the undate night and fifth seizure

It started on Friday.  I made plans with a friend's daughter to watch the kids for just three hours on Sunday early evening.  We would be back in time to put our bundles to bed.  The sitter was booked and I surprised My Love on Saturday with the news that I was planning our date.

Sunday morning after church we got to talking about finances and both (mostly me because I'm cheap like that) decided that it would probably be smarter if we waited until after pay day to spend the money.  "We could spend the afternoon painting the hallway instead," I said as an alternative plan.  It had also been a long weekend for the kids being in childcare at our church during the marriage retreat we attended.  My Love agreed but was bummed after I told him what I had in store for our date night.  There will be an opportunity another time.

We fed the kids lunch and put them down to nap and then got to work.  We have become a good team in the wall painting department.  We each have our own jobs.  There really isn't much talking going on but it is strangely fun to spend the time doing it together.

A couple hours later the kids emerged from their naps and even helped some before we started cleaning up after our first coat of paint.  The hall looks great.  My Love sent me downstairs to start washing some rollers while he used up the rest of the paint in the pan.  I looked from the kitchen sink into the family room to find the kiddos both intently watching an episode of Dora the Explorer.  Babydoll was leaning backward in a weird angle and then suddenly slid off the leather couch onto the floor.  Brother didn't take his eyes off the TV.  I calmly walked into the room and called up to My Love, "Can you help me down here?!"  By God's grace he interpreted my masked sense of urgency and he came right down.  I had already scooped up my shaking daughter and carried her into the play room out of sight of her impressionable four year old brother.  I am still so thankful that after five seizures in six months, Brother has not seen one happen.  God is good.  My Love was by her side with me as soon as I placed her on the ground.  Her face was turning blue and we weren't sure she was breathing as she took some short shallow gasps while seizing.  Her fists curled up in balls and her arms were twisted.  I prayed out loud asking God to let it pass quickly.  A few seconds later her body went calm and limp.  Thank you, Jesus!  My Love kept talking to her trying to get her to answer him. "She's not there yet," I said.  "She IS there!" he insisted. 

My Love took her up to her bed and I scurried around to find the Motrin and Tylenol that we had taken on our recent trip and that were still not unpacked a week after returning.  The thermometer read 100.4 degrees and the wall clock was just after 4pm.

Babydoll would open her eyes from time to time with a scared look on her face like she didn't know what was going on but couldn't speak or move to interact with us.  I just knelt by her bed and whispered words of comfort.  Sometimes she would nod her head in reply but she did not have complete control of her body.  It didn't take long before I realized that had we kept our date plans this whole scenario would have played out just as I would have been off to pick up the sitter.  God is always good, people.  Always.  We were able to be home with our baby girl when she needed us and we even got a painted hallway out of a day's work.  His sovereign plans are always better.

45 minutes later I heard the sweetest word come from down the hall.  "Mom!" she said.  I went in to find my Babydoll sitting up with a groggy grin on her face.  She was back!

Tomorrow I hope to get her in to see her pediatrician.  Please pray for good rest for our Babydoll and a speedy recovery from whatever has caused her fever.