Last year, a week before Christmas, I brought my three kids to my parents? house for a family gathering. It was a wonderful day, capped off with a professional family photo shoot. I wasn?t sure how my youngest, Quinton, would do?he was only four months old. But he took to the camera like a natural, flashing his beautiful blue eyes for the lens, bundled up in an old-fashioned sleigh and an adorable knitted hat.
Quinton seemed fine at our Christmas photo shoot. Just hours later, things would change drastically. Photo: RedDoorPhotography.ca
Once the shoot wrapped up, I put him down for a nap. When he awoke hours later, he was irritable and hot to the touch. We decided to head home, assuming that a good night?s sleep and some acetaminophen was all he needed. He was restless that night, waking every hour or two. In the morning, he was still feverish and becoming lethargic, so I decided to take him to the clinic at our local hospital, where the doctor diagnosed him with an ear infection. I was so angry with myself. We shouldn?t have done that outdoor photo session, I thought. Still, I went home with antibiotics, satisfied that we had found the culprit and thankful there would be little disruption in our holiday plans. Christmas was still five days away.
But Quinton didn?t respond to the medication. In fact, his condition seemed to worsen every hour. He moaned constantly and vomited after most feedings. Medication was controlling his high temperature, but he didn?t seem right. ...