Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack

You know how after you get married and perhaps you're thinking of starting a family, people freely give out the advice, "Get your finances in order and save up a lot of money before you have kids!"?

I used to think that advice was referring to all the money you'd be spending on diapers. Now I realize all the money you save is really for doctor visits...

Now, I am not a hypochondriac at all...I don't fret over low-grade fevers and I don't overreact when my kid skins their knee.

Yet, I have taken Jack to the doctor's office no fewer than three times in the last month for various ailments - my favorite of which was our last visit because Jason and I were convinced Jack had tapeworm -EWWWWW!, with a grand finale of an ER visit last night.

(Turns out Jack did NOT have tapeworm, but being the child that he is - constantly eating rocks, dirt, and chunks of chalk, and hanging on Toby's backside constantly - we had good reason to think he may have contracted tapeworms...)

Oh yeah, and I have to share this little side story, as it so perfectly illustrates this crazy kid's tendencies! So, our playgroup was having a picnic at the park last week, and we were finishing up our lunches. I was done eating an apple, and I chucked the core way out into the distant soccer field. About two minutes later, while chatting with my girlfriends, Jack saunters back onto the blanket, happily EATING THE APPLE CORE I HAD JUST THROWN! We all literally fell over on our sides laughing at this kid who sees his mother throw away an apple core, tears off after it, and chomps away on the dirty, grass-covered remains. Just like a dog would do! LOL! Oh, Jack, Jack, Jack...)

Our ER visit last night was the first ER trip we've had to make with either Jack or Lulu. Jack woke up from his nap with a higher fever than when he woke up in the morning, fast breathing, and a barky, wheezing cough and breathing.

I called the pediatrician and they said to go to ER. A lovely doctor, who turns out also goes to our church, diagnosed Jack with croup, gave him a dose of steroids, followed by a breathing treatment (which unfortunately required us to stay two hours after for observation).

Our wonderful friends Matt and Tiffany watched Lucy, and Jason and I took care of Jack at the ER. Once it was time for observation, I sent Jason home -there was really no need for both of us to be holed up in a small hospital room.

Here's the funny part about last night...God must have totally known Jack and I would have some time to pass in the hospital...After exhausting all resources in our room, making games out of the bed and hospital paraphernalia, I flipped through the channels on the tv, and low and behold, I got a chance to introduce Jack to the best movie ever made...

Dirty Dancing. Oh yes!

We watched the last half, and then at 9 o'clock, they repeated the movie, so we even got to see the beginning we had missed. Score!

Jack was released about 9:30, and he's doing fine. Once his fever broke, he was in a very chipper mood, running up and down the halls, pointing to all the nurses and saying, "Bwoh! Bwoh!"

He has three days worth of further steroids, and the croup should clear itself up. He sounds terrible today, but he's in good spirits and still eating like a fool - so not much has changed! :-)

Ah, little Jack, you simply must stop eating dirts, rocks, and God knows what else!

And just to come full circle with my opening quote, the advice that's often given about when to have kids...My two cents is this: while it's certainly responsible to make sure you have your finances in order, and a nice buffer in savings, if you wait to have children until you have enough money to cover all the expenses those little beautiful creatures require, you'll never be "ready." If you're waiting for your checkbook to say a certain number, you might be missing out on some amazing years!

I love my spirited Lucy and mischevious Jack! They're worth all the twenties I have to plop down at the doctors' office!