Oh Saturday

Today started like any other Saturday. Oh except for the part about all of the games being cancelled due to rain! Yippee. Saturday at home. Woo Hoo. I'm going to share a small glimpse into our day with a little bit of a photo story. Stay with me because I know your eyes will probably wanna glaze over about halfway through me showing you pictures of our kids. :)

The morning started out like most others. I slept late. JC took #3 to get donuts for everyone.
Once I shook out the morning cobwebs and took a few aspirin, I got busy with the kids trying to clean up the back yard. This included scrubbing mud off of the back wall of the house, the fence, the picnic table, the cooker, oh and let's not forget the deck!

After most of the work was done, #1 headed out to play with his buddies, #2 went with her friends to an Earth Day Festival, and #3 went to play with a couple of friends down the street. #4 basically stayed naked all day and hopped between the computer, the Wii and the TV until early evening. I worked on laundry, played on the computer, grocery shopped and cleaned (kinda). JC worked in the yard and played Wii with #4.

Around 5:30, I decided to take the kids to the Capitol to play. Seems like an odd place to play, you know since it isn't a playground, but our kids have grown-up playing on the lawn of the Capitol and never get tired of rolling down those hills. We told our best buddy Terry and she met us there with two of her kids, which made for a PERFECT evening. I even remembered to bring a blanket, cut up apples for the kids, drinks and a little rice cracker for SWB. These six big kids have spent hour upon hour on this lawn. They've picniced, slayed dragons, played in the sprinkler and had good quality time laying on the grass watching the clouds go by and building a true friendship that none of them will ever forget.

So there we are on a perfect evening watching the kids have the time of their lives while Terry and I solve all of the world's problems. The SBW is sitting on the sheet with us just crawling around and having a good time. I was up and down taking a bunch of pictures. Terry was base for the kinder kids that were sword fighting and she was also helping me keep an eye on SBW. I sat down and we were just talk talk talkin' when I realized that SBW was choking.

Now, as to be expected, he puts everything in his mouth and has had more than one occasion to sort of choke or gag. This time was different. I kind of started to panic because I could just tell that something wasn't right. He was still breathing, but there was something in there that he was struggling with and he was getting pretty red and really really gagging/choking/struggling to catch a good deep breath. I was holding him and Terry and I were both trying to help him clear his airway. He was doing a little bit of the super saliva gagging and he wasn't stopping. I handed him to Terry in a panic and we both decided that I should call 911. The operator that help me was very very kind. She reminded me not to pat him on the back (which Terry had already said) and to keep him upside down (again, Terry had already said). At some point I got so frazzled that I grabbed him from Terry and handed her the phone because I felt the need to run with him. I few times while I was quickly walking to the street with him halfway upside down, I called out to Terry who was a few steps behind me that I thought he wasn't breathing. He was REALLY struggling. She kept reassuring me that although he was having a hard time, he was still breathing. I stood on the street barefooted, freaking out, and shaky legged waiting for them to come and take care of my baby. We heard them first and within' two-three minutes of us dialing the number, they were there. Terry saw them and they started to pass the street, but she waved them down. They pulled up and I was practically handing him to the guy as he opened the door to the ambulance. He had me get in the side door with SBW and he immediately starting checking him out. At this point SBW is still gagging on something. He took his oxygen level and it was low, so they put the oxygen on his nose and tried to get him to breathe through the face mask.

I guess it took about 10 or so minutes for him to not be gagging in such a desperate attempt to get whatever it was out. He was slowly getting better and becoming more like the sweet interactive baby that he normally is. And then, there was one last big gag. After that one, he kinda looked around dazed and then gave a big smile. The paramedic that was sitting across from me noticed something in SBW's mouth when he smiled. So he and Terry were trying to get him to smile again so that he could fish it out. Turns out, it was a leaf. A LEAF. And it was actually only part of a leaf. I suspect that the other part will come out the backside in a day or so.

I guess I was with the paramedics for about 40 minutes. They were great to make sure that he was completely okay before they let us go.

Terry took this picture with our camera of the ambulance. I am inside with the baby. You know that she is a really good friend because she knew I would want a picture and took the time to find our camera and make sure to take one. :)

She was going back and forth between me and the six big kids that were waiting for everything to be okay. At dinner tonight, they were retelling the story again. Going over every single detail. They said that they were all crying and praying that SBW wouldn't be choking and wouldn't die. And apparently Terry's #2 was praying in Spanish, which just tickles me to death. The girls have been dotting on SBW all night long. Now everyone is being overly cautious about him being down on the floor. Myself included.

I hafta admit that I had the shaky leg until we got home. I had to sit by myself in the car for a while and take a moment to calm down. We've never had to call an ambulance before for one of our kids. And when we had to take a kid to the emergency room, it wasn't because they couldn't breathe.

Here is SBW after he receives the final all good from the friendly paramedics. The second shot is of the big kids getting a tour of the ambulance and the third is all of the kids and paramedics outside of the ambulance. The last shot is me and Terry and the once again smiling SBW before we all got in the car to go home. I am so so so thankful that Terry was with me. I couldn't have done this by myself. What a gift she is. And she never even looked rattled.


So once we got home and everyone got settled, the girls were back to their normal diva selves. Oh brother.


JC was in charge of super tonight - you know with me being so emotionally fragile and needing to sit and nurse my baby and drink a coke.

He told me earlier in the day what he needed to make dinner. He was watching iCarly with the kids and apparently they made spaghetti tacos for dinner. So that is what he did.

He didn't tell them what they were having until we brought it out to the table. Needless to say, they were thrilled. OVER THE MOON. Those 18 tacos were gobbled up by those five kids faster than you could even believe! I was kinda bummed too, because I wanted to try one. And of course, everything is great with SBW and he was back to his normally smiley self. He was thrilled with his carrots and peaches tonight.

The night ended with all the kids washed up and ready for a movie. #4 sat with JC to watch the movie and insisted that JC wear his genuine coyote head. JC let #4 put it on him, adjust it and watched the whole movie wearing it. What an outstanding dad.

I am gonna lay my head down on the pillow soon. I've got two sleeping kids in the living room and three in their beds. And SBW is in our bed with JC. I will close my eyes tonight so thankful for each of my people and their friends. I will thank God again tonight for my friends and my husband. And I will let that sweet baby nurse all night long if he wants.

What a day.