Today Was Hard

Today Mom and Dad left....that was hard to see. I was planning to get the boys up so we could all take them to the airport (I hate leaving someone else to say the last goodbye), but Baby Nick was pretty sick yesterday, and neither boy slept well, we decided that the boys and I would stay home while Nick dropped Mom and Dad off at the airport.

I felt bad that Bubba had to "say" good-bye while he was asleep...which is to say that he slept while Nanny and Papa Buddy kissed him good-bye. It was the first thing he asked this morning, when he passed their room and found that the bed was torn apart..."Where's Nanny and Papa?" After telling him that Daddy took them to the airport, because they had to go home, he asked where Daddy was. Not only did he have to deal with Nanny and Papa leaving, he had to deal with Daddy going back to work. He did pretty well, though.

Baby Nick had a fever all day yesterday. Every time we took his temperature, it was higher than the time before, even after giving him Tylenol. As I was getting ready to come up to bed, Nick brought Baby Nick down, very worried as he was hotter than before and was just shaking with fever. I took his temperature and discovered it was just over 104 degrees. I have never had a child with a fever so high. All he could do was whimper. It broke my heart. So we gave him more Tylenol and then I gave him a tepid bath; which was quite unpleasant for him, to say the least. He woke up again about 20 minutes to 4am and his temp was down to 102. I took it again when he woke up at 6am and it was down to 99.5. I was breathing easier. After feeding him, he fell back asleep in my arms, and I took him upstairs so Nanny and Papa could say good-bye before I laid him back down.

Then it was my turn to say good-bye. They made it quick; no use dragging it out knowing that it would be difficult. I went back upstairs and laid down in bed with Joey, hoping to get some sleep, as I didn't sleep at all throughout the night. I was quite impressed with myself that I only allowed myself to cry for half an hour; then I dropped back off to sleep. I was very thankful that Joey slept until 9am. Baby Nick didn't get back up until 10:30am. When I came back downstairs with Joey, I kept seeing Mom and Dad in every area of the house; the kitchen where they spent most of their vacation doing dishes, in the empty garbage can where Mom would insist Dad take the garbage out, in the mugs that Mom brought me as a gift. I kept looking over to the couch expecting to see them snuggled on the couch.

We played it real low-key today, just hoping that nothing would set me off emotionally. Baby Nick took a four hour nap in the afternoon, and Bubba slept for a little over an hour until I came in after he woke up and laid down with him again...he and I both fell asleep for another hour and a half.

But Mom and Dad have had the hardest day. As they were ready to land in Seattle (for a lay over until they left for Portland) the visibility was so poor they couldn't land. So they were diverted to Yakima for refueling, missing their connecting flight to Portland. After getting to Seattle, they were rerouted to another flight leaving at 6-something (nearly three hours after they were supposed to have been in Portland.) But, for some reason, that flight got canceled. Mom called again to give an update and said that they were rerouted to another flight leaving at 9:45pm. She said that she wouldn't call again, as it would be late when they got in, but that she would call tomorrow to let us know they were safe and home. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from her just after 9pm (10pm their time). This time, they were so close. They were in the plane, engines running; when....flat tire. So their projected arrival home was delayed yet again....nearly eight hours past their original arrival time. I hope that they were finally able to get home and sleep away the effects of this horrible travel day. I told Mom they should have just stayed here another few hours instead of hanging around an airport all day!

On the upside, Baby Nick finally started saying "mama" on Sunday (7/15/07). He is not identifying me as "mama" yet, but he is at least making the sound! It is so endearing. After having a horrible day yesterday, he had a much better day today. He only had one fever today, and that wasn't until Nick got home from work. It was only at 100 degrees, which is so much more manageable than 104. He still wasn't feeling himself; more snuggling, less independent play, but he is getting closer. He even laughed a couple times today. Hopefully tomorrow, he will be even more up to par.

Since the boys are asleep, and since it has been an emotionally draining day, I should get to bed earlier than my norm and get some good sleep tonight.