride through the city, as the cabbie discovers the road to the children's hospital is closed and, upon finally arriving, being told that they are CLOSING FOR GOOD that day (indeed, within the hour) because they have moved to a new location. [Ironically, the new location was CLOSER to the hotel! But, I digress.] Fortunately, they were kind enough to admit us and we were likely their last patient. First, and hopefully last, time closing down an ER.
4) Lil' Bit has a hard head--just like me. As hard as she cracked that thing on the radiator and floor, she must have a skull of steel. She did not have a concussion and we all got back to the hotel in plenty of time to get ready for the wedding. Yay! Still, not something we ever want to repeat.
5) Given the right setting, I can be social with people I don't know. Usually, I am an extreme introvert with those I don't know, and an extrovert with those I know well. With these families, I felt instantly comfortable, even though I only knew the bride and her brother. Part of it was the presence of lots of other young children, at least 6 of whom were aged 9 months to 3 years. But more than that, I didn't feel like I was the the pastor's wife along for the ride, as I often do when I only know the bride or groom. I felt welcome. And with that feeling, came one of comfort that allowed me to converse with people and feel more comfortable than I might otherwise. I was certainly no extrovert, but I was much less introverted.
6) Given the right environment, Lil' Bit can stay up waaaay past her bedtime with few repercussions--although med times in the morning are slightly more difficult. Being in Chicago meant we were in a different time zone, so keeping her up until 8:30 p.m. Friday night was like 9:30 our time--3 hours past her bedtime! It was even later last night with the wedding reception, but she did great. We got her up at 5 (Chicago time) for her first med and then let her go back to bed for another hour before her second med. It worked out pretty well.
7) There is no logic to what children want. After a four-hour car ride, Lil' Bit was tired of being strapped into the car seat and she was not afraid to let us know about it. Upon arriving at home, I got her out of the car first thing and set her down in the kitchen while I tried to unpack the car. Ha! She was not in the house a whole 30 seconds before she was banging on the backdoor crying and begging to be strapped into the swing in the backyard. In all fairness, if I have to be strapped in, I'd rather be outside in the shade with the breeze in my hair, too. Still, not exactly what I figured her first move would be.
8) We are playing at a much higher level. Even with the ER visit and the cab rides and the staying up late and various other difficulties, we did not feel like the trip was "ruined." We had a great time at the wedding events, enjoyed our walk along the river, and made the most of our time. It was our first non-family out-of-town trip since Lil' Bit began her meds and it went surprisingly well.
9) There is always some adjustment. After sleeping in the same room with us for two nights and being rocked to sleep both of those nights, it was understandably difficult for Lil' Bit to be placed in her crib in her room by herself at regular time this evening. So, I went back in and held her until she fell asleep. That way, we still implemented the regularly scheduled bedtime and sleeping in her own space, but she still got snuggles. And, who am I kidding, I loved getting snuggled right back.
It's great to be home and to get back into the routine. But it was equally nice to discover that we are capable of taking trips even though Lil' Bit has special needs.
1) If you are in a different locale where one of you has to be somewhere at a certain time, don't do anything stupid that might require a trip to the ER. This leads me to #2.
2) Always use a high chair. No matter how good your 18-month-old is at sitting in a chair, she will inevitably fall out. This is not necessarily a horrible thing, but if she falls off and hits her head on a radiator sitting roughly 3 inches off the floor, it's a problem. (When the people at the next table who work in sports medicine say you might want to get your kid checked out for a concussion, it's probably not a good sign).
3) When you need a trip to the ER in a strange city, make certain the cabbie knows that the children's hospital has moved. There's nothing like an hour long cab ride through the city, as the cabbie discovers the road to the children's hospital is closed and, upon finally arriving, being told that they are CLOSING FOR GOOD that day (indeed, within the hour) because they have moved to a new location. [Ironically, the new location was CLOSER to the hotel! But, I digress.] Fortunately, they were kind enough to admit us and we were likely their last patient. First, and hopefully last, time closing down an ER.
4) Lil' Bit has a hard head--just like me. As hard as she cracked that thing on the radiator and floor, she must have a skull of steel. She did not have a concussion and we all got back to the hotel in plenty of time to get ready for the wedding. Yay! Still, not something we ever want to repeat.
