Life Moves So Fast

 

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013

Life Moves So Fast

Poor baby Ez

Just when life is moving as it should, reality hits me hard and brings me back to where I need to be, a good place in my heart. Our beautiful baby Ezra joined our family and was struck with severe RSV. He was put in the hospital, and Kayla had to stay with him 24/7. Jeremy was there as much as he could be but also had to work. I had the privilege of taking care of Recker. Our 3-year-old autistic grandson is non-verbal, but boy, can he make some noise. He, too, has not been feeling well. I took him to the doctor, and he had an ear infection, sinus infection, and croup.
My love for Kayla, the mother, has become more endearing as I have now seen 24/7 for a week what she deals with daily. Although Recker spends a lot of time at our house, it is an entirely different story when you watch him nonstop for that long.
While at the doctor's office, he went through every drawer and cabinet he could get his hands on, climbed under the desk, picked up the phone, played with the computer system, and twirled on the doctor's chair. It was all fun until .... the pediatrician came in to visit our little guy. He had a complete meltdown when the doctor looked in his ears, then came the news he needed a steroid shot in the arm. I thought to myself, "oh boy, he is not going to like this" HE DIDN'T. He screamed and threw his body around like a rag doll. Tears filled my eyes as he looked at me as if to say, "why, why are you allowing her to do this to me?"  I tried so hard to get him to settle down, I sang him a song, tried to rock him, and soothe him with calming words, but it just worsened. I thought I should calm him before I walked back through the waiting area. That idea was not going to happen, so I quickly made a dash for the door and out to the car, all the while he was out of control. I sat him down to open my car door, and he started to projectile vomit every were including on me. It looked like an alien shooting out of his mouth. Oh my gosh, I felt so bad for him. All I could do was hold him and love him. Kayla has told me about these meltdowns, but I have never seen him work himself up so severely that he vomits. By the time I got his medicine at WALGREENS and made it home, he had calmed down and fallen asleep.
Kayla and Jeremy were missing him so badly. I felt terrible for them too. Luckily, they could see him at least once a day. I took Recker to our condo in Mexico for a few days, thinking maybe if he were not here in Arizona, it wouldn't be such a temptation for them to come to visit him. The reason I use the word temptation is because Recker has been sick, and I'm sure he gave whatever he had to Ezra. If Kayla and Jeremy were to transfer it back to Ezra, he would never get better.
I had a fun time with Recker in Mexico. This boy loves the outdoors, the ocean, the sand, the grassy areas, and especially the pool. From 9 am to 6 pm he was outside running and playing. One day he made a mad dash for the ocean; I was running after him, I watched him play in the water for over an hour, then decided it was time to go to the pool. Of course, Recker thought I was picking him up to take him inside, so he started to scream and try to scratch his way out of my arms. He is extremely strong; I could barely hold him up. Everyone was staring, my swimsuit top was down to my stomach, and my breasts were fully exposed. I had to either continue to the pool area or drop Recker. I continued, all the while saying to myself, "no big deal, my breasts have been exposed to complete strangers before. I can handle this" then the Mexican vendor yelled, "hey lady, want to buy some sunglasses?" I turned and looked at him and, with a scowl then replied, "Are you serious?"
I finally made it to the pool area, where I am pretty sure I gave an 80-year-old man a slight heart attack. I was so mortified I wanted to look at him and say, "What, you've never seen a 50-year-olds boobs exposed while carrying a 3-year-old screaming and scratching his way to freedom?"  Eric happened to be walking towards the pool, and with his hands in the air, as if to say, "what the heck are you doing?" he ran over to help me--save the day, however, just a little too late. I calmly sat down on the chair pulled up my swimsuit and laughed. What else could I do?
Although my swimsuit never came down again, I will say it took two of us to get Recker up to the condo after a long day of playing. He never, ever wanted to go inside.
We face-timed Kayla and Jeremy each night before Recker went to bed, and we could get an update on how Ezra was doing. It was hard; Ezra would be doing better than bad, and we never knew what each day would bring. He is home now and seems to be doing well. Recker has been on his antibiotic for over a week and is doing better also. Today, while they were visiting us, Recker had a complete meltdown when he had to come inside; Kayla was chasing him around the house while he was screaming and not letting her get to him; I heard her laughing, and it made me smile--at least she can laugh.
Any parent of an autistic child should be praised; autism is hard, and none of us quite understand what it is and why some children have it, but I do know our Heavenly Father knows, and he has a special place in Heaven for these special little angels.

Recker at the doctor's office

Ezra hooked up to the machines.

He looks sick

Ezra looks so tiny in that crib.