Dani,

Thank you for sharing your daughter's pictures. She is just adorable!

I am so sorry you had such a rough time. Nothing makes you feel more helpless than a child with a high fever. I think it was rougher than this whole cancer thing.

When my oldest was 6 months old, mom went on a camping trip with a bunch of girl friends. My dog was in the vet and it didn't look like he would make it and my boy had a fever of 103. I called the doc he said if it doesn't go down in 24 hours call. I made it for 24 hours with tylenol, wet wash clothes, worrying, etc. and called back. It was now at 103.4 and the doc said if it doesn't go down in 24 hours call back. In 24 hours it was over 104! I called him and as soon as he said if it doesn't go down, I unloaded. I said, look here you son of a b****, if you don't meet me at the ER now, I will come stick that phone down your throat. He quickly said yes...but when I got to the ER, as soon as I gave my name they leaned over and said, this is the guy. Soon a team of police officers converged and stood around me with nightsticks in hand!

I was calm and the fever broke as the doctor was examining my son and everything worked out. It was certainly tense a few times that weekend. By the way, my dog had to be put asleep the next day because his temp had gone up to 108 and his kidneys and liver started shutting down. I can't remember a weekend much rougher than that one.

Ed

Holy cow, Ed! No kidding!? They called the cops???????? I can only imagine the level of frustration you were feeling! Except for the very sad part about your dog, it makes for a very funny story now. And isn't that just like a child.......Mom and Dad can spend hours of sleepless worry.......get child anywhere
NEAR a doctor and fever disappears. Never fails. :rolleyes:
Judy U

Here's a funny story that my older kids still laugh about.
When my daughter, Mercedes, was 2 (she's 13 now) we had 8 children living in our home. The neighbors took us to be crazy and bought into the stereotype that parents with lots of kids don't take care of their kids (my husband and I are two of the best parents I know).
I had bought my husband a pair of boxer shorts that were fashioned after the playboy bunny style, and he had these on this night. It was hot, he was laying on the couch and Mercedes was standing on his stomach hollering out the window that we had open. She could see out the window by standing on her daddy's belly. This was later at night, around 11pm, and some of our neighbors were taking a walk. They saw Mercedes in the window hollering but could not see my husband. Do you know these fools called the police and told them that we had left our toddler alone in the house? The doorbell rang, my husband in all his playboy finery answered the door (forgot what he had on!) and the cop simply looked at us dumbfounded. The look on my husbands face when it FINALLY dawned on him what he had on was priceless, lol. The cop left and we laughed for a long time. The next day, we taught our kids a little something about the proper time to fight back and "make a scene". First, my husband hand painted a HUGE sign that said "If you have a problem with how we raise our children come tell us about it" and planted it in the front yard. Then he typed up a flyer, printed up approx. 100 of them, and he and the kids hand delivered them door to door. The flyers said pretty much the same thing as the sign in the yard. The neighbors never did end up respecting us anymore then they did before though, our actions simply convinced them that we truly WERE crazy, lol. We moved a short time after that. I could write a book about funny stories with kids. Did I ever tell you the one about the NO PARKING sign?? You know, the one with the big red "P" in a red circle with a red line drawn through it. My grandaughter, Kayla, said to me, "Nana, see that sign..........it means "no peeing, it means you cannot pee in that spot, just like on our carpets at story time. You have to go to another spot without that sign." Comic relief, gotta love it.

This brings up a memory!

One of our friends, when we lived in California, was stuck on the highway in a traffic jam. (duh!) She had 5 kids and one of the girls was beating her brother with a hairbrush. As I know we've all done at one time or another, this Mom just reached around and took a swipe at the offender. Unfortunately, she connected and managed to slap the child on the cheek. Not on purpose, one of those "don't make me stop this car" swings. Unfortunately, there was a San Diego cop behind her. He immediately pulled her over and arrested her!!!!!!!

Hindsight, we can laugh, but at the time it was awful. She had to go through family counseling, the whole nine yards.

Fast-forward a few months. My oldest was three and ran in front of a car in a huge parking lot. I have to admit, I was trying to drive a stroller with his newborn brother, keep the bags from falling and chasing this bugger!!!! I lost it. I grabbed him up once the car came to a screeching halt, and busted his little behind. As I'm putting him in his carseat and trying to explain to him why he was spanked, this HUGE cop with mirrored sunglasses walked up. I could have died!!!! I started pleading my case, and all he did was, pull off the glasses, look down at me and Shane and say that I did the best thing possible. He said, "I remember when my mom had her hands full, and I would try her. She gave my butt a whipping when it needed it, and that's why I'm where I am today".

He reached in, gave Shane a hug, and said, "Listen to your Mama....she loves you".

I'll never forget that good man.

Love,
Mandi