Halloween!

Well, our halloween did NOT go as planned.

We were really excited for the babies first halloween and we had our costumes picked out and the house decorated for tick or treating. The family was going to come over and we all would walk around the neighborhood.

We decided to have the babies be farm animals, a chick, a lamb, and a cow, and Patrick and I were going to be farmers.

I spent two weeks putting all the decorations up (yes it took me that long) with plenty of help, and got the house ready for guests.

We went to bed Wednesday night after an uneventful day. The boys both seemed like they might have been a bit congested but I hoped it wasn't anything and they seemed in great spirits all day. That night Declan woke up screaming at about 1 am. He hadn't been up in the middle of the night in at least 2 weeks. I tried to get him back to sleep but nothing would settle him. At 1:30 am Owen also woke and Patrick was up by this point. Thankfully Evelyn stayed asleep and we took the boys downstairs to try not to wake her. We finally decided to take their temperatures and they both were at about 100. So I thought they might be getting a cold or that it was teething. So I decided to breastfeed them to try and soothe and calm them down. They both ate for about 20 minutes off and on but were still fussy. I told Patrick to go back to be since he had to work the next morning and not much could be done. The boys and I hung out downstairs on the couch. They did not want to be put down and we just very fussy. I finally got them to fall asleep at about 4 am. I got them upstairs and back to bed. They woke again around 6 am just as fussy. This time Evelyn woke too so I fed them all a bit early.

When Patrick was ready to leave for work, the boys were still pretty cranky and not themselves and we took their temps. again. They were still about the same. I decided to give the pediatrician a call and ask about baby tylenol but sent Patrick off since my mom would be over soon. The ped said I could go ahead with the tylenol and call in a couple hours if nothing improved. My mom came by 9 am and the boys only got worse from there. They would scream if I put them down and they also only wanted me. Thankfully my mom could take Evelyn but she was acting a bit more clingy too. It was a rough morning.

I took their temps at 11 again and they were still at 100.0 and 100.2 so I called back. She said to bring them in to get checked. I sent my mom to get the diaper bag ready and called Patrick to update him, them started changing the babies. We got them into the car and finally out the door by 12 pm. They screamed the entire car ride. Thank God I had my mom because I could not have handled that on my own. Im used to pretty easy going babies.

Once we got there, the babies did NOT want to be in the stoller and we had to wait about 30-40 minutes before we could be seen. I tried to nurse the boys and it calmed them a bit until we were finally able to get in at 12:45 pm.

Long story short, both the boys had ear infections. Great. Proving to me once again that they have to be identical, with everything!

We decided not to do antibiotics and continue with just baby tylenol and track the fever. They were down to 99.7 and 99.9 at the office.

Once we got back home at 2 pm the babies were starving and so were my mom and I. Once we all ate I tried to get the babies down for a nap. The boys weren't having it so I just held them until they passed out. They slept for 3 hours... on my chest. Family was supposed to arrive at 5:30 but I did not want to wake them. Patrick got back at 5 and he and my mom got the house ready.

Thankfully we were having people bring food so I didn't have to worry about cooking. I was a mess though and had about 4 hours of sleep and no shower yet. Family was showing up but I went to shower and get the babies and I ready.

I got them in their outfits and we made it downstairs to eat. The boys seemed a little bit better but still didn't want to be held by anyone but me or maybe Patrick or my mom for a couple minutes.

Once we all finished eating and got ready to leave the house, we decided to try to take them out. We thought they might like being outside and seeing all the people. We made it one block. The boys didn't want anything to do with it anymore so I walked with them back home. I told Patrick and my mom to stay but they walked back 20 minutes later.

I fed them and took their temps. Still 99.7+ and we decided to bathe them hoping it would help. I gave the boys more tylenol and tried to put them to sleep. I had to lay with them for about an hour before they finally passed out in our bed. Just as our family got back from trick or treating. They stayed for another hour or so and then everyone left.

The boys had another rough night last night, but this morning their fevers broke. They are still super clingy and cranky but hopefully the worst is behind us!

So, not the Halloween I was planning for, but hopefully next year will be better! They were all in such terrible moods and I was so delirious that I didn't even get any pictures! I'll have to dress them back up in a couple days.

Anyone have any teething/ear infection horror stories? Any tricks of the trade?