A Little Weekend Trivia

What's the best way to spend a Saturday night after having spent the day building a raised vegetable bed?



A. Taking a bubble bath (by yourself, no toddlers in sight), and going to bed early.

B. Going to dinner and a movie with your garden-building husband using gift certificates for a free date night.

C. Getting take-out Chinese and watching Friends Reruns on DVD.

D. Taking a trip to the ER with your one-year old.


Ding Ding DING! A trip to the ER it is! What have you won?

A detailed description of our evening. Suh-weet.


Actually it was a trick question, because we did treat ourselves to chinese food and Friends reruns after the girls were in bed. We were both too tired at the end of the day to rouse any interest in a date, so we opted for comfort instead.

Him: Do you want to use our gift certificate tonight and have my mom babysit?
Me: Would I have to take a shower first?
Him: .....blank stare....
Me: Then no.

At about 9:30, right when Ross and Rachel were shopping for a nursery full of baby gear and Ross was inappropriately flirting with the saleslady, Lauren woke up with an awful barking cough. She tried to cry, and it sounded like a bark. She tried to talk, and it sounded like a bark. She tried to breath, and it sounded like a bark.

Last month she had croup, with the same barking cough, so I assumed that's what this was. Except she was having such trouble breathing, and on every exhale, (say it with me) she barked. It was sorta terrifying, and we were out the door in a flash. Justin stayed home with Mia, and I tried not to worry while making the 6 minute drive to the hospital.

The ER nurses tested her oxygen saturation levels, and she was getting enough, thank goodness. But her throat was so tight from the croup, that they said we definitely needed to have brought her in. (Does this qualify as conflict of interests? Oh, yes, you really NEED what we're selling!)

After about 35 minutes of waiting, we finally saw a doctor, who prescribed a steroid injection and epinephren something-or-other. Basically a breathing treatment. He then proceeded to tell us we'd need to stay for about 2 and a half hours so they could make sure her breathing got better.

Have you ever put a 1 year old in an exam room with nothing but a stirrup table and a trash can, and tried to hold said 1 year old for upwards of 3 hours? I don't recommend it.

I had just gotten done reading a study about the germy state of hospital floors that evening. What a coincidence that I'd be trying to keep my baby off of a hospital floor only hours later. She was not a happy ER-camper. At least I was thinking clearly enough to have brought her blankie and stuffed lamb. Other than that, we were toyless.

I asked for a chair (no way was I going near those stirrups) and tried to keep Lauren content while we waited. Eventually, I turned off the light and cracked open the door, hoping she'd doze off. But apparently my collarbones were highly distracting, because she spent a good portion of the night exploring them. I always knew being bony would come in handy one day.

The steroid shot and breathing treatment did their magic. We left at 12:45 AM and Lauren ended up being fine. For this I am grateful - but my tailbone is seriously bruised from rocking Lauren in that awful chair.

I was having fantasies about soft beds with soft blankets surrounded by soft pillows. But the ER doesn't specialize in those.

They also don't sell bubble baths there. And I was offered neither dinner nor a movie.