My Hiatus

About 2 weeks ago, I took a hiatus from, well, good posts. I posted a photo of lightbulbs and another of a really creepy alien. I wasn't really "all there." Here's why.

Marcus nearly died when he was a month old, and I wrote about it on my first post. We'd been doing great until August 31, when Dave asked me at 7:30 in the morning, "Does Marcus look right to you?"

My eyes flew open to see my boy, my baby, unable to track (follow movement with his eyes) and slack faced. He looked gray. Suddenly, the world seemed to move in fast forward.

Siezure. Ambulance. Emergency room. Hypoglycemic shock.

Healthy people have a blood sugar level somewhere between 80 and 140. Marcus's had dropped to 8. The nurses said he should have died.

Loaded up on a shot of dextrose and a dextrose drip, Marcus perked up in about a minute.

Thirty minutes later, he fell asleep. The little guy was exhausted.

So were we.

Marcus stayed in the hospital for 2 nights, and I stayed with him. We brought toys for him and movies for us.

We knew he was ready to go when he set off the hospital's baby Lo-Jack system twice and pulled off his oxygen meter three times.

Shell shocked and slightly paranoid, Dave and I arrived home with a happy, healthy baby. We now check his blood sugar four times a day. We're convincing ourselves that this was a fluke.

With each hospitalization, I've gained even more respect for parents of sick children. All the fight that the parents conjure up for their children doesn't mean a thing because as parents, sometimes we're powerless to protect. So once again, I'm reminded that each day with my kids is a gift.

I will not waste it.

Amen.