Reality Check

I know that someday, a long time from now, I will be able to see the humor in this story. It's a comedy of errors I suppose. So many things went wrong that at some point all you can do is laugh.

Last fall, some friends and I went to the New Kids on the Block concert here in Salt Lake City. (You can read the complete post.) We had the time of our lives and not only rediscovered an old love from the early teenage years but fell in love with the NEW New Kids. More on that to come...

Ever since then, we watched their blog for announcement of another tour, especially if they were to come back to Salt Lake. As it turned out the closest they would be coming was to Las Vegas. We HAD to go!! How could we make that happen? I would be 7 weeks away from having my baby. Also, we would want really good seats this time around and they were pricey. We hatched a plan to earn the money with a clever online boutique. You can look at it here. We also thought we'd take the families and stay in St. George for the weekend, making a little summer vacation out of it.

After all the work of the boutique, and searching for tickets on ebay and ksl, we earned almost to the exact dollar amount what the tickets ended up costing. It all seemed so meant to be!

Here's how the trip played out:

Michelle's husband had plans on Thursday night so we decided that the kids and moms would go down Thursday and the dads would come together on Friday morning. So, we headed out around 4 pm. When we were just over halfway there, Paige began to feel sick and ended up throwing up once in the car, twice at McDonalds in Beaver, and 3 more times when we got to St. George. I was concerned about the sickness spreading to everyone! So the next day I stayed with Paige at the house while Michelle took the other kids to the neighborhood pool. We had planned on going to a much funner pool but since we only had one car, I had to go back and forth between the house and the pool so we had to stay close. Poor Paige was feeling so left out! However, she was beginning to feel better, had an appetite, and had not thrown up that day.

We expected the guys to arrive around 3 and had planned to go into Zion Park that evening for hiking and dinner. Due to several various delays, which I won't even begin to explain, the guys didn't get there until 7:30. We spent the afternoon at a splash park in downtown St. George and getting ice cream.
By the time the guys got there everyone was starving for dinner so we headed straight to Zions. We got there about 8 and discovered all the places that served food within the park were closed. We were already on the shuttle so decided to do the hike and eat on our way home. It was then Paige began to feel sick again. We were just waiting for her to puke on the shuttle to the delight of the grumpy driver. Luckily she didn't, maybe because her stomach was empty! However, she did not feel up to the hike so Jake kindly pushed her in the stroller while Jon carried Charlie.


The hike was called Weeping Rock and it was actually really pretty and the evening weather was pleasant. We headed home after that since it was getting dark and we were all hungry. I took my kids straight home and put them to bed. The fatigue took over the hunger and they all fell asleep on the car ride. The rest of us ate pizza around midnight.

The next day we decided to spend at Sand Hollow Reservoir. Michelle and I went to the store to get a picnic lunch then we all got packed and ready at the house. Paige was feeling fine, however, Charlie was a little hot with a fever. Tylenol and Motrin seemed to do the trick.
We kept Charlie resting in the shade and drinking lots of fluids. After a while he perked up and took a dip in the water. We all had a great time but Michelle and I had to get back to the house to get ready to go to Vegas!! We got all showered and dressed and hit the road.

On the way there Jon called to tell me he had decided to take Charlie in to Instacare because his breathing sounded raspy and still had the fever. While Michelle and I were eating (possibly the WORST meal of our lives) he called again to say that the Dr. thought Charlie had pneumonia and wanted him to go to the ER. Charlie's breathing was shallow and rapid, his oxygen levels were low, and it wasn't improving. I began to feel worried about the seriousness, about Charlie wanting his mommy, and also about how well Jon was doing on his own. Jake was stranded at the house with the rest of the kids and I was worried that Paige and Haily would be scared and worried and not have a parent there for them. I was really fighting back the tears and called Jon because I just really needed to be reassured that everything was going to be OK. He told me it was fine, Charlie was already perking up. Told me to have fun and enjoy myself. He also promised to text me throughout so I wouldn't have to worry. I felt so much better! Into the concert we went!
We had general admission tickets so we were on the floor about 10 rows back from the stage. This is a picture I took with my camera (not zoomed in) of the first act, the Jabbawockeez, a really cool dance group. They won me over when they did a little tribute to Michael Jackson! It was during this act when I got a text from Jon. It said that Charlie was really struggling, that HE was having a hard time, and needed me to call. I went out into the foyer and called. I asked what was going on. He said "I don't know what to tell you. All I know is that our little boy is struggling to breathe, he has tubes coming out all over him."

The image in my head was NOT good, and I could see that my husband needed some support too. I ran back in and got Michelle. I didn't know weather or not everything was going to be OK, and even if it was, I knew I needed to be with my family. We had a long, sad, disappointing 2 hour car ride to the hospital. Michelle was so understanding and kind about the whole thing. She never complained once or questioned my decision.
Charlie had to stay in the hospital until his breathing was under control, which ended up being about 24 hours. He had an IV, oxygen mask, and monitors. I stayed with him overnight while Jon went back to the house to get some rest and be with the girls. After the tests, X-rays, and exams, we are still not 100% sure of the diagnosis. Some doctors thought pneumonia, while others thought it was a virus that attacked the lungs and caused an asthma like response. He had to do breathing treatments at home every four hours for a few days but has seemed to have made a full recovery with the exception of a residual cough. When I carried him out and he saw his sisters for the first time, this is the face he did.

For the first few days I was just concerned about Charlie and grateful that he was well. Then it hit me. We had missed the concert after all that planning, preparation, and anticipation. Jon felt so bad he tried and tried to figure out how we could go to Denver to catch the show but it just didn't work out. I really started to analyze why it was such a big deal. Here is my explanation, which will also clarify why I love the NEW New Kids so much.

Everyone gets worn out with the duties and responsibilities of their lives. Everyone needs a break here and there, a little escape. I feel this is especially true for mothers.

The New Kids are seriously so brilliant in their marketing. They KNOW their fan base so well. They know we are mostly 30 something moms and wives who crave validation. The concert is really not about the music, although the music is truly GOOD, it's about the experience. The message you get is this: "You are a beautiful, interesting, fun, exciting woman. I notice you...for YOU, not just for your kids and family, but as an individual." It makes you feel young and free again. Takes you back to the days before life got so complicated and you took on so many responsibilities. So many people want that. Going to a New Kids concert with fun friends is a totally safe, acceptable, fun way to get it.

So, getting a phone call from my HUSBAND about my sick CHILD was so opposite of the experience I was seeking. It was a huge reality check! "You are a MOM! You can never walk away from that obligation even if you want to because that is where your HEART is. You are in your 30's (so OLD), you are PREGNANT (so NOT sexy). You belong at home with your family not here."

It's taken me some time to come to terms with that. Maybe it's knowing that in a few short weeks I will have a new little one to take care of and will REALLY be tied down for a while. But what I know to be true is that this time in life goes so fast. My babies grow up. I wouldn't give up motherhood for anything. There is a time for everything, including rock concerts, and right now is my time to ENJOY being a mother, no matter how I try to fight it! : )

P.S. I also believe that pregnant moms can feel just as young, fun, and sexy as ANYONE else!