Day 3 Continued- including a Bonus Bad Mom Moment

Posted on 11. Jun, 2009 by Jillian in Glycogen Storage Disease, Hospitals, Traveling

After report card time, we had lunch, and I had my dad go back to the hotel to relax a bit without kids. By this time he was looking pretty run down. I wonder why? So, the boys had the usual fun of pushing/ pulling eachother down the halls in a wagon, going to the play room, playing wii, and flirting with the nurses. My dad came back a few hours later looking a bit better, and took Jonny and Dallin out for dinner at his favorite- Texas Roadhouse. While there, Dallin started acting bratty. It had been a long trip, but since we’d just switched all the boys to different cornstarch amounts and times, he thought it best to test his blood sugar (good thinkin Pops!). Unfortunately, while I taught him how before we left, he couldn’t remember how to use the lancet… Important safety tip. He tried for a few minutes before starting to panic, when someone from the next table over had pity on him and introduced herself as a paraphysician from Shands. She helped him figure it out, and thankfully, Dallin’s blood sugar was just fine. Some people are just so nice.

Meanwhile, back at the research clinic, Mark, Ethan and I were having a blast. They got both of their I.V.s in on the first shot. Mark didn’t cry, whine, or squirm. As long as he could see what was going, he was fine. My kid is so brave! Ethan had the hardest time of all of them. He did a pretty good job; at least he didn’t cry or slap the nurse- this time. After the worst was over, we went to the playroom and had fun playing Sorry, Fooseball, etc. It is so much better now that we don’t have to worry about kids putting their hands on the floor, intentionally pulling out I.V.s, etc. I actually had a really fun time just playing around with my older boys without the little ones demanding attention. I guess all of those people that said “Have fun on your vacation” when we told them about Florida were on to something afterall.

My dad came back after dinner, and party time for me was over. We stayed with all four boys for a while, and then I took them back down to where my dad Valet parked. By this time it was probably 10pm. In the lobby there were a few people just hanging around on their laptops, but I heard a car backfiring and then a bunch of people in uniform walking swiftly to another exit. I went outside to pick up the car, and of course, it was closed. Duh, I’m not in Las Vegas anymore… should have known. So, I carry both Jonny and Dallin back inside to call a security guard like the little valet sign said. Back in the lobby I see a lady crying and screaming hysterically “it’s all my fault!!!!”. While her friend tries to comfort her, and I started to get a little nervous. Okay… this sort of thing just doesn’t happen in nice little sheltered Idaho. At this point, I can’t carry the boys anymore, and they’re so “done” being expected to hold my hand the whole time that they run in opposite directions if they free themselves of my deathgrip on their hands. I went upstairs to get reinforcements- AKA- my dad. We came back downstairs and called for the security guard to help us get our key. 10 min. later she shows up, but it’s her first night on the job, and she has no idea what we want to do. She calls for back up and 15 min. after that we finally get our key and walk through a dark parking garage, grateful to see two more security guards, and we’re off.
I drop my dad off at the entrance and I start driving to the hotel. While waiting to make a left hand turn at the light from Archer onto the street the hotel is on, I take a sigh of relief and think, only a few more hours of hospital stuff tomorrow, and we’ll be home in a couple of days. Everything looks brighter, I can do this. Then Jonny’s chipper little voice calls “Hiya Mom, watcha doin?” Awww, I love that kid. Huh. He sounds kinda close, his carseat should be right behind mine… I look down.
He’s sitting right next to me.
“Ack!!!! How did you get out of your carseat!?!?!?”
It’s not as if I can pull over to buckle him up again. The closest safe place to do that would be in the parking lot of the hotel.
“Oooooh that boy is gonna get it!”
Then I happened to glance at the car stopped next to us. Naturally, it’s a police car. My mind goes blank- until I desperately start praying that he won’t see my three year old sitting next to me. I don’t know how much that ticket would cost, but just traveling to see Dr. Weinstein isn’t exactly cheap, and we’re already on a budget. Panic, deep breath, panic, the light turns to a green arrow, and I proceed cautiously. We pull into the hotel parking lot without getting into a car accident- or getting a ticket. Phew. Adrenoline running high I lecture to my 3 year old exactly how bad it would be if we got hit by another car while he didn’t have his seatbelt on. I have no idea if he “got it” or not, but he hasn’t dared to get out of his carseat again.
The boys get baths and storytime and I finally get to call my husband. Life is much, much, better. He has a very calming effect. I don’t have to mix up formula for them to take their cornstarch in, and they’re on an every four hour schedule instead of three! It’s amazing what another hour of consecutive sleep twice a night will do for you. I slept very well, and woke up still tired, but not the “I can’t do this anymore” exhausted. Always a good thing.