Toss one back and call me in the morning....

Livie was one to be sick a lot as a baby. It seemed like she was coughing ALLTHETIME. (We now know she has asthma, which she takes care of by using a nebulizer (see above), or an inhaler.)

It was horrible.

I'm not going to lie, it was emotionally, mentally and physically draining.

Fine. I guess it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows for her either. Whatever.

About a year and a half ago all of this came to a head. We hadn't discovered her asthma yet. She woke up *GASPING* for air in the middle of the night. It wasn't croup-we had dealt with that on numerous occasions. Her breathing was SO rapid, like she just couldn't completely catch her precious little breath.

As we sat rocking her in the living room I picked up the phone and called the 'advice nurse' at the hospital. She had me count her breaths for her over the phone and quickly she came back with 'Ok, now I want you to listen to what I'm going to tell you.'

OH CRAPBALLS. She used that tone with me. That I'm-going-to-talk-to-you-like- I-would-a-2nd-grader-right-now-because-I-can-tell-you-are-
about-ready-to-lose-it-
emotionally-at-any-second tone. Aw, God bless her.

Basically in a nutshell she said in so many words: Do not pass go, do not collect $200, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET A GRIP!!, and take your daughter to the hospital immediately.

I assured her in my 'business-like' voice that yes, I would be sure to safely transport my daughter to the nearest medical facility post haste, and thank you so very much for your time.

Oh I kid.

It was more like: OKTHANKSOHMYGOSHBYE.

We got Miss Thang over to the hospital where long story short they monitored her oxygen levels, which were not great, did quite a few chest x-rays, which left mommy crying in the hallway while listening to her baby sobbing out of fear, and in the end they decided she needed to be transported to the Childrens Hospital to be monitored overnight.



Nothing perks a wee one up like the promise of an ambulance ride.

No, seriously. She's weird like that.

So, daddy left the E.R. to run home and grab some overnight things and Liv and I waiting while the EMT's rolled the gurney in, strapped her carseat on, and wheeled her out to the waiting 'Ambliance'.

All the while she's wheezing and giggling, wheezing and giggling. I told you, we've got ourselves a strange one.

She was beside herself as the drivers showed her the lights and how they go 'round and 'round.

We loaded into the ambulance and we were on our way. Liv kept asking '*wheeze* can you *wheeze* turn the lights *wheeze* on again??'

And because she's so dang cute, they obliged. Numerous times.



Now keep in mind for such occasions as these, EMT's, Firemen and police officers often times keep teddy bears on hand to give the kids.

Well, thats just not how we roll here in Ory-gun.

Evidently they were out of teddy bears, so the EMT's were scrambling to come up with something to give Livie.

The night before just so happened to be Mardi gras, so, after apologizing for it being all they had, the man slapped a spongebob sticker on the front and handed Miss Olivia this:



Yup. Nothing says 'chin-up, little one!' quite like a light-up corona necklace.