5) Given the right setting, I can be social with people I don't know. Usually, I am an extreme introvert with those I don't know, and an extrovert with those I know well. With these families, I felt instantly comfortable, even though I only knew the bride and her brother. Part of it was the presence of lots of other young children, at least 6 of whom were aged 9 months to 3 years. But more than that, I didn't feel like I was the the pastor's wife along for the ride, as I often do when I only know the bride or groom. I felt welcome. And with that feeling, came one of comfort that allowed me to converse with people and feel more comfortable than I might otherwise. I was certainly no extrovert, but I was much less introverted.
6) Given the right environment, Lil' Bit can stay up waaaay past her bedtime with few repercussions--although med times in the morning are slightly more difficult. Being in Chicago meant we were in a different time zone, so keeping her up until 8:30 p.m. Friday night was like 9:30 our time--3 hours past her bedtime! It was even later last night with the wedding reception, but she did great. We got her up at 5 (Chicago time) for her first med and then let her go back to bed for another hour before her second med. It worked out pretty well.
7) There is no logic to what children want. After a four-hour car ride, Lil' Bit was tired of being strapped into the car seat and she was not afraid to let us know about it. Upon arriving at home, I got her out of the car first thing and set her down in the kitchen while I tried to unpack the car. Ha! She was not in the house a whole 30 seconds before she was banging on the backdoor crying and begging to be strapped into the swing in the backyard. In all fairness, if I have to be strapped in, I'd rather be outside in the shade with the breeze in my hair, too. Still, not exactly what I figured her first move would be.
8) We are playing at a much higher level. Even with the ER visit and the cab rides and the staying up late and various other difficulties, we did not feel like the trip was "ruined." We had a great time at the wedding events, enjoyed our walk along the river, and made the most of our time. It was our first non-family out-of-town trip since Lil' Bit began her meds and it went surprisingly well.
9) There is always some adjustment. After sleeping in the same room with us for two nights and being rocked to sleep both of those nights, it was understandably difficult for Lil' Bit to be placed in her crib in her room by herself at regular time this evening. So, I went back in and held her until she fell asleep. That way, we still implemented the regularly scheduled bedtime and sleeping in her own space, but she still got snuggles. And, who am I kidding, I loved getting snuggled right back.
It's great to be home and to get back into the routine. But it was equally nice to discover that we are capable of taking trips even though Lil' Bit has special needs.
12.31.2011
Holiday Frustrations and Discernments
Traveling over the holidays this year has been more difficult than usual. On the plus side, Lil' Bit met her namesake again and the unseasonably warm weather made driving less treacherous. We also got a chance to go to the movies while Nana watched Lil' Bit; something we haven't done in a while. Still, this has to be one of the most difficult holiday travels:
-We spent 30 minutes in a gas station bathroom changing and washing Lil' Bit and the car seat after she turned into a volcano of vomit. We then purchased an air freshner to prevent me, a sympathetic barfer, from making it worse, but the combo of the two smells gave me a massive headache which caused severe nausea.
-My contacts tore, my back-up glasses broke, and the lenses my doctor's office sent by mail to Tennessee did not arrive before we left. Complete vision fail!
-We got stuck for 2 hours on the Interstate behind an 8-car pile-up with car fire, with a screaming toddler who refused to nap or be placated with her toys, making us late to our destination and requiring us to keep said screaming, tired toddler awake even longer to get her last two med doses in because we missed them due to the whole lateness thing and the two meds have to be given an hour apart.
Had you asked me last year, I would never have said that traveling with a 1-month-old would be easier than a 13-month-old, but it was. It also occurred to me that if we have another child, I won't be abe to sit in back and feed and play with the kids; we'll have to stop a lot more frequently. Needless to say, most of this trip fell heavily into the "only child" side of the baby equation. And yet, I can't help myself. I still want another one. I cannot explain or rationalize it. I have moments when I'm uncertain I can handle the one I have, but it doesn't change how I feel. However, because it is not just my decision, we are still discussing. And, in case you wondered what else might fall in the mix, I present you with two such thoughts:
1). Why are we having additional children? It needs to be because we want that child, not because we want a sibling for Lil' Bit, or a child to take attention away from Lil' Bit's issues. So, can we honestly say it's about wanting another child for that child's sake?
2). If we don't do a February procedure, we likely won't do it before May (March means a due date around Lil' Bit's birthday and April means an Easter procedure and Christmas delivery, which is a definite no). If we do a February procedure, we are setting ourselves up to deal with all of Lil' Bit's 1-year surgical follow-up visits and procedures with a newborn in tow. Is that really a good idea?
The most difficult thing about this decision is that every day I have experiences that land heavily on one side or the other. Very few days are neutral. It's almost never a good idea to make decisions when under stress, but once you are a parent, ALL decisions are made that way. If I pick a rough day to decide, Lil' Bit will be an only child. If I pick a good day, I might believe my coping skills are better than they really are. What if decision day is a good day for one of us, but not the other? Ultimately, how can I trust the final decision we make, no matter which way we decide?
And yet, anything less than a complete "yes" really has to be treated as a "no." Otherwise, we're short-changing ourselves, our marriage, Lil' Bit, and the children-to-be-named-later. It's not the answer I want, but it's the only one that seems to make any sense. So, we continue to talk, to wait, and to discern. And if we miss February, then we miss it. And that hurts. Just typing those words hurts, so deep is my emotional ache for another pregnancy; another child. I want it now. I want it already. I want it yesterday. But, I must remember the wisdom of the Rolling Stones. I may not get what I want, but hopefully, I'll get what I need. I just wish I knew what that was.
-We spent 30 minutes in a gas station bathroom changing and washing Lil' Bit and the car seat after she turned into a volcano of vomit. We then purchased an air freshner to prevent me, a sympathetic barfer, from making it worse, but the combo of the two smells gave me a massive headache which caused severe nausea.
-My contacts tore, my back-up glasses broke, and the lenses my doctor's office sent by mail to Tennessee did not arrive before we left. Complete vision fail!
-We got stuck for 2 hours on the Interstate behind an 8-car pile-up with car fire, with a screaming toddler who refused to nap or be placated with her toys, making us late to our destination and requiring us to keep said screaming, tired toddler awake even longer to get her last two med doses in because we missed them due to the whole lateness thing and the two meds have to be given an hour apart.
Had you asked me last year, I would never have said that traveling with a 1-month-old would be easier than a 13-month-old, but it was. It also occurred to me that if we have another child, I won't be abe to sit in back and feed and play with the kids; we'll have to stop a lot more frequently. Needless to say, most of this trip fell heavily into the "only child" side of the baby equation. And yet, I can't help myself. I still want another one. I cannot explain or rationalize it. I have moments when I'm uncertain I can handle the one I have, but it doesn't change how I feel. However, because it is not just my decision, we are still discussing. And, in case you wondered what else might fall in the mix, I present you with two such thoughts:
1). Why are we having additional children? It needs to be because we want that child, not because we want a sibling for Lil' Bit, or a child to take attention away from Lil' Bit's issues. So, can we honestly say it's about wanting another child for that child's sake?
2). If we don't do a February procedure, we likely won't do it before May (March means a due date around Lil' Bit's birthday and April means an Easter procedure and Christmas delivery, which is a definite no). If we do a February procedure, we are setting ourselves up to deal with all of Lil' Bit's 1-year surgical follow-up visits and procedures with a newborn in tow. Is that really a good idea?
The most difficult thing about this decision is that every day I have experiences that land heavily on one side or the other. Very few days are neutral. It's almost never a good idea to make decisions when under stress, but once you are a parent, ALL decisions are made that way. If I pick a rough day to decide, Lil' Bit will be an only child. If I pick a good day, I might believe my coping skills are better than they really are. What if decision day is a good day for one of us, but not the other? Ultimately, how can I trust the final decision we make, no matter which way we decide?
And yet, anything less than a complete "yes" really has to be treated as a "no." Otherwise, we're short-changing ourselves, our marriage, Lil' Bit, and the children-to-be-named-later. It's not the answer I want, but it's the only one that seems to make any sense. So, we continue to talk, to wait, and to discern. And if we miss February, then we miss it. And that hurts. Just typing those words hurts, so deep is my emotional ache for another pregnancy; another child. I want it now. I want it already. I want it yesterday. But, I must remember the wisdom of the Rolling Stones. I may not get what I want, but hopefully, I'll get what I need. I just wish I knew what that was.
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