Our Emergency Room Adventure

I think there is at least one child in every family who is more likely than the other family members to enjoy a trip to the local emergency room. Ryder is that child in our family. So far during his short 2 1/2 year existence we have managed to go to the emergency room twice which isn't all that bad really. Last October when visiting my folks in Georgia, Ryder started having some trouble breathing and the rescue inhaler wasn't doing too much rescuing. So away we went to spend quality family time at the Perry Hospital. Nice place. After about 4 hours of breathing treatments and other various assortments of tests, he was pronounced healed and was promptly discharged.

This past Monday, Ryder began having some breathing issues, coughing and wheezing. Again the rescue inhaler was not really bringing his breathing back to normal just more or less helped him stop coughing for about 2 hours. I'm that type of mom who will silently panic, I mean hope, that whatever ailment is plaguing my child will go away on its own. Usually it does but not Monday. So I packed up a tote bag full of books, snacks, water, blankets, and jackets expecting a long stay at the emergency room. Chloe and Ryder were very excited about our adventure until Chloe informed Ryder that he would probably get a shot and it would hurt. A lot. Chloe was then reprimanded and Ryder consoled. Away we went.

Altogether we were at the hospital for 1 1/2 hours which was shorter than the wait at our drive-thru Starbucks. I have no complaints. The kids behaved fantastically. They were a little freaked out when a little boy down the hall from us was screaming his head off (stitches, maybe??). I do know it had to do something with his foot though. When I told Chloe and Ryder that the little boy had a hurt foot and that the doctors were going to take care of him she asked, "Are they going to cut it off?" I don't think I'll let her watch "Gone with the Wind" anytime soon.

We arrived back home about 10pm and the kids were fast asleep. I was seriously hoping that maybe they would sleep in until at least 6:30. No, that was not to happen. Ryder woke up at his normal time of 5:30. Ugh. I went into his room to inform him that it was not time to be awake. Go back to bed. About 30 minutes later, Aaron went into his room to check on him. He was lying on his bed, wide awake, with the sun shining on his face through the crack in the curtain. Then the following conversation took place:

Ryder: Is it morning yet, Dad?

Aaron: Yep, it's morning.

Ryder: YAY!!!!!! Wanna play tennis, Dad?

Everything is back to normal.