First words, first foods, first steps: all things to celebrate. First trip in an ambulance? No one was cheering. McKenzie added another notch to our parenthood belts a couple weekends ago when she woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air and unable to catch her breath. I called 911 and within minutes an EMT was here. It didn't take long for McKenzie to calm down a little and start to catch her breath, but we were still quite worried. After a few more medical personnel arrived at the house we decided we would like to take her to the hospital. We rode in the ambulance to Hartford Children's where she was, fairly quickly, diagnosed with croup.
It seems that every parent I tell this story to says, "ah, croup. My son/daughter had that." Now that we know what it is and how to treat it we will be able to respond a little more effectively next time (if there is a next time). Perhaps baby #2 won't have to ride to the hospital because we will recognize the symptoms and react calmly. People always say that they wish kids came with a owner's manual. The funny thing is, I've read about croup before, been aware of it's symptoms, but that manual didn't do me any good when my baby girl couldn't breathe.
Throughout it all, Kenzie was a champion. She stayed calm, cool and collected while many different people poked and prodded her. She didn't cry when they put an oxygen mask on her face or took her blood pressure. And she even got a new stuffed Beanie Baby toy out of the whole ordeal. I think she actually enjoyed herself.
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