Bubble Boy

Have you seen Bubble Boy?  It is Jake Gyllenhaal at his finest.  Still don't understand why there were no Oscar nominations for that sweet movie.  Why am I plugging this movie?  Because I have decided that we will become Bubble Family.  Meaning I am going to seal us in this house and never leave.  I am so sick of sick. 

Today I spent two hours at the doctor with Baby Emmett.  He has been coughing for quite awhile but it has gotten much worse over the last several days.  To rest my worried head I wanted to make sure his lungs were clear, etc. so I could try and get a good nights sleep.  Instead of trekking to our usual pediatrician I tried to get in to a local one but they didn't have any morning appointments so I was referred to someone in the family practice. 

I dropped Brooklyn at school and headed to the appointment with Emmett, Jameson and about 100 snacks and cars to keep the latter occupied.  We checked in at 9:10 a.m. and checked out at 11:02 a.m.  That is a LONG time to keep a two and half year old occupied in a tiny room.  Thankfully, Jameson did awesome until about the last half hour.  I just kept telling myself that if I remain calm, the boys would too. 

Why such a long appointment?  Well, once the ancient doctor hobbled in to the room he got really paranoid and determined that Emmett either had pneumonia or whooping cough.  I was thinking bronchitis, worse case.  He needed a chest x-ray of Emmett to rule out pneumonia.  Have you ever seen how they get chest x-rays of babies?  No?  Well, consider yourself lucky.  It required a lot of calm, deep breathing on my part to just get through it.  The contraption reminded me of the torture devices we saw in Germany at the Museum of Torture (yep, we went there).  I am not sure I can accurately describe a mental picture.  He basically had to sit upright on a tiny plastic horse saddle and then get completely strapped in a plastic straitjacket with his arms above his head.  It was awful.  His adorable chubby legs didn't fit in the leg holes...at all...so the lady just shoved them in there.  Shoved.  Broke my heart.  Meanwhile, Jameson made friends with Jake, the x-ray assistant.  He even hugged him when we left.  Hilarious.  Ooh, I found a picture of the device:

That is not baby Emmett.  Duh.  So, the x-ray came back clear.  No pneumonia.  The diagnosis?  Whooping cough.  I thought we were vaccinated against it?  Well, he is but that doesn't mean he can't get it.  Say what?  Of course this would all happen while Brett is on shift.  We have picked up a prescription and am awaiting results.  Hopefully we'll hear back by tomorrow.  If he has it, we all get to go on antibiotics and be quarantined.  In my gut I don't feel that he has it but I have been wrong before.  A lot.  Stay tuned. 

Ooh, the positive of the day?  Emmett got weighed...20 1bs. 8 oz.  At four months we need to already get him out of his infant carseat.  Fantastic.