A Trip to the NICU

Poor KJ had to be admitted to Children’s Hospital in Akron this past Friday. He was having trouble maintaining his blood oxygen levels. They thought maybe he aspirated some breast milk when Pee Wee’s (interfering and irritating) friend decided she was going to “sneak” him a bottle¹. At any rate, he was having problems breathing Friday morning so we took him to our local emergency department and they ordered him to Akron Children’s, where he was taken by ambulance. They kept him overnight to observe him and then released him yesterday morning. It was really scary for all of us, but especially so for Pee Wee. She was out of her mind with worry and she wasn’t allowed to stay overnight in the hospital (she’s still a minor and she couldn’t get a spot in the Ronald McDonald house because of that). He’s fine now, but Pee Wee is exhausted still.

That hospital is so nice though. Even their bathroom fixtures are geared toward kids and anxious parents. The waiting room has two bigs rooms with overstuffed couches, a big screen tv and a smaller room for kids to play. It also has a “kitchen” (which has a microwave, refrigerator and vending machines) and a library (with board games, internet access, and books of all sorts). It’s a very comforting environment. The cafeteria has little tables for youngsters to eat at and the chairs for those are sturdy enough for adults to join them. Mags and I had dinner there and she really enjoyed it.

I’m glad that he’s well and home, though. Now we can get on with the business of growing him into a chunky monkey. Hopefully we won’t have to go back to that hospital (as absolutely wonderful as it is) ever again.

1. She’s keeping breast milk in the refrigerator so that she can gear up for when she goes back to work. [↩]