Worst. Present. Ever.

16 months old isn't usually one of those gift-giving milestones, but life decided to give Dylan a present anyway.

Luckily for us, it was one of those "gifts that keep on giving," and he even decided to share the fun with his babysitter.

12:00 - I drop a characteristically grouchy baby off at the sitter's.  Let's face it - he's just never been that smiley.

1:25 - My phone received a text from the sitter (said phone was on vibrate, so I didn't actually get this text until after work) which read, "I wanted to let you know that Dylan is not feeling well.  He is warm and cries whenever you put him down.  Not sure what is wrong though."

4:30 - I notice the text and two missed calls from the sitter.  Figuring Kirk has already picked up the kids so I decide to call him to get an update on Dylan.  He doesn't answer.

4:32 - I get a text from Kirk.  "Can't talk.  At Pioneer Valley Hospital."  I respond with, "Are the kids still at Alicia's?  What's going on?"

4:35 - Another text from Kirk.  "They are at Alicia's.  Give her a call.  You can come here and we can call my mom to get the kids if we need."  I respond with, "I need more information.  Why are you at the hospital!?"

4:37 - "Dylan has been crying since you left him and Alicia thinks he may have had a seizure about an hour ago."  (Okay, that one was edited.  Technically Kirk said he may have had a ceaser.)  I decide I'm not getting enough info from Kirk and call the sitter.

4:45 - I arrive at Alicia's and get the whole story.  Grouchy baby with slight fever, as indicated by the text, went down for a nap at 2:00.  When he woke up at 3:45, she gave him a cracker.  He ate half of it, then started shaking violently.  She immediately realized he was having a seizure.  Adam walked in the door from school.  She quickly sent him to get a snack while letting the baby discreetly finish his seizure in the front room.  (THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for not letting Adam see the seizure!)  She called me twice, but my phone was still on silent.  She got a hold of Kirk, who was thankfully only minutes away.  Kirk came and got Dylan, and Alicia offered to keep the other kids.  Kirk whisked a completely unresponsive Dylan straight to the hospital.

5:00 - I drop the kids off at Uncle Mark and Aunt Rachel's.  Thanks guys!

5:15 - I arrive at the hospital and tell the admin desk that my husband and baby are "back there somewhere." Without checking any notes or computer systems, she looks at me knowingly and says, "Room 12."  I start down the hallway only to hear my baby screaming.  I could have easily found him without knowing the room number.  I walk into his room as they are finishing placing his IV.  Kirk catches me up to speed on the theory that his seizure was likely caused from his fever.

Time ceases to exist as I hold my very sad little one.  Kirk tells me that when they arrived at the hospital, Dylan wasn't able to support his own head, and he wasn't willing to even move his arms.  Now, he can support his head, but he is too weak and tired to sit.  They come and take him for a chest x-ray.  They cram his little body into that awful contraption and take pictures.  We wait.  We find out that his binky fell and obstructed the view on the most important picture.  They shove him in again.

We wait and wait and wait, and Dylan finally starts to become more responsive.  He sits up for 30 seconds to a minute at a time but then has to rest.  He has been poked and prodded so many times he cries every time he sees someone in scrubs.

Grandma Casdorph comes to lend moral support.  I appreciate just having someone else there to talk to.  Dylan likes that Grandma is there.

All the tests come back fine.  There is nothing wrong with my baby.  I receive an education on febrile seizures, which according to the paper are "convulsions associated with fever.  The child loses consciousness and is stiff or has muscle twitching for several minutes during the seizure."

The good news: Dylan is just fine.

The bad news: Once you've had a febrile seizure, there is a greater chance of having another one in the future.

The good news: Most children outgrow febrile seizures by the time they are 5 or 6.

The bad news: There is nothing we can do other than try to not let him run fevers.

The good news: Having a seizure is apparently not really that big of a deal.  As long as he seems like he is recovering after one, we don't even have to call the doctor.

The bad news: My baby had a seizure.  It's just freaky to me, no matter what the doctors say.

The good news: I didn't have to see it.  Thanks, Alicia!

The best news: After bringing him home and giving him a bath, he seems to be completely normal again.  Here is is smiling at his doctor-ordered Gatorade.

** Disclaimer: The last several hours wore me out, and I didn't proofread this post.  I opted to write it in the potentially tricky present tense, and I didn't even go back to see if I accidentally switched tenses at any point. Please don't hold me to my normal "Grammar Queen" standards today.  I'm just not at the top of my game. **