Our parenting nightmare, part 2

**Part 2**

October 3: Our pediatrician the next morning disagrees with the strep diagnosis, but says to keep her on the antibiotic anyway to see if that resolves it. He shares that one of his own kids suffered febrile seizures, too, which compels him to look past Sydney and ask me, "How are you doing with all of this?" This brings me to tears, because in fact, I'm doing not well at all, thank you very much.

It's strange: the trauma happened to Sydney, but to look at her, you wouldn't be able to tell. She has no memory of what took place yesterday - thank God - and I somehow am the one who has been hit the hardest. I don't want to be one of those parents who live constantly in fear...that's not constructive or life-giving. I'm just praying for God to bind Satan from bringing those images to my head over and over. God has power over this and ultimate power over my daughter!

October 10: On vacation at Drew's parents' home in Richland, Washington a full week after the seizure, Sydney wakes up screaming in the wee hours: her fever has spiked again. We dose her with Tylenol (which we'd laid off of for a day or two) and are able to avoid another seizure. Whereas the whole last week she has seemed to bounce back just fine and seems happy, today she is very visibly feeling poorly and upset. A visit to the urgent care clinic brings the new diagnosis of a sinus infection, and poor Sydney-girl is this time prescribed a 10-day course of amoxicillin. We add this to her rotating Tylenol and Motrin doses, frustrated by losing a week of proper treatment due to faulty diagnosis.

October 11: The next day, Sydney seems well enough to stay back with Grannie and Granddad while Drew and I drive up to Yakima to participate in the annual apple picking with Amy Arnold and other friends for her 30th birthday. Then next weekend is the classic cider-making party where we hand-crank these apples into the most amazing cider you've ever tasted. Check out Amy's blog post, as well as Hannah's for more great pictures and description of our fun afternoon.

October 12: Sydney seems to be doing better. Her temperature is stabilizing and she seems cheery. After the close to four hour drive home from Richland, she pops out of the car... only to fall down and skin both knees. Honestly, it's like a bloodbath around here lately. Nothing a couple band-aids and a little fresh-picked Yakima apple can't fix, though.

October 13: As all meds seem to be working well and Sydney doesn't seem to be contagious, we accept an invite to visit the "punkin's patch," as Syd calls it, with Shannon, Kim, Hannah and their girls. It's a beautiful day and a fun place we've never been before, Lake View Farms, complete with boat and train rides. But looking back at these photos of her blank little face, it's clear that Sydney is not quite 100% yet. Little do I know our "sick month" is far from over...