Doctors and Grandparents

Today I'm thankful for...

1. Medicine and Doctors. Liam has had congestion and cough for a couple of days. At 1 am last night his cough sounded pretty bad, so I fished out the stethoscope from the girls' toy chest (it's a cheapie, disposable kind from the hospital that Bobby brought home one day to add to their doctor kits). Bobby listened to Liam's breathing and heard some wheezing. He diagnosed him with RSV and prescribed an albuterol breathing treatment and recommended that I call the pediatrician on call. I have to admit that at first I thought he was being a little bit paranoid and I didn't feel like getting out of bed to do all of that. I was tired. He had to be up in 3 hours to be at the hospital, though, so I didn't feel it would be fair to ask him to do it. This morning I brought Liam in to see the pediatrician. He confirmed everything Bobby said last night- slight wheezing, probably RSV, give him breathing treatments. I'm grateful that Bobby is observant of our children's conditions and is knowledgeable on how to treat them. There have been numerous occasions when he has noticed something wasn't normal and we were able to start treating it right away. I'm also grateful for modern medicinesvand that we have access to them. With Lillian's asthma and Liam's RSV, their conditions could be much more serious without proper medication that we so easily have access to.

2. Grandma and Grandpa B (my parents). My dad decided to take a temporary job assignment in Philadelphia so he and my mom could live near us for a few months. Having them 10 minutes away has been wonderful. They rearrange their schedules to watch the kiddos so Bobby and I can spend time together, they bring me dinner and help me get the girls ready for bed when Bobby is on call, they fill their apartment with toys to keep the girls entertained...they do so much for us. My mom buys endless packs of gum to supply Sydney's addiction, she won't leave my apartment until all the dishes are cleaned and put away, she knows our family routine so well that she's always one step ahead of me when it comes to brushing the girls teeth or reading them bedtime stories or giving baths, she always gets me water when I'm nursing Liam, she takes Sydney for an entire day at a moment's notice (like today), she picks up Lillian from school every day and brings her home . . . in short, my mom's full time job is taking care of me and my kids and I don't know what I would do without her (and I don't know what I'll do when she leaves)! My dad rides his bike in sub-freezing temperatures to meet my mom (who has the car) at our house, he empties his pockets to make a "smooth lap" for the girls to sit on, he eats dinner with a grand-daughter in each lap, he lets Sydney play with the cochlear-implant magnet on his head, he holds Liam while he toots, he teaches Lillian about the solar system. I'm enjoying this time with my parents and watching their relationship with my children grow and deepen. I have a lot of friends who are living thousands of miles away from their families- I don't want to take this opportunity of having them live so close for granted.

3. Grandma BB and Grandpa D (Bobby's parents). We don't get to see them as much, but we feel so much love and support from them. The girls and Liam get cards and treats from them in the mail frequently. Just yesterday the girls got gift cards to Wendy's for a free frostie and some money to buy lunch. I'm looking forward to taking them out for this fun date together. Little things like that from grandparents are so much fun and it makes us feel so special and loved! I'm so grateful that my children have the opportunity to know both sets of grandparents...they're so spoiled! (and so are Mom and Dad!)