Ear Tubes

Aaah! We just spent another horrific night with our youngest. (she's 11 months old now!) She's got severe infection in both her ears again, and she whimpered and whined through about three hours of sleep, woke up at 3 a.m. and screamed until 5:30 a.m. The only reason she stopped was my decision to give her ibuprofen on top of the tylenol she'd already had at midnight... She's had ear infections for the last four or five months and we've gone through every antibiotic they offer to infants. We've finally been referred to see an ear, nose and throat specialist, and of course, his first recommendation was ear tubes.

Our oldest did this, too. By the time Deborah was 10 months old she'd had about 5 or 6 straight months of ear infections. We'd done enough antibiotics to choke a horse. We debated and discussed her ears and the surgery for at least 15 minutes with the ENT. I cannot tell you how badly I was freaked out. Taking her to the hospital and turning her over to the nurses in blue gowns.... Waiting and waiting while they're cutting her ear drums open... Imagining all the horrible things that could go wrong... Some of the most terrifying Mommy moments I've experienced yet. This time around the same doctor suggested ear tubes and asked if I had any questions. "Nope, sign us up. When's the surgery?" Remembering my fears and concerns from the last time, he asked me if I was sure. All I had to say was "We've been through this. We know how it works, and she can't just keep taking antibiotics that make her almost as sick as the infections do.."

So, the surgery is next Wednesday, and I'm fairly confident it will go very well. I most look forward to sleeping again. I remember the first night after Deborah's surgery: She had woken up at least three times every night since she'd been born. (remember, she was ten months old- at least three times a night for ten months) At eight a.m. the next morning, I woke up scared to death, jumped up and raced to her bed. She was sleeping calmly, quietly... She had slept all night. Amazing. I went back to bed and slept for another two hours...

Sside note: Sitting in the waiting room with us were two families. One was a woman with three older kids (probably 8-13 yrs). She spent the entire time alternately speaking loudly on her cell phone, yelling rudely at them, telling them they were stupid, and ignoring them while they loudly squabbled amongst themselves. The other was a woman with two younger kids, one two years old and the other probably the same age as my baby. She watched over them, let them explore the area, quietly directed their behavior, and pulled the baby out of the problems his exploring caused. I've got to tell you, I don't want to be like that first mother!! She annoyed everyone in the room. While the second mother blessed me, my baby and the older gentleman sitting on our side of the room. Our children made eyes at each other, smiled, cooed and enjoyed each other. I admit that there are times I've picked Deborah up from a screaming temper tantrum and carried her out of the library, but God keep me from ever yelling "stupid idiot! shut your trap!" at her! I don't think that kind of "direction" is appropriate even in the privacy of our own home.

Thank you God for my babies! Thank you for how you've faithfully watched over them and taken care of them. Please heal Abigail's ears well enough for us to have the surgery next week. Please bless our sleep. Please let us sleep